• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2011

The deficiency of clean water is a major global concern because all the living creatures rely on the drinkable water for survival. On top of this, abundant of clean water supply is also necessary for household, metropolitan inhabitants, industry, and agriculture. Among many purification processes, advances in low-energy membrane separation technology appear to be the most effective solution for water crisis because membranes have been widely recognized as one of the most direct and feasible approaches for clean water production. The aim of this article is to give an overview of (1) two new emerging membrane technologies for water reuse and desalination by forward osmosis (FO) and membrane distillation (MD), and (2) the molecular engineering and development of highly permeable hollow fiber membranes, with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polybenzimidazole (PBI) as the main focuses for the aforementioned applications in National University of Singapore (NUS). This article presents the main results of membrane module design, separation performance, membrane characteristics, chemical modification and spinning conditions to produce novel hollow fiber membranes for FO and MD applications. As two potential solutions, MD and FO may be synergistically combined to form a hybrid system as a sustainable alternative technology for fresh water production.

• Asia Pacific Journal of Corpus Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.31-60
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• 2020

This paper investigates changes in relativization in Singapore English broadsheet newspapers from 1993 to 2016. One of the first diachronic studies in Singapore English (SgE), it also explores corresponding data from the diachronic Siena-Bologna (SiBol) news corpus. As SgE is in the endonormative stabilization phase in Schneider's (2007) Dynamic Model of postcolonial Englishes, divergence from British English (BrE) is to be expected. In this study, the dataset is a new Singapore English Newspaper (SEN) corpus compiled from local news articles in 1993, 2005 and 2016, and the corpus tool employed is Sketch Engine. The results reveal changes in relativization practices in SEN over the given period, many of which occur in a similar pattern as those identified in SiBol, albeit at varying rates of change. Most significant of these include a sharp decline in the which relativizer in restrictive relative clauses with non-animate antecedents, complemented by a rise in that. The change has been so rapid that although which relative clauses were more common than that clauses in 1993, that has subsequently overtaken which for both the corpora. One shift in SEN that is different from SiBol is the increase in frequency of non-restrictive relative clauses in SgE. The likely motivators for the changes in the two varieties are identified as colloquialization, densification and prescriptivism. The effect each of these factors could have had on the varieties are discussed, as well as the implications that the findings have on our understanding of the evolutionary status of SgE as a postcolonial variety.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2018

In this paper, the response of an underground fibreglass reinforced plastic (FRP) composite pipe system subjected to realistic loading scenarios that may be experienced by an actual buried pipeline is investigated. The model replicates an arbitrary site with a length of buried pipeline, passing through a $90^{\circ}$ bend and into a valve pit. Various loading conditions, which include effects of pipe pressurization, differences in response between stainless steel and fibreglass composite pipes and severe loss of bed-soil support are studied. In addition to pipe response, the resulting soil stresses and ground settlement are also analysed. Furthermore, the locations of potential leakage and burst have also been identified by evaluating the contact pressures at the joints and by comparing stresses to the pipe hoop and axial failure strengths.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.67-78
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• 2017

The competitive nature of enterprises requires organizations to foster an environment that encourages employee innovation that leads to profitability and customer satisfaction. Organizational innovation is influenced by several factors with employee behaviour being one of the important factors. Employees contribute in the innovation process and thus, it is important for organizations to understand employee expectations to demonstrate innovative work behaviour in order to create and maintain an innovative work culture. In the present study, a conceptual model based on culture, reward and program, training, compensations, leadership and systems was tested to assess that impact on employee expectations leading to innovative work behaviour. The study was conducted in the context of city-state of Singapore due to its significant emphasis on promoting and nurturing employee innovation. The model was tested using empirical data collected through a survey of employees in Singapore. The results indicate that while culture, rewards and training programs have a direct relationship on employee expectations to demonstrate innovative work behaviour, when considered together, leadership and systems are significantly and positively associated with employee expectations. These factors are usually under the control of organizations and can be enhanced through systematic interventions, thereby providing practice managers an avenue to improve employee innovation behaviour. The other implications of the findings and future scope are discussed.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.273-277
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• 2017

Atmospheric corrosion is clearly the most noticeable of all corrosion processes. A tremendous amount of economic losses are caused by atmospheric corrosion. Thus, it is imperative to know the level of atmosphere's aggressiveness or in other words "corrosivity", before designing or planning any corrosion prevention strategy. In Singapore, corrosivity values were not recorded earlier though the process of measurement and recording was prevalent in other countries. With an aim of filling this gap, three test sites were setup at three locations in Singapore to represent marine, industrial and urban atmospheres or their mixtures. Subsequently, corrosivity readings were measured and recorded according to ISO 9223:2012 for the first time in Singapore. Salient atmospheric constituents or parameters like time of wetness (TOW), $Cl^-$, $SO_2$, $NO_2$, $O_3$, and $HNO_3$ were measured at all sites over a period of time to categorize corrosivity of particular atmosphere. The effect of the atmosphere on corrosion of steel, Cu, Al, and Zn has also been investigated and quantified. "Estimated" and "determined" corrosivities were quantified and compared according to ISO 9223 standard. The study data along with final corrosivity measurements will be presented and discussed in the present work.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.121-125
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• 2020

