Predicting ODI Cricket Result

Result of one Day International (ODI) cricket match depends on various factors related to scoring as well as the strengths of the two teams. While some of these factors have been well analyzed in the literature, others have yet to be investigated. In this paper, statistical significance for a range of variables that could explain the outcome of an ODI cricket match is explored. In particular, home field advantage, game plan (batting first or fielding first), match type (day or day & night), past performance of team will be key interests in our investigation. For purposes of model-building, logistic regression is applied retrospectively to data already obtained from previously played matches. Keywords: logistic regression, log likelihood, winning margin

Trend of psychiatric disorders among out-patients and in-patients of a tertiary care center of India

Background: Pattern of psychiatric disorders found among patients visiting the hospital helps in understanding the epidemiology, heath seeking behavior as well as strategic service planning and development.Methods:A retrospective health record review, of all the patients visiting out-patient care and in-patient care of psychiatry department of a tertiary care hospital in a period of two years, was conducted to assess the prevalence and trend of most common psychiatric disorders among them.Results: Major depressive disorder and Alcohol use disorder were the most common conditions found in out-patient and in-patient settings respectively. Out-patient consultations were consistently increasing whereas in-patient admissions were variable and decreasing with time.Conclusion: Current scenario and trends of psychiatric disorders among this group of patients is in line with epidemiological patterns and reflects a healthy trend of community oriented (out-patient based) care

Towards Engineering Reliable Keystroke Biometrics Systems

In this thesis, we argue that most of the work in the literature on behavioural-based biometric systems using AI and machine learning is immature and unreliable. Our analysis and experimental results show that designing reliable behavioural-based biometric systems requires a systematic and complicated process. We first discuss the limitation in existing work and the use of conventional machine learning methods. We use the biometric zoos theory to demonstrate the challenge of designing reliable behavioural-based biometric systems. Then, we outline the common problems in engineering reliable biometric systems. In particular, we focus on the need for novelty detection machine learning models and adaptive machine learning algorithms. We provide a systematic approach to design and build reliable behavioural-based biometric systems. In our study, we apply the proposed approach to keystroke dynamics. Keystroke dynamics is behavioural-based biometric that identify individuals by measuring their unique typing behaviours on physical or soft keyboards. Our study shows that it is possible to design reliable behavioral-based biometrics and address the gaps in the literature

Nanoporous carbon from corn cobs and its application

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Includes bibliographical references.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 19, 2009)Vita.Dissertations, Academic -- University of Missouri--Columbia -- Chemical engineering.Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2007.Chemical activation of corn cobs using phosphoric acid or potassium hydroxide can lead to nanoporous carbon having surface area in excess of 3800 m²/g and pore volume of 2.5cc/g. Dried, crushed, corn cobs were carbonized at temperatures between 450- 900⁰C and chemically activated using H₃PO₄ and KOH. The effect of different variables of activation such as heat treatment temperature, rate of heating and concentration of activating agent was studied. The mechanism of phosphoric acid activation was studied using thermogravimetric analysis. The nanoporous carbon was characterized by N2 adsorption at 77 K, and the isotherms were analyzed using BET, T-method and D-R method for determining surface area and pore volume. The nanoporous carbon obtained from corn cobs was further converted to monolithic form and its capacity to store natural gas at 500psi and 298K was measured using gravimetric and volumetric measuring techniques. Methane capacity as high as 173V/V or 0.21g/g or 108g/L were obtained on the carbon produced from corn cobs. The effect of various parameters of carbon production on the methane storage and delivery capacity was studied

Preparation of mixed metal oxide catalysts for VOC total oxidation

The preparation, characterisation and total oxidation of VOCs, propane and naphthalene, over ceria-zirconia, ceria-manganese and iron-manganese mixed metal oxide catalysts were investigated. Ceria-zirconia mixed metal oxides were prepared using a mechanochemical method from nitrate and carbonate precursors. Addition of low concentrations of zirconia into ceria produced the most active ceria-zirconia mixed metal oxide catalysts. Ceria-zirconia mixed metal oxides produced from nitrates were more active for naphthalene total oxidation, and the catalysts prepared from carbonates were more active for propane. The higher activity of the ceria-zirconia mixed metal oxides was ascribed to higher surface area, lower reduction temperatures and higher relative concentration of surface oxygen defects, when compared to the parent oxides. Ceria-manganese mixed metal oxides with higher concentrations of manganese produced the most active VOC total oxidation catalysts. The optimal way to produce ceria-manganese mixed metal oxide catalysts were co-precipitation which were washed with 2 l of water. The presence of large crystallites of Mn2O3, higher surface area and lower reduction temperatures led to the high VOC total oxidation activity over these catalysts. Along with this, phase separation between ceria and manganese oxide crystallites led to an increase in activity. The preparation of iron-manganese mixed metal oxides was optimised using co-precipitation. Fe0.50Mn0.50Ox prepared using ammonium hydroxide and calcined at 500 °C produced the most active propane total oxidation catalyst of the study. However, no synergy between iron oxide and manganese oxide for naphthalene total oxidation was observed over these catalysts. The high activity of the Fe0.50Mn0.50Ox sample was attributed to the presence of bulk and surface Mn3O4, which was noted to be more active than Mn2O3 in the iron-manganese mixed metal oxide catalysts. These catalysts also had large manganese oxide crystallites and no bulk or surface contaminants from sodium or potassium which also led to the high activity

