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The Upper Hunter Valley is a major coal mining area in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Due to the ongoing increase in mining activities, PM10 (air-borne particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres) pollution has become a major air quality concern in local communities. The present study was initiated to quantitatively examine the spatial and temporal variability of PM10 pollution in the region. An earlier paper of this study identified two air quality subregions in the valley. This paper aims to provide a holistic summarisation of the relationships between elevated PM10 pollution in two subregions and the local- and synoptic-scale meteorological conditions for spring and summer, when PM10 pollution is relatively high. A catalogue of twelve synoptic types and a set of six local meteorological patterns were quantitatively derived and linked to each other using the self-organising map (SOM) technique. The complex meteorology–air pollution relationships were visualised and interpreted on the SOM planes for two representative locations. It was found that the influence of local meteorological patterns differed significantly for mean PM10 levels vs. the occurrence of elevated pollution events and between air quality subregions. In contrast, synoptic types showed generally similar relationships with mean vs. elevated PM10 pollution in the valley. Two local meteorological patterns, the hot–dry–northwesterly wind conditions and the hot–dry–calm conditions, were found to be the most PM10 pollution conducive in the valley when combined with a set of synoptic counterparts. These synoptic types are featured with the influence of an eastward migrating continental high-pressure system and westerly troughs, or a ridge extending northwest towards coastal northern NSW or southern Queensland from the Tasman Sea. The method and results can be used in air quality research for other locations of NSW, or similar regions elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the experience and effects of a trauma-responsive program that uses creative methods to address the ongoing psychosocial impacts of transgenerational trauma and youth suicide, which disproportionately affect First Nations people in Australia. Our aim is to understand how the aesthetic (sensory-affective) dimensions of such a program serve to promote experiences of growth after trauma, manifesting in a sense of connection to both self and community. The paper focuses on the second of two immersive, experiential workshops delivered seven months apart in the regional town of Warwick in Queensland, Australia. In the light of self-reports of growth and personal transformation following the initial workshop, the paper examines the key drivers of such growth, focusing in particular on how trauma-related experience is metabolised through cultural containment. It builds on Bion's concept of container/contained, combining analysis of the affordances of immersion. Framed in cultural rather than medical terms, the larger goal of the paper is to establish how cultural programs fill a gap in trauma informed support, facilitating the processing of trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This retrospective analysis of an ongoing prospective cohort study aimed to assess the outcome of revascularisation for treating lifestyle-limiting intermittent claudication caused by peripheral artery disease (PAD) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and non-Indigenous North Queenslanders. Methods: Consenting patients with PAD who underwent endovascular or open revascularisation procedures for treating lifestyle-limiting intermittent claudication were included. The primary outcome measure was major adverse limb events (MALEs), defined as major amputation or the requirement for repeat open or endovascular revascularisation. Results: Of the 378 included patients, 18 (4.8%) identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples. During a mean follow-up (standard deviation) of 6.0 (3.9) years, the incidence of MALE was similar in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and non-Indigenous Australians (absolute percentage: 50.0% vs. 40.6%, log rank p = 0.59). In both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and non-Indigenous Australians had similar risks of MALE (unadjusted hazard ratio, HR, 1.20, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.61, 2.36; adjusted HR 1.02, 95%CI 0.50, 2.06). Conclusions: This study suggests that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People are under-represented in the population of patients undergoing revascularisation to treat intermittent claudication. Due to small numbers it cannot be reliably concluded that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and non-Indigenous Australians have similar rates of MALE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigated whether using virtual reality (VR) could help reduce anxiety in women undergoing gynecological cancer surgery. Participants were split into two groups: one receiving VR therapy alongside usual care and the other receiving only usual care. Results showed that VR significantly decreased anxiety levels before surgery compared to the control group. This suggests that VR could be a valuable tool in preparing patients for surgery, potentially improving their experience and outcomes. Further research is needed to explore VR's benefits in other types of surgery and its long-term effects on patient recovery. Perioperative anxiety is common among patients undergoing surgery, potentially leading to negative outcomes. Immersive virtual reality (VR) has shown promise in reducing anxiety in various clinical settings. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of VR in reducing perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing gynecological oncology surgery and was conducted as a single-center, double-arm, single-blinded randomized controlled trial at the Gold Coast University Hospital, Queensland, Australia. Participants were randomized into the VR intervention + care as usual (CAU) group (n = 39) and the CAU group (n = 41). Anxiety scores were assessed using a six-tier visual facial anxiety scale at baseline, after the intervention/CAU on the same day, and, several days up to weeks later, immediately before surgery. There was no significant difference in baseline anxiety scores, type of operation, or suspected cancer between the two groups. The VR intervention significantly reduced anxiety scores from baseline to preoperative assessment (p < 0.001). The median anxiety score in the VR intervention group decreased from 3 (interquartile range 2 to 5) at baseline to 2 (2 to 3) prior to surgery, while the control group's scores were 4 (2 to 5) and 4 (3 to 5), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that group assignment was the sole outcome predictor, not age, type of procedure, or the time elapsed until surgery. Thus, VR exposure was effective in reducing perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing gynecological oncology surgery. The use of VR as a preparation tool may improve patient experience and contribute to better surgical outcomes, warranting further research into exploring the potential benefits of VR in other surgical specialties and its long-term impact on patient recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore and document the enablers and barriers of chiropractic care colocation in general practice at a large-scale private primary care centre in Australia. This study focused on the perceptions of healthcare professionals regarding this integration. The research setting was a large integrated primary care centre located in an outer metro, low-socioeconomic area in the City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Participant inclusion criteria included general medical practitioners, practice nurses, and medical managers who self-reported interactions with the physically collocated and integrated chiropractic practice. Data was collected from 22 participants using face-to-face, qualitative, semi-structured interviews with an average duration of 32 min. The data collected included perceptions of chiropractic treatment, enablers to patient referral pathways, and views of the integrated chiropractic care model. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on the data set. All participants reported that this was their first exposure to the colocation of a chiropractor within a general medical practice. Four key enablers of chiropractic care integration were identified: (1) the practitioner [chiropractor], (2) the organisation [general practice], (3) consumer flow, and (4) the environment [shared spaces and tenant ecosystem]. The chiropractic integration enhanced knowledge sharing and interprofessional trust among healthcare providers. The formal reporting of patient outcomes and understanding of the chiropractor's scope of practice further enabled referrals to the service. Shared administrative and business processes, including patient records, booking systems, and clinical meetings, facilitated relationship development between the chiropractor and referring health providers. Colocation as part of a larger primary care centre created proximity and convenience for health providers in terms of interprofessional communication, and for patients, in terms of access to chiropractic services. Existing governance structures supported communication, professional education, and shared values related to the delivery of patient-centred care. Identified barriers included limited public funding for chiropractic services resulting in reduced access for patients of low-socioeconomic status. Additionally, scepticism or negativity towards the discipline of chiropractic care was identified as an initial barrier to refer patients. In most cases, this view towards the chiropractor was overcome by regular patient reporting of positive treatment outcomes to their GP, the delivery of education sessions by the chiropractor for the health providers, and the development of interprofessional trust between the chiropractor and referring health providers. This study provides preliminary evidence and a conceptual framework of factors influencing the successful integration of chiropractic care within an Australian large primary care centre. The data collected indicated that integration of chiropractic care into a primary care centre serving a low-socioeconomic region can be achieved with a high degree of health provider satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Dichichthys was resurrected for five species previously allocated to the genus Parmaturus in the family Pentanchidae. Supraorbital crests on the chondrocranium distinguish Dichichthys from Parmaturus and other members of the family Pentanchidae. A new family, Dichichthyidae, has been proposed to contain Dichichthys. The sequence of the NADH2 mitochondrial gene confirms the placement of Dichichthys outside of the Pentanchidae family, as well as separate from the Atelomycteridae and Scyliorhinidae families. Dichichthys albimarginatus was described using a holotype collected off the coast of New Caledonia. A second juvenile specimen collected off the coast of Papua New Guinea was tentatively assigned as D. cf. albimarginatus. Dichichthys bigus is known from the holotype collected in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, Australia. A new, parasite-afflicted underwater observation was reported further north of Queensland. The type species Dichichthys melanobranchus, previously only known from juvenile specimens, was redescribed based on adult specimens. Dichichthys nigripalatum is known from the holotype collected off Sumbawa, Indonesia, and a tentatively identified photo record from West Java. Dichichthys satoi n. sp. is described from the West Norfolk Ridge and off the North Island of New Zealand. Members of the genus Dichichthys have unique curved egg cases which have pliable ridges made up of numerous fibres and long coiled tendrils on the posterior end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia's monsoonal (seasonal) tropics are a global centre of ant diversity, but are largely unrecognised as such because the vast majority of its species are undescribed. Here we document another case of undescribed hyper-diversity within a taxon that is formally recognised as a single, widespread species, Meranoplus ajax Forel. We recognise 50 species among 125 specimens of M. 