text:
The role of intuition in the
The role of intuition in a world of big data running a business solely on gut feel is not sustainable, but neither is basing all decisions on the. While this may be so, i thought it's useful to keep this in perspective a bit, and reflect on what the role of intuition might be for scientists first. In the cognitive sciences, intuition is described as a way of processing information based on automatic, affective and personal standards, but it is not the. Nevertheless, the role of intuition in creativity should not be neglected as it is often reported to be a core component of the idea generation process, which in.
Recent studies have found that intuition plays a role in learning and decisionmaking tasks involving affect (laborde, dosseville, and scelles 2010: 786. Intuition in the context of decision-making is defined as a "non-sequential often points to the role of heuristics in helping people make "intuitive" decisions. Although ample research has been carried out on the opportunity identification stage, there is still little research available on "why", "when" and "how". In the experimental and theoretical literature on social heuristics, the case has been made for dual-process cooperation empirical evidence is.
Is the intuition for or against during decision makinng descartes, gilles deleuze or punset are some of the thinkers who have sought to. Although intuitive processes are critical for effective strategic decision making, there is little in the way of applied research on the topic apart from many. The role of intuition in ethical decision making by james r guzak presented to the faculty of the graduate school of the university of texas at.
The other rejects intuition in favor of careful data analysis – where there is in looking at some of the technical journal research, intuition plays a key role in. In recent years there has been a growth of interest in the role played by intuition in entrepreneurial cognition and behavior however, the significance of the role. Learning to trust our intuition when we've been educated to rely on data, and intuition plays an essential role for decision-making in rapidly. What role does intuition play i believe staff, faculty, employers and parents must help students focus on finding areas of intuition when it.
Intuition is mainly used by expert nurses, but unlike in benner's model, the research aim is to find out importance of intuition in nursing. Intuition plays a significant role in the choices we make unfortunately, working alone, intuition can be the source of significant errors in the course of making a. Title: the role of intuition in the scientific method distribution: approved for public release, distribution unlimited this paper is part of the following report.
Intuition has an important role in scientific discovery and in the epistemological order to help integrate the debate and clarify the role of intuition in interdis. And you can when you learn to listen and follow your intuition the role of intuition your intuition is guidance that comes directly from your. One could argue, however, that nurture rather than nature plays a role here after all, we talk about female 'intuition' and not female' instinct' in this case intuition. Current theories argue that human decision making is largely based on quick, automatic, and intuitive processes that are occasionally supplemented by slow.
- Last week, we took in some timeless vintage wisdom on the role of serendipity and chance-opportunism in creativity and scientific discovery,.
- This paper explores the concept of intuition as a tractable and empirical has repeatedly shown the importance of recognizing environmental cues in making.
An exploration of the role of intuition in entrepreneurial founding team formation given the emotional nature of entrepreneurship and the importance of. This article argues that intuition is a crucial component of professional competence, and provides empirical the role of intuition in the field of economy. I discuss the role of intuition in my investment process i candidly share how i learned about the importance of intuition in investing my intuition. The problem and the solution intuitions are rapid, affectively charged judgments arrived at without conscious awareness of the reasoning processes involved.Download the role of intuition in the


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Working with Graph Theory Functions
This example shows how Bioinformatics Toolbox™ can be used to work with and vizualize graphs.
Graphs, in the sense of graph theory, are a mathematical way of representing connections or relationships between objects. There are many applications in bioinformatics where understanding relationships between objects is very important. Such applications include phylogenetic analysis, protein-protein interactions, pathway analysis and many more. Bioinformatics Toolbox provides a set of generic functions for working with and visualizing graphs.
Creating a Graph from a SimBiology® Model
The graph theory functions in Bioinformatics Toolbox work on sparse matrices. The only restriction is that the matrix be square. In this example, a graph was created from a SimBiology® model of a Repressilator [1] oscillatory network . In this model, protein A represses protein B, protein B represses protein C, which in turn represses protein A.
load oscillatorgraph
There are two variables: g, a sparse matrix, and names, a list of the names of the nodes of the graph.
whos g names
 Name Size Bytes Class Attributes
 g 65x65 2544 double sparse
 names 65x1 8340 cell
If you have SimBiology you can create the graph using the following commands:
% sbioloadproject oscillator
% class(m1)
% Now get the adjacency matrix
% [g names] = getadjacencymatrix(m1);
Visualizing the Graph
There are many functions in MATLAB® for working with sparse matrices. The spy function displays as * wherever there is a non-zero element of the matrix.
spy(g)
This gives some indication of the number of edges of the graph and also shows that the graph is not symmetric and, hence, is a directed graph. However, it is difficult to visualize what is going on. The biograph object is another way of representing a graph in Bioinformatics Toolbox.
gObj = biograph(g,names)
Biograph object with 65 nodes and 123 edges.
The view method lays out the graph and displays it in a figure.
gObj = view(gObj);
You can interact with the graph using the mouse. You can also programmatically modify the way that the graph is displayed.
% find the nodes pA, pB, and pC
pANode = find(strcmp('pA', names));
pBNode = find(strcmp('pB',names));
pCNode = find(strcmp('pC', names));
% Color these red, green, and blue
set(gObj.nodes(pANode),'Color',[1 0 0],'size',[40 30]);
set(gObj.nodes(pBNode),'Color',[0 1 0],'size',[40 30]);
set(gObj.nodes(pCNode),'Color',[0 0 1],'size',[40 30]);
dolayout(gObj);
Using the Graph Theory Functions
There are several functions in Bioinformatics Toolbox for working with graphs. These include graphshortestpath, which finds the shortest path between two nodes, graphisspantree, which checks if a graph is a spanning tree, and graphisdag, which checks if a graph is a directed acyclic graph.
graphisdag(g)
ans =
 0
There are also corresponding methods of the biograph object. These have names similar to the functions for working with sparse matrices but without the prefix 'graph'.
isdag(gObj)
ans =
 0
Finding the Shortest Path Between Nodes pA and pC
A common question to ask about a graph is what is the shortest path between two nodes. Note that in this example all the edges have length 1.
[dist,path,pred] = shortestpath(gObj,pANode,pCNode);
Color the nodes and edges of the shortest path
set(gObj.Nodes(path),'Color',[1 0.4 0.4])
edges = getedgesbynodeid(gObj,get(gObj.Nodes(path),'ID'));
set(edges,'LineColor',[1 0 0])
set(edges,'LineWidth',1.5)
You can use allshortestpaths to calculate the shortest paths from each node to all other nodes.
allShortest = allshortestpaths(gObj);
A heatmap of these distances shows some interesting patterns.
imagesc(allShortest)
colormap(pink);
colorbar
title('All Shortest Paths for Oscillator Model');
Traversing the Graph
Another common problem with graphs is finding an efficient way to traverse a graph by moving between adjacent nodes. The traverse method uses a depth-first search by default but you can also choose to use a breadth-first search.
order = traverse(gObj,pANode);
The return value order shows the order in which the nodes were traversed starting at pA. You can use this to find an alternative path from pA to pC.
alternatePath = order(1:find(order == pCNode));
set(gObj.Nodes(alternatePath),'Color',[0.4 0.4 1])
edges = getedgesbynodeid(gObj,get(gObj.Nodes(alternatePath),'ID'));
set(edges,'LineColor',[0 0 1])
set(edges,'LineWidth',1.5)
Finding Connected Components in the Graph
The oscillator model is cyclic with pA, pB, and pC all connected. The method conncomp finds connected components. A strongly connected component of a graph is a maximal group of nodes that are mutually reachable without violating the edge directions. You can use the conncomp method to determine which nodes are not part of the main cycle.
[S,C] = conncomp(gObj);
% Mark the nodes for each component with different color
colors = flipud(jet(S));
for i = 1:numel(gObj.nodes)
 gObj.Nodes(i).Color = colors(C(i),:);
end
You will notice that the "trash" node is a sink. Several nodes connect to this node but there is no path from "trash" to any other node.
Simulating Knocking Out a Reaction
In biological pathways it is common to find that while some reactions are essential to the survival of the behavior of the pathway, others are not. You can use the sparse graph representation of the pathway to investigate whether Reaction1 and Reaction2 in the model are essential to the survival of the oscillatory properties.
Find the nodes in which you are interested.
r1Node= find(strcmp( 'Reaction1', names));
r2Node= find(strcmp( 'Reaction2', names));
Create copies of the sparse matrix and remove all edges associated with the reactions.
gNoR1 = g;
gNoR1(r1Node,:) = 0; gNoR1(:,r1Node)=0;
gNoR2 = g;
gNoR2(r2Node,:) = 0; gNoR2(:,r2Node)=0;
In the case where we remove Reaction2, there are still paths from pA to pC and back and the structure has not changed very much.
distNoR2CA = graphshortestpath(gNoR2,pCNode,pANode)
distNoR2AC = graphshortestpath(gNoR2,pANode,pCNode)
% Display the graph from which Reaction2 was removed.
gNoR2Obj = view(biograph(gNoR2,names));
[S,C] = conncomp(gNoR2Obj);
% Mark the nodes for each component with different color
colors = flipud(jet(S));
for i = 1:numel(gNoR2Obj.nodes)
 gNoR2Obj.Nodes(i).Color = colors(C(i),:);
end
distNoR2CA =
 10
distNoR2AC =
 14
However, in the case where we remove Reaction1, there is no longer a path from pC back to pA.
distNoR1AC = graphshortestpath(gNoR1,pANode,pCNode)
distNoR1CA = graphshortestpath(gNoR1,pCNode,pANode)
distNoR1AC =
 14
distNoR1CA =
 Inf
When you visualize the graph from which Reaction1 was removed you will see a significant change in the structure of the graph.
% Display the graph from which Reaction1 was removed.
gNoR1Obj = view(biograph(gNoR1,names));
[S,C] = conncomp(gNoR1Obj);
% Mark the nodes for each component with different color
colors = flipud(jet(S));
for i = 1:numel(gNoR1Obj.nodes)


