The present paper proposes a new technique that extracts significant structural, texture and local edge features from images. The local features are extracted by a steady local edge response that can sustain the presence of noise, illumination changes. The local edge response image is converted in to a ternary pattern image based on a local threshold. The structural features are derived by extracting shapes in the form of textons. The texture features are derived by constructing grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) on the derived texton image. A new variant of K-means clustering scheme is proposed for clustering of images. The proposed method is compared with various methods of image retrieval based on data mining techniques. The experimental results on Wang dataset shows the efficacy of the proposed method over the other methods.

Growing practice of electronic transactions includes both e-commerce and econsumers. Lack of proper policy standard and specific laws regulating electronic transactions of consumer and numerous cases reported through print media as well as electronic media necessitated the measures for the protection of electronic consumers. In the process of ecommerce e-consumers are looking forward for appropriate consumer protective regulations for the protection of their rights on e-transactions. In this article endeavour has been made to assess and device or improve the existing laws or policies apart from analysis and comparison of usefulness of e-consumers protective mechanism for the protection of consumer’ rights and keeping in view of Consumer Protection Act, 1987 and Contract Act, 1872 in India the article attempts to find out the possible ways for the protection of e-consumers’ rights in general and rights of Indian e-consumers in particular.

Piles are designed to transfer the load of superstructure to the deeper harder soil strata crossing the upper weaker strata of soil. Cast in situ piles are usually designed by many analyses and using many empirical formulas. But due to a great degree of prevailing uncertainties of subsoil behavior, variation of strata in the same site, diversity in the procedure of construction applied at site, piles are needed to be tested to double or so of design load to verify the conformity with that design load obtained by static design calculation. A case study of load test on a pile of 600mm diameter & length of 35.250m was conducted through ASTM D 1143-81 method. The test load data were collected and converted into graphical forms. The results were interpreted through load-settlement curves applying various methods for determining the allowable load bearing capacity of the pile.

Landslides are one of the critical natural processes, which cause enormous damage to life and property. These include roads, railways, bridges, dams, houses and also lead to loss of life. Hence, there is a need for landslide hazard zonation for identification of potential landslide areas. The present study is an attempt towards development of a landslide model by using multi-criteria decision analysis in GIS and remote sensing techniques for landslide hazard zonation. Pauri district was selected for this project. ResourceSAT-2 LISS- 4-Mx satellite imageries, SOI topographical maps, and ancillary data were used as inputs to the study. The data layers of Landuse-landcover and Geology were interpreted from satellite image and available ancillary data. Other raster thematic layers i.e. Slope, Aspect, Elevation and Drainage density have been generated in Arc info 3D Analyst Tool using ASTER DEM of 30 m. resolution. A numerical rating scheme for the factors was developed for spatial data analysis in GIS. First of all, delineation of landslides (167 Nos.) from high resolution satellite data was carried out and verification from Google Earth data was done. Extraction of relevant parameters was done from the remotely sensed data using digital and visual interpretation techniques. A statistical relationship was established between landslides and selected terrain parameters. Weights were assigned to different layer depending on their impact on occurrence of landslide. Landslide Hazard Zonation map was prepared based on integration of remotely sensed data derived layers and terrain characteristics derived topographic data. Validation of the results was done through ground checks and finally the Landslide Hazard Zonation map and Digital database was created in GIS environment. The resulting landslide hazard zonation map delineates the area into three different zones of relative Hazard (HZ) classes: High, Moderate and Low. 110 landslide fall in the High HZ category while 43 in th

The changing scenario of the wireless connectivity has insisted the usage of the spectrum in an efficient manner which in turn demands for the new paradigms to be adopted in practice. The Cognitive Radio (CR) termed by Joseph E Mitola III in 1999, a prominent technology to overcome the above difficulty which continuously monitors the spectrum and allocates the un used portions of the spectrum to other users in a systematic approach. The most important task in this context is the design of the antenna to cater the needs of the CR networks and they must adapt the changes in the environment and must be reconfigurable.

