Alternative Modes Research Articles

Comparing Interventions With Speech-Generating Devices and Other Augmentative and Alternative Communication Modes: A Meta-Analysis.

Optimal augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems for children with complex communication needs depend in part on child characteristics, child preferences, and features of the systems themselves. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to describe and synthesize single case design studies comparing young children's acquisition of communication skills with speech-generating devices (SGDs) and other AAC modes. A systematic search of published and gray literature was conducted. Data related to study details, rigor, participant characteristics, design information, and outcomes were coded for each study. A random effects multilevel meta-analysis was performed using log response ratios as effect sizes. Nineteen single case experimental design studies with 66 participants (M age = 4.9 years) met inclusion criteria. All but one study featured requesting as the primary dependent variable. Visual analysis and meta-analysis indicated no differences between use of SGDs and picture exchange for children learning to request. Children demonstrated preferences for and learned to request more successfully with SGDs than with manual sign. Children who preferred picture exchange also learned to request more easily with picture exchange than with SGDs. Young children with disabilities may be able to request equally well with SGDs and picture exchange systems in structured contexts. More research is needed comparing AAC modes with diverse participants, communication functions, linguistic complexity, and learning contexts. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22111181.

Freedom is a Performance Hangout* (*Click on this fake sweat distraction technique to release infinite scroll)

How can the infinitely distracted meet? We are no longer amused to death as we once were in Debord’s Society of the Spectacle, but rather we are as visual artist Hito Steyerl puts it, ‘represented to pieces.’ Both the decision to participate in or disengage from social networks renders subjects powerless over their attention. How, then, might theatre, which Rancière famously declared an exemplary community form, be redeployed as a way of testing alternate modes of ‘being together’ at a time of infinite distraction? What new modes of performance, attention and indeed meeting might be called forth and imagined? This article turns to an example of Parry’s practice-based research, a four-hour live performance titled fic.the.sky that he calls ‘a performance hangout’, and that was staged across various iterations from 2015 to 2019. A performance hangout, in this example, involves easy non-accumulative choreography, fake sweat, fan-made pop music, costume changes and hanging out across an extended duration in a theatre. Audiences come and go, lounge and picnic on beanbags, plug-in their digital devices to work, re-charge, nap, or follow the performance both in situ and simultaneously via the livestream on social media. Building on a history of experimental hanging out, this article explores a performance hangout as an open-ended, unreified concept; an emergent practice in search of a meeting – in search of a ‘scene’ – that seems to be missing or in pieces. While focusing on a singular example, this article offers up a performance hangout as a generative concept for making, attending to, and thinking about a range of contemporary performances and live artworks that test new, pleasurable modes of ‘being-together’, and comprise non-accumulative performance and hanging out across an extended duration.

Online channel mode selection in a platform supply chain in the presence of consumer returns

PurposeMotivated by the real-world practice that the boom of the online selling induces a higher product return as well, selecting which online channel mode indicates who takes ownership over the product and thus bears the loss of the product return. This paper aims to seek the optimal online channel modes for the two members in a platform supply chain in the presence of product returns.Design/methodology/approachThis study aims to develop a platform supply chain that consists of one platform company and one supplier. Along with an offline distribution channel, the supplier can choose two alternative online selling modes (i.e. the reselling and agency modes) to sell its product through the online marketplace. This paper applies Stackelberg game to derive the equilibrium with different business scenarios and selects the optimal online channel modes for two parties, respectively. Moreover, this paper extends to a different supply chain with a reverse channel leadership and a different product return policy for testing the robustness.FindingsSeveral interesting and important results are derived in this paper. Firstly, it is found that the relative pricing are largely relied on the costs of two channels. Secondly, the platform supply chain may benefit from a pure channel rather than the dual-channel when this channel enjoys a relatively low cost and/or a sufficiently high consumer preference. Then, the platform and the supplier act contradictorily when selecting their optimal online channel modes. To be specific, the platform motivates to choose the online reselling mode when both the commission rate and the slotting fee are relatively low, whereas the supplier is likely to select the online agency mode under this circumstance. Finally, a win-win situation in regards to the optimal online channel mode for two parties is achievable with numerical experiments.Practical implicationsBased on the analytical studies, the results derived in the authors’ work can provide managerial insights to assist the supplier and the platform company in determining the operational decision and selecting the optimal online channel mode to deal with consumer returns. In addition, appropriate commission rate along with slotting fee will make both parties achieve a win-win situation in determining their optimal online channel mode.Originality/valueTo the authors’ best knowledge, this paper makes the first move to determine the optimal online channel mode in the content of consumer returns and study how it is affected by different product return policies.

