Assessing Negotiation Outcomes Matters in Classroom Settings

It is hardly disputable that negotiation outcomes count in real world negotiation settings. In classroom settings, however, the negotiation outcomes often do not count. In many negotiation courses, for the negotiators it does not really matter in any tangible dimensions what kind of outcomes they achieve through the negotiation – not only that they do not need to bear the (hypothetical) consequence of the agreement (or its lack of), but also that the negotiation outcomes do not affect their performance assessment in the negotiation course. Thus on the issue of whether negotiation outcomes count, this type of class-room negotiation is drastically different from those in real world settings. But does that difference really matter? Would it make any difference in terms of student learning? These are the question the current study aims to address

Blue Phosphorene Oxide: Strain-tunable Quantum Phase Transitions and Novel 2D Emergent Fermions

Tunable quantum phase transitions and novel emergent fermions in solid state materials are fascinating subjects of research. Here, we propose a new stable two-dimensional (2D) material, the blue phosphorene oxide (BPO), which exhibits both. Based on first-principles calculations, we show that its equilibrium state is a narrow-bandgap semiconductor with three bands at low energy. Remarkably, a moderate strain can drive a semiconductor-to-semimetal quantum phase transition in BPO. At the critical transition point, the three bands cross at a single point at Fermi level, around which the quasiparticles are a novel type of 2D pseudospin-1 fermions. Going beyond the transition, the system becomes a symmetry-protected semimetal, for which the conduction and valence bands touch quadratically at a single Fermi point that is protected by symmetry, and the low-energy quasiparticles become another novel type of 2D double Weyl fermions. We construct effective models characterizing the phase transition and these novel emergent fermions, and we point out several exotic effects, including super Klein tunneling, supercollimation, and universal optical absorbance. Our result reveals BPO as an intriguing platform for the exploration of fundamental properties of quantum phase transitions and novel emergent fermions, and also suggests its great potential in nanoscale device applications.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figure

Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of n-butylamine and 1,3-propanediamine by potassium ferrate

The kinetics of oxidation of n-butylamine and 1,3-propanediamine by home-made potassium ferrate(VI) at different conditions has been studied spectrophotometrically in the temperature range of 283.2-298.2 K. The results show first order dependence on potassium ferrate (VI) and on each reductant. The observed rate constant (kobs) decreases with the increase of [OH-], and the reaction rate has a negative fraction order with respect to [OH-]. A plausible mechanism is proposed and the rate equations derived from the mechanism was shown to fit all the experimental results. The rate constants of the rate-determining step and the thermodynamic activation parameters are calculated

Paramagnetic resonance studies of defects in titanium dioxide crystals

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) are used to identify and characterize point defects in TiO2 crystals having the rutile structure. Defect production occurs at low temperature during illumination with 442 nm laser light. Spectra with S = 1/2 and S = 1 are assigned to singly ionized and neutral oxygen vacancies, respectively. These oxygen vacancies have their unpaired spins localized on the two neighboring titanium ions aligned along the [001] axis. A Ti3+ ion next to a substitutional Si4+ ion, a Ti3+ self-trapped electron, and a self-trapped hole on the oxygen sublattice are also observed.;Fluorine ions substitute for oxygen and are present as unintentional impurities in TiO2 crystals. Isolated singly ionized fluorine donors in an as-grown (fully oxidized) crystal convert to their neutral charge state during exposure to 442 nm laser light at 6 K. These donors return to the singly ionized charge state within a few seconds when the light is removed. In contrast, the neutral fluorine donors are observed at 6 K without photoexcitation after a crystal is reduced at 600 ºC in flowing nitrogen gas. The angular dependences of the EPR and ENDOR spectra provide a complete set of spin-Hamiltonian parameters (principal values are 1.9746, 1.9782, and 1.9430 for the g matrix and -0.23, 0.47, and 5.15 MHz for the 19F hyperfine matrix). These matrices suggest that the unpaired electron is localized primarily on one of the two equivalent neighboring substitutional titanium ions, i.e., the ground state of the neutral fluorine donor in rutile-structured TiO2 is a Ti 3+ ion adjacent to a F- ion.;Hydrogen, in the form of an OH- ion, is a shallow donor in TiO2. In the neutral charge state, the unpaired electron forms an adjacent Ti3+ ion. The hydrogen EPR signal cannot be produced in oxidized crystals containing fluorine donors, which suggest that hydrogen is a shallower donor than fluorine in TiO2 (rutile) crystals. The hydrogen EPR signal is easily observed during illumination in crystals that do not contain fluorine.;Keywords: EPR, ENDOR, TiO2, point defects, shallow donors

Estimation Under Stochastic Differential Equations

Stochastic approaches are used in modern financial analysis to explore the underlying dynamics of securities like stocks and options. Statistical modeling and inferences within this aspect is an important concern because pricing errors could lead to serious economic losses. In this thesis, statistical estimation motivated by real applications are developed for inferences under stochastic diffusion processes using tensor method and kernel smooth method. We consider in Chapter 2 parameter estimation for multi–factor stochastic processes defined by stochastic differential equations. The class of processes considered are multivariate diffusion which are popular processes in modeling the dynamics of financial assets. We quantify the bias and variance by developing theoretical expansions for a large class of estimators which includes as special cases estimators based on the maximum likelihood, approximate likelihood and discretizations. We apply the proposed methods to evaluate bias in estimated contingent claims. We also provide simulation results for a set of popular multi-factor processes to confirm our theory. Our Chapter 3 is dedicated to improve the estimation of the market volatility, specifically the VIX index introduced by Chicago Board Option Exchange (CBOE). This index provides a way to measure the 30–day expected volatility of the S & P 500 index. Among a few ways to estimate it, the CBOE and the Goldman Saches had developed an estimator based on the concept of fair value of future variance. In realizing the discretization error, truncation error, and the approximation error in their estimator, as well as the possible option pricing errors involved, we propose a new method that combines the CBOE method and the kernel smoothing method. We derive the weak convergence property of our estimator. Simulation is run to justify the improvement