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Public diplomacy, propaganda, and journalism in the digital landscape
No full textThis chapter embarks on a critical discussion about the interplay among news networks and owners, and the deployment of public diplomacy tactics in contemporary transnational broadcasting. Looking at the current thinking around public diplomacy and journalism, as well as the three models of international broadcasting in public diplomacy, it puts forth the emerging model for guiding the engagement of broadcasting with mediated public diplomacy within the digital media landscape. The discussion is based upon the seminal work of Philip Seib and others supported by the empirical observation of the journalistic practice of international broadcasters in the virtual space. It specifically discusses the dilemma between public diplomacy and propaganda within international broadcasting in journalistic practice
Supporting social housing tenants: Issues and interventions.
No full textThe aim of the Unison Housing Research Lab Research Report series is to develop a clearer
understanding of who Unison works with, and identify areas where systems development is required.
This series involves deep analysis of administrative data collected by Union Housing to drive decision
making. The Lab also produces a Think Piece series. This series critically examines theories and
evidence that are influential in the areas of social housing and homelessness, and that are pertinent
to Unison’s mission, policies and practice
Mechanical Characteristics of Graphene Origami-Based Functionally Graded Composite Structures in Fluid
No full textThis doctoral thesis explores the mechanical characteristics of graphene-
based functionally graded (FG) composite structures in fluid environments,
drawing from a series of studies that address the challenges and opportunities
in this field. Inspired by the remarkable properties of nanocomposites
reinforced with carbon-based nanofillers i.e., high stiffness and lightweight,
the mechanical and functional potentials of these materials when applied in
extreme conditions are delved into. In particular, the focus is on the effect of
negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR) on the mechanical characteristics of graphene-
based functionally graded structures in steady and dynamic fluids.
Incorporating NPR characteristics generally deteriorates the stiffness of
structures. To overcome this, 3D graphene origami (GOri)-enabled metallic
metamaterials with highly tuneable NPR and enhanced Young’s Modulus
using molecular dynamics methods are introduced. The results show that
nanocomposites with Miura-patterned GOri exhibit remarkable NPR and
Young’s modulus at room temperature.
Predicting the material properties of 3D graphene-reinforced
nanocomposites remains challenging. In response, an efficient
micromechanical modelling approach that combines molecular dynamics
simulation and a genetic programming (GP) algorithm is adopted. These GP-
based models accurately predict critical mechanical properties, providing
essential insights for the analysis and design of FG 3D graphene-reinforced
composite structures.
Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) is a prevalent phenomenon in various
engineering sectors. Offshore structures that extract oil and gas, whose
supports are situated in the seabed, rely on their capability to withstand high
dynamic loading in a fluid environment i.e., tides, earthquakes, and drilling. It
has been reported that 96% of marine structure accidents were linked to the
operation stage of their life while 4% of the accidents were linked to the
installation stage. This statistic highlights the pending requirement for support structures with improved vibration resistance and stiffness to significantly reduce the risk of structural failure, particularly during operation.
The initial chapters of this thesis deal with the FSI behaviour in relation
to static fluid. The fluid is described as ideal i.e., incompressible, non-viscous,
and irrotational. This parametric study is addressed by calculating the velocity
potential function and adopting Bernoulli’s principle to determine the fluid
pressure on the surface of the structure. The latter chapters are related to
dynamic fluids and their effects on the deformation behaviours of graphene-
based functionally graded composite structures. The fluid is described as a
viscous Newtonian fluid i.e., incompressible, viscous, and two-dimensional
fluid flow. The FSI is described using a simplified model based on the Navier–
Stokes equation for fluid momentum. This methodology enables the
determination of the effect of the fluid velocity and viscosity. In addition, the
effects of vortex-induced vibration (VIV) behaviours of graphene origami-
based functionally graded structures were investigated via finite element
analysis and partial differential equation solver.
