Pathways to climate adapted and healthy low income housing

AbstractThis report presents the findings from the “Pathways to Climate Adapted and Healthy Low Income Housing” project undertaken by the CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship in partnership with two organisations responsible for providing social housing in Australia.The project was based on the premise that interactions between people, housing, and neighbourhood are dynamic and best viewed as a complex, dynamic social-ecological system. Using social housing as a case study, the objectives of the project were to:Model vulnerability of housing and tenants to selected climate change impacts;Identify/evaluate engineering, behavioural and institutional adaptation options;Scope co-benefits of climate adaptation for human health and well-being; andDevelop house typologies and climate analogues for national generalisations.This project was developed with the rationale that a multi-level focus on the cross-scale interactions between housing, residents, neighbourhood, and regional climate was vital for understanding the nature of climate change vulnerability and options for adaptation. The climate change hazards that were explored were increasing temperatures and more frequent and severe heatwaves in the context of heat-related health risks to housing occupants, and changes in radiation, humidity, and wind, in relation to material durability and service life of housing components and the implications for maintenance.Please cite as:Barnett G, Beaty RM, Chen D, McFallan S, Meyers J, Nguyen M, Ren Z, Spinks A, and Wang, X 2013 Pathways to climate adapted and healthy low income housing, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, pp. 110.This report presents the findings from the \u27Pathways to Climate Adapted and Healthy Low Income Housing\u27 project undertaken by the CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship in partnership with two organisations responsible for providing social housing in Australia.The project was based on the premise that interactions between people, housing, and neighbourhood are dynamic and best viewed as a complex, dynamic social-ecological system. Using social housing as a case study, the objectives of the project were to:Model vulnerability of housing and tenants to selected climate change impacts;Identify/evaluate engineering, behavioural and institutional adaptation options;Scope co-benefits of climate adaptation for human health and well-being; andDevelop house typologies and climate analogues for national generalisations.This project was developed with the rationale that a multi-level focus on the cross-scale interactions between housing, residents, neighbourhood, and regional climate was vital for understanding the nature of climate change vulnerability and options for adaptation. The climate change hazards that were explored were increasing temperatures and more frequent and severe heatwaves in the context of heat-related health risks to housing occupants, and changes in radiation, humidity, and wind, in relation to material durability and service life of housing components and the implications for maintenance

Novel geometry gradient coils for MRI designed by genetic algorithm

This thesis concerns the design of gradient coils for magnetic resonance imaging systems. The method of design by genetic algorithm optimisation is applied to novel gradient geometries both by use of conventional computer facilities, and, by parallelisation of the design algorithm, on a supercomputer architecture. Geometries and regions of interests which are inaccessible to analytic solution are considered, and the criteria which are difficult to include in such algorithms, such as the robustness of the design, are also included. To exemplify this, in the first instance a two axis biplanar coil was designed and the performance of the genetic algorithm tested and evaluated. The coil was tested computationally; a working example was constructed and tested in a MRI scanner both on phantom objects and on a human knee. Consideration of the usefulness of the coil regions not optimised for linearity for image reconstruction was done. The gradient efficiencies of the final designs in the z and y directions respectively were 0.3 mTm-1A-1 and 0.4 mTm-1A-1 over a 15 cm diameter region of interest. The size of the interior of the gradient set was designed to be 40.0 cm x 24.4 cm x 40.0 cm, to fit within the confines of the bore of an existing scanner. The linearity in the primary direction over the region of optimisation was less than 5% for both coils. The algorithm was extended for operation on a Hitachi SR2201 supercomputer using parallelisation. The performance in this mode was evaluated and found to be favourable in comparison with the standard computer architecture, with an increase in speed in real time of a factor of-!llore than 40 in some configurations of the supercomputer. Various polygonal cross-section design shapes requiring the use of this improved computer performance were optimised and evaluated computationally. Such designs have previously been inaccessible to the genetic algorithm optimisation model. Tests were made between the performance of the genetic algorithm on various similar design problems, and simulated images from such gradient coils were produced. Finally an example of a transverse coaxial return path gradient coil is presented computationally. This coil had an internal diameter of 32 cm, a d external diameter of 44 cm and a length of 40 cm. It achieved a strength of 0.1 mTm- 1A -1 over a cylinder of diameter 20 cm and length 25 cm, with a deviation from linearity of less than 5% over this volume.British Heart Foundatio

