Expert Services Research Articles

The importance of self-management for better treatment outcomes for HIV patients in a low-income setting: perspectives of HIV experts and service providers

BackgroundSelf-management is the most important strategy to improve quality of life in patients with a chronic disease. Despite the increasing number of people living with HIV (PLWH) in low-income countries, very little research on self-management is conducted in this setting. The aim of this research is to understand the perspectives of service providers and experts on the importance of self-management for PLWH.MethodsA systematizing expert interview type of qualitative methodology was used to gain the perspectives of experts and service providers. The study participants had experience in researching, managing, or providing HIV service in east and southern African (ESA) countries. All the interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and translated to English. The quality of the transcripts was ensured by randomly checking the texts against the audio record. A thematic analysis approach supported by Atlas TI version 9 software.ResultPLWH face a variety of multi-dimensional problems thematized under contextual and process dimensions. The problems identified under the contextual dimension include disease-specific, facility-related, and social environment-related. Problems with individual origin, such as ignorance, outweighing beliefs over scientific issues, low self-esteem, and a lack of social support, were mostly highlighted under the process dimensions. Those problems have a deleterious impact on self-management, treatment outcomes, and the quality of life of PLWH. Low self-management is also a result of professional-centered service delivery in healthcare facilities and health service providers’ incapacity to comprehend a patient’s need beyond the medical concerns. Participants in the study asserted that patients have a significant stake in enhancing treatment results and quality of life through enhancing self-management.Conclusion and recommendationHIV patients face multifaceted problems beyond their medical issues. The success of medical treatment for HIV is strongly contingent upon patients’ self-management practices and the supportive roles of their family, society, and health service providers. The development and integration of self-management practices into clinical care will benefit patients, their families, and the health system.

Cross-border Product Payments in Sub-Saharan Africa! How MSMEs React to PAPSS as E-payment Innovation: Moderating Role of Experience

Cross-border Product Payments in Sub-Saharan Africa! How MSMEs React to PAPSS as E-payment Innovation: Moderating Role of Experience

Knowledge Profile of Therapeutic Communication Students of Health Services Expertise Program at Vocational School

Therapeutic communication is used by health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, or counselors, to help individuals overcome emotional, psychological, or physical problems. Therapeutic communication is an essential competency that vocational school students must have before doing practical fieldwork. This research aimed to determine the therapeutic communication knowledge profile of vocational high school students in health service expertise programs. This type of research is quantitative. The sampling technique used was a proportionate stratified random sampling of 71 people from all 238 vocational school students in health service expertise programs. Data collection was carried out quantitatively using questionnaires filled out directly by respondents. The research results show the average score based on class level, which shows that the three class levels have the same average score and are classified as not yet competent or below 70. The difference in the average score of class X to class XI and class XI to class III is insignificant. The level of therapeutic communication knowledge of 18% of students is competent, while 82% are classified as yet competent. Considering the importance of therapeutic competence for prospective health workers, it is hoped that the research results can become a reference and illustration for health vocational schools to increase competence in therapeutic communication for students.

Unravelling the Nexus Between Antecedents of Customer Satisfaction and Innovative Service Acceptance in Restaurants

ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of ambient conditions, food hygiene, standardization, and customer satisfaction on customer innovative service acceptance. The quantitative study draws upon data from 750 valid questionnaires completed by restaurant customers. The researchers applied partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using Smart PLS 4 to analyze the research model. A two-step method was followed to assess measurements and structural models. The salient PLS-SEM findings showed that ambient conditions, standardization, and food hygiene significantly affect customer satisfaction. Besides, the findings also acknowledged that customer satisfaction was mediating and significantly affected innovative service acceptance. This study has made a significant theoretical contribution to the innovative service literature by examining its antecedents in a single model and exploring the mediating role of customer satisfaction. The study’s findings indicate that restaurant managers should be concerned with innovative service and customer acceptance. The possession of innovative service expertise enables restaurants to offer distinctive and unforgettable experiences to their customers.

Appointment and conduct of construction-technical and evaluation-construction expertise in criminal proceeding provided for in Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine

The article examines the main provisions of construction-technical and evaluation-construction expertise in criminal proceedings on appropriation, waste of property or possession of it through abuse of official position, which is accompanied by an analysis of statistical data of the Office of the General Prosecutor, the Expert Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, as well as the results of a survey of investigators National Police. The types of special knowledge of court experts have been defined, which correspond to the expert specialties acquired by them and allow the involvement of relevant specialists during the construction and technical and evaluation and construction examinations in criminal proceedings on appropriation, waste of property or possession of it by abuse of official position. The tasks of these types of forensic examinations and a typical list of issues resolved by them are outlined, which allows to effectively conduct an investigation of a criminal offense provided for in Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, taking into account the available conclusions of experts and the possibility of using them in the evidence system. The specifics of the appointment of construction- technical and evaluation-construction expertise in the investigated criminal proceedings, which relate to the types of construction-technical documentation provided to the expert, as well as the need in specific cases of investigation of official embezzlement during road construction to appoint these expertises in a complex with others, are revealed. The procedural features of preparing and conducting an evaluation and construction examination in criminal proceedings initiated under Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which consist in the proper preparation of documents by the investigator regarding the inspection of the premises that will be evaluated during the examination, have been studied. The advantage of the combined use of special knowledge in the form of the appointment of complex forensic examinations during the investigation of appropriation, waste of property or possession of it through abuse of official position in the field of construction, namely construction-technical and evaluation-construction, road-technical, commodity expert examinations, has been proven.

Analysis of Risk Factors Affecting Road Work Construction Failure in Sigi District

One of the causes of project failure is work risks that often occur at work locations. The aim of this research is what risk factors influence road work in Sigi Regency and what indicators have an important role in influencing roads in Sigi Regency. The 50 respondents in this study included expert staff and service supervisors, consultants and contractors. Data analysis uses Factor Analysis. The Planning and Conflict Management factor is the factor that has the highest variance value when compared to other factors, namely 26.323%, which makes this factor a risk factor with a greater influence on road work in Sigi Regency compared to other factors. Indicators that have an important role in the risk factors that influence road work in Sigi Regency are changes in the contents of documents while the contract is running, inaccurate project evaluations in terms of time and duration, changes in government policy, increases in tax prices while the work is in progress, and By not following the provisions according to the contract.

Impact of Perceived Servicescape on Patient Satisfaction through Mediating Role of Service Credibility and Moderating Role of Received Word of Mouth in Rehabilitation

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of perceived servicescape (PS) and credibility of the healthcare service provider (CHSP) on patient satisfaction(PtS) in rehabilitation settings of public and private hospitals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Mediating effect of CHSP and moderating effect of received word of mouth (WOM) have also been studied in this relationship. A sample of 300 patients receiving rehabilitation care was selected by applying convenience sampling technique. The design of this study was cross-sectional in nature. Self-administered questionnaire was designed to be utilized. Application of the correlation and regression were executed to analyze the collected quantitative data. The cross-sectional study method, limited geographical area coverage, and small sample size did not allow the detailed testing of the causal relations among study variables. Results of this study have indicated that there was a significant direct positive relationship between perceived servicescape and patient satisfaction and this relationship was also mediated positively by CHSP. There was a substantial direct positive relationship between perceived servicescape and CHSP and, between CHSP and patient satisfaction. However, the moderating effect of received WOM was found to be insignificant. It is recommended that healthcare managers should develop a credible service framework that focuses on better affordability, competitiveness, awareness, empathy, service expertise, pleasant interactions with patients through centeredness communication and beliefs and, subsequently, it will contribute to patient satisfaction and success of the rehabilitation settings. This is the first-ever study of the impact of perceived servicescape on patient satisfaction through CHSP as a mediator and the moderating influence of received WOM in rehabilitation.

Perceptions of Delay in Seeking Medical Help among People with Diabetic Foot Ulcers in Rural Southwest China

