Spectroscopy of the enigmatic short-period cataclysmic variable IR Com in an extended low state

We report the occurrence of a deep low state in the eclipsing short-period cataclysmic variable IR Com, lasting more than two years. Spectroscopy obtained in this state shows the system as a detached white dwarf plus low-mass companion, indicating that accretion has practically ceased. The spectral type of the companion derived from the SDSS spectrum is M6-7, somewhat later than expected for the orbital period of IR Com. Its radial velocity amplitude, K_2=419.6+-3.4 km/s, together with the inclination of 75-90deg implies 0.8Msun<Mwd<1.0Msun. We estimate the white dwarf temperature to be ~15000K, and the absence of Zeeman splitting in the Balmer lines rules out magnetic fields in excess of ~5 MG. IR Com still defies an unambiguous classification, in particular the occurrence of a deep, long low state is so far unique among short-period CVs that are not strongly magnetic.Comment: Revised version, MNRAS Letters in pres

Fragmentation of patient safety research: a critical reflection of current human factors approaches to patient handover

The integration of human factors science in research and interventions aimed at increased patient safety has led to considerable improvements. However, some challenges to patient safety persist and may require human factors experts to critically reflect upon their predominant approaches to research and improvement. This paper is a call to start a discussion of these issues in the area of patient handover. Briefly reviewing recent handover research shows that while these studies have provided valuable insights into the communication practices for a range of handover situations, the predominant research strategy of studying isolated handover episodes replicates the very problem of fragmentation of care that the studies aim to overcome. Thus, there seems to be a need for a patient-centred approach to handover research that aims to investigate the interdependencies of handover episodes during a series of transitions occurring along the care path. Such an approach may contribute to novel insights and help to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of interventions to improve handover

Process Development for the Fabrication of a Double-Sided Photodiode

Given a cross-section and functionality requirements for a photodiode designed for application as the focal plane array on SNAP (SuperNova Acceleration Probe), a proposed satellite in the Joint Dark Energy Mission by NASA and the DOE, a process has been developed to fabricate the device in the most efficient and reliable manner. The photodector is to be hybridized with a ROIC (Read-Out Integrated Circuit) that interprets the individual pixel signals and converts the electrical information into an image. After several versions of the process based on simulations, efficiency of sequence, and research, a test run of key process steps was completed to evaluate chosen process values and their final results, including well profile and I-V characteristics. The results from the test run were used to create a preliminary process flow for device wafer fabrication. The process was implemented in full on a small lot of device wafers with some monitor wafers, with the entire process (not including test) requiring about 100 hours. The results from this device run were used to create a new revised version of the process flow in order to attain better functionality from the device. After this device run was completed, the results were analyzed and used to update the process flow again to address deficiencies in the resulting devices and processing difficulties

A PDA-based system for online recording and analysis of concurrent events in complex behavioral processes

This article outlines how a Palm- or Newton-based PDA (personal digital assistant) system for online event recording was used to record and analyze concurrent events. We describe the features of this PDA-based system, called the FIT-System (flexible interface technique), and its application to the analysis of concurrent events in complex behavioral processes—in this case, anesthesia work processes. The patented FIT-System has a unique user interface design allowing the user to design an interface template with a pencil and paper or using a transparency film. The template usually consists of a drawing or sketch that includes icons or symbols that depict the observer's representation of the situation to be observed. In this study, the FIT-System allowed us to create a design for fast, intuitive online recording of concurrent events using a set of 41 observation codes. An analysis of concurrent events leads to a description of action density, and our results revealed a characteristic distribution of action density during the administration of anesthesia in the operating room. This distribution indicated the central role of the overlapping operations in the action sequences of medical professionals as they deal with the varying requirements of this complex task. We believe that the FIT-System for online recording of concurrent events in complex behavioral processes has the potential to be useful across a broad spectrum of research area