Search

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Competence, Work Flexibility, and Work Motivation on Employee Performance at the Indonesian Post Office Malioboro, Special Region of Yogyakarta. This study used a non-probability sample with the most saturated sampling technique or census with a total of 80 respondents. This research is primary data and is associative with a quantitative approach using questionnaire instruments. The result of this study is a significant influence between competence, work flexibility, work motivation on employee performance obtained from the t test and sobel test (mediation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the evolving definition of the word in early Northwest Semitic writing. The author argues that the practice of dividing words did not exist in the early stages of alphabetic writing, but developed over time. The concept of a word is complex and elusive, with no clear and unambiguous definition. The article also discusses the absence of a word for "word" in cultures without a literary tradition and examines evidence from ancient writing systems in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The text discusses the use of word dividers in ancient writing systems, specifically cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphs. It explains that cuneiform did not visually mark the divisions between words, making silent reading difficult, while Egyptian hieroglyphs built word division into the writing system. The text suggests that the lack of word dividers in early alphabetic inscriptions was intentional, as these texts were not meant to be read but rather written for specific purposes. The early alphabet was designed to be simple to write but not easy to read, as it was not intended for communication. The text discusses the development and use of word dividers in ancient alphabetic inscriptions. It explains that word dividers were introduced relatively quickly and became a common feature in Late Bronze and Iron Age alphabetic texts. However, there is no clear consensus on the rules governing their use, and different traditions and schools of thought emerged. The text also highlights the inconsistency in word division practices across different dialects and genres of writing. This article discusses [Extracted from the article]

This document provides an overview of healthcare procurement and concessions legislation in Bulgaria, examining its alignment with international and European Union regulations. It discusses the challenges faced by the healthcare sector in Bulgaria and the strategic priorities outlined in the National Health Strategy 2030. The report highlights the limited use of public procurement and concessions in healthcare services and suggests further exploration of their potential to improve healthcare in Bulgaria. Future reports will review the legal framework for non-core health services, works, supplies, and health services-specific legislation. An appendix lists various health and social services. [Extracted from the article]

The text discusses the International Procurement Instrument (IPI) enacted by the European Union to address the lack of access for European companies to public procurement and concession markets in third countries. The IPI aims to eliminate restrictive practices and open up these markets for European operators. The European Commission has the authority to investigate alleged measures or practices by third countries that impair access for European operators. If a measure or practice is found, the Commission can adopt an IPI measure to restrict access to the EU's public procurement or concession markets for economic operators from that third country. The IPI measure may include score adjustments or exclusions for tenders from the third country. The IPI measure is applicable to public procurement procedures above certain thresholds and is subject to review and potential extension or adjustment. Successful tenderers must fulfill certain obligations, and contracting authorities have the option to not implement an IPI measure in exceptional cases. The text also mentions the investigation initiated by the European Commission under the IPI into discriminatory practices in China's procurement market for medical devices. The goal of the investigation is to promote dialogue and eliminate discrimination, with IPI measures being considered if dialogue fails. The IPI is being implemented alongside the Foreign Subsidies Regulation to address market distortions caused by foreign subsidies for public contracts and concessions. [Extracted from the article]

