Cultural Linguistics and Religion: Human Anatomical Terms in the Holy Bible

This study investigates, within the scope of Cultural Linguistics, underlying cultural conceptualisations of human anatomical (body part) terms in the Holy Bible linked to the Christian worldview. It comes as a response to the call for further research on the reciprocal relationship between language and religion from other sub-disciplines. In recent years, the analytical framework of Cultural Linguistics has shown how religious language can embody the specific worldview that lies at the core of the religion through analysis of the language and conceptualisations associated with the religion and its belief systems. This study applies corpus-linguistics and the analytical framework of Cultural Linguistics to unpack cultural metaphors, cultural categories and cultural schemas associated with body part terms in the Bible. This approach, referred to as Corpus-Cultural analysis, was used to collect data and analyse conceptualisations drawn from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, Bible concordance, Bible encyclopedia and dictionary, as well as scripture commentaries. The findings reveal that body part terms in biblical texts play an important role in providing a significant conceptual base for representing the Christian worldview of the specified body parts. For example, the term ‘heart’ is conceptualised as the seat of, emotions, determination or courage, intellect, understanding and conscience in the Bible. In addition, it was found that various conceptualisations derive from several sources, including ancient Hebrew and Greek worldviews, Jewish religion and customs, translation of original text into English, biblical commentaries, and religious literature. Overall, the study concludes that the Corpus-Cultural approach contributes to the in-depth understanding of Holy texts.

Phytoplankton Response to Changes in Water Quality and a Flood Event in Hervey Bay, Queensland

Dynamic, integrated and complex processes dominate nearshore marine ecosystems. Industrial, agricultural and population growth delivers pollution and excess nutrient and sediment loads to nearshore marine zones. Climate change also poses serious threats to the delicate balance that exists between and within marine ecosystem processes. Methods to monitor, characterise and model nearshore marine systems have been developed to predict responses to changes in the physical, chemical and biological parameters that constitute elements of a model. Such models are useful to management authorities as they provide a tool to mitigate adverse impacts to marine ecosystems. Phytoplankton community structure provides a sensitive early warning for change to marine ecosystems. It is also a vital component of models derived to determine light attenuation and requirements for healthy seagrass and coral habitats. The multifactorial physicochemical drivers of change to marine microalgae abundance and community structure were investigated in Hervey Bay following two floods, a cyclone and destruction of 1000 km2 of seagrass. A water quality gradient from point sources to offshore sites was identified. Correlations between chlorophyll a (Chl a) and both soluble reactive phosphate (SRP) and total suspended solids was revealed. Diatoms dominated the phytoplankton community structure with seasonal and site differences detected amongst 150 phytoplankton species. Chl a, Secchi depth, SRP and pH maximised the rank correlation with phytoplankton assemblage structure (ρ = 0.63) to best ‘explain’ the link between water quality and phytoplankton (BIOENV). Indicator species include Cylindrotheca closterium for the nearshore degraded sites and Rhizosolenia sp. and Guinardia sp. (G. flaccida and G. striatula) for the offshore more pristine habitats. Following the flood in February 1995, Cylindrotheca closterium, Pseudonitzschia sp. and Skeletonema costatum bloomed at Pulgul Creek (a treated sewage effluent site), and Thalassionema frauenfeldii, Cerataulina bicornis and dinoflagellates bloomed at the mouth of the Mary River (agricultural runoff). Discharge-driven flood impact and trigger values were analysed to assist management authorities in their decision making around potential seafood biotoxin problems associated with harmful algal blooms (HAB’s). Results highlight the importance of species determination rather than Chl a assessment when evaluating the health of an ecosystem. Spring blooms of Trichodesium sp. indicate an additional nutrient source during high traffic of commercial whale watching vessels. Flood impacts highlight the need to schedule dredging, construction and other land management and development activities outside of flood periods. Commercial fishing and swimming should be avoided following a flood due to the health risks associated with toxic phytoplankton species (HAB’s) and for the health and safety of swimmers, consumers and other aquatic species. Future research to replicate this study in Hervey Bay and in other estuaries holds much value to further explore the phytoplankton species identified as bio-indicators of ecosystem health in the present study. Research yet to be published, addresses the links between water quality and seagrass epiphytes, light attenuation and the habitat requirements of seagrass in Hervey Bay.

