Search Results (41)

Background: The growth of parcel volumes in urban areas, largely driven by e-commerce, has increased the complexity of pickup and delivery operations. To meet demands for cost efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability, CEP (Courier, Express, and Parcel) operators increasingly outsource segments of their last-mile networks. Methods: This study proposes a novel multidimensional cost model for outsourcing, integrating five key variables: transport unit type (parcel/pallet), service phase (pickup/delivery), vehicle category, powertrain type, and delivery point type. The model applies correction coefficients based on internal operational costs, further adjusted for location and service quality using a bonus/malus mechanism. Results: Each cost component is calculated independently, enabling full transparency and route-level cost tracking. A real-world case study was conducted using operational data from a CEP operator in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The model demonstrated improved accuracy and fairness in cost allocation, with measurable savings of up to 7% compared to existing fixed-price models. Conclusions: The proposed model supports data-driven outsourcing decisions, allows tailored cost structuring based on operational realities, and aligns with sustainable last-mile delivery strategies. It offers a scalable and adaptable tool for CEP operators seeking to enhance cost control and service efficiency in complex urban environments. Full article

3D (three-dimensional) property volume is an important data carrier for 3D land administration by using 3D cadastral technology, which can be used to express the legal space (property rights) scope matching with physical entities such as buildings and land. A 3D property volume is represented by a dense set of 3D coordinate points arranged in a predefined order and is displayed alongside the parcel map for reference and utilization by readers. To store a 3D property volume in the database, it is essential to record the connectivity relationships among the original 3D coordinate points, the associations between points and lines for representing boundary lines, and the relationships between lines for defining surfaces. Only by preserving the data structure that represents the relationships among points, lines, and surfaces can the 3D property volume in a parcel map be fully reconstructed. This approach inevitably results in the database storage volume significantly exceeding the original size of the point set, thereby causing storage redundancy. Consequently, this paper introduces a reversible 3D property volume compression coding method (called 3DPV-CC) to address this issue. By analyzing the distribution characteristics of the coordinate points of the 3D property volume, a specific rule for sorting the coordinate points is designed, enabling the database to have the ability of data storage and recovery by merely storing a reordered point set. The experimental results show that the 3DPV-CC method has excellent support capabilities for 3D property volumes of the vertical and slopped types, and can compress and restore the coordinate point set of the 3D property volume for drawing 3D parcel maps. The compression capacity of our method in the test is between 23.66% and 38.42%, higher than the general data compression methods (ZIP/7Z/RAR: 8.37–10.32%). By means of this method, land or real estate administrators from government departments can store 3D property volume data at a lower cost. This is conducive to enhancing the informatization level of land management. Full article

The neurological basis of consciousness remains unknown despite innumerable theories proposed for over a century. The major obstacle is that empirical studies demonstrate that all sensory information is subdivided and parcellated as it is processed within the brain. A central region where such diverse information combines to form conscious expression has not been identified. A novel hypothesis was introduced over two decades ago that proposed astrocytes, with their ability to interconnect to form a global syncytium within the neocortex, are the locus of consciousness based on their ability to integrate synaptic signals. However, it was criticized because intercellular calcium waves, which are initiated by synaptic activity, are too slow to contribute to consciousness but ideal for memory formation. Although astrocytes are known to exhibit rapid electrical responses in active sensory pathways (e.g., vision), it was technically impossible to determine electrical activity within the astroglia syncytium because of the challenge of separating syncytial electrical responses from simultaneous neuronal electrical activity. Therefore, research on astroglia syncytial electrical activity lagged for over sixty years, until recently, when an ingenuous technique was developed to eliminate neuronal electrical interference. These technical advances have demonstrated that the astroglia syncytium, although massive and occupying the entire neocortex, is isoelectric with minimal impedance. Most importantly, the speed of electrical conductance within the syncytium is as rapid as that of neural networks. Therefore, the astroglia syncytium is theoretically capable of transmitting integrated local synaptic signaling globally throughout the entire neocortex to bind all functional areas of the brain in a timeframe required for consciousness. Full article