Background: A population-based cervical cancer screening programme is implemented in the Czech Republic. However, participation is insufficient among women over 50 years. This study aimed to estimate the potential improvement in participation through directly mailed HPV self-sampling kits (HPVssk) compared with standard invitation letters in women aged 50-65 non-participating in screening. Methods: The study recruited 1564 eligible women (no cervical cancer screening in the last 3 years or more, no previous treatment associated with cervical lesions or cervical cancer). Eight hundred women were mailed with an HPVssk (HPVssk group), and 764 women were sent a standard invitation letter (control group) inviting them to a routine screening (Pap test). The primary outcome was a comparison of the overall participation rate between study groups using a binominal regression model. Results: The participation rate in the HPVssk group was 13.4% [95% confidence interval (CI) 11.2-15.9%; 7.4% of women returned the HPVssk and 6.0% attended gynaecological examination] and 5.0% (95% CI 3.6-6.8%) in the control group. Using the binominal regression model, the difference between the groups was estimated as 7.6% (95% CI 5.0-10.2%; P<0.001). In the HPVssk group, 22% of women who returned HPVssk had a positive result and 70% of them underwent a follow-up examination. Conclusions: Compared with traditional invitation letters, the direct mailing of the HPVssk achieved a significantly higher participation rate, along with a notable HPV positivity rate among HPVssk responders. This approach offers a potentially viable method for engaging women who have not yet attended a cervical screening programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charities that fundraise from the public can feel competing pressures to be as efficient as possible in their fundraising efforts and to accurately and ethically reflect their services and beneficiaries in their fundraising materials. At the same time, the number of donors giving to charity is in a long-term decline. These pressures may lead charitable managers to make tradeoffs when designing and implementing their fundraising programs. In this case study, two direct mail solicitations using different types of beneficiaries from one Canadian charity are examined to see how those trade-offs affect fundraising results. When aggregated, the differences between an out-group beneficiary profile and an in-group beneficiary profile appear subordinate to larger market-level externalities when all else is held equal. When disaggregated, there appears to be a change in donor behavior at the lower end of donation amounts in some markets and community types. The results of this study suggest that fundraiser tactics that narrow in on the preferences of a small segment of donors may be contributing to declining numbers of donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet and social media networks usage has increased nowadays and become a prominent medium of communicating. Email is one of the professional reliable methods of communication. Automatic classifications of spam emails have become an area of interest. In order to detect spam emails, this study utilizes a dataset, including spam and non-spam emails. Various techniques are applied to obtain higher accuracy using machine learning techniques. NLP is also utilized for improvising accuracy using embeddings. For that, this work utilizes the BERT model, to achieve satisfactory detection of spam emails. Further, the results are compared with state-of-the-art methods, including, KNN, LSTM and Bi-LSTM. The results obtained by Bi-LSTM and LSTM were 97.94% and 86.02%, respectively. The presented methodology is promising in detecting spam emails due to the higher accuracy achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of distance education in Zimbabwe, specifically focusing on the role of communication and the use of printed materials. In the 1980s, Zimbabwe implemented distance education to train teachers in response to increased enrollment. The primary mode of communication was through the postal system, with students receiving written assignments and resources. The article emphasizes the importance of effective communication, the use of a distance education syllabus, and interactive study guides to enhance teaching and learning. It also discusses guidelines for designing instructional materials, including the use of appropriate graphic design principles. The article concludes by highlighting the continued relevance of printed materials in distance education when integrated with digital tools. [Extracted from the article]

"As Stories You Might Tell" is a poetic collection that delves into themes of freedom, pain, confusion, melancholy, and love. It explores topics such as caring for others, the power of language, the scars of freedom, and the violence of love. The text also delves into relationships, memory, loss, and the search for identity, inviting readers to reflect on these themes and consider different perspectives. It references various literary works, artworks, and songs, as well as a television adaptation of a spy novel. The author pays tribute to Jacqueline Chénieux-Gendron, who passed away in 2022. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the early consular service in the United States from 1776 to 1856, shedding light on its significance and challenges. Consuls played a crucial role in facilitating overseas commerce and protecting American interests abroad, providing services to merchants and sailors at minimal cost. However, they faced issues such as low compensation, leading to the appointment of non-Americans as consuls, and criticisms from merchants and captains. The lack of support and funding from the State Department hindered the effectiveness of the consular service, and meaningful reform only occurred in 1856. This reflects the limited role of the federal government in foreign affairs during this period. [Extracted from the article]

