Blood and life in the Old Testament

The primary objective of this thesis is to present an integrated inteipretation of the significance of blood in Israelite thought, based around Lev 17:10-14, which states that blood is the life of every creature. Previous works on OT blood ritual have given very little attention to the wider symbolic context. The question of Lev 17:11 can be better understood when we have explored the OT and the Israelite/Judahite concept of life and death in terms of the presence of fluid in the body, and the manipulation of blood on behalf of a person. It will become evident that in order to fully appreciate the significance of blood in the OT, blood must be seen not only in its own right (Lev 17:10-14), but also in relation to the general role of fluids within the life of the body. The first chapter looks at the place of blood in OT physiology, and at aspects of its cultural significance. The subsequent two chapters consider fluids in general, and their significance for ideas of death in literary and mortuary contexts. Chapters four and five will then show how the understanding of blood as life can throw light on the ritual use of blood in reversing the dead condition of the "leper" and the corpse-contaminated person and on the narratives apparently featuring a protective use of blood in Exodus. Chapter six comprises a short summary and a discussion of some broader implications. These include remarks on the dietary prohibition in Leviticus, and on the significance of this research for an understanding of the role of blood in Temple sacrifice. The chapters draw on a variety of methods, including textual analysis and on a symbolic analysis derived from social anthropology. Their main purpose is to indicate that life is, in some physical sense, located in blood and is associated with body fluids. Literary and archaeological evidence will also be invoked to show that blood and other liquid substances may also have been thought capable of postponing or even reversing the dying process

Tsui, Heart Expressions in the Gã Bible

The paper explores the metaphorical and metonymic expressions of the heart in Gã (a West African language) within the framework of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory propounded by Lakoff and Johnson. The aim is to examine the ways in which tsui, ‘the heart’ is used in the Gã Bible to express human experiences. The data are gathered from personal conversations with Gã scholars and the Gã Bible. The data revealed the underlying conceptual metaphoric and metonymic patterns and their expressions of various aspects of emotions, modes of rationality and interpersonal relationship in the Gã language. This demonstrates that there is a clear relationship between the linguistic systems of a people and their conceptual and cultural experiences

Reconciliation through the Gacaca Tribunals in Rwanda “A reconstruction of knowledge on ‘ethnic identities’ in Rwandan societies towards the achievement of sustainable reconciliation

Imagining how contemporary conflicts have divided societies in the recent times put one in a position to think of possibilities that will improve the activities of reconciliation initiatives for a lasting peaceful coexistence in the aftermath of conflicts. In Rwanda series of conflicts have emerged since the end of colonial rule till the genocide in 1994 calling for a necessary transitional justice system that will administer justice for the injustices that occurred and promote reconciliation and national unity. The transitional justice established is the Gacaca tribunals which are to oversee to the process by providing a platform for perpetrators and victim/survivors to unearth the truth and reconcile the parties in the process. This essay is of the view that since the cause of conflict is a reflection of a constructed ‘ethnic identity’ from colonial times; the best way to achieve a sustainable reconciliation to avoid the recurrence of a conflict is to reconstruct the ethnic identity notion. How to reconstruct the knowledge of the people for them to change their perception and attitude about the other and live in a peaceful coexistence through the gacaca is what the essay provides

Anti-Semitism, Securitization and the Media: Analyzing the role of media in relation to the increasing notion of anti-Semitism in Sweden - An issue for securitization?

This paper has examined the potential power of media in relation to ‘security’ for the Jews in the Swedish society. My intention was to find out whether media constitute a risk for the increasing notion of anti-Semitism which also enhances the threat for the Jews in Sweden to become a security matter and therefore result in a need for securitization. The analysis has been done partly through presentation of material which gives us the understanding that anti-Semitism is spreading in Sweden in relation to escalations of conflicts in the Middle East. A critical discourse analysis of two Swedish newspapers has been made, in order to see whether these papers did present a biased view over the ‘Cast Lead’ offensive in Gaza from Dec 27, 2008 to Jan 18, 2009 which eventually results in these negative notions against Jews in Sweden. The critical situation for the Jews has then been placed in relation to security where the paper looked closer upon whether the situation for the Jews has become severe to the extent that it is in need of a securitization act in order to protect the Jewish minority group in Sweden

Aspects of the fecundity of the black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron in the Fosu lagoon, Ghana

