Gnostic Metaphysics in the Dynamics of Foxian Light and the Reunion of the Soul with God

This paper analyses prior scholarship surrounding the emphasis upon, and interpretation of, the moral and ethical dynamic within the Light theology of George Fox, and advances it by suggesting a metaphysical approach which is remarkably similar to that found in Christian (Valentinian) Gnosticism. This similarity is particularly illustrated in an examination of Fox\u27s theology pertaining to the nature and disposition of the divine soul and its reunion with God

The vegetative propagation & early development of dipterocarp cuttings

Many of the lowland rainforests of SE Asia have been degraded by logging and shifting cultivation, are lacking in natural recruitment (particularly among the dipterocarps) and are in critical need of rehabilitation. Enrichment planting is an established method of rainforest rehabilitation but this depends upon a reliable supply of dipterocarp seedlings. However, due to their habit of mass flowering, the supply of dipterocarp seed, and hence planting material, is sporadic. It is therefore of critical importance that alternative methods for the large-scale production of dipterocarps are developed. Vegetative propagation by cuttings would in theory be ideal but few rehabilitation projects are propagating dipterocarps by this method. The reasons for this are two-fold: questions remain at the propagation phase (particularly the influence of light and applied hormones on rooting) and, more importantly, there is almost no evidence to indicate how dipterocarp cuttings develop after planting. The role of light and plant growth regulators on rooting in cuttings of Dryobalanops lanceolata, Parashorea malaanonan and Shorea leprosula was investigated. The responses of these species to the level of irradiance were plastic and there were no effects on cutting survival, rooting percentage or root development. Previous research on the use of plant growth regulators to promote rooting in dipterocarp cuttings has been inconclusive. Several concentrations of indole-butyric acid (IBA) were applied to cuttings of the same species for various durations. High concentration IBA combined with long exposure duration treatments resulted in high cutting mortality. Application of IBA did not significantly improve either root initiation or subsequent development. Cuttings showed higher mortality than seedlings up to 20 months after planting though, for both plant types, survival was similar to that reported in previous research on enrichment-planted and naturally-recruited dipterocarp seedlings. Relative growth rates were higher in cuttings than seedlings. Cuttings had a lower root:shoot ratio at planting, and lower above- and below-ground biomass, but after 20 months these values had converged towards those of seedlings. After eight years cuttings and seedlings of D. lanceolata had similar above- and below-ground biomass. Cuttings tended to have a higher root:shoot ratio but there were no differences in rooting depth or root distribution down the soil profile. Cuttings produced a ‘pseudo-taproot’ of similar form and extent to the taproot produced by seedlings. In conclusion, the propagation of dipterocarps by cuttings could provide a viable alternative for the large-scale production of planting material. Cuttings showed similar development to seedlings after planting and it can be reported with some confidence that the root systems of dipterocarp cuttings would likely be capable of supporting the tree to maturity

FMRI Clustering and False Positive Rates

Recently, Eklund et al. (2016) analyzed clustering methods in standard FMRI packages: AFNI (which we maintain), FSL, and SPM [1]. They claimed: 1) false positive rates (FPRs) in traditional approaches are greatly inflated, questioning the validity of "countless published fMRI studies"; 2) nonparametric methods produce valid, but slightly conservative, FPRs; 3) a common flawed assumption is that the spatial autocorrelation function (ACF) of FMRI noise is Gaussian-shaped; and 4) a 15-year-old bug in AFNI's 3dClustSim significantly contributed to producing "particularly high" FPRs compared to other software. We repeated simulations from [1] (Beijing-Zang data [2], see [3]), and comment on each point briefly.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure. A Letter accepted in PNA

Reviews

The Annotated Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien. Reviewed by Glen GoodKnight. JACK: C.S. Lewis and His Times. George Sayer. Reviewed by Glen GoodKnight. The 1989 J.R.R. Tolkien Calendar. Roger Garland. Reviewed by Glen GoodKnight. Exploration of a Drowned Landscape. Charles Thomas. Reviewed by Pat Reynolds. The Temple of Sulis at Bath. Barry Cunliffe and Peter Davenport. Reviewed by Pat Reynolds. The Princess and the Goblin. George MacDonald. Reviewed by Nancy-Lou Patterson. George MacDonald: The Seeking Heart. Kathy Triggs. Reviewed by Nancy-Lou Patterson

