Prime Instrument Research Articles

Advancing Fault Prediction: A Comparative Study between LSTM and Spiking Neural Networks

Predicting system faults is critical to improving productivity, reducing costs, and enforcing safety in industrial processes. Yet, traditional methodologies frequently falter due to the intricate nature of the task. This research presents a novel use of spiking neural networks (SNNs) in anticipating faults in syntactical time series, utilizing the generalized stochastic Petri net (GSPN) model. The inherent ability of SNNs to process both time and space aspects of data positions them as a prime instrument for this endeavor. A comparative evaluation with long short-term memory (LSTM) networks suggests that SNNs offer comparable robustness and performance.

El bilateralismo en las relaciones comerciales de la Unión Europea

Bilateral and regional cooperation has become the prime instrument for regulating world trade in the 21st century, as opposed to the multilateral forum of the World Trade Organisations (WTO) and the increasingly prominent protectionist attitudes of major economic powers. Considering the above, this contribution aims to facilitate the understanding of the new generation trade and investment agreements in the overall context of EU trade policy. We will start with an outline of the concept of new generation agreements and continue with an analysis of their regulatory heterogeneity, where we provide some considerations regarding EU’s competence in the areas concerned. The study will conclude with a revision of the growing predominance of competitiveness, reciprocity, and differentiation, as both the drivers and inspiration in the restructuring of the EU’s trade agenda, to further stress the relevance of transparency and democracy principles for the governance of the EU’s external action.

Iodine Intake and Related Cognitive Function Impairments in Elementary Schoolchildren.

Simple SummaryThis is the first survey to show throughout the application of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children complete form, how the adverse effects of moderate iodine-deficiency negatively impair cognitive function in schoolchildren. The results obtained suggest differences in the cognitive profile of the children with moderate iodine-deficiency, denouncing several changes in specific mental functions which could attaining their full intellectual potential, resulting in a differentiated profile of intellectual development and may have some clinical value. Working memory, in our study seriously compromised in moderate iodine-deficient schoolchildren, is used to process, and store information during complex and demanding activities and it supports many activities that iodine-deficient children usually engage in at school. Given the heavy working memory demands of classroom instructions and daily activities, it is perhaps unsurprising that one of the key characteristics of the schoolchildren with moderate iodine-deficiency is poor educational attainment, thereby; iodine deficiency represents a significant risk factor for poor educational progress. For policy makers and governments, it is imperative to act against this iodine-deficiency epidemiology in the most urgent terms. Cognitive impairments represent huge costs for the region, affecting local productivity, economy, and the region´s development and economic potential.Iodine deficiency, the most common cause of preventable mental impairment worldwide, has been linked to poorer intellectual function in several studies. However, to our knowledge, no studies have been performed in moderate iodine-deficient schoolchildren using the complete form of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III; Portuguese version). The main purpose of this study was to ascertain whether moderate iodine deficiency would affect the cognitive function of schoolchildren (7–11 years old; 3rd and 4th grades). Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM; Portuguese version) were used for measuring the intelligence quotient (IQ) of the total population (n = 256; median UIC = 66.2 μg/L), and the WISC-III was used to study two selected subgroups: one moderately iodine-deficient (n = 30) and the other with adequate iodine intake (n = 30). WISC-III was shown to be the prime instrument for cognitive function assessment among moderate iodine-deficient schoolchildren; this subgroup had a Full-Scale IQ 15.13 points lower than the adequate iodine intake subgroup, with a magnitude effect of d = 0.7 (p = 0.013). Significant differences were also registered in 6 of the 13 Verbal-Performance IQ subtests. Moderate iodine deficiency has a substantial impact on mental development and cognitive functioning of schoolchildren, with significant impairment in both Performance IQ and Verbal IQ spectrum, adversely impacting their educational performance.

