Parallel Cuts Research Articles

The effect of preprocedural mouthrinses against COVID-19 before acid etching on the microleakage of a resin-based sealant in permanent molars: An in vitro experimental study.

To determine whether rinsing with preprocedural mouthrinses against coronavirus disease before acid etching affects resin-based sealant microleakage. A presented in vitro experimental study was performed on 15 extracted permanent third molars. Samples were randomly allocated into five groups: Group 1-distilled water (control); Group 2-1% hydrogen peroxide; Group 3-1.5% hydrogen peroxide; Group 4-0.5% povidone-iodine; and Group 5-1% povidone-iodine. After the teeth were immersed in the assigned mouth rinses for 60 s, they were sealed with Concise™ white sealant. Subsequently, the teeth were thermocycled for 500 cycles, immersed in 2% methylene blue solution for 24 h, and sectioned with two parallel cuts in the buccolingual direction. Sixty surfaces (12 surfaces in each group) were examined for microleakage under a 40× light microscope and scored as described by Zyskind et al. Welch's one-way analysis of variance test and the Games-Howell test were used to analyze the results at a significance level of P < 0.05 for all tests. The intergroup comparisons indicated that the 0.5% povidone-iodine group and the 1% povidone-iodine group had significantly higher microleakage compared with the control group. The 1% and 1.5% hydrogen peroxide groups demonstrated no significant difference in mean microleakage scores compared with the control group. There was no significant difference between the povidone groups and the hydrogen peroxide groups. Preprocedural rinsing with 0.5% and 1% povidone-iodine before acid etching caused higher microleakage of resin-based sealant, while hydrogen peroxide rinsing gave comparable microleakage compared with the control group.

Aeroacoustic investigation of transonic flow behavior in M219 deep cavity with passive flow control configurations

This study aims to investigate the effect of front and aft wall modifications and their combinations on the sound pressure level response of the deep configuration of the M219 cavity at transonic speed. Experimental results for the baseline geometry of the cavity were validated with the high-fidelity lattice Boltzmann method computational fluid dynamics solver, SIMULIA PowerFLOW®. In this study, inclined and parallel cuts were applied to the front and aft walls of the M219 cavity to determine their efficiency in reducing the overall sound pressure level (OASPL). The most effective configurations on reducing OASPL at the front and aft walls were combined to form mixed configurations. All front wall and aft wall configurations as well as mixed configurations were validated through grid independence studies. Simulations showed that modifications to the aft wall were more effective in reducing noise than modifications to the front wall. The spectral analysis of pressure oscillations provided information about the broadband and tonal pressure responses of the mixed configurations. The findings showed that the mixed configurations were effective in reducing the frequency and amplitude of the Rossiter modes. The most successful configurations on noise reduction also showed a decrease in the drag coefficient and the average static pressure distribution along the cavity.

Reprogrammable multistable ribbon kirigami with a wide cut

Upon stretching, a ribbon kirigami with parallel major cuts exhibits multistable behaviors that can maintain at multiple stable configurations. This work investigates the phenomena of a ribbon kirigami with one of the major cuts replaced by a wide cut, of which the multistable behaviors of the wide-cut located cell, the stable configurations, and the energy barriers between the stable configurations are explored. It is observed that the introduction of the wide cut results in local symmetry breaking, enabling bidirectional transition of the stable configurations in such a kirigami. The results also reveal that the geometries of major cuts and the stretch level enable reprogramable dynamic behaviors, such as the number of transitions once triggered. A kirigami-Morse code system is hereby presented, utilizing dynamic reconfiguration and showing a refreshable mechanical readout utilizing reprogrammability. The kirigami has potential for developing metamaterials with unique dynamic features.

