Hasil untuk "The Bible"

Ishaya Anthony

This article explores the concept of ‘ecumenism of blood’, a phrase coined by Pope Francis. It refers to a form of Christian unity forged through persecution that transcends denominational affiliations. Within the Roman Catholic context, ecumenism of blood emphasises intra-Christian unity. However, with a focus on a multicultural context, particularly Kaduna State, Nigeria, this article employs the concepts of human dignity and Namsoon Kang’s theology of neighbour love to analyse three lived experiences namely, the 2002 Kaduna Peace Declaration, the 2023 abduction of worshippers at the Bege Baptist Church and the peacebuilding initiatives of Reverend James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa. The findings reveal that persecution not only unites Christians across denominations but also promotes interfaith solidarity rooted in shared human values, which affirms human dignity and social cohesion. Contribution: The article contributes to practical theological discourses on ecumenism, religious freedom, religious dialogue, compassion, peaceful coexistence and national transformation in pluralistic societies.

Chioma P. Onuorah

Religious festivals and ceremonies are more than spiritual expressions; they are vital cultural activities that reflect shared beliefs, foster identity and promote unity among adherents. In Nigeria, where religious and ethnic diversity is profound, these festivals often serve as powerful tools for community bonding and cultural continuity. However, despite their unifying potential, religious interactions are frequently marred by intolerance, conflict and political manipulation, which threaten the peace and development of the nation. This article explores the intersection of religious festivals, social harmony and sustainable development, focusing on how these communal celebrations can be harnessed to foster peace and coexistence among Nigeria’s major religious groups: Christianity, Islam and traditional African religion. Employing a qualitative research approach that includes interviews, document analysis and participant observation, the study investigates the cultural and social significance of religious festivals. Findings reveal that when inclusively celebrated, these festivals create spaces for interfaith dialogue, cultural education and mutual respect. They help reduce prejudices, heal divisions and provide opportunities for collaborative community development. The article argues that policy frameworks and religious leadership should recognise and support these festivals as tools for peacebuilding and national integration. The article concludes that, when properly harnessed, religious festivals have the potential to harmonise communities, mitigate conflicts and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development agenda. Contribution: This study significantly contributes to understanding religious festivals in Nigeria as instruments of peacebuilding, interfaith dialogue and national development. It offers original insights into their ability to enhance social cohesion, mitigate religious tensions and support sustainable progress, thereby enriching both scholarly discourse and policy formulation.

Mnyalaza T. Masuku

In South Africa, debates on Black Theology of Liberation took various shapes over the years. The debates were impacted by different political contexts since the inception of this theology in this country, dating to the early 1970s. For instance, the temperature of the debates during the early 1970s took a different shape from those that were heard towards the end of that decade. The period that followed also shaped the debates accordingly. These different shapes continued to show themselves until the era of Vuyani Vellem, a black theologian whose voice was heard during 2010–2019. This marks the period when his voice started to be heard in Black Theology circles and closed with his death towards the end of 2019. What trajectory did the debates take during this period differently from previous ones? Who were the main protagonists and interlocutors? How did Vellem influence the tone of these debates? With these questions in mind, the author will examine Vellem’s academic and black theological locations and assumptions, the sociopolitical dynamics of his time and the tone of the debates during his era and conclude with the analysis of these debates for the future implications of this theology. Drawing on qualitative review method through the study of synthesised literature from libraries, this study will therefore focus on the direction taken by the debates on Black Theology during the aforementioned period. It will also listen to and unearth Vellem’s contribution in those debates. Furthermore, it will indicate how he and his generation of black theologians continued to hoist the Black Theology flag so high in the midst of what was seen by the first generation of black theologians as a lull in the life of this liberation theology. Contribution: Through the lens of the era and activism of Vuyani Vellem, the study examines the relevance and level of Black Theology praxis in post-apartheid South Africa, in order to determine the future implications of this theology. Although it has a missiological focus, there are also implications for disciplines such as Church History, Sociology, Practical Theology and Political Science.