The Effect of Different Molar Access Cavity Designs on Root Canal Shaping Times Using Rotation and Reciprocation Instruments in Mandibular First Molars

IntroductionThe aim was to compare the glide path and final preparation times of WaveOne Gold and TruNatomy in conjunction with two different endodontic access cavity designs in extracted human molar teeth. Methods60 extracted human mandibular molars with mesiobuccal canals were selected and randomly divided into two different access cavity design preparation groups (n = 30). Traditional access cavities (TAC) and conservative access cavities (CAC). Within each cavity design group, the 30 teeth were divided in to two instrumentation groups (WaveOne Gold Primary (n = 15) and TruNatomy Prime (n = 15)). Group 1: TAC, #10 stainless steel manual K-file followed by WaveOne Gold Glider and WaveOne Gold Primary. Group 2: CAC, #10 stainless steel manual K-file followed by WaveOne Gold Glider and WaveOne Gold Primary. Group 3: TAC, #10 stainless steel manual K-file followed by TruNatomy Orifice Modifier and Glider and TruNatomy Prime. Group 4: CAC, #10 stainless steel manual K-file followed by TruNatomy Glider and TruNatomy Prime. Glide path and final preparation times were recorded. ResultsShaping time with TruNatomy Glider in combination with TruNatomy Prime instruments were faster compared to the WaveOne Gold Glider/ WaveOne Gold Primary instruments regardless of the type of access cavity preparation. TAC design yielded faster preparation time (38.2 ± 4.57 seconds) compared to the CAC (55.6 ± 6.91 seconds) in the WaveOne Gold Glider/ WaveOne Gold Primary instrumentation group. No difference was found between the different access cavity design groups in combination with TruNatomy Glider/TruNatomy Prime preparation. ConclusionPreparation time with TruNatomy Glider and Prime instruments was significantly faster than WaveOne Gold Glider/WaveOne Gold Primary, regardless of the access cavity design. TAC design in combination with WaveOne Gold Glider/ WaveOne Gold Primary instrumentation resulted in faster preparation time compared to WaveOne Gold Glider/WaveOne Gold in combination with the CAC design.

Ayushman Bharat and Universal Health Coverage in India: Is our approach ethical?

The Ayushman Bharat Mission with its two inter-linked components, namely Health and Wellness centres and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, has been proposed as India's prime instrument for achieving universal health coverage. The insurance component of the mission has received priority over the primary healthcare component. Apart from efficiency reasons, there are strong ethical grounds to prioritize the primary care component over its insurance counterpart. There is also a need to consider the ethical dimensions of publicly financed health insurance in India. A robust priority setting process should guide the roll-out of universal health coverage. This is particularly crucial since a large scale expansion of PMJAY to the non-poor population is being currently envisaged by the government.

Comparison of apical debris extrusion using clockwise and counter-clockwise single-file reciprocation of rotary and reciprocating systems.

The aim was to evaluate apical debris extrusion produced by a single-file system used in counter-clockwise reciprocation and compare it to rotary single-file systems used in clockwise rotation and clockwise reciprocation. A total of 100 first mandibular molars were divided into five groups (n = 20): (i) WaveOne Gold Glider and Primary instrument in counter-clockwise reciprocation; (ii) One G and One Curve file in clockwise rotation; (iii) One G and One Curve file in clockwise reciprocation; (iv) TruNatomy Glider and Prime instrument in clockwise rotation; and (v) TruNatomy Glider and Prime instrument in clockwise reciprocation. Apical debris extruded was measured after glide path preparation and canal preparation. WaveOne Gold displayed significantly higher amounts of apical debris extrusion in all the groups (P < 0.05). The lowest mean values were recorded by clockwise reciprocation groups: TruNatomy Glider, One Curve and TruNatomy Glider and Prime combined value, for glide path, canal preparation and combined mean values, respectively.

Guarding the Guards: Education, Corruption, and Nepal’s Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA)

Abstract With development, democratization, and market reforms, corruption has become pervasive in Nepal, especially in areas where government licencing is required. Medical education is a site of considerable political and public contention, because of the nexus that links politicians, educational entrepreneurs, and the licencing of medical colleges. The case of Lokman Singh Karki, the notorious chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (ciaa) from 2013 to 2016 is explored, as is that of his nemesis, the campaigner for the reform of medical education, Dr Govinda KC. The ciaa was for a time converted into a prime instrument of corruption instead of being a defence against it. Different scales of reciprocity and differing moral valuations of reciprocity lie at the heart of the fierce moral debates over the rightness or wrongness of Dr KC’s hunger strikes.

