The Sacramental Theology of John Owen and John Calvin

This thesis compares the theology of the Lord\u27s Supper in the Reformed theologians John Owen (1616-1683) and John Calvin (1509-1564), and addresses the differences discerned between the two. The argument is that the Federal theology which undergirded Owen\u27s theology led him to develop a problematic theology. Owen\u27s theology of the Lord\u27s Supper focuses attention on the atonement and on covenant obligations, whereas John Calvin, who was not encumbered by the assumptions of Federal theology, draws attention instead in his theology of the Lord\u27s Supper to the believer\u27s union with Christ, and to its soteriological implications. The thesis concludes that those elements of the Reformed tradition which have followed the innovations of the seventeenth century would do well to rediscover the sacramental theology of the father of Reformed theology, John Calvin

A. C. V. R.\u27s Tax Bills for the Year, 1854

A.C.V.R.\u27s tax bills for the year, 1854. The first list is for the acreage he owned and the second for the property in the village of Holland. He paid $86.36 in taxes for the acreage and$121.87 in taxes for the many city lots he owned. H. Van Eyk was the treasurer.https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/vrp_1850s/1271/thumbnail.jp

The Tax Receipts of A. C. V. R. for the Acreage and City Lots He Owned

The tax receipts of A.C.V.R. for the acreage and city lots he owned. The taxes for the acreage amounted to $95.44 and for the city lots,$132.85. H. Van Eyk, Treasurerhttps://digitalcommons.hope.edu/vrp_1850s/1313/thumbnail.jp

The treatment of sexually transmitted infections

The high level of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in South Africa can be attributed to a large number of factors including low socio-economic conditions, social stigma, gender inequalities, inability to access adequate health care systems and lack of preventative programmes. The main curable STIs consist of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis, most of which occur in the developing world. The inability to adequately treat the infections leads to morbidity and has wide-ranging consequences on reproductive health and the health of infants. Due to the inefficient treatment of STIs, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended and promoted the syndromic management of STIs in developing countries at the point of contact with the health service provider with the intention of improving the quality of care of these patients. The syndromic approach to STI management depends on patient symptoms and the signs presented at the clinical examination. The four main syndrome management protocols are for urethral discharge and swollen testes, genital ulcers, vaginal discharge and lower abdominal pain in women. After identification of a syndrome, combined therapy is utilised to treat the common causes of the infection. A diagnosis can be made quite rapidly without the need for expensive equipment and tests or special skills. Health care providers make use of flow charts or algorithms for diagnosis and treatment. Algorithms or flowcharts should be adapted to local conditions taking into consideration aetiology, local antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and drug availability. These protocols will help with the prevention and treatment STIs in South Africa.Keywords: Sexually transmitted infections; Chlamydia; Gonorrhoea, Syphilis; Syndromic Managemen

Investigation of RNA-mediated pathogenic pathways in a Drosophila model of expanded repeat disease.

Expansion of a repeat sequence beyond a pathogenic range has been identified as the cause of a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as the expanded repeat diseases. Disease-associated repeat tracts have been found both within the coding region of genes, such as the CAG repeat coding for polyglutamine, or within noncoding regions. Despite the identification of the mutation involved in these diseases, the mechanism by which this type of mutation leads to cell death remains unclear. There is a substantial amount of evidence to suggest that RNA-mediated toxicity plays a role in pathogenesis of both the polyglutamine diseases and the untranslated dominant expanded repeat diseases. A common feature of the expanded repeats involved in each of these diseases is the ability of the repeat-containing RNA to form a hairpin secondary structure and therefore it has been predicted that similar mechanisms may be responsible for initiating cellular dysfunction and death in each case. This study uses a Drosophila model to investigate the intrinsic, RNA-mediated toxicity of three repeat sequences (CUG, CAG and AUUCU) associated with degeneration in human disease. Using a combination of hypothesis-driven and nonbiased approaches, early changes elicited in response to neuronal expression of these expanded repeat tracts have been investigated. A hypothesis of a role for RNA editing in CAG repeat pathogenesis was explored using this Drosophila model. Microarray and proteomic approaches were also utilised to identify pathways which are perturbed by the expression of these repeat sequences. The results described in this thesis demonstrate a degree of sequence- and context-independent toxicity of expanded repeat RNA in this model, suggesting that this kind of effect may also be a component of pathogenesis in the disease situation. Pathways commonly perturbed in response to expression of these RNA species may represent particularly valuable therapeutic targets, since preventing this type of effect could provide positive outcomes in a number of diseases.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, 201

