Client Feedback and the Role of the Appraiser

Appraisers routinely work at solving ill-structured valuation problems where the normative performance criterion is an objective judgement of market value as of the valuation date. This study, theoretically grounded in the lens model of perceptual theory, investigates the effect of client feedback on appraisers’ perceptions of their role in the loan underwriting process. It investigates the extent of cognitive departure from the normative role toward perception of being a validator of pending sale prices. An instrument is devised to measure environmental perception feedback, coercive feedback and positive reinforcement of the normative performance criterion. Client feedback is found to have a significant effect on appraisers’ role perceptions and on appraisers’ perceptions of the of the lender-client’s performance criterion. Appraisers who receive a great deal of environmental perception feedback and coercive feedback are more likely to view themselves as price validators, whereas appraisers exposed to positive reinforcement of the normative performance criterion are more likely view themselves as providers of objective opinions of market value.

A tariff policy for Jamaica: a computable general equilibrium analysis

The role of tariffs in Jamaica has undergone significant changes over time. From the dawn of emancipation to the dusk of the Great Depression, tariffs were the single most important source of central government revenues. In the post-War era, it was not until 1961 before income taxes eclipsed customs duties in their contribution to the public purse. This trend has continued unabated, and by the mid-1970s customs duties contributed a mere 5.06 per cent to government revenues, while income taxes accounted for 28.20 per cent of the total;Perhaps the most central element determining the competitiveness of Jamaican exports is the trade regime under which the economy operates. Jamaica, as a founding member of the Commonwealth Caribbean (CARICOM), subscribes to CARICOM\u27s common external tariff (CET). The CET is a highly differentiated tariff schedule with a wide dispersion of tariff rates that are relatively high in comparison with most of the countries of Central and South America;It is important, however, to recognize that de defacto and de jura tariff rates often do not coincide. This issue is particularly relevant to Jamaica where the official tariff rates are very misleading. There are a complex set of exemption procedures, which ensure that the actual rates paid for broad categories of imports are substantially below published nominal rates;This paper is concerned with second-best policies in the presence of existing distortions. In particular, it determines optimal tariff rates in the presence of pre-existing distortions (indirect taxes and rigid nominal wages) using a model with: (1) imperfect substitutability between domestically produced outputs and their imported counterparts; (2) imperfect substitutability between domestic output and exports; (3) unemployment in the non-agricultural sectors; and (4) a fixed balance of trade. The analytical framework is of relevance to the debate on partial trade policy reform in developing countries, where existing tariffs are constrained to satisfy the non-efficiency objective of revenue generation;The current research finds that during 1986, the year immediately prior to the imposition of tariff reforms, Jamaican trade taxes exhibited substantial elements of an optimal structure with optimal rates

Nonuniqueness in a minimal model for cell motility

Two–phase flow models have been used previously to model cell motility, however these have rapidly become very complicated, including many physical processes, and are opaque. Here we demonstrate that even the simplest one–dimensional, two–phase, poroviscous, reactive flow model displays a number of behaviours relevant to cell crawling. We present stability analyses that show that an asymmetric perturbation is required to cause a spatially uniform, stationary strip of cytoplasm to move, which is relevant to cell polarization. Our numerical simulations identify qualitatively distinct families of travelling–wave solution that co–exist at certain parameter values. Within each family, the crawling speed of the strip has a bell–shaped dependence on the adhesion strength. The model captures the experimentally observed behaviour that cells crawl quickest at intermediate adhesion strengths, when the substrate is neither too sticky nor too slippy

Dormant Cathode Plasma Properties and Erosion Analysis in a Multiple-Cathode, High-Power, Rectangular Discharge Chamber

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76546/1/AIAA-2005-4241-437.pd

Design and Operation of a Multiple-Cathode, High-Power, Rectangular Discharge Chamber

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77200/1/AIAA-2005-4407-602.pd

Neutral density map of Hall thruster plume expansion in a vacuum chamber

A neutral background pressure map of the large vacuum test facility (LVTF) is presented. The LVTF is mapped at cold anode flow rates of 5.25, 10.46, and 14.09 mg/s14.09mg∕s. In addition, neutral background pressure maps are created at hot anode (i.e., discharge on) flow rates of 5.25 and 10.46 mg/s10.46mg∕s for discharge voltages of 300 and 500 V500V, corresponding to P5 Hall thruster operating conditions ranging from 1.5 to 5.0 kW1.5to5.0kW. The chamber pressure is mapped at nominal xenon pumping speeds of 140 000 and 240 000 l/s240000l∕s. The pressure map is performed with a rake consisting of five calibrated Bayard–Alpert hot-cathode ionization gauges. The plume expansion appears to be independent of anode flow rate and facility background pressure. Analysis of axial pressure profiles on the LVTF’s centerline shows that the plume pressure decreases from a maximum at the thruster exit plane down to the facility background pressure at approximately 2 m2m downstream of the exit plane. Comparison of axial pressure profiles on the LVTF’s centerline shows that the neutral density is nearly the same for cold flow and hot flow. The study shows that a cold flow neutral density background map accurately characterizes the neutral density in an operating Hall thruster plume.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87890/2/053509_1.pd

Cooperating Agents for 3D Scientific Data Interpretation

Many organizations collect vast quantities of three-dimensional (3-D) scientific data in volumetric form for a range of purposes, including resource exploration, market forecasting, and process modelling. Traditionally, these data have been interpreted by human experts with only minimal software assistance. However, such manual interpretation is a painstakingly slow and tedious process. Moreover, since interpretation involves subjective judgements and each interpreter has different scientific knowledge and experience, formulation of an effective interpretation often requires the cooperation of numerous such experts. Hence, there is a pressing need for a software system in which individual interpretations can be generated automatically and then refined through the use of cooperative reasoning and information sharing. To this end, a prototype system, SurfaceMapper, has been developed in which a community of cooperating software agents automatically locate and display interpretations in a volume of 3-D scientific data. The challenges and experiences in designing and building such a system are discussed. Particular emphasis is given to the agents' interactions and an empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of different cooperation strategies is presented

Hall Thruster Cluster Operation with a Shared Cathode

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76373/1/AIAA-23688-572.pd

National Survey of Extension 4-H Professionals\u27 Perceptions of Professional Development Factors

Our study describes factors that influence Extension 4-H professionals\u27 likelihood of participating in a professional development experience. We used a work group–developed survey to measure the level of influence of nine factors. Through convenience sampling, we obtained 558 responses from 4-H professionals representing all regions of the country and multiple job roles. Cost, location, networking, personal needs, and time were strongly influential. Differences related to job role and years of job experience existed. Our major recommendation is that those creating professional development experiences for 4-H professionals consider both the major influential factors involved and factors of adult development, such as the need for self-directed learning

Far-Field Species Distribution Measurements on the BHT-600 Hall Thruster Cluster

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76148/1/AIAA-2007-5304-543.pd