Top Cyber Security Experts to Gather to Address Oman’s Raising Cyber Security Concerns

World Cyber Security Summit is gearing up to virtually connect the most influential voices in Oman’s Cyber Security space. The summit that is taking place on 24 March 2021 features notable speakers including the likes of His Excellency Eng Redha Bin Juma Al Saleh, Ali Hassan Moosa, Maqbool Hm Yousuf Al Lawati & more.

Having hosted multiple high-level conferences across the world, World Cyber Security Summit (WCSS) has established itself as the World’s biggest and most-elite cyber security summit series. While it has proven itself as the quintessential cyber security event, WCSS has a reputation of getting global experts, cyber/info security experts and tech entrepreneurs – all under one roof consistently, edition after edition.

Oman has been on the rise to become a global tech innovation hub. The Sultanate of Oman is making huge strides towards achieving its 2030 Digital Oman Strategy, known as e-Oman. One of the sectors spearheading this has been Oman’s strong cyber security industry. The Authorities in Oman has sought to leverage Oman’s superior ranking in cyber security preparedness – regionally and globally – to build a thriving cyber security sector in the Sultanate.

With the increase in internet users, IoT devices, work from home/remote setups and inadequate cyber security awareness; Oman has seen a rise in cyber-attacks.

With this in mind, the event will focus on topics such as Government Cyber Security and defence strategies, Creating a Cyber Security Framework for Critical Assets and Critical Infrastructure, Zero-Trust Security framework, Digital workplace security: Creating a safe remote workplace and much more.

Taking place on 24 March 2021, #WCSSOman in partnership with Stellar Consultancy LLC and with Kaspersky on board as the headline sponsor, the event will feature expert keynotes, private networking sessions, secure audio-visual meetings & private meetings designed specifically to help drive meaningful interactions.

The summit will feature a ground-breaking collaboration of experts such as Laila Abdullah Al Hadhrami, Digital Transformation and Change Management Expert, Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology; Rasha Al Abdali, In-charge Director of Compliance, Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology; Shafeeq Al Ghailani, Senior IT Manager, Oman LNG LLC; Fatick Hussain Al Balushi, Chief Financial Officer, Oman Cement Company SAOG to name a few.

“World Cyber Security Summit will address the biggest cyber security challenges faced by enterprises in the MENA region as we have hand-picked thought leaders and experts from a broad range of industries. The event will also host technology providers specialised in cyber security to help organisations identify threat areas and suitable solutions to tackle them,” said Mithun Shetty, CEO of Trescon.

The show will be hosted on the virtual events platform Vmeets to help participants network and conduct business in an interactive and immersive virtual environment. Participants can also engage with speakers in Q&A sessions and network with solution providers in virtual exhibition booths, private consultation rooms and private networking rooms.

The Oman edition of the World Cyber Security Summit in partnership with Stellar Consultancy LLC is officially sponsored by Headline Sponsor – Kaspersky; Platinum Sponsor – Darktrace; Silver Sponsor – ManageEngine

About World Cyber Security Summit

World Cyber Security Summit is a thought-leadership driven, business-focused initiative that provides a platform for CISOs who are looking to explore new-age threats and the technologies/strategies to mitigate them.

To register visit – World Cyber Security Summit – Oman (https://oman.worldcybersecuritysummit.com/free-pass-registration)

For further details, please contact:
Karthik A
Marketing Lead
marketing@tresconglobal.com

Agilex Biolabs Showcases Advanced Immunoassay and Immunobiology Services at Bio-Europe Spring 2021

Agilex Biolabs, Australia’s largest and most technologically advanced specialist bioanalytical laboratory for clinical trials, today announced it will showcase its world-class immunoassay and immunobiology services for regulated bioanalysis at Bio-Europe 2021.

Dr Kurt J. Sales Agilex Biolabs’ Director Immunoassay said:

“Our experienced team can develop or transfer a method for any biologic to support pre-clinical GLP or clinical studies. Our world-class laboratories feature state-of-the-art equipment including Gyrolab Xplore, MSD Quickplex 120, Luminex Magpix, BD FACSymphony A3 flow cytometer and soon to be released, digital droplet quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Our scientists have expertise and experience to solve the most complex immunogenicity and drug tolerance issues, often encountered in immuno-oncology studies in both an early phase and later phase setting.”

