United World College of South East Asia

The large numbers of low-waged migrant workers in Singapore leads to the concentration of employment opportunities in high-risk, low-protection jobs and ties up most workers to single-employer licenses; this relationship stifles injury reporting and limits access to care, and increases occupational vulnerability. This paper is based on a time-series analysis that uses the period of 2005-2025 to model the inflow of migrant workers into Singapore with a time variable, a Post-COVID level indicator and Time×Post-COVID interaction to determine the structural changes around the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate that the baseline time trend has a positive effect on the outcome over time (coefficient = 0.0384), that the occurrence of COVID is accompanied by a significant immediate decline of the outcome (coefficient = –0.3227), and that the post-COVID interaction suggests a positive change in the outcome growth thereafter (coefficient = 0.0383). Marginal-effects interpretation demonstrates a negative level effect at the onset of the COVID and faster growth afterward, which provisces that the shock decreased the levels, but was succeeded by an aggravated positive direction. These trends refer to both immediate negative effects of crises, as well as structural processes that require the policy to remedy, such as the enhancement of reporting protective measures, healthcare access, and structural labor reforms of migrant employees.

ABSTRACT Background Dengue fever, one of the most widespread mosquito-borne diseases, declined markedly during the early COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdowns and reduced mobility. However, the sharp resurgence in 2023 raised concerns about the long-term epidemiological effects of pandemic-era measures. This study examines the sustained impact of COVID-19 public health policies on dengue transmission across seven high-burden countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America. Methods Monthly dengue cases and COVID-19 policy indices from January 2020 to December 2023 were analyzed in seven countries with ≥2,000 dengue cases in 2020. Based on the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT), countries were grouped as Strict COVID-Control (SCC: Singapore, China) or Less Strict COVID-Control (LSCC: Indonesia, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico). Generalized linear models assessed lagged effects of the Stringency Index and policy sub-components, adjusting for climate and reporting bias. Findings Dengue cases declined by 41.3% (95% CI: 36.2–46.5; p < 0.001) in 2020 relative to pre-pandemic levels. In LSCC countries, public information and vaccination policies were significantly protective (β = −174,354; p < 0.001), reflecting indirect benefits of COVID-19 awareness infrastructure. In SCC countries, economic interventions showed mixed effects: debt relief reduced dengue risk (β = −0.783; p = 0.003), while income support increased it (β = 0.583; p = 0.003). Interpretation COVID-19 policies exerted lasting, heterogeneous effects on dengue transmission. Strengthening communication, vector control, and vaccination in LSCC settings, and maintaining vigilance and integrated surveillance in SCC settings, are crucial for sustainable dengue preparedness.

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the reconstruction of vertex positions and particle tracks using heavy ion collision data from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Nonlinear particle trajectories, background noise, and scattering effects complicate accurate vertex prediction and trajectory reconstruction in real particle detectors. The solution proposed in this paper is integrating geometric methods with the DBSCAN density clustering algorithm to overcome these issues. This method effectively improves the precision of vertex finding and particle track reconstruction. In the meantime, a geometrical technique and probabilistic quantization are employed to predict the motion radius of the particle more accurately. This framework has been independently confirmed in an analysis of >10,000 collision points, which proves the frameworks robustness. Compared with the benchmark method, the framework only relies on the coordinates of the hit point recorded by the detector, which not only improves the universality of the algorithm application but also reduces the requirements on the equipment and the complexity of implementation and effectively improves the precision of vertex and trajectory reconstruction. The results are for the vertexing accuracy (0.005 cm) and average tracking search precision (95.40%) with a radius determination error of 0.5 cm. The proposed method also stands valid when these results are evaluated.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) present a compelling strategy to overcome the persistent challenges in lithium–sulfur batteries, such as polysulfide shuttling and sluggish redox kinetics. Their atomically dispersed nature and tunable coordination structures enable selective modulation of intermediate species and catalytic interfaces. Despite rapid progress, SAC design remains largely empirical, lacking a unified mechanistic framework. In this review, we outline a precision catalysis paradigm for SACs in lithium–sulfur systems. The discussion is organized along three core dimensions: spatial configuration, reaction pathway control, and functional integration. We summarize how coordination asymmetry, charge redistribution, and interfacial electronic coupling influence the adsorption and transformation of lithium polysulfides and Li2S. These insights are supported by spectroscopic characterization and theoretical calculations. Beyond conventional activity descriptors, we uncover structure–activity correlations involving d-band shifts, orbital hybridization, and electronic field effects. The concluded framework is further applied to sodium–sulfur, potassium–sulfur, and solid-state lithium–sulfur systems, demonstrating broad applicability. This review advances the understanding of SACs from passive adsorption sites toward programmable redox regulation. It provides conceptual and design guidance for future catalyst development based on adaptive coordination environments and data-driven optimization strategies.

Purpose: It is observed that Nrf2 transcription factors initiate the production of proteins that play a role in regulating tumor growth, the study aims to discover whether Nrf2 will regulate cell motility in A549 NSCLC cells. The ROCK-RhoA pathway is a significant contributor to cell growth and migration, which can relate to cell motility. There might be a connection between Nrf2 and ROCK-RhoA pathway, the study aims to see whether Nrf2 regulates A549 NSCLC cell motility through ROCK-RhoA pathway. Method: The study will use wound healing assay to visualize cell motility, comparison is made between positive control group(A549 cells treated with brusatol) and negative control group(A549 cells not treated with brusatol), respectively representing the expression level of Nrf2 where it is inhibited or normal. The pathway by which Nrf2 regulates cell motility is studied by western blotting and chemiluminescence. Possible result: There are four main possible results: (1), Nrf2 regulates cell motility in A549 NSCLC cells, the pathway involved in this regulation is ROCK-RhoA pathway. (2), Nrf2 regulates cell motility in A549 cells, however, the pathway involved in this regulation requires further studies to decide. (3), There is no obvious correlation between Nrf2 expression level and cell motility, the inhibition of Nrf2 results in change of expression level of the ROCK-RhoA pathway, however. (4), There is no obvious correlation between Nrf2 expression level and cell motility, ROCK-RhoA pathway is not significantly affected by inhibition of Nrf2 expression, further studies are needed to decide pathways involved. Conclusion: The result of this study provides valuable insights for studying the role of Nrf2 in regulating cell motility and the pathway in the process. It would improve understanding of Nrf2 transcription factor, and how it interacts with pathways to carry out regulation of cell motility. The study also provides future possibilities in terms of cancer treatment and development of gene-based medicine.

In pursuit of a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy for Cambodia, this paper begins with an analysis of the value ladder of Cambodia's garment industry. This paper argues for a shift from the bottom of the ladder, a labor-intensive economy, to more advanced sectors involving technology, design, and skilled labor as a potential catalyst for poverty reduction progress. Furthermore, this paper emphasizes that Cambodia's opportunity to lift its position from the value ladder hinges on the augmentation of human capital, primarily through strategic investments in education. Subsequently, the paper delves into the challenges confronting the Cambodian government in its efforts to address poverty. Drawing inspiration from the successful Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs implemented in Mexico (Oportunidades) and Brazil (Bolsa Famlia) to tackle similar poverty-related challenges, this paper examines their outcomes. It evaluates their practicality within the Cambodian context as a policy recommendation.