The “other” creatives : design and culture in Western Sydney

Western Sydney is an in-between place that is neither unified nor uniform and with constantly shifting borders; somewhere that is constantly in a state of transformation and becoming. Yet despite its vast and diverse geography, media representations tend to focus on the region's suburban aesthetic, and studies have shown that the area is recurrently portrayed as a cultural wasteland, the ugly “Other” Sydney characterised by social problems and neglect, where people are too focused on surviving to be “cultural” and referred to in shorthand as “Westies”. This stereotype has effectively operated as a brand that positioned Western Sydney as subservient to the rest of Sydney, affecting the social and economic interactions of people from the West. In recent times, some Western Sydney local councils have undertaken rebranding processes to make themselves more competitive, usually through celebrating demographic diversity, natural, sporting and recreation assets, and more recently, proximity to the new international airport. However, the region’s cultural assets—past, present, and emerging—have been overlooked, potentially hindering efforts to carve a more unique and authentic identity for the region, and limiting opportunities for locals and locales in the West. Following Melbourne and Sydney, Western Sydney is now Australia’s third-largest economy and is a key growth area, with new houses, jobs, and major projects in progress. Yet despite recent investigations into patterns of development and infrastructure growth, there have been few that explore Western Sydney-based creative industries in keeping with the studies conducted in areas surrounding other Australian cities. Instead, recurring discussions about Sydney’s creative scene tend to reinforce a stereotype, conceptualising creativity as a bohemian, inner city phenomenon with limited consideration given to creative industries situated in the apparently uncool outer suburbs, repeating a pattern of representation that situates the people of Western Sydney as outsiders. From the inside position of designer and Westie, this thesis explores how visual representations have helped to shape and sustain Western Sydney’s reputation as Other to Sydney and proposes how it could be repositioned through harnessing the cultural power of branding. Drawing from cultural studies, creative industries discourse, and branding practice, this thesis illuminates the connections between design and cultural agency in the West. In doing so, it contributes to the reconceptualization of Western Sydney’s identity during a time of unprecedented change and development

Evaluating Beaver Translocation Methods for Desert River Restoration

Wildlife translocation, or moving wild animals from their original home to a new location, is a common conservation practice; however, translocation programs have variable success rates. Beaver translocation is often used in stream restoration projects due to beavers’ role as ecosystem engineers—beavers enhance riparian habitat by building dams that hold water and create more diverse channels. Beaver translocation success is often limited by high mortality and long distance movement after release, and improvement in translocation methods is needed. My objective was to evaluate two methods of improving beaver translocation success in a degraded desert river in east-central Utah: beaver dam analog (BDA) installation and behavioral testing. Over two years before BDA installment, 39 nuisance beavers were captured, tagged, and translocated to the Price River. After 70 BDAs were installed, another 73 tagged beavers were translocated over two years. In the last two years of the study, I conducted behavioral testing while beavers were temporarily held in captivity. Over all four years, I monitored survival and movement of beavers and surveyed BDAs and natural beaver dams. Apparent survival (a combination of true survival and staying in the study area) was similar before and after BDA installation. Higher stream flow was linked to lower apparent survival. Mortality was generally caused by predators, and many beavers left the study area. At the end of data collection, no translocated beavers remained alive and in the study area. I observed beaver activity on two BDAs. Over the course of the study, there was a decrease in the number of natural dams due to extreme monsoon flooding in the final two years. We found relationships between beaver behavior and survival as well as distance traveled. More tame, less aggressive beavers survived longer, whereas bolder, more aggressive beavers moved farther. Our results suggest that while BDAs may not improve beaver translocation success in desert rivers, behavioral testing should be investigated further as a useful tool for prioritizing beavers for translocation. Translocation is a humane solution to human-beaver conflict, and with improved methods, it may be a valuable restoration practice in desert river ecosystems

