Search

Person‐centred care, with its central focus on the patient in partnership with healthcare practitioners, is considered to be the contemporary gold standard of care. This type of care implies effective communication from and by both the patient and the healthcare practitioner. This is often problematic in the case of the paediatric population, because of the many communicative challenges that may arise due to the child's developmental level, illness and distress, linguistic competency and disabilities. The principle of universal design put forth in conventions and legislation means that the design of products and services should be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible. Augmentative and alternative communication encompasses strategies, for example pictures and apps, that are typically used with people with communication disability. In this position paper, we argue for the universal use of augmentative and alternative communication to support person‐centred communication and care for children, regardless of age or potential disability. Clinical examples are shared from three different paediatric care settings where pictorial supports were applied universally. Interviews were conducted with children and adolescents (with and without disabilities), parents and healthcare practitioners, and the principles of universal design were used as a framework to demonstrate how person‐centred communication is supported in paediatric care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a significant development in unmanned platform technologies, specifically unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As a result, their application scenarios have expanded considerably. Unmanned platforms are considered integral components of the Internet of Things system. However, certain challenges arise when dealing with specialized tasks, such as navigating complex urban low-altitude terrain with multiple obstacles and limited communication capabilities. These challenges can greatly impact the efficiency of the system due to information isolation. To address this issue, a messenger drone mechanism is introduced in this paper, which utilizes air superiority to facilitate indirect communication between unmanned platforms. Additionally, a task sequence planning algorithm based on sampling transformation is designed. This algorithm efficiently assigns the drone to mobile UGVs by discretely sampling their paths and considering the UAV-UGV motion relationship. By transforming the problem into an asymmetric traveler problem, it allows for a fast solution. Finally, the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified through comparative analysis in different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) approaches offer expressive and receptive supports for the segment of the population of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have little or no functional speech. The National Center for Autism Evidence and Practice (NCAEP) declared augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions for individuals with autism an "evidence-based practice." Following a brief analysis of the breakdown of studies included in NCAEP by dependent variable, we introduce each of the four papers published as part of this special issue on Advances in Augmentative and Alternative Communication Research for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In addition to elucidating the contributions and advances of each paper to the research base, including the NCAEP report, we provide a critical commentary as applicable in the hopes of stimulating and guiding further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pictures drawn by people with aphasia (PWA) are often more challenging to understand than those drawn by healthy people. There are two types of objects: those that tend to be drawn symbolically (symbolically drawn objects—SOs) and those that are likely to be drawn realistically (realistically drawn objects—ROs). Aims: To compare the identification rate and number of misunderstanding types between SOs and ROs drawn by PWA and healthy controls (HCs). To reveal trends in the misunderstandings of drawings by PWA, and to identify the language or cognitive abilities related to the identification rate of pictures drawn by PWA. Methods & Procedures: We designed a drawing task involving SOs and ROs. A total of 18 PWA and 30 HCs completed the task, and respondents identified the drawings. The identification rate and number of misunderstandings were analysed with two‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) including group (PWA and HCs) and object type (SOs and ROs). The misunderstandings were divided into four categories varying in semantic and morphological similarity; these ratios were examined with a chi‐square test. The relationships of language and cognitive abilities with the identification rate were investigated with multiple regression analyses. Outcomes & Results: There was a significant effect of the interaction between group and object type on the identification rate (F(1.1387) = 3.90, Mean Squared Error (MSE) = 4139.67, p = 0.04): the identification rates for ROs were lower in the PWA than in the HCs. For the number of misunderstanding types, an interaction was observed between group and object type (F(1.56) = 8.26, MSE = 26.93, p < 0.01): the number of misunderstanding types for ROs in the PWA was greater than that in the HCs. The misunderstanding patterns differed between ROs and SOs (χ2(3) = 694.30, p < 0.001, V = 0.37). ROs were semantically related, whereas SOs were morphologically related. The identification rates of ROs and SOs were correlated only with Kanji writing scores (ROs: β = 3.66, p = 0.01; SOs: β = 6.57, p < 0.01). Conclusions & Implications: In drawings by the PWA, SOs had a higher identification rate, while ROs had a lower identification rate and a greater variety of misunderstandings. SOs may increase drawing motivation. Interventions to improve the identifiability of SOs and ROs should reflect each character. Identification rates were correlated only with Kanji writing scores. The PWA, whose native language was Japanese and had preserved Kanji writing abilities, and their communication abilities may be increased through drawing. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: PWA often have impaired drawing abilities and draw pictures that third parties misinterpret. Some objects tend to be drawn symbolically, and some are drawn realistically. However, it is not clear whether there is a difference between these types of drawings depicted by PWA in identifiability and the tendency to be misunderstood by ordinary people. In addition, the relationships between language or cognitive abilities and the identification rate of drawn pictures are not clear. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: The identification rate differed between SOs and ROs. In drawings by PWA, SOs had a higher identification rate, while ROs had a lower identification rate and the greatest variety of misunderstandings. Approximately half of the misunderstandings were related to the target object. SOs tended to be confused with morphologically related objects, while ROs tended to be confused with semantically related objects. Identification rates were correlated only with Kanji writing scores. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: To motivate PWA's drawing, it is suitable to begin with SOs. Examining drawing ability from the perspective of SOs and ROs increases the chance of identifying drawing ability. PWA whose native language is Japanese and have preserved Kanji writing abilities may be able to increase their communication abilities through drawing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aim Method & Procedures Outcomes & Results Conclusions & Implications What this paper adds What is already known on the subject What this paper adds to existing knowledge What are the practical and clinical implications of this work? Over 8 million children with disabilities live in Africa and are candidates for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), yet formal training for team members, such as speech–language therapists and special education teachers, is extremely limited. Only one university on the continent provides postgraduate degrees in AAC, and other institutions provide only short modules at an undergraduate level. The need for an introductory training course on AAC that is accessible by university students continent‐wide was identified. An online programme, namely an intelligent tutoring system (ITS), was identified as a possible option to facilitate interactive learning without the need for synchronous teaching. The use of an ITS is shown to be effective in developing knowledge and clinical reasoning in the health and rehabilitation fields. However, it has not yet been applied to student teaching in the field of AAC.To determine both the feasibility of an ITS to implement an AAC curriculum for students in four African countries, and the usability and effectiveness of such a system as a mechanism for learning about AAC.The study included two components: the development of a valid AAC curriculum; and using the ITS to test the effectiveness of implementation in a pre‐ and post‐test design with 98 speech–language therapy and special education students from five universities.Statistically significant differences were obtained between pre‐ and post‐test assessments. Students perceived the learning experience as practical, with rich content.The findings suggest that the ITS‐based AAC curriculum was positively perceived by the students and potentially offers an effective means of providing supplementary AAC training to students, although modifications to the system are still required. Professionals typically lack formal training in AAC. In Africa, this presents a serious challenge as there are over 8 million children who are candidates for AAC. A need for an introductory training course on AAC, which can be accessed by university students continent‐wide, was identified. An AAC curriculum was developed and integrated into an ITS, an online programme allowing interactive learning through asynchronous teaching. Students from four African countries completed the AAC ITS curriculum. The curriculum was positively received by the students and statistically significant changes in knowledge were identified. This feasibility study shows that the use of an ITS is an effective means of providing AAC training to university students in these African countries. The results provide a valuable contribution toward ensuring the equitable distribution of AAC training opportunities in the African context. This will have a significant positive impact on those who are candidates for AAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Those supporting children and young people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) contribute to ongoing complex decision‐making about communication aid selection and support. Little is known about how these decisions are made in practice and how attributes of the communication aid are described or considered. Aims: To understand how communication aid attributes were described by those involved in AAC recommendations and support for children and young people, and how these attributes were described as impacting on AAC use. Methods & Procedures: A secondary qualitative analysis was completed of interview and focus group data from 91 participants involved in the support of 22 children and young people. Attributes of communication aids described by participants were extracted as themes and this paper reports a descriptive summary of the identified software (non‐hardware) attributes. Main Contribution: Decisions were described in terms of comparisons between commercially available pre‐existing vocabulary packages. Attributes related to vocabulary, graphic representation, consistency and intuitiveness of design, and ease of editing were identified. Developmental staging of vocabularies, core and fringe vocabulary, and vocabulary personalization were attributes that were described as being explicitly considered in decisions. The potential impact of graphic symbol choice did not seem to be considered strongly. The physical and social environment was described as the predominant factor driving the choice of a number of attributes. Conclusions & Implications: Specific attributes that appear to be established in decision‐making in these data have limited empirical research literature. Terms used in the literature to describe communication aid attributes were not observed in these data. Practice‐based evidence does not appear to be supported by the available research literature and these findings highlight several areas where empirical research is needed in order to provide a robust basis for practice. What This Paper Adds: What is already known on the subject: Communication aid attributes are viewed as a key consideration by practitioners and family members in AAC decision‐making; however, there are few empirical studies investigating language and communication attributes of communication aids. It is important to understand how those involved in AAC recommendations and support view communication aid attributes and the impact different attributes have. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This study provides a picture of how communication aids are described by practitioners and family members involved in AAC support of children and young people. A range of attributes is identified from the analysis of these qualitative data as well as information about how participants perceive these attributes as informing decisions. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: This study provides a basis on which practitioners and others involved in AAC support for children and young people can review and reflect on their own practice and so improve the outcomes of AAC decisions. The study provides a list of attributes that appear to be considered in practice and so also provides a resource for researchers looking to ensure there is a strong empirical basis for AAC decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rules in building codes are composed of language, logic structure, and the embedded knowledge that requires further articulation from rule experts. This greatly increases the complexity of rule interpretation. The conceptual graph (CG) is used as a graph-based representation method to capture such knowledge and transfer it to other actors in the compliance checking process. However, due to its subjectivity, it is difficult to ensure the quality of the CG to achieve minimal knowledge loss. This paper proposes a method using reusable CG patterns to reduce the knowledge loss caused by the opacity of concepts in rules, hence better facilitating knowledge transfer using CGs. The rules and their corresponding CGs are analyzed and compared. An assessment framework is used to assess CGs for correctness, completeness, complexity, and comprehensibility. A group of reusable CG patterns is then generated based on the analysis results of concepts in existing CGs. In a case study, rules selected from two types of building codes are used to validate the proposed methods. The results successfully demonstrate the effectiveness of the CG in facilitating knowledge transfer. Moreover, the comparison of quality between original CGs and improved CGs shows that using reusable CG patterns can effectively ease the creation of new CGs and improve its consistency. Automated code compliance checking requires close collaboration between experts and programmers to encode building codes in a computer-executable format for real-world implementation. The challenge is that experts possess the domain knowledge, while programmers are familiar with implementation. This communication gap between experts and programmers may result in inconsistencies or errors in the automated code checking system. To bridge this gap, a method that can facilitate communication between experts and programmers called the conceptual graph (CG) is used. However, the current CG still requires significant effort, and it may be subjectively interpreted. This paper introduces reusable CGs to improve clarity and reduce the effort needed. The paper elaborates how such reusable CGs may be developed and how it may be assessed in real situations. A validation case study is conducted on two types of building codes, and results indicate the reusable CG is a viable tool to improve clarity and reduce potential errors. The contributions of this paper will benefit the current state of automated code compliance checking by introducing a method to clearly represent concepts within building codes, thereby reducing potential rework arising from ambiguous contextual concepts in the building code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People who have communication difficulties may benefit from using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Understanding and measuring outcomes from the use of AAC is an important part of evaluating the impact of devices and services. Outcome measurement needs to reflect the changing nature of the impact of using AAC on an individual's ability to participate in activities of daily life. There is a limited understanding of the concepts that should inform the evaluation of outcomes from AAC device provision, nor how people's expectations from AAC may change over time. Aims: To inform the development of a patient‐reported outcome measure for AAC by understanding more about people's expectations from AAC and how these change over time. Methods & Procedures: A longitudinal qualitative research study was designed and carried out with seven participants over a period of 2 years. Participants were recruited from a regional specialist assessment service for AAC in the south‐west of the UK. Four semi‐structured interviews were carried out: (1) before assessment for AAC, (2) after assessment, (3) directly after provision of an AAC device and (4) between 6 and 12 months after provision. An original analytic method was used in this study that built on the principles of longitudinal interpretative phenomenology analysis, applied with a dialogic theoretical lens. This approach enabled the inclusion of a range of multimodal and embodied data collected to this study and allowed the research team to draw out salient themes across the cohort group while attending to the influence of time and context on experience. Outcomes & Results: The results confirm and extend the three core concepts that were used to guide analysis: changes; contexts; future possibilities. The contextual and temporal influences on outcomes attainable from AAC for this cohort were also identified and illustrated through cross‐case comparison. Deeper, analytic, and conceptual engagement with theory, which was then applied to analysis of the data, provided methodological rigour in the study. The results enhance our understanding of people's hopes and expectations from AAC and how these change over time. Conclusions & Implications: This qualitative longitudinal research study provides new insights into the journeys of people who experience communication disability, and the shifting nature of their sense of identity as they engage with, and learn from using, AAC. The study is significant as it attends to the dynamic nature of experience and how contextual and experiential factors influence people's hopes and expectations from AAC. The paper presents an original application of longitudinal qualitative research methodology with people who use AAC which can be further applied and tested in the field of communication disability research. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject: We did not know the impact that time has on the concepts that have been identified to represent important outcomes from AAC. The existing concepts used to define outcomes from AAC were not adequately conceptualized to develop a patient‐reported outcome measure. This study sought to extend our knowledge about outcomes from AAC. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: This study adds to the methodological toolkit available for qualitative inquiry in the field of communication disability research by presenting a longitudinal qualitative research methodology. It adds depth to our understanding of the concepts that underpin outcomes from AAC and highlights the dynamic nature of contexts and how this influences desired outcomes. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: This longitudinal qualitative research study provides a broader perspective on the experience of getting AAC. It will enable clinicians to better navigate the contextual and transitionary factors that influence people's experience of acquiring AAC devices. The enhanced concepts described will also support clinical conversations that consider the wider facets of communication and what AAC can add to existing communicative tool kits beyond getting a message across. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the second of two papers summarizing studies reporting on the design of electronic graphic symbol-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. The aim of this paper was to describe the design approaches used and to determine to what extent the principles of human-centred design (HCD) were reflected in the design approaches and processes used. A scoping review was conducted. A multifaceted search resulted in the identification of 28 studies meeting the selection criteria. Data were extracted relating to four areas of interest, namely, (1) the general characteristics of the studies, (2) features of the systems designed, (3) availability of the systems to the public and (4) the design processes followed. In this paper, findings related to the last area are presented. Design approaches were often inconsistently described. User-centred design was mentioned more often than HCD. Even so, various HCD principles were considered in most studies. Notably, stakeholders were involved in the design process in all studies. However, users were not involved in all studies and stakeholder roles were predominantly informative rather than collaborative. Prototype and product evaluations focussed mostly on usability rather than user experience. Although many design teams were multidisciplinary, engineers and computer scientists predominated. There is a need for designers to be more transparent about the type of design approach used to guide the system design and also to clearly report on design approaches and processes used. The application of HCD to the design of graphic symbol-based AAC systems is still limited. Human-centred design approaches can productively guide the design of electronic graphic symbol-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. Creative methods are needed to involve stakeholders with complex communication needs in all phases of the design process. Evaluation of electronic graphic symbol-based AAC systems should consider both usability and user experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first of two papers summarizing studies reporting on the design of electronic graphic symbol-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, to determine the state of the field. The aim of this paper was to provide an overview of the general characteristics of the studies and to describe the features of the systems designed. A scoping review was conducted. A multifaceted search resulted in the identification of 28 studies meeting the selection criteria. Data were extracted relating to four areas of interest, namely (1) the general characteristics of the studies, (2) features of the systems designed, (3) availability of the systems to the public, and (4) the design processes followed. In this paper, findings relating to the first three areas are presented. Most study authors were affiliated to fields of engineering and/or computer science and came from high-income countries. Most studies reported the design of AAC applications loaded onto mobile technology devices. Common system features included customizable vocabulary items, the inclusion of graphic symbols from both established AAC libraries and other sources, a dynamic grid display, and the inclusion of digital and/or synthetic speech output. Few systems were available to the public. Limited justifications for many of the complex design decisions were provided in the studies, possibly due to limited involvement of rehabilitation professionals during the design process. Furthermore, few studies reported on the design of graphic symbol-based AAC systems specifically for middle- and low-income contexts and also for multilingual populations. Complex design decisions about electronic graphic symbol-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems should be made purposefully and with sufficient justification. Increased collaboration between designers and rehabilitation professionals during the design of electronic graphic symbol-based systems could improve the products. Design of AAC systems for populations residing in low and middle-income contexts and also for multilingual populations are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-frame super-resolution (MFSR) leverages complementary information between image sequences of the same scene to increase the resolution of the reconstructed image. As a branch of MFSR, burst super-resolution aims to restore image details by leveraging the complementary information between noisy sequences. In this paper, we propose an efficient burst-enhanced super-resolution network (BESR). Specifically, we introduce Geformer, a gate-enhanced transformer, and construct an enhanced CNN-Transformer block (ECTB) by combining convolutions to enhance local perception. ECTB efficiently aggregates intra-frame context and inter-frame correlation information, yielding an enhanced feature representation. Additionally, we leverage reference features to facilitate inter-frame communication, enhancing spatiotemporal coherence among multiple frames. To address the critical processes of inter-frame alignment and feature fusion, we propose optimized pyramid alignment (OPA) and hybrid feature fusion (HFF) modules to capture and utilize complementary information between multiple frames to recover more high-frequency details. Extensive experiments demonstrate that, compared to state-of-the-art methods, BESR achieves higher efficiency and competitively superior reconstruction results. On the synthetic dataset and real-world dataset of BurstSR, our BESR achieves PSNR values of 42.79 dB and 48.86 dB, respectively, outperforming other MFSR models significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern society changed the way of communication: instead of communicating face-to-face, people more often communicate using text-based instant messaging (IM) applications. These applications use appropriate protocols to facilitate communication between end users. It is crucial to ensure both the security and an adequate level of privacy for end users. Many existing protocols having the same purpose might be considered potentially suspicious. The reason for this is the usage of encryption - encrypted traffic is often targeted by mass surveillance tools. This paper presents a novel protocol named StegaCloak. By combining cryptography with steganography, this protocol enhances security and privacy in modern text-based IM communication. Furthermore, it addresses one important weakness of other similar protocols - detectability, by hiding real communication within regular chat messages. We described our protocol using two approaches: a simple diagram of messages flow and formal protocol flow notation. The proposed protocol is compared to some of the most well-known IM protocols today, OTR and Signal. Its security is verified using the AVISPA tool, a tool designed for the formal verification of security protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The work presented in this paper will be applied in the process of design and the production of customized, low-cost upper limb prostheses, using the AutoMedPrint technology. The developed extended reality (XR) applications will be used for training and facilitating communication with customers. This paper presents results from experimental studies that assess the utilization of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR, AR, MR) at different stages of developing personalized 3D printed upper limb prostheses for adult patients. The prostheses are designed automatically using the AutoMedPrint system, leveraging 3D scans as described in various prior publications. Various stages of development of the prosthesis are made as applications of different extended reality technologies. An assembly instruction is implemented as an immersive VR application, a configurator is designed as AR application and a configurator and try-on application is prepared and deployed in MR. The applications are tested by an international group of experts during a scheduled experiment. The experts then participate to surveys and comparatively evaluate the potential of all the XR technologies. The paper presents the development of these applications, provides a detailed account of the experimental process, including the rankings of XR technologies for different applications throughout the lifecycle of a prosthetic device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the situation of colloid science at the beginning of the twentieth century, and what in the end lead to the founding of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft (Colloid Society). One challenge when establishing a new interdisciplinary field of science is that experts from different areas and disciplines typically do not have an opportunity to meet with each other and discuss. Founding a society dealing with that new field is one way of bringing such people together, and to facilitate communication. Still going strong after 100 years could be an indication that the approach to foster colloid science by founding a Colloid Society was successful. The reasons leading to the founding of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft, however, still exist and even seem to be as modern as ever. Bringing people together who are working in different fields requires continuous efforts in order to solve the challenges of our future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The layer of protection analysis (LOPA) is a ubiquitous part of the workflow for process hazards analysis and engineered safeguard design. LOPA became popular as an extension of process hazards analysis (PHA) techniques like hazard and operability (HAZOP) studies, where a little more formality and quantification were required to help better understand the risk or to provide order‐of‐magnitude design criteria for safeguards. Even so, from its inception LOPA has suffered from limitations that are rooted in the "one‐cause, one‐consequence" paradigm to the analysis that limits the scope. This limitation can result in design errors where engineered safeguards that protect against a consequence with multiple causes can be under‐designed by looking at one cause at a time. Also, safeguards that reduce the magnitude of consequences (i.e., mitigate) instead of preventing loss of containment cannot be addressed at all without ignoring the residual consequence that exists even if the safeguard activates successfully. While some extensions of LOPA that address the issue of multiple causes are commonly used, mitigative safeguards are rarely appropriately addressed and designed using LOPA. Finally, the textual nature of the process also makes results hard to communicate to nonpractitioners. Recent research into unified hazard assessment that combines HAZOP, LOPA, and bow tie analysis has yielded techniques that elegantly address all the limitations of LOPA while also providing a graphical presentation that facilitates result communication. This paper will provide background on how unified hazard assessment yielded the techniques of quantitative bow tie analysis. The paper will also describe in detail how to implement quantitative bow tie analysis along with the mathematical concepts used for quantification of risk for multiple causes and multiple consequences inside a single bow tie diagram. The concepts will be presented using example studies that include mitigative safeguards and multiple cause scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentence processing is a fundamental and critical area of inquiry within the field of language processing, as it plays an essential role in facilitating effective communication. The present study focuses on the immediate processing of sentences in English language communication. The article begins by providing an overview of the basic principles underlying sentence processing. It then delves into the various parsing strategies, including the late closure strategy and the minimal attachment strategy. The modular and interactive models of sentence processing are also presented and discussed. Additionally, the relationship between sentence processing and meaning is explored, with an examination of the role of factors such as presupposition and plausibility in language communication process. Finally, the role of prosody in language processing is expounded upon. The paper draws several conclusions regarding the nature of immediate sentence processing in language communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast majority of individuals with Rett syndrome do not utilize natural speech and therefore require alternative and augmentative communication (AAC). The purpose of the current study was to investigate the use of high- and low-tech AAC modalities by three individuals with Rett syndrome given similar instruction for using both modalities. For all participants, the number of sessions to criterion and cumulative number of trials with independent requests during simultaneous or alternating instruction in the use of a high- and low-tech AAC modality were investigated. Parents conducted all sessions with remote coaching from a research assistant via telecommunication. Each participant exhibited idiosyncratic response patterns in terms of use of their high- and low-tech AAC modalities during instruction but ultimately demonstrated the ability to use both modalities to make requests. Implications for future research and practice pertaining to AAC of individuals with complex communication needs are discussed. This paper is a companion to Girtler et al. (2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to facilitate wireless communication has emerged as a viable and promising strategy to enhance current and prospective wireless systems. This approach offers many advantages by establishing line-of-sight connections, optimizing operational efficiency, and enabling flexible deployment capabilities in various terrains. Thus, in this paper, we investigate UAV communication in a relaying network in which a UAV helps communication between a source and two destination users while flying to a location. To have a complete view of our proposed system, we consider both orthogonal multiple access, such as OFDMs and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scenarios. Moreover, we apply successive convex optimization (SCO) and the block-coordinate gradient descent (BCGD) for the sum-rate optimization problems to improve the system performance under constraints of total bandwidth and total power at the ground base station and UAV. The experimental results validate that the achievable secrecy rates are notably enhanced using our proposed algorithms and show optimal trends for critical parameters, such as transmit powers, the flight trajectory and speed of the UAV, and resource allocation of OFDM and NOMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore Consecutive Interpreting techniques needed to facilitate Intercultural Communication of Zhuang Medicine Culture from the Perspective of Speech Act Theory, based on ASEAN Guangxi International Workshop on TCM Zhuang and Yao Medicine. It is found that the Speech Act Theory can effectively guide the C-E International Zhuang Medicine Workshop classroom interpreting and contribute to better classroom communication. Meanwhile, the application of techniques such as semantic deverbalization, amplification and negation can facilitate imparting of Zhuang Medicine Culture knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the characteristics of global coverage, on-demand access, and large capacity, the low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication (SatCom) has become one promising technology to support the Internet-of-Things (IoT). However, due to the scarcity of satellite spectrum and the high cost of designing satellites, it is difficult to launch a dedicated satellite for IoT communications. To facilitate IoT communications over LEO SatCom, in this paper, we propose the cognitive LEO satellite system, where the IoT users act as the secondary user to access the legacy LEO satellites and cognitively use the spectrum of the legacy LEO users. Due to the flexibility of code division multiple access (CDMA) in multiple access and the wide use of CDMA in LEO SatCom, we apply CDMA to support cognitive satellite IoT communications. For the cognitive LEO satellite system, we are interested in the achievable rate analysis and resource allocation. Specifically, considering the randomness of spreading codes, we use the random matrix theory to analyze the asymptotic signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios (SINRs) and accordingly obtain the achievable rates for both legacy and IoT systems. The power of the legacy and IoT transmissions at the receiver are jointly allocated to maximize the sum rate of the IoT transmission subject to the legacy satellite system performance requirement and the maximum received power constraints. We prove that the sum rate of the IoT users is quasi-concave over the satellite terminal receive power, based on which the optimal receive powers for these two systems are derived. Finally, the resource allocation scheme proposed in this paper has been verified by extensive simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers teacher education for teachers of learners with severe to profound disabilities (SPD) in South Africa, in both formal and non-formal learning programmes within a disability studies in education framework. Qualitative data were collected from a range of education stakeholders including non-governmental (NGOs) and disabled people organisations (DPOs). Based on a thematic analysis, findings show limited pre-service teacher education programmes focused on teaching learners with SPD. In-service teacher training through education departments and NGOs and DPOs, is usually through basic short courses or workshops and are not complemented by on-going support. We argue for a reconceptualization of teacher education in South Africa to prepare teachers to meet the diverse needs of learners, including those with SPDs within an inclusive education context. Skills in addressing barriers to learning should be infused throughout initial teacher education, in line with the principles of universal design for learning while impairment-specific knowledge can be offered in related modules that focus on reasonable accommodation for children with disabilities. In-service education can occur in formal and informal programmes and should empowers teachers to become lifelong learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation in society is the cornerstone to living a meaningful, connected, and healthy life. Persons with complex communication needs, however, often have restricted opportunities to participate in everyday contexts and situations. Reasons for this include societal attitudinal barriers, as well as limited knowledge and skills about augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to enhance participation. Enhancing participation of persons with complex communication needs requires a holistic and multi-faceted approach. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with their disability-inclusive agenda provide an impetus for shaping the approach of the Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) in enhancing participation of persons with complex communication needs in South Africa. This paper aims to provide a reflective description and application of the work conducted by the CAAC in addressing the SDGs in South Africa. Research and training conducted by the CAAC is shown to be aligned to five SDGs, namely zero hunger (SDG 2), good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) and peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16), with a focus on reaching these goals in order to benefit persons with complex communication needs. The paper demonstrates that, despite some gains in addressing the SDGs, research and clinical practice still needs to be on these and the remaining SDGs. Furthermore, there is a need to also find ways to integrate the SDGs to ensure participation of persons with complex communication needs in major life activities and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary describes the development of global partnerships, capacity-building, and the basis for the creation of a website (Leadersproject.org) used throughout the world that contains free educational resources for the assessment and treatment of people with communication disabilities (PWCD). This website contains speech-language assessment and treatment materials, online skill-building courses, over 200 instructional videos, train-the-trainer course materials, and syntheses of important research and trainings in over 30 languages. This commentary relates the work from leadersproject.org to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through this website, the authors have established ongoing global partnerships with other health and education professionals. Moreover, PWCD and their families have used the website for information and support throughout the world. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and other health and education professionals use these materials to host capacity-building trainings and to support the development of knowledge and skills to local professionals for the benefit of PWCD. The Leadersproject.org resources have been influential and impactful as measured by approximately 24 000 visits from over 130 countries throughout the world. The authors of this paper continue to establish partnerships worldwide to spread education and increase the quality of care provided to PWCD. This commentary paper focuses on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), reduced inequalities (SDG 10), partnerships for the goals (SDG 17). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Occupational Therapy / Cadernos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional is the property of Cadernos de Terapia Ocupacional da UFSCar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper describes the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for the structural typification of historical buildings located in earthquake-prone regions using digital technologies such as HBIM and Augmented Reality. The paper starts by presenting a detailed analysis of a selected sample of case studies in Peru in which key structural and architectural features were identified, aiming at proposing a preliminary typological classification. This typification was then optimized by analyzing its application in a larger data set consisting of 311 churches located in the Central Andes region. This allowed formalizing 12 structural typologies, which demonstrated to have the potential to provide an accurate description of the geometrical, material, and structural characteristics of Andean churches. The paper underlines the importance of combining digital technologies and comprehensive engineering analyses for creating tools that will facilitate further structural evaluations and seismic vulnerability assessments at a territorial scale. For the study, these tools improved information management processes, analyses, and post-processing tasks, and facilitated communication and decision-making among stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to broaden the discussion on some of the barriers and solutions for co-production in positive behaviour support (PBS) planning as identified in the paper "Including people with intellectual disabilities in the development of their own Positive Behaviour Support Plans". Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on the literature associated with co-production in PBS planning, this commentary will reflect on the wider systems and culture needed to enable successful implementation of this way of working. Findings: Co-production in PBS planning is recommended as part of best practice guidelines. However, there is limited research in the area of co-production with regards to PBS and use of augmentative and alternative communication methods. Collaboration among speech and language therapy and PBS practitioners is an important factor for co-production to achieve the best outcomes for people with learning disabilities who display behaviours of concern. Along with identifying a range of communication tools/strategies needed for PBS assessment/planning, it also requires a whole systems approach and culture shift to ensure the necessary foundations are in place. Originality/value: Co-production in PBS planning remains an under practiced way of working. This commentary builds on the barriers and solutions identified for co-production and provides further insight into what might be needed to achieve this in health and social care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: People with intellectual disabilities are not routinely involved in the assessment of their behaviours that challenge, as this is often completed by a proxy respondent and the health-care professional. This is contrary to guidance stating that everyone should be involved in the planning of their care. This paper aims to show how health-care professionals can support people with intellectual disabilities to engage in the assessment of their behaviours that challenge and the subsequent development of their own positive behaviour support (PBS) plans. Design/methodology/approach: A non-systematic review of the existing literature on improving the engagement of people with learning disabilities in health-care planning, and specifically PBS planning, was undertaken. Appropriate papers were included in this paper. Findings: There are several evidence-based methods to improve people's engagement in the assessment of their own behaviours that challenge and then the development of their PBS plans. These methods are discussed in terms of their application to supporting people to communicate and involving them in the process of developing a valid and meaningful PBS plan. This is a relatively new focus within the literature, and further research should focus on increasing engagement in the process, as well as monitoring how co-production affects PBS outcomes. Originality/value: This paper summarises some of the approaches used to support people with intellectual disabilities to engage in the assessment of their behaviours that challenge and the development of their own PBS plans. This should encourage health-care professionals to consider how to use alternative and augmentative communication strategies to facilitate co-production in their own clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a hybrid robotic swarm system architecture that combines virtual and physical components and enables human–swarm interaction through mixed reality (MR) devices. The system comprises three main modules: (1) the virtual module, which simulates robotic agents, (2) the physical module, consisting of real robotic agents, and (3) the user interface (UI) module. To facilitate communication between the modules, the UI module connects with the virtual module using Photon Network and with the physical module through the Robot Operating System (ROS) bridge. Additionally, the virtual and physical modules communicate via the ROS bridge. The virtual and physical agents form a hybrid swarm by integrating these three modules. The human–swarm interface based on MR technology enables one or multiple human users to interact with the swarm in various ways. Users can create and assign tasks, monitor real-time swarm status and activities, or control and interact with specific robotic agents. To validate the system-level integration and embedded swarm functions, two experimental demonstrations were conducted: (a) two users playing planner and observer roles, assigning five tasks for the swarm to allocate the tasks autonomously and execute them, and (b) a single user interacting with the hybrid swarm consisting of two physical agents and 170 virtual agents by creating and assigning a task list and then controlling one of the physical robots to complete a target identification mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the open community conventions developed by the Ecological Forecasting Initiative (EFI) for the common formatting and archiving of ecological forecasts and the metadata associated with these forecasts. Such open standards are intended to promote interoperability and facilitate forecast communication, distribution, validation, and synthesis. For output files, we first describe the convention conceptually in terms of global attributes, forecast dimensions, forecasted variables, and ancillary indicator variables. We then illustrate the application of this convention to the two file formats that are currently preferred by the EFI, netCDF (network common data form), and comma‐separated values (CSV), but note that the convention is extensible to future formats. For metadata, EFI's convention identifies a subset of conventional metadata variables that are required (e.g., temporal resolution and output variables) but focuses on developing a framework for storing information about forecast uncertainty propagation, data assimilation, and model complexity, which aims to facilitate cross‐forecast synthesis. The initial application of this convention expands upon the Ecological Metadata Language (EML), a commonly used metadata standard in ecology. To facilitate community adoption, we also provide a Github repository containing a metadata validator tool and several vignettes in R and Python on how to both write and read in the EFI standard. Lastly, we provide guidance on forecast archiving, making an important distinction between short‐term dissemination and long‐term forecast archiving, while also touching on the archiving of code and workflows. Overall, the EFI convention is a living document that can continue to evolve over time through an open community process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research delves into the intricate realm of complex syntactic units, emphasizing their role as pivotal linguistic and methodological entities. By intertwining the planes of expression and content, the study underscores the structural and semantic markers that define these units. A comprehensive review of existing literature on the subject reveals the depth and breadth of understanding surrounding complex syntactic units. The paper further highlights the primary characteristics of these units, emphasizing their role in bridging individual sentences and facilitating coherent communication. Special focus is given to the concluding sentences within these units, which play a crucial role in connecting and contextualizing disparate sentences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although the scholarship of teaching and learning literature in the area of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) continues to grow, there is a need for research focused on preservice speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') preparedness for practice and the roles related to AAC they will assume as professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore students' perceptions of learning outcomes and perceived preparedness for roles related to AAC service provision. Method: Forty master's level speech-language pathology students enrolled in two graduate-level AAC courses read about, discussed, and reflected on roles related to AAC at the beginning and end of the course. A mixed-methods approach was used to analyze and compare participants' (a) perceived level of preparedness, self-rated using a Likert scale; (b) reflections on preparedness at the beginning and end of the course; (c) learning priorities at the beginning of the course; and (d) perceptions of learning outcomes at the end of the course. Results: Overall, participants' perceived preparedness improved from the beginning to the end of the course for all roles. Improvements in ratings for the roles of general practice SLP, AAC finder, AAC facilitator/communication partner, and AAC clinical specialist were statistically significant. The data revealed what and how students wanted to learn and the impact of course learning activities on their professional identity development, particularly related to the roles they envision taking on as practicing professionals. Conclusions: The findings have direct implications for teaching and learning in AAC coursework and advancing preservice education in the area of AAC. This study adds to the literature by describing a low-stakes, efficient reflection task that has the potential to impact professional identity development among students and perhaps practitioners as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to expand fisheries managers' understanding of how the science of communication can facilitate effective fisheries management. We offer context‐specific definitions of four communication approaches that are commonly performed by fisheries managers but poorly defined and can easily be confused or conflated. These are as follows: Outreach,Education,Social Marketing, andEngagement.Further, we explain key evidence‐based principles that support each communication approach and offer practical examples of their application. Finally, we highlight different communication research fields that produce social science for communication practitioners to use in the context of fisheries management. These explanations support our claim that effective communication is required to meet the professional needs of fisheries managers and encompasses meeting the needs of their audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are multimodal communicators. However, in classroom interactions involving children and staff, achieving mutual understanding and accomplishing task-oriented goals by attending to the child's unaided AAC can be challenging. This study draws on excerpts of video recordings of interactions in a classroom for 6–9-year-old children who used AAC to explore how three child participants used the range of multimodal resources available to them – vocal, movement-based, and gestural, technological, temporal – to shape (and to some degree, co-control) classroom interactions. Our research was concerned with examining achievements and problems in establishing a sense of common ground and the realization of child agency. Through detailed multimodal analysis, this paper renders visible different types of practices rejecting a request for clarification, drawing new parties into a conversation, disrupting whole-class teacher talk-through which the children in the study voiced themselves in persuasive ways. It concludes by suggesting that multimodal accounts paint a more nuanced picture of children's resourcefulness and conversational asymmetry that highlights children's agency amidst material, semiotic, and institutional constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IoT-enabled smart shoes for the blind is equipped with ultrasonic sensors paired with an Arduino UNO board. The Internet of Things (IoT) facilitates communication among physical objects and between objects and humans. This enabling technology is experiencing rapid development and growth in the market. In India, there are nearly 40 million blind individuals, including 1.6 million children. Blind people encounter significant challenges in traveling independently and rely on others for various aspects of daily life. A major difficulty arises when navigating roads, as their canes may not detect every obstacle. The smart shoe design offers a long-term solution, enabling blind individuals to travel independently on roads. This shoe incorporates IoT technology, embedding various sensors, a microcontroller, and buzzers. The shoe alerts the user with buzzer sounds upon detecting obstacles ahead. To enhance efficiency, smart glasses using IoT technology have been developed, equipped with sensors to detect objects over a wider area. The smart shoes and smart glasses communicate and coordinate to ensure the user avoids collisions with obstacles in their path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the importance and the determinants of trust in a lending situation using a controlled experiment. We find that communication can facilitate collaboration between lenders and borrowers through three channels of trust: (1) an information channel, (2) a preference channel, and (3) a reciprocity channel. Our results highlight the role of trust in mitigating the moral hazard problem in lending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the context of the mid-sixteenth-century movement of spelling standardisation in England, John Hart (c. 1501–1574) wrote three linguistic texts in English (rather than in Latin), on orthographic reform focused on phonetic principles: one letter only represents one sound, and vice versa. This paper aims to examine how Hart appealed to medical imagery in his discussion of English orthography. First, Tudor concepts of medicine (such as the theory of 'elements' and 'humours') were employed to frame his expounding of orthographic problems; second, the procedure of medical treatment was transferred to organise the structure of his argument, i.e. to set up the steps of orthographic reform and to treat specific orthographic problems. The former focuses on the content aspect of his argument while the latter on the structural aspect. Moreover, Hart was very much of his time in his fascination with appropriating political language. During the English Renaissance, medical metaphors were widely used in both political and religious texts, and they were borrowed by Hart and constituted a constant feature of his linguistic writings, published or unpublished. Drawing upon contemporary political tracts, I will demonstrate the religio-political nature of his medical metaphor and how his use of this type of metaphor facilitated communication on spelling reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Involving youth with severe communication disabilities in health research is foregrounded in a perspective of rights and participation. Researchers aligned with a participatory and inclusive research agenda recommend that involving youth in health research should be a deliberate and well‐planned process. However, limited examples exist of how researchers can facilitate the involvement of youth with severe communication disabilities in research projects. Method: The aim of this paper was to describe the application of the Involvement Matrix as a conceptual framework to guide the three phases of a research project with youth with severe communication disabilities. Results: Six youth aged 19–34 years consented to be involved in the project. All youth had a severe communication disability and used augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to support their involvement in the research project. The Involvement Matrix provided a structure to delineate four involvement roles in three research phases: In Phase 1, youth were listeners to research information and advisors in the needs analysis. In Phase 2, as advisors and decision‐makers, youth provided their opinions on selecting picture communication symbols for health materials. In Phase 3, as partners, they were copresenters at an online youth forum. Conclusion: The Involvement Matrix was used to plan and implement the involvement of youth with severe communication disabilities in codeveloping health materials for use during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The Involvement Matrix can be applied together with AAC to enable meaningful involvement of youth in a health research project as listeners, advisors, decision‐makers and partners. Patient or Public Contribution: This study project was codeveloped with youth with severe communication disabilities who use AAC in South Africa. A person with lived experience was involved as an advisor to the health material development process and in the drafting of the manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although extensive research has been conducted on the characteristics of the agile developer, little attention has been given to the features of the software-testing role. This paper explores the human factors of the software testers working in agile projects through a qualitative study focusing on how these factors are perceived. We interviewed 22 agile software practitioners working in three international companies: 14 testers, five developers, and three designers. Additionally, we observed 11 meetings and daily work of 13 participants in one of the companies. Our findings show that the views on the human factors shaping the agile software tester's role were crystallized into seven traits, which the agile team members saw as central for the software-testing role: the ability to see the whole picture, good communication skills, detail-orientation, structuredness, creativeness, curiosity, and adaptability. The testers spent half their day communicating and learned how to mitigate the fact that they had to bring bad news to other project members. They also facilitated communication between the business side and development. Based on our results, we propose the seven traits as dimensions to consider for organizations recruiting agile software testers, as well as a reference for IT and non-IT professionals considering a software-testing career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ICH E9(R1) introduces the estimand framework to strengthen dialogues between sponsors and regulators during drug development. A well-structured benefit-risk assessment (BRA) framework also intends to facilitate communication among stakeholders. However, the estimand in ICH E9(R1) is written mainly from the perspective of a single measure of treatment effect in clinical trials. There is lack of systematic discussion on estimand in the context of BRA. This paper initiates the BRA discussion under the estimand framework. By identifying two types of BRA approaches, we summarize and discuss completed clinical trials, using the estimand language for BRA. Benefits and challenges of using estimand for BRA are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many metrics exist for the evaluation of binary classifiers, all with their particular advantages and shortcomings. Recently, an "Efficiency Index" (EI) for the evaluation of classifiers has been proposed, based on the consistency (or matching) and contradiction (or mismatching) of outcomes. This metric and its confidence intervals are easy to calculate from the base data in a 2 × 2 contingency table, and their values can be qualitatively and semi-quantitatively categorised. For medical tests, in which context the Efficiency Index was originally proposed, it facilitates the communication of risk (of the correct diagnosis versus misdiagnosis) to both clinicians and patients. Variants of the Efficiency Index (balanced, unbiased) which take into account disease prevalence and test cut-offs have also been described. The objectives of the current paper were firstly to extend the EI construct to other formulations (balanced level, quality), and secondly to explore the utility of the EI and all four of its variants when applied to the dataset of a large prospective test accuracy study of a cognitive screening instrument. This showed that the balanced level, quality, and unbiased formulations of the EI are more stringent measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study's goal was to inform the selection of the most frequently used words to serve as a reference for core vocabulary selection for Hebrew-speaking children who require AAC. The paper describes the vocabulary used by 12 Hebrew-speaking preschool children with typical development in two different conditions: peer talk, and peer talk with adult mediation. Language samples were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the CHILDES (Child Language Data Exchange System) tools to identify the most frequently used words. The top 200 lexemes (all variations of a single word) in the peer talk and adult-mediated peer talk conditions accounted for 87.15% (n = 5008 tokens) and 86.4% (n = 5331 tokens) of the total tokens produced in each language sample (n = 5746, n = 6168), respectively. A substantially overlapping vocabulary of 337 lexemes accounted for up to 87% (n = 10411) of the tokens produced in the composite list (n = 11914). The results indicate that a relatively small set of words represent a large proportion of the words used by the preschoolers across two different conditions. General versus language-specific implications for core vocabulary selection for children in need of AAC devices are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Families are the most significant communication partners for an individual with complex communication needs. Even though family-centered approaches are recommended to support augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) services for an individual, it is difficult to establish a successful plan that fits each individual's family. A framework for practitioners is proposed to effectively obtain and understand information about a family's unique dynamics as part of service delivery to positively impact AAC device uptake and long-term use. The goal of using this model is to minimize the disruption to the family while maximizing the integration of the AAC system. This paper proposes and illustrates a framework to enrich AAC services through the integration of several theoretical models of family systems theory, family paradigms, and a procedure called the self-created genogram. This paper begins by reviewing ecological family systems theory and family systems to guide and provide a framework to support effective AAC implementation. The process of self-creating genograms is then introduced as a means to obtain a rich perspective on family characteristics and dynamics that is informed by the individual who uses AAC. All of this information allows professionals to provide relevant information and tailor options for the family. As a result, the family is able to make informed decisions about AAC intervention in a manner most consistent with how they typically operate. Finally, we apply this framework to a hypothetical case of a child with autism and complex communication needs across three timepoints (preschool, late elementary/early middle school, and high school/post-secondary transition) to demonstrate how this framework can be used in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of smart cities and intelligent industries has accentuated the necessity for reliable indoor communication and precise indoor positioning. In response, this paper presents an innovative integrated system for indoor visible light communication and positioning, designed to facilitate robust communication and pinpoint accuracy in positioning for indoor applications. We incorporate multiband carrierless amplitude and phase (m $m$CAP) modulation to mitigate interference between communication and positioning subcarriers. Unlike the conventional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing‐based subcarrier modulation (OFDM‐SCM), m $m$CAP demonstrates reduced out‐of‐band interference and a diminished peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR). Moreover, we introduce the frequency domain optical zero correlation zone (FD‐OZCZ) code, integrated within the m $m$CAP signal to optimize the distribution of positioning subcarriers. Simulation outcomes substantiate that our proposed m $m$CAP, augmented with FD‐OZCZ, outperforms OFDM‐SCM systems in delivering reliable communication and exceptional positioning accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In programmes of assessment with both high and low-stakes assessments, the inclusion of open-ended long answer questions in the high-stakes examination can contribute to driving deeper learning among students. However, in larger institutions, this would generate a seemingly insurmountable marking workload. In this study, we use a focused ethnographic approach to explore how such a marking endeavour can be tackled efficiently and pragmatically. In marking parties, examiners come together to individually mark student papers. This study focuses on marking parties for two separate tasks assessing written clinical communication in medical school finals at Southampton, UK. Data collected included field notes from 21.3 h of marking parties, details of demographics and clinical and educational experience of examiners, examiners' written answers to an open-ended post-marking party questionnaire, an in-depth interview and details of the actual marks assigned during the marking parties. In a landscape of examiners who are busy clinicians and rarely interact with each other educationally, marking parties represent a spontaneous and sustainable community of practice, with functions extending beyond the mere marking of exams. These include benchmarking, learning, managing biases and exam development. Despite the intensity of the work, marking parties built camaraderie and were considered fun and motivating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Routing protocol plays a vital role in FANETs (Flying Ad-Hoc Networks) by facilitating communication between nodes and enabling the establishment of efficient routes. In a FANET, where the nodes can be drones, airplanes or other unmanned aerial vehicles, mobility is a key aspect that requires proper route management. Among the most well-known and widely used routing protocols in different types of networks is AODV (Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector). AODV is a reactive routing protocol specially designed for ad hoc networks, including FANET networks. It offers an efficient solution to establish dynamic routes between nodes when direct communication between a source node and the destination node is not possible. However, most of the studies available in the literature mainly focus on the comparison between different routing protocols. They often neglect to examine in detail the performance of the same routing protocol under different circumstances or conditions. This paper offers a thorough investigation into the influence of noise on the AODV protocol in FANET networks. Furthermore, we introduce a proposed enhancement to the AODV protocol, specifically designed to improve its ability to withstand the effects of noise. Additionally, we present simulation results that evaluate the performance of AODV in terms of throughput, End-to-End Delay, Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), and energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine some basic linguistic abilities in a small sample of adults with minimal receptive vocabulary, whose receptive mental verbal age ranges from 1;2 to 3;10. In particular, we examine whether the participants in our study understand noun phrases consisting of a noun modified by an adjective. We use stimuli that they can recognise by name. Except for one participant, we find that, while all of them understand the noun and adjective in isolation, none seems to understand these noun phrases, which means that they seem to not do linguistic composition. In order to test whether the difficulty is linguistic or conceptual, we ran two other studies, one on concept composition, and the other on iconic symbolic composition (composition of pictograms). Results suggest that linguistic composition is particularly difficult in this population, and that vocabulary breadth may not predict compositional abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with complex communication needs often have multiple disabilities including visual impairments that impact their ability to interact with aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. Just as the field benefited from a consideration of visual cognitive neuroscience in construction of visual displays, an exploration of psychoacoustics can potentially assist in maximizing the possibilities within AAC systems when the visual channel is either (a) not the primary sensory mode, or (b) is one that can be augmented to ultimately benefit AAC outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to highlight background information about psychoacoustics and present possible future directions for the design of aided AAC system technologies for children with visual impairments who rely on auditory information to learn and utilize AAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitated communication (FC) has been a heavily debated and documented topic across multiple disciplines, including sociology, education, psychology, pediatrics, speech-language pathology, and disability studies. Although many professionals from various disciplines and advocates have offered opinions, suggestions, and research on the topic, there has been minimal input from the occupational therapy (OT) profession. The lack of OT input is noteworthy as OTs are experts in enabling upper extremity performance and independence through a variety of training, adaptation and modification strategies, and use of external supports. Because of their professional code of ethics and a specific knowledge base, OTs are uniquely positioned to provide a host of ethical and evidence-based strategies that enable independent access to communication technology. The consideration of multiple access options is contrary to the typical facilitated encounter where facilitators exclusively choose to manipulate an upper extremity in order for letters to be selected on a display or keyboard. The purpose of this paper is threefold: (a) To offer insight into the standard of care by OTs including their ethical standards; (b) to identify varied accommodations that enable access using a feature-matching standard of care that eliminates the need for a facilitator; and (c) to highlight how to increase independent assistive technology/augmentative and alternative communication access, thus dissuading the need or use of facilitated access to letters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) options are often utilised by people with communication disability (PWCD). A limited range of bilingual AAC systems are currently available, and uptake of these options is impacted by misconceptions among speech-language pathologists and PWCD, and clinician knowledge and skill gaps. To explore literature on AAC use in more than one language for bilingual PWCD. A systematic search of six databases and grey literature was conducted to identify research evidence on bilingualism, AAC, and PWCD. A descriptive synthesis was generated from charted data. A total of 16 articles met the eligibility criteria. This included four qualitative research studies, one participatory action research study, one quasi-experimental study, one case study, one case series, and eight expert opinion papers, primarily focused on the paediatric population and high-technology AAC. Linguistic, social, and ethical bases were identified for the development and use of bilingual AAC systems. Studies found bilingual AAC use was not detrimental to language development, promoted self-identity among users, and increased caregiver involvement in supporting AAC use. However, small sample sizes limit the generalisability of these findings, and considerable barriers exist to developing and implementing bilingual AAC. This review highlights the need for developing AAC that is accessible to PWCD in each of their languages. Further research is needed to co-produce efficient and culturally responsive bilingual AAC systems with PWCD and/or their caregivers and identify effective strategies for supporting implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]