Diabetic foot infection is one of the most severe complications of diabetes mellitus. Immediately seeking medical attention is vital after foot ulcers occur; however there are often delays in seeking treatment. This study used a qualitative descriptive approach to explore the perceptions of delay in people seeking medical help for foot ulcers in three villages in Baise, rural areas of southwest China. Fifteen patients were recruited in this study. In-depth interviews were performed to collect data from August to October 2022, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. This study identified four main themes: personal estimation; supernatural and traditional power; health service expertise, cost and access to hospital care; and psychological and complementary care. Inadequate awareness of potential ulcers and a preference for alternative methods significantly contributed to delays in medical foot care. Additionally, a shortage in community healthcare services impeded the timely initiation of proper foot care actions. It was worth noting that the preference for Traditional Chinese Therapy was relevant to the delay in seeking medical attention on foot, yet it was not perceived before. These findings serve as crucial evidence for developing interventions and future policy adjustments. Further consideration of the multifaceted impacts is necessary to incentivize prompt treatment decisions for diabetic foot ulcers. Nurse specialists should be concerned regarding psychological care, and dual-way support between nurses and families is vital for prompt medical care-seeking. Nursing education should emphasize knowledge of pathophysiology integrating prayer merits and Chinese therapies for patient empowerment.

Peculiarities of the specialist's participation in the search during the investigation of appropriation, waste of property or its possession by abuse of official position

The procedural and organizational-tactical bases of the involvement of a specialist in a search in criminal proceedings on the appropriation, embezzlement of property or taking possession of it by abuse of official position are investigated. Data from official statistics testify to the low quality of investigations into official embezzlement in Ukraine. The main subjects investigating the criminal offense provided for in Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine are investigators of the National Police. Accordingly, a forensic specialist of the National Police or a forensic expert of the Expert Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is most often involved in the search in such criminal proceedings. Emphasis is placed on the mandatory participation of a specialist during the search in the investigation of official embezzlement with the aim of continuous video recording of its progress in the event that witnesses cannot participate. The factors that are guided by the investigator when determining which specialist should be involved in the search are highlighted. It was concluded that in the studied category of criminal proceedings, it is advisable to involve specialists from various fields in the search, whose functions will depend on the stages of the investigative (search) action. The joint actions of the investigator and the specialist at the preparatory, working and final stages of the search are revealed. The recommendation to involve in the search the specialist who participated in the previous procedural actions was supported. Proposals have been made to engage relevant specialists to inspect computer equipment and extract electronic (digital) information. The procedure for removing electronic (digital) information at the scene of a search in criminal proceedings on the appropriation, waste of property or possession of it by abuse of official position has been revealed. It was emphasized that in criminal proceedings under Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, specialists during a search: use scientific and technical means to identify certain objects, their hiding places; recognize the essence of objects, things, documents, examine them beforehand; provide consultation and reference assistance regarding the collection of evidence, the appointment of examinations for the identified objects; technical means are used to record the progress and results of the search.

It takes it out of the textbook: Benefits of and barriers to expert by experience involvement in pre-registration mental health nursing education.

Nurse academics teaching mental health nursing have generally favourable views about the importance of expert by experience involvement. Nurse academics experience significant barriers in supporting the implementation of academic positions for experts by experience, particularly in obtaining funding. The experts by experience could contribute to mental health nursing education does not appear to be clearly understood by nurse academics. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Mental health services aspire to adopt a recovery-oriented approach to practice. Involving experts by experience in mental health nursing education can facilitate increased understanding and appreciation of recovery-oriented practice. Nurse academics could play an important role in supporting the implementation of experts by experience positions in nursing academia. To do so, they require an understanding of the benefits of EBE involvement in academia and the barriers that can be encountered when attempting to facilitate the implementation of such positions. Experts by experience contribute unique expertise, essential to the development of quality mental health services. Conveying this expertise through the educating the future nursing workforce in mental health is essential. INTRODUCTION: Involving service users in mental health nursing education is ad hoc and minimal, despite growing evidence of its benefits. Insights and experiences of nurse academics teaching mental health to pre-registration students have been underrepresented in the research to date. To seek insights and experiences of nurse academics involved in designing and delivering pre-registration mental health nursing education in Australian universities regarding involving service users in mental health nursing education. A descriptive qualitative study involving 19 nurse academics from 13 Australian universities, involved in pre-registration mental health nursing education. Data were analysed thematically. Participants reported minimal service user involvement. Most sought an increase and identified barriers. Data analysis resulted in five identified themes: (1) value-rich, (2) resource-poor, (3) imperfect processes, (4) 'part, but not all' and (5) unrecognised worth. Increasing meaningful involvement of service-users in mental health nursing education requires support and investment from multiple stakeholders. Nurse academics are crucial stakeholders in understanding the unique expertise service users bring. Service users being central to all aspects of mental health services requires their active participation in the education of health professionals. Nurse academics have an important role in realising this goal.

