Alternative Arrangements Research Articles

TEARS OF HOPE: THE PLIGHT OF WORKING STUDENTS UNDER TVL-LATE AFTERNOON PROGRAM

This study investigated the challenges faced by working students enrolled in the Technical Vocational Livelihood Late-Afternoon Program (TVL-LAP) and examined the impact of their employment on their academic performance. The research design employed was descriptive-qualitative, using a phenomenological approach to capture the participants' authentic stories and experiences through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Thematic analysis using Creswell’s (2013) six steps in the qualitative data analysis process was applied to identify prominent patterns within the interviews, which were categorized according to the main themes and core ideas. After the data analysis, three (3) essential themes emerged across all the study questions. Essential themes in the experiences and challenges focused on providing for economic needs, meeting multiple demands, and seeking consideration. Self-motivation, finding time to study, and compassionate teachers and peers were revealed as essential themes in coping mechanisms. Commitment to goals in life, the value of support from God and others, and helping oneself surfaced in shared insights. Findings suggest that providing flexible schedules or alternative work arrangements, offering academic support services, encouraging peer support groups, and providing training and support in time management and problem-solving can help students become more resourceful and efficient in balancing academic and work responsibilities.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0758/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

No heaven but no longer hell? Tales of criminal victimization and shelter among irregular migrant men

Irregular migrants are legally excluded from formal employment, regular housing markets, and unemployment benefits, and in the Netherlands, they are also excluded from governmentally funded homeless shelters. While alternative sheltering arrangements have emerged for specific irregular migrants (e.g. minors, victims of human trafficking), unaccompanied adult men were typically still excluded from institutionalized shelter. In 2019, however, the national government launched a sheltering pilot for irregular migrants, which involves unaccompanied adult men in particular. Based on qualitative fieldwork in Rotterdam, and using Van Dijk and Steinmetz’s risk model as a theoretical lens, we argue that irregular status, interacting with other relevant factors such as social capital, co-determines the men’s criminal victimization risks, and fear of crime. In addition, we show how access to shelter changed the meaning and therefore the consequences of irregular status, resulting in both ‘de-marginalization’ and ‘re-marginalization’: victimization risks were generally reported to be lower in the shelter than in the streets, but sheltering also introduced new risks, which were mostly attributed to the co-presence of other sheltered groups, especially marginalized European Union (EU) citizens with a stronger immigration status. Paying attention to immigration statuses, and how they are socially constructed, thus helps to shed light on contemporary criminal victimization risks.

Detecting and understanding meaningful cancerous mutations based on computational models of mRNA splicing

Cancer research has long relied on non-silent mutations. Yet, it has become overwhelmingly clear that silent mutations can affect gene expression and cancer cell fitness. One fundamental mechanism that apparently silent mutations can severely disrupt is alternative splicing. Here we introduce Oncosplice, a tool that scores mutations based on models of proteomes generated using aberrant splicing predictions. Oncosplice leverages a highly accurate neural network that predicts splice sites within arbitrary mRNA sequences, a greedy transcript constructor that considers alternate arrangements of splicing blueprints, and an algorithm that grades the functional divergence between proteins based on evolutionary conservation. By applying this tool to 12M somatic mutations we identify 8K deleterious variants that are significantly depleted within the healthy population; we demonstrate the tool’s ability to identify clinically validated pathogenic variants with a positive predictive value of 94%; we show strong enrichment of predicted deleterious mutations across pan-cancer drivers. We also achieve improved patient survival estimation using a proposed set of novel cancer-involved genes. Ultimately, this pipeline enables accelerated insight-gathering of sequence-specific consequences for a class of understudied mutations and provides an efficient way of filtering through massive variant datasets – functionalities with immediate experimental and clinical applications.

Hot-dip aluminizing of Fe–Cr–B cast steel in Al–Ti–B alloy melt

The periodic layered structure (PLS) composed of alternative arrangement of Cr–Al–B MAB phase and FeAl3 was formed at the (Cr, Fe)2B/Al interface during hot-dip aluminizing (HDA) of Fe–Cr–B cast steel in molten Al. However, the effect of alloying element in the Al melt on the PLS was still unknown. This work focused on the effect of Ti on the interfacial reaction between Fe–Cr–B cast steel and molten Al–Ti–B alloy. The Ti atoms in Al–Ti–B alloy melt could partially replace the Cr atoms in the M-sites of the Cr–Al–B MAB phase contained in the PLS after it formed in-situ, leading to the formation of (Cr, Ti)–Al–B MAB phase solid solution. The B atoms in the melt absorbed by the Cr–Al–B MAB phase also accounted for the blackening of the Cr–Al–B MAB phase. It was the first time that the M-site MAB phase solid solution in the Cr–Al–B system was prepared by hot-dip aluminizing.

The gig verse: building a sustainable future

PurposeDespite the popularity of gig employment amid the changing business landscape, gig scholarship is somewhat limited and the untold reality about gig is yet to be fully revealed. This study aims to critically address the nature of gig employment, its ambiguities, evolution, theoretical premises and the appropriate future road ahead.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a dual analytical approach – bibliometric and thematic analyses. After incorporating the exclusion–inclusion criteria, the authors identified 2,135 articles for the bibliometric analyses by using VOSviewer. Additionally, for the deep-delving synthesis, the authors conducted thematic analyses following Braun and Clarke (2006), based on 351 papers.FindingsThe findings revealed that gig work, in its different forms, is emerging as an alternative work arrangement with respect to the future of work. This study also identified multilevel perspectives of gig employment along with its holistic nomological network. Finally, this study offers some critical research directions that should help enhance the theoretical and practical strengths of this nascent scholarship in future.Research limitations/implicationsThe review findings are limited in nature owing to the paucity of quality research papers published in the said domain.Practical implicationsThe paper brings more clarity to what gig is and isn’t, along with its critical perspectives from multilevel lenses.Originality/valueThis paper identifies critical perspectives related to gig work and suggests appropriate directions for future gig work related scholarship.

The Scope of Authority of The Acting Regional Head Due to The Victory of The Empty Column in The Regional Elections

The victory of the Blank Column in the Regional Elections has an impact on the appointment of the Acting Regional Head to run the regional government until the election of the Regional Head in the next Regional Election. The Acting Regional Head is given the task of replacing the definitive Regional Head but there are differences in its application. In this paper, the scope of authority of the Acting Regional Head is discussed using normative juridical research with a statutory approach or statute approach and a conceptual or conceptual approach or conceptual or conceptual approach or conceptual acceptal acpproach. The results of this study show that juridically assigning tasks to the Acting Regional Head is inconsistent and hinders the course of regional autonomy. This paper also discusses alternative arrangements for the Acting Regional Head to be in line with the principle of regional autonomy.

Legitimacy versus incentives: Explaining the difference between early and late union responses to nonstandard employment in the Netherlands

With the spread of alternative work arrangements across European labor markets, union responses to nonstandard employment have increasingly received scholarly attention. Based on a process-tracing analysis of the Netherlands between 1971 and 1996, I propose an alternative framework for understanding the divergence between early and late union responses to nonstandard employment. Rather than a choice between cooperation with management or outsiders, this case study shows that trade unions initially faced a dilemma between a legitimacy-based and an incentive-based strategy when nonstandard employment took off. Whereas the first strategy is inherently exclusive, the latter allows for more inclusive union responses. Contrary to the incentive-based strategy, the attractiveness of the legitimacy-based strategy decreases with higher levels of nonstandard employment, explaining why inclusive union responses typically become more dominant over time.

Photothermal Conversion Perylene-Based Metal-Organic Framework with Panchromatic Absorption Bandwidth across the Visible to Near-Infrared.

Recently, facilely designable metal-organic frameworks have gained attention in the construction of photothermal conversion materials. Nonetheless, most of the previously reported photothermal conversion metal-organic frameworks exhibit limited light absorption capabilities. In this work, a distinctive metal-organic framework with heterogeneous periodic alternate spatial arrangements of metal-oxygen clusters and perylene-based derivative molecules was prepared by in situ synthesis. The building blocks in this inimitable structure behave as both electron donors and electron acceptors, giving rise to the significant inherent charge transfer in this crystalline material, resulting in a narrow band gap with excellent panchromatic absorption, with the ground state being the charge transfer state. Moreover, it can retain excellent air-, photo-, and water-stability in the solid state. The excellent stability and broad light absorption characteristics enable the effective realization of near-infrared (NIR) photothermal conversion, including infrequent NIR-II photothermal conversion, in this perylene-based metal-organic framework.

Milli Eğitim Yönetiminde Eğitim Politikası Analiz Sürecini Uygulamaya Dönüştürme

Summary Limitations on developing real knowledge about the education system and its performance minimize the lack of potential resources in policy development. This type of information also forms the basis for achieving consensus. Understanding the problems in the education system, developing the sharing and finding a strategy for it is a critical process in reaching the foundation. Because such consensus is a key to encouraging synergetic action and cooperation by many segments that typically play a role in parts of implementation policies in the education system. To illustrate the difficulty of achieving consensus in the absence of good analytical work, we have to say that it is the best in policy discussions with priority views on the weaknesses and strengths of the education system, and how its performance should best be improved. As a result, it is not a surprise to see the political discussions at an impasse. Because it is difficult to assess the pros and cons of options only on the basis of theoretical arguments. For example, someone might argue that multilevel learning is pedagogically weak. But someone else also claims that equal-level learning can be quite effective. Because in this, each student devotes more time independently and makes the demands on teachers to teach the diversity of students' learning styles more obvious. It is not possible to emphasize the validity of any assessment of the effectiveness of multiple learning without empirical evidence to compare learning outcomes under the alternative learning arrangement. Of course, analytical work does not consist of discussion alone. But it helps those who shed light on the thoughts in reaching that conclusion. Key Words: National Education, Education Management, Education Policy, Analysis Process

Captured institutions and permeated business – the longevity of Hungarian autocracy

ABSTRACT The aim of the article is to show how modern autocracies can distort traditional institutions’ principles of functioning and form state–business relations for their own benefit. Our case study is Hungary, an autocratic system within a democratic union, where the economic conditions have worsened in the past couple of years. Based on documentary evidence, data and interviews, we demonstrate how the regime’s longevity depends on three main factors: alternative institutional arrangements, perceived individual economic welfare and support of business actors. The tools to handle foreign investors and control domestic business are different but creative and effective and can result in a long-term conciliation of different players and the stabilisation of the ruling power even in case of economic difficulties.

Digital Approaches to Societal Grand Challenges: Toward a Broader Research Agenda on Managing Global-Local Design Tensions

Policy/Practice-Focused Abstract Despite considerable and continued resource investments, effective solutions to broad-scope problems of social interest or societal grand challenges (GCs) have proven to be elusive in many domains. In multiactor situations that characterize GCs, divergent goals, needs, priorities, and capabilities of global and local actors create organizing design tensions that need to be considered before solutions can be enacted. Emergent digital technologies can play an important and transformative role in addressing the organizing design tensions that pervade such collective action problems. In this article, we draw on Elinor Ostrom’s principles of public value creation and identify a set of eight organizing design tensions that arise from employing global and local perspectives in addressing GCs. We consider novel digital approaches—that involve alternative arrangements of digital and socio-political elements in GC settings—to resolving each of these design tensions. Our discussion foreshadows the considerable opportunity for information systems research to contribute to the broader dialog on GCs; inform GC-related policy and practice at global and local levels; and, more broadly, speed the identification and enactment of effective solutions to grand challenges.

Transformative or incumbent futures? How the future of mobility is imagined in sustainability transitions research

How actors relate to the future has long been considered important in research on the governance of transformations towards sustainability. Recent contributions have explored the politics at play in the ‘making’ of futures and the forming of collective expectations. Building on the concept of socio-material incumbency and integrating academic discussions which appreciate the politics of future-making, we consider the forming of collective expectations as a process through which prevailing socio-material arrangements are challenged and reproduced. We introduce the concept of ‘scope incumbency’, through which the particular ideas about the future collectively deemed plausible are shaped by prevailing power arrangements. Consequently, we suggest it plays an important and underappreciated role in the reproduction of locked-in systems. We illustrate this perspective by exploring how mobility futures are imagined in sustainability transition research. We investigate academic contributions which explicitly articulate possible, plausible and/or desirable alternative mobility arrangements and consider the extent to which and how contributions challenge and reproduce hegemonic socio-technical orders. We find that a substantial portion of the contributions collectively limits the scope of the plausible around automobile-centric futures in several ways.

A versatile 2A peptide-based strategy for ectopic expression and endogenous gene tagging in Trypanosoma cruzi

Nearly all expression vectors currently available for Trypanosoma cruzi were conceived to produce a single primary transcript containing the genes of interest along with those that confer antibiotic resistance. However, since each messenger RNA (mRNA) matures separately, drug selection will only guarantee the expression of those derived from the selectable marker. Therefore, commonly a considerable fraction of the cells recovered after selection with these expression vectors, although resistant do not express the protein of interest. Consequently, in order to counteract this disadvantage, we developed vectors with an alternative arrangement in which the gene of interest and antibiotic resistance are fused sharing the same mRNA. To test this configuration, we included the coding sequence for the green fluorescent protein (mEGFP) linked to the one conferring neomycin resistance (Neo). Additionally, to allow for the production of two independent proteins the sequence for a Thosea asigna virus self-cleaving 2A peptide (T2A) was inserted in-between. Cells obtained with these vectors displayed higher mEGFP expression levels with more homogeneous transgenic parasite populations than those transfected with more conventional independent mRNA-based alternatives. Moreover, as determined by Western blot, 2A mediated fusion protein dissociation occurred with high efficiency in all parasite stages. In addition, these vectors could easily be transformed into endogenous tagging constructs that allowed the insertion, by ends-in homologous recombination, of a hemagglutinin tag (HA) fused to the actin gene. The use of 2A self-cleaving peptides in the context of single mRNA vectors represents an interesting strategy capable of improving ectopic transgene expression in T. cruzi as well as providing a simple alternative to more sophisticated methods, such as the one based on CRISPR/Cas9, for the endogenous labeling of genes.

Opening the Black Box of Self-Employment: Identifying Alternative Work Arrangements in the United States

Opening the Black Box of Self-Employment: Identifying Alternative Work Arrangements in the United States

Perceptions and Experiences Regarding Personal Protective Equipment Usage and Menstrual Health and Hygiene among Female Healthcare Workers during COVID-19: A Cross-sectional Study at a Tertiary Care Hospital, Maharashtra, India

Introduction: Female Healthcare Workers (FHCWs) played a crucial role during the Coronavirus Diseases-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, diligently donning Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to deliver essential care to patients. While PPE effectively shielded FHCWs from infections, it simultaneously imposed limitations on their ability to perform fundamental human activities, including using restrooms and managing menstruation. During menstruation, the restricted access to sanitary pads, combined with the challenges of working in PPE, heightened vulnerability among FHCWs, resulting in discomfort, distress, and a decline in work efficiency. Aim: To assess the perceptions, experiences, and challenges of FHCWs regarding PPE usage while providing healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it aimed to explore the challenges experienced in managing Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) during the COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the western region of India at a tertiary care hospital of the medical college of Symbiosis International (Deemed to be University) in Pune, Maharashtra, India from September 2020 to November 2020. A total of 300 FHCWs who were assigned COVID-19 duties and utilised PPE were included. Data was collected through a semistructured proforma, covering topics on PPE usage, challenges encountered, personal experiences, and the management of menstruation. The collected data underwent analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0, with a primary emphasis on descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 194 (64.7%) perceived that PPE imparted protection, and 267 (89.1%) believed that work efficiency was compromised. Challenges reported by FHCWs while working in PPE included sweating, difficulty in making eye contact, triggers of headaches, nausea, and earaches. A total of 161 (53.9%) reported experiencing a menstrual cycle while on duty with COVID-19 patients, out of which 40 (24.8%) experienced irregular periods, 23 (14.2%) experienced premenstrual stress, and 98 (60.8%) suffered from dysmenorrhoea during menstruation. Additionally, 155 (96.4%) were unable to change sanitary pads, 18 (11%) had stained PPE suits, and 146 (99.9%) experienced challenges in the disposal of sanitary napkins. Conclusion: Many FHCWs felt that PPE offered protection but also compromised work efficiency. Sweating, discomfort, and managing menstrual hygiene within PPE were common challenges encountered. Providing training on PPE usage, adjusting shift durations, implementing policies for the supply of sanitary pads, permitting breaks for changing, ensuring proper disposal arrangements, providing necessary medications and additional PPE if required, leaves, or creating alternative duty arrangements would be beneficial for FHCWs.

Enhancement of Access to Primary Education under Implementation of School Education Sector Plan & Roadmap for Sindh 2019-2024 Perceptions of Head Master's District Umerkot, Sindh

This study aimed to examine the status of implementation of the School Education Sector Plan & Roadmap for Sindh 2019-2024 and its relevance for enhancing access to education at the primary level education through the perception of school headmasters of the selected district. The study employed a qualitative research method. Within qualitative research, a phenomenological approach was employed. The findings revealed that certain activities seemed lacking implementation viz, a baseline survey of out-of-school children, clustering of schools, continuous professional development training, whereas, majority of them, entailing enrolment campaigns for school-age children registration transport facilities and infrastructure ECE and upgradation stayed there executed. Recruitment, training of newly recruited teachers, and alternative arrangements of education in emergency seemed outstanding achievements of the sector plan in opening closed schools and continuing education in emergency, partly supplementing enhancement of access to education, whereas the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to be a daunting challenge, affecting the education sector as whole. Spirit of ownership follow-up and monitoring aspects of the implementation activities were found to be the major gaps in the plan implementation. The study recommended grassroots stakeholders’ involvement in the development and execution of sector plans, district and taluka-level implementation and monitoring mechanisms.

The fitness consequences of genetic divergence between polymorphic gene arrangements.

Inversions restrict recombination when heterozygous with standard arrangements, but often have few noticeable phenotypic effects. Nevertheless, there are several examples of inversions that can be maintained polymorphic by strong selection under laboratory conditions. A long-standing model for the source of such selection is divergence between arrangements with respect to recessive or partially recessive deleterious mutations, resulting in a selective advantage to heterokaryotypic individuals over homokaryotypes. This paper uses a combination of analytical and numerical methods to investigate this model, for the simple case of an autosomal inversion with multiple independent nucleotide sites subject to mildly deleterious mutations. A complete lack of recombination in heterokaryotypes is assumed, as well as constancy of the frequency of the inversion over space and time. It is shown that a significantly higher mutational load will develop for the less frequent arrangement. A selective advantage to heterokaryotypes is only expected when the two alternative arrangements are nearly equal in frequency, so that their mutational loads are very similar in size. The effects of some Drosophila pseudoobscura polymorphic inversions on fitness traits seem to be too large to be explained by this process, although it may contribute to some of the observed effects. Several population genomic statistics can provide evidence for signatures of a reduced efficacy of selection associated with the rarer of two arrangements, but there is currently little published data that are relevant to the theoretical predictions.

Stabilize Various Novel Network Structures via the Alternate Arrangement of A/C Domains in Close Contact by Tailoring ABC Miktoarm Star Architectures

Stabilize Various Novel Network Structures via the Alternate Arrangement of A/C Domains in Close Contact by Tailoring ABC Miktoarm Star Architectures

The quality of family relationships in dementia: Mixed methods to unravel mixed feelings.

Objective: Close relationships influence health and quality of life outcomes for people with dementia and their families. Yet, we know little on the role of different relationship domains with quantitative methods having proved to have limitations in this research field. We aimed to study these relationship domains over time, contrasting the views of people with dementia and their family carers, making use of both quantitative and qualitative approaches.Methods: A convergent mixed methods design was adopted, analysing longitudinal data (four time points over three years) from 66 dyads of Portuguese community-dwelling people with dementia and their primary carers, from the EU-Actifcare project sample. Quantitative assessments used sociodemographic and clinical variables, and Positive Affect Index scores, with descriptive and inferential analyses. Qualitative data, collected through individual and joint semi-structured interviews, were explored using thematic analysis.Results: Both quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrated that some domains of relationship quality are affected in different ways, with changes occurring at different stages. Some (e.g., 'communication') may even improve after initial decline. 'Closeness' was consistently altered over time, from carers' perspectives, and played an important protective role regarding institutionalisation. Overall, changes in the relationship quality were perceived differently by people with dementia and their carers, and these divergent perspectives often led to tension. Qualitative data revealed that 'mixed feelings' (ambivalence) involve complex experiences, arguably more difficult to manage than negative feelings alone. Furthermore, perceived informal support, particularly from the extended family, and receiving formal services' assistance, seemed to facilitate positive (re)appraisals of the relationship.Conclusions: A deeper understanding of relationship quality and its domains as dementia progresses may help tailoring interventions to tackle modifiable aspects of relationships, meeting the needs and cherishing the resources of dyads and families. Timely assessments could identify relationships at risk and need for support, including for alternative caring arrangements.

Understanding Contemporary Career Success: A Critical Review

This article provides a critical review of developments in the literature on career success. We review work from both the organizational psychology (OP) and organizational behavior (OB) disciplines, highlighting the different perspectives, strengths, and weaknesses of each area, and attempt to reconcile these perspectives on career success to suggest productive new research directions. First, the article reflects on conceptualizations of objective and subjective career success and their relative value to the field. We then discuss several categories of career success predictors drawn from economic, sociological, and social-psychological perspectives used in OP and OB. These include human capital, internal and external labor markets, sponsorship and social capital, stable and malleable individual differences, and career self-management behaviors. We provide research suggestions within each of those sections as well as an integrative research agenda built around several emerging issues and theoretical perspectives, encouraging future research on the implications of sustainable careers, career shocks, marginalized group experiences, and alternative employment arrangements for career success.