Wildfires are a major environmental hazard that causes fatalities greater than structural fire and other disasters. Computerized models have increased the possibilities of predictions that enhanced the firefighting capabilities in U.S. While predictive models are faster and accurate, it is still important to identify the right model for the data type analyzed. The paper aims at understanding the reliability of three predictive methods using fused dataset. Performances of these methods (Support Vector Machine, K-Nearest Neighbors, and decision tree models) are evaluated using binary and multiclass classifications that predict wildfire occurrence and its severity. Data extracted from meteorological database, and U.S fire database are utilized to understand the accuracy of these models that enhances the discussion on using right model for dataset based on their size. The findings of the paper include SVM as the best optimum models for binary and multiclass classifications on the selected fused dataset.

Hydropower, large and small, remains by far the most important of the “renewable” for electrical power production worldwide. Small-scale hydro is in most cases “run-of-river”, with no dam, and is one of the most cost-effective and environmentally benign energy technologies to be considered both for rural electrification in less developed countries and developed countries for further hydro developments countries(like Ethiopia). This paper addresses power generation for rural applications by means of small hydropower plants by using cross-flow turbine systems .The cross-flow turbine is suitable for installing small hydro-electric power plants in case of low head and flow rate. Using mathematical analysis a complete design of such turbines has been done in this paper.

Tough service conditions with high risk, relatively poor salaries, promotional avenues, frequent transfers and disruption in family life could be some of the reasons due to which the Indian Armed Forces are facing a severe manpower crunch. Setting up of pay commissions on regular basis to review pay structure, by up gradation of some of the ranks and appointment have also not been able to create a sense of wellbeing. Effective recruitment, competitive compensation, efficient training and development to retain the manpower available, has therefore become a greater challenge to the military leaders. This research was undertaken to analyse relevance of Best human resource practices prevalent in the corporate sector and their application in Indian Defence Organisation to assist Armed forces in attracting and retaining the best talent.

Creativity (the generation of new ideas and forms that provide valuable solution to a given problem often from an existing idea, knowledge and object) is indispensable in form generation. It determines to a large extent the aesthetic and functional products the artist and designer produce that immensely impact on our everyday lives. A key challenge facing the artist and designer is how to use understanding of the creative process (albeit, adocumented process with prevalent unawareness) to optimize creativity in the course of form generation. Therefore, this paper focuses on how to optimize creativity in the process of generating visual form using Hurlburt’s model of the creative process. It employed qualitative research method, which utilized the Critical-Historical-Analytic examination and Content Analysis. The paper introduced the reader to the need for optimizing creativity in order to generate aesthetic and functional visual forms. Also, it thoroughly examined the creative process that affords visual forms. Furthermore, the paper showed how creativity was employed to explore, combine and transform past and existing forms into new aesthetic and functional products.

The Antibacterial effects of Phyllanthus discoideus and Terminalia avicennioides on Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus were studied. Three hundred and twenty four (324) samples were collected from the skin, boil and wound of pupils in twelve (12) selected primary schools in Ekiti State, they were inoculated by streaking on to dried mannitol salt agar plates. Staph aureus was identified by agar diffusion method using methicillin disc. Susceptibility testing of the methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus to the crude extracts of the leaves of Phyllanthus discoideus and Terminalia avicennioides, was carried out at various concentrations((10 to100mg/ml).Out of the 324 isolates, 151 (47%) were methicillin resistant and 118 (78%)) were susceptible to P. discoideusextract in 151 MRSA isolates, while the remaining 33MRSA isolates were resistant. 121 MRSA isolates were susceptible to T. avicennioides extract, 30 were resistant to the extract, the percentage susceptible was 80%. The susceptibility of MRSA isolates to the leave extracts of the two plants was very high,it shows that the crude extracts from the leave of these plants could be used as therapies for the treatment of diseases that are associated with methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus.