Service Model Research Articles

Cybersecurity preparedness of small-to-medium businesses: A Western Australia study with broader implications

This study was prompted by the scarcity of focused quantitative research on the cybersecurity of SMBs. Our research aimed to understand the factors influencing SMBs' approach to cybersecurity, their level of threat awareness and the importance placed on cybersecurity. It also explored the extent to which NIST CSF practices are implemented by SMBs while also detecting and ranking the prevalent challenges faced by SMBs. Additionally, resources that SMBs turn to for help and guidance were also evaluated. While the survey-based study was on Western Australian SMBs, the results are of more general and wider interest. Our study found the lack of funds to be the biggest hindrance to cybersecurity, along with a lack of knowledge on where to start implementing good security practices. SMBs also lacked familiarity with relevant regulations and frameworks. The study highlights areas for improvement, such as access control mechanisms, individual user accounts, formalised policies and procedures, and dedicated budgets. SMBs heavily rely on Google search for cybersecurity information, emphasising the need for optimised search results from authoritative sources. IT service providers and informal networks also emerge as important sources of cybersecurity guidance, while local universities could assist SMBs but remain underutilised in this regard. Interestingly, factors such as organisational size, industry sector, and revenue level did not significantly impact SMBs' perception of vulnerability to cyber threats. However, further investigation is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of different IT service models for SMBs' cybersecurity needs. Overall, the research provides valuable insights into the specific gaps and challenges faced by SMBs in the cybersecurity domain, as well as their preferred methods of seeking and consuming cybersecurity assistance. The findings can guide the development of targeted strategies and policies to enhance the cybersecurity posture of SMBs.

Doxing: how a darknet shop created the blackmail as a service business model

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to explore the development of the Blackmail-as-a-Service business model within the Digital Thrift Shop. This service model involves the sale of doxing files to customers, as well as the removal of the content from the shop and its dissemination to victims or individuals closely connected to them.Design/methodology/approachTo access the Digital Thrift shop, this study relies on the Tor browser and a darknet indexing site. The authors then use an application to collect and store the web pages as PDFs. Finally, content analysis is performed on these PDFs to understand the Blackmail-as-a-Service business model developed by the Digital Thrift.FindingsThe doxing data available on the Digital Thrift is primarily targeted toward women. Digital Thrift has also established a way to value the purchase, sale and the removal of blackmail data. The presence of Blackmail-as-a-Service on darknet sites poses unique challenges for criminal justice agencies in terms of jurisdiction, due to the lack of harmonized laws and the obstacles involved in taking down content from darknet sites. Finally, the use of a service model for blackmail allows criminals without technical skills to engage in cyber-victimization using blackmail.Originality/valueResearch into Blackmail-as-a-Service from boutique providers has not been conducted. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first study seeking to understand the Blackmail-as-a-Service business model on the darknet when used to target adults. This study presents evidence of a lack of connection between the buyers of the compromising material and the potential victim, challenging preconceived notions about image-based sexual abuse and its connection to individuals involved in interpersonal relationships.

Experiences of Respite Care Among Carers or Relatives Who are Responsible for Caring for Individuals With a Mental Illness: An Integrative Literature Review.

An integrative review methodology was employed, following PRISMA guidelines and Whittemore and Knafi's method for integrative review. Thus, the review synthesised the findings of empirical literature published between 2005 and 2023 drawn from four databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Scopus. From the seven studies that met the inclusion criteria, a number of themes emerged: (a) relief of carer burden; (b) benefits for individuals with Mental Illness (MI); (c) barriers to accessing respite care; and (d) inappropriate services model for respite care for individuals with MI. The review findings indicate that using respite care services can decrease a carer's burden and can positively impact both carers and individuals with MI. Conversely, respite care may cause an increase in carers' stress levels due to the lack of service availability, insufficient knowledge and understanding about respite care services for carers, respite accessibility challenges accessible for people with MI and the reluctance of people with MI to accept respite care.

