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Are Societal Norms Just Misconceptions? Circles.Life Survey Reveals Older Generations’ Surprising Supportiveness, Paving the Way for a Faster, More Progressive Future

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SINGAPORE, June 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — It’s popular belief that Singapore’s infatuation with a hyper-competitive culture breeds significant pressure to excel both academically and professionally. Apart from the influence of culture and family, there’s a rigid definition of what success looks like, and it feels like everyone is expected to conform to these norms — those who deviate risk facing social stigma and exclusion.

This misalignment between personal aspirations and societal expectations hinders those trying to forge unconventional paths. A recent survey by Circles.Life, conducted in partnership with Milieu Insights, confirms what we suspected — 1 in 3 Singaporeans felt pressured to conform, with 40% of youths aged 16-34 feeling constrained by parental expectations.

Based on the survey of over 1,500 respondents representing the nation’s population, the study also provided a more nuanced understanding of Singaporeans’ pursuit of progress and the barriers they face. Take mental health, for instance, where nearly half of individuals aged 16-34 reported struggling to balance it with work or study commitments. Additionally, more than half of youths aged 16-24 refrain from discussing mental well-being with friends or family.

It’s clear that many Singaporeans, particularly the younger generation, are open-minded and inclusive, showing a positive attitude toward society. Young adults are increasingly open to discussing mental health and sex education, with 46% of those aged 16-24 believing sex education should begin as early as primary school. They are also more willing to engage in conversations about and around sex with friends and family. Plus, a good number of Singaporeans support diversity and think it’s important for equal representation across gender, age, and occupation in the media and in mainstream education to break through long-standing stereotypes.

But here’s where it gets interesting — the study shows that the older generation (aged 40 and above) are surprisingly progressive on a number of issues. Older Singaporeans overwhelmingly believe that mental and physical illnesses should be treated equally. Moreover, 40% of Singaporeans, including older generations, believe and hope that society will become more accepting of diverse individuals in the next 10 years. The vast majority (80%) of those aged 44 and above think that success is defined by perseverance and hard work in life rather than paper qualifications.

“While it may be a surprise, this finding only proves that not everyone sees eye-to-eye when it comes to societal expectations. This further underscores the need to keep these conversations alive, and to challenge false perceptions and tackle these issues together. It’s the only way we’ll progress as a society and truly reach our potential,” said Ebony Ngieng, Senior Marketing Manager,  Circles.Life.

These findings underscore a simple truth: it’s time to shift away from measuring success solely by tangible achievements or material possessions and to move beyond the burden of social stigma. To meet the evolving pursuits and values of Singaporeans, Circles.Life’s latest ‘Do Your Own Thing’ (DYOT) campaign is here to help challenge conventional norms so Singaporeans can live life on their own terms. Here are its four pillars:

Pillar

Description

Every Win Matters

Addressing the intense academic pressure faced by students
and promoting a balanced approach to success.

Don’t be Embarrassed

Challenging the stigma around natural urges and encouraging
open discussions without shame.

Many Roads to Success

This celebrates the idea that success comes in many forms,
highlighting individuals who pursue their passions, whether they
follow a conventional path or choose something unique like
becoming a hawker. It emphasises that it’s not just about the
career choices made; it’s about finding fulfilment and success in
what one loves to do.

Break The Stigma

Promoting mental health awareness and reducing the stigma
around seeking help, equating mental health to physical health.

As an innovative digital telco, Circles.Life has consistently sparked conversations across Singapore by empowering people to challenge norms and conventions, particularly through their groundbreaking initiatives. They made waves as the pioneer Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) to introduce no-contract plans featuring affordable high-data options, the innovative loyalty rewards program (Circle of Joy), and a true borderless plan enabling flexible data usage not just in Singapore but also in other countries.

“These initiatives really embody a mission to continue challenging the status quo and empower everyone to embrace authenticity and follow their dreams.Through celebrating diversity and promoting open dialogue, our goal is to foster a more empathetic and inclusive society. #DoYourOwnThing serves as a platform to spark vital discussions and empower users with mobile plans that go beyond data, offering VPN, mental health therapy, and 5G support,”  added Ebony.

Sparking conversations and challenging norms has never been easier with Do Your Own Thing’s latest solutions.

Plan

What’s Included

Family Plan

Simplifies managing users’ digital needs by allowing one Primary
account holder to share data, talktime, and SMS with up to five
Sub-accounts, all on a single bill.

 

Users have access to 300GB data with up to 1TB rollover,
unlimited incoming calls, and 3000 minutes of outgoing talktime,

all shared across your family’s SIMs. It includes free 5G access
and exclusive benefits from the Circle of Joy rewards program.

