Search Results (40)

There is an ongoing debate about whether Christian theology has had positive or negative effects on the natural environment. Included in this debate is the role of Christian missions acting in colonial environments. This article investigates the relationship between Protestant agricultural missions and their environments, using the documents of the first World Missionary Conference (Edinburgh 1910) and the third World Missionary Conference (Tambaram 1938), as well as several related documents. Although the history of agricultural missions can be backtracked into the 19th century, they were not regarded as an independent branch of missions until the early twentieth century. In 1910, neither the home boards of Protestant missions nor the older generation of missionaries had any vision for agricultural missions, and traditional culture—including agriculture—was seen as superstitious and full of heathen beliefs. However, agricultural missions developed rapidly in the decades between Edinburgh and Tambaram and broadened into rural missions due to a change in vision. The deplorable rural areas of the younger Christian churches called for ‘rural reconstruction’, and rural missions were welcomed as the most important agents to undertake this challenge. The environment of the church and countryside was enlarged and, by 1938, included economic and social environments, known as the fourth dimension of the church and missions after preaching, education, and medical care. Full article

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), characterized by the integration of advanced digital technologies, is transforming industries globally and significantly impacting leadership practices, particularly in the healthcare sector. As organizations adapt to this digital evolution, the demand for effective leadership becomes increasingly critical. This paper explores Leadership 4.0, a framework that identifies the skills and competencies required for successful leadership in the digital age. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with qualitative insights gathered through case studies and the Delphi method, involving healthcare leaders, to investigate leadership practices in organizations undergoing digital transformation. Through case studies and literature reviews, the research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the changing leadership landscape, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation in healthcare. The findings indicate that effective Leadership 4.0 requires a combination of digital literacy, strategic foresight, and emotional intelligence. Leaders must exhibit adaptability, drive innovation, and foster a culture of continuous learning to navigate the complexities of digital transformation successfully. The study also emphasizes the importance of internal branding as a critical strategy for aligning employees with the organization’s mission and digital vision, thereby fostering collective commitment to transformation objectives. Key challenges include resistance to change and the ongoing need for upskilling, while opportunities lie in leveraging digital innovations to enhance organizational performance. Full article

This article, including the Introduction and Conclusion, consists of five parts. The first part discusses the role of the catechist in the early Church and its significance in the process of faith education, particularly during the preparation for receiving the sacraments of Christian initiation. The second part emphasizes the bearers of the catechetical ministry, i.e., bishops, priests, and consecrated persons, but also the Christ’s lay faithful, to whom special attention is given in the third part. This part describes the place and role of the lay faithful in the Church’s evangelizing mission, especially in light of the challenges posed by socio-cultural and religious changes. The fourth part, based on the Apostolic Letter in the form of a motu proprio, Antiquum Ministerium, in which Pope Francis establishes the lay ministry of catechists, and the current state in the Church and socio-cultural context, highlights the reasons that contributed to the establishment of this ministry and the challenges it brings with its establishment. In the fifth part, based on the analysis of ecclesiastical activity in Germany, Italy, and Croatia, the current situation regarding the (non)introduction of a lay catechetical service in the mentioned countries is highlighted. Full article

Autonomous control of lunar landers is essential for successful space missions, where precision and efficiency are crucial. This study presents a novel control strategy that leverages proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) controllers to manage the altitude, attitude, and position of a lunar lander, considering time-varying mass and sloshing behavior. Additionally, neural network models are developed, to approximate the lander’s mass properties as they change during descent. The challenge lies in the significant mass variations due to fuel, oxidizer, and pressurant consumption, which affect the lander’s inertia and sloshing behavior and complicate control efforts. We have developed a control-oriented model incorporating these mass dynamics, employing multiple PID controllers to linearize the system and enhance control precision. Altitude is maintained by one PID controller, while two others adjust the thrust vector control (TVC) gimbal angles to manage pitch and roll, with a fourth controller governing yaw via a reaction control system (RCS). A cascade PD controller further manages position by feeding commands to the attitude controllers, ensuring the lander reaches its target location. The lander’s TVC mechanism, equipped with a spherical gimbal, provides thrust in the desired direction, with control angles $\alpha$ and $\beta$ regulated by the PID controllers. To improve the model’s accuracy, we have introduced time delays caused by fluid dynamics and actuator response, modeled via computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Fluid sloshing effects are also simulated as external forces acting on the lander. The neural networks are trained using data derived from computer-aided design (CAD) simulations of the lander vehicle, specifically the inertia tensor and the center of mass (COM) based on the varying mass levels in the tanks. The trained neural networks (NNs) can then use lander tank levels and orientation to inform and accurately predict the lander’s COM and inertia tensor in real time during the mission. The implications of this research are significant for future lunar missions, offering enhanced safety and efficiency in vehicle descent and landing operations. Our approach allows for real-time estimation of the lander’s state and for precise execution of maneuvers, verified through complex numerical simulations of the descent, hover, and landing phases. Full article

