Equivalent Service Research Articles

Postponement of Serving a Sentence in Connection with Military Service (Equivalent Service) in Special Periods of Time: Historical Experience, Modern Approach, Problems of Regulation

Introduction. This study is devoted to the problems of regulation and application of special military types of exemption from criminal liability and punishment, currently provided for in Art. 78.1 and 80.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The issues raised in it, taking into account the prevailing modern conditions, are of particular relevance and importance for the doctrine of criminal law. Theoretical Basis. Methods. The theoretical basis of this scientific work is the works of famous Russian scientists on the analyzed topic and related aspects. During the research, both general scientific and private scientific methods of cognition were used, including dialectical, system analysis, synthesis, comparison, interpretation (interpretation of law), historical and legal, etc. Results. Relevant conclusions and suggestions have been formulated. It is stated that the current military legislation and the blank prescriptions of Art. 78.1 and 80.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation referring to it, regarding the prohibition of admission to military service during the use of military force in peacetime and restrictions on the admission to military service in special periods of time of persons who have committed crimes, and accordingly, “truncation” of the legal grounds for their release from criminal liability and serving a sentence, in connection with military service (equivalent service) in special periods of time, is not correlated with the provisions of constitutional, criminal procedure, military and other sectoral legislation. Discussion and Conclusion. In this regard, it is proposed to take into account historical experience and return to work on the construction of the prescriptions of the criminal law, providing for the grounds and conditions for granting a delay in serving a sentence imposed or not served, in connection with military service (equivalent service) in special periods of time. Based on the above arguments, it is concluded that these regulations will make it possible to more effectively implement the constitutional requirements on the obligation of all citizens to defend their Homeland, respect the rights of released persons and eliminate the contradictions of the criminal law with the prescriptions of other branches of legislation existing in the studied part.

No time for stopping: A Stop-Less Autonomous Modular (SLAM) bus service

We leverage the in-motion transfer capability of autonomous modular buses to propose SLAM bus, a novel bus service paradigm that gives passengers a nearly stop-less travel experience from their origin to their destination bus stop. It does this by using supplementary modular units that detach and attach from the main bus at bus stops to serve boarding and alighting passengers, while the main bus traverses the route without stopping. The result is a stop-less operation that eliminates the need for passengers to stop at bus stops where they do not wish to alight. For busier bus stops that cannot be effectively served by the stop-less operation, the whole bus makes a stop instead. The service makes both pre-determined and real-time choices between these operating modes based on the expected and actual demand of alighting and non-alighting passengers. The SLAM bus service thus significantly reduces travel times since passengers experience fewer stops between their desired origin and destination bus stops, making its travel time more competitive with private vehicles while still providing the economies of scale of public transport. Our proof-of-concept simulation results show that, compared to an equivalent conventional bus service, the proposed service can reduce passengers’ average travel cost by about 15−20% for a realistic bus route.

Guarantees of Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities as a Component of Official Legal Status

The article explores and characterises the legislative guarantees of social protection for persons with disabilities among military personnel and individuals discharged from military service. It analyses national labour and social legislation regarding special pension programmes, employ­ment, social payments/assistance, and social services available in our country for persons with disabilities. The content of specific guarantees for military personnel and those equated to them, as determined by their service status, is highlighted, as emphasised by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine in its decisions. It is noted that such guarantees for individuals serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations apply not only during their service period but also after discharge. Based on the analysed normative acts, it is concluded that the issue of guaranteeing social protection for persons with disabilities, as a component of their special service status, can only be considered with the presence of proper legal confirmation of the impact of service-military activities on the person’s health. It is established that if a former military service member is recognised as a person with a disability due to a disease that arose after discharge from military or equivalent service, the causal link between such a disease and their past service activities must be established. It is emphasised that the legislator also defines additional special conditions for the onset of disability as a component of the grounds for receiving certain types of social protection. One of the conditions is the determination of the time frame for establishing disability after discharge from military service. It is emphasised that the use of time criteria as legal conditions for acquiring the right to social protection violates the constitutional principles of equality in the right to social protection and justice in society. Based on the analysis of the mechanism for providing employment-related social services to persons with disabilities discharged from military and equivalent service, it is concluded that this mechanism is imperfect and not adapted to the current realities in the country. The need to develop a social services system in Ukraine is stressed, one that, on the one hand, ensures effective socialisation and professional orientation for those discharged from military service due to disability, and on the other hand, takes into account the specific conditions under which the disability was acquired. A drawback in this system is highlighted - the lack of a mechanism to involve employers in the process of socialisation and professional adaptation of the individual. It is noted that merely legislating the obligation to create jobs for persons with disabilities is an insufficient measure for facilitating the professional and social rehabilitation of individuals. Proposed are appropriate amendments to the legislation on the social protection of persons with disabilities.

