High-dispersion spectroscopy of AE Aqr II: evidence of material orbiting the primary star

We present a second paper of the analyses of high-dispersion spectroscopic observations of the magnetic cataclysmic variable AE Aquarii. We focus our efforts on the study of the emission lines and their radial velocities. We detect a sinusoidal behaviour, in several of the observing runs, with variable amplitudes. Of those runs presented, the velocity curve of 2000 August shows less instability in the emission material. In this case we obtain K1 = 114 ± 8 kms−1, which we take as our best value for the radial velocity of the primary. This result is consistent within 2σ with previously published values obtained using indirect methods. We interpret this consistency as observational evidence of material orbiting the rapidly-rotating primary star. We present a Doppler Tomography study, which shows that the Hα emission is primarily concentrated within a blob in the lower left quadrant; a structure similar to that predicted by the propeller model. However, for 2000 August, we find the emission centred around the position of the white dwarf, which supports the possibility of the K1 value of this run of being a valid approximation of the orbital motion of the white dwarf.

Fine-tuning neural excitation/inhibition for tailored ketamine use in treatment-resistant depression

The glutamatergic modulator ketamine has been shown to rapidly reduce depressive symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD). Although its mechanisms of action are not fully understood, changes in cortical excitation/inhibition (E/I) following ketamine administration are well documented in animal models and could represent a potential biomarker of treatment response. Here, we analyse neuromagnetic virtual electrode time series collected from the primary somatosensory cortex in 18 unmedicated patients with TRD and in an equal number of age-matched healthy controls during a somatosensory ‘airpuff’ stimulation task. These two groups were scanned as part of a clinical trial of ketamine efficacy under three conditions: (a) baseline; (b) 6–9 h following subanesthetic ketamine infusion; and (c) 6–9 h following placebo-saline infusion. We obtained estimates of E/I interaction strengths by using dynamic causal modelling (DCM) on the time series, thereby allowing us to pinpoint, under each scanning condition, where each subject’s dynamics lie within the Poincaré diagram—as defined in dynamical systems theory. We demonstrate that the Poincaré diagram offers classification capability for TRD patients, in that the further the patients’ coordinates were shifted (by virtue of ketamine) toward the stable (top-left) quadrant of the Poincaré diagram, the more their depressive symptoms improved. The same relationship was not observed by virtue of a placebo effect—thereby verifying the drug-specific nature of the results. We show that the shift in neural dynamics required for symptom improvement necessitates an increase in both excitatory and inhibitory coupling. We present accompanying MATLAB code made available in a public repository, thereby allowing for future studies to assess individually tailored treatments of TRD.

Sensory Input Modulates Microsaccades during Heading Perception

Microsaccades are small eye movements produced during attempted fixation. During locomotion, the eyes scan the environment; the gaze is not always directed to the focus of expansion of the optic flow field. We sought to investigate whether the microsaccadic activity was modulated by eye position during the view of radial optic flow stimuli, and if the presence or lack of a proprioceptive input signal may influence the microsaccade characteristics during self-motion perception. We recorded the oculomotor activity when subjects were either standing or sitting in front of a screen during the view of optic flow stimuli that simulated specific heading directions with different gaze positions. We recorded five trials of each stimulus. Results showed that microsaccade duration, peak velocity, and rate were significantly modulated by optic flow stimuli and trial sequence. We found that the microsaccade rate increased in each condition from trial 1 to trial 5. Microsaccade peak velocity and duration were significantly different across trials. The analysis of the microsaccade directions showed that the different combinations of optic flow and eye position evoked non-uniform directions of microsaccades in standing condition with mean vectors in the upper-left quadrant of the visual field, uncorrelated with optic flow directions and eye positions. In sitting conditions, all stimuli evoked uniform directions of microsaccades. Present results indicate that the proprioceptive signals when the subjects stand up creates a different input that could alter the eye-movement characteristics during heading perceptions.