³Cat-4 is the fourth member of the CubeSat series of UPC’s NanoSat Lab, and it was selected by the ESA Academy’s Fly Your Satellite! program in 2017. This mission aims at demonstrating the capabilities of nano-satellites, and in particular those based in the 1-Unit CubeSat standard, for challenging Earth Observation (EO) using Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) and L-band microwave radiometry, as well as for Automatic Identification Systems (AIS). The following study presents the results of the thermal analysis carried out for this mission, evaluating different scenarios, including the most critical cases at both high and low temperatures. The results consider different albedos and orbital parameters in order to establish the optimal temperatures to achieve the best mission performance within the nominal temperatures, and in all operational modes of the satellite. Simulation results are included considering the thermal performance of other materials, such as Kapton, as well as the redesign of the optical properties of the satellite’s solar panels. The correlation with the thermal model and the TVAC test campaign was conducted at the ESA ESEC-GALAXIA facilities in Belgium. Full article

Wulfila (c. 311–c. 383) translated the Bible into Gothic, creating the first literary text in a Germanic language. His biography is contested; his parentage, place of birth, episcopal consecration, and theological position are all disputed. The fourth century saw heated debates about the Trinity, and the Goths were often termed ‘Arians’, despite the fact that the teachings of the African presbyter Arius (c. 256–336) were not directly transmitted to them. This article notes a rebirth of interest in Wulfila, his mission, and the Gothic Bible, employing the notion that ‘Homoian’ (a more neutral term than ‘Arian’) theology was a possible bridge between Catholic monotheism and Gothic polytheism as the starting point for a re-examination of Wulfila’s evangelism as both an imperially mandated strategy and the creation of a route into civilization and modernity for the Goths. Christianity was modern and fashionable in the fourth century; Germanic tribes wishing to abandon their status as pagani (rustics) or heathens (heath-dwellers, not civilized city dwellers), viewed conversion as a move ‘up’. The Gothic Bible played a role in developing Gothic literacy, but was also a magical object, the first of its kind, a book/roadmap for a people undergoing a great cultural transformation. Full article

Launched on 22 November 2013, Swarm is the fourth in a series of pioneering Earth Explorer missions and also the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) first constellation to advance our understanding of the Earth’s magnetic field and the near-Earth electromagnetic environment. Swarm provides an ideal platform in the topside ionosphere for observing ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves, as well as equatorial spread-F (ESF) events or plasma bubbles, and, thus, offers an excellent opportunity for space weather studies. For this purpose, a specialized time–frequency analysis (TFA) toolbox has been developed for deriving continuous pulsations (Pc), namely Pc1 (0.2–5 Hz) and Pc3 (22–100 mHz), as well as ionospheric plasma irregularity distribution maps. In this methodological paper, we focus on the ULF pulsation and ESF activity observed by Swarm satellites during a time interval centered around the occurrence of the 24 August 2016 Central Italy M6 earthquake. Due to the Swarm orbit’s proximity to the earthquake epicenter, i.e., a few hours before the earthquake occurred, data from the mission may offer a variety of interesting observations around the time of the earthquake event. These observations could be associated with the occurrence of this geophysical event. Most notably, we observed an electron density perturbation occurring 6 h prior to the earthquake. This perturbation was detected when the satellites were flying above Italy. Full article

Discussions of Philippians 2:6–11 consider whether it is intended kerygmatically or ethically. Kerygmatic proponents consider that Paul inserted an early hymn to narrate the story of Christ’s coming and his exaltation to encourage the worship of Christ. Ethical readers argue that the hymn aims to shape readers’ ethical posture. Others argue that both ideas are in play. This essay argues that the passage has kerygmatic power. It declares the story of Christ’s coming, self-emptying and humbling, incarnation, death, exaltation, and cosmic lordship. However, it also presents Christ as the ultimate ethical paradigm. It argues, however, that the “ethical” reading is reductionistic unless explained in the direction of social relationships (socioethically) and mission (missioethically). The passage’s missional power is then clarified. First, the broader context in the first century is missional and evangelistic. Second, the “fabric” of the letter urges engagement in gospel proclamation. Third, the movement of the passage is missional, and it succinctly proclaims the gospel of Christ. Fourth, the purpose of Christ’s exaltation is universal submission supposing the proclamation of his lordship. Finally, the hymn climaxes with worship, the end goal of all missions. As such, the hymn should be read through a missional and evangelistic lens as it invites readers to participate in God’s goal of universal submission to Jesus Christ as Lord. Full article

