The Encyclopedia of Neutrosophic Researchers - vol. 3

This is the third volume of the Encyclopedia of Neutrosophic Researchers, edited from materials offered by the authors who responded to the editor’s invitation. The authors are listed alphabetically. The introduction contains a short history of neutrosophics, together with links to the main papers and books. Neutrosophic set, neutrosophic logic, neutrosophic probability, neutrosophic statistics, neutrosophic measure, neutrosophic precalculus, neutrosophic calculus and so on are gaining significant attention in solving many real life problems that involve uncertainty, impreciseness, vagueness, incompleteness, inconsistent, and indeterminacy. In the past years the fields of neutrosophics have been extended and applied in various fields, such as: artificial intelligence, data mining, soft computing, decision making in incomplete / indeterminate / inconsistent information systems, image processing, computational modelling, robotics, medical diagnosis, biomedical engineering, investment problems, economic forecasting, social science, humanistic and practical achievements

Case study of parents’ experiences as their children with hidden disabilities navigate the K-12 system to high school completion

The experiences of parents navigating through the K-12 school system as their children with invisible disabilities move toward graduation from secondary education are multifaceted. This qualitative study examined the experiences parents are having or not having at Kalamazoo Central High School (KCHS), a traditional high school within the Kalamazoo Public School (KPS) district. The research questions revealed the experiences of parents navigating their children with invisible disabilities. Conceptually, this study was guided by the ecologies of parental engagement (EPE) framework. The teachings of Pierre Bourdieu and his perspective on social capital were also utilized. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, member checking, a follow-up interview, and document analysis to provide thorough descriptions of the parents’ experiences. Four participants were selected for the study from flyer advertisements and utilizing the snowball strategy in which individuals referred other participants. Participants were selected for the study based on the following criteria: their children were currently enrolled at KCHS, in the 11th or 12th grade, and had been diagnosed with an invisible disability. A line-by-line analysis of participants’ responses uncovered common themes. The results of this study provided insight on parents’ experiences during their children’s progression toward high school graduation and how interactions with KPS staff, particularly those stationed at KCHS, influenced these transformations. The results of this study contribute to the implementation of progressive changes by providing information to parents and school staff on how to collaborate more effectively with each other for the advancement of children with invisible disabilities

February 9, 2018 Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the February 9, 2018 Board of Trustees meeting

An Algerian musical mosaic: an ethnographic and visual exploration of the place of gender in Algerian popular music in social media platforms, live music events, and wedding ceremonies

This thesis is interdisciplinary in nature and falls into the academic fields of popular music studies, women and gender studies, sociology, media and cultural studies. This thesis presents an in-depth ethnographic explanation of Algerian music events focusing on the degree of acceptance of women in this industry in terms of production (artists) and consumption (audience) compared to their male counterparts. A qualitative approach has been taken, following the Chicago School ethnographic methodology of research, which allowed the construction of a sample of over 200 research participants. Algeria was the main location of this study, where I could attend different live music events and wedding ceremonies in addition to the accessing the online space (social media platforms). Different data were collected using a range of qualitative research methods, namely observation, ethnographic interviews, qualitative surveys, visuals, audio-visual documents, online ethnography, and chaperone ethnography (one of the contributions of the current study in the field of ethnography). During this research, contact was established with participants including managers, businessmen, DJs and young audiences. This Ph.D. is a study on gender relations in the musical industry in contemporary Algeria. It also looks at the patriarchal and conservative stereotypes that Algerian young adults construct about mainly female Raï artists because of the control of internal (familial) and external (social) influences. As a contribution, this study uncovers gender inequality in the industry arising from the misuse and misinterpretation of spiritual beliefs to construct realities. The findings have revealed that some social media platforms are accessed as a form of escapism to enjoy certain types of music away from social restrictions. Additionally, the findings showed that in terms of gender, location plays a key role in music consumption in Algeria. On the one hand, in public spaces, gender consumption is male-dominated, while at wedding ceremonies women become more active than men and the party is mainly dominated by women. This Ph.D. suggests that contemporary Algerian music production and consumption contain contradictions. As shown through the data, research subjects had pleasure and enjoyment but also felt degrees of denial under conservative social and cultural traditions

Understanding the educational experiences and opinions, attainment, achievement and aspirations of looked after children in Wales

This report presents the findings of research that explored the educational experiences attainment and aspirations of looked after children and young people (LACYP) in Wales. The findings of the report are drawn from interviews with LACYP and an analysis of available statistics and literature on the looked after children population

Rapid reviews as an emerging approach to evidence synthesis in education

Rapid reviews using abbreviated systematic review methods are of increasing importance for evidence-informed decision-making in education, although there is little guidance about the most suitable approach. Three recently completed rapid review reports are compared to inform discussions on the utility of this type of review in education and to highlight appropriate methods for producing evidence syntheses in a limited time frame. Rapid review methods need to be chosen to fit the needs of the review, which involves: thinking broadly about different kinds of team experience and expertise; estimating the size and nature of the literature to be reviewed; considering the review purpose and nature of the topic; choosing an appropriate synthesis method for the review purpose, evidence base and reviewers’ expertise; fully describing the review approach, and discussing the potential limitations of chosen methods; and understanding the anticipated audiences and tailoring outputs accordingly. Rapid reviews to address urgent and high-priority questions provide the benefits of timeliness and reduced resource requirements. However, it is crucial to understand caveats and limitations to the rapid conduct of evidence syntheses for decision-making purposes. This article offers guidance to support researchers, postgraduate students and commissioners who wish to conduct rapid reviews in a transparent and systematic way, addressing complex questions of relevance to evidence-informed decision-making in education

Participation in environmental enhancement and conservation activities for health and well-being in adults: a review of quantitative and qualitative evidence

PUBHLT

Empowerment in children with cystic fibrosis

Section A This is a literature review of patient empowerment in children and young people (CYP) with cystic fibrosis (CF), using a meta-synthesis of 17 qualitative studies. Thematic synthesis identified analytic themes: ‘relational support’, ‘information and understanding’, ‘feeling heard and respected’, ‘mastery and competence’, appeared to facilitate empowerment; ‘prejudice and assumptions’ was identified as a potential barrier. ‘Navigating being different’ appeared to both influence and be influenced by empowerment. Findings provide an initial understanding of factors influencing empowerment in CYP with CF. Potential clinical and research implications are considered. Section B This is an empirical paper presenting a grounded theory study that aims to develop a preliminary theory of empowerment in CYP with CF. Seven young people with CF, five parents and four professionals were interviewed. The emerging model suggests that ‘thriving alongside CF’ may be supported by interactions between ‘having a team’ and ‘taking charge and having a voice’, leading to ‘being able to just be a child/getting on with life’. ‘Concealing self’ may get in the way of ‘thriving alongside CF’. These processes occur within wider medical and developmental contexts. Study limitations, clinical and research implications are discussed