The US-Canadian electricity grid is a network of providers and users that operate almost completely independently of one another. In August of 2003, First Energy’s (FE) Harding-Chamberlain transmission line near Akron, Ohio went offline starting a series of cascading failures that eventually led to 8 US states and 1 Canadian province totaling nearly 50 million people without power. The failure of transmission lines are common occurrences relating to the inability to exactly predict the electricity demand at any time (as will be discussed later in this document). The inability to properly monitor and react across multiple organizations to the downed line was the true failure that led to the blackout. This outage not only left homes and businesses without power but paralyzed critical public services such as transportation networks and hospitals. The estimated cost of the outage is between 4 and 6 billion US dollars.

Recent climatic trends show more flooding and extreme heat events and in the future transportation infrastructure may be susceptible to more frequent and intense environmental perturbations. Our transportation systems have largely been designed to withstand historical weather events, for example, floods that occur at an intensity that is experienced once every 100 years, and there is evidence that these events are expected become more frequent. There are increasing efforts to better understand the impacts of climate change on transportation infrastructure. An abundance of new research is emerging to study various aspects of climate change on transportation systems. Much of this research is focused on roadway networks and reliable automobile travel. We explore how flooding and extreme heat might impact passenger rail systems in the Northeast and Southwest U.S.

This study employs corpus-based discourse analysis to investigate racial and gender disparities in opioid prescribing practices. Analysis of 171 medical interactions in the United States from 2008 to 2020, drawn from the Verilogue corpus of doctor-patient dialogue, revealed a significant relationship between patients’ race and physicians’ prescribing behaviors. By systematically examining the stages in which patients were either prescribed or denied opioids, this study quantifies the challenges faced by patients as they navigate opioid-related discussions. 

Statistical analyses revealed that patient race was significantly associated with whether patients were prescribed and offered opioids, while gender did not show any significant association. Logistic regression analysis revealed that racial and ethnic minorities (REMs) had significantly lower odds of being prescribed opioids for their pain. REMs were also less likely to be offered opioids, resulting in them having to initiate requests for this fraught medication.

Discourse analysis of excerpts is provided to offer deeper insights into these disparities, highlighting patterns of increased scrutiny and hesitance in prescribing opioids to REM patients, even when they reported severe pain. In contrast, interactions with White patients often demonstrated more relaxed prescribing practices and increased patient autonomy in treatment decisions. These findings align with current research on inequities in pain treatment across communities. By illuminating these disparities, this research emphasizes the importance of understanding various culturally-dependent linguistic practices, such as the diverse ways individuals express pain.