Some Modified Exponential-Ratio Type Estimators in the presence of Non-response under Two-Phase Sampling Scheme

This paper addresses the problem of estimating the population mean using information on the auxiliary variable in the presence of non-response under two-phase sampling. A class of modified exponential-ratio type estimators using single auxiliary variable have been proposed under two different situations of non-response of the study variable. The expressions for the bias and mean square error (MSE) of a proposed class of estimators are derived. Efficiency comparisons of a proposed class of estimators with the usual unbiased estimator by Hansen and Hurwitz (1946) and other existing estimators are made. An empirical study has been carried out to judge the performances of the proposed estimators

Financial Satisfaction of International Students in Malaysia

Studying in a foreign country is the opportunity for the students for understanding the different cultures and advances new knowledge from different societies. The core aim of this research is to determine the financial satisfaction of international students in Malaysian universities. This data gathered from 288 oversease students of Malaysian universities by using convenience sampling method. This study utilized the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for data analysis. The finding suggests that there is a significant effect of financial stress and financial and economic consideration on financial satisfaction of international students. This study also asserted that there is a significant effect of financial knowledge and family financial support on financial satisfaction. This research prone to some limitation such as cross-sectional method, and the convenience sampling method utilized in this current research. This study will beneficial for the government as well as policymakers to new rules and guidelines in favor of international students

Nanostructured thin film of iron tin oxide by aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition using a new ferrocene containing heterobimetallic complex as single-source precursor

Aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is a sophisticated, unique and modern technique which is used to deposit coatings, films, and other related structures from thermally unstable or the involatile precursors at laboratory and large scale productions. A light weight semiconducting and ceramic oxide based coatings on appropriate substrates can be produced at a lower cost by employing chemical vapour deposition method. There is broader choice of chemical precursors and their availability for obtaining high quality thin films at lower cost and the reaction environment is more flexible ranging from low pressure to atmospheric pressure in CVD. New ferrocene containingheterobimetallic precursor, [C58H80Fe2O4Sn2] has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and molecular structure was determined by X-ray single crystal analysis. The heterobimetallic complex was used as a single-source precursor for the growth of iron tin oxide thin film by aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition. The deposited thin film was characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy techniques. The average roughness of deposited film at 425 °C from heterobimetallic precursor was in the range of 4.39 nm. The deposited thin film on glass strip was found to have no cracks, excellent adhesion and to be crystalline in nature and free from any carboneous impurities

Our experience of treating adult bone lymphoma, a retrospective cross-sectional study in a tertiary care center, Aga Khan University hospital, Karachi

Objective: To determine the experience at the Aga Khan University Hospital in diagnosing and treating adult patients with primary lymphoma of bone.Methodology: All patients with Primary lymphoma of bone (PLB) that were diagnosed and/or treated at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from 2005 to 2019 were included as part of this study.Results: There were 17 patients with PLB including 13 (76.5%) males and 4 (23.5%) females with a mean age of 44 ± 16.5 years. Nine patients were between 30-59 years of age at diagnosis. The mean follow-up time of patients was 80±46.7 months. Six patients had tumours of pelvic bone followed by tibia (5) and femur (4). Four patients had a pathological fracture at the time of presentation whereas 2 (11.8%) required surgical fixation of the pathological fracture. The stage of the tumour was based on Ann Arbor classification. Nine (52.9%) cases had Stage 1 disease, 7 (41.2%) had stage IV disease with metastasis in extra nodal tissues. As for treatment, every patient received chemotherapy whereas 5 (29.4%) received adjuvant radiotherapy. Complete remission in the size of the tumour was seen in 11 (64.7%) patients while 6 (35.3%) had partial remission. Post-treatment, 4 (23.5%) patients expired. The mean Overall Survival (OS) time was 80.18 ± 46.71months with a survival rate of 76.5.Conclusions: Primary lymphoma of the bone can be treated with medical regime and good prophylactic surgeries to avoid pathological fracture such as intramedullary nailing

Early Versus Interval Cholecystectomy in Mild Acute Biliary Pancreatitis. A Retrospective Study in Tertiary Care Hospital

