This paper utilizes recent optimization algorithm called Ant Lion Optimizer (ALO) for optimal design of skeletal structures. The ALO is based on the hunting mechanism of Antlions in nature. The random walk of ants, building traps, entrapment of ants in traps, catching preys, and re-building traps are main steps for this algorithm. The new algorithm is examined by designing three truss and frame...

Microscopically controlled neutral atoms in optical tweezers and lattices have led to exciting advances in the study of quantum information and quantum many-body systems. The light shifts of atomic levels from the trapping potential in these systems can result in detrimental effects such as fluctuating dipole force heating, inhomogeneous detunings, and inhibition of laser cooling, which limits ...

The pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is a highly polyphagous pest that invaded Florida in 2002 and has recently been reported from several locations in Louisiana. Although identification of its sex pheromone in 2004 improved monitoring capabilities tremendously, the effectiveness and efficiency of different pheromone trap designs for capturin...

Living in close association with a vertebrate host and feeding on its blood requires different types of adaptations, including behavioural adjustments. Triatomines exhibit particular traits associated with the exploitation of their habitat and food sources and these traits have been the subject of intense analysis. Many aspects of triatomine behaviour have been relatively well characterised and...

A compilation of the known natural history of adult Cetoniinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Argentina and adjacent countries is provided. Food items of adult Cetoniinae include pollen and/or nectar (flower visitors), sap and/or slime flux, ripened fruits on plants, green tissues and leaves, and honey. Of the 36 species of Cetoniinae from Argentina, food items are known only for 11 species (3...

During two consecutive years, studies on the sand fly fauna in Poço das Antas and Fazenda Bom Retiro, two Atlantic Rain Forest Reserves from the State of Rio de Janeiro, were performed using Shannon traps, CDC light traps and human bait collections. Eleven species were identified; Lutzomyia longipalpis, L. migonei, L. edwardsi, L. intermedia, L. whitmani, L. fischeri, L. shannoni, L. ayrozai, L...

This paper presents a new method of passivation control by electroluminescence (EL) in 0.15 lm AlGaN/GaN HEMT. The electroluminescence signature in one finger HEMTs (W = 1 · 100 lm), and eight fingers ones (W = 8 · 125 lm), is modified by defects located at the passivation/semiconductor interface and is characterized by a light emission along the drain contact. This abnormal emission reveals so...

We investigate a surface-mounted electrode geometry for miniature linear radio frequency Paul ion traps. The electrodes reside in a single plane on a substrate, and the pseudopo-tential minimum of the trap is located above the substrate at a distance on the order of the electrodes' lateral extent or separation. This architecture provides the possibility to apply standard microfabrication princi...

The species composition and seasonal population dynamics of mosquitoes trapped in the Belek Region of Turkey are described. Eight traps (four New Jersey light traps and four CO2 baited traps) were activated weekly at four different sampling sites (wooded area, open field, village, and road edge). Between May and December, 1997, 4,542 specimens representing seven species (Culex pipiens, Culex tr...