Evaluation of the good quality and parasitic purity of fish from lake Ladoga

Freshwater fish is one of the most valuable resources of inland waters. Raw fish is a perishable product, therefore, the assessment of product freshness is the most important indicator of its safety. In addition, in relation to freshwater fish, the indicator of parasitic purity is of particular importance, since fish is an intermediate host of pathogens of parasitic diseases transmitted to humans.The studies were carried out in the summerautumn period. The objects of research were samples of chilled freshly caught fish from the southern part of Lake Ladoga. Veterinary and sanitary examination of fish was carried out in accordance with the Veterinary Rules for the appointment and conduct of veterinary and sanitary examination of fish, aquatic invertebrates and fish products from them intended for processing and sale by organoleptic, physicochemical and microscopic methods. Parasitological examination included external examination, parasitological dissection of the fish, examination of muscle tissue by the method of parallel cuts and compressor. As a result, the studied samples were recognized as fresh in terms of organoleptic, physicochemical and microscopic parameters. An external examination of the eyes revealed damage to the lens of the eye by metacercariae of trematodes Diplostomum sp., gill filaments of roach were affected by monogenetic flukes Dactylogyrus sp. Pigmented areas of localization of Posthodiplostomum cuticola metacercariae, the so-called «black-spotted disease», were noted on the surface of the body of fish of the cyprinid family.During parasitological autopsy and examination of the abdominal cavity, the surface of the internal organs of the bream, the larva of Ligula intestinalis was found, and the plerocercoids of Diphyllobothrium latum were found in the caviar of two individuals of the pike. As a result of a compressor study of the muscle tissue of pike, crucian carp, roach, rudd, perch, and bream, Paracoenogonimus ovatus metacercariae were identified. Of the parasites found in the samples of the studied fish, D. latum is of epidemiological significance, the rest of the pathogens are not dangerous to humans, the sanitary assessment of the fish should be given on the basis of the presentation of the product.

Development of novel hierarchical designs for skin graft simulants with high expansion potential

Skin graft designs play an essential role in healing severe burn injuries. Split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) is one of the commonly used techniques for treating large burn injuries. In STSG, parallel cuts are projected onto a small portion of excised healthy skin for expansion and covering a larger burn area. To date, expansions reported for STSG are very low and insufficient to cover large burn areas. In this work, novel traditional and auxetic hierarchical cuts were designed on skin graft simulants, which were mechanically tested to study their expansion potential. Additive manufacturing and a two-part polymeric material were employed to fabricate the skin graft simulants. The nonlinear mechanical behavior of the hierarchical skin graft simulants was characterized using hyperelastic models. The effective Poisson’s ratio, meshing ratios, and induced stresses in first and second-order hierarchical cut patterns were estimated across all skin graft simulants for up to 300% strain. Also, Statistical analysis was performed to calculate the significance among the groups. From the analysis, the skin graft simulants with second-order auxetic incision patterns were found to exhibit the lowest induced stresses and maximum expansion of approximately four times, at 300% strain. To date, traditional skin grafts have only been able to achieve up to three times expansion. Therefore, the expansions realized with the novel hierarchical skin graft simulants is unprecedented, with the potential to generate ground-breaking advances in burn injury treatment.

Pyrocarbon Disc Interposition Arthroplasty (PyroDisk) for the Treatment of Carpometacarpal Thumb Joint Osteoarthritis.