text:
This report describes New Zealanders that have been made to have sex against their will, referred to as non-volitional sex. It covers their age at the most recent non-volitional sex and their relationship with the perpetrator.
Over 10,000 respondents aged 16–74 years completed the sexual and reproductive health module in the 2014/15 Health Survey.
Use our Sexual and Reproductive Health Data Explorer to see the results from the 2014/15 Health Survey.
If you have any queries please email [email protected].
Overview of key findings
- Sex against an individual's will after the age of 13, referred to in this document as non-volitional sex, has been experienced by many more women (one in nine) than men (one in 30) aged 16–74 years; over half of these experiences occurred when the people concerned were teenagers.
- Māori men and women were more likely to have experienced non-volitional sex than non-Māori, and Asian women were less likely than non-Asian women to have experienced it.
- Women currently living in the most deprived areas were more likely than those in the least deprived areas to have experienced non-volitional sex.
- Women and men mostly knew the perpetrator of their most recent experience of non-volitional sex, either as a former or current intimate partner (34 percent of women, 16 percent of men), a family member or friend (26 percent of women, 31 percent of men), or as an acquaintance (22 percent of women, 28 percent of men).
- Among Māori and Pacific women, the most recent perpetrator was more likely to have been a family member or friend than it was for non-Māori and non-Pacific women.
Go to Sexual and reproductive health to find out what's being done in this area.
- Sexual and Reproductive Health Data Explorer
- First Heterosexual Sex: Findings from the 2014/15 New Zealand Heath Survey
- Heterosexual Sexual Behaviour: Findings from the 2014/15 New Zealand Heath Survey
- Sexual Orientation: Findings from the 2014/15 New Zealand Health Survey
- Contraception: Findings from the 2014/15 New Zealand Heath Survey
- Pregnancy Planning: Findings from the 2014/15 New Zealand Health Survey
- Sexually Transmitted Infections: Findings from the 2014/15 New Zealand Heath Survey
- Indicator Interpretation Guide 2014/15: Sexual and Reproductive Health Module
- Questionnaires and Content Guide 2014/15: New Zealand Health Survey
- Methodology Report 2014/15: New Zealand Health Survey
- The New Zealand Health Survey Sample Design, Years 1–3 (2011–2013)

source: m-a-p/FineFineWeb


J Jane Hirshfield
The Promise by Jane Hirshfield
The Promise by Jane Hirshfield is a reflection on how things in the poet's life seem to drift away from her, leaving her behind. She asks objects such as 'flowers', a 'spider' and even her own 'body' to stay, but in the end they always leave or change. The final stanza of the poem focuses on asking lovers to stay, to which they answer 'always'. This ending can be interpreted both positivity, in that they stay with her, or as a lie – a broken promise repeated lover after lover.
The Promise by Jane Hirshfield
Structure and Form
The Promise is split into six stanzas of unequal length lines, with stanzas ranging from between two to six lines. Lines are typically finished by an end stop, with only three lines in the entire poem using enjambment. The meter is therefore very blunt, with the poem stopping and starting repeatedly, perhaps representing the relationship Hirshfield builds only to be left behind.
Throughout the lines, there is the frequent use of caesura, which can be understood as a representation of the separation the poet finds between herself and other people/objects. A caesura breaks up the sentence, both grammatically and within the poem's meter, demonstrating a linguistic pause as the lines read.
The poem uses anaphora, a technique where a word or phrase is repeated to begin each stanza. In this poem, the anaphora is comprised of only the word 'Stay', with the central plea being a focal point, and a major theme of the poem.
You can read the full poem The Promise here.
Analysis of The Promise
Stanza One
Stay, I said
their heads lower.
The Promise begins with the indicative command, 'Stay', focusing the poem on this anaphoric plea. The first word is followed by a caesura in the form of a comma, acting as a short pause after this initial word. Hirshfield is placing emphasis on 'stay', with the moment of silence signifying the desperation of the poet.
This stanza focuses on the poet asking 'the cut flowers' to 'stay' with her, yet they 'bowed their heads lower', ignoring her cry as they wilt. This is the first moment in which an element of nature does not 'stay' with the poet, with their drooping 'heads' an image which instils sadness within the opening stanza.
The enjambment between 'bowed / their heads' is a representation of the dropping flowers, their continuous wilt not stopping for the poet's plea to 'Stay'.
Stanza Two
Stay, I said to the spider,
who fled.
This stanza is two lines shorter than the first, but expresses much the same sentiment. Hirshfield requests that a 'spider' 'stay' with her, but still it 'fled', leaving her alone. The anaphora of 'Stay' is utilised again in the same form, with the dramatic pause caused by the caesura further compounding the sense of desperation after each chime of 'stay'.
The shortness of this stanza could be a reflection of how, unlike the flowers, the 'spider' actually flees from Hirshfield. While the flowers droop and begin to die, they ultimately would still be in the same place, the wilting process taking more time than the simple action of fleeing.
Stanza Three
Stay, leaf.
embarrassed for me and itself.
Hirshfield's plea moves to a 'leaf', the poet begging a third form of nature. In this stanza of The Promise, much like the flowers, the process which Hirshfield is trying to stop is a process of nature. Whilst the flowers wilt and die, the 'leaf' turns from green to 'red', reflecting the changing of the season.
In this stanza, the command to 'stay' is more abrupt, the 'leaf' being followed by a full stops to finish the line. This newfound quickness can be understood as a reflection of Hirshfield realising that her pleas are ineffective, being left alone no matter what she does.
Stanza Four
Stay, I said to my body.
soon starting to tremble.
The fourth stanza is directed at the poet's own 'body', The Promise moving away from external aspects of nature and looking inward. While in stanza three nature was personified, here her body is dehumanised, relating it to a 'dog'. This dehumanisation could suggest that she doesn't have a good relationship with her body, perhaps feeling insecure or self-conscious.
Although not expressed literally within The Promise, we can assume, based on the idea of change detailed by stanza one and three, that the thing that is changing within this stanza is to do with her body weight. The idea of 'obedient for a moment' then followed by 'soon starting to tremble' resembling the failing of self control.
Stanza Five
Stay, to the earth
with a changing expression, in silence.
The fifth stanza of the poem is the longest of all, measuring six lines, and due to the length, detailing more than one thing that leaves her. She discusses a landscape, split into 'valley meadows' and the materials that compose it, 'limestone and sandstone'. This stanza acts as the ultimate abandonment by nature, with a whole landscape failing to communicate with her. The final word of the stanza, 'silence', compounds this idea of being left alone, with the isolation evoked in the blank, expressionless environment causing the poet to feel that this aspect of nature has left her too.
The images within The Promise seem to expand in size, with this final plea to the landscape the most desperate of all. Yet, still, the poet is left alone, with even the materials that comprise the 'fossil escarpments' rejecting Hirshfield. The enjambment connecting 'It looked back / with a changing expression, in silence' could represent the cohesion of nature, something which she can never truly be a part of. Moreover, it could be interpreted as the distance between the poet and nature, 'it looked back' followed by a space manifesting the distance physically on the page.
Stanza Six
Stay, I said to my loves.
The final stanza can be understood in many ways. Some readings of this poem discuss the final 'always' as suggesting love is the one thing that never leaves, always remaining even after natural things like 'flowers' and leaves have long passed.
Yet, due to the italics placed on 'Always', I would suggest that the comment is seen as ironic by the poet, with her actually rolling her eyes at how lovers have lied to her in their promise. This 'Promise' constitutes the title of the poem, with Hirshfield pointing out the deceit that humans are capable of. While the first five stanzas of the poems indicate a desperate and sad tone, the change to italics here, and the scorn which it involves, suggests that Hirshfield does not mind about nature leaving – indeed, it never said it would stay – but her lovers have lied, they said they would stay and didn't.
Indeed, the suggestion of 'loves', in the plural form, suggests that there have been more than one. Of course, if the first would have stayed, then there wouldn't be plural 'lovers', therefore they broke their promise to 'stay'. This is a repeated offense, 'each answered', every lover Hirshfield takes deceiving her and eventually leaving.
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text:
quefaction
Jamie Holladay 1,Jun Cui 2,John Barclay 3,Kerry Meinhardt 1,Evgueni Polikarpov 1,Edwin Thomsen 1,Iver Anderson 4
1 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland United States,2 Iowa State University Ames United States3 Emerald Energy Northwest LLC Redmond United States4 AMES National Laboratory Ames United StatesShow Abstract
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory working with Emerald Energy Northwest, Iowa State University, and AMES National Laboratory has built and operated a reciprocal magnetocaloric gas liquefaction system for use with hydrogen and other gases. Magnetocaloric hydrogen liquefier (MCHL) technology promises cost-effective and efficiency hydrogen liquefaction because it eliminates compressors, the largest source of inefficiency in the traditional Claude-cycle liquefiers, and the need for liquid nitrogen to pre-cool the hydrogen or other gases. While designed for hydrogen, the same configurations can be used for natural gas and other gases.
The MCHL system was tested over a range of conditions and with two types of dual regenerators. The first type regenerator used ~1kg of Gd material in each of the dual regenerators. Under a 3T field and no load, a maximum temperature differential of 100K was achieved. While maintaining hot heat sink temperature at ~285 K and the cold load temperature at ~265 K, a cooling power of 40W was measured. The second type regenerator system used ~0.215kg (0.108 kg Gd spheres and 0.107kg Gd0.74Tb0.26 spheres) in a layered configuration. Under similar operating conditions, a cooling power of 28W was measured. This showed that the layered design was able to provide ~70% of the cooling power with only ~22% of the magnetic material. In addition, 5 thermocouples were embedded along the central axis to measure the temperature distribution. The temperatures measured indicated that the axial temperature profile from hot to cold in the layered regenerator is non-linear. Finally, based upon these results an advanced MCHL design will be presented which has the potential to increase the FOM for hydrogen liquefaction from 0.35 of current Claude-cycle based liquefiers to 0.5 or more.
5:15 PM - *EE11.1.06
Caloric, Meet Regenerator: You Have a Volume Problem
Andrew Rowe 1,Theo Christiaanse 1,Premakumara Govindapa 1,Iman Niknia 1,Reed Teyber 1,Paulo Trevizoli 1
1 Univ of Victoria Victoria Canada,Show Abstract
Caloric materials can be defined as those that exhibit reversible ordering due to changes in one of more generalized forces. The limited width of the ordering process as a function of temperature can be overcome by cascading layers of different materials as is found in an active regenerator. An active magnetic regenerator cycle (AMR) is a well-established process for extending the operating range of materials that exhibit a magnetic work mode. The abstraction of the AMR cycle to a more general active caloric regenerator (ACR) cycle is relatively straightforward and, in doing so, general requirements for any ACR process to achieve high heat pumping power and efficiency can be identified. Here, we identify the common parameters governing ACR performance, how these parameters are related to material properties, and how entropy is associated with both efficiency and cost.
Nini Pryds, Technical University of Denmark
Asaya Fujita, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST Chubu)
Neil Mathur, University of Cambridge
Ichiro Takeuchi, University of Maryland
EE11.2: Session II
Wednesday AM, March 30, 2016
PCC North, 100 Level, Room 127 A
9:45 AM - *EE11.2.01
Electronic Phase Change and Entropic Functions in Transition Metal Oxides
Hidenori Takagi 3
1 Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research Stuttgart Germany,2 Department of Physics University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan,3 FMQ University of Stuttgart Stuttgart Germany,Show Abstract
The electric and magnetic properties of transition metal oxides (TMO) are in many casesoften dominated by electrons in d-orbitals. Large Coulomb repulsion between electrons accommodated in the spatially constrained d-orbitals tends to block the motion of electrons from one atom to another, atom and the electrons are highly entangled. Just like interacting atoms and molecules, the entangled electrons, called correlated electrons, form solid (insulator), and liquid (metal), and superfluid (superconductor) states inside the solid. The presence of the three degrees of freedom attached to electrons – , charge, spin and orbital, enrich these electronic phases further. These rich electronic phases are competeing with each other ion a delicate balance. Even a minute perturbation can often causeinduce a phase change, giving rise to a gigantic dramatic response to external fields. Those areis is the hallmarks of phase change functions in transition metal oxides, including useful as sensors, memoriesy and for signal conversion .
In this talk, we would like to discuss the application of phase change concept to entropic functions rather than the long discussed functions mentioned above. Partly because of the multiple degrees of freedom, the complicated electronic phases in transition metal oxides are often highly entropic. The high entropy can manifest itself in a large entropy (enthalpy) change associated with the electronic phase change. VO2 is known to show a paramagnetic metal (liquid) to a nonmagnetic insulator (solid) transition around room temperature, where we indeed observed a large entropy change per volume, comparable to that of water-ice transition. This can be utilized as a "solid" electronic ice pack of which melting temperature is "tunable" upon doping. We can construct electronic icepack working at 10 C, which for example may be used to preserve human tissues during surgery. The large electric entropy coupled with electric current can be utilized for thermoelectric conversion. The oxide thermoelectrics, NaxCoO2, can be viewed as a realization of such scenario. Other possible application of the large electronic entropy will be discussed.
 H.Takagi and H.Y.Hwang, Science 327 (2010) 1601.
10:15 AM - EE11.2.02
Non-Universal Scaling of the Magnetocaloric Effect as an Insight into Magnetic Phase Transitions
Anders Smith 1,Kaspar Nielsen 1,Henrique Bez 1,Christian Bahl 1
1 Department of Energy Conversion and Storage Technical University of Denmark Roskilde Denmark,Show Abstract
Recently we showed theoretically that the field dependence of the magnetocaloric quantities (isothermal entropy change, ΔS, and adiabatic temperature change, ΔTad) close to a ferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic phase transition is not uniquely determined by the critical exponents of the transition. Here we show that this non-universality of the magnetocaloric effect is observable experimentally, and that it can be used to gain insight into the properties of the phase transition and the magnitude of the spin-lattice interactions. We measure the field dependence of the isothermal entropy change of the manganite series La0.67Ca0.33−xSrxMnO3 directly by using calorimetry in a custom-built differential scanning calorimeter equipped with a permanent magnet array which can produce a variable magnetic field. For the series of second order materials 0.0375 < x < 0.0750 we find that the scaling exponent characterizing the field dependence of ΔS near Tc decreases monotonously from 0.7 to 0.6 as x decreases from 0.0750 to 0.0375, showing non-universal behaviour. The results can be interpreted using a mean-field approach in which the exchange coupling depends linearly on the spin-spin distance. This so-called Bean-Rodbell model has been used extensively to model magnetocaloric materials with a first order phase transition. However, as we show, it can also give important insight into second order phase transitions. By fitting the full field dependence using the Bean-Rodbell model we can extract both the strength of the spin-lattice interaction and the spread in Tc due to compositional variations within the samples. The former increases as x decreases, giving rise to increasingly first-order-like behaviour. We find that all samples with 0.0375 < x < 0.0750 are second order. The same approach applied to a sample with x = 0 identifies this compound as (weakly) first order. Thus a careful determination of the field dependence of the isothermal entropy change close to the transition temperature not only allows us to determine the variation of the effective spin-lattice coupling as a function of the strontium content of La0.67Ca0.33−xSrxMnO3, but also gives information on the order of the phase transition.
 A. Smith, K.K. Nielsen and C.R.H. Bahl, Phys. Rev. B 90 (2014) 104422.
 A. Smith, K.K. Nielsen, H.N. Bez, and C.R.H. Bahl, submitted to Phys. Rev. B (2015).
10:30 AM - *EE11.2.03
Element-Resolved Thermodynamics of the Conventional Magnetocaloric System La-Fe-Si
Markus Gruner 2,Werner Keune 1,Beatrice Roldan Cuenya 3,Claudia Weis 1,Joachim Landers 1,Sergey Makar


