Constructing the Heroic Whistleblower: A Social Scientific Approach

Many whistleblowers perform heroic acts, but not all whistleblowers are heroes. Motivation, method, and risk vary across whistleblower contexts. Although many whistleblowers portray aspects of archetypal heroism, research is needed to specify the qualities of heroic whistleblowers from non-heroic whistleblowers. The present study aims to develop an archetype of heroic whistleblowers. We identify five dimensions of whistleblowing heroism and then draw upon data from interviews that we conducted with 32 actual whistleblowers to provide examples of each element. We argue there are five dimensions of the whistleblowing process that distinguish heroic whistleblowers. The five dimensions include 1) motivation for blowing the whistle (altruistic vs. selfish), 2) complicity in the wrongdoing (bystander vs. complicit), 3) level of risk for exposing the wrongdoing (high risk vs. low risk), 4) whistleblower effect (efforts led to positive change vs. efforts produced little or no change), and 5) whistleblower willingness (they would blow the whistle again vs. they would not blow the whistle again). We argue whistleblowers exemplify heroism when they expose wrongdoing for altruistic reasons, are not complicit in the unethical behavior, they assume a high level of risk to their safety, reputation, or career, when their efforts lead to constructive changes, and when the whistleblower remains vigilant in their willingness to combat wrongdoing. We conclude by offering propositions, limitations, and future research possibilities

OMCat: Catalogue of Serendipitous Sources Detected with the XMM-Newton Optical Monitor

The Optical Monitor Catalogue of serendipitous sources (OMCat) contains entries for every source detected in the publicly available XMM-Newton Optical Monitor (OM) images taken in either the imaging or ``fast'' modes. Since the OM is coaligned and records data simultaneously with the X-ray telescopes on XMM-Newton, it typically produces images in one or more near-UV/optical bands for every pointing of the observatory. As of the beginning of 2006, the public archive had covered roughly 0.5% of the sky in 2950 fields. The OMCat is not dominated by sources previously undetected at other wavelengths; the bulk of objects have optical counterparts. However, the OMCat can be used to extend optical or X-ray spectral energy distributions for known objects into the ultraviolet, to study at higher angular resolution objects detected with GALEX, or to find high-Galactic-latitude objects of interest for UV spectroscopy.Comment: 25 pages, 22 figures, submitted to PAS

Surface excitonic emission and quenching effects in ZnO nanowire/nanowall systems: limiting effects on device potential.

We report ZnO nanowire/nanowall growth using a two-step vapour phase transport method on a-plane sapphire. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy data establish that the nanostructures are vertically well-aligned with c-axis normal to the substrate, and have a very low rocking curve width. Photoluminescence data at low temperatures demonstrate the exceptionally high optical quality of these structures, with intense emission and narrow bound exciton linewidths. We observe a high energy excitonic emission at low temperatures close to the band-edge which we assign to the surface exciton in ZnO at ~ 3.366 eV, the first time this feature has been reported in ZnO nanorod systems. This assignment is consistent with the large surface to volume ratio of the nanowire systems and indicates that this large ratio has a significant effect on the luminescence even at low temperatures. The band-edge intensity decays rapidly with increasing temperature compared to bulk single crystal material, indicating a strong temperature-activated non-radiative mechanism peculiar to the nanostructures. No evidence is seen of the free exciton emission due to exciton delocalisation in the nanostructures with increased temperature, unlike the behaviour in bulk material. The use of such nanostructures in room temperature optoelectronic devices appears to be dependent on the control or elimination of such surface effects

Sexual(ities that) progress : introduction

This piece introduces the papers for the Sexual(ities that) Progress special issue. It arises out of two sessions at the 2017 American Association of Geographers Annual Conference, where scholars critically interrogated assumptions of progress and the ideals and models that follow from understanding certain spaces and places as ‘leading the way’ in terms of sexual and gender inclusions. In this paper, we outline some of the key debates and how papers in this special issue address discourses of sexual(ities that) progress and, in particular, the importance of decolonial and postcolonial critiques in such debates. We conclude by noting omissions, the timeliness of the papers and the ongoing need for spatial lenses in exploring the power relationships that reconstitute sexual and gendered lives, cultures, politics and embodiments