Preoperatively, review radiology images to confirm that the osteoarthritis is limited to the thumb CMC joint and that all appropriate tools for inserting the disc are available before beginning surgery. Next, the patient is placed with their arm on an arm rest. The CMC thumb joint is exposed via a dorsal longitudinal skin incision, sparing the dorsal radial nerve branches and the radial artery and accompanying venes. The capsule is opened with an H-incision. With 2 parallel cuts to the joint surface, the articular surfaces of the joint are removed. After resection of the articular joint surfaces, the residual width and height of the joint space after resection are measured. The central point in the joint surfaces is marked for the bone tunnels. With an awl, tunnels are created from the center of the joint surface to the proximal (trapezial bone) and distal (first metacarpal bone) and the dorsal side. The implant size is measured with the trial implants for correct size of the disc. A tendon strip of either APL (abductor pollicis longus) or FCR (flexor carpi radialis) tendon is harvested for use securing the disc. The disc is secured with the tendon strip from proximal through the trapezium, through the disc and distal through the first metacarpal, and is secured to itself at the trapezial bone. The position is checked under fluoroscopy. When the disc in the right position, the joint capsule and skin are closed and a plaster cast is applied with the thumb in abduction. Alternative treatments include hemitrapeziectomy without interposition; full trapeziectomy, with or without ligament reconstruction and/or tendon interposition; and joint resurfacing prostheses. The advantage of pyrocarbon disc interposition arthroplasty over other treatment options is the preservation of the STT joint1. Therefore, the procedure is minimally harming the surrounding anatomy despite open surgery and has a high success rate in reducing pain while preserving function and strength. The risk of complications is comparable with that of other CMC joint arthroplasty techniques. A relatively high survival rate has been reported at a mean follow-up of 7 years (range, 5 to 12 years). In cases of recurrent pain, all other surgical options remain possible ("no bridges are burned"). The main disadvantage is the cost of the disc. Our recent study of this technique showed good patient-reported outcomes, pain reduction, patient satisfaction, and preservation of strength and range of motion at a mean follow-up of 7 years1,2. The survival rate was 91%, with 3% failing as a result of disc dislocation. Other reasons of failure were STT osteoarthritis and pain without a specific cause. Preoperatively, make sure that only the CMC thumb joint has osteoarthritis and that the STT joint does not. In cases in which it is unclear whether the osteoarthritis is isolated to the CMC thumb joint, perform computed tomography to make certain10.Only a few millimeters of bone must be resected from the first metacarpal base and the distal trapezium. Both bone cuts must be made parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first metacarpal bone.Bone tunnels must be exactly centered in the cut joint surfaces for proper implant positioning and to decrease the chance of subluxation.Size the implant properly and check movement and stability. OR = operating roomFCR = flexor carpi radialisAPL = abductor pollicis longusPRWHE = Patient-Rated Wrist and Hand EvaluationDASH = Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand QuestionnaireMHQ = Michigan Hand QuestionnaireROM = range of motionFU = follow-upCRPS = complex regional pain syndromeLRTI = ligament reconstruction and tendon interpositionMRI = magnetic resonance imagingCT = computed tomography.

Tunable Wave-Propagation Band gap via Stretching Kirigami Sheets

This study examines Bragg's band gap and its mechanical tuning in a stretch-buckled kirigami sheet with ``zig-zag'' distributed parallel cuts. When stretched beyond a critical threshold, the kirigami buckles out of plane and generates a three-dimensional periodic architecture. Our theoretical calculation, numerical simulation, and experiments confirm the transverse elastic wave-propagation band gaps and their correlation to stretching. This result opens an avenue of using kirigami as a simple and effective approach for creating and adapting periodicity for wave-propagation control.

A 6-Step Technique for Smooth Transvaginal Extraction of a Fibroid in Laparoscopic Myomectomy