Agilex Biolabs also features a rebate of up to 43.5% on clinical trial bioanalytical services spend as part of the Australian Government clinical trial attraction program.

Learn more: Take a briefing with our Scientists at Bio-Europe via PartneringOne. Login Here https://informaconnect.com/bio-europe-virtual/

Or Book a Briefing with us before you start your next clinical trialhttps://calendly.com/agilexbiolabs/15min

Agilex Biolabs also has the leading certifications including OECD GLP Recognition with NATA (Australian Government OECD GLP Compliance monitoring authority) and ISO 17025 Accreditation for global recognition.

Australian clinical trials have remained open for business and Agilex Biolabs is a designated essential service so clients can be assured of study continuity.

Australia has led the world in keeping COVID-19 numbers down to almost zero across the country by acting swiftly to minor outbreaks.

The company has recently expanded its labs by more than 30% to accommodate biotech demand from APAC, EU and the USA. Watch the New Labs Walkthrough Video Here https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/new-labs-video

Agilex Biolabs has more than 100 staff which includes 75 dedicated laboratory staff.

About Agilex Biolabs https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/

Agilex Biolabs, Australia’s leading bioanalytical laboratory, has more than 24 years’ experience in performing regulated bioanalysis, including quality method development, method validation and sample analysis services. We have successfully supported hundreds of preclinical and clinical trials around the world where customers choose Australia for the streamlined regulatory process and access to the world’s most attractive R&D rebate of more than 40% on clinical trial work conducted in Australia.

We offer services for both small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity (PD) and biomarker bioanalysis utilising the two platforms of LC-MS/MS and Immunoassay.

Agilex Biolabs Media Contact:
Kate Newton
Media@AgilexBiolabs.com

#ContinuumBlockLegs – March Continuum Blockchain Legislation Summit

Continuum Market and Kristina Bruhahn present #ContinuumBlockLegs March Blockchain Legislation Summit, the global virtual summit monthly meeting series with upcoming dates kicking off Friday, March 19th, aims to foster U.S. State & Federal Bipartisanship and Global Cross-Border policy discussions and consensus to create safe harbors of commerce in blockchain.

Bring your curiosity and connect with a global community through breakout sessions and networking receptions. Participate in main stage content and roundtables on blockchain policy, blockchain brands and product offerings, and the latest in blockchain and cryptocurrency investing.

Participants will have the opportunity to listen to innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and blockchain brands on the frontlines who have developed solutions to global issues at scale addressing payment gateway policy shaping the global economy, education, food security, climate change, space exploration, and more.

United in the mission to create safe lanes of commerce faster than legislation has ever been crafted before, trusted blockchain brands actively want to work with State and Federal Legislators throughout the fast-paced 2021 docket.

Continuum World Virtual Expo Hall and Virtual Reality networking ecosystems exist to expedite these critical conversations and connect to blockchain consumers.

Expo Booths and Roundtables are available all weekend to foster discourse and collaboration.

This Global Cross-Border and US Bipartisanship inclusive event is brought to you by #DoRealGood and #Continuum3000.

Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/ContinuumBlockLegsMarch. Sign up today!

Our audience consists of all levels of Blockchain Interested Consumers; Wall Street, Fund of Funds, Blockchain Brands, Blockchain Legislation & Thought Leaders, Crypto Celebrities, Blockchain Newbies, Blockchain Accredited Education and more.

Continuum Market evaluates Blockchain products called Cryptocurrencies, identifying their underlying asset attributes and resulting behaviors in consumer adoption and trading markets.

For three years, Continuum Markets has identified Crypto Correlations to Global & US economy indicators such as VIX, Nasdaq 100, SP 500, Libor, Nikkei 225, Futures & Open Interest, GDP for US, EU, Brexit, China, GCC/MENA, Precious Metals, Edible & Non-Edible Commodities. Dashboards & APIs coming in Q2 2021.

Continuum uses data science and natural language processing to create beautiful and easy to understand dashboards and analytics so you can benefit from our insights.

