Measuring Hospital Performance: The Importance of Process Measures

Evaluates the effectiveness of Hospital Quality Alliance standards, and identifies specific activities hospitals can work on to improve performance and deliver higher quality health care

Evidence for an intermediate mass black hole and a multi-zone warm absorber in NGC 4395

We report on the results of an analysis in the X-ray band of a recent long ASCA observation of NGC 4395, the most variable low-luminosity AGN known. A relativistically-broadened iron line at ~6.4 keV is clearly resolved in the time-averaged spectrum, with an equivalent width of 310^{+70}_{-90} eV. Time-resolved spectral analysis of the heavily absorbed soft X-ray band confirms the existence of a variable, multi-zone warm absorber in this source, as proposed in a previous analysis of a shorter ASCA observation. The light curve of the source is wildly variable on timescales of hours or less, and a factor of nearly 10 change in count-rate was recorded in a period of less than 2000 s. The long observation and variability of the source allowed the power density spectrum (PDS) to be constructed to an unprecedented level of detail. There is evidence for a break in the PDS from a slope of \alpha~1 to \alpha~1.8 at a frequency of around 3 \times 10^{-4} Hz. The central black hole mass of NGC 4395 is estimated to be approximately 10^4-10^5 solar masses using the break in the PDS, a result consistent with previous analyses using optical and kinematical techniques.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Problem-solving and decision-making in translation revision: two case studies

This project investigates two young professional translators’ problem-solving and decision-making behaviour during revision processes. It sets out to qualitatively describe the complexity of interplay involved in problem-solving and decision-making in translation revision, using think-aloud protocols as a research method. The data I elicited suggest that, for a revision point to occur, the translator first has to find a translation problem. However, the translation problem itself can evolve over time in the revision process in either a divergent or convergent manner. In other words, a single translation problem can be subdivided into several smaller problems and be tackled individually. Meanwhile, the translator may choose to merge several problems into a single problem that requires a holistic problem-solving approach. In terms of decision-making, the translator does not generally verbalise his/her reasons for choosing a translation solution. Nevertheless, s/he has an appropriateness threshold in mind, so that s/he can judge and compare the appropriateness of translation choices and make a decision accordingly. A tentative model of end-revision problem-solving and decision-making has been produced to summarise the findings of this project