Improving Online Interactions: Lessons from an Online Anatomy Course with a Laboratory for Undergraduate Students

An online section of a face-to-face (F2F) undergraduate (bachelor\u27s level) anatomy course with a prosection laboratory was offered in 2013-2014. Lectures for F2F students (353) were broadcast to online students (138) using Blackboard Collaborate (BBC) virtual classroom. Online laboratories were offered using BBC and three-dimensional (3D) anatomical computer models. This iteration of the course was modified from the previous year to improve online student-teacher and student-student interactions. Students were divided into laboratory groups that rotated through virtual breakout rooms, giving them the opportunity to interact with three instructors. The objectives were to assess student performance outcomes, perceptions of student-teacher and student-student interactions, methods of peer interaction, and helpfulness of the 3D computer models. Final grades were statistically identical between the online and F2F groups. There were strong, positive correlations between incoming grade average and final anatomy grade in both groups, suggesting prior academic performance, and not delivery format, predicts anatomy grades. Quantitative student perception surveys (273 F2F; 101 online) revealed that both groups agreed they were engaged by teachers, could interact socially with teachers and peers, and ask them questions in both the lecture and laboratory sessions, though agreement was significantly greater for the F2F students in most comparisons. The most common methods of peer communication were texting, Facebook, and meeting F2F. The perceived helpfulness of the 3D computer models improved from the previous year. While virtual breakout rooms can be used to adequately replace traditional prosection laboratories and improve interactions, they are not equivalent to F2F laboratories

Climate, conflict and forced migration

Despite the lack of robust empirical evidence, a growing number of media reports attempt to link climate change to the ongoing violent conflicts in Syria and other parts of the world, as well as to the migration crisis in Europe. Exploiting bilateral data on asylum seeking applications for 157 countries over the period 2006–2015, we assess the determinants of refugee flows using a gravity model which accounts for endogenous selection in order to examine the causal link between climate, conflict and forced migration. Our results indicate that climatic conditions, by affecting drought severity and the likelihood of armed conflict, played a significant role as an explanatory factor for asylum seeking in the period 2011–2015. The effect of climate on conflict occurrence is particularly relevant for countries in Western Asia in the period 2010–2012 during when many countries were undergoing political transformation. This finding suggests that the impact of climate on conflict and asylum seeking flows is limited to specific time period and contexts

CD43Lo classical monocytes participate in the cellular immune response to isolated primary blast lung injury

BACKGROUNDUnderstanding of the cellular immune response to primary blast lung injury (PBLI) is limited, with only the neutrophil response well documented. Moreover, its impact on the immune response in distal organs remains poorly understood. In this study, a rodent model of isolated primary blast injury was used to investigate the acute cellular immune response to isolated PBLI in the circulation and lung, including the monocyte response, and investigate distal subacute immune effects in the spleen and liver 6 hours after injury.METHODSRats were subjected to a shock wave (~135 kPa overpressure, 2 ms duration) inducing PBLI or sham procedure. Rat physiology was monitored, and at 1, 3, and 6 hours thereafter, blood, lung, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and histologic examination. In addition, at 6 hours, spleen and liver were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry.RESULTSLung histology confirmed pulmonary barotrauma and inflammation. This was associated with rises in CXCL-1, interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α and albumin protein in the BALF. Significant acute increases in blood and lung neutrophils and CD43Lo/His48Hi (classical) monocytes/macrophages were detected. No significant changes were seen in blood or lung “nonclassical” monocyte and in natural killler, B, or T cells. In the BALF, significant increases were seen in neutrophils, CD43Lo monocyte-macrophages and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Significant increases in CD43Lo and Hi monocyte-macrophages were detected in the spleen at 6 hours.CONCLUSIONThis study reveals a robust and selective response of CD43Lo/His48Hi (classical) monocytes, in addition to neutrophils, in blood and lung tissue following PBLI. An increase in monocyte-macrophages was also observed in the spleen at 6 hours. This profile of immune cells in the blood and BALF could present a new research tool for translational studies seeking to monitor, assess, or attenuate the immune response in blast-injured patients