Background: Extensive research highlights the economic benefits of collaboration among parcel delivery service providers, yet mutually advantageous cooperative arrangements remain limited in Hungary’s online shopping sector. Service providers typically prefer to operate independently rather than cooperate with competitors. However, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered industry dynamics, leading to increased collaboration. Methods: Against this backdrop, this study explores two key research questions. First, it examines the role of economic narratives in shaping market dynamics. Second, it investigates the cognitive biases influencing decision-makers during the pandemic, based on an analysis of Hungary’s parcel delivery sector. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key actors in the logistics industry, and the data were analyzed using abductive thematic analysis. Results: The findings reveal that specific economic narratives, such as those emphasizing efficiency and safety, indirectly influenced market mechanisms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the shift in consumer demand towards contactless parcel lockers created new incentives for collaboration. Additionally, this study demonstrates that decision-makers exhibited cognitive biases such as risk aversion, which affected their willingness to cooperate. Conclusions: The research concludes that strong economic incentives can override these biases, fostering collaboration among service providers. Full article

In recent years, parcel volumes have reached record highs, prompting the logistics industry to explore innovative solutions to meet growing demand. In densely populated areas, delivery robots offer a promising alternative to traditional truck-based delivery systems. These autonomous electric robots operate on sidewalks and deliver time-sensitive goods, such as express parcels, medicine and meals. However, their limited cargo capacity and battery life require a return to a depot after each delivery. This challenge can be modeled as an electric vehicle-routing problem with soft time windows and single-unit capacity constraints. The objective is to serve all customers while minimizing the quadratic sum of delivery delays and ensuring each vehicle operates within its battery limitations. To address this problem, we propose a mixed-integer quadratic programming model and introduce an enhanced formulation using a layered graph structure. For this layered graph, we present two solution approaches based on relaxations that reduce the number of nodes and arcs compared to the expanded formulation. The first approach, Iterative Refinement, solves the current relaxation to optimality and refines the graph when the solution is infeasible for the expanded formulation. This process continues until a proven optimal solution is obtained. The second approach, Branch and Refine, integrates graph refinement into a branch-and-bound framework, eliminating the need for restarts. Computational experiments on modified Solomon instances demonstrate the effectiveness of our solution approaches, with Branch and Refine consistently outperforming Iterative Refinement across all tested parameter configurations. Full article

The popularity of online shopping in China has increased significantly, creating new development opportunities for the express delivery industry. However, the rapid expansion of the express industry has also created challenges in the parcel sorting process. The demanding nature of parcel sorting work, which is characterized by intense and prolonged repetitive tasks, makes individuals particularly vulnerable to the effects of fatigue. Fatigue is a complex condition that encompasses both physiological and psychological exhaustion. It often results in reduced energy levels and diminished functionality, significantly impacting an individual’s performance at work and their overall well-being. This study aimed to investigate how physiological and psychological fatigue affects sorting efficiency and to identify appropriate rest periods that will allow employees to maintain their performance levels. The research involved fifteen participants who took part in a 60 min continuous sorting experiment and a similar experiment with scheduled breaks. During both trials, we collected data on participants’ electromyography (EMG) and electrodermal activity (EDA), as well as subjective fatigue ratings (RPE). Signal features such as the median frequency (MF) of EMG and the skin conductance level (SCL) were analyzed to assess physiological and psychological fatigue, respectively. The results show that physiological fatigue mainly affects sorting efficiency in the first 30 min, while psychological fatigue becomes more influential in the following half-hour period. In addition, subjective fatigue levels during the first 30 min are primarily determined by psychological factors, while beyond that point, both physiological and psychological fatigue contribute to subjective fatigue. Rest periods of 415–460 s, based on EDA recovery times, effectively support sorting efficiency and participants’ recovery. This study highlights the complex ways in which fatigue affects parcel sorting performance and provides valuable theoretical and practical insights for establishing labor quotas and optimizing work schedules in the parcel sorting industry. Full article

In order to promote the sustainable development of crowdsourcing logistics and control the cost of crowdsourcing logistics while improving the quality of crowdsourcing services, this paper proposes a courier crowdsourcing task allocation model that considers delivery methods under customer classification, with the optimization objective of minimizing the total cost of the crowdsourcing platform. This model adopts two delivery modes: home delivery by crowdsource couriers and pickup by customers. Customers can freely choose the express delivery method according to their actual situation when placing orders, thus better meeting their needs. Based on the customer’s historical express-consumption data, the entropy weight RFM model is used to classify them, and different penalty functions are constructed for different categories of customers to reduce the total delivery cost and improve the on-time delivery of efficient and potential customers. And a Customer Classification Genetic Algorithm (CCGA) was designed for simulation experiments, which showed that the algorithm proposed in this study significantly improved the local search ability, thereby optimizing the delivery task path of express crowdsourcing. This improvement not only improves the delivery timeliness for efficient and potential customers, but also effectively reduces the total delivery cost. Therefore, the research on parcel crowdsourcing task allocation based on customer classification reduces the cost of crowdsourcing delivery platforms and improves customer satisfaction, which has certain theoretical research value and practical-application significance. Full article