CMS Collaboration

Inclusive and differential cross section measurements of top quark pair ($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$) production in association with a photon ($γ$) are performed as a function of lepton, photon, top quark, and $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ kinematic observables, using data from proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Events containing two leptons (electrons or muons) and a photon in the final state are considered. The fiducial cross section of $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}γ$ is measured to be 137 $\pm$ 8 fb, in a phase space including events with a high momentum, isolated photon. The fiducial cross section of $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}γ$ is also measured to be 56 $\pm$ 5 fb when considering only events where the photon is emitted in the production part of the process. Both measurements are in agreement with the theoretical predictions, of 126 $\pm$ 19 fb and 57 $\pm$ 5 fb, respectively. Differential measurements are performed at the particle and parton levels. Additionally, inclusive and differential ratios between the cross sections of $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}γ$ and $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$ production are measured. The inclusive ratio is found to be 0.0133 $\pm$ 0.0005, in agreement with the standard model prediction of 0.0127 $\pm$ 0.0008. The top quark charge asymmetry in $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}γ$ production is also measured to be $-$0.012 $\pm$ 0.042, compatible with both the standard model prediction and with no asymmetry.

CMS Collaboration

A novel anomaly detection algorithm is presented. The Wasserstein normalized autoencoder (WNAE) is a normalized probabilistic model that minimizes the Wasserstein distance between the learned probability distribution -- a Boltzmann distribution where the energy is the reconstruction error of the autoencoder -- and the distribution of the training data. This algorithm has been developed and applied to the identification of semivisible jets -- conical sprays of visible standard model particles and invisible dark matter states -- with the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC. Trained on jets of particles from simulated standard model processes, the WNAE is shown to learn the probability distribution of the input data in a fully unsupervised fashion, such that it effectively identifies new physics jets as anomalies. The model consistently demonstrates stable, convergent training and achieves strong classification performance across a wide range of signals, improving upon standard normalized autoencoders, while remaining agnostic to the signal. The WNAE directly tackles the problem of outlier reconstruction, a common failure mode of autoencoders in anomaly detection tasks.

CMS Collaboration

A hot and dense state of nuclear matter, known as the quark-gluon plasma, is created in collisions of ultrarelativistic heavy nuclei. Highly energetic quarks and gluons, collectively referred to as partons, lose energy as they travel through this matter, leading to suppressed production of particles with large transverse momenta ($p_\mathrm{T}$). Conversely, high-$p_\mathrm{T}$ particle suppression has not been seen in proton-lead collisions, raising questions regarding the minimum system size required to observe parton energy loss. Oxygen-oxygen (OO) collisions examine a region of effective system size that lies between these two extreme cases. The CMS detector at the CERN LHC has been used to quantify charged-particle production in inclusive OO collisions for the first time via measurements of the nuclear modification factor ($R_\mathrm{AA}$). The $R_\mathrm{AA}$ is derived by comparing particle production to expectations based on proton-proton (pp) data and has a value of unity in the absence of nuclear effects. The data for OO and pp collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ = 5.36 TeV correspond to integrated luminosities of 6.1 nb$^{-1}$ and 1.02 pb$^{-1}$, respectively. The $R_\mathrm{AA}$ is below unity with a minimum of 0.69 $\pm$ 0.04 around $p_\mathrm{T}$ = 6 GeV. The data exhibit better agreement with theoretical models incorporating parton energy loss as compared to baseline models without energy loss.

Akinyemi O. Alawode

Christian translation is integral to Christian missions that benefit the ingenious people and the gospel. Among early missionary activities, translations of the Bible to vernacular language have tremendous implications for the gospel propagation. Its roots are well spelt out in the early church, which endorsed Christianity as a universal faith. The researchers observe the historical and missiological perspective of Bible translation. They used library materials and internet sources to explain the meaning of translation, such as explaining a text language in the context of the recipients. This article contains a biblical basis for Bible translations, as it was from the early scriptures, and it concludes by explaining the relevance of Christian translation in terms of literacy, preservation of culture and freedom from slavery, among others. Christian translation has helped to create different versions of the Bible; the New Testament alone is available in 1551 languages out of over 7100 languages worldwide. Christian translation shows that Christian missionaries are not another form of a colonising agency because their activities resulted in actions that led to the end of colonisation in many parts of Africa. The author used a descriptive research method for this article. Contribution: From the analysis, Christian translation is a vital part of Christian missions that has many benefits for the ingenious people by preserving their cultural practices and language, among others. It also made Christianity not to be perceived as a foreign religion that has no link with the African Belief system. Christians are to seek to translate more materials, especially the Bible, into other peoples’ languages to have a lasting impact on the indigenous people.

