GUIYANG, China, July 16, 2021 — Stick to the policy of green development and undertake the road to spectacular modern agriculture in mountainous areas
Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2021
On July 13, the agricultural session of the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2021 – Smart Agriculture Boosts Agricultural Innovation and Green Leading the Industry’s Future was held in Guiyang, according to Guizhou Provincial Agriculture and Rural Affairs Department. Well-known experts, scholars and industry leaders from home and abroad discussed topics such as the status qua of global food security, the development of green Eco-industry against the background of rural revitalization, smart agriculture leading the sustainable development of green agriculture, and the road to green development of modern mountainous features and efficient agriculture.
In recent years, Guizhou has followed the thought of ecological civilization, insisted on ecological development, always put green development in the entire process of agricultural development, and kept on the track of modern mountainous characteristics and high-efficiency agricultural development.
Guizhou has now firmly followed the green concept, implemented the strategy of big ecology, and promoted the conversion of cultivated land to forests. Guizhou promotes the overall management of landscapes, forests, fields, lakes and grasses and gives full play to resource advantages, expand green industries and insists on ecological industrialization so that it can improve standards system and brand more green products.
Guizhou has formulated ecological norms and standards covering various industries. It also promotes green development through scientific and technological innovation, and implements the "Internet +" and enterprise integration development efforts. Guizhou improves its the prevention and control mechanism, consolidates the green foundation, develops its circular agriculture, so that it has become the first province in China to banning the use of water-soluble pesticides.
Nowadays, smart agriculture in Guizhou is emerging, and the green industry is gaining momentum. In the undertaking of rural revitalization, Guizhou has embarked on a new journey to developing modern and high-efficiency agriculture with mountainous characteristics. Colorful Guizhou has a great potential to tap in green agriculture and green industries.
to Enhance Potential of Digital Startups to Develop Right Solutions for Sustainable Smart Cities, Livable Future
BANGKOK, July 16, 2021 — TheDigital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), Thailand, teamed up with Techsauce Media to launch the depa Smart City Accelerator Program BATCH 2 to search for digital startups to work collaboratively with key smart city leaders to acknowledge problems and discuss regulatory framework, factors and demand before developing solutions that can better deal with problems of a particular city slated for smart city development. The smart city accelerator program aims to create livable and smart cities to improve the quality of life for Thai people. It also aims for all participating digital startup firms to get new knowledge, hands-on experience, and opportunities to further drive their business operations.
depa and Techsauce team up to launch “depa Smart City Accelerator Program Batch 2” in Thailand to Enhance Potential of Digital Startups to Develop Right Solutions for Sustainable Smart Cities, Livable Future.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President/CEO of Digital Economy Promotion Agency said H.E. Mr. Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), Thailand, as chair of the National Smart City Steering Sub-committee, instructed depa to accelerate the progress on smart city development, depa in collaboration with the Digital Startup Institute and Techsauce Media, the leader in tech knowledge sharing platform and digital startup community in Southeast Asia, kicked off the depa Smart City Accelerator Program BATCH 2 after achieving an amazing accomplishment in launching the inaugural depa Smart City Accelerator Program last year.
"depa Smart City Accelerator Program is the first of its kind in ASEAN that serves as a bridge to connect digital startups with demand for urban development. For this year’s smart city accelerator program, 25 digital startups that have been selected by the judge panel will have to attend an orientation workshop prior to taking action and working with representatives of cities that are slated for smart city development. They will acknowledge the on-site problems, factors, and inputs before coming up with solutions to those challenges using digital technologies and innovations to develop a smart city through the Proof of Concept (POC). The digital technologies and innovations will be leveraged to solve the right problems in five urban areas that received smart city promotion certificates and Thailand Smart City logo. Five projected smart cities are Samyan Neighborhood – Bangkok, Wangchan Valley – Rayong, Mae Mo District – Lampang, Khon Kaen and Phuket. They will be leveled up to be livable and safe cities with efficient waste and environmental management and modern infrastructure that can improve the quality of life of all residents in each smart city in the new-normal lifestyle after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to move forward to becoming fully fledged smart cities,"president/CEO of depa said.
Ms. Oranuch Lerdsuwankij, CEO and Co-Founder of Techsauce Media said the depa Smart City Accelerator Program BATCH 2 will provide participating Thai digital startups with valuable knowledge and good experience through taking action in the real-world experiment and development by working collaboratively with experts and relevant agencies to develop smart cities. The smart city accelerator program will present them with opportunities to expand their businesses to tap customers in the public and private sectors. It is a bridge linking investors and business partners as it helps improve the image and reputation of Thailand’s digital industry in the region. Techsauce Media highly hopes that this landmark collaboration will play a vital role in driving smart urban development and efficiently improving the quality of life of the public. Techsauce Media would like to thank depa for all support and partners in the public and private sectors for cooperation to move forward the depa Smart City Accelerator Program to attain the central goals and objectives as planned.
