Trade agreements as self-protection

Risks that are associated with an uncertain trading world have been dealt with using two different techniques in the literature: defensive, or insurance approaches, and preventive, or self-protection approaches. Much of the earlier work was emphasized by security issues but with the end of the Cold War attention turned toward preventive approaches. This paper argues that the incentive for loss prevention leads to some form of cooperative regional integration. Inclusion of uncertainty positively contributes to the overall customs union literature. The optimal level of integration, political or economic, is found and then using simple comparative statics, the effects of some changes in the underlying parameters of the economy on the optimal level of integration are examined. Multilateralism and regionalism are concluded to be complements. --Self-protection,Uncertainty,Economic Integration,Multilateralism,Regionalism

Does it matter where immigrants work? Traded goods, non-traded goods, and sector specific employment

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Economic integration in a multicone world?

This paper examines whether economic integration favors countries' convergence into a common cone of diversification. We analyze the manufacturing specialization patterns for a sample of 19 current and potential European Union countries over the period 1963-1998, and assess the impact of integration on their evolution. We perform year-by-year threshold estimations of Rybczynski relationships to identify the diversification cones and then estimate discrete choice models to investigate whether membership in the European Union is associated with a higher probability of being in a same cone. Economic integration in Europe is found to have promoted convergence from lower to higher diversification cones. --Multiple Diversification Cones,Convergence,European Integration,Threshold Estimation,Dynamic Probit Models

The genetic influence on the placebo effect specific to exercise performance

Placebo treatments can be used to elicit many different physiological responses; however, the underlying mechanisms responsible remain unclear. Recent research has shown the possibility of a genetic influence on the placebo response in patients with mood disorders. In this study, we attempted to establish a similar relationship in healthy college-aged students. Force production was measured by isometric knee extension of the quadriceps muscles using maximum voluntary contractions (MVC). Subjects were given placebo treatments disguised as an undisclosed sports supplement with the information that the supplement was previously shown to provide immediate strength improvements following ingestion. Subject DNA was genotyped for two genetic polymorphisms, tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2) and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). These particular polymorphisms were chosen for study based on previous research and their possible relationships to athletic performance. Results showed a 4.4% improvement in peak force with the ingestion of the placebo for both men and women (p \u3c 0.05). We also found that the average placebo effect was similar for both genders (3.37% improvement in males, 7.47% in females). Neither polymorphism displayed a significant effect on the presence of the placebo response. We concluded that while a placebo response was evident with MVC isometric force production, TPH2 and MAO-A were not likely to be responsible for the effect

Life in Paper: How Words Can Build a Person

Undergraduate winner: 2nd place, 2016, 29th Annual Carl Neureuther Student Book Collection Competition. Jennifer is majoring in communication design and philosophy-neuroscience-psychology

Choosing My Avatar & the Psychology of Virtual Worlds: What Matters?

Avatars and virtual worlds have become commonplace across the Internet in recent years through the development of the gaming industry and social media technology. The technology involved in virtual environments is becoming more accessible to the general public, and software for creating avatars or participating in virtual worlds can be found free online. Virtual worlds are used not only for recreation, but are also increasingly used for other purposes, such as education, marketing, and meeting places. We are finding new ways to represent ourselves online for various purposes. Recent research in psychology has shown that social phenomena in virtual worlds are comparable to real life experiences. For example, interpersonal distance and eye gaze are demonstrated in interactions with avatars in a manner similar to human interactions in the real world (Yee, Bailenson, Urbanek, Chang, & Merget, 2007). These experiences occur when individuals feel embodied by their avatar, or consider their avatar as an extension of themselves manifested in a particular virtual world. When utilizing this technology, an individual’s motivations and intentions may affect the appearance of the avatars they choose to represent themselves. In this study, we are examining the relationships between background attributes of virtual world users and the nature of the avatars used for self-representation in a specific virtual social context. We surveyed a sample population of college students on personality, use of communication technologies and social media, and gaming experience. Then, we presented those students with an array of pre-selected avatar choices for them to choose for representation in different virtual social situations. We intend to analyze whether the surveyed attributes of participants influence avatar embodiment and whether social context affects their choice of preferred avatars. By better understanding how participants select avatars and how avatars affect the virtual world experience, we hope to discover ways to better use virtual world technology for education and positive social connections