Noteworthy: Texas trade: exports take a turn for the worse

Exports have gone from a source of strength to a drag on the Texas economy. The state's real exports declined nearly 20 percent from their peak in second quarter 2008 through first quarter 2009, ending a five-year growth spurt.Economic conditions - Texas ; Exports

Noteworthy: demographics, auto industry, Texas jobs

Economic conditions - Texas ; Automobile industry and trade ; Population ; High technology industries

Fed policy in the financial crisis: arresting the adverse feedback loop

An adverse feedback loop takes hold when a weakening financial system and a slowing economy feed off each other. A crisis or shock curtails lending, hobbling the real economy; the more production and employment falter, the more lending contracts. ; Arresting the adverse feedback loop could prove to be the seminal challenge of early 21st century monetary policymaking. Since sounding the alarm in January 2008, the Fed has taken a series of actions--many unprecedented--to prevent additional damage to financial markets and restore lending activity. These policies have had some success in loosening the grip of the adverse feedback loop and may have finally positioned the economy for growth. Still, doubts linger. The risk remains that the actions may prove insufficient to put the economy on a clear path to rising employment and stable prices.Financial markets ; Federal Reserve System ; Monetary policy ; Financial crises - United States

Corpus Christi: an economy in transition

Corpus Christi tempts tourists with miles of beaches, sea breezes, an arts and museum district, waterfront restaurants, shopping and more. It is also home to a major seaport, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, a large health care system, military bases, refineries and chemical plants. Port activity and tourism remain important components of the Corpus Christi economy. However, some sectors are declining in importance, such as agriculture, oil and gas, petrochemicals and military, while others are expanding, such as health care, alternative energy and education. ; Jobs in the Corpus Christi metropolitan statistical area (MSA) have been growing steadily since 1970. The pace has been slightly faster than in the U.S., but less than in Texas and about average for other comparable metros. Recent gains in energy prices, expansion by Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, low housing costs, increased activity at the Port of Corpus Christi and the continued retirement of baby boomers suggest increased opportunity for growth in Corpus Christi in the near future.Texas ; Economic conditions - Texas ; Employment - Texas ; Petroleum industry and trade ; Wages ; Education ; Cost and standard of living

Noteworthy: hurricane season, venture capital, exports

Ike deals severe blow to Texas economy. Texas investment funding slips in 2nd quarter. Latin America, China lead Texas surge in overseas sales.Economic conditions - Texas ; Natural disasters ; Venture capital - Texas ; International trade ; Exports

Dental fraud in South Africa

Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent) (Community Oral Health)Healthcare fraud wastes money that could be spent in the treatment of patients. The exact amount of healthcare fraud is very difficult to determine, especially in a two-tier healthcare system like South Africa. The amount and cost of dental fraud in South Africa has never been researched. If the amount and cost of fraud in a specific area can be determined, resources can be better used to combat healthcare fraud in the future

Orbit reconstruction, correction and monitoring in the ATF2 extraction line

The orbit in the ATF2 extraction line has to be accurately controlled to allow orbit and optics corrections to work well downstream. The Final Focus section contains points with large beta function values which amplify incoming beam jitter, and few correctors since the steering is performed using quadrupole movers, and so good orbit stability is required. First experience monitoring the orbit and measuring transfer matrices in the extraction line during the ATF2 commissioning is described, along with relative orbit reconstruction, allowing comparisons with simulations to identify sources of variations

Regulatory and monetary policies meet "too big to fail"

In 2010, the U.S. economy has been showing signs of pulling out of its tailspin. But questions remain about why it took so much monetary policy firepower to deal with the crisis.Global financial crisis ; Monetary policy ; Regulation ; Bank failures ; Financial institutions