Low-energy quantum dynamics of atoms at defects. Interstitial oxygen in silicon

The problem of the low-energy highly-anharmonic quantum dynamics of isolated impurities in solids is addressed by using path-integral Monte Carlo simulations. Interstitial oxygen in silicon is studied as a prototypical example showing such a behavior. The assignment of a "geometry" to the defect is discussed. Depending on the potential (or on the impurity mass), there is a "classical" regime, where the maximum probability-density for the oxygen nucleus is at the potential minimum. There is another regime, associated to highly anharmonic potentials, where this is not the case. Both regimes are separated by a sharp transition. Also, the decoupling of the many-nuclei problem into a one-body Hamiltonian to describe the low-energy dynamics is studied. The adiabatic potential obtained from the relaxation of all the other degrees of freedom at each value of the coordinate associated to the low-energy motion, gives the best approximation to the full many-nuclei problem.Comment: RevTeX, 6 pages plus 4 figures (all the figures were not accesible before

Enabling political legitimacy and conceptual integration for climate change adaptation research within an agricultural bureaucracy: a systemic inquiry

The value of using systems approaches, for situations framed as ‘super wicked’, is examined from the perspective of research managers and stakeholders in a state-based climate change adaptation (CCA) program (CliChAP). Polycentric drivers influencing the development of CCA research pre-2010 in Victoria, Australia are reflected on, using Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to generate a boundary critique of CCA research as a human activity system. We experienced the complexity of purpose with research practices pulling in different directions, reflected on the appropriateness of agricultural bureaucracies’ historical new public management (NPM) practices, and focused on realigning management theory with emerging demands for adaptation research skills and capability. Our analysis conceptualised CliChAP as a subsystem, generating novelty in a wider system, concerned with socio-ecological co-evolution. Constraining/enabling conditions at the time dealing with political legitimacy and conceptual integration were observed as potential catalysts for innovation in research management towards better handling of uncertainty as a social process using systemic thinking in practice (StiP)

Moving from contractor to owner operator: Impact on safety culture; a case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a change in staffing contractual arrangements, specific training in hazard identification, mentoring of supervisors and the introduction of a robust safety system could improve an organisation\u27s safety culture. How safety conditions change under contracted out labour compared to direct labour and the influence that contracting out has on organisational safety culture is explored. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a case study methodology to detail how the change occurred over a six month period in 2011. As part of the analysis a model of the change process and push-pull factors is offered. Findings – As a result of the change, all areas saw some improvement. Work-related injury statistics dropped significantly, supervisors were clear of their roles, actively monitoring their crews to ensure they worked in a safer manner than before, and staff were actively addressing work-place hazards. With the safety system in place the organisation should be deemed compliant and diligent by the state auditing authorities. This study has also shown that using contractor workers together with in-house workers that are managed under different safety regimes is problematic. The problems don’t occur due to the contractor\u27s safety systems being less robust than the parent company\u27s or that contract workers are themselves less safe; it is the added complexity of managing multiple safety regimes and the lack of trust of the robustness of each system that create conflict. Research limitations/implications – The paper reports on the change process of one mining organisation in Western Australia as a case study from a managerial sample and is thereby limited. Practical implications – This study demonstrates the difficulties in changing safety culture in an underground mining organisation. The paper argues the need for specialised training in identifying hazards by the staff, the mentoring of supervisory staff and the adoption of a robust safety system to support improved safety culture. Originality/value – There is little research conducted in the resources sector researching changes in human resource supply and OHS management, in particular moving from contracted labour to hiring in-house. This case provides an insight into how a change in staffing hiring arrangements, together with specific safety initiatives, has a positive impact on safety performance

Climate change adaptation in public policy: frames, fire management, and frame reflection

The influence of framing on approaches to climate change adaptation is receiving increased attention. Using case study data, this paper proposes that appreciating how a policy sector currently frames itself can not only facilitate insights into how that sector may frame adaptation but also into a sector's adaptive capacity. From a new institutional perspective, this paper argues therefore that a frame reflective practice can aid policy sectors in building their capacity for adaptive, robust approaches to adaptation planning. A frame reflexive practice could enable policy sectors to appreciate how their current framing directs action towards particular policy options, potentially ignoring others, and how exploring the sector's issues through different frames could reveal a greater array of policy options than currently considered

Innovative or unrealistic: reflections on the use of landscape architecture visualisations in climate change planning

Coastal managers and planners face significant challenges in planning for climate change, including the need to act now while developing and implementing adaptively robust plans. A key first stage of such planning involves working with stakeholders to envisage multiple possible futures, even though it can be challenging for people to envisage futures that are markedly different to the present. Landscape architecture visualisations are increasingly used to help address this challenge, but there is limited evaluation of their value in such planning. Drawing on a case study from the highly urbanised Port Philip Bay of Victoria, Australia, this paper presents reflections from coastal managers and planners on the value of participatory development and use of such visualisations in adaptation planning. Findings indicate a tension between the value of visualisations in helping people conceive possible futures and the tendency for those futures to be imagined within current budgetary and political parameters