Search

Polyethylene (PE) mulches are widely used in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) production for weed suppression and crop growth optimization. However, PE mulches are not biodegradable and contribute to plastic pollution. Our objective was to develop and test biodegradable liquid-applied 'hydromulches' (HMs) as a sustainable alternative to PE mulch. HM weed suppression efficacy, strawberry plant growth, and yield were evaluated. HMformulations consisted of shredded newsprint paper (NP), water, and a tackifier, either guar gum (GG) or psyllium husk (PH) added at 2 or 6%. Experiments were conducted at two environmentally distinct locations: northwest Washington (WA) and eastern North Dakota (ND). Five HM formulations were compared to black PEmulch within a randomized complete block design with four replications. PEmulch suppressed weeds completely at peak weed emergence and peak weed vegetative growth at both locations. Formulations of HM containing GG provided superior weed suppression compared to other HM formulations at peak weed emergence (4-6 vs. 18-22 plants m-2, respectively). At peak vegetative growth, HM formulations containing GG had the lowest weed density compared to other HMs in ND (1 vs. 9-12 plants m-2), whereas these differences were not observed in WA. Total weed biomass did not differ among HMs across both locations. GG HM formulations deteriorated similarly to PE mulch (3-5% vs. 2%, respectively) in ND, whereas other HMs deteriorated more substantially. In WA, all HMs deterioratedmore than PEmulch (6-12% vs. 1%, respectively). Fruit yield did not differ among treatments inweedy and weed-free subplots (194-254 g plant-1) inWA. In ND, yield was greater in all HM treatments compared to PE mulch in both weedy andweed-free subplots. Across both locations, strawberry canopy coverwas greater in PE mulch (56.1% canopy cover) compared to 2%GG and NP (42.4 and 39.8% canopy cover). Strawberry plant biomass was similar among mulch treatments. However, strawberry leaf and crown biomass were slightly lower in 2%PH compared to other mulch treatments. Results demonstrate HMs with GG tackifier are a promising alternative to PE mulch in organic strawberry systems based on ability to suppress weeds, enhance strawberry growth, and maintain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the stability of a real-world wind farm, Bison Wind Generation System (BWGS) in the state of North Dakota in the United States. BWGS uses an AC collector grid rated at 34.5 kV and a symmetrical bipolar high-voltage DC (HVDC) transmission grid rated at ±250 kV. The HVDC line transfers a total power of 0.5 GW, while both the HVDC rectifier and inverter substations use line-commuted converters (LCCs). The LCC-based rectifier adopts constant DC current control to regulate HVDC current, while the inverter operates in constant extinction angle control mode to maintain a fixed HVDC voltage. This paper proposes a frequency scan-based approach to obtain the d–q impedance model of (i) BWGS AC collector grids with Type 4 wind turbines that use permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs) and two fully rated converters, and (ii) an LCC-HVDC system. The impedance frequency response of the BWGS is acquired by exciting the AC collector grid and LCC-HVDC with multi-sine voltage perturbations during its steady-state operation. The resulting voltage and current signals are subjected to a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to extract frequency components. By analyzing the impedance frequency response measurement of BWGS, a linear time–invariant (LTI) representation of its dynamics is obtained using the vector fitting (VF) technique. Finally, a Bode plot is applied, considering the impedance of the BWGS and grid to perform stability analyses. This study examines the influence of the short circuit ratio (SCR) of the grid and the phase lock loop (PLL) frequency bandwidth on the stability of the overall system. The findings provide valuable insights for the design and verification of an AC collector and LCC-based HVDC transmission systems. The findings suggest that the extraction of the impedance model of a real-world wind farm, achieved through frequency scanning and subsequent representation as an LTI system using VF, is regarded as a robust, suitable, and accurate methodology for investigating the dynamics, unstable operating conditions, and control interaction of the wind farm and LCC-HVDC system with the AC grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several states had an assessment that they considered to be an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS) in place, or in development, when the April 2007 federal regulations on modified achievement standards were finalized. This article uses publicly available information collected by the National Center on Educational Outcomes to analyze changes in states' AA-MAS between 2007 and 2008. The article compares across the 2 years the number of states that had an assessment they considered to be an AA-MAS, states' participation guidelines, and the characteristics of these assessments. We also provide information about the number of students who participated in this assessment option during the 2006-07 school year. In 2007, six states (Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma) either had or were in the process of developing an assessment they considered to be an AA-MAS. In 