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The problem of estimating an image corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise has been of interest for practical reasons. Non-linear denoising methods based on wavelets, have become popular but Multiwavelets outperform wavelets in image denoising. Multiwavelets are wavelets with several scaling and wavelet functions, offer simultaneously Orthogonality, Symmetry, Short support and Vanishing moments, which is not possible with ordinary (scalar) wavelets. These properties make Multiwavelets promising for image processing applications, such as image denoising. The aim of this paper is to apply various non-linear thresholding techniques such as hard, soft, universal, modified universal, fixed and multivariate thresholding in Multiwavelet transform domain such as Discrete Multiwavelet Transform, Symmetric Asymmetric (SA4), Chui Lian (CL), and Bi-Hermite (Bih52S) for different Multiwavelets at different levels, to denoise an image and determine the best one out of it. The performance of denoising algorithms and various thresholding are measured using quantitative performance measures such as, Mean Square Error (MSE), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR). It is found that CL Multiwavelet transform in combination with modified universal thresholding has given best results.

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Nearly all major global financial centres have developed systems of consumer financial dispute resolution. Such systems aim to assist parties to resolve a growing number of monetary disputes with financial institutions. How governments and self-regulatory organizations design and administer financial dispute resolution mechanisms in the context of increasingly turbulent financial markets is a new area for research and practice. Consumer Financial Dispute Resolution in a Comparative Context presents comparative research about the development and design of these mechanisms in East Asia, North America and Europe. Using a comparative methodology and drawing on empirical findings from a multi-jurisdictional survey, Shahla Ali examines the emergence of global principles that influence the design of financial dispute resolution models, considers the structural variations between the ombuds and arbitration systems and offers practical proposals for reform.

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The Sphere Humanitarian Charter, a self-regulation instrument of humanitarian non-State actors, establishes principles and minimum standards in the provision of humanitarian assistance in select vital life-saving relief activities, especially in nutrition and health. The Charter articulates principles and minimum standards for facilitating the achievement of rights and obligations enshrined in various international legal “soft law” instruments. Due to the multiplicity of international legal instruments, the Sphere Charter provides a tool for a coherent understanding and application of relevant obligations, and therefore increases accountability and efficiency. The Sphere Charter bold human rights based approach to humanitarian assistance, including its articulation of a right to receive humanitarian assistance, may contribute to the evolution of the international legal regime into a more “victim centered” system. The central argument postulated in this article is that although the Sphere Charter is not a binding legal instrument, it has significant normative value that may contribute to progressive developments in the legal regime governing humanitarian assistance, and is particularly helpful in improving accountability and quality in the provision of nutrition and health relief. The Sphere Charter framework for local participation is particularly viewed as significant in engendering accountability in relief activities.

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