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This paper presents an augmented reality-based Chinese character composition game (ARC) that employs augmented papers to engage lower primary school students in collaborative Chinese character learning. A design research approach was used to gain a holistic view of designing, enacting, and evaluating the ARC. The participants included four teachers and five classes of students from two primary schools. The school-based research findings suggested that: (1) the ARC was an effective system for improving beginning learners' orthographic knowledge of Chinese characters, particularly for those students with low Chinese language proficiency; (2) the tangible paper interface engaged students in group work and increased the game playfulness; and (3) students' language proficiency had a significant effect on their perceptions of ease of use and usefulness of the augmented paper game. This paper not only substantiated the potential of the augmented paper as a carrier of educational content, but also instantiated how to implement it to promote social and cognitive supports for interaction and collaboration.

This paper discusses the design of a digital Chinese character composition game with the paper-interface named as ARC (Augmented Reality-based Chinese Characters) and its implementation in a Singapore primary school. The ARC game is designed to help beginning Chinese as second language (L2) learners to develop Chinese orthographic knowledge and improve quality of collaboration. Underlying sociocultural perspectives of learning, it seeks to enable learners to complete the game collaboratively in classrooms, and in this process to build a deep understanding of linguistic knowledge in solving in-situ language-related problems that emerge in language use. The results of a quasi-experiment indicate that ARC is an effective system for improving Chinese character learning performance and collaborative learning quality. It suggests that the augmented paper, enabling natural interactions, allow more and potentially young students to engage with educational content and collaboration. The problematizing scaffold should be embedded in the game design to elicit more opportunities for collaborative dialogue.

Much research has been conducted to investigate the quality of writing and high-level revisions in word processing-assisted and pen-and-paper writing modes. Studies that address cognitive aspects, such as experience and comfort with computers, by which students compose essays during writing assessments have remained relatively unexplored. To fill this gap, the present study investigates the impact of writing using computers versus traditional writing with pen-and-paper based on 366 undergraduate students in Singapore. It analyses the students' thinking processes, the quality of their written work, and their perceptions of working with computers. The results indicate that the students demonstrated a positive attitude towards working with computers. Furthermore, the computer-delivered writing mode has a positive impact on their quality of writing in both technical aspects (content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics) and global aspects (setting macro rhetorical goal and ordering information in achieving the macro rhetorical goal). On the other hand, the results show that there was no significant difference between the paper and computer writing modes in their effects during the planning stage of writing in-class reflections. The study contributes to writing research by encouraging teachers to give students an option of delivery modes, beyond traditional pen-and-paper, for their writing assessments.

Introduction: Falls are an important public health issue with consequences that include injuries, quality of life reduction and high healthcare costs. Studies show that falls prevention strategies are effective in reducing falls rate among community-dwelling older adults. However, the evaluation for effectiveness was usually done in a controlled setting with homogeneous population, and thus may not be generalisable to a wider population. This study aims to evaluate the impact of community falls prevention programmes with group-based strength and balance exercises, on falls risk and health outcomes for older adults with falls risk in Singapore., Methods and Analysis: This is a pragmatic closed cohort stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial design study, which involves sequential crossover of clusters from the waitlist control condition to the intervention condition, with the sequence of crossover randomly determined. The intervention will be sequentially rolled out to 12 clusters (a minimum of 5 participants/cluster), over 6 time periods with 8-week intervals in Central and North regions of Singapore. The primary analysis will be conducted under the intention-to-treat principle. A general linear mixed model or generalised estimating equation analysis appropriate for a multilevel longitudinal study incorporating an appropriate error distribution and link function will be used. Markov model will be developed to estimate the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life years and incremental cost per fall prevented from the implementation of falls prevention strategies from a societal perspective. Conditional on there being clinically relevant differences in short-term outcomes, we will implement simulation modelling to project the long-term divergence in trajectories for outcomes and costs using the Markov model., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethics approval has been obtained. Results will be disseminated in publications and other relevant platforms., Trial Registration Number: NCT04788251., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

