Salinity management options for the Colorado River. Damage estimates and control program impacts

Rivers draining arid basins increase in salinity content in the downstream area to the point where water users are often significantly damaged. The problem in some cases can be ameliorated by altering upstream water and land use practices. An economic trade off exists between the cost of such upstream efforts and the downstream benefits achieved. This report examines options for salinity management in the Colorado River Basin. The study sought to provide additional information to estimate 1) economic damages caused by various salt concentrations to agricultural and municipal water users and 2) economic costs of salinity control measures by upstream water users. Damages were estimated for high salinity levels to provide guidelines to project future conditions. Control costs were estimated with a physical model developed to predict the response of soil, water, and crop factors. Input-output models were used to estimate indirect economic impacts. Agricultural damages for each milligram per liter of salt concentration at Imperial Dam in the 900 to 1400 range were estimated to be #33,100 annually. Of the total, $28,200 are in the Imperial Valley and decreasing g amounts occur respectively in the Palo Verde, Yuma, Colorado River Indian Reservation, Sand Diego, Coachella, and Central Arizona and$11,400 for the $112,000 per mg/1. Comparable estimates were$11,200 for Central Arizona and $11,400 for the Las Vegas area. As for controlled costs, 80 percent of the initial salt load could theoretically be at an incremental cost of less than$2.20 per ton. The comparison of the reduction measures showed on-farm practices to be the last expensive alternative for reducing salinity. Based on an approximation that 1 mg/1 at Imperial Dam is equivalent to 10,000 tons of salt, the above estimated benefits of salinity reduction would be about $17 per ton. Salinity control projects at Paradox Valley and acreage retirements in the Grand and Uncompaghre Valleys were found to be economically justified but lining the Grand Valley Canal was not. The above estimates are approximations obtained from available data and can be improved by further studies to cover additional cost and benefit effects or by more comprehensive data the effects covered

A connectome and analysis of the adult Drosophila central brain.

The neural circuits responsible for animal behavior remain largely unknown. We summarize new methods and present the circuitry of a large fraction of the brain of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Improved methods include new procedures to prepare, image, align, segment, find synapses in, and proofread such large data sets. We define cell types, refine computational compartments, and provide an exhaustive atlas of cell examples and types, many of them novel. We provide detailed circuits consisting of neurons and their chemical synapses for most of the central brain. We make the data public and simplify access, reducing the effort needed to answer circuit questions, and provide procedures linking the neurons defined by our analysis with genetic reagents. Biologically, we examine distributions of connection strengths, neural motifs on different scales, electrical consequences of compartmentalization, and evidence that maximizing packing density is an important criterion in the evolution of the fly's brain

The design of a data compression system

The design is given for a Data Compression System which utilizes the latest Large Scale Integrated circuitry. A maximum of 64 analog channels can be digitized by a Time Multiplexed PCM System. The digital output of the PCM system is then checked for redundancy by the Central Processor Unit. Redundancy is determined by either the Zero Order Predictor or First Order Interpolator data compression algorithm, Non-redundant outputs of the Central Processor Unit are stored by the Output Buffer Memory to enable continuous synchronous transmission. Once received, the compressed data is reconstructed by a general purpose digital computer. The reconstruction program inserts the redundant data removed by the compressor and routes each channel to its final destination.Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department o

Quantifying Attitudes and Knowledge Change About the Meat-Animal Industry via a Massive Open Online Course

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer a unique platform through which Extension can provide valuable education. We explored The Meat We Eat, a MOOC designed to create a more informed meat consumer and increase perceptions of transparency surrounding meat production. Compared to pretest respondents (n = 490), students who completed the posttest (n = 226) had an improved attitude toward meat and slaughter, an improved perception of the meat industry’s transparency, and increased knowledge. These findings suggest the relevance and value of MOOCs as Extension activities for improving knowledge and attitudes toward animal agriculture and other topics