Agricultural Production and Stability of Settlement Systems In Upper Mesopotamia during the Early Bronze Age (Third Millennium BCE)

This study investigates the relationship between rainfall variation and rain-fed agricultural production in Upper Mesopotamia with a specific focus on Early Bronze Age urban settlements. In return, the variation in production is used to explore stability of urban settlement systems. The organization of the flow of agricultural goods is the key to sustaining the total settlement system. The vulnerability of a settlement system increases due to the increased demand for more output from agricultural lands. This demand is the key for the success of urbanization project. However, without estimating how many foodstuffs were available at the end of a production cycle, further discussions on the forces that shaped and sustained urban settlement systems will be lacking. While large scale fluctuations in the flow of agricultural products between settlements are not the only determinants of hierarchical structures, the total available agricultural yield for each urban settlement in a hierarchy must have influenced settlement relations. As for the methodology, first, Early Bronze Age precipitation levels are estimated by using modern day associations between the eastern Mediterranean coastal areas and the inner regions of Upper Mesopotamia. Next, these levels are integrated into a remote-sensing based biological growth model. Also, a CORONA satellite imagery based archaeological survey is conducted in order to map the Early Bronze Age settlement system in its entirety as well as the ancient markers of agricultural intensification. Finally, ancient agricultural production landscapes are modeled in a GIS. The study takes a critical position towards the traditionally held assumption that large urban settlements (cities) in Upper Mesopotamia were in a state of constant demand for food. The results from this study also suggest that when variations in ancient precipitation levels are translated into the variations in production levels, the impact of climatic aridification on ancient settlement systems becomes less visible in the archaeological record

ENFORMEL BİR İŞ VE İSTİHDAM ALANI OLARAK YAŞLI BAKICILIĞI: YAŞLI YAKINLARI İLE BAKICI İLİŞKİLERİNDE YAŞANAN SORUNLAR

Bu çalışma, Türkiye’de gittikçe görünürlüğü artan bir sorun haline gelen yaşlılık olgusunun genellikle ihmal edilen yaşlı bakımı ve bakıcılığına dikkat çekmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Yaşlı bakımıyla ilgili hizmetler, gittikçe artan bir şekilde enformel bir istihdam alanı haline gelmektedir. Yaşlı bakımına yönelik hizmet alımı ya da bakıcı istihdamına yönelik talep yoğunlaşması arttıkça işveren konumundaki yaşlı yakınları ile iş gören konumundaki bakıcılar arasındaki ilişkilerde, çeşitli sorunlar/mağduriyetler ortaya çıkmaktadır. Çalışma; nitel teknikle bir grup denek üzerinden elde edilen verilere dayandırılmış ve yaşlı bakıcıları ve aile üyeleri arasında yaşanan bu sorunlar ve yaşanan mağduriyetler saptamaya çalışılmıştır. Araştırma grubunu oluşturan ve enformel yaşlı bakıcılığı hizmetinden yararlanan 15 yaşlı yakını ile yaşlı bakıcılığı yapan 15 bireyle görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Görüşmeler ses kayıt cihazıyla kaydedilmiş ve veriler metne dönüştürülmüştür. Araştırma sonucunda belli başlı bulgular olarak; yaşlı yakınları ve bakıcıları arasında bakıcıya ulaşma, sosyal haklar, iş tanımının belirsizliği, bakım yükü ve eğitim düzeyinin yetersizliğine bağlı sorunlar saptanmıştır

Barrett's esophagus current approaches to diagnosis and management

Since its first description, the definition of Barrett's esophagus (BE) has evolved from the macroscopic visualization of gastric-appearing mucosa in the esophagus to the histologic identification of goblet cells confirming the presence of intestinal metaplasia within the esophagus. BE develops as a consequence of chronic mucosal injury in patients with long- lasting gastroesophageal reflux disease. The clinical significance of BE is that it is the only known risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma. Endoscopy and biopsy is necessary for the diagnosis of BE as well as for observing the development of dysplasia. The optimal treatment for Barrett's metaplasia and dysplasia is still being debated. Neither aggressive medical acid suppression nor antireflux surgery can induce a predictable regression of BE or exert a protective effect against its malignant degeneration. There is no consensus on a particular guideline for endoscopic surveillance with the means of repeating period and biopsy protocol. In the presence of low-grade dysplasia, endoscopic ablation modalities including multipolar electrocautery, argon plasma coagulation, endoscopic mucosal resection, heater probe, a variety of lasers, cryotherapy and photodynamic therapy should be subjected. Cancer can occur under the re-epitheliazed mucosa following ablation. None of these approaches can obviate the need for continued endoscopic surveillance. Since patients with high-grade dysplasia are at high risk for having a focus of adenocarcinoma, esophagectomy should be indicated to those who are medically fit