This paper engages with digital urban futures prospectively, departing from most existing geographical work that has tended to explore the future retrospectively. I do so by first discussing a methodology that is sensitive to the meanings and significations of the future as well as future‐making as an active process, or as 'practised'. I argue that such an orientation is necessary to challenge the established view of the future as an endpoint or as a priori in social and cultural geography and, correspondingly, invite a more processual and emergent understanding of the future as multiple, never complete and always becoming. Using the example of Singapore's Smart Nation initiative, I then show how this methodological approach can be employed to study the way urban dwellers encounter, engage and evaluate possible futures in their everyday spaces and lives. Focusing on futures prospectively is significant insofar as it directs attention to their relationality and open‐endedness, which, in turn, provides the latitude to consider and construct different forms of futures. Beyond the methodological contribution, this paper offers an epistemological intervention that not only unpicks how knowledge about the future is currently produced in the literature but also multiplies our ways of studying futurity and future‐making. This paper engages with digital urban futures prospectively, departing from most existing work that has tended to explore the future retrospectively. Using the example of the E‐Payments programme in Singapore, I show how a prospective methodological approach can be employed to study the way urban dwellers encounter, engage and evaluate possible futures in their everyday spaces and lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The concept of using specific dietary components to selectively modulate the gut microbiota to confer a health benefit, defined as prebiotics, originated in 1995. In 2018, a group of scientists met at the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics annual meeting in Singapore to discuss advances in the prebiotic field, focussing on issues affecting functionality, research methodology and geographical differences. Methods and Results: The discussion ranged from examining scientific literature supporting the efficacy of established prebiotics, to the prospects for establishing health benefits associated with novel compounds, isolated from different sources. Conclusions: While many promising candidate prebiotics from across the globe have been highlighted in preliminary research, there are a limited number with both demonstrated mechanism of action and defined health benefits as required to meet the prebiotic definition. Prebiotics are part of a food industry with increasing market sales, yet there are great disparities in regulations in different countries. Identification and commercialization of new prebiotics with unique health benefits means that regulation must improve and remain up‐to‐date so as not to risk stifling research with potential health benefits for humans and other animals. Significance and Impact of Study: This summary of the workshop discussions indicates potential avenues for expanding the range of prebiotic substrates, delivery methods to enhance health benefits for the end consumer and guidance to better elucidate their activities in human studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in technology enabled the development of a web-based, pictorial FFQ to collect parent-report dietary intakes of 7-year-old children in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes study. This study aimed to compare intakes estimated from a paper-FFQ and a web-FFQ and examine the relative validity of both FFQ against 3-d diet records (3DDR). Ninety-two mothers reported food intakes of their 7-year-old child on a paper-FFQ, a web-FFQ and a 3DDR. A usability questionnaire collected participants' feedback on the web-FFQ. Correlations and agreement in energy, nutrients and food groups intakes between the dietary assessments were evaluated using Pearson's correlation, Lin's concordance, Bland-Altman plots, Cohen's κ and tertile classification. The paper- and web-FFQ had good correlations (≥ 0·50) and acceptable-good agreement (Lin's concordance ≥ 0·30; Cohen's κ ≥ 0·41; ≥ 50 % correct and ≤ 10 % misclassification into same or extreme tertiles). Compared with 3DDR, both FFQ showed poor agreement (< 0·30) in assessing absolute intakes except micronutrients (web-FFQ had acceptable-good agreement), but showed acceptable-good ability to classify children into tertiles (κ ≥ 0·21; ≥ 40 % and ≤ 15 % correct or misclassification). Bland-Altman plots suggest good agreement between web-FFQ and 3DDR in assessing micronutrients and several food groups. The web-FFQ was well-received, and majority (81 %) preferred the web-FFQ over the paper-FFQ. The newly developed web-FFQ produced intake estimates comparable to the paper-FFQ, has acceptable-good agreement with 3DDR in assessing absolute micronutrients intakes and has acceptable-good ability to classify children according to categories of intakes. The positive acceptance of the web-FFQ makes it a feasible tool for future dietary data collection.

