Group decision-making with Fermatean fuzzy soft expert knowledge

With the rapid growth of population, the global impact of solar technology is increasing by the day due to its advantages over other power production technologies. Demand for solar panel systems is soaring, thus provoking the arrival of many new manufacturers. Sale dealers or suppliers face an uncertain problem to choose the most adequate technological solution. To effectively address such kind of issues, in this paper we propose the Fermatean fuzzy soft expert set model by combining Fermatean fuzzy sets and soft expert sets. We describe this hybrid model with numerical examples. From a theoretical standpoint, we demonstrate some essential properties and define operations for this setting. They comprise the definitions of complement, union and intersection, the OR operation and the AND operation. Concerning practice in this new environment, we provide an algorithm for multi-criteria group decision making whose productiveness and authenticity is dutifully tested. We explore a practical application of this approach (that is, the selection of a suitable brand of solar panel system). Lastly, we give a comparison of our model with certain related mathematical tools, including fuzzy and intuitionistic fuzzy soft expert set models.

Mixing Methodologies

Should research in a particular field follow the traditional or favoured methodologies associated with that field, or, if it is desirable for the empirical methods of research to be mixed, can the same not be said for the theoretical standpoint of the research design? Does mixing methodologies imply that methodologies can be placed on a sliding scale to create a new methodology from combining elements of the old; or does it imply an iterative or cyclical process, using a suitable methodology for the stage in the research? This chapter explores what combining qualitative and quantitative methods actually means in terms of social and educational research and how this can assist in developing a mixed methodological approach suitable for addressing wicked problems faced in education in the rapidly evolving Anthropocene epoch. To address these issues, the chapter proposes a new term for combining methodologies: ‘omniduction,' which encompasses induction, deduction and abduction and utilises each as the research, rather than the researcher, dictates.

Necropolitics and Culture; or the Embedding of Cultural Practices in Necropower

In the burgeoning field of necropolitical studies, priority has been given to the exploration of material practices. Culture is generally regarded either as secondary to these practices or as a set of mimetic representations of necropolitics. In contrast to such approaches, this article contends that the critical gaze ought to be directed at necropower’s production of cultural artifacts meant to achieve necropolitical goals. A theory of necropolitics that does not encompass the necropolitical production and manipulation of culture is insufficient for it fails to give a complete and thorough account of the complex and variegated technologies of necropower. Cultural practices are much more than simple representations of necropolitics or their ideological or theoretical substratum; they also have the ability to subjugate life to the power of death by actively participating in the construction of death-worlds. This thesis is demonstrated by means of an analysis of the interconnection between necropolitics and culture in General Franco’s Spain (1939–75). The adoption of the theoretical standpoint put forth in this article might refine and broaden the field of necropolitical studies. Discussions on necropolitics need to open up to the embedding of culture in necropower. Centred on the analysis of the role of cultural practices within necropolitics, this direction might prove fruitful in future studies for it would reveal, with more precision than the studies limited to analysing the material dimension of necropolitics, the extent, the force, the tools, and the power of coercion of the politics of death.

Perspective of Materiality in Archaeological Heritage

In the wider professional community gathered around the notion of archaeological heritage, there is an undisputed consensus that the material traces have to be preserved for research, education and presentation, for the present and future generations. However, the climate change, pollution, intensive urbanization and other perils present a significant source of risk for archaeological remains in their original settings. Additionally, archaeological evidence may be present in the form of skeletal remains, cave drawings, landscapes or negatives of missing objects or materials. Underwater finds, stone monuments, archaeobotanical traces, fortifications, or wooden sanctuaries may all also constitute archaeological remains. In order to be preserved today, each of these examples requires various conditions, processing of material traces and preservation after excavation. Finally, all these artefacts and ecofacts gain different places in the contemporary context. Bearing in mind the variety of situations and forms in which archaeological finds and material remains may occur, it is necessary to reconsider the scope of the content embraced by the term of archaeological heritage and material traces of the past, under the conditions of rapid and intensive changes. Here the theoretical standpoint is applied derived from Bruno Latour, about the role of various actants, live and non-live participants in social processes. In this sense, objects – artefacts and ecofacts, are parts of diverse processes of negotiation and reshaping of their environment. They can equally influence, entice, stop or change processes. In order to contribute to solving this dilemma, the text discusses the notion of archaeological materialities at the intersection of conservation and archaeological perspectives. It is argued that, when facing the current problems, especially in regard to in situ preservation, the answers and inspiration should be sought for in the wider conceptualization of materiality, as the guide and source of specific knowledges, leading to new theoretical insights.

Resistances to Autobiography: The Indian Experiment with life-writing

The article underlines that the epistemology of the self and the practice of life-writing in India marks a departure from the Western conventions and modes of expression. Although there are resistances to autobiography from the Western theoretical standpoint, the genre meets with a twofold resistance in postcolonial milieu in its negotiation with the Indian metaphysics of self. Autobiography in decolonising India negotiates complex pathways between an ardent adherence to Indian epistemology and a potent resistance to the Western modes of writing the self. In a framework to understand the phenomenon of resistance implicit in autobiography in general and the internal resistances to autobiography manifest in the genre during decolonisation in particular, the article argues that such resistances within the genre have redefined the very idea of the self in writing, generated a nuanced notion of the self in narration, as well as challenged the process of writing the self in decolonisation.