A semi-implicit version of the MPAS-atmosphere dynamical core

An important question for atmospheric modeling is the viability of semi-implicit time integration schemes on massively parallel computing architectures. Semi-implicit schemes can provide increased stability and accuracy. However, they require the solution of an elliptic problem at each time step, creating concerns about their parallel efficiency and scalability. Here, a semi-implicit (SI) version of the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) is developed and compared with the original model version, which uses a split Runge-Kutta (SRK3) time integration scheme. The SI scheme is based on a quasi-Newton iteration toward a Crank-Nicolson scheme. Each Newton iteration requires the solution of a Helmholtz problem; here, the Helmholtz problem is derived, and its solution using a geometric multigrid method is described. On two standard test cases, a midlatitude baroclinic wave and a small-planet nonhydrostatic gravity wave, the SI and SRK3 versions produce almost identical results. On the baroclinic wave test, the SI version can use somewhat larger time steps (about 60%) than the SRK3 version before losing stability. The SI version costs 10%-20% more per step than the SRK3 version, and the weak and strong scalability characteristics of the two versions are very similar for the processor configurations the authors have been able to test (up to 1920 processors). Because of the spatial discretization of the pressure gradient in the lowest model layer, the SI version becomes unstable in the presence of realistic orography. Some further work will be needed to demonstrate the viability of the SI scheme in this case.UK Natural Environment Research Council as part of the G8 ICOMEX projec

Tissue-Specific Effects of Temperature and Salinity on the Cell Cycle and Apoptosis in the Nile Tilapia (oreochromis Niloticus).

The Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) evolved in warm, freshwater rivers, but possesses a broad physiological tolerance to a range of environmental conditions. Due to this hardiness and resilience, this species has been successfully introduced to regions widely outside of its native range. Here, we examine the impact of temperature and salinity variation on this species at the sub-lethal level. Specifically, Nile Tilapia were exposed to two temperatures (21 °C or 14 °C) and three salinities (0, 16, 34 ppt) for 1-h. Given their native habitat, the 21 °C / 0 ppt exposure was considered the control condition. Both cell cycle arrest and apoptosis represent sub-lethal but deleterious responses to environmental stress. Flow cytometry was used to assess the percentage of cells in a given stage of the cell cycle as a metric of cell cycle arrest in spleen and liver. Percentage of apoptotic cells were also quantified. Spleen was more sensitive to cold stress, demonstrating an increase in cells in the G2/M phase after experimental treatment. Liver, however, was more sensitive to salinity stress, with a significant increase in cells stalled in G2/M phase at higher salinities, which is in keeping with the freshwater evolutionary history of the species. A modest apoptotic signal was observed in liver but not in spleen. Together, these findings demonstrate that even short, acute exposures to cold temperatures and elevated salinity can cause sub-lethal damage in a species that is otherwise tolerant of environmental stress at the whole organism level

Resuscitation of patients with active Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) status after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) will often already be living with serious or life- threatening chronic co-morbidities. Many patients express wishes that they would not want to be resuscitated in the event of a cardiac arrest. Analysis of calls to Compassion in Dying’s End- of-Life Rights Information Line demonstrated public concerns about being resuscitated against their wishes [1]. Nevertheless resuscitation of patients with Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions does sometimes occur in the hospital setting [2]

Approaches to the measurement of efficiency in a dynamic context: with an application to the UK banking sector

In this thesis we put forward two approaches to the measurement of the cost efficiency of firms in which adjustment costs affect the optimal allocation of factor inputs. The two approaches we consider are, first, based o n direct calculation of an efficiency index and, second, the estimation of a parametric model. The implementation of both approaches require extensions to the existing theory. In developing the cost efficiency index approach we suggest that the Tornqvist index can be extended to be "exact and superlative" (Diewert (1976)), even when there are adjustment costs. However, the formulae for this index becomes dependent on the unknown adjustment cost function and this needs to be estimated in reduced form by econometric methods. We find an extension of the parametric model approach that incorporates adjustment costs to be preferable, since it gives a greater understanding of the structure of adjustment costs - not only their direct influence on the costs of firms, but also the extent to which they alter the optimal factor demands (a feature that in a static model might be interpreted as allocative inefficiency). The empirical analysis in this thesis applies both approaches to estimate efficiency differences between firms, and over time, in the UK retail banking and building society sectors. The parametric model we develop, incorporating adjustment costs, is particularly appropriate since these sectors have undergone considerable change over the period we study (1978 to 1987), in terms of both the level of output and optimal factor demands (with labour substituted for progressively more computer and information technology equipment). Furthermore, the parametric approach is easily adapted to deal with other particular characteristics of these sectors. In particular, we are able to extend our model to freely estimate equipment depreciation rates. This results in using an unbiased estimate of the user cost of equipment when estimating cost efficienc

End-tidal and arterial carbon dioxide gradient in serious traumatic brain injury after prehospital emergency anaesthesia: a retrospective observational study.