MEDITATION AND PERCEIVED STRESS REDUCTION AMONG WOMEN WITH MEDIATING ROLE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Stress has become inevitable in today's contemporary life. Mild to acute, it is prevailing to every walk of life from which people are unable to escape. Researchers has defined stress in many ways but in general any feeling that is unpleasant and remains for a longer period in mind, is stress. A clutter of disturbing or negative thoughts that mind cannot manage. For this, mind has to be strong enough to handle such hard feelings so as to keep itself at peace. Mental abilities or emotional intelligence can be built with the help of meditation techniques, which act as therapeutic aid to the mind. Consequently, our research starts with meditation as the main component in the hypothesised model, followed by EI as intervening variables to explain PSR. The research has followed the post positivist approach in explaining how regular practice of meditation can influence PSR among women. The present study assumes that EI mediates between meditation and PSR believing that reasoning with emotions that is fostered through regular meditation practice play prime psychological instrument in establishing relationship between meditation and PSR.

Original Nation Approaches to 'International' Law (Onail): Decoupling of the Nation and the State and the Search for New Legal Orders

Original Nation Approaches to 'International' Law (Onail): Decoupling of the Nation and the State and the Search for New Legal Orders

Protracted maritime boundary disputes and maritime laws

ABSTRACTThis paper concentrates on the protracted maritime boundary dispute with concern maritime laws. Maritime boundary dispute is a much-talked issue in the international legal arena. The countries are now becoming very much concerned with their maritime boundary for exploring and exploiting both its mineral and its food resources. But maritime boundary disputes are the barrier to use marine resources for coastal countries. So, the defined maritime boundary is necessary for every coastal state to use their maritime zones. The disputes also destroy the political harmony in international relation. Hence, the rapid settlement of maritime boundary dispute is of key importance for a peaceful coexistence of coastal states. Unfortunately, most of the disputes are delayed to be settled. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is the prime international instrument which deals with the procedures of maritime boundary delimitation. This paper attempts to discuss the protracted maritime boundary disputes and maritime laws. Many of the concepts discussed in this paper can serve as guidelines for other countries that share coastlines.

EU Regional Policy and the Neighbour's Curse: Analyzing the Income Convergence Effects of ESIF Funding in the Presence of Spatial Spillovers

AbstractThe European structural and investment funds (ESIF) constitute the prime instrument of EU regional policy. We study the ESIF's effectiveness in terms of fostering intra‐EU income convergence through investment support to lagging regions. Our empirical results for the period 1997–2007 indicate that the ESIF's contribution to income growth is insignificant or even negative for several peripheral EU regions. We argue that the negative link between funding and regional growth is mainly attributable to spatial spillovers. While the latter may reflect the intensified competition for scarce production factors among highly funded regions in geographical proximity, we also discuss the role played by structural backwardness in a macro‐regional context to explain this sobering result. As such, we show that negative funding effects significantly correlate with lower levels of regional institutional quality. Taken together, our findings indicate that unintended distortionary effects restrain EU regional policy from working effectively to foster income convergence.

Characterizing the dead time of the ECLAIRs camera on board the mission SVOM

French (CNES) and Chinese (CNSA) space agencies collaborate to build the SVOM (Space-based multi-band Variable Object Monitor) mission due to be launched in 2021 to study gamma-ray bursts and high-energy transients. The SVOM prime instrument, ECLAIRs, will detect and localize GRBs autonomously as well as provide a spectral and temporal characterization of the GRB prompt emission. ECLAIRs is expected to detect around 200 GRBs during the 3 year nominal lifetime of the mission. ECLAIRs is a wide-field (\(\sim 2 \text {sr}\)) coded mask camera with a detection plane made of 8 independent sectors of 800 Schottky CdTe detectors working in the 4-150 keV energy range. Each sector is connected to independent readout electronics. In this paper, we focus on the study of the temporal performance and we estimate how dead time will affect bright transient lightcurves. We discuss the analytical model based on simulations over a large range of source count rates on a dedicated test bench. We show that dead time will not significantly affect ECLAIRs data, even for the brightest GRBs (3.7% of lost counts for a count rate of 105 counts.s− 1 over the detection plane in the energy range 4−150 keV) and our model can nicely correct the parts of the lightcurves which are the most affected by dead time effects for very bright GRBs.

