Cost-Effectiveness of Online Hemodiafiltration

Care of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is essential but also resource intense. We review several studies on online hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF), which concluded that high-volume OL-HDF is associated with better outcome compared to conventional hemodialysis. The cost-effectiveness of OL-HDF was shown in many studies. For example, in the Canadian setting of the Convective Transport Study (CONTRAST), the high-efficiency OL-HDF was shown to be cost-effective compared with low-flux hemodialysis (LF-HD) for patients with ESRD. In our study (Al Saran et al.), it was shown that the cost of hemodialysis was quite less in Saudi Arabia than in other industrialized countries while maintaining a high standard of care. In our retrospective analysis of the cost of OL-HDF in the same center, it was only 3% higher than the conventional HD, which indicates that it is cost-effective considering the improved hospitalization rate, the mortality rates, and the likely better quality of life associated with it. The trend of increased practice of OL-HDF may encourage the practice of home OL-HDF as well. It has been shown that home HD is more cost-effective than in-center HD and we presume that the same results will be applied to home OL-HDF as well

Web-based Services in University Libraries: A Pakistani Perspective

This study is a content analysis of websites of 56 General University Libraries (GULs) of Pakistan. Content included existence of library website, hyperlink on university home page, type (static or dynamic) of library website, and six categories of library and information services. The six categories included general information, web OPAC, reference service, collection, circulation, and document delivery service/Inter Library Loan. Results indicate that web-based services in GULs of Pakistan are in their infancy. LIS professionals must recognize the significance of web-based library services and take initiative provide web services to library users. Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC), LIS educators, and professional associations should provide training opportunities to librarians to develop required skills

Evidence of random walk in Pakistan stock exchange: An emerging stock market study

Abstract. The study reports the empirical evidence on the presence of weak-form efficiency under the random walk hypothesis on the emerging stock market of Pakistan; Pakistan stock exchange (PSX), formerly known as Karachi stock exchange (KSE) from January 01, 2009 to August 31, 2014, by investigating two categories of stock indices; one in which the selection of firms is based upon market capitalization and the other where the selection criteria of firms is based upon free-float methodology. The study applied both non-parametric and parametric tests; Kolgomorov-Simirnov (K-S), runs, serial correlation and unit root tests on daily returns of KSE-100 index; KSE- all share index; KSE-30 index and KMI-30 index. The study finds absence of random walk on the former two indices, where chronology of firms and selection criteria are based on traditional market capitalization technique. However, evidence of random walk is found in stock-indices where selection of firms is based on free floating methodology. The trace of random walk advocates the free floating methodology over market capitalization criteria.Keywords. Random walk, Weak-form efficiency, Karachi stock exchange, Pakistan stock exchange, Unit root test, Autocorrelation.JEL. G10, G12, G14

Neuromorphic robotic platform with visual input, processor and actuator, based on spiking neural networks

This paper describes the design and modus of operation of a neuromorphic robotic platform based on SpiNNaker, and its implementation on the goalkeeper task. The robotic system utilises an address event representation (AER) type of camera (dynamic vision sensor (DVS)) to capture features of a moving ball, and a servo motor to position the goalkeeper to intercept the incoming ball. At the backbone of the system is a microcontroller (Arduino Due) which facilitates communication and control between different robot parts. A spiking neuronal network (SNN), which is running on SpiNNaker, predicts the location of arrival of the moving ball and decides where to place the goalkeeper. In our setup, the maximum data transmission speed of the closed-loop system is approximately 3000 packets per second for both uplink and downlink, and the robot can intercept balls whose speed is up to 1 m/s starting from the distance of about 0.8 m. The interception accuracy is up to 85%, the response latency is 6.5 ms and the maximum power consumption is 7.15W. This is better than previous implementations based on PC. Here, a simplified version of an SNN has been developed for the ‘interception of a moving object’ task, for the purpose of demonstrating the platform, however a generalised SNN for this problem is a nontrivial problem. A demo video of the robot goalie is available on YouTube

CFD Analysis of NACA 0012 Aerofoil to Investigate the Effect of Increasing Angle of Attack on Coefficient of Lift and Coefficient of Drag

The significance of using proper blade design is increasing with advancements in aviation technology. Wings are used in a variety of applications, including aircraft, drones, wind turbines, and more. In this study, Ansys version 2021 is used to do a CFD analysis on a NACA 0012 to study the effect of increasing the angle of attack on the coefficient of lift. Analyses have been performed using Ansys Fluent. The k-w turbulence model was used to analyze geometry, designed in SOLIDWORKS. At a speed of 32 m/s, several angles of attack have been evaluated from 0° to 20° to investigate lift and drag coefficient. The results of this study were compared with the literature for validation. It has been observed that increasing the angle of attack will increase the lift coefficient initially but after a specific angle, flow separation takes place and the lift coefficient starts decreasing with a further increase in the angle of attac

Application of CFD to Reduce the Cooling Load of a Building: An Alternative Approach for Green Building Design

Approximately 23 % of total CO2 emissions are attributed to the construction industry each year; in 2009, the industry produced 5.7 billion tonnes of CO2