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As an intrinsic property of natural materials, land surface emissivity (LSE) is an important surface parameter and surface emissivity estimation is a significant factor for the land surface temperature estimation from remotely sensed data. Public domain data are available from the newly operational Landsat-8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS). Vegetation coverage has a significant influence on the LSE distribution. In this study, emissivity values of bands 10 and 11 have been calculated based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) method. The NDVI thresholds values have been determined to separate the bare soil, fully vegetated and mixed areas. Then using a regression relation, the values of emissivity of the bare soil samples and mixed area have been derived. A constant value of emissivity is also used for the fully vegetated area.

The effluent and sludge generated from various industries are being dumped into the environment, causing various hazards on a long run. At the same time, these wastes contain essential nutrients. So utilization of such wastes for crop production can enhance the availability of nutrients and enrich soil organic matters that ultimately increase the growth of crops. Gypsum, pressmud, Farm yard manure, ETP sludge were tried to ameliorate the textile and dye effluent polluted soil habitat, using sunflower (CO4) as a test crop. The sludge along with effluent irrigation added considerable quantities of cations (calcium, magnesium and sodium) to the soil system. Addition of amendments had a strong influence in enhancing the soil quality parameters like exchangeable calcium. Application of pressmud @ 5 t ha-1 along with 100 per cent GR + NPK reduced the soil ESP by 44.96 per cent. The heavy metal content were also reduced due to addition of pressmud. Application of 100 per cent GR + pressmud @ 5 t ha-1 + NPK under effluent irrigation increased the crop growth, yield attributes (head diameter, head weight, seed test weight) and yield of sunflower in effluent polluted soil habitat. The yield under pressmud amended plots was 36 per cent higher over control. Reclamation and restoration of textile dye effluent polluted soil habitat is possible by leaching the soil with 100 per cent GR followed by application of pressmud @ 5 t ha-1 and recommended NPK.

Demand for electricity in Kenya is currently growing at a rate higher than the growth in supply. KenGen, as a major player in the electricity sector developed a strategic plan (2008-2015) which if implemented successfully would stabilize the equation for electricity supply and demand in the country, and increase its installed capacity from 912MW to 1510MW by 2015. Implementation of this strategic plan may however dwindle, with most projects running late or stalled. By the end of 2015, KenGen is expected to realize its planned project which when installed capacity figure by nearly 50%. The objective of the study was to determine the challenges affecting implementation of corporate strategies at KenGen. The researchwas to determine to what extent organization culture, resource allocation, organizational preparedness and leadership affect the implementation of corporate strategy at Kengen. The study was carried out in the 5 (five) Ken Gen operation areas in Kenya. The target population was 22 managers and 96 chief officers across the organization. A sample size of 10% was picked using random sampling from the lot of chief officers, and another 10% was picked from the lot of managers. Questionnaires were used to collect data and analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20). Organizational culture, organization preparedness, strategic leadership, and financial resources allocation affected implementation of strategic plans at Kengen. Culturally, poor internationalization of mission and strategic content, lack of participation in making of rules and regulations, affected employees mobilization to executing strategic plans. Organizational preparedness in terms of training, recruitment and timely resource allocation affected corporate strategy implementation. Employee leadership influenced implementation of strategic plans through managerial involvement, employee support, downward communication, conflict resolution, and employee representation in key decision making. The extent to which management committed itself to strategy execution was not satisfactory. This yield employee resistance, meaning that management did not have super support from the shop-floor employees.

The issue of luxury consumption has received a great deal of interest among marketing scholars. However, little is known about how to optimize the market and manage consumer expectations with regard to this specific consumption context. Therefore, this study provides insights into how branding cues and need for uniqueness shape consumer luxury purchase intentions. Empirical data were collected by a questionnaire distributed toluxury furniture stores. The empirical results indicated that brand origin, brand image and need for uniqueness all have a significantly positive effect on consumer luxury purchase intentions. Moreover, brand image and brand origin were found to be a significant moderator between consumer’s need for uniqueness and luxury purchase intentions. The authors explore implications for theory and practice.