Development of Values of Students: Performance of School Administration of Public Secondary School in Region XII

The general objective of this study was to find out the influence of the performance of the school administration on the student’s value orientations in the public secondary schools in Region XII. This study employed descriptive-correlation design. The subjects of the study were 374 students of five (5) public city high schools in the Region XII. The prime instruments used in the study were survey questionnaires. The major findings came out from the statistical analysis of gathered data from the respondents were hereby summarized. On the evidence of performance of the school administration in three variables of school plant or facilities were all rated highly evident. These are school site or campus (Mean = 3.80), instructional spaces (Mean = 4.19), and administrative and service spaces (Mean =4.19). The school performed highly evident (Mean = 4.13) on faculty and staff development. On the area of curriculum development, it was rated highly evident (Mean = 4.14) by the student-respondents. In terms of instructional supervision, the four sub-variables were all rated highly evident such as: classroom management (Mean = 4.18), teaching strategies (Mean=4.35), teacher’s competence (Mean = 4.31), and evaluating and assessing students (Mean = 4.35). In addition, extra-curricular activities was rated highly evident (Mean 4.23). Similarly, school- community relations was rated highly evident (Mean = 4.17). Moreover, the school general service was generally rated highly evident. These include guidance and counselling (Mean = 4.13), school health and sanitation (Mean = 4.14), and school security and safety (Mean = 4.29) On the other hand, the practice/observance of the students on the societal values was generally rated much extensive. These are the Maka-Diyos value (Mean = 4.31), Maka-tao value (Mean = 4.47), Maka-kalikasan value (Mean = 4.33). As to the influence of the performance of the school administration on the student’s practice/observance of societal values: the predictors of Maka-Diyos value of the students were school-community relations and school general services; of Maka-tao value were extra-curricular activities and school general services; of Maka-kalikasan value were school-community relations, curriculum development, and school general services; and of Maka-bayan value were curriculum development and school general services. Based on the findings emerged from this study, it is concluded that the performance of the school administration of public secondary schools was highly evident. The students developed much extensively the societal values such as Maka-Diyos, Maka-tao, Maka-kalikasan, Maka-bayan. Although, the school administration performed highly evident on school plant/facilities, faculty and staff development, and instructional supervision still do not suffice to influence the student’s development of value orientations. Nevertheless, the better the provision and administration of school general services, school-community relations, extra-curricular activities, and curriculum development the more the students developed Maka-Diyos,Maka-tao, Maka-kalikasan, and Maka-bayan values.

Political slogans as instruments of international government communication – the case of China

ABSTRACTPolitical slogans are understudied in political communication and this conceptual paper aims at broadening the understanding of political slogans as it investigates how governments use political slogans in the context of international political communication. Drawing on the slogan literature in business, marketing and advertising, the paper outlines major characteristics and develops a taxonomy of political slogans. It then uses political slogans utilised by the Chinese government to communicate with foreign audiences to discuss advantages and disadvantages of political slogans as a communicative device for governments. It is argued that the specific characteristics of political slogans make them the prime instrument for government communication, but at the same time the same characteristics make them the most vulnerable instrument as well.

Language, Communication, Poverty Eradication and the Fadama Projects in Nigeria

Language as a prime instrument of communication has remained the oldest among both traditional and new media. Iwuchukwu (2006) has raised some salient issues relating to the strategic role of language, especially the indigenous language towards poverty alleviation in Nigeria and ultimately achieving the first Millennium Development Goal; Eradicating Extreme Poverty and Hunger by 2015. FADAMA is a major World Bank assisted project in Nigeria aimed at reducing rural poverty, increasing food security and contributing significantly to the achievement of a key Millennium Development Goal (MDG) objective. This paper focuses on the FADAMA project in Nigeria, (covering 1, 2, and 3), examining the role of indigenous languages and communication in its execution. It will further highlight the positive and negative effects of the deployment and non-deployment of appropriate languages and communication tools in the implementation of the project as well as its overall performance. Our methodology will include the analysis of FADAMA field reports 1, 2, and 3; oral interviews with a sizeable number of the vulnerable group that constitutes the target population from at least one (1) state in each of the six geopolitical zones that make up Nigeria. Our claim is that effective and appropriate harnessing of indigenous language and communication will significantly contribute to the overall success of the FADAMA project in Nigeria.

Cabaret Theatre in Communist Czechoslovakia 1960s–1980s as Political Resistance: The Case of Milan Lasica and Július Satinský

The article analyses the cabaret theatre of Milan Lasica 1940– and Július Satinský 1941–2002, also known as L+S, in socialist Czechoslovakia in the 1960s–1980s as a form of resistance against com­munist totalitarianism. Rather than conventional political satire, which would have been impossible at the time, their texts subverted the political discourse by focusing on the word, the prime instrument of state propaganda, to expose its falseness through linguistic games and free play with associations. The essence of their satire, which can be most closely described as a mixture of theatre of the absurd and Dadaism, was in pointing to the meaninglessness of the language of communist ideology that bore no correspondence to reality, since the regime heavily invested in constructing and maintaining artificial realities and simulacra. However, their target was not high-ranking communists, but the common people, who internalized the discourses, values, and practices of the system and held it in place.