Study Objective In laparoscopic myomectomy (LM), it is necessary to devise a method to extract enucleated fibroids safely, easily, and minimally invasively. In our hospital, we don't use laparoscopic power morcellation. Before the surgery, we perform an MRI examination on all patients to rule out the possibility of malignancy. Only in cases that are considered benign, we extract enucleated fibroids via colpotomy of the posterior vaginal fornix, using scissors morcellation transvaginally. However, the poor surgical field sometimes makes extraction difficult. To counter these scenarios, we devised a technique for easy transvaginal extraction called the “Crisscross Method”, making a laparoscopic incision into fibroids with a long scalpel. Design Step-by-step demonstration of the technique. Setting General hospital in Japan. Patients or Participants N/A. Interventions We use a modified diamond trocar placement. After enucleating fibroids and suturing myometrium, we use the following 6-step-technique. 1: Grasp and pull the fibroid from the bilateral side and place in a vesicouterine pouch. 2: Remove the trocar from the center abdominal port site and insert a long scalpel. 3: Make several parallel cuts in a vertical direction to the long axis, like an accordion shape. Cut 2-3cm width and deeply into four-fifths. 4: Turn the fibroid over and cut deeply into four-fifths of the center in the long axis direction. 5: Cut the connecting parts alternately to make a long snake-like shape. 6: Perform the colpotomy of the posterior vaginal fornix. Grasp the end of the cut fibroid and feed it into the vagina for extraction. Measurements and Main Results By using this technique, we were able to extract fibroids easily, even in the cases of huge fibroids, without power morcellation. Conclusion This “Crisscross Method” is effective for transvaginal extraction of fibroids in LM. The important points are preoperative evaluation by MRI examination and preoperative explanations to patients about the risks and the benefits of this minimally invasive procedure. In laparoscopic myomectomy (LM), it is necessary to devise a method to extract enucleated fibroids safely, easily, and minimally invasively. In our hospital, we don't use laparoscopic power morcellation. Before the surgery, we perform an MRI examination on all patients to rule out the possibility of malignancy. Only in cases that are considered benign, we extract enucleated fibroids via colpotomy of the posterior vaginal fornix, using scissors morcellation transvaginally. However, the poor surgical field sometimes makes extraction difficult. To counter these scenarios, we devised a technique for easy transvaginal extraction called the “Crisscross Method”, making a laparoscopic incision into fibroids with a long scalpel. Step-by-step demonstration of the technique. General hospital in Japan. N/A. We use a modified diamond trocar placement. After enucleating fibroids and suturing myometrium, we use the following 6-step-technique. 1: Grasp and pull the fibroid from the bilateral side and place in a vesicouterine pouch. 2: Remove the trocar from the center abdominal port site and insert a long scalpel. 3: Make several parallel cuts in a vertical direction to the long axis, like an accordion shape. Cut 2-3cm width and deeply into four-fifths. 4: Turn the fibroid over and cut deeply into four-fifths of the center in the long axis direction. 5: Cut the connecting parts alternately to make a long snake-like shape. 6: Perform the colpotomy of the posterior vaginal fornix. Grasp the end of the cut fibroid and feed it into the vagina for extraction. By using this technique, we were able to extract fibroids easily, even in the cases of huge fibroids, without power morcellation. This “Crisscross Method” is effective for transvaginal extraction of fibroids in LM. The important points are preoperative evaluation by MRI examination and preoperative explanations to patients about the risks and the benefits of this minimally invasive procedure.

3D printed solder masks for printed circuit boards

The use of additive technologies in the creation of soldering masks opens up new opportunities in the production of printed circuit boards, in particular, the use of soldering masks for boards with integrated components. The paper considers the results of experimental data on the adhesion of 3D soldering masks (that is, masks created on a 3D printer) obtained during the study of the introduction of 3D printing into electronic manufacturing processes. For the analysis of adhesion, it is possible to use such methods as breaking load, cross-cut test, and the sticky tape method. A number of experiments were conducted to study the adhesion by testing the breaking load. The samples were formed with different ratios of prepreg/solder mask, then the force at which the fracture occurred was measured. The essence of the cross-cut test is to apply at least three parallel cuts and perpendicular to them also at least three parallel cuts with the tip of the cutter. After the scratching, there must be no flaking of the coating between the lines and in the grid of squares, then the results are assessed. Sticky tape tests are performed by applying the tape with the adhesive side to the test sample with a cured coating applied. The results are assessed by visual inspection using an optical device that provides 3x magnification. The results of the breaking load experiments indicate that 3D masks show comparable separation forces with a prepreg. At the same time, the force is stable for all types of surfaces and practically does not depend on the thickness and configuration of the 3D mask. Experiments with applying cross-cuts show consistently good results with a homogeneous base material – there are no coating detachments. The paper concludes that the use of 3D soldering masks on the inner layers of multilayer printed circuit boards with built-in components is possible, but a number of issues must be solved for this, including those related to the software for forming 3D structures of masks.

Whistler wave occurrence and the interaction with strahl electrons during the first encounter of Parker Solar Probe