Reviews

Outline of Romantic Theology. Charles Williams. Reviewed by Nancy-Lou Patterson. The Saga of Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer. Intro and Translation by Jesse L. Byock. Reviewed by Nancy-Lou Patterson. Children and Their Books: A Celebration of the Work of Iona and Peter Opie. Ed. Gillian Avery and Julia Briggs. Reviewed by Pat Reynolds. The C.S. Lewis Handbook. Colin Duriez. Reviewed by Glen GoodKnight. Let There Be Light. Ill. Pauline Baynes. Reviewed by Glen GoodKnight. The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft. Rosemary Ellen Guiley. Reviewed by David Bratman

Heller: Past, Present, and Future

A wide-ranging discussion of the Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller recognizing the individual right to keep and bear arms, whether that decision has been applied properly in the lower courts, and what the Supreme Court is likely to do with the constitutional right to arms in the future

Ant mosaics in Bornean primary rain forest high canopy depend on spatial scale, time of day, and sampling method.

Background: Competitive interactions in biological communities can be thought of as giving rise to "assembly rules" that dictate the species that are able to co-exist. Ant communities in tropical canopies often display a particular pattern, an "ant mosaic", in which competition between dominant ant species results in a patchwork of mutually exclusive territories. Although ant mosaics have been well-documented in plantation landscapes, their presence in pristine tropical forests remained contentious until recently. Here we assess presence of ant mosaics in a hitherto under-investigated forest stratum, the emergent trees of the high canopy in primary tropical rain forest, and explore how the strength of any ant mosaics is affected by spatial scale, time of day, and sampling method. Methods: To test whether these factors might impact the detection of ant mosaics in pristine habitats, we sampled ant communities from emergent trees, which rise above the highest canopy layers in lowland dipterocarp rain forests in North Borneo (38.8-60.2 m), using both baiting and insecticide fogging. Critically, we restricted sampling to only the canopy of each focal tree. For baiting, we carried out sampling during both the day and the night. We used null models of species co-occurrence to assess patterns of segregation at within-tree and between-tree scales. Results: The numerically dominant ant species on the emergent trees sampled formed a diverse community, with differences in the identity of dominant species between times of day and sampling methods. Between trees, we found patterns of ant species segregation consistent with the existence of ant mosaics using both methods. Within trees, fogged ants were segregated, while baited ants were segregated only at night. Discussion: We conclude that ant mosaics are present within the emergent trees of the high canopy of tropical rain forest in Malaysian Borneo, and that sampling technique, spatial scale, and time of day interact to determine observed patterns of segregation. Restricting sampling to only emergent trees reveals segregatory patterns not observed in ground-based studies, confirming previous observations of stronger segregation with increasing height in the canopy.Kalsum M. Yusah was funded by the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP), a Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education Fundamental Research Grant (FRG0373- STWN- 1/ 2014), and a Universiti Malaysia Sabah New Lecturer Grant Scheme grant (SLB0071- STWN- 2013). Tom M. Fayle was funded by a Czech Science Foundation standard grant (16-09427S)

Retrospective cohort study of the South Tyneside Exercise Referral scheme 2009-2014: Predictors of dropout and barriers to adherence

Background: Exercise Referral Schemes (ERS) are a prevalent method of increasing physical activity levels. However, they suffer from participant dropout and research predicting dropout or barriers to adherence is limited. This study aimed to focus upon the effect of referral characteristics on dropout, dropout predictors and whether self-reported barriers to exercise predict dropout. Methods: ERS data from 2009-2014 were retrieved for analysis. Chi squared and t-tests were used to investigate differences between referral characteristics, and logistic regression used to investigate dropout predictors. Results: Of 6894 participants, 37.8% (n=2608) dropped out within 6 weeks and 50.03% (n=3449) by the final 12th week. More males adhered (p<0.001) with dropouts being significantly younger (p<0.001). Dropout predictors were smoking (OR=1.58, 95% CI:1.29-1.93) or being a Tier 3 referral (OR=1.47, 95% CI:1.25-1.73). Increasing age (OR=0.98, 95% CI:0.98-0.99), drinking alcohol (OR=0.82, 95% CI:0.71-0.95), secondary care referrals (OR=0.68, 95% CI:0.52-0.90), having a lack of motivation (OR=0.81, 95% CI:0.69-0.95), or a lack of childcare (OR=0.69, 95% CI:0.50-0.95) decreased the likelihood of dropout. Conclusion: ERS dropout continues to be problematic. Smoking and having moderate-high comorbidities predicted dropout. Increasing age and patient-reported barriers of a lack of time or childcare decreased dropout risk. The reasons for dropout require further investigation