Polarity: The theology of anti-Judaism in Ephrem the Syrian’s hymns on Easter

In this paper, the polarity Jews :: Christians in the hymns on Easter of the fourth-century Syrian theologian Ephrem is investigated. This polarity is found to be polemical against the Jews. But since polarity is a constant feature in the work of Ephrem which serves to communicate his theological frame of mind, the question is asked whether anti-Judaism does not also serve to convey theological ideas. An attempt is made to demonstrate that anti-Judaism indeed had a theological function for Ephrem: Anti-Judaism seems to have been an aspect of Christian self-definition. It was also a way of expressing the concepts of theological balance and reciprocity

Antithesis and argument in the hymns of Ephrem the Syrian

This paper reflects research on the semantic structure of antitheses. The thesis being proposed is that the defining quality of antitheses was implemented by the Syrian church father Ephrem as a rhetoric technique to enhance the power of arguments in his hymns. Examples are being investigated to explain the function of antitheses in the surface structure of some of his arguments.

Meganisisme, vitalisme en holisme in die Biologie

Die Biologie word omskryf as die wetenskap van die lewende wesens (organismes). Die lewe staan dus in die brandpunt van die biologiese studie en ondersoek. Vra ons ons egter af wat onder „lewe” verstaan word, besef ons dadelik dat ons hier met ’n uiters moeilik definieerbare begrip te doen het. In verband met die aard van lewe het daar onder die bioloë en natuurfilosowe veral twee denkrigtings posgevat, nl. meganisisme en vitalism

Epidemiologiese studie van vergiftigings in kinders onder 18 jaar in Bloemfontein en omgewing

An epidemiological study of the incidence of poisoning in children in the Bloemfontein area during 1 year was carried out. Deliberate and accidental poisonings were studied relative to: (I) age and sex of poisoned children; (il) type of poison involved; and (iil) the time the poisoning occurred. This study showed that deliberate poisoning occurred more frequently in girls than in boys (67,5% v. 32,5%), that accidental poisoning occurred mostly in the preschool years and then more frequently in boys than in girls (65,1% v. 34,9%) and that drugs were involved in most poisonings

Serum levels of DDT and liver function of malaria control personnel

The levels of DOT and metabolites in serum of 23 applicators involved in malaria control operations in Natal were determined using gas chromatography with electron capture detection. The me'!n levels (ug/l, ppb) were 61,7 DDT, 129,3 DDE, 11,0 DDD and 202,0 ∑DDT. Percentage DDT was 33,4%. These levels were higher than for an age matched sample of the general population in KwaZulu, who are protected by DDT against malaria. Percentage DDT correlated negatively with age (P < 0,05) for the applicators, suggesting a change in pharmacodynamics with age. Mean serum albumin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate transferase and -γ-glutamyhransferase (GGT) levels did not differ significantly from an age-matched control group, but the mean GGT value for the applicators was higher than the' maximum of the laboratory normal range. Although not clinically significant, the alanine transferase was significantly higher in the applicators than in the control group. These higher levels suggest a possible risk to the health of the sprayers, but uncertainties remain

Isolation of an anthelmintic compound from Leucosidea sericea

The leaves of Leucosidea sericea (Rosaceae) are used medicinally by some indigenous South African people as a vermifuge and astringent. No information on the biological activity and phytochemistry of the plant could be found in the literature. Bioassay-guided fractionation was used to identify the active compound. Partial purification of the petroleum ether extract of the leaves and flowers was followed by fractionation using chromatographic methods. This process yielded the Phloroglucinol derivatives, aspidinol and desaspidinol, which were previously reported to be present in a Dryopteris species. Aspidinol was further isolated and structurally elucidated. This is the first report of the presence of these compounds in Leucosidea sericea. The disk diffusion method used in our study, indicated that the plant has antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans

Studies in mineral metabolism. XXXII. The effect of different forms of sulphur in the diet upon the growth and wool production of sheep

(1) Details are presented of an experiment on the effects of sulphur and of compounds containing sulphur on the food consumption, weight increase, wool yield and disease of young wethers kept on a production ration for two years. (2) The sheep were fed in individual feeding boxes except for the hay which was given ad lib. (3) The supplements given were dosed daily except Sundays and were given as follows:-Group I: No supplement. Group II: Cystine. Group III: Sulphates. Group IV: KCNS. Group V: 5 gm. sulphur. Group VI: •12 gm. sulphur. (4) No significant effects of the supplements on the sheep could be detected after 12 months' supplementary feeding nor did the experimental groups differ significantly from the control group at the end of the experimental period. (5) The supplement of cystine had no effect on the quantity of wool produced. (6) The mortality and disease due to the presence of urinary calculi were apparently not associated with the supplements. (7) The analyses of the wool will be reported on in due course.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format

Capture of farmed Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) : comparison of physiological parameters after manual capture and after capture with electrical stunning

The electric stunner (e-stunner) is commonly used to handle Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) on commercial farms in South Africa, but while it seems to improve handling and safety for the keepers, no information regarding physiological reactions to e-stunning is currently available. The aim of this study was therefore to compare various physiological parameters in farmed Nile crocodiles captured either manually (noosing) or by using an e-stunner. A total of 45 crocodiles were captured at a South African farm by either e-stunning or noosing, and blood samples were taken immediately as well as four hours after capture. Parameters monitored were serum corticosterone, lactate, glucose, as well as alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and creatinine kinase. Lactate concentrations were significantly higher in noosed compared to e-stunned animals (P < 0.001). No other blood parameter differed significantly between the two capture methods. In addition, recorded capture time confirmed that noosing takes significantly longer compared to e-stunning (P < 0.001), overall indicating that e-stunning seems the better option for restraint of especially large numbers of crocodiles in a commercial setup because it is quicker, safer, and did not cause a significant increase in any of the parameters measured.http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/hb201

Treated Acid Mine Drainage and Stream Recovery: Downstream Impacts on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities in Relation to Multispecies Toxicity Bioassays

Research ArticleThe success and long term effectiveness of extensive and expensive engineering solutions to restore streams impacted by Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is rarely tested. Concentrations of pollutants were measured in water along a longitudinal gradient from a stretch of the Tweelopie stream, South Africa, that receives pH-treated acid mine drainage (AMD) from an abandoned gold mine. The biotoxic effects of treated AMD were determined through macroinvertebrate biotic indices (SASS5) and a battery of toxicity bioassays. These included the L. sativa, A. cepa, D. magna toxicity and Ames mutagenicity tests, as well as an in vitro human liver cancer cell line HepG2. Even though the Tweelopie stream was moderately to severely degraded by multiple anthropogenic stressors, the impact of the treated AMD was masked by the improvement in the system downstream after mixing with the domestic wastewater effluent receiving stream, and subsequent further dilution as a result of the karst springs downstream. The general improvement of the system downstream was clearly shown by the decrease in the ecotoxicity and mutagenicity in relation to the in-stream macroinvertebrates. PCA multivariate analysis successfully displayed associations between the different environmental variables and the decrease in toxicity and subsequent ecosystem improvement downstream. This study indicated that environmental management of AMD remediation should consider long term assessment strategies, including multiple factors, to promote biological ecosystem recovery