Similarity Matching Techniques For Fault Diagnosis In Automotive Infotainment Electronics

Fault diagnosis has become a very important area of research during the last decade due to the advancement of mechanical and electrical systems in industries. The automobile is a crucial field where fault diagnosis is given a special attention. Due to the increasing complexity and newly added features in vehicles, a comprehensive study has to be performed in order to achieve an appropriate diagnosis model. A diagnosis system is capable of identifying the faults of a system by investigating the observable effects (or symptoms). The system categorizes the fault into a diagnosis class and identifies a probable cause based on the supplied fault symptoms. Fault categorization and identification are done using similarity matching techniques. The development of diagnosis classes is done by making use of previous experience, knowledge or information within an application area. The necessary information used may come from several sources of knowledge, such as from system analysis. In this paper similarity matching techniques for fault diagnosis in automotive infotainment applications are discussed

The 2 Rs – respect and responsibility: the case of Australian Muslim girls

The citizenship debate involves respect and responsibility, and these can be achieved through collective action. Though many members of disadvantaged groups sympathise with the goals of social movements fighting injustice against their in-group (own community) or out-group (wider society) often only a small percentage of them actually participate in collective activities staged to realise these goals. In this paper I discuss the case of Australian Muslims girls who in their home environment respect the family values and carry out certain responsibilities assigned to them. By family values, I mean respect for elders, performing religious duties, for example, offering prayers, and fasting during the month of Ramadan, helping mother in the kitchen and looking after their siblings. In the wider society, Muslim girls attend schools, do part-time jobs and obey Australian values of fair-go, tolerance and multiculturalism ceremoniousl. However, I question in this paper, whether their family and the wider society are working collectively to fulfil their responsibility towards these girls. I discuss the interview responses of 39 Muslim girls (15-18 years) living in Sydney and Perth. I examine pertinent cases within the framework of relevant academic literature, and argue within the social, religious and cultural context. The issues within the family domain are inter-twined within Islamic religious-cultural arguments, whereas the issues in the public domain are argued on cultural conflict between the Muslims and the wider society. With both arguments I show how some Muslim girls negotiate their identity, and suggest their bicultural identity is assisting them to keep a positive attitude in their everyday life. Finally, I advocate that collective action from both the Muslim and the wider community is vital for the well-being of these girls.   Cosmopolitan Civil Societies Journal, Vol.1, No.3, 200

Remediation of contaminated marine sediment using bentonite, kaolin and sand as capping materials

There is a growing public concern over the issue of sediment contamination resulting from industrial, municipal wastewater, mining activities, and improper use of chemical fertilizer or pesticides. The conventional treatment of contaminated sediment is dredging, but this treatment is expensive and requires a large area of land for disposal. In situ capping of contaminated sediment is considered as a cheaper technique compared to dredging and efficient treatment technology to immobilize pollutants in sediments on site. In this technique, sediments are capped by placing a layer of inert materials like sand, clean soil, or gravel or active materials like activated carbon, zeolite, or apatite over sediments in order to reduce the risk to the aquatic environment. The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using active materials; bentonite (B), kaolin (K), mixture of bentonite with kaolin (1:1) (BK) as capping materials to block the release of five heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd and Zn) from artificially polluted sediments. The effectiveness of B, K, and BK for preventing the leachability of the trace metals was assessed on a bench-scale laboratory experiment in glass tanks for 90 days, where 1cm thick layer of capping material and sand was placed above the contaminated sediment. The results showed that B and BK reduced the leachability of Pb, Cr, and Cu from the sediments. The results also showed that B and BK could be used as potential capping materials for the remediation of contaminated sites due to their significant entrapping of Pb, Cu, and Cr. The pollutants were released into the overlying water from the contaminated sediment in the following decreasing order; Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr. The adsorption kinetics analysis also showed that the process of adsorption was by chemisorption. This study proved that bentonite and mixture of bentonite with kaolin clays covered with sand could be used as capping materials for in situ treatment of Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn, and Cd for contaminated marine sediment

New Evidence on Price and Volatility Effects of Stock Option Introductions

This paper adds to the literature dealing with the effect of derivatives trading on underlying securities by examining option listings from the Netherlands. The effects on both stock returns and volatility are investigated using three types of samples, namely, listing of call options alone, simultaneous listings of both call and put options, and listings of put options alone. A significant decline in stock price is observed with the introduction of option trading. But, no significant effect takes place on the volatility of underlying stocks. Although the evidence is in sharp contrast to the so-called “established view”, it is consistent with recent studies.Option listing;derivatives;stock price;stock volatility

The Usefulness of the Most Widely Reported Dutch Financial Statement Numbers to Stock Market Investors

Much of the literature on the usefulness of company financial statement information focuses on the United States and the United Kingdom. But, these two countries are characterized by similar and rigid regulatory and enforcement regime. This study provides direct evidence from the Netherlands – a country with liberal financial reporting environment and different corporate governance regime. It empirically examines the information content of annual and semi-annual earnings announcements and the long-term association between stock returns and some widely reported financial statement variables. The evidence suggests that earnings and dividends disclosures made by Dutch companies are useful to stock market investors and the extent of the usefulness is not that modest as often perceived. However, the Dutch practice of reporting accounting cash flows as a summary performance measure does not have significant incremental usefulness.Financial reporting;capital market;information content;earnings response;value relevance

Incidence of thyroid cancer in Golestan province of Iran: Some initial observations

Objectives: The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing in several countries. The main aim of this study was to find and describe province-specific estimates of incidence in males and females by age groups for thyroid cancer. Methodology: The data used in this study were collected from a cancer registry that was established by Health Deputy of Golestan province for a period of one year (2004), in different age groups. Thyroid cancer data was identified and collected through the eighteen Pathology Laboratory centers (where males and female populations is referred) in Golestan province. Results: A total of 348 females and 409 males cases with cancer representing all sites were identified during the study period. It included seventeen females and five male thyroid cancer patients. In female's thyroid cancer, there were twelve papillary carcinoma (70.6%), two medullary carcinoma, one carcinoma anaplastic and one carcinoma (5.9%). In male's, there were two papillary carcinoma (40%) and one follicular carcinoma. The incidence of thyroid cancer in 70-79 age groups for females and males was the highest and lowest in age group 10-19 years' in females and 30-39 years in males. Conclusion: The incidence of thyroid cancer is higher in females when compared with males as per this one year study. However since this is just one year data, it needs to be studied further to confirm these findings