St. Ignatius of Antioch and Afua Kuma of Kwahu : a study in some images of Jesus in second century Christianity and modern African Christianity.

Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.Christian religious experience whether it occurs in the second century or in modem Africa is one and the same, and although the experiences may differ it is possible to draw correlations to suggest that such experiences bear witness to a common reality. St. Ignatius of Antioch who lived in the second century and Afua Kuma who hails from Kwahu in the Eastern Region of Ghana, are used to demonstrate this reality. My sources for Ignatius' are the seven letters he wrote, six to churches he visited and one to his friend Polycarp of Smyrna, whilst he was on his way to martyrdom in Rome. As bishop of Antioch he is concerned about the unity of the church and consequently focuses attention on false doctrines and the development of what was becoming "orthodox" tradition. A number of peculiar images referring to Christ emerge in his work, such"as apXEta (archive), 8upa (door), xapaK1"rlp (stamp) and 8t)(:nacr'trlpwv (altar). This picturesque and vivid imagery is traced to his propensity for rhetoric, which, though Asian, bears resemblance to the Greek and Roman folkloric traditions. The Apae or the courthouse praise poetry of the Akan folkloric tradition is the vehicle that Afua Kuma employs to express her faith in Jesus. A crisis in Madam Kuma's life must have led her to fathom the depths of her traditional background and upbringing and this she feeds into her understanding of Jesus. In her poetry Jesus is imaged as Adontehene, Benkumhene, :Jkatakyie, :Jkokodurufo, Okuruakwaban, and Adubasap::m and is made to perform all the functions associated with regal authority. She also shows awareness of modem political and social structures in these images. This thesis shows that it is the fruit of the Christian imagination born in the context of praise and worship, which ought to feed and nourish academic theology so as to keep it in touch with the spiritual vitality experienced in the community of faith

1993 Annual Report Nebraska Game and Parks Commisison

Table of ContentsAdministration ... 2Budget and Fiscal ... 3Engineering ... 7Fisheries ... 10Information and Education ... 12 Law Enforcement ... 15Operations and Construction ... 17Outdoor Education ... 19Parks ... 20Planning and Programming ... 22Realty ... 23Resource Services ... 24Wildlife ... 2

Babesiosis in Southeastern, Central and Northeastern Europe: An Emerging and Re-Emerging Tick-Borne Disease of Humans and Animals

There is now considerable evidence that in Europe, babesiosis is an emerging infectious disease, with some of the causative species spreading as a consequence of the increasing range of their tick vector hosts. In this review, we summarize both the historic records and recent findings on the occurrence and incidence of babesiosis in 20 European countries located in southeastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia), central Europe (Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland), and northern and northeastern Europe (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway), identified in humans and selected species of domesticated animals (cats, dogs, horses, and cattle). Recorded cases of human babesiosis are still rare, but their number is expected to rise in the coming years. This is because of the widespread and longer seasonal activity of Ixodes ricinus as a result of climate change and because of the more extensive use of better molecular diagnostic methods. Bovine babesiosis has a re-emerging potential because of the likely loss of herd immunity, while canine babesiosis is rapidly expanding in central and northeastern Europe, its occurrence correlating with the rapid, successful expansion of the ornate dog tick (Dermacentor reticulatus) populations in Europe. Taken together, our analysis of the available reports shows clear evidence of an increasing annual incidence of babesiosis across Europe in both humans and animals that is changing in line with similar increases in the incidence of other tick-borne diseases. This situation is of major concern, and we recommend more extensive and frequent, standardized monitoring using a “One Health” approach

The determination of reservoir hosts and vectors for tick-transmitted pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Lithuania and Norway

