Abstract: A device having extended reality capabilities receives a video feed including one or more video frames depicting an object. The device provides the one or more video frames to a first machine learning model that identifies the object and one or more parts of the object that are depicted in the one or more video frames, and obtains positional tracking information that represents a position and an orientation associated with the object depicted in the one or more video frames relative to a coordinate space. The device identifies a plurality of parts from the one or more parts of the object that are depicted in the one or more video frames and determines, using one or more second machine learning models, information regarding the plurality of parts and information regarding one or more replacement parts.

Abstract: The techniques herein include using an input context to determine a suggested action. One or more explanations may also be determined and returned along with the suggested action. The one or more explanations may include (i) one or more most similar cases to the suggested case (e.g., the case associated with the suggested action) and, optionally, a conviction score for each nearby cases; (ii) action probabilities, (iii) excluding cases and distances, (iv) archetype and/or counterfactual cases for the suggested action; (v) feature residuals; (vi) regional model complexity; (vii) fractional dimensionality; (viii) prediction conviction; (ix) feature prediction contribution; and/or other measures such as the ones discussed herein, including certainty. In some embodiments, the explanation data may be used to determine whether to perform a suggested action.

Abstract: During operation of a system, a financial transaction of an individual is associated with one or more predefined categories based on scores that indicate the likelihood of association. For example, a given predefined category may include a merchant name (such as the name of a potential counterparty in the financial transaction) and/or an attribute associated with one or more merchants. The score for a given predefined category may be determined based on a number of occurrences of the given predefined category in financial-transaction histories of a subset of a group of individuals who have common spending patterns in their financial-transaction histories. Moreover, the spending pattern may be based on values of financial transactions in the financial-transaction histories.

Abstract: Several computerized tools, methodologies and data structures, according to embodiments of the present invention, are disclosed for collecting data for UX research and development directed to a product, process, and system and for developing personas and scenarios from the data for designing and for measuring the effectiveness of the product, process, and/or systems for use by the personas or real people. The tools, methodologies and data structures may be used individually or in sets.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for facilitating monitoring in a clinical trial. The method includes acts of receiving data from at least one information technology system configured to process clinical trial data, and assigning a site prioritization to each of a plurality of sites for at least one clinical trial associated with the at least one information technology system. Assigning a site prioritization is based, at least in part, on the received data. The method further includes an act of outputting an indication of the site prioritization.

Abstract: Providing an objective measure of trust in data provided by an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device and/or a plurality of IIoT devices at a particular location so as to provide an aggregated objective measure of trust in data provided by the particular location.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method for designing a three-dimensional trajectory of an unmanned aerial vehicle based on a wireless power transfer network. The method comprises the following steps: establishing a downlink channel model of the wireless power transfer network; establishing a mathematical model based on maximizing energy harvested by a user, comprising three-dimensional position deployment of an unmanned aerial vehicle, allocation of a charging time, and generation of an energy beam pattern; jointly optimizing on design and analysis of low-complexity iterative algorithms for three-dimensional position deployment of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the charging time and an energy beam; and using branch and bound method to design a three-dimensional flight trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for processing queries against an external data source utilizing dynamically allocated partitions operating on one or more worker nodes. The external data source can include data that has not been processed by the system. To query the external data source, a query coordinator can generate a subquery for the external data source based on determined functionality of the data source. The subquery can identify data in the external data source for processing and a manner for processing the data. In addition, the query coordinator can dynamically allocate partitions operating on worker nodes to retrieve and intake results of the subquery. In some cases, number of partitions allocated can be based on a number of partitions supported by the external data source.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying emphasized text are described. A line of text having multiple words is displayed successively emphasized at the pace of human speech. Each of the words is displayed in a first state. The emphasized word is then displayed in a second state as having an outline. Next, the emphasized word is displayed in a third state as heavier-weighted text. Finally, the emphasized word is displayed in a fourth state as regular text. The words are visually emphasized one at a time such that a first word is displayed in the third state when a second word is displayed in the second state and the first word is displayed from the third state to the fourth state when the second word is displayed from the second state to the third state and a third word is displayed in the second state.