'ajax' that we CO1-barcoded, integrating CO1 clustering and divergence, morphological differentiation and geographic distribution. A large proportion (44%) of these species are represented by single records, indicating that very many additional species are yet to be collected in this extremely remote and sparsely populated region. Sampling has been concentrated in the Northern Territory, where 27 of the 50 species occur. If diversity in Western Australia and Queensland were similar to that in the Northern Territory, as appears likely, then the M. ajax complex would comprise >100 species. In 2000, when Australia's monsoonal ant fauna was estimated to contain 1500 species, Meranoplus ajax was considered to represent a single species. Our previous analyses of a range of other taxa have shown that their diversity has been similarly under-appreciated in this estimate. Our findings suggest that the total number of ant species in monsoonal Australia is several thousand, which would make the region by far the world's richest known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fidelity of the decadal experiment in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase-5 (CMIP5) has been examined, over different climate variables for multiple temporal and spatial scales, in many previous studies. However, most of the studies were for the temperature and temperature-based climate indices. A quite limited study was conducted on precipitation of decadal experiment, and no attention was paid to the catchment level. This study evaluates the performances of eight GCMs (MIROC4h, EC-EARTH, MRI-CGCM3, MPI-ESM-MR, MPI-ESM-LR, MIROC5, CMCC-CM, and CanCM4) for the monthly hindcast precipitation of decadal experiment over the Brisbane River catchment in Queensland, Australia. First, the GCMs datasets were spatially interpolated onto a spatial resolution of 0.05 × 0.05° (5 × 5 km) matching with the grids of observed data and then were cut for the catchment. Next, model outputs were evaluated for temporal skills, dry and wet periods, and total precipitation (over time and space) based on the observed values. Skill test results revealed that model performances varied over the initialization years and showed comparatively higher scores from the initialization year 1990 and onward. Models with finer spatial resolutions showed comparatively better performances as opposed to the models of coarse spatial resolutions, where MIROC4h outperformed followed by EC-EARTH and MRI-CGCM3. Based on the performances, models were grouped into three categories, where models (MIROC4h, EC-EARTH, and MRI-CGCM3) with high performances fell in the first category, and middle (MPI-ESM-LR and MPI-ESM-MR) and comparatively low-performing models (MIROC5, CanCM4, and CMCC-CM) fell in the second and third categories, respectively. To compare the performances of multi-model ensembles' mean (MMEMs), three MMEMs were formed. The arithmetic mean of the first category formed MMEM1, the second and third categories formed MMEM2, and all eight models formed MMEM3. The performances of MMEMs were also assessed using the same skill tests, and MMEM2 performed best, which suggests that evaluation of models' performances is highly important before the formation of MMEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we employ a dual-objective optimization model, utilizing the Implicit Modified Coverage Location Problem (MCLP-Implicit) approach, to determine an appropriate fire station allocation. Our objectives encompass maximizing coverage in areas with a heightened projected demand, based on socioeconomic predictors of building fires, and concurrently minimizing the distance of uncovered demand zones to the closest fire station. The challenges of this model reflect the criticality of strategic placement, aiming for not just swift response times but also the complete coverage of a region with priority given to subregions with a pronounced potential for incidents. The applicability of the proposed approach is demonstrated through a case study in south-east Queensland. Our findings indicate that there is a tangible justification for adopting this model. The broader coverage and wider spread of locations it produces can greatly aid in the dynamic deployment of personnel during surges caused by seasonal fluctuations or unforeseen calamities. By weaving in socioeconomic aspects into demand predictions, our model has also maintained appropriate coverage to socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in the region. Nevertheless, it is paramount to underline the recommendation that further research should account for road connectivity—a pivotal factor when pinpointing these locations in the real world. This research paves the way for enriched insights in long-term urban planning and fire response protocol crafting, especially in regions mirroring similar socioeconomic profiles or risks of natural disasters, not to mention its commercial implications to the relevant industry servicing the fire and rescue authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a case study on Bribie Island in Queensland, Australia, this study investigates Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) as a viable alternative for ageing-in-place. Aim: The objectives were to investigate why older adults relocate to Bribie Island, how they perceive their living environment, and their future relocation intentions. Method: The research data were attained through semi-structured interviews with 21 Bribie Island residents, aged 65 and older. These data provided the basis for an in-depth understanding of the residents' perspectives and experiences, with respect to their community and living conditions. Results: The findings indicate that, overall, the participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with their current living environment; however, they also highlight areas for improvement, particularly the transportation and healthcare facilities. Significantly, most respondents confirmed their desire and intention to continue residing on the island. Conclusion: As exemplified by this Bribie Island case study, this study confirms that NORCs offer desirable settings for ageing-in-place. Recognizing the diversity and range of personal preferences, this study emphasizes the importance of ongoing research to develop responsive, inclusive, and supportive environments, to strategically improve the amenities within future NORCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]