A Comparison of Rural and Urban Tourism Experiences: A South African Example

Tourism is a rewarding sector for several countries as it presents opportunities for growth and development. While tourism attractions are predominantly located in either a rural or an urban destination, literature lacks comparative research about experiences in these two contexts. The purpose of this study was to compare tourists’ experiences of visiting a rural or an urban destination in South Africa. Data were conveniently obtained from 401 tourists who visited either one of two rural, or one of two selected urban tourist destinations. This study found significant differences in tourist perceptions for escape and peace of mind. Tourists felt more strongly/positive that they were escaping when visiting a rural tourism destination than when visiting an urban tourism destination.  However, the study also revealed that tourists felt more secure and safe and that their privacy was prioritised (peace of mind) at an urban tourism destination than at a rural tourism destination. Tourism destination managers and governments may use the findings of the study to improve the tourist experience and promote a competitive platform for the tourism destination to attract more tourists.&nbsp

Sustaining the Township Economy: An Investigation into the Factors Influencing the Shopping Experience of Spaza Shop Customers in South Africa

The township economy supports many South Africans by creating employment and reducing the socio-economic challenges facing the country. To ensure sustainable growth of the sector, research is required on key businesses within the informal economy. This study empirically investigated the factors influencing the shopping experience of spaza shop customers in South Africa. Spaza shops, an under-researched South African context, continue to expand in various townships and serves as retail outlet where consumers purchase their daily products and services. The study embraced a quantitative research design. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect the data for the study. The target respondents include customers who were older than 18 years and had previously purchased from spaza shops. Respondents were selected using convenience sampling. The questionnaires were distributed to six townships in South Africa. 185 usable questionnaires were included in the data analysis. The empirical results provided evidence that supports the existence of statistically significant positive correlations between five independent experience factors, namely: esthetic, distinctiveness, cognitive, affective and social; with customer experience (dependent variable). Additionally, three of the five experience factors (social, affective and cognitive) are significant predictors of customer experience in the context of this study. Based on the identified factors, several recommendations are made for improving customer experience in a spaza shop context. Recommendations made are expected to enhance the competitiveness of spaza shops thereby enabling them to increase their contribution to employment creation and national Gross Domestic Product

Analysis processes as antecedents for decision-making related to growth strategies of South African Game Ranchers

