Contracting with researchers

We study a setting in which one or two agents conduct research on behalf of a principal. The agents' success depends on effort and the choice of a research technology that is uncertain with respect to its quality. A single agent has no incentive to deviate from the principal's preferred technology choice. In the multiagent-setting researchers pursue individual rather than overall success which yields a preference for the most promising technology. We show that a mechanism that deters this bias towards mainstream research always entails an efficiency loss if researchers are risk-averse. Our results suggest that there is too little diversity in delegated research

Contracting with Researchers

We study a setting in which one or two agents conduct research on behalf of a principal. The agents binary performance level (suc- cess or failure) depends on their invested research e ort, and their choice of a research technology that is uncertain in respect of its apt- ness to generate a success. While in the single-agent-setting the agent has no incentive to deviate from the principal s preferred technology choice, this is not generally true for the multiagent-setting. When technologies are mutually exclusive - only one of them will be suit- able for yielding a high output - we show that there exists a contract that aligns the principal s and the agents interests. However, under the plausible assumption of scientists free technology choice, our re- sults suggest that there is a bias towards mainstream-research: Agents choose promising technologies more often than socially optimal

The Removal of Single Layers from Multi-Layer Graphene by Low Energy Electron Stimulation

The removal of single atomic layers from multi-layer graphene using a He plasma is reported. By applying sample biases of -60 and +60 V during He plasma exposure, layer removal is found to be due to electrons instead of He ions or neutrals in the plasma. The rate of layer removal depends on exposure time, sample bias and pre-annealing treatments. Optical contrast microscopy and atomic force microscopy studies show that the removal of C atoms occurs approximately one layer at a time across the entire multi-layer sample with no observable production of large pits or reduction in lateral dimensions. Layer removal is proposed to arise from the electron-stimulated dissociation of C atoms from the basal plane. This process differs from plasma techniques that use reactive species to etch multi-layer graphene.Comment: to appear in Small 201

LGBTQ+ Health-a Novel Course for Undergraduate Students.

The concept of providing focused, competency-based LGBTQ+ health education outside the setting of health professional programs, specifically for undergraduates, is quite uncharted. However, the issue at the core of our rationale is one shared by those with and without clinical exposure: how to best support the development of cultural competence in providers who are or will be caring for LGBTQ+ patients. Traditional health professional education programs have enacted a number of curricular initiatives in this regard, designed for advanced learners. By focusing specifically on the undifferentiated learner, we offer a new perspective on the timing of LGBTQ+ health-related education. Our course is not intended to supplant the critical learning and application that must occur in the clinic or hospital room. Rather, we present a framework for cultivating understanding of the healthcare issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community that may help a learner to acquire and apply skills subsequently with greater cultural competence

Contracting with Researchers

We study a setting in which one or two agents conduct research on behalf of a principal. The agents' success depends on effort and the choice of a research technology that is uncertain with respect to its quality. A single agent has no incentive to deviate from the principal's preferred technology choice. In the multiagent-setting researchers pursue individual rather than overall success which yields a preference for the most promising technology. We show that a mechanism that deters this bias towards mainstream research always entails an effciency loss if researchers are risk-averse. Our results suggest that there is too little diversity in delegated research

Incentives for Researchers

The thesis examines incentives for scientists from a game-theoretic perspective: Chapter 1: We study a model of delegated research. A researcher’s success depends on their effort and their choice of research technology which is uncertain with respect to its quality. Researchers pursue individual, rather than overall success, which yields a preference for the most promising technology. We show that a mechanism that deters this bias towards mainstream research always entails an efficiency loss if researchers are risk-averse. Our results suggest that there is too little diversity in delegated research. Chapter 2: We show that strategic delay can pose a problem in delegated R&D projects. In our model, a principal delegates a research project to an agent. Depending on the agent’s effort provision in two time periods, the research project can be completed either early, late or never. Our central assumption is that the agent is able to opportunistically withhold possible early completion from the principal (strategic delay). We derive the conditions under which strategic delay poses a problem. There are two options for the contract’s optimal adjustment that both fall short of the first-best solution. (1) The contract prevents strategic delay by separating between successful and unsuccessful agents after period 1, but thereby distorts the agent’s working incentives in both periods. (2) The principal strategically delays the start of the research project until the second period. We discuss several model extensions and possible institutional remedies to mitigate the problem. Chapter 3: What are the conditions under which fraudulent or erroneous research arises and survives in the scientific community? To answer this question, we build on the work of Lacetera and Zirulia (2011) and model the scientific approval process along the lines of an inspection game. A researcher publishes a possibly fraudulent or faulty result which comes under scrutiny from a (large) scientific readership. Scrutinizing scientific publications may constitute a public good for the scientific community,such that the volume of (unrevealed) faulty research can increase with the number of interested readers. In fact, an author might intentionally increase the level of fraud so as to attract more readers, thereby aggravating the free rider problem and reducing the likelihood of getting caught. Moreover, the model sheds light on the question of whether and when a greater diversity of opinions in the scientific community helps to weed out flawed research

A Regiment in Action

The work which follows is by no means a thorough or complete history of the Twenty First Infantry Regiment in World War II. To my knowledge no such history has yet been written. I have, however, a number of official accounts of some of our actions. These I have edited and put together with whatever other information available in order to have at least some form of published record. I am publishing this work in response to numerous requests from members and former members of the 21st Infantry as a chronicle of our days together in combat. Most of the description concerning the Hollandia Operation was submitted by Lieut. Colonel Roy W. Marcy. The sketches after Page 37 and Page 52 were drawn by Mr. Lawrence E. Hickman another former 21st Infantryman. Great thanks are due to Lieut. Colonel Judson MacIvor Smith for the material on Pages 3, 4, 5 and 6 which were taken from his book The Story of a Regiment -- a history of the 21st Infantry. Thanks are also due to Mr. Arthur Amos, Jr. for the cover, Miss Ruth Middleton for typing the manuscript and to Mr. T. L. Tuggle for supervising the multilith operations of reproduction. I would be glad to receive information from anyone who can furnish more complete data for inclusion in a future, more complete work. Also any corrections or suggested changes will be very welcome. William J. Verbeck, Colonel, Infantry, Commanding Officer of Troops, U.S.M.A., West Point, N.Y.https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/ww_reg_his/1092/thumbnail.jp

Electrometric Titration of Sulfurous Acid with Permanganate

The purpose of this work was to determine whether sulfurous acid in acid solution is completely oxidized to sulfuric acid by an excess of permanganate as stated in the literature. If so the excess of permanganate should be easily and accurately determinable electrometrically with potassium iodide thus giving a simple method for determining sulfur dioxide, sulfurous acid or sulfites. The results show that with a small or large excess of permanganate only about 90 per cent is oxidized to sulfuric acid, the remainder of the sulfurous acid probably forming dithionic acid

Current knowledge of external sulfate attack

This paper offers an update of the current understanding of sulfate attack, with emphasis on the sulfates present in an external water source percolating through, and potentially reacting with, the cement matrix. The paper considers the explanations put forward to explain sulfate attack, both from a chemical and microstructural perspective. Similarly, this paper reviews work on the physical damage caused by the precipitation of sulfate salts in porous materials. With the increased use of binary and ternary blends, this paper also considers the impact of binder composition on sulfate resistance, and similarly reviews how the nature of the sulfate species can affect the nature and extent of any deterioration. This then leads on to the important consideration of differences between field- and lab-based studies; reviewing the effect of various experimental parameters on sulfate resistance. This latter topic is of great importance to anyone who wishes to carry out such experiments