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In this paper an analysis of a technical support data with the goal of identifying process improvement actions for reducing interrupts is presented. A technical support chat is established and used to provide internal developer support to other development teams, which use the software code developed by a core team. The paper shows how data analysis of a 6-month support time helped to identify gaps and action items for improving the technical support process to minimize interrupts from other developer teams. We show that developers are interrupted through the investigated technical support chat multiple times a day and the interruptions come during the peak working hours. We also show that these interruptions can be prevented with the introduction of multiple tools such as a dispatcher service policy, a dispatcher role, and an FAQ page among others. The paper also shows effects advantages and drawbacks of the technical support refactor actions taken on the basis of this analysis.

Plateletpheresis donors will lose up to 100 mL of blood at each donation, leading to concern that they may become iron deficient, particularly if donating at the maximum allowed frequency under National Blood Service policy of every 2 weeks. The serum ferritin levels of 508 regular plateletpheresis donors and 101 non-donors were measured to indicate the level of their iron stores. About 33.9% (156/460) of platelet donors had depleted iron stores compared with 3.1% (3/97) non-donors. Results for male and post-menopausal female donors were similar with 36.2% (131/362) of males and 37.7% (20/53) of post-menopausal females showing iron depletion. There was clear correlation with donation frequency in males with 63.9% (46/72) of males donating at 2 weekly intervals found to be iron depleted. The percentage of iron depleted male subjects decreased as donation intervals increased. Correlation with lifetime donations of platelets was not demonstrated, although no donor who had given fewer than 14 blood and/or platelet donations was found to be iron depleted. In males there was a clear correlation between iron depletion and frequency of donation. There appeared to be no correlation with lifetime number of platelet donations. As a result of this study, we have advised that volunteers should not donate platelets more than 15 times per year, so that red cell loss is no more than the equivalent of three whole blood donations (1500 mL).

Questions persist regarding whether the science of conservation biology can successfully affect environmental decision making. One of the most prominent fields of intersection between conservation science and environmental policy is public-lands debates in the United States. I reviewed the role of conservation science in the roadless-area policies of the U.S. Forest Service. Since 1971, the Forest Service has systematically evaluated roadless areas on national forests three times, most recently during the Clinton administration's Roadless Area Conservation Review (1998–2000) (U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service 2000b). Drawing on the agency's environmental impact statements and supporting documents and the internal records of conservation organizations, I examined the changing goals, methodology, and outcome of roadless-area advocacy and policy. Since the 1970s, conservation science has successfully informed public and administrative concern for roadless-area protection. Conservation science has transformed public discourse regarding roadless areas and has changed the scope and rationale of national conservation organizations' goals for roadless-area policy from protecting some to protecting all remaining national forest roadless areas. The Forest Service has increasingly drawn on the lessons of conservation biology to justify its methodology and its administrative recommendations to protect roadless areas. The 2000 Roadless Area Conservation Review resulted in a recommendation to protect all remaining national forest roadless areas, up from 22% of roadless areas in the first roadless review. Despite the scientific merits of recent roadless-area advocacy and policy, however, such initiatives have faced political difficulties. The emphasis on large-scale, top-down, national approaches to conservation policy has rendered such policies politically problematic. Resumen: Aun persisten preguntas sobre si la ciencia de la biologia de la conservacion puede afectar exitosamente a la toma de decisiones ambientales. Uno de las campos mas prominentes de la interseccion entre la ciencia de la conservacion y las politicas publicas son los debates sobre terrenos publicos en Estados Unidos. Revise el papel de la ciencia de la conservacion en las politicas para areas sin caminos del Servicio Forestal de E. U. A. Desde 1971, el Servicio Forestal sistematicamente ha evaluado las areas sin caminos en parques nacionales en tres ocasiones, la mas reciente fue la revision de la conservacion en areas sin caminos (1998–2000) (U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service 2000b) durante la administracion Clinton. A partir de los manifiestos de impacto ambiental de la agencia y documentos de apoyo y archivos internos de organizaciones de conservacion, examine los cambios en metas, la metodologia y los resultados de la defensa y politicas para areas sin caminos. Desde la decada de 1970, la ciencia de la conservacion ha informado exitosamente sobre la preocupacion publica y administrativa por la proteccion de areas sin caminos. La ciencia de la conservacion ha transformado el discurso publico en relacion con las areas sin caminos y ha cambiado el alcance y razonamiento de las metas de las organizaciones nacionales de conservacion de proteger algunas a proteger todas las areas sin caminos que permanecen en los bosques nacionales. El Servicio Forestal ha retomado las lecciones de la biologia de la conservacion para justificar su metodologia y sus recomendaciones administrativas para proteger areas sin caminos. La revision de la conservacion de las areas sin caminos de 2000 resulto en una recomendacion para proteger todas las areas sin caminos, la primera revision recomendo la proteccion de 22%. Sin embargo, a pesar de los recientes meritos cientificos de la defensa y politicas para las areas sin caminos, dichas iniciativas han enfrentado dificultades politicas. El enfasis en enfoques nacionales de gran escala, y de arriba-abajo, para las politicas de conservacion se ha traducido en que tales politicas sean politicamente problematicas.