For more information visit www.continuum.market

SCCG Management and Netacea Bring Leading Bot Protection Technology to North American iGaming Industry

Stephen Crystal, Founder of SCCG Management, announced today a partnership with Manchester-based Netacea to bring its industry-leading bot detection and mitigation technology to the rapidly expanding US iGaming industry, including online and mobile sports wagering.

Stephen Crystal said of the partnership: “Account takeover, odds scraping and arbitrage betting are real threats to the gaming industry. Because attackers can easily automate these exploits, they can come after organizations inexpensively and at scale. We understand that the iGaming, online, and mobile sports wagering industry is just beginning to build a presence across the United States. Now is the time to look at our defensive strategies against cyber attackers seeking to take advantage of our relatively new infrastructures and operators. We can put Netacea’s bot mitigation technology in our partners’ hands to intelligently control unwanted traffic and prioritize legitimate users, right now, where it is most needed.”

Netacea’s Intent Analytics engine quickly and accurately distinguishes bots from humans, to protect against malicious automated threats, such as credential stuffing, odds scraping, and bonus abuse. This technology is quickly implemented and supports a range of integrations to secure your website, mobile apps, and APIs, while equipping businesses to make informed decisions using actionable intelligence and expert support.

Joe Murray, Sales and Marketing Director, said: “Netacea is excited to be partnering with SCCG to bring industry-leading bot management technology to the rapidly growing US gaming market. This is a lucrative market for fraudsters using scraping and credential stuffing techniques to target gaming organizations, and Netacea is uniquely placed to solve this problem.”

About SCCG Management

SCCG Management is a consultancy that specializes in sports betting, iGaming, sports marketing, affiliate marketing, technology, intellectual property protection, product commercialization, eSports, capital formation, M&A, joint ventures, casino management, and governmental and legal affairs for the casino and iGaming industry.

About Netacea

Netacea has a mission to harness artificial intelligence’s power to protect and optimize all of the world’s biggest websites.

CONTACT
Stephen A. Crystal
SCCG Management
+1 702-427-9354
stephen.crystal@sccgmanagement.com

Source: Plato Data Intelligence (bit.ly/3cy85aB)

Tech and Government Leaders Unite to Drive the Future of AI in Indonesia at World AI Show

Indonesia played host to the most content-rich virtual conference on artificial intelligence last Thursday. The Jakarta edition of World AI Show convened over 450 online attendees from the major stakeholders of the Indonesian AI ecosystem. The conference was supported by Kominfo and Jakarta Smart City to explore and drive more digital business opportunities in Indonesia’s budding AI market.

The event succeeded in connecting Indonesia’s top government officials, technologists and global AI players such as Microsoft, Dataiku and more.

World AI Show was hosted on the newly launched virtual events platform, Vmeets that provided an immersive digital experience for participants to engage in keynotes, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, technology use-cases, industry solutions, applied AI showcases and the latest go-to-market innovations.

Some of the top speakers who joined the conference included Asril Jarin, Coordinator of Artificial Intelligence Department – PTIK, Agency of Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Government; Dwi Elfrida Simanungkalit, Sub Coordinator of Development of e-Services for Local government Department of Communications and Informatics, Kemkominfo; Juan Intan Kanggrawan, Head of Data Analytics, Jakarta Smart City; Dr Lukas, Co-founder and Chairperson, Indonesia AI Society; Alex Hubert RVP Sales Engineering Dataiku, APAC; Karthikeyan Rajashekaran, Senior Director, Data and AI Solution Sales, Microsoft; Alex Hoehl, Senior Director, Partner Channel Sales & Business Development, Denodo, APAC Indonesia to name a few.

Highlights and key takeaways from World AI Show

Asril Jarin, Coordinator of Artificial Intelligence Department – PTIK, Agency of Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Government, Indonesia said, “I believe the successful implementation of national AI strategy will be able to help the digital transformation in all sectors, both public and private in Indonesia.”

Karthikeyan Rajashekaran, Senior Director at Microsoft, Indonesia, stated, “Technology has always been a force multiplier for change especially in challenging times. AI is at the forefront of helping organizations navigate the new reality and thrive.”