The digital-driven solutions and work of digital startups that will be used in smart city development under the depa Smart City Accelerator Program will be exhibited on the depa Accelerator Demo Day online showcase program. Any solutions that receive a proven success, the winning digital startups will get a cash prize of 300,000 baht each for use to further develop their businesses, including the chance to grow globally. The applications for the depa Smart City Accelerator Program BATCH 2 run until August 1, 2021. Stay in touch with the latest updates on the depa Smart City Accelerator Program BATCH 2 at www.depa.or.th or depa Thailand Facebook page.
For more information, The Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) Tel. +66-2026-2333 Email. sta@depa.or.th
TSUKUBA, Japan, July 15, 2021 — A team at WPI-MANA has succeeded in the direct growth of h-BN-capped germanene on the surface of silver Ag(111). They believe this could be a promising technique for the fabrication of germanene-based electronic devices in the future.
The WPI-MANA group grew the germanene at interfaces of graphene/Ag(111) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)/Ag(111) by segregating germanium atoms. A simple annealing process in nitrogen (N2) or hydrogen/argon (H/Ar) at ambient pressure led to the formation of germanene, which indicated that ultrahigh-vacuum conditions are not necessary in this process. The resulting germanene was stable in air and uniform over the entire area covered with a van der Waals (vdW) material.
Germanene is one of a group of elements with two-dimensional honeycomb lattices, such as silicene, stanene and plumbene, which are collectively known as Xenes. These substances have electronic properties similar to those of graphene, including extremely high carrier mobility. In contrast to graphene, however, the honeycomb-lattice crystal structure of Xenes is not flat, but buckled, which results in their bandgaps being controllable by applying an electric field. Such bandgap controllability would provide a way to overcome the problem of gapless graphene for future electronic device applications. Thus, the utilization of Xenes in electronics is highly desirable.
In another important finding, the group discovered it was necessary to use a vdW material as a cap layer for their germanene growth method, since the use of an Al2O3 cap layer resulted in no germanene formation.
The results also prove that Raman spectroscopy in air is a powerful tool for characterizing germanene at an interface.
This research was carried out by Seiya Suzuki, ICYS Research Fellow (International Center for Young Scientists, ICYS-NAMIKI), Tomonobu Nakayama, Deputy Director (WPI-MANA) and their collaborators.
"Direct Growth of Germanene at Interfaces between Van der Waals Materials and Ag(111)"
Seiya Suzuki et al., Advanced Functional Materials (November 20, 2020)
TSUKUBA, Japan, July 13, 2021 — A team at WPI-MANA has demonstrated a highly temperature-stable GaN resonator that boasts high-frequency stability, high Q factor and the potential for large-scale integration with silicon technology.
The finding could result in faster 5G electronics devices thanks to better integration of GaN-based micro-electromechanical and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) with the current semiconductor technology.
The GaN resonator, fabricated on a silicon substrate, had a low temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) of several ppm/K (parts per million per degree Kelvin) and high-quality (Q) factors without degradation up to 600 K.
The millimeter-wave 5G system that is driving the much-anticipated "internet of things" requires increasing modulation complexity to improve data bandwidth. But conventional quartz oscillators are limited by their inability to integrate well with semiconductor electronics. Using MEMS/NEMS for reference oscillators is one way to achieve high resonance frequencies with less phase noise and high temperature stability.
Silicon-based MEMS resonators usually have a large negative TCF of around -30 ppm/K. Temperature compensation techniques, including geometry modification, impurity doping and multilayer structures, have been proposed to improve the TCF, but these degraded the system’s Q factors.
The MANA team used elastic strain engineering, a technique to modulate the strain at the heterojunction of the resonator structure, which helped to store energy and thereby increase Q factors.
In contrast to conventional flexural modes, the internal thermal stress at high temperatures improved the TCF of the GaN MEMS resonator by over 10 times, without losing the high Q factor.
Group III nitrides have been excellent wide bandgap semiconductors for high-frequency electronics in the 5G era. The integration of such MEMS with electronics is therefore promising for IoT sensors and communications devices.
This research was carried out by Liwen Sang, Independent Scientist (WPI-MANA, National Institute for Materials Science), and her collaborators.
"Self-Temperature-Compensated GaN MEMS Resonators through Strain Engineering up to 600 K" L. Sang et al., 2020 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (March 11, 2021) https://doi.org/10.1109/IEDM13553.2020.9372065
SAN DIEGO, July 10, 2021 — Through International Roundtable (IRT) meetings, IS3NA (The International Society of Nucleosides, Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids) brings together established scientists and younger investigators from around the world, encouraging national and international collaborations on research and applications among academic, industrial, governmental, and private institutional organizations. IS3NA acts as a mediator for communication, cooperation, and understanding between scientists of all nationalities.
This connection supports the advancement of understanding the impact of nucleic acids in a plethora of cutting-edge scientific questions, ranging from the origins of life to the development of novel therapeutics. Therefore, it is vitally important to remain connected despite being physically apart. As the International Roundtable meeting was unable to be held in person for the regularly scheduled IRT meeting in 2020 due to the pandemic, IS3NA is pivoting to an online symposium in 2021.
