Pig liver implanted in human for first time
Pigs have emerged as the best animal organ donors, with several living patients in the United States having received pig kidneys or hearts in the last few years.
Livers have proved trickier -- and had not previously been tested out inside a human body. But with a huge and growing demand for liver donations across the world, researchers hope that gene-edited pigs can offer at least temporary relief to seriously ill patients on long waiting lists.
Doctors at the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi'an, China, announced the field's latest breakthrough in a study in the journal Nature.
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Express Tribune
15 minutes ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistan launches new remote sensing satellite from China
Pakistan successfully launched its latest remote sensing satellite from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Centre (XSLC), said the foreign ministry on Thursday. The launch was carried out by SUPARCO, Pakistan's national space agency, in collaboration with the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) and MICROSAT China. China on Thursday successfully launched a Kuaizhou-1A carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan, sending a remote-sensing satellite of Pakistan into the planned orbit. This marks the 29th flight of the Kuaizhou-1A carrier rocket. — China Science (@ChinaScience) July 31, 2025 The ministry said the satellite would significantly enhance Pakistan's capacity for high-resolution, round-the-clock Earth observation. It will support a range of areas, including disaster management, urban planning, environmental protection, agricultural monitoring, food security, climate change analysis, and water resource management. 🔊PR NO.2️⃣2️⃣2️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ Pakistan Successfully Launches Remote Sensing Satellite. 🔗⬇️ — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 31, 2025 The satellite is part of an integrated Earth observation system and is expected to boost Pakistan's socio-economic development and sustainability efforts. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar lauded the engineers and technical teams from SUPARCO and its Chinese partners for their 'exemplary cooperation and unwavering commitment.' 'This achievement reaffirms Pakistan's standing in the community of spacefaring nations,' the Foreign Office statement said. Officials say the satellite will also improve early warning systems and help respond to environmental risks more effectively. Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal also congratulated the nation on the successful launch, calling it 'another proud moment' for the country. In a post on his official X handle, he said the achievement reflects the dedication and excellence of SUPARCO's team and marks a new milestone for Pakistan's space programme. 🇵🇰✨ Alhamdulillah! Another URAAN of Pakistan! With the successful launch of our 4th Earth Observation Satellite from XiChang, China, Pakistan Space Programme has once again soared to new heights. 🚀 Congratulations to the people of Pakistan! Today marks another proud moment for… — Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) July 31, 2025 'This accomplishment not only strengthens our space exploration capabilities but also takes the Pakistan–China iron brotherhood beyond the skies,' Iqbal noted.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Robots play drums, serve drinks at China expo
Serving craft beer, playing mahjong, stacking shelves and boxing, the dozens of humanoid robots at Shanghai's World AI Conference (WAIC) this weekend were embodiments of China's growing AI prowess and ambition. The annual event is primed at showcasing China's progress in the ever-evolving field of artificial intelligence, with the government aiming to position the country as a world leader on both technology and regulation as it snaps at the United States' heels. Organisers said the forum involved more than 800 companies, showcasing over 3,000 products - the undeniable crowd pleasers being the humanoid robots and their raft of slightly surreal party tricks. Opening the event on Saturday, Premier Li Qiang announced China would set up a new organisation for cooperation on AI governance, warning the benefits of development must be balanced with the risks. But in the cavernous expo next door, the mood was more giddy than concerned. "Demand is currently very strong, whether in terms of data, scenarios, model training, or artificial construction. The overall atmosphere in all these areas is very lively," said Yang Yifan, R&D director at Transwarp, a Shanghai-based AI platform provider. At one booth, a robot played drums, half a beat out of time, to Queen's We Will Rock You while a man in safety goggles and a security vest hyped up a giggling crowd. Other droids, some dressed in working overalls or baseball caps, manned assembly lines, played curling with human opponents or sloppily served soft drinks from a dispenser. While most of the machines on display were still a little jerky, the increasing sophistication year-on-year was clear to see. The Chinese government has poured support into robotics, an area in which some experts think China might already have the upper hand over the United States. At Hangzhou-based Unitree's stall, its G1 android - around 130 centimetres (four feet) tall, with a two-hour battery life - kicked, pivoted and punched, keeping its balance with relative fluidity as it shadowboxed around a ring. Ahead of the conference's opening, Unitree announced it would launch a full-size humanoid, the R1, for under $6,000. Tech giant Baidu on Saturday announced a new generation of technology for its "digital humans" - AI agents modelled on real people, which it says are "capable of thinking, making decisions, and collaborating". For now, few visitors to the WAIC expo seemed worried about the potential ramifications of the back-flipping dog robots they were excitedly watching. "When it comes to China's AI development, we have a comparatively good foundation of data and also a wealth of application scenarios," said Transwarp's Yang. afp
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistan eyes improved disaster response with new satellite
Listen to article Pakistan is set to launch another remote‑sensing satellite from a Chinese launch centre next week, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) announced on Sunday. The satellite will enhance Earth observation capabilities to support national resource management and bolster disaster response systems. The new satellite, set to launch from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) on July 31, is expected to serve a broad range of national priorities — from precision agriculture and urban planning to infrastructure monitoring, transport network mapping, and hazard risk assessment. It will also bolster disaster preparedness by providing real-time alerts for floods, earthquakes, landslides, glacier melt, and deforestation. SUPARCO stated that integration of this satellite with PRSS‑1 (launched July 2018) and EO‑1 (January 2025) will reinforce Pakistan's space-based ecosystem under the National Space Policy and Vision 2047, aiming to position the country as a leader in regional space technology. Also Read: Land routes barred for Arbaeen pilgrims amid security concerns With versatile data-acquisition capacities under various environmental conditions, the satellite will be launched from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) under a bilateral space cooperation framework. Pakistan's space programme has witnessed several milestones in the last two years. In January 2025, China placed Pakistan's EO‑1 satellite in orbit, designed to enhance resource monitoring and disaster prediction. In May 2024, its first lunar satellite was deployed aboard China's Chang'e‑6 mission, and later plans include participation in China's Chang'e‑8 lunar exploration project.