Unfree Workers: Insubordination and Resistance in Convict Australia, 1788-1860 AND Convict: A Global History: Unfree Workers: Insubordination and Resistance in Convict Australia, 1788-1860. While Maxwell-Stewart and Quinlan's central focus is on convict agency, Anderson also examines how convicts created new religious and social formations, and became vectors of insurgency. They note that Australian convicts represented only 45 per cent of those transported by the British between 1919 and 1939, and convicts were often interchangeable with other forms of unfree workers - serving alongside slaves and indentured servants. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose. To provide a bibliographical-historical perspective and main interest in the field of myopia. Methods. In this bibliographic study, the Web of Science Database was searched from 1999 to 2018. Recorded parameters included journal name, impact factor, year and language, number of authors, type and origin, methodology, number of subjects, funding, and topics. Results. Epidemiological assessments were the leading type of article (28%), and half of the papers were prospective studies. The number of citations for multicenter studies was significantly higher (P = 0.034). The articles were published in 27 journals, with the majority in Investigative Ophthalmology, Vision Sciences (28%), and Ophthalmology (26%). Etiology, signs and symptoms, and treatment equally encompassed the topics. Papers addressing etiology, specifically genetic and environmental factors (P = 0.029), signs and symptoms (P = 0.001), and prevention, specifically public awareness (47%, P = 0.005), received significantly more citations. Treatment to decrease myopia progression was a much more common topic (68%) than refractive surgery (32%). Optical treatment was the most popular modality (39%). Half of the publications came from 3 countries: the United States (US), Australia, and Singapore. The highest ranked and cited papers came from the US (P = 0.028) and Singapore (P = 0.028). Conclusions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the top-cited articles on myopia. There is a predominance of epidemiological assessments and multicenter studies originating from the US, Australia, and Singapore, assessing etiology, signs and symptoms, and prevention. These are more frequently cited, emphasizing the great interest in mapping the increase in the incidence of myopia in different countries, public health awareness, and myopia control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital heritage portal interfaces are generally similar to digital library and search engine interfaces in displaying search results as a list of brief metadata records. The knowledge organization and search result display of these systems are item-centric, with little support for identifying relationships between items. This paper proposes a knowledge graph system and visualization interface as a promising solution for digital heritage systems to support users in browsing related items, understanding the relationships between items, and synthesizing a narrative on an issue. The paper discusses design issues for the knowledge graph, graph database, and graph visualization, and offers recommendations based on the authors' experience in developing three knowledge graph systems for archive and digital humanities resources: the Zubir Said personal archive collection at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore; Singapore Pioneers social network; and Polyglot Medicine knowledge graph of Asian traditional and herbal medicine. Lessons learned from a small user study are incorporated in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banking supervision, Money laundering, Singapore, Terrorist financing, Private banking N-6 Journal of International Banking Law and Regulation Singapore MONEY LAUNDERING Monetary Authority of Singapore Issues Guidance Paper on Effective Anti-money Laundering and Combatting the Combatting the financing Financing of Terrorism Controls in Private Banking of terrrosim On 4 September 2020, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued MAS issues guidance paper on a guidance paper setting out its supervisory expectations of effective effective AML/CFT controls in anti-money laundering/combatting the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) private banking controls in the private banking industry, including illustrative examples taken from MAS' inspections of private banks (PBs) (guidance paper).1 The dI Banking supervision; Money guidance paper supplements the MAS Guidance on Private Banking Controls issued in 2014. laundering, Private banking, The guidance sets outthe following five key control areas for improvement: Singapore; Terrorist financing - corroborating customer's source of wealth and funds; - detecting and mitigating tax-related money laundering risks, - detecting and inquiring into commercial/third-party transactional flows, - exercising active senior management oversight, and - instituting sound performance management framework to foster strong risk culture. [Extracted from the article]

