Millimeter wave antenna arrays are essential components of modern communication and radar systems. To produce these devices in large quantities, manufacturers require fast and reliable measurement equipment. The measurement equipment needs to ensure the quality, interoperability, and adherence to regulatory norms of the produced devices. In this work, we present an active probe array structure (PAS), which enables fast, compact, and reliable over-the-air (OTA) measurements of radiation characteristics. No relative movement between the antenna under test (AUT) and the active PAS is required, making the system very suitable for cost-effective large-scale characterization and commercial production test scenarios. We demonstrate and discuss how a near-field (NF) OTA measurement performed by this active PAS system can be used to reconstruct the far-field (FF) antenna radiation behavior of AUTs using an NF to FF correlation approach.

Widely regarded as the most prestigious art exhibition in the world, the Venice Biennale combines art history, politics, and cultural power in a dizzying spectacle. The 2024 exhibition, “Foreigners Everywhere,” situates performance as a key medium in contemporary art and art history.

The radish fly, Delia planipalpis Linnaeus (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), is an emerging pest of broccoli and brassicaceous crops (Brassicaceae). The fly oviposits close to the stem of broccoli plants, and larvae feed within the stem and then pupate in the soil. Due to D. planipalpis’s recent appearance as a pest, no insecticides are registered for its management in Mexico. This study evaluated the efficacy of 13 synthetic and biological insecticides against different developmental stages through laboratory bioassays. Neonicotinoid-based products were highly toxic to the larvae, especially when applied via root irrigation, with thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and imidacloprid showing systemic activity. Thiamethoxam- and spinetoram-based products were also effective when applied to the stem oviposition site as a spray. A clothianidin-based product demonstrated moderate ovicidal activity, and bifenthrin had moderate residual activity against adult flies. A pyriproxyfen-based product effectively suppressed adult emergence. Products based on spirotetramat, neem (Meliaceae), and Tagetes (marigold) (Asteraceae) extracts and the microbial insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bacillaceae) were ineffective against this pest. Spinosad and Sterneinema feltiae (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) were not highly effective but could be used together with other control strategies in organic production. Neonicotinoids, spinetoram, and pyriproxyfen are promising options to validate in field trials for the management of D. planipalpis in broccoli.

Post-harvest treatments are very critical in accepting the exported dates. However, stored dates are attacked by a wide range of stored pests causing serious damage to yield. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of treating stored dates variety Siwi with vapour heat on almond moth Ephestia cautella (Walker), the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), the saw-toothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis Linnaeus, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and the drugstore beetle Stegobium paniceum (L.) of stored dates. Additionally, the effects of vapour heat on the quality and microbial load of treated dates were examined. The tested insects were infested and randomly distributed to eight positions inside a vapour heat chamber at 46.5°C and 95% relative humidity for 30 min. The results showed that a 120 cm height from the vapour heat source led 100% mortality in all tested insects. Furthermore, the treatment of vapour heat had a great efficacy to eliminate infestations. Meanwhile, the vapour heat treatment slightly reduced the microbial load of stored dates, and non-significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affected the chemical and physical characteristics of the stored dates. Therefore, vapour heat is a safe and environmentally friendly insect pest control alternative for exported dates.

This essay highlights the impact of Politics & Gender on the discipline’s understanding of how gender shapes the preferences, behavior, and motivations of voters. It provides descriptive information about the prevalence of research on gender and voting in the journal, along with the proportion of articles dedicated to women voters across different regions globally. The bulk of the essay focuses on the substance of this research — drawing out major themes and identifying significant contributions within each theme — and it concludes by offering a future research agenda on gender and voting.