2008, California, Connecticut, and Texas also offered this assessment option. Six of the nine states that have been early implementers of the AA-MAS were states that had offered an out-of-level testing option until federal policies required that option to be phased out. Most states had fewer items on their AA-MAS than on their regular assessment. States that had participation guidelines for the AA-MAS in 2007 developed them prior to finalization of the federal regulations, and some changes between 2007 and 2008 in states' participation guidelines appear to have been made to better align the guidelines with the regulations. The characteristics of the assessments states consider to be AA-MASs are changing rapidly and will probably continue to change rapidly over the next few years as more is learned about the advantages and limitations of this assessment. (Contains 5 tables and 4 footnotes.)

Flaring of associated gas from oil wells and the excess gas from gas-processing units and oil refineries is one of the most prominent producers of greenhouse gas emissions. Flaring, by definition, is a method used to burn unwanted flammable gas, which produces significant amounts of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur oxide. The petroleum industry adds millions of tons of CO2 annually into the atmosphere by flaring gas, which presents a serious risk due to the environmental and economic impacts associated with it. In light of the increasing awareness of this threat, the industry is investigating economical means to reduce the anthropogenic release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Oil production from the Bakken and Three Forks formations has significantly increased over the last ten years without commensurate augmentation of gas capture infrastructure, which, consequently, resulted in increased flaring of the associated gas. The North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) has set rigorous regulations to reduce flaring. However, operating companies are experiencing challenges to meet NDIC gas capturing limit of 95%, which leads to oil production being curtailed. This paper presents an overview of the latest technologies implemented worldwide to reduce gas flaring and discusses their applicability as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Then, to evaluate North Dakota's flaring situation, the amount of gas flaring within the recent years is provided. It is discussed that implementation of underground gas storage and methanol portable units may be cost-effective measures to meet the North Dakota gas-capturing objective. A successful implementation of gas recovery technologies can significantly reduce gas emissions and gain potential economic profit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we develop a stochastic optimization model to evaluate tradeoffs and effects of strategic variables on storage and logistics costs in managing an ethanol supply chain. Specific objectives include: (1) to develop a model of the ethanol supply chain incorporating stochastic variables capturing uncertainties that ethanol merchandisers manage; (2) to evaluate effects of short- and long-term decisions such as feedstock purchase, when to ship, rail car strategies, and transit time and: (3) to analyze impacts of random variables and strategies on supply chain costs. The model maximizes profit from operation of the supply chain subject to decisions on corn feedstock procurement, ethanol production, ethanol shipments, corn and ethanol inventory levels, and rail car transit time and number of rail cars needed for the ethanol to be shipped. A representative case study in North Dakota ethanol firm is used for illustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North Dakota is a significant producer of wind energy in the United States. In the first decades of this century, the state went from almost zero production to over 25% of its electricity sourced from wind energy. Across the border in Canada, the province of Saskatchewan—which has the same wind capacity as North Dakota—did not develop wind energy during this same time period. This paper looks at print news media coverage of renewable energy, especially wind energy, in the two jurisdictions between 2009–2018. The main finding is that news media coverage of renewable energy is similar despite the very different wind energy portfolios. This suggests a possible disjoint between the media and public discourse on renewable energy politics. Regardless of the size of the renewable energy sector, the media reports very little on it. Overall, the study concludes that more robust discussions around the environment-energy nexus would be beneficial as the jurisdictions continue to grow their energy portfolios and potentially transition toward more renewable energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As agriculture becomes an increasingly data-driven sector, it is important to understand the technology use and barriers by the service providers who work closely with producers. This is especially important as these individuals can serve as drivers for technology adoption by farmers and ranchers. Although many surveys have looked at technology adoption by producers, little data on agricultural industry service providers exists. Surveys of Extension Professionals (EP) in Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and several categories of Agricultural Service Providers (ASP) in Wisconsin were