Much research has been conducted to investigate the quality of writing and high-level revisions in word processing-assisted and pen-and-paper writing modes. Studies that address cognitive aspects, such as experience and comfort with computers, by which students compose essays during writing assessments have remained relatively unexplored. To fill this gap, the present study investigates the impact of writing using computers versus traditional writing with pen-and-paper based on 366 undergraduate students in Singapore. It analyses the students' thinking processes, the quality of their written work, and their perceptions of working with computers. The results indicate that the students demonstrated a positive attitude towards working with computers. Furthermore, the computer-delivered writing mode has a positive impact on their quality of writing in both technical aspects (content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics) and global aspects (setting macro rhetorical goal and ordering information in achieving the macro rhetorical goal). On the other hand, the results show that there was no significant difference between the paper and computer writing modes in their effects during the planning stage of writing in-class reflections. The study contributes to writing research by encouraging teachers to give students an option of delivery modes, beyond traditional pen-and-paper, for their writing assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epilepsy is one of the most common serious chronic neurological disorders, which can have a serious negative impact on individuals, families and society, and even death. With the increasing application of machine learning techniques in medicine in recent years, the integration of machine learning with epilepsy has received close attention, and machine learning has the potential to provide reliable and optimal performance for clinical diagnosis, prediction, and precision medicine in epilepsy through the use of various types of mathematical algorithms, and promises to make better parallel advances. However, no bibliometric assessment has been conducted to evaluate the scientific progress in this area. Therefore, this study aims to visually analyze the trend of the current state of research related to the application of machine learning in epilepsy through bibliometrics and visualization. Methods: Relevant articles and reviews were searched for 2004-2023 using Web of Science Core Collection database, and bibliometric analyses and visualizations were performed in VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix (R-Tool of R-Studio). Results: A total of 1,284 papers related to machine learning in epilepsy were retrieved from the Wo SCC database. The number of papers shows an increasing trend year by year. These papers were mainly from 1,957 organizations in 87 countries/regions, with the majority from the United States and China. The journal with the highest number of published papers is EPILEPSIA. Acharya, U. Rajendra (Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore) is the authoritative author in the field and his paper "Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Automated Detection and Diagnosis of Epileptic Seizures Using EEG Signals" was the most cited. Literature and keyword analysis shows that seizure prediction, epilepsy management and epilepsy neuroimaging are current research hotspots and developments. Conclusions: This study is the first to use bibliometric methods to visualize and analyze research in areas related to the application of machine learning in epilepsy, revealing research trends and frontiers in the field. This information will provide a useful reference for epilepsy researchers focusing on machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per- and polyfiuoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on paper packaging resist water and oil to effectively contain food and beverages. However, previous studies have established correlations between PFAS and several diseases including COVID-19, cancers, and obesity. The goal of this collaborative research between the Philippines and Singapore is to set a baseline for PFAS levels in local packaging with the intended outcome of further increasing awareness on these contaminants in Southeast Asia, providing a starting point for migration experiments and risk assessments on PFAS in commercially-available food contact materials and articles, and initiating policy developments on these substances in the Philippines. In this study, 15 different types of PFAS were analyzed in selected paper packaging used by major quick service restaurants (QSRs) in Metro Manila. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), PFAS was detected in 100% of the samples with a total PFAS concentration range of 8.20-97.7 ng PFAS/100 cm². The highest amount of PFAS compound measured across all samples was PF-3,7-DMOA (89.8 ng/100 cm²). PFAS compounds regulated in European packaging such as PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA and PFDA were also detected in all samples but at trace levels. Paper wrappers for rice and small burgers were found to have the highest total PFAS of 97.7 ng PFAS/100 cm². This value translates to approximately 65.1 ng F/100 cm² which is way below 10,000 ng F/100 cm², the currently existing limit for PFAS in packaging set by the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food. While each packaging may be deemed safe compared to regulation, the compounded effects brought by use of multiple packaging, and high frequency and long-term exposures require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration is a contested topic in Singapore's public discourse. One such area is integration through state-sponsored grassroots community volunteerism. Little is however known about such experiences of grassroots volunteerism to integration outcomes. This paper addresses the gap by exploring how new citizen and permanent resident grassroots volunteers make sense of their experiences through 'integration taxes' and 'gestural integration'. In doing so, this paper argues that while grassroots volunteerism offers lower barriers to entry for new citizens, it constraints the diversity of integration by and through new citizen volunteers due to discrimination, marginalisation and staged integration faced in grassroots work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the intriguing peculiarities of the surface paint layer found in the painting Village scene (1931) by renowned Singapore artist Liu Kang (1911–2004). The incorporation of non-invasive visible light (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) photography techniques, combined with high-power digital microscopy, revealed unusual features on the surface paint layer. Flattened impastos, clusters of incrusted foreign paint unrelated to the existing paint scheme, and fragments of paper with printed traditional Chinese characters were identified on the painting's surface. The results of the analyses cross-referenced with the archival photographs enabled the consideration of the specified features of the paint layer as unintentional damage caused by the artist due to inadequate storage and transportation conditions—paradoxically, in his attempt to protect the painting. As these damaged areas pose potential display and conservation problems, three conservation strategies were proposed based on ethical guidelines formulated by various governing bodies for the conservation profession. This study demonstrates that there is no universal conservation solution that can satisfy conflicting aesthetic and ethical opinions. The damage to the paint layer affects the visual properties of the artwork but also provides evidence of its complex history. In light of the above, there may be valid arguments both for returning the painting to its original state and for preserving its current condition. Therefore, good practice would require balanced judgments from conservators and curators, considering Village scene in the broader context of Liu Kang's early painting practice and the existing archival information about the artist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In May 2021, Singapore Press Holding (SPH), the country's newspaper conglomerate, announced its restructuring into a not-for-profit entity in response to the global decline of the news industry. The government pledged an annual S$180m budget to the new SPH Media Trust (SMT), raising concerns about the ability of the news entity to break away from government control, but these were dismissed with political assertions that editorial independence had 'always existed'. This paper analyses the government-led public discourses surrounding SMT, highlighting a two-prong narrative approach: obfuscate the social role of the media in Singapore, and downplay the need for accountability over public funding for SMT. Applying a Foucauldian framework for evaluating discursive practices in governance and measuring these narratives against public service journalism scholarship, this paper probes the constructed determinants of journalism's social role in Singapore. It proposes that similar evaluations can be applied to discourse about journalism in other societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and its issuance of a Response in 2015 to the feedback that the agency received from MAS' "Consultation Paper on Proposed Credit Bureau Regulatory Framework and Credit Bureau Bill." The efforts to strengthen oversight of the Credit Bureau (Singapore) Pte Ltd. and DP Credit Bureau Pte Ltd. businesses in Singapore are examined, along with Singapore's Banking Act and supervisory power over licensed credit bureaus.