In the era of digitization, handwritten document recognition has several applications, like historical information preservation, postal address recognition, etc. The conservation and analysis of priceless cultural treasures depend heavily on the handwritten digit string recognition from historical documents. The prominent challenges in recognition are writing style variations, noise, distortions, and limited data. This paper suggests a novel method for overcoming the difficulties in reading complex, fading, and old handwritten documents that contain digit strings. The goal is to create a reliable and effective system that automatically recognizes digit strings from ancient manuscripts, helping to digitize records. Hence, this paper proposes a robust vision transformer framework to identify handwritten digit strings without segmentation of digits from uncleaned images of smaller datasets. The proposed method is a four-step procedure comprised of preprocessing, feature extraction through tokenization, recognition using the attention mechanism of a vision transformer, and outcome decoding using a beam search decoder. The performance of the proposed method is compared with the hybrid approach consisting of a Convolutional Neural Network and Long Short-Term Memory (CNN-LSTM). The proposed method achieved word accuracy of 56% with a loss below 0.6 in less time. The results show that the proposed model is a fast learner and can be used in real-time scenarios where results are expected in less time. The proposed deep learning model performance explanation is also discussed in this paper with the help of the Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) technique. The results of this study impact the digitization of postal services. The generalization of the proposed method by providing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for real-time applications is explored as a future research direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-short period planets (USPs) have orbital periods of less than 1 d. Since their masses and radii can be determined to a higher precision than long-period planets, they are the preferred targets to determine the density of planets which constrains their composition. The K2-106 system is particularly interesting because it contains two planets of nearly identical masses. One is a high-density USP, the other is a low-density planet that has an orbital period of 13 d. Combining the Gaia DR3 results with new ESPRESSO data allows us to determine the masses and radii of the two planets more precisely than before. We find that the USP K2-106 b has a density consistent with an Earth-like composition, and K2-106 c is a low-density planet that presumably has an extended atmosphere. We measure a radius of |$\rm R_p=1.676_{-0.037}^{+0.037}$| |$\rm R_{{\oplus }}$|⁠ , a mass of |$\rm M_p=7.80_{-0.70}^{+0.71}$| M ⊕, and a density of |$\rm \rho =9.09_{-0.98}^{+0.98}$| |$\rm g\, cm^{-3}$| for K2-106 b. For K2-106 c, we derive |$R_p=2.84_{-0.08}^{+0.10}$| |$\rm R_{{\oplus }}$|⁠ , |$M_p=7.3_{-2.4}^{+2.5}$| |$\rm M_{{\oplus }}$|⁠ , and a density of |$\rm \rho = 1.72_{-0.58}^{+0.66}$| |$\rm g\, cm^{-3}$|⁠. We finally discuss the possible structures of the two planets with respect to other low-mass planets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the issue of fake news and its impact on politics, particularly during the 2016 US presidential election. It discusses the spread of misinformation by politicians through social media platforms and the debate surrounding the regulation of these platforms. The article also examines specific state bills in Texas and Florida that aim to limit a platform's ability to moderate offensive or false speech. It concludes by arguing that the Fifth Circuit's ruling on this matter is incorrect and unconstitutional, and calls for the Supreme Court to intervene. The text also discusses the concept of state action and the growing influence of social media as a news source. It references the de-platforming of former President Donald Trump by Twitter and the suspension of his account by Facebook, as well as a court case that determined Twitter's moderation did not constitute state action. The text further explores the debate surrounding whether social media platforms should be considered "common carriers" and subject to regulations that prevent them from moderating content. It mentions a Florida law that requires platforms to host all content from registered political candidates and journalistic enterprises, even if it violates the platform's terms of service. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that this law violated the First Amendment rights of social media platforms. The text also discusses the legal challenges surrounding content moderation on social media platforms, focusing on two specific laws in Florida and Texas. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the Texas law, while the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Florida law. The Supreme Court vacated [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the Borderlands Archives Cartography (BAC) project, which aims to map and visualize the history of the US-Mexico border. The project focuses on documenting and preserving the knowledge and memory of newspaper publishing in the borderlands. It challenges traditional mapping practices by amplifying the voices of local communities and using grassroots perspectives. The BAC project seeks to provide alternative representations of the border region and empower individuals and communities to shape the representation of their histories and cultural heritage. However, the project faces obstacles such as limited access to materials and resistance from institutions. [Extracted from the article]