Eating disorders and COVID-19 - different or just more?

BackgroundCOVID-19 saw an increase in child mental health presentations internationally. Clinicians analogised the exponential increase in anorexia nervosa to a ‘tsunami’ or ‘outbreak’, raising parallel concerns regarding medical and psychological risks (Marsh in The Guardian, 2021; Leask in NZ Herald, 2021; Monteleone et al. in Eat Weight Disord 26(8):2443–2452, 2021) . It is unclear whether Ireland emulated this picture of increased referrals with increased medical compromise.AimsThis paper examines both rates and clinical profiles of child eating disorder presentations in the Republic of Ireland (ROI), across different clinical settings.MethodsFollowing ethical approval, retrospective chart reviews were conducted in a community eating disorder service and in two paediatric hospital settings. The time frame of the different studies ranged from January 2016 to December 2022.ResultsCommunity eating disorder services saw significantly higher referral rates post COVID-19 (3.78/month vs. 2.31/month, p = 0.02), with a shorter duration of illness (4.8 months vs. 7.4 months, p = 0.001), but no significant difference in ideal body weight % (IBW%) at referral (85.32% vs. 83.7%, p = 0.1). Both paediatric hospitals witnessed significantly increased referrals post-COVID-19 (hospital 1; 4.38/month vs. 1.93/month, p = 0.0001; hospital 2; 2.8/month vs. 0.92/month, p < 0.0001), but no significant difference in IBW% at assessment (hospital 1; 82.7% vs. 81.39%, p = 0.673; hospital 2; 81.5% vs. 83%, p = 0.563). There was no significant difference in clinical profile, management, or duration of hospital stay.ConclusionsThis study supports the growing consensus of a pandemic specific increase in eating disorder referrals to both medical and psychiatry services. However, there was little to indicate a change in clinical profile or severity. Ongoing monitoring of referrals is necessary to ensure adequate service availability and expertise.

Validation of JSC “Troitsa” berths bollards in the “Chayka” port of Severodvinsk

Berthing equipment of two berths of JSC “Troitsa” is considered. They are “Berth for petroleum products transshipment” and “Reinforced concrete berth with crane tracks” of “Chayka” port (Severodvinsk). The berths were put into operation half a century ago. Due to the regulatory service life expiration, the Scientific Research Association “Pleiada” LLC (Novorossiysk) carried out in 2021 a theoretical calculation to determine the bearing capacity of bollards. The purpose of the planned research is to check the safe functioning of the available mooring devices in the existing conditions of berthing facilities operation. The object of research is non-standard mooring bollards, for which there was no documentation on operational control during construction and commissioning certificates. The process of changing the technical condition and determining the bearing capacity of the bollards is considered as the subject of the research. It has been established that the mooring bollards of the studied berths are suitable for operation to ensure the mooring of vessels that do not exceed the design parameters and comply with the requirements of subparagraph (a) of paragraph 191 of the technical regulations on the safety of maritime transport facilities dated August 12, 2010 No. 620 (as amended on October 7, 2019). The results of organoleptic and instrumental examinations using a high-precision electronic dynamometer ACD/1R-250/7I-2 are presented. It is concluded that a correct assessment of the berthing equipment technical condition is achieved with proper organization of the expert service in combination with continuous deformation monitoring.

An Assessment of the GLE Alert++ Warning System

Over the last years the Athens Cosmic Ray Group of the National &amp; Kapodistrian University of Athens has implemented a warning tool called GLE Alert, which is a highly credible application that issues alerts when a ground level enhancement (GLE) starts due to very high energy solar energetic particles reaching the Earth. This application warns of a high intensity solar energetic particle event up to several minutes before it reaches near the near-Earth space environment. In this work, an assessment of the latest updated version of GLE Alert, GLE Alert++, is presented. GLE Alert++ is a federated product of the ESA S2P SWE Space Radiation Expert Service Centre, which is part of the ESA Space WEather Service NETwork (SWESNET) project. The assessment of the GLE Alert++, which was finalized in October 2022, focused on: (a) the availability of the real-time data provided by the neutron monitor stations that contribute to the GLE Alert++, (b) the behaviour of each station regarding the different Alert levels status (Watch, Warning and Alert), and (c) the definition of the real-time assessment index. The results of this work are of essential importance since they ensure a reliable and trustworthy warning tool, and can be highly useful in protecting humans during extreme solar energetic events.