The black-chinned tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron (Pisces: Cichlidae), which dominated the Fosu Lagoon fishery, was exposed to pollution, siltation, fishing pressure, destructive fishing methods, and climate change. Samples of black-chinned tilapia were obtained with cast net, drag net and gill net, out of which 441 gravid specimen were randomly selected and dissected to remove eggs which were then counted. The absolute fecundity varied from 20 eggs to 370 eggs with a mean of 78 ± 33 eggs. Fish that had fecundity below and above the reported minimum of 200 eggs constituted 98.86 percent and 1.14 percent of the total sample, respectively, indicating that fecundity is below the minimum number of eggs the species is reportedly capable of producing. Positive, linear, weak and significant relationships were found between absolute fecundity and body parameters indicating that absolute fecundity is independent of body parameters, and could be influenced by biological, environmental, or anthropogenic factors. Condition factor ranged between 2.26 SL and 10.63 SL. Length at first maturity was 4.8 cm SL and 6.4 cm TL, respectively, confirming the precocious reproductive habit of the species. The size structure of the S. melanotheron population is dominated by small-sized fish of SL 7.0 – 7.9 cm (44.90 %) and 6.0 – 6.9 cm SL (32.65 %) ranges, which together accounted for 77.55 percent of the total sample. It is recommended that the fecundity and other reproductive parameters of the species be investigated during the dry and wet seasons in order to determine the reproductive potential and strategies for survival of the species

Using Holt Winter’s Multiplicative Model to Forecast Assisted Childbirths at the Teaching Hospital in Ashanti Region, Ghana

The use of maternal healthcare facilities is an important indicator of the impact of the free maternal healthcare policy aimed at improving health status of pregnant women in Ghana. This study investigated the pattern of quarterly assisted deliveries at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, Ghana from 2000 to 2011. The Holt Winters multiplicative and additive forecasting models were considered. The Multiplicative model reported a Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEP) of 31.10, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 188.080, Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 6.2951 and Mean Absolute Scaled Error (MASE) of 0.7086 while the additive model reported RMSEP, RMSE, MAPE and MASE of 49.59 201.83, 6.3098 and 0.7106 respectively .The multiplicative model further passed the Shapiro-Wilks test (p-value 0.07358). Results identified the second and fourth quarters as peak seasons and the first quarters as deep seasons for assisted childbirths in the hospital.  The negative binomial regression confirmed this by identifying April, May, October and November as peaks months with May being the most significant month. Keywords: Holt Winter’s multiplicative and addictive models, Forecasting, Seasonal, Negative binomial model

The Effects of the Intensity of Firm’s Intangible Assets on the Volatility of Their Stock Prices

The volatility of share prices is an important variable in most asset pricing models and option pricing formulas. Valuations of volatility of share prices have become a major challenge with the development of the knowledge-driven economy as evidence suggest that not all elements of company wealth are physical in nature. The purpose of this paper is to check if the intensity of intangible assets in a firm’s balance sheet affects the volatility of their stock price. A brief overview of intangible assets is also included in this study. An OLS regression was run and the results of the entire data set gives a negative correlation between intensity of intangible assets and volatility of stock prices probably due to the fact that the volatility of the firm share prices are driven by uncertainty and expectation of future growth. An industry-grouping regression was carried out, the results  shows that for basic pharmaceuticals there is a positive correlation between the intensity of intangible assets and their price volatility while the other three industry groups produce a negative correlation. The study relies on secondary data of randomly selected forty (40) publicly traded companies in Ghana from four different industry groupings namely: manufacture of basic pharmaceuticals, manufacture of food products and beverages, information technology and manufacture of basic metals. Keywords: Ghana, intangible assets, volatility, stock price

Assessing the variability and predictability of adipokines (adiponectin, leptin, resistin and their ratios) in non-obese and obese women with anovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome

Objectives To assess the variability and predictability of adiponectin, leptin, resistin and their ratios in non-obese and obese women with anovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome (aPCOS). Results A total of 52 ovulatory controls (mean age = 31.63 ± 4.88 years, BMI = 25.33 ± 2.68 kg/m2); 54 non-obese (mean age = 32.11 ± 4.25 years, BMI = 25.72 ± 2.95 kg/m2) and 50 obese women with aPCOS (mean age = 33.64 ± 4.14 years, BMI = 39.19 ± 2.99 kg/m2) were recruited. The aPCOS group had lower adiponectin [13.0 (10.49–16.59) vs 18.42 (15.72–19.92) µg/ml, p \u3c 0.0001], adiponectin: leptin ratio (A:L) [0.60 (0.35–0.88) vs 1.19 (0.92–1.37), p \u3c 0.0001], and adiponectin: resistin ratio (A:R) [0.30 (0.21–0.43) vs 0.42 (0.32–0.62), p \u3c 0.0001] but a higher leptin [20.02 (14.54–26.80) vs 16.17 (14.51–18.36) ng/ml, p \u3c 0.0001] and leptin: resistin ratio (L:R) [0.53 (0.37–0.82) vs 0.40 (0.27–0.48), p \u3c 0.0001] compared to the controls. The obese aPCOS group had lower adiponectin [11.04 (5.66–13.25) vs 14.18 (11.04–18.02), p \u3c 0.0001 and 18.42 (15.72–19.92) µg/ml, p \u3c 0.0001], A:L [0.36 (0.27–0.44) vs 0.78 (0.61–1.16), p \u3c 0.0001 and 1.19 (0.92–1.37), p \u3c 0.0001], and A:R [0.24 (0.17–0.38) vs 0.40 (0.23–0.58), p \u3c 0.0001 and 0.42 (0.32–0.62), p \u3c 0.0001] but a higher leptin [26.80 (14.28–32.09) vs 17.95 (14.86–21.26), p \u3c 0.05 and 16.17 (14.51–18.36) ng/ml, p \u3c 0.0001] and L:R [0.63 (0.46–1.03) vs 0.41 (0.30–0.61), p \u3c 0.0001 and 0.40 (0.27–0.48), p \u3c 0.0001] compared to the non-obese aPCOS and control group, respectively. A:L showed the best discriminatory power in predicting aPCOS (AUC = 0.83), followed by adiponectin alone (AUC = 0.79), L:R and leptin alone (both AUC = 0.69). Resistin alone had the poorest discriminatory power (AUC = 0.48)

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among active sportsmen/sportswomen and sedentary workers in the Kumasi metropolis

This study sought to establish the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) among active sportsmen/sportswomen and sedentary workers in the Kumasi Metropolis using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III), World Health Organization(WHO), and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. The study was conducted between March and April, 2010. One hundred and eighty six (186) participants were involved with eighty five (85) being active sportsmen/sportswomen as study control and one hundredand one (101) sedentary workers from the Kumasi metropolis as study subjects. The study participants were recruited from a population of young and adult individuals between the ages of 19-82 years. The percentage prevalence of MetS was 1.6%, 7.4% and 14.4% when the WHO,NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria respectively were applied on the total population. Generally, the prevalence of MetS was significantly higher among the sedentary group i.e. 3.5%, 14.0% and 26.7% for WHO, NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria respectively as compared to the active population i.e. 0.0%, 2.0% and 3.9% for WHO, NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria respectively. The prevalence of the MetS varied greatly between the active and sedentary subjects depending on the criteria used. Central obesity appears to be the key determinant of the prevalence of the MetSin Ghana. Preventive actions such as exercise, active lifestyles and healthy eating habits have to be implemented to reduce the tendency to obesity and MetS in the Ghanaian populace

Translating Ioudaios concepts in multifaceted contexts : an intertextual approach to the rhetoric of 1 Corinthians 15

