Sustainable Services Research Articles

Haji Ramah Lansia Antara Kenyataan dan Tantangan Istitha'ah Kesehatan

Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam that must be carried out by Muslims who are physically, financially and mentally able. However, with the increasing elderly population among Hajj pilgrims, special health challenges arise, requiring special attention to ensure that their needs are optimally met during the Hajj pilgrimage. This research aims to investigate the reality of the elderly-friendly Hajj program and the challenges related to the health istitha'ah (physical and mental abilities) of elderly pilgrims during the Hajj pilgrimage. This research uses qualitative methods with a health istitha'ah case study . Data was collected by conducting in-depth interviews with elderly Hajj pilgrims, Hajj medical officers, and representatives from related institutions. Data was also collected through participant observation during the Hajj pilgrimage. Data analysis was carried out thematically to identify general patterns in the experiences and challenges faced by elderly Hajj pilgrims. The research results show that the elderly-friendly Hajj program has produced several initiatives aimed at increasing accessibility and comfort for elderly Hajj pilgrims, such as the placement of special tents. and more affordable medical facilities. However, significant challenges still exist, especially related to the availability and quality of health services, a lack of understanding of the special needs of the elderly, and the physical and mental readiness of the congregation itself. This research provides valuable insights for parties involved in organizing Hajj pilgrims, including health authorities and Hajj organizers, to improve elderly-friendly Hajj programs and ensure that the health and welfare needs of elderly Hajj pilgrims are properly met. The practical implications of this research are also discussed in the context of providing more inclusive and sustainable health services for the elderly population in the context of the Hajj.

Citizen Satisfaction through the Development of a Sustainable Mobile Government Service Model — A Blended Approach through M-S-QUAL and EGAM Theories

This research examines the relationship between sustainable m-Gov services and citizen satisfaction with m-Gov services. A multidimensional conceptualisation of sustainable m-Gov services is defined to examine citizen satisfaction. The research model was tested using empirical data collected from 687 m-Gov service users through PLS-SEM. The results showed that service availability, contact, responsiveness, efficiency, and privacy significantly influenced m-Gov service quality. Mobile self-efficacy, perceived trust, and perceived functional benefit are critical for m-Gov adoption. However, perceived compatibility and perceived ability-to-use did not explain the m-Gov adoption. The findings of m-Gov service quality and m-Gov adoption interactions supported their role in predicting sustainable m-Gov services, thereby increasing citizen satisfaction. The outcome of this study is vital for government strategies, public administration, policymakers, and government service delivery literature and provides citizen-centric m-Gov services. Thus, the government and citizens adopting m-Gov services can benefit from the tested model towards increasing the sustainable offering of m-Gov services.

Ocean ecosystem services: modeling a factor development process to create sustainable value for decisions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to model a process for moving toward sustainable ecosystem service decisions in a Coastal Biodiversity and discuss the directions of the process for decision-makers to apply in ocean ecosystem services.Design/methodology/approachAfter the development of theoretical approaches to understand their prospects for the future development of ecosystem services, the authors worked on a process for developing factors for sustainable decision-making. It uses the Delphi method to develop all the factors supported by six dimensions in two specific moments: deductive-inductive and inductive-deductive.FindingsThis process of modeling the factors expands the possibility of adaptive governance to make prior and subsequent decisions using factors related to dimensions, stakeholders and benefits, risks, opportunities and costs.Research limitations/implicationsConsidering the limitations, future studies could use another database to widen the view in terms of the studies, factors, dimensions and other additional information to maintain the evolution of this process in ocean ecosystem services decision-making. Another limitation arose in the number of projects and experts defining the factors. This may prevent the opportunity to have more impact in terms of future decisions if more sources are used in the market. In addition, time and the access to experts during this modeling process demonstrate a limitation, as does the time for feedback.Practical implicationsThis set of factors developed for adaptive governance decision-making can be applied to develop a prior alignment of stakeholder interests with sustainable practices.Social implicationsThis set of factors developed with the intervention of experts reinforces the importance of sustainable collective decisions on ocean ecosystem services. This is a joint approach with participants in the NextOcean project, sponsored by the European Commissions (EC)’s Horizon 2020 program. An Earth Observation-based Consortia aims to create sustainable value for Space, Land and Oceans.Originality/valueThis modeling process generated dimensions and factors to support adaptive governance stakeholders in making sustainable decisions in a coastal biodiversity zone.

