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Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We continue to address the challenge of improving concentrate disposal for the large 15 mgd (2370 m³/h) inland reverse osmosis (RO) plant in El Paso, Texas. For the first time on a pilot scale, the feasibility of using two RO systems in tandem and using appropriate antiscalants and pH control, continuous production of permeate to limiting osmotic pressure of about 1000 psi (69 Bars) is possible [1,2,12]. Recovery is simply limited by the highest pump pressure available to overcome the resulting osmotic pressure [2]. Tandem RO without interstage treatment is being demonstrated. We envision that such a continuously operated tandem RO process can recover all the water possible to be produced from brackish ground waters at the highest possible pump pressures. At the maximum system pressure of 1000 psi, the highest total dissolved solids attainable in the concentrate are about 8-9% by weight. Anticipating the universal application of the continuous tandem RO process to generate super RO concentrates, an alternate path is now open for fractional crystallization of salts before thermal evaporation of water. Pursuing the development of an economical zero-liquid-discharge process applicable to inland municipal water treatment plants, we wish to explore the feasibility of fractionating the less soluble divalent calcium and magnesium salts from the monovalent sodium and potassium salts. In relatively large amounts, even in mixtures, these fractionated salts may have economic values such as in soil and dust control and for softening and deicing applications. Further more, 8-9% brine softened by the removal of multivalent salts and silica may have utility in cooling towers while being thermally concentrated for the ultimate recovery of the soluble sodium and potassium salts. In this paper, we present our initial investigation into a super-concentrate depleted of bicarbonates due to acidification needed for silica control. The concentrate at maximum recovery with a secondary RO in tandem in the demonstration plant was treated for calcium sulfate, magnesium, iron and silica precipitation. This paper describes the laboratory conditions used and observations made on the use of lime in preparation for scale-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results of a small scale study that utilized particle-tracking techniques to evaluate transport of river water through an alluvial aquifer in a bank infiltration testing site in El Paso, Texas, USA. The particle-tracking survey was used to better define filtration parameters. Several simulations were generated to allow visualization of the effects of well placement and pumping rate on flow paths, travel time, the size of the pumping influence zone, and proportion of river-derived water and groundwater mixing in the pumping well. Simulations indicate that migration of river water into the aquifer is generally slow. Most water does not arrive at the well by the end of an 18-day pumping period at 0.54 m3/min pumping rate for a well located 18 m from the river. Forty-four percent of the water pumped from the well was river water. The models provided important information needed to design appropriate sampling schedules for bank filtration practices and ensured meeting adequate soil-retention times. The pumping rate has more effect on river water travel time than the location of the pumping well from the river. The examples presented in this paper indicate that operating the pumping well at a doubled distance from the river increased the time required for the water to travel to the well, but did not greatly change the capture zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residents in Paso del Norte (El Paso, Texas; Sunland Park, New Mexico; and Juárez, Mexico) have been concerned about heavy metal contamination in their communities since the 1970s, when high blood lead levels were found in children living in Smeltertown – a company town for the local metals smelter. After the smelter's closure in 1999, and throughout onsite and offsite cleanup efforts, residents have continued to express concerns about these contamination issues. Using a politics of scale framework and analysing ethnographic data and government, media and scientific documents, this paper identifies a set of major disjunctures between the scales of heavy metal contamination and the scales at which that contamination is regulated. These disjunctures exacerbate regional environmental injustice by complicating public participation, neglecting vulnerability and displacing hazards to new communities. Consequently, applying a politics of scale framework to this case study highlights regulatory and policy failures to address environmental justice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abudu, S., J.P. King, Z. Sheng, 2011. Comparison of the Performance of Statistical Models in Forecasting Monthly Total Dissolved Solids in the Rio Grande. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(1): 10-23. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00587.x Abstract: This paper presents the application of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), transfer function-noise (TFN), and artificial neural networks (ANNs) modeling approaches in forecasting monthly total dissolved solids (TDS) of water in the Rio Grande at El Paso, Texas. Predictability analysis was performed between the precipitation, temperature, streamflow rates at the site, releases from upstream reservoirs, and monthly TDS using cross-correlation statistical tests. The chi-square test results indicated that the average monthly temperature and precipitation did not show significant predictability on monthly TDS series. The performances of one- to three-month-ahead model forecasts for the testing period of 1984-1994 showed that the TFN model that incorporated the streamflow rates at the site and Caballo Reservoir release improved monthly TDS forecasts slightly better than the ARIMA models. Except for one-month-ahead forecasts, the ANN models using the streamflow rates at the site as inputs resulted in no significant improvements over the TFN models at two-month-ahead and three-month-ahead forecasts. For three-month-ahead forecasts, the simple ARIMA showed similar performance compared to all other models. The results of this study suggested that simple deseasonalized ARIMA models could be used in one- to three-month-ahead TDS forecasting at the study site with a simple, explicit model structure and similar model performance as the TFN and ANN models for better water management in the Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of using remote sensing and geographic information system technology for extracting green-surface areas of a residential neighborhood (933.20 acres) of El Paso, Texas. Four IKONOS images (September 2000) and a parcel layer were used to identify the green-surface areas which is an important variable in modelling the outdoor water use of individual households. The modelled outdoor water use together with indoor water use was compared with water meter reading and was used to analyse the behaviour of individual household-based water consumption. The modelling processes improve our understanding of water consumption and resource distributions so that a better decision in water management can be made. The results showed that pervious (green) and impervious surfaces constitute 26% and 74% of the total area of the 2422 parcel lots, and 21% and 79% of the entire study area, respectively. Average indoor water use of 2374 residential parcels is 31 m3 (or 11 ccf) per month, derived by averaging the water use of December, January and February. Estimation of outdoor water demand for the landscape was based on monthly potential evapotranspiration information and the delineated green-surface area of each parcel. Thus, the difference between the water meter reading and estimated (indoor and outdoor) water uses can be calculated. This study provides an alternative and quick approach to help water departments in efficiently monitoring the water use of each household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the growing internationalization of the US economy, a literature has developed on the impacts of globalization on US industries and regions. In this paper we look at four MSAs that have a long history of integration with Mexico and test how their overall business cycles are connected to those of the broader economies that surround them. As globalization increases in the US, the lessons learned from these MSAs can be useful for cities trying to understand how globalization may impact them in the future. Results suggest that the border MSAs are significantly integrated with the broader economies that surround them but that the integration varies based on the structure of the local economy. Border MSAs that have large retail sectors that sell to Mexican nationals are more integrated with the Mexican economy, while El Paso, which has a close relationship with the maquiladora sector in Juarez, is more integrated with the US and Texas economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this multidisciplinary study, mathematical and economic tools are used to assess the potential benefits of water transfers between the agricultural and municipal sectors in El Paso County, Texas. The scenarios are based on water consumption and revenue data over the last 20 years. The study demonstrates that pima cotton has historically consumed the greatest quantities of water while generating the least revenue to farmers (average gross revenues over 20 years equals US$3OO/acre-foot of water); peppers and onions have gross revenues of US$980/acre-foot and US$1,260/acre-foot, respectively. The study also indicates that equal amounts of water generate higher revenues in the municipal sector versus the agricultural sector In 1999, 90,000 million gallons of water would have generated US$175,000,000 in the municipal sector in comparison to US$ 90,000,000 in the agricultural sector Finally, an “El Paso Water Transfer Center” is proposed to create a water market in El Paso County and dictate water prices based on supply/demand interactions. The water transfer center will also insure that farmers receive monetary incentives for the water they conserve and transfer to the municipal sector An acre-foot (AF) is the volume of water that would cover one acre to a depth of one foot, which is 43,560 cubic feet or 1233.5 cubic meters. This measurement unit is used in this paper since the literature, agreements and negotiations rely on acre-foot measurements in this region. Keeping the units in acre-feet will facilitate negotiations and applications of this study to regional users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This section is maintained by Vladik Kreinovich. Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to: Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El Paso, bilingual from the outset, becomes ever more so because its larger twin, Ciudad Juárez, is monolingual, and because Juárez grows rapidly. This paper discusses the linguistic impact on work, commerce and education of the fact that Spanish has a demographic advantage in the international region. In El Paso, many Juárez residents work with other Mexicans or Mexican Americans who emigrated after childhood, guaranteeing that certain jobs are hispanophone. El Pasoans unable or unwilling to speak English can take advantage of the extent to which El Paso functions in Spanish for the benefit of Juárez residents. Also discussed is the relationship between neighborhood and language proficiency; the issue of national identity; and the large number of Juárez youngsters who attend El Paso schools. For clearly instrumental reasons alone, El Paso's Mexican Americans must learn English but cannot afford to relinquish Spanish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies focusing on virga are rare, even though it is a commonly occurring phenomenon. In this study, we investigated aerosol backscatter profiles from a ceilometer located on The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) campus from 2015–2021 to identify virga events. Ceilometer data effectively captured virga events from regular precipitation based on the backscattering intensities. To characterize the virga phenomena, a systematic method was developed using ceilometer profiles, soundings, surface rain gauges, and radar data from the nearest National Weather Service (NWS) site. A total of 50 virga events were identified during the study period. These events appeared only during a specific time of the year, revealing a seasonal occurrence pattern. We identified and classified these virga events and investigated their impact on the surface measurements recorded by the on-campus Continuous Ambient Air Monitoring Station (CAMS). Virga events were classified as columnar and non-columnar events based on their aerosol profiles. We observed that during some of the columnar virga events, surface particulate matter (PM) levels displayed a sudden upward trend indicating aerosol loading in the surface layer after precipitation evaporation. In total, 20 of the virga events showed a columnar structure out of the 50 identified in this study. More detailed analysis of selected events shows that virga affects regional air quality. A significant result of this study is that analysis of sudden changes in local air quality needs to consider the possible effects of virga on the surface layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium wilt of cotton, caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum race 4 (Fov4, VCG0114), is a serious disease that has adversely affected cotton production in California since 2001 and in the Upper Rio Grande Region near El Paso in the border areas between Texas and New Mexico since 2017. Fov4 was isolated from cotton stem samples collected from wilted or asymptomatic plants adjacent to the wilting plants from the El Paso area. The MT genotype was the only Fov4 genotype found in two fields in the Lower Valley of El Paso and the T genotype was the only Fov4 genotype found in one field in the Upper Valley Region of El Paso. No N, MiT or mixed genotypes of Fov4 were detected in any of these fields. Furthermore, the F. oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum isolates were exclusively Fov4. The results support the observation that the MT genotype of Fov4 is mainly distributed in the Lower Valley of El Paso and the T genotype of Fov4 is mainly distributed in the Upper Valley Region of El Paso. Virulence of the MT genotype of Fov4 was higher than that of the T genotype. PCR methods previously developed for Fov4 specific PCR detection and multiplex Fov4 genotyping were validated by VCG analyses of the newly obtained isolates. These PCR methods were adapted for the in planta detection of Fov4, but Fov4 genotyping was limited to the detection of T, MT and MiT genotypes. It is important to continue to monitor dynamic population structure of Fov4 genotypes to prevent the spread of Fov4 and optimize disease control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Few studies have taken a conventional quantitative environmental justice approach to assessing the inequitable implications of climate change at a fine scale, such as across neighborhoods within an urban area. In this paper, we test the “environmental justice hypothesis” for climate change-related variables in the bi-national context of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua using a matched set of social indicators from the 2000 US and Mexican censuses and biophysical data related to heat, ozone and flooding. T-test results demonstrated that social marginality and climate change-related hazard exposure were generally higher in Juárez as compared to El Paso. Using spatial regression models, we found patterns of environmental injustice in the sister cities related to these climate change-related hazards. Lower social class neighborhoods generally faced increased risks from extreme heat in both cities, and from floods and peak ozone in El Paso. In El Paso, children also faced significant and disproportionate exposure to peak ozone, while female-headed households were significantly more burdened by flooding and peak ozone in Juárez. Despite the limitations of this cross-sectional study, we can expect injustices to heighten as neighborhoods at-risk now become increasingly exposed under climate change scenarios. In sum, this analysis provides a model for investigating inequities associated with future small area impacts of climate change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper studies the exchange rates at which Mexican pesos are accepted for retail purchases in El Paso, Texas. A stratified random sample of 586 participating firms is surveyed to examine two aspects of reverse dollarization in the El Paso/Ciudad Juárez border region. The first is to determine the percentage of retail businesses in El Paso that accept foreign currency in the form of Mexican pesos. The results suggest that just over 13.1% (77/586) of all retail firms in this market accept pesos, which on average, comprise 4.35% of total sales for those firms. The second is to calculate the effective exchange rate at which firms accept Mexican pesos. We