The identification of adult stem cells is challenging because of the heterogeneity and plasticity of stem cells in different organs. Within the same tissue, stem cells may be highly proliferative, or maintained in a quiescent state and only to be activated after tissue damage. Although various stem cell markers have been successfully identified, there is no universal stem cell marker, which is exclusively expressed in all stem cells. Here, we discuss the roles of master developmental regulator RUNX1 in stem cells and the development of a 270 base pair fragment of the Runx1 enhancer (eR1) for use as stem cell marker. Using eR1 to identify stem cells offers a distinct advantage over gene promoters, which might not be expressed exclusively in stem cells. Moreover, RUNX1 has been strongly implicated in various cancer types, such as leukemia, breast, esophageal, prostate, oral, skin, and ovarian cancers-it has been suggested that RUNX1 dysfunction promotes stem cell dysfunction and proliferation. As tissue stem cells are potential candidates for cancer cells-of-origin and cancer stem cells, we will also discuss the use of eR1 to target oncogenic gene manipulations in stem cells and to track subsequent neoplastic changes.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.137-154
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• 2019

Singapore has seen a phenomenal and an unprecedented transformation from a swampland to a high density urban environment since its independence in 1965, made possible largely and single-handedly by the sustained efforts of its government. Indeed, urban space is a key vehicle for achieving urban social, environmental, economic, and cultural sustainability. The dense urban context in Singapore has seen an emergence and increase in elevated spaces in the form of sky-gardens, sky-bridges and sky-courts in a range of building types, seemingly seeking to tie together the different horizontal and vertical components of the city. This paper, therefore, examines the effectiveness of elevated urban spaces and pedestrian networks in Singapore and their ability to contribute to the horizontal to vertical transitions, and consequently to the urban vitality and accessibility. It does this through the analysis of two key developments: Marina Bay Sands and the Jurong Gateway. In particular, it considers the implications of certain constraints placed on urban spaces by their inherent location at height, in addition to the familiar privatization of public spaces, over-management of spaces, and their somewhat utilitarian characteristics. The paper argues that some of these issues may pose detrimental effects on the publicness of these spaces that in turn may lead to such spaces being underused and therefore adding redundancies and further stress to Singapore's urban land. Finally, the paper outlines key strategies that may help overcome the aforementioned issues, including the disjuncture associated with elevated spaces such that they may become a seamless extension of the urban spaces on ground.

• Journal of Urban Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.37-47
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• 2022

Even if Korea has established various legal guidelines as well as plans for the purpose of systematic management of urban citycapes, various problems have been pointed out, such as a decrease in operational efficiency because the legal framework is not clearly defined and the guidelines do not fully reflect regional characteristics. In the midst of this, Singapore is being mentioned as a representative example of enhancing international competitiveness by forming an outstanding urban cityscape through successful urban planning and operating system. Therefore, this study aims to suggest a direction for the improvement of Korea's urban planning and design guidelines by investigating and analyzing the characteristics of Singapore's urban planning system and design guidelines. As a result of the research and analysis, it was concluded that Singapore's urban planning system was based on the unified planning and management system. In particular, the Singapore Urban Design Guidelines provide differentiated guidelines to maintain and strengthen regional characteristics based on linkage with higher-level plans as detailed practical guidelines, and were operated as flexible guidelines reflecting the changes of the times and the needs of members of society. It also provides a direction for the improvement of the Korean urban design system, such as to increase the executionablity of the plan and the efficiency of operation by utilizing various guidance and support policies, rational and simplified deliberation procedures, and allow a platform that enhances the accessibility and convenience of related information.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.304-324
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• 2018

Singapore government is strongly promoting the development and utilization of underground space in national level due to the nature of the city state which lacks the land. As well as conventional underground utilization in shallow depth such as metro and underground roads, large rock cavern utilization has been started after the successful completion of the underground ammunition depot in the rock, and Jurong Rock Cavern, the second large underground cavern project has just been completed. In this paper, after evaluating the conditions of the underground development in rock mass through the analysis of the geology of Singapore, the history and current status of underground development are examined. Several creative development plans from Singapore government such as underground reservoirs, underground automation logistics systems and underground warehouses storage etc. are introduced with technical issues. This paper also discusses the problems and issues related to the development of large underground space in rock mass in Singapore. It is expected that such active development of underground space in Singapore can give many opportunities and also challenges for rock engineering and industry in the future.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.137-160
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• 2014

These days, in line with the increase of opportunities in our country's firms to do transaction, large-scale M&A and investment with foreign firms incorporating arbitration clauses in the contracts have become general practice. Recently, Singapore has come to the fore as a place of arbitration and, particularly, Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC) was assessed as the favored international arbitration institution uniquely in Asia at the 2010 International Arbitration Survey: Choices in International Arbitration, along with the ICC, LCIA, and AAA/ICDR. Therefore, the country's firms need to understand properly the international arbitration procedure of Singapore. This study examines the international arbitration system of Singapore, focusing on the arbitration procedure of the SIAC. The Center revised arbitration rules twice in 2010 and 2013, and established the Court of Arbitration of SIAC in April 2013 for the first time in Asia in pursuit of stricter neutrality and promptness. It further seeks to run the arbitration procedure fairly by selecting a third country's people as an arbitrator, while its arbitration expenses are cheaper than those of the ICC. The study believes that for the country's international arbitration institutions such as the KCAB to jump forward as a world-class international arbitration institution, the Korean government should render positive support to them, learning from Singapore which does not spare any political and financial assistance to cultivate international arbitration institutions. On the other hand, KCAB should also try hard to improve in the aspects of neutrality, fairness, and promptness and to be selected as a trustworthy international arbitration institution by firms in Asian countries.