Sustainable development of pavement base stabilization using future road base material (FROBM)

Sustainable road construction has emerged as a critical issue in assessing natural resources and urban development. With the rapid expansion of pavement networks to meet growing traffic demands, road base construction relies heavily on the consumption of natural aggregates and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) through the cement-treated base (CTB) technique. This practice contributes to the global warming and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with road construction. This study investigated a novel road base material, Future Road Base Material (FROBM), which emphasizes both eco-friendliness and economic advantages. Fine crushed rock (FCR) served as the parent aggregate and was modified with a chemical binder comprising 4% of the FCR weight. The proposed sustainable cementitious material, functioning as a non-OPC binder, incorporated fly ash and hydrated limestone as pozzolanic materials, along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as an alkali additive. An asphalt emulsion (AE) was employed as a special additive to enhance crucial pavement engineering properties. Through life cycle analysis (LCA), the construction activities and material acquisition of each stabilized base technique were evaluated in terms of project costs and carbon footprints. The non-OPC binder offered sufficient compressive strength for a stabilized base course. Furthermore, the addition of AE improved the elastic modulus and modulus of rupture of the non-OPC binder-stabilized mixture. Utilizing a non-OPC binder and AE in the base layer provides advantages in terms of construction cost and environmental impact. Although the costs increased slightly, the GHG emissions were reduced by approximately 30% compared to conventional base materials, with equivalent functionality and service life for road construction. The proposed stabilizing agent reduced the operational processes and demand for natural aggregates compared with the unbound FCR base course. Road-base stabilization using a non-OPC binder and AE represents an innovative approach to mitigate waste in coal mining and power plant industries by transitioning to a cleaner product. The concept of the FROBM serves as a valuable guideline for the development of future sustainable pavement materials.

A collaborative, school-based wraparound support intervention for fostering children and youth's mental health

Early mental health interventions are needed in response to a growing mental health crisis among children and youth. Schools are promising sites for early intervention because they have existing infrastructure for engaging with students. Specifically, collaborative initiatives involving community partnerships allow schools to leverage shared resources to deliver mental health support. However, more research is needed to guide the development of early interventions so that they effectively address students' mental health needs. The present study explored the role of collaborative, school mental health services in fostering children and youth's mental health, through All in for Youth, a wraparound model of support in Edmonton, Canada. Three research questions were addressed: What mental health concerns do children and youth experience? What are the factors that impact the use of collaborative school mental health services? Do collaborative school mental health services lead to perceived mental health impacts among children and youth? A multiple methods secondary analysis was conducted on school cohort data across seven elementary and junior high schools (n= 2,073 students), and interview and focus group data (n= 51 students, grades 2–9;n= 18 parents/caregivers). The quantitative findings indicated that 42.7% of students accessed any type of mental health service across the schools, with close to equivalent service use by gender (50.2% male, 49.5% female, 0.3% genderqueer) and grade (kindergarten-grade 9;M= 10%, SD = 1.9%, range = 6.3%−13%). Participants accessed mental health services in primarily individual or combined individual and group settings (72.9%) and as an informal client (75.1%). The interview and focus group findings revealed high mental health needs among students, which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to these needs, a supportive school culture, adequate school communication, and a stable and well-resourced mental health workforce promoted access to collaborative school mental health services. Finally, mental health services supported children and youth through the experience of having a supportive relationship with a safe and caring adult, an improved capacity to cope with school and life, and improved family functioning. The findings underscore the importance of developing school mental health services that take an ecological, wraparound approach to addressing students' multi-faceted mental health needs.