Experimentally probing the stability of thin-shell structures under pure bending.

This paper studies the stability of space structures consisting of longitudinal, open-section thin-shells transversely connected by thin rods subjected to a pure bending moment. Localization of deformation, which plays a paramount role in the nonlinear post-buckling regime of these structures and is extremely sensitive to imperfections, is investigated through probing experiments. As the structures are bent, a probe locally displaces the edge of the thin shells, creating local dimple imperfections. The range of moments for which the early buckling of the structures can be triggered by this perturbation is determined, as well as the energy barrier separating the pre-buckling and post-buckling states. The stability of the local buckling mode is then illustrated by a stability landscape, and probing is extended to the entire structure to reveal alternate buckling modes disconnected from the structure's fundamental path. These results can be used to formulate efficient buckling criteria and pave the way to operating these structures close to their buckling limits, and even in their post-buckling regime, therefore significantly reducing their mass. This article is part of the theme issue 'Probing and dynamics of shock sensitive shells'.

Are vehicle on-demand and shared services a favorable solution for the first and last-mile mobility: Evidence from China

Vehicle on-demand and shared services (VDSS), such as Uber, Lyft, Didi and Car2go, have experienced rapid growth over the last decade. While these emerging mobility services have advantages, such as serving as an alternative mode for public transit, it remains unclear to what extent the services are adopted by different user groups, particularly in the context of first and last-mile mobility and how demand varies in different periods. To fill this research gap, we conducted a comprehensive travel survey of 1,420 railway passengers in China, to examine how VDSS were utilized for the first and last-mile connection with train stations. Using binary and multinomial logit modeling analysis, the study shows that the attitude toward VDSS was influenced by various factors and the outcomes varied substantially before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the research findings, we recommend that transportation planning and operation agencies should add ride-sourcing waiting and car-sharing parking sites at railway stations to further improve their advantages of flexibility and convenience. Meanwhile, attention should be paid to maintaining a healthy, safe and relaxed riding environment to facilitate VDSS usage. The equity issue of VDSS should also be addressed through strategies, such as providing special discounts or subsidies to certain lower-income user groups so that wider social groups may also enjoy such services. In terms of mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, further attention should be paid to improving a healthy and clean riding environment in VDSS to reduce the risk to public health.

Development of Blended Learning Activities Based on 3CM (Cool-Critical-Creative-Meaningful) to Support Creativity and Good Character Students

Good character and creativity are two of the ten determining factors of a person's success. These two things are important to form in educational activities, especially in elementary schools. During the Covid-19 pandemic, this became a tough challenge to achieve. The new normal period is beginning, and a good and effective learning preparation is needed. The purpose of this study is to develop blended learning activities with the 3CM model to increase students' creativity and good character. Blended learning is one of the alternative learning modes that can be done. It requires appropriate design and learning activities. Blended learning that gives students the opportunity to develop critical, creative, meaning-ful thinking skills in a fun and challenging way. One of them is a blended learning design based on 3CM (Cool-Critical-Creative-Meaningful). Learning activities with blended learning can be done with full online or a combination of face-to-face and online. This research is RnD re-search with ASSURE design in 6 stages of development activity. The results of the development of blended learning activities based on 3CM learning are carried out in 4 activities, namely 1) it's time to play and challenge (cool), 2) it's time to criticize (critical), 3) it's time to be creative, 4) it's time to reflect and take meaning (meaningful). The results of the assessment of blended learning activities aspects of ease of access to learning score 4.48 (excellent), aspects of content, media and teaching materials score 4.57 (excellent) from the assessment of 45 teachers. Student response to aspects of ease of access to learning score 4.72 (excellent), aspects of content, media and teaching materials score 4.72 (excellent). The results of this study are proven to increase students' creativity and good character.

