National University of Singapore

Uncovering the Associations between Human Big Five Personality Traits and Built Environment Characteristics from Street View Imagery

Human–environment interactions, a classic topic in geography, suggest that individuals and their environments might shape each other. Yet the specific mechanisms underlying these interactions regarding human personality traits have not been explored. This study examines the assoc...

On additive averaging kernels for finite Markov chains

Abstract We study additive mixtures of Markov kernels of the form $$A_\alpha = \alpha P + (1-\alpha )G$$ A α = α P + ( 1 - α ) G , where $$\alpha \in [0,1]$$ α ∈ [ 0 , 1 ] , P is a baseline sampler and G is a Gibbs kernel induced by a partition of the state space. We first motiva...

A Simple and Adaptive Confidence Interval when Nuisance Parameters Satisfy an Inequality

Inequalities may appear in many models. They can be as simple as assuming a parameter is nonnegative, possibly a regression coefficient or a treatment effect. This paper focuses on models with one inequality and proposes an inequality-imposed confidence interval (IICI) that has p...

Surface-Charge-Regulated MoS2 Membrane for Induced Agglomeration and Efficient Removal of Nanopollutants

Abstract Conventional membranes for nanopollutant removal are constrained by the permeability–selectivity trade-off inherent in size-exclusion mechanisms. Here, we report a surface-charge-regulated MoS2 membrane engineered by anchoring copper nanoparticles and quaternary ammonium...

Motion enhances camouflage: Retinal evidence for flicker fusion camouflage in jumping spiders

Camouflage is often assumed to fail once prey move, yet theory predicts that rapid motion can reduce detectability through flicker fusion camouflage (FFC), where high-contrast patterns blur into perceptual uniformity. We tested this prediction using retinal tracking in the jumpin...

Proteomic Profiling of Human Sweat Reveals Molecular Adaptations to Heat Acclimatization Induced by Isothermic Conditioning

Introduction: Prolonged physical exertion in hot and/or humid environments can induce physiological strain and increase the risk of heat exhaustion or exertional heat stroke (EHS). Heat acclimatization (HA) optimizes an individual’s ability to tolerate heat and is therefore widel...

Atomically thin amorphous carbon with an ultralow dielectric constant

Two-dimensional (2D) materials could replace conventional electronic components. Key advances have already been made in applying 2D materials to integrated circuits, but a robust, atomically thin ultralow-k dielectric remains crucial for further circuit scaling. Minimizing parasi...

Small-Molecule-Directed RNA Modification via Proximity-Driven Catalysis

Abstract Selective chemical modification of RNA is essential for RNA functionalization, probing RNA structure–function relationships and developing RNA-targeted therapeutics. Existing chemical strategies often rely on guanine accessibility or multiple helper DNA strands, restrict...

Engineering Hidden Ferroelectric‐Like Distortion for Ultralow Thermal Conductivity in Polar van der Waals Tetradymite

ABSTRACT Ferroelectric‐like polar structures enable diverse functionalities through coupling with charge and phonon transport. Although effective in modulating thermal conductivity, the rational design of novel polar materials with intrinsically low thermal conductivity via ferro...

Effectiveness of sexual health interventions in reducing risky sexual behaviors among people living with HIV: a network meta-analysis and systematic review

Abstract Objectives To assess and rank the effectiveness of different sexual health interventions designed to address risky sexual behaviors in PLWH. Methods We systematically searched studies published between Jan. 2010 and Dec. 2024. Randomized controlled trails (RCTs) were inc...

From “Caring for the home” to “Caring for the environment”: Migrant Domestic Workers and Circular Household Waste Management in Singapore

This article advances a relational feminist approach to better understand the roles that migrant domestic workers play in their everyday handling of household waste in Singapore. Despite emerging scholarly emphasis on the feminization of waste work in circular transitions, the ou...

Blocking AGEs reduces airway epithelial viral susceptibility in diabetes-exacerbated COPD

Abstract Although diabetic complications are well-established in multiple organs, their impact on the respiratory system remains unclear. Clinical evidence indicates accelerated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progression in individuals with diabetes, yet the underly...

Unpacking the state-private nexus in China’s AI development path

The Chinese AI regulatory model has been described as state-driven, where the Chinese government seeks technological supremacy by deploying AI to entrench power through surveillance, control, and cooptation of public and private sectors. It is portrayed as a comprehensive, top-do...

Emotion ( Jeong / Qing 情) as form in the tale of Chunhyang: contemporizing changgeuk and Yue Opera

This essay examines how emotion functions as form in the transformation of a classical character across different Asian traditional theatres. It compares the staging of a contemporary Chunhyang, the virtuous heroine of the well-known Korean folk tale, in two Asian traditional the...

FHL3 Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switching Through the MRTFB-SRF Signaling Axis

Genome-wide association studies have uncovered many coronary artery disease (CAD) loci, but mechanisms linking risk variants to vascular biology remain unclear. We screen candidate causal CAD genes for regulators of the vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) contractile phenotype usi...

ConjugatedCoordination Polymer Aerogels with UnsaturatedSingle-Atom Metal Sites for Efficient Neutral Oxygen Evolution

Abstract Designing high-performance single-atom catalysts with a precisely designed configuration is important in extensive energy-conversion technologies, which presents enormous potentials to be extensively applied. Defect-enriched conjugated coordination polymer aerogels (d-CC...

DUSP4 promotes anti-tumor CD8+ T cell function and boosts CAR-T cell efficacy in mouse colorectal cancer

The activation and function of CD8+ T cells, which are central for anti-tumor immunity, are tightly regulated by extracellular and intracellular signaling pathways. Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSP), including DUSP4, dephosphorylate serine/threonine and tyrosine residues of pr...

Toward federated large language models in medicine: a parameter-efficient framework for privacy-preserving, multi-institutional adaptation

Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly adapted for medical applications, but most are trained using data from a single institution because privacy and governance constraints prevent multi-institutional data sharing. As a result, these models often generalize poorly across...

Association between prior ICU admission for drug overdose and ICU readmission: A retrospective registry-based study

Objective We aimed to investigate patients discharged alive from hospital following an ICU admission for drug overdose and whether exposure of prior overdose-related ICU admission was associated with a future ICU readmission. Design, setting, participants This multicentre registr...

Gemfibrozil promotes longevity and health by restricting amino acid uptake through the Dipeptide transporter, PEPT1

The FDA-approved fibrate, gemfibrozil, has been used clinically to treat hyperlipidaemia, showing efficacy both in lowering triglycerides and increasing high-density lipoproteins. However, in recent years, the drug has been increasingly investigated for potential clinical use in...