The event also featured a panel discussion on combining to create Smart and high-performance Governments that covered key areas such as ‘How AI can help governments and policymakers to make data-driven decisions deal with pandemics?’

Alex Hubert, RVP, Sales Engineering for Dataiku, APAC gave a tech talk on ‘Scaling AI in Banking’, and spoke at length regarding challenges the banking world in Indonesia has ahead of them.

World AI Show also featured an insightful session on How Cloud Technologies, AI, Ml are helping us deal with the pandemic.

The Jakarta edition of World AI Show Jakarta was officially sponsored by Platinum Sponsor – Tech Data and Dataiku; Gold Sponsors – Microsoft and Denodo; Silver Sponsors – ManageEngine, Sinergi Wahana Gemilang and Intetics and supported by Kominfo and Jakarta Smart City.

About World AI Show

World AI Show is a thought-leadership-driven, business-focused, global series of events taking place in strategic locations across the world. It connects top AI experts, enterprises, government representatives, data scientists, technology leaders, startups, investors, researchers, academicians, and global AI innovators – to discuss the impact of AI on commercial applications and the revolutionary ways it can transform businesses and government functions.

For more information visit: tresconglobal.com/conferences/ai

For further details about the announcement, please contact:
Genevive D’souza
Corporate Communications Manager
marketing@tresconglobal.com

CropLife Asia’s ‘Drone for Pesticide Application’ Online Forum draws Asian Policymakers and Global Experts

A first-of-its-kind virtual conference on drone use for pesticide application in Asia concluded this week after three days of dialogue and discussion among stakeholders from across the food supply chain. The event focused on perspectives ranging from those of regional governments, manufacturers as well as commercial adopters, and experts in the field forecasting future innovations.

“OUR INDUSTRY TAKES SERIOUSLY ITS COMMITMENT TO ENSURE RESPONSIBLE USE OF PLANT SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES. DRONES ARE A NEW TOOL THAT CAN SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN THAT EFFORT – AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PLAY A TRANSFORMATIVE ROLE IN ASIAN AGRICULTURE,” SAID MR. GUSTAVO PALEROSI-CARNERIO, CROPLIFE ASIA PRESIDENT.

“As with any innovation, the most critical components are the best practices that reflect responsible use and the policies that underpin them. Through this week’s conference, we’ve heard vital insights from agricultural drone use experts in these areas and what the future may hold. We look forward to continuing these constructive conversations, and working with regulators and other key stakeholders across the food supply chain to help deliver drone use for pesticide application in Asia that is conducted responsibly.”

Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly being used by large and small-scale farmers globally. This includes use for mapping, crop surveillance and scouting, pesticide application, and monitoring both irrigation as well as grazing livestock. According to a recent Industry ARC report, “Agricultural Drones Market – Forecast (2021-2026)”, the market for agricultural drones is projected to reach more than $5.8 billion by 2026.

In Asia, the use of drones for pesticide application is rapidly growing in popularity due to the advantages it provides, namely: efficiency with use of inputs; enhanced spray precision; reduced water consumption; and less dependence on labor, resulting in lower associated costs.

“As food and agricultural stakeholders, we all have a duty to ensure our region’s farmers are enabled and empowered to grow the nutritious crops on which we depend – and help deliver a food supply for Asia that is safe, secure and sustainable,” commented Dr. Siang Hee Tan, CropLife Asia Executive Director.

“When used responsibly, drone technology can be a game-changer for Asia’s smallholder farmers. However, it’s critical that the growth in agricultural drone use in our region is matched by an expansion of sound and science-based regulations to support their responsible use. By bringing together a broad array of government and private sector stakeholders, this week’s forum was a substantial step forward on that front.”

Asia is home to the smallest-sized farms and the largest number of smallholder farmers in the world. It’s estimated that 85% of the world’s 525 million smallholder farmers live and work within our continent. These growers face unique challenges in comparison with larger commercial farmers – landholder rights, access to finance, labor shortages, and availability of technology among them. With COVID-19 having an exacerbating effect on many of these and other obstacles Asia’s smallholders face, drone use with pesticide application has the potential to benefit these growers by helping drive production and sustainability at the same time.