Photoluminescence due to Group IV impurities in ZnO

We report the results of photoluminescence measurements on ZnO bulk crystals implanted with both stable and radioactive species involving the group IV impurities Ge, Si and Sn. We previously confirmed the identity of a line emerging at 3.3225 eV as being related to Ge and present here uniaxial stress data which show that the defect responsible has trigonal symmetry. Experiments with Si provide circumstantial evidence of a connection with the well-known line at 3.333 eV. Our measurements indicate that for the case of Sn on the Zn site luminescence is not observed. We also confirm that the I9 and I2 lines are due to substitutional In impurities

Comparison of fission and quasi-fission modes

Quantum shell effects are known to affect the formation of fragments in nuclear fission. Shell effects also affect quasi-fission reactions occurring in heavy-ion collisions. Systematic time-dependent Hartree-Fock simulations of 50Ca+176Yb collisions show that the mass equilibration between the fragments in quasi-fission is stopped when they reach similar properties to those in the asymmetric fission mode of the 226Th compound nucleus. Similar shell effects are then expected to determine the final repartition of nucleons between the nascent fragments in both mechanisms. Future experimental studies that could test these observations are discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Highly transparent and reproducible nanocrystalline ZnO and AZO thin films grown by room temperature pulsed-laser deposition on flexible zeonor plastic substrates

Zeonor plastics are highly versatile due to exceptional optical and mechanical properties which make them the choice material in many novel applications. For potential use in flexible transparent optoelectronic applications, we have investigated Zeonor plastics as flexible substrates for the deposition of highly transparent ZnO and AZO thin films. Films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature in oxygen ambient pressures of 75, 150 and 300 mTorr. The growth rate, surface morphology, hydrophobicity and the structural, optical and electrical properties of as grown films with thicknesses∼65–420 nm were recorded for the three oxygen pressures. The growth rates were found to be highly linear both as a function of film thickness and oxygen pressure, indicating high reproducibility. All the films were optically smooth, hydrophobic and nanostructured with lateral grain shapes of∼150 nm wide. This was found compatible with the deposition of condensed nanoclusters, formed in the ablation plume, on a cold and amorphous substrate. Films were nanocrystalline (wurtzite structure), c-axis oriented, with average crystallite size∼22 nm for ZnO and∼16 nm for AZO. In-plane compressive stress values of 2–3 GPa for ZnO films and 0.5 GPa forAZO films were found. Films also displayed high transmission greater than 95% in some cases, in the 400–800 nmwavelength range. The low temperature photoluminescence spectra of all the ZnO and AZO films showed intense near band edge emission. A considerable spread from semi-insulating to n-type conductive was observed for the films, with resistivity∼103 Ω cm and Hall mobility in 4–14 cm2 V−1 s−1 range, showing marked dependences on film thickness and oxygen pressure. Applications in the fields of microfluidic devices and flexible electronics for these ZnO and AZO films are suggested

Understanding “Understanding” in Public Understanding of Science

This study examines the conflation of terms such as “knowledge” and “understanding” in peer-reviewed literature, and tests the hypothesis that little current research clearly distinguishes between importantly distinct epistemic states. Two sets of data are presented from papers published in the journal Public Understanding of Science. In the first set, the digital text analysis tool, Voyant, is used to analyze all papers published in 2014 for the use of epistemic success terms. In the second set of data, all papers published in Public Understanding of Science from 2010–2015 are systematically analyzed to identify instances in which epistemic states are empirically measured. The results indicate that epistemic success terms are inconsistently defined, and that measurement of understanding, in particular, is rarely achieved in public understanding of science studies. We suggest that more diligent attention to measuring understanding, as opposed to mere knowledge, will increase efficacy of scientific outreach and communication efforts

Chemical identification of luminescence due to Sn and Sb in ZnO

We show that the I10 line in ZnO photoluminescence is associated with Sn impurities. The evidence comes from material implanted with radioactive 117Ag, which decays through 117Cd and 117In to stable 117Sn, and 121Ag which decays through the same chain to stable 121Sb. Supporting evidence is provided by ZnO:Sn prepared by the in-diffusion of stable Sn. The I2 and I9 lines are also shown conclusively to be due to In, confirming earlier identifications in the literature. We also observe shallow bound exciton emission at 3.3643(3) eV due to Sb impurities produced at the end of the decay chain of 121Ag

The identification and nature of bound exciton I-line PL systems in ZnO

The chemical identification of donor bound excitons in ZnO has been studied using radioactive ions. Implantations of 117Ag – which decays to radioactive Cd and In – have enabled the identification of the I2 optical feature as being the ionized donor counterpart of I9, one of the most prominent optical features in the photoluminescence spectrum of ZnO. Both of these lines are consistent with In occupying a Zn site