There have been many tests of the convergence hypothesis yielding many diffrent estimates of b (the speed of convergence). Narative reviews of the convergence literature hint at possible reasons for the study-to-study variation in the value of b, but such reviews are selective and informal. In...

"Growing concern over health risks associated with food products has prompted close examination of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards in industrialized countries. Standards are employed to protect human health from toxic additives, contaminants, toxins, or disease-causing organisms in...