CropLife Asia’s Drone for Pesticide Application Online Forum was conducted 8-10 March and brought together virtually technology experts and sector stakeholders from across Asia and around the globe. The three-day conference was structured to convey and grow: common understanding of drone benefits to sustainability as well as farmers’ safety and productivity; strong cross-sector partnership between government and industry; and an open exchange of knowledge and best practices to manage risks and concerns.

A total of seven sessions were conducted during the forum to guide the discussion on a range of topics. From the “government” perspective, this included sessions on: Digital transformation and its impact on government agricultural policies; Regulatory frameworks for pesticide application by drone around Asia Pacific; and Safety Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for pesticide application by drone. Sessions focusing on the “field” perspective included: R&D – Technology enablers for pesticide application by drone; and Commercial adoption of drone for pesticide application in APAC. Lastly, capturing the “future” perspective were sessions on: Emerging technological advancements in drone for pesticide application; and Roundtable – Future collaborations to drive best practices in the region.

For additional details regarding the Forum, including a full roster of moderators and panelists who participated, please consult the Events section of the CropLife Asia website.

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by six member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.

For more information please contact:
Duke Hipp
Director, Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships
CropLife Asia
duke.hipp@croplifeasia.org

China Securities initiates coverage on YEAHKA LIMITED (9923.HK) with BUY

Chinese investment bank China Securities initiates coverage on YEAHKA LIMITED (9923) with a BUY rating.

In the initiation research report headlined “A Technology-enabled, Industry-leading Mobile Payment Company”, China Securities equity research analyst Ran Zhao is bullish on Yeahka’s addressable market, recognizing the Company’s core competitiveness as “product + channel + ecosystem”.

Key takeaways from the research report include:

Competitive landscape: Market concentration likely to increase
– UnionPay, Lakala and Yeahka are the leading players among third-party non-financial payment service providers. While Yeahka is slightly behind the two peers in terms of transaction volume, it has a larger number of transaction counts. China Securities’ research estimates the market share of these three leading players in China is no more than 30%.

Entry barriers: Limited number of payment licenses
– There are only 31 non-financial payment service providers with national payment licenses in China up to date, of which 16 own a mobile payment license. It is expected that the PBOC will not issue additional payment licenses with ongoing heightened regulatory scrutiny.

Industry outlook: RMB 10 billion+ market ahead
– Increasing penetration of integrated QR code payments could boost one-stop mobile payment services. According to statistics from iResearch and other third-party sources, integrated QR code payment transactions currently accounted for approximately 30% of offline QR code payment transactions, with an average annual transaction volume of more than RMB 200 trillion. Assuming an average payment take rate is 1.5%o, and the market penetration increases 10%, the incremental market size will be RMB 30 billion.
– Yeahka’s technology-enabled business will benefit from the increasing penetration of SaaS. According to China Securities’ conservative estimates, assuming 50% of the 60 million Chinese merchants nationwide purchased SaaS products or services at an annual subscription rate of RMB 1,000, the market size will be RMB 30 billion.

Core competitiveness: product + channel + ecosystem
– Product: as an independent third-party service provider, Yeahka offers SaaS products to help merchants connect with diversified payment, marketing and financial platforms, giving alternative option rather than having to pick between two internet giants.
– Disctribuiton channel: Yeahka’s distribution network spans 8000 partners and more than 300 cities in China. Its payment services served around 4.7 million merchant customers and 491.9 million consumers as of June 30, 2020.
– Ecosystem: Yeahka’s SaaS products developed for merchants include a suite of one-stop payment services, shop operation services and marketing services. The number of technology-enabled service customers reached 585,000 in the first half of 2020.

Chin Hin Group Property to acquire 45% stake in Aima Construction for RM31.5 million

Chin Hin Group Property Berhad (CHGP; 7187), a Bursa Main Market listed company primarily involved in assembly and sales of new and rebuilt commercial vehicles as well as property development, announced today its proposed acquisition of 45% equity in Aima Construction Sdn Bhd (“Aima”), signifying its interest to venture into the construction industry.