This study examines the morphological and chemical characteristics of seeds from five Fritillaria species: Fritillaria pinardii, Fritillaria pontica, Fritillaria kittaniae, Fritillaria imperialis and Fritillaria alfredae Post subsp. glaucoviridis (Turrill) Rix. Morphological measurements included total length, total width, embryo length, embryo width, seed left-wing coverage width, seed right-wing coverage width and the distance between crossing points. These measurements revealed significant differences among the species. For example, F. imperialis exhibited the longest seeds and the largest embryos, while F. alfredae Post subsp. glaucoviridis had the smallest dimensions. Chemical analyses were conducted using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, identifying various significant compounds across the species. High proportions of 2,2-dimethoxybutane were found in the seed samples. In F. pontica, compounds such as 2,2-dimethoxybutane (66.33%) and 1,1-dipropoxypropane (13.24%) were prevalent. Fritillaria kittaniae seeds showed high levels of benzene, 1,1′-(3,3-dimethyl-1-butenylidene) bis- (25.57%) and cyclohexene, 3-methyl-6-(1-methylethylidene)- (6.89%). In F. imperialis, significant compounds included 1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol, 2-ethyl-2-methyl (9.73%) and dodecane (5.73%). Fritillaria pinardii had notable amounts of 3,6-dimethyloctane (4.81%), while F. alfredae subsp. glaucoviridis contained 2-methoxyethyl(trimethyl)silane (13.21%). Principal component analysis and cluster analysis revealed clear groupings based on morphological and chemical similarities. Fritillaria pinardii, F. pontica and F. kittaniae formed a cluster due to their similar morphological and chemical characteristics, whereas F. imperialis and F. alfredae subsp. glaucoviridis formed a distinct group. These findings provide valuable insights into the identification and classification of Fritillaria species. Integrating morphological and chemical data can enhance the accurate identification of these species. This study contributes to understanding the natural diversity of Fritillaria species and has implications for ecological studies.

Jordan’s mammalian fauna has experienced significant declines due to intensified hunting since the early twentieth century, leading to the extinction of six species and threatening 39% of the remaining species. This research evaluates the evolution of Jordan’s hunting laws across three historical stages – the Ottoman period, the establishment of Jordan and the modern era – highlighting their impacts on mammalian diversity and identifying legislative gaps contributing to species declines. Using Arabic-based legal databases and historical archives, we found that inadequate legal frameworks, political instability, economic pressures and weak enforcement often accelerated species depletion. Notably, the 1957 Hunting Law permitted hunting of vulnerable species with a licence and of predators without a licence, worsening species decline. Although the 1962 Defense Law aimed to protect nature, its expiration hindered progress. The 1966 Hunting Law largely duplicated the 1957 law, perpetuating these problems, and then hunting regulations were absorbed into agricultural law, undermining conservation efforts. Despite these legal shortcomings, Jordan’s modernization vision provides hope for reform, including the potential restoration of the Hunting Law under the Ministry of Environment and incorporating the right to a healthy environment into Jordan’s constitution to help prevent a mass extinction of mammals.

We study a version of the Busemann-Petty problem for $\log $-concave measures with an additional assumption on the dilates of convex, symmetric bodies. One of our main tools is an analog of the classical large deviation principle applied to $\log $-concave measures, depending on the norm of a convex body. We hope this will be of independent interest.

This study aims to explore the dynamics of leadership reconfiguration within emergent state-owned enterprises (SOEs), i.e., privately owned enterprises (POEs) that have been acquired by SOEs. From an institutional logic perspective, we argue that the emergence of these SOEs reflects a process in which POEs, previously dominated by market logic, incorporate state logic and transition to a hybrid form. However, this process presents a paradox for emergent SOEs: while a greater extent of reconfiguration of leadership helps them gain greater legitimacy in front of state-related institutional referents, it also results in greater conflicts between members adhering to different logics. To address this paradox, we theorize on the differences in the reconfigurations of the board and top management team (TMT) by respectively connecting their functions to institutional control and agency, two typical forms of institutional power. Our analysis reveals that emergent SOEs tend to experience reconfiguration more in the board while less in TMT. Furthermore, we find that these main effects are moderated by the industrial state-ownership density and acquirees' preacquisition political connections. Our study contributes to the SOE and M&A literature by highlighting the uniqueness of emergent SOEs arising from POE-to-SOE acquisitions. Additionally, we propose a strategy to reconcile legitimation and internal stabilizations during logic hybridizations, thereby contributing to the institutional logic literature.

Multiple mating is a behaviour observed across various polyandrous insect species. It is suggested that, in ladybirds, this strategy of multiple copulations is used to enhance fecundity and fertility through sperm replenishment. Studies on sperm depletion need to correlate fertility with the presence of spermatozoa in the spermatheca. This study investigates the role of sperm replenishment in the ladybird Cryptolaemus montrouzieri. We hypothesised that females of this species exhibit fecundity and fertility rates proportional to the number of sperm replenishment opportunities (constant, periodic or absent). We observed oviposition behaviour and hatching rates over 30 days, and simultaneously tested for sperm depletion in females that copulated once. We dissected the spermathecae at four post-copulation moments to count spermatozoa under a microscope. Our results indicate that a single copulation suffices to maintain fertility for at least 30 days. Females with constant replenishment opportunities exhibited higher fecundity but lower fertility and increased mortality, suggesting a reproductive cost associated with frequent mating. Females with no replenishment during the experiment, exhibited the highest hatchability rate and lowest oviposition. Periodic copulation resulted in optimal female mating rate, with average fertility and fecundity. A plausible hypothesis would be that paired females choose to fertilise fewer eggs from a single male but are unable to control the effects of the oviposition stimulus induced by the male's presence. These findings have implications for the management and rearing of C. montrouzieri in biological control programmes, optimizing mating strategies for mass production.

