Fairness in overloaded parallel queues

Maximizing throughput for heterogeneous parallel server queues has received quite a bit of attention from the research community and the stability region for such systems is well understood. However, many real-world systems have periods where they are temporarily overloaded. Under such scenarios, the unstable queues often starve limited resources. This work examines what happens during periods of temporary overload. Specifically, we look at how to fairly distribute stress. We explore the dynamics of the queue workloads under the MaxWeight scheduling policy during long periods of stress and discuss how to tune this policy in order to achieve a target fairness ratio across these workloads

Trade and Competitiveness of the Mediterranean Countries on the Olive Oil Market

In the context of the establishment of a Mediterranean Free Trade Area, the paper analyses the structure and competitiveness of the Mediterranean basin countries in the olive oil trade and gives a preliminary explanation of the likely impact of the next liberalization process and challenges for the EU Mediterranean countries. The paper starts showing the level of integration of the international olive oil market and underlining the main factors affecting the process. Than, after a brief explanation of the methodology adopted, it analyses the main results achieved. Conclusions try to understand the impact of the competitive scenario showed by the empirical analysis on the Euromediterranean olive oil market following the trade liberalization.International Relations/Trade,

Developing New Strategies to Support Future Caregivers of the Aged in Canada: Projections of Need and their Policy Implications

Projections of future need for Canadian continuing care services typically uses current utilization patterns and population aging. Accurately assessing this need is much more complex since disability patterns among the elderly are changing and availability of caregivers is affected by changes in family structure. This paper projects annual growth rates between 2001-2031 in the need for informal and formal support among elderly Canadians and discusses the policy implications of the increasing demand for informal caregivers. Using Statistics Canada's LifePaths micro-simulation model, these projections incorporate disability rates and the potential availability of informal caregivers. The authors conclude that continued focus on family to meet the needs of elderly Canadians without increased support is not sustainable in the long term. New strategies to support Canadian caregivers are proposed and their economic feasibility in the public and private markets are evaluated.population aging, caregiving, disability, informal and formal support

Educators’ Perceptions of the Implementation and Influence of the Middle School Concept

The problem addressed in this study was that teachers struggle to apply the middle school concept in three middle schools in the U.S. region of New England. This study was a qualitative investigation of teachers’ perceptions of the middle school concept and their needs for additional support to effectively apply it. The conceptual framework for this study was the middle school concept itself, which theorizes five essential attributes of effective middle schools: responsive, challenging, empowering, equitable, and engaging. The research questions were about teachers’ perceptions of their knowledge about and application of the middle school concept, the extent to which the middle school concept is being applied, and the recommendations regarding the professional development and support needed for applying the middle school concept. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 teachers from three middle schools in the target district. Data analysis involved open and axial coding and thematic analysis. Five main themes emerged from the study, indicating that participants recognized the unique developmental needs of middle school students, emphasizing the importance of teaming, and revealing that successful implementation of the middle school concept requires addressing teacher resistance, navigating school policies and practices, and providing robust leadership and ongoing professional development. This study may contribute to positive social change by helping policymakers, educators, and administrators better understand teachers\u27 perceptions of the middle school concept, ultimately aiming to improve middle level education

Private Enforcement of the Americans With Disabilities Act via Serial Litigation: Abusive or Commendable?

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) was developed to provide disabled persons with access to public businesses, buildings, and other accommodations. For a variety of reasons, very few public accommodations comply with the detailed accessibility standards imposed by Title III. As a result a cottage industry has developed of private plaintiffs suing for accessibility. This Note discusses the proliferation of these suits, especially by so called serial plaintiffs who file hundreds of lawsuits per year. A history of legislative attempts to curtail these suits is provided as well as suggestions for future legislative efforts that will both protect small business from drive-by lawsuits and increase compliance with Title III of the ADA