Examining the Relationship Between Screening for Postpartum Depression and Associated Child Health Service Utilization and Costs: A Study Using the All Our Families Cohort and Administrative Data

IntroductionDespite a recognized association between maternal postpartum depression (PPD) and adverse child health outcomes, evidence examining the relationship between PPD symptoms and associated child health service utilization and costs remains unclear. In addition, there is a paucity of evidence describing the relationship between early identification of maternal PPD and associated health service utilization and costs for children. This study aims to address this gap by describing the secondary associations of screening for maternal PPD and annual health service utilization and costs for children over their first five years of life.MethodsMothers and children enrolled in the prospective All Our Families cohort were linked to provincial administrative data in Alberta, Canada. Multivariable generalized linear models were used to estimate the average annual inpatient, outpatient, physician, and total health service utilization and costs from a public health system perspective for children of mothers screened high risk for PPD, low/moderate risk for PPD, or unscreened.ResultsTotal mean costs were greatest for children during their first year of life than other years. Those whose mothers were not screened had significantly lower costs compared to those whose mothers were screened low/moderate risk, despite equivalent health service utilization.DiscussionFindings from this study describe the secondary associations of screening for maternal PPD using a public health system perspective. More research is required to fully understand variations in health costs for children across maternal PPD screening categories.

Comprehensive evaluation and data analysis of field pavement distress for epoxy asphalt pavement on steel bridge deck

Epoxy asphalt mixtures are widely used as the paving layer of long-span steel bridges due to their excellent properties, such as high strength, and resistance to fatigue. However, like any material exposed to environmental factors and traffic loads, epoxy asphalt mixtures may undergo certain changes over time, leading to performance deterioration. At present, the statistical analysis on the in-situ pavement condition of steel bridge paving is insufficient. Therefore, more than 12,000 distress data from various in-service steel bridge deck pavements were collected and analyzed, and the main distress characteristics were also summarized. Using random forest and long short-term memory (LSTM) regression models, the evolution of decay pavement distress was evaluated, and the importance of different variables in distress development was quantified. The key findings include that linear crack, map crack, and patching are the dominant pavement distress, accounting for over 90 % of the pavement layer. The observation of an evident increase in pavement distress development after 9–11 years of service. The cumulative number of equivalent axial loads (CEASLs) and service year exhibit the strongest correlation with distress intensity. The importance calculation results show that service year and CESALs are identified as the most influential factors in distress development on steel bridge decks.

Numerical Modelling and Predicting Performance of Geogrid-Reinforced Low-Volume Unpaved Roads over Soft Subgrades

AbstractPavement performance is usually predicted by large-scale laboratory experiments, expensive field tests and/or comparatively cheaper numerical modelling alternative. In this study, a finite element limiting strain model has been developed to investigate the strain response of both unreinforced and geogrid-reinforced pavements on unpaved roads where the geogrid is placed at the bottom of the unbound granular base layer. A two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric finite element model (FEM) is used to analyse the behaviour of both unreinforced and geogrid-reinforced granular base. The critical pavement responses (vertical surface deformation, compressive strain and compressive stress at the top of subgrade, etc.) are simulated numerically using ABAQUS. These critical responses are used to develop the pavement performance models (strain limiting models) and to predict long-term service life of pavement or the reduction of thickness of granular base for equivalent service life or a combination of both. The parametric results are then used to develop design charts to aid practitioners to use directly in designs. The numerical model is verified using published literature-based information and found to be reasonable. The results show that the traffic benefit ratio (TBR) of 3.1 at a 20 mm rut depth can be achieved for a thin granular base built over soft subgrade using a medium stiff geogrid.

Habits and perceptions regarding open science by researchers from Spanish institutions.