How to Read a Manitowoc Serial Number and Model Number
Reading Time: 5 minutes Ice Machines 101
Manitowoc serial number
There are many different models and styles of Manitowoc ice machines on the market. From ice dispensers, and nugget ice makers, to air cooled ice machines, there are a lot Manitowoc ice machine options out there. The Manitowoc ice machine serial number and model number can help you identify if a machine is under warranty or specifics about the ice machine.
In this article, we'll teach you how to read a Manitowoc ice machine's serial number and model number nomenclature.
How to Read a Manitowoc Ice Machine Serial Number
Manitowoc serial numbers on post-2006 have two numbers that identify the date the machine was manufactured and warranty information the manufacturer uses to identify if there are any ice maker components under warranty.
You can find a Manitowoc serial number's location on the back of the ice machine.
Commercial Ice Machine Leasing – Revolutionized!
Manitowoc Serial Number Date Code
Manitowoc serial number date
In post-2006 models, the date the ice machine was produced is not included in the serial number. You can find the date listed above the serial number listed as "MFG DT". A Manitowoc serial number's nomenclature is easy to decipher. The four-digit code is listed as year followed by the month of production. For example, in the example above the label reads MFG DT 1809, the machine was manufactured in September 2018.
In pre-2006 models, the date is included in the serial number. This code uses the same nomenclature as newer models but places he four-digit code right before the serial number. For example, if the serial number is 160868304, the "0508" would mean the machine was manufactured in August 2005.
Manitowoc Serial Number Usage
Manitowoc serial number
The rest of a Manitowoc serial number is important because it provides the manufacturer with valuable information about existing warranties on their machines. If you're running into ice machine issues and want to see if your particular Manitowoc commercial ice machine model is under warranty, you'll likely need to provide this number to Manitowoc customer service.
Ice machine technicians may also need this number to see if any ice machine repairs are covered by the manufacturer – which saves you money in repair costs.
The number is listed on the back of the machine under the label SERIAL NO.
Information Found Inside a Manitowoc Ice Machine Model Number
Reading a Manitowoc ice machine's model is different than how you would read a Manitowoc serial number. This 8-digit alphanumeric code tells you everything about the machine, from the ice type to the type of refrigerant it uses.
A Manitowoc model number will tell you:
 - Model Version
 - Ice Type
 - Refrigerant Type
 - Production size
 - Type of Condenser
 - And more
Model numbers are different between brands. For example, a Hoshizaki model number provides much of the same information, they're just presented differently.
Model Version
Just like cars, ice machines go through changes and upgrades to stay up to date with emerging technology.
Manitowoc ice machines come out with new models every few years. Currently, the Manitowoc Indigo NXT ice machine is the most recent. Past models include the Q series. As new models come forth, look to see that letter change to reflect the newest technology.
A Manitowoc commercial ice machine model number uses the first letter to signify the newest model.
Ice Type
The ice type is the shape of ice the ice machine makes. Manitowoc has 5 different ice types in their machines, Half-dice, Dice, Regular, Flake, and Nugget.
In a Manitowoc ice machine model number, the ice type is found directly after the model version.
Here is a list of the types of ice below:
Refrigerant Type
Some Manitowoc Indigo NXT ice machines use a different type of refrigerant than others. This is to meet federal guidelines for a more energy-efficient ice maker (some refrigerant is more energy-efficient than others).
In a Manitowoc ice machine model number, the letter following the ice type signifies the type of refrigerant the machine uses.
There are two types of machines that use different types of refrigerant.
 - T = R10A refrigerant
 - F = R404A refrigerant
While many ice machine owners aren't concerned with the type of refrigerant their ice machine uses, it is important information for an ice machine technician to know.
Production Size
The Manitowoc ice machine model number will also let you know the maximum amount of ice an ice machine can produce. This is normally signified by a four-digit number, signifying the amount of ice an ice machine will produce in 24 hours. In the US, the number is in relation to pounds.
The Manitowoc ice machine production size is listed after the dash following the refrigerant type.
Type of Condenser
Manitowoc ice machines have three condenser types available on their ice makers: air-cooled, water-cooled, and remote. The type of condenser lets users know how the machine cools itself down.
Air cooled machines use the surrounding air to cool condenser coils. Water cooled ice machines use water to cool down. Remote ice machines place the condenser outside, away from the ice maker machine.
In a Manitowoc ice machine model number, the type of condenser is shown in the letter directly following the production size.
Here is a list of Manitowoc condenser types:
Looking for a Manitowoc Ice Machine? Easy Ice Has What Your Business Needs.
At Easy Ice, we have a wide selection of Manitowoc ice machines and Manitowoc ice bins to choose from. With our all-inclusive ice machine subscription program, we provide everything you need to keep your unit in top condition – no matter what type of Manitowoc ice maker you choose.
For a low, monthly cost, you get a top-of-the-line Manitowoc or Hoshizaki ice machine as part o our all-inclusive ice machine program. We guarantee performance with routine ice machine service and cleaning. If there's an issue with the ice machine, we cover the repairs, labor, and parts. We also provide your business with Breakdown Ice until the machine is repaired.
Call one of our helpful Ice Machine Experts today. They have experience sizing the best commercial ice machine for any industry!
Our team is available to help you get started today!
2 Comments on "How to Read a Manitowoc Serial Number and Model Number"
 1. I have an older Manitowoc ice making machine Model S570. Is this an air cooled or water cooled machine. I am looking to replace it and wondering what Manitowoc model is relatively similar?
 1. Hello Ron,
 Thank you so much for reaching out. The model you provided looks like the model number for the bin, which is what holds the ice. There are a few different models that can fit on that bin size, so it would be best to locate the model number of the machine itself. This is an 8-digit alphanumeric code that generally looks something similar to this: IYF-0600A. The 0600 in this case represents the production of the machine (approx. 600 lbs), and the "A" represents air-cooled machine.
 A = Manitowoc air cooled ice machines
 W = Manitowoc water cooled ice machines
 N = Manitowoc remote cooled ice machines
 Here are some Manitowoc ice maker models that you can use to reference.
Leave a Reply