administered in 2018 to determine satisfaction with internet service and to learn more about information and technology usage and potential barriers to its adoption within the industry. In addition, follow-up informational telephone interviews were conducted with 13 Wisconsin EP. A paper survey was administered to ASP, which had a response rate of 35% (N=462). A similar online survey was administered to EP having an estimated 23% response rate (N=223). The frequency of transmission of data, information, and recommendations was high but specialized for both groups with more frequent use in crop production versus livestock (including dairy). The most commonly-cited barriers associated with the adoption of digital technologies by ASP were related to attracting and hiring well-qualified IT employees, training for both employees and clients, and data security. While data security was a commonly cited barrier, 16% of ASP worked for companies that did not have written policies on data privacy. ASP and EP consider their clients to be adept at using text messages, images, maps, and smartphones. They do not consider their clients to be skilled in their use of digitally accessed and used financial statements, spreadsheets, or laboratory analysis reports. Additional training should be better focused on these areas for ASP and EP which would allow them to be more effective in educating producers and to better realize the value associated with more thoughtful and widespread digital technology adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. construction industry has been known to employ workers without a college education and provide adequate compensation make ends meet. Today, job quality in the industry has deteriorated to a level where wages are too low, causing workers to rely on U.S. safety net programs. This may be exacerbated by oil price changes, especially in regions where the oil industry is a significant driver of the economy. In this paper, we investigate the effects of oil price dynamics on real wages in the construction industry. A non-linear ARDL and TAR model are used for the empirical exercise which focusses on six top oil producing counties in the U.S. Long-run findings indicate that a 10% increase in oil price increases construction wages by 1.4, 1.2 and 9.3% in Kern, Weld and McKenzie Counties, respectively. Short run estimates indicate that a positive shock to oil prices increases wages in McKenzie County, North Dakota. Results from the TAR model show that the impact of an expansionary monetary policy to increase investment – and accordingly, increase wages – is diluted when oil prices are below the low oil price threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently discovered mass mortality of fishes from the Tanis Site in the North Dakota portion of the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation contains many well-preserved, three-dimensional skeletons. Among these are representatives of two acipenseriform families, Acipenseridae (sturgeons) and Polyodontidae (paddlefishes). This paper describes two new monotypic polyodontid genera, expanding our knowledge of polyodontid diversity. The first of the new species described here is †Parapsephurus willybemisi n. gen. n. sp. It is distinguished from all other known species by having a combination of posteriorly elongate parietals, the middle fenestra longitudinalis bordered medially by the parietal and frontal and laterally by the dermopterotic, slender and numerous dorsal caudal fulcra, an elongate hyomandibula that is not hourglass shaped, and gill rakers that are short and widely spaced. The second polyodontid species described here is †Pugiopsephurus inundatus n. gen. n. sp. It is diagnosed by a combination of having stellate bones that are exceptionally poorly developed or absent and having a dermopalatine with a medial expansion and lacking an ectopterygoid process. The two species of paddlefishes described in this paper add to the morphological and taxonomic diversity of Polyodontidae. The presence of these taxa within the Hell Creek Formation hints at substantial diversity of polyodontids at this stage of their evolutionary history. UUID: http://zoobank.org/08cbf8c5-59ba-41fa-9265-8cb762cf7b13 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a workflow for delineating a risk‐based area of review (AOR) to support a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Class VI permit for a carbon dioxide (CO2) storage project. The approach combines semianalytical solutions for estimating formation fluid leakage through a hypothetical leaky wellbore with the results of physics‐based numerical reservoir simulations. The workflow is demonstrated using a case study for a hypothetical 180,000‐metric‐ton‐per‐year storage project located in the Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership region, which includes all or part of 10 states in the United States and four Canadian provinces. Under the scenario where the leaky wellbore is open to a saline aquifer (thief zone) between the overlying seal (cap rock) and the underground sources of drinking water (USDW), the risk‐based AOR is no larger than the areal extent of the CO2 plume in the storage reservoir because the pressure buildup in the storage reservoir beyond the CO2 plume is insufficient to drive formation fluids up a hypothetical leaky wellbore into the USDW. However, even under the conservative assumption that the leaky wellbore is not open to a thief zone, the incremental leakage beyond the areal extent of the CO2 plume is less than 400 m3 over 20 years. The approach outlined in this paper is designed to be protective of USDWs and comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act requirements and provisions for the EPA Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program (Class VI Rule) and North Dakota Administrative Code Chapter 43‐05‐01. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classifying bare earth (ground) points from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) point clouds is well-established research in the forestry, topography, and urban domains using point clouds acquired by Airborne LiDAR System (ALS) at average point densities (≈2 points per meter-square (pts/m2)). The paradigm of point cloud collection has shifted with the advent of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) onboard affordable laser scanners with commercial utility (e.g., DJI Zenmuse L1 sensor) and unprecedented repeatability of UAS-LiDAR surveys. Therefore, there is an immediate need to investigate the existing methods, and to develop new ground classification methods, using UAS-LiDAR. In this paper, for the first time, traditional ground classification algorithms and modern machine learning methods were investigated to filter ground from point clouds of high-density UAS-LiDAR data (≈900 pts/m2) over five agricultural fields in North Dakota, USA. To this end, we tested frequently used ground classification algorithms: Cloth Simulation Function (CSF), Progressive Morphological Filter (PMF), Multiscale Curvature Classification (MCC), and ArcGIS ground classification algorithms along with the PointCNN deep learning model were trained. We investigated two aspects of ground classification algorithms and PointCNN: (a) Classification accuracy of optimized ground classification algorithms (i.e., fine adjustment is user-defined parameters) and PointCNN over training site, and (b) transferability potential over four yet diverse test agricultural fields. The well-established evaluation metrics of omission error, commission error, and total error, along with kappa coefficients showed that deep learning outperforms the traditional ground classification algorithms in both aspects: (a) overall classification accuracy, and (b) transferability over diverse agricultural fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: COVID-19 exerted severe challenges on skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents and staff. A combination of internal and external factors predisposed SNFs to an increased propensity of COVID-19 spread. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to examine which facility characteristics may have contributed to COVID-19 outbreaks within urban and rural North Dakota skilled nursing facilities. Methods: A 23-question survey regarding facility characteristics was developed and distributed to all 78 North Dakota skilled nursing facilities (SNF). Findings: Of the North Dakota SNF, 40 out of 78 total facilities (51.2%) participated in the survey. Of those participating, 38 of 40 (95%) were in counties with populations under 50,000, with the smallest county population being 1,876. A Spearman's rank test suggested a relationship between the community spread of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 positivity of SNF residents. Spearman's rank also suggested a positive association between the SNF resident COVID-19 positivity in relation to staff positivity (p-value 0.042) and county rates (p-value 0.045). Limitations: While this is a comprehensive survey with a very good response rate, two key limitations are identified. First, the survey relies on self-reported data from SNF staff. Second, it is not clear what data would have been received from non-responding SNFs. Implications: Substantial lessons have been learned, which may not only aid future pandemic preparedness but improve the quality of care for nursing home residents during a pandemic or other respiratory disease outbreaks. Proactively knowing susceptibilities and vulnerabilities ahead of time will allow local and state leaders to plan and allocate resources. Future state and local pandemic emergency plans need to be reviewed with the prioritization of skilled nursing facilities as front line facilities during a pandemic, rather than placing their "traditional" emphasis of emergency preparedness on hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper provides new results to the literature, showing that output flexibility in oil production depends on the extraction technology. In particular, constructing a novel well‐level monthly production dataset covering more than 16,000 crude oil wells in North Dakota, we find supply elasticity of shale wells to be positive and in the range of 0.3–0.9, depending on wells and firms characteristics. We find no such responses for conventional wells. We interpret the supply pattern of shale oil wells to be consistent with the Hotelling theory of optimal extraction. Reserves are an inventory, and the decision to produce is an intertemporal choice of when to draw down below‐ground inventory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As agriculture becomes an increasingly data-driven sector, it is important to understand the technology use and barriers by the service providers who work closely with producers. This is especially important as these