Latest news with #SERS
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
Public warned after significant rise in sexual extortion scam emails
Action Fraud is urging people in Dorset to stay vigilant as data shows a significant rise in extortion phishing emails. The UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime is asking the public to look out for phishing emails relating to extortion. This comes after the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) received more than 2,920 reports in March as opposed to 133 reports made in February. The reported phishing emails received by the National Cyber Security Centre's SERS relate to a type of extortion known as 'Financially Motivated Sexual Extortion'. The subject of the email can vary, but the theme remains consistent. Cyber crime (Image: Pixabay) It will often include real pieces of personal information relating to the victim such as a password or a home address which is usually obtained from a past instance of a personal data breach. Once opened, the email claims to have installed malware on the recipient's computer and recorded them when accessing adult websites. The sender will then coerce the email recipients to pay a ransom demand by threatening to release the videos. In 2024, a male victim in his 30s received numerous extortion emails that contained a password he had used for one of his online accounts. The email demanded a ransom of $500. Despite correctly identifying the email as a scam and deleting them, he was unable to login to one of his social media accounts and, shortly after, his bank account. Analysis shows that many people who received these emails also later reported being victims of online hacking. According to the Dorset Police website, over the last 13 months 4,400 incidents of fraud and cyber crime were reported to Action Fraud from Dorset. What to do if you receive an extortion phishing email: Don't engage with the sender, forward the email to report@ and then delete it. If you're considering paying the ransom you will likely be the target of further scams. If the phishing email includes a password still in use, change it immediately. Check if your online accounts were affected at
Daily Record
04-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Arthritis diagnosis method can identify condition in just 10 minutes
New research suggests osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis could be diagnosed and distinguished with an accuracy of over 94%. It is estimated around 1.5 million people in Scotland live with arthritis and related conditions. Around half of Scots say they experience pain every single day. However according to experts, a new method can now diagnose arthritis in just ten minutes by using bodily fluids. The results, published in scientific journal Small, also showed osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis could be diagnosed and distinguished with an accuracy of over 94%. The technology achieved over 95% accuracy in determining the severity of rheumatoid arthritis, reports the Mirror. More than half of all people over the age of 65 experience symptoms of osteoarthritis, according to previous research. On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis is known to be a serious chronic disease that affects around one in 100 people over the course of their lifetime. Although osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are often mistakingly labelled as similar, scientists say they differ in both their causes and treatments, making accurate distinction at the early diagnosis stage "critically" important. However until now, diagnosis has relied on X-rays, MRI scans, and blood tests, which are not only an expense and takes up a lot of time, but is also limited in its accuracy. Dr Ho Sang Jung and his research team at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), in collaboration with Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, developed the technology that enables the diagnosis of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis using synovial fluid, contained in human joints. The researchers focused on the differences in the composition of metabolites - by-products of chemical processes occurring within the body - present in the fluid. By analysing the metabolic differences, they developed a technology capable of distinguishing between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis within 10 minutes, as well as assessing the severity of rheumatoid arthritis. The Korean team utilised Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) technology, a phenomenon in which the optical signals of molecules are amplified by several million times. Dr Jung said: "This technology amplifies signals from trace molecules present in synovial fluid and, through a combination of AI-based analysis and mathematical algorithms, detects minute substances responsible for arthritis." The team also developed a simple and rapid diagnostic method using a sensor composed of a sea urchin-shaped gold nanostructure formed on a paper surface with high moisture absorption, enabling efficient detection via body fluids. In collaboration with Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, the research team conducted tests using the new technology on 120 patients. The researchers say the findings show the technology not only significantly reduces the time and cost of arthritis diagnosis, but also ensures a high level of diagnostic accuracy. Dr Jung, the lead researcher at KIMS, added: "If this technology is commercialised, it will not only aid in diagnosis but also be highly useful in monitoring treatment progress. "We also plan to continue expanding our research to cover a wider range of diseases in the future."
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Arthritis diagnosed in 10 minutes thanks to groundbreaking new method
Experts say a new method using body fluids can now diagnose arthritis in just ten minutes. The results, published in the scientific journal Small, also showed that osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis could be diagnosed and distinguished with an accuracy of over 94%. The technology achieved over 95% accuracy in determining the severity of rheumatoid arthritis. More than half of all people over the age of 65 experience symptoms of osteoarthritis, according to previous research, while rheumatoid arthritis is known to be a serious chronic disease that affects around one in 100 people over the course of their lifetime. Amazon slashes price of Samsung Galaxy Watch to rival Samsung in flash deal Although osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis may appear similar, scientists say they differ in both their causes and treatments, making accurate differentiation at the early diagnosis stage "critically" important. But, until now, diagnosis has relied on X-rays, MRI scans, and blood tests, which are not only time-consuming but also costly and limited in accuracy. Dr Ho Sang Jung and his research team at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), in collaboration with Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, developed the technology that enables the diagnosis of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis using synovial fluid, contained in human joints. The researchers focused on the differences in the composition of metabolites - by-products of chemical processes occurring within the body - present in the fluid. By analysing the metabolic differences, they developed a technology capable of distinguishing between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis within 10 minutes, as well as assessing the severity of rheumatoid arthritis. The Korean team utilised Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) technology, a phenomenon in which the optical signals of molecules are amplified by several million times. Dr Jung said: "This technology amplifies signals from trace molecules present in synovial fluid and, through a combination of AI-based analysis and mathematical algorithms, detects minute substances responsible for arthritis." The team also developed a simple and rapid diagnostic method using a sensor composed of a sea urchin-shaped gold nanostructure formed on a paper surface with high moisture absorption, enabling efficient detection via body fluids. In collaboration with Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, the research team conducted tests using the new technology on 120 patients. The researchers say that the findings show that the technology not only significantly reduces the time and cost of arthritis diagnosis, but also ensures a high level of diagnostic accuracy. Dr Jung, the lead researcher at KIMS, added: "If this technology is commercialised, it will not only aid in diagnosis but also be highly useful in monitoring treatment progress. "We also plan to continue expanding our research to cover a wider range of diseases in the future."
