Service-Oriented Ad Hoc Grid Computing

Subject of this thesis are the design and implementation of an ad hoc Grid infrastructure. The vision of an ad hoc Grid further evolves conventional service-oriented Grid systems into a more robust, more flexible and more usable environment that is still standards compliant and interoperable with other Grid systems. A lot of work in current Grid middleware systems is focused on providing transparent access to high performance computing (HPC) resources (e.g. clusters) in virtual organizations spanning multiple institutions. The ad hoc Grid vision presented in this thesis exceeds this view in combining classical Grid components with more flexible components and usage models, allowing to form an environment combining dedicated HPC-resources with a large number of personal computers forming a "Desktop Grid". Three examples from medical research, media research and mechanical engineering are presented as application scenarios for a service-oriented ad hoc Grid infrastructure. These sample applications are also used to derive requirements for the runtime environment as well as development tools for such an ad hoc Grid environment. These requirements form the basis for the design and implementation of the Marburg ad hoc Grid Environment (MAGE) and the Grid Development Tools for Eclipse (GDT). MAGE is an implementation of a WSRF-compliant Grid middleware, that satisfies the criteria for an ad hoc Grid middleware presented in the introduction to this thesis. GDT extends the popular Eclipse integrated development environment by components that support application development both for traditional service-oriented Grid middleware systems as well as ad hoc Grid infrastructures such as MAGE. These development tools represent the first fully model driven approach to Grid service development integrated with infrastructure management components in service-oriented Grid computing. This thesis is concluded by a quantitative discussion of the performance overhead imposed by the presented extensions to a service-oriented Grid middleware as well as a discussion of the qualitative improvements gained by the overall solution. The conclusion of this thesis also gives an outlook on future developments and areas for further research. One of these qualitative improvements is "hot deployment" the ability to install and remove Grid services in a running node without interrupt to other active services on the same node. Hot deployment has been introduced as a novelty in service-oriented Grid systems as a result of the research conducted for this thesis. It extends service-oriented Grid computing with a new paradigm, making installation of individual application components a functional aspect of the application. This thesis further explores the idea of using peer-to-peer (P2P networking for Grid computing by combining a general purpose P2P framework with a standard compliant Grid middleware. In previous work the application of P2P systems has been limited to replica location and use of P2P index structures for discovery purposes. The work presented in this thesis also uses P2P networking to realize seamless communication accross network barriers. Even though the web service standards have been designed for the internet, the two-way communication requirement introduced by the WSRF-standards and particularly the notification pattern is not well supported by the web service standards. This defficiency can be answered by mechanisms that are part of such general purpose P2P communication frameworks. Existing security infrastructures for Grid systems focus on protection of data during transmission and access control to individual resources or the overall Grid environment. This thesis focuses on security issues within a single node of a dynamically changing service-oriented Grid environment. To counter the security threads arising from the new capabilities of an ad hoc Grid, a number of novel isolation solutions are presented. These solutions address security issues and isolation on a fine-grained level providing a range of applicable basic mechanisms for isolation, ranging from lightweight system call interposition to complete para-virtualization of the operating systems

Initial '80s Development of Inflated Antennas

State of the art technology was considered in the definition and documentation of a membrane surface suitable for use in a space reflector system for long durations in orbit. Requirements for a metal foil-plastic laminate structural element were determined and a laboratory model of a rigidized element to test for strength characteristics was constructed. Characteristics of antennas ranging from 10 meters to 1000 meters were determined. The basic antenna configuration studied consists of (1) a thin film reflector, (2) a thin film cone, (3) a self-rigidizing structural torus at the interface of the cone and reflector; and (4) an inflation system. The reflector is metallized and, when inflated, has a parabolic shape. The cone not only completes the enclosure of the inflatant, but also holds the antenna feed at its apex. The torus keeps the inflated cone-reflector from collapsing inward. Laser test equipment determined the accuracy of the inflated paraboloids

Asset-Liability Management bei Komposit- und Lebensversicherern : Besinnung auf die Grundlagen

