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We propose a systematic approach to describe planar slot antennas, embedded in generic stratified media. An equivalent transmission line model for the slot is proposed, based on a spectral domain analysis. First, we introduce a method of moments solution to model semi-infinite slots, fed by a deltagap excitation. The solution entails only two basis functions, one located at the feed and the other at the termination. The latter basis function is chosen to properly account for the field diffractive behavior at the antenna end point. An approximate circuit model is then introduced, which describes the main mode propagating along the slot as an equivalent transmission line. Lumped impedances are extracted to accurately describe the source and the end point. This procedure can be used to derive the input impedance of planar antennas with arbitrary length in generic layered media or the interaction between multiple feeds within the same slot.

TNO has a long heritage in the research and development of radio frequency (RF) and microwave technology for phased array systems, ranging from high-level system design to hardware design, including integrated circuits and antennas. Customers include the Dutch ministries, the European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Innovative RF technology solutions are developed to tackle the key challenges posed by future space missions, particularly for Satellite Communication and Earth Observation. For this, TNO works in close co-operation with large space system integrators, and collaborates with other Dutch research institutes and industry. In this article a number of such developments, some performed for ESA, are presented, with recent project examples covering antenna design, Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) design and RF module design.

Antenna arrays located on airplanes or other mobile platforms for satellite communication applications are typically required to support very large scan angles (close to end-_re). How- ever, planar antenna arrays are typically characterized by scan loss. To increase the scan range conformal arrays and multi-panel configuration can be found in literature, but the height of the structures is still too large to be installed on airplanes without significant impact on the aircraft drag. To obtain wide-scan capability while still maintaining a low antenna profile, hybrid scanning mechanism are currently implemented (F. Tiezzi et al., Eu- CAP, 2010). The idea is to scan the beam electronically from broadside to a positive, as high as possible, angle and then to achieve the full coverage by mechanical rotation of the array along the azimuth. In this work we present a study to determine the parameters affecting the power radiated in specific directions by antenna arrays with tilted elements. We developed an efficient Method of Moments (MoM) for the analysis of linear arrays with arbitrarily tilted dipole elements, in free space or in the presence of a backing reflector. By using this analysis method, we study the radiation characteristics of arrays of stacked dipoles over a ground plane, highlighting the variation of the patterns as a function of the inter-element distance and the angle of inclination of the element. For half wavelength inter-element distance the array pattern is rather symmetric even for tilted elements, as expected from the Floquet theory (A.K. Bhattacharyya et al., IEEE TAP, 51, 1572-1581, 2003). However, when the elements are tilted by positive angles and for inter-element distance larger than half wavelength, a null and a reduction in directivity in the radiation pattern is achieved for negative scanning angles. Grating lobes in the visible region are weighted by element pattern. The minimum of the radiation pattern is not necessarily aligned with the dipole axis but, due to mutual coupling, it can move to different angles depending on the combination of inclination angle and distance. The array directivity is almost at for positive angles up to very large scanning directions, and decreases rapidly at specific negative angles that change with the inter-element distance. Moreover, it is shown that, for large arrays (i.e. with more than 10 elements), the shape of the active element pattern does not change significantly as a function of the number of elements. At the conference considerations concerning the effects on the active element pattern of mutual coupling and of the onset of grating lobes for a given grid size/tilt angle will be presented. Moreover, a linear array design with selective pattern characteristics will be presented.

We present a 220 GHz imaging radar prototype that has been developed in the European Defense Agency (EDA) project TIPPSI. The purpose of the development was to demonstrate short-range high-resolution 3D imaging for security applications at checkpoints, and to guide the development of stand-off real-time millimeter wave and sub-millimeter wave imaging systems for detection of larger objects at greater distances. An additional goal was to experimentally verify simulation techniques for active (sub)-mmw imaging systems, the verified simulation techniques can then be used to explore different system architectures. The 220 GHz imaging radar prototype consist of a flexible, mechanically scanned optical system that can support linear arrays of transmit/receive (TxRx) units up to 150 mm in length. The optical system is divided into two parts: A compact Dragonian system including the mechanical scanner that can be used as a stand-alone imager at reduced target distance and resolution, and a confocal system that can be added to achieve the full resolution of 1 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm at 4.5 m target distance. The field of view of the full resolution system is 70 cm x 70 cm. The front-end is currently populated by 4 TxRx units that are sparsely distributed along the 150 mm focal plane. The TxRx units operate in frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) mode and have a bandwidth of 24 GHz. Each TxRx unit use a single horn antenna and the transmit- A nd receive signals are generated and received using the same circuits which avoids the need of a duplexer. We will demonstrate high resolution 3D videos taken at 1 Hz frame rate and compare the individual images with simulations using electromagnetic simulators and character/clothes animation. © 2018 SPIE. The Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