This article examines the surprisingly prevalent incidence of contemporary handstamps impressed upon the final leaf of Restoration playbooks. These are all circular and contain either individual letters or are bisected and contain a combination of letters and numerals. As they are demonstrably not part of the printing process, they have not attracted the attention of textual editors; but as this article shows, neither are they markers of ownership that would interest scholars researching provenance. We identify the marks as being the stamps of letter receivers; in particular, receivers (James Magnes and Richard Bentley) who were also stationers involved in the publishing of the plays we examined. The presence of these stamps suggests that Magnes and Bentley served not only as publishers and booksellers, but as distributors of the playbooks they produced. The presence of these stamps thus has implications for the distribution of Restoration playbooks through the English postal system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the life and political career of Paul Freiherr von Eltz-Rübenach, a technocrat, Catholic, and politician in Hitler's cabinet. Eltz was the only minister who resigned from his position without external pressure and did so in a scandalous manner. The article emphasizes that Eltz was an expert in the government, which consisted of non-political professionals. Eltz agreed to Hitler's legislative initiatives and thus contributed to the legitimization of the Nazis. The article also describes the conflicts Eltz faced, particularly regarding Hitler's plans in the automotive sector, which contradicted the interests of the Reichsbahn. The article describes the role of Franz von Eltz-Rübenach, a German politician, during the time of National Socialism. Eltz-Rübenach was the Minister of Transport and Postal Services in the Nazi regime and had an ambivalent relationship with Hitler and the regime. Although he did not play a leading role in the dismissal of Jewish employees, he advocated for the protection of the Catholic Church and opposed a law on compulsory membership in the Hitler Youth. He eventually resigned when he realized that Hitler would not change his anti-Catholic course. The study shows that even a member of the German nobility like Eltz-Rübenach could support the Nazi regime as long as it protected his own priorities. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: The purpose of the publication is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the courier services market (CEP) in Poland. The research focuses on identifying the main players in the market, understanding their operating strategies and assessing the impact of innovative solutions on the market. In addition, the aim is to examine the competitive advantages of companies against the background of customer satisfaction levels, the way courier services are delivered, and to analyse innovations in logistics. Design/methodology/approach: The surveys were conducted in three stages in 2020, 2021, and 2022/2023 in the Bydgoszcz metropolitan area. Conducting the surveys in three stages in different years made it possible to analyse changes over time and the mixed methodology using both online (CAWI) and face-to-face (PAPI) surveys allowed us to reach a wider group of respondents. Findings: Pandemic COVID-19 has increased the use of courier services. The current market leader is InPost and the high level of customer satisfaction is due to innovative parcel machines, speed of delivery and convenience of tracking parcels. Research shows that courier company customers value timeliness, efficiency and modern solutions such as parcel machines, which is an important area for courier companies to focus on in their quest for customer satisfaction and loyalty. Research limitations/implications: The results of the study are not representative, but they may be a contribution to a broader and more in-depth analysis of the KEP market and the level of customer satisfaction of courier companies. The limitations of the study include the limited geographical area (Bydgoszcz conurbation) and the small representativeness of the sample, which may affect the generalisation of the results. Research conducted on a larger scale, taking into account different regions of Poland, would provide a more complete picture of the courier services market. Practical implications: The increase in the use of courier services during the pandemic indicates changes in shopping behaviour. It was also found that older people are less likely to use courier services for online purchases, suggesting the need to educate and adapt offers to this customer group. Courier companies should therefore focus on improving service quality, offering innovative delivery solutions, adapting to changing customer preferences and responding flexibly to changing market conditions. Originality/value: The article provides information that can be used to make strategic decisions, tailor services to meet customer needs, increase the company's competitiveness in the CEP market, and build a strong reputation based on actual customer preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the experiences of Afro-Caribbean laborers who traveled to Panama to work on the construction of the Panama Canal from 1904 to 1914. These workers left their homes in various Caribbean islands and faced difficult conditions and discrimination while working on the canal. The article highlights the importance of their contributions to the construction of the canal and the lasting impact they had on the Americas. The testimonies of these workers, collected in a competition organized by the Isthmian Historical Society, provide valuable insights into their experiences and challenges. [Extracted from the article]