Structural basis of the transcription termination factor Rho engagement with transcribing RNA polymerase from Thermus thermophilus.

Transcription termination is an essential step in transcription by RNA polymerase (RNAP) and crucial for gene regulation. For many bacterial genes, transcription termination is mediated by the adenosine triphosphate-dependent RNA translocase/helicase Rho, which causes RNA/DNA dissociation from the RNAP elongation complex (EC). However, the structural basis of the interplay between Rho and RNAP remains obscure. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the Thermus thermophilus RNAP EC engaged with Rho. The Rho hexamer binds RNAP through the carboxyl-terminal domains, which surround the RNA exit site of RNAP, directing the nascent RNA seamlessly from the RNA exit to its central channel. The β-flap tip at the RNA exit is critical for the Rho-dependent RNA release, and its deletion causes an alternative Rho-RNAP binding mode, which is irrelevant to termination. The Rho binding site overlaps with the binding sites of other macromolecules, such as ribosomes, providing a general basis of gene regulation.

Candidate Countries’ Engagement with European Union Agencies – Alternative Modes of EU Integration?

ABSTRACT Decentralized EU agencies have played an important role in the Union’s institutional landscape over the last three decades. Various engagement logics and types of cooperation have previously been investigated for the European Economic Area and EU Eastern Partnership countries, but not for the five countries that received EU candidate status by 2021—Turkey and four Western Balkans countries—Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, and Northern Macedonia. Covering the period between 1999 and 2021 analysis found that 23 out of 34 agencies observed had some type of engagement with these candidates, while serving both EU’s broader foreign policy interests and advancing the sector-specific alignment of candidates. This also suggests that it is possible to frame these engagements as a form of external EU differentiation.

Optimizing Risk Mitigation Analysis of Business Development Division (Case Study: Urban Transportation Division at PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero)

The community can use various alternative modes of transportation, and the train is still the choice for most Indonesian people. PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero), the object of this research, has 2 main businesses, namely the railroad and the non-railroad businesses. A company’s business processes do not stop until the company benefits from the business it does, but in this highly complex and interconnected world, the risk is everywhere. Risk management is an important discipline for companies, institutions, and society in today’s modern business world. Risk management is carried out based on the ISO 31000:2018 framework. This research will discuss optimizing risk mitigation strategies as a tool for the business development division to provide effectiveness and how to implement these solutions in the real world. Sources in this study came from secondary data such as annual reports, audited financial reports, and project studies in the Urban Transportation Business Development Division of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero), discussions, and interviews with related parties. Some of the tools used in this study are PEST to analyze external companies, McKinsey 7S Framework to analyze external companies, and the Enterprises’ Risk Management method for the risk management process. Managing risk through optimizing risk mitigation can reduce and minimize loss exposure. Based on the risk matrix score results, the company can take risk treatment, whether the risk must be mitigated or accepted. The risk level score from the risk matrix is used to make underwriter decisions in the risk acceptance process at the Business Development Division of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero).

How students and teachers voyaged from physical classroom to Emergency Remote Teaching in COVID-19 crisis: A case of Nepal

COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to shift from traditional to remote teaching globally. Most schools in Nepal, however, could not adopt remote teaching. Only some schools, particularly those located in urban areas initiated remote teaching after the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020. This article, thus, reports an analysis of secondary students and teachers’ experiences of remote learning. It as qualitative research employed semi-structured interview and observation of online classes to investigate students’ ways of managing remote learning and teachers’ strategies of teaching through online mode. This paper reports that both students and teachers were, at first, intimidated by the new mode of learning. Remote learning, albeit it was observed as an alternative mode of education where there was minimum information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, seems to increase the digital divide in rural areas. Students, particularly from government schools, struggled to manage their remote learning due to limited access to digital technology, the sudden shift from the physical classroom to remote learning and a lack of government support. Thus, parents play a vital role in influencing their children’s attitudes toward remote learning. It is essential to equip students and teachers with ICT and minimal ICT skills and provide with subsidy on digital devices and the internet for students to completely implement remote learning.