This essay reflects on the concept of the death of God as part and parcel of modern philosophical theology: a genre of thinking that came into existence with Hegel’s announcement of the “speculative Good Friday” as the most natural expression of die Religion der neuen Zeiten, “the religion of modern times”. In my interpretation, the death of God not only does not spell the end of the era of atheism but, on the contrary, inaugurates a new era of characteristically modern theism that steers away from theological absolutism. The new theos is no longer conceived as the eternal omnipotent Absolute but as the Derridean diminished Infinite: contracted and self-negated—even “unto death”. Such God, however, although coming to the foremost visibly in modernity, is not completely new to the monotheistic religions, which from the beginning are engaged in the heated debate concerning the status of the divine power: is it absolute and unlimited or rather self-restricted and conditioned? I will enter this debate by conducting a comparison between the two traditional models of divine self-restriction—Christian kenosis and Jewish-kabbalistic tsimtsum—and then present their modernised philosophical variants, most of all in the thought of Hegel. Full article

Areas excluded from agricultural production are susceptible to the presence of beaver families. The most significant changes occur during the initial period, when agricultural utilization is abandoned and beavers establish their presence on the land. During this period, some parcels remain uncultivated, while agricultural activities persist in neighboring areas. This situation is accompanied by the destruction of beaver dams, especially during periods of abundant water resources, and notably during intensive fieldwork. The article presents field studies aimed at determining the extent to which constructed and operational beaver dams contribute to changes in groundwater levels in drained peatland areas. In order to protect and sustainably use peat soils, it is necessary to maintain their high moisture content by ensuring a high groundwater level elevation. This can be achieved through the use of existing damming structures in the area (levees, weirs). Beaver dams can also serve a similar function, blocking the outflow of water from peat lands by raising the water level and consequently retaining it naturally. The specific objective was to develop principles for verifying factors influencing the effects of beaver dam construction on groundwater levels in fields within their range of influence. The water table levels within the study area during rainless periods were influenced by water levels in ditches, dependent on beaver activity in the nearby river. Beaver activities, manifested through dam construction, were influenced by periodic water resources in the river, defined by the cumulative monthly precipitation. Factors affecting groundwater levels in rainless periods on the plots also included the distance from the river cross-section and the permeability of soils expressed by the filtration coefficient of the active layer. Beaver dams had the greatest impact on stabilizing the water table in the soil profile closest to the river. Full article

The rapid development of the logistics industry poses significant challenges to the sorting work within this sector. The fast and precise identification of moving express parcels holds immense significance for the performance of logistics sorting systems. This paper proposes a motion express parcel positioning algorithm that combines traditional vision and AI-based vision. In the traditional vision aspect, we employ a brightness-based traditional visual parcel detection algorithm. In the AI vision aspect, we introduce a Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) and Focal-EIoU to enhance YOLOv5, improving the model’s recall rate and robustness. Additionally, we adopt an Optimal Transport Assignment (OTA) label assignment strategy to provide a training dataset based on global optimality for the model training phase. Our experimental results demonstrate that our modified AI model surpasses traditional algorithms in both parcel recognition accuracy and inference speed. The combined approach of traditional vision and AI vision in the motion express parcel positioning algorithm proves applicable for practical logistics sorting systems. Full article

Choosing a suitable cross-border logistics mode is the foundation for cross-border e-commerce enterprises to achieve sustainable development. Based on an analysis of the literature, the cross-border logistics modes are summarized as postal parcel, international express, overseas warehouse, and special line logistics modes. Using the multi-value set qualitative comparative analysis (mvQCA) method to explore the factors and formation paths of logistics mode selection of cross-border e-commerce enterprises, the results include the following: (1) The choice of logistics mode is the result of multiple condition variables, and the formation paths of different logistics mode selection vary. (2) The postal parcel mode is most selected by small and medium-sized B2C cross-border e-commerce enterprises; the overseas warehouse and special line modes are most selected by large and medium-sized ones with high logistics service capacity. (3) The international express mode is selected by B2C cross-border e-commerce enterprises of all sizes, and there is no typical formation path. The results indicate that cross-border e-commerce enterprises should have clear positioning and select the most suitable logistics mode, as only in this way can cross-border e-commerce and logistics enterprises jointly achieve sustainable development. Full article