Improved Climatology of Tropical Cyclone Precipitation from Satellite Passive Microwave Measurements

Accurate precipitation climatology is presented for tropical depression (TD), tropical storm (TS), and tropical cyclone (TC) over oceans using the recently-released, consistent and high quality precipitation datasets from all passive microwave sensors covering 1998-2012 along with the Automated Rotational Center Hurricane Eye Retrieval (ARCHER)-based TC center positions. Impacts with respect to the direction of both TC movement and the 200-850 hPa wind shear on the spatial distributions of TC precipitation are analyzed. The TC eyewall contraction process during its intensification is noted by a decrease in the radius of maximum rainrate with an increase in TC intensity. For global TCs, the maximum rainrate with respect to the direction of TC movement is located in the down-motion quadrants for TD, TS, and Cat 1-3 TCs, and in a concentric pattern for Cat 4-5 TCs. A consistent maximum TC precipitation with respect to the direction of the 200-850 hPa wind shear is shown in the down shear left quadrant (DSLQ). With respect to direction of TC movement, spatial patterns of TC precipitation vary with basins and show different features for weak and strong storms. The maximum rainrate is always located in DSLQ for all TC categories and basins, except the Southern Hemisphere basin where it is in the down shear right quadrant (DSRQ). This study not only confirms previously published results on TC precipitation distributions relative to vertical wind shear direction, but also provides a detailed distribution for each TC category and TS, while TD storms display an enhanced rainfall rate ahead of the down shear quadrants.

Asymmetric Rainband Processes Leading to Secondary Eyewall Formation in a Model Simulation of Hurricane Matthew (2016)

The dynamics of an asymmetric rainband complex leading into secondary eyewall formation (SEF) are examined in a simulation of Hurricane Matthew (2016), with particular focus on the tangential wind field evolution. Prior to SEF, the storm experiences an axisymmetric broadening of the tangential wind field as a stationary rainband complex in the downshear quadrants intensifies. The axisymmetric acceleration pattern that causes this broadening is an inward-descending structure of positive acceleration nearly 100 km wide in radial extent and maximizes in the low levels near 50 km radius. Vertical advection from convective updrafts in the downshear-right quadrant largely contributes to the low-level acceleration maximum, while the broader inward-descending pattern is due to horizontal advection within stratiform precipitation in the downshear-left quadrant. This broad slantwise pattern of positive acceleration is due to a mesoscale descending inflow (MDI) that is driven by midlevel cooling within the stratiform regions and draws absolute angular momentum inward. The MDI is further revealed by examining the irrotational component of the radial velocity, which shows the MDI extending downwind into the upshear-left quadrant. Here, the MDI connects with the boundary layer, where new convective updrafts are triggered along its inner edge; these new upshear-left updrafts are found to be important to the subsequent axisymmetrization of the low-level tangential wind maximum within the incipient secondary eyewall.

Social Representations of nurses on the approach to children and adolescents who are victims of violence

Objective: to analyze social representations from the perspective of the structural aspect about the nurses’ approach to children and adolescents who are victims of violence, comparing primary, secondary and tertiary health care services. Method: an analytical research study with a qualitative approach under the methodological theoretical framework of the Theory of Social Representations from the Central Core Theory. A total of 76 nurses participated in the study: 30 from primary care, 16 from secondary care and 30 from tertiary care. A semi-structured interview was applied using a pre-defined script and similarity analysis using the Interface of R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires software. Results: structurally, the maximum tree revealed the central core in the upper right quadrant, the first peripheral zone in the upper left quadrant; the second peripheral zone in the lower left quadrant; and the silent zone in the lower right quadrant. The ten branches of the maximum tree emerged from the following terms: hit, leave, approach (n), receive, approach (v), remember, tell, spend, pass, caution, mom. Conclusion: the social representations on the nurses’ approach in primary, secondary and tertiary care health services evidenced common points as for the lack of notification, transfer of responsibilities, weakness in identifying situations of violence and the need for training.

ANALISIS KINERJA KEUANGAN BANK SYARIAH MENGGUNAKAN SHARIA CONFORMITY AND PROFITABILITY (SCnP)