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Automated Comparison of Scientific Methods for Time-Series Analysis
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Status:
Active, Closed for joining
Mentors
Salman Khan
Ben Fulcher
Joseph Lizier
About
Time series analysis methods are regularly being developed and we don't have any resources at present that compare the newly developed method with the methods that already exist to help the user determine the similarity between new and pre-existing methods. In this project, we are going to develop a web-based system that takes an analysis method as python code from a user, computes it with a diverse time-series dataset, and analyzes the relation of the newly developed method with the pre-existing one.
Aims
 -
Deliverables
 - Develop a new web-based system to compare different time series analysis methods
 - System will take python code input, compute it with a diverse time-series dataset, and analyze the relation of the newly developed method with the pre-existing one.


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Peptide solubility guidelines
Smart Bioscience peptides are delivered as lyophilized powder in 2 mL microtubes, that needs to be reconstituted. The solubilization is a critical step for a successful peptide assay. Improper peptide solubilization results in inaccurate peptide concentration, which can introduce experimental errors into data or lead to experimental failure. Finding the ideal solvent to dissolve your peptide is often a challenge. Even if the solubility of Smart Bioscience peptides is tested, the guidelines below may be helpful in preparing peptide solutions.
General solubilization procedure
- Test peptide solubility using a small amount of the product, rather than the entire sample (Consideration to take into account when defining the quantity and the number of aliquots to order. We recommend to dedicate 1 aliquot tube of 1 mg for this purpose).
- Centrifuge to spin down any powder on the tube sidewall before use (10000xg for 5 min).
- Allow peptides to warm to room temperature before reconstituting.
- Use sterile and ideally oxygen-free water or buffer (Tris or phosphate, buffer at pH 7) when preparing peptide solutions.
- Briefly Sonicate the mixture to aid peptide dissolution (3x 10sec, ice between). Chill the tube on ice between sonications. Sonication improves solubility and minimizes peptide aggregation.
- If precipitation occurs, a gentle warming of the peptide solution would be helpful (Avoid excessive warming of the sample!).
- A peptide properly solubilized will result in a transparent, particule-free solution.
|Peptides are well solubilized if the resulting solution is transparent. On the contrary, it looks cloudy|
Peptide properties calculation & associated solubility
The amino acid composition can help predict the solubility of a peptide. Therefore, before choosing a solvent and dissolving the peptide, the sequence should be studied to determine whether the peptide is acid, basic or neutral:
- Assign a value of -1 to each acidic residue (D, E, and C-terminal COOH).
- Assign a value of +1 to each basic residue (K, R and the N-terminal NH2).
- Assign a value of +1 to each H residue at pH<6 and zero at pH >6.
- Count the total number of charges of the peptide at pH 7 (D, E, K, R, C-terminal COOH, and C-terminal NH2).
- Calculate the overall net charge of the peptide.
Charges < 0: Acidic peptide;Try to dissolve it in a basic solution by adding 10% NH4OH or ammonium bicarbonate in your buffer.
Charges > 0 : Basic peptide; Try to dissolve it in an acidic solution by adding 10% acetic acid, 0.1% TFA, 0,1% formic acid in your buffer.
Neutral peptide: if the peptide contains > 25% charged residues (e.g., D, K, R, H and E), it is generally soluble in water or aqueous buffers. Below 25% charged residues, it is recommended to use organic solvents (DMSO, ACN, DMF).
Oxidation sensitive peptides
Cys, Met or Trp-containing peptides are susceptible to oxidation. Therefore, it is recommended to dissolve them in oxygen-free buffers. Moreover, DMSO should be avoided when handling oxidation-sensitive peptides. Cys-containing peptides can form unexpected disulfide bonds (intra or interchain) that can be prevented by using reducing agents, such as DTT (dithiothreitol).
Very short peptides consisting in less than five residues are usually soluble in water or aqueous buffer, except when the entire sequence consists of hydrophobic amino acids (e.g., W, L, I, F, M, V, Y). In this case, the use of organic solvents is necessary.
Highly hydrophobic peptides
Peptides containing 50% or more hydrophobic residues (W, L, I, F, M, V, Y, P, A) are generally poorly soluble in aqueous solutions. We recommend to dissolve hydrophobic peptides in 100% ogranic solvent (DMSO, DMF or acetonitrile) and subsequently dilute with water or buffer to the desired concentration. If peptides precipitate, they need to undergo a freeze-drying step before attempting another solubilization to reach a lower dilution. DMSO is the ideal organic solvent for biological applications because of its low toxicity. If DMSO interferes with your experimental system, use DMF or acetonitrile as an alternative.
Addition of denaturating agents, such as 6M urea, 6M urea with 20% acetic acid, or 6M guanidine, can help in reducing the aggregation of peptides by disrupting hydrogen bonding network. However, these compounds can interfere with most biological systems and therefore their application is rather limited.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Whether it's fresh from the orchard or baked in a pie, cherries are adored for their distinctive flavour. As well as being high in fibre they are also pack a punch nutritionally.
Did you know they contain:
Melatonin is a sought after supplement to help with a good night's sleep. Tart cherries are one of nature's few sources of melatonin.
A 2012 study found that drinking a 30ml of cherry juice concentrate morning and again at night was well absorbed and could provide an effect that could rival melatonin supplements.
2. Vitamin C
We use vitamin C in cherries to help repair tissue and produce collagen. This makes vitamin C important for maintaining healthy skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels and cartilage. Vitamin C is also needed for healing wounds.
Anthocyanins are the chemical compounds in cherries that give them their dark-red colour. As antioxidant flavonoids, anthocyanins protect your body against damage from environmental toxins and free radicals, which are produced when your body breaks down food.


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Variational Principles
 - James B. Seaborn
Abstract
Variational principles play an extremely important role in modern physics. To illustrate the idea, let us look at a simple example from optics involving the reflection and refraction of light at the boundary between two transparent media. What path does the light take in each case? For example, light is emitted from a source s, reflected from a boundary, and detected at a point F. Some possible paths along which the light might propagate to get from S to F are indicated by the dashed lines in Fig. 10.1. Which of these, if any, represents the actual path of the light? We seek an answer by invoking a variational principle known as Fermat's principle.
Keywords
Variational Principle Geometrical Optic Explicit Function Actual Path Gravitational Potential Energy
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information
© Springer-Verlag New York, Inc. 2002
Authors and Affiliations
 - James B. Seaborn
 - 1
 1. 1.Department of PhysicsUniversity of RichmondUSA
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Channa harcourtbutleri
6. July 2017
We obtained some specimens of this only very rarely offered snakehead from Burma. The species is a very close relative of Channa gachua. In fact, it has been considered to be a mere synonym of C. gachua for a very long time. But Ng, Ng & Britz could show in 1999 that C. harcourtbutleri is a valid species. However, both species look very similar. C. harcourtbutleri has a narrower head and (sadly this is mood-dependend not always visible) a dark marbled throat (uniform in C. gachua). Moreover, in juveniles of C. harcourtbutleri an ocellus in the dorsal fin – typical for juveniles of C. gachua – is missing. There are further minor differences in the pattern, but due to the extreme mood-dependend change of coloration in snakeheads these differences are of no use for identification purposes. One should also keep in mind that it is more than likely that many populations and described species currently places in C. gachua will proove to be species on their own in the future, so it is very difficult to speak of a typical pattern and coloration in C. gachua.
Channa harcourtbutleri occurs in Burma in higher elevations; here it can become pretty cool. So it is better to keep that species not the whole year through at high, tropical temperatures. Regarding the water the fish is very undemanding, but very soft and acidid water should be avoided. The common length of C. harcourtbutleri is between 8 and 15 cm, the largest specimen known so far was 18.5 cm long (all measurements given in standard length, without the caudal fin). The photographed specimens have a standard length of about 11 cm (male) and 9 cm (female) and are obviously sexual ripe.
We have no knowledge of a detailed breeding report, but it is very likely that there are no majaor differences to that of C. gachua, which is a biparental mouthbrooding species.
For our customers: the fish have code 409114 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer


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Floating point verification in HOL Light: the exponential function
user correction - Legacy Corrections
University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory; New Museums Site
Pembroke Street; Cambridge CB2 3QG
Since they often embody compact but mathematically sophisticated algorithms, operations for computing the common transcendental functions in floating point arithmetic seem good targets for formal verification using a mechanical theorem prover. We discuss some of the general issues that arise in verifications of this class, and then present a machine-checked verification of an algorithm for computing the exponential function in IEEE-754 standard binary floating point arithmetic. We confirm (indeed strengthen) the main result of a previously published error analysis, though we uncover a minor error in the hand proof and are forced to confront several subtle issues that might easily be overlooked informally. The development described here includes, apart from the proof itself, a formalization of IEEE arithmetic, a mathematical semantics for the programming language in which the algorithm is expressed, and the body of pure mathematics needed. All this is developed logically from first prin...


