International Trade and Economic Relations

The theory of international trade was developed in the nineteenth century - an era of relative tranquility, surprisingly lacking in national rivalries, which accepted as axiomatic the view that the primary economic goal was to enhance the material well-being of the individual consumer

Mercuric iodide sensor technology

This report describes the improvement in the performance and the manufacturing yield of mercuric iodide detectors achieved by identifying the dominant impurities, carrier traps, and processing steps limiting device performance. Theoretical studies of electron and hole transport in this material set fundamental limits on detector performance and provided a standard against which to compare experimental results. Spectroscopy techniques including low temperature photoluminescence and thermally stimulated current spectroscopy were applied to characterize the deep level traps in this material. Traps and defects that can be introduced into the detector during growth, from the contact, and during the various steps in detector fabrication were identified. Trap energy levels and their relative abundances were determined. Variations in material quality and detector performance at the micron scale were investigated to understand the distribution in electric field in large volume detectors suitable for gamma-ray spectroscopy. Surface aging and contact degradation was studied extensively by techniques including atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. Preferred handling and processing procedures for maximizing detector performance and yield were established. The manufacturing yield of high resolution gamma-ray detectors was improved from a few percent to more than 30%

Fine-scale spatial response of CdZnTe radiation detectors

Several studies have suggested that the uniformity of Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors play an important role in their performance when operated as gamma-ray spectrometers. However the detailed gamma response of simple planar detectors as a function of position over the device area is largely unknown. To address this issue the authors have built a system capable of measuring the detector response with a resolution of {approximately}250 {micro}m. The system consists of a highly collimated ({approximately}200 {micro}m) photon source (<150 kev) scanned over the detector using a computer controlled two-axis translation stage. Fifteen samples configured as planar detectors were examined with the new apparatus. The material grade of the detectors examined varied from counter to select discriminator. Two classes of spatial response variation were observed and are presented here. Infrared (IR) transmission images were also acquired for each sample and correlation between features in the pulse height spectrum and crystalline defects were observed

Who Benefits From Teams? Comparing Workers, Supervisors, and Managers

This paper offers a political explanation for the diffusion and sustainability of team-based work systems by examining the differential outcomes of team structures for 1200 workers, supervisors, and middle managers in a large unionized telecommunications company. Regression analyses show that participation in self-managed teams is associated with significantly higher levels of perceived discretion, employment security, and satisfaction for workers and the opposite for supervisors. Middle managers who initiate team innovations report higher employment security, but otherwise are not significantly different from their counterparts who are not involved in innovations. By contrast, there are no significant outcomes for employees associated with their participation in offline problem-solving teams