Regional update : U.S. slowdown reaches Texas

Economic conditions - Texas ; Recessions

An X-ray absorption spectroscopic study at the mercury LIII edge on phenylmercury(II) oxygen species

The X-ray absorption spectra of the reference and model compounds HgCl2, PhHgCl, PhHgOAc and [(PhHg)2OH][BF4].H2O have been analysed in both the XANES and EXAFS regions, and the technique was extended to determine the structures of (PhHg)2O, PhHgOH, and the basic salts PhHgOH.PhHgNO3 and PhHgOH.(PhHg)2SO4, which were previously structurally uncharacterised. Results indicate that (PhHg)2O is a molecular species with Hg-O-Hg 135°, while PhHgOH contains the [(PhHg)2OH]+ cation and is better formulated as [(PhHg)2OH]OH. The same cation is also featured in the two basic salts. Electrospray mass spectral studies of PhHgOH in aqueous solutions show that [PhHgOH2]+, [(PhHg)2OH]+ and [(PhHg)3O]+ co-exist in solution in a pH-dependent equilibrium

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems: motivations, challenges, and applications

Abstract In response to growing demand for ecosystem-level risk assessment in biodiversity conservation, and rapid proliferation of locally tailored protocols, the IUCN recently endorsed new Red List criteria as a global standard for ecosystem risk assessment. Four qualities were sought in the design of the IUCN criteria: generality; precision; realism; and simplicity. Drawing from extensive global consultation, we explore trade-offs among these qualities when dealing with key challenges, including ecosystem classification, measuring ecosystem dynamics, degradation and collapse, and setting decision thresholds to delimit ordinal categories of threat. Experience from countries with national lists of threatened ecosystems demonstrates well-balanced trade-offs in current and potential applications of Red Lists of Ecosystems in legislation, policy, environmental management and education. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems should be judged by whether it achieves conservation ends and improves natural resource management, whether its limitations are outweighed by its benefits, and whether it performs better than alternative methods. Future development of the Red List of Ecosystems will benefit from the history of the Red List of Threatened Species which was trialed and adjusted iteratively over 50 years from rudimentary beginnings. We anticipate the Red List of Ecosystems will promote policy focus on conservation outcomes in situ across whole landscapes and seascapes

Study of pyridine-mediated electrochemical reduction of CO2 to methanol at high CO2 pressure

© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim The recently proposed highly efficient route of pyridine-catalyzed CO 2 reduction to methanol was explored on platinum electrodes at high CO 2 pressure. At 55 bar (5.5 MPa) of CO 2 , the bulk electrolysis in both potentiostatic and galvanostatic regimes resulted in methanol production with Faradaic yields of up to 10 % for the first 5–10 C cm −2 of charge passed. For longer electrolysis, the methanol concentration failed to increase proportionally and was limited to sub-ppm levels irrespective of biasing conditions and pyridine concentration. This limitation cannot be removed by electrode reactivation and/or pre-electrolysis and appears to be an inherent feature of the reduction process. In agreement with bulk electrolysis findings, the CV analysis supported by simulation indicated that hydrogen evolution is still the dominant electrode reaction in pyridine-containing electrolyte solution, even with an excess CO 2 concentration in the solution. No prominent contribution from either a direct or coupled CO 2 reduction was found. The results obtained suggest that the reduction of CO 2 to methanol is a transient process that is largely decoupled from the electrode charge transfer

Linear Algebra with Applications

After being traditionally published for many years, this formidable text by W. Keith Nicholson is now being released as an open educational resource and part of Lyryx with Open Texts! Supporting today's students and instructors requires much more than a textbook, which is why Dr. Nicholson opted to work with Lyryx Learning. Overall, the aim of the text is to achieve a balance among computational skills, theory, and applications of linear algebra. It is a relatively advanced introduction to the ideas and techniques of linear algebra targeted for science and engineering students who need to understand not only how to use these methods but also gain insight into why they work

A survey study comparing adult orthodontic patient quality of life between Invisalign and fixed appliances.

We aimed to examine differences in treatment impacts and quality of life between adult orthodontic patients with Invisalign and fixed appliances. Adults represent a burgeoning branch of orthodontics yet many prospective patients have been reluctant to pursue orthodontics due to concerns with treatment. It was hypothesized that removable aligners would be better tolerated by adult patients. Sixty-three adult patients (forty Invisalign, twenty-three fixed appliances) were recruited from private practice. The treatment groups were largely comparable although the braces group reported more frequent unplanned appointments and use of auxiliaries. The Invisalign group experienced less negative impacts and these differences were generally preserved after adjustment for confounding influences with the exception of pain-related impacts. The Invisalign group had a higher propensity to choose same modality again while a subjective evaluation on quality of life yielded no difference between the groups. The results may guide patient education and selection of the appropriate modality

Randomised controlled trial and health economic evaluation of the impact of diagnostic testing for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae infection on the management of acute admissions in the elderly and high-risk 18- to 64-year-olds

Please cite the published version which is available via the DOI link in this record.Western industrialised nations face a large increase in the number of older people. People over the age of 60 years account for almost half of the 16.8 million hospital admissions in England from 2009 to 2010. During 2009-10, respiratory infections accounted for approximately 1 in 30 hospital admissions and 1 in 20 of the 51.5 million bed-days.HTA ProgrammeNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR

TIA1 Mutations in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia Promote Phase Separation and Alter Stress Granule Dynamics.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are age-related neurodegenerative disorders with shared genetic etiologies and overlapping clinical and pathological features. Here we studied a novel ALS/FTD family and identified the P362L mutation in the low-complexity domain (LCD) of T cell-restricted intracellular antigen-1 (TIA1). Subsequent genetic association analyses showed an increased burden of TIA1 LCD mutations in ALS patients compared to controls (p = 8.7 × 1

Would You Like More Salt with That Wound - Post-Sentence Victim Allocution in Texas Comment.

A majority of states permit victim allocution of some sort, with victim impact statements made during the pre-sentencing stage, but Texas is currently the only state which permits victim allocution after sentencing. Since 1991, no one has seriously challenged the Texas practice of allowing such victim statements. Yet, scenes of violence between families of the defendants and the victims following such statements has ignited a movement to reassess the utility of allowing victims to address defendants who have already received their sentences. Originally, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 42.03 provided victims the chance to present a statement after the court or jury assessed punishment, but before the actual pronouncement of the sentence. During the hearings on the bill, concern was voiced that such statements made before sentencing might influence the judge and change the degree of punishment before the pronouncement of the sentence. Crime victims must feel they are a part of the criminal justice system. If victims do not believe they have participated in prosecuting the offender, confidence in the legal system will decrease, making it nearly impossible for the system to function effectively. Yet, the legislature should not risk other crucial elements of the criminal process to grant victims their wishes. While there are potentially various methods in which Article 42.03 could be amended to solve the shortcomings, the best solution would be to abolish it in favor of the victim impact statement as the proper vehicle for victim allocution. Post-sentence victim allocution is not a crucial step in the trial process. Moreover, victim impact statements adequately serve a therapeutic function for victims, which is the primary justification for Article 42.03. Nevertheless, victims’ rights should not unnecessarily diminish the overall integrity of the judicial system