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The impetus of my work stems from ideas about the myths surrounding \witches\" and the phenomenon of \"witch hunts\" and the traditions of masks. Shrouded in mystery superstition and fear some such people whose behaviour is deemed 'different' and subsequently threatening have been seen as 'witches' - as 'others'. \"Witch figures of various types whatever their sex or function share characteristics which make them out not only as abnormal but also frightening\". (John Widdowson The Witch Figure) The fiction of 'witch' in which 'suspected' people are encased is fabricated. Elements of empirical reality are interpreted re-interpreted and mis-interpreted in respect of the beholders own social ideological and emotional needs often in order to validate a position of authority invested with the 'moral' 'natural' right and obligation to dominate to implement punishment of and to irradicate such 'possessed' beings. Repeatedly throughout the course of civilization masks have been attributed the power to transform an individual into another being personify the supernatural and deities; in effect to dissimilate and depersonify the person behind. I am interested in the use of masks and masquerade; and the notion that not only can someone don a mask in order to disguise (protect) his/her identity but that we can also mask and transform the reality of a person in order to assuage our own needs. The way in which we perceive things I believe is largely predetermined by our experiences expectations and feelings. I intend to produce a series of paintings (and drawings) which emanate from these concepts. My images will be derived through a process of isolating and exaggerating elements of figurative images juxtaposing such segments with one another and perhaps by also layering and uncovering areas in order to construct a 'new' whole. Reworking and reshaping representations of people imposing a different distorted identity (an identity containing ambiguity conflict and mystery). Abstraction or the eclipsing of extraneous visual information will be sought to give a directness and potency to my images. I will endeavour to reach an equilibrium between the vestigial suggestiveness of abstraction and the accessibility that literal references provide. I feel the need to use paint and other materials in affirmation of the art making process and in self-acknowledgement of my own fabrications (i.e. painted statements). Not wishing to either depict the 'visible' world or have my work equated with what is 'real' life I pay particular attention to painterly concerns. My first theory paper looks at the feminist art movement since 1970 focusing on the writing of Lucy Lippard. The issues raised move beyond my immediate preoccupations into a more general theoretical arena. In the second paper I would like to deal with issues more central to my work (possibly based on the social theory of magic witches and witch-hunts)."

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Study objective: At our 35,000 visit/year emergency department (ED), we studied whether patients presenting to the ED with psychiatric complaints were admitted to the hospital at a higher rate than non-psychiatric patients, and whether these patients had a higher rate of reevaluation in the ED within 30 days following the index visit. Methods: We reviewed the electronic records of all ED patients receiving a psychiatric evaluation from January to February 2007 and compared these patients to 300 randomly selected patients presenting during the study period for non-psychiatric complaints. Patients were followed for 30 days, and admission rates and return visits were compared. Results: Two hundred thirty-four patients presented to the ED and were evaluated for psychiatric complaints during the study period. Twenty-four point seven percent of psychiatric patients were admitted upon initial presentation versus 20.7% of non-psychiatric patients (p = 0.258). Twenty-one percent of discharged psychiatric patients returned to the ED within 30 days versus 13.4% of discharged non-psychiatric patients (p=0.041). Patients returning to the ED within 30 days had a 17.1% versus 21.6% admission rate for the psychiatric and non-psychiatric groups, respectively (p=0.485). Conclusion: Patients presenting to this ED with psychiatric complaints were not admitted at a significantly higher rate than non-psychiatric patients. These psychiatric patients did, however, have a significantly higher return rate to the ED when compared to non-psychiatric patients. [West J Emerg Med. 2009;10(4):268-272.]

Future prosperity of farming businesses depends not only on immediate prospects, but also on the capability to adapt to changing circumstances. In looking to the future, farm managers need to assess where the current farming system is taking them, and whether changing to an alternative farming system might be more profitable. There are various techniques for assessing the profitability of alternative farming systems, but frequently the cost of transition is overlooked. The financial consequences of transition to a new farming system are assessed for two case study farms using a spreadsheet tool (STEP), developed by the authors. The tool assists farm managers in assessing the risk of transition strategies as well as comparing rotations.

The ability to adapt to changing circumstance is a determinant of future farm prosperity. Managers need to assess the performance of their current farming system and alternative farming options to identify possible profitable management changes. This paper uses the STEP (Simulated Transitional Economic Planning) model to provide case study analyses of the financial implications of changing a farming system. STEP simulates the process of transition allowing the user to assess the financial costs and benefits of transition. The case studies examined in this paper use financial data from farms at Wickepin, and Meckering in Western Australia. The case studies demonstrate how the rate of transition into a new farming system can affect the distribution of profit, and how environmental benefits can alter the profitability of a transition strategy.

Spatial distribution of weeds in a crop is patchy. Traditional boom sprayers waste herbicide by applying it to areas where weed density is already low. A new technology, Weed Activated Spray Process (WASP), uses sensors to detect the presence of weeds and control spray nozzles accordingly. The economic benefits of this technology to extensive crop farmers in Western Australia are investigated using a model based on the economics of information. Existing technology is likely to reduce profits because the weed density at which it switches off spraying is too high. Even if sensitivity to low densities could be improved, likely benefits of pre‐crop usage would still be very low or negative.