an important concern in rock mechanics is non-homogeneity as joints or fault. adopting the joints as fractures, fractures are well known for their effects on the mechanical and transport properties of rock. it has been postulated that through fractured/jointed rock, mainly, the polygons turned to the shear vector (ti) are involved in the mobilization of shear resistance. consequently, in order ...

the influence of lime on the shear strength of soil has been known for centuries. the conventional method to increase the lime content of a soil is to add less than 10% hydrated lime in the form of powder or grout to the soil. this method is convenient for soils to be used as fill material in projects such as road construction, land fill pavements or lime pile; but is not applicable where a lar...

Sensitive periods in human development have often been proposed to explain age-related differences in the attainment of a number of skills, such as a second language (L2) and musical expertise. It is difficult to reconcile the negative consequence this traditional view entails for learning after a sensitive period with our current understanding of the brain's ability for experience-dependent pl...

Stress is among the strongest signals promoting neuroplasticity: Stress signals, indicating real or perceived danger, lead to alterations of neuronal function and often structure, designed to adapt to the changed conditions and promote survival. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is expressed and released in several types of neuronal populations that are involved in cognition, emotion and the...

Neuromodulatory effects of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) have been extensively studied in chronic pain. A hypothetic mechanism of action would be to prevent or revert the ongoing maladaptive plasticity within the pain matrix. In this review, the authors discuss the mechanisms underlying the development of maladaptive plasticity in patients with chronic pain and the putative mechanisms o...

objective(s):neurodegenerative alzheimer’s disease (ad) is associated with profound deficits in synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. long-term potentiation (ltp), an experimental form of synaptic plasticity, is intensively examined in hippocampus. in this study we evaluated the effect of aqueous extract of lavender (lavandula angustifolia) on induction of ltp in the ca1 area of hippoc...

We review a body of theoretical and experimental research on the interactions of homeostatic and Hebbian plasticity, starting from a puzzling observation: While homeostasis of synapses found in experiments is slow, homeostasis of synapses in most mathematical models is rapid, or even instantaneous. Even worse, most existing plasticity models cannot maintain stability in simulated networks with ...