individuals can serve as drivers for technology adoption by farmers and ranchers. Although many surveys have looked at technology adoption by producers, little data on agricultural industry service providers exists. Surveys of Extension Professionals (EP) in Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and several categories of Agricultural Service Providers (ASP) in Wisconsin were administered in 2018 to determine satisfaction with internet service and to learn more about information and technology usage and potential barriers to its adoption within the industry. In addition, follow-up informational telephone interviews were conducted with 13 Wisconsin EP. A paper survey was administered to ASP, which had a response rate of 35% (N=462). A similar online survey was administered to EP having an estimated 23% response rate (N=223). The frequency of transmission of data, information, and recommendations was high but specialized for both groups with more frequent use in crop production versus livestock (including dairy). The most commonly-cited barriers associated with the adoption of digital technologies by ASP were related to attracting and hiring well-qualified IT employees, training for both employees and clients, and data security. While data security was a commonly cited barrier, 16% of ASP worked for companies that did not have written policies on data privacy. ASP and EP consider their clients to be adept at using text messages, images, maps, and smartphones. They do not consider their clients to be skilled in their use of digitally accessed and used financial statements, spreadsheets, or laboratory analysis reports. Additional training should be better focused on these areas for ASP and EP which would allow them to be more effective in educating producers and to better realize the value associated with more thoughtful and widespread digital technology adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the effect of state charitable giving tax credits on the contribution revenues of eligible charities. Using event studies paired with Form 990 data, we detect no significant change in contributions to qualified nonprofits after the elimination of a $100 per taxpayer credit by Michigan. By contrast, we find a significant increase in contributions to qualified charities following the introduction of a $10,000 per taxpayer credit by North Dakota that persists for several years. The results suggest that placing a large cap on charitable giving tax credits induces stronger donor responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North Dakota is a transitional semiarid region with annual precipitation in the eastern part of the state of about 50–55 cm, mostly from rainfall. The moisture demand from interseeding cover crops into standing corn (Zea mays) early in the season has been a concern and is likely why most corn growers do not interseed cover crops. Corn grain yield was determined in response to interseeding of cereal rye (Secale cereale) or oat (Avena sativa), radish (Raphanus sativus), and camelina (Camelina sativa) and incremental fertilizer nitrogen (N) application rates for five site‐years in the eastern North Dakota. Fifty‐eight days and 35 days of leaf wetness from dew in 2019 and 2020, respectively, were recorded. Cumulative dew accumulation since cover crop emergence was 5.6 mm and 3.5 mm in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Interseeding and its interactions with fertilizer‐N rate did not influence the grain yield. However, cereal rye produced the most biomass of the cover crop species, but the amount varied with site and growing season conditions. Late October, cereal rye biomass produced was 98.8 kg ha−1 in 2018, 352 kg ha−1 in 2019, and 70.3 kg ha−1 in 2020 at the Gardner site. Interseeding did not reduce grain yield loss compared to control. Outcomes will encourage corn growers to adopt cover crops without any changes in their fertilizer N application. Core Ideas: No yield was compromised due to cover crop interseeding.Fertilizer‐N rate did not interfere with cover crop interseeding.In eastern North Dakota, cereal rye can be interseeded at corn V7 stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial equilibrium models have been used extensively by policy makers to prospectively determine the consequences of government programs that affect consumer incomes or the prices consumers pay. However, these models have not previously been used to analyze government programs that inform consumers. In this paper, we develop a model that policy makers can use to quantitatively predict how consumers will respond to risk communications that contain new health information. The model combines Bayesian learning with the utility-maximization of consumer choice. We discuss how this model can be used to evaluate information policies; we then test the model by simulating the impacts of the North Dakota Folic Acid Educational Campaign as a validation exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minority voters have experienced a renewed effort to curtail their access to the ballot box in recent years. Although a host of research has examined the impact of election changes on Black and Latino voters, scholars have dedicated much less attention to the rights of Native Americans, even as they face challenges to voting in states where they comprise a significant portion of the population. Many of these states are likewise increasingly important to national elections. Such laws may impact Native Americans when they intersect with the political geography of living on a reservation, and voting rights advocates have challenged them in places like Montana, Nevada and North Dakota. This paper empirically evaluates how such laws might uniquely impact Native American voters. We draw on North Dakota's voter identification law as a case study, but our analysis has wider implications, since residency is the primary means by which election administration uniquely impacts this group. Drawing on two rich survey datasets collected in 2015 and 2017, we offer descriptive evidence of the barriers individuals may encounter while trying to obtain an ID under North Dakota's law, and find that Native Americans are statistically less likely to have access to an ID than are whites. This gap is largely due to the requirement that an ID has a physical address and attendant difficulties in obtaining such an ID, given the remote nature of reservations. We bring needed attention to the impact of carefully crafted electoral rules on this often-overlooked group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this paper we describe the use of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to study implementation of a web-based, point-of-care, EHR-linked clinical decision support (CDS) tool designed to identify and provide care recommendations for adults with prediabetes (Pre-D CDS).Methods: As part of a large NIH-funded clinic-randomized trial, we identified a convenience sample of interview participants from 22 primary care clinics in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin that were randomly allocated to receive or not receive a web-based EHR-integrated prediabetes CDS intervention. Participants included 11 clinicians, 6 rooming staff, and 7 nurse or clinic managers recruited by study staff to participate in telephone interviews conducted by an expert in qualitative methods. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and data analysis was conducted using a constructivist version of grounded theory.Results: Implementing a prediabetes CDS tool into primary care clinics was useful and well received. The intervention was integrated with clinic workflows, supported primary care clinicians in clearly communicating prediabetes risk and management options with patients, and in identifying actionable care opportunities. The main barriers to CDS use were time and competing priorities. Finally, while the implementation process worked well, opportunities remain in engaging the care team more broadly in CDS use.Conclusions: The use of CDS tools for engaging patients and providers in care improvement opportunities for prediabetes is a promising and potentially effective strategy in primary care settings. A workflow that incorporates the whole care team in the use of such tools may optimize the implementation of CDS tools like these in primary care settings. Trial registration Name of the registry: Clinicaltrial.gov.Trial Registration Number: NCT02759055. Date of registration: 05/03/2016. URL of trial registry record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02759055 Prospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2005, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly authorized the formation of a task force to prepare a social statement on genetics and faith. Although the Churchwide Assembly voted to adopt the social statement in August of 2011 by a wide margin, there had been an earlier controversy. In June 2010, an article in the Dakota Farmer questioned whether the ELCA was accusing farmers of "sin" for planting genetically engineered crop seeds. At least two churches in rural North Dakota cited this factor as a reason for leaving the ELCA. Seven synods with strong farmer constituencies proposed resolutions challenging the social statement. This paper explores how the opposition used agrarianism and libertarianism to attack the ELCA's use of the Christian concept of the common good in the social statement. This case reveals the challenges that the Church faces when contributing to ethical deliberations on controversial issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the growing wind penetration, the diurnal and seasonal patterns of wind speed may create a considerable impact on system adequacy. To assess such impact, this paper proposes a two-phase wind speed simulation model considering diurnal and seasonal patterns. The joint wind speed probability distribution of 24-h wind speed is employed to consider the diurnal pattern in the first phase. The optimal season coefficients are proposed to consider the seasonal pattern in the second phase. The optimal season coefficients are obtained by minimizing the difference between the mean value and standard deviation of simulated wind speeds and those of actual wind speeds at each season. With the proposed model, the seasonal adequacy assessment procedure of wind-integrated generation systems considering diurnal and seasonal patterns is developed. The actual wind speed data collected from the wind site in North Dakota are used to justify the accuracy and efficacy of the proposed model. The influences of seasonal pattern, wind turbine quantity, and system peak load on seasonal system adequacy are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Nowadays, the popular 2.4‐GHz band is used in different systems, such as Wi‐Fi, Bluetooth, wireless sensor