Pengaruh konsep diri lingkungan teman sebaya dan kompetensi pedagogik guru terhadap kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id="docs-internal-guid-adbe71e6-7fff-1cf3-0584-1166236795d3"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The purpose of the research was to find out (1) the effect of self-concept on students' critical thinking skills, (2) the influence of the peer environment on students' critical thinking skills, (3) the influence of the teacher's pedagogical competence on students' critical thinking skills, 4) the influence of self-concept, peer environment, and teacher pedagogical competence together on students' critical thinking skills. This research is quantitative research with the correlational method. The population in this study amounted to 216 students of the Office Management and Business Services expertise program. The sampling technique used proportionate stratified random sampling with 138 students. The results of this study indicate: (1) there is a significant positive effect of self-concept on students' critical thinking skills (t&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;value&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 6.009&amp;gt; t&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;table&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 1.656), (2) there is a significant positive effect of peer environment on students' critical thinking abilities (t&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;value&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 2.907&amp;gt; t&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;table&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 1.656), (3) there is no positive effect of the teacher's pedagogical competence on students' critical thinking skills (t&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;value&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; -.249&amp;lt;t&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;table &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;1.656), (4) there is a significant positive influence of self-concept, peer environment, and teacher pedagogic competence together on students' critical thinking skills (F&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;value&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 20.526&amp;gt;F&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;table&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; 2.67).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

University students' access to mental health services: A qualitative study of the experiences of health service professionals through the lens of candidacy in England.

In order to develop a better understanding of students' access to mental health services, we explored the experiences of health care professionals interacting with university students with mental health problems. We interviewed 23 professionals working across university advice and counselling services, NHS general practice, crisis, and psychological services in North and East London between June 2022 and January 2023. Our approach drew on reflexive thematic analysis and the principles of abductive analysis. The notion of candidacy - that is, how different needs are deemed deserving of health service attention - was particularly helpful to our understanding of the ongoing phenomenon of interest in the data. Each student's access to mental health support was highly contingent on the student's dynamic social context and the pressures and organisation of the local health system. Professionals described how different students viewed different needs as deserving of health service attention. Which students reached the professional's service depended on the resources and relationships a student could draw upon, and the service's relative permeability. Once there, what action professionals took was strongly influenced by the professional's service expertise, resource constraints, the relationships the professional's service had with other organisations, the students' wishes, and whether students regarded treatment offers as acceptable. Candidacy offers a useful lens to view university students' access to mental health support. Access appears to be an increasingly intricate task for students, given the fragmented service landscape, surging demand for mental health care and challenges of emerging adulthood. Our findings suggest that policy goals to increase use of mental health services are unlikely to improve outcomes for students without policy makers and health systems giving holistic consideration of inter-service relationships and available resources.

The Viability and Acceptability of a Virtual Wound Care Command Centre in Australia.

The objective of this study was to assess the viability and acceptability of an innovative Virtual Wound Care Command Centre where patients in the community, and their treating clinicians, have access to an expert wound specialist service that comprises a digital wound application (app) for wound analysis, decision-making, remote consultation, and monitoring. Fifty-one patients with chronic (42.6%) wounds were healed, with a median time to healing of 66 (95% CI: 56-88) days. All patients reported high satisfaction with their wound care, 86.4% of patients recommended the Virtual Wound Care Command Centre with 84.1% of patients reporting the app as easy to use. The data revealed that the Virtual Wound Care Command Centre was a viable and acceptable patient-centred expert wound consultation service for chronic wound patients in the community.

Competencies for Training Juvenile Services on Justice-Involved Youth with Traumatic Brain Injury

Research indicates young individuals with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in juvenile justice settings lack essential support, mainly due to staff members' insufficient knowledge and skills in TBI-related areas stemming from a lack of relevant professional development. This study aimed to improve services for justice-involved youths with TBI in juvenile correction facilities by establishing empirically validated core competencies tailored to their needs. Through a Delphi study involving experts in juvenile services, juvenile corrections, TBI, transition services, and professional development, we identified and refined a set of 44 competencies distributed across six domains: knowledge (12 competencies), screening (6 competencies), eligibility (3 competencies), assessment (4 competencies), intervention (10 competencies), and community reentry (9 competencies).

