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Public commemorations and remembrance
No full textPublic commemorative artefacts (including public monuments) typically mark out some historical subject – typically, a person or an event – as important for a community to remember. This chapter surveys the budding literature on the historical character of public commemorative artefacts. First, it details three typical aims of public commemorative artefacts as they pertain to public remembrance. They declare the importance of some historical subject, impart ethical or political lessons, and foster community identity that is grounded in shared remembrance of the past. Next, it outlines two common problems with public commemorative artefacts. They can present incomplete or distorted accounts of history, and lead people to abdicate responsibility for the past. The chapter proposes an account of democratic public historiography that addresses the problems with public commemorative artefacts.Submitted/Accepted versio
君绍散文中的自然书写 = Natural writing in the prose of Jun Shao
No full text在新加坡华文文学中，君绍是一位不可忽视的自然书写作家。他的散文反映了他对大自然的热爱，也记录了新加坡的自然景观和历史。然而，现有的学术研究对君绍的自然书写缺乏深入探讨，长期未能引起足够的关注。因此，本论文将会补充这一空白，探讨君绍散文中的自然书写。
论文将从生态批评的角度出发，分析君绍如何在散文中体现生态伦理观。此外，借助人文主义地理学中的地方论述，考察田园对君绍在情感与身份认同上的影响。最后，论文将分析君绍散文如何承载南洋色彩及历史记忆。通过分析新华作家君绍的散文作品，进一步拓展自然文学的研究边界。
In Singapore Chinese literature, Jun Shao is a significant nature writer whose essays reflect his love for nature while documenting Singapore’s natural landscapes and history. However, current academic research has overlooked Jun Shao’s nature writing, failing to give it adequate attention. Therefore, this paper seeks to fill this gap by examining the nature writing in Jun Shao’s essays.
Adopting an ecocritical perspective, this study examines how Jun Shao’s prose reflect his ecological ethics. Drawing on the concept of place discourse from humanistic geography, it also explores how his hometown’s landscape shapes his emotions and identity. Furthermore, the analysis highlights how his prose capture local characteristics and historical memory. Through this in-depth exploration, the research seeks to broaden the scope of nature literature studies.Bachelor's degre
Fiction and emotion: a critical evaluation of ontological and epistemic responses to the paradox of fiction
No full textThe Paradox of Fiction poses a major philosophical problem in modern philosophy. It reveals the apparent contradiction between our emotional involvement in fictional narratives and our knowledge that they are not real. This paper critically evaluates two primary responses to the paradox, the ontological response and the epistemic response, ultimately defending the latter. By rooting emotional investment in the state of imagination rather than belief, the epistemic response weakens the paradox by challenging its core assumption, that belief is a necessary condition for the development of genuine emotional responses. This paper builds on that and demonstrates that fiction can articulate meaningful and non-traditional truths—existential, emotional and narrative—that enhance our understanding of ourselves and others. While much could be discussed regarding the status of these non-propositional truths, the epistemic view offers a more realistic and satisfying explanation of how we make sense of fiction.Bachelor's degre
Dual type-II colloidal quantum wells for efficient nonlinear optical limiting
No full textColloidal II-VI nanocrystals have garnered significant research attention in nonlinear optical applications due to their low-cost synthesis, photophysical tunability, and ease of device integration. Herein, we report that dual-type II CdSe/CdTe/CdSe colloidal quantum wells (CQWs) with core/crown/crown structures achieve remarkable nonlinear optical limiting capabilities driven by an exceptionally large nonlinear absorption coefficient. Open aperture Z-scan reveals that these dual-type II CQWs exhibit a third-order nonlinear absorption coefficient of 33.1 cm/GW and an ultralow optical limiting threshold (0.71 GW/cm2), which is superior to that of any other reported colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals while also being comparable to existing two-dimensional (2D) dichalcogenide sheets. Photophysical analysis indicates that such a remarkable nonlinear optical performance in dual-type II CQWs can be primarily ascribed to the efficient excited state absorption (i.e., the sequential two-photon absorption), which benefits from the ultrafast and uniform formation of charge separation states in the dual type-II heterostructures.Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (2023YFB3611100), the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 12304032; Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) MTC program (Grant No. M21J9b0085). Partial support was also provided by TUBITAK 121C266, and 20AG001. H.V.D. would like to acknowledge the support from the TUBA and TUBITAK 2247-A National Leader Researchers Program
