Rate coefficients for ionization and dissociation have been calculated for over 140 atomic, molecular, and ionic species in the radiation fields of (1) the quiet and the active Sun at 1AU ...heliocentric distance and (2) blackbodies at four selected temperatures in the range from T=1000K to 1,000,000K without factors for radiation dilution with distance from the source. The rate coefficients in units of transitions per second (s−1) and associated excess energies of the photo products in eV are tabulated for about 265 ionization, dissociation, and dissociative ionization branches. Users can interactively access this information and plot and download cross sections and wavelength-binned results for various solar activities and blackbody temperatures on our website http://phidrates.space.swri.edu.
•Photo rate coefficients for ionization and dissociation are tabulated for atoms, molecules, and ions.•Radiation fields are for the quiet and the active Sun and for blackbodies at selected temperatures.•Associated excess energies of the photo products are tabulated.•Users can interactively access this information on our website http://phidrates.space.swri.edu.
Abstract
Here, a novel low‐profile wideband and high‐gain magnetoelectric dipole antenna with metasurface superstrate is proposed. The magnetoelectric dipole antenna printed on single layer consists ...of a probe fed patch with four shorted patches arranged symmetrically. Gain enhancement is achieved by placing two side walls and metasurface superstrate with an air gap. Additional rectangular patch connected to the same probe is placed above the magnetoelectric dipole antenna within an air gap. This improves impedance bandwidth, gain and efficiency significantly. Overall profile of antenna is 0.15
λ
0,
which is lower compared to conventional magnetoelectric dipole antennas with a profile of 0.25
λ
0
. The proposed antenna fabricated on FR4 substrate shows 57% of wide impedance bandwidth from 3.63 to 6.57 GHz with overall size of 1
λ
0
× 1
λ
0
× 0.15
λ
0.
The maximum gain in the operating band is 10.2 dBi.
This paper presents a new technique for color enhancement in the compressed domain. The proposed technique is simple but more effective than some of the existing techniques reported earlier. The ...novelty lies in this case in its treatment of the chromatic components, while previous techniques treated only the luminance component. The results of all previous techniques along with that of the proposed one are compared with respect to those obtained by applying a spatial domain color enhancement technique that appears to provide very good enhancement. The proposed technique, computationally more efficient than the spatial domain based method, is found to provide better enhancement compared to other compressed domain based approaches.
Morbidity and mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is higher among people with diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Statins are used in the majority ...of people with DM and CVD. This mini-review discusses the current understanding of benefit-risk ratio of use of statins in COVID-19.
We searched PubMed database using specific keywords related to our aims till June 12, 2020. Full text of relevant articles published in English language were retrieved and reviewed.
Statins, with their immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, and anti-oxidant properties, have the potential to reduce severity of lung injury in, and mortality from, severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infections. Statin-induced upregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) has the potential to reduce lung injury from excess angiotensin II. By disrupting lipid rafts, statins have the potential to reduce viral entry into cells. However, benefit-risk ratio of its complex interaction with MYD88 gene expression on outcomes in COVID-19, and the putative role of low serum LDL cholesterol in increasing severity of SARS-CoV2 infection need further clarification.
People with COVID-19, who are already on statins for an underlying co-morbid condition, should continue on it unless there are specific contraindications. De-novo use of statins in people with COVID-19 with no underlying co-morbidity might be beneficial but awaits substantiation in clinical trials; till that time, de novo use of statins in COVID 19 should be limited to a clinical trial setting.
•Statins have many pleiotropic properties that can potentially reduce morbidity and mortality in coronavirus disease-19.•People with coronavirus disease-19 who are already on a statin should continue on it unless there is a contraindication.•Pending further evidence, de-novo use of statins in coronavirus disease-19 should be limited to a clinical trial setting.
Crop evapotranspiration is essential for planning and designing an efficient irrigation system. The present investigation assessed the capability of four machine learning algorithms, namely, XGBoost ...linear regression (XGBoost Linear), XGBoost Ensemble Tree, Polynomial Regression (Polynomial Regr), and Isotonic Regression (Isotonic Regr) in modeling daily reference evapotranspiration (ET
) at IARI, New Delhi. The models were developed considering full and limited dataset scenarios. The efficacy of the constructed models was assessed against the Penman-Monteith (PM56) model estimated daily ET
. Results revealed the under full and limited dataset conditions, XGBoost Ensemble Tree gave the best results for daily ET
modeling during the model training period, while in the testing period under scenarios S1(T
) and S2 (T
, and T
), the Isotonic Regr models yielded superior results over other models. In addition, the XGBoost Ensemble Tree models outperformed others for the rest of the input data scenarios. The XGBoost Ensemble Tree algorithms reported the best values of correlation coefficient (r), mean absolute error (MAE), mean square error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Thus, we recommend applying the XGBoost Ensemble Tree algorithm for precisely modeling daily ET
in semi-arid climatic conditions.
Aims
Clinical and observational studies have shown an increased risk of cardiovascular events and death associated with sulphonylureas versus metformin. However, it has never been determined whether ...this was due to the beneficial effects of metformin or detrimental effects of sulphonylureas. The objective of this study was therefore to compare all‐cause mortality in diabetic patients treated first‐line with either sulphonylurea or metformin monotherapy with that in matched individuals without diabetes.