Continuing the exploration, a comprehensive analysis of the structural
behaviours of FG structures composed of 3D graphene-reinforced
nanocomposites under various loading conditions while in contact with
various fluid conditions is conducted. Material properties are controlled via 3D
graphene content, GOri folding degree, graphene and metamaterial
distribution patterns, and functionalised graphene coverage graded across the
thickness of the structure. Governing equations are derived and numerically
solved using a range of methods, offering valuable insights into the engineering
design and application of functionally graded graphene origami reinforced
composite structures for improved structural performance.
In summary, this thesis contributes to the body of knowledge by
exploring the mechanical behaviours of graphene origami-based functionally
graded composite structures immersed in various fluid conditions. It offers
insights into the effects of graphene properties, fluid properties, and geometric
properties on the mechanical behaviours of graphene origami-based
functionally graded composite structures immersed in various fluid
conditions. Furthermore, it provides a novel machine learning model that can accurately and efficiently predict the vibrational characteristics of graphene origami-based functionally graded composite beams. Lastly, it examines the
linear and nonlinear structural behaviours of FG 3D graphene origami-
reinforced nanocomposite structures, thus promoting their application in
various engineering domains.</p
Energy, Economic and Environmental Performances of BIPV Facade in Urban Environment: A Machine Learning Based Urban Morphology Method
No full textTo create a sustainable and liveable urban environment, adopting Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPVs) offers a promising solution by transforming building surfaces into green energy generators. BIPVs can integrate various building components such as roofs, curtain walls, windows, balconies, and shading devices, presenting significant potential for large-scale façade applications in urban areas. However, there is a lack of evaluation methods to assess the potential for urban-scale deployment of BIPV façades.
While many studies have examined BIPV feasibility for individual buildings from technical, economic, and environmental perspectives, limited research has explored BIPV potential at the urban scale due to the complexity of urban fabrics. Although solar potential at the urban scale has been investigated through simulation methods, gaps remain in evaluating BIPV façade application potential, particularly for facilitating urban planning decisions.
Urban morphology, which encompasses the physical features shaping city structures and patterns, can influence solar potential in urban areas. Despite its use in various urban studies, there is a need to integrate urban morphology considerations into BIPV façade deployment. Traditional simulation methods for calculating solar irradiation on vertical surfaces in urban environments face significant challenges due to the complexity and variability of urban landscapes, requiring substantial resources and specialized software knowledge.
To address these challenges, this study aims to develop a novel method using machine learning to predict large-scale solar irradiation and energy generation potential for BIPV façade systems in urban environments. By incorporating urban morphological indicators, this method seeks to assist in decision-making processes, facilitating the integration of BIPVs into urban planning and contributing to more sustainable cities.
Using an Australian city as a case study, a hierarchical two-level machine learning model was developed to predict solar potential for building façade PV systems. The model incorporates 13 urban morphological predictors to determine average shading height and unshaded solar irradiance. Combining these predictions with wall datasets and different façade BIPV efficiencies, the proposed prediction method is developed to predict unshaded electricity generation. The model results showcase high efficiency and accuracy in the prediction of the shading height, solar irradiance, and electricity generation.
Based on the prediction models, the economic and environmental performance is evaluated for the study area. A detailed analysis of those results reveals the key urban morphological parameters for improving the economic and environmental performance, which generate a decision-making matrix. This urban morphology matrix is designed to guide and enhance the economic and environment performance of BIPV façade application in the urban environment, which aids the decision making in the early stage of urban planning.
