Meanings of limited equity homeownership in community land trusts

Abstract

Discourses regarding homeownership in the United States emphasize housing as an economic investment. This focus fosters a number of problems, including inflated housing values, increased segregation, economic divisions, and the foreclosure crisis. Community land trusts (CLTs) put land in a non-profit trust to keep it affordable long-term. We examine CLTs as affordable housing organizations where individual residents own homes in the trust and lease the land underneath from the CLT. Interviews of CLT homeowners and staff in Minnesota, USA, show that the use value of CLT housing creates opportunities for different life choices. CLT homeowners cite stability and autonomy as the primary benefits of homeownership. They expressed newfound confidence and freedom to pursue personal goals and live less restricted lives after moving into CLT homes, a finding also emphasized by CLT staff. Limited equity housing such as CLTs can both reinforce dominant meanings of homeownership as providing security and autonomy, while also fostering access and affordability for low-income residents.     

Grounding and ground fault protection of multiple generator installations on medium-voltage industrial and commercial power systems - Part 4: Conclusion and Bibliography Working Group Report

This paper discusses typical grounding practices and ground fault protection methods for medium-voltage generator stators, highlighting their merits and drawbacks. Particular attention is given to applications of multiple generators connected to a single bus. The paper also provides an overview of the generator damage mechanism during stator ground faults. Problem areas associated with each type of grounding are identified and solutions are discussed. The paper also provides a list of references on the topic. The paper is intended as a guide to aid engineers in selecting adequate grounding and ground fault protection schemes for medium-voltage industrial and commercial generators for new installations, for evaluating existing systems, and for future expansion of facilities, to minimize generator damage from stator ground faults. These topics are presented in four separate parts, Parts 1-4. Part 1 covers scope, introduction, user examples of stator ground failure, and theoretical basis for the problem. Part 2 discusses various grounding methods used in industrial applications. Part 3 describes protection methods for the various types of grounding and Part 4 provides a conclusion and bibliography of additional resource material.     

Predicting liquid filled transformer loading capability

The IEEE Transformer Loading Guide equations use the top oil temperature rise over ambient to determine the winding hottest spot temperature during an overload. Recent investigations by the author and others have shown that during overloads there is a time lag between the top oil temperature rise and the oil temperature rise in the winding cooling ducts. This phenomena results in winding hottest spot temperatures greater than predicted by the current (1981) IEEE Loading Guide equations. Accurate predictions of the winding hottest spot temperature requires the use of the temperature of the oil entering and exiting the winding cooling ducts. Low flammability liquids such as silicone or high temperature hydrocarbons are not covered in the present Loading Guide. Resistance change with temperature and liquid viscosity are not considered in current Loading Guide equations. Loading Guide equations also assume a constant ambient air temperature during a load cycle. Improved loading equations based on analysis and testing are presented in this paper. The improved equations consider type of liquid, cooling mode, winding duct oil temperature rise, resistance and viscosity changes, and ambient temperature and load changes during a load cycle. A PC BASIC computer program to perform the calculations was developed and will be included in the next edition of the IEEE Loading Guide for Mineral Oil Immersed Transformers     

A Converging Wall-Jet Instrument for Ion Selective Electrode Dynamic Response Studies

Abstract

Ion selective electrodes are used to conduct real-time measurements of gaseous thermal degradation products from halon replacement experiments. Response characteristics of these ion selective electrodes are needed to address potential interferences and surface poisoning experienced under field conditions. The design and the fabrication of an in situ, converging wall-jet instrument for the measurement of the dynamic responses of ion selective electrodes are described. Various time delays associated with the generation and detection of ion activity steps have been quantitatively determined.

Dynamic response measurements for iodide steps on a Corning iodide/cyanide ion selective electrode are comparable to those obtained on the best of the earlier instrument designs, the in situ, switched wall-jet instrument. The advantages of the converging wall-jet instrument over the switched wall-jet instrument are identified.     

Was there significant tax evasion after the 1999 50 cent per pack cigarette tax increase in California?