Why have Singapore's unique developmental state arrangements persisted in a region which has experienced democratic change? This paper argues that this is due to the PAP state's successful legitimation of its unique brand of meritocracy, one which has both competitive and interventionist elements. During the colonial era, a culture of economic meritocracy evolved in a bottom-up process through social and commercial interactions between the British class and Chinese community. This was then transmuted by the PAP's top-down imposition of the institutions and discourses of political meritocracy. This cultural hybrid allows the state to sustain its hegemony in the face of progressive social change. Accordingly, our emphasis on the wider institutional environment within which merit is conceived helps to better illuminate Singapore's challenges of encouraging organic innovation, alleviating social stratification, and opening up its political arena. This paper suggests that the problems in these areas stem not from meritocracy per se, but from the PAP's "monocentric meritocracy" where merit is narrowly defined and singularly imposed in the post-colonial era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the current legal framework on money laundering control in the insurance sector. Essentially, this examination is premised on the interrogation of whether it is still appropriate for Mauritius to apply such stringent, opaque and unyielding Anti-Money Laundering/Combating Financing of Terrorism norms and rules on general insurance when developed nations such as the UK and Singapore have done away with them for a more effective combat against money laundering. It would also be assessed why the financial services commission (FSC) is not able to draw inspiration from its British and Singaporean counterparts in fighting money laundering more effectively. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses the doctrinal legal research methodology which is colloquially described as "black-letter law" approach. It is backed up by a contextual legal analysis that is based on an analysis of relevant legal provisions. It relies ground experience from the insurance industry through the experience of the authors. A comparative approach is used with Singapore and the UK as case studies given that there are significant commonalities to the Mauritian jurisdiction as well as useful differences. Findings: It is observed that a move towards a de-regulation of the legal framework on money laundering in the insurance sector with a more relaxed approach is more effective for the Mauritian insurance sector. Evidence is drawn from the Singaporean and British models. A re-structuring of the FSC of Mauritius is also warranted for such an approach to be adopted. Originality/value: This paper is among the first academic contribution that proposes a de-regulation and the adoption of a relaxed approach of and by the Mauritian Insurance Industry for a more effective combat against money laundering. It serves as a legal foundational basis for further research in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS) is held annually, sponsored by the Plasma Science and Applications Committee (PSAC) of the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Science Society (NPSS). The 47th IEEE NPSS ICOPS was organized ONLINE from December 06 to 10, 2020, by the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The ICOPS2020 was co-organized together with the 2nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Plasma and Terahertz Science (APCOPTS) which is envisioned as the future Asian version of the ICOPS series of conferences. The ICOPS2020 was initially planned as an onsite physical conference from May 24 to 28, 2020, at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was shifted to online virtual conference. The conference’s technical program included a wide range of plasma science and technology topics, which ranged from basic and fundamental research to traditional and emerging technology applications. Since the ICOPS2020 was co-organized with APCOPTS, it also had a very strong coverage of fields related to terahertz science and applications. A total of 627 presentations from scientists and participants from over 41 countries were made at ICOPS2020 with a record total registration of 754. All presentations were recorded and were available to the registered participants for 90 days after the conference was over. The program also included a women-in-engineering talk by Jackie Y. Ying from A* Star Singapore and a young professionals networking symposium on “Plasma Entrepreneurship” with the theme “Plasma entrepreneurship—Active translation of cutting-edge research to commercially viable product.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper delves into the multifaceted landscape of dyslexia within the context of digital environments, aiming to explore the nuanced challenges faced by dyslexic individuals and propose design interventions to cater to their diverse needs. Dyslexia, recognised as a neurobiological learning disability characterised by difficulties in language processing and reading comprehension, continues to pose unique challenges despite advancements in its understanding and diagnosis. The study draws from interviews conducted with dyslexic individuals, highlighting the spectrum of challenges encountered. It reveals the varied nature of dyslexia experiences, spanning struggles in languagespecific domains, reading difficulties, and individualised approaches to coping with the disability. Furthermore, it critically examines existing digital assistive technologies, emphasising their limitations in meeting the tailored requirements of dyslexic learners, often failing to align with individual learning approaches and impeding effective learning experiences. Acknowledging the dichotomy between the aid provided by assistive tools and the need to cultivate personal skills, this paper advocates for a balanced approach. It explores