CNA
30-04-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: Desmond Lee rebuts PSP's Leong Mun Wai, says housing issues have been addressed repeatedly
Progress Singapore Party chief Leong Mun Wai has demanded answers, alleging that National Development Minister Desmond Lee has been silent over a range of housing issues, such as the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) and Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS). Mr Lee has denied Mr Leong's claims, saying the PSP has "little regard for facts". He said the issues have been addressed in parliamentary debates and throughout the campaigning period. Chloe Teo reports.
CNA
30-04-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: PSP leaders call for release of volunteer harassment probe findings before campaigning ends
SINGAPORE: Progress Singapore Party (PSP) chairman Tan Cheng Bock on Wednesday (Apr 30) called for the outcome of police investigations into harrassment allegations – made by the People's Action Party (PAP) and PSP volunteers in January – to be released to the public within the election campaign period. 'We are a country of very educated people. We must behave ourselves. And they know I'm very strict because I don't like people to shout and fight each other,' said Dr Tan, speaking on the sidelines of a walkabout at Jurong West Street 91. He was referring to an incident between PSP and PAP volunteers during their walkabouts in Bukit Gombak SMC in January. Dr Tan was joined on Wednesday morning by fellow candidates from PSP's West Coast-Jurong West slate: Party secretary-general Leong Mun Wai, first vice-chairperson Hazel Poa as well as newcomers Sani Ismail and Sumarleki Amjah. Ms Poa said the allegation that a PSP volunteer had slapped a PAP volunteer is 'very serious', adding: 'Since the police has completed the investigation, we urge for the outcome of the investigation to be released to the public so that we can know the truth.' She said that while the party has brought this up before, they have yet to receive a response from the government. Ms Poa had also touched on the clash in her rally speech last Saturday. CNA has contacted the Attorney-General's Chambers for comment. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the PSP candidates also covered various topics, including concerns related to housing and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Mr Leong noted that with the hustings drawing to a close, the PAP's anchor minister for West Coast-Jurong West, National Development Minister Desmond Lee, has yet to respond to several policy questions raised by the PSP. The PSP chief raised concerns about the rising cost of Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats and questioned what the government was doing to rein in public housing prices, beyond ramping up the supply of flats. 'Under the current system, HDB prices – including BTO (Build-to-Order) prices – are not going to stop rising, and are not going to stop rising at such a rapid pace. So we have to actually talk about some real solutions,' he said. He also pointed to the PSP's Affordable Homes Scheme – a policy proposal put forth in its manifesto, that advocates removing land costs from the price of public housing – as a possible solution to rising HDB prices. Mr Leong added that the government had repeatedly 'avoided' the topic of HDB lease decay. The government 'has to come up with a solution', given its Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) and Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS) 'no longer works' for residents, he noted. 'They cannot be hiding behind … I don't know what Minister Desmond Lee is doing, maybe he's still monitoring. But how long do you need to monitor?' Mr Leong asked, adding that Singaporeans who own HDB flats are 'suffering'. He also questioned what the authorities are doing about municipal issues such as lift upgrading. Mr Leong said: 'Minister Desmond Lee likes to talk about local issues all that, but when I start to walk around Jurong Spring, for example, what has the government done on some of the more crucial issues?' Adding that many of the flats in the estate have 'very small' lifts which only allow one wheelchair user and one other person to enter at the same time, he called on the minister to provide a 'definitive answer'. The GST hikes have also been a hot-button issue throughout the hustings. On this, Mr Leong said: 'The GST is a regressive tax. You cannot run away from that right? What the government has done is that they give GST vouchers to the lowest-income Singaporeans. But it doesn't alter the fact that GST is a regressive tax.' He also added that while such measures take care of lower-income Singaporeans, the middle-class remains 'sandwiched' by such tax hikes. Mr Leong said it was not necessary for the government to draw revenue from the GST, as it had sufficient reserves to tap on and could also reduce spending in other areas – such as public funding for the SPH Media Trust, SkillsFuture, and the People's Association. Budget resources amounting to about 80 per cent of the net investment returns contribution (NIRC) is not spent in the same year, maintained Mr Leong, arguing that these were 'not used for Singaporeans' welfare' but are instead 'locked up in some funds and … spent over the long term'. Citing also the S$5 billion top-up to a fund to develop Changi Airport, he questioned: 'Why should you be using this money – that is slated for improving the lives and livelihood of Singaporeans – into all these projects? 'These projects are commercially-viable projects. So they should raise their funds separately, instead of using this money – half the investment income from the reserves – which is slated for Singaporeans.' After speaking to the media, his team made its way around coffee shops in the vicinity to interact with diners and residents. They also chanced upon incumbent PAP MP for the Nanyang ward, Mr Ang Wei Neng, who was similarly canvassing at the NTI Food Court at Jurong West Street 91. As the two parties crossed paths, supporters from both camps pumped their fists into the air and broke out in loud chants of 'PSP!', 'PAP!', 'Tan Cheng Bock!', and 'Ang Wei Neng!'
