Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Equitable grid resilience: Leveraging insights on power outage equity to develop incentive programs for customer resilience
No full textAs extreme weather events such as wildfires, ice storms, tornadoes and hurricanes increase in frequency and severity, the need to enhance grid resilience has become more urgent, particularly for power distribution systems in vulnerable regions. Traditional reliability assessments often fall short in addressing the prolonged outages caused by these extreme events. At the same time, socio-economic disparities exacerbate the impacts of power outages, as disadvantaged communities experience a disproportionate share of disruptions.
This thesis addresses both the technical and social dimensions of grid resilience by designing an equitable incentive program aimed at improving power resilience in disadvantages communities. Building on research that identifies inequities in power outages linked to socio-economic factors such as poverty, unemployment, minority status, and disability, the study proposes a customer resilience solution grounded in decision-making behaviors of end users, modeled by prospect theory. The proposed solution designs an incentive program for adoption of resilience-enhancing products, including diesel generators, solar PV systems, and/or battery systems, to reduce outages and mitigate their impact.
Guided by equity principles such as the "No-Loser" Criterion, the “Cost-Benefit” Criterion, and “Equal Access”, the proposed program ensures that all stakeholders: utilities, participants, and non-participants alike benefit from the improvements, while providing targeted support to socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Through surveys and expert decision-making models, the program tailors’ incentives to effectively bridge the identified gaps in grid resilience, fostering an equitable and resilient power system for all
Pink boll worm of cotton
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
Exploration of a heuristic predictive control strategy for ground source heat pumps coupled to standing column wells
No full textStanding column wells (SCW) have shown to be a cost-effective hybrid ground heat exchanger (GHE) configuration suitable for high-density urban areas as they benefit from groundwater advection while not requiring particularly productive aquifers. However, operating SCWs in cold climates can represent a control challenge since the groundwater can approach freezing conditions while recirculating; on the other hand, submersible pumps can cause a significant power usage. This article explores the potential of a heuristic predictive pumping control strategy built with an accurately calibrated white-box model of a real case study in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. Results show that it can be used to both contain pumping power and safely operate the SCWs without using an electric boiler as anti-freezing protection. In an exceptionally cold month, the predictive control strategy effectively prevents the boiler intervention, resulting in a 3.25 times reduction in peak power, with a slight increase in energy use (5.75%). In less extreme winter weather, the energy usage difference will be smaller, but the reactive control will likely use the boiler whenever the weather gets particularly cold. This study provides the basis for the development of predictive control rules that may be easily implemented in similar configurations
Medicare savings for seizure drugs by adopting the Mark Cuban Cost Plus drug company model
No full textBackground: Epilepsy is often a lifelong diagnosis, requiring pharmacologic management in most cases. Despite the chronicity of this disorder and management, there has been a rise in medication cost over the years. To address this issue, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC) has come out as a more affordable option to obtain patients’ prescriptions. Focusing on epileptic medication, this study examines the potential cost saving benefit of MCCPDC compared to Medicare Part D plans.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional review identifying the price difference of anticonvulsants available on MCCPDC compared to the 2021 Medicare Part D spending data. Prices for both dispensing and shipping fees were recorded for the minimum quantity (30ct) and maximum quantity (90ct). We compared unit costs and total savings, and compared standardized unit prices for 30-day and 90-day periods between Medicare and MCCPDC drugs.Results: Of the 16 anti-seizure medications shared between MCCPDC and Medicare, Medicare spending reached nearly 172 million on MCCPDC, but the average cost was 14.85% higher than Medicare. For 90ct prescriptions, savings were $373 million in 80% of drugs, a 31.63% reduction compared to Medicare prices.Conclusion: Our study highlights the potential savings with MCCPDC, especially among the 90ct medications, demonstrating that a cheaper alternative to chronic medications is possible if the pricing of MCCPDC is used in lieu of Medicare. We recommend that physicians educate patients on MCCPDC and their specific medications to find more accessible pricing. MCCPDC could alleviate financial burdens and enhance access to essential medications for patients, especially in the context of the increasing Medicare-enrolled population
Dream that won’t die: Why the American dream triumphs in We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
No full textThis paper explores the role of Zimbabwean migrants in sustaining the myth of the American Dream in NoViolet Bulawayo’s We Need New Names. While existing research on this novel examines external factors, such as socioeconomic instability in Zimbabwe and media representation, this study focuses on the internal actions of Zimbabwe migrants in sustaining the American Dream. Though often subtle and unintentional, these internal actions significantly influence migration trends from Zimbabwe. By selectively sharing their experiences, Zimbabwe migrants create an incomplete and idealized version of life in America for those in Zimbabwe. I posit that Zimbabwe migrants are not just passive victims of the American Dream but active participants in perpetuating it. By positioning Zimbabwe migrants as agents in promoting the American Dream, this study introduces a new dimension to Zimbabwe's migration discourse