Per paskutinius du dešimtmečius stebimas erkių pernešamų ligų (erkinio encefalito, Laimo boreliozės (LB), granuliocitinės anaplazmozės (HGA)) protrūkis įvairiose pasaulio šalyse. Erkių pernešamų ligų epidemiologijos tyrimams, patogeno-vektoriaus (erkių) ir stuburinio šeimininko sistemos tarpusavio ryšių nustatymui, rezervuarinių šeimininkų (skirtingų rūšių smulkiųjų graužikų) užsikrėtimo patogenais B. burgdorferi s. l. ir A. phagocytophilum ir erkėmis I. ricinus, o taip pat I. ricinus erkių genetinės įvairovės skirtinguose Lietuvos ir Norvegijos vietovėse įvertinimui panaudoti įvairius DNR molekuliniai tyrimo metodai. Buvo identifikuoti patogeniški žmogui B. afzelii, B. garinii ir B. burgdorferi s.s genotipai graužikuose ir parazituojančiose I. ricinus erkėse, ir įvertintą rezervuarinių šeimininkų kompetencija perduoti patogenus parazituojančioms erkėms.Over the past two decades, tick- borne diseases have increased and now constitute a major health problem in many parts of Europe and North America. For investigation of epidemiology of tick-borne diseases, interaction among pathogen, vectors and vertebrate hosts, for detection of the prevalence of B. burgdorferi s. l. and A. phagocytophilum in small rodents and investigation of genetic diversity of I. ricinus ticks in Lithuania and Norway, the different DNA analyses methods were used. The first time the role of small rodents as zoonotic reservoirs of B. burgdorferi s.l. and A. phagocytophilum in different ecological and biogeographical zones of Lithuania and Norway was investigated. Three B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies pathogenic for humans were identified in rodents and ticks. The competence of small rodents from Lithuania and Norway to transmit the pathogens to feeding ticks was determined.Vytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Long-term investigations (1995–2018) on vectors and vector-borne pathogens in Lithuania

Vector-borne diseases constitute a major health problem in many parts of the world. In the past three decades, many vector-borne pathogens have emerged, creating new challenges for public and animal health in Europe. The factors that drive the emergence of vector-borne diseases are difficult to identify due to the complexity of the pathogen-vector-host triad. Long-term studies are important because they may improve our understanding of the ecological factors that shape the dynamics of vector-borne pathogens. In Lithuania, the first studies on vectors and vector-borne pathogens began in 1995. Analysis based on longterm datasets (1995–2018) of the incidence of vector-borne diseases in humans and animals in Lithuania demonstrated that exposure to ticks, mites, fleas and mosquitoes was an important factor influencing vector-borne diseases incidences in human and animals in Lithuania. The geographical and spatial distributions of some European vectors have been changing in the last few decades, and new viral, bacterial and protozoan tick-borne pathogens have been detected in former non-endemic areas. Climate changes over recent decades have led to a wider spatial distribution of ticks, and an extension in their periods of activity in Lithuania. Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases have become widely established across Europe. Climatic changes, the significant increase of tourism and travel of dogs across Europe have caused an increase in the geographical range of canine babesiosis and human and canine Dirofilaria infections. Currently, the Baltic countries are an endemic area for a number of vector-borne diseases such as Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, bartonellosis, rickettsiosis, dirofilariosis [...]Biologijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Ticks and tick-borne pathogens transmitted by birds in Lithuanian Baltic seashore

Biologijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Long-term investigations (1995–2018) on vectors and vector-borne pathogens in Lithuania

Vector-borne diseases constitute a major health problem in many parts of the world. In the past three decades, many vector-borne pathogens have emerged, creating new challenges for public and animal health in Europe. The factors that drive the emergence of vector-borne diseases are difficult to identify due to the complexity of the pathogen-vector-host triad. Long-term studies are important because they may improve our understanding of the ecological factors that shape the dynamics of vector-borne pathogens. In Lithuania, the first studies on vectors and vector-borne pathogens began in 1995. Analysis based on longterm datasets (1995–2018) of the incidence of vector-borne diseases in humans and animals in Lithuania demonstrated that exposure to ticks, mites, fleas and mosquitoes was an important factor influencing vector-borne diseases incidences in human and animals in Lithuania. The geographical and spatial distributions of some European vectors have been changing in the last few decades, and new viral, bacterial and protozoan tick-borne pathogens have been detected in former non-endemic areas. Climate changes over recent decades have led to a wider spatial distribution of ticks, and an extension in their periods of activity in Lithuania. Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases have become widely established across Europe. Climatic changes, the significant increase of tourism and travel of dogs across Europe have caused an increase in the geographical range of canine babesiosis and human and canine Dirofilaria infections. Currently, the Baltic countries are an endemic area for a number of vector-borne diseases such as Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, bartonellosis, rickettsiosis, dirofilariosis [...]Biologijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Babesia canis genotipų nustatymas