Aima has an established track record spanning over three decades mainly doing construction work for mid-rise and landed properties, completing approximately RM1.7 billion worth of projects since its inception. It is also a Grade 7 contractor registered with Construction Industry Development Board and is principally engaged in the business of construction, contractors, subcontractors. Its total order book value currently stands at RM320 million.

According to a filing with Bursa Malaysia, CHGP entered into a conditional share sale agreement with Uniplaza Sdn Bhd for the proposed acquisition of ordinary shares in Aima representing an equity interest of 45% for a consideration of RM31.5 million which will be fully satisfied via allotment and issuance of up to 35,795,400 new ordinary shares in CHGP at an issue price of RM0.88 per Consideration Share.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Proposed Acquisition is expected to be completed by the third quarter of year 2021.

CHGP Executive Director Mr Chiau Haw Choon said: “Following the Proposed Acquisition, Aima will become an associate company of CHGP, and this will allow us to have an indirect access to the on-going and future projects of Aima. In addition, it will accelerate CHGP’s expansion plan without an initial cash outlay as the Purchase Consideration will be fully satisfied via allotment and issuance of Consideration Shares. Ultimately, our goal is to transform CHGP into a major property and construction player – therefore this corporate exercise fits into our strategy perfectly.”

He added that Aima will also be able to tap into CHGP’s vast network in the property and construction industry to boost its construction orderbook.

Meanwhile, Aima Managing Director Mr Khor Ken Yeon stated: “This is a historic day for Aima, as we formally announce our desire to join forces with CHGP and take our business to new heights. Synergistic benefits are expected to arise from the Proposed Acquisition as both CHGP and Aima are operating in and servicing the same industry, ie the property development industry and construction industry. Especially in regard to CHGP’s plans to launch RM3.73 billion worth of projects in the coming years, we can expect to see significant participation from our end as construction work for properties has been our forte for several decades.”

To recap, CHGP announced on 8 February 2021 its plans to spend RM268 million to acquire 81.9 acres of land in the Klang Valley to develop five different property projects. It aims to generate RM3.73 billion in gross development value (GDV) from on-going and future developments in the next two years.

CHGP has two ongoing projects – Aera Residence and 8th & Stellar. Aera Residence is a serviced apartment project in Petaling Jaya, with an estimated GDV of RM332 million. Meanwhile, 8th & Stellar is a two-tower mixed-use development comprising serviced apartments, duplex lofts, office space and shoplots on a 2.2-acre leasehold tract in Sri Petaling. Its estimated gross development value is RM470 million. The take-up rate for both projects currently stand at 98% and 69% respectively.

Issued by: Sense Consultancy on behalf of Chin Hin Group Property Berhad

For further media enquiries please contact:
Anthony Lee
Tel: +6012 338 3705
Email: anthony@leesense.com

Jaz Ng
Tel: +6012 202 0096
Email: jaz@leesense.com

Size matters: Bimodal imaging receives nanoparticle enhancement

Scientists have found a way to control the size of special nanoparticles to optimize their use for both magnetic resonance and near-infrared imaging. Their approach could help surgeons use the same nanoparticles to visualize tumours just before and then during surgery using the two different imaging techniques. Their findings were published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

“Magnetic resonance imaging is routinely used in pre-operative diagnosis, while surgeons have started using near-infrared fluorescence imaging during surgical procedures,” says nanobiotechnologist Kyohei Okubo of Tokyo University of Science. “Our nanoparticle probes could provide a bimodality that will be clinically appealing to medical device researchers and doctors.”

Ceramic nanoparticles made with the rare earth metals ytterbium (Yb) and erbium (Er) have demonstrated low toxicity and prolonged near-infrared luminescence, showing promise as a contrast agent in MRI scans and a fluorescing agent for near-infrared fluorescence imaging. Images of blood vessels and organs in live bodies can be obtained with the two imaging techniques by further modifying the nanoparticle surfaces with polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based polymers. But to improve image resolution, scientists need to have more control over nanoparticle size during the fabrication process.

Okubo and his colleagues used a step-by-step fabrication process that starts with mixing rare earth oxides in water and trifluoracetic acid. The mixture is heated to form a solid. Then it is dissolved in solution, oleic acid is added and gas is removed. So-called rare-earth-doped ceramic nanoparticles form when this solution is cooled.

