Florida Public Research Articles

풍하중 산정을 위한 한반도 단독주택의 대표유형 선정

As the damages due to natural disasters continue to increase, a growing interest is being witnessed in such studies that focus on preventive measures to reduce damages rather than on their recovery. As such, the U.S. has been actively conducting projects to develop new models that can forecast potential damages due to natural disasters and widely employing them in actual cases. With no specific models developed in Korea yet, this study aimed to introduce an overseas typhoon model as part of the advanced efforts and apply it the actual cases occurring across the nation. This model estimates wind loads by measuring the impact of a strong wind upon buildings, and measurements require a number of parameters. Those parameters should include the types and dimensions of buildings and the type of the roofs. As for the FPHLM(Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model), a precedent model for our study, we were able to take advantage of number of the statistics and detailed categorizations on the residential buildings in the U.S., which enabled us to select the representative building types and produce their wind loads. With no sufficient relevant statistics available for the nation, however, we may not be able to readily measure the wind loads on the nation's residential buildings. Therefore, this study tried to choose the representative types, heights and dimensions of the buildings for the measurement of wind loads. We consequently came up with a representative house having an area between 62.81 and <TEX>$95.56m^2$</TEX>, either a flat roof or hip roof, a height of 2.6 m, an side ratio of 1.5, and the width and length of the mean <TEX>$85m^2$</TEX> sized house being 11,300 mm and 7,530 mm, respectively.

Florida public hurricane loss model: Research in multi-disciplinary system integration assisting government policy making

Abstract Homeowner insurance rate making is an important public policy issue in the State of Florida. The State of Florida has over 2 trillion dollars of residential properties exposed to hurricane risk. The State has declared that it shall adopt public policy to encourage the use of sophisticated actuarial methods to assure that consumers are charged lawful insurance rates ( Section 627.0628(1)(a) ). To that effect, the State's insurance regulatory agency, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), sponsored the development of a Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model (FPHLM) to assess the risk and project insured residential losses. The FPHLM is an open and public model that has been developed primarily by university experts without influence from either the insurance industry or the state regulators. It is open to public scrutiny and provides an understandable baseline to check the assumptions as well as the outputs of the proprietary models. The FPHLM thus makes the rate evaluation process more objective and less political. It enables the state to justify rejecting or accepting rate increases based on an independent and transparent model, rather than a process that can be influenced politically. As a multi-disciplinary large scale research project with an iterative and incremental development cycle, the FPHLM system development and integration faced numerous challenges varying from technical factors to project management aspects. This paper will discuss the research experiences accumulated during the development of the FPHLM and the impact it has had on the homeowner insurance rate filing process in the State of Florida.

Evaluating the Accessibility of Florida's Public Library Home Pages

This study evaluates the home pages of Florida's public libraries for accessibility by people with disabilities. The evaluation includes every Florida public library system website, examining each home page of the 78 libraries offering websites. The study employed the WebXact online evaluation service to identify errors using compliance standards contained in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 508 legislation requires libraries to attain accessibility compliance, as all Florida libraries are recipients of federal funding. The hypotheses are: libraries with larger budgets and larger per capita income are more likely to have accessible websites. Of the 78 public library systems home pages examined, only 21 were found to be without accessibility errors. These findings indicate that 73% of the home pages had at least one major accessibility error based on Section 508 criteria. Additional findings indicate that accessibility performance is related to library income levels and income per service population. Presented research includes a legislative history of accessibility, with a section focusing on library website accessibility. Related accessibility studies are reviewed for comparability purposes and substantiation of findings. The study offers recommendations for improving accessibility and identifies opportunities for additional research.

The bird in hand: Stipulated settlements in the Florida electricity sector

In the last quarter century, stipulated settlements between the electric utilities and the Office of Public Counsel have largely superseded the traditional method of litigation before the Florida Public Services Commission. Some have opposed settlements. But consumers have gained from reductions in electricity revenues worth over $3 billion, which are greater or earlier than would have otherwise occurred. The utilities have benefited from commitments by parties outside the scope of the Commission, and from a more flexible accounting policy. Most importantly, stipulations have changed the form and nature of regulation: away from a conventional rate of return approach to a fixed-price approach, and later away from incentive schemes with profits caps to stronger and more enforceable incentive schemes without profit caps.

