Influence of burrow holes in residual soil slope infiltration

Infiltration rate is important factors in the rainfall induced slope failure. The infiltration of water into residual soil was govern by rainfall intensity and also saturated permeability of soil. The existing of burrow holes has proven increases the permeability of the soil with increase in number of burrow holes. Therefore, it is very important to study the effect of burrow holes in residual soil slope and its effect in infiltration rate. The modified constant head permeability was done to study effect of burrow holes in residual soil. Then, the infiltration test was done to study the infiltration rate of residual soil with existing of burrow holes. The result from modified permeability shows that permeability of residual soil increases from 5 x 10-7 m/s to 1.14 x 10-3 m/s for different area of burrow holes. The result from infiltration test proven that when q/ksat greater than 1 the runoff was occurs. Meanwhile, when q/ksat less than 1 infiltration was occurs. The result also indicates that the smaller ratio between of resq/ksat, the faster the infiltration of water into the soil. Ngee Leh, F.L.

Pairing as an instructional strategy to promote soft skills amongst clinical dental students

Training dentists today is challenging as they are expected to provide a wide range of dental care. In the provision of good dental care, soft skills are equally important as clinical skills. Therefore in dental education the development of soft skills are of prime concern. This study sought to identify the development of soft skills when dental students are paired in their clinical training. In this perception study, four open-ended items were used to elicit students’ feedback on the appropriateness of using clinical pairing as an instructional strategy to promote soft skills. The most frequently cited soft skills were teamwork (70%) and communication (25%) skills. However, both negative and positive behaviours were reported. As for critical thinking and problem solving skills, more positive behaviours were reported for abilities such as to explain, analyze, find ideas and alternative solutions, and make decisions. Leadership among peers was not evident as leading without legitimate authority could be a hindrance to its development. If clinical pairing is to be used as an effective instructional strategy to promote soft skills amongst students, clear guidelines need to be developed to prepare students to work in a dental team and the use of appropriate assessment tools can facilitate the development of these soft skills

Significance of vascular endothelial growth factor in growth and peritoneal dissemination of ovarian cancer

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of angiogenesis which drives endothelial cell survival, proliferation, and migration while increasing vascular permeability. Playing an important role in the physiology of normal ovaries, VEGF has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. Essentially by promoting tumor angiogenesis and enhancing vascular permeability, VEGF contributes to the development of peritoneal carcinomatosis associated with malignant ascites formation, the characteristic feature of advanced ovarian cancer at diagnosis. In both experimental and clinical studies, VEGF levels have been inversely correlated with survival. Moreover, VEGF inhibition has been shown to inhibit tumor growth and ascites production and to suppress tumor invasion and metastasis. These findings have laid the basis for the clinical evaluation of agents targeting VEGF signaling pathway in patients with ovarian cancer. In this review, we will focus on VEGF involvement in the pathophysiology of ovarian cancer and its contribution to the disease progression and dissemination

Standardization of distance and angulation of light curing unit tip using distometer

The purpose of this study was to investigate the light intensity of selected light curing unit with varying distance and angulation of the light curing tip and lightmeter. Four types of light units; Spectrum 800 (Dentsply), Coltulux 3 (Coltene), Elipar FreeLight 2 (3M Espe) and Starlight Pro (Mectron) were evaluated for light intensity at various distance between the light curing tip and the lightometer Cure Rite Denstply (0, 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 mm). The light curing units were angulated at 45 degrees, 60 degrees and 90 degrees at a standardized 5 mm distance. The intensity of light curing is affected by the distance between the light curing tip and the lightmeter. However, the decrease in light intensity of the light curing unit was found not to obey the inverse square law for the distances 0 to 15 Mm. The study found that there was no significant difference between 45 degrees and 600 angulation between the light curing tip and the lightmeter. However, the decrease in light intensity is significant when compared to the light tip is placed perpendicular (90 degrees) to the aperture of the light meter

Molecular mechanisms of stress-responsive changes in collagen and elastin networks in skin

Collagen and elastin networks make up the majority of the extracellular matrix in many organs, such as the skin. The mechanisms which are involved in the maintenance of homeostatic equilibrium of these networks are numerous, involving the regulation of genetic expression, growth factor secretion, signalling pathways, secondary messaging systems, and ion channel activity. However, many factors are capable of disrupting these pathways, which leads to an imbalance of homeostatic equilibrium. Ultimately, this leads to changes in the physical nature of skin, both functionally and cosmetically. Although various factors have been identified, including carcinogenesis, ultraviolet exposure, and mechanical stretching of skin, it was discovered that many of them affect similar components of regulatory pathways, such as fibroblasts, lysyl oxidase, and fibronectin. Additionally, it was discovered that the various regulatory pathways intersect with each other at various stages instead of working independently of each other. This review paper proposes a model which elucidates how these molecular pathways intersect with one another, and how various internal and external factors can disrupt these pathways, ultimately leading to a disruption in collagen and elastin networks

C2G Online Trust, Perceived Government Responsiveness and User Experience

Part 2: E-Government Services and Open GovernmentInternational audienceThe paper presents the results of the pilot study of C2G online trust, that covers citizens’ trust in communication with the government via e-government, e-participation and social media channels. Based on the survey carried out in St. Petersburg, we explore dimensions of C2G trust and test the impact of perceived government responsiveness, user experience and socio-demographic factors in shaping trust. Our findings suggest that both perceived responsiveness and user experience influence the level of trust, while age, gender and education are not significant when controlled to the frequency of Internet use. The research proposes to view C2G trust as a multidimensional phenomenon, as its dynamics may vary across the tools and sectors used. Implications for future research are given