The paper proposes a Model of priority ranking of cadastral parcels for planning the implementation of urban consolidation, which is a continuation of the published research on the assessment of fragmentation and assessment bonitet values of cadastral parcels. The research deals with one segment of the Spatial Decision Support System and is one process in the planning of urban consolidation. Comparison criteria were identified for the evaluation and priority ranking of cadastral parcels. The subject of the research is private cadastral parcels in the area of large public project construction. The goal of the research is to find the optimal way to compare conflicting and incomparable criteria for the evaluation of private cadastral parcels and, at the same time, a way of fitting the opinions of stakeholders in the implementation planning process of urban consolidation. Due to the complexity of the task and realizing certain spatial criteria, unique models were developed. Special attention was paid to the participatory approach to problem-solving, in which all groups of stakeholders were identified, and the way of expressing their views was defined. The Complex proportional assessment (COPRAS) method and the Analytic Hierarchy Process method (AHP) methods were used to solve the problem. The defined models were tested in the field of construction of a large public project Campus at the University of Split. Full article

With the development of smart logistics, current small distribution centers have begun to use intelligent equipment to indirectly read bar code information on courier sheets to carry out express sorting. However, limited by the cost, most of them choose relatively low-end sorting equipment in a warehouse environment that is complex. This single information identification method leads to a decline in the identification rate of sorting, affecting efficiency of the entire express sorting. Aimed at the above problems, an express recognition method based on deeper learning and multi-information fusion is proposed. The method is mainly aimed at bar code information and three segments of code information on the courier sheet, which is divided into two parts: target information detection and recognition. For the detection of target information, we used a method of deeper learning to detect the target, and to improve speed and precision we designed a target detection network based on the existing YOLOv4 network, Experiments show that the detection accuracy and speed of the redesigned target detection network were much improved. Next for recognition of two kinds of target information we first intercepted the image after positioning and used a ZBAR algorithm to decode the barcode image after interception. The we used Tesseract-OCR technology to identify the intercepted three segments code picture information, and finally output the information in the form of strings. This deeper learning-based multi-information identification method can help logistics centers to accurately obtain express sorting information from the database. The experimental results show that the time to detect a picture was 0.31 s, and the recognition accuracy was 98.5%, which has better robustness and accuracy than single barcode information positioning and recognition alone. Full article

The development of the e-commerce market worldwide, which was already dynamic, was accelerated by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Millions of incoming orders required analogue support from the CEP sector (courier-express-parcels sector) to provide the desired “customer experience”. In the context of whether the habit of shopping in virtual reality will become permanent, it is worth considering what shape the logistics services will take in the last mile after the pandemic? Or, will customers return to shopping in the real world? A subject for these considerations was an analysis of the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic on the technologization of last mile logistics services, resulting in an increase in the level of “customer experience”, with Poland as an example. The research methods used were participant observations and critical analysis of collected materials. The obtained results made it possible to conduct a descriptive and explanatory nomothetic study based on an Internet questionnaire. The authors formulated a diagnosis about the possibilities of using the potential of customer experience for the development of enterprises based on technologization of last mile deliveries. The recommendations can be used by scientists and managers in the CEP industry to redefine business models based on the technology of logistics customer service processes. Full article

This paper provides a systematic and up-to-date review and classification of 87 studies on green last-mile business for sustainable management. In particular, the most important study areas and results are highlighted and an outlook on future research opportunities in the field of sustainable stock management is given. Sustainability in logistics depends on many factors, and elementary differences in the orientation of the logistics sector can bring further challenges. This is shown by the number of published papers. This paper examines the literature that does not focus on courier, express or parcel delivery (CEP). For this purpose, a systematic literature search was conducted on the topic of sustainability in the last-mile business. Publications for the period from 2014 to 2021 were identified as significant. It becomes clear that the logistics industry must further differentiate itself to be able to act in a future-oriented manner. The effects of the logistics industry and the technologies used in it have far-reaching consequences for social coexistence and should therefore be included. Challenges lie not only with logistics companies, but also with consumers and government authorities. In the paper it becomes clear that the logistics concept of the last mile is applied in all forms, but the research area of one-person delivery or two-person delivery is on a different level. Here, the concept of two-person delivery will be pursued further, as it functions similarly to a CEP service provider, but the framework conditions differ greatly. The two-person loading system makes it possible to transport large and bulky goods such as furniture without the risk of damage during delivery. Furthermore, the specifics of sustainable management of the last mile as well as the limits of the topic are discussed. This should stimulate future research. Full article