In jüngster Vergangenheit hat die Versicherungswirtschaft einen grundlegenden Wandel durchlaufen. Deregulierung, Globalisierung sowie Substitutionskonkurrenz führten zu einem verschärften Wettbewerb um Marktanteile bei sinkenden Gewinnmargen. Aufgrund dieser neuen Wettbewerbsdynamik und den volatiler gewordenen Kapitalmärkten ist es nicht mehr ausreichend, die Risiken der Aktiv- und Passivseite weitgehend getrennt voneinander zu beurteilen und zu kontrollieren. Als zentrale Aufgabe ergibt sich somit, Aktiva und Passiva kombiniert zu betrachten, zielgerichtet zu steuern und dahingehend zu optimieren, dass aktuelle sowie zukünftige Verpflichtungen jederzeit gedeckt sind. So kann die finanzielle Stabilität der Gesellschaft gewährleistet werden. Dieser Prozess wird mit Asset-Liability-Management (ALM) bezeichnet und wird insbesondere in der Versicherungsbranche seit einiger Zeit intensiv diskutiert. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird eine Struktur in den bisherigen Stand gebracht und damit auf das generelle Potential dieser Forschungsrichtung hingewiesen.In recent years the insurance industry has been subject to a deeply structural change. The deregulation of markets in Europe and the globalization of insurance markets let to an intense competition with shrinking gross revenue and benefits. This change led to changes in the management of assets and liabilities of insurance companies. This new era of risk management considers both sides of the balance sheet as a whole and tries to optimize them. Asset-Liability-Management has been intensely discussed in the insurance industry. This paper focuses on reviewing the status quo of already existing research in this area in order to give hints on the potential of future work in this field

Nurse‐Physician Relationships in Ambulatory Oncology Settings

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore nurses’ perceptions of nurse‐physician relationships in ambulatory oncology settings, which are linked to patient safety. Design: This cross‐sectional, descriptive study analyzed survey data collected in 2010 from oncology nurses employed in ambulatory settings. The sampling frame was the nurse licensure database in one state in the Southeastern United States. Nurses completed the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES‐NWI), reported on the quality of care in their setting, and commented on factors that promoted or inhibited high‐quality care delivery. Methods: Data analysis used three study variables: empirically derived values from the PES‐NWI, a scale of nurse‐reported quality of care in their setting, and open‐text comments about features in their workplace that promoted or hindered high‐quality care. After categorizing open‐text comments, analysis of variance was used to evaluate differences in PES‐NWI subscales by comment category. Chi‐square test statistics were calculated to examine differences in overall practice environment and quality of care by comment category. Results: Nurses reported their relationships with physicians as generally favorable. Qualitative findings suggest two themes that influence how nurses characterize their working relationships with physicians: (a) physician behaviors and (b) structural factors. Both PES‐NWI scores and quality of care were rated significantly higher by nurses who wrote favorably about physicians. Conclusions: Favorable nurse‐physician relationships in ambulatory settings may reflect positive workplaces and promote high‐quality care. Clinical Relevance : Consistent with findings from inpatient units, nurse‐physician relationships are important to the quality of ambulatory oncology care. Systematic measurement and attention to reported deficits in these relationships may promote higher quality care. Journal of Nursing Scholarship , 2012; 00:0, 1–8. ©2012 Sigma Theta Tau International .Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/93556/1/j.1547-5069.2012.01458.x.pd

Intellectual property:an underestimated and undermanaged asset?

Intellectual Property (IP) is becoming more and more important for competitive advantage and companies’ success. We argue that making IP a key issue is essential and will be one of the main factors driving future business success. Nevertheless many companies have not yet managed to integrate IP into strategy development and all critical business processes and thus do not get the maximum value out of it. This article aims to show how companies can systematically develop and implement an IP strategy following a three-step approach. First, it is important for the management to get a more transparent picture about strengths and weaknesses of the current IP position. Modern IP database tools help to achieve this goal. In the second phase the management should evaluate whether the company is successful in realizing the full market and strategic potential of technologies with IP strength and how to cope with areas of IP weaknesses. After an in-depth evaluation an IP-strategy should be defined and implemented. In our experience strategy execution requires a clear commitment from the top management, clear roles & responsibilities, proper monitoring, a more intensive collaboration on IP issues between R&D, Marketing, Patent attorneys and often even changes in corporate structures and processes