Implementation of cervical cancer prevention and screening across five tertiary hospitals in Nepal and its policy implications: A mixed-methods study.

In Nepal, cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women despite the existing policies. This study intends to assess the implementation of cervical cancer prevention and screening through service utilization by women, knowledge and attitude among health professionals, and the perceptions of stakeholders in Nepal. This mixed-methods study was conducted in 2022 across five tertiary hospitals in Kathmandu, Nepal. The quantitative study comprised the health professionals and women attending gynecology outpatient clinics from the selected hospitals. The qualitative study comprised stakeholders including service providers and experts on cervical cancer from selected hospitals, civil societies, and the Ministry of Health and Population. The utilization of screening through pap smear among 657 women across five hospitals was 22.2% and HPV vaccination was 1.5%. The utilization of cervical cancer screening was associated with older age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.09, CI: 1.07, 8.19], married (AOR = 3.024, CI: 1.12, 8.19), higher education (AOR = 3.024, CI:1.12, 8.42), oral contraceptives use (AOR = 2.49, CI: 1.36, 4.39), and ever heard of cervical cancer screening (AOR = 13.28, CI: 6.85, 25.73). Among 254 health professionals, the knowledge score was positively associated with them ever having a training [Standardized Beta (β) = 0.20, CI: 0.44, 2.43)] and having outreach activities in their hospital (β = 0.19 CI: 0.89, 9.53) regarding cervical cancer screening. The female as compared to male health professionals (β = 0.16, CI: 0.41, 8.16, P = 0.03) and having a cervical cancer screening guideline as compared to none (β = 0.19 CI: 0.89, 9.53, P = 0.026) were more likely to have a better attitude for screening. The qualitative findings among 23 stakeholders reflected implementation challenges in policy, supply, service delivery, providers, and community. This study showed low utilization of prevention and services by women and implementation gaps on cervical cancer prevention and screening services across five tertiary hospitals in Kathmandu, Nepal. The findings could help designing more focused interventions.

Trusted Evidences on the Digital Transformation of Classic Cars Restoration

Classic automobiles are a crucial component of the automotive industry, representing specific eras’ historical, and technological accomplishments. However, to be regarded as masterpieces, these must be conserved in mint condition or restored following strict guidelines applied by expert services. Therefore, all data about restoration processes, and other relevant information about these vehicles, must be rigorously documented to guarantee its auditability and immutability. This paper reports on our ongoing research to properly provide such features to the classic car ecosystem.We are developing a blockchain-based solution that facilitates the adequate recording of classic car information, restoration procedures applied, and all associated documentation by ensuring this data is immutable and trustworthy, while also promoting collaboration between interested entities.Our proposed solution aims to be advantageous for all automotive entities involved. Additionally, it will be feasible to assess the impact of our system and its key technology, blockchain, applied to this particular domain.

Application of Digital Twin Technology for the Digitization of Railway Maintenance Services in compliance with European Regulation EU 779/2019.

This paper delves into the application of Digital Twin Technology (DTT) in the digitalization of assets, processes, and services to improve maintenance performance in railway applications in the context of European Regulation EU 779/2019. Digitalization plays a pivotal role in certifying the suitability of rolling stock in the railway sector. The primary objective of this study is to meticulously examine the fundamental tasks required to build a digital twin in this specific context. The process involves the contributions of key entities fulfilling specific roles: the maintenance and asset certification service provider ensures the integrity and compliance of rolling stock; specialists in IoT and process automation, along with experts in software platforms and services, are tasked with implementing the technological aspects of the digital twin. As a result, a methodology is proposed for the integration of digital design that combines three approaches: Service approach, platform architecture, and model-based asset digitalization. This paper delineates critical stages, from data acquisition and management to model creation and information integration, highlighting the crucial role of DTT in this process. Furthermore, the challenge of digitalization in situations where assets and processes are in an initial state of low or non-existent digitalization is underscored. A profound understanding of digital assets, information layers, and underlying models becomes crucial in the context of the current challenges of railway digitalization.