Validation of a probabilistic model for hurricane insurance loss projections in Florida

The Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model is one of the first public models accessible for scrutiny to the scientific community, incorporating state of the art techniques in hurricane and vulnerability modeling. The model was developed for Florida, and is applicable to other hurricane-prone regions where construction practice is similar. The 2004 hurricane season produced substantial losses in Florida, and provided the means to validate and calibrate this model against actual claim data. This paper presents the predicted losses for several insurance portfolios corresponding to hurricanes Andrew, Charley, and Frances. The predictions are validated against the actual claim data. Physical damage predictions for external building components are also compared to observed damage. The analyses show that the predictive capabilities of the model were substantially improved after the calibration against the 2004 data. The methodology also shows that the predictive capabilities of the model could be enhanced if insurance companies report more detailed information about the structures they insure and the types of damage they suffer. This model can be a powerful tool for the study of risk reduction strategies.

Multiregional Invasive Species Management: Theory and an Application to Florida's Exotic Plants

This research develops a multiregional optimal control model that incorporates regional allocation of a public budget for controlling invasive plants when regionally differential recreation demand functions and species control costs are present. Our equimarginal condition for optimal budget allocation equates the relative marginal economic benefits per dollar spent across regions. The model was applied to Florida Public Conservation Land regions, and results indicate that the magnitude of an annual management budget affects its distribution among species management regions, but the size of the intrinsic growth rate does not affect the pattern of budget allocation among regions.

African Americans and the Struggle for Opportunity in Florida Public Higher Education, 1947-1977

In the decades following World War II, access to higher education became an important vehicle for expanding opportunity in the United States. The African American-led Civil Rights Movement challenged discrimination in higher education at a time when state and federal government leaders saw strengthening public higher education as necessary for future economic growth and development. Nationally, the 1947 President's Commission on Higher Education report Higher Education for American Democracy advocated dismantling racial, geographic, and economic barriers to college by radically expanding public higher education, to be accomplished in large part through the development of community colleges. Although these goals were widely embraced across the country, in the South, white leaders rejected the idea that racial segregation stood in the way of progress. During the decades following World War II, white southern educational and political leaders resisted attempts by civil rights organizations to include desegregation as part of the expansion of public higher education.

Valacyclovir Prophylaxis to Prevent Recurrent Herpes at Delivery: A Randomized Clinical Trial

University of California, San Francisco, Department. of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco, California (Caughey) University of South Florida, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampa, Florida (Urato) Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, Washington, DC (Lurie)

Outcomes‐Based Evaluation in Public Libraries: From Online Instruction to Practice

Previous articleNext article No AccessResearch in PracticeOutcomes‐Based Evaluation in Public Libraries: From Online Instruction to PracticeJohn Carlo BertotJohn Carlo Bertot1. Professor and associate director, Information Use Management and Policy Institute, Florida State University, College of Information, 244 Louis Shores Building, Tallahassee, FL 32306‐2100; Telephone 850‐644‐8118; E‐mail [email protected]. Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Library Quarterly Volume 76, Number 2April 2006 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/506578 Views: 79Total views on this site Citations: 3Citations are reported from Crossref © 2006 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Jena Barchas-Lichtenstein, Rebecca Joy Norlander, John Fraser, Mary Davis Fournier, John Voiklis, Kathryn Nock, and Elizabeth Danter Categorizing Library Public Programs, The Library Quarterly 90, no.44 (Oct 2020): 563–579.https://doi.org/10.1086/710259Kim M. Thompson Modernizing Social Inclusion: A Look at John Carlo Bertot’s Contribution, The Library Quarterly 84, no.44 (Jun 2015): 460–466.https://doi.org/10.1086/677781John Brobst Evaluating the Accessibility of Florida's Public Library Home Pages, Libri 59, no.22 (Jan 2009).https://doi.org/10.1515/libr.2009.009