A few more steps lead to the coating of the nanoparticle surfaces with PEG. The scientists found they could slow the growth rate of the nanoparticles by increasing their concentration before the coating process. This allowed them to form nanoparticles 15 and 45 nanometres in diameter.

The team conducted a series of tests to examine the properties of their nanoparticles. They found that they could be used for obtaining high-quality images of blood vessels in live mice using MRI and near-infrared fluorescence imaging techniques. Further tests showed the nanoparticles exhibited minimal toxicity on mouse fibroblast cells when used in low concentrations. They also have a short half-life, meaning they would be cleared relatively quickly from the body, making them safe for clinical use.

The team next aims to investigate how different distributions of paramagnetic ions on the nanoparticles affect their magnetic properties. They also aim to study whether modifications made to the nanoparticles could make them applicable for use in light-based ‘photodynamic’ therapies for treating skin cancers and acne, for example.

Further information
Kyohei Okubo
Tokyo University of Science
Email: kyohei.okubo@rs.tus.ac.jp

About Science and Technology of Advanced Materials Journal

Open access journal STAM publishes outstanding research articles across all aspects of materials science, including functional and structural materials, theoretical analyses, and properties of materials.

Chikashi Nishimura
STAM Publishing Director
Email: NISHIMURA.Chikashi@nims.go.jp

Press release distributed by ResearchSEA for Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

No. 1 in Fujian! RMB 880 Million of Import and Export of Agricultural and Fishery Products at Pingtan Port in 2020

On February 9, according to Pingtan Customs, the import and export value of aquatic products, fruits and other agricultural and fishery products in Pingtan in 2020 reached RMB 880 million, ranking the first in Fujian, with a year-on-year growth of 31.52%.

In May 2019, the Experimental Area formulated the Measures on Encouraging the Import of Agricultural and Fishery Products in Taiwan (Trial Implementation); in June, it established an online trading platform for the cross-strait agricultural and fishery products to enable farmers, agricultural and fishery associations and cross-strait trading enterprises in Taiwan to start their one-stop cross-border transactions, with a turnover of over RMB 30 million in one month.

At present, “Three Lines in Parallel” – transport lines from Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung to Pingtan have gone into the normal operation; based on the online trading platform for cross-strait agricultural and fishery products, such supporting services as cross-border transactions, purchase and pre-sale of Taiwan-made agricultural and fishery products are provided. The cross-strait shipping, inspection and declaration, cold chain storage, trade arbitration and other supporting services will also be gradually provided in the days to come to create a full chain for such products.

Pingtan is committed to creating a “fast track” for the import and export of agricultural and fishery products. For this reason, Pingtan Customs has launched a series of policies to open up a “green channel” for them to provide “7×24 hours extra work appointment”, and 24h available “online + offline” customs clearance services, and guide enterprises to make use of convenient and rapid customs clearance modes such as “two-step declaration” and “early declaration” to ensure “5+2” whole-week customs clearance and smooth “landing” of agricultural and fishery products.

Early in the outbreak last year, Pingtan Customs took the lead in introducing 15 measures to support enterprises to resume work and production and to exempt consignor and consignee from being present at the examination of goods, establish a “one-to-one” support mechanism of “one policy for one enterprise, and one case for an event”, coordinate in solution to the problems such as misclassification of imported honey tangerine, reduce extended logistics costs, verify declaration of lists, and provide policy consultation and special services during the pandemic.

According to the introduction, Pingtan Customs will fully cooperate with Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Area to seek for the support to make Pingtan a national cold chain logistics backbone city, promote the construction of the second phase of the Pingtan Haixi Quarantine Center, make agricultural and fishery products industry a stronger and better industry, boost Pingtan to build up into a distribution center for Taiwan agricultural and fishery products into the mainland of China, and promote it to become the “first choice” pilot area for Taiwan people and enterprises.

Media Contact
Lisa Wu
lisa_wu916@163.com
http://www.customs.gov.cn/fuzhou_customs/484123/484124/3545998/index.html