In this contribution, a focal plane array (FPA) at submillimeter wavelengths is presented for security applications. The detectors are based on kinetic inductance bolometers. Two frequency selective absorber (FSA) sets were designed to implement a security imager. The effective pattern of the imager coupled to a black body point source over a wide frequency band (1:6) was demonstrated experimentally with excellent agreement to the one estimated by using a Fourier optics based technique.

In this contribution, a dielectric dome antenna design in Ka-band is presented. The dome antenna is based on the combination of a phased array and a dielectric lens. The goal of the combination of these structures is to enlarge the field of view of the antenna. In particular, the array is considered to be able to scan up to 60º and the lens is used to enhance the field of view up to 80º. To this end, the optimization variables of the antenna are the shape of the dielectric lens, its thickness, its dielectric constant and the phase distribution over the array. The optimization procedure is based on a ray-tracing technique. In order to quantify the performance of the dome antenna, a physical optics code was developed to calculate the radiation patterns. The results show good quality patterns over the considered scanning range. The dielectric dome solution is not frequency dependent, and therefore, the bandwidth of the antenna will only be limited by the phased array.

Phosphate may promote the onset and progression of chronic nephropathies. Here we evaluated the relationships between baseline serum phosphate levels, disease progression, and response to ACE inhibition in 331 patients with proteinuric nephropathies in the prospective Ramipril Efficacy In Nephropathy (REIN) trial. Independent of treatment, patients with phosphate levels in the highest two quartiles progressed significantly faster either to ESRD or to a composite endpoint of doubling of serum creatinine or ESRD compared with patients with phosphate levels below the median (P < 0.001). Results were similar when we analyzed phosphate as a continuous variable (P ≤ 0.004). The renoprotective effect of ramipril decreased as serum phosphate increased (P ≤ 0.008 for interaction); this modification of the treatment effect by phosphate persisted despite adjusting for potential confounders such as GFR and urinary protein. In summary, these data suggest that phosphate is an independent risk factor for progression of renal disease among patients with proteinuric CKD, and high levels of phosphate may even attenuate the renoprotective effect of ACE inhibitors. Future trials should test whether reducing serum phosphate improves renal outcomes and optimizes the renoprotective effect of ACE inhibition.

Neutrophil accumulation and the consequent production of oxygen-derived free radicals are involved in the pathogenesis of Ischemia-Reperfusion syndrome. In this study we investigated whether a treatment with Vitamin E, which has antioxidant properties, could attenuate the tissue damage by interfering with the influx of neutrophils within the ischemic and reperfused human skeletal muscle. To this purpose, patients undergoing aortic crossclamping during the surgical repair of aortic abdominal aneurysm were studied as a model of ischemiareperfusion of the lower limb muscles. Muscle biopsies from the right femoral quadriceps of patients not receiving and receiving Vitamin E pretreatment before surgery were taken: a) after the induction of anaesthesia, as control samples, and b) after a period of ischemia followed by 30 min of reperfusion. The tissue samples were either routinely processed for morphological study and immunohistochemical analysis to detect an altered expression of specific endothelial adhesion proteins, such as E-selectin and ICAM-1. The results obtained showed that Vitamin E administration was able to prevent the accumulation of neutrophils within the ischemic and reperfused muscle. This beneficia1 effect of Vitamin E was due to its ability to hinder the expression of E-selectin and ICAM-1, molecules known to increase the adhesiveness of endothelium to circulating neutrophils. After treatment with Vitamin E a marked attenuation of the reperfusion injury was also evident. In conclusion, Vitamin E treatment may be considered a valuable tool for protection against the ischemiareperfusion damage of human skeletal muscle.

Cytoplasmic protein kinase C (PKC) has been studied in phytohemagglutinin (PHA) activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and macrophage depleted E+ cell culture. Within 10' after contemporanous addition of PHA and anti HLA class I monoclonal antibody 01.65 (MoAb) PKC is depleted in both cell types. Enzyme activity recovers in the following hours however at 72 hours is at control values in E+ cultures while in PBMC cultures it is still depleted at 68% of the control. Anti HLA class I MoAb induced tritiated lymidine (3H-TdR) incorporation inhibition appears to be related to low levels of PKC activity.