Separation probabilities for products of permutations

We study the mixing properties of permutations obtained as a product of two uniformly random permutations of fixed cycle types. For instance, we give an exact formula for the probability that elements $1,2,...,k$ are in distinct cycles of the random permutation of $\{1,2,...,n\}$ obtained as product of two uniformly random $n$-cycles

Nanoscale Sensing Using Point Defects in Single-Crystal Diamond: Recent Progress on Nitrogen Vacancy Center-Based Sensors

Individual, luminescent point defects in solids so called color centers are atomic-sized quantum systems enabling sensing and imaging with nanoscale spatial resolution. In this overview, we introduce nanoscale sensing based on individual nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. We discuss two central challenges of the field: First, the creation of highly-coherent, shallow NV centers less than 10 nm below the surface of single-crystal diamond. Second, the fabrication of tip-like photonic nanostructures that enable efficient fluorescence collection and can be used for scanning probe imaging based on color centers with nanoscale resolution.Comment: Overview paper on sensing with defects in diamond, we focus on creation of shallow NV centers and nanostructures, Final Version published in Crystal

Avoiding Litigation: The Benefits of Employment Contracts and Arbitration

This research reviews the current environment in employment disputes. In an ever-increasing litigious era where it is not uncommon to see six-figure settlements, the entrepreneur needs to examine the possible legal options in the event of a lawsuit involving current or former employees. While many employment-oriented lawsuits are settled through litigation, this is a time-consuming and costly process. Indeed, due to its adversarial nature, dispute resolution through litigation can take years  to settle.   In contrast,  one business strategy that  is growing in popularity includes the use of employment contracts specifying arbitration in dispute resolution. Because arbitration is "almost entirely  separate from  the  legal  system " (Siegel, Sect. 586), it offers many advantages to both employers and employees

The First Accounting Course: An Outcomes Assessment Approach Project

This paper discusses a class project that can be used in an introductory accounting class as an outcomes assessment tool.  The project is done in groups of four to five students.  Each student analyzes one company’s ratios for a two year period and compares their firm’s ratios with their firm’s industry’s ratios.  When this is complete, the group then uses the individual firm data to make an investment decision.  The investment decision must be based on the data from the individual firm ratios.  Once the group has decided which firm to invest in, they then have to complete a pro-forma income statement for the firm assuming a $2 billion expansion.  Overall, the project is done in steps that help the students build their final project throughout the semester.  The project is submitted at the beginning of the 13th week of classes so that the instructor can grade it and hand it back to the students at the beginning of the 14th week of classes.  The groups present their projects during the last two class periods of the semester.&nbsp

Assessment: Stopping the Revolving Door at Rock Valley Community College

The concept of an open door for anyone who wants to attend a community college regardless of that person\u27s educational background is an admirable one. The reality, however, is that the open door too often becomes a revolving door. Students from ages eighteen to eighty choose to attend community colleges for a multitude of reasons. These students often have the proper motivation, but they frequently face failure because they lack the requisite basic skills to succeed. At Rock Valley College, the decision was made to stop the revolving door

Family Values, Competition And The Environment: An International Study Of Business Ethics

This study compares the attitudes of international college students concerning personal versus business ethics, the environment, and competition. The sample consists of 999 business students from Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, South Africa, Spain, and the United States. While Hofstede’s cultural constructs were significant for two of our five research questions (one dealing with family values and the other with ethical practices), Paulus’ (1986) Image Management Subscale was significant for three of the research questions. Our data do not support gender differences in ethical sensitivity after controlling for social desirability response bias on an international sample

Data Contamination By Social Desirability Response Bias In Research On Students Cheating Behavior

Our study examines the effect of social desirability on the model developed by Salter et al. (2001). We believe that social desirability response bias contaminates many of the variables that have been used in previous research modeling academic cheating. We initially examined the effect of variables identified in prior research to demonstrate that our sample is equivalent to those in prior studies.  We then examined the effect of social desirability response bias using Paulhus’ Image Management Subscale (1986) on their tolerance towards cheating; their cynicism about cheating; and one’s acknowledged intention to cheat in the future

Improvements In Audit Report Lag And Reporting Timeliness: A Non-Event For Technology Advances

Technological advances have transformed the professional lives of all accountants.  Consequential expectations would include improvements in the timing of the audit report and the reporting of financial information.  There is a presumption in the empirical literature that audit report lag is a primary cause of financial reporting delay.  This empirical research study finds little or no change in the audit report lag and timeliness of reporting during the period 1996 to 2001.  Audit report lag appears to play a questionable role, if any, in financial reporting delays and other factors such as inertia and interest may be the major impediments to timely reporting.  Finally, given the financial atmosphere after the Enron-Arthur Andersen debacle, our research finds no difference among auditing firms for the variables examined.  While this could be interpreted in a positive manner, it could also indicate that all Big-5 firms potentially have similar problems

Nanoscale Sensing Using Point Defects in Single-Crystal Diamond: Recent Progress on Nitrogen Vacancy Center-Based Sensors

Individual, luminescent point defects in solids, so-called color centers, are atomic-sized quantum systems enabling sensing and imaging with nanoscale spatial resolution. In this overview, we introduce nanoscale sensing based on individual nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. We discuss two central challenges of the field: first, the creation of highly-coherent, shallow NV centers less than 10 nm below the surface of a single-crystal diamond; second, the fabrication of tip-like photonic nanostructures that enable efficient fluorescence collection and can be used for scanning probe imaging based on color centers with nanoscale resolution

The Associations Among Family Values, Business Ethics, The Environment, And Competition: An International Study

This paper looks at ethical attitudes among international college students and personal versus business ethics, the environment, and competition. The sample includes 541 responses from six countries (Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Japan, Nepal United States). Hofstede’ s cultural dimensions were used to explain differences in the perceptions of different countries. Uncertainty avoidance was found to be the most statistically significant of Hofstede’s cultural constructs. The image management Le was used to determine the self-deception of respondents. Finally, we controlled for gender when considering our hypotheses