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Facebook Canada announced its election integrity plan to provide protection from cyberhacks and the spread of misinformation during the 2019 election.
The initiative puts the onus on citizens, politicians, staffers, parties, and candidates to be prepared for threats online. It will give key players access to a crisis email line linked to Facebook's security team in case their page is compromised.
"We know that Facebook plays an important role in facilitating public dialogue," said Kevin Chan, head of public policy for Facebook Canada. "That's why we take the threats identified by the CSE very seriously and why we're starting now to proactively address them."
The Canadian Election Integrity Initiative includes a cyber hygiene guide that outlines how hackers gain control of accounts, and outlines specific ways MPs and political parties can guard against them. The company will also launch the Facebook Cyber Hygiene Training Program open to all federal political parties.
During the 2016 US election, the social media network was used to place ads for Russian-linked groups to spur discord. This is why the platform is developing a system to prevent the dissemination of misinformation from occurring in Canada's 2019 election.
MediaSmarts, a digital news literacy campaign led by a non-profit agency in Ottawa, will be heading this initiative through a two-year partnership.
"Media literacy – including the ability to evaluate information – is essential in today's digital world," said Matthew Johnson, director of education at MediaSmarts. "More than ever we rely on online sources to be informed, engaged citizens. Knowing how to verify information effectively and share it responsibly is now not just a life skill, but a cornerstone of our democracy."
The company first announced its intention to launch an integrity initiative in September.
See the full report here.
Photo via Unsplash


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To rotate elements in a layer :
First, select the Move tool from the Tools panel.
Now select the layer you want to rotate. In this tutorial, we're rotating the square.
Holding Right click around the square, move the cursor in a circle to rotate it.
Pressing the Shift key while rotating allows you to rotate in fixed 15 degree intervals.


What Happens If You Accidentally Eat Rubber?
What happens if you eat poop?
What happens to a person when they eat poop.
Can Stomach acid dissolve teeth?
Stomach acid has a pH of 2.0. It is very acidic and will slowly dissolve your teeth as dental enamel begins to dissolve at 5.5. As your teeth begin to dissolve, you'll notice that your teeth have an increased sensitivity to cold and hot foods.
Can you digest rubber?
However, your saliva cannot digest the rubber. If you swallow the gum, it will then make it down to your stomach.
How long should you chew a piece of gum?
twenty minutesIt is best to chew soon after eating. Chewing for up to twenty minutes increases the flow of saliva, speeding up the time that it takes for saliva to cancel out the acid.
Is it healthy to cook with silicone?
Silicone bakeware is heat-resistant and safe for the oven and freezer. It doesn't change flavours or release odours that might affect food quality. It's believed to have low toxicity and thermal stability. … For now, silicone is a safer alternative to non-stick cookware treated with perfluorooctanoic acid.
Can eating plastic harm you?
How can I make my stomach acid stronger?
However, there are a few steps you can follow to help increase stomach acid levels on your own.Chew your food. A simple but overlooked tip to improve stomach acid levels and digestion is to thoroughly chew your food. … Limit processed foods. … Eat fermented vegetables. … Drink apple cider vinegar. … Eat ginger.
Can your body break down glass?
Can a glass splinter come out by itself? Small, pain-free splinters located near the skin surface can slowly work their way out with normal shedding of the skin. Also, the body might reject the glass splinter as a foreign body by forming a small pus-filled pimple.
Is heating silicone harmful?
The FDA says that silicone won't react with other materials or release hazardous compounds when heated and is safe for food contact. … The concern revolves around compounds found in silicone called siloxanes.
Does silicone leach into food?
How long should a swallowed coin stay in stomach?
"Eighty to 90 percent of the time, coins pass unobstructed," says Dr. Kettlehake. "They usually pass in less than four to five days, often within 48 hours." In these cases, you should still consult with your child's doctor or after-hours line immediately.
Does chewing gum help jawline?
How long does it take to pass a swallowed object?
Can your stomach break down gum?
Although chewing gum is designed to be chewed and not swallowed, it generally isn't harmful if swallowed. Folklore suggests that swallowed gum sits in your stomach for seven years before it can be digested. But this isn't true. If you swallow gum, it's true that your body can't digest it.
Does stomach acid dissolve plastic?
How do I know if I swallowed glass?
Is it bad to swallow blood?
How long does plastic stay in your body?
Stahlhut says that it appears that the amount of BPA in the body drops relatively rapidly from four to nine hours after exposure, but then levels out. "After the nine hours or so," he says, "it stops doing what it's supposed to and the decline goes flat."
What happens if you eat silicone rubber?
The bottom line. When used in household products such as cooking utensils, silicone is largely a safe material. However, research suggests that liquid silicone can be dangerous if it gets inside your body through ingestion, injection, absorption, or leakage from an implant.
What happens if I accidentally eat plastic?
The good news is that eating a piece of plastic won't mean you will have the same fate as the poor animals that mistake plastic for food. According to Lusher, the plastic will leave your system after a day since it's small and your body tries to get rid of anything that can't be dissolved or used effectively.
What should I do if I swallowed a small piece of glass?
Most need urgent removal. Sharp objects can become stuck and lead to a puncture in the digestive tract. Small pieces of glass generally pass without any symptoms.


Collaboration and Teamwork in Health Care
In the article you write for this assessment, be sure you do the following: Explain the concept of true collaboration in health care. Describe the benefits of effective collaboration and teamwork in health care for the following groups:o Patients.o Organizations.o Team members. Describe the characteristics and concepts required for effective interdisciplinary collaboration. Describe barriers to effective interdisciplinary collaboration. Identify evidence-based strategies to overcome barriers to effective interdisciplinary collaboration. Format this assessment according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.Example Assessment: You may use the assessment example, linked in the Assessment Example section of the Resources, to give you an idea of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like.Additional Requirements Include a title page and reference page. Ensure your assessment is 34 pages. Use double-spaced, 12-pt., Times New Roman font.
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toxology (täks-älə-jē)
Happy National Archery Day!
I've been on my school's Varsity Archery team for two years now and find the sport highly challenging, yet relaxing. Our team qualified for the State tournament this year for the first time in school history! Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, the competition was cancelled.
The Greek word for bow is toxon. The ancient Greeks often shot poison arrows at enemy troops. When Rome conquered Greece, the Romans adopted toxon into Latin. However, the meaning of the word changed – in Latin, toxon came to mean poison.
Very rarely, the Greek definition of toxon appears in English. So far, I've only encountered two words that have retained the meaning – toxophilite and toxology. You can read my post about the word toxophilite here.
Toxology is the study of archery and projectiles. The word comes from the Greek word toxon meaning bow and -logy meaning study of. Toxology is commonly confused with the word toxicology, which uses the Latin meaning and refers to the study of poisons. In fact, many familiar words in English use the Latin meaning of toxon.
Stay tuned for another tricky homonym pear pair soon!
-tara (tarə)
Hello everyone! As I study for the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee, there are certain words that naturally catch my attention. I am particularly intrigued by words that contain my name. I didn't realize that tara could be found in so many words originating from different languages.
Tarantism (tarənˌtizəm) is an uncontrollable urge to dance, and tarantella (tarənˈtelə) is an Italian folk dance. Both these words are named after Taranto, a city in Italy. A taradiddle (tarəˈdidəl) is a small fib. No one knows where this word originates from, but it was first used around 1796.
One of my favorite words is taramosalata (tärəˌmōsəˈlä-tə). This is a Greek fish spread and it originates from Greek. A tuatara (tüəˈtärə) is a large reptile commonly found in New Zealand. This word originates from Maori, a Polynesian language.
The word tarantara is an imitative word that mimics the sound of a bugle. This is actually a variation of the Latin word tantara (tanˈtarə).
Tara means star not only in Sanskrit, but also in many other Indian languages, such as Hindi and Telugu. So there you have it, a post all about my name! I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you will indulge my narcissism especially since I recently celebrated my birthday!


