Load sharing in cluster service provision

The factors that are driving the development and use of grids and grid computing, such as size, dynamic features, distribution and heterogeneity, are also pushing to the forefront service quality issues. These include performance, reliability and security. Although grid middleware can address some of these issues on a wider scale, it has also become imperative to ensure adequate service provision at local level. Load sharing in clusters can contribute to the provision of a high quality service, by exploiting both static and dynamic information. This paper is concerned with the presentation of a load sharing scheme, that can satisfy grid computing requirements. It follows a proactive, non preemptive and distributed approach. Load information is gathered continuously before it is needed, and a task is allocated to the most appropriate node for execution. Performance and reliability are enhanced by the decentralised nature of the scheme and the symmetric roles of the nodes. In addition, the scheme exhibits transparency characteristics that facilitate integration with the grid.

Psychological bonds and their impact on behavioral loyalty in auditor-client relationships

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the psychological bond on behavioral loyalty (word-of-mouth, continuance and non-audit services) to audit firms providing services to companies listed on the Polish Stock Exchange. Design/methodology/approach – A model is proposed and tested using structural equation modeling with LISREL. Data were collected from top executives of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Findings – The psychological bond has a positive effect on word-of-mouth, continuance and non-audit services. Research limitations/implications – The current research is limited to the investigation of the psychological bond as an antecedent of behavioral loyalty in Poland. Future research should identify and assess other antecedents and replicate these across different countries. A longitudinal survey across different points in time might reveal more useful information about auditor-client relationships. Practical implications – Auditors need to consider ways in which they can develop the psychological bond with their clients. This bond is the basis for the client believing the audit firm is superior to others, which has been found to lead to behavioral loyalty in this study. In particular, management of the auditor brand and reputation, personal experience of the audit firm and alumni relations are discussed as ways of enhancing the psychological bond among client executives. Originality/value – This study is the first to examine the impact of the psychological bond on behavioral loyalty in auditor-client relationships.

Finance for water and sanitation as a public service

Drawing on empirical evidence gathered through the PSIRU database, this contribution aims at addressing the potential of public finance to enhance the provision of water supply and sanitation as a public service. It highlights the problems associated with (and the disappointing results obtained from) resort to Private Sector Participation and private finance, both historically and in the last 15-20 years, in developed and developing countries. It also addresses the advantages of using public finance as a more cost-effective and equitable instrument to achieve developmental objectives such as the expansion of service coverage and development of water and sanitation infrastructure. The potential of public operations in maximising developmental impact from the social, economic and environmental points of view is then explored referring to specific examples from a variety of countries and regions. These include the in-house restructuring of public operations to enhance transparency, accountability and effectiveness, as well as the use of Public-Public Partnerships (PUPs) to build capacity. Attention is devoted to the specific financial requirements of expanding sewerage services at global level to achieve MDGs or broader developmental goals. These requirements are revisited in light of a regional breakdown of coverage gaps, available resources and development aid flows. These findings challenge the established view among international and bilateral agencies that expanding sewerage services in developing countries is excessively costly and should be abandoned as a priority because unaffordable. This contribution draws on a number of PSIRU Reports, and particularly the following. - http://www.psiru.org/reports/2008-03-W-sewers.pdf - http://boell-latinoamerica.org/download_es/agua08_privatizacion_LA_2007.pdf - http://boell-latinoamerica.org/download_es/agua08_agua_un_servicio_publico.pdf - http://www.psiru.org/reports/2006-03-W-investment.pdf All PSIRU Reports are accessible at http://www.psiru.org/publicationsindex.asp.

Ethnic variations in the experiences of mental health service users in England: results of a national patient survey programme

Background: Minority ethnic groups in the UK are reported to have a poor experience of mental health services, but comparative information is scarce. Aims: To examine ethnic differences in patients’ experience of community mental health services. Method: Trusts providing mental health services in England conducted surveys in 2004 and 2005 of users of community mental health services. Multiple regression was used to examine ethnic differences in responses. Results: About 27 000 patients responded to each of the surveys, of whom 10% were of minority ethnic origin. In the 2004 survey, age, living alone, the 2004 survey, age, living alone, detention and hospital admissions were stronger predictors of patient experience than ethnicity. Self-reported mental health status had the strongest explanatory effect. In the 2005 survey, the main negative differences relative to the White British were for Asians. Conclusions: Ethnicity had a smaller effect on patient experience than other variables. Relative to the White British, the Black group did not report negative experiences whereas the Asian group were most likely to respond negatively. However, there is a need for improvements in services for minority ethnic groups, including access to talking therapies and better recording of ethnicity.