Structuring self instructional material for LIS distance education: Role of instructional design theory

Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system directs to self-guided study, instructional materials being its prime instrument. These are called Self Instructional Materials (SIMs). This is also factual for the LIS distance education. SIM has its certain characteristics which make it different from other learning contents. Preparing SIMs needs special attention of instruction designers, who work on the basis of the theories of instructional design (ID). In this article, first a review of some well-cited ID theories and models has been done; and then, based on the prescriptions and features of those theories and models, an attempt to evaluate the existing guidelines for developing SIMs for LIS distance education has been made.

EU Structural Funds and Regional Income Convergence A Sobering Experience

The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are the prime instrument of EU regional policy. European policy makers place considerable hope into their growth stimulating funding measures to overcome current economic stagnation. Consequently, there is a strong need for credible evidence regarding the programs' effectiveness. Based on an empirical identification strategy linked to modern growth theory, we find that the disbursement of EU structural funds is negatively correlated with regional growth. Incorporating spatial dynamics and decomposing this correlation into a direct and a spatially-indirect component, it is particularly the latter which determines this sobering finding. Regarding the economics behind these results, the obtained negative spatial effect may reflect the role played by policy-induced spatial competition among neighboring regions. It could also highlight the backwardness in technological endowment and economic structures of highly funded regions. In any case, EU structural funding does not seem to contribute effectively to foster income convergence across regions.

Instrumentation Strategies and Instrument Mixes for Long Term Climate Policy

The good intentions of COP21 are to be reached by novel climate policy instrumentation, beyond what has been developed till now. For the long term two fundamentally different strategies emerge, each leading to a set of instruments fit for the challenging task in principle. The first has a command and control orientation, developing and specifying the technologies required and bringing them in the market. Prime instruments are subsidies like feed-in tariffs and capital subsidies and standards and regulations, as to force coal fired power stations out of the market and efficient cars into the market. These technology specific instruments override the current strict EU cap-and-trade system. This governance orientation is on optimization from a broad and integrative perspective, including distributional issues, energy policy and transport policy. The second strategy has its focus on incentive creation and option creation, transforming and strengthening EU ETS into a price stabilized emission pricing system, ultimately as an emission tax. A core institutional element is the creation of a European open real time electricity market, with equal but quite variable prices for all primary and secondary producers and for all users. Two sets of instruments are substantially mutually exclusive; feed-in tariffs and user differentiated surcharges to fund them are not compatible with open electricity markets. The two sets of instruments are substantially mutually exclusive; for example feed-in tariffs and user differentiated surcharges to fund them are not compatible with open electricity markets and not compatible with pure cap-and-trade systems. Discussion and choices are due.

Многоуровневая модель ценообразования меню сетевого предприятия на рынке общественного питания

Для большинства потребителей цена является ключевым фактором при выборе товаров-субститутов, производимых под разными брендами. Конечно, на спрос достаточное влияние оказывают конкурентные преимущества марки, имидж, сервис и локация, но основным инструментом в конкурентной борьбе за клиента всегда было и остается ценообразование. По причине сложной макроэкономической ситуации в российской экономике потребители могут пренебрегать качеством сервиса и даже удобством покупки в пользу более выгодной цены. По данным статистики, в начале 2015 г. значительно снизилось потребление некоторых групп товаров повседневного спроса, которые находятся в относительно дорогом сегменте: свежие фрукты и овощи, свинина и говядина, некоторые молочные продукты, спиртные напитки. Премиум-сегмент значительно уступил товарам эконом-класса. В этой связи ценообразование для бизнеса должно стать стратегическим комплексным решением, итогом тщательного анализа рынка, структуры издержек компании, изучения целевой аудитории, спроса и конкурентов. Автором разработана многоуровневая модель ценообразования меню сетевого предприятия, состоящая из следующих этапов: финансовый анализ, многомерный АВС-анализ, конкурентный анализ, маркетинговый анализ. Модель, исследованная и апробированная на опыте крупного российского бизнеса, рекомендуется в качестве эффективного инструмента по разработке цен меню крупных сетевых компаний, отличающихся сложностью организационной и территориальной структуры и бизнес-функциями.