Parasitoids employ diverse oviposition strategies to enhance offspring survival and maximise fitness gains from hosts. Ladybird parasitoids, significant natural enemies of ladybirds, have the potential to disrupt biocontrol efforts, yet their biology and ecology remain poorly understood. This study investigated the host–parasitoid interaction among three sympatric larval endoparasitoids of Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): Homalotylus hemipterinus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), Nothoserphus mirabilis (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupidae) and Oomyzus scaposus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Our objective was to understand host instar preferences from five perspectives related to host profitability, handling difficulty or parasitism decision-making, and to examine the occupation rates of each parasitoid in different host instars. Host profitability was determined by development time, adult offspring dry mass, sex ratio, brood size, parasitism success rate and host handling time. Host handling difficulty was evaluated through host defensive behaviour and handling time. Parasitism decision-making was evaluated through acceptance rate and preference score that considered the first reaction of female wasp to the host. Results showed that each parasitoid responded differently to the host from various perspectives. However, the first two suitable hosts of these parasitoids overlap on the third instar host, with first to third instar hosts being ideal for H. hemipterinus, and third to fourth instar hosts being ideal for N. mirabilis and O. scaposus. In the field, the occupation rate of each parasitoid in third instar host was influenced by the population of N. mirabilis, implying its superior competitiveness. This study reveals the host instar preferences of ladybird parasitoids and highlights the potential for interspecific competition.

Throughout human history, numerous natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, have caused significant destruction to civilizations. On February 6, 2023, 2 major earthquakes struck Turkey. The first occurred at 04:17 local time with a magnitude of 7.7 (37.288N-37.043E) centered in Pazarcık, and the second at 13:24 with a magnitude of 7.6 (38.089N-37.239E) centered in Elbistan. Both earthquakes affected a vast area encompassing 11 cities. These 2 devastating earthquakes resulted in the destruction and damage of many buildings, affecting over 14 million people. More than 40 000 people lost their lives, and thousands were injured and left homeless. Turkey, a country frequently affected by earthquakes due to its geographical location, experienced 2 consecutive major earthquakes on the same day, marking a tragic event in its history.

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Highly Sensitive Child-Rating System (HSC-RS), the existence of sensitivity groups, and the characterization of sensitivity at behavioral, genetic, and physiological levels in 541 preschoolers (M(SD)age = 3.56(0.27); 45%male; 87%Caucasian). Temperament, genetic, cortisol, and electroencephalography asymmetry data were collected in subsamples (n = 94-476). Results showed a reliable observational measure of sensitivity. Confirmatory factor and latent class analysis supported a one-factor solution and three sensitivity groups, that are a low (23.3%), medium (54.2%), and a high (22.5%) sensitivity group. Hierarchical regression analyses showed moderate associations between HSC-RS and observed temperament traits (i.e., behavioral level). In addition, a small negative association between HSC-RS and a genome-wide association study polygenic risk score (GWAS PGS) for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was found. No relations with candidate genes, other GWAS PGS phenotypes, and physiological measures were found. Implications of our findings and possible explanations for a lack of these associations are discussed.

This research proposes a low-complexity, low-profile square-shaped quad-band dual-sense circularly polarized (CP) perturbed slot antenna with stepped microstrip feed for C-band radar and satellite applications. The proposed antenna is characterized by characteristic mode analysis. The proposed design has a square-shaped slot with diagonally opposite symmetric rectangular corner extensions. Multiband resonance is achieved by exciting the split ring resonator (SRR), cross strips and annular ring structure using the stepped microstrip line-fed slot radiator. The slot antenna and a metallic ring resonate at 1.64 and 8.2 GHz, respectively, showing left-hand circular polarization response, whereas the SRR and cross strips resonate at 3.6 and 6.6 GHz, respectively, exhibiting right-hand circular polarization radiation at these resonance bands. Hence, the proposed design shows quad-band performance with dual-sense CP behavior. Furthermore, the proposed antenna allows for independent tuning of polarization sense at resonance frequencies. The proposed design uses a low-cost FR-4 material as a substrate of dimensions 60 × 60 × 1.6 mm3. The experimentally measured results are in close agreement with the simulated performance parameters of the prototype.