Methods
We used retrospective observational data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) from 2000. Subjects with type 2 diabetes who progressed to first‐line treatment with metformin or sulphonylurea monotherapy were selected and matched to people without diabetes. Progression to all‐cause mortality was compared using parametric survival models that included a range of relevant co‐variables.
Results
We identified 78 241 subjects treated with metformin, 12 222 treated with sulphonylurea, and 90 463 matched subjects without diabetes. This resulted in a total, censored follow‐up period of 503 384 years. There were 7498 deaths in total, representing unadjusted mortality rates of 14.4 and 15.2, and 50.9 and 28.7 deaths per 1000 person‐years for metformin monotherapy and their matched controls, and sulphonylurea monotherapy and their matched controls, respectively. With reference to observed survival in diabetic patients initiated with metformin monotherapy survival time ratio (STR) = 1.0, adjusted median survival time was 15% lower (STR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.81–0.90) in matched individuals without diabetes and 38% lower (0.62, 0.58–0.66) in diabetic patients treated with sulphonylurea monotherapy.
Conclusions
Patients with type 2 diabetes initiated with metformin monotherapy had longer survival than did matched, non‐diabetic controls. Those treated with sulphonylurea had markedly reduced survival compared with both matched controls and those receiving metformin monotherapy. This supports the position of metformin as first‐line therapy and implies that metformin may confer benefit in non‐diabetes. Sulphonylurea remains a concern.
Observations from the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer/Electron Spectrometer (CAPS/ELS) are used in an in‐depth investigation of the occurrence and location of reconnection at Saturn's magnetopause. ...Heated, streaming electrons parallel and/or antiparallel to the magnetic field in the magnetosheath adjacent to the magnetopause indicate that reconnection is occurring somewhere on the boundary. In these instances, the Cassini spacecraft is connected to open magnetic field lines that thread the magnetopause boundary. A survey of 99 crossings with sufficient pitch angle coverage from CAPS/ELS indicates that 65% of the crossings had this evidence of reconnection. Specific crossings from this survey are used to demonstrate that there are times when reconnection at Saturn's low‐latitude magnetopause may be suppressed.
Key Points
Cassini electron observations indicate that magnetic reconnection is common at Saturn's magnetopause
These same observations indicate that magnetic reconnection is suppressed at Saturn's low‐latitude magnetopause when the beta magnetic shear condition for reconnection is not met
The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission was designed to make observations in the very small electron diffusion region (EDR), where magnetic reconnection takes place. From a data set of over 4500 ...magnetopause crossings obtained in the first phase of the mission, MMS had encounters near or within 12 EDRs. These 12 events and associated magnetopause crossings are considered as a group to determine if they span the widest possible range of external and internal conditions (i.e., in the solar wind and magnetosphere). In addition, observations from MMS are used to determine if there are multiple X‐lines present and also to provide information on X‐line location relative to the spacecraft. These 12 events represent nearly the widest possible range of conditions at the dayside magnetopause. They occur over a wide range of local times and magnetic shear angles between the magnetosheath and magnetospheric magnetic fields. Most show evidence for multiple reconnection sites.
Key Points
MMS X‐line events cover a wide range of external conditions
Almost all X‐line events are associated with multiple X‐lines at the magnetopause
Reconnection between the magnetosheath and an existing boundary layer is required for KH instability
This letter presents a polarization-reconfigurable compact slot antenna with reduced radar cross section (RCS) using an asymmetric cross-shaped metasurface (MS). The proposed MS can reconfigure the ...polarization of the slot antenna between right-hand circular polarization (RHCP), left-hand circular polarization (LHCP), and linear polarization (LP) by rotating it with respect to the center of the slot antenna. In addition, the MS reduces the RCS of the slot antenna significantly in all polarization states. The cross-slot MS is placed just over the planar slot antenna without any air gap. The simulated monostatic RCS of -19.5 dBsm is observed at 4.4 GHz for LHCP and RHCP cases and -17.0 dBsm for LP mode of operation. Antenna performance in terms of its input matching, far-field parameters, monostatic RCS, and axial ratio are measured at its three polarization states, which are in agreement with simulated results.
Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is widely cultivated for its nutritional and medicinal value yet remains an orphan crop as productivity has not been improved because of a lack of genome and non‐coding ...genome information. Non‐coding RNAs, like miRNAs and long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs), are involved in regulation of growth, metabolism, development, and stress response, and have a critical role in post‐transcriptional gene regulation (PTGR).
We attempted to elucidate the roles of miRNAs and lncRNAs in pigeon pea through experimental validation of computationally predicted miRNAs and lncRNAs and targets of miRNAs on mRNAs.
We experimentally validated 20 miRNAs and 11 lncRNAs. We predicted cleavage sites of three miRNA targets: serine/threonine‐protein kinase, polygalacturonase, beta‐galactosidase. We identified 469 targets of 265 miRNAs and their functional annotations using computational methods. We built a miRNA‐mRNA‐lncRNA network model, with the miRNAs targeting both mRNAs and lncRNAs, to obtain information on the interplay of these three molecules.
A confirmed interaction through experimental validation was established between miRNA, namely cca‐miR1535a targeting the mRNA for beta‐galactosidase, as well as the lncRNA cca‐lnc‐020033. Our findings increase knowledge of the non‐coding genome of pigeon pea and their roles in PTGR and in improving agronomic traits of this pulse crop.
Studying miRNA‐lncRNA‐mRNA interactions to decipher non‐coding RNA mediated post‐transcriptional gene regulation in Cajanus cajan.
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