Abstract: Approaches for determining scheduling assignments for the movement of people along a multi-segment path from a starting location to a destination location, are used to manage crowds, predict crowd behavior, and mitigate crowd turbulence. For example, to mitigate crowd congestion, routing solutions specifying an amount of time to spend at a destination and a departure time can be provided. Itinerary assignments, crowd data, and data associated with an event can be analyzed and weighted to determine scheduling assignments. Scheduling assignments can be validated against current crowd data and event data. Current crowd data and event data and crowd simulation can be used to predict future crowd behavior or crowd problems. Scheduling assignments can be rescheduled to mitigate crowd problems or emergencies.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for determining that an item should be provided for presentation to a user based on an item concept relatedness score. For example, a computer system may partition a plurality of items into a plurality of item concepts, whereby each item is assigned to one and only one item concept. The computer system may receive a list of co-selected items, whereby each item of the list is assigned to an item concept. Based at least in part on this list, the system may determine an item concept relatedness score between a first item concept and a second item concept of the plurality of item concepts. The computer system may then receive a selection of a first item assigned to a first item concept. Based at least in part on the item concept relatedness score, the system may provide the second item for presentation to a user.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed. The method includes calculating hidden demand for one or more time slots, the one or more time slots defining a time duration during which a performance of a service offered by a promotion and marketing system can be performed. The method further includes determining a booking limit for each time slot of the one or more time slots based on the calculated hidden demand for the time slot and a determined capacity for the time slot, determining that one or more of the time slots comprise available time slots based on a comparison of the booking limits for the one or more time slots to a number of bookings for each of the time slots, and displaying the one or more available time slots in conjunction with the particular promotion A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: Customer data volume of a database and estimated transaction throughput requirements for a multi-tiered transaction system are received at a server sizing computing device. The customer data volume is compared to the estimated transaction throughput requirements. Based upon the comparison of the customer data volume to the estimated transaction throughput requirements, a customer data volume edge case for which server hardware is improperly sized by transaction-based hardware sizing is detected. Using the customer data volume, a quantity of operational memory of a server sufficient to store the customer data volume generated under the detected customer data volume edge case during real-time transactional processing by the server is calculated.

Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to clinical trial management, and more particularly to method of performing a data driven cognitive clinical trial feasibility analysis. In one embodiment, the method comprising (a) receiving, a plurality of protocol requirements to initiate a clinical trial site feasibility; (b) identifying, a plurality of meta-data for at least one protocol requirement from the plurality of protocol requirements; (c) obtaining, an exhaustive list of historic clinical trial site data for the identified meta-data from a site data repository; (d) obtaining, an exhaustive list of third party clinical trial site data for identified meta-data from a third party data repository; and (e) assessing, the exhaustive list of clinical trial site data and the exhaustive list of third party clinical trial site data to obtain a list of identified clinical trial site feasibility.

Abstract: A vehicle sales matching system may include a vehicle sales lead data database, a vehicle sales information database, and a sales matching system embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and communicatively connected to the vehicle sales lead data database and the vehicle sales information database. The vehicle sales lead data may include validated customer data and third-party customer data. The vehicle sales information may include sales data from vehicle dealers, data extract services, and sales data sources. The sales matching system may be configured for applying one or more matching rules for matching a vehicle sales lead from the vehicle sales lead database to a vehicle sale from the vehicle sales information database.

Abstract: A system and method for enhanced workflow over email assisted by a plurality of plugins associable to a plurality of email clients is described herein. A first plugin is associable with a first email client. The first plugin is configured to write to a custom command wherein the custom command includes a machine readable message with one or more authorized actions within an email exchanged between the first email client and a second email client. A second plugin is associable with the second email client. The second plugin is configured to read from the custom command and execute the one or more authorized actions related to the second email client.

Abstract: A system and method in accordance with example embodiments for comprehensive sales and service data reporting. Sales and service events that take place at a front end branch of an enterprise may be input into a front end system and transmitted to a backend system where various modules then use the front end system data to generate various data and reports to display various data, such as, for example, sales incentive metrics and key performance indicators.