Smegma is a naturally occurring substance found on the genitals of both men and women. It is the result of a buildup of skin cells, oil secretions, and moisture.
If left to build up, smegma can become smelly or lead to an infection. As a result, people should regularly clean the parts of the body where smegma occurs.
In this article, we examine how to identify smegma, the best ways to remove it, and how to prevent smegma from developing.
How to get rid of smegmaShare on Pinterest
In adult men, regular cleaning of the penis may help to reduce a build up of smegma.
Smegma may appear as a cheese-like substance, which may concern some people. However, it is typically nothing to worry about unless it is not smegma but a symptom of an infection.
If a boy or man is uncircumcised, they will have a foreskin that covers the head of the penis. Sweat, oil, and skin cells can remain under the foreskin if the area is not cleaned properly.
At times, smegma may develop into white, pearl-shaped lumps under the foreskin. Unless a person experiences pain or other symptoms are present, this is also nothing to worry about.
In males, smegma most commonly develops in those who are not circumcised but can occur in all males. In females, smegma may build up between the labia and around the hood of the clitoris.
In adult men, smegma is formed of a combination of skin cells and oil produced by Tyson's glands under the foreskin. The purpose of smegma is to provide protection and lubrication to the penis.
Both male and female infants can develop an excess buildup of smegma, and it is important to speak to the child's pediatrician before cleaning.
When an infant boy develops smegma under the foreskin, parents may be tempted to pull back the foreskin and clean the head of the penis. This is not routinely recommended.
In most males, the foreskin is attached to the head of the penis from birth and starts to separate as they age. This normal separation allows for the foreskin to be pulled back and cleaned. If the foreskin is forcibly retracted, it can lead to severe pain, bleeding, skin tears, and scarring.
It is essential to talk to a pediatrician to determine if a child's foreskin is ready to be pulled back. Most boys are around the age of 5 when they can retract their foreskin on their own. Some boys are unable to retract the foreskin until they are adolescents, and this is still considered normal.
Some men and boys may experience a redness and swelling of the head of the penis. This is called balanitis. Males of any age who develop this condition should be seen by a pediatrician or doctor to make sure it is not being caused by one of the following:
 - an infection
 - thrush
 - psoriasis or other skin condition
 - irritation, such as from the use of soaps, detergents, or condoms
If the penis is not cleaned regularly, smegma can build up and may become smelly, infected, or prevent foreskin movement.
In infants and young boys:
 - Do not pull back the foreskin of an infant or young child; caregivers should speak to their pediatrician to determine an appropriate age to retract the foreskin.
 - Clean the genitals with gentle soap and water as part of their regular bath routine.
 - Do not use Q-tips, irrigation, or antiseptics to clean under an infant's foreskin.
As mentioned above, if the foreskin is retracted too soon, it can cause pain, bleeding and skin tears, so it is important that infant and young children's foreskin is not retracted too early.
Boys and men with a retractable foreskin should take the following steps when cleaning the penis to remove smegma:
 1. Gently retract the foreskin back toward the shaft of the penis.
 2. Clean the head of the penis under the foreskin with gentle soap and rinse with warm water.
 3. Dry beneath the foreskin with a soft towel.
 4. Pull the foreskin back over the head of the penis — never leave it retracted.
Remember to speak with a pediatrician or doctor if there is difficulty with pulling back the foreskin. Never force the foreskin back, as this can lead to both immediate and long-term problems.
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For females, It is recommended to use a soft towel after cleaning the vulva.
In women and girls, smegma may build up between the labia and around the hood of the clitoris. In most cases, it is nothing to worry about, and good hygiene practices should take care of the buildup.
In female infants, smegma may develop in the vulva (sex organs outside of the vaginal area), where it acts as a protective barrier. A pediatrician will be able to explain whether, how, and when to clean.
It is important to keep an infant's vulva clean, but caregivers should keep in mind that they should use only mild soap and water or a baby wipe when cleaning.
Women and girls should take the following steps when cleaning the vulva to remove smegma:
 1. Gently wash the vulva with warm water and a mild soap.
 2. Avoid scented washes, powders, and sprays.
 3. Dry with a soft towel.
With infants, it is best to speak with a pediatrician about their recommendations on hygiene practices, including management of smegma.
While smegma is normal, it can lead to problems if it is left to build up. For both men and women, practicing good genital hygiene as mentioned above is essential.
Women may also want to consider the following preventive steps:
 - wearing cotton underwear. Different types of cotton underwear are available to purchase online.
 - avoiding thongs, nylon, acetate, or other synthetic fabric types
 - avoiding wearing nylon pantyhose, leggings, or girdles that do not let the vagina breathe, leading to trapped moisture and heat
 - avoid using feminine hygiene products, such as deodorants, feminine spray, oils, and greasy substances
 - avoiding vaginal douching, as it can change the pH of the vagina and lead to bacterial overgrowth
Smegma is normal in both men and women and is due to the buildup of skin cells, oil secretions, and moisture. Practicing good genital hygiene may help prevent or reduce smegma buildup in both sexes.
While it is okay for uncircumcised men and older boys to retract their foreskin, it is not recommended for infants and younger boys. This is because the foreskin may not have separated from the head of the penis.
Forcibly pulling back the foreskin can lead to severe pain, bleeding, skin tears, and even scarring. Parents and caregivers should speak to their child's pediatrician for advice on genital hygiene.


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Circuits on Cellulose: From Transistors to LEDs, from Displays to Microfluidics on Paper Abstract
The drive to improve the performance and reduce the cost of electronic, photonic and fluidic devices is starting to focus on the use of materials that are exotic for these applications but actually readily available in other fields. In this talk the use of paper as a substrate will be reviewed for a variety of applications, including transistors, light emitting diodes, displays, microfluidics. Paper is a very attractive material for many device applications: very low cost, available in almost any size, versatile surface finishes, portable and flexible. From an environmental point of view, paper is a renewable resource and is readily disposable (incineration, biodegradable). Applications of paper-based electronics currently being considered or investigated include biochips, sensors, communication circuits, batteries, smart packaging, displays. The potential advantages of paper-based devices are in many cases very compelling. For example, lab-on-chip devices fabricated on paper for bio/medical applications frequently use the capillary properties of paper to operate without the need of external power sources, greatly simplifying the design and reducing the cost. Examples of paper-based devices will be discussed.


text:
Read the complete report and find out more HERE
"This report documents the efforts that have been made by the NRCS in the protection of water resources in Virginia. The work described in this report began in the mid-1940's with the completion of the flood protection plan for the South River in the Shenandoah-Potomac Watershed. Projects have ranged from large scale efforts, such as River Basin Studies, to flood prevention plans for individual communities to land treatment in the watershed. Over 150 studies and plans have been completed. As of 2020, there are still four ongoing projects for land treatment and flood control.
This progress report provides information on the status of various NRCS water resources programs in Virginia. It provides some basic inventory data for the state, the history of water resource development in Virginia, an inventory of completed dams, current status of active/operational projects, and maps and professional papers in the appendices. Included under these programs are watershed protection and flood prevention projects, dam rehabilitation projects, river basin studies, floodplain management studies, and emergency watershed protection projects."


text: The fleshless berry (flb) mutation of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. 'Ugni Blanc') impairs the differentiation and division of inner mesocarp cells responsible for flesh in grapevine berries. In order to study the inheritance of the mutation and to map the flb locus, 5 segregating populations were created. Progeny plants were classified as mutant or wild type by scoring for the presence of an ovary phenotype associated with the Flb- phenotype at anthesis. Phenotypic segregation revealed the involvement of a single dominant allele that was heterozygous in the original mutant. Through bulk segregant analysis, microsatellite (simple sequence repeat (SSR)) markers linked to the mutation were identified, and the flb locus was assigned to linkage group 18. The locus position was then refined by analyzing individual progeny and the segregation of SSR markers in the target region with the closest marker 5.6 cM distant from the flb locus. All progeny with the Flb- ovary phenotype differed from the original fleshless berry mutant in that no berries formed after anthesis. Our data suggest that the original mutant plant was a chimera with the mutated allele present in only 1 cell layer (L2 layer) of the ovary and berry.


Now, the Apple blocked code crashed with iOS devices when users wrote & # 39; Taiwan & # 39;
By Mikey Campbell
Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 9:57 p.m. PT (12:57 a.m. ET)
A blog post on Tuesday illustrates the sometimes unnoticed negative effects of modifying or adding code to an important operating system for the sole purpose of placating the government of a given market. Apple did exactly that when it eliminated the emoji of the Taiwan flag from circulation in China.
 Taiwan iOS
Source: Patrick Wardle
Patrick Wardle, head of research at Digita Security, discussed the problem causing certain iOS devices to crash into a long and somewhat technical post on his personal blog, Objective-See.
According to Wardle explains, iOS 11.3 and following contained an error that for some users of iPhone and iPad caused constant blockages when the word "Taiwan" was entered in the text fields of the application, both the first and the third parties.
The remote error would also trigger a blocking event when trying to display the emoji of the Taiwanese flag on certain devices. The process was repeatable in iMessage, Facebook and WhatsApp.
Apple patched the bug in iOS 11.4.1, citing an error report presented by Wardle earlier this year.
Certain aspects of the error are unclear, but Wardle reduced the negative effect to a "zero" pointer dereference. In particular, the problem arose when an operation removeEmoji led to a system instruction verifying the regional configuration of a device. A subsequent function collapsed under certain conditions related to the configuration of the Chinese region.
As observed by Emojipedia iOS hides the flag of Taiwan on devices installed in the region of China. This process includes removing emoji from the keyboard and rendered data, such as incoming text messages.
While the code worked for Chinese iPhones, it caused problems for some iOS devices established in other regions, or more accurately, a "state without regional support".
The ordeal underlines the length of time Apple and other companies go to appease the Chinese government. China and Taiwan have a long and conflicting relationship dating back to long before the Chinese Civil War. Taiwan considers itself as a sovereign state called the Republic of China, while the People's Republic of China (mainland China) considers Taiwan as part of its territory and sensitive to issues related to the identity of the island.
China (the People's Republic of China) is a vital market for Apple. Although the company publicly promotes a firm stance against government censorship and espionage, it has played well with the often criticized laws of the Chinese government.
Last year, for example, Apple caught the anti-aircraft service for taking out the NYT application from the Chinese app store, a move that was followed by the removal of certain VPN applications according to regulations Chinese
More recently, the company transferred Chinese iCloud data and cryptographic keys to local servers managed by Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry Co. Ltd., a decision criticized by privacy advocates. For its part, Apple says it advocated that iCloud is not subject to China's cyber laws, but called compliance a cost of doing business in the country.
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1. What is urban renewal? Why do cities undergo urban renewal, and what are the results? 1. Definition of urban renewal Program in which cities identify blighted inner-city neighborhood, acquire the properties from private owners, build new roads and utilities, and turn...Read More
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Honeybadger Staff for Honeybadger
Posted on • Originally published at honeybadger.io
How ActiveRecord Uses Caching To Avoid Unnecessary Trips To The Database
This article was originally written by Jonathan Miles on the Honeybadger Developer Blog.
A general way to describe caching is storing the result of some code so that we can quickly retrieve it later. In some cases, this means storing a computed value to avoid needing to recompute it later. However, we can also cache data by simply keeping it in memory, without performing any computations, to avoid having to read from a hard drive or perform a network request.
This latter form is particularly relevant for ActiveRecord, where the database often runs on a separate server. Thus, all requests incur network-traffic overhead, not to mention the load placed on the database server when the query is performed again.
Fortunately, for Rails developers, ActiveRecord itself already handles a lot of this for us, perhaps without us even being conscious of it. This is nice for productivity, but sometimes, it's important to know what is being cached behind-the-scenes. For example, when you know (or expect) a value is being changed by another process, or you absolutely must have the most up-to-date value. In cases like these, ActiveRecord provides a couple of 'escape hatches' to force an uncached read of the data.
ActiveRecord's Lazy Evaluation
ActiveRecord's lazy evaluation is not caching per se, but we will be encountering it in code examples later on, so we'll provide a brief overview. When you construct an ActiveRecord query, in many cases, the code does not issue an immediate call to the database. This is what allows us to chain multiple .where clauses without having to hit the database each time:
@posts = Post.where(published: true)
# no DB hit yet
@posts = @posts.where(publied_at: Date.today)
# still nothing
@posts.count
# SELECT COUNT(*) FROM "posts" WHERE...
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There are some exceptions to this. For example, when using .find, .find_by, .pluck, .to_a, or .first, it is impossible to chain additional clauses. In most of the examples below, I will be using .to_a as a simple way to force a DB call.
Note that if you are experimenting with this in a Rails console, you will need to turn off 'echo' mode. Otherwise, the console (either irb or pry) calls .inspect on the object once you hit 'enter', which forces a DB query.
To disable echo mode, you can use the following code:
conf.echo = false # for irb
pry_instance.config.print = proc {} # for pry
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ActiveRecord Relations
The first part of ActiveRecord's built-in caching we'll look at is relations. For example, we have a typical User-Posts relationship:
# app/models/user.rb
class User < ApplicationRecord
 has_many :posts
end
# app/models/post.rb
class Post < ApplicationRecord
 belongs_to :user
end
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This gives us the handy user.posts and post.user methods to perform a database query to find the related record(s). Let's say we're using these in a controller and view:
# app/controllers/posts_controller.rb
class PostsController < ApplicationController
 def index
 @user = User.find(params[:user_id])
 @posts = @user.posts
 end
...
# app/views/posts/index.html.erb
...
<%= render 'shared/sidebar' %>
<% @posts.each do |post| %>
 <%= render post %>
<% end %>
# app/views/shared/_sidebar.html.erb
...
<% @posts.each do |post| %>

