The book describes several techniques used to bridge the semantic gap and reflects on recent advancements in content-based image retrieval (CBIR). It presents insights into and the theoretical foundation of various essential concepts related to image searches, together with examples of natural and texture image types. The book discusses key challenges and research topics in the context of image retrieval, and provides descriptions of various image databases used in research studies.

The Commentary on the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties provides an in-depth article-by-article analysis of all of the Vienna Convention’s provisions. Each provision’s analysis consists of (I) Purpose and Function of the Article, (II) Historical Background with Negotiating History, (III) Elements of the Article and finally (IV) Treaties of International Organizations. In short, the present Commentary contains a comprehensive legal analysis of all aspects of the international law of treaties. Furthermore, where the law of treaties reaches into other fields of international law, e.g. the law of state responsibility, the relevant interfaces are discussed and contextualized. With its focus on international practice, the Commentary is an invaluable reference for both academia and practitioners of international law.

This thesis encompasses a study of past precipitation patterns based on six cave stalagmites from different parts of the Indian Himalaya. This is the first speleothem study in the Indian Himalaya that shows a direct relationship between past precipitation and the collapse of civilization. The stalagmites examined were KL-3 from Jammu and Kashmir; TCS and BR-1 from Himachal Pradesh; and DH-1, SA-1 and CH-1 from Uttarakhand.

This book provides engineers and scientists with practical fundamentals for turbomachinery design. It presents a detailed analysis of existing procedures for the analysis of rotor and structure dynamics, while keeping mathematical equations to a minimum. Specific terminologies are used for rotors and structures, respectively, allowing the readers to clearly distinguish between the two. Further, the book describes the essential concepts needed to understand rotor failure modes due to lateral and torsional oscillations.

Family Group Conferences are seen as a progressive and influential form of practice in child welfare across the globe. This book examines and identifies variations in independent advocacy provision offered to young people and their families in relation to undertaking a FGC, and discusses how these can impact the outcomes both positively and negatively for young people involved.

This book explores the opportunities and obstacles to a presidential system in Turkey as proposed by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Since the formation of Turkey's parliamentary system in 1909, there have been many attempts to replace it with an elected executive branch. After the referendum for constitutional amendment to elect the president by the people in 2007 and the elections of 2014, these discussions have increased in intensity. The author explores these debates chronologically and discusses the broader theoretical framework of these different government systems. He also adds a comparative analysis of elections and democratic transition between Turkey, Tunisia, and Egypt.

This volume features bioarchaeological research that interrogates the human skeleton in concert with material culture, ethnographic data and archival research. This approach provides examples of how these intersections of inquiry can be used to consider the larger social and political contexts in which people lived and the manner in which they died.