Objective: The objective is to determine the adequacy of early cholecystectomy (EC) versus interval cholecystectomy (IC) in terms of recurrence, duration of hospital admission, and perioperative complications after mild acute biliary pancreatitis (MABP). Methodology: After endorsement from the ethical committee, clinical data and files of all the admitted patients having MABP in the general surgery department of Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, was collected retrospectively from August 2017 to July 2020. The patients’ demographic profile, clinical findings, diagnostic investigations, timing of cholecystectomy, operating surgeons, operative time, biliary complications, intraoperative bleeding, conversion rate, duration of admission, and recurrence were reviewed. Patients presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, jaundice, or fever. The diagnosis was confirmed on the basis of a CT scan of the abdomen showing an inflamed pancreas and stones in the gallbladder. Outcomes were compared and reviewed between the two groups. Results: In this research proposal, 263 patients admitted were analyzed. EC was performed were discharged after conservative management and followed up after 12 weeks for interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy (IC). It was observed in patients of IC (EC 2 [1.2%] vs IC 7[7%]; p value <0.01) while duration of hospitalization was prolonged as compared to patients of EC (EC 5.53+0.58days vs IC 5.82+0.78days; p value <0.001). lar in both EC and IC. Conclusion: EC performed after MABP is associated with shorter duration of hospitalization and reduced recurrence with similar rate of perioperative complications

RRT*-SMART: a rapid convergence implementation of RRT*

Many sampling based algorithms have been introduced recently. Among them Rapidly Exploring Random Tree (RRT) is one of the quickest and the most efficient obstacle free path finding algorithm. Although it ensures probabilistic completeness, it cannot guarantee finding the most optimal path. Rapidly Exploring Random Tree Star (RRT*), a recently proposed extension of RRT, claims to achieve convergence towards the optimal solution thus ensuring asymptotic optimality along with probabilistic completeness. However, it has been proven to take an infinite time to do so and with a slow convergence rate. In this paper an extension of RRT*, called as RRT*-Smart, has been prposed to overcome the limitaions of RRT*. The goal of the proposecd method is to accelerate the rate of convergence, in order to reach an optimum or near optimum solution at a much faster rate, thus reducing the execution time. The novel approach of the proposed algorithm makes use of two new techniques in RRT*–Path Optimization and Intelligent Sampling. Simulation results presented in various obstacle cluttered environments along with statistical and mathematical analysis confirm the efficiency of the proposed RRT*-Smart algorithm

Unsteady magnetohydrodynamics thin film flow of a third grade fluid over an oscillating inclined belt embedded in a porous medium

In the present work we examine the motion of an incompressible unidirectional magnetohydrodynamics thin film flow of a third grade fluid over an oscillating inclined belt embedded in a porous medium. Moreover, heat transfer analysis has been also discussed in the present work. This physical problem is modeled in terms of non-linear partial differential equations. These equations together with physical boundary conditions are solved using two analytical techniques namely optimal homotopy asymptotic method and homotopy perturbation method. The comparisons of these two methods for different time level are analyzed numerically and graphically. The results exposed that both methods are in closed agreement and they have identical solutions. The effects of various non-dimensional parameters have also been studied graphically

A multidisciplinary approach to triage patients with breast disease during the COVID-19 pandemic: Experience from a tertiary care center in the developing world

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a need to prioritize care because of limitation of resources. Owing to the heterogeneity and high prevalence of breast cancers, the need to prioritize care in this vulnerable population is essential. While various medical societies have published recommendations to manage breast disease during the COVID-19 pandemic, most are focused on the Western world and do not necessarily address the challenges of a resource-limited setting.Aim: In this article, we describe our institutional approach for prioritizing care for patients presenting with breast disease.Methods and results: The breast disease management guidelines were developed and approved with the expertise of the Multidisciplinary Breast Program Leadership Committee (BPLC) of the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. These guidelines were inspired, adapted, and modified keeping in view the needs of our resource-limited healthcare system. These recommendations are also congruent with the ethical guidelines developed by the Center of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC) at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Karachi. Our institutional recommendations outline a framework to triage patients based on the urgency of care, scheduling conflicts, and tumor board recommendations, optimizing healthcare workers\u27 schedules, operating room reallocation, and protocols. We also describe the Virtual Blended Clinics , a resource-friendly means of conducting virtual clinics and a comprehensive plan for transitioning back into the post-COVID routine.Conclusion: Our institutional experience may be considered as a guide during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for triaging care in a resource-limited setting; however, these are not meant to be universally applicable, and individual cases must be tailored based on physicians\u27 clinical judgment to provide the best quality care

National guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma

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