Approximation Algorithm for Line Segment Coverage for Wireless Sensor Network

The coverage problem in wireless sensor networks deals with the problem of covering a region or parts of it with sensors. In this paper, we address the problem of covering a set of line segments in sensor networks. A line segment ` is said to be covered if it intersects the sensing regions of at least one sensor distributed in that region. We show that the problem of finding the minimum number of sensors needed to cover each member in a given set of line segments in a rectangular area is NP-hard. Next, we propose a constant factor approximation algorithm for the problem of covering a set of axis-parallel line segments. We also show that a PTAS exists for this problem.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures

Cottonseed Oil Quality, Utilization and Processing

Not AvailableCotton is one of the most important commercial crops of India and is the single largest natural source of fibre. It plays a dominant role in its agrarian and industrial economy as the backbone of textile industry, which consumes 70% of the country's total fibre produced. It alone accounts for 38% of the country's export and fetches over Rs. 42,000 crores annually to the exchequer. Thus, cotton production plays a vital role in Indian economy, providing employment for more than one million farmers and employees in the domestic textile industry. But, textiles are only the part of this great cotton story. The often-ignored fact is that the cotton plant produces more food for man and feed for animals than fibre. All elements of cotton seed as it is often considered as "Golden Goose": linters, kernels and hulls are used in various consumer products, delicious food and nutritious feed for animals

Sensation Seeking Behavior and Crash Involvement of Indian Bus Drivers

Road crashes and environmental degradation are among the prominent issues of concern today in most of the developing economies particularly India. Buses, which are key mode of public transit in India, are unfortunately involved in a significant number of crashes in recent time. Bus driver's attitude and his ability to comprehend traffic situations aptly contributes largely to passenger safety. In this study the effect of sensation seeking behavior on crash involvement rates of bus drivers in India was investigated. Study was conducted to assess sensation seeking behaviors of sample bus drivers from Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). Assessment was conducted using a modified Zuckerman's Sensation seeking scale (ZSSS) form V questionnaire that included sub scales such as boredom susceptibility, disinhibition, experience seeking, and thrill and adventure seeking. The survey results were further related to their crash involvement histories through ratio analysis. Further a Generalized Linear Model with log link and Poisson error was developed to ascertain the influence of these traits on their crash involvement propensity. The results indicate that acute levels of Sensation seeking increased crash involvement rate in the tested drivers. Risk of severe crashes (major and fatal) was observed to be high in drivers with high levels of sensation seeking. Extreme levels of boredom susceptibility and disinhibition, and lower levels of thrill and adventure seeking were found to be dangerous in terms of road crash tendencies. These results highlight the importance of driver behaviour on road safety and also validate the use of ZSSS in behavioural studies of Indian bus drivers. Also, the need for setting efficient standards for behavioral evaluation, necessary for the scrutiny of transport vehicle drivers during their licensing and recruitment process in India has been stressed upon. Through this study it would also help in monitoring road safety attitude in transport vehicle drivers and help in reducing road fatalities and other related losses. Some specific recommendations with respect to KSRTC Bus drivers have been made in this paper in this regard. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

Assessment of driver vision functions in relation to their crash involvement in India

Among the human factors that influence safe driving, visual skills of the driver can be considered fundamental. This study mainly focuses on investigating the effect of visual functions of drivers in India on their road crash involvement. Experiments were conducted to assess vision functions of Indian licensed drivers belonging to various organizations, age groups and driving experience. The test results were further related to the crash involvement histories of drivers through statistical tools. A generalized linear model was developed to ascertain the influence of these traits on propensity of crash involvement. Among the sampled drivers, colour vision, vertical field of vision, depth perception, contrast sensitivity, acuity and phoria were found to influence their crash involvement rates. In India, there are no efficient standards and testing methods to assess the visual capabilities of drivers during their licensing process and this study highlights the need for the same