Singapore Research Articles

BIOBOARD

INDONESIA – Oil palm industry linked to Indonesia's forest loss SINGAPORE – Scientists discover protein responsible for DNA compaction SINGAPORE – Missing protein explains link between obesity and diabetes SINGAPORE – Novel use of fluorescent probe shines new light to finding future anti-cancer drugs SINGAPORE – Singapore scientists make breakthrough discovery in stomach cancer research using technology developed at Genome Institute of Singapore AFRICA – New vaccine against five livestock diseases in progress EUROPE – Combination therapy is more effective than monotherapy in removing beta-amyloid plaques from the brains of mice UNITED STATES – Combination vaccine for ricin and anthrax achieves simultaneous protection milestone UNITED STATES – Pseudogenes may provide clearer understanding of biomarkers UNITED STATES – Smell and eye tests show potential to detect Alzheimer's early UNITED STATES – Neurons, brain cancer cells require the same little-known protein for long-term survival UNITED STATES – Transplanting gene into injured hearts creates biological pacemakers

A Spatiotemporal Study of Outbound Traveling Market in Taiwan

Based on the official data offered by Tourism Bureau, M.O.T.C., Republic of China, monthly visitors with different genders and ages destined to 12 main outbound countries, including Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China, Korea, U.S.A, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam as well, from 2003 to 2012 have been collected and analysed to demonstrate and explore the static and dynamic patterns behind these historical records.Statistical procedures including correlation analysis, K-Means clustering, MANOVA analysis, and multidimensional scaling, or MDS for short, were respectively adopted to discover the correlative relation among each different spatiotemporal market, classify and cluster each outbound market into a suitable cluster based on their similarity, testify the hypotheses of heterogeneous cluster centers, and down-level the spatial complexity from high-dimension to 2-dimension in order to better interpret the patterns revealed behind the original space.

Comparative diet and nutrition of frugivorous and folivorous primates at the Singapore Zoo

Considerable variability in dietary and digestive strategies exists across primate taxa. Differences in wild primate diet are strongly reflected along the frugivory-folivory continuum, whereby the selection of fruits or leaves as primary diet is strongly linked to different digestive systems that optimizes the extraction of nutrients from these different food types to meet nutritional goals. Successful maintenance of wild primates in captivity require appropriate dietary husbandry to meet the different needs of these primate species. We examined the diet of six species of captive primates with primarily frugivorous or folivorous dietary management and how their nutritional intake corresponded to their provided diet of fruits/vegetables and leaves. Folivorous primates obtained major components of their diet (protein and carbohydrate) from their leave diet while frugivores obtained relatively equal proportions of these components from both food types. Folivorous primates obtained higher protein and fiber - Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) and Acid Detergent fiber (ADF) intake from their leave diets; and higher Non-Structural Carbohydrate (NSC) intake from their fruit diets. Frugivorous primates obtained higher NSC and lower fiber (ADF and NDF) intake from their fruit/vegetable diets. Higher fiber intake resulted in longer Transit Time (TT) for frugivores and longer Mean Retention Time (MRT) for folivores. Overall dietary NSC levels for folivores were close to the recommended upper limits for foregut fermenters; and dietary fiber levels were relatively high for frugivores. These results suggests that appropriate adjustments to the diet provided to these primates should be considered to reduce general intake of easily digestible carbohydrates by folivorous and evaluate the possible implications of high fiber diets for frugivores. Dietary husbandry for captive primates according to their dietary specializations should be considered whenever possible, within constrains of practical captive management.

ISPAD Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2014. Diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state.

aDivision of Endocrinology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; bBarts Health NHS Trust, Royal London Hospital, London, UK; cInstitute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead; School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; dOxfordshire Children’s Diabetes Service, Oxford Children’s Hospital, Oxford, UK; eSection of Endocrinology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA; fPediatric Endocrinology Division, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; gEndocrinology Service, Department of Paediatrics, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore; hDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya ; iDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA; jDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA and kDepartment of Pediatrics, NU Hospital Group, Uddevalla and Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden

: , . (The Policy and Implications of Islamic Finance in Non-Islamic States: Cases of the UK, Singapore, and Japan)

Korean Abstract: 이슬람 금융은 이슬람 지역뿐만 아니라 비이슬람 지역으로 빠르게 확산되고 있다. 이 보고서는 기존 금융 체제와의 조화라는 관점에서 비이슬람 주요 국가인 영국, 싱가포르, 일본의 이슬람 금융 사례를 연구한다. 이를 통해 한국이 이슬람 금융을 도입할 때 고려해야 할 시사점을 도출하고자 한다.English Abstract: Islamic finance, once limited to Muslim countries, has recently been expanding rapidly to non-Islamic regions. This report studies Islamic finance in the UK, Singapore, and Japan which are major non-Islamic states, with focus on the harmonization of Islamic finance with conventional finance. This analysis will help elicit useful implications for Korea when it is introduced to Islamic finance in the future.

Progress towards elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in Singapore – Are we there yet?

Progress towards elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in Singapore – Are we there yet?

Grounding Judicial Review in the Constitutional Principles of Separation of Power and the Rule of Law: An Examination of Judicial Review of Clemency Power Under Article 22P of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore

With a focus on judicial review of clemency power under Article 22P of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, this essay argues that a polity’s conception of constitutional principles of the separation of powers and the rule of law informs and determines the scope and intensity of judicial review. It therefore seeks to evaluate whether the scope and intensity of judicial review of clemency power is normatively desirable by reference to its theoretical grounding in a Singaporean conception of these constitutional principles.

Real estate market cyclical dynamics

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to help us understand the real estate cycle and offers an analysis using a vector auto regression (VAR) model. The authors study the key international cities of Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The authors find four key outcomes. One, the real estate cycle is generally different from the underlying business cycle in local markets for the cities studies. Two, the real estate cycle is more exaggerated in the construction and development areas than in rents and vacancies. Three, the vacancy cycle tends to lead the rental cycle. And four, new construction completions tend to peak when vacancy is also peaking. The authors believe that future research should try to help understand the linkages that drive these outcomes. For example, are rigidities in the local permit and construction markets responsible for the link between construction peaks and vacancy peaks?Design/methodology/approach– Real estate market cyclical dynamics and its estimation via VAR model offers an insightful set of practical and empirical models. It affirms a comprehensive theoretical underpinning for analysing the prime office and residential sectors of the capitol cities of Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Hong Kong in the fast developing Asia region. Its unrestricted form also provides an effective and insightful way of modelling real estate market cyclical dynamics utilising only real estate market indicators, furnished by real estate market data providers.Findings– The office rental VAR model for Singapore (SOR), KL (KOR) and HK (HOR) show good fits. In the HOR model, rents and vacancies are negatively signed and significant for certain lagged relationships with other variables and with rents themselves. The office CV VAR model for Singapore (SOCV), KL (KOCV) and HK (HOCV) show good fits. In the HOCV model, capital values (CVs) and initial yields are negatively signed and significant for certain lagged relationships with other variables and with CVs themselves. Impulse response functions specified for seven years to mirror a medium-term real estate market cycle “die out” to zero for the stationary VAR models that are estimated for the endogenous variables. The accumulated responses asymptote to some non-zero constant.Practical implications– The VAR model offers a complete and meaningful dynamic system of solely real estate variables for international real estate investors and policy makers in decision making. Its unrestricted form offers an effective and insightful way of modelling real estate market cyclical dynamics utilising only real estate market indicators, which can be reliably provided by a dedicated real estate information and consultancy provider of international standing.Originality/value– The theoretical model offers a complete dynamic model system of the real estate space market, comprising a unique system of six linked equations that denote the relationship among supply, demand, construction, vacancy and rent over time, inclusive of price response slopes and lags. The VAR model enables the investigation of the effect of the lagged values of all the variables concerned. It also enables the explicit and rigorous quantitative forecasts of say rents and CVs when the rest of the variable can be forecasted beforehand.

BIOBOARD

AUSTRALIA – Chronic pain research delves into the brain KOREA – STC life, Ltd. successfully treats stroke patients at Stem Cell Research Treatment Center MALAYSIA – Indigenous people ‘at graver risk’ of neglected diseases SINGAPORE – A*STAR scientists create stem cells from a drop of blood THE PHILIPPINES – ‘Too many exotic species’ in Philippine greening plan AFRICA – The parasite that escaped out of Africa CANADA – Genome British Columbia researchers closing in on chlamydia vaccine EUROPE – Teesside University pioneering life-saving research EUROPE – Inactivated polio vaccines broadly available for the world's children in the drive toward polio eradication EUROPE – Vitamin D deficiency may compromise immune function EUROPE – Inflammation mobilizes tumor cells NEPAL – Animal-borne parasites plague Nepal UNITED STATES – Zebrafish discovery may shed light on human kidney function UNITED STATES – Nanoparticles and magnetic fields train immune cells to fight cancer in mice UNITED STATES – Building heart tissue that beats UNITED STATES – Immunology researchers uncover pathways that direct immune system to turn ‘on’ or ‘off’ UNITED STATES – How diabetes drugs may work against cancer UNITED STATES – Study reveals how a protein common in cancers jumps anti-tumor mechanisms

INSIDE INDUSTRY

NanoLogix enters Asia distribution agreement with IVD Tech of Singapore AIDF and UN ESCAP partner to present the Water Security Summit Empiriko and Interchim sign partnership agreement to accelerate drug discovery through oxidative chemosynthetic liver technology Celerion opens operations in South Korea AITbiotech initiates and sets up a new division to commercialize life sciences and diagnostic technologies in Singapore Debiopharm Group (TM) to expand activities at manufacturing facility in Switzerland Clinipace Worldwide expands into Asia with acquisition of Choice Pharma Quintiles honored as ‘Best CRO in Asia’ for 3rd time in four years Mundipharma signs exclusive agreement with Helsinn Group for distribution of Anamorelin® across key markets in SEA Agilent Technologies to support National University of Singapore-led research consortium to develop lipid database Hokkaido University and Hitachi complete a facility incorporating a novel proton beam therapy system for cancer treatment developed jointly under Japan's FIRST program

Depression during pregnancy may affect babies development

Research in Singapore has found that children born to women who suffer from depression during pregnancy are likely to develop depression also

Queer(y)ing Illiberal Pragmatism in Singapore

Review of Audrey Yue and Jun Zubillaga-Pow (eds), Queer Singapore: Illiberal Citizenship and Mediated Cultures (Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong, 2012).

Species of the subgenus Cantotrella (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Podoscirtinae: Varitrella) from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Ten species of the subgenus Cantotrella Gorochov, 2006 belonging to the genus Varitrella Gorochov, 2003 of the tribe Podoscirtini are recorded from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Eight of them are new and described here: V. (C.) orion sp. nov.; V. (C.) trusmadi sp. nov.; V. (C.) striata sp. nov.; V. (C.) robusta sp. nov., V. (C.) sukau sp. nov., V. (C.) tawau sp. nov., V. (C.) amoena sp. nov., V. (C.) manukan sp. nov.

Book review: Diaspora at War: The Chinese of Singapore between Empire and Nation, 1937–1945

Book review: Diaspora at War: The Chinese of Singapore between Empire and Nation, 1937–1945

Advanced hospital management mode learning from Singapore general hospital

Objective Learning advanced medical operation modes from the management institutions of Singapore General Hospital,to discuss the medical management mode of public hospital in China.Methods we participated in the management training in Singapore General Hospital and studied and interviewed the relative referential experiences of administration.Results It was valuable referencing experiences of managerial organization setting,medical operation mode,charging mode and medical quality management of Singapore General Hospital.According to our national conditions and the needs of health system reform,we could mirror these experiences to improve our existing medical management mode of public hospitals,and to open up a new path on the management of public hospitals.Conclusion It's valuable and helpful that we study the referencing experiences on managerial organization setting,medical operation mode,charging mode and medical quality management of Singapore General Hospital. Key words: Hospital management; Public hospital; Health reform; Medical quality management

International experience of the management system of public hospitals and public welfare system

There are three kinds mainly of the present government worldwide management of public hospital management system and public service system.This paper compares the management system of public hospitals of the United States of America,Britain,Singapore and other countries,discussion of foreign public hospital public welfare system arrangement.With a view to put forward effective suggestions for the reform of public hospitals in China and public hospital regression public. Key words: Public hospital; Management system; Public welfare

The Spectrum and Effect of Infectious Diseases Physicians' Work

The practice of infectious diseases (ID) is evolving. Knowledge about the spectrum and frequency of services — as well as the effect on patient outcomes and costs — is essential for the future development of ID as a specialty, and for determining its role among medical disciplines. Two recent studies provide some insight. Ingram and colleagues conducted a 2-week prospective survey of formal ID-physician activities among 91 specialists at 53 hospitals in Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand. Of 1722 inpatient consultations, 20%, 15%, …

RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH PUBLICATION: INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR AUTHORS

Summary Editors are accountable and should take responsibility for everything they publish. Editors should make fair and unbiased decisions independent from commercial consideration and ensure a fair and appropriate peer review process. Editors should adopt editorial policies that encourage maximum transparency and complete, honest reporting. Editors should guard the integrity of the published record by issuing corrections and retractions when needed and pursuing suspected or alleged research and publication misconduct. Editors should pursue reviewer and editorial misconduct. Editors should critically assess the ethical conduct of studies in humans and animals. Peer reviewers and authors should be told what is expected of them. Editors should have appropriate policies in place for handling editorial conflicts of interest. Reference Kleinert S and Wager E (2011), Responsible research publication: international standards for editors. A position statement developed at the 2nd World Conference on Research Integrity, Singapore, July 22-24, 2010. Chapter 51 in: Mayer T and Ste-neck N (e ds). Promoting Research Integrity in a Global Environment. Imperial College Press / World Scientific Publishing, Singapore (pp 317-28). (ISBN 978-981-4340-97-7).

The 4th Molecular Materials Meeting (M3) @ Singapore

The 4th Molecular Materials Meeting (M3) @ Singapore

Perspective from Singapore

Perspective from Singapore