Jack's Bay (the architecturalisation of memory)

Jack's Bay (the architecturalisation of memory) is a key work of the author's exhibition Lightsite, which toured Western Australian galleries from February 2006 to November 2007. It is a five-minute-long exposure photographic image captured inside a purpose-built, room-sized pinhole camera which is demountable and does not have a floor. The work depicts octogenarian Jack Morris, who for forty years held the professional salmon fishing license in the hamlet of Bremer Bay, on the SE coast of Western Australia. The pinhole camera-room is sited within sand dunes new Jack's now demolished beachside camp. Three generations of Jack's descendents stand outside the room - from his daughter to his great grand children. The light from this exterior landscape is 'projected' inside the camera-room and illuminates the interior scene which includes that part of the sand dune upon which the floorless room is erected, along with Jack who is sitting inside. The image evokes the temporality of light. Here, light itself is portrayed as the primary medium through which we both perceive and describe landscape. In this way it is through the agency of light that we construct our connectivity to landscape.

Jack's Bay

Jack's Bay expands understandings of the role of photographic media in the representation of landscapes. It does so by combining architectural construction with B&W photographic processing techniques. A purpose-built room-sized camera obscura is first constructed over a portion of the landscape to be recorded. Photosensitive paper is applied to the interior wall surfaces and is exposed to the inverted light entering a small aperture. These photographs are subsequently developed within the camera itself and consequently 'suffer' embellishments and aberrations from the makeshift darkroom conditions. In this way the specificity of both the landscape and the event of its recording are registered in the final image. Many images were destroyed in the process. The idea of the work is to help the viewer reflect on the role media plays in our understanding of landscape and to thus question the means by which they themselves record and interpret landscape representations.

Upper-body morbidity following breast cancer treatment is common, may persist longer-term and adversely influences quality of life

Background: Impairments in upper-body function (UBF) are common following breast cancer. However, the relationship between arm morbidity and quality of life (QoL) remains unclear. This investigation uses longitudinal data to describe UBF in a population-based sample of women with breast cancer and examines its relationship with QoL. ---------- Methods: Australian women (n = 287) with unilateral breast cancer were assessed at three-monthly intervals, from six- to 18-months post-surgery (PS). Strength, endurance and flexibility were used to assess objective UBF, while the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy- Breast questionnaire were used to assess self-reported UBF and QoL, respectively. ---------- Results: Although mean UBF improved over time, up to 41% of women revealed declines in UBF between sixand 18-months PS. Older age, lower socioeconomic position, treatment on the dominant side, mastectomy, more extensive lymph node removal and having lymphoedema each increased odds of declines in UBF by at least twofold (p < 0.05). Lower baseline and declines in perceived UBF between six- and 18-months PS were each associated with poorer QoL at 18-months PS (p < 0.05). ---------- Conclusions: Significant upper-body morbidity is experienced by many following breast cancer treatment, persisting longer term, and adversely influencing the QoL of breast cancer survivors.

Prevalence of upper-body symptoms following breast cancer and its relationship with upper-body function and lymphoedema

This investigation describes the prevalence of upper-body symptoms in a population-based sample of women with breast cancer (BC) and examines their relationships with upper-body function (UBF) and lymphoedema, as two clinically important sequelae. Australian women (n=287) with unilateral BC were assessed at three-monthly intervals, from six to 18 months post-surgery (PS). Participants reported the presence and intensity of upper-body symptoms on the treated side. Objective and self-reported UBF and lymphoedema (bioimpedance spectroscopy) were also assessed. Approximately 50% of women reported at least one moderate-to-extreme symptom at 6- and at 18-months PS. There was a significant relationship between symptoms and function (p<0.01), whereby perceived and objective function declined with increasing number of symptoms present. Those with lymphoedema were more likely to report multiple symptoms and presence of symptoms at baseline increased risk of lymphoedema (ORs>1.3, p=0.02). Although, presence of symptoms explained only 5.5% of the variation in the odds of lymphoedema. Upper-body symptoms are common and persistent following breast cancer and are associated with clinical ramifications, including reduced UBF and increased risk of developing lymphoedema. However, using the presence of symptoms as a diagnostic indicator of lymphoedema is limited.

Identification of novel markers for uncomplicated lower genital tract infections and upper genital tract pathology due to Chlamydia trachomatis.

