Unidirectional amplification with acoustic non-Hermitian space−time varying metamaterial

Space−time modulated metamaterials support extraordinary rich applications, such as parametric amplification, frequency conversion, and non-reciprocal transmission. The non-Hermitian space−time varying systems combining non-Hermiticity and space−time varying capability, have been proposed to realize wave control like unidirectional amplification, while its experimental realization still remains a challenge. Here, based on metamaterials with software-defined impulse responses, we experimentally demonstrate non-Hermitian space−time varying metamaterials in which the material gain and loss can be dynamically controlled and balanced in the time domain instead of spatial domain, allowing us to suppress scattering at the incident frequency and to increase the efficiency of frequency conversion at the same time. An additional modulation phase delay between different meta-atoms results in unidirectional amplification in frequency conversion. The realization of non-Hermitian space−time varying metamaterials will offer further opportunities in studying non-Hermitian topological physics in dynamic and nonreciprocal systems.

Etika Keuangan Hamba Tuhan: Kajian Eksegetikal Terhadap 1 Timotius 6:3-10

The background of this article was the financial problems that occurred in the context of a clergy's life and ministries institution. There were court cases of clergies and church organizations due to legal disputes and asset issues. This article aimed to get ethical principles from biblical research according to the minister's life and how they related to money matters. The research question tried to answer was, what are the economic ethics principles for the ministers based on 1 Timothy 6:3-10? Method applied in this research was qualitative descriptive with a literature study approach. The authors used the exegetical method for some keywords in the focused text to elaborate and explain the text. The finance ethical principles for the ministers found are: not making a material gain as a purpose of the ministries, living with contentment, developing self-control, warding off materialism.

Why and when beliefs change: A multi-attribute value-based decision problem

Why people do or do not change their beliefs has been a long-standing puzzle. Sometimes people hold onto false beliefs despite ample contradictory evidence; sometimes they change their beliefs without sufficient reason. Here, we propose that the utility of a belief is derived from the potential outcomes of holding it. Outcomes can be internal (e.g., positive/negative feelings) or external (e.g., material gain/loss), and only some are dependent on belief accuracy. Belief change can then be understood as an economic transaction, in which the multidimensional utility of the old belief is compared against that of the new belief. Change will occur when potential outcomes alter across attributes, for example due to changing environments, or when certain outcomes are made more or less salient.

Palaeo or Neo? Bataille, Lévi-Strauss and the Rewriting of Prehistory

This article's polemical thrust begins with Georges Bataille's 1956 critique of Tristes Tropiques, where Lévi-Strauss omits the Palaeolithic while extolling the Neolithic advent of agriculture and sedentism. Whereas Lévi-Strauss describes his own thinking as Neolithic, he characterizes it in ways that resemble the behaviour of hunter-gatherers and nomads. I trace this contradiction to current scholarship willing to challenge the long-standing narrative bias that either ignores the Palaeolithic and/or derides it in favour of the Neolithic, now subject to refutations of its alleged advantages. Further theoretical backbone is provided by Ibn Khaldun and Bataille on the centrality of luxury. Thus, Palaeolithic cave art's social dimension as the expression of a privileged few is contrasted with the view of scholars who see it as the product of an egalitarian society indifferent to material gain. Bataille remains a key reference due to his exceptional commitment to prehistory, a relatively underexploited facet of his work.

China-Venezuela Relations: China Dilemmatic Options towards Venezuela Crisis and the Role of China Community of Common Destiny Principles in Maintaining Cooperation

Oil prices directly impact Venezuela's circumstance due to 95% of their revenue come from oil export. Since 2013, oil prices drop significantly compared to the previous year. Thus, the crisis hits Venezuela severely. The impacts not only feel in domestic level but also in international level. China is Venezuela's bilateral partner that was impacted by the Venezuela crisis. Venezuela failed to fulfill their oil export to China to pay their loan in the oil-for-loan diplomacy scheme. Thus, their cooperation failed to fulfill the economic gain. However, China still shows the action that favorable Venezuela. Backing up non-intervention toward Venezuela in the UN, provide new loan and adjust the payment of the previous loan also diversify their investment in Venezuela. This paper argues that this action is no more for merely material gain. But it is the action that is based on the newly ideational aspect of China's foreign policy, which is the China Community of Common Destiny. Thus, this research will analyze how this rhetoric idea involves China's action towards Venezuela. Also, this research will address their relations and China's diplomatic option toward their relations with Venezuela in crisis circumstances.