Libraries and economic value: a review of recent studies

Purpose – This paper aims to outline the development of research into the value of libraries over the past decade.Design/methodology/approach – Recent studies using contingent valuation for the British Library, South Carolina Public Libraries, Florida Public Libraries and St Louis Public Libraries are summarised both in terms of methodology and findings. Studies into two national bibliographic services (Canada and New Zealand) are reviewed to demonstrate the application of value studies to specific services.Findings – There are many questions that have yet to be answered through using this methodology. At the most basic level it is not yet clear whether any particular numerical result represents the best return on investment for an individual library. The lack of comparative of studies means that the appropriate level of return on investment than that which the taxpayer or investor should expect, has yet to be established.Research limitations/implications – There is a need for further research to identify...

Florida Public Utilities Co.

Florida Public Utilities Co.

Florida Public Utilities Co.

AbstractElectricity (MIC: 7.1 SIC: 4931 NAIC:221121)Florida Public Utilities is regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission (except for propane gas service) and provides natural gas, electricity and propane gas services to retail and commercial customers in Florida. As of Dec 31 2003, Co.'s regulated segment sold natural gas and electricity to 74,582 customers in Central, Northeast, Northwest and Southern Florida. Co.'s unregulated segment operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Flo‐Gas Corporation, and sells propane gas to 12,413 customers throughout the State of Florida.

Florida Public Utilities Co.

AbstractElectricity (MIC: 7.1 SIC: 4931 NAIC:221121)Florida Public Utilities is regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission (except for propane gas service) and provides natural gas, electricity and propane gas services to retail and commercial customers in Florida. As of Dec 31 2003, Co.'s regulated segment sold natural gas and electricity to 74,582 customers in Central, Northeast, Northwest and Southern Florida. Co.'s unregulated segment operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Flo‐Gas Corporation, and sells propane gas to 12,413 customers throughout the State of Florida.

Law Enforcement Records Custodians' Decision-Making Behaviors in Response to Florida's Public Records Law

One of the greatest checks on government inefficiency or corruption may be citizens' access to government information, but access to that information is being thwarted across the country. Records custodians are charged with the important duty of granting and denying access to records. Studies have shown, however, that they are unwilling or unable to grant access to government information. If one had to pinpoint the governmental agency that is most likely to withhold such information, it would be law enforcement. This study-focusing on law enforcement agencies in Florida-was designed to help determine how and why law enforcement records can be difficult to access. The study uses qualitative research methods to examine the decision-making processes of records custodians and to provide solutions to problems caused by their failure to provide access.

Jeb Bush Ducks the Truth about Black Enrollments in Florida's Public Universities

Jeb Bush Ducks the Truth about Black Enrollments in Florida's Public Universities

Predicting Death From HIV/AIDS: A Case-Control Study From Florida Public HIV/AIDS Clinics

Background: After markedly decreasing for 3 years, HIV/AIDS mortality declined only slightly in 1999. Methods: The authors conducted a case-control study in four Florida urban public health HIV clinics to evaluate modifiable factors associated with HIV/AIDS mortality in a non-research setting. Structured chart review was conducted for 120 case-patients who died in 1999 and for 240 randomly selected control-patients. Risk factors associated with death in univariate analysis were entered into three conceptually related, matched logistic regression models. Results: In the final multivariate model, homelessness (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 9.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.34-42.5), Medicaid insurance (AOR, 3.10; 95% CI, 1.43-6.74), having a documented adherence problem (AOR, 3.50; 95% CI, 1.64-7.47), injection drug use (AOR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.11-5.43), non-specific liver failure (AOR, 76.9; 95% CI, 6.79-870.9), interrupted highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) secondary to side effects (AOR, 4.00; 95% CI, 1.46-10.9), and not receiving HAART (AOR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.03-6.68) were independent predictors of mortality. Conclusions: In addition to medical and clinical indicators, several sociobehavioraldemographic factors remained important throughout the multivariate analysis. Improvement in care should include a focus on social circumstances of infected people. Special attention to the homeless, those with adherence problems, and those with liver disease is clearly indicated.