Abstract: A message broker of a publish-subscribe messaging system (e.g., using the MQTT protocol or other publish-subscribe protocol) detects a life-cycle event for topic subscription and notifies a publisher of the life-cycle event. The message broker may detect a transition in a number of subscribers to a topic from zero subscribers to one or more subscribers or from one or more subscribers to zero subscribers. In response, the message broker provides an indication to the publisher that the number of subscribers to the topic has transitioned from zero to one or more (or from one or more to zero). This causes the publisher to begin publishing messages on the publisher's topic (or to stop publishing messages on the publisher's topic).

Abstract: Techniques, systems, and products for analyzing sparse indicators and sensor data and generating communications are disclosed. The sensors may be associated with or incorporated into devices that may automatically relay sensor data for use in analyses and communication generation.

Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to determine a vehicle-specific parameter including a vehicle-specific modifier for modifying a vehicle-state reporting trigger. The processor is further configured to detect an occurrence of the vehicle-state reporting trigger that has been modified based on the vehicle-specific parameter, such that the reporting trigger triggers a report based on a different vehicle-state than an unmodified predefined version of the reporting trigger. Also, the processor is configured to report the occurrence to an occupant, responsive to the detection.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for providing sentiment analysis of content. In order to determine the overall sentiment of content, a request is received by a sentiment analyzer, which then identifies a content identification number and retrieves comments associated with the content identification number. The sentiment analyzer pre-processes the comments, which includes removing all personal identifying information from the comments. The sentiment analyzer sends the pre-processed comments to a natural language processing service, and in turn, receives sentiment indications corresponding to the comments provided. Based on the sentiment scores, the sentiment analyzer generates a sentiment analysis and displays the sentiment analysis in the graphical user interface generated by the sentiment analyzer.

Abstract: A business forecasting tool utilizing metadata is provided. A processor receives one or more sets of business metrics. A processor receives a first metadata descriptor for a first set of business metrics of the one or more sets of business metrics. A processor receives a second metadata descriptor for a second set of business metrics of the one or more sets of business metrics. A processor prepares the first set of business metrics for prediction of a third set of business metrics based on, at least in part, the first metadata descriptor, where the first set and third set each correspond to a different time period. A processor generates a fourth set of business metrics based on, at least in part, the second metadata descriptor, where the second set and fourth set each correspond to a different time period.

Abstract: A method for reducing response time in a speech interface including constructing a partially completed word sequence from a partially received utterance from a speaker received by an audio sensor, modeling a remainder portion using a processor based on a rich predictive model to predict the remainder portion, and responding to the partially completed word sequence and the predicted remainder portion using a natural language vocalization generator with a vocalization, wherein the vocalization is prepared before a complete utterance is received from the speaker and conveyed to the speaker by an audio transducer.

Abstract: Data processing systems and methods, according to various embodiments, are adapted for mapping various questions regarding a data breach from a master questionnaire to a plurality of territory-specific data breach disclosure questionnaires. The answers to the questions in the master questionnaire are used to populate the territory-specific data breach disclosure questionnaires and determine whether disclosure is required in territory. The system can automatically notify the appropriate regulatory bodies for each territory where it is determined that data breach disclosure is required.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to provide client extensibility during provisioning of virtual computing resources are disclosed. An example event broker apparatus includes a subscription manager to manage subscriptions to event topics associated with provisioning of a virtual computing resource. The example apparatus includes a meta-topic subscriber to identify a subscription request by a service for an event topic and to trigger, in response to the subscription request, a meta-topic subscription to indicate a) a subscriber to the event topic and b) a type of the subscriber, the type to include at least a blocking subscriber. The example apparatus includes a topic monitor to monitor for an event corresponding to the event topic to determine whether to trigger a blocking subscriber workflow when the meta-topic subscription indicates that the type of the subscriber is a blocking subscriber or bypass the blocking subscriber workflow when the type of the subscriber is not a blocking subscriber.

