Toward a comprehensive software based DSM system

Software based Distributed Shared Memory (DSM) systems have been the focus of considerable research effort, primarily in improving performance and consistency protocols. Unfortunately, computer clusters present a number of challenges for any DSM systems that are not solvable through consistency protocols alone. These challenges relate to the ability of DSM systems to adjust to load fluctuations, computers being added/removed from the cluster, to deal with faults, and the ability to use DSM objects larger than the available physical memory. We present here a proposal for the Synergy Distributed Shared Memory System and its integration with the virtual memory, group communication and process migration services of the Genesis Cluster Operating System.

A comprehensive approach to obesity prevention

Part 1 Obesity 
Part 2 Biology of obesity
Part 3 Obesity and disease 
Part 4 Childhood obesity 
Part 5 Adult obesity 
Part 6 Management 
Part 7 Environmental and policy approaches
29 Obesity in Asian populations 431
30 Environmental and policy approaches: alternative methods 443
31 A comprehensive approach to obesity prevention 456

The development of the comprehensive child maltreatment scale

In this paper, data are presented from four studies that describe and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Comprehensive Child Maltreatment Scale (CCMS). This is a new measure that assesses five separate types of maltreatment experienced during childhood (sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, neglect and witnessing family violence) and the existence of multi-type maltreatment. This scale is the only paper-and-pencil research scale available that assesses all five types of child maltreatment separately. In Studies 1 and 2, the CCMS for Adults was used to assess retrospective reports of adults' own childhood experiences (N=313). The parallel version of the CCMS for Parents was used in Studies 3 and 4 to assess parent reports of the experiences of children from 5 to 12 years of age (N=100). Adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency were found for each of the scales of the CCMS for Adults and the CCMS for Parents. As well as performing an exploratory factor analysis, a criterion validity check on the CCMS for Adults revealed high correlations with appropriate subscales from the Child Abuse Trauma Scale. These preliminary data on the CCMS for Adults and Parents show that they are psychometrically sound and useful research tools in the study of multiple forms of child abuse and neglect. The CCMS for Adults and the CCMS for Parents allow for a simple yet comprehensive assessment of multi-type maltreatment.

Why primary health care offers a more comprehensive approach to tackling health inequities than primary care.

As governments attempt to focus more intently on how to deal with alarming measures of health disadvantage and inequities, a reformist gaze seems to have settled on the primary care sector. Simultaneously, in literature about this area, whether intended or not, primary health care and primary care are terms that are increasingly interchanged. This article argues that the slippage in language is counter-productive, first because it disguises the transformative potential of strategies and approaches that can make the fundamental changes necessary to improve health status, and second because the structures and practices of the primary care sector are not necessarily compatible with notions of comprehensive primary health care. There is much to be lost if primary health care and health promotion are disguised as primary care, and not understood for their capacity to make a difference to health inequities although of course in some circumstances, comprehensive primary health care is interdependent with services provided by primary care. In this article, characteristics of primary care and primary health care are juxtaposed to show that if the strengths and limitations of each model are understood, they can be mobilised in collaborative partnerships to deal more effectively with health inequities, than our system has so far been able to do.

Freshwater reserves in Australia : directions and challenges for the development of a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of protected areas

The establishment of a system of protected areas that samples all ecosystems, including freshwater environments, in a comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) manner is regarded as a cornerstone for the conservation of biodiversity. There have been few quantitative assessments of the comprehensiveness, adequacy and representativeness of freshwater reserves in Australia. This paper reviews and quantifies the effect of classification of freshwater ecosystems for conservation planning, the importance of reservation status and protection measures for developing a CAR reserve system, and aspects of reserve design for freshwater ecosystems. We propose a strategic and iterative process that incorporates these measures to assist in the efficient and effective development of freshwater reserve systems worldwide. However, the provision of suitable water regimes for freshwater reserves presents further ecological and political challenges, and even adequate reservation of freshwater ecosystems may not conserve constituent biodiversity without effective management.

A comprehensive formal ranking of the popularity of financial ratios in multivariate modeling of corporate collapse

This paper provides a fonnal ranking of the popularity of financial ratios in modeling corporate collapse. The analysis identified 48 financial ratios and ranked them according to their usefulness as portrayed in 53 studies that have utilized such ratios in modeling corporate collapse. The methodologies adopted in those studies are predominantly of the "multivariate" type. The 53 studies extend from 1966 to 2002, inclusive.

The long and winding road : the development of a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of highly protected marine protected areas in Victoria, Australia

In 2002, the state of Victoria, Australia increased its “no-take” marine protected areas (MPAs) 100 fold to cover over 5% of its coastal waters in a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of marine national parks and sanctuaries. Given the ambitious targets set for MPA establishment globally in 2003 at the World Summit for Sustainable Development this apparently remarkable achievement could be an example to other nations and states attempting to establish substantial MPA systems.

This paper describes and discusses the factors that contributed to the establishment of the Victorian system and the relevance of these factors to other jurisdictions.

Synergy : a comprehensive software distributed shared memory system

Considerable research and development has been invested in software Distributed Shared Memory (DSM). The primary focus of this work has traditionally been on high performance and consistency protocols. Unfortunately, clusters present a number of challenges for any DSM systems not solvable through consistency protocols alone. These challenges relate to the ability of DSM systems to adjust to load fluctuations, computers being added/removed from the cluster, to deal with faults, and the ability to use DSM objects larger than the available physical memory. This paper introduces the Synergy DSM System and its integration with the virtual memory, group communication and process migration services of the Genesis Cluster Operating System.