ATLAS Collaboration

A search is presented for flavour-changing neutral-current interactions involving the top quark, the Higgs boson and an up-type quark ($q=u,c$) with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis considers leptonic decays of the top quark along with Higgs boson decays into two $W$ bosons, two $Z$ bosons or a $τ^{+}τ^{-}$ pair. It focuses on final states containing either two leptons (electrons or muons) of the same charge or three leptons. The considered processes are $t\bar{t}$ and $Ht$ production. For the $t\bar{t}$ production, one top quark decays via $t\to Hq$. The proton-proton collision data set analysed amounts to 140 fb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV. No significant excess beyond Standard Model expectations is observed and upper limits are set on the $t\to Hq$ branching ratios at 95\% confidence level, amounting to observed (expected) limits of $\mathcal{B}(t\to Hu)<2.8\,(3.0) \times 10^{-4}$ and $\mathcal{B}(t\to Hc)<3.3\,(3.8) \times 10^{-4}$. Combining this search with other searches for $tHq$ flavour-changing neutral-current interactions previously conducted by ATLAS, considering $H\to b\bar{b}$ and $H\toγγ$ decays, as well as $H\toτ^{+}τ^{-}$ decays with one or two hadronically decaying $τ$-leptons, yields observed (expected) upper limits on the branching ratios of $\mathcal{B}(t\to Hu)<2.6\,(1.8) \times 10^{-4}$ and $\mathcal{B}(t\to Hc)<3.4\,(2.3) \times 10^{-4}$.

CMS Collaboration

A combination of the results of several searches for the electroweak production of the supersymmetric partners of standard model bosons, and of charged leptons, is presented. All searches use proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016-2018. The analyzed data correspond to an integrated luminosity of up to 137 fb$^{-1}$. The results are interpreted in terms of simplified models of supersymmetry. Two new interpretations are added with this combination: a model spectrum with the bino as the lightest supersymmetric particle together with mass-degenerate higgsinos decaying to the bino and a standard model boson, and the compressed-spectrum region of a previously studied model of slepton pair production. Improved analysis techniques are employed to optimize sensitivity for the compressed spectra in the wino and slepton pair production models. The results are consistent with expectations from the standard model. The combination provides a more comprehensive coverage of the model parameter space than the individual searches, extending the exclusion by up to 125 GeV, and also targets some of the intermediate gaps in the mass coverage.

CMS Collaboration

A search for the production of long-lived particles in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC is presented. The search is based on data collected by the CMS experiment in 2016-2018, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. This search is designed to be sensitive to long-lived particles with mean proper decay lengths between 0.1 and 1000 mm, whose decay products produce a final state with at least one displaced vertex and missing transverse momentum. A machine learning algorithm, which improves the background rejection power by more than an order of magnitude, is applied to improve the sensitivity. The observation is consistent with the standard model background prediction, and the results are used to constrain split supersymmetry (SUSY) and gauge-mediated SUSY breaking models with different gluino mean proper decay lengths and masses. This search is the first CMS search that shows sensitivity to hadronically decaying long-lived particles from signals with mass differences between the gluino and neutralino below 100 GeV. It sets the most stringent limits to date for split-SUSY models and gauge-mediated SUSY breaking models with gluino proper decay length less than 6 mm.