Higher education institutions have been investing in teachers’ professional development and pedagogical innovation, on the one hand, aiming to promote the quality of institutions and, on the other hand, aiming to promote students’ personal and academic development. One of the methodologies that has received particular attention is service-learning, which aims to promote students’ learning by providing a service to vulnerable community groups. In this study, we aim to present the results of the application of this methodology in a fourth-year social work course. To this end, a mixed-methods study was conducted with 10 students in the Contemporary Social Work III course using the service-learning methodology. Students experienced between 15 and 30 h of service-learning, most of them for 7 weeks or more in an elder care institution, with varied activities such as social consulting and home visits. When we tried to understand the students’ perceived impact, we found higher mean scores in the post-test, with statistically significant differences on several dimensions, particularly self-confidence, problem solving, adaptability and flexibility, dealing with diversity and multiculturalism, understanding complex social issues, and a sense of purpose and life. These data are aligned with the qualitative analysis, which identified six themes such as the integration of practice and theory, development of skills, positive impact on academic training, valuing practical experience, reflective and meaningful learning, and support and guidance. The results highlight the value of pedagogical innovation for students’ skills, especially when it is aligned with the identity and mission of the institution and the values of the study program. Full article

In the next decades, both space agencies and private competitors are targeting the lunar environment as a scientific and technological resource for future space missions. In particular, the confirmed existence of water-ice deposits in the vicinity of the poles (predominantly the south pole) makes polar or near-polar low lunar orbits attractive for the purpose of designing space missions that could search for suitable Lunar base sites. However, traveling very-low-altitude orbits is very challenging, as they are strongly perturbed by the Moon’s gravity field as well as third- and fourth-body effects due to the Earth and the Sun. Several studies demonstrate that these orbits are expected to impact the lunar surface in a few months. Therefore, the definition and implementation of an effective station-keeping strategy represents a crucial issue in order to extend satellites’ lifetime. In this paper, a feedback nonlinear control law is employed in order to perform corrective maneuvers aimed at keeping the state of the satellite within acceptable margins. The satellite is assumed to be equipped with a steerable and throttleable low-thrust propulsion system. The control law is based on the Lyapunov stability theory and does not require any reference path to track, with a considerable decrease in the computational cost. The proposed real-time control law includes control saturation, related to the maximum available thrust magnitude, and is developed employing modified equinoctial elements, in order to avoid singularities and extend its range of application. Finally, the strategy at hand is tested in the presence of all the relevant perturbations (i.e., harmonics of the selenopotential, third- and fourth-body effects) in order to show its effectiveness and efficiency. Full article

The indiscriminate use of groundwater and its overexploitation has led to a significant decline in groundwater resources in India, making it essential to identify potential recharge zones for aquifer recharge. A study was conducted to determine such potential recharge zones in the Nandhour-Kailash River watershed. The study area included 1481 streams divided into 12 sub-basins (SWS). The results show that the downstream Saraunj sub-basins (SWS-11) and Odra sub-basins (SWS-12) were high priority and required immediate soil and water conservation attention. Sub catchments Lobchla West (SWS-4), Deotar (SWS-5), Balot South (SWS-8), Nandhour (SWS-9), and Nakoliy (SWS-10) had medium priority and were designated for moderate soil erosion and degradation. In contrast, sub-catchments Aligad (SWS-1), Kundal (SWS-2), Lowarnala North (SWS-3), Bhalseni (SWS-6), and Uparla Gauniyarao (SWS-7) had low priority, indicating a low risk of soil erosion and degradation. Using the existing groundwater level data, the potential map of groundwater was validated to confirm its validity. According to the guidelines provided by the Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD), the results of the groundwater potential zones for good to very good zones have been integrated at the slope and stream order. In a 120.94 km² area with a slope of 0–5% in first-order streams, 36 ponds were proposed, and in a 218.03 km² area with a slope of 15% in first- to fourth-order streams, 105 retention dams were proposed and recognized as possible sites for artificial groundwater recharge. The proposed water harvesting structure may aid in continuously recharging these zones and benefit water resource managers and planners. Thus, various governmental organizations can use the results to identify possible future recharge areas. Full article