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Bible reading and translation have always been important aspects of the Christian faith. Since as early as the first century CE the writers of the New Testament as well as their respective communities of Jesus-followers have all interacted with the Scriptures of the time directly and indirectly. Paul was one such active participant in this process. Unfortunately, for the majority of the New Testament writers, for some decades now their use of the Scriptures of Israel has been clouded by ideologies of anachronistic Christian categories, historical-critical methodologies have presented generalising descriptions and prescriptions about their identities and methods, and Western ideologies have fed into colonialist and imperialist agendas against Two-Thirds World readers, such as Africans. In this study, I use and recommend a literary-rhetorical approach known as intertextuality as a methodology to attempt reading and uncovering the rhetoric of one such New Testament writer, Paul, to his implied audiences in a selected text, 1 Corinthians 15. As a literary method intertextuality has been in practice for decades already. More recently some biblical scholars have also identified its usefulness in overcoming the limitations of historical-critical methodologies when Paul’s use of the Scriptures of Israel is studied. In the field of Scripture translation intertextuality has recently also become a useful tool for the literary analysis of texts. Importantly, several scholars continue to make a case for literary critical methods as a necessary tool for empowering African Christian readers and translators of the Scriptures towards a recovery of authentic Christian identity-(ies). This study has demonstrated that Paul’s Ioudaios ethnoculturally-nested identity remains central and relevant to an understanding of his person and his use of the Scriptures of Israel. It has demonstrated specifically that, not only does Paul engage with the Scriptures, but also, that he uses Ioudaios conceptualisations, expressions and idioms to communicate the central themes of his message, with 1 Corinthians 15 serving as a case in point. Even though he communicates to his audience in the Hellenistic lingua franca of his time, contemporary readers and translators should endeavour to engage these Ioudaios concepts linguistically and intertextually. To this end, Paul was able to sustain his objective in negotiating, affirming and redefining the identity-(ies) of his multifaceted Gentile implied audience. Bible reading and translation in Africa and by Christians in Africa is in dire need of this and can glean many lessons and applications from the Pauline paradigm.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die lees en vertaal van die Bybel was nog altyd belangrike aspekte van die Christelike geloof. Sedert so vroeg as die eerste eeu AD het die skrywers van die Nuwe Testament sowel as hul onderskeie gemeenskappe van Jesus-volgelinge almal direk en indirek met die Geskrifte van daardie tyd in wisselwerking verkeer. Paulus was 'n aktiewe deelnemer in hierdie prosesse. Ongelukkig, vir die meerderheid van die Nuwe-Testamentiese skrywers, is hulle gebruik van die Geskrifte van Israel reeds vir 'n paar dekades vertroebel deur ideologieë van anachronistiese Christelike kategorieë, histories-kritiese metodologieë het veralgemenende beskrywings en voorskrifte oor hul identiteite en metodes aangebied, en Westerse ideologieë het kolonialistiese en imperialistiese agendas teen Twee-derde Wêreld-lesers, soos Afrikane, aangevuur. In hierdie studie gebruik en beveel ek 'n literêr-retoriese benadering bekend as intertekstualiteit aan as 'n metodologie om die retoriek van een so 'n Nuwe-Testamentiese skrywer, Paulus, aan sy geïmpliseerde gehore in 'n geselekteerde teks, 1 Korintiërs 15, te probeer lees en ontgin. Die literêre metode van intertekstualiteit word al vir dekades lank gebruik. Meer onlangs het sommige Bybelwetenskaplikes ook die nut daarvan geïdentifiseer om die beperkings van histories-kritiese metodologieë te oorkom wanneer Paulus se gebruik van die Skrif van Israel bestudeer word. Op die gebied van Skrifvertaling ook het intertekstualiteit onlangs 'n nuttige hulpmiddel vir die literêre ontleding van tekste geword. Dit is belangrik dat verskeie geleerdes steeds 'n pleidooi maak vir literêr-kritiese metodes as 'n noodsaaklike hulpmiddel om Afrika-Christenlesers en vertalers van die Skrif te bemagtig tot die herstel van outentieke Christelike identiteit(e). Hierdie studie het getoon dat Paulus se Ioudaios etnokultureel-geneste identiteit sentraal en relevant bly vir die verstaan van hom as persoon en sy gebruik van die Geskrifte van Israel. Dit het heel spesifiek gedemonstreer, met 1 Korintiërs 15 as voorbeeld, dat Paulus nie net by die Geskrifte betrokke was nie, maar ook dat hy Ioudaios-konseptualiserings, uitdrukkings en idiome gebruik het om die sentrale temas van sy boodskap te kommunikeer. Al kommunikeer hy met sy gehoor in die Hellenistiese lingua franca van sy tyd, moet hedendaagse lesers en vertalers poog om hierdie Ioudaios-konsepte linguïsties en intertekstueel te benader. In hierdie verband, was Paulus in staat om sy doelwit te handhaaf in die onderhandeling, bevestiging en herdefiniëring van die identiteit(e) van sy veelsydige nie-Joodse geïmpliseerde gehoor. Bybellees en -vertaling in Afrika en deur Christene in Afrika het dit dringend nodig en kan baie lesse en toepassings uit die Pauliniese paradigma bekom.Doctora