Striving for Just Green Enough

The benefits of urban green space have been well-documented, resulting in a push for incorporating green infrastructure within the built environment. Efforts to design more biodiverse, nature-rich cities have been shown not only to provide resounding ecological benefits, but also to generally improve the quality of human life and well-being. Yet a dichotomy exists between the theory and practice of the integration of green space in urban areas. The benefits coupled with urban green infrastructure have hidden costs that contribute to the creation of spatially distributed inequities, which in turn lead to “eco-gentrification.” For development to be truly sustainable, it must also be equitable. Therefore, urban green space must be designed in the context of the co-evolving complexities of socio-natural processes. Officials involved in green space implementation must acknowledge and account for the environmental justice issues produced by urban socio-economic structures through “just green enough” strategies that integrate community-based participatory planning and anti-gentrification policies—thus ensuring the equitable realization of green space benefits.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136590/1/VanderWilde_StrivingForJustGreenEnough.pd

Análisis del Mercado Diario de Electricidad mediante índices de estimación de ejercicio de poder en los mercados.

El objetivo de este documento es mostrar un análisis del Mercado Diario o “Pool” de electricidad de la manera más completa posible. Para ello se han empleado diversos indicadores de tipo estructural, encargados de estudiar la posibilidad de ejercer poder de mercado por parte de las grandes compañías, así como índices económicos aplicados al ámbito de los mercados eléctricos. El Trabajo se centra principalmente en los tres últimos años: 2015, 2016 y 2017, aportando de esta manera una visión completa de la evolución y tendencia del Mercado Diario. Cabe destacar que para la realización de este análisis se han tomado únicamente las unidades de la zona española operadoras en el mercado, aunque también se adjunta una visión general de la demanda y la tendencia del Mercado Diario en el ámbito MIBEL. No obstante, también se muestra un amplio desglose de todo aquello que rodea al Mercado Eléctrico en España como su historia, sus componentes y operadores, tratando de dotar al lector de una mayor comprensión y perspectiva del ámbito de estudio. Por tanto, este trabajo tiene como objetivos mostrar el funcionamiento del mercado eléctrico español en su conjunto, desde su creación hasta el día de hoy, así como un análisis en profundidad de los tres últimos años desde el punto de vista de los generadores y compradores de energía en el mercado mayorista español.The aim of this Project is to show an analysis of the Day-ahead market of electricity in the most proper way. In order to achieve our aims, we have used structural indexes, as well as, economical indexes applied to the electricity market scenario. The time line of the analysis is focused on 2015, 2016 and 2017, providing this way an extensive view of the evolution and the tendency of the Day-ahead Market. It is due to say that for this analysis only the Spanish units registered by the Market Operator have been used. However, it is attached a general study of the demand and the tendency of the market from the Iberian point of view. In addition to this, this document shows a great explanation of the elements related to the market, as its history through its development in Spain and its working elements. Therefore this document tries to offer a comprehensive and a complete view of the area under study. Thus this project has its main purposes on showing how the Spanish market of electricity has worked from its beginnings to the current moment, as well as, a deep analysis of the last three years from the point of view of the generating companies and the commercialising ones.Universidad de Sevilla. Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías Industriale

Fueling a Transition: Evaluating the Feasibility for a Hybrid Renewable Microgrid in Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo

This project (1) explores the economic feasibility of a 600-kW renewable energy microgrid in the city of Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, (2) creates a survey instrument to assess local farmers’ willingness-to-accept payment for providing agricultural residues for use in a biomass gasifier, (3) performs optimization analysis for the design of a solar and biomass powered microgrid. The overarching goal of the study is to determine whether a renewable microgrid could provide reliable power at a lower cost than diesel generators. A framework has been established so that once available, survey results can be smoothly integrated into the techno-economic model. The more accurate picture of biomass costs and availability will better inform system design decisions. Model results indicate that the optimal portfolio for this renewable grid is a combination of 238 kW of solar generation, 380 kW of biomass generation, and 689 kWh of battery storage. Our model indicates a levelized cost of electricity range for this portfolio between $0.32 and$0.43 per kWh, which suggests that our proposed system will be able to achieve cost-parity with the diesel generation commonly available in the city.Master of ScienceSchool for Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of Michiganhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143172/1/KGEIntegratingRenewables_323_FinalReport (1).pd

Use of Allograft in Skeletally Immature Patients for Calcaneal Neck Lengthening Osteotomy

PURPOSE: To date, there have been no studies evaluating the usefulness of allograft as a substitute for autograft in calcaneal neck lengthening osteotomy. This retrospective study examined the results of calcaneal neck lengthening osteotomy using allograft for pathologic flatfoot deformity in children and adolescents with various neuromuscular diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 118 feet in 79 children treated surgically between Mar 2000 and July 2005 were reviewed. The mean age at the time of the operation was 9+3 years (range, 3-17 years) and follow-up averaged 15.4 months (range, 13-21 months) postoperatively. Talo-1st metatarsal angle, talo-calcaneal angle, calcaneal pitch were measured before and after operation and bony union was estimated. RESULTS: Bony union was noted at the latest follow-up and there were no postoperative complications such as reduction loss, infection, nonunion, delayed union or graft loss during the follow-up period in all but one foot. All radiographic indices were improved postoperatively in all cases. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that use of allograft in calcaneal neck lengthening osteotomy is a useful option for correction of the planovalgus deformity in skeletally immature patients whose enough autobone can not be obtained.ope

Radiographic evaluation of calcaneal fractures: To measure or not to measure

Objective: The aim of this study was to correlate the functional outcome after treatment for displaced intra-articular calcaneal fracture with plain radiography. Design: The design was a prognostic study of a retrospective cohort with concurrent follow-up. Patients: A total of 33 patients with a unilateral calcaneal fracture and a minimum follow-up of 13 months participated. Patients filled in three disease-specific questionnaires, graded their satisfaction and the indication for an arthrodesis was noted. Standardised radiographs were made of the previously injured side and the normal (control) side. Different angles and distances were measured on these radiographs and compared with values described in the literature. The differences in values in angles and distances between the injured and uninjured (control) foot were correlated with the outcome of the questionnaires, and the indication for an arthrodesis. Results: None of the angles correlated with the disease-specific outcome scores. Of the angles only the tibiotalar angle correlated with the VAS (r=0.35, p=0.045) and only the absolute foot height correlated with the indication for an arthrodesis (odds=0.70, CI=0.50-0.99). Conclusion: In this study the radiographic evaluation correlated poorly with the final outcome. Measurements on plain radiographs seem not to be useful in determining outcome after intra-articular calcaneal fractures