When subordinates have suffered an unfairness, managers sometimes try to compensate them by allocating something extra that belongs to the organization. These reactions, which we label as managerial Robin Hood behaviors, are undertaken without the consent of senior leadership. In four studies, we present and test a theory of managerial Robin Hoodism. In study 1, we found that managers themselves reported engaging in Robin Hoodism for various reasons, including a moral concern with restoring justice. Study 2 results suggested that managerial Robin Hoodism is more likely to occur when the justice violations involve distributive and interpersonal justice rather than procedural justice violations. In studies 3 and 4, when moral identity (trait or primed) was low, both distributive and interpersonal justice violations showed similar relationships to managerial Robin Hoodism. However, when moral identity was high, interpersonal justice violations showed a strong relationship to managerial Robin Hoodism regardless of the level of distributive justice.

Afternoon aortic valve replacement surgery may provide perioperative myocardial protection and improve patient outcomes compared with morning surgery. The results of our large observational study based on Swiss cardiac surgical site infection surveillance data suggest that the current evidence is insufficient to generally promote afternoon cardiac surgeries.

The discovery of the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave signal has generated follow-up observations by over 50 facilities world-wide, ushering in the new era of multi-messenger astronomy. In this paper, we present follow-up observations of the gravitational wave event GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart SSS17a/DLT17ck (IAU label AT2017gfo) by 14 Australian telescopes and partner observatories as part of Australian-based and Australian-led research programs. We report early- to late-time multi-wavelength observations, including optical imaging and spectroscopy, mid-infrared imaging, radio imaging, and searches for fast radio bursts. Our optical spectra reveal that the transient source emission cooled from approximately 6 400 K to 2 100 K over a 7-d period and produced no significant optical emission lines. The spectral profiles, cooling rate, and photometric light curves are consistent with the expected outburst and subsequent processes of a binary neutron star merger. Star formation in the host galaxy probably ceased at least a Gyr ago, although there is evidence for a galaxy merger. Binary pulsars with short (100 Myr) decay times are therefore unlikely progenitors, but pulsars like PSR B1534+12 with its 2.7 Gyr coalescence time could produce such a merger. The displacement (~2.2 kpc) of the binary star system from the centre of the main galaxy is not unusual for stars in the host galaxy or stars originating in the merging galaxy, and therefore any constraints on the kick velocity imparted to the progenitor are poor.

Illegal killing/taking of birds is a growing concern across the Mediterranean. However, there are few quantitative data on the species and countries involved. We assessed numbers of individual birds of each species killed/taken illegally in each Mediterranean country per year, using a diverse range of data sources and incorporating expert knowledge. We estimated that 11–36 million individuals per year may be killed/taken illegally in the region, many of them on migration. In each of Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, Lebanon and Syria, more than two million birds may be killed/taken on average each year. For species such as Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, Common Quail Coturnix coturnix, Eurasian Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, House Sparrow Passer domesticus and Song Thrush Turdus philomelos, more than one million individuals of each species are estimated to be killed/taken illegally on average every year. Several species of global conservation concern are also reported to be killed/taken illegally in substantial numbers: Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca and Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca. Birds in the Mediterranean are illegally killed/taken primarily for food, sport and for use as cage-birds or decoys. At the 20 worst locations with the highest reported numbers, 7.9 million individuals may be illegally killed/taken per year, representing 34% of the mean estimated annual regional total number of birds illegally killed/taken for all species combined. Our study highlighted the paucity of data on illegal killing/taking of birds. Monitoring schemes which use systematic sampling protocols are needed to generate increasingly robust data on trends in illegal killing/taking over time and help stakeholders prioritise conservation actions to address this international conservation problem. Large numbers of birds are also hunted legally in the region, but specific totals are generally unavailable. Such data, in combination with improved estimates for illegal killing/taking, are needed for robustly assessing the sustainability of exploitation of birds.

The electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) database has been completely rewritten, with an improved design, user interface, and a number of new tools. The database is accessible at https://eelsdb.eu/ and can now be used without registration. The submission process has been streamlined to encourage spectrum submissions and the new design gives greater emphasis on contributors’ original work by highlighting their papers. With numerous new filters and a powerful search function, it is now simple to explore the database of several hundred EELS and XAS spectra. Interactive plots allow spectra to be overlaid, facilitating online comparison. An application-programming interface has been created, allowing external tools and software to easily access the information held within the database. In addition to the database itself, users can post and manage job adverts and read the latest news and events regarding the EELS and XAS communities. In accordance with the ongoing drive toward open access data increasingly demanded by funding bodies, the database will facilitate open access data sharing of EELS and XAS spectra.

ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays were examined with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in cross-section after preparation by Focused Ion Beam (FIB) milling. This technique revealed that ZnO nanowires grown using a Au catalyzed vapor technique typically have Au particles at the NW tips, and also randomly dispersed across the base crystal growth that joins adjacent NWs. It is shown the adjacent NWs and the combined base growth is one crystal structure which can be used as a back electrical contact making fabrication of vertical array devices possible. However, the base growth displays detrimental features such as embedded Au particles and lattice defects which can affect the electrical output through depletion regions and scattering centers. In an effort to overcome these problems we investigate a growth method that is nucleated through a minor alteration of the a-plane sapphire surface roughness via a weak chemical etch. Observations of various stages of the growth show the growth nucleates as separate nanoislands that grow in c-plane alignment with Sapphire (1-210), and as growth continues these islands meet and form a polycrystalline film. Further growth initiates nanowire growth and the formation of a single crystal base layer and NW structure that can cover several square millimeter’s. This allows high quality arrays that are relatively free from defects to be formed without any metals contamination and ready for further device processing.

The new 1 m f/4 fast-slew Zadko Telescope was installed in June 2008 about 70 km north of Perth, Western Australia. It is the only metre-class optical facility at this southern latitude between the east coast of Australia and South Africa, and can rapidly image optical transients at a longitude not monitored by other similar facilities. We report on first imaging tests of a pilot program of minor planet searches, and Target of Opportunity observations triggered by the Swift satellite. In 12 months, 6 gamma-ray burst afterglows were detected, with estimated magnitudes; two of them, GRB 090205 (z = 4.65) and GRB 090516 (z = 4.11), are among the most distant optical transients imaged by an Australian telescope. Many asteroids were observed in a systematic 3-month search. In September 2009, an automatic telescope control system was installed, which will be used to link the facility to a global robotic telescope network; future targets will include fast optical transients triggered by high-energy satellites, radio transient detections, and LIGO gravitational wave candidate events. We also outline the importance of the facility as a potential tool for education, training, and public outreach.

Since a few years, VLS transport is studied not only for homoepitaxial SiC growth but also for SiC selective epitaxial growth (SEG). In this approach, a stacking of silicon and aluminum layers is deposited on the substrate and patterns are created by photolithography. Upon melting, the Al-Si liquid droplets are fed by propane to obtain the SEG of p-doped SiC. In this work, the growth mechanisms were deeper investigated, in particular the influence of the carrier gas (H2 or Ar) and the growth temperature. SEG experiments showed higher growth rates than those measured in the standard configuration (nonselective growth). Moreover, the SiC layers exhibited step-bunched areas characteristic of liquid phase growth but also areas with morphological features due to a disruption of the step-bunching growth mode.

Recent results in the use of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nano/submicron crystals in fields as diverse as sensors, UV lasers, solar cells, piezoelectric nanogenerators and light emitting devices have reinvigorated the interest of the scientific community in this material. To fully exploit the wide range of properties offered by ZnO, a good understanding of the crystal growth mechanism and related defects chemistry is necessary. However, a full picture of the interrelation between defects, processing and properties has not yet been completed, especially for the ZnO nanostructures that are now being synthesized. Furthermore, achieving good control in the shape of the crystal is also a very desirable feature based on the strong correlation there is between shape and properties in nanoscale materials. In this paper, the synthesis of ZnO nanostructures via two alternative aqueous solution methods - sonochemical and hydrothermal - will be presented, together with the influence that the addition of citric anions or variations in the concentration of the initial reactants have on the ZnO crystals shape. Foreseen applications might be in the field of sensors, transparent conductors and large area electronics possibly via ink-jet printing techniques or self-assembly methods.

Les cellules souches mésenchymateuses (CSM) sont présentes dans divers tissus de l’organisme adulte dont la moelle osseuse. In vitro, les CSM peuvent se différencier en de nombreux types cellulaires du mésoderme, de l’endoderme et de l’ectoderme ; in vivo, elles ont la capacité de migrer vers un organe lésé. Il existe cependant peu d’informations sur le devenir et le potentiel thérapeutique lors de l’injection de ces cellules souches dans un organisme ayant subit une irradiation accidentelle ou thérapeutique. Nos travaux ont permis de mettre en évidence la répartition spatiale et le taux de prise de greffe des CSM injectées par voie intraveineuse (IV) dans un organisme en fonction de la configuration pour une irradiation gamma. Les CSM ont été isolées à partir de moelle osseuse humaine (CSMh) et injectées à des souris immunodéficientes 24 heures après irradiation. Nous avons mis au point trois types de configurations, une configuration d’irradiation corps entier (ICE) à une dose sublétale de 3,5 Gy et deux configurations d’irradiations localisées, pour lesquelles les souris reçoivent une dose locale totale de 8 Gy au niveau de l’abdomen ou de 30 Gy au niveau de la patte droite postérieure. Le taux d’implantation des CSMh dans les différents organes de l’organisme 15 jours après irradiation a été quantifié par amplification du gène humain de la bêta-Globine par PCR. Puis leur localisation in situ a été mise en évidence par marquage immuno-histochimique de la bêta-2-microglobuline humaine sur des sections d’organes murins possédant de l’ADN humain. En absence d’irradiation, les CSMh ont été détectées en très faible quantité. En revanche, le taux de CSMh implantées est plus important au niveau des zones irradiées à forte dose, suggérant que la colonisation des CSMh dans les tissus après irradiation est dépendante de la configuration d’irradiation. L’implantation des CSMh dans les organes n’appartenant pas aux zones surexposées évoque un état inflammatoire généralisé radio-induit. Cette observation met en avant l’existence d’un effet à distance (abscopal) des atteintes tissulaires locales radio-induites. L’ensemble de nos résultats suggère que la thérapie cellulaire par les CSM pourrait être utilisée pour la régénération des tissus normaux lésés suite à une irradiation accidentelle ou chez les patients soumis à une radiothérapie.