This study aims to measure the performance of Islamic banks using the SCnP Model. The population of this study is all Islamic commercial banks registered with the OJK from 2017-2019. The sampling technique used purposive sampling, while the data analysis technique was descriptive. The SCnP model has two variables, namely Shariah Conformity with Islamic Income Ratio indicators, Islamic Investment Ratio and Profit Sharing Ratio and Profitability with Return On Assets (ROA), Return On Equity (ROE) and Profit Margin Ratio indicators. The analysis on the SCnP results is that Islamic banks are spread out in four quadrants (ULQ, LLQ, URQ and LRQ) and recommends a sample of research banks, namely subsidiaries of state-owned banks namely Bank Syariah Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia Syariah, Bank Rakyat Indonesia Syariah. The results of the study show that for three years, 2017-2019, the results show that Islamic banks are spread out in only two quadrants, namely the Lower Left Quadrant (LLQ) and the Upper Left Quadrant (ULQ). Keywords: Financial Performance, Islamic Commercial Banks, Shariah Conformity and Profitability (SCnP) Model Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengukur kinerja bank syariah dengan menggunakan SCnP Model. Populasi penelitian ini adalah semua bank umum syariah yang terdaftar di OJK dari tahun 2017-2019. Teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan purposive sampling, sementara teknik analisis data berupa deskriptif. Model SCnP memiliki dua variabel, yaitu Shariah Conformity dengan indikator Islamic Income Ratio, Islamic Investment Ratio dan Profit Sharing Ratio dan Profitability dengan indikator Return On Assets (ROA), Return On Equity (ROE) dan Profit Margin Ratio. Analisis pada hasil SCnP yaitu, bank syariah tersebar dalam empat kuadran (ULQ, LLQ, URQ dan LRQ) dan merekomendasikan sampel bank penelitian yaitu anak perusahaan dari bank BUMN yakni Bank Syariah Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia Syariah, Bank Rakyat Indonesia Syariah. Hasil dari penelitian menunjukkan selama tiga tahun yaitu 2017-2019 menunjukkan hasil bahwa bank syariah tersebar dalam dua kuadran saja, yaitu Lower Left Quadrant (LLQ) dan Upper Left Quadrant (ULQ). Kata kunci: Kinerja Keuangan, Bank Umum Syariah, Shariah Conformity and Profitability (SCnP) Model

Analysis of the Prevalence of Taurodont Deciduous Molars in Children

Taurodontism is an anomaly characterized by a long and broad pulpal cavity and consumed apical location of the furcation area. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of taurodontism in deciduous molars based on digital panoramic radiographs of children. The study was performed on a sample of panoramic radiographs taken from 2,473 Korean children who visited the department of pediatric dentistry, Yonsei University Dental Hospital between Nov. 2005 and Mar. 2018. Taurodontism was mainly categorized by Daito’s method. Using panoramic radiographs, taurodontism was also categorized into mesotaurodontism, hypotaurodontism, and hypertaurodontism. Mesotaurodontism was the most prevalent type. A total of 2,473 panoramic radiographs were evaluated. The prevalence of taurodontism was 5.7% in general, 51.5% in the left quadrant, 48.5% in the right quadrant, 6.3% in the maxilla, and 93.7% in the mandible. The distribution of taurodontism stratified by gender showed a higher prevalence in males. This is a comprehensive study on the prevalence of taurodontism in children using the largest sample size to date.

Cortrak feeding tube placement: accuracy of the ‘GI flexure system’ versus manufacturer guidance

Electromagnetic (EM) guided enteral tube placement may reduce lung misplacement to almost zero in expert centres, but more than 60 undetected misplacements had occurred by 2016 resulting in major morbidity or death. Aim: Determine the accuracy of manufacturer guidance in trace interpretation against what is referred to as the ‘GI flexure system’. Methods: The authors prospectively observed the accuracy of the ‘GI flexure system’ of trace interpretation against manufacturer guidance in primary nasointestinal (NI) tube placements. Findings: Contrary to manufacturer guidance, 33% of traces deviated >5 cm from the sagittal midline and 26.5% were oesophageal when entering the lower left quadrant, incorrectly indicating lung and gastric placement, respectively. Conversely, the GI flexure system identified ≥99.4% of GI traces when they reached the gastric body flexure; 100% at the superior duodenal flexure. All lung misplacements were identified by the absence of GI flexures. Conclusion: Current manufacturer guidance should be updated to the GI flexure system of interpretation.

Human disease caused by Streptococcus alactolyticus: a case report of native valve infective endocarditis and review of the literature

Streptococcus alactolyticus, a member of the Streptococcus bovis/Streptoccus equinus complex, is primarily hosted in the gastrointestinal tract of animals and rarely of humans, with only scarce reports relating to human disease. We herein present a case of subacute infective endocarditis (IE) caused by S. alactolyticus in a 64-year old male with pre-existing mitral prolapse. Despite a 10-month history of low-grade fever and weight loss, the diagnosis of IE was triggered by left quadrant abdominal pain which revealed splenic infarcts on computed tomography. A definitive diagnosis of IE was subsequently established by four consecutive blood cultures positive for S.alactolyticus plus demonstration of a vegetation on the mitral valve by trans-esophageal ultrasound. Further workup revealed multiple embolic phenomena including brain and spine. A dental abscess was identified as the most probable origin of the bacteraemia, while colonoscopy revealed no evidence of cancer. The patient recovered uneventfully with antibiotic treatment and underwent successful cardiac surgery post-discharge. Although rare, IE caused by S. alactolyticus may be severe and of obscure origin; oral cavity should not be overlooked as a possible origin. Attention should be given in patients with preexisting risk factors.