Service provision for Frailty in European Emergency Departments (FEED): a survey of operational characteristics

BackgroundThe observational Frailty in European Emergency Departments (FEED) study found 40% of older people attending for care to be living with frailty. Older people with frailty have poorer outcomes from emergency care. Current best practice calls for early identification of frailty and holistic multidisciplinary assessment. This survey of FEED sites explores variations in frailty-attuned service definitions and provision.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey included study sites across Europe identified through snowball recruitment. Site co-ordinators (healthcare professionals in emergency and geriatric care) were surveyed online using Microsoft Forms. Items covered department and hospital capacity, frailty and delirium identification methods, staffing, and frailty-focused healthcare services in the ED. Descriptive statistics were reported.ResultsA total of 68 sites from 17 countries participated. Emergency departments had median 30 (IQR 21–53) trolley spaces. Most defined "older people" by age 65+ (64%) or 75+ (25%). Frailty screening was used at 69% of sites and mandated at 38%. Night-time staffing was lower compared to day-time for nursing (10 [IQR 8–14] vs. 14 [IQR 10–18]) and physicians (5 [IQR 3–8] vs. 10 [IQR 7–15]). Most sites had provision for ED frailty specialist services by day, but these services were rarely available at night. Sites mostly had accessible facilities; however, hot meals were rarely available at night (18%).ConclusionThis survey demonstrated variability in case definitions, screening practices, and frailty-attuned service provision. There is no unanimous definition for older age, and while the Clinical Frailty Scale was commonly used, this was rarely mandated or captured in electronic records. Frailty services were often unavailable overnight. Appreciation of the variation in frailty service models could inform operational configuration and workforce development.

ACCELERATION OF DIGITAL-BASED PUBLIC SERVICES CASE STUDY AT THE INVESTMENT AND ONE-STOP INTEGRATED SERVICE OFFICE IN BELU DISTRICT

The objective of this study was to analyze and describe the acceleration of public services at the Investment and One-Stop Integrated Service Office, analyze supporting and inhibiting factors, and formulate a digital-based public service model. The collection techniques were used to obtain accurate, actual and comprehensive data in accordance with the problems and focus of the study, such as interview, observation, and documentation. The results of the study showed a consistent tendency (trend) in public services in improving the performance of public service delivery in Belu District.

A framework for validating watershed ecosystem service models in the United States using long-term water quality data: Applications with the InVEST Nutrient Delivery (NDR) model in Puerto Rico

Modeling of watershed Ecosystem Services (ES) processes has increased greatly in recent years, potentially improving environmental management and decision-making by describing the value of nature. ES models may be sensitive to different conditions and, therefore, should ideally be validated against observed data for their use as a decision-support instrument. However, outcomes from such ES modeling are barely validated, making it difficult to assess uncertainties associated with the modeling and justify their actual usefulness to develop generalizable management recommendations. This study proposes a framework for the systematic validation of one of such tools, the InVEST Nutrient Delivery Model (NDR) for nutrient retention estimates. The framework is divided into three stages: 1) running the NDR model inputs, processes, and outputs; 2) building a long-term reference dataset from open access water quality observations; and 3) using the reference data for model calibration and validation. We applied this framework to twenty watersheds in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, where data availability resembles thar of watersheds across the United States. Long-term water quality data from monitoring stations facilitated model calibration and validation. Our framework provided a reproducible method to linking the vast monitoring network in the U.S. and its territories for evaluating the InVEST's NDR model performance. Beyond the framework development, this study found that the InVEST NDR model explained 62.7 % and 79.3 % of the variance in the total nitrogen and total phosphorus between 2000 and 2022, respectively, supporting the suitability of the model for watershed scale ecosystem services assessment. The findings can also serve as a reference to support the use of InVEST for other locations in the tropics without publically available monitoring data.

Integrating Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) for BioEnerNet in the Internet of Things (IoT) landscape

The BioEnerNet project aims to revolutionize the bio energy sector by integrating blockchain technology through a Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) model. This paper explores the potential of implementing a BaaS framework in BioEnerNet to create a sustainable bio energy network. By leveraging blockchain technology, BioEnerNet can enhance transparency, security, and efficiency in energy transactions, paving the way for a more sustainable and decentralized bio energy ecosystem. This abstract sets the stage for a detailed examination of the BioEnerNet - BaaS framework and its implications for the future of bio energy networks.

Trends in the availability of comprehensive services within outpatient substance use treatment facilities from 2018 to 2022

