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This study used a qualitative, cross‐sectional design to address a gap in understanding the perspectives and practices of care planners and case managers in supporting consumer‐ directed care (CDC) for community dwelling people living with dementia. Semi‐structured telephone interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of n = 16 planners and managers from seven providers of the Australian home care packages (HCP) program in NSW (Australia). All interviewees described the aspirations of supporting choice within CDC as synergistic with their values and with person‐centred care. Some described new flexibilities within the more open‐ended planning conversations enabled by CDC. However, most acknowledged their capacity to enable choice for clients with dementia was limited by the capped care budgets, as well as the skills and time needed to support choice and decision‐ making. Organisational practice changes associated with the shift to a market‐based system were also perceived as limiting the capacity to support choices. Reducing centralised systems, increasing individual budgets and improving staff capacity to support decision‐making by people with dementia may help to improve this situation. However, results suggest a deeper need to re‐evaluate whether the CDC model is the most appropriate for supporting the rising numbers of people with dementia to age well in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study objective was aimed to prepare a suggested conception for the quality of some elements of the extension service for vegetable growers from their point view at Baghdad Governorate. In order to achieve the objective, a scheme was prepared consisting of (20) criteria distributed into (4) areas: sources of service provision, service timing, topics and content of the extension services, service providers. Data were collected by the random sample of 108 respondents vegetable growers, representing 30% of the agricultural divisions. In the two directorates of agriculture in Baghdad Governorate, Al-Karkh, Al-Rusafa. The results of this research concluded that each of the areas and criteria of the proposed perception obtained a weighted average located between 3.01 and 3.34, which is greater than the hypothetical mean of 2.5 degrees, and the survival of all areas and criteria mentioned above in their final form. Accordingly, the researchers recommend that the Agricultural Extension and Training Department adopt what came in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although knowledge of the link between intimate partner violence (IPV) and animal maltreatment has increased significantly in recent years, few studies have examined service providers' experiences with IPV and concurrent animal abuse, as well as animal safekeeping in situations of IPV. The present study documented human service and animal welfare service providers' experiences supporting victims/survivors of IPV, who owned pets and livestock, and included service providers in rural and northern communities in Saskatchewan. Online surveys were completed by 128 human service professionals (including domestic violence shelter workers, domestic violence counsellors, victim services workers, police, and legal professionals) and 43 animal welfare professionals (including workers from animal rescues, humane societies, Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [SPCAs], and veterinary clinics) (n = 171). Respondents shared information relating to their awareness of the link; their experiences responding in situations of IPV and concurrent animal abuse, including arranging animal safekeeping in situations of IPV; and successes and challenges related to effective service provision. Results include descriptions of intersecting risks to people and animals. Service providers shared ways that they have assisted victims/survivors who own animals, such as through animal safekeeping programs. Both human service and animal welfare professionals expressed the need for pet-friendly domestic violence shelters and pet-friendly longterm housing options. Service providers offered recommendations for improving education and training; improving provision of services of victims/survivors of IPV and their animals, including improving access to Emergency Intervention Orders and establishing funding for animal safekeeping in situations of IPV; and strengthening existing and building new partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In Saskatchewan, Canada, Indigenous cancer care services at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels are intended to improve quality care but can result in a complex, fragmented, and multi-jurisdictional health care system. A multi-phase needs assessment project was initiated to document Indigenous cancer care needs. Guided by Indigenous patient partners, clinicians, academics, and policy makers, the present study reflects a needs assessment of Indigenous cancer supports from the perspectives of cancer care service providers. Methods Qualitative data were collected through three focus groups with 20 service providers for cancer patients and their families at three Saskatchewan cities. Participants included chemotherapy and radiation nurses, social workers, a patient navigator, dieticians, and practicum students. A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct the sessions to allow for freedom of responses. Data were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Service providers’ perspectives were categorized into five themes: 1) addressing travel-related issues, 2) logistical challenges, 3) improvements to Indigenous-specific health care supports, 4) cultural sensitivity in health care, and 5) consistency in care. Supports provided differed for the two Indigenous groups, First Nations and Métis. Service providers made recommendations regarding how needs could be met. They saw language translation providers and Elder supports as important. Recommendations for improving travel were for medical taxis to include breaks so that passengers may alleviate any uncomfortable side effects of their cancer treatment. Further, Indigenous-specific accommodations were recommended for those requiring medical travel. These recommendations aligned with supports that are available in four other Canadian provinces. Conclusions These results identified gaps in supports and outlined recommendations to address barriers to cancer care from the perspectives of service providers. These recommendations may inform evidence-based health system interventions for Indigenous cancer patients and ultimately aim to improve cancer care services, quality of life, and health outcomes of Indigenous patients throughout their cancer journey.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out for one year in two district hospitals under Dhaka division among 71 service providers and 135 service receivers with the aim of assessing the status of health education services in district hospitals from both service receivers and service providers' perspective. Data was collected from the respondents through face-to-face interviews using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The study revealed that health education was provided in the district hospitals mainly by nurses (78.9%), followed by physicians (14.1%) and health education officers (7.0%). Among them, 54.9% were trained in health education. They were providing health education on environmental and personal hygiene, food and nutrition, immunization, diarrhoea, breast feeding, antenatal care, postnatal care, tuberculosis and pneumonia through different methods. In spite of having limitations on health education support services, most of the service receivers were satisfied with the cooperation as well as the media or methods of health education used by the service providers during health education sessions. The findings of this study may be useful for the improvement of the health education service status in the district level hospitals. Update Dent. Coll. j: 2022; 12(2): 3-6

The impact of service disruptions to critical utility services due to natural disasters is evident during delays in emergency responses and humanitarian relief, especially for urban populations with highly interdependent infrastructures. Aside from health and social impacts, failing to address these disruptions would inevitably lead to customer dissatisfaction and switching loyalty, adversely affecting service providers’ profitability. Thus, providers must effectively respond to this service failure resulting from disruptions to retain the loyalty of their existing customers. To this end, a theoretical model to explain customer loyalty to internet service providers amidst a disaster-induced disruption through integrating customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, service quality, service innovation, service recovery, perceived value, and brand image is proposed in this work. This study uses the case of a massive disruption caused by Typhoon Odette (Rai) in central Philippine urban districts to empirically test the efficacy of the proposed structural model. A total of 584 responses were utilized in the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to derive significant relationships between the constructs. The findings suggest that customer satisfaction strongly predicts customer loyalty during a disaster. Furthermore, efforts towards service recovery do not translate to customer loyalty, but negatively influence customer satisfaction. Moreover, service innovation significantly affects customer satisfaction but negatively influences customer loyalty. Additionally, perceived value does not support customer loyalty but positively affects customer satisfaction. Lastly, brand image and service quality influence both customer satisfaction and loyalty. These findings offer managerial insights for informing the design of a reliable service recovery system, efficient project management planning, practical service innovation, and comprehensive service design. The future research directions are discussed.

This paper is based on a presentation at the APE 2022 Conference and two blog posts published first on The Scholarly Kitchen. It explains how the scholarly community is currently in a liminal space; a place of transition to the end goal of open access (OA), open science, and open research. It argues that the publishing landscape is marked by two waves of consolidation: in the journal’s publisher space, and in the scholarly communication infrastructure. With respect to the first wave, Uncertainty, Transformative Agreements, and the required Technology and Reporting Burdens of Plan S led to an increased emphasis on publishing in quantity, smaller society publishers being dissolved, and bigger publishers shifting towards being workflow providers. The second wave of consolidation is happening around the technology and infrastructure of scholarly communication. This has seen a further shift for many companies away from being a publisher and toward being a workflow provider. The short-term outlook is that we are going to be in this liminal space for a while. Longer term we see two concurrent trends: a drive for low-cost, high-volume bulk publishing, and a shift for publishers to become paid service providers for most everything else. This is the path we are on. The question for the community is whether this is an acceptable long-term outcome to our end goal, or are there other routes we should be taking to drive a differently shaped future? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current work in the field point to the need to strengthen child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) globally, and especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Policy development, planning and service provision must be relevant to the needs of stakeholders at grassroots level, and should include their perspectives. This study set out to explore the perspectives and lived experiences of service providers, including their recommendations to strengthen CAMHS in South Africa. Methods: Using focus group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured individual interviews (SSIIs), qualitative data were collected from 46 purposefully selected multidisciplinary health service providers across the Western Cape, one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Audio-recorded data were entered into NVivo 11 (QSR), and thematic analysis was performed by two independent raters. Results: Results highlighted a significant lack of CAMH resources, poor intersectoral collaboration, limited access to training, absence of consistency and uniformity in service delivery, weak support for staff, and high rates of negative attitudes of staff. External factors contributing to poor CAMHS identified by service providers included poor socioeconomic circumstances, high rates of HIV/AIDS, substance use and stigma. The eight recommendations to strengthen CAMHS included a need to (1) increase CAMH staffing, (2) provide dedicated CAMHS at secondary care and child-friendly infrastructure at primary care, (3) review current service focus on number of patients seen versus quality of care provided to children, (4) formalise intersectoral collaborations, (5) increase learning opportunities for trainees, (6) employ a lead professional for CAMHS in the province, (7) increase support for staff, and (8) acknowledge staff initiatives. Conclusions: Findings underlined the need for quality improvement, standardisation and scale-up of mental health services for children and adolescents in South Africa. Whilst we used the Western Cape as a 'case study', we propose that our findings may also be relevant to other LMICs. We recommend that the perspectives of service users, including children and adolescents, be sought to inform service transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe mental illnesses (SMI) contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. In low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), the treatment gap impacts the clinical and personal recovery of people living with an SMI. The drive to reduce this treatment gap in LMICs makes it pertinent to understand service providers' views on recovery from SMI. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with service providers from health services and non-profit organisations in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, were conducted in this qualitative study. Seventeen participants were purposively selected, and data were thematically analysed. Three major themes emerged: delineating recovery, available services supporting recovery from SMI, and facilitators and barriers to recovery at the service level. Health services favoured clinical over personal recovery. Participants thought that many service users' personal recovery from SMI was hindered by intersecting social, economic, cultural, and political inequalities that extended beyond the influence of the health sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting dementia‐friendly communities is an important strategy for improving quality of life for people with dementia and dementia‐family caregivers. The process of building dementia‐friendly communities should include all people living in the community. The objective of this study was to compare perceived dementia friendliness in the community among people with dementia, family caregivers, service providers, and the general public. In Taiwan, we surveyed 60 people with dementia, 140 family caregivers, and 200 members of the general public face to face, with 200 service providers surveyed by mail. Participants completed the Perceived Community Dementia Friendliness measure, consisting of seven subscales: care services, community members, community environment, community interactions, transportation, hospitals, and stores and organisations. This measure has acceptable convergent validity, construct validity, and internal consistency reliability for use in Taiwan. Differences in perceived dementia friendliness were examined by chi‐square tests/analysis of variance. Among the seven subscales, hospitals were rated with good dementia friendliness by 70% of people with dementia (n = 42); however, care services were rated poor by 23.3% of people with dementia (n = 14). Hospitals were also rated with good dementia friendliness by 39.2% of family caregivers (n = 54). Care services were rated as having good dementia friendliness by 43.5% of service providers (n = 87) and 47% of the general public (n = 86). Furthermore, community interactions were rated as good by small percentages of family caregivers (11.4%, n = 16), service providers (22.2%, n = 44), and the general public (30.9%, n = 58). Family caregivers, service providers, and the general public rated hospitals with the highest mean dementia‐friendliness score and community interactions with the lowest. Perceived community‐dementia friendliness among participants with dementia differed from that of participants without. People with dementia prioritised improving care services, while people without dementia rated facilitating community interactions as more vital. These differences provide vital insights into understanding the policies and administration of dementia‐friendly communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refugees face a heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence during conflict, transit and in countries of refuge. Despite long-term impacts on survivors, scholarship regarding effective responses remains limited. This paper presents a qualitative thematic analysis from in-depth interviews with 22 Australian service providers. Using a socio-ecological intersectional framework it explores the challenges faced in supporting survivors while highlighting features of effective practice. Findings emphasize the need for a holistic and integrated approach, responsive to socio-economic and immigration conditions, the impact of stigma and fear of authorities, service-system funding models, and the need for an appropriately supported culturally diverse workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether the social restrictions stemming from COVID-19 impacted the locations of mental health and drug overdose incidents, while controlling for immediate and community contextual indices. Addresses for mental health/overdose calls to law enforcement or emergency medical services between January 1, 2018 and August 13, 2020 were collected from one police department in the Midwestern United States. Businesses and previous victimization/offending were joined with parcels (level-1; N = 20,019), whereas local services and socioeconomic indicators were joined with block groups (level-2; N = 32), to allow for a multi-level (HLM7) examination of context on mental health/overdose incidents. Event Rate Ratios (ERR) revealed the greatest contextual effects took place following social distancing mandates. Findings highlight the importance of allocating to areas with the highest likelihood of reporting incidents and suggest that parcels with a history of sex offenses, drug offenses, and prior mental health calls may benefit the greatest from preventative resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With a rise in sexually transmitted infections in Australia, it is important to evaluate and optimise current sexual health services to reduce barriers to access and increase testing. We aimed to describe the range of sexual health services in Australia, focusing on strategies to improve testing among priority populations, and any future strategies participants believed would improve service delivery.Methods: We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with key informants working in Australian sexual health services from July to December 2020, and collected data on service characteristics and strategies to improve access. We used content analysis, then coded and categorised the data into recurring themes and sub-themes.Results: We identified two major themes: 'Expanding Traditional Service Delivery' and 'Thinking Outside the Box'. The first theme outlines strategies that build upon pre-existing service delivery models, such as express clinics and an increased focus on confidentiality. The second theme outlines new strategies introduced to fill gaps in service delivery, such as self-testing and outreach.Conclusions: To improve access to HIV/STI testing, there is a need for multiple access points to cater for a range of populations and their preferences. Establishing strategies to accomplish this involves utilising a combination of expanding traditional service models and implementing new approaches to service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Amman Arab University Journal is the property of Amman Arab University 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.)

Copyright of CLIO América is the property of Universidad del Magdalena 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.)

Copyright of Acta Facultatis Medicae Naissensis is the property of Nis University, Faculty of Medicine 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.)

Access to adequate and appropriate service provision has a direct positive impact on health and wellbeing. Experiences of inaccessible, discriminatory, and culturally unsafe services and/or service providers are considered a root cause for the health inequalities that exist among Indigenous queer youth. Experiences of discrimination and cultural inappropriateness are commonplace, with Indigenous queer youth noting issues related to access to services and treatment, stereotyping, and a lack of quality in the care provided, which discourage Indigenous people from accessing care. This paper examines the perspectives of Indigenous LGBTIQ+ youth and health service providers to identify what challenges, obstacles and opportunities are currently being faced and what could be implemented to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for Indigenous LGBTIQ+ youth in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) requires a skilled workforce capable of assessing the diverse needs of service participants and providing tailored services accordingly. There is currently limited evidence regarding workforce capabilities to inform training and curriculum design, particularly from the perspectives of carers. This paper reports findings from a longitudinal qualitative study exploring the lived experiences of regional carers following their engagement with the NDIS workforce. This paper aimed to foreground the experiences of carers and identify regional workforce development priorities to benefit both carers and service participants. Seventy‐two carers living in regional New South Wales were interviewed three times between November 2018 and November 2019. The insights provided by carers highlighted workforce expertise, nontechnical skills and service availability as key drivers of either helpful or unhelpful experiences. Interpersonal values, empathy and advanced communication microskills enabled the planning and coordinating workforce to undertake holistic and effective planning. Similar values and relationship‐building capabilities were pivotal for the workforce translating assessments into delivering support and interventions. Findings also highlight NDIS provider organisations can best support carers through better recruitment, retention and training strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

User's data is considered as a vital asset of several organizations. Migrating data to the cloud computing is not an easy decision for any organization due to the privacy and security concerns. Service providers must ensure that both data and applications that will be stored on the cloud should be protected in a secure environment. The data stored on the public cloud will be vulnerable to outside and inside attacks. This paper provides interactive multi-layer authentication frameworks for securing user identities on the cloud. Different access control policies are applied for verifying users on the cloud. A security mechanism is applied to the cloud application that includes user registration, granting user privileges, and generating user authentication factor. An intrusion detection system is embedded to the security mechanism to detect malicious users. The multi factor authentication, intrusion detection, and access control techniques can be used for ensuring the identity of the user. Finally, encryption techniques are used for protecting the data from being disclosed. Experimental results are carried out to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed frameworks and mechanism. The results recorded high detection rate with low false positive alarms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El consumo colaborativo principalmente se fundamenta en modelos de negocio digitales, donde intervienen tres actores fundamentales: el proveedor del servicio, la plataforma tecnológica (intermediario) y el usuario final, en este sentido, el nivel de confianza desarrollado en esta triada determina la perdurabilidad del modelo económico. Este artículo pretende determinar la correlación entre la confianza en el intermediario, los proveedores de servicio y la intención de compra. El enfoque del estudio es cuantitativo, por ello se diseñó un cuestionario como instrumento de recolección de datos, que fue diligenciado por 233 personas. Entre los principales hallazgos se comprobaron las hipótesis planteadas, a saber, que hay una correlación positiva y significativa entre la confianza en la plataforma tecnológica y la intención de compra de los usuarios, y también entre la confianza en los proveedores de servicio y la intención de compra. The collaborative consumption is mainly based on digital business models, where three fundamental actors intervene: the service provider, the technological platform (intermediary) and the end-user, in this sense, the trust level developed in this triad determines the durability of the economic model. This paper aims to determine the correlation among trust in the intermediary, service providers and purchase intention. The focus of the study is quantitative, the data collection instrument applied to 233 people was a questionnaire. Among the main findings, the hypotheses raised were verified, a significant positive correlation is evidenced between trust in the technological platform and the intention of purchase, and between trust in service providers and purchase intention.

Abstract Background Although abuse experienced by older adults is common and expected to increase, disclosure, reporting and interventions to prevent or mitigate abuse remain sub-optimal. Incorporating principles of harm reduction into service provision has been advocated as a strategy that may improve outcomes for this population. This paper explores whether and how these principles of harm reduction were employed by professionals who provide services to older adults experiencing abuse. Methods Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 23 professionals providing services to older adults experiencing abuse across three Western provinces of Canada was conducted. Key principles of harm reduction (humanism, incrementalism, individualism, pragmatism, autonomy, and accountability without termination) were used as a framework for organizing the themes. Results Our analysis illustrated a clear congruence between each of the six harm reduction principles and the approaches reflected in the narratives of professionals who provided services to this population, although these were not explicitly articulated as harm reduction by participants. Each of the harm reduction principles was evident in service providers’ description of their professional practice with abused older adults, although some principles were emphasized differentially at different phases of the disclosure and intervention process. Enactment of a humanistic approach formed the basis of the therapeutic client-provider relationships with abused older adults, with incremental, individual, and pragmatic principles also apparent in the discourse of participants. While respect for the older adult’s autonomy figured prominently in the data, concerns about the welfare of the older adults with questionable capacity were expressed when they did not engage with services or chose to return to a high-risk environment. Accountability without termination of the client-provider relationship was reflected in continuation of support regardless of the decisions made by the older adult experiencing abuse. Conclusions Harm reduction approaches are evident in service providers’ accounts of working with older adults experiencing abuse. While further refinement of the operational definitions of harm reduction principles specific to their application with older adults is still required, this harm reduction framework aligns well with both the ethical imperatives and the practical realities of supporting older adults experiencing abuse.

Abstract Background Women from migrant and refugee backgrounds who live in high-income countries are at increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, including mental health issues, preterm birth and maternal and infant mortality. There is a need to implement and evaluate models of care to meet their specific needs in order to improve health outcomes, their experiences of care, and overcome barriers to access. In Sydney, Australia, a unique model of care was implemented to support women and families from migrant and refugee backgrounds to access health and community-based services through the continuum of pregnancy to the early parenting period. This model of care is known as the Cross Cultural Workers (CCWs) in Maternity and Child and Family Health Service (the CCW Service). The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of service providers regarding the CCW Service and identify recommendations for improvement. Methods A mixed-methods study was conducted consisting of surveys and face to face semi-structured interviews. Service providers were recruited from hospital-based maternity and community-based services. Survey data were analysed descriptively. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results Sixty-nine service providers completed surveys and 19 were interviewed. The CCW Service was highly regarded by service providers who perceived it to be critical in improving care for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds. The overarching theme from the interviews was the ability of the CCW Service to act as a ‘bridge to health’ through the provision of culturally responsive care. There were three main categories; supporting access to health and community-based services, improving the healthcare experience, and organisational factors, including part-time hours, capacity, heavy workloads and confusion/lack of clarity regarding the CCW role, which affected CCWs’ capacity to optimally support service providers in providing culturally responsive care. These limitations meant CCWs were not able to meet demand, and fully operationalise the model. Conclusion Service providers perceived the CCW model to be a culturally responsive model of care tailored to the needs of women and families from migrant and refugee backgrounds, that reduces barriers to access, and has the potential to improve perinatal outcomes, and women's experience and satisfaction with care.

Background/objective: Co-production is a collaborative method that can make the research process more egalitarian by ensuring researchers work in partnership with key stakeholders in both the design and delivery of research projects and outcomes. A departure from more traditional ways of conducting research, co-production requires the researcher to reflect on their role in the co-production partnership. However, academic research projects are often constrained by parameters set by funding bodies, ethics committees and the researchers themselves. This raises questions about whether some of the key tenets of co-production, including equally shared power, control and responsibility, can be achieved in a meaningful way. This paper presents some of the issues and challenges faced by researchers in achieving shared power when utilising co-production methodology in academic settings. Type of program or service: The application of co-production within an academic research project is illustrated by a case study involving co-production with family carers, people living with dementia and service providers to develop dementia-specific training for home care workers. Results: There were unavoidable external constraints on sharing power and decision making within some elements of this project. Project parameters, including the research topic, timelines and funds available, were set by the funding body. Similarly, the study objectives and methods involving participants were required to be predetermined for ethical review. Power was redistributed by shifting the power dynamic in various ways within the internal project environment. Researchers developed strong relationships and built trust with key stakeholders, maintained consistent communication, negotiated conflict, ensured each stakeholder voice was heard and supported people living with dementia to be involved safely and comfortably. Lessons learnt: Funding body requirements, ethical governance and researcher responsibilities can limit power sharing and decision making when using co-production in academic contexts. Although the researcher or research organisation may hold ultimate responsibility for the overall management and delivery of the project, power can still be ceded and redistributed at many points within the project.

To date, research has mainly discussed the definition and classification of producer services. Yet many companies require an integrated solution of products and producer services. The aim of this paper is to propose a model of the ecological evolution of manufacturing service systems (MSS) driven by service providers. This model adopts modular thinking to integrate dispersive producer services into an entire MSS, the process of which forms the ecological evolution of MSS. This paper applies ecological theory to build the ecological evolution mechanism of MSS. In this mechanism, the predator-prey relationship is used as a metaphor for the relationships between manufacturers and service providers in a MSS. A predator-prey model is built to simulate the ecological evolution of MSS. A predation cellular genetic algorithm is adopted to optimise this evolution. The proposed model and algorithm are demonstrated and validated by a case study of MSS in bicycle industry. This study contributes to theory by proposing and clarifying the mechanism for provision of services between businesses. The future research will focus on the application and empirical analysis of this mechanism derived from big data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Following self-managed abortion (SMA), or a pregnancy termination attempt outside of the formal health system, some patients may seek care in an emergency department. Information about provider experiences treating these patients in hospital settings on the Texas-Mexico border is lacking. Methods The study team conducted semi-structured interviews with physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and nurses who had experience with patients presenting with early pregnancy complications in emergency and/or labor and delivery departments in five hospitals near the Texas-Mexico border. Interview questions focused on respondents’ roles at the hospital, knowledge of abortion services and laws, perspectives on SMA trends, experiences treating patients presenting after SMA, and potential gaps in training related to abortion. Researchers conducted interviews in person between October 2017 and January 2018, and analyzed transcripts using a thematic analysis approach. Results Most of the 54 participants interviewed said that the care provided to SMA patients was, and should be, the same as for patients presenting after miscarriage. The majority had treated a patient they suspected or confirmed had attempted SMA; typically, these cases required only expectant management and confirmation of pregnancy termination, or treatment for incomplete abortion. In rare cases, further clinical intervention was required. Many providers lacked clinical and legal knowledge about abortion, including local resources available. Conclusions Treatment provided to SMA patients is similar to that provided to patients presenting after early pregnancy loss. Lack of provider knowledge about abortion and SMA, despite their involvement with SMA patients, highlights a need for improved training.

The article discusses recent amendments to Argentina's regulatory framework for preventing money laundering and financing of terrorism. The country is currently undergoing a review and evaluation process by the Financial Action Task Force (GAFI) and Law 27,739 was passed to align local regulations with international standards and GAFI recommendations. The amendments introduce tools to combat organized crime, promote compliance with obligations in the private sector, and address key aspects identified in the GAFI evaluation. The changes include a reform of the Money Laundering Law, the creation of a central registry of beneficial owners, parliamentary control for prevention and investigation, and the establishment of a registry for virtual asset service providers. The Argentine Securities and Exchange Commission has also implemented a registry for virtual asset service providers in accordance with the recently amended Anti-Money Laundering Law. [Extracted from the article]

This study investigated the role of acceptance during the transition process among autistic young adults, parents, and practitioners. Six focus groups were run and thematic analysis was used to identify four themes: Youth on the autism spectrum discussed transition as a time where Self-Advocacy and Self-Acceptance were salient. Both youth and parents discussed the Lack of Understanding and Acceptance they experience. Particularly, youth highlighted the lack of understanding of sensory needs and parents underscored the lack of understanding by medical professionals. In contrast, practitioners highlighted the presence of Community Openness. Both practitioners and parents discussed Finding Personal Support through Acceptance. Self-acceptance and acceptance of autism are imperative for autistic young adults and families to achieve well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile edge computing (MEC) is a new computing paradigm that brings cloud services to the network edge. Despite its great need in terms of computational services in daily life, service users may have several concerns while selecting a suitable service provider to fulfil their computational requirements. Such concerns are: with whom they are dealing with, where will their private data migrate to, service provider processing performance quality. Therefore, this paper presents a trust evaluation scheme that evaluates the processing performance of a service provider in the MEC environment. Processing performance of service providers is evaluated in terms of average processing success rate and processing throughput, thus allocating a service provider in a relevant trust status. Service provider processing incompliance and user termination ratio are also computed during provider’s interactions with users. This is in an attempt to help future service users to be acknowledged of service provider’s past interactions prior dealing with it. Thus, eliminating the probability of existing compromised service providers and raising the security and success of future interactions between service providers and users. Simulations results show service providers processing performance degree, processing incompliance and user termination ratio. A service provider is allocated to a trust status according to the evaluated processing performance trust degree. Mobile edge computing (MEC) is a new computing paradigm that brings cloud services to the network edge. Despite its great need in terms of computational services in daily life, service users may have several concerns while selecting a suitable service provider to fulfil their computational requirements. Such concerns are: with whom they are dealing with, where will their private data migrate to, service provider processing performance quality. Therefore, this paper presents a trust evaluation scheme that evaluates the processing performance of a service provider in the MEC environment. Processing performance of service providers is evaluated in terms of average processing success rate and processing throughput, thus allocating a service provider in a relevant trust status. Service provider processing incompliance and user termination ratio are also computed during provider’s interactions with users. This is in an attempt to help future service users to be acknowledged of service provider’s past interactions prior dealing with it. Thus, eliminating the probability of existing compromised service providers and raising the security and success of future interactions between service providers and users. Simulations results show service providers processing performance degree, processing incompliance and user termination ratio. A service provider is allocated to a trust status according to the evaluated processing performance trust degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will be focused on the community reintegration of the victim’s of trafficking and the concrete engagement of NGOs as service providers. The applicable legal and policy frameworks concerning the reintegration of trafficked children and adults are considerate as a crucial instrument to evaluate human rights implementation. The international, regional and national laws and policies places the fundamental rights of individual trafficking victims and their families at the heart of any reintegration intervention. As every country and community context is different, the paper offer a general context on the circumstances of different types of trafficking victims, and on the experiences of each individual affected. This target passed through a sensitive situation which asked for qualified and sustanaible services. For many years the NGOs are the basic providers of social services, health services, education, sheltering and other. The NGOs in the Western Balkans expecially in Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo, are the promotors of initiatiaves and new services for victims of trafficking as the qualified providers. The knowledge, expertise and recognized good practice in community reintegration being implemented by the organizations from the four countries, as well as other institutions and organizations that they work with, will be emphasized in this paper. From a qualitative point of view, it will be oriented towards measuring the expectations of family support service providers, taking into account the legal changes in the context of strengthening family support services. Part of the analysis will be the secondary data that will be obtained from the study of international good practices, study of the national legal framework and strategies, action plans, and the legal ammendments of the following period. The reports and publications of public institutions, NGOs operating in the field of family services in Albania and other countries are part of the methodology. This theoretical study of all experiences and perceptions on these services will provide a solid basis on their knowledge, highlighting the need to increase the number of services provided, familiarity with changes and staff improvements, legal plans, action plans, (re) structuring of service-providing institutions, provision of new services, difficulties encountered during the implementation of the legal framework in practice, and problems faced by families in relation to service-providing institutions, as part of target groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background About 70% of Ghanaians depend on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) practices for primary healthcare needs. It was therefore integrated into mainstream healthcare delivery system by the Ministry of Health in September 2012. LEKMA hospital was one of the institutions for piloting TCIM services. We assessed factors that promote the usage and sustainability of TCIM services within the formal healthcare system. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study from April–June 2017 at the LEKMA hospital, Accra, Ghana. Patients and managers of TCIM clinic were interviewed. Data was collected through qualitative and quantitative approaches. We defined usage of TCIM as its current use, and sustainability as structures in place to run TCIM services. For assessing usage, a five-point Likert scale was used to assess five domain areas via exit interviews. Managers were assessed on the sustainability of TCIM services through in-depth interviews. Likert scales responses were analysed quantitatively using descriptive tertile statistics. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative analysis. Results Overall, 72.7% (40/55) of the clients showed a high preference for TCIM usage and 80.0% (4/5) of the managers valued it as partially sustainable. Eighty per cent (44/55) of patients indicated that the location of TCIM services and availability of visible directional signs influenced the good usage; 84% (46/55) of the patients agreed that the usage of TCIM was influenced by their perceived effectiveness. Managers indicated that human resources for providing services was a challenge and TCIM integration into the operations of the hospital needed to be improved. Conclusion We observed a high preference for usage of TCIM among users at LEKMA hospital. The general belief in the potency, perceived effectiveness, location and availability of TCIM services are key determinants of the high preference for usage of TCIM. Provision of TCIM services in its current form is partially sustainable from the managers’ perspective. We recommend that the Ministry of Health ensures the availability of staff and create awareness of TCIM services among the general populace.

Evidence to inform rehabilitation service delivery for individuals with deafblindness, especially in the Indian context, is inadequate. Rehabilitation professionals often find it challenging to design rehabilitation interventions that promote participation for those with deafblindness. Therefore, our purpose was to understand the contextual factors that influence the participation of individuals with deafblindness in India from the perspectives of those who are involved in providing rehabilitation services to them. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as a framework, we conducted two focus group discussions with 16 rehabilitation service providers in India. We used a content analysis approach to examine the data. Rehabilitation service providers perceived participation barriers to be linked primarily to the social environment. Specifically, participants identified four major factors acting as barriers, including (a) lack of awareness about deafblindness; (b) negative attitudes and stigma associated with disability; (c) lack of access to resources such as assistive technology and interpreter support; and (d) communication challenges associated with severe impairments. Facilitators include accessibility of the built environment for multisensory impairments, affordable technology, provision of an interpreter and personal support worker, and training on deafblindness for professionals. The participation of individuals with deafblindness could be enhanced by identifying and removing environmental barriers and improving knowledge about deafblindness among rehabilitation professionals for proper identification, assessment, and access to rehabilitation services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tikis paper studies the proposal of the European Union for the creation of a new instrument for cross-border access to electronic evidence in criminal matters. With this, it is intended to face the current and relevant challenges in the fight against cybercrime and international terrorism, establishing a new model of direct cooperation with telecommunications service providers in the European Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. The new European Orders for the production and preservation of electronic evidence introduce a new conception or reinterpretation of the principle of mutual recognition, which requires a high level of mutual trust. For this, respect for the principle of proportionality is a priority and that the necessary safeguards are created for the protection of fundamental rights and procedural guarantees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explored the factors limiting access to and use of hospitalbased rehabilitation services for children with cerebral palsy in Marsabit County, Kenya. The factors were unrelated to healthcare institutions providing the services and the focus was on the perspectives of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy. Method: A qualitative study was conducted with a total of 18 participants who were selected by purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the participants. Data was analysed using Erlingsson and Brysiewicz's approach to content analysis. Results: The major barriers for the caregivers were belief systems, lack of awareness of rehabilitation services, no support at home, transport problems, and cost of transport. Conclusion and Implications: Access to rehabilitation services for caregivers of children with cerebral palsy appear to be limited. Health policymakers, service providers and other stakeholders should ramp up their efforts to improve access to these services and make them services not expensive, but caregivers experience transport problems in terms of its unavailability and cost as well. Efforts at improving access could be supported by information and awareness-creation among caregivers about the importance of rehabilitation services for children with cerebral palsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart tourism destinations are growing, with the use and implementation of technology to make travel more enjoyable. Still, the tourist's information privacy concerns generated by the big data available to the destination and service providers is a significant problem for smart tourism, which can affect the sustainability and economic benefit of the smart tourism destination. This study investigates privacy concern, perceived risk, control of information, service provider trust in a smart tourism destination, and the resulting behavioural intentions. The results were obtained using an online survey of 384 respondents that have visited the smart tourism destination Dubai. The results indicated that use context as an environmental factor helps mitigate the tourists' negative privacy concerns and perceived risk towards trust in a smart tourism destination. Furthermore, previous privacy violation experience as a personal factor was negatively related to trust in the smart tourism destination and the service providers. The study provides meaningful contributions on smart tourism to destination management organizations (DMO's) and service providers on what influences and mitigates the privacy concern of the tourists using mobile application location-based services available in a smart tourism destination, building on the social cognitive theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lifelong and complex nature of autism necessitates an array of services and supports spanning across different sectors and providers at different life stages of an autistic individual. However, research has shown that autistic individuals and their families often experience barriers accessing the autism-related services and supports that they need. This is the first qualitative study to explore the provision and coordination of autism services and supports in Singapore from the perspectives of service providers, autistic adults and caregivers. Semi-structured interviews with 21 participants revealed three main themes: (1) improving access to autism-specific services, (2) creating flexible supports in an inclusive environment and (3) addressing stigma and changing societal attitudes. Our findings suggest that Singapore may have achieved rapid growth in autism services, but broader social structures may be slower to change. To better support autistic individuals in society, autistic voices need to be amplified and a collective effort is needed to achieve a paradigm shift from impairment to capability. Because autism is a lifelong and complex condition, autistic people may need a range of supports cutting across different sectors (e.g. health, education and social care) at different stages of their lives. Studies in some countries have shown that autistic people and their families face difficulties accessing the services they need, but no research has been done on this topic in Singapore. To start addressing this gap, we interviewed 21 service providers, autistic adults and caregivers/parents of autistic children to find out their perceptions and experiences of autism services and supports in Singapore. Our participants told us that beyond improving access to autism-specific services, they also hoped to see more flexible supports in an inclusive environment and a broader change in societal attitudes. This study highlights that autism service provision should be informed by autistic voices and not only focus on impairment but also recognise the strengths of autistic people alongside their very real needs. The whole of society – including policymakers, professionals, employers, educators, families and autistic people themselves – needs to work together to fight autism stigma and discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service providers are adopting the "F-words" in practice as a strengths-based approach to childhood disability. This study aimed to gain insight into service providers' uses of the "F-words", associated barriers, and knowledge translation strategies needed to support implementation. Service providers were invited to participate in an interview after completing an online survey on their clinical implementation of the "F-words". Content analysis provided insight into use of the "F-words" and perceived barriers; and to identify knowledge translation strategies to facilitate implementation. Twenty-one service providers from nine countries participated in interviews. Applications of the "F-words" included its use as a conceptual framework, directly in practice, and in teaching/training. Barriers included conflicting attitudes, insufficient funding, language, and misalignment with organizational/government priorities. To support the adoption of the "F-words", participants recommended knowledge translation strategies including local opinion leaders, linkage and exchange, educational outreach and meetings, and distribution of educational materials. Understanding uses, barriers to use, and knowledge translation strategies will inform future directions to move the "F-words" into practice. A critical step in bridging the research-to-practice gap and encouraging more widespread adoption requires collaboration with service providers to tailor knowledge translation strategies to fit the local context. Service providers around the world are interested in the ICF-based "F-words" and are adopting them in clinical practice to support a holistic, strengths-based approach to childhood disability. While there is considerable uptake of the "F-words", service providers have experienced barriers including conflicting attitudes of families and colleagues, insufficient funding, lack of translations, and misalignment with organizational and government priorities. To further support implementation and overcome perceived barriers, service providers recommended using four knowledge translation strategies: (i) local opinion leaders; (ii) linkage and exchange; (iii) educational outreach/meetings; and (iv) the distribution of educational materials. Service providers and researchers must partner together to tailor knowledge translation strategies to the local context in order to address the needs and priorities of service providers' specific settings and bridge the gap between research evidence and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, many careers still suffer from stereotypes that have been developed over the years, and which are difficult to move away from. One of these careers is a social worker. Therefore, an important aspect is the selection of social workers who will be the "face" of the social service. Social work, its mission and mandate should also be defined on the state political arena and included in the discourse of social policy and the social protection system of the country's population with the support of relevant structures and organisations. The public should be informed about social work as a career that contributes to prevention of violence, social injustice and development of an adequate social policy focused on addressing the issues of socially vulnerable groups of the population. Positive understanding and perception of social work in the Kazakh society develop a broad public support, joint efforts in achieving global goals in its professional promotion and development of social work as an activity at the micro and macro levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]