The outcome of this research contributes to the study of urban BIPV applications, by providing the comprehensive research framework for BIPV application in the urban environment and identifying the current research gaps and future directions. Meanwhile, this research supports the practical decision making and urban planning, by establishing the efficient prediction-based method and the urban morphology matrix to facilitate informed decision making. Therefore, this research can promote high BIPV penetration in urban environments, contributing to sustainable development goals in the near future.</p
Defining and Targeting Pathogenic Myeloid Populations in Novel Models of COPD
No full textChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an incurable chronic inflammatory disease mainly caused by cigarette smoke (CS), where inflammatory myeloid cells including alternatively activated macrophages accumulate in the lungs. Current anti-inflammatory treatments such as corticosteroids are ineffective in blocking the actions of innate myeloid cells, hence new therapies are needed. This thesis utilized mouse models of CS-induced lung inflammation and emphysema to characterise pathogenic myeloid populations which drive the underlying inflammatory response and lung pathology. Inflammatory cell infiltration into the lung lumen was analysed over a 4-week CS period, where an initial influx of neutrophils was gradually replaced with the accumulation of macrophages that was associated with a progressive increase in macrophage elastase (MMP-12) expression. To further characterise these macrophages, mice were then exposed to two weeks of CS, which caused significant lung injury. Flow cytometry was used to identify the expansion of a population of monocyte-derived CD11b+ pulmonary interstitial macrophages (IMs). Next, the therapeutic efficacy of targeting the common beta receptor (βc), the receptor subunit shared by GM-CSF, IL-5, and IL-3, was investigated using transgenic mice expressing the human βc and the monoclonal antibody CSL311 that neutralises the human βc receptor. CSL311 proved very effective in blocking multiple myeloid cells including IMs, neutrophils and eosinophils. This broad anti-inflammatory response markedly reduced lung injury caused by acute smoke exposure. In addition to the inhalation of noxious CS particles, the development of an accelerated COPD phenotype can occur in people who have underlying asthma. Around 30% of COPD patients can have co-existing asthma, and these patients typically present with more severe disease and greater hospital admissions. Since there are no effective treatments for patients with asthma-COPD overlap, a new pre-clinical model was developed to recapitulate this important disease phenotype. CS-induced emphysema in the presence of an aeroallergen (house dust mite extract, HDM) exposure was investigated. Compared with CS exposure only, mice exposed to both CS and HDM displayed significantly greater emphysematous changes as measured by lung volume and alveolar diameter. This was accompanied by expansion of CD11b+ pulmonary interstitial macrophages, and increased expression of MMP-12 and TH2 cytokines. This new pre-clinical model of asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) has identified CD11b+ lung IMs expressing MMP-12 as a major driver of lung inflammation and emphysema, which can be used to understand unique molecular disease drivers and test novel therapies.This thesis elucidated the significance of IMs in experimental COPD by demonstrating their roles in various models of CS and allergen-induced inflammation and emphysema. The targetability of these IMs using highly clinically relevant biologics highlights the translational potential of this work and provides crucial insight that will aid the development of novel treatments for COPD.</p
Consumer Trust Influenced by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategies During Crisis: A Study of the Processed Food and Beverage Industry in Vietnam
No full textConsumer Trust Influenced by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Strategies During Crises: A Study of Processed Food and Beverage
Industry in Vietnam
Abstract
This study focuses on how corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be used as a
post crisis communication strategy for firms in developing countries such as Vietnam. In
recent years, firms around the world have started to recognize that investing in CSR is a
very strong and effective strategy to help a firm’s reputation, especially after a crisis.