ABSTRACT Background: Little is known regarding the extent to which substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities adopt comprehensive services to meet patients’ medical and social needs. Objective: To examine trends in the availability of comprehensive services within outpatient SUD treatment facilities from 2018 to 2022. Methods: We used data from the Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Tracking Repository, a national database of SUD treatment facilities (n = 13,793). We examined the availability of four domains of comprehensive services and four types of SUD treatment services from 2018 to 2022. We conducted bivariate and multivariate logistic regression predicting the availability of a comprehensive service model (defined as having at least one service from each service domain), controlling for organizational and community characteristics. Results: Comprehensive services were increasingly offered from 2018 to 2022. In unadjusted and adjusted models, facilities which were externally accredited (OR: 1.50; 95%CI: 1.30–1.74), accepted Medicaid (OR: 1.51; 95%CI: 1.30–1.74), performed community outreach (OR: 2.05; 95%CI: 1.80–2.33), provided naloxone and overdose education (OR: 3.50; 95%CI: 3.06–3.99), had a robust SUD treatment infrastructure (OR: 2.33; 95%CI; 2.08–2.62), and were located in a county with a lower percentage of White residents (OR: 0.99; 95%CI: 0.99–0.99), a higher percentage of residents in poverty (OR: 1.02; 95%CI: 1.00–1.03), and the Northeast compared with the South (OR: 1.21; 95%CI: 1.01–1.45), had significantly higher odds of adopting a comprehensive service model. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of factors reflecting experience with organizational change efforts and enhanced external support. Policymakers working to enhance the uptake of comprehensive services should focus on obtaining the financial and technical support necessary to develop these models.

De Novo Exposomic Geospatial Assembly of Chronic Disease Regions with Machine Learning & Network Analysis.

Determining spatial relationships between disease and the exposome is limited by available methodologies. aPEER (algorithm for Projection of Exposome and Epidemiological Relationships) uses machine learning (ML) and network analysis to find spatial relationships between diseases and the exposome in the United States. Using aPEER we examined the relationship between 12 chronic diseases and 186 pollutants. PCA, K-means clustering, and map projection produced clusters of counties derived from pollutants, and the Jaccard correlation of these clusters with counties with high rates of disease was calculated. Pollution correlation matrices were used together with network analysis to identify the strongest disease-pollution relationships. Results were compared to LISA, Moran's I, univariate, elastic net, and random forest regression. aPEER produced 68,820 maps with human interpretable, distinct pollution-derived regions. Diseases with the strongest pollution associations were hypertension (J=0.5316, p=3.89x10-208), COPD (J=0.4545, p=8.27x10-131), stroke (J=0.4517, p=1.15x10-127), stroke mortality (J=0.4445, p=4.28x10-125), and diabetes mellitus (J=0.4425, p=2.34x10-127). Methanol, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde were identified as strongly associated with stroke, COPD, stroke mortality, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus in the southeast United States (which correlated with both the Stroke and Diabetes Belt). Pollutants were strongly predictive of chronic disease geography and outperformed conventional prediction models based on preventive services and social determinants of health (using elastic net and random forest regression). aPEER used machine learning to identify disease and air pollutant relationships with similar or superior AUCs compared to social determinants of health (SDOH) and healthcare preventive service models. These findings highlight the utility of aPEER in epidemiological and geospatial analysis as well as the emerging role of exposomics in understanding chronic disease pathology. Boston Public Health Commission, NHLBI (R03 HL157890) and the CDC.

Efficacy of a student-led interprofessional health clinic in regional Australia for preventing and managing chronic disease

ABSTRACT Increasing chronic disease rates in regional Australian communities necessitates innovative models of healthcare. We evaluated the efficacy of an interprofessional chronic disease program, delivered within a regional student-led nursing and allied health clinic in Southern Queensland, Australia. Changes to anthropometric, aerobic fitness and strength, and quality of life outcomes were examined at four time points spanning 16 months: intake, program transition (4 months), 6 and 12 months (post-transition). Our primary aim was to investigate whether the health improvements achieved during the program were sustained at 12 months in a subset of participants who provided complete data. Significant improvements were found in 6 of 11 measures, including the 6-minute walk test, grip strength, and self-reported quality of life across physical and psychosocial dimensions, with these improvements maintained to final review. No significant changes were found in body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, fat mass, or muscle mass. This is the first health clinic in regional Australia to deliver a student-led model of interprofessional and collaborative service to tackle the increasing burden of chronic disease in the community. The cost-effectiveness of this service and other potential clinical and social benefits remain to be investigated.

Fully homomorphic encryption in PPMLAn review

Fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) in privacy-preserving machine learning (PPML) is a current area of research value, aiming to achieve the protection of users private data by applying the concept of full homomorphic encryption to machine learning privacy preservation. The integration of the two involves extensive model modifications and performance issues. The current difficulties mainly focus on how to improve encryption efficiency through hardware or software, and how to apply homomorphic encryption to neural network models such as RNN that process sequence data. This paper introduces this complex research field, outlines two machine learning service models (MLaas and AIaas) that are concerned by the industry, summarizes the most advanced research technologies based on these two models in recent years, and discusses the technical difficulties and future research directions. As a difficult problem that has never been overcome in cryptography in recent decades, homomorphic technology has received extensive attention from experts and scholars and ushered in new opportunities in the current explosive development of machine learning.