OBJECTIVES: Several states, including California, have implemented large cigarette excise tax increases, which may encourage smokers to purchase their cigarettes in other lower taxed states, or from other lower or non-taxed sources. Such tax evasion thwarts tobacco control objectives and may cost the state substantial tax revenues. Thus, this study investigates the extent of tax evasion in the 6-12 months after the implementation of California's 0.50 dollars/pack excise tax increase. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective data analysis from the 1999 California Tobacco Surveys (CTS), a random digit dialled telephone survey of California households. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sources of cigarettes, average daily cigarette consumption, and reported price paid. RESULTS: Very few (5.1 (0.7)% (+/-95% confidence limits)) of California smokers avoided the excise tax by usually purchasing cigarettes from non- or lower taxed sources, such as out-of-state outlets, military commissaries, or the internet. The vast majority of smokers purchased their cigarettes from the most convenient and expensive sources: convenience stores/gas (petrol) stations (45.0 (1.9)%), liquor/drug stores (16.4 (1.6)%), and supermarkets (8.8 (1.2)%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the potential savings, tax evasion by individual smokers does not appear to pose a serious threat to California's excise tax revenues or its tobacco control objectives.     

The perceived utility of human and automated aids in a visual detection task

Although increases in the use of automation have occurred across society, research has found that human operators often underutilize (disuse) and overly rely on (misuse) automated aids (R. Parasuraman & V. Riley, 1997). Nearly 275 Cameron University students participated in 1 of 3 experiments performed to examine the effects of perceived utility (M. T. Dzindolet, H. P. Beck, L. G. Pierce, & L. A. Dawe, 2001) on automation use in a visual detection task and to compare reliance on automated aids with reliance on humans. Results revealed a bias for human operators to rely on themselves. Although self-report data indicate a bias toward automated aids over human aids, performance data revealed that participants were more likely to disuse automated aids than to disuse human aids. This discrepancy was accounted for by assuming human operators have a "perfect automation" schema. Actual or potential applications of this research include the design of future automateddecision aids and training procedures for operators relying on such aids.     

Comparing end-user and intelligent remote control interface generation

Traditional remote controls typically allow users to activate functionality of a single device. Given that users activate a subset of functionality across devices to accomplish a particular task, it is attractive to consider a remote control directly supporting this behavior. We present qualitative and quantitative results from a study of two promising approaches creating such a remote control: end-user programming and machine learning. In general, results show that each approach possesses advantages and disadvantages, and that neither is optimal.     

Relative merits of ultrasonography, computed tomography and cholangiography in patients of surgical obstructive jaundice

Fifty consecutive patients with surgical obstructive jaundice were evaluated prospectively with ultrasonography (US), computed tomographic scans (CT scan) and cholangiography-percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) or endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreaticography (ERCP). The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in defining the level of obstruction was 86% as compared to 86% and 94.8% for CT scan and cholangiography, respectively. To measure the etiology of the obstruction, the accuracy of ultrasound, CT scan and cholangiography were 84%, 86% and 75%, respectively. The sensitivity of CT scans and cholangiography in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis was 100%, 81.8% and 90%, respectively, whereas specificity was 97%, 100% and 100%, respectively. Sensitivity for a diagnosis of malignant disease was 100% for both US and CT scans whereas specificity was 90% and 81%, respectively. Ultrasonography as a single radiological investigation is sufficient in the evaluation of the majority of patients with surgical obstructive jaundice. CT scan and cholangiography should be done only when US gives equivocal findings or if concomitant therapeutic procedures like basketing and stenting are also planned.     

The effects of deprenyl on methamphetamine-induced dopamine depletions

The effects of deprenyl on methamphetamine-induced dopamine depletions were studied in mice. Four SC injections of 12.5 mg/kg of methamphetamine at two-hour intervals caused substantial (72-82%) and long-lasting depletions of striatal dopamine. Pretreatment with either 25 or 40 mg/kg of deprenyl did not significantly alter the magnitude of this depletion. These results indicate that, unlike what is observed following MPTP, there is no protection afforded dopaminergic cells by deprenyl pretreatment in the methamphetamine model of parkinsonism.