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Centralized System (centralized + system)
Selected AbstractsA decentralized and fault-tolerant Desktop Grid system for distributed applications,CONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 3 2010Heithem Abbes Abstract This paper proposes a decentralized and fault-tolerant software system for the purpose of managing Desktop Grid resources. Its main design principle is to eliminate the need for a centralized server, therefore to remove the single point of failure and bottleneck of existing Desktop Grids. Instead, each node can play alternatively the role of client or server. Our main contribution is to design the PastryGrid protocol (based on Pastry) for Desktop Grid in order to support a wider class of applications, especially the distributed application with precedence between tasks. Compared with a centralized system, we evaluate our approach over 205 machines executing 2500 tasks. The results we obtain show that our decentralized system outperforms XtremWeb-CH which is configured as a master/slave, with respect to the turnaround time. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] HARMONIZING REGULATIONS FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE US AND VENEZUELAN SYSTEMSDEVELOPING WORLD BIOETHICS, Issue 3 2008DANNIE DI TILLIO-GONZALEZ ABSTRACT This article aims to compare the national legal systems that regulate biomedical research in an industrialized country (United States) and a developing country (Venezuela). A new international order is emerging in which Europe, Japan and the United States (US) are revising common guidelines and harmonizing standards. In this article, we analyze , as an example , the US system. This system is controlled by a federal agency structured to regulate research funded by the federal government uniformly, either in the US or abroad. In contrast, in Venezuela, a developing country, the creation of a centralized system is a slow process. Different types of ethical committees review research projects using non-uniform criteria. Consequently, various parallel organizations that conduct biomedical research, such as universities, research institutes and private hospitals have diverse regulations operating at a local level. Thus, the most relevant difference between the Venezuelan and the US systems is the degree of standardization. In the US, the review process is performed by institutional review boards (IRBs), which have a similar organization and maintain relationships with a centralized agency, following standard regulations. Although new proposals for establishing national regulations are currently being considered in Venezuela, the success of these initiatives will depend on promoting governmental efforts to create a more structured centralized system supported by a national regulatory framework. This system will need governmental financial support at all levels. This article proposes an integrated system to regulate research with human participants in Venezuela and other developing countries. [source] Institutional Review Boards and Multisite Studies in Health Services Research: Is There a Better Way?HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 1 2005Jennifer L. Gold Objective. The following paper examines the issue of whether the current system for ethics review of multisite health services research protocols is adequate, or whether there exist alternative methods that should be considered. Principal Findings. (1) Investigators at different sites in a multisite project often have very different experiences with respect to the requirements and requests of the review board. Other problems include the waste of time and resources spent on document preparation for review boards, and delays in the commencement of research activities. (2) There are several possible reasons why there is variability in ethics review. These include the absence of standardized forms, differences in the background and experiences of board members, the influence of institutional or professional culture, and regional thinking. (3) Given the limited benefits derived from the variability in recommendations of multiple boards and the numerous problems encountered in seeking ethics approval from multiple boards suggest that some sort of reform is in order. Conclusions. The increasing number of multisite, health services research studies calls for a centralized system of ethics review. The local review model is simply not conducive to multisite studies, and jeopardizes the integrity of the research process. Centralized multisite review boards, together with standardized documents and procedure, electronic access to documentation, and training for board members are all possible solutions. Changes to the current system are necessary not only to facilitate the conduct of multisite research, but also to preserve the integrity of the ethics approval process in general. [source] Decentralization and health care in the former Yugoslav Republic of MacedoniaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2006Sonia Menon Abstract Since its independence in 1991, the Republic of Macedonia became a highly centralized state, with most relevant decisions taken at the central level in Skopje, resembling the highly centralized system, which once characterized Former Yugoslavia. As agreed in the Framework Agreement, which ended six months of internal conflict, the Macedonian Government will decentralize public services delivery, including social protection, health, education, and infrastructure over the course of the next few years. Within health care, it is argued that by placing policy-making authority and operating control closer to the client, decentralization will reduce some of the inequities in service provision and inefficiencies present within the current centrally controlled system. In principle, local voters will have more information on the price and quality of services, thereby increasing competition in the sector and strengthening the private sector. The emphasis on market incentives resulting in greater efficiency and better management of health care institutions is viewed as one of the benefits of privatization. Critics of decentralization and the subsequent privatization of public services fear it may result in an erosion of quality and consistency across regions, leaving some regions, cities, villages and potentially vulnerable groups worse off than others. The paper argues that if the institutional weaknesses in Macedonia have not been addressed, decentralisation could result in further excluding the rural population from health care provision. Similarly, the need for a clear delineation of responsibilities and functions among different levels and institutions is outlined. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] "Shaking Out the Mat": Schism and Organizational Transformation at a Mexican Ark of the VirginJOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 2 2003Miguel C. Leatham The apocalyptic Marian colony of Nueva Jerusalén, Mexico suffered a violent schism in 1982, marking a turning point in the history of the sect. The rift resulted in a major organizational transformation and helped to establish the centralized system of authority now observable in the colony. This article examines the ideological and structural factors that promoted the schism. A succession crisis, caused by the death of a Marian apparition seer, precipitated schismatic activity as dissidents struggled to block the charismatic leader's attempts to revise the sect's authority structure and identity. At the same time, the prophet escalated tensions by reframing the conflict as a commitment test. Wallis's theory of structural opportunity for schism is used to show how the conflict grew out of long-standing interest groups and ambiguous authority arrangements in the colony. [source] Life-Cycle Assessment of Biosolids Processing OptionsJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Gregory M. Peters Summary Biosolids, also known as sewage sludge, are reusable organic materials separated from sewage during treatment. They can be managed in a variety of ways. Different options for biosolids handling in Sydney, Australia, are compared in this study using life-cycle assessment. Two key comparisons are made: of system scenarios (scenario 1 is local dewatering and lime amendment; scenario 2 is a centralized drying system) and of technologies (thermal drying versus lime amendment). The environmental issues addressed are energy consumption, global warming potential (GWP), and human toxicity potential (HTP). Scenario 2 would consume 24% more energy than scenario 1. This is due to the additional electricity for pumping and particularly the petrochemical methane that supplements biogas in the drier. A centralized system using the same technologies as scenario 1 has approximately the same impacts. The GWP and HTP of the different scenarios do not differ significantly. The assessment of technology choices shows significant differences. The ample supply of endogenous biogas at North Head sewage treatment plant for the drying option allows reductions, relative to the lime-amendment option, of 68% in energy consumption, 45% in GWP, and 23% in HTP. Technology choices have more significant influence on the environmental profile of biosolids processing than does the choice of system configurations. Controlling variables for environmental improvement are the selection of biogas fuel, avoidance of coalsourced electrical energy, minimization of trucking distances, and raising the solids content of biosolids products. [source] Interregional Disparities in Productivity and the Choice of Fiscal RegimeJOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMIC THEORY, Issue 3 2009KIMIKO TERAI Two districts with divergent productivity levels engage in policy-making on the provision of local public goods that enhance future income and hence create a dynamic linkage across periods. The policy choices of district representatives are derived under alternative fiscal systems, and the relative merits of the systems are evaluated. It is predicted that a decentralized system is more likely to be selected in a more equal society. On the other hand, when a great deal of benefit spills over from a local public good, or when policy makers are expected to care solely about the immediate effects of their decisions on their districts, a centralized system is more likely to be selected. [source] Unconditional Intergovernmental Transfers to Finance Decentralization in AlbaniaPUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE, Issue 2 2007LARRY SCHROEDER The Government of Albania embarked on a comprehensive program to decentralize decision-making powers with the passage of the Law on Organization and Functioning of Local Governments in 2000. A centerpiece of the policies undertaken to implement that legislation was an unconditional transfer program which, using a formula-based allocation mechanism, transferred substantial financial resources to the local communes and municipalities beginning in 2002. This paper describes that system and its evolution. It illustrates how the transfer was designed to take into account the transition from a centralized system to a decentralized arrangement for provision of local public services and how the formula has undergone some "fine-tuning" while retaining its simplicity. Analysis of the outcomes reveals how it has achieved its mandated objective of equalizing resources across local governments; however, it does so while running the risk of substantially discouraging local governments from mobilizing resources of their own. [source] Novel mobile telemedicine system for real-time transmission of out-of-hospital ECG data for ST-elevation myocardial infarction,CATHETERIZATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS, Issue 6 2009Yoritaka Otsuka MD Abstract The guidelines recommend routine use of 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and advance notification to the emergency department for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, transmission of out-of-hospital 12-lead ECG to emergency department is still not widely practiced and ECG interpretation before arrival at the emergency department is not established. We have developed a novel mobile telemedicine system to transmit real-time 12-lead ECG data between moving ambulances and in-hospital physicians in cardiovascular emergency cases. When used, this system immediately identifies patients with STEMI and it is coupled to a centralized system to alert the cardiac catheterization teams to prepare for prompt intervention. This report presents the first case with STEMI who was successfully treated using this novel mobile telemedicine system. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Using semantic links to support top- K join queries in peer-to-peer networksCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 15 2007Jie Liu Abstract An important issue raised in peer-to-peer (P2P) applications is how to accurately and efficiently retrieve a set of K best matching data objects from different sources while minimizing the number of objects that have to be accessed. The proposed solution is to organize peers by a semantic link network representing the semantic relationships between peers' data schemas. Queries are only routed to semantically relevant peers. A pruning-based local top- K ranking approach is proposed to reduce the transmitted data by pruning tuples that cannot produce the desired join results with a rank value at least equal to the lowest rank value generated. Experiments evaluate its performance in terms of the number of transmitted tuples and the miss rate. Comparison with the traditional threshold algorithm for centralized systems and other top- K ranking algorithms for P2P networks shows the features of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||