APD Trove

Global warming is a threat to plants. A warming of 1.5 – 2 deg C in the tropics is predicted to cause crop yield reductions in Southeast Asia and increase the risks for both heat waves and flooding. It is predicted that by around the mid-century period (2040 - 2069), the mean temperature in Singapore can increase by 2 deg C to 29.6 deg C in a Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 scenario. This temperature change can impact food crops and heat-vulnerable plants, threatening our food supply and increasing the risk of extinction of vulnerable plant species. Ipomoea Aquatica, also known as the Kangkong, is a heat-tolerant tropical vegetable in Southeast Asia and used in local dishes. To study whether this plant can grow well in global warming temperatures, we exposed the Kangkong to the predicted increase of 2 deg C for three weeks. A range of climate variables was recorded through the use of Arduino sensors and physical changes to the Kangkong plants such as the heights of the Kangkong in each set-up were also measured. By the 17th day, the Kangkong in the control set-up overtook the one in the increased temperature set-up in height.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gradually worsens over time. It constitutes for over 65% of dementia cases and currently has no cure. This paper reviews the biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and evaluates these biomarkers based on various pathologies they are associated with, using the International Working Group (IWG) criteria, sensitivity, specificity etc. This paper summarizes the existing biomarkers, critically compares them and highlights which biomarkers are most effective for clinical diagnosis. It also discusses some of the drawbacks associated with using some biomarkers, either alone or in combination with others.

According to a group of Stanford scientists, mealworms, the larva of darkling beetles, can digest Styrofoam, a type of polystyrene, and break it down into carbon dioxide. This paper investigates the plastic-digesting property of mealworms on different types of plastic, namely polystyrene (PS), low- density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Since mealworms breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. To measure the extent of plastic intake, we explored an alternative method to measure the extent of plastic digestion - using Arduino carbon dioxide sensors instead of calculating the difference in weight of plastic. As the increase in the exhalation of carbon dioxide is indicative of the amount of plastic consumed, the authors measured the change in carbon dioxide concentration of the mealworms' environment as they consume plastic. This is put into comparison with when the mealworms respire without food. The results show that mealworms consume Styrofoam to a certain extent. However, they are mostly unable to digest polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, likely due to their elasticity and high density respectively.

In studying the topic of civility and its association to other parameters, we modified Forni’s Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct into an inventory for assessing civility. 220 Singapore residents completed an online survey that included a demographic survey, the civility inventory, SCS-R, and REI-40. Self-reported civility was correlated with age (r (214) = .134, p = .049), and experientiality (r (210) = .255, p < .001), but inversely correlated with social anxiety (r (210) = -.172, p = .013). There were no gender effects for civility (p = .014, r = .11), self-consciousness dimensions, and experientiality, even though males scored significantly higher on rationality (p = .013, r = .17). No effects were found for indicators of SES on civility scores. Our findings suggest that social standing may not necessarily be the most important factor as often presumed.

The concept of personalized medicine (PM), which is the use of the right drug for the right patient at the right dose, is not a topic new in the field. PM is a concept that is developing over the decades with PM drugs already available in the market. While there have been articles on either ethical or legal aspects/implications of PM, there are very few recent articles discussing both of them simultaneously. This article aims to discuss both the legal and ethical aspects of PM, with personal insights.