Incorporating resource optimization for sustainable airline service innovation business decision model: toward circular economy policy achievement

Incorporating resource optimization for sustainable airline service innovation business decision model: toward circular economy policy achievement

The paediatric liver transplant experience in Johannesburg, South Africa: A broad overview and update.

The Wits Transplant Unit performed its first paediatric liver transplant in 2005. Initial experiences from the unit were published in 2012 and 2014. Since then, significant progress has been made in capacity-building the unit, improving outcomes and enhancing service delivery. This paper presents a broad overview and update of the unit's 17-year experience. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all paediatric liver transplants performed in Johannesburg from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2021 with a minimum one-year follow-up. Data were accessed from the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre Paediatric Liver Transplant Research Database (University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics approval: M190749). The following data were collected: donor and recipient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, details of transplant procedures, donor grafts and recipient outcomes (post-operative complications, graft and recipient survival). Results: A total of 270 transplants were performed during the review period. Two thirds of recipients (n=180, 67%) were younger than 5 years at time of transplant and half (n=135, 50%) received a living donor graft. The most common indication for liver transplant was biliary atresia, followed by acute liver failure. Unadjusted recipient survival was 80% (95% CI: 75-85%) at one year, and 68% (95% CI: 59-75%) at five years. Waiting list mortality decreased from 27.3% in 2017 to 5.9% in 2021. One hundred and fifty-four (57.0%) recipients experienced at least one type of intervention requiring surgical complication - the most common being biliary in nature (n = 91; 33.7%). Conclusion: Over last seventeen years, a sustainable paediatric liver transplantation service has been established in Johannesburg. Living donor, split and ABO incompatible liver transplants have been incorporated in response to the severe organ shortage in South Africa. However, our outcomes can be improved. Additionally, a national transplant initiative to coordinate timeous referrals and expand access to liver transplantation for children with severe acute and chronic liver failure is advised.

Exploring the drinking water supply in Rwanda with panel data analysis.

This study in Rwanda offers a comprehensive analysis of water quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, departing from previous research by utilizing panel data analysis for a nuanced understanding of spatiotemporal dynamics. Unlike earlier studies focusing on specific aspects, this research adopts a holistic approach, examining factors crucial for water supply, quality, and cost, thus providing an integrated view of Rwanda's water sector. By analyzing data from various sources, including the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), the study evaluates the reliability, quality, and cost-effectiveness of drinking water. It identifies cost-effective water treatment plants and studies determinants such as production cost, raw water quality, and supply between 2017 and 2022, introducing novel metrics such as performance scores and a drinking water quality index. Despite an increase in lost water, WASAC notably improves water supply, resulting in a higher water access rate by 2022. The study highlights the influence of factors such as performance scores and raw water quality on water supply and quality. It emphasizes continuous monitoring, targeted interventions, and community engagement for sustainable water service delivery. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and practitioners, aiming to enhance water management strategies and improve water access in Rwanda.

Perspectives on the state of cleft lip and cleft palate patient care in Africa.

Patients with cleft lip -palate (CLP) experience morbidity and social stigma, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as those of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Delays in treatment secondary either to lack of awareness, skills, equipment and consumables; poor health infrastructure, limited resources or a combination of them, has led to SSA having the highest rates of death and second highest rates of disability-adjusted life years in patients with CLP globally. Here we review current perspectives on the state of comprehensive cleft lip and palate repair in Africa. To bridge gaps in government health services, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have emerged to provide care through short-term surgical interventions (STSIs). These groups can effect change through direct provision of care, whereas others strengthen internal system. However, sustainability is lacking as there continue to be barriers to achieving comprehensive and longitudinal cleft care in SSA, including a lack of awareness of CLP as a treatable condition, prohibitive costs, poor follow-up, and insufficient surgical infrastructure. With dedicated local champions, a comprehensive approach, and reliable partners, establishing sustainable CLP services is possible in countries with limited resources. The replacement of CLP 'missions' with locally initiated, internationally supported capacity building initiatives, integrated into local healthcare systems will prove sustainable in the long-term.