Aims.We studied the properties and occurrence of narrowband whistler waves and their interaction with strahl electrons observed between 0.17 and 0.26 au during the first encounter of Parker Solar Probe.Methods.We used Digital Fields Board band-pass filtered (BPF) data from FIELDS to detect the signatures of whistler waves. Additionally parameters derived from the particle distribution functions measured by the Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP) instrument suite were used to investigate the plasma properties, and FIELDS suite measurements were used to investigate the electromagnetic (EM) fields properties corresponding to the observed whistler signatures.Results.We observe that the occurrence of whistler waves is low, nearly ~1.5% and less than 0.5% in the analyzed peak and average BPF data, respectively. Whistlers occur highly intermittently and 80% of the whistlers appear continuously for less than 3 s. The spacecraft frequencies of the analyzed waves are less than 0.2 electron cyclotron frequency (fce). The occurrence rate of whistler waves was found to be anticorrelated with the solar wind bulk velocity. The study of the duration of the whistler intervals revealed an anticorrelation between the duration and the solar wind velocity, as well as between the duration and the normalized amplitude of magnetic field variations. The pitch-angle widths (PAWs) of the field-aligned electron population referred to as the strahl are broader by at least 12 degrees during the presence of large amplitude narrowband whistler waves. This observation points toward an EM wave electron interaction, resulting in pitch-angle scattering. PAWs of strahl electrons corresponding to the short duration whistlers are higher compared to the long duration whistlers, indicating short duration whistlers scatter the strahl electrons better than the long duration ones. Parallel cuts through the strahl electron velocity distribution function (VDF) observed during the whistler intervals appear to depart from the Maxwellian shape typically found in the near-Sun strahl VDFs. The relative decrease in the parallel electron temperature and the increase in PAW for the electrons in the strahl energy range suggests that the interaction with whistler waves results in a transfer of electron momentum from the parallel to the perpendicular direction.

Generating Feasible Points for Mixed-Integer Convex Optimization Problems by Inner Parallel Cuts

Related DatabasesWeb of Science You must be logged in with an active subscription to view this.Article DataHistorySubmitted: 14 February 2020Accepted: 17 June 2021Published online: 28 September 2021Keywordsconvex MINLP, feasible rounding, granularity, inner parallel set, cutting planes, extended cutting plane algorithm, global error bound, outer approximationAMS Subject Headings90C11, 90C10, 90C31, 90C30Publication DataISSN (print): 1052-6234ISSN (online): 1095-7189Publisher: Society for Industrial and Applied MathematicsCODEN: sjope8

Single-piece S-plasty for small-incision IOL removal.

A foldable acrylic intraocular lens (IOL) with a 6.0 mm optic was removed through a 2.2 mm corneal incision as a single piece with minimal wound trauma. By viscodissection, the IOL was freed from its position in the capsular bag and moved into the anterior chamber. Vannas scissors were introduced through a 2.2 mm corneal incision. A 4.5 mm straight slit was cut at each optic-haptic junction on opposite sides, perpendicular to each haptic shaft. This pair of parallel cuts generated 3 IOL segments in an S configuration that remained connected. The IOL was grasped by 1 haptic and removed as a single piece.

Analytical Determination of Geometric Parameters of the Rotary Kiln by Novel Approach of TLS Point Cloud Segmentation

This research focused on determining a rotary kiln’s geometric parameters in a non-traditional geodetic way—by deriving them from a survey realized by a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). The point cloud obtained by TLS measurement was processed to derive the longitudinal axis of the RK. Subsequently, the carrier tires’ geometric parameters and shell of the RK during the shutdown were derived. Manual point cloud selection (segmentation) is the base method for removing unnecessary points. This method is slow but precise and controllable. The proposed analytical solution is based on calculating the distance from each point to the RK’s nominal axis (local radius). Iteration using a histogram function was repeatedly applied to detect points with the same or similar radiuses. The most numerous intervals of points were selected and stored in separate files. In the comparison, we present the conformity of analytically and manually obtained files and derived geometric values of the RK-radiuses’ spatial parameters and coordinates of the carrier tires’ centers. The horizontal (X and Y directions) and vertical (Z-direction) of root–mean–square deviation (RMSD) values are up to 2 mm. RMSD of the fitting of cylinders is also up to 2 mm. The center of the carrier tires defines the longitudinal axis of the RK. Analytical segmentation of the points was repeated on the remaining point cloud for the selection of the points on the outer shell of the RK. Deformation analysis of the shell of the RK was performed using a cylinder with a nominal radius. Manually and analytically processed point clouds were investigated and mutually compared. The calculated RMSD value is up to 2 mm. Parallel cuts situated perpendicularly to the axis of the RK were created. Analysis of ovality (flattening) of the shell was performed. Additionally, we also present the effect of gradually decreasing density (number) of points on the carrier tires for their center derivation.