The article describes the results of the online survey on open science (OS) carried out on researchers affiliated with universities and Spanish research centres and focused on open access to scientific publications, the publication process, the management of research data and the review of open articles. The main objective was to identify the perception and habits of researchers with regard to practices closely linked to open science and the scientific value added is that offers an in-depth picture of researchers as one of the main actors to whom this transformation and implementation of open science will fall. It focuses on the different aspects of OS: open access, open data, publication process and open review in order to identify habits and perceptions. This is to make possible an implementation of the OS movement. The survey was carried out among researchers who had published in the years 2020-2021, according to data obtained from WoS. It was emailed to a total of 8,188 researchers and obtained a total of 666 responses, of which 554 were complete, the rest being forms with some questions unanswered. The main results showed that open access still requires the diffusion of practices and services provided by the institution, as well as training (library or equivalent service) and institutional support from the competent authorities (vice rectors or equivalent) in specific aspects such as data management. In the case of data, around 50% of respondents stated they had stored data in a repository, and of all the options, the most frequently given was that of an institutional repository, followed by a discipline repository. Among the main reasons for doing this, we found transparency, visibility of data and the ability to validate results. For those who stated they had never stored data, the most frequent reasons for not having done so were privacy and confidentiality, the lack of a mandated data policy or a lack of knowledge of how to do it. In terms of open peer review, participants mentioned a certain reticence to the opening of evaluations due to potential conflicts of interest that may arise or because lower-quality content might be accepted in order to avoid conflicts. In addition, the hierarchical structure of senior researcher versus junior researcher might affect reviews. The main conclusions indicate a need for persuasion of OA to take place; APCs are an economic barrier rather than the main criterion for journal selection; OPR practices may seem innovative and emerging; scientific and evaluation policies seem to have a clear effect on the behaviour of researchers; researchers state that they share research data more for reasons of persuasion than out of obligation. Researchers do question the pathways or difficulties that may arise on a day-to-day basis and seem aware that we are undergoing change, where academic evaluation or policies related to open science, its implementation and habits among researchers may change. In this sense, more and better support is needed on the part of institutions and faculty support services.

Kendala Implementasi Sistem Rujukan Terintegrasi (Sisrute) di Indonesia

An integrated referral system (Sisrute) is an internet-based technology that connects patient data from lower service levels to higher or equivalent service levels (horizontally or vertically) to simplify and speed up the referral process. Sisrute has been officially implemented since 2016 but there are still limited studies on Sisrute implementation. The purpose of this study is to find out the limits of introduction of Sisrute in Indonesia. The author conducted a literature review based on journals and conference papers in the last 5 years (2018-2023). There were 8 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The results of the review found that Sisrute implementation constraints consisted of 3 aspects, namely organization or governance, human resources (users), and application system features. The organizing aspect includes leadership commitment; person responsible; reporting and evaluation; standard operating procedure and special Sisrute team; Sisrute referral acceptance flow; supporting facilities; Sisrute information media; referral hospital commitment; and update of Sisrute component information data. User aspects include response time or speed of response from referral hospitals; completeness of referred patient data; system use skills and training; as well as user perceptions regarding convenience, interest, benefits and supporting circumstances. Aspects of application systems include server or network issues; appearance and completeness of system components; mobile version system features; and utilization of application features.

Long-term psychotherapy in tertiary care: A practice-based benchmarking study.

The literature regarding the effectiveness of long-term psychological interventions delivered in tertiary care is scarce. This study sought to quantify and evaluate outcomes delivered in a UK tertiary care psychotherapy service against equivalent service benchmarks. A retrospective analysis of outcomes on the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45) over a 10-year period in a tertiary care psychotherapy service. The modalities evaluated were cognitive-behavioural, cognitive-analytic, and psychoanalytic psychotherapies. Effectiveness was calculated at the service level and for each modality using pre-post-effect sizes and recovery rates. Benchmarking included a random-effects meta-analysis. Trajectories of change for each modality were examined using growth curve models. Baseline distress on the OQ-45 was higher than comparative norms (M=102.57, SD=22.79, N=364). The average number of sessions was 48.68 (SD=42.14, range=5-335). There was a moderate pre-post-treatment effect (d=.46, 95% CI=.37-.55) which was lower than available benchmarks. The modalities differed in duration but were largely equivalent in terms of outcome. The reliable improvement rate was 29.95%, and the recovery rate was 10.16%, and change over time was best explained using a nonlinear (cubic) time trend. The elevated distress at baseline appears to create the conditions for relatively lengthy interventions and attenuated clinical outcomes. Suggestions are made regarding the clinical role, function, and evaluation of tertiary care psychotherapy services.