IS3NA-IRT Virtual Symposium 2021, Phosphates Run the World: Chemical Biology and Applications of Nucleosides, Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids, will gather attendees to discuss innovative research in medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, physicochemistry, and molecular biology, as well as synthetic and therapeutic applications of nucleosides nucleotides, and oligonucleotides/nucleic acids.
The meeting will be held August 26-27, 2021, and is open to both members and nonmembers. This gathering will include fascinating sessions and discussions. Virtual social meetups and networking opportunities have been scheduled throughout each day to provide the opportunity for attendees to enjoy profound scientific discussions and satisfying connections with friends and colleagues around the world.
To serve the needs of their broad, globally based audience as much as possible, IS3NA has thoughtfully considered program scheduling. For additional convenience, presentations will be made available for on-demand viewing, dependent on allowance from speakers to rebroadcast their presentations. Virtual posters will also be available for on-demand viewing, as they are an integral part of the meeting.
The exceptional lineup of speakers includes respected authorities in the field from around the world. The keynote presenter, Kelvin K. Ogilvie, Ph.D., will be discussing Therapeutic Nucleosides and the Evolution of Oligonucleotide Synthesis. Ogilvie is a leading expert on biotechnology, bioorganic chemistry, and genetic engineering, and is the author of 12 patents, including one for Ganciclovir. He was part of the BioLogicals team that developed the "Gene Machine" (1980), an automated process for the manufacture of DNA, which made it possible to build DNA sequences in a matter of hours rather than in months.
Attendees will also hear from IS3NA’s President, Mano Manoharan, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Drug Innovation at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and IS3NA’s Immediate Past President, Masad J. Damha, Ph.D., FCIC, Distinguished James McGill Professor of Chemistry at McGill University, along with many other leading experts who will discuss intriguing topics in the field.
SHANGHAI, July 9, 2021 — SenseTime, the leading global artificial intelligence (AI) company, hosted an industry forum themed "AI+: Ecosystem" at the 2021 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) today. The forum gathered influential entrepreneurs, academic scholars, leading innovators and government officials to discuss the latest developments and industry trends in AI, as well as share insights on how a sustainable AI ecosystem can be created.
On the opening ceremony of WAIC 2021 on July 8, Xu Li, Co-founder and CEO of SenseTime joined the session themed "Path to Inclusion – AI Brings New Life Blessings" with Masayoshi Son, Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Group, and Neil Shen, Founder & Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital. Xu Li and Neil Shen also had a dialogue on the AI development in Shanghai, as well as promoting fairness in the process of AI application.
In Xu Li’s keynote speech on the opening ceremony, he raised the concept of "Machine’s Conjecture" that creates a "new paradigm of innovation" and breaks the boundaries of human perception. He officially introduced the SenseCore AI Infrastructure, which is designed to develop powerful and efficient AI solutions that are scalable and adaptable for a wide range of applications.
SenseCore: Breaking the boundaries of AI applications
Xu Li, Co-founder and CEO of SenseTime introduced SenseCore AI Infrastructure
The SenseCore AI Infrastructure creates a new paradigm of technology advancement, by achieving efficient, low-cost, and highly scalable AI innovation and empowerment. This is enabled by integrating three layers – computing power, platforms and algorithms. SenseCore is built upon SenseTime’s New Generation Supercomputing Center (AIDC), which supports the analysis, training and reasoning of data, and algorithm models that ultimately accelerates applications at scale, addressing the long-tail challenges.
"We are heading towards a new era defined by the universal model, in which the demand for computing power will grow exponentially. The improvement in AI production efficiency will build the core competitiveness of SenseCore", Xu Li said at his keynote speech. "Every industry should be embracing AI to streamline daily operations and drive a new wave of intelligent transformation. With SenseCore, we will be able to meet the growing demand for long-tail scenarios among industries, integrating AI into more value chains. Going forward, SenseTime will continue to empower even more industries through our universal AI infrastructure and build a stronger AI ecosystem together with industries and academia."
AI for Humanity: Shaping sustainable future of AI
During the speech, Xu Li addressed that the new paradigm of innovation should come together with AI ethics governance which upholds sustainable development. This was further reinforced by another highlight of the SenseTime AI Forum today when Xue Lan, Professor and Dean, Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, and Xu Li had an exciting dialogue on emerging opportunities and challenges in an AI era and how to balance its innovation and ethics.
In the dialogue, Xue Lan pointed out the importance of collaboration in the development of ethical AI and noted, "To foster AI ethics that support the beneficial, trustworthy, and robust development of the technology, we should strengthen international cooperation on AI regulation so that we can jointly ramp up our efforts to make sure AI is developed in a safe and responsible manner."
Xu Li emphasized SenseTime’s commitment to a development-oriented principal of AI ethics that balances multiple objectives of making AI technologies sustainable, human-centric and controllable. He stressed that the development of AI should adhere to the objective of inclusiveness that can advance the development of human society.
