[Review of] Constance Wall Holt. Welsh Women: An Annotated Bibliography of Women in Wales and Women of Welch Descent in America

To be a Welsh woman, it seems, was to be doubly doomed to obscurity. Not only were women a less-public sector of society, but there was Welshness to contend with. It has been a case of Bibliographic Ethnic Discrimination. Too often entries have read: Women, Welsh, See Women, English. And this occurs in spite of the fact that Welsh, being Celts, are a distinct group with their own language and culture, though they have long been subject to English rule

The Differing Federalisms of Canada and the United States

The differences in the ways in which the US and Canada have structured their federalisms are discussed. Both systems have judicial supremacy, but Canada recognizes far more legislative power in the provinces than the US allows its states

Literature Review on Counseling Groups for Social Phobia

The practice of group counseling for individuals with social phobia is increasing and various therapies have been applied to develop comprehensive treatments. Social phobia is the most common anxiety disorder diagnosed, and in adults, it is usually mediated strongly by hypervigilance, attentional avoidance, and heightened self-focused attention. The literature on group therapies for individuals with social phobia shows the most current and promising group therapies are cognitive-behavioral group therapy, social self-reappraisal therapy, task-concentration training, mindfulness-based stress reduction training, and acceptance and commitment therapy. The research on group therapy for social phobia has a lot of support but also has its limitations. The limitations include lack of multicultural participants and theoretical orientations, high attrition rates, and little focus on co-morbid diagnoses with social phobia. The future of group therapy for individuals with social phobia appears promising if the research continues to receive support and limitations are addressed

Design of a film surface roughness-minimizing molecular beam epitaxy

Molecular beam epitaxy of germanium was used along with kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to study time-varying processing parameters and their effect on surface morphology. Epitaxial Ge films were deposited on highly oriented Ge(001) substrates, with reflection high-energy electron diffraction as a real-time sensor. The Monte Carlo simulations were used to model the growth process, and physical parameters were determined during growth under time-varying flux. A reduced version of the simulations was generated, enabling the application on an optimization algorithm. Temperature profiles were then computed that minimize surface roughness subject to various experimental constraints. The final roughness after two layers of growth was reduced to 0.32, compared to 0.36 at the maximum growth temperature. The study presented here is an initial demonstration of a general approach that could also be used to optimize properties in other materials and deposition processes

Contributions of economists to the housing-price bubble

After the bursting of the housing-price bubble in 2006 and ensuing financial crisis, there has been much discussion of what economists could have done differently to help avert the crisis and "Great Recession" that followed. One dimension of this concerns information supplied by economists to the general public about causes of high appreciation in home prices and their likely future course, as good information could have helped the public hedge their finances against downside risks while bad information may have encouraged them to take on too much risk. This paper analyzes data from 24 California newspapers on assessments and predictions offered by economists as to whether bubbles were forming in the state's housing markets. In brief, we find that the California public was fairly decently served by economists offering their views via the media -- although with some significant problems of biased forecasts not made in good faith, and of inattention to concerns about "harm avoidance" that ought to apply when economists share their opinions in this way.JEL classification: R21, D31, D12, E32

MODELING TO GENERATE ALTERNATIVES IN A MULTIPERIOD CONTEXT: APPLE GROWERS AND ALAR

Crop Production/Industries,

Commentary

Biomass energy - United States ; Energy development - United States

The social economics of ethical consumption: Theoretical considerations and empirical evidence

Recent years have seen rising discussion of ethical consumption as a means of stemming global warming, challenging unsavory business practices, and promoting other pro-social goals. This paper first lays out a conceptual framework for understanding the spread of ethical consumption, in which heterogeneous preferences and sensitivity to social norms feature centrally. It then presents empirical evidence from a well-known nationally representative survey on factors associated with tendencies to buy ethically. It is found that, ceteris paribus, people are more likely to buy ethically when others around them do too, consistent with a role of social norms in promoting ethical-consumption behaviors.

Activity Based Anorexia as an Animal Model for Anorexia Nervosa–A Systematic Review

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe eating disorder affecting around 1 per 100 persons. However, the knowledge about its underlying pathophysiology is limited. To address the need for a better understanding of AN, an animal model was established early on in the late 1960's: the activity-based anorexia (ABA) model in which rats have access to a running wheel combined with restricted food access leading to self-starving/body weight loss and hyperactivity. Both symptoms, separately or combined, can also be found in patients with AN. The aim of this systematic review was to compile the current knowledge about this animal model as well as to address gaps in knowledge. Using the data bases of PubMed, Embase and Web of science 102 publications were identified meeting the search criteria. Here, we show that the ABA model mimics core features of human AN and has been characterized with regards to brain alterations, hormonal changes as well as adaptations of the immune system. Moreover, pharmacological interventions in ABA animals and new developments, such as a chronic adaptation of the ABA model, will be highlighted. The chronic model might be well suited to display AN characteristics but should be further characterized. Lastly, limitations of the model will be discussed

Distributional costs of the housing-price bust

In considering whether asset-price bubbles should be offset through policy, an important issue is who pays the price when the bubble bursts. A bust that reduces the wealth of well-off households only may have small welfare costs, but costs may be sizable if broad swaths of households are affected. This paper uses micro data from the American Community Survey to examine how the recent housing bust affected households' employment, homeownership, home values, and housing costs. To separate dynamics of the housing bust from those of the aggregate downturn, we differentiate between metropolitan areas that did and did not experience bubbles. We find that, for most measures, deteriorations in well-being were more severe in bubble metros than elsewhere, and for several measures, differential effects on less-educated households were also more severe. This underscores the importance of keeping housing markets from overheating, as burdens of adjustment fall differentially on people not well prepared to bear them.JEL classification: R21, D31, D12, E32