Examining the dynamic impact of carbon emissions, renewable energy and economic growth on healthcare expenditure in Asian countries

This study aims to examine the impact of renewable energy, carbon emissions, and economic growth on healthcare spending in 36 Asian countries during 2000–2019. Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) models have been applied to the panel data for 36 Asian countries. The study's findings show that CO2 emissions in Asia increased due to public and private health spending, with the commercial health sector having a larger negative influence on CO2 emissions than the public sector. According to FMOLS and DOLS findings, carbon emissions and GDP are positively related to health spending, indicating that high economic growth through energy-intensive production processes leads to increased carbon emissions, but on the contrary, renewable energy consumption has decreased healthcare expenditure. This study advocates new policies to reduce carbon emissions and hospitalisation without jeopardising national economic growth. In order to achieve sustainable health services and an environmentally friendly future in Asia, health administrators must raise state and private healthcare spending while implementing an effective cost-service and energy-efficient management plan.

The Western Greece Soil Information System (WΕSIS)—A Soil Health Design Supported by the Internet of Things, Soil Databases, and Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Western Greece

Soil quality is vital for ecosystem stability, impacting human, plant, and animal health. Traditional soil quality assessments are labor-intensive and costly, making them unsuitable for smart agriculture. To overcome this, Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are employed for sustainable agriculture, enabling real-time data collection and analysis, trend identification, and soil health optimization. The Western Greece Soil Information System (WΕSIS) offers open-access data and services for soil health and sustainability. It includes modules for soil quality indicators, sustainable fertilization management zones, soil property distribution, prediction, mapping, statistical analysis, water management, land use maps, digital soil mapping, and crop health calculation. Integrating the IoT and AI allows for real-time and remote monitoring of soil conditions, managing soil interventions adaptively and in a data-driven way, enhancing soil resources’ efficiency and sustainability, and increasing crop yield and quality. AI algorithms assist farmers and regional stakeholders in optimizing production lines, methodologies, and field practices, reducing costs and increasing profitability. This promotes a circular economy, a soil- and climate-resilient future, biodiversity protection targets, and enhanced soil fertility and productivity. The proposed IoT/AI technical architecture can underpin the development of soil health monitoring platforms, integrating data from various sources, automating data collection, and providing decision support tools.

Sustainable library services with open-source library automation and digitisation software: A literature review

The aim of this paper is to show the published research on library service sustainability using open-source software (OSS). This paper emphasises the highly cited literature, document type, author, year of publication, publishers, and the keywords used to discover the document from the different databases. In addition, this literature review examines the factors that contribute to the sustainability of open-source library automation and digitization software. The review analyzes various aspects of sustainability, including community support, user adoption, technical expertise, funding, software customization, integration with other systems, documentation and training, and governance and decision-making. The findings suggest that sustainability is influenced by multiple factors, and libraries must invest in resources such as funding, staff training, and community support to ensure the continued use and relevance of OSS. The review concludes by highlighting future research directions and recommendations for libraries to improve the sustainability of their OSS services.

Motives of water and sanitation entrepreneurs in South Africa

The study aims to understand what motivates water and sanitation social entrepreneurs(SEs) in South Africa as they navigate the complex business environment of collaborating with municipalities in undertaking public service delivery. In an attempt to achieve higher sustainability in their SE business models, SE processes become risky and inevitably involve higher complexity as SE business model designers seek to also understand their business impact on the whole ecosystem. Any impact on any of the water and sanitation subsystems can stress or compromise the stability of the whole system.As such, in-depth face-to-face semi-structured interview was conducted with purposively selected social entrepreneurs in South Africa‘s Gauteng and Western Cape provinces. The study finds that SEs are motivated by compassion, religious, problem solving motives as well as the desire for self-sufficiency for sustainable business operation so as to make impact at scale. The overall mission is to change human living environments and provide sustainable alternative public services

Breast Cryoablation, From the AJR "How We Do It" Special Series.