Beyond size classification: The dynamic-aerosol-size electrical mobility spectrometer

This paper overviews an alternative operation mode of the Electrical Mobility Spectrometer (EMS), herein termed as the “Dynamic-aerosol-size Electrical Mobility Spectrometer (DEMS)” where the size of aerosol particles evolves during mobility classification in response to any chemical/physical processes taking place within the device's classification region. Unlike the conventional EMS designed to classify the aerosol particle size, the function of the DEMS is to probe the kinetics (in terms of corresponding growth/shrinkage rates) of aerosol related chemical/physical processes. This is achievable because the particle trajectory in the device's classification region contains full information about the particle size change history. A theoretical framework is developed for analyzing the transmission of size-changing particles in the device's classification region. Expressions for the particle mobility at the device outlet and size change rate are derived based on known initial mobility and DEMS response, using the evaporation of monodisperse and single-component aerosols as an example. The theoretical framework is applicable to the entire Knudsen number range and is compared against simulations and experiments, demonstrating excellent validity in the test conditions.

Alternative travel mode for commuters with disability in Accra: The lived experiences of Uber and taxi users

This paper explores the alternative travel mode choice among persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the city of Accra. With a limitation in the ownership of private cars among PWDs, public transport plays a critical role in connecting them to various life enhancing opportunities. Despite its importance, the unresponsive nature of Ghana's public transport services and poor attitudes towards the disability community have induced the need for a reliable alternative travel mode hence the need to examine factors that influence this trend in Accra. Using a qualitative research design, this study engaged 28 visually and 22 physically impaired participants through convenience sampling and snowballing. Findings revealed that the lower fees charged for conventional public transport services informed their patronage but the ease, convenience, exclusive services and the friendly reception from Uber drivers remained the key attraction for the increasing trend in their patronage of such services. Unfortunately, higher fees associated with Uber services translated to few trips and fewer social engagements. The study recommends an overhaul of Ghana’s public transport system by ensuring strict compliance to the transport provision of Ghana’s Disability Act given its potential to increase PWDs’ travel options as seen in the enjoyment of lower transport fares.

Transport, Mobility and the Wellbeing of Older Adults: An Exploration of Private Chauffeuring and Companionship Services in Malaysia.

As physical abilities and health decline with age, older adults tend to lose their driving abilities, which affects their mobility. As mobility is important to older adults' wellbeing, there is a need to explore alternative modes of transportation to increase their ability to actively participate in society. Hence, this paper aims to understand the characteristics of private chauffeuring and companionship services for older adults, and to assess their possible effects on older adults' wellbeing. We gathered the views of transport operators, government agencies, and city councils that offer private chauffeuring and companionship services for older adults. We frame the model of private chauffeuring and companionship services as alternative mobility for older adults and outline a conceptual framework for its possible effects on their wellbeing. The underlying mobility characteristics were availability, accessibility, safety, and affordability-all of which influence wellbeing. The study found that the private chauffeuring and companionship model for older adults includes an additional model of government-to-consumer services in addition to the existing peer-to-peer and business-to-consumer services. While the services are available, the services provided are not standardized, with different operators offering different services and prices, and limiting certain geographical areas. Transport operators perceived that the services they offer promote older adults' physical and mental health, improve their social participation in the community, and empower them in making their travel decisions. The findings of the paper provide insights for policy makers for future planning of alternative transportation for older adults to enhance their mobility.

Genetic determinants of host tropism in Klebsiella phages.