However, using CSR as a business strategy can also backfire if a firm does not know how
to utilize it wisely. Recent academic scholarship has focused on how CSR strategy can
be implemented most efficiently for firms. Whilst some studies have been undertaken
using CSR as a strategy, there has been little focus on how CSR activities’ congruency
and records as well as skepticism may impact the result of the strategy. This study,
employing a mixed methods research design, fills this gap and investigates how a firm’s
CSR strategy can help to offset negative effects of a crisis on consumer trust, while
focusing on the roles that CSR congruency (fit) and CSR records (history) plays into
strategy effectiveness. This study considers consumer skepticism as a moderating factor
between consumer trust and the effectiveness of CSR strategies. The findings suggest a
positive relationship between CSR congruency and records.</p
Navigating the Social and the Commercial: Marketing Fashion-Based Social Enterprise
No full textIn an era where new fashion-based social enterprises FSEs are emerging alongside the unbridled growth of fast fashion, this thesis explores the challenges of fashion marketing for FSEs. Over the last two decades, the fashion sector has been heavily criticized for issues over environmental sustainability, exploitation of cheap labour, and negligent health and safety practices. This sector, therefore, presents challenges for the social enterprise model primarily due to the historically inherent power relations rooted in the origin and methods of fashion production and consumption. By combining both social welfare and market logics, FSEs forge a new approach to fashion marketing, challenging conventional strategies and fostering a greater level of consumer awareness of the social and environmental implications of fashion consumption behaviours. This project examines the research question: How do fashion-based social enterprises (FSEs) navigate the marketing of both the commercial and social aspects of their business?
The methodology of this thesis adopts a paradigm of pragmatism to facilitate a comprehensive exploration of the Research Question. The research employs a multifaceted approach of qualitative research that encompasses both conventional and scoping literature reviews as well as semi-structured in-depth interviews with industry professionals. Interviewees were selected from a broad range of geographic locations enabling the inclusion of diverse cultural, social, and economic perspectives. Data was then analysed using thematic coding and categorisation, allowing for a nuanced exploration and enabling the emergence of cohesive and interpretive themes. The sixteen interviews explored how FSEs leverage their social mission as a unique selling point (USP) that adds value to their fashion product offering. This involves a new approach to fashion marketing, reimagining the emotional appeals of fashion products and incorporating the narratives of beneficiaries and social impact into brand storytelling.
This study uncovers how the hybrid nature of the FSE model results in a significant departure from traditional fashion enterprise marketing. It demonstrates that while FSEs can present more responsible forms of fashion consumption, empowering consumers to effect social change, there are also ethical risks involved, including inadvertently commodifying disadvantage, and engaging in exploitative representation of beneficiaries. Moreover, the research highlights the paradoxical nature of pursuing a social mission from within the confines of fashion systems intertwined with the economies of capitalism.
The implications of this research extend beyond the theoretical, offering both practical and social contributions. FSEs present an important avenue for the disruption of industry norms, promoting responsible consumption while aiding and increasing awareness of social ills and drawing attention toward environmental consciousness. FSEs therefore have the potential to encourage consumer engagement with social and environmental issues and may serve to motivate activism and political engagement/action. Amidst increasing consumer demand for the fashion sector to address its social and environmental impacts FSEs offer a valuable alternative business model encouraging traditional fashion enterprises to examine and re- evaluate their own commitment to social and environmental sustainability. The adoption of marketing strategies that can encompass both commercial and social aspects are, however, vital to driving, supporting and improving the FSE sector and its effectiveness.</p
The Impact of Component Auditors’ Involvement in Multinational Group Audits on Timeliness of Client Earnings Announcements
No full textThis study investigates the relationship between the involvement of component auditors in multinational group audits and management’s decision when to announce annual earnings. By examining a research sample of U.S. multinational corporations during the period 2017 – 2023, I discover a positive association between the utilization of component auditors and both earnings announcement lag and firms' likelihood of releasing earnings after the audit report date, suggesting that using component auditors increases management's motivation to wait for auditor approval before announcing earnings, potentially due to enhanced audit quality.
The second research objective of this study is to assess the differences, if any, between the use of component auditors and the timeliness of earnings announcements when the component auditor is affiliated or unaffiliated with the principal auditor. Specifically, I find that the use of network component auditors in multinational group audits is positively related to earnings announcement lag and the likelihood of a company releasing earnings after the audit report date. My findings withstand robustness testing.
