The strength of strict churches is neither a historical coincidence nor a statistical artifact. Strictness makes organizations stronger and more attractive because it reduces free riding. It screens out members who lack commitment and stimulates participation among those who remain. Rational choice theory thus explains the success of sects, cults, and conservative denominations without recourse...

This paper proposes a new feature extraction technique for paper currency recognition. In this technique, the texture characteristic is used in the recognition. The Markov chain concept has been employed to model the texture of paper currencies as a random process. The method proposed in this paper can be used for recognizing paper currencies from different countries. In this method only intact...

The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this report are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, or its affiliated organizations, or to members of its board of executive directors or the countries they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibi...

Although 95% of married couples identify with a particular religion, there is great variation in how couples rely on their religion to define or structure their relationship. Various denominations will imply particular “rules” or will shape how the couple deals with interpersonal and family challenges, such as sexuality, parenting, and power. In this article, we review couple relationships with...

"The age profiles of religious groups in Australia are changing at different rates. Most mainstream Christian denominations have a higher proportion of adherents aged 60 or more than does the population as a whole. In most cases the age profile of people who actually attend services is older again. This is especially true of people who attend the Uniting, Anglican and Presbyterian churches. The...

This article sorts recent approaches in the sociology of religion into six groups, each of which tells a different story about what his happening to religion in the late-modern world. One, the secularization narrative, sees religion in decline. A second narrative tracks a rise of “fundamentalisms” worldwide. A third notes that religion is becoming local, especially in the United States. A fourt...

Visually impaired people have difficulties in identifying currency. They rely on the size and features of the currency which can result in wrong identification. This project aims to develop a mobile application targeted towards them. The application will be able to recognize Indian currency and determine the denominations. Specifications Platform : J2ME (Java Micro Edition) MIDP 2.0 and CLDC 1....

The Semple antirabies vaccine was developed by David Semple in India in 1911. Semple introduced a peculiarly British approach within the Pasteurian tradition by using carbolized dead virus. This article studies this unique phase of vaccine research between 1910 and 1935 to show that in the debates and laboratory experiments around the potency and safety of vaccines, categories like "living" and...