systems, and wireless cameras. Instead of the over‐crowded 2.4‐GHz Wi‐Fi band, this research offers the experience of using the 5‐GHz Wi‐Fi band, which provides more spectrum availability, more channels, larger bandwidth, faster data transmission, higher data rates, higher speed, and better quality of service compared to those of the 2.4‐GHz band. In this paper, practical implementation and testing of a cooperative spectrum sensing system are presented. The spectrum utilization in the 5‐GHz Wi‐Fi licensed band at six different locations is investigated to allow the transition of secondary users (SUs) to free bands. The spectrum measurement is performed on a centralized cooperative spectrum sensing system, which consists of a master cognitive radio node and five cognitive radio stations. The measurement and simulation results for the practical system are compared with the previous related measurements obtained in Singapore, Barcelona, North Dakota (USA), and Germany. They all agree that the spectrum is underutilized, and it needs to be better utilized for increasing the spectrum efficiency. The practical results show that the newly implemented system in the 5‐GHz range fulfills the requirements of users with high efficiency and high quality of service compared to those of the 2.4‐GHz system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Devils Lake, a terminal lake in northeast North Dakota (USA), has experienced catastrophic flooding since 1993. From January 31, 1993, to December 31, 2014, lake level rose from 433.62 to 442.44 m, lake area expanded from 179.9 to 653.5 km2, and lake volume increased from 0.70 to 3.80 km3. More than $1 billion ($USD) has been spent in government payments to mitigate direct, primary, tangible flood damages. This paper provides a case study of the hydrological basis of the Devils Lake flood disaster. The unique geomorphic setting, paleoclimatic record, and hydroclimatic conditions of the region are summarized, and a wide range of hydroclimatic data is examined to provide a broad understanding of the physical basis of the flood disaster. The primary cause of the disaster was a transition to a sustained wetter climate that resulted in a dramatic response in basin hydrological variables in 1993. The transition from a long-term dry period to a long-term wet period caused the lake water budget to begin to change from an atmosphere-controlled water budget dominated by precipitation input to an amplifier lake water budget dominated by surface runoff input to the lake. Other important hydrological factors include a nonlinear precipitation–runoff relationship following the long-term drought, fill-spill and fill-merge hydrological behavior that is characteristic of wetland complexes, an increase in the lake area-to-basin area ratio, and the critical role of frozen soils in controlling infiltration and runoff production of spring snowmelt. Engineering works to manage lake volume through two outlets have reduced, but not entirely eliminated, future flood risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Latin American & Caribbean Studies (Routledge) is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper argues for the value of a comparison of the Métis national movement with the Catalan national movement. It pays special attention to the matter of federalism (especially the writings of Harry Daniels and the recent court rulings about Catalonia's status and bid for independence), of small communities that have been "carved out" (especially the Métis Settlements of Alberta and the microstate of Andorra) and the existence of communities that cross borders (especially the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota and the Catalan communities of France). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cass Clay Food Partners is a network of professionals, stakeholders, and residents serving Cass County, North Dakota, and Clay County, Minnesota, in creating a healthier, more just local food system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cass Clay Food Partners quickly implemented a multipronged response that leveraged three critical assets of our network: (1) our unique structure, (2) our nuanced understanding of the social ties across overlapping networks, and (3) our ability to quickly pivot our work to address community needs. In this paper, we describe how our network responded to both the challenges and opportunities presented to our food system by the COVID-19 crisis. We also provide tools and recommendations for other food policy and food network practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a time-varying parameter regression model for modeling, forecasting, and assessing inter-annual trends in daily snow depths. The time-varying parameter regression is written in a simple state-space representation and forecasted using a Kalman filter. The recursive Kalman filter algorithm updates the time-varying parameter sequentially when a new data point becomes available and is a flexible forecasting technique. The proposed method is applied to a time series of daily snow depth observations recorded over a 103 year period at a station in Napoleon, North Dakota. The forecasts of the final ten years of data perform well when compared to the actual daily snow depths. Inter-annual snow depth trends indicate an increase in mid-winter snow depths followed by an earlier spring ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]