The Continuing Inspirational Social Legacy of Dr Geoffrey J. Cornish MBBS, OAM (1921-2005)

This year marks several anniversary milestones of an eminent Australian and Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) recipient, Dr Geoffrey James Cornish MBBS, abbreviated as GC throughout this letter. GC is especially renowned for a long and esteemed career in medicine, and for playing an integral, real-life role as a prisoner-of-war (POW) in World War II’s tragic "Great Escape", upon which the popular 1963 movie is based. Several journalistic and literary works (cited later) that celebrate and underscore GC’s remarkable life/professional career have previously been published through or in association with: the Aircrew Association, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian ex-POW Associations, the Australians at war film archive, an authorised biography, a community radio interview of a Cornish Family member, a historiographer’s (class) treatise, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), various newspapers, and 60 Minutes Australia. The esteemed medical career of GC includes, but is certainly not limited to, innovations in cardiac rehabilitation and anaesthetics, as well the establishment of vital Red Cross blood banks throughout regional Australia, all having significant community impact. Indeed, GC’s life of service, that extended into his eighties, contains many other dimensions and achievements of distinction which this letter briefly summarises. Additionally, original to this letter are ten short audio messages of inspiration from GC that the first Author recorded almost 20 years ago and which to best knowledge have until now never been publically released. While other more formal audio recordings of GC are available online (e.g., award acceptance speech, interview), the audio recordings of this letter are unique in their manner of personal articulation, especially towards those within his famed walking program, and the manner in which they exude the optimism and warmth that were synonymous with GC. Along with the aforementioned life summary and audio recordings, the letter also contains memoirs and photographs donated by the Cornish Family (via the second Author, daughter of GC), and subtly explores the spirituality of the quietly determined and modest man that was GC. The primary GC milestone falling in 2021 is the 100th year birthday (June) anniversary, but this year also coincides with 80th and 75th year anniversaries of respective capture as a POW whilst a Captain in the Royal Air Force (RAF), and returning to Australia to commence medical studies. Perhaps fittingly, the 100th year birthday anniversary is shared with the 2021 service centenary of the RAAF which in 1939 processed GC’s service application on behalf of the RAF. However, this socially significant letter in no way aims to glorify its unavoidable war aspect, but instead glorifies faith and humanity, as well as the strength of a man constituted by caring and generosity towards others, found within the confines of such conflict and other adversities. In a perfectly succinct narrative, journalist Tara Brown of 60 Minutes Australia describes in [1] GC’s life as a touching and inspirational story of humble heroism and enduring spirit resembling an adventure novel, but being far more fascinating than any work of fiction.

A New Approach to High-Order Electroencephalogram Phase Analysis Details the Mathematical Mechanisms of Central Nervous System Impulse Encoding

This paper presents a new electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis technique which is applied to example EEGs pertaining to nine human subjects and a broad spectrum of clinical scenarios. While focusing on technique physical efficacy, the paper also paves the way for future clinically-focused studies with revelations of several quantified and detailed findings in relation to high-order central nervous system communicative impulse encoding akin to a sophisticated form of phase-shift keying. The fact that fine encoding details are extracted with confidence from a seemingly modest EEG set supports the paper’s position that vast amounts of accessible information currently goes unrecognised by conventional EEG analysis. The technique commences with high resolution Fourier analysis being twice applied to an EEG, providing newly-identified harmonics. Except for deep sleep where harmonic phase, φ, behaviour becomes highly linear, φ transitional values, ∆φ, measured between harmonics of progressively increasing order are found to cluster rather than follow a normal distribution (e.g., χ2 = 303, df = 12, p < 0.001). Clustering is categorised into ten Families for which many separations between ∆φ values are writable in terms of k = j/4 or j/3 (j = 1, 2, 3 ...), with a preference for k = j/2 (χ2 = 77, df = 1, p < 0.001), amounts of a Family-specific quantum increment value, α∆φ. A parabolic relationship (r > 0.9999, p < 0.001) exists between α∆φ (and the parabola minimum associates with an additional inter-Family or universal quantum increment value, αmin). Ratios of α∆φ typically align within ± 0.5% of simple common fractions (95% CI).