A lightweight approach to crowd density estimation: leveraging network pruning for model compression
No full textCrowd density estimation is crucial for public safety, event management, and urban planning, particularly in high-density environments such as sports events, concerts, and transportation hubs. Traditional methods, including manual counting and statistical modeling, are often inefficient and error prone. Advancements in deep learning and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have significantly improved accuracy, with models like the Pyramid Scale Network (PSNet) achieving state-of-the-art performance. However, the high computational demands of these models present challenges for real-time deployment on resource-constrained devices. This study addresses these limitations by applying model compression techniques, specifically network pruning, to optimize PSNet for efficient crowd density estimation. Experiments conducted using the ShanghaiTech dataset demonstrated that the compressed PSNet models achieved reductions in model size and inference time. Remarkably, most experimental results indicated an improvement in model accuracy after pruning, while other results showed minimal trade-offs in accuracy. These findings contribute to advancing the feasibility of deploying compressed models in resource-constrained environments, offering a promising lightweight solution for real-time crowd density estimation.Bachelor's degre
Synergistic impact of temperature and pore saturation on corrosion in carbonated reinforced concrete
No full textCarbonation-induced corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) structures significantly threatens their long-term durability, particularly in lower-strength concrete typical of 1960s-1970s buildings in high temperature regions like Singapore. Despite extensive research on individual factors affecting corrosion, the synergistic effects of temperature and pore saturation remain poorly understood in warmer climates. Current durability assessment tends to overestimate the service life of carbonated RC structures in tropical climates due to incomplete understanding of these combined effects. This study investigates the temperature-pore saturation relationship through systematic experimental variation (0–40 °C, 60–100 % pore saturation) using electrochemical and non-destructive measurements, aiming to develop accurate predictive tools for RC maintenance in tropical climates. Results revealed a critical phenomenon: minimum pore saturation threshold for severe corrosion decreases significantly with increasing temperature. For concrete with a water-to-cement ratio of 0.65, severe corrosion occurred at substantially lower pore saturation levels at higher temperatures, with even lower thresholds for more porous concrete. To translate these findings into practical tools, multiple linear regression analysis yielded predictive equations relating temperature and pore saturation effects to corrosion rates. Analysis also revealed that temperature-dependent corrosion kinetics, rather than concrete drying, predominantly drive the corrosion process at higher temperatures, explaining substantial corrosion activity even at lower pore saturation levels. These findings prompt a fundamental reassessment of models that rely on temperature-independent pore saturation thresholds, as they significantly underestimate corrosion risks in hot climates.Ministry of National Development (MND)National Research Foundation (NRF)Published versionThis research is partially supported by the National Research Foundation, Singapore, and Ministry of National Development, Singapore, under its Cities of Tomorrow R&D Programme (CoT Award No. COT-V2-2019-1). Any opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of National Research Foundation, Singapore and Ministry of National Development, Singapore
Algorithmic fast-charging for high energy-density Li-ion batteries
No full textThe burgeoning demand for rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in industries such as consumer electronics and electric vehicles is clear and present. Advancement of battery technology in keeping with these fast-moving industries will mean improving on its strengths, while minimizing the drawbacks. Non-linear Voltammetry (NLV) is a fast-charging algorithm under development by KVI Battery aiming to best existing methods in charging speed, without putting heavy strain on the battery and reducing its lifespan. It achieves this by balancing the battery state, time requirements and the required charge capacity.