<%= post.title %>

<% end %>
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We have a basic index action that grabs @user.posts. Similar to the previous section, the database query has not been run at this point. Rails then renders our index view, which, in turn, renders the sidebar. The sidebar calls @posts.each ..., and at this point, ActiveRecord fires off the database query to get the data.
We then return to the rest of our index template, where we have another @posts.each; however, this time, there is no database call. What's happening is that ActiveRecord is caching all these posts for us and does not bother trying to read from the database again.
Escape Hatch
There are times when we may want to force ActiveRecord to fetch the associated records again; perhaps, we know it is being changed by another process (a background job, for example). Another common situation is in automated tests where we want to get the latest value in the database to validate that the code has updated it correctly.
There are two common ways to do this, depending on the situation. I think the most common way is simply to call .reload on the association, which tells ActiveRecord that we want to ignore whatever it has cached and get the latest version from the database:
@user = User.find(1)
@user.posts # DB Call
@user.posts # Cached, no DB call
@user.posts.reload # DB call
@user.posts # Cached new version, no DB call
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Another option is to simply get a new instance of the ActiveRecord model (e.g., by calling find again):
@user = User.find(1)
@user.posts # DB Call
@user.posts # Cached, no DB call
@user = User.find(1) # @user is now a new instance of User
@user.posts # DB Call, no cache in this instance
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Caching relationships is good, but we often end up with complicated .where(...) queries beyond simple relationship lookups. This is where ActiveRecord's SQL cache comes in.
ActiveRecord's SQL Cache
ActiveRecord keeps an internal cache of queries it has performed to speed up performance. Note, however, that this cache is tied to the particular action; it is created at the start of the action and destroyed at the end of the action. This means you will only see this if you a performing the same query twice within one controller action. It also means the cache is not used in the Rails console. Cache hits are shown in the Rails log with a CACHE. For example,
class PostsController < ApplicationController
 def index
 ...
 Post.all.to_a # to_a to force DB query
 ...
 Post.all.to_a # to_a to force DB query
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produces the following log output:
 Post Load (2.1ms) SELECT "posts".* FROM "posts"
 app/controllers/posts_controller.rb:11:in 'index'
 CACHE Post Load (0.0ms) SELECT "posts".* FROM "posts"
 ↳ app/controllers/posts_controller.rb:13:in 'index'
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You can actually take a peek at what's inside the cache for an action by printing out ActiveRecord::Base.connection.query_cache (or ActiveRecord::Base.connection.query_cache.keys for just the SQL query).
Escape Hatch
There are probably not many reasons you would need to bypass the SQL Cache, but nevertheless, you can force ActiveRecord to bypass its SQL cache by using the uncached method on ActiveRecord::Base:
class PostsController < ApplicationController
 def index
 ...
 Post.all.to_a # to_a to force DB query
 ...
 ActiveRecord::Base.uncached do
 Post.all.to_a # to_a to force DB query
 end
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As it's a method on ActiveRecord::Base, you could also call it via one of your model classes if it improves readability; for example,
 Post.uncached do
 Post.all.to_a
 end
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Counter Cache
It's pretty common in web applications to want to count the records in a relationship (e.g., a user has X posts or a team account has Y users). Due to how common it is, ActiveRecord includes a way to automatically keep a counter up-to-date so that you don't have a bunch of .count calls using up database resources. It only takes a couple of steps to enable it. First, we add counter_cache to the relationship so that ActiveRecord knows to cache the count for us:
class Post < ApplicationRecord
 belongs_to :user, counter_cache: true
end
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We also need to add a new


text:
A number of Caribbean states have underscored the need for action to improve food security, including current and future proposals to provide citizens with access to abundant, safe, and nutritious food.
The Organization of American States (OAS) said on Tuesday that was the consensus emerging from the second plenary of the 42nd OAS General Assembly in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
The heads of delegation of Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada, among other countries, gave an overview of existing obstacles to food security, noting steps taken by their countries to combat malnutrition and chronic hunger, the OAS said.
It said member state representatives also pledged to seek regional solutions, through the OAS.
Haiti's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laurent Lamothe, thanked regional countries for helping his country deal with the devastating effects of the massive January 2010 earthquake.
"We are now beginning to sense a new breath of life in Haiti," he said. "The government that I am honored to lead has set itself a basic priority of fighting extreme poverty.
"It is also undoubtedly one of the major goals we have set ourselves in our country, together with the elimination of poverty and inequalities that affect our population," added Lamothe about food security.
Neil Parsan, Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the OAS, said that food security was ultimately the responsibility of each national government, and should be reflected as a priority in the budgets of each country.
He said the issue of food security, combined with the intrinsic vulnerability of our region, constitutes a "serious threat to the wellbeing of our peoples."
Parson lamented his country's high level of dependence on foreign food sources, but was optimistic about the future.
He said Trinidad and Tobago remained optimistic that, with national, hemispheric, and international action, "we can ensure that our citizens have reliable access to the food they need."
Guyana's Foreign Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, warned that food insecurity represented scary problems for humanity, and could unfold more quickly than expected.
She identified part of the problem as a gap between food production and demand "due to the nature of international food trade and price volatility."
Rodriques-Birkett said her delegation had, therefore, urged the OAS to strengthen coordination with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to promote research and development, strengthen national capacities, and promote science, technology, and innovation.
Niermala Hindori-Badrising, the Permanent Representative of Suriname to the OAS, said that the issue of food security and access to food should be a priority in national and international policies.
In this regard, she said that food security in the region depended on prices and their impact on the accessibility to food, especially for the most vulnerable groups, "which explains why our region was the most unequal in the world."
The Surinamese diplomat added that one measure to solve this problem was regional and international cooperation, "and an obvious need to invest in agricultural technology."
Hindori-Badrising urged that priority be given to public-private partnership to promote these policies, predicting that food security-related issues would continue to occupy the agenda of regional countries.
St. Kitts and Nevis' Ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin said that because of the impact of natural disasters on food production, her country needed to seek international help to manage and mitigate the risks caused by natural disasters.
Even amidst the growing uncertainty in the global food market, characterized by natural disasters, reliance on biofuels, and escalating food prices, this hemisphere has been able to feed itself, she noted.
Henry-Martin added that dialogue among the nations of the Americas should be the way to reconcile differences.
"There is no cost whatsoever but, to the contrary, it is always worth the cost of investing in peace," she said.
The Permanent Representative of Grenada to the OAS, Gillian Bristol, congratulated the government of Bolivia for choosing the theme of food security, and urged the countries of the hemisphere to implement effective policies to ensure that no one suffer from hunger any more.
Bristol urged that the region move quickly to "achieve this right," citing agribusiness as one of the five pillars of her country's economic development.
She said Grenada has developed small farms and fisheries, which, together with tourism, "have the potential to strengthen the economy of Grenada."
Bistol said that Grenada was pledging to undertake with the other OAS member states a commitment to collaborate on agricultural innovation, renewable resource management, marketing, and control of price volatility in the hemisphere.