We consider an isotropic homogeneous cosmological model with five interacting elements: first, the dynamic aether presented by a unit timelike vector field; second, the pseudoscalar field describing an axionic component of the dark matter; third, the cosmic dark energy, described by a rheologic fluid; fourth, the non-axionic dark matter coupled to the dark energy; and fifth, the gravity field. We show that the early evolution of the Universe described by this model can include two specific epochs: the first one can be characterized as a super-inflation epoch; the second epoch is associated with an oscillatory regime. The dynamic aether carries out a regulatory mission; the rheologic dark fluid provides the specific features of the spacetime evolution. The oscillations of the scale factor and of the Hubble function are shown to switch on the parametric (Floquet-type) mechanism of the axion number growth. Full article

Synergies of optical, thermal and laser scanning remotely sensed data provide valuable information to study the structure and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. One of the few fully operational airborne multi-sensor platforms for ecosystem research in Europe is the Flying Laboratory of Imaging Systems (FLIS), operated by the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The system consists of three commercial imaging spectroradiometers. One spectroradiometer covers the visible and near-infrared, and the other covers the shortwave infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. These two provide full spectral data between 380–2450 nm, mainly for the assessment of biochemical properties of vegetation, soil and water. The third spectroradiometer covers the thermal long-wave infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum and allows for mapping of surface emissivity and temperature properties. The fourth instrument onboard is the full waveform laser scanning system, which provides data on landscape orography and 3D structure. Here, we describe the FLIS design, data acquisition plan and primary data pre-processing. The synchronous acquisition of multiple data sources provides a complex analytical and data framework for the assessment of vegetation ecosystems (such as plant species composition, plant functional traits, biomass and carbon stocks), as well as for studying the role of greenery or blue-green infrastructure on the thermal behaviour of urban systems. In addition, the FLIS airborne infrastructure supports calibration and validation activities for existing and upcoming satellite missions (e.g., FLEX, PRISMA). Full article

In a three-dimensional (3D) disaster rescue mission environment, multi-drone mission assignments and path planning are challenging. Aiming at this problem, a mission assignment method based on adaptive genetic algorithms (AGA) and a path planning method using sine–cosine particle swarm optimization (SCPSO) are proposed. First, an original 3D digital terrain model is constructed. Second, common threat sources in disaster rescue environments are modeled, including mountains, transmission towers, and severe weather. Third, a cost–revenue function that considers factors such as drone performance, demand for mission points, elevation cost, and threat sources, is formulated to assign missions to multiple drones. Fourth, an AGA is employed to realize the multi-drone mission assignment. To enhance convergence speed and optimize performance in finding the optimal solution, an AGA using both the roulette method and the elite retention method is proposed. Additionally, the parameters of the AGA are adjusted according to the changes in the fitness function. Furthermore, the improved circle algorithm is also used to preprocess the mission sequence for AGA. Finally, based on the sine–cosine function model, a SCPSO is proposed for planning the optimal flight path between adjacent task points. In addition, the inertia and acceleration coefficients of linear weights are designed for SCPSO so as to enhance its performance to escape the local minimum, explore the search space more thoroughly, and achieve the purpose of global optimization. A multitude of simulation experiments have demonstrated the validity of our method. Full article

Hybrid rocket engines are a green alternative to solid rocket motors and may represent a low-cost alternative to kerosene fueled rockets, while granting performance and control features similar to that of typical storable liquid rocket engines. In this work, the design of a three-stage hybrid launcher is optimized by means of a coupled procedure: an evolutionary algorithm optimizes the engine design, whereas an indirect optimization method optimizes the corresponding ascent trajectory. The trajectory integration also provides the vertical emission profiles required for the evaluation of the environmental impact of the launch. The propellants are a paraffin-based wax and liquid oxygen. The vehicle is launched from the ground and uses an electric turbo pump feed system. The initial mass is given (5000 kg) and the insertion of the payload into a 600-km circular, and polar orbit is considered as a reference mission. Clusters of similar hybrid rocket engines, with only few differences, are employed in all stages to reduce the development and operational costs of the launcher. Optimization is carried out with the aim of maximizing the payload mass and then minimizing the overall environmental impact of the launch. The results show that satisfactory performance is achievable also considering rocket polluting emissions: the carbon footprint of the launch can be reduced by one fourth at the cost of a 5-kg payload mass reduction. Full article