Does Internet access to official data display any regularity: case of the Electronic Data Delivery System of the Central Bank of Turkey

1990s were the years of enormous growth of information exchange. Rapid development, augmented coverage and wide accessibility of Internet have been the key factors of that amazing growth. People’s access to economic and financial data was one of the major areas in which new trends and patterns of usage were observed. Owing to the elevated importance of financial information in today’s sophisticated markets, it is hypothesized that the linkage between data access patterns and economic events should display some regularity. In addition, one should be able to explain part of the irregularities. This study examines the access statistics of the Central Bank of Turkey’s Electronic Data Delivery System on these grounds. Using OLS and EGARCH models, significant evidence was obtained for the existence of regularities (i.e. calendar effects) in the data.Data access; Macroeconomic data; Return to information; Economics of information

Immune targets in the tumor microenvironment treated by radiotherapy.

Radiotherapy (RT), the major anti-cancer modality for more than half of cancer patients after diagnosis, has the advantage of local tumor control with relatively less systematic side effects comparing to chemotherapy. However, the efficacy of RT is limited by acquired tumor resistance leading to the risks of relapse and metastasis. To further enhance the efficacy of RT, with the renaissances of targeted immunotherapy (TIT), increasing interests are raised on RT combined with TIT including cancer vaccines, T-cell therapy, and antibody-based immune checkpoint blockers (ICB) such as anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD1/PD-L1. In achieving a significant synergy between RT and TIT, the dynamics of radiation-induced response in tumor cells and stromal cells, especially the cross-talk between tumor cells and immune cells in the irradiated tumor microenvironment (ITME) as highlighted in recent literature are to be elucidated. The abscopal effect refereeing the RT-induced priming function outside of ITME could be compromised by the immune-suppressive factors such as CD47 and PD-L1 on tumor cells and Treg induced or enhanced in the ITME. Cell surface receptors temporally or permanently induced and bioactive elements released from dead cells could serve antigenic source (radiation-associated antigenic proteins, RAAPs) to the host and have functions in immune regulation on the tumor. This review is attempted to summarize a cluster of factors that are inducible by radiation and targetable by antibodies, or have potential to be immune regulators to synergize tumor control with RT. Further characterization of immune regulators in ITME will deepen our understanding of the interplay among immune regulators in ITME and discover new effective targets for the combined modality with RT and TIT

A state variable for crumpled thin sheets

Despite the apparent ease with which a sheet of paper is crumpled and tossed away, crumpling dynamics are often considered a paradigm of complexity. This complexity arises from the infinite number of configurations a disordered crumpled sheet can take. Here we experimentally show that key aspects of crumpling have a very simple description; the evolution of the damage in crumpling dynamics can largely be described by a single global quantity, the total length of all creases. We follow the evolution of the damage network in repetitively crumpled elastoplastic sheets, and show that the dynamics of this quantity are deterministic, and depend only on the instantaneous state of the crease network and not at all on the crumpling history. We also show that this global quantity captures the crumpling dynamics of a sheet crumpled for the first time. This leads to a remarkable reduction in complexity, allowing a description of a highly disordered system by a single state parameter. Similar strategies may also be useful in analyzing other systems that evolve under geometric and mechanical constraints, from faulting of tectonic plates to the evolution of proteins

Development of a Novel and Dynamic Shear Rheometer Based Extensional Deformation Test to Replace Force Ductility Test

Modification of asphalt binders is essential to improve the physical and rheological properties of asphalt and to reduce the aging effect. The use of polymers to modify asphalt is the most common approach in asphalt modification. Force ductility test has been a challenging topic as an indicator of asphalt performance, especially for the modified asphalt binders. The significance of the force ductility test as a measure of fatigue and thermal cracking has been debated because of its low reproducibility, empirical nature and the unclear relationship with the fundamental asphalt properties, especially with modified asphalt binders [1]. Extensional deformations tests where converging flows occur have been used by many for polymer characterizations (2). In this study, the extensional deformation behavior of binders Performance Graded 58-28, PG 64-22, and PG 76-22 and its parameters including geometry and temperature were investigated through an extensional rheological approach using a DSR-based Sentmanat Extensional Rheometer (SER). Furthermore, a test method and a sample preparation procedure especially for asphalt binders were developed as a replacement to the conventional force ductility test. The sample preparation method has been simplified and detailed in a way that it can be performed in all asphalt labs. A detailed analysis indicates that the average second peak and first peak elongation forces increase due to the increase of the sample’s area, with ܴ ଶ values of 0.85 and 0.84, respectively. However, the same areas with different dimensions derived different values of elongation force that is due to the dominant role of the width. The elongation force of all samples with the same area but different dimensions increases due to the width’s increment even though the thickness decreases. Based on this study, the recommended test specifications are as follows: the selected geometry is 9 mm x 0.72 mm (width x thickness). The second peak elongation force F2 value was chosen as a recommended force ductility parameter. The minimum ܨଶ value recommended is 14 N, which was lower than the lowest limit of 99% confidence interval (14.45N – 15.99 N). Also, the minimum ratio of the second peak elongation force over the first peak elongation force ܨଶ/ܨଵ of 1.25 is recommended for PG 76-22. This is also lower than the lowest value of 99% confidence interval (1.29-1.51). The recommended temperature is 4ºC, the recommended strain rate is 0.1ݏ ିଵ , and the recommended final strain is 3.4 rad. Therefore, with a more reproducible, significantly less material and time consuming, and with a more mechanistic approach, the developed novel method can help improve the durability of modified asphalt pavements

Simulation of multi-axis machining processes using z-mapping technique

Parameter selection in machining operations is curial for product quality and high productivity. Process parameters such as feed, spindle speed and depth of cuts are often chosen by trial-error methods. Mathematical models can be employed to predict the mechanics and the dynamics of the process. In this study, Z-mapping technique is utilized to simulate the process step by step by updating the workpiece according the given tool path where the cutter engagement areas are also determined. Using the numerical generalized process model, whole process is simulated for any milling tool geometry including intricate profiling tools, serrated cutters and tools with variable edge geometries

Epicyclic oscillations of fluid bodies Paper II. Strong gravity

Fluids in external gravity may oscillate with frequencies characteristic of the epicyclic motions of test particles. We explicitly demonstrate that global oscillations of a slender, perfect fluid torus around a Kerr black hole admit incompressible vertical and radial epicyclic modes. Our results may be directly relevant to one of the most puzzling astrophysical phenomena -- high (hundreds of hertz) frequency quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) detected in X-ray fluxes from several black hole sources. Such QPOs are pairs of stable frequencies in the 3/2 ratio. It seems that they originate a few gravitational radii away from the black hole and thus observations of them have the potential to become an accurate probe of super-strong gravity.Comment: submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit

A Double Blind Study Comparing Virucare and Inter-feron as Treatment for Hepatitis CVirus and its Complications

Objective: To present the results of a comparative double blind study between Virucare and Interferon to evaluate their efficacy, safety and tolerability in treating Hepatitis C Virus and its complications Keywords: Hepatitis C, polymerase chain reaction, interferon. Egypt. J. Hum. Genet Vol. 9 (1) 2008: pp. 71-8