a range of tools and educational tactics employed by dyslexic individuals, emphasising the importance of personalised, adaptable solutions to accommodate diverse experiences and preferences. The study progresses to present low-fidelity design probes as potential interventions in the digital sphere, focusing on tools that allow gradual skill development and customisation. These prototypes aim to provide tailored support while fostering the growth of personal tactics and skills, aiming to strike a harmonious balance between assistance and skill enhancement. Despite these contributions, this study faces limitations, including a restricted sample size and a lack of longitudinal data. The research methodology could benefit from a more comprehensive approach, integrating quantitative measures and expanding participant diversity to enhance generalisability. Furthermore, a deeper synthesis of existing literature and a more explicit theoretical framework could strengthen the theoretical underpinnings of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes stakeholder engagement in educational policymaking in Singapore and Finland, two countries renowned for successful education systems. While both countries achieve high academic standards, they employ distinct approaches to engage stakeholders in shaping educational policies. Singapore adopts a centralized model where policymaking is primarily directed by the Ministry of Education (MOE), with limited participation from external stakeholders. In contrast, Finland adopts a decentralized approach, empowering local authorities and schools with significant autonomy and actively involving stakeholders in policymaking. Key stakeholders, including teachers, parents, students and the private sector, play different roles in each country's education governance. In Singapore, stakeholders are consulted through formal channels but have limited influence on decision-making, whereas, in Finland, stakeholders actively steer fundamental policy directions through extensive participation and consensus-building. The paper highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and their impacts on education outcomes. Despite differences in governance models, both countries prioritize inclusive education, social cohesion, and holistic development. The analysis underscores the importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement in crafting effective education policies that align with national values and visions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free route airspace allows airspace users to freely plan a route in en-route airspaces within certain restrictions. It is anticipated to offer the benefit of fuel saving and operational flexibility. Regarding its efficient implementation into the ASEAN airspace, the key challenge would be reducing hotspots with clusters of potential conflicts. This paper designed a time-varying queuing network model, which contributed to untangle trajectory complexity in the most congested hotspot area. A series of fast-time simulation experiments were conducted to identify hotspots in en-route airspace in Singapore FIR. The application of departure time control using time-varying queuing networks successfully reduced up to 45% of potential conflicts. This was achieved within an average delay of 30 min by controlling time of less than 60% of candidate flights. The original contribution of this paper is to develop a novel modeling and simulation framework for composing ideal air traffic patterns. Lastly, we discussed the extension of this study toward a generalized application of the proposed approach in future air traffic management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2018 Asia-Pacific Conference on Plasma and Terahertz Science (APCOPTS), an international conference intended to be held every two years as the Asia-Pacific version of the International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS), provides an excellent platform for academic exchange in the fields. The first APCOPTS was held from August 15 to 18, 2018 and the second APCOPTS will be combined with ICOPS in Singapore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of interest in the learning organization (LO) concept attests to the value of learning by individuals and organizations for continuous improvement and adaptability to the ever-changing environment. Although the LO concept originated from business contexts, it was subsequently extended to educational organizations, particularly to schools. This paper presents research on the way LO is practised by a school in Singapore that subscribes to the LO philosophy. Using Ortenblad's four integrated LO aspects (organizational learning, learning at work, learning climate and learning structure) as a framework of analysis, the research shows that the school practises the four aspects in a way that is unique to its school context, but that wider cultural factors have to be taken into account when interpreting LO in an Asian school context.

This paper presents autoethnographic strategies to manage cognitive dissonance in art teacher education. Dissonance, as a conflict in beliefs and actions, is discussed in educational research but not commonly in art education. By exposing the autoethnographic voices of three academic artist teachers based in the United Kingdom and Singapore, including that of one author, this paper identifies the constitution and location of cognitive dissonance in art education. Autoethnographic images and excerpts help reveal personal accounts of cognition whilst positioning dissonance in practice. Contributors to dissonance like belief and concept conflicts, demonstrative challenges and power relationships are also exposed. This paper recommends that educational stakeholders, such as education ministries, teacher education departments and school leadership teams collaborate to acknowledge, accept and begin to manage dissonance in art teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]