CMS Collaboration

Using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the CMS experiment at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, the $Λ_\text{b}^0$ $\to$ J/$ψΞ^-$K$^+$ decay is observed for the first time, with a statistical significance exceeding 5 standard deviations. The relative branching fraction, with respect to the $Λ_\text{b}^0$ $\to$ $ψ$(2S)$Λ$ decay, is measured to be $\mathcal{B}$($Λ_\text{b}^0$ $\to$ J/$ψΞ^-$K$^+$) / $\mathcal{B}$( $Λ_\text{b}^0$ $\to$ $ψ$(2S)$Λ$) = [3.38 $\pm$ 1.02 $\pm$ 0.61 $\pm$ 0.03]%, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is related to the uncertainties in $\mathcal{B}$($ψ$(2S) $\to$ J/$ψπ^+π^-$) and $\mathcal{B}$($Ξ^-$ $\to$ $Λπ^-$).

ATLAS Collaboration

This paper describes measurements of the transverse momentum spectra of $W$ and $Z$ bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV and $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Measurements are performed in the electron and muon channels, $W \to \ellν$ and $Z \to \ell\ell$ ($\ell=e$ or $μ$), and for $W$ events further separated by charge. The data were collected in 2017 and 2018, in dedicated runs with reduced instantaneous luminosity, and correspond to $255$ pb$^{-1}$ and $338$ pb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV and $13$ TeV, respectively. These conditions optimise the reconstruction of the $W$-boson transverse momentum. The distributions observed in the electron and muon channels are unfolded, combined, and compared to QCD calculations based on parton shower Monte Carlo event generators and analytical resummation. The description of the transverse momentum distributions by Monte Carlo event generators is imperfect and shows significant differences largely common to $W^-$, $W^+$ and $Z$ production. The agreement is better at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV, especially for predictions that were tuned to $Z$ production data at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV. Higher-order, resummed predictions based on DYTurbo generally match the data best across the spectra. Distribution ratios are also presented and test the understanding of differences between the production processes.

CMS Collaboration

The first search for soft unclustered energy patterns (SUEPs) is performed using an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected in 2016-2018 by the CMS detector at the LHC. Such SUEPs are predicted by Hidden Valley models with a new, confining force with a large 't Hooft coupling. In events with boosted topologies, selected by high-threshold hadronic triggers, the multiplicity and sphericity of clustered tracks are used to reject the background from standard model quantum chromodynamics. With no observed excess of events over the standard model expectation, limits are set on the cross section for production via gluon fusion of a scalar mediator with SUEP-like decays.

ATLAS Collaboration

Inclusive and differential cross-sections are measured at particle level for the associated production of a top quark pair and a photon ($t\bar{t}γ$). The analysis is performed using an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector. The measurements are performed in the single-lepton and dilepton top quark pair decay channels focusing on $t\bar{t}γ$ topologies where the photon is radiated from an initial-state parton or one of the top quarks. The absolute and normalised differential cross-sections are measured for several variables characterising the photon, lepton and jet kinematics as well as the angular separation between those objects. The observables are found to be in good agreement with the Monte Carlo predictions. The photon transverse momentum differential distribution is used to set limits on effective field theory parameters related to the electroweak dipole moments of the top quark. The combined limits using the photon and the $Z$ boson transverse momentum measured in $t\bar{t}$ production in associations with a $Z$ boson are also set.

CMS Collaboration

A search for a new charged particle X with mass between 0.3 and 2.0 TeV decaying to a W boson and a photon is presented, using proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Particle X has electric charge $\pm$ 1 and is assumed to have spin 0. The search is performed using the electron and muon decays of the W boson. No significant excess above the predicted background is observed. The upper limit at 95% confidence level on the product of the production cross section of the X and its branching fraction to a W boson and a photon is found to be 94 (137) fb for a 0.3 TeV resonance and 0.75 (0.81) fb for a 2.0 TeV resonance, for an X width-to-mass ratio of 0.01% (5%). This search presents the most stringent constraints to date on the existence of such resonances across the probed mass range. A statistical combination with an earlier study based on the hadronic decay mode of the W boson is also performed, and the upper limit at 95% confidence level for a 2.0 TeV resonance is reduced to 0.50 (0.63) fb for an X width-to-mass ratio of 0.01% (5%).

