ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE DEPLETION OF THE OGALLALA AQUIFER: A CASE STUDY OF THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS OF TEXAS

Dynamic optimization and input-output models were used to estimate the impacts of depletion of the Ogallala aquifer in the Texas Southern High Plains. It was found that cropping patterns would shift toward water efficient crops and dryland production; and regional economic activity is likely to be adversely affected.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE DEPLETION OF THE OGALLALA AQUIFER: A CASE STUDY OF THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS OF TEXAS

Dynamic optimization and input-output models were used to estimate the impacts of depletion of the Ogallala aquifer in the Texas Southern High Plains. It was found that cropping patterns would shift toward water efficient crops and dryland production; and regional economic activity is likely to be adversely affected

Ogallala Aquifer Depletion: Economic Impact on the Texas High Plains

The impacts of the depletion of the Ogallala aquifer on the economy of the Southern High Plains of Texas were estimated by predicting future cropping patterns over a 30-year time horizon as the saturated thickness of the aquifer declines. Increased adoption of sprinkler irrigation methods, increased cotton acreage, and a shift to dryland production were the main responses found to declining water availability in the region. As the Ogallala aquifer is depleted, the region could experience a downturn in agricultural production with possible negative impacts on the regional economy assuming no other offsetting exogenous shocks to the economy

The Effect of Ethnicity in the Rate of Beta-Cell Functional Loss in the First 3 Years After Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis

Abstract Objective We set forth to compare ethnicities for metabolic and immunological characteristics at the clinical diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and assess the effect of ethnicity on beta-cell functional loss within 3 years after clinical diagnosis. Research Methods and Design We studied participants in TrialNet New Onset Intervention Trials (n = 624, median age = 14.4 years, 58% male, 8.7% Hispanic) and followed them prospectively for 3 years. Mixed meal tolerance tests (MMTT) were performed within 6 months following clinical diagnosis and repeated semiannually. Unless otherwise indicated, analyses were adjusted for age, sex, BMI Z-score, and diabetes duration. Results At T1D clinical diagnosis, Hispanics, compared with non-Hispanic whites (NHW), had a higher frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) (44.7% vs 25.3%, OR = 2.36, P = 0.01), lower fasting glucose (97 vs 109 mg/dL, P = 0.02) and higher fasting C-peptide (1.23 vs 0.94 ng/mL, P = 0.02) on the first MMTT, and higher frequency of ZnT8 autoantibody positivity (n = 201, 94.1% vs 64%, OR = 7.98, P = 0.05). After exclusion of participants in experimental arms of positive clinical trials, C-peptide area under the curve (AUC) trajectories during the first 3 years after clinical diagnosis were not significantly different between Hispanics and NHW after adjusting for age, sex, BMI-z score, and DKA (n = 413, P = 0.14). Conclusion Despite differences in the metabolic and immunological characteristics at clinical diagnosis of T1D between Hispanics and NHW, C-peptide trajectories did not differ significantly in the first 3 years following clinical diagnosis after adjustment for body mass index and other confounders. These findings may inform the design of observational studies and intervention trials in T1D. </jats:sec