find that 68.5% of firms accepting the peso do so at a premium. We discern these two aspects further utilizing various multivariate analyses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The sister cities of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua form one of the largest manufacturing complexes in the world, and provide a unique context in which to examine transnational patterns of environmental injustice. In this paper, we explore residential patterns of environmental injustice related to the location of industrial facilities (ie maquiladoras and facilities regulated by the Toxics Release Inventory) in the El Paso - Juárez metropolis, taking a comparative approach. Our results indicate a striking injustice in the raw level of industrial hazard confronted by residents on the Mexican side of the border compared with those on the US side—a direct result of location within the global economy. In terms of multivariate spatial regression results, patterns of exposure to residential hazards diverged between the two cities. In Mexico, generally marginal neighborhoods (based on low social class and higher proportions of migrants to the city) were located farther away from industry, whereas they were located closer in the US. We explain these findings on the basis of sociospatial differences in urbanization, social marginality, and industrial development between El Paso and Juárez, which reflect the two cities' juxtaposition vis-à-vis global political-economic dynamics. Future research is needed to test relationships between social marginality and industrial hazards in transnational and Southern contexts to determine if similar or divergent patterns exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present a geographic information system (GIS)-based method for mapping risk to environmental hazards. Framed by the hazards literature, the method has been developed to specifically overcome issues of data compatibility associated with transnational contexts. The approach is elaborated in reference to a project in which risk was spatially characterized, using a suite of biophysical and social indicators, for the Ciudad Juárez (Mexico)–El Paso (USA) metropolis. Results reveal clear spatial disparities in hazard vulnerability, both within and between the two cities, based on the differential allocation of selected risk factors. The case indicates that future international analyses will be advanced by the clear definition of concepts, the systematic mining of compatible variables, and the selection of valid risk indicators based on criteria that balance the need to incorporate contextual specificity with general comparability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the bribery case of architect Alfred Giles and how he defends his reputation regarding the building of the courthouse in El Paso, Texas frontier. It is believed that the courthouse is a work of Giles, with three-story, pedimented pavilions that mark the entrances. It is noted that an experienced hand adapted the design to Presidio's lower budget which undoubtedly belongs to the architect. It highlights several events that explain why his name was not officially recorded.

This article focuses on the fourth amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures. The fourth amendment states: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated." In Brown v. Texas, the Supreme Court addressed the reasonableness of seizures under the fourth amendment in the absence of individualized suspicion. In that case, two police officers cruising in a patrol car in a high-crime area El Paso, Texas observed defendant Brown and another man in an alley. The officers did not suspect any misconduct, but asked Brown to identify himself because he "looked suspicious." Brown refused, so the officers arrested him. He was prosecuted for violation of a Texas statute requiring individuals to identify themselves to the police when asked. The Supreme Court held that the officers lacked any reasonable suspicion to believe that was engaged in or had engaged in criminal conduct."

Reports on developments concerning the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) and its journal 'The Southwestern Historical Quarterly.' Death of longtime TSHA member and fellow Barry A. Crouch; Schedule of the TSHA annual meeting in El Paso, Texas; Invitation for proposals for individual papers or panels in all areas of history.

Although Latinos are fast becoming the largest ethnic minority group, they remain an under-researched population. In this paper we contribute to the nascent field of Latino violence research by conducting an examination of Latino homicides in two U.S. cities. Methods. Direct access to homicide investigations unit files on over 1,800 homicide cases in two predominantly Latino cities (El Paso, Texas, and Miami, Florida) allowed us to collect a unique data set for our analysis of Latino homicide victim and event characteristics. Results. Similarities and differences in homicide patterns relevant to important policy and theoretical debates are discussed. For example, in both cities, homicides were overwhelmingly intragroup, and males comprised the majority of victims in four out of five types of homicide (intimate homicide victims were almost exclusively Latina). Despite similar employment, poverty, and family-structure characteristics for Latinos in both cities, important differences emerged (e.g., Miami's homicide rate was almost three times that of El Paso). Conclusions. The intraethnic variations in patterns of homicide we report challenge existing theories of criminal violence and demonstrate the value of using group-disaggregated data to examine both cultural and structural forces affecting violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]