Improvement in measures of psychological distress amongst amphetamine misusers treated with brief cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)

This trial of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) based amphetamine abstinence program (n = 507) focused on refusal self-efficacy, improved coping, improved problem solving and planning for relapse prevention. Measures included the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) and Amphetamine Refusal Self-Efficacy. Psychiatric case identification (caseness) across the four GHQ-28 sub-scales was compared with Australian normative data. Almost 90% were amphetamine-dependent (SDS 8.15 +/- 3.17). Pretreatment, all GHQ-28 sub-scale measures were below reported Australian population values. Caseness was substantially higher than Australian normative values {Somatic Symptoms (52.3%), Anxiety (68%), Social Dysfunction (46.5%) and Depression (33.7%). One hundred and sixty-eight subjects (33%) completed and reported program abstinence. Program completers reported improvement across all GHQ-28 sub-scales Somatic Symptoms (p < 0.001), Anxiety (p < 0.001), Social Dysfunction (p < 0.001) and Depression (p < 0.001)}. They also reported improvement in amphetamine refusal self-efficacy (p < 0.001). Improvement remained significant following intention-to-treat analyses, imputing baseline data for subjects that withdrew from the program. The GHQ-28 sub-scales, Amphetamine Refusal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and the SDS successfully predicted treatment compliance through a discriminant analysis function (p

Conservation planning with irreplaceability: does the method matter?

A number of systematic conservation planning tools are available to aid in making land use decisions. Given the increasing worldwide use and application of reserve design tools, including measures of site irreplaceability, it is essential that methodological differences and their potential effect on conservation planning outcomes are understood. We compared the irreplaceability of sites for protecting ecosystems within the Brigalow Belt Bioregion, Queensland, Australia, using two alternative reserve system design tools, Marxan and C-Plan. We set Marxan to generate multiple reserve systems that met targets with minimal area; the first scenario ignored spatial objectives, while the second selected compact groups of areas. Marxan calculates the irreplaceability of each site as the proportion of solutions in which it occurs for each of these set scenarios. In contrast, C-Plan uses a statistical estimate of irreplaceability as the likelihood that each site is needed in all combinations of sites that satisfy the targets. We found that sites containing rare ecosystems are almost always irreplaceable regardless of the method. Importantly, Marxan and C-Plan gave similar outcomes when spatial objectives were ignored. Marxan with a compactness objective defined twice as much area as irreplaceable, including many sites with relatively common ecosystems. However, targets for all ecosystems were met using a similar amount of area in C-Plan and Marxan, even with compactness. The importance of differences in the outcomes of using the two methods will depend on the question being addressed; in general, the use of two or more complementary tools is beneficial.

Wills' mineral processing technology: an introduction to the practical aspects of ore treatment and mineral recovery

"Wills' Mineral Processing Technology" provides practising engineers and students of mineral processing, metallurgy and mining with a review of all of the common ore-processing techniques utilized in modern processing installations. Now in its Seventh Edition, this renowned book is a standard reference for the mineral processing industry. Chapters deal with each of the major processing techniques, and coverage includes the latest technical developments in the processing of increasingly complex refractory ores, new equipment and process routes. This new edition has been prepared by the prestigious J K Minerals Research Centre of Australia, which contributes its world-class expertise and ensures that this will continue to be the book of choice for professionals and students in this field. This latest edition highlights the developments and the challenges facing the mineral processor, particularly with regard to the environmental problems posed in improving the efficiency of the existing processes and also in dealing with the waste created. The work is fully indexed and referenced. -The classic mineral processing text, revised and updated by a prestigious new team -Provides a clear exposition of the principles and practice of mineral processing, with examples taken from practice -Covers the latest technological developments and highlights the challenges facing the mineral processor -New sections on environmental problems, improving the efficiency of existing processes and dealing with waste.

Using nitrogen stable isotope ratios ( d15N) of macroalgae to monitor changes in the extent of sewage impacts in Moreton Bay, Australia

During the past decade the use of stable isotopes to investigate transport pathways of nutrients in aquatic ecosystems has contributed new understanding and knowledge to many aspects of ecology; from the trophic structure of food webs to the spatial extent of nutrient discharges. At the same time aquatic monitoring programs around the world have become more interested in quantifying ecosystem health rather than simply measuring the physical and chemical properties of water (nutrients, pH, temperature and turbidity). A novel technique was initiated in 1998 as part of the development of the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program in S.E. Queensland Australia (EHMP) using changes in the 15N value of the red macroalgae Catenella nipae, to indicate regions impacted by sewage nitrogen. Sewage plume mapping, using the 15N of C. nipae, has demonstrated that over the past 5 years there has been a large reduction in the magnitude and spatial extent of 15N enrichment at sites close to sewage treatment plants (STPs) discharging into Moreton Bay. This presentation will discuss how the 15N signatures of the C. nipae in the plume at the mouth of the Brisbane River have declined since it was first sampled in 1998 and will evaluate causes that may be responsible for these variations. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate how environmental conditions influence the 15N signature of C, nipae over the incubation period. These data will be used to discuss the observed in situ decline in 15N in an attempt to determine if the reduction can be attributed solely to improvements in the wastewater discharge.

The wonderful possibilities of the future: Town planning and greater Brisbane

The 'greater city' movement in the 1920s in Australia was profoundly influenced by the growing town planning movement of the time. Brisbane was the only major metropolitan city in which local government amalgamations occurred, leading to a 'greater Brisbane' in 1925. The paper tries to identify reasons why, despite the close connection between the greater city movement and the early town planning movement, there was no formal town plan in place in Brisbane until 1965.