AI + Sci-Fi: Connecting physical and virtual worlds
At this year’s forum, SenseTime announced that Mr. Liu Cixin, the renowned science fiction writer and Recipient of Hugo Award, has officially become Director of SenseTime Science Fiction Planet Research Center. Moreover, SenseTime will collaborate with The Three-Body Universe, copyright owner of The Three-Body Problem, to explore the new paradigm of "AI + Science Fiction" as well as create an innovative and immersive offline entertainment experience.
Mr. Liu Cixin noted, "AI is an accelerator of the imagination which can promote the development of science and technology, ultimately leading to the advancement of humanity. The Sci-Fi empowered by SenseTime’s AI technology will become an immersive world which welcomes everyone to experience the vastness of universe, the insignificance of human beings, and the infinite possibilities in the future."
Furthermore, SenseTime elevated WAIC 2021 through cutting-edge AR technologies. From an exclusive self-driving AR shuttle minibus to showcasing Digital Humans and the wide applications of the SenseMARS AR platform, SenseTime brought the guests and visitors to an immersive and interactive exhibition which was both fun and convenient, blurring the boundary between reality and virtuality.
Strengthening industry empowerment and international collaboration
A number of prominent industry experts in attendance at the event also shared how AI is changing the game across multiple industries. The world-renowned Chemistry Nobel Laureate Prof. Michael Levitt shared his insights on how AI empowers biological intelligence and other natural sciences to benefit society and humanity. YB Khairy Jamaluddin, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia, and Mr. LEE Yi Shyan, Chairman of Business China, Singapore addressed the importance of AI adoption, development, and governance in the Southeast Asian region to accelerate digital transformation. ZU Sijie, Vice President & CTO, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited emphasized his views on how the innovation of intelligent vehicle turns cars into digital devices, while Ali Nimer, Executive Director, Digital and Technology, Miral Group, discussed how AI redefines entertainment and tourism.
Meanwhile, as the supporting organization, SenseTime co-organized the first-ever Hong Kong sub-forum of WAIC with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation this year, bringing distinguished keynote speakers including prominent AI experts, renowned scholars, and influential entrepreneurs to share their forward-looking insights on AI development in Hong Kong and beyond.
At the youth innovation panel discussion of the Hong Kong sub-forum, Mr. Shang Hailong, General Manager of SenseTime Hong Kong, shared, "We need to further capitalize on Hong Kong’s advantages in R&D capabilities, capital market and global connectivity. From stock connect to technology connect, Hong Kong and Shanghai can collaboratively push forward innovation, nurture more young AI talents and shape the future of AI development."
During the sub-forum, Prof. Zhang Xiang, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Prof. Wei Shyy, President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) joined hands with academician Lin Zhongqin, President of Shanghai Jiaotong University, to hold a virtual signing ceremony for HKU and HKUST to join the "Global Artificial Intelligence Academic Alliance".
The "Alliance" was a joint initiative by SenseTime and top global universities including Tsinghua University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and others in 2018.
About SenseTime
SenseTime is a leading global company focused on developing responsible AI technologies that advance the world’s economies, society and humanity for a better tomorrow.
We have made a number of technological breakthroughs, one of which is the first ever computer system in the world to achieve higher detection accuracy than the human eye. With our roots in the academic world, we invest in fundamental research to further our understanding and advance the state of art in AI technology and are one of the most prolific contributors of related papers in the research community.
Upholding the guiding principles in our AI Code of Ethics, our global team of talented individuals are dedicated to developing original AI algorithms that bring positive impact to the society. This has made us a leading global AI algorithm provider and one of the most efficient producers of AI algorithms.
The deep learning and computer vision technologies we have developed are already empowering many industries. Our universal AI infrastructure, SenseCore, allows us to develop powerful and efficient AI solutions that are scalable and adaptable for a wide range of applications and industries. Today, our technologies are trusted by customers and partners around the world to help address real world challenges ranging from education, healthcare and smart city to intelligent automobile, smartphone and entertainment. Going forward, we strive to empower more industries with our universal AI infrastructure and build a stronger AI ecosystem together with industry and academia.
We have presences in markets including Hong Kong, Mainland China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and Macau. For more information, please visit SenseTime’s website as well as its LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook pages.
HONG KONG, July 3, 2021 –Totally Green Inc. (OTC: TLGN) announced that discussions regarding a potential combination with Guangzhou Yushangmei Health Management Co., Ltd. have been ended as the parties were unable to reach mutually agreeable terms.
Parkson Yip, Chief Financial Officer of TLGN said, "We intend to continue to seek acquisition and strategic opportunities in a broad range of industries with an initial focus on STEM education, travel, ecommerce and entertainment, technological research and developments. We may also explore next generation property investment opportunities in the markets of co-living, co-working and co-retailing."
About Totally Green Inc.