Bacteriophages play key roles in bacterial ecology and evolution and are potential antimicrobials. However, the determinants of phage-host specificity remain elusive. Here, we isolate 46 phages to challenge 138 representative clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a widespread opportunistic pathogen. Spot tests show a narrow host range for most phages, with <2% of 6,319 phage-host combinations tested yielding detectable interactions. Bacterial capsule diversity is the main factor restricting phage host range. Consequently, phage-encoded depolymerases are key determinants of host tropism, and depolymerase sequence types are associated with the ability to infect specific capsular types across phage families. However, all phages with a broader host range found do not encode canonical depolymerases, suggesting alternative modes of entry. These findings expand our knowledge of the complex interactions between bacteria and their viruses and point out the feasibility of predicting the first steps of phage infection using bacterial and phage genome sequences.

SILVER-COATED CUSTOM COMPONENTS FOR ACETABULAR AND HEMIPELVIS RECONSTRUCTION MITIGATE INFECTION RISK WITHOUT COMPROMISING BONE ONGROWTH

Complex acetabular reconstruction for oncology and bone loss are challenging for surgeons due to their often hostile biological and mechanical environments. Titrating concentrations of silver ions on implants and alternative modes of delivery allow surgeons to exploit anti-infective properties without compromising bone on growth and thus providing a long-term stable fixation. We present a case series of 12 custom acetabular tri-flange and custom hemipelvis reconstructions (Ossis, Christchurch, New Zealand), with an ultrathin plasma coating of silver particles embedded between layers of siloxane (BioGate HyProtect™, Nuremberg, Germany).At the time of reporting no implant has been revised and no patient has required a hospital admission or debridement for a deep surgical site infection. Routine follow up x-rays were reviewed and found 2 cases with loosening, both at their respective anterior fixation. Radiographs of both cases show remodelling at the ilium indicative of stable fixation posteriorly. Both patients remain asymptomatic. 3 patients were readmitted for dislocations, 1 of whom had 5 dislocations within 3 weeks post-operatively and was immobilised in an abduction brace to address a lack of muscle tone and has not had a revision of their components.Utilising navigation with meticulous implant design and construction; augmented with an ultrathin plasma coating of silver particles embedded between layers of siloxane with controlled and long-term generation of silver ion diffusion has led to outstanding outcomes in this series of 12 custom acetabular and hemipelvis reconstructions. No patients were revised for infection and no patients show signs of failure of bone on growth and incorporation. Hip instability remains a problem in these challenging mechanical environments and we continue to reassess our approach to this multifaceted problem.

Challenges In Hyflex Learning In Zambales Philippines

The modality of learning in the Philippines became highly revolutionized during the start of the global pandemic that hit the entire economy and education sector, which has negative implications. Universities and Basic Education designed an alternative mode of learning that fits the regulations of the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 (IATF). The researchers used a quantitative research design in collecting and analyzing the numerical data. Because it is the methodology that researchers use to test theories about people’s attitudes and behaviors based on numerical and statistical evidence. Students' preferences in terms of the hybrid learning approach are with the in-person approach because they can easily understand and catch up with the subject being taught. The majority of students are still determined to have limited in-person or face-to-face classroom discussion. The most common challenges experienced by the students, being ranked accordingly, are the lack of appropriate devices and the interaction with teachers and students. According to Kohnke&amp; Moorhouse (2021), the utilization of various features of the video-conferencing software and other digital tools was seen as essential to the effectiveness of the HyFlex Learning Modality. That is why it is important for colleges to strictly monitor and strengthen the conduct of hybrid learning and follow the compliance set by the National Government Agencies.

Leveraging health information helpline to sustain health-care delivery during the COVID pandemic: Experiences from a State in Eastern India.

The unprecedented demands on health-care systems due to the COVID-19 pandemic made countries including India to switch toward alternative modes of health-care delivery. The aim of this study was to describe the various COVID-related services delivered through 104 health information helpline (HIHL), located in Jharkhand during the pandemic. The de-identified secondary data from February 2020 to December 2021 related to COVID services delivered through HIHL were analyzed. There was a significant increase in the COVID call volume during the first as well as the second wave. The HIHL has been able to guide the callers on testing, home isolation and follow-up, home-based teleconsultation, vaccination, timely referral, and support with logistic-related information. The 104 HIHL has played a critical role in sustaining health-care delivery during the pandemic, combating the "infodemic" and guiding the general public by providing authentic information.