Bindweed eradication in Oklahoma
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
Adult clothing demonstration: Second year demonstration no. 4; Appropriate dress
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
Understanding salinity tolerance mechanisms and strategic seedhead suppression in bermudagrass
No full textTurfgrass managers across the United States are increasingly challenged by rising salinity in water and soil. These challenges are compounded by government mandates requiring the use of low-quality, secondary water sources for irrigation, which drives the urgent need for salt-tolerant turfgrasses. Additionally, seedheads significantly reduce the aesthetic value and functional performance of turfgrass, particularly in high-maintenance areas such as putting greens. To address these issues, our study aimed to evaluate salinity tolerance and seedhead suppression in bermudagrass through two controlled-environment studies and one field study. The first greenhouse study included six bermudagrass genotypes (17×3, 12×19, 13×12, accession 1, accession 2, and 'Premier'). The second study focused exclusively on 'Tifway' bermudagrass. Both studies subjected the plants to three salinity treatments with electrical conductivity (EC) levels of 1.5, 15, and 30 dS m⁻¹ for eight weeks. Bermudagrass performance was evaluated through various parameters, including turf quality (TQ), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), vertical shoot growth (VSG), percent green coverage (GC), tissue sodium (Na⁺) concentration, relative salt gland Na⁺ excretion rate, root dry weight (RDW), and leaf salt gland density (SGD, for the first study only).In the first study, the experimental genotypes demonstrated superior salinity tolerance, maintaining acceptable turf quality at 30 dS m⁻¹. 'Premier' declined significantly under high salinity, while 17×3 showed the highest SGD and 12×19 exhibited the highest Na⁺ excretion from leaf salt glands, indicating robust salinity tolerance. Accession 2 and 'Premier' exhibited reduced RDW at 30 dS m⁻¹, whereas the experimental genotypes and accession 1 showed an increase, suggesting adaptive root growth under stress. Regarding the impact of Civitas™, its application at 1.43 mL m⁻² improved turfgrass health under non-saline conditions. However, higher application rates (2.71 mL m⁻²) exacerbated stress under salinity levels of 15 and 30 dS m⁻¹. The field study focused on seedhead suppression using four plant growth regulators (PGRs): trinexapac-ethyl (TE; Primo Maxx), ethephon (Proxy), prohexadione calcium (Anuew), paclobutrazol (Trimmit), and an untreated control. PGRs were applied biweekly before, during, and after the seedhead season on 'OKC3920' bermudagrass. Ethephon effectively delayed seedhead production during peak spring periods but led to reduced-intensity seedhead emergence in the summer and early fall. Paclobutrazol and TE promoted earlier green-up, though paclobutrazol was associated with temporary phytotoxicity. Overall, the salt-tolerant genotypes offer a potential solution for maintaining turfgrass quality and functionality under mild saline conditions. Further research is recommended to optimize strategies for effective seedhead suppression, ensuring maximum benefits for turfgrass managers
Taking soil samples
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
High-resolution monitoring and simulation of the temperatures in a borehole heat exchanger field over multiple years
No full textInstallation and operation of ground source heat pump systems build upon an enormous practical experience. As these systems are operated for decades, their techno-economic tenability strongly depends on the long-term in-situ heat transfer efficiency and thus the altered ambient subsurface temperatures. Imbalanced seasonal heat exchange causes thermal changes in the ground, which need to be understood to reliably predict the performance of a system during its lifetime. Despite extensive research, understanding the interaction between subsurface and borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) remains inconclusive and not thorough enough. This is due to the scarcity of detailed monitored sites and the monitoring time needed, which renders model calibration with data over multiple years or decades barely feasible. This study monitors an operational field over six years to better understand subsurface thermal changes induced by BHE operation. The ground source heat pump system supplies heat and cold for a multi-family house in Lausen, Switzerland, and consists of an array of three double-U tubes of 146 m each, along with one observation borehole. Ground temperatures were measured by distributed temperature sensing (DTS) at a temporal resolution of 20 minutes in each BHE as well as in the observation borehole. The thermal conductivity of different subsurface layers was derived through an enhanced thermal response test before the start of operation. The monitored data at the location of the BHEs reveal an annual cooling trend of around 0.55 °C. For the understanding of the controlling factors and processes, these cooling trends and temperature variabilities are reproduced in a numerical model. This is also done to evaluate the predictive capabilities of the model and to ultimately judge the spatial and temporal resolution needed for reliable simulation. Thereby, a three-dimensional U-tube model with heat extraction and free cooling was implemented for the site. Comparison of the simulation against measured data of the three BHEs reveals a fair agreement with a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.82 °C, whereas the full variability of observation borehole data cannot be reproduced by the model