Breast cryoablation is a minimally invasive image-guided percutaneous procedure to treat fibroadenomas and early-stage breast cancer utilizing liquid nitrogen or argon gas to create extremely cold temperatures that devitalize targeted tissue. Although more long term data are needed, this outpatient procedure is well tolerated and carries minimal risks, including non-target thermal injury that can be mitigated by careful planning and proper technique. Building a sustainable breast cryoablation service in a radiology practice poses several practical considerations, such as training proceduralists, purchasing equipment, recruiting patients, and understanding the revenue cycle. This article describes aspects of the radiologist's role in this procedure, including implementation of a breast ablation program, patient selection, technical details related to intervention, and expected postprocedural outcomes.

Transitioning to sustainable, climate-resilient healthcare: insights from a health service staff survey in Australia

BackgroundMore than 80 countries, including Australia, have made commitments to deliver climate-resilient and low carbon healthcare. Understanding how healthcare workers view their own and their organization’s efforts to achieve sustainable and climate-resilient healthcare practice is vital to inform strategies to accelerate that transition.MethodsWe conducted an online staff survey in a large state government hospital-and-health-service organisation in Queensland, Australia, to ascertain attitudes and practices towards environmentally sustainable, climate-resilient healthcare, and views about the organizational support necessary to achieve these goals in their workplace.ResultsFrom 301 participants showed staff strongly support implementing sustainable and climate-resilient healthcare but require significantly more organizational support. Participants identified three categories of organizational support as necessary for the transition to environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient health services and systems: (1) practical support to make sustainability easier in the workplace (e.g. waste, energy, water, procurement, food, transport etc.); (2) training and education to equip them for 21st century planetary health challenges; and (3) embedding sustainability as ‘business as usual’ in healthcare culture and systems.ConclusionsThe research provides new insight into health workforce views on how organizations should support them to realize climate and sustainability goals. This research has implications for those planning, managing, implementing, and educating for, the transition to environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient health services and systems in Queensland, Australia, and in similar health systems internationally.

The emergence and regression of political priority for refugee integration into the Jordanian health system: an analysis using the Kingdon’s multiple streams model

BackgroundThe prolonged presence of Syrian refugees in Jordan has highlighted the need for sustainable health service delivery models for refugees. In 2012, the Jordanian government adopted a policy that granted Syrian refugees access, free of charge, to the national health system. However since 2012, successive policy revisions have limited refugee access. This paper seeks to understand factors that initially put refugee integration into the health system on the policy agenda, as well as how these same factors later affected commitment to sustain the policy.MethodsThis paper draws on data from a document review of 197 peer-reviewed and grey literature publications, a media analysis of newspaper articles retrieved from four officially recognized newspapers in Jordan, and 33 semi-structured key informant interviews. We used Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Model – a well-established tool for analyzing policy adoption – to understand how political priority developed for integration of refugees into the health system.ResultsWe find that several factors helped bring attention to the issue, namely concerns over infectious disease transmission to host communities, high rates of chronic conditions among the refugee population and the increasingly urban and dispersed nature of refugees. At the outset of the conflict, the national mood was receptive to refugees. Politicians and government officials quickly recognized the crisis as an opportunity to secure material and technical support from the international humanitarian community. At the same time, global pressures for integrating refugees into national health systems helped move the integration agenda forward in Jordan and the region more broadly. Since 2012, there were several modifications to the policy that signal profound changes in national views around the continued presence of Syrian refugees in the country, as well as reduced external financial support which has undermined the sustainability of the policy.ConclusionThis case study underscores the dynamic nature of policymaking and the challenge of sustaining government commitment to the right to health among refugees. Our analysis has important implications for advocates seeking to advance and maintain momentum for the integration of refugees into national health systems.

