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This volume presents almost 100 papers deriving from the 6th International Conference on Late Roman Coarse Wares, Cooking Wares and Amphorae in the Mediterranean. Themes comprise sea and land routes, workshops and production centres, and regional contexts (western Mediterranean, eastern Mediterranean, Sicily and the Mediterranean islands).

A common assumption in the Schumpeterian growth literature is that the innovation size is constant and identical across industries. This is in contrast with the empirical evidence which shows that: (i) the innovation size is far from being identical across industries; a (ii) the size distribution of profit returns from innovation is highly skewed toward the low value side, with a long tail on the high value side. In the present paper, we develop a Schumpeterian growth model that is consistent with this evidence. In particular, we assume that when a firm innovates, the size of its quality improvement is the result of a random draw from a Pareto distribution. This enables us to extend the class of quality-ladder growth models to encompass firm heterogeneity. We study the policy implications of this new set-up numerically and find that it is optimal to heavily subsidize R&D for plausible parameter values. Although it is optimal to tax R&D for some parameter values,this case only occurs when the steady-state rate of economic growth is very low.

Military veterans transitioning from active duty to civilian life often face challenges during the reintegration process. Reintegration can become more difficult when a veteran is coping with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its sequelae. Interventions are urgently needed to support veterans during times of transition. Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) show promise in reducing stress, depression, and improving wellbeing in marginalized populations. Equine-assisted interventions (EAI), in particular, are gaining momentum as a treatment option for veterans with PTSD. To synthesize current evidence on the use of EAI as a treatment option in military veterans formally diagnosed with PTSD. A comprehensive, electronic review of the literature was performed. Inclusion criteria were original quantitative or qualitative research, written in English, use of human participants, published through July 2019. The total number of studies included was nine. Main findings were that the efficacy of EAI on PTSD symptoms were equally mixed with both significant and non-significant findings. Data largely trended in the hypothesized direction for improving mental health states, resiliency, social function, quality of life, biological and behavioral measures, however, overall findings did not reach statistical significance. The investigation of EAI as an adjunct treatment for PTSD in military veterans may be effective, however, we cannot make a clear determination based on current evidence. Although findings largely trended in the hypothesized direction, most were not significant (except for PTSD symptoms) and warrant additional research to understand the effectiveness of EAI as an adjunct treatment in military veterans with PTSD.

LAY SUMMARY Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the negative consequences of social isolation on well-being, the authors wanted to better understand the impact animals have on Veteran well-being during times of social isolation. The authors searched current articles to find the answer. What was found was limited, but the findings support that human-animal interaction has beneficial effects on Veteran well-being ameliorating the consequences of social isolation.