The new challenging trends such as globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation of the postal sector, the emergence of the internet commerce, as well as the demands for high quality commercial postal services operators, create a new ambience for the ways business is conducted by commercial postal services operators which demands innovative approaches. The growing pressure regarding the costs of commercial postal services operators and the increase in volume for pick-up and delivery leads to changes from fixed into variable costs by means of different outsourcing models. This paper proposes a model of calculating the outsourcing services of the technological phases regarding parcel delivery and pick-up, while it is not focusing on the details of the partnership contract. For cost calculation, the model utilizes calculation factors based on the kilometres covered for different categories of vehicles that may take part in the parcel pick-up and delivery phases.

Research on how to implement blockchain technology within governance has avoided to further explore on the possibilities of the technology to replace standard nation state architectures. This in turn has created a wave of technological questions directed to better enforce decentralization and security within the popular networks, rather than proposing normative possibilities to be implemented into the institutional framework of the state. This article addresses this issue by analyzing a set of functional areas with the aim of replacing processes, institutions and actors that are often considered as part of the modern bureaucratic nation state. It also drafts functional concepts and recommendations on security issues that should be addressed in any attempt to implement blockchain solutions at the national level.

Polycrystalline advanced ceramics are synthetic products produced by sintering together selected ceramics grains in a metal matrix serving as a binder. In order to be able to propose their optimisation, achieving high performance cutting and leading to reduced operating costs and improved working environment, relevant fracture mechanisms involved in their failure need to be determined. In this work, experimental results of plane strain fracture toughness obtained earlier on single-edge-V-notched-beam specimens were supported with microscopy analysis. These findings establish a clear connection between the fracture toughness results and the fracture mechanisms visible on and beneath the fracture surfaces, revealing adiabatic conditions that occur at the crack tip during fracture.

The aim of the paper was to examine the effect of noise on the blood flow velocity through a period of three years on workers who work on press machine. It was proven that continuous exposure to noise affects the blood flow velocity through the aorta and increases the diameter of ascending aorta and this, consequently, leads to an increase in cardiovascular risk. Prevention of changes in the cardiovascular system is considered to be imperative, and the limitation of noise levels and the length of exposure to noise must be established as factors that must be planned during the construction of the work environment.

Background: This research was done as continuation of research made previously on male population. The goal of this research is to determine „differences between morphological characteristics and motoric capabilities of physically active and inactive female students “. Methods: Sample of physically inactive female students was made of 54 examinees and sample for active students was made of 52 girls. Average age was 12. All girls were primary school students. Physically inactive students regularly attended PE lessons and active students were involved in training process of basketball, volleyball, football and handball teams. Additional practice was done two times a week for 90 minutes. Morphological space is set by 15 variables and motoric space is set with 24 variables. Results: Statistical difference was determined by T-test on level (p<0.05). Significance given by T-test was checked by calculating Eta coefficient. Such data has differences in Chest Width (.00/.00 and η2=0,33), Weight (.00/.00 and η2=0,34), Stomach Skin Curves (.00/.00 and η2=0,37) and Back Skin Curves (.05/.05 and η2=0,16). Motoric space has differences in: Slalom with Three Medicine Balls (.00/.00 and η2=0.01), Throwing medicine ball from the chest (.00/.00 and η2=0,10), Long Jump (.00/.00 and η2=0,17), Push-ups (.02/.02 and η2=0.05), Sit-and-Reach (.04/.04 and η2=0.00) and 20m low start run (.00/.00 and. η2=0,14). Conclusions: After analysis it can be stated the aim of the research was completed and differences of anthropological status of physically active and inactive female students were determined. Students of age 12 can be recommended additional training activity to positively transform anthropological spaces with no transformation. Research with same or similar variables should be done on different age categories when compared to this one or to analyze quality of influence that specific sports have on transformation in this age category.

Contemporary dynamic market conditions are characterized by high levels of competition. Businesses are forced to make continuous changes in order to maintain a high level of customer’s satisfaction. Contact centers are part of the global economy and a key channel for communication with customers. Access to the contact centers is realized through several channels (telephone, e-mail, fax, web forms, etc.), but the primary method is still a phone call. Most call centers use Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to route users with a particular problem for directing the user to an agent with appropriate capabilities (Skill-based routing – SBR). This type of contact center operation can have a negative impact on the quality considering customer’s experience, due to the complexity and length of the process, which often results in directing calls to the inadequate agent and describing the problem multiple times to reach the right agent. This paper aims at applying machine learning methods based on prior experience with matching customers and agents in order to reduce time and target agents with adequate problem-solving abilities.