Game ranching offers an economic alternative to conventional stock farming and is a means of supplementing income derived from agricultural activities. Competition is intensifying as ranchers continuously look for ways to improve and expand their businesses and gain a competitive advantage. Ranchers consequently have to find strategies that can ensure growth. Since a reciprocal relationship and dependency exists between a game ranch and the environment in which it operates, it is essential that ranchers take cognizance of aspects in the marketing environment that can either limit, and hence encumber the choice of growth strategy, or stimulate the growth potential of game ranches. As the objective of marketing is to offer customers superior value, it is pertinent for ranchers to know and understand the needs, requirements and motivations of visitors. Failure to do so will cause visitors to patronise other game ranches, or alternative tourism offerings that meet their expectations. A literature review was conducted to define strategy and assist in identifying growth strategies available to a game ranch. The literature review assisted in categorising elements in the external, internal and customer analysis phases of strategic marketing management. Surveys were conducted by means of self-completion questionnaires which were distributed throughout South Africa. Two sets of questionnaires were distributed - one to respondents with prior experience of a game ranch, and one to respondents with no-prior experience. A qualifying question directed the fieldworker to decide which questionnaire should be completed by the respondent. The surveys were constructed in such a way as to determine to what extent various factors would persuade respondents to visit a ranch or extend their stay. Based on a factor analysis, an eight factor structure emerged which represented the personal values of respondents and their levels of expectation for each of the factors. The eight factors were stimulation, universalism, tradition, security, hedonism, power, socialisation, and self-direction. The study revealed the following. - The majority of respondents with no-prior experience of a game ranch is either unaware of the offerings of game ranches, or perceives them as too expensive. - The sustainable use of natural resources is not only essential for the existence of a game ranch, but is also an important motivator for respondents to either visit a game ranch or extend their stay at a ranch. - Staff play a critical role in the overall experience of visitors and act as an important motivator to either visit/revisit a game ranch or extend their stay at the ranch. - Clean and comfortable overnight facilities are deemed important by all respondents. - Respondents have a strong desire to relax and spend time with family and friends. A decision-making framework from which game ranches can select applicable growth strategies resulted from the study. The decision-making framework comprises a three-phase process; phase 1 is the identification of a game ranch's target market; phase 2 is the use of a simplistic framework to determine a possible growth strategy for a game ranch; phase 3 is the identification of ways to implement the selected strategy. As the game ranch industry makes significant contributions to the economic, social and ecological welfare of South Africa, this study added to the body of knowledge of game ranching in South Africa, particularly with regard to the growth options available to game ranches. Recommendations for consideration of future research included the following. - As the current study investigated hunting and tourism, future research on growth strategies for game ranches could also include other aspects of game ranching such as the sale of live game and game products. - More focused empirical research into external and internal strategic analysis should be considered to supplement the empirical research into customer analysis resulting from the current study. - Finally, additional information obtained on the external and internal strategic analysis process could lead to expanding the decision-making framework developed in this study into a more holistic tool to be used in selecting a growth strategy, or combination of strategies for a game ranch3

The Legacy of 48 Abell: Tales From A Gentrifying Neighbourhood

Constructed in 1886 by Mr. John Abell, the former engine and machine works factory at 48 Abell Street is located near Queen and Dufferin Streets in Toronto, Ontario. This 100,000 square foot heavy timber and red brick building has housed approximately 80 live/work studios since the 1980’s. Recently, rapid gentrification and intensive development proposals in the West Queen West neighbourhood have threatened its existence as an authentic artistic incubator. In a series of chronicles, this thesis documents the history of John Abell and the neighbourhood surrounding his former factory from the late 19th century to present day. Woven into this narrative are the author’s own stories of living in a loft at 48 Abell Street, observing the transformation of the neighbourhood and responding to potential eviction from her home. When the community rallies to the building’s defense, 48 Abell becomes the central figure in a battle over land development with the City and real estate developers in which the key issue is the cultural value of heritage buildings and protection of live/work spaces. Research in the form of mapping and data collection shows the concentration of the arts in the area known as the Queen West Triangle has been a catalyst for gentrification. The resulting displacement of arts production space and low-income residents due to escalating land values is an unintended and sobering reality challenging the current orthodoxy of ‘creative city’ movements in North America

"O Blessed and Thrice Glorious Lord Jesus": Thomas Goodwin (1600-1680) and the threefold glory of the second person of the Trinity

This Thesis examines the Christology of Thomas Goodwin (1600-1680). It notes that he identifies that the second Person of the Trinity has a threefold glory. He has (i) a glory as he is God, which Goodwin terms his essential glory. Christ also has a double glory as the God-man, (ii) the glory of his person, and, (iii) the glory that accrues to him because of his mediatorial work. After examining Goodwin’s explication of the threefold glory of Christ, the thesis demonstrates that the personal glory of the God-man, abstracted from his mediatorial work, is central in his Christology. The thesis concludes that there is a speculative element in Goodwin’s insistence that Christ was predestined as the God-man antecedent to any consideration of the creation and fall of man, leading him to bifurcate his Person and work. This, however, does not overthrow the whole of his Christology nor the pastoral usefulness of his teaching. In fact, Thomas Goodwin makes an important contribution to our understanding of the ‘thrice glorious Lord Jesus.