Totally Green Inc. (OTC: TLGN) was formerly focused on renewable energy. The Company intends to focus on opportunities in the development of STEM education, travel, ecommerce and entertainment, technological research and development. The Company expects to further explore strategic investments or partnerships in the development of next generation of property operations, in the markets of co-living, co-working and co-retailing.
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" that include information relating to future events and future financial and operating performance. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which that performance or those results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time they are made and/or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: the in demand for the Company’s products, the introduction of new products and services, the Company’s ability to maintain customer and strategic business relationships, the impact of competitive products and pricing, growth in targeted markets, the adequacy of the Company’s liquidity and financial strength to support its growth, and other factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security or any other product or service by Totally Green, Inc. or any other third party regardless of whether such security, product or service is referenced in update. Furthermore, nothing in this news release is intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and nothing in this news release should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction.
LUXEMBOURG, June 24, 2021 — The Asteroid Foundation’s annual Asteroid Day LIVE programme premiers Wednesday 30 June 2021 at 18:00 CET. With the help of leading experts, Asteroid Day Co-founder Dr. Brian May and the most engaging voices in science communications from around the world, the five hour programme will bring the solar system’s smallest worlds to vivid life for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
This year, Asteroid Day LIVE celebrates the 25th launch anniversary of NASA’s NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft, and the 2021 launch of three new asteroid missions, NASA’s Lucy, NEA Scout and DART – the world’s first mission to test an asteroid deflection technique – and much more.
There can be no mistake, interest in asteroids has never been greater. In the next three years alone, five new asteroid missions will be launched by NASA and ESA. Asteroid Day LIVE will explore this explosion of interest across five hours of new content that will answer everything from the most fundamental questions a beginner may have about asteroids, to the questions that tantalise the world’s leading researchers.
Asteroid Day LIVE 2021 is split into four distinct segments. The first will explore the titanic task of discovering and tracking the millions of asteroids that circle the Sun; the second will discuss the scientific work that allows us to investigate the true – and often surprising – nature of the asteroids. Segment three is dedicated to the rapid advances that are being made in how to defend our planet from potentially hazardous asteroids; and the final segment looks to the exciting role asteroids may play in the future exploration of space, and the creation of an ‘in space’ economy.
The programme focuses on telling the remarkable stories of asteroids and the people that research them. The show is moderated by leaders of the field, such as Mary Lynne Dittmar of Axiom Space, and expert science communicators such as astronaut Tom Jones and Lucie Green from University College London.
Anchored by RTL presenter Lisa Burke from Luxembourg’s Broadcasting Centre Europe, 2021’s Asteroid Day LIVE features a "Who’s Who?" of people involved in asteroid research. Programme highlights include:
Asteroid Day’s co-founder, and Queen guitarist, Brian May talking about his work making stereoscopic "3D" images to give researchers better views of their asteroid targets;
One of the principal architects of modern asteroid research, Andrew Cheng of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, discussing the astonishing discoveries made by the NEAR-Shoemaker mission and the groundbreaking work that NASA’s DART mission will undertake;
Naomi Murdoch from ISAE-SUPAERO, Toulouse, France, tells us how landing on an asteroid could be more like a splashdown than a touchdown;
University of Arizona’sDante Lauretta and Makoto Yoshikawa from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency talking about the amazing successes of their space missions to retrieve rock samples from asteroids;
And we look to future missions such as NASA’s Psyche and Lucy and ESA’s Hera, with Lindy Elkin-Tanton of Arizona State University, Cathy Olkin of Southwest Research Institute, and Heli Greus of ESA.
Other high profile speakers and moderators this year include Pedro Duque, former ESA astronaut and Spain’s minister of science and innovation; American astronauts Ed Lu and Leland Melvin and cosmonaut Dorin Prunariu; private space traveler Anousheh Ansari; Patrick Michel, director of research at CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) and NEO-MAPP lead; Ruy Pinto, Chief Technology Officer of SES; Franco Ongaro, ESA’s Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality; Bill Nye, ‘the science guy’ and CEO of The Planetary Society; Elena Adams, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s; "Internet Rocket Scientist" Scott Manly; and Asteroid Day’s Editorial Director, Stuart Clark.
The Planetary Society and Asteroid Foundation have co-produced a new video series titled ‘Meet the Asteroids’ that will premiere during Asteroid Day LIVE. Each specially produced video will highlight a famous asteroid’s unique characteristics and back story. Taken together this series demonstrates the remarkable diversity of asteroids and explains the fascination that now surrounds their study.
And at the heart of it all is the original purpose of Asteroid Day: to raise awareness that one day we will need to deflect an asteroid away from our planet. Through hard work and dedication, the global asteroid community is working to make this possible – and that puts the asteroid hazard in a class of its own, because uniquely among the natural disasters, asteroid impacts are preventable.
"Let’s all keep aware of the significance of Asteroid Day. Asteroids are still out there and we still don’t know all of them, so we need to be circumspect. We need to keep doing the research to safeguard the future of this planet, for our children and our grandchildren. Let’s keep Asteroid Day in mind. I’m very proud to be part of it" says Dr. Brian May.