Measuring and estimating shear force of one stapled and one-row multi stapled wood joints

Since staple is the most used fastener in furniture frame, its holding capacity in solid wood joints is need to be known. Therefore, lateral shear resistance capacity of one stapled and one-row multi stapled joints constructed from Scotch pine, alder, and beech were investigated. Results showed that the joints constructed from beech with a density of 0,54 gr/cm3 yielded 4893 N, the 4 staples joints constructed from alder with a density of 0,51 gr/cm3 yielded 4487 N, and the 4 staples joints constructed from Scotch pine with a density of 0,45 gr/cm3 yielded 3498 N. Three and two staples connected joints also indicated decreasing trend when changing wood from beech to alder and Scotch pine. Results also indicated that increasing number of staple from 2 to 4 in one-row joints increased force of the joints. Two prediction formulas were derived to predict the shear of one-row multi stapled wood joints. Both formulas yielded remarkable results compared to actual laboratory test results

How efficient is an integrative approach in archaeological geophysics? Comparative case studies from Neolithic settlements in Thessaly (Central Greece)

The geophysical prospection of Neolithic tells imposes specific challenges due to the preservation and nature of the architectural context and the multiple, usually disturbed, soil strata. Contrary to the usual application of a single method, this paper deals with the advantages of using an integrated geophysical approach through the employment of various methodologies to map the Neolithic cul-tural and environmental landscape of Thessalian tells (magoules) in Central Greece. The success and failure of each method in resolving the various features of the magoules are discussed in detail, and as a whole, they demonstrate the benefits of a manifold geophysical prospection of the sites

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION: UNDERSTANDING PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS

Parental involvement is one of the most significant factors influencing students’ educational development. The present study explores Turkish parents’ perceptions of involvement in their children’s learning English in relation to their demographic characteristics. The participants of the present research include the parents of the students studying at the 1st to 4th grades of a private primary school in Ankara. This research was designed as a sequential explanatory study in which a 29-item survey was used along with a semi-structured interview. Findings suggest that parents have a positive attitude towards parental involvement and they are generally aware of the academic and psychological aspects of education. Therefore, they have a good relation with the teachers and they get involved in their children’s English language education directly and indirectly. Findings also revealed that demographic characteristics such as gender, age, occupation or level of education, generally, make no significant difference on parents’ perceptions about parental involvement

A NOVEL APPROACH FOR DETAIL SURVEYS BY THE MOTORIZED GPSSIT CONCEPT IN RESIDENTIALS AREAS AND ITS APPLICATION

This paper introduces the usage and reliability of Motorized GPSSIT techniquewhich is a novel approach for surveying. It reviews the advantages of MotorizedGPSSIT concept and also considers to provide GNSS accuracy in the process ofsurveying especially for the cases which cannot be surveyed directly by the satellitenavigation systems (GPS-GNSS), such as closely packed residential areas, tallbuildings, trees, etc., and also places which GNSS receivers cannot be workefficiently due to signal interferences. In this technique, all the survey instrumentsare installed on a bed of a pick-up truck whereas in present techniques they areinstalled on the ground, therefore it is called Motorized GPSSIT. Study area waschosen within the housing area of our campus. In this area, classical surveying,GPSSIT and Motorized GPSSIT were performed to collect data for comparison andfor the analysis of this technique's usability and reliability. Stop and Go and RTKsurveying techniques were performed with GPSSIT and Motorized GPSSITconcepts. It is shown that the Motorized GPSSIT technique is applicable as otherpresent techniques in terms of accuracy and reliabilit