Charles Gildon (1665–1724) is known today as the ultimate hack writer of Restoration England. Nonetheless, his two fiction collections in the 'rifled mailbag' genre — The Post‐Boy Rob'd of His Mail (1692) and The Post‐Man Robb'd of His Mail (1719) — contain insights concerning the structures and practices of information gathering in early modern Europe. This essay places these fictions by Gildon in their historical and literary contexts, including his repurposing of the Italian Il Corriero svaligiato by Ferrante Pallavicino, the relation to John Dunton's Athenian Mercury, and the use of addresses and occupations of letters to describe the geopolitics of Restoration London and its surround. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the full-scale war initiated by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and amidst a significant increase in internal and external migration, ensuring the proper functioning of the postal mechanism has become an urgent challenge for the state. The legal significance of this issue has been amplified due to the ongoing local self-government reform in Ukraine. This reform is founded on principles such as equal access of residents from various territorial communities to public services, decentralization of power, and the systemic digital transformation of local self-government bodies. However, despite ongoing reforms in the administrative-territorial structure, local selfgovernment, and the sphere of electronic public services in Ukraine, the domain of postal services has seen only marginal improvements. Nonetheless, enhancing Ukrainian legislation regarding the legal regulation and administration of postal services is one of the focal points of negotiations for Ukraine's potential membership in the European Union. The purpose of this article is to analyze the state of development within Ukraine's postal service sector and examine the mechanisms of its public administration and self-regulation. It seeks to identify the features of their application, particularly in the context of military aggression from the Russian Federation, and to provide recommendations to state bodies and postal operators for their enhancement. This article scrutinizes the state of Ukraine's postal service and its mechanisms of state regulation and self-regulation. It identifies key features of their application, including in the face of Russian aggression, such as democratic principles, alignment with international and European legislation, market liberalization, and the minimization of regulatory influence. The necessity of balancing the democratic nature of state regulation mechanisms with clear procedures for state supervision (control) to ensure compliance with legislation in postal service provision, reporting, and monitoring of service quality, has been underscored. In the conclusions drawn from the study, individual recommendations to state bodies and postal operators are formulated. These recommendations aim to improve their activities and the mechanisms of legal regulation of public relations in this area, enhance inter-operator interaction, including collaboration between appointed and private operators. The necessity of developing a strategy for the development of postal communication and the advisability of creating an association of postal operators are also emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Annette K. Joseph-Gabriel's book, "Reimagining Liberation: How Black Women Transformed Citizenship in the French Empire." The book explores the contributions of Black women in redefining notions of citizenship and belonging in France and its colonial empire. Joseph-Gabriel focuses on seven figures, including Martinican thinkers Suzanne Césaire and Paulette Nardal, and decolonization activists Andrée Blouin and Aoua Kéïta. The article also highlights the relevance of these discussions in contemporary France, particularly in relation to debates on national identity and the experiences of Black women. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on author, Pádraic Breathnach's short stories, highlighting his background, literary career, and contributions to Irish-language literature. It explores his early life in rural Galway, his education, and the influences that shaped his work. It also discusses Breathnach's evolution as a writer, noting his prolific output and the impact of his stories on the Irish literary scene.

The article delves into the multifaceted career of architect and artist Lebbeus Woods, highlighting his early influences and creative processes. Topics include his exploration of architectural discourse, his affinity for transience and fluidity, and his innovative approaches to representation and experimentation with various media.