Genetic Diversity of Dominant Species Betula pendula in River Valley Forests in the Irtysh River Basin and Sustainable Conservation Measures for the Future

Biodiversity is the basis for the maintenance and functioning of ecosystems. Genetic diversity is at the heart of biodiversity, and therefore an understanding of the current state of plant genetic diversity can contribute to the future provision of sustainable ecological values and services by ecosystems. This study was conducted in the Irtysh River basin (five tributaries) with the dominant species of river valley forests, Betula pendula. Sampling points were set up at approximately 10 km intervals within each tributary using a random sampling method for genetic diversity studies based on chloroplast microsatellite molecular markers. The results indicated that (1) nine alleles were identified in 198 samples. The genetic diversity of Betula pendula was relatively rich in all tributaries (I = 0.216~0.546); genetic diversity was significantly higher in the downstream area of the basin than in the midstream and upstream areas of the basin. Genetic differentiation was at a low level in the tributaries except for the Berezek River, where genetic differentiation was high. (2) Genetic variation was mainly derived from within populations, accounting for 62% of the total genetic variation. The genetic distance was significantly positively correlated with the geographical distance (p < 0.05). The Betula pendula population structure was divided into two major groups. (3) Twelve haplotypes were identified in the basin. The dominant haplotypes in the upper tributaries were H2 and H4, while in the lower tributaries these were H1 and H3. Therefore, this paper suggests the future establishment of a germplasm resource bank for populations of the Berezek River, and the implementation of priority conservation measures for the downstream populations with higher genetic diversity, so as to realize the sustainable ecological value of the valley forests of the Betula pendula.

Public Service Policy in The Form of Civil Registration

Purpose: to determine and analyze the implementation of public services at the Population Service and the obstacles to implementing public services at the Population and Civil Registration Service of North Toraja Regency. Methode: juridical-normative sourced from primary and secondary materials which are analyzed qualitatively by describing descriptively the results of the relevant data and cases studied. Research results: the implementation of public services in issuing population documents in North Toraja Regency has not been optimal, this can be seen in three things, including: population registration, civil registration and population document data. The public service process in issuing population documents has not been fully implemented by residents, the data exchange that occurs in population documents and the many procedures for public services in issuing population documents that are not implemented, and the obstacles to implementing public services at the Population and Civil Registration Service of North Toraja Regency , namely legal basis aspects, institutional aspects, human resource (HR) constraints, lack of budget, and low public awareness, as well as lack of socialization regarding government regulations. Research implications: Public services in civil registration make it easier for the government to register every citizen in an orderly and orderly manner, increasing the recruitment of competent and proportional resources will support good and sustainable services. Originality/value: In the above context, the government is expected to prioritize effective services and recruit competent employees in the field of public services.

Institutional arrangements for improving water and sanitation services in the rural villages of India: a systems thinking approach

AbstractThis study examines the impact of institutional arrangements on water and sanitation (WATSAN) services in a village context in India. Data from households in Nagla Chandi village in Uttar Pradesh state were used to assess the situation. A systems thinking approach was employed to identify intervention points and improve access. The study identified under‐resourced local institutions, a lack of village‐level WATSAN rules and regulations, a lack of participation by both public institutions and communities, and trust issues as the critical barriers to accessing WATSAN services. It advocates for setting up a local WATSAN fund to ensure sustainable service delivery and a better understanding of the broader governance environment for sustainable WATSAN delivery in rural communities.