High-intensity training is becoming more popular nowadays when people have less time to engage in prolonged physical activity. Expertly led high intensity training is a safe way to achieve desired fitness goals. The aim of the study was to check if there were significant changes in the concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and copper in the blood and urine of twelve trainees after a short but intense training. Blood and urine sampling was performed before and after high intensity training where bodyweight exercises and exercises with external load were used. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-test (2-tailed) with α=0.05 as statistical significance. The results obtained showed that the measured mineral concentrations varied as a result of intense physical activity, but these variations were small and did not have a general trend of increase or decrease of analyzed mineral content. Based on these results, it can be concluded that, from the standpoint of the mineral concentrations loss, short high-intensity training is safe for the trainee’s health.

Tearful crying is a ubiquitous and mainly human phenomenon. The persistence of this behavior throughout adulthood has fascinated and puzzled many researchers. Scholars have argued that emotional tears serve an attachment function: Tears are thought to act as a social glue that binds individuals together and triggers social support intentions. Initial experimental studies supported this proposition across several methodologies, but these were typically conducted only across Western participants, resulting in limited generalizability. The present study examines this effect across 36 countries spanning all populated continents, providing the most comprehensive investigation of the social effects of tearful crying to-date. Next to testing possible mediating factors, we also examine a number of moderating factors, including the crier’s gender and group membership, the situational valence (positive or negative situations), the social context (in private or public settings), the perceived appropriateness of crying, and trait empathy of the observer. The current work can inform theories on crying across the social sciences.

An increasing number of emerging applications, e.g., Internet of Things (IoT), vehicular communications, augmented reality, and the growing complexity due to the interoperability requirements of these systems, lead to the need to change the tools used for the modeling and analysis of those networks. Agent-based modeling (ABM) as a bottom-up modeling approach considers a network of autonomous agents interacting with each other, and therefore represents an ideal framework to comprehend the interactions of heterogeneous nodes in a complex environment. Here, we investigate the suitability of ABM to model the communication aspects of a road traffic management system as an example of an IoT network. We model, analyze, and compare various medium access control (MAC) layer protocols for two different scenarios, namely uncoordinated and coordinated. Besides, we model the scheduling mechanisms for the coordinated scenario as a high-level MAC protocol by using three different approaches: 1) centralized decision maker (DM); 2) DESYNC; and 3) decentralized learning MAC (L-MAC). The results clearly show the importance of coordination between multiple DMs in order to improve the information reporting error and spectrum utilization of the system.

Many organizations developing software-intensive systems face challenges with high product complexity and large numbers of variants. In order to effectively maintain and develop these product variants, Product-Line Engineering methods are often considered, while Model-based Systems Engineering practices are commonly utilized to tackle product complexity. In this paper, we report on an industrial case study concerning the ongoing adoption of Product Line Engineering in the Model-based Systems Engineering environment at Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) in Sweden. In the study, we identify and define a Product Line Engineering process that is aligned with Model-based Systems Engineering activities at the engines control department of Volvo CE. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of the migration from the current development process to a Model-based Product Line Engineering-oriented process. This process, and its implications, are derived by conducting and analyzing interviews with Volvo CE employees, inspecting artifacts and documents, and by means of participant observation. Based on the results of a first system model iteration, we were able to document how Model-based Systems Engineering and variability modeling will affect development activities, work products and stakeholders of the work products.

The paper analyses the influence of cigarette butts and waste coffee grounds addition on the properties of the brick clay. The waste materials were added to the clay in amounts of 5 wt.% and 10 wt.%. Standard consistency, plasticity, drying and firing behaviour and refractoriness were tested on the clay sample and the samples with wastes additions. Apparent density, apparent porosity, water absorption, strength and thermal conductivity were investigated on the samples fired at 1173 K. Addition of the waste materials improved thermal insulation characteristics and drying shrinkage, while other properties remain within the required limits for brick industry.