Šunų babeziozė – viena iš labiausiai paplitusių erkių pernešamų infekcinių ligų pasaulyje, kurios sukėlėjai yra skirtingų rūšių, eritrocitus pažeidžiantys, parazitiniai pirmuonys Babesia. Per pastarąjį dešimtmetį Europoje itin dažnai diagnozuojamas šunų užsikrėtimas Babesia canis. Babeziozės protrūkiai stebimi naujose geografinėse teritorijose, taip pat fiksuojamas reikšmingas ligos atvejų padidėjimas endeminėse teritorijose. Kasmet sergamumas šunų babezioze visoje Europoje, taip pat ir Lietuvoje, sparčiai auga. Į naujas geografines teritorijas plinta skirtingos ligų sukėlėjų padermės, pasižyminčios nevienodu virulentiškumu. Lietuvos veterinarijos klinikose šunų babeziozė dažnai nustatoma remiantis tik klinikiniais simptomais (tokiu būdu nenustatoma subklinikinė infekcija), o babeziozės sukėlėjų diagnostikoje yra taikomi tik citologiniai tyrimo metodai, kurie ne visada pakankamai efektyvūs nustatant patogenų rūšį ir netinkami identifikuojant patogenų padermes. Tiksliai ir greitai ligos diagnostikai, efektyviam gydymui bei prevencijai kuriami nauji, efektyvūs tyrimo metodai, kurie leistų identifikuoti ligų sukėlėjų rūšis bei padermes. Šunų babeziozės sukėlėjo rūšies nustatymui dažniausiai naudojamas 18S rRNR genas. Nustatyta, kad 18S rRNR geno polimorfizmas yra susijęs su B. canis padermių virulentiškumu (stipresnė ar lengvesnė trombocitopenija) ir turi įtakos ligos eigai, sunkumui. Tyrimai parodė, kad Europoje egzistuoja skirtingi B. canis genotipai pagal dviejų nukleotidų polimorfizmą 18S rRNR geno sekoje [1, 2]. 18S rRNR-B genotipas pasižymi stipresne trombocitopenija už 18S rRNR-A genotipą [3, 4]. Atliekant molekulinius tyrimo metodus yra tiksliai nustatomas užsikrėtimas B. canis patogenais bei identifikuojamas sukėlėjo genotipas, svarbus kuriant vakciną prieš šunų babeziozę. [...]Biologijos katedraGamtos mokslų fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Molecular detection of Vector-Borne Pathogens in Lithuania

Vector-borne diseases constitute a major health problem in many parts of the world. In the past three decades, many vector-borne pathogens have emerged, creating new challenges for public and animal health in Europe. With the progress in molecular diagnosis, new species, strains, and genetic variants of microorganisms are being detected in ticks and other vectors worldwide. The Baltic countries are an endemic area for a number of tick-borne diseases. The advances in molecular biology during the last two decades and using of molecular diagnostic techniques have allowed researchers to better diagnose, trace and genetically characterize the causative agents of important zoonotic tick-borne diseases such as Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and have led to the discovery of new emerging vector-borne pathogenic organisms in LithuaniaBiologijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Borrelia spp. genotyping in small rodents and ticks

Borrelia spp. is a bacterial species of the spirochete class of the genus Borrelia. The genus Borrelia usually is divided into two groups: causing recurrent fever and another group that is associated with Lyme disease. The latter group consists of B. burgdoferi sensu lato complex (Chinmoy and et al., 2011). Different Borrelia spp. species can be associated with different reservoir hosts: B. afzelii with Yellow-necked Field mouse (Apodemus flavicolis) B. burgdorferi with red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and B. garinii with some bird species. Clinically and ecologically important, what are Borrelia spieces prevalent in a particular area. It is also important to accurately determine the Borrelia species and strains of different organisms and tissu (Radzijevskaja et al., 2011). 481 I. ricinus and I. persulcatus ticks were analyzed from seven different locations in Estonia and 72 rodent ears, and urinary bladder in six different locations in Lithuania. Our studies have used genome plasmid ospA gene, fla gene and the ribosomal intergenic spacer (IGS) region molecular markers. Studies have shown that more sensitive and appropriate pathogen detection was nested PCR, which amplified IGS molecular marker. Using this marker, it was found that a total of 24 (33%) rodents were infected Borrelia spp. pathogens, while using ospA marker, only 13 (18%). In rodents were found B. afzelii and B. miyamotoi species. Also rodent samples were tested for B. valaisiana pathogen infection, but the bacteria were not detected in the tested samples. Using ospA marker only 6 rodents Borrelia spp. pathogens have been identified in ears, and urinary bladder samples, three rodents were positive only by ear samples, four rodents - just under the bladder samples. According to IGS molecular markers, six rodents were positive by ear, and urinary bladder samples, 9 rodents under the ear and under the bladder samples. [...]Biologijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta