Postal Sector Overview and Dynamics

This paper analyzes the change in the postal sector over the past 20 years and in particular the strategic drivers that are transforming the postal services industries such as institutional, market and technological developments. Taking the argument from here this paper defines the four major response strategies of postal operators all across the world to analyse how different firms and countries are reacting to the challenges of increased competition and changing consumer behaviour, also in preparation to impending liberalisation of postal markets. Finally the paper looks at the emerging and dominating influence of information technology on the postal services industry. The analysis indicates that while the past changes have been driven mainly by deregulation policies, future changes, are likely to be driven by the information and communication technologies (ICT). Moreover the paper explores the dual role of ICT both as a change driver and as an opportunity for historical postal operators to successfully transform into modern adaptive enterprises, thereby turning the threat of ICTs into an opportunity to become high-technology services firms

The Universal Postal Service in the communications area : Adapting to changing markets and customer behavior

This study is making the case that the Universal Postal Service as currently defined at the European level should be modernized. The European Union plans to liberalize and build up an internal market for postal services by 2009 with the aim to foster improved services and innovations in the postal sector to benefit the customer. This paper argues that the European Union has to improve it’s Universal Service rules to take into account technological changes that increasingly shape consumer behaviour and in fact make the existing Universal Service Obligation (USO) obsolete. If the EU is to take postal innovation outside the existing USO initiated by postal operators and changing consumer behaviour into account then a new and updated USO has to be less strict and more encouraging of further innovative developments. Indeed, the fact that the postal sector innovates outside the USO shows that the market is fully capapble of catering for the needs of customers. The study takes the perspective of a fully liberalized postal sector driven by the information and communication technologies. This in turn shall be supported by an USO that supports innovation and dynamicsm in the industry so to offer the customer the best service available

The relation between serum Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibody in children and ADHD and its severity

AIM: The purpose of our study was to investigate the relation between serum Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies in children and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its severity. METHOD: 214 subjects, consisting of 107 children aged 6–18 and diagnosed with ADHD and 107 children with no ADHD or psychiatric pathology were included. Subjects underwent a detailed psychiatric examination based on DSM-V-TR diagnostic criteria, using a data form, the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) for School-Aged Children (6–18), the DuPaul ADHD Rating Scale, Parent Rating Scale, the Conners Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS), and the Conners Parent Rating Scale (CPRS). Blood anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibody levels were investigated. The data obtained were then subjected to statistical analysis. RESULTS: T. gondii IgG antibodies were positive in 8 (7.47%) of the case group and positive in 3 (2.8%) of the control group. No statistically significant difference was determined between the case and control groups in terms of T. gondii IgG positivity (p = .215). Higher levels of severe ADHD were determined in Toxoplasma IgG positive patients in the ADHD group compared to Toxoplasma IgG negative subjects, the difference being statistically significant (p = .005). CONCLUSION: No significant differences were determined between the case and control groups in terms of T. gondii IgG positivity and ADHD. However, correlation was determined between ADHD severity and T. gondii IgG positivity