Our project compares the NLV algorithm against the industry-standard Constant Current-Constant Voltage (CCCV) method, evaluating factors such as degradation and efficacy in terms of charge speed and capacity attained, to determine the feasibility of NLV. Prior analysis was conducted on high power density cells with lower capacities. High-capacity cells have a high power density, and as such determining NLV charge parameters for these cells must be done in turn.
Utilising the NLV software and algorithm, we apply charge profiles to high energy battery cells and perform a systematic analysis of the charge performance results in response to changes in the NLV configuration. We use this understanding to extend the software’s functionality allowing for added flexibility in the charge parameters, maintaining charging efficacy and minimising capacity loss for different battery types.
Due to the characteristics and electrochemistry of high-density cells, the charge temperature, rest periods and use of a saturation charge are important parameters. Upon the conclusion of long-term parallel testing comparing these parameters to control values, there is evidence to show that high-density cells are compatible with the NLV charging algorithm, and a sample configuration for the battery can be derived.Bachelor's degre
Andromeda and other stories: a short story cycle and an exegesis
No full text“Andromeda and Other Stories” is a short story cycle that includes seven short stories that are inspired by the themes of absurdity, revolt, and hope as defined by Albert Camus in his book The Myth of Sisyphus. An exegesis that details a thematic and technical breakdown of my writing decisions in the stories follow. In these stories, specific attention is paid to the role of education in the average Singaporean’s life, particularly about the beliefs and values that permeate society and shape one’s moral compass. In the recognition of absurdity, where one sees a divorce between the self and the external world, these characters work through their unease and make the choice between giving into the illusions of a world that is filled with higher purpose or choosing to live without meaning. The flash fiction form, elements of the fantastic, and disrupted chronology are literary techniques that can be found within the cycle as my attempt to explore different ways to depict life’s absurdity. The influence of short stories I have read from writers like Charles D’Ambrosio and Stuart Dybek, as well as local works from Amanda Lee Koe and Gilbert Koh will be discussed in the exegesis. Ultimately, these stories follow the journeys in which sobered individuals are coming into themselves while submerged in the routine of their narratives, similar to the average Singaporean who struggles with the stress of the everyday, in order to understand the wisdom Camus imparts in his understanding of the myth of Sisyphus.Master's degre
Addressing practical scenarios in person re-identification with semantic augmentation, normalization-diverse self-ensembles and attention-based gradient reversal
No full textThis thesis focuses on practical issues in Person Re-identification (Person ReID). Person ReID is a challenging image search problem where the goal is to identify a person from a set of candidate images across different non-overlapping cameras. Domain generalization in Person ReID is a difficult problem, as methods tailored to a single domain often struggle when tested on unseen domains. However, specialized domain generalization techniques can also underperform in simple single domain scenarios. This thesis explores domain generalization challenges in Person ReID and introduces semantic expansion methods to address these challenges. Additionally, it presents approaches capable of excelling in both intra/inter-domain scenarios, a concept we term omni-domain generalization. Our study also delves into performance imbalances across cameras in a camera surveillance network and proposes ways to mitigate these imbalances without sacrificing overall system performance. Our insights tackle the practical issues in real-world Person ReID applications.Doctor of Philosoph
Graph data query and visualization via large language models
No full textIn the evolving landscape of Large Language Models (LLMs), many applications
are being discovered daily with breakneck speed. One notable application is the
integration of LLMs into databases, enhancing the querying and visualization
processes of graph-based data, which this paper will explore. Traditional graph
databases often require complex query languages and extensive domain exper-
tise, posing a high barrier of skills required for non-specialists to fully utilize
their benefits. Specifically, this study aims to use a user-friendly interface for
natural language input, to integrate fine-tuned LLMs for coding to dynamically
generate Cypher queries for seamless interaction with graph databases. This al-
lows users to analyze and visualize interconnected data with minimal technical
expertise. By bridging the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders,
the system simplifies decision-making processes in domains such as social net-
works, fraud detection, and supply chain optimization. Furthermore, this work
lays the foundation for future advancements in natural language interfaces for
graph databases, addressing a critical need in today’s increasingly data-driven
world.Bachelor's degre