Investigation and Control of Filler-Matrix Interactions Applied to Dental Composites

The demand and use of polymer-based dental restorative materials continues to rise as advances in materials research continue to improve their performance. In spite of the many advances, there remain some shortcomings in their behavior. Polymerization shrinkage and the associated shrinkage stress continue to be detrimental to the long term performance of these materials. A majority of the current research is focused on developing low shrinkage resin systems to alleviate the problem of high volumetric shrinkage. There is relatively less focus on developing novel fillers and surface modification techniques to improve material properties. This thesis focuses on studying the effect of fillers on composite properties, mainly shrinkage stress development, and the development of a novel technique to modify the surface of the fillers to control shrinkage stress and optical properties of the composites. The effect of monomer conversion and filler content was studied on the development of shrinkage, modulus and shrinkage stress. Fillers and monomer conversion were found to affect all the properties. Shrinkage stress was found to have a complex relationship with both shrinkage and modulus, with shrinkage apparently dominating the modulus at high values of monomer conversion. A novel surface modification technique was developed, utilizing the concept of polymer brushes, to alleviate shrinkage stress in composites. Oligomers, both commercial and synthesized in the lab, were covalently attached to the surface of fillers and mixed with a model dental resin to form composite pastes. These pastes, when photopolymerized in a shrinkage stress measuring apparatus, showed that the composites with the experimental surface modified fillers outperformed conventional filler-based composites by achieving a reduced final stress. The final stress was found to depend on various characteristics of the oligomers. In general, the higher the molecular weight of the brush, the lower was the shrinkage stress. Increased in reactive group concentration on the oligomer backbone had the effect of increasing the stress. Flexibility of the oligomers appeared to play a less significant role, with low flexibility oligomers showing a slightly lower stress than flexible oligomers. Modern dental composites utilize different filler sizes to optimize material properties. To explore this practical scenario, composites were made with two different sizes of filler, with varying ratios of nano-fillers and submicron-sized fillers. Each filler type was treated with either a conventional silane treatment or with the experimental oligomer. It was found that composites with the experimental oligomer had reduced shrinkage stress and also better light transmission properties. The nano-fillers affected both the properties to a more significant effect than the larger fillers. Stress development in polymerizing composites is a combination of stress increase and stress reduction. Stress reduction occurs by relaxation processes in the composite, even as the composite is polymerizing. There is a potential to increase the magnitude of the stress relaxation leading to a lower final stress. Stress relaxation was measured as a function of monomer conversion and also filler surface treatment, using a standard stress relaxation experiment. The experimental composites exhibited faster stress relaxation as compared to conventional composites, showing potential for utilizing the novel surface treatment in commercial composites

Barriers to and enablers for effective pollution prevention practices in the Air Force

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1997.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-105).by Parag Indra Shah.M.S

Cognitive functions in first degree normative relative of patients with schozophrenia

Background: Schizophrenia is severe disorders and imposes a considerable burden on patients, their families and society. Schizophrenia tends to run in family, like most mental disorder shows complex inheritance. Therefore, it is important to increase our knowledge about the disorder. Cognitive dysfunction is one of the core features of Schizophrenia. This study aims to compare the cognitive function of first degree unaffected relative of patient of schizophrenia and a group of healthy control.Methods: The study include 48 first degree normative relative of patient with Schizophrenia and 48 controls. Compared for age, sex, education level. Cognitive functions of each case and control were assessed using TMT (Trail making Test), Paced auditory serial addition Test (PASAT) and Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST-64).Results: First degree relative performed significantly poorly as compared to controls on Wisconsin card sorting Test-64 (WCST-64). No significant difference was observed in tests performances between first degree relative of Schizophrenia and control group for TMT (trail making test) and Paced auditory serial addition Test (PASAT).Conclusions: The study shows possibility of cognitive impairment in first degree normative relative of Schizophrenia with regards to parameters like poor performance in shifting cognitive sets and poor understanding of test. Nevertheless, it is not clear weather this finding is an enduring trait mark or finding that fluctuates with sample size, nature of case and control