Recent Ferroalloy Studies at Istanbul Technical University

The present report is the summary of the experimental studies on the production of ferroalloys and iron-based alloys, which have been conducted in the laboratories of Macro to Nano Research Team (MtNT, Yücel’s Group) at Istanbul Technical University (ITU, Turkey) – Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department in the last decade. Ferromolybdenum, ferrochromium, ferronickel, and iron-based alloys with alloying elements (Mo, Ni, Cr, etc.) were produced through different reduction processes (metallothermic and carbothermic) starting from different reactant materials such as mill scale, hematite, magnetite, NiO, Cr2O3, chromic acid, and MoO3. The effects of different stoichiometric amounts of reactants and reductant powders were investigated for the production of unalloyed Fe. While, different amounts of metal oxide ratios and their effects on metal recoveries, compositions, and microstructure of final alloys were studied during Fe-based alloys production, raw materials and produced alloys and slags were characterized by using chemical analysis methods (AAS, ICP), X-ray diffraction spectrometry (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDS) techniques. Keywords: iron-based alloys, carbothermic reduction, metallothermic reduction, İT

Association of polymorphisms in APOE, p53, and p21 with primary open-angle glaucoma in Turkish patients

Purpose To investigate the association between Apolipoprotein E (APOE), tumor suppressor protein p53 (p53), and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21) genes and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in a cohort of Turkish subjects. Methods Seventy-five POAG patients (49 women, 26 men) and 119 healthy subjects (67 women, 52 men) were genotyped with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Allele and genotype frequencies between healthy subjects and glaucoma patients were compared by the χ2 test, and intraocular pressure (IOP), cup/disc ratio (C/D) and visual field indices (MD and PSD) were compared among different APOE, p53, and p21 genotypes in POAG group. A p value 0.05). POAG subjects with the ε2ε3 genotype had a worse PSD value (median=2.2) than those with the ε3ε4 genotype (median=1.77; p=0.01) and POAG subjects with the ε3ε3 genotype had worse MD and PSD values (median= -7.4 and 3.4, respectively) than those with the ε3ε4 genotype (median= -4.1 and 1.77, respectively; p=0.034 and 0.028, respectively). Conclusions Our study found no link between polymorphisms in APOE, p53, and p21 genes and POAG in Turkish patients, although a larger sample is required to elucidate the role of these polymorphisms in the pathogenesis and course of glaucoma

Detecting User Behavior in Cyber Threat Intelligence: Development of Honeypsy System.

This research demonstrates a design of an experiment of a hacker infiltrating a server where it is assumed that the communication between the hacker and the target server is established, and the hacker also escalated his rights on the server. Therefore, the honeypot server setup has been designed to reveal the correlation of a hacker’s actions with that of the hacker’s experience, personality, expertise, and psychology. To the best of our knowledge, such a design of experiment has never been tested rigorously on a honeypot implementation except for self-reporting tests applied to hackers in the literature. However, no study evaluates the actual data of these hackers and these tests. This study also provides a honeypot design to understand the personality and expertise of the hacker and displays the correlation of these data with the tests. Our Honeypsy system is composed of a Big-5 personality test, a cyber expertise test, and a capture-the-flag (CTF) event to collect logs with honeypot applied in this sequence. These three steps generate data on the expertise and psychology of known cyber hackers. The logs of the known hacker activities on honeypots are obtained through the CTF event that they have participated in. The design and deployment of a honeypot, as well as the CTF event, were specifically prepared for this research. Our aim is to predict an unknown hacker's expertise and personality by analyzing these data. By examining/analyzing the data of the known hackers, it is now possible to make predictions about the expertise and personality of the unknown hackers. The same logic applies when one tries to predict the next move of the unknown hackers attacking the server. We have aimed to underline the details of the personalities and expertise of hackers and thus help the defense experts of victimized institutions to develop their cyber defense strategies in accordance with the modus operandi of the hackers

Inattention and disordered gaming: does culture matter?

Objective: Problematic gaming has emerged as a contemporary concern, leading to the introduction of the diagnostic term 'Internet Gaming Disorder' (IGD; American Psychiatric Association). The present study aims to empirically assess the association between inattention and IGD, in the light of variable levels of vertical-individualism that reflects cultural inclinations towards independence, competitiveness, and hierarchy. Method: The participants (N=1032) comprised a normative cohort of Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) gamers (Mage=24 years; 48.7% male). IGD was measured with the nine-item shortform IGD Scale (IGD9-SF), inattention with the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Self-Report Scale, and vertical individualism with the Individualism-Collectivism Questionnaire. Complex hierarchical and moderated regressions were employed. Results: Findings demonstrated an association between IGD and inattention, and additionally showed that this association was exacerbated by a more vertically-individualistic cultural orientation without significant gender differences. Conclusion: The need of differentially addressing IGD risk among inattentive gamers of diverse cultural orientation is highlighted

A probable outbreak of toxoplasmosis among boarding school students in Turkey

ABSTRACTIn total, 171 students from a boarding school in Izmir, Turkey, with mild and non-specific symptoms of toxoplasmosis, were screened during September–October 2002. All 171 students were seropositive for Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM. Of 43 students tested, 40 (93%) had low IgG avidity. None showed evidence of ophthalmic involvement. The data suggest that T. gondii may spread rapidly in close living conditions, possibly following exposure to cat litter. This is the largest recent outbreak of toxoplamosis described in the medical literature