Primary Purpose for Committing a Crime and Past-30 Day Opioid Misuse: A Statewide Sample of Justice-Involved Children

The prevalence of opioid misuse (OM) among justice-involved children (JIC) is significantly higher than children in the general population, yet little research has examined the predictors of OM among JIC. Goldstein’s “economic compulsive model” hypothesizes that JIC who commit crimes for material gain will have a higher likelihood of meeting past-30 day (P30D) OM criteria. The data in this study were cross-sectional and represented 79,960 Florida JIC. To test the hypothesis, logistic regression analyses were utilized. Over 2000 JIC (2.67%) met P30D OM criteria and JIC who committed crimes for material gain were 2.55 times as likely to meet P30D OM criteria. Findings indicate that children may be incarcerated due to an inability to afford their addiction, contributing to the criminalization of mental health. JIC could benefit from the increased utilization of drug courts and the implementation of a cascade of care model.

Connectivity at Work: Looking at a Spiritual Model to Improve Relationships at Work and Integrate Spiritual Tenants into Business Processes

With the COVID pandemic impacting our current business networks, discussing spirituality in the workplace has become the forefront of how we do business. The need for human connectivity in current times plays an even more significant role in the makeup of how people work. Workplace spirituality is a reasonably new paradigm that has gained an amplified interest in the past two decades with academics and the corporate world [1]. Blau [2] has advocated that even before COVID, social exchanges could create an enhanced work dynamic by suggesting that companies are concerned with material gain and nonmaterial social experiences such as humanitarian ideals and spiritual values. Burack [3] suggested that there has been a rapid growth of spirituality in the workplace and organization in recent times as we have increased social chaos. This growth is mainly because of the changing nature of work and the realization that employees' spiritual level has been neglected for many years [4]. The current challenges have only accelerated the interest in spirituality as a workplace practice. This article will explore recent definitions of spirituality as they relate to religion and counseling in the workplace. Since spirituality is an abstract expression of self, it is not easy to define in its entirety. The paper's focus will converge on a review of the point of view of spirit that gives way to spirituality as defined through the lens of individuals and organizations' relationship to self and others and the world. With the current struggles related to the pandemic and changing times, the integration of spirituality at work can enhance people's connectivity within a business. According to Chopra [5], both leadership and spirituality have a powerful influence on an organization's overall performance. As we continue to move forward into the post-pandemic, the need to have a strong sense of spirit will continue to grow. The article will then introduce three identified behaviors that create a robust spiritual interconnectedness model that can play a role in a business's effectiveness. This spiritual model is introduced to improve relationships at work and integrate spiritual tenants into business processes.

How do strategic narratives shape policy adoption? Responses to China's Belt and Road Initiative

Strategic narratives are increasingly considered important for domestic and international support for foreign policy. However, debate continues about why some strategic narratives successfully shape policy outcomes, while others are rejected. How states construct strategic narratives is well established. We know less about how states appropriate the strategic narratives of others, and the role this plays in policy adoption. Addressing this, we introduce a theoretical framework to trace the relationship between strategic narratives and policy adoption. Its central premise is that a state is more likely to adopt a new policy if it can strategically narrate about it in a way that promises material gain but without undermining its ontological security. We test our framework using states’ responses to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Examining the Second Belt and Road Forum in 2019, we trace how far China's strategic narratives are appropriated by multiple states – Kazakhstan, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, United States, India, and Mexico. Countries appropriate China's narrative emphasis on connectivity, trade, and prosperity. However, they contest that China's intentions are benign, based on its human rights record, assertive foreign policy, and fears of indebtedness. Finally, we discuss our framework's utility in explaining what makes strategic narratives persuasive in International Relations.