My cross-sectional tests indicate that a potential explanation for these findings is the role component auditors play in enhancing audit quality, thereby incentivising client managers to postpone the disclosure of earnings until the audit report date. Further cross-sectional tests indicate that geographic proximity between component auditors and principal auditors enhances the association between component auditor usage and earnings announcement timeliness, perhaps due to higher audit quality, while the engagement of component auditors in multinational group audits increases the likelihood of firms releasing earnings after the audit report date only before the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantile regression analysis indicates that the involvement of component auditors is positively related to earnings announcement lag if the total proportion of audit hours conducted by component auditors is less than approximately 28% of total audit hours, beyond which audit quality may be adversely affected.
This thesis augments the growing literature on multinational group audits by enhancing understanding of how the participation of component auditors in multinational group audits impacts the timeliness of client earnings announcements. The study also aims to inform regulators’ understanding of how multinational group audits relate to the stock market and the financial reporting choices of client firms.</p
Dysregulated Immune Responses via Toll-Like Receptor 7 Drive Maternal and Fetal Disease Pathogenesis During Gestational Influenza A Virus Infection
No full textWhilst influenza A virus (IAV) infections are typically considered self-limiting, certain demographics, such as pregnant women suffer disproportionate morbidity and mortality in response to IAV infection. Gestational IAV infection increases the risk of hospitalisation and death in the pregnant mother and is evidenced to drive adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes, including miscarriage, fetal growth restriction, congenital birth defects and most strikingly, altered neurodevelopment, which presents as the emergence of neuropsychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia later in life.
Fetal outcomes from gestational IAV infection arise despite a lack of vertical transmission of the virus in-utero. The mechanisms of increased disease severity during gestational IAV infection remain unknown. However, recent data has revealed that gestational IAV infection is associated with the development of an inflammatory “vascular storm” in the maternal aorta. This “vascular storm” is characterised by immune cell infiltration, inflammation and vascular dysfunction. This “vascular storm” was evidenced to be a pregnancy-specific pathology. The identification of the “vascular storm” has prompted a new understanding that the exacerbated pathology associated with gestational IAV infection may be immune-mediated. One of the key findings in the “vascular storm” was an elevation in the expression of the pattern recognition receptor, Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) in the aorta, in particular.
Accordingly, we sought to elucidate the mechanisms by which TLR7 may contribute to the immunopathology of gestational IAV infection. Using an established pre-clinical mouse model of gestational IAV infection, which recapitulates clinical characteristics of IAV pathology during pregnancy we investigated how gestational IAV immunopathology was modified in the absence of TLR7, utilising wild-type (WT) mice and TLR7-knockout (TLR7-/-) to discern differences in immune pathology.
Here, we demonstrate that in the absence of TLR7 the pathology of gestational IAV infection is less severe. TLR7-/- mice display normal bodyweight gain across their pregnancy following infection, comparatively WT mice experienced blunted weight gain following infection. Additionally, this more mild disease phenotype was also observed within the pulmonary system. During typical disease progression, gestational IAV infection drives a pulmonary pathology, that is characteristic of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). TLR7-/- mice infected with IAV do not display this ARDS-like pathology. Moreover, the immune response to IAV infection within the lungs of infected mice differs between WT and TLR7-/- mice. WT mice display a robust type-I interferon (IFN-I) response to infection along with elevated levels of the cytokines, interleukin-10 (IL-10), and oncostatin M (OSM). Previous research indicates that OSM disrupts epithelial and endothelial barrier integrity and leads to the development of ARDS during IAV infection. Moreover, the production of OSM occurs in an IFN-I-dependent manner. As TLR7 activation is a primary driver of IFN-I production, we therefore have proposed a new mechanism of gestational IAV infection, which is mediated by a TLR7/IFN-I/OSM axis.