Asteroid Day’s Luxembourg-based partners Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE) and SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions, will make Asteroid Day TV available for millions to tune in via an SES satellite at 19.2 degrees East.
About Asteroid Day: Asteroid Day is held on 30 June each year to mark the date of Earth’s largest asteroid impact in recorded history, the Tunguska, Siberia event. Asteroid Day was co-founded by astrophysicist and famed musician Dr Brian May of the rock group Queen; Apollo 9 Astronaut Rusty Schweickart; Filmmaker Grig Richters; and B612 Foundation President Danica Remy, to educate the public about the importance of asteroids in our history, and the role they play in the solar system. In 2016, prompted by the leadership of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), the United Nations declared Asteroid Day to be a global day of education to raise awareness and promote knowledge in the general public about asteroids. Thousands of independently-organised events have taken place around the globe, encompassing 125 of the world’s 195 countries.
A Media Kit including quotes, photos, video and B-Roll video is available in the Asteroid Day Newsroom. Photos from previous Asteroid Day events in Luxembourg are available on Flickr.
Asteroid Day TV – SES Broadcast Connection Details:
Europe/Middle East Service Name: Asteroid Day 2021 HD Service ID: 5711 Transponder: 1.068 Satellite: Astra 1M Orbital Pos: 19.2 East Downlink Frequency: 11778.00 MHz Polarization: Vertical Modulation: DVB-S2 QPSK FEC: 9/10 SR: 29.5 MSym/s
About Asteroid Foundation: Asteroid Foundation was formed in 2017 with a mission to promote worldwide awareness of asteroid opportunities and challenges, and the emerging space economy. The Asteroid Foundation undertakes programmes and activities to support scientists, engineers and students around the world providing free educational tools, newsletters, original articles and resources year round. Annually, the Foundation organizes events surrounding International Asteroid Day, a United Nations recognized day of education and awareness observed on 30 June. Visit their Flickr account to see pictures from previous events. https://asteroidfoundation.org/
About Association of Space Explorers Founded in 1985, the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) is an international nonprofit 510c3 professional and educational organization of more than 400 flown astronauts and cosmonauts from 38 nations. ASE’s Committee on Near Earth Objects (NEO), chaired by astronaut Tom Jones, works to promote global awareness of the asteroid impact threat. ASE delivers subject matter expertise and the astronaut perspective on key topics related to NEOs, including developments in planetary defense, advancements in NEO discovery and characterization, and impactor mitigation campaign design. ASE NEO Committee members also support the bi-annual IAA Planetary Defence Conference and the annual Asteroid Day event in Luxembourg. https://www.space-explorers.org/
About B612 Foundation B612 is dedicated to protecting Earth from asteroid impacts. It does this by driving forward science and technologies needed to protect the Earth from asteroid impacts through the Asteroid Institute. It educates the public, the scientific community, and world governments about asteroids through programs such as Asteroid Day. Since the organization’s inception in 2002, its work has been carried out entirely through the support of private donors. What started in 2002 as a visionary idea to develop the technology to deflect an asteroid has grown into a world-renowned organization and scientific institute with a key role in the emerging field of planetary defense. www.b612foundation.org
About Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE) Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE) is a European leader in media services, system integration and software development in the areas of television, online video, streaming, radio, production and postproduction, telecommunication and IT. With its extensive experience on the media market, our team provides high-quality services and will always find the solution that matches your project and budget. With more than 200 highly qualified and motivated people, BCE serves about 400 clients in various sectors, such as TV channels, radio stations, film distributors, producers, advertising companies, sports federations, fashion, events, institutions and telecommunications operators. www.bce.lu
About the European Space Agency (ESA) The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA has 22 Member States. ESA’s programmes are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.. http://www.esa.int
About Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce The main role of the Chamber of Commerce is to protect and promote the interests of businesses and the economy of Luxembourg. To enable it to fulfil this mandate, it has been granted the status of a public establishment, which comes with some significant prerogatives. Since membership of professional businesses is mandatory in Luxembourg, the Chamber of Commerce has high rates of affiliation, with 90,000 member companies, corresponding to 75% of the country’s total salaried employment and 80% of Luxembourg’s GDP, making it the biggest employers’ group in the country. It represents all businesses in Luxembourg except those in the artisanal and agricultural sectors. The Chamber of Commerce implements projects and infrastructures for sustainable and prosperous economic development and therefore consists of several entities, such as: House of Entrepreneurship Launched in 2016 by the Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of the Economy as a single point of contact for existing and new entrepreneurs, the House of Entrepreneurship offers a wide range of services. House of Startups Innovation hubs, incubators, business accelerators and startup consulting services are all under one roof at the House of Startups (HoST), launched by the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in 2018. Several major hubs are already in place: the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (LHoFT), the newly created Luxembourg-City Incubator (LCI), initiated by the Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the City of Luxembourg, Groupe Crédit Agricole’s international incubator, and the International Climate Finance Accelerator (ICFA). House of Training Launched in 2015 by the Chamber of Commerce and the Luxembourg Bankers’ Association (ABBL), the House of Training trains thousands of people in a variety of fields such as banking and finance, entrepreneurship and management, law, industry marketing, human resources and many more. https://www.cc.lu
