Scaling Heterogeneous Databases and the Design of Disco

Access to large numbers of data sources introduces new problems for users of heterogeneous distributed databases. End users and application programmers must deal with unavailable data sources. Database administrators must deal with incorporating new sources into the model. Database implementors must deal with the translation of queries between query languages and schemas. The Distributed Information Search COmponent (Disco) 1 addresses these problems. Query processing semantics are developed to process queries over data sources which do not return answers. Data modeling techniques manage connections to data sources. The component interface to data sources flexibly handles different query languages and translates queries. This paper describes (a) the distributed mediator architecture ofDisco, (b) its query processing semantics, (c) the data model and its modeling of data source connections, and (d) the interface to underlying data sources. 1

The Decisions and Ideal Points of British Law Lords

Policy-sensitive models of judicial behaviour, whether attitudinal or strategic, have largely passed Britain by. This article argues that this neglect has been benign, because explanations of judicial decisions in terms of the positions of individual judges fare poorly in the British case. To support this argument, the non-unanimous opinions of British Law Lords between 1969 and 2009 are analysed. A hierarchical item-response model of individual judges’ votes is estimated in order to identify judges’ locations along a one-dimensional policy space. Such a model is found to be no better than a null model that predicts that every judge will vote with the majority with the same probability. Locations generated by the model do not represent judges’ political attitudes, only their propensity to dissent. Consequently, judges’ individual votes should not be used to describe them in political terms

Direct Transfer Patterning of Electrically Small Antennas onto Three‐Dimensionally Contoured Substrates

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90030/1/1166_ftp.pd

A Critical Exploration of Unequal School Funding: Teacher Job Satisfaction Across Underfunded and Well-Funded Schools

Unequal school funding is a phenomenon that promotes an educational structure where certain public schools receive higher financial support and resources while other schools receive lower levels. An important but overlooked dimension of the phenomenon is its potential effect on teacher job satisfaction in underfunded and well-funded schools. This dimension forms the basis of this study and exploration of the phenomenon of unequal school funding. Using Susan Moore Johnson\u27s framework, this qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand how unequal school funding affected nine high school teachers across both under and well-funded high schools on Long Island. The study sought to explore school funding through its effects on teachers\u27 job satisfaction. The findings of this study revealed that teachers in well-funded schools experienced considerably greater job satisfaction than teachers in underfunded ones. Findings showed that teacher job satisfaction is linked to teachers\u27 perceptions of school funding as it pertained to their respective schools. Reasons rendered by teachers in well-funded schools describing their high level of job satisfaction directly related to the perceptions they had of how well their school was funded, as the areas from which the job satisfaction dwells are financially related. Implications suggest that focusing closer on the role that school administration plays in teacher job satisfaction, specifically, the negative consequences on morale in administration attrition rates, and re-considering school funding formulas so that more monies could be made available to underfunded schools would be helpful to improve teacher job satisfaction and thus improve the learning experience for students. Recommendations, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided

Improving corporate governance in state-owned corporations in China: which way forward?

This article discusses corporate governance in China. It outlines the basic agency problem in Chinese listed companies and questions the effectiveness of the current mechanisms employed to improve their standards of governance. Importantly, it considers alternative means through which corporate practice in China can be brought into line with international expectations and stresses the urgency with which this task must be tackled. It concludes that regulators in China must construct a corporate governance model which is compatible with its domestic setting and not rush to adopt governance initiatives modelled on those in cultures which are fundamentally different in the hope of also reproducing their success

Company Law Modernisation and Corporate Governance in the United Kingdom: Some Recent Issues and Debates

Many elements of British company law are deeply embedded in 19th century assumptions. Change has come very slowly when efforts have been made to modernise company law in the United Kingdom. The passage of the Companies Act 2006 was a significant advance after a lengthy period of debate and consultation, but the outcome is far from perfect. This legislation has, however, introduced some important new concepts into this body of British law. The Act sought to simplify company law and to start with a small firm focus as these comprise the vast majority of companies. For the first time, the Act also codified the duties of directors and introduced the concept of ‘enlightened shareholder value’, to give greater attention to stakeholders other than shareholders and to encourage companies to adopt more long-term perspectives. This paper explores some of these important changes

Mill Redevelopment Toolkit

Not long ago, mills were the centerpieces and economic engine of many communities throughout New England. With the departure of the manufacturing industry, many of these structures and complexes fell into vacancy and blight, with many being demolished outright. The town of Ludlow, MA is an example of a smaller mill community that was impacted by the closure of its mill. It resulted in the decline and eventual stagnation of population and economic growth. Large unused buildings may bring sorrow to the residents who once worked the floors and machines, but they can also offer opportunity. Through the effective adaptive reuse of mill buildings, they can be revitalized, bringing new economic possibilities to the community and preserving the industrial history that many residents are connected with. This approach, while appealing, comes with its own set of challenges and requires careful consideration of various factors in order to be successful. Over the last 15 years the Ludlow Mills complex has seen redevelopment efforts that show visible improvement to the site and surrounding area, with further development efforts currently underway. Drawing from previous successful revitalization case studies and from the in-progress redevelopment in Ludlow, this project will generate 25 factors that could be considered in the revitalization and combined into a toolkit for developers. By providing fiscal, economic, social, and practical reasoning for mill revitalization, this project aims to provide a first version of a template in which a successful revitalization can be done, and which can later be improved upon