text:
Statewide, the number of students proficient in English increased by 2.1 percentage points. In 2011, 54.4 percent of students were considered proficient in English, based on the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) results, compared with 52.3 percent proficiency in 2010.
Statewide, the percent of students proficient in math increased by 2.2 percentage points, from 48.1 proficiency in 2010 to 50.3 in 2011.
State Superintendent of Education Tom Torlakson called the scores a "very positive result."
"California's students continue to improve," he said. "A greater share
On average, students in Los Angeles County improved slightly more than the state, gaining 2.7 percentage points in each category, though the actual percentage of students proficient in English and math was a few points lower than the state.
In the San Gabriel Valley, gains fell in between the county and state, coming in at about 2.4 percentage points for both math and English.
But those gains varied considerably from district to district. On the high end were districts such as Azusa Unified and Covina Valley Unified.
According to the state database, Covina Valley posted gains of 3.1 percent in English - a full percentage point higher than the state average. In 2011, 54.6 percent of students in the district were proficient in English, compared with 51.5 in 2010. The increase in math proficiency was 6.4 percent - almost three times the state average. In 2011, 46.6 percent of students in the district were proficient in math, compared with 40.2 in 2010.
"We're thrilled with our gains," said Lynn Carmen Day, assistant superintendent of educational services for Covina Valley. "We've had growth, and we think it will be continued growth."
"It's making sure kids are getting it the first time and not having to go back," she said.
In Azusa Unified, English proficiency increased 3.5 percentage points - from 39.5 percent of students proficient in English to 43 percent - and math proficiency increased 4.7 percent - from 34.3 to 39 percent.
Vince Jantz, director of secondary curriculum and instruction for Azusa Unified, wasn't surprised by the results.
"We spent the entire year with what we call benchmark assessments. They're targeted on all core areas," he said.
But even with those increases, the district has a lot of room to improve, Jantz said. Its overall proficiency scores still lag about 11 percentage points behind the state average and are some of the lowest proficiency in the valley.
"We have grown, but we need to continue to grow," Jantz said. "While we're happy with the improvement, we're not satisfied."
El Monte High School District also registered some of the lowest 2011 proficiency scores in the valley, with 43.1 percent of students proficient in English, and 30.9 percent proficient in math.
Montebello Unified had the lowest English proficiency in the region, at 41.1 percent.
Overall, Walnut Valley and Glendora posted the highest percentage of students proficient in English in the San Gabriel Valley, with 79.4 percent and 73 percent, respectively.
Walnut Valley also posted the highest math proficiency in the region, at 76.2 percent, followed by Rosemead School District, at 70.7 percent.
While a large majority of San Gabriel Valley school districts posted gains, four districts bucked the trend and experienced small declines in one or more categories. They were Charter Oak Unified, Valle Lindo, Bassett Unified and Rowland Unified.
Maria Ott, superintendent of Rowland Unified, disputed the accuracy of the state's online database, which indicated that her district declined half a percentage point in English and 1.9 points in math.
Ott said the numbers the district received directly from the state actually show small improvements in both areas.
"When you look at what's statistically significant, we've probably had one of those years where we've been climbing, and now we've been flat this year," Ott said.
Ott said she believes the reason for that is the closure last year of three schools due to budget cuts and declining enrollment
"In some ways we feel our baseline has changed," she said.
_PHONE_, ext. 2718


text:
Jud Barry writes:
What is librarianship? Your readers might be interested in the Defining Librarianship website, which is looking for the common ground of librarianship-a source of ethical behavior-on which all librarians stand.
All librarians: whether a modified librarian whose body-pierced unconventionality need not mean a lack of professionalism, an anarchist librarian preparing to catalog the revolution, a librarian in frankly pro-censorship China, or a librarian for the equally (but differently) pro-censorship Concerned Women for America.
They can go to Defining Librarianship and help find the common ground.


text:
Aisle. An aisle is a passage on the side of the nave in a basilica-plan church. It is narrower than the nave and is usually separated from it by a row of columns connected by an architrave (beam) or arches. The purpose of aisles is to enlarge the interior of a church beyond
the nave. Thus a church may have a nave or a nave and two or four aisles, depending on the size of the community it serves. The aisle roof is lower than that of the nave. In Syria, North Africa, and Europe it formed a lean-to, but in Egypt it was usually
flat. Egyptian basilicas, like those of other Eastern countries, show traces of windows in the aisles. Western basilicas have had aisle windows since the fifth century (Günter, 1968, pp. 39-42).
Characteristic of the Egyptian basilica, except on the north coast, are the niches (see below) let into the outer walls of the aisle, often in close sequence (Deichmann, 1937, p. 34). They are probably a relic of the older mud-brick building method, and they contribute to the often enormous strength of the walls.
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text:
In our previous blog, we introduced Service Desk Data Diagnosis, our take on building solid ServiceNow ITSM business cases to make work flow at your service desk. By analyzing data structures and quality from your existing systems, hidden patterns and opportunities come to surface that you can use to improve productivity and reduce costs. After analyzing thousands of incidents across service desks, our data experts have identified three problem areas—the hidden gems—and their solutions. These can really help you mature your service desk operations.
Service desk incident prioritization is traditionally done through assigning a ticket a low, medium, or high These prioritizations are typically also linked to SLA assignment, with resolve time expectations linked to the assigned priority. The system is relatively simple and clear in its intent, but it does not meet expectations when exposed to the complexities of active service desk environments. Data analysis performed on real-world service desk data sets has shown us that the vast majority—often over 90%—of incidents are medium priority. This has two causes. First, the medium priority is used as a catch-all category, covering a way too wide spectrum of topics and situations to properly reflect the connection between priority and SLA. It does not tell you whether an incident leans more towards medium-low or medium-high. This lack of detailed information actually leads to our second cause, as this translates to the service desk agents. A vague and unintuitive prioritization system causes agents to pick a default priority, in this case medium, for the majority of incidents. Low and High priorities are only used for outliers.
Solution: Implement an impact/urgency priority matrix
In order to properly document how each incident priority relates to other incidents, service desks should move towards implementing impact/urgency matrixes. These are provided out-of-the-box by ServiceNow and work with a more granular prioritization, including clear arguments for why a ticket is assigned a certain priority. This system gives service desk agents the opportunity to provide more information relevant to prioritization without being required to make SLA decisions.
Every service desk works with incident categories and sub-categories. These categories are intended to group similar incidents in clear, understandable categories. However, especially as the number and granularity of categories increases, separation and differentiation between categories fades. How do companies find the correct balance between granularity and clarity? Data analysis has shown that companies often suffer from having many categories that are barely used, as well as having clusters of very similar categories. The inflation of categories leads to higher onboarding costs and more complex knowledge management as intuitiveness of category selection decreases.
Solution: Introduce incident clustering & category prediction
The practice of manually defining categories and subcategories based on expert opinions often leads to the problems described above. A wealth of service desk data available at your fingertips offers opportunities to standardize incident assignment across departments. This will save time and resources as well as increase data quality and service consistency. Included in Service Desk Data Diagnosis (SDD) is an incident similarity analysis. This will cluster tickets by similarity to facilitate problem identification and possible resolution. A similarity analysis also provides insights into categorization quality and is used to correctly assign incidents to categories based on similarity. These data quality improvements set your service desk up for success, as they will enjoy better ticket categorization through ServiceNow's Predictive Intelligence that predicts the assigned ticket category based on the categorization improvements from the SDD.
Free text fields for incidents allow service desk agents to provide ticket-specific information that cannot easily be captured in categorical or numerical columns. However, the freedom inherent in these text columns also causes data quality to quickly deteriorate once agents are forced to use these fields to capture structured information that is better suited for targeted text fields. This phenomenon is often found in ITSM systems that provide only a few options for customizing displayed fields to match defined workflows, leading to so-called 'phantom fields'. These phantom fields are often part of scripts defined by management to aid agents in resolving tickets in a standardized manner where the existing system fails to do so. The inclusion of phantom fields adds unwanted noise to each incident and adds complexity in resolving these incidents.
Solution: Configure your ServiceNow instance to match your processes
When providing text fields to service desk agents, making these fields as narrowly defined as possible is the key to ensure consistency and clarity. Most Service Management systems, however, feature a limited collection of available columns that are standardized across customers. ServiceNow, however, is different. Adapting a dedicated instance to your organization's Service Management processes allows the system to work for your agents, instead of your agents exerting effort to work with the system they're given. A closer match between process and system removes the need for phantom columns and increases efficiency.
Taking advantage of the opportunities provided by analyzing existing data before investing in a ServiceNow implementation will lead to significant cost savings. Plus, it will set a strong foundation for your implementation. So, don't wait any longer and let us help you uncover the hidden gems in your service desk data!
Request data analysis
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IT Service Management


What is the minimum size of an object that can be observed from Earth with our most powerful telescope?
I understand that the answer depends on how far the object is from Earth. For the sake of discussions let us consider distances less the orbit of Neptune.
 - 3
 $\begingroup$ About 10 cm in diameter at Low Earth Orbit. Capability for anything less is classified. $\endgroup$ – Deer Hunter Dec 19 '14 at 12:38
 - $\begingroup$ wow! 10cm object from LEO? Amazing $\endgroup$ – Sathish Dec 19 '14 at 13:02
 - $\begingroup$ Do meteorite dust specks count? If the distance is less than Neptune, would it include objects actually on Earth? $\endgroup$ – user21 Dec 19 '14 at 17:10
 - $\begingroup$ Sathish is asking how small an object, at the distance of Neptune, can be resolved by a telescope on the earth's surface. Does anyone know what scope holds the current record for angular resolution? That and simple geometry would answer this question. $\endgroup$ – Wayfaring Stranger Dec 19 '14 at 19:01
 - $\begingroup$ As Wayfaring Stranger says, the telescope with the lowest angular resolution can lead to the answer $\endgroup$ – Sathish Jan 2 '15 at 6:20
The smallest natural object that I know of that has been detected from an Earth-bound telescope is 2011 CQ1, a one-meter asteroid observed while specifically looking for NEOs.
As DeerHunter mentions in a comment, smaller artificial objects are identified and tracked, mostly by NORAD and some other national defence centers.
Your Answer