Role of the C-terminus of Protein kinase C-related kinase in cell signalling

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Facilitating Supplementary Innovation in the Digital Game Industry: The Role of Modding Toolkits

Game modifications (mods) developed by users are common in the digital game industry, serving as a form of user-driven supplementary innovation that enables game developers to extend the lifespan of their core games. Companies have recognized the strategic value of such innovation and offered official modding toolkits to support users’ endeavors. Nevertheless, the effects of modding toolkits on mod performance are not well understood, as extant literature is fragmented and descriptive, lacking an examination of the relationship between official modding toolkits and mod performance. This study plans to address this knowledge gap by analyzing official toolkit documents and behavioral data from platforms such as Nexus Mod and investigating the effects of modding toolkit features on mod performance. By advancing our knowledge of the supplementary innovation toolkit as a strategic approach in the digital game industry, the study is expected to provide valuable insights into extending product lifespan and utility

Evaluating Charitable Crowdfunding based on Storytelling Linguistic Cues: A Narrative Persuasion Perspective

Charitable crowdfunding has become an increasingly popular way for people to seek help from the public. Yet, many charitable crowdfunding campaigns suffer from underfunding. Given that project description is the primary source of information for fundraisers to present their cause to prospective donors, the platform may preemptively assess the success rate of charitable crowdfunding campaigns based on the narrative elements embedded with such description. Furthermore, though prior research about narrative persuasion (i.e., storytelling) has alluded to generic mechanisms (i.e. identifiable character, imaginable plot, and verisimilitude) in eliciting empathic feeling, limited attention has been paid to scrutinizing the effects of narrative elements in driving donation behaviors in charitable crowdfunding. To this end, this study attempts to elucidate how linguistic cues embedded in the project narratives is associated with donation performance in charitable crowdfunding

G-portal : A map-based digital library for distributed geospatial and georeferenced resources

SingAREN Projec

Functional characterization of D9, a novel deazaneplanocin a (DZNep) analog, in targeting acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

10.1371/journal.pone.0122983PLoS ONE104e012298

Health-related quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Singapore

Background/Aims Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with considerable impairment of patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Knowledge of factors that significantly affect IBD patients’ HRQoL can contribute to better patient care. However, the HRQoL of IBD patients in non-Western countries are limited. Hence, we assessed the HRQoL of Singaporean IBD patients and identified its determinants. Methods A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at Singapore General Hospital outpatient IBD Centre. The HRQoL of IBD patients was assessed using the short IBD questionnaire (SIBDQ), Short Form-36 physical and mental component summary (SF-36 PCS/MCS) and EuroQol 5-dimensions 3-levels (EQ-5D-3L) and visual analogue scale (VAS). Independent samples t-test was used to compare HRQoL between Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Determinants of HRQoL were identified through multiple linear regression. Results A total of 195 IBD patients (103 UC, 92 CD) with a mean disease duration of 11.2 years were included. There was no significant difference in HRQoL between patients with UC and CD. Factors that significantly worsened HRQoL were presence of active disease (b=−6.293 [SIBDQ], −9.409 [PCS], −9.743 [MCS], −7.254 [VAS]), corticosteroids use (b=−7.392 [SIBDQ], −10.390 [PCS], −8.827 [MCS]), poor medication adherence (b=−4.049 [SIBDQ], −1.320 [MCS], −8.961 [VAS]), presence of extraintestinal manifestations (b=−13.381 [PCS]), comorbidities (b=−4.531 [PCS]), non-employment (b=−9.738 [MCS], −0.104 [EQ-5D-3L]) and public housing (b=−8.070 [PCS], −9.207 [VAS]). Conclusions The HRQoL is impaired in this Asian cohort of IBD. The magnitude of HRQoL impairment was similar in UC and CD. Clinical characteristics were better determinants of patients’ HRQoL than socio-demographic factors. Recognizing the factors that impact patients’ HRQoL would improve the holistic management of IBD patients

Modification of SOVA-based Algorithms for Efficient Hardware Implementation

In this paper, a modified soft-output Viterbi algorithm (SOVA) is presented to enable efficient hardware implementation. The forward-only processing of the SOVA has an inherent lower latency than forward-backward algorithms such as BCJR and its offspring, which are commonly used in iterative decoders. Thus, SOVA-based architectures require less parallelization and therefore hardware for the same data throughput. A simplification is proposed to the Battail rule ( BR) SOVA to approximate the concurrent path reliability values with the corresponding metric differences. This simplified BR-SOVA (SB-SOVA) performs close to max-log-MAP. Furthermore, a novel hybrid decoding architecture is proposed that combines the simplicity of the original Hagenauer rule and the performance-preserving properties of the SB-SOVA to trade implementation complexity for decoding performance. The hybrid approach is evaluated with practical link-level simulations of the downlink data channel in LTE Rel-8

Modification of SOVA-based Algorithms for Efficient Hardware Implementation

In this paper, a modified soft-output Viterbi algorithm (SOVA) is presented to enable efficient hardware implementation. The forward-only processing of the SOVA has an inherent lower latency than forward-backward algorithms such as BCJR and its offspring, which are commonly used in iterative decoders. Thus, SOVA-based architectures require less parallelization and therefore hardware for the same data throughput. A simplification is proposed to the Battail rule ( BR) SOVA to approximate the concurrent path reliability values with the corresponding metric differences. This simplified BR-SOVA (SB-SOVA) performs close to max-log-MAP. Furthermore, a novel hybrid decoding architecture is proposed that combines the simplicity of the original Hagenauer rule and the performance-preserving properties of the SB-SOVA to trade implementation complexity for decoding performance. The hybrid approach is evaluated with practical link-level simulations of the downlink data channel in LTE Rel-8

Translating information and awareness of green hotels' green tech practices into lodgers' satisfaction and green trust into lodgers' loyalty

This paper aims to highlight the pertinent of information disclosure and explicit exhibition of green hotel in building lodgers' awareness and trust. An exploratory study was conducted using survey in an acclaimed green hotel in Langkawi, Malaysia; the study found that tacit and implicit recognition of hotel's green practices was associated with lodgers' satisfaction. Likewise, green trust correlates with lodgers' loyalty. This study serves as a foundation for future research into the effects of information disclosure of green tech practices, which may translate into approach or aversive behaviour toward green facilities

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis: Clinical profiles and treatment outcomes, a retrospective study of 18 adult patients in a Singapore Tertiary Hospital

Results: Eighteen patients with EG were identified (mean age 52 years; male/female: 11/7). Fifteen patients (83%) had peripheral blood eosinophilia. Seven patients (39%) had atopic conditions. Most common symptoms were diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Small intestine was the most common site involved. Endoscopic finding was non-specific. Ten patients were treated with corticosteroids (nine prednisolone, one budesonide): eight patients (89%) responded clinically to prednisolone but four patients (50%) relapsed following tapering-off of prednisolone and required maintenance dose. One patient each responded to diet elimination and montelukast respectively. Half of the remaining six patients who were treated with proton-pump inhibitors, antispasmodic or antidiarrheal agents still remained symptomatic. Conclusion: Prednisolone is an effective treatment though relapses are common. Small intestine is most commonly involved. EG should be considered in the evaluation of unexplained chronic recurrent GI symptoms