De nombreuses études suggèrent que les cellules souches adultes et plus particulièrement les cellules souches Mésenchymateuses humaines (CSMh) pourraient être utilisées pour réparer de nombreux organes. Nous avons étudié la capacité des CSMh à réduire les lésions cutanées radio induite. Pour induire des lésions sévères de la peau, des souris NOD/SCID ont été irradiées au niveau de la patte droite postérieure (30 Gy, débit 2,7 Gy/mn) en utilisant une source gamma au 60Co. Les CSMh ont été injectées 24 heures après irradiation par voie intraveineuse. La présence de cellules humaines, la sévérité des lésions et les processus de cicatrisation ont été étudiés sur les échantillons de peau prélevés de 3 à 8 semaines après irradiation. Nous avons pu observer que chez les souris greffées avec des CSMh, le niveau d’atteinte cutanée radio induite est significativement plus faible. Les scores cliniques utilisés pour l’étude de l’évolution des lésions cutanées de la peau sont significativement améliorés et une cicatrisation plus rapide est observée en comparaison des souris non injectées. La présence de cellules humaines a pu être détectée par PCR quantitative dans les zones cutanées en cours de cicatrisation. Ces résultats suggèrent premièrement que les CSMh sont capables de coloniser la peau altérée par les rayonnements ionisants et deuxièmement qu’elles accélèrent le processus de réparation de ce tissu limitant ainsi les complications tissulaires radio induites. La greffe de CSMh pourrait être un traitement thérapeutique efficace des phases précoces du syndrome cutané radio induit.

Combustion instability is investigated in the case of a multiple inlet combustor with dump. It is shown that low-frequency instabilities are acoustically coupled and occur at the eigenfrequencies of the system. Using spark-schlieren and a special phase-average imaging of the C2-radical emission, the fluid-mechanical processes involved in a vortex-driven mode of instability are investigated. The phase-average images provide maps of the local non-steady heat release. From the data collected on the combustor the processes of vortex shedding, growth, interactions and burning are described. The phases between the pressure, velocity and heat-release fluctuations are determined. The implications of the global Rayleigh criterion are verified and a mechanism for low-frequency vortex-driven instabilities is proposed.

There is great potential for the use of nanostructures in numerous applications. Investigation of nanoparticle films and structures is an important area of research for the production of nanoengineered devices. However, for these devices to become a reality, a production method that can yield high-rate synthesis of nanostructured powders is necessary. The hypersonic plasma particle deposition (HPPD) process has been shown to be capable of such high-rate production of nanoparticle films and structures. Versatile in its ability to manufacture nanoparticles of different chemistries HPPD also has the capability of in situ particle consolidation and assembly. In this study, chemically diverse films and structures have been produced by HPPD on a variety of substrates. Using novel specimen preparation techniques, these nanoparticles have been characterized by TEM. Fundamental issues of importance have been investigated for both the nanoparticle structure and the constituent nanoparticles. These issues include nanoparticle crystallinity and defect structure. The chemical homogeneity and structural characteristics of the deposition are also investigated. This application of microscopy to aid process development has resulted in insights into the nanoparticle formation process and the dynamics of the HPPD process.

The sol-gel route using triethoxysilane as a precursor has been used to prepare films of Si nanocrystallites. These films were deposited on (001)-oriented silicon substrates either by spin coating deposition of a liquid phase that was further heat-treated under static vacuum (dots embedded in silica gel) or by vapour phase from the thermal decomposition under vacuum of the dried gels (uncapped dots). We address the structural characterisation of these samples and we find that a spontaneous orientation of the crystallites is obtained for heating treatment beyond 800°C if the dots are deposited in the vapour phase. The optical properties of dots embedded in silica gel reveal a strong red-orange photoluminescence due to carrier recombination at the dot surface, which is noticeably contaminated by oxygen and hydrogen.