Burster Reconstruction Considering Unmeasurable Variables in the Epileptor Model

Epilepsy is one of the most common brain disorders worldwide, affecting millions of people every year. Although significant effort has been put into better understanding it and mitigating its effects, the conventional treatments are not fully effective. Advances in computational neuroscience, using mathematical dynamic models that represent brain activities at different scales, have enabled addressing epilepsy from a more theoretical standpoint. In particular, the recently proposed Epileptor model stands out among these models, because it represents well the main features of seizures, and the results from its simulations have been consistent with experimental observations. In addition, there has been an increasing interest in designing control techniques for Epileptor that might lead to possible realistic feedback controllers in the future. However, such approaches rely on knowing all of the states of the model, which is not the case in practice. The work explored in this letter aims to develop a state observer to estimate Epileptor's unmeasurable variables, as well as reconstruct the respective so-called bursters. Furthermore, an alternative modeling is presented for enhancing the convergence speed of an observer. The results show that the proposed approach is efficient under two main conditions: when the brain is undergoing a seizure and when a transition from the healthy to the epileptiform activity occurs.

Elucidating Afrocentricity as a contemporary theoretical stance through 'epistemic disobedience'

The use of Afrocentricity as a contemporary theoretical lens has triggered remarkable debate among African scholars. There is growing contestation among African intellectuals on the future of knowledge construction in the wake of the collapse of colonization in Africa. The contestation on the applicability of the Afrocentricity as a theory is largely triggered by the assumed superiority of Western thought. One of the major proponents of Afrocentricity Melefe Kete Asante has prompted an interesting question ‘Why have Africans been shut out of global development?’ The question attracts the need for African scholarship to take into consideration a context based theoretical standpoint and methodology. Nevertheless, the quest for a purely African based thought is clashed by postmodernists who contend that there is no such thing as “Africans” because there are many different types of Africans and all Africans are not equal. It is from this standpoint that this paper seeks to position Afrocentricity as a fundamental theoretical perspective in African scholarship. Afrocentricity is considered to be a catalyst of change whose goal is to restore the African understanding of the world. As such, through what some scholars have termed “epistemic disobedience” which is a form of epistemic revolt in favour of decolonisation of thought, this paper provides a critical analysis of the relevance of Afrocentricity as a theoretical standpoint.

Understanding the costs of interpersonal helping and governing mechanisms: an application of transaction cost economics theory

PurposeUtilizing transaction cost economics (TCE) theory as the theoretical underpinning, this article aims to describe the costs of interpersonal helping and governing mechanisms that individuals may use to alleviate helping costs.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical analysis was performed by drawing upon TCE and related research.FindingsThrough the lens of TCE, the authors propose the following: First, as the costs of helping increase, interpersonal helping shifts from being triggered by an autonomous motivation to being regulated by contextual contingencies. Second, the helper is likely to utilize reciprocity to mitigate helping costs by acquiring specific assets possessed by the recipient when asset specificity is high. Third, the helper is likely to utilize organizationally sanctioned procedures and rules to mitigate helping costs by eliminating unwanted resource consumptions when outcome uncertainty is high. Finally, the helper is likely to utilize group norms to mitigate helping costs by involving others in helping or discouraging requests for recurrent help when the frequency of helping is high.Originality/valueFrom a theoretical standpoint, this article complements previous research that focuses on the dark side of interpersonal helping. Practically, the authors offer several implications that help managers minimize the costs of helping in the organization.

SOCIAL AND LABOR RELATIONS — THE ESSENTIAL BASIS OF EMPLOYMENT INSTITUTIONS

The category of employment is considered from the point of view of the theory that explains the essence of employment, and from the point of view of the practice of employment management, focused on creating the fundamental foundations for regulating the processes occurring in the labor markets. From a theoretical standpoint, employment is presented in the form of an element of a conceptual system that includes employment itself, unemployment, the labor market, which are in contradictory dialectical interactions among themselves, reflected in social and labor relations. From the point of view of practice, “employment”, “unemployment” and “labor market” are considered as a system of objects of managerial influences, interconnected in such a way that the impact on one of them causes changes in the content of other objects of the system. Such relationships are due to the emerging within the territorial entities social and labor relations. The article proposes to create employment institutions in the structure of territorial government, the methodological basis of which should be social and labor relations.

EXPRESS: Limitations of occasional reinforced extinction to alleviate spontaneous recovery and reinstatement effects: Evidence for a trial signalling mechanism

Fear extinction is not permanent but is instead more vulnerable than the original fear memory, as traditionally shown by the return of fear phenomena. Because of this, techniques to mitigate the return of fear are needed in the clinical treatment of related psychological conditions. One promising strategy is the occasional reinforced extinction treatment, introducing a gradual and sparse number of CS-US pairings within the extinction treatment. We present the results of three experiments in which we used a threat conditioning procedure in humans. Our main aim was to evaluate whether occasional reinforced extinction could reduce two different forms of relapse: spontaneous recovery (Experiments 1 and 2) and reinstatement (Experiment 3). Contrary to our predictions and previous literature, the results indicate that an occasional reinforcement treatment did not mitigate relapse compared with standard extinction. From a theoretical standpoint, these results are more consistent with the idea that extinction entails the acquisition of new knowledge than with the idea that there are conditions in which extinction leads to a weakening of the original fear memory. These findings also question the generality of the potential benefits of using occasional reinforced extinction in clinical settings.