5G Plan with VPN access
and subsidised mental
consultations

Get access to true 5G with 99% coverage as well as additional
lifestyle benefits – free 2 months ExpressVPN subscription,
subsidised mental health consultation with licensed therapists
from AloeMind and access to Circle of Joy reward programme.

For more information on the plans, visit www.circles.life/sg/do-your-own-thing.

About Circles.Life

Founded in 2014, Circles is a global technology company reimagining the telco industry with its SaaS platform, helping telco operators launch and operate successful digital brands. Today, Circles is partnering with operators in 15 countries across 6 continents with the mission to deliver digital experiences to millions of people through our businesses.

With Circles.Life, our digital lifestyle brand, we empower and delight customers across the world by offering digital experiences that go beyond traditional telco services; and are active in countries such as Singapore and Australia.

Circles is backed by global investors such as Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia), Warburg Pincus, EDBI and Founders Fund – renowned institutions with a track record of backing category creators.

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SOURCE Circles.Life

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Earth’s pulse monitored: a review highlights remote sensing time series progress

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As urbanization accelerates and environmental dynamics shift, the need for accurate and timely terrestrial monitoring has never been more urgent. A review has introduced a novel approach to remote sensing time series analysis, integrating multi-source data to enable near real-time monitoring. This innovative methodology promises to transform environmental conservation and urban planning by providing unprecedented insights into terrestrial changes and offering a more precise understanding of environmental dynamics.

GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — An international team of researchers from South China Normal University, the University of Connecticut, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has made a significant breakthrough in remote sensing. Their review, published (DOI: 10.34133/remotesensing.0285) in the Journal of Remote Sensing on December 11, 2024, addresses key challenges in remote sensing, such as incomplete data and noise interference. The team’s new time series analysis technique leverages advanced data reconstruction and fusion methods, significantly enhancing the precision and efficiency of remote sensing for monitoring environmental changes.

The research team has developed an advanced time series analysis technique that combines deep learning algorithms with traditional remote sensing methods to integrate data from various remote sensing sources. This innovative approach allows for the extraction of subtle patterns from large, complex datasets, which is crucial for monitoring critical environmental parameters such as land use and vegetation health. Unlike conventional techniques that struggle with incomplete or noisy data, this new methodology offers enhanced accuracy and more reliable insights into terrestrial dynamics, paving the way for more effective environmental monitoring.

Central to the study’s success is the integration of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to address the challenges posed by missing or noisy data. The LSTM networks capture temporal trends over time, while the GANs generate synthetic data that mimics real-world observations to fill gaps and correct for atmospheric distortions. This dual approach has resulted in a cleaner, more accurate time series dataset, which was validated against independent ground truth measurements. The researchers demonstrated significant improvements in key vegetation indices, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), setting a new benchmark in the field of remote sensing.

Experts in the field have lauded the study’s potential to revolutionize remote sensing applications. They see the method as a transformative tool for enhancing high-resolution monitoring and extending its coverage, particularly in agricultural surveillance, urban planning, and environmental management. “This method represents a crucial advancement in our ability to monitor environmental changes,” says Professor Fu. “As it evolves, it could play a key role in addressing climate change and other global challenges.”

The methodology’s future applications are vast, especially in global environmental monitoring and supporting sustainable development goals. By integrating multi-temporal data from Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellites, the team has created a framework for accurate and continuous terrestrial analysis. As computational power advances and algorithms improve, this technology is expected to become a vital tool for natural resource management, disaster response, and climate change mitigation. In the years to come, it could provide critical data to help policymakers address pressing environmental issues on a global scale.

References

DOI

10.34133/remotesensing.0285

Oiginal Source URL

https://doi.org/10.34133/remotesensing.0285

Funding information

This work was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 42425001 and 42071399).

About Journal of Remote Sensing

The Journal of Remote Sensing, an online-only Open Access journal published in association with AIR-CAS, promotes the theory, science, and technology of remote sensing, as well as interdisciplinary research within earth and information science.

Media Contact

George Hua, Chuanlink Innovations, 1 8656606278, TranSpread1@gmail.com, http://chuanlink-innovations.com/

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SOURCE Journal of Remote Sensing

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ZINZINO AB (PUBL.): ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE DIP FINANCING TO ZURVITA INITIATING CHAPTER 11 PROCESS

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GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Zinzino has in a press release dated 20240617 announced that a letter of intent to acquire 100% of the shares in the North American direct selling company Zurvita Inc. “Zurvita or the Company” was signed. Since then, Zinzino has negotiated with the owners of Zurvita Inc. and instead concluded that the purchase of Zurvita’s assets in a Chapter 11 proceeding for the Company is in Zinzino’s best interest.