In contrast to WT mice, TLR7-/- mice display an immune response characterised by IFN-II anti-viral responses, and more surprisingly, this reduced immune pathology occurred despite higher viral loads within the lungs, compared to infected WT mice. Upon establishing a proposed TLR7-dependant mechanism for the increased pulmonary disease severity exhibited by pregnant women in response to IAV infection, we next sought to understand how TLR7 may contribute to the pathology of the “vascular storm”. Significantly, we found that gestational IAV infection drives the development of bradycardia and systolic hypotension in WT mice, but these cardiovascular manifestations of IAV infection are absent in TLR7-/- mice. Furthermore, we found that in the absence of TLR7, viral dissemination to the maternal cardiovascular system was prevented and dissemination of the virus in WT mice was strongly correlated with the levels of OSM in the lungs. Therefore, we have provided evidence of a TLR7-dependent mechanism that facilitates viral dissemination during gestational IAV infection. Consistent with previous findings, we find that gestational IAV infection induces an endothelial-dependant vascular dysfunction in WT mice, which was associated with an increase in the infiltration of CD4+ T cells into the aorta. Again, in the absence of TLR7, we found no evidence of increased vascular dysfunction, along with a reduction in the numbers of infiltrating CD4+ T cells. Using selective depletion, we further show that CD4+ T cells mediate vascular dysfunction during gestational IAV infection. Together, these results provide novel insight into the cardiovascular pathologies associated with gestational IAV infection.
This restoration of maternal cardiovascular function led us to investigate if, in the absence of severe systemic disease, fetal development is restored. Indeed, we find that in the absence of cardiovascular pathology, fetal growth restriction is prevented. Offspring from IAV-infected WT mice had significantly smaller offspring following infection. Comparatively, offspring from TLR7-/- mice did not display any alterations in size in response to infection. This restored growth pattern appeared to be related to the differences in immune profiles at the maternofetal interface of the placenta. In response to infection, the placentae of WT mice display an immune phenotype characteristic of type-1 T helper cell phenotype, characterised by increased placental IFN-γ. Conversely, IAV infection TLR7-/- mice resulted in a more pronounced anti-inflammatory type-2 T helper cell phenotype, with elevated expression of IL-4. Finally, we sought to understand if the protective effects of TLR7-/- extended to the neurodevelopment of offspring. In response to maternal IAV infection, WT offspring displayed elevated markers of neuroinflammation within the hippocampus. IAV infection caused increased expression, of proinflammatory cytokines, complement system components and markers of cell death. In TLR7-/- offspring, maternal infection did not cause any elevation in inflammatory gene expression, indicating that in the absence of TLR7, fetal development is protected during gestational IAV infection.
The findings from these studies provide novel, mechanistic insight into the pathology of gestational IAV infection in relation to immune dysfunction and provide a hitherto unappreciated hypothesis for the viral origins of cardiovascular and neurodevelopment disease. Our results have provided invaluable insight into the mechanisms by which TLR7 mediates immunopathology during gestational IAV infection and present TLR7 as a potential therapeutic target with application for gestational IAV infection. By targeting TLR7, it may be possible to ameliorate, if not prevent the pathologies that drive increased maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.</p
Revisiting Lifeworld: Gaining Affective and Environmental Engagement through Socially Engaged Art between China and Australia
No full text“Revisiting Lifeworld: Gaining Affective and Environmental Engagement through Socially Engaged Art” is a creative practice-led research project at the intersection of affect theory, environmental engagement, socially engaged art and Chinese xin philosophy. By analysing and reflecting on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in both China and Australia, the research explores how artistic process facilitate to interact with and perceive nature in everyday life, fostering enduring affective connections with the environment. Through participatory and collaborative artmaking processes, situated the creative projects creates opportunities for social encounters for people to rediscover their relationship to, participation in, and care for the environment.
This thesis details the three creative projects at the heart of this research and a set of interviews with creative practitioners in both China and Australia that ask the question: What roles can affect and socially engaged art play in environmental engagement? Outcomes of the research include the articulation of a series of creative processes and outcomes and insights into affective engagement and social art practices in both Chinese and Australian contexts.</p