The notion of criticism at the present time: from postcriticism to an ethics of reading well

ABSTRACT This article reads Rita Felski’s The Limits of Critique (2015) as an exemplary effort to move beyond paranoid 'critique' in literary study – an effort that oddly echoes the ongoing intensification of postmodernity, or a socio-economic state no longer capable of imagining a future. Alternative modes of expression and identity are now only ever, in Mark Fisher’s terms, 'precorporated' – structured and anticipated by an always exploitative capitalist culture. Literary criticism’s on-going investment in micro-genres and increasingly atomized modes of criticism seems, in this sense, troublingly and paradoxically caught in the inertia of 'depthlessness.' The postcritical turn, more specifically, presents as both a consequence and an overt advocation of imprisoning surfaces. It strives to reclaim the experience of authentic expression and true, authorial affects by actively eschewing distance, or depth; but this refusal of distance and depth is tantamount to a refusal of otherness and incommensurable affect. To be affected by otherness is to touch upon what is unknown and unnamable. If we are to begin 'reading well' we cannot simply bask in the coherence of a surface. To 'read well,' we must instead tarry with the infinite potential of unmappable depth, a kind of Hegelian negative.

Planning Flexible Bus Service as an Alternative to Suspended Bicycle-Sharing Service: A Data-Driven Approach

Many free-floating bicycle-sharing (FFBS) operators in cold region cities will put bicycles in warehouses and suspend services in winter due to factors such as safety and maintenance costs, resulting in the corresponding travel demand no longer be met. Considering the short-distance and green travel characteristics of FFBS, the flexible bus, as a sustainable demand-responsive transit service, is a suitable alternative transportation mode. To operate such a flexible bus system, service area and operation time planning is a key stage, however, the planning methods in relevant studies are not suitable for this research scenario. In view of the above, this paper proposed a data-driven method to determine the service area and operation time of flexible buses based on FFBS data. Firstly, an FFBS trip path reconstruction algorithm consists of fine-grained road network modelling and trajectory matching is proposed. Then, in the defined time slice, incorporating the idea of ride-sharing routes generation, according to the density-based clustering principle and considering topology between trajectories, a path clustering algorithm PATHSCAN is developed to generate the one-day path clusters. After that, a frequent pattern mining algorithm is applied to the multiday path clusters, and frequent pattern results with spatio-temporal correlation will be merged into the final service area. The generated planning results will cover ride-matching trips and high-frequency riding paths. Detailed application analysis and verification are carried out by using the real data from Tianjin, China. Through the evaluation and verification under the relatively limited experimental data set, the proposed data-driven method shows ideal planning results. Flexible bus service can supplement the green short-distance travel mode after the suspension of FFBS and can avoid FFBS travel demands switched to unsustainable transportation modes to a large extent. This study will contribute to urban sustainable transportation development and improving greenness.

Optical link acquisition for the LISA mission with in-field pointing architecture

We present a comprehensive simulation of the spatial acquisition of optical links for the LISA mission in the in-field pointing architecture, where a fast pointing mirror is used to move the line-of-sight of the optical transceiver, which was studied as an alternative scheme to the baselined telescope pointing architecture. The simulation includes a representative model of the far-field intensity distribution and the beam detection process using a realistic detector model, and a model of the expected platform jitter for two alternative control modes with different associated jitter spectra. For optimally adjusted detector settings and accounting for the actual far-field beam profile, we investigate the dependency of acquisition performance on the jitter spectrum and the track-width of the search spiral, while scan speed and detector integration time are varied over several orders of magnitude. Results show a strong dependency of the probability for acquisition failure on the width of the auto-correlation function of the jitter spectrum, which we compare to predictions of analytical models. Depending on the choice of scan speed, three different regimes may be entered which differ in failure probability by several orders of magnitude. We then use these results to optimize the acquisition architecture for the given jitter spectra with respect to failure rate and overall duration, concluding that the full constellation could be acquired on average in less than one minute. Our method and findings can be applied to any other space mission using a fine-steering mirror for link acquisition.