An evaluation of a community matron service from the patients’ perspective

Community matrons are a relatively new government initiative aimed at case managing people with long-term conditions to reduce the number of emergency bed days used in hospitals. Although there have been extensive evaluations of similar case management projects, to date there has been little evaluation of the community matron's role and the perceptions patients have of this new service. One of the main Government agendas for care is to deliver a high quality service driven by the needs of the service users (DH, 2000). In order to drive this agenda, care is to deliver a high quality service driven by the needs of the service users (DH, 2000). In order to drive this agenda, it is important that the views and perceptions of people on the receiving end of the services are heard, valued and appropriate actions taken. This two part evaluative report sets out to explore how people with long-term conditions perceive the impact of community matrons and the differences this new service may have had on their lives. Questionnaires were sent to 100 patients who were currently being case-managed by a community matron to evaluate the community matron service from the patients' perspective. Part two reports on patients' perceptions of the community matron role and the influences of the role on their health.

A life cycle model for product-service systems design

Western manufacturing companies are developing innovative ways of delivering value that competes with the low cost paradigm. One such strategy is to deliver not only products, but systems that are closely aligned with the customer value proposition. These systems are comprised of integrated products and services, and are referred to as Product-Service Systems (PSS). A key challenge in PSS is supporting the design activity. In one sense, PSS design is a further extension of concurrent engineering that requires front-end input from the additional downstream sources of product service and maintenance. However, simply developing products and service packages is not sufficient: the new design challenge is the integrated system. This paper describes the development of a PSS data structure that can support this integrated design activity. The data structure is implemented in a knowledge base using the Protégé knowledge base editor.

Key service issues in two UK manufacturing companies from a PSS perspective

This paper illustrates the key service issues within two UK manufacturing companies,which belong to two different industrial domains, and highlights the main points of difference. It draws also on the literature of Product-Service Systems regarding their definition, types, benefits and difficulties in their implementation

University education as a public service

There is no tradition of public service in large parts of English higher education. This is because historically HE in England has seen itself as independent of the state and unaccountable to the public for its twin roles of research and teaching. These serve its own interests conceived as advancing knowledge and ensuring the continued transmission of that knowledge to future generations. The dominance of this conception explains the so-called ‘academic community’s’ Gaderene rush to abandon free HE in England. Resistance to preserve and extend public service HE will therefore predictably come mainly from former-local authority further and higher education institutions.

Realizing an Applied Gaming Ecosystem: Towards Supporting Service-based Innovation Knowledge Management and Transfer

The EU-based industry for non-leisure games is an emerging business. As such it is still fragmented and needs to achieve critical mass to compete globally. Nevertheless its growth potential is widely recognized. To become competitive the relevant applied gaming communities and SMEs require support by fostering the generation of innovation potential. The European project Realizing an Applied Gaming Ecosystem (RAGE) is aiming at supporting this challenge. RAGE will help by making available an interoperable set of advanced technology assets, tuned to applied gaming, as well as proven practices of using asset-based applied games in various real-world contexts, and finally a centralized access to a wide range of applied gaming software modules, services and related document, media, and educational resources within an online community portal called the RAGE Ecosystem. It is based on an integrational, user-centered approach of Knowledge Management and Innovation Processes in the shape of a service-based implementation.

Putting meaning into NETMAR – the open service network for marine environmental data

The open service network for marine environmental data (NETMAR) project uses semantic web technologies in its pilot system which aims to allow users to search, download and integrate satellite, in situ and model data from open ocean and coastal areas. The semantic web is an extension of the fundamental ideas of the World Wide Web, building a web of data through annotation of metadata and data with hyperlinked resources. Within the framework of the NETMAR project, an interconnected semantic web resource was developed to aid in data and web service discovery and to validate Open Geospatial Consortium Web Processing Service orchestration. A second semantic resource was developed to support interoperability of coastal web atlases across jurisdictional boundaries. This paper outlines the approach taken to producing the resource registry used within the NETMAR project and demonstrates the use of these semantic resources to support user interactions with systems. Such interconnected semantic resources allow the increased ability to share and disseminate data through the facilitation of interoperability between data providers. The formal representation of geospatial knowledge to advance geospatial interoperability is a growing research area. Tools and methods such as those outlined in this paper have the potential to support these efforts.

Operational monitoring and forecasting of bathing water quality through exploiting satellite Earth observation and models: The AlgaRisk demonstration service

Coastal zones and shelf-seas are important for tourism, commercial fishing and aquaculture. As a result the importance of good water quality within these regions to support life is recognised worldwide and a number of international directives for monitoring them now exist. This paper describes the AlgaRisk water quality monitoring demonstration service that was developed and operated for the UK Environment Agency in response to the microbiological monitoring needs within the revised European Union Bathing Waters Directive. The AlgaRisk approach used satellite Earth observation to provide a near-real time monitoring of microbiological water quality and a series of nested operational models (atmospheric and hydrodynamic-ecosystem) provided a forecast capability. For the period of the demonstration service (2008–2013) all monitoring and forecast datasets were processed in near-real time on a daily basis and disseminated through a dedicated web portal, with extracted data automatically emailed to agency staff. Near-real time data processing was achieved using a series of supercomputers and an Open Grid approach. The novel web portal and java-based viewer enabled users to visualise and interrogate current and historical data. The system description, the algorithms employed and example results focussing on a case study of an incidence of the harmful algal bloom Karenia mikimotoi are presented. Recommendations and the potential exploitation of web services for future water quality monitoring services are discussed.