The article discusses the concept of architecture as a machine and its evolution over time. It explores the historical context that led to the consideration of architecture as a machine, focusing on developments in science and economics during the eighteenth century. The article also examines the transition from aesthetics and symbolism to productivity and repeatability in the built environment. It discusses the role of air control in institutional settings such as hospitals and prisons, as well as the conflicts that arose in major central government projects. The article concludes by discussing the shift from the concept of architecture as a machine to the concept of architecture as an efficient system. [Extracted from the article]

Background & aimsReports of mailed fecal immunochemical test (FIT) outreach effectiveness over time are minimal. We aimed to better evaluate a mailed FIT program with longitudinal metrics.MethodsA total of 10,771 patients aged 50 to 75 years not up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening were randomized to intervention or usual care. The intervention arm received an advanced notification call and informational postcard prior to a mailed FIT. Usual care was at the discretion of the primary care provider. Patients were followed for up to 2.5 years. The primary outcome was the difference in cumulative proportion of completed FIT screening between arms. Screening was further examined with the proportion of time up-to-date, consistency of adherence, and frequency of abnormal FIT.ResultsThe cumulative proportion of FIT completion was higher in the outreach intervention (73.2% vs 55.1%; P < .001). The proportion of time covered by screening was higher in the intervention group (46.8% vs 27.3%; Δ19.6%; 95% confidence interval, 18.2%-20.9%). Patients assigned to FIT outreach were more likely to consistently complete FITs (2 completed of 2 offered) (50.1% vs 21.8%; P < .001). However, for patients who did not complete the FIT during the first cycle, only 17.1% completed a FIT during the second outreach cycle. The number and overall proportion of abnormal FIT was significantly higher in the outreach intervention (6.9% Outreach vs 4.1% Usual Care; P < .01).ConclusionsOrganized mailed FIT outreach significantly increased colorectal cancer screening over multiple years in this safety-net health system. Although mailing was overall effective, the effect was modest in patients who did not complete FIT in first cycle of intervention. (ClincialTrials.gov, NCT02613260).

This paper examines how officials of the Qin (221-207 BCE) and Former Han (202 BCE-9 CE) empires gathered information on their far-flung domains. These empires were able to maintain control over large areas of the East Asian subcontinent because they had an effective system for obtaining information on the things that mattered most to them: people, land, resources, and transport. We have various sources on these information collection systems from both excavated and received texts. These can be considered to include not only maps, surveys, and population records, but also communication infrastructures such as roads, canals, and postal systems. The information-gathering systems of this period are important both because they worked relatively well and because they were recorded in the histories and became a model for later administrators., Skilled administrators have always understood that knowledge is power. Knowing the terrain of a region makes it easier to invade or defend. Knowing the locations of resources makes it possible [...]

Objective(s)To estimate the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of medication abortion with mifepristone dispensed by a mail-order pharmacy after in-person clinical assessment.Study designThis is an interim analysis of an ongoing prospective cohort study conducted at five sites. Clinicians assessed patients in clinic and, if they were eligible for medication abortion and ≤ 63 days' gestation, electronically sent prescriptions for mifepristone 200 mg orally and misoprostol 800 mcg buccally to a mail-order pharmacy, which shipped medications for next-day delivery. Participants completed surveys three and 14 days after enrollment, and we abstracted medical chart data.ResultsBetween January 2020 and April 2021 we enrolled 240 participants and obtained clinical outcome information for 227 (94.6%); 3 reported not taking either medication. Of those with abortion outcome information (N = 224), 216 (96.4%) completed day-3 and 212 (94.6%) day-14 surveys. Of the 224 that took medications, none reported taking past 70 days' gestation, and complete medication abortion occurred for 217 participants (96.9%, 95% CI 93.7%-98.7%). Most received medications within three days (82.1%, 95% CI 76.5%-86.9%). In the day-3 survey, 95.4% (95% CI 91.7%-97.8%) reported being very (88.4%) or somewhat (6.9%) satisfied with receiving medications by mail. In the day-14 survey, 89.6% (95% CI 84.7%-93.4%) said they would use the mail-order service again if needed. Eleven (4.9%, 95% CI 2.5%-8.6%) experienced adverse events; two were serious (one blood transfusion, one hospitalization), and none were related to mail-order pharmacy dispensing.ConclusionsMedication abortion with mail-order pharmacy dispensing of mifepristone appears effective, feasible, and acceptable to patients.ImplicationsThe in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone, codified in the drug's Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, should be removed.