OBJECTIVES: In the UK, 20% of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) receive prehospital emergency anaesthesia (PHEA). Current guidance recommends an end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) of 4.0-4.5 kPa (30.0-33.8 mm Hg) to achieve a low-normal arterial partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2), and reduce secondary brain injury. This recommendation assumes a 0.5 kPa (3.8 mm Hg) ETCO2-PaCO2 gradient. However, the gradient in the acute phase of TBI is unknown. The primary aim was to report the ETCO2-PaCO2 gradient of TBI patients at hospital arrival. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of adult patients with serious TBI, who received a PHEA by a prehospital critical care team in the East of England between 1 April 2015 and 31 December 2017. Linear regression was performed to test for correlation and reported as R-squared (R2). A Bland-Altman plot was used to test for paired ETCO2 and PaCO2 agreement and reported with 95% CI. ETCO2-PaCO2 gradient data were compared with a two-tailed, unpaired, t-test. RESULTS: 107 patients were eligible for inclusion. Sixty-seven patients did not receive a PaCO2 sample within 30 min of hospital arrival and were therefore excluded. Forty patients had complete data and were included in the final analysis; per protocol. The mean ETCO2-PaCO2 gradient was 1.7 (±1.0) kPa (12.8 mm Hg), with moderate correlation (R2=0.23, p=0.002). The Bland-Altman bias was 1.7 (95% CI 1.4 to 2.0) kPa with upper and lower limits of agreement of 3.6 (95% CI 3.0 to 4.1) kPa and -0.2 (95% CI -0.8 to 0.3) kPa, respectively. There was no evidence of a larger gradient in more severe TBI (p=0.29). There was no significant gradient correlation in patients with a coexisting serious thoracic injury (R2=0.13, p=0.10), and this cohort had a larger ETCO2-PaCO2 gradient, 2.0 (±1.1) kPa (15.1 mm Hg), p=0.01. Patients who underwent prehospital arterial blood sampling had an arrival PaCO2 of 4.7 (±0.2) kPa (35.1 mm Hg). CONCLUSION: There is only moderate correlation of ETCO2 and PaCO2 at hospital arrival in patients with serious TBI. The mean ETCO2-PaCO2 gradient was 1.7 (±1.0) kPa (12.8 mm Hg). Lower ETCO2 targets than previously recommended may be safe and appropriate, and there may be a role for prehospital PaCO2 measurement

The role of discharge variability in determining alluvial stratigraphy

We illustrate the potential for using physics-based modeling to link alluvial stratigraphy to large river morphology and dynamics. Model simulations, validated using ground penetrating radar data from the Río Paraná, Argentina, demonstrate a strong relationship between bar-scale set thickness and channel depth, which applies across a wide range of river patterns and bar types. We show that hydrologic regime, indexed by discharge variability and flood duration, exerts a first-order influence on morphodynamics and hence bar set thickness, and that planform morphology alone may be a misleading variable for interpreting deposits. Indeed, our results illustrate that rivers evolving under contrasting hydrologic regimes may have very similar morphology, yet be characterized by marked differences in stratigraphy. This realization represents an important limitation on the application of established theory that links river topography to alluvial deposits, and highlights the need to obtain field evidence of discharge variability when developing paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Model simulations demonstrate the potential for deriving such evidence using metrics of paleocurrent variance

Making and Sharing the Commons: Reimagining ‘the West’ as Riverlands, Sydney through a Dialogue between Design and Ethnography

Scholars from the social sciences and humanities are increasingly seeking to improve the relevance and social impact of their research beyond the academy. In this context, ‘designerly’ thinking and methods are being drawn on to inform social change agendas, and a range of new relationships and collaborations are forming around this node of activity. This article critically reflects on this trajectory through a dialogue between ethnography, design and theoretical principles from anthropology and human geography