Substance use approaches among peer support specialists in community mental health early psychosis programs.

Substance use (SU) is common among adolescents and young adults, including those experiencing early psychosis. Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC), a community-based multidisciplinary team-based service model, is increasingly used to support people experiencing first-episode psychosis. In addition to prescribers, clinicians, and vocational specialists, CSC includes peer support specialists who use their own living/lived experience with mental health and treatment to engage and support young people with their recovery goals. Peer support is also foundational in SU recovery. However, little is known about how peer support specialists navigate client SU in CSC. The purpose of this article is to detail CSC peer support SU practice. Informed by community-based participatory research methods, a PhD-level qualitative researcher and a former peer support specialist conducted virtual interviews with 20 CSC peer support specialists. A multidisciplinary team including researchers with lived mental health experiences thematically coded interview transcripts. A spectrum of CSC peer support specialist SU responses emerged: (a) leverages lived SU experiences; (b) does not explore SU with clients; (c) shares client SU information with the CSC team; (d) educates, mentors, and advocates; (e) shares SU consequences and/or challenges substance use; (f) nonjudgmental, nondirective SU exploration; and (g) promotes harm reduction. CSC peer specialist SU practice is influenced by several contextual tensions that must be better understood and addressed in future research to improve peer SU practice. Study findings speak to practice nuances that are helpful for CSC peer support training and supervision. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Endophthalmitis following intravitreal injections administered by junior medical officers in rural Western Australia.

Patients in rural Australia have limited access to intravitreal treatments due to a maldistribution of the ophthalmology workforce. To improve access, a novel outreach service model was implemented whereby junior medical staff administered intravitreal injections under a supervising ophthalmology consultant. This model involves outreach visits in hospitals, mobile clinics and a remote hub with intravitreal injections administered by junior doctors overseen by an ophthalmologist. The article explores the safety of this approach with respect to the rate of post-injection endophthalmitis. A retrospective audit was conducted by the Lions Outback Vision outreach ophthalmology service from 2017 to mid-2023. The number of injections, locations, diagnoses, intravitreal agents used, designation of administering doctor and cases of endophthalmitis were reviewed. A 12 632 intravitreal injections were administered across 32 locations throughout rural Western Australia in the 6.5-year period. Three cases of endophthalmitis occurred representing a rate of 0.0237%. The rate of endophthalmitis in the outreach service is comparable to other centres. The outreach model with supervising ophthalmology consultant support in person or via telehealth and administration of injections by junior medical staff has improved access for underserved or marginalised populations.

Usability of PPGIS tools exemplified by geodiscussion – a tool for public participation in shaping public space

Abstract The article explores the usability of the geodiscussion administrative panel, an online tool aiding Public Participation Geographic Information Systems. This tool was specifically designed and developed for distribution in a Software as a service model, offering geodiscussion users the flexibility to leverage the tool without the need for substantial investments in expensive infrastructure or complex deployments. The research primarily centers on the geodiscussion administrative panel, a key component empowering organizers of public consultations in spatial planning to efficiently create and manage consultation processes. In contrast to previous studies that focused on the usability for consultation participants, this research uniquely targets individuals responsible for organizing and overseeing the consultation processes. A diverse array of usability research methods were employed, ranging from the creation of personas and conducting direct interviews based on test scenarios to non-invasive methods for recording user activities. The study involved 682 participants who had prior experience with public consultations across various public administration units and representatives from consulting firms. Given that the usability studies were an integral part of the geodiscussion administrative panel’s development process, the research team has the opportunity to influence the further implementation of the applied functionalities. This implies that insights gained from the research can actively shape and enhance the tool’s features as it progresses in its development cycle.

Improving Network Security by Implementing a Security Assessment as a Service Model Using Machine Learning Algorithms

Improving Network Security by Implementing a Security Assessment as a Service Model Using Machine Learning Algorithms

Synergy of digital technologies and service model of tax authorities as a driver of tax administration development

Synergy of digital technologies and service model of tax authorities as a driver of tax administration development

A Paradigm Model of School Counseling Services based on Grounded Theory

Aim: The purpose of this research is to provide a model of school counseling services based on the conditions and implications of the grounded theory to help school counselors use appropriate services for the integrated development of students. Methods: The research method was a qualitative research that was conducted using the grounded theory approach. Semi-structured interviews and the translation of authentic school counseling documents were used in this study to collect data. Eight professional school counselors with doctoral degrees in counseling, who worked in schools as a school counselor for more than 10 years, and many of whom teach at universities, participated in this study.Results: The findings of this research are based on the field of grounded theory, including concepts of the factors and consequences of school counseling services. These concepts include: developmental needs of students, professional competence of school counselors, necessity of family awareness, cultural context, family lifestyle, education policy, entrance exam phenomenon, psychiatrists and drug prescription, therapeutic attitude instead of preventive attitude, non-governmental institutions and schools, student standards, and counselor standards. Conclusions: The findings of the research showed that the provision of school counseling services should be based on the developmental needs of students, the cultural context and lifestyle of families should be considered, school counselors should have the necessary standards to provide services, and finally, direct and indirect counseling services. The school should be provided in a specialized manner and in a regular framework to facilitate the integrated growth of students.

“Plaster solutions” – Providing support for children residing in emergency housing motels in Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, motels have become increasingly used as sites for emergency accommodation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Consequently, children now reside in motel rooms intended for seven day emergency stays for much longer periods of time. Ten key-informant interviews were conducted with service providers supporting children residing in motels in the Waikato region. Thematic analysis generated five themes relating to child wellbeing: 1.) Living conditions, 2.) Physical and psychological safety, 3.) Inappropriateness of existing service models, 4.) Disjointed collaboration between service providers, and 5.) Imagining emergency motels as a “site to build strengths”. The findings suggest the motel environment restricted children’s access to nutrition, safe physical activity and health care. In addition, proximity to adult residents could increase exposure to adverse experiences. Participants suggested creative ways to collaborate and use motel facilities to build family strengths. However ultimately, long stays in emergency housing motels create an environment where systemic barriers to child health, development and education are likely to be entrenched rather than alleviated. Initiatives that significantly reduce the time children spend in motels, and appropriate support for children in these contexts are urgently required to prevent widening health inequities for the “motel generation”.

Construction and Innovative Exploration of Personalized Learning Systems in the Context of Educational Data Mining

This study examines the current research on educational data mining, educational learning support services, personalized learning services, and personalized learning paths in education. The authors aim to integrate personalized learning concepts into traditional support services by drawing on the latest theoretical and practical research. Using multimodal data fusion techniques, the study conduct exploratory analyses on various data types, including learner academic performance, psychological assessments, learning behavior, and physiological information. This leads to the construction of a personalized education learning support service model. The model focuses on objectives such as monitoring learning behavior, identifying preferences, recognizing abilities, optimizing paths, and recommending resources. The goal is to provide learners with sustained support services throughout the personalized learning process, addressing individual needs, fostering enthusiasm, and maintaining long-term motivation.

Acute frailty services: results of a national day of care survey

IntroductionOlder people living with frailty are at high risk of emergency hospital admission and often have complex care needs which may not be adequately met by conventional models of acute care. This has driven the introduction of adaptations to acute care pathways designed to improve outcomes in this patient group. The identification of differences in the organisational approach to frailty may highlight opportunities for quality improvement.MethodsThe Society for Acute Medicine Benchmarking audit is a national service evaluation which uses a single day-of-care methodology to record patient and organisational level data. All acute hospitals in the United Kingdom are eligible to participate. Emergency admissions referred to acute medical services between 00:00 and 23:59 on Thursday 23rd June 2022 were recorded. Information on the structure and operational design of acute frailty services was collected. The use of a validated frailty assessment tool, clinical frailty scale within the first 24 h of admission, assessment by an acute frailty service and clinical outcomes were reported in patients aged 70 year and above. A mixed effect generalised linear model was used to determine factors associated same-day discharge without overnight stay in patients with frailty.ResultsA total of 152 hospitals participated. There was significant heterogeneity in the operational design and staffing model of acute frailty services. The presence of an acute frailty unit was reported in 57 (42.2%) hospitals. The use of validated frailty assessment tools was reported in 117 (90.0%) hospitals, of which 107 (91.5%) used the clinical frailty scale. Patient-level data were recorded for 3604 patients aged 70 years and above. At the patient level, 1626 (45.1%) were assessed using a validated tool during the admission process. Assessment by acute frailty services was associated with an increased likelihood of same-day discharge (adjusted OR 1.55, 95%CI 1.03- 2.39).ConclusionThere is significant variation in the provision of acute frailty services. Frailty-related policies and services are common at the organisational level but implemented inconsistently at the patient level. Older people with frailty or geriatric syndromes assessed by acute frailty services were more likely to be discharged without the need for overnight bed-based admission.