Background: Untreated Chlamydia trachomatis infections in women can result in disease sequelae such as salpingitis and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ultimately culminating in tubal occlusion and infertility. Whilst nucleic acid amplification tests can effectively diagnose uncomplicated lower genital tract (LGT) infections, they are not suitable for diagnosing upper genital tract (UGT) pathological sequelae. As a consequence, this study aimed to identify serological markers that can, with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity, discriminate between LGT infections and UGT pathology. Methods: Plasma was collected from 73 women with a history of LGT infection, UGT pathology due to C. trachomatis or no serological evidence of C. trachomatis infection. Western blotting was used to analyse antibody reactivity against extracted chlamydial proteins. Sensitivity and specificity of differential markers were also calculated. Results: Four antigens (CT157, CT423, CT727 and CT396) were identified and found to be capable of discriminating between the infection and disease sequelae state. Sensitivity and specificity calculations showed that our assay for diagnosing LGT infection had a sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 76% respectively, whilst the assay for identifying UGT pathology demonstrated 80% sensitivity and 86% specificity. Conclusions: The use of these assays could potentially facilitate earlier diagnoses in women suffering UGT pathology due to C. trachomatis.

The influence of climate variability on hydrological processes and surface and groundwater hydrochemistry : the tropical upper roper river catchment, Northern Territory, Australia

The Upper Roper River is one of the Australia’s unique tropical rivers which have been largely untouched by development. The Upper Roper River catchment comprises the sub-catchments of the Waterhouse River and Roper Creek, the two tributaries of the Roper River. There is a complex geological setting with different aquifer types. In this seasonal system, close interaction between surface water and groundwater contributes to both streamflow and sustaining ecosystems. The interaction is highly variable between seasons. A conceptual hydrogeological model was developed to investigate the different hydrological processes and geochemical parameters, and determine the baseline characteristics of water resources of this pristine catchment. In the catchment, long term average rainfall is around 850 mm and is summer dominant which significantly influences the total hydrological system. The difference between seasons is pronounced, with high rainfall up to 600 mm/month in the wet season, and negligible rainfall in the dry season. Canopy interception significantly reduces the amount of effective rainfall because of the native vegetation cover in the pristine catchment. Evaporation exceeds rainfall the majority of the year. Due to elevated evaporation and high temperature in the tropics, at least 600 mm of annual rainfall is required to generate potential recharge. Analysis of 120 years of rainfall data trend helped define “wet” and “dry periods”: decreasing trend corresponds to dry periods, and increasing trend to wet periods. The period from 1900 to 1970 was considered as Dry period 1, when there were years with no effective rainfall, and if there was, the intensity of rainfall was around 300 mm. The period 1970 – 1985 was identified as the Wet period 2, when positive effective rainfall occurred in almost every year, and the intensity reached up to 700 mm. The period 1985 – 1995 was the Dry period 2, with similar characteristics as Dry period 1. Finally, the last decade was the Wet period 2, with effective rainfall intensity up to 800 mm. This variability in rainfall over decades increased/decreased recharge and discharge, improving/reducing surface water and groundwater quantity and quality in different wet and dry periods. The stream discharge follows the rainfall pattern. In the wet season, the aquifer is replenished, groundwater levels and groundwater discharge are high, and surface runoff is the dominant component of streamflow. Waterhouse River contributes two thirds and Roper Creek one third to Roper River flow. As the dry season progresses, surface runoff depletes, and groundwater becomes the main component of stream flow. Flow in Waterhouse River is negligible, the Roper Creek dries up, but the Roper River maintains its flow throughout the year. This is due to the groundwater and spring discharge from the highly permeable Tindall Limestone and tufa aquifers. Rainfall seasonality and lithology of both the catchment and aquifers are shown to influence water chemistry. In the wet season, dilution of water bodies by rainwater is the main process. In the dry season, when groundwater provides baseflow to the streams, their chemical composition reflects lithology of the aquifers, in particular the karstic areas. Water chemistry distinguishes four types of aquifer materials described as alluvium, sandstone, limestone and tufa. Surface water in the headwaters of the Waterhouse River, the Roper Creek and their tributaries are freshwater, and reflect the alluvium and sandstone aquifers. At and downstream of the confluence of the Roper River, river water chemistry indicates the influence of rainfall dilution in the wet season, and the signature of the Tindall Limestone and tufa aquifers in the dry. Rainbow Spring on the Waterhouse River and Bitter Spring on the Little Roper River (known as Roper Creek at the headwaters) discharge from the Tindall Limestone. Botanic Walk Spring and Fig Tree Spring discharge into the Roper River from tufa. The source of water was defined based on water chemical composition of the springs, surface and groundwater. The mechanisms controlling surface water chemistry were examined to define the dominance of precipitation, evaporation or rock weathering on the water chemical composition. Simple water balance models for the catchment have been developed. The important aspects to be considered in water resource planning of this total system are the naturally high salinity in the region, especially the downstream sections, and how unpredictable climate variation may impact on the natural seasonal variability of water volumes and surface-subsurface interaction.