Forward and inverse design of kirigami via supervised autoencoder

Machine learning (ML) methods have recently been used as forward solvers to predict the mechanical properties of composite materials. Here, we use a supervised-autoencoder (sAE) to perform inverse design of graphene kirigami, where predicting the ultimate stress or strain under tensile loading is known to be difficult due to nonlinear effects arising from the out-of-plane buckling. Unlike the standard autoencoder, our sAE is able not only to reconstruct cut configurations but also to predict mechanical properties of graphene kirigami and classify the kirigami witheither parallel or orthogonal cuts. By interpolating in the latent space of kirigami structures, the sAE is able to generate novel designs that mix parallel and orthogonal cuts, despite being trained independently on parallel or orthogonal cuts. Our method allows us to both identify novel designs and predict, with reasonable accuracy, their mechanical properties, which is crucial for expanding the search space for materials design.

PLEROCERCOIDS OF CESTODES OF THE DIPHYLLOBOTHRIUM GENUS OF SALMONIDS FROM THE LOWER AND MIDDLE OB

Since 2009, the Tyumen branch of the FGBNU “VNIRO” (“Gosrybtsentr”) has been carrying out the program “Monitoring of infection of commercial fish of the Ob-Irtysh basin with helminths dangerous to human health and carnivorous animals”. As part of the implementation of this program, in 2016–2018, a study of salmon-shaped (whitefish and pike) was conducted for the presence of plerocercoids of the genus Diphyllobothrium, which are characteristic of fish in the Ob-Irtysh basin. Freshly caught fish was taken for the study, which ensured the presence of live larvae and the differentiation of the desired plerocercoids. In this case, the method of parallel cuts of the muscles, a visual examination of the body cavity, organs located in it, and microscopy of compressed fat from the intestine was used. Two types of plerocercoids difillobotriid were found in whitefish (D. dendriticum and D. ditremum). The main carrier of these larvae is peled, other species of whitefish, although they become infected, but are secondary intermediate hosts. Comparing the infection of peled with plerocercoids, diphyllobothriide, firstly, it is necessary to point out the simultaneous parasitization of capsulated D. dendriticum and D. ditremum on the intestine (esophagus and stomach). Secondly, the prevalence of D. ditremum over D. dendriticum in terms of the extensiveness of infection. The third type difillobotriid D. latum (wide tapeworm) parasitizes only predatory fish, including pike.

Communication-avoiding parallel minimum cuts and connected components

We present novel scalable parallel algorithms for finding global minimum cuts and connected components, which are important and fundamental problems in graph processing. To take advantage of future massively parallel architectures, our algorithms are communication-avoiding : they reduce the costs of communication across the network and the cache hierarchy. The fundamental technique underlying our work is the randomized sparsification of a graph: removing a fraction of graph edges, deriving a solution for such a sparsified graph, and using the result to obtain a solution for the original input. We design and implement sparsification with O (1) synchronization steps. Our global minimum cut algorithm decreases communication costs and computation compared to the state-of-the-art, while our connected components algorithm incurs few cache misses and synchronization steps. We validate our approach by evaluating MPI implementations of the algorithms on a petascale supercomputer. We also provide an approximate variant of the minimum cut algorithm and show that it approximates the exact solutions well while using a fraction of cores in a fraction of time.

A modified technique for the intraoral assessment of static occlusal contacts

This article describes a procedure in which articulating paper is modified for the intraoral assessment of static occlusal contacts. The rectangular-shaped articulating paper is modified by creating parallel cuts at 2- to 3-mm intervals perpendicular to its long side without completely separating the paper. This modification may improve the accuracy in determining occlusal contacts and therefore facilitate an occlusal adjustment procedure.