About Luxembourg Space Agency Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) develops the space sector in Luxembourg by fostering new and existing companies, developing human resources, facilitating access to funding and supporting academic research. The agency implements the national space economic development strategy, manages national space research and development programs and leads the SpaceResources.lu initiative. Furthermore, the LSA represents Luxembourg within the European Space Agency and space-related programs of the European Union and the United Nations. https://space-agency.public.lu/
About OHB Systems OHB Systems is a European multinational technology corporation, headquartered in Bremen, Germany. They are and have been one of the leading companies in Europe’s space sector for the past 35 years, particularly in their core business comprising low-orbiting and geostationary satellites. They have been developing and executing some of the key projects of our times such as the Galileo navigation satellites, the SARah reconnaissance system, the MTG meteorological satellites, the EnMAP environment satellite, the TET-1 technology testing vehicle and the Hispasat H36W-1, ELECTRA and EDRS-C telecommunications satellites. https://www.ohb-system.de/
About The Planetary Society The Planetary Society is a non-profit organization with the mission of empowering the world’s citizens to advance space science and exploration. They introduce people to the wonders of the cosmos, bridging the gap between the scientific community and the general public to inspire and educate people from all walks of life, and they give every citizen of the planet the opportunity to make their voices heard in government and effect real change in support of space exploration. https://www.planetary.org/
About SES SES is a Luxembourgish satellite and terrestrial telecommunications network provider supplying video and data connectivity worldwide to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators, governments and institutions. With over 70 satellites in two different orbits, they combine a vast, intelligent network of satellites and ground infrastructure with industry-leading expertise to manage and deliver high-performance video and data solutions virtually everywhere on the planet. https://www.ses.com/
About Twitch TV Introduced in June 2011, Twitch TV is an American video live streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, including broadcasts of esports competitions. In addition, it offers music broadcasts, creative content, and more recently, "in real life" streams. https://www.twitch.tv/
HONG KONG, May 31, 2021 — A research team from the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed a novel type of biomimetic nanosheet with a multi-modal imaging function, which can track tumour development and treatment processes in real-time. By harnessing two emerging cancer therapies, namely immunotherapy and photothermal therapy, the biomimetic nanosheet enables effective and precise treatment of tumours, which will significantly improve the therapeutic outcome of tumours, reduce side effects and increase patients’ survival rates. The research findings have been published in the prestigious international journal Advanced Science.
Professor Wing-tak WONG, Chair Professor of Chemical Technology of the ABCT of PolyU (also the Deputy President and Provost of PolyU), and his team started the research in 2018. Professor Wong said, "The biology and chemical experts of PolyU have been dedicated to new drug development over the years, and have achieved some significant breakthroughs especially in cancer treatment. The newly developed biomimetic nanomaterials developed by PolyU are part of our endeavours in fighting against cancer. By integrating two emerging cancer therapies, immunotherapy and photothermal therapy, with three imaging modalities for the first time, the novel biomimetic nanomaterials provide a practical design blueprint for the development of a new generation of cancer theranostics agents which have high targeting ability, efficacy and safety."
Synergistic therapy- Combining immunotherapy and photothermal therapy
New cancer treatments emerge since conventional cancer treatments like surgical therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy have different limitations and side effects. Dr Summy Lo Wai-sum from ABCT said, "Immunotherapy and photothermal therapy are emerging methods which are expected to provide more options for cancer treatment. The biomimetic nanosheets developed by our team allow us to combine these two methods for synergistic therapy. By applying the synergistic therapy in an experiment for colorectal tumour treatment, we found that it is more effective than single therapy and has fewer side effects on the human body."
The research team used 2D nanosheets (FePSe3) to develop a novel multifunctional nanomaterial for cancer theranostics. PD-1 (programmed cell death 1) exists on T cells, whereas PD-L1 (programmed cell death ligand-1) exists on tumour cells. Cancer cells inhibit the activation of the immune system and prevent T cells from attacking cancer cells through conjugating its PD-L1 with PD-1 on T cells. The team therefore loaded the FePSe3 nanosheets with anti-PD-1 peptide (APP), which can block the conjugation between PD-1 on T-cells and PD-L1 on cancer cells to achieve efficient immunotherapy. Without directly attacking the cancer cells, blockage of the interaction between the PD-1 and PD-L1 has been reported to revoke T cell functions, leading to enhanced antitumour immunity.
After coating with cancer cell membranes, the nanosheets will become a biomimetic nanomaterial with tumour cell membrane characteristics that provide effective camouflage, enabling them to target the tumour site efficiently. Once the biomimetic nanosheets are injected into the living bodies, the cell membrane enveloping the nanosheets will preferentially adhere to cancer cells and slowly peel away, revealing the nanomaterial to begin immunotherapy.
