Philanthropy on the Road to Nationhood in Singapore Philanthropy in Asia: Working Paper No. 1

This paper attempts to address the gap in knowledge on the contributions by philanthropic players to national development in Singapore. Using grounded research, it explores the evolution of giving by individuals, the community and the private sector in Singapore from the end of World War II in 1945 to today. It looks at how each group gives towards prevailing social needs, unexpected events and crises as well as government calls for community support across fve key phases in Singapore's journey to nationhood. To provide context to the giving, the political and socio-economic situation of each time frame and concurrent government social welfare provisions in each phase are also described

Evaluation of two eco-friendly neutralizers for a spectrum of tissue fixatives for biomedical applications.

Formaldehyde is a widely used aldehyde in biomedical applications, including tissue fixation. It is this same fixative property that can result in toxicity if aldehydes are improperly discarded. A proper neutralization of aldehyde waste products can address this, thereby reducing both health and environmental toxicity concerns. In this study two commercially available products designed to neutralize formaldehyde were evaluated, including neutralization of laboratory derived tissue fixative waste. The primary selection criteria for inclusion in the study were: their ease of use (based on product instructions); the two products assert high levels of formaldehyde neutralization (below 20 ppm) relative to other neutralizing products and their lack of generation of polymeric residues that can clog drains. Both products tested were relatively easy to use and both achieved <10 ppm residual levels of formaldehyde from standard formalin and glutaraldehyde preparations used in research and clinical laboratories

Philanthropy Handbook - Giving Effectively from Singapore to Asia-Pacific

The purpose of this handbook is to: * Offer guidance to current and new philanthropists on how to start or expand your giving journey from Singapore.* Highlight joint areas for action that you can rally around with others to build the ecosystem and collectively address persistent needs.* Motivate inclusive wealth management by providing access to a network in Singapore that can support you in achieving both financial goals and social impact

Reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation to anandamide in mesenteric arteries from young obese Zucker rats

Impaired vascular function, manifested by an altered ability of the endothelium to release endothelium-derived relaxing factors and endothelium-derived contracting factors, is consistently reported in obesity. Considering that the endothelium plays a major role in the relaxant response to the cannabinoid agonist anandamide, the present study tested the hypothesis that vascular relaxation to anandamide is decreased in obese rats. Mechanisms contributing to decreased anandamide-induced vasodilation were determined. Resistance mesenteric arteries from young obese Zucker rats (OZRs) and their lean counterparts (LZRs) were used. Vascular reactivity was evaluated in a myograph for isometric tension recording. Protein expression and localization were analyzed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence, respectively. Vasorelaxation to anandamide, acetylcholine, and sodium nitroprusside, as well as to CB1, CB2, and TRPV1 agonists was decreased in endothelium-intact mesenteric arteries from OZRs. Incubation with an AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) activator or a fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor restored anandamide-induced vascular relaxation in OZRs. CB1 and CB2 receptors protein expression was decreased in arteries from OZRs. Incubation of mesenteric arteries with anandamide evoked endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), AMPK and acetyl CoA carboxylase phosphorylation in LZRs, whereas it decreased phosphorylation of these proteins in OZRs. In conclusion, obesity decreases anandamide-induced relaxation in resistance arteries. Decreased cannabinoid receptors expression, increased anandamide degradation, decreased AMPK/eNOS activity as well as impairment of the response mediated by TRPV1 activation seem to contribute to reduce responses to cannabinoid agonists in obesity.National Institutes of Health (HL71138, HL74167)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)INCT Obesity and DiabetesConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq

Regeneration Enhances Metastasis: A Novel Role for Neurovascular Signaling in Promoting Melanoma Brain Metastasis

Neural repair after stroke involves initiation of a cellular proliferative program in the form of angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and molecular growth signals in the surrounding tissue elements. This cellular environment constitutes a niche in which regeneration of new blood vessels and new neurons leads to partial tissue repair after stroke. Cancer metastasis has similar proliferative cellular events in the brain and other organs. Do cancer and CNS tissue repair share similar cellular processes? In this study, we identify a novel role of the regenerative neurovascular niche induced by stroke in promoting brain melanoma metastasis through enhancing cellular interactions with surrounding niche components. Repair-mediated neurovascular signaling induces metastatic cells to express genes crucial to metastasis. Mimicking stroke-like conditions in vitro displays an enhancement of metastatic migration potential and allows for the determination of cell-specific signals produced by the regenerative neurovascular niche. Comparative analysis of both in vitro and in vivo expression profiles reveals a major contribution of endothelial cells in mediating melanoma metastasis. These results point to a previously undiscovered role of the regenerative neurovascular niche in shaping the tumor microenvironment and brain metastatic landscape

Contribution of infection and vaccination to population-level seroprevalence through two COVID waves in Tamil Nadu, India.

This study employs repeated, large panels of serological surveys to document rapid and substantial waning of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at the population level and to calculate the extent to which infection and vaccination separately contribute to seroprevalence estimates. Four rounds of serological surveys were conducted, spanning two COVID waves (October 2020 and April-May 2021), in Tamil Nadu (population 72 million) state in India. Each round included representative populations in each district of the state, totaling ≥ 20,000 persons per round. State-level seroprevalence was 31.5% in round 1 (October-November 2020), after India's first COVID wave. Seroprevalence fell to 22.9% in round 2 (April 2021), a roughly one-third decline in 6 months, consistent with dramatic waning of SARS-Cov-2 antibodies from natural infection. Seroprevalence rose to 67.1% by round 3 (June-July 2021), with infections from the Delta-variant induced second COVID wave accounting for 74% of the increase. Seroprevalence rose to 93.1% by round 4 (December 2021-January 2022), with vaccinations accounting for 63% of the increase. Antibodies also appear to wane after vaccination. Seroprevalence in urban areas was higher than in rural areas, but the gap shrunk over time (35.7 v. 25.7% in round 1, 89.8% v. 91.4% in round 4) as the epidemic spread even in low-density rural areas

Changing Lives with the Gift of Water: Lien AID - Enabling the Rural Poor to Protect Their Health

By helping villagers in rural communities become owners and operators of their own water facilities, Lien AID through its clean water and sanitation programmes has improved the health and well-being of thousands of rural poor in Cambodia and elsewhere in Asia.The Lien Foundation was established by prominent Singaporean banker and entrepreneur Dr. Lien Ying Chow. Orphaned at age 10 and without a formal education, Lien established the foundation in 1980 with almost half of his wealth to give back to society what it had given to him. Lien AID was incorporated in 2006, with the mission to improve living conditions in developing communities in Asia and as an autonomous vehicle to champion the foundation's interests in water and sanitation.By the end of 2014, Lien AID had reached about 682,000 direct beneficiaries in poor communities across Southeast Asia and China. It had built more than 1,300 water facilities and 22,000 toilets. It had made water and sanitation accessible to more than 200 schools and 2,800 villages as well as 59 healthcare facilities. In Cambodia alone, Lien AID had implemented 43 community-based water social enterprises by May 2015 and is looking to deliver at least 18 more by 2018