Approximate Solving of the Third Boundary Value Problems for Helmholtz Equations in the Plane with Parallel Cuts

Approximate Solving of the Third Boundary Value Problems for Helmholtz Equations in the Plane with Parallel Cuts

Introduction to Profiling: The Process of Reading of Nonverbal Signs

see it, I deduce it. How do I know that you have been getting yourself very wet lately, and that you have a most clumsy and careless servant girl? (...) It is simplicity itself... My eyes tell me that on the inside of your left shoe, just where the firelight strikes it, the leather is scored by six almost parallel cuts. Obviously they have been caused by someone who has very carelessly scraped round the edges of the sole in order to remove crusted mud from it. Hence, you see, my double deduction that you had been out in vile weather, and that you had a particularly malignant boot-slitting specimen of the London slavery. Conan Doyle: A Scandal in Bohemia Nonverbal codes can be divided into two large groups. In the group of representation codes the most developed system is verbal which is associated with formal characteristics such as the ones referring to the environment of transmission (personal meeting, audio and audio-visual media, etc.) as well as conventions related to their social use. The receiver decodes them by these means. The channel of transmission for presentation codes is the human body. The basic types are behavior codes and the learned ones (e.g. body movement), commercial codes (e.g. clothing) and genetic body codes (e.g. facial structure, hair color). The latter one is the source of information for automatic stereotypes that play an important role in rapid reading and the forming of first impressions.The codes from these three categories may express four types of indicators:a. indicators of interpersonal relationship,b. indicators that reflect social class,c. indicators of identity,d. indicators of expression.Depending on the type of indicators we may define groups of analysis and reference, with which we can decode and interpret the messages sent.1A hybrid field of verbal and nonverbal communication is kinesthetic, which analyses the movements of the body during the creation of speech. In the process of reading the words from the lips it is important to follow the movements of the lips, neck, thorax which accompany speech, but sometimes we interpret a picture or a silent film in a similar way (e.g. determination of sonority), an effort or work process (e.g. rhythmic shouts or their encoding into a work tune) or mass events (e.g. the behavior of sports fans).Communication of the content is taken over by more developed communication systems which are characteristic to humans, such as writing or language. Therefore, we are going to follow and interpret nonverbal messages with less awareness than verbal language, and this is true both for the communicating person and the receiver.2 Since nonverbal messages represent a less controlled way of communication, they reveal certain attitudes or feelings which the communicating individual does not want to show. Nonverbal chatter represents this additional information, among others the situation when a person is telling the truth or lying.3 It has a great importance in psychiatric treatment4, in the case of compen sated patients (who do not present symptoms) who try to mask their anxiety and excitement.During the experiments the observers included their evaluations on the emotional state of the patient in the categories mentioned above, on the basis of the communication sign of the head, body or both. At the end they formulated several conclusions which have later been completed by others as well (see Argyle). Nonverbal messages do not only accompany verbal communication but they convey more effectively attitudes and feelings than verbal communication.Nonverbal signals influence the receiver deeper than verbal messages and the receiver always has greater confidence in nonverbal messages as they influence his decisions.The conclusion is that language may be used successfully to communicate information related to the world around us and the problems waiting to be solved, while nonverbal messages play an important role in the communication of social values, attitudes, affinity and other personal reactions. …

Quantifying the difficulty of tunnelling by drilling and blasting

This study deals with industrial trends in tunnelling by drill and blast (D&B). We perform a statistical analysis of accumulated experience from the 1950s to the modern day to provide advice for proper project management in tunnel driving. The basis of the study is a wide database of tunnel blast schemes. This database is made of excavation parameters, and considers two main families of blasts: with parallel hole cuts and with inclined hole cuts. Such parameters are analysed by means of statistical regression. Correlations are shown. We present a general curve of correlation between tunnel sections and specific drilling and specific explosive consumption. We show how pull efficiency cannot be correlated to a single parameter, and how tunnelling by D&B needs to be treated as a complex system. Finally, we propose a method for quantifying and classifying the difficulty of tunnelling. The deviation of specific drilling (SD) from industrial average trend is used as an indicator of difficulty: easier when SD is lower than average, and more difficult when SD is higher than average. We show how such deviation can be preliminarily associated with lithotypes. This provides to designers and cost estimators a tool of a first approximation for D&B cost prediction at the pre-feasability and feasibility stages of a tunnelling project.