Dr Lo explained, "The innate immune system attacks foreign objects which makes it difficult for the drug-loaded nanomaterials to reach the tumour site. The cancer cell membrane has a tumour-targeting characteristic that will converge homologous cells. It explains why the biomimetic nanosheets become attracted to the cancer cells when they are in close proximity with the cancer cells during blood circulation. In addition, the large specific surface area of the 2D nanomaterials is conducive to improving the drug loading ratio of the anti-PD-1 peptide, which will help with enhancing the therapeutic efficiency, as well as reducing the drug dosage and hence alleviating side effects."
On the other hand, the nanomaterials (FePSe3) chosen possess good photothermal conversion efficiency, and so they can convert near infrared laser irradiation into heat to kill tumour cells directly, thus achieving effective photothermal therapy. The heat can further promote immunotherapy by effectively inhibiting tumour growth, which results in a synergistic effect of immunotherapy and photothermal therapy.
Three imaging modes to help real-time monitoring of cancer treatment
The PolyU-developed biomimetic nanosheets can also achieve the goals of theranostics. By harnessing magnetic, optical and thermal properties, the FePSe3 nanomaterials enable three imaging modalities, namely magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and photothermal imaging (PTI), for real-time tracing and tracking of the tumour sites and the nanosheets, in order to achieve multimodal diagnosis in cancer treatment.
PolyU’s novel nanomaterial can facilitate theranostics by combining diagnosis, therapy and efficacy monitoring. It not only enables the imaging and treatment of tumours, but also the real-time monitoring of treatment outcomes. The PolyU team carried out experiments on mice bearing subcutaneous colorectal tumours to investigate the application in living animals.
The study showed that the tumour volume had significantly reduced after 25 days of synergistic therapy, whereas the survival rate of the mice was three times higher than that of the control groups. The major organs of the mice, including the heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney, showed no obvious inflammation and damage, demonstrating high biosafety and low toxicity. The research team also utilised the MRI and photoacoustic imaging capabilities of the biomimetic nanosheet to observe the tumour for 24 hours, visualising the targeting and accumulation of the nano-theranostic material at the tumour site. Through photothermal imaging, it was observed that the nanomaterial can produce localised heat under near infrared laser irradiation within a few minutes. The experiment proved that PolyU-developed biomimetic nanosheets, with multi-modal imaging capability, can offer accurate and comprehensive detection and evaluation of tumour development, ultimately achieving theranostics alongside synergistic therapeutic effects.
Dr Lo said, "In view of the fact that there is a lack of efficient and safe theranostics materials, PolyU’s biomimetic nanomaterial has promising prospects in application. In future, our team will further expand the application of this nanomaterial to other cancer therapies and study the metabolism of the nanosheet in the living body, hoping that more cancer patients can benefit from new theranostic methods."
GUIYANG, China, May 27, 2021 — The 2021 China International Big Data Industry Expo (CIBDIE), the country’s leading big data expo, kicked off on May 26 in Guiyang, capital city of southwest China’sGuizhou Province, according to China International Big Data Industry Expo Organizing Committee.
International big data expo opens in southwest China.
Founded in 2015 and officially upgraded to a national expo in 2017, the big data expo has become an international and professional platform for the development of big data as well as an industrial bellwether.
The three-day event is jointly held by the local government as well as the country’s top economic planner, industrial and information watchdogs. With support from the China’s commerce ministry, the expo features domestic, global, industrial and business perspectives.
Under the theme "Embrace digital intelligence, Deliver new development", the event will include conferences, exhibitions, new product launches, contests and other activities.
This year’s expo is scheduled both online and offline, seeking open cooperation and joint development of different stakeholders. The online expo offers services like online communication, online exhibition, business negotiation, online forum and guest promotion, presenting a variety of exhibition functions.
Guiyang City and Gui’an New District, as the core areas of the national big data (Guizhou) integrated pilot zone, have always been pioneers in big data development, posting leapfrogging progresses in industrial growth. More than 5,000 big data enterprises and 117 industrial giants were here by the end of 2020. The added value of digital economy reached 164.9 billion yuan (about 25.8 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 38.2 percent of the regional GDP, and over half of the region’s real economy featured big data elements.
The specific activities of the expo are as follows:
Conferences: the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as 7 high-end dialogues and 13 professional forums.
Exhibitions: Online and offline exhibitions to display new technologies, new products, new schemes and new applications in the field of big data. A section on big data’s role in rural revitalization is also established.
New launches: Releases of the expo’s leading science and technology achievement award, research on methods and paths of data factor market, global prediction system of COVID-19 and the dictionary of big data encyclopedia, etc.
Competitions: The 2nd industrial APP integration innovation competition and the 6th Guiyang big data and network security elite confrontation exercise.
Activities: a series of activities such as meetings and exchanges, talent introductions, night talks, salons and dialogues, promotions and contract-signing, strategic cooperation, organized visits, etc.