The paper reflects, machine designed and developed by authors that suit medium sized farmer and farm industrialist holding only few acres of land. It has been designed and developed by CMERI, Durgapur, India, in collaboration with NIF(National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad, India). A number of crops i.e., wheat, and pulse like soybean, gram have been successfully reaped(harvested), and, concurrently the m/c is ready to undergo reliability&feasibility trial/inspection/check, desired for an Agri Machinery. It will be indigenously get checked for Nation wide R&D standard. The system is designed by inculcating years of expertise in this stream. There is a keen observation by designer to simplify assembling/disassembly and maintenance/ operations/ of picker reel, cutter link & blade, roll & push type auger and simplest possible bevel PTO. This prototype is a foolproof machine, designed with consideration of global knowhow of scientific mechanisms of this stream. The basic research work has been done thoroughly by selecting adequate technology and scientific calculations in all the assemblies and critical parts e.g. pivots, mounting bearing are analyzed through readymade CAD software as very firmness and strength is desirable. Maximum spare parts have been preferred IS standard (ready stock found vigorously). Right from selecting end support bearing of reel-the foremost unit, Pitmanless tumble and knife link of cutter unit, dowel pin of cross auger(the screw to roll&push the cut crop), and bevel gear&pinion of PTO unit, Indian standards are followed thoroughly. At each and every point while design of various devices in this machine, care has been taken for economy, simplicity and life span into consideration (the value addition). As it is a vital need of the farmers and agriculturists (farm experts), one thing has been fully kept in mind that we should confirm to reliability by judging robustness/longevity of various units, its ease and simplicity while operation and maintenance. Finally, this device could be easily fabricated by a small enterprise, as scientific knowhow is available with the authors. It has been predicted to save final labour, being minimized in the field. Maximum spares parts(more than 70%) can be found as ready stock in the market for running a medium or small scale enterprise.

Human resource excellence is a comprehensive framework of pivotal values, criteria and superior indices in all aspects of organizational human resources, and helps manager identify their strength and weakness by continuous assessing of activities, trends, processes and human resource outcomes in order to plan for improvement. In this case, HR excellence models are appropriate for assessing the performance of an organization, by which organizations can compare their performance with competitors on national and international scale. Present research is intended to assess HR excellence in Niroo Mohareke Company based on PD model. The statistical population and sample is senior HR managers and consultants of this company. To collect data HR excellence questionnaires was used, and alpha Cronbach coefficient was used for final estimation (?= 0.92). After the questionnaires were handed and collected, the obtained information was analyzed using descriptive and inferential methods. All five HR excellence criteria were evaluated using independent T Student test, correlated T Student test and Friedman test. The findings suggest that all PD criteria are not in a favorable situation, which the least interest is in strategic and personnel planning criterion and the biggest gap between existing and favorable situations correspond to personnel and leadership, respectively.

Groundwater chemical behaviors in various locations are one of the most dynamic fields of research in the present world. In the present study, groundwater sampling was conducted with an aim to assess the groundwater chemistry and to compare the water types using piper and Chadha´s plots. Groundwater chemistry was assessed and natural processes are identified as the controlling factors of hydrochemistry. Piper and Chadha´s diagram was created for comparing the results of water types. Majority of the samples were behaved in more or less same way except few samples. The prominent type was Ca-Mg-Cl type of water in both methods. However, a slight variation was observed in the Na-Cl type of water. Easily accessible software’s to plot is the Chadha´s diagram major advantage observed

Magnesium plays important roles in physiological function of the body organs because magnesium is an essential mineral. Present study was to determine magnesium levels in serum of fifty pulmonary tuberculosis patients and fifty controls magnesium was determined using a Hitachi atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Tokyo, Japan). Magnesium level was significantly decreased in pulmonary tuberculosis patients as compared with the controls. In order to better understand the role of magnesium in pulmonary tuberculosis further clinical studies are required

Image provides an important way for medical studies. The objective of the paper is to delineate the imaging process from graph theory with computer. The aim of digital image processing is to seek for the better methods and technologies on image process by noise riding, strengthening, restoring, dividing, extracting and so on based on computer. The main facts including the development of computer science, mathematics science and the increasing of application requirements on medical science, environmental science, industry and so on. Graph theory of computer provides a basic method and process for imaging process.

We are very happy to announce that from 26th February 2013, Mr.Nader Naghshbandi has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. He will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Human Resource Accounting. Mr.Nader Naghshbandi is currently working as Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth University, Udaipur-India. The appointment of Mr.Nader Naghshbandi as member Editorial Advisory Board strengthens the links and will make it easier for prospective authors to establish contact with the journal. Please send any expressions of interest to chiefeditor@elixirjournal.org. Sincerely Editor-in-Chief