Predicting death from HIV/AIDS: a case-control study from Florida public HIV/AIDS clinics.

After markedly decreasing for 3 years, HIV/AIDS mortality declined only slightly in 1999. The authors conducted a case-control study in four Florida urban public health HIV clinics to evaluate modifiable factors associated with HIV/AIDS mortality in a non-research setting. Structured chart review was conducted for 120 case-patients who died in 1999 and for 240 randomly selected control-patients. Risk factors associated with death in univariate analysis were entered into three conceptually related, matched logistic regression models. In the final multivariate model, homelessness (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 9.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.34-42.5), Medicaid insurance (AOR, 3.10; 95% CI, 1.43-6.74), having a documented adherence problem (AOR, 3.50; 95% CI, 1.64-7.47), injection drug use (AOR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.11-5.43), non-specific liver failure (AOR, 76.9; 95% CI, 6.79-870.9), interrupted highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) secondary to side effects (AOR, 4.00; 95% CI, 1.46-10.9), and not receiving HAART (AOR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.03-6.68) were independent predictors of mortality. In addition to medical and clinical indicators, several sociobehavioral-demographic factors remained important throughout the multivariate analysis. Improvement in care should include a focus on social circumstances of infected people. Special attention to the homeless, those with adherence problems, and those with liver disease is clearly indicated.

Proposed Rule Invalidated, Then Reinstated

A rule proposed by the Florida Public Service Commission regarding treatment of contributions in aid of construction (CIAC) in relation to margin reserves was not deficient for failing to provide a mechanism for full‐cost recovery of capital improvements required by governmental regulations, according to the District Court of Appeal of Florida.

Provider Assessments, the Uninsured, and Uncompensated Care: Florida's Public Medical Assistance Trust Fund

Several states have imposed a provider tax to create a revenue pool for compensating hospitals that provide services to the uninsured. In Florida, this fund, called the Public Medical Assistance Trust Fund, has been at least partially successful: First, fund dollars have helped provide coverage to many previously uninsured persons. Second, although direct subsidy payments cover only a small share of prior year uncompensated care dollars, public hospitals appear to be the primary beneficiaries of the subsidy payments. Third, the provider tax yields a stable, albeit inadequate, source of revenue. It appears to be a useful tool for generating the initial funding to expand health insurance coverage, but in order to raise enough money to finance substantial change, provider assessments will have to be imposed on a wider range of health care facilities and even on certain types of health care professionals.

Florida's response to serving citizens in the information age

The Florida Legislature created the Joint Committee on Information Technology Resources for the purpose of, in part, analyzing the impact of advances in information technology on the Florida Public Records Law. In responding to the U.S. Information Industry Association's recently promulgated access principles for state and local government, the author found that although Florida does not actively encourage a diversity of information sources, such diversity is an indirect result of the state's long tradition of open access. The public's right of access is now guaranteed in Florida by a new constitutional amendment that guarantees every person the right to inspect or copy the public records of all three branches of Florida government. Florida's law is silent about an agency's obligation to provide a public record in a particular medium. However, the Joint Committee has proposed legislation that would require an agency to provide a copy of a public record in the medium requested. Additionally, the proposed legislation would allow a reasonable fee for costs for the labor and overhead associated with duplicating or copying a computer database; current law allows only the actual cost of duplication. In an effort to insure equal and timely access, this legislation also contains a provision that requires agencies to consider public access and redaction of exempt information in the design and development of all electronic recordkeeping systems. In an attempt to avoid monopoly control over public information, the author sponsored legislation last year that would have repealed Florida's law allowing the copyright of agency-created software. The Joint Committee's proposed legislation has a provision that would assure meaningful access to data controlled by proprietary software and would also preclude an agency from entering into any contract that would impair the right of the public to inspect and copy public records.