COMMODITY POLICY ISSUES FOR THE 1980S

Agricultural and Food Policy,

STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN U.S. CHICKEN AND TURKEY SLAUGHTER

Cost function analyses using data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census reveal substantial scale economies in chicken and turkey slaughter. These economies show no evidence of diminishing as plant size increases, are much greater than those realized in cattle and hog slaughter, and have resulted in a huge increase in plant size over the 1972-92 period. The findings also suggest that consolidation in the chicken and turkey slaughter industry is likely to continue, particularly if the growth in the demand for poultry diminishes.chicken slaughter, turkey slaughter, production costs, structural change, Livestock Production/Industries,

Reviews

Researching into Teaching Methods in Colleges and Universities by Clinton Bennett, Lorraine Foreman‐Peck and Chris Higgins, London: Kogan Page, 1996. ISBN: 0–7494–1768–4, 136 (+ vii) pages, paperback. £14.99

The effects of international trade on income inequality in the United States, 1979-1992

The primary purpose of this study was to find out if international trade was a cause of the increase in income inequality that occurred in the United States after 1979. The secondary purposes were to test the predictions of international trade theory regarding the effects of trade on income distribution within nations and to see if trade is a cause of diverging productivity growth between economic sectors. The general hypothesis was that international trade affects income inequality through its effects on wage structure and employment structure. With the relationship between income inequality and the labor market variables established by definition, the general hypothesis had to be tested only for possible relationships between the labor market variables and trade variables. Specific hypotheses, based on trade theory, were used to examine such relationships with quantitative data from government sources and statistical methods of data analysis. The results supported the general hypothesis, indicating that international trade contributed to changes in wage structure and employment structure that increased income inequality from 1979 to 1992. The results indicated that trade performance affected the labor market variables through its effects on product demand, rather than through its effects on productivity. The results supported an alternative hypothesis that industry productivity affects trade performance. At the same time, the results indicated that trade raised the average level of productivity for the trading sector, thereby increasing the productivity gap between this sector and the nontrading sector. The results further indicated that technology affected wages through its effect on trade performance. Generally, the results supported the main predictions of international trade theory as well as some modified predictions regarding the effects of trade on income distribution within nations. The policy implication of this study is that as U.S. trade shifts toward developing countries, its effects on income inequality will accelerate, resulting in a more widely polarized society. Instead of trying to prevent these effects by reimposing trade barriers, the government should try to remedy them by supporting a private sector system of retraining and job placement. This system would be financed by a national tax on consumption

Optical studies of functionalized graphene and similar 2D materials

In this thesis, the functionalization of few layer graphene is examined and measured using Raman spectroscopy and two probe electrical measurement, with the goal of obtaining graphene shapes on a nanometre scale which retain the properties lent to them by a functionalization process. Graphene is a material of great interest currently since the properties of single and few layer graphene are unique due to its layered structure and electronic band dispersion. The functionalization in this case serves to increase carrier concentration and thus the conductivity of graphene, which is thin, light, transparent and flexible. Thus technologies such as flat or curved screen TVs, computers, and wearable devices are exploring many avenues to improve such devices. Graphene, and functionalized graphene, may be one way to achieve enhancements or replace components in these emerging technologies. In addition to graphene, similar two dimensional materials (TaS2 and NbSe2) were also measured using Raman spectroscopy, with the goal of both measuring the Raman spectra of the materials and observing the effect of progressively exposing the samples to the incident Raman laser light. The possibility of using the Raman laser to remove layers from these materials is briefly examined as a way of obtaining few or single layer samples for further studies. The main result given in this thesis is that few layer graphene nanoribbons can be created with widths of 500nm and thinner, which can retain Iron Chloride between the layers to affect increase the conductivity of the ribbon. Another result noted was for an experiment with few layer graphene and plasmon grids, where the intensity of scattered light decreased as the number of graphene layers increased, without a shift in the spectral position of the resonance peak. Finally, in examining TaS2 and NbSe2, the preliminary tests seem to show that it is possible to etch both these materials using the laser from a Raman spectrometer, and thus control the thickness of these materials in a controlled way. The material samples in this thesis as well as the measurements carried out on them and the analysis of the data gathered afterwards were almost entirely carried out by myself. Though the exception is chapter 5, the measurement of plasmons, which was done in equal collaboration with fellow PhD student Dmitry Polyushkin

A study of the Richmond College conditional admissions program

This study traced the history of the SS&If Program at Richmond College from its inception in the early 1950\u27s to the beginning of the 1962 fall semester. It was found that the program has not only assisted the Admissions Committee in giving doubtful applicants with potential a chance to qualify for admission, but also it has been of assistance in holding admissions standards high in a time when enrollment was needed. Also it has value as a public relations measure in handling doubtful applicants highly recommended by constituents of the college. While the economic factor was linked to the formalization of the Program, it must be pointed out that economics and public relations have been only a minor consideration by the Committee in the use of the Program