Smart City Projects Financing

The implementation of advanced digital technologies and innovations in smart cities for the provision of more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive city services, the development of infrastructure, and the improvement of citizens’ quality of life require appropriate financing technologies. In addition to purely public (for example, green bonds, social impact bonds, state subsidies, etc.) and purely private (venture investments, leasing, etc.) financial instruments, various options for public-private partnerships and financing with and against the participation of the community (participatory ), which increase the efficiency of budget financing due to the agreed distribution of risks and responsibilities between stakeholders. The bibliometric analysis of publications indexed by Scopus using the keywords “smart city” and “public-private partnership” using the VOSviwer tool allowed establishing the periods of growth (2013-2019 and 2022-2023) and decline (2019-2022) of the popularity of this topic among scientists, countries-leaders of research activity (USA, India, China, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Canada and Germany), dominant directions of cross-sectoral research. The analysis of the Smart City Index Report (IMD Smart City Index Report) showed that in 2023, the top 5 leaders were Switzerland (Zurich), Norway (Oslo), Australia (Canberra), Denmark (Copenhagen), and Great Britain (London). With the help of the Google Trends toolkit, an analysis of the dynamics of Internet requests over the past 10 years from citizens of these countries, as well as Ukraine and the world, was carried out using identical keywords. The analysis proved that both in these countries and in the world as a whole, public interest in the development of the smart grid was recorded (in Ukraine, the highest peak (100 GT Scale) was in 2019; in Great Britain and Switzerland – in 2018, in Denmark – in 2017 and 2022, in Australia and Norway – in 2016) against the background of an almost absolute (except for Great Britain and Australia) lack of public interest in issues of public-private partnership. A regression model was developed to study the impact of participatory financing on the readiness level of Ukraine’s regions (as of 2020) to implement smart local development technologies. An integral indicator was used as the resulting variable, within which data on the assessment of the availability of electronic public services and the level of automation and digitization of public services (the number of state and local self-government bodies that provided the possibility of using electronic democracy tools), the level of use electronic platforms for communication with state bodies (the number of registered “E-appeals”, published “E-petitions” and reports on “E-consultations”), the availability of the Internet (the number of Internet subscribers and the share of households that have access to Internet services home). In the modeling process, adjustments were made for the gross regional product and the population of the respective region, the weighting factors were determined by the method of principal components, the estimation of the model parameters was carried out by the method of least squares, the calculations were made using the MS Excel spreadsheet and the Statistica application program package.

Shore Power System Load Forecasting Model based on IDBO algorithm and PCA-BiLSTM Network

Shore power offers convenient and sustainable power services to ships docking in ports, playing a pivotal role in advancing environmental preservation and the effective utilization of resources. Shore power system loads are susceptible to numerous influencing factors. Therefore, it is crucial to identify a highly accurate load forecasting model to facilitate the judicious allocation of power resources. A short-term shore power system load forecasting model based on the improved dung beetle optimization algorithm (IDBO) and principal component analysis (PCA) in conjunction with the enhanced bidirectional long and short-term memory (BiLSTM) network is proposed in this paper. The IDBO algorithm improves the problem of low convergence accuracy and vulnerability to local optima in DBO. This is achieved by population initialization based on cubic chaotic mapping, amalgamating walrus optimization algorithm, and adaptive t-distribution perturbation strategy. The performance of the BiLSTM, IDBO-BiLSTM, and PCA-IDBO-BiLSTM shore power system load forecasting models are compared through case studies, revealing that the proposed PCA-IDBO-BiLSTM model demonstrates superior predictive capabilities.

Sustainable Cyber Incivility and Service Innovation: Does Transformational Leadership Matter?

In recent years, there has been an upswing in the research on cyber incivility and its impact on individuals and organizations. Despite its negative consequences, cyber incivility has become increasingly common in the workplace as an increasing number of employees use technology to communicate. This study investigated the impact of cyber incivility on the service innovation of Jordanian hotel workers and the mediating effects of leadership change. A comprehensive survey involving employees of Jordanian hotels was conducted, and responses were subjected to structural equation modeling analysis using Smart PLS 4.0 software. The analysis reveals that cyber incivility has a significant negative direct impact on service innovation, while transformational leadership demonstrates a positive and significant direct effect on service innovation. Additionally, the mediating role of transformational leadership in the relationship between cyber incivility and service innovation is negative and significant (β = −.171, ρ = 0.000), emphasizing its crucial contribution to mitigating the adverse effects of cyber incivility on service innovation in the hotel industry. These findings have important implications for hotel managers seeking to improve their employees’ service innovation and mitigate the negative effects of cyber incivility.