Promoting comprehensive sun protection policies and practices in outdoor sports: a qualitative study of perceived priorities and practicalities

Sun protection policies, environments, practices, and attitudes in sporting club contexts might be significant determinants of sun exposure among adult sporting participants. Face-to-face interviews, using standardised, open-ended questions were conducted with 20 club officials from four sports: soccer, hockey, tennis and surf lifesaving. Thematic content analysis identified a number of salient themes. Formal sun protection policies were well-implemented in surf lifesaving, but less so in soccer, hockey and tennis clubs, which often had informal sun protection practices in place. Officials perceived sun protection to be important, which was related to perceived exposure levels, the type of sport, length of time played and the season. Consistent logistical and practical considerations emerged, including limited resources, availability of shade, and lack of control over sporting facilities, uniform regulations and games scheduling. Sun protection efforts often focused on children more than adult players. Reciprocal responsibility was an important theme, where it was perceived that responsibility for sun protection should be equally shared between the club and the member. In this study it was found that reciprocal responsibility, duty of care and sport-specific practical requirements might significantly influence the success of policy, environmental and education initiatives for sun protection in sporting settings.

Validation of comprehensive assessment of activities of daily living in stroke survivors

This study determined whether the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) could be used together as a more comprehensive score to assess the activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke survivors. Subjects were recruited from stroke patients consecutively admitted to the inpatient neurology or rehabilitation department at a university hospital in southern Taiwan. We interviewed 209 first stroke survivors at least 1 year after stroke onset during their clinical visits, at home, or in long-term care institutions. Combinations of FIM and FAI as a comprehensive assessment of ADL were measured. All items of the FIM and the FAI were included in a non-parametric factor analysis to determine their underlying constructs. Two comprehensive functional independence scores were then computed as functions of the FIM and FAI scores. The distributional characteristics of the comprehensive scores were examined. Approximately 90% of the total variation was explained by three factors. One single factor comprised all the items from FIM, while the FAI items loaded on two other factors, suggesting that FIM supplements FAI without overlap in content. We further demonstrated that the presence of ceiling or floor effects when either the FIM or the FAI was used could be removed using combined scores of the two instruments. The FIM and the FAI assessed different domains with good construct validity. A comprehensive assessment of functional independence obtained by combining the FIM and the FAI scores is potentially more appropriate and useful for clinical and research applications in stroke patients.

Issues arising from the implementation of a comprehensive assessment approach in a large, multi-modal Bachelor of Commerce Unit

Recent literature in higher education argues university assessment has been too narrow and hasn’t adequately reflected the quality, breadth and depth of students’ learning. Research shows students often prioritise and learn what they need to know for formal, graded assessment and disregard other academic content seen as less relevant to those requirements. The predominance of essays and examinations has therefore tended to constrain learning. The case for a more comprehensive approach has been clearly articulated. So what happens when staff take up the unique challenge of designing fair and uniform assessment for a large, core, multi-modal, multi-campus unit offered nationally and internationally?
When developing an undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce unit at Deakin University, staff considered the most appropriate ways to assess a range of conceptual understandings and communication skills. This resulted in the mapping and adoption of a comprehensive approach incorporating teacher, peer, and self-assessment aspects, individual and group work, oral and written presentations, and the use of portfolios and journals. Particular practices were adopted to control workloads, ensure fairness in marking, and overcome some problems generally associated with group work. When implementing the approach, practical issues arose that demanded adjustments. This paper details the approach taken, outlines research activities, and discusses the practical implications of issues that arose.

Comprehensive look at the re-examination of the re-valuation effect of auditor switch and its determinants in Malaysia : a post crises analysis from Bursa Malaysia

This study examines economic rational for auditor switch and its impact on share revaluation of 51 switched firms main board of Bursa Malaysia for the post crisis period (1997-2002). This study adopted both logistic regression model and event study methodology to examine the determinants of auditor switches and its impact to share price. Findings show that the auditor switch decision of Malaysian listed finns for post crisis period has been partly explained by audit report, turnover growth and firm's performance. While, findings suggest no significant evidence of wealth effect from auditor switch announcements once switches were divided along the line of auditor switch type, different findings emerged.

Obesity policy action framework and analysis grids for a comprehensive policy approach to reducing obesity

A comprehensive policy approach is needed to control the growing obesity epidemic. This paper proposes the Obesity Policy Action (OPA) framework, modified from the World Health Organization framework for the implementation of the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, to provide specific guidance for governments to systematically identify areas for obesity policy action. The proposed framework incorporates three different public health approaches to addressing obesity: (i) 'upstream' policies influence either the broad social and economic conditions of society (e.g. taxation, education, social security) or the food and physical activity environments to make healthy eating and physical activity choices easier; (ii) 'midstream' policies are aimed at directly influencing population behaviours; and (iii) 'downstream' policies support health services and clinical interventions. A set of grids for analysing potential policies to support obesity prevention and management is presented. The general pattern that emerges from populating the analysis grids as they relate to the Australian context is that all sectors and levels of government, non-governmental organizations and private businesses have multiple opportunities to contribute to reducing obesity. The proposed framework and analysis grids provide a comprehensive approach to mapping the policy environment related to obesity, and a tool for identifying policy gaps, barriers and opportunities.