Zinzino is providing a debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to Zurvita, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings on the 20th December 2024. By entering as a financier in Zurvita’s Chapter 11 with loans totaling USD 4.5 million, Zinzino simultaneously makes an offer to acquire the company’s assets via a so-called stalking horse bid. If the bid is accepted, the DIP loan will be converted into part of a debt-settled purchase price, which will be determined after Zurvita has completed the sale process that is subject to higher and better offers in accordance with the applicable terms of Chapter 11. Other bidders have the right to submit bids for Zurvita during the process and if another bid is accepted, Zinzino’s loan will be repaid and certain of its costs associated with the process will be reimbursed. 

Zurvita is a direct selling health company with operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The brand portfolio offers a range of innovative health and wellness products. The business has total annual sales of approximately USD 30 million with good gross margins. A potential transaction with Zinzino is expected to add growth through the synergies arising from the joint networks, combined with Zinzino’s test-based product concept. The profitability of the Company will thus be able to develop well by utilizing Zinzino’s existing technical platform and organization.

A visionary mindset, tech first perspective, test-based nutrition at the cellular level and a strong position to capitalize on current trends will form the basis of the new partnership. Following the acquisitions of VMA Life in 2020, Enhanzz in 2022, the strategic partnership with ACN and the recently completed asset acquisition of Xelliss, Zinzino has been looking for further strong investments to maintain its sustainable, profitable growth, strengthen its distribution power, expand into new markets and leverage the product portfolio in new consumer areas.

– “Individualized advice and tailored solutions are the future, and not just in health and wellness,” says Dag Bergheim Pettersen, CEO of Zinzino. “Together, we have years of combined industry experience and everything it takes to drive the modern, personalized shopping experience through direct sales”. Jay Shafer, CEO and co-founder of Zurvita, states “After considering multiple options for the company and under the guidance of our attorneys and third-party advisors, we feel this presents the best opportunity to continue Zurvita’s mission, deliver the highest quality products, and provide continuity for our staff and consultants. We are excited to see what the future holds for Zurvita.” 

For more information:
Dag Bergheim Pettersen CEO Zinzino +47 (0) 932 25 700, www.zinzino.com

Pictures for publication free of charge:
marketing@zinzino.com

Certified Adviser:
Carnegie Investment Bank AB (publ.)

Zinzino AB (publ.) is obliged to publish this information in compliance with current EU regulations governing market abuse. The information was provided by the above contact person for publication at 20.00 on the 21st of December 2024.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/zinzino/r/zinzino-ab–publ–enters-into-agreement-to-provide-dip-financing-to-zurvita-initiating-chapter-11-pr,c4086040

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Meet With Culture: Exquisite Craftsmanship of Traditional Chinese Architecture

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BEIJING, Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Temple of Agriculture in Beijing played a significant role during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Over nearly 600 years, 25 emperors personally visited or sent ministers to perform spring farming ceremonies and offer sacrifices to Shennong, the god of agriculture.

 

Built in 1420 during the Yongle reign, the temple’s predecessor was the Temple of Mountains and Rivers in Nanjing. When Emperor Zhu Di moved the Ming capital to Beijing, he constructed a larger temple inspired by the Nanjing temple, which gradually evolved into the Temple of Agriculture.

The Taisui Hall, the largest building complex in the temple, now serves as a major exhibition hall of the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum, showcasing models of classical Chinese buildings and demonstrating the solemnity of royal architecture.

Ancient Chinese architecture is predominantly wooden-structured, chosen for its availability, versatility, and earthquake resistance. Artisans developed sophisticated techniques in material selection and construction. The wooden framework consists of columns, beams, girders, and purlins, with innovative structural forms like lifting-beam and piercing-bracket structures.

A unique architectural element is the dougong (bracket sets), which supports weight and connects beam frames with column walls. Mortise-tenon joints were invented to create elastic frameworks by connecting different components.

While discussing the Temple of Agriculture, it’s worth noting another remarkable example of architectural hierarchy which could be found in the Temple of Heaven. The hierarchy of architectural designs reflected social stratification, with eave structures like the triple-layered eaves of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest representing the highest-level architectural design.

Over centuries, the Temple of Agriculture has transformed from an imperial garden to a public park and a museum for historical architecture, now standing as a significant cultural landmark that symbolizes China’s agricultural civilization and architectural heritage along Beijing’s Central Axis.

Quickly join Alexandre to study and explore the traditional Chinese architecture.
https://youtu.be/YpA03WiZ9Wc

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/meet-with-culture-exquisite-craftsmanship-of-traditional-chinese-architecture-302337935.html

SOURCE China International Communications Group

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