CMS Collaboration

An analysis of the production of a Higgs boson (H) in association with a top quark-antiquark pair ($\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H) or a single top quark (tH) is presented. The Higgs boson decay into a bottom quark-antiquark pair (H $\to$ $\mathrm{b\bar{b}}$) is targeted, and three different final states of the top quark decays are considered, defined by the number of leptons (electrons or muons) in the event. The analysis utilises proton-proton collision data collected at the CERN LHC with the CMS experiment at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV in 2016-2018, which correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The observed $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H production rate relative to the standard model expectation is 0.33 $\pm$ 0.26 = 0.33 $\pm$ 0.17 (stat) $\pm$ 0.21 (syst). Additionally, the $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H production rate is determined in intervals of Higgs boson transverse momentum. An upper limit at 95% confidence level is set on the tH production rate of 14.6 times the standard model prediction, with an expectation of 19.3 $^{+9.2}_{-6.0}$. Finally, constraints are derived on the strength and structure of the coupling between the Higgs boson and the top quark from simultaneous extraction of the $\mathrm{t\bar{t}}$H and tH production rates, and the results are combined with those obtained in other Higgs boson decay channels.

Jacob Kwame Opata

This article explored the link between medicine and sharing the message of Jesus in Ghana. It looked at how medical missions and medical evangelism have played a vital role in bringing both physical healing and spiritual hope to people in need. It also analyzed developments and progress associated with modern medicine and its usage by the church to foster the well-being of Ghanaians. By creating hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare services, churches in Ghana have made a big difference in the lives of those who are often forgotten or lacking medical care. The article focused on three main churches—the Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, and the Methodist Church, Ghana—and their contributions to holistic ministry over time. The research adopted the qualitative historical approach within the framework of practical theology as the methodology for the study. Primary data was gathered through historical documentation, personal interviews and the researcher’s participation in the missions field as a volunteer. Secondary data were sourced from peer-reviewed articles and books. The research revealed how these churches have combined their faith with their desire to help others, bringing medical assistance and spreading the love of God in the process. By understanding the important role of medical missions, their connection to sharing the Gospel, and the reason why the pioneering missionaries added it to their missions, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the efforts of churches in Ghana and the impact they have on the lives of people in their communities.

David Davage

N/A

ATLAS Collaboration

Presented is the search for anomalous Higgs boson decays into two axion-like particles (ALPs) using the full Run 2 data set of 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment. The ALPs are assumed to decay into two photons, providing sensitivity to recently proposed models that could explain the $(g-2)_μ$ discrepancy. This analysis covers an ALP mass range from 100 MeV to 62 GeV and ALP-photon couplings in the range $10^{-5}\, \text{TeV}^{-1}<C_{aγγ}/Λ<1\, \text{TeV}^{-1}$, and therefore includes signatures with significantly displaced vertices and highly collinear photons. No significant excess of events above the Standard Model background is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are placed on the branching ratio of the Higgs boson to two ALPs in the four-photon final state, and are in the range of $ 10^{-5}$ to $3\times 10^{-2}$, depending on the hypothesized ALP mass and ALP-photon coupling strength.

ATLAS Collaboration

Entanglement is a key feature of quantum mechanics, with applications in fields such as metrology, cryptography, quantum information, and quantum computation. It has been observed in a wide variety of systems and length scales, ranging from the microscopic to the macroscopic. However, entanglement remains largely unexplored at the highest accessible energy scales. Here we report the highest-energy observation of entanglement, in top$-$antitop quark events produced at the Large Hadron Collider, using a proton$-$proton collision dataset with a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV and an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$ recorded with the ATLAS experiment. Spin entanglement is detected from the measurement of a single observable $D$, inferred from the angle between the charged leptons in their parent top- and antitop-quark rest frames. The observable is measured in a narrow interval around the top$-$antitop quark production threshold, where the entanglement detection is expected to be significant. It is reported in a fiducial phase space defined with stable particles to minimize the uncertainties that stem from limitations of the Monte Carlo event generators and the parton shower model in modeling top-quark pair production. The entanglement marker is measured to be $D=-0.537 \pm 0.002~\text{(stat.)} \pm 0.019~\text{(syst.)}$ for $340 < m_{t\bar{t}} < 380$ GeV. The observed result is more than five standard deviations from a scenario without entanglement and constitutes the first observation of entanglement in a pair of quarks and the highest-energy observation of entanglement so far.