Prelithiation Enhances Cycling Life of Lithium‐Ion Batteries: A Mini Review

During the last decade, the rapid development of lithium‐ion battery (LIB) energy storage systems has provided significant support for the efficient operation of renewable energy stations. In the coming years, the service life demand of energy storage systems will be further increased to 30 years from the current 20 years on the basis of the equivalent service life of renewable energy stations. However, the life of the present LIB is far from meeting such high demand. Therefore, research on the next‐generation LIB with ultra‐long service life is imminent. Prelithiation technology has been widely studied as an important means to compensate for the initial coulombic efficiency loss and improve the service life of LIBs. This review systematically summarized the different prelithiation methods from anode and cathode electrodes. Moreover, the large‐scale industrialization challenge and the possibility of the existing prelithiation technology are analyzed, based on three key parameters: industry compatibility, prelithiation efficiency, and energy density. Finally, the future trends of improvement in LIB performance by other overlithiated cathode materials are presented, which gives a reference for subsequent research.

Gradient Variation Oxygen-Content Vanadium-Oxygen Composite Films with Enhanced Crystallinity and Excellent Durability for Smart Windows.

Vanadium dioxide (VO2)-based smart windows show excellent promise for energy-saving and have been extensively researched. However, for the glass industry-compatible magnetron sputtering process, VO2 films are difficult to obtain and have homogeneous crystalline state, leaving them lacking the ideal solar modulation (ΔTsol) and sensitivity (narrow hysteresis loop). More importantly, the instability of VO2 hinders its commercialization. Multilayer structures have been repeatedly investigated to solve these problems. Unfortunately, the mediocre thermochromic properties as well as the complex and expensive manufacturing steps still hinder its commercialization. In this work, we prepared gradient variation oxygen-content vanadium-oxygen composite films (V2O3/VO2/V2O5, VOgv) with enhanced crystallinity and excellent durability by one-step continuous sputtering. According to optical measurements, the ΔTsol of the VOgv films was significantly increased by 145% (from 6.85 to 16.80%) compared to VO2 films, and the width of the hysteresis loop was reduced by 67% (from 19.34 to 6.36 °C), while the VOgv films exhibited a wider preparation window. The accelerated tests have shown that the film has an equivalent service life of approximately 20 years. We exploited the intrinsic similarity in properties of homologous compounds of vanadium oxide and simplified the preparation process, which is supposed to break the existing application bottlenecks and increase the commercializing possibility of VO2-based thermochromic smart windows.

Mediating phase decomposition to avoid thermal aging embrittlement in a duplex stainless steel

Due to the presence of miscibility gap in the body-centered-cubic structure iron‑chromium alloy system, the ferrite will decompose into the Fe-rich α phase and Cr-rich α´ phase, resulting in the inherent “475 °C embrittlement”. In this study, a pulsed electric field is introduced to mediate the phase decomposition for avoiding aging embrittlement. Combining nanoindentation testing and atomic-scale characterization, the results show that almost no aging hardening and phase decomposition behaviors occur with the pulsed electric field intervening, and the thermodynamic analysis indicates that the pulsed electric field can shrink the spinodal domain. Further, the life evaluation shows that the equivalent aging time of the duplex stainless steel is 18.2 years without the application of the pulsed electric field, while the equivalent aging time of the duplex stainless steel is 1.2 years under the action of the pulsed electric field, which is equivalent to an extension of the service life by 17 years. This study offers an opportunity for resisting the aging embrittlement process to prolong the longevity of components. • The ferrite decomposition is suppressed by pulsed electric field during thermal aging. • Spinodal decomposition plays the major role in thermal aging embrittlement. • Pulsed electric field induces the spinodal domain to shrink for avoiding phase decomposition. • The equivalent service life of duplex stainless steel is extended by 17 years.

The counterintuitive role of efficiency: implications for the ecological impact of health care

Health systems must decarbonise and, in rich nations, degrow their overall ecological impact if they are to operate within ecological limits.1,2 This imperative has inspired a range of policies and practices for sustainable health care, including those focused on efficiency, defined here as measures that seek to deliver an equivalent service using fewer inputs.1 In health care, as in other sectors, efficiency measures are attractive for several reasons: they appear to avoid tradeoffs between the interests of patients, the environment, and health system funders; their benefits can be quantified in formats familiar to decision makers; an they are premised on providing the same care that people have come to expect.

Incorporating ride-sourcing services into paratransit for people with disabilities: Opportunities and barriers

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires public transit agencies to provide an equivalent transportation service for people with disabilities, known as ADA paratransit service. As the U.S. population continues to grow and age, the demand for paratransit service keeps rising, posing many challenges for transit agencies due to its high operational cost. In response, a growing number of transit agencies are looking to incorporate alternative paratransit services by forming partnerships with transportation network companies (TNCs) to provide what is known as same-day service (SDS). However, most of these partnerships are still in the pilot phase, and scant research investigates the opportunities and barriers of SDS or provides guidelines and measures for transit agencies interested in such partnerships. Considering both the characteristics of paratransit trips and riders and the operational norms of TNCs, this paper explores different conditions under which SDS trips are most appropriate and estimates potential trip diversion from conventional paratransit to SDS operated by TNCs. Trip diversion conditions include (1) trip length, which is impacted by the subsidy amount for SDS and the dynamic pricing of TNC trips, (2) level of service, which depends on the level of mobility assistance required by paratransit riders, and (3) the operational efficiency of conventional paratransit. Different settings and combinations of these conditions help transit agencies explore the potential trip diversion of SDS while considering significant barriers to the service. Using 2019 ridership data of Access paratransit, the ADA paratransit services in the Seattle region, this research finds that without an excessive subsidy amount, transit agencies can divert up to 18% of paratransit trips to SDS. This percentage can drop to as low as 11% of paratransit trips if transit agencies further limit the SDS service area to ensure the efficiency of conventional ADA paratransit. This paper concludes that although SDS provides many benefits, significant barriers inherent to TNC business models and paratransit users should be carefully examined when pursuing ADA paratransit-TNC partnerships.

Building Service Compositions Based on data on Use of Services by Users

The automatic service composition is discussed in the article. The method is proposed for building the service composition based on the processing of statistical data on individual applying services (tasks) by users. The method is based on linking tasks to each other, determining data dependencies, parameters of services whose values are rigidly set by the composition of services, and parameters whose values can be changed by the user are highlighted. Service compositions are built in the form of a directed graph of DAG. The methods have been developed for reducing the set of obtained service compositions, which allow us to highlight useful ones and rank them by degree of use. In particular, equivalent service compositions based on isomorphism of DAG graphs are determined, trivial ones are discarded, and only compositions that lead to the published result are left behind.

Distribution and determinants of hospital efficiency and relative productivity in county-level hospitals in rural China: an observational study

BackgroundCataract surgery is very important to prevent blindness, but its productivity and efficiency in China are unknown. Our study aimed to evaluate the geographical distribution of cataract surgeons and prospectively...

Communication Equipment Maintenance Decision Method Based on Equivalent Service Coefficient

In order to solve the problems of time-consuming, laborconsuming and low accuracy of manual statistical calculation of maintenance interval in current communication equipment operation and maintenance management, a communication equipment condition based maintenance decision-making system based on real-time condition monitoring is proposed. Based on the actual operation status information data of communication equipment in the real-time database, the system uses the life prediction calculation method of communication equipment related components to calculate the service life (operation hours and startup times) under the current state, convert it into the equivalent service life under the benchmark operation conditions, and then compare it with the maximum maintenance life to predict the remaining life Based on the product of maintenance coefficient and service coefficient of line hours and startup times, the concept of equivalent service coefficient is proposed. According to whether the equivalent service coefficient of operation period and forecast period is equal, four maintenance decision-making models are established, and then the specific maintenance opportunity of communication equipment related components is determined.

Editorial

Editorial