Abstract: Technologies are disclosed for determining a best time to send a text message to a party over a plurality of contact periods of time to achieve having the party respond to the message with a desired outcome and/or result. Various embodiments of the invention involve determining, for each period of time, an amount of time the party is expected to take to respond to the text message, a cost of sending the message, and a probability of the party responding with the desired outcome and/or result as a result of sending the message during the period of time. A contact attempt value is determined for each period of time based on these variables along with a desirability of sending the message to the party during the period of time. Accordingly, the best time to send the message is identified as the period of time having the highest contact attempt value.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing knowledge panels with search results. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining search results that are responsive to a received query. A factual entity referenced by the query is identified. Content is identified for display in a knowledge panel for the factual entity. The content includes at least one content item obtained from a first resource and at least one second content item obtained from a second resource different than the first resource. Data is provided that causes the identified search results and the knowledge panel to be presented on a search results page. The knowledge panel presents the identified content in a knowledge panel area that is along side at least a portion of the search results.

Abstract: Systems for dynamically transforming data are provided. Database data may be received and ingested into a system. Ingesting the data may include executing one or more first data governance functions, such as data quality evaluation functions, data controls, and the like. The ingested data may then be output for further processing as first processed data and first data governance information may be captured and stored. The first processed data may be processed to execute one or more data transformations. Data transformations may include calculations, formatting, derivations, and the like. In some arrangements, second data governance functions may be executed on the transformed data. The transformed data may then be output as second processed data. The system may capture second data governance information as the data is transformed. The second processed data may then be published to one or more downstream databases for use in one or more applications executed by an entity.

Abstract: Data processing systems and methods, according to various embodiments, are adapted for performing a process of procuring a vendor and sub-processes associated therewith, such as performing vendor risk assessments and providing training specific to the procurement of that particular vendor. Training requirements for the user procuring the vendor and/or for the vendor itself are determined and any deficiencies in current, valid training requirements are identified. Training to address any identified deficiencies is provided as part of the vendor procurement process. Training may be customized based on trainee and/or organization attributes to improve the effectiveness of such training.

Abstract: The system instantly provisions high demand items to a consumer. The system may be capable of identifying an item for a consumer based on information about the consumer and a demand associated with the item. The system may also be capable of reserving a reservation for the item. The system may further be capable of provisioning the item to the consumer based on a demand associated with the item. In this regard, the item may be instantly available to the consumer. The system may also be capable of adjusting an item inventory in the item inventory database. The system may further provide available appointments to consumers for selection in real-time.

Abstract: Technologies for offloading data object replication and service function chain management include a switch communicatively coupled to one or more computing nodes capable of executing virtual machines and storing data objects. The switch is configured to determine metadata of a service function chain, transmit a network packet to a service function of the service function chain being executed by one or more of the computing nodes for processing the network packet. The switch is further configured to receive feedback from service function, update the metadata based on the feedback, and transmit the network packet to a next service function of the service function chain. Additionally or alternatively, the switch is configured to identify a plurality of computing nodes (i.e., storage nodes) at which to store a received data object, replicate the data object based on the number of storage nodes, and transmit each of the received data object and replicated data object(s) to different corresponding storage nodes.

Abstract: A host device is configured to monitor host device operating parameters relating to its interaction with a storage system over a plurality of intervals, and for each of the intervals, to aggregate threshold-based assessments of respective ones of the monitored host device operating parameters and to classify the intervals based at least in part on the aggregated threshold-based assessments. The host device is further configured to identify a particular future interval for use as a change interval for changing one or more characteristics of an operating environment of the host device based at least in part on the classified intervals. Aggregating the threshold-based assessments and classifying based on the aggregated assessments for a given interval illustratively comprises computing a bit value for the given interval as a function of the aggregated assessments, and updating a bitmap to include the computed bit value in an entry corresponding to the given interval.

Abstract: Socially provided context-based messaging can include receiving a message content in a messaging system from a user, wherein the content includes objects; matching one or more objects of the message content to socially provided context information, which the socially provided context information is information relevant to an object obtained from a social network to which the user belongs; and displaying the socially provided context information with the message content for a recipient user to receive.

Abstract: A production plan creation computer, in a production plan creation process before starting production, creates or enters multiple production jobs required for producing the multiple types of component-mounted boards that are planned to be produced, and predicts or enters a production job that may become a jump-the-queue job to be produced unscheduled while one of the multiple production jobs is being produced. Next, the jump-the-queue job and the production jobs are grouped into multiple setup groups, with the jump-the-queue job being included in all the setup groups. Here, the jobs are grouped in each setup group such that it is possible to switch between the production jobs and the jump-the-queue job without performing changeover. The priorities of the jump-the-queue job and the production jobs are determined, and the feeder arrangement is optimized for each setup group based on the priorities of the jump-the-queue job and the production jobs.

Abstract: A server and a controlling method therefor are provided. The server includes a communicator, a memory, and a processor configured to receive first log information related to a first material generated in a first facility among facilities, the first facility belonging to a first process for manufacturing a product through the communicator, generate an identifier (ID) regarding the first material, generate tracking information on the first material based on the first log information, assign the ID to the tracking information, receive pieces of second log information generated in a second facility among the facilities, the second facility belonging to a second process following the first process through the communicator, identify second log information corresponding to the first material among the pieces of second log information based on the first log information included in the tracking information, and update the tracking information based on the identified second log information.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for managing sales information associated with a prospect. The method includes receiving data, at a processor, associated with the prospect; storing the received prospect data in a memory; analyzing, at the processor, the prospect data; generating, at the processor, a sales plan based at least on the analyzed data by generating at least one guideline; transmitting the at least one guideline to a sales member; receiving, at the processor, feedback data associated with the at least one guideline; and analyzing, at the processor, the received feedback data to update the sales plan based at least on the analyzed feedback data.

Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of determining an accuracy score for existing product information using a first set of rules that compares the existing product information for the product with product information of other internal or external sources, determining if the accuracy score exceeds a predetermined accuracy threshold, automatically replacing incorrect product information in the existing product information with correct product information from the other sources if the accuracy score does not exceed the predetermined accuracy threshold, coordinating displaying of the existing product information with the correct product information replacing the incorrect product information on a webpage for the product on a website of the online retailer.

Abstract: An odorant mixture is disclosed. The odorant mixture comprises N odorant components wherein N equals at least 20. Each odorant component is characterized by a multidimensional vector of attributes. A z score of an average of characteristic distances between vectors corresponding to odorant components in the mixture and vectors corresponding to odorant components in a group of M odorant components but not in the mixture is less than 2.

Abstract: A device may receive network policies of a network, and network performance data identifying KPIs of the network, and may generate an embedded space of reconstructed data that is embedded in an original space that includes the KPIs. The device may calculate reconstruction errors based on differences between the reconstructed data and the network performance data, and may calculate a convex hull of the original space. The device may calculate a convex hull of the embedded space, and may determine reward metrics based on the reconstruction errors, the convex hull of the original space, and the convex hull of the embedded space. The device may define performance baselines associated with portions, and may generate a new reward for a portion based on a particular reconstruction error, a particular convex hull of the embedded space, and a particular performance baseline. The device may perform actions based on the new reward.

Abstract: In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods and devices for assisting with task completion are provided. A plurality of items may be added to an electronic shopping list, wherein the plurality of items is arranged in a first order in the electronic shopping list. A store that each of the plurality of items is available for purchase at may be identified. An indication that a computing device associated with the electronic shopping list is within a threshold distance of an entrance of the store may be received. A location of each of the plurality of items in the store may be identified. The plurality of items may be arranged in a second order in the electronic shopping list based on the location of each of the plurality of items in the store relative to the entrance of the store.

Abstract: A system and method performs automated domain concept discovery and clustering using word embeddings by receiving a set of documents for natural language processing for a domain, representing a plurality of entries in the set of documents as continuous vectors in a high dimensional continuous space, applying a clustering algorithm based on a mutual information optimization criterion to form a set of clusters, associating each entry of the plurality of entries with each cluster in the set of clusters through formalizing an evidence based model of each cluster given each entry, calculating a mutual information metric between each entry and each cluster using the evidence based model, and identifying a nominal center of each cluster by maximizing the mutual information.

Abstract: Embodiments for component lifecycle optimization in a disaggregated computing environment. A monitoring and machine learning process is performed to learn a respective lifecycle of different resource types as the different resource types are assigned to respective workloads. The monitoring and machine learning process is used to develop a set of learned failure patterns for determining a mitigation action to perform as new faults are encountered within each of the different resource types while executing the respective workloads. The mitigation action is performed to optimize a remaining lifecycle of respective ones of the different resource types according to the set of learned failure patterns.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for optimizing data element usage according to user-defined objectives, comprising receiving a plurality of user-defined objectives associated with a group of data elements; receiving one or more constraints associated with the group of data elements, wherein at least one of the constraints comprises resources apportionable to each data element in the group of data elements; apportioning at least a portion of the resources to each data element in the group of data elements in a manner that meets the one or more constraints; receiving metrics associated with the performance of the group of data elements in meeting the plurality of user-defined objectives; determining an effectiveness of each data element in the group of data elements for meeting the plurality of user-defined objectives; and automatically revising the at least a portion of resources associated with each data element in the group of data elements.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable medium for predicting arrival time of components based on historical receipt data. A method includes receiving historical receipt data corresponding to features. The method further includes performing feature analysis to generate additional features for the historical receipt data. The method further includes selecting a first set of features including at least one of the additional features. The method further includes predicting, based on the first set of features, an arrival time for one or more components of a manufacturing facility. The method further includes causing, based on the predicted arrival time, modification of a schedule in a file associated with the one or more components of the manufacturing facility.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically creating and assigning assembly labor activities (ALAs) to a bill of materials (BOM) with a cloud SaaS service. ALA templates are automatically selected and populated for the BOM including labor activities, and other construction related activities, required to build a desired physical structure (e.g., building, etc.) and used to automatically create the ALAs associated with a particular BIM or set of BOM Items. A Critical Path Method (CPM)—Work Time Schedule (WTS) is automatically created. The CPM-WTS along with BOM information is used to automatically create a cost estimate report for building the desired physical structure created.

Abstract: Providing user status in a computer network includes storing associations of interaction indications to different interaction events, storing values for the interaction indications, and maintaining accounts for users performing the different interaction events. Interaction indications are received via the computer network from terminals associated with the accounts. Each interaction indication identifies a target account. Values of a set of interaction indications are combined using a limiting function that accumulates the values of the set into an accumulated value and progressively limits the accumulated value as the interaction indications in the set increase. An indication of the accumulated value is outputted as a status of the particular target account.

Abstract: Segment generation describing usage patterns is described. In one or more implementations, user interaction with a browser is monitored to navigate through a plurality of web pages using a computing device. Data is extracted from web documents associated with the plurality of web pages automatically and without user intervention by one or more modules of the computing device, the data usable to describe a usage pattern involving the navigation through the plurality of web pages. A segment is generated which describes the usage pattern automatically and with user intervention, the segment configured to identify the usage pattern to target content.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a method including identifying all computing nodes and connections associated with the computing nodes in a data center. For each computing node, running processes are identified using natural language processing (NLP) by: extracting known process entities according to predetermined rules; extracting unknown process entities by: grouping process logs that share process entities and identifying hints in parameters and directory paths; receiving annotations to the hints to identify an application a process is running; and creating a new rule based on the annotations and propagating the new rule to other process logs. A visual representation of the computing nodes and the processes running on the computing nodes is generated.

Abstract: Examples described herein include systems and methods for providing network insights on a graphical user interface (“GUI”). The GUI can visualize network errors to help administrative or information technology users more quickly identify issues with an enterprise application. The enterprise application can report network request information to a server. Then the GUI can present visual overlays that compare error metrics between different time cycles of the application. The visual overlay can graphically display these errors on top of one another for immediate relative visualization. Additionally, a grouped list of host destinations can be simultaneously provided. The destination addresses can be abbreviated, and errors grouped accordingly in a manner that provides advantageous error visualization.

Abstract: An application and system are capable of taking file formatted data and using that data as an onboarding process to go live with a system to system business document exchange process. Using certain applications and systems, suppliers can automatically validate their data files using a certification tool and can request production of their various products. Certain systems can be operated without human intervention and can accommodate users in a variety of time zones. Certain systems may accommodate parallel validation by a human technician.