A Novel Design Approach to X-Band Minkowski Reflectarray Antennas using the Full-Wave EM Simulation-based Complete Neural Model with a Hybrid GA-NM Algorithm

In this work, a novel multi-objective design optimization procedure is presented for the Minkowski Reflectarray RAs using a complete 3-D CST Microwave Studio MWS-based Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network MLP NN model including the substrate constant εr with a hybrid Genetic GA and Nelder-Mead NM algorithm. The MLP NN model provides an accurate and fast model and establishes the reflection phase of a unit Minkowski RA element as a continuous function within the input domain including the substrate 1 ≤ εr ≤ 6; 0.5mm ≤ h ≤ 3mm in the frequency between 8GHz ≤ f ≤ 12GHz. This design procedure enables a designer to obtain not only the most optimum Minkowski RA design all throughout the X- band, at the same time the optimum Minkowski RAs on the selected substrates. Moreover a design of a fully optimized X-band 15×15 Minkowski RA antenna is given as a worked example with together the tolerance analysis and its performance is also compared with those of the optimized RAs on the selected traditional substrates. Finally it may be concluded that the presented robust and systematic multi-objective design procedure is conveniently applied to the Microstrip Reflectarray RAs constructed from the advanced patches

Nine generations of selection for high and low nicotine intake in outbred Sprague-Dawley rats

PubMed ID: 23912820Previous animal studies have revealed significant involvement of genetics in nicotine intake; however, the extent of the genetic contribution to this behavior has not been well addressed. We report the first study of nine generations of selection for high and low voluntary nicotine intake in outbred Sprague-Dawley rats. Bidirectional mass selection resulted in progressively greater nicotine consumption in the high nicotine-preferring line but no decrease in nicotine intake in the low nicotine-preferring line across generations. Our estimated realized heritability for high voluntary nicotine intake is 0.26 vs close to zero for low voluntary nicotine intake. In contrast, we found no differences between the lines across generations for saccharine intake. These selected lines may provide useful animal models for identifying susceptibility and resistance genes and variants for controlling voluntary nicotine intake in rodents, although we recognize that more generations of selection of these two lines and independent replication of our selection for high and low nicotine-preferring lines are needed. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.001 BAM 2006 National Institutes of Health: DA-012844Acknowledgments We are grateful to Dr. Gonca Mola, Merve Evren, and Tuna Nesil and Muzeyyen Ugur for their assistance in data collection and to Professor Qin Zhang of China Agricultural University for calculating inbreeding coefficients for the study. The animal-related study was funded by the Ege University Research Fund (Grant 001 BAM 2006). The analysis of data and preparation of -- this report were supported in part by National Institutes of Health grant DA-012844 to MDL. -

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Not AvailableApanteles mohandasi Sumodan & Narendran (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a specific solitary endo-parasitoid of Pammene critica Meyrick (1905) earlier known as Grapholita (Cydia) critica (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a major pest on Cajanus cajan (L.). This study provides biological details, a brief morphological diagnosis with illustrations, and molecular characterization of the parasitoid. The taxonomic studies confirm the correct placement of A. mohandasi Sumodan & Narendran 1990 stat. rev. in place of Dolichogenidea mohandasi. Apanteles mohandasi is also compared with the closely allied species, A. taragamae Viereck and A. sauros Nixon, and DNA barcode data obtained for A. mohandasi and A. taragamae. The size of amplified CO1 gene was 494bp for the two species. The alignment score of 75% was obtained between the two species on pair-wise alignment by Clustal W tool using Megalign, DNASTAR Inc. for the sequences of A. mohandasi (GenBank Acc.No: JX083404) and A. taragamae (GenBank Acc.No: JX0830405) based on the sequence data using universally approved species identification marker CO1. The mean duration of A. mohandasi from egg laying to pupation, and pupation to adult emergence was 15.16 and 5.75 days respectively. The mean total duration from egg to adult emergence was 23.61±0.5 days and the adult mean longevity was 2.7 days in the laboratory. The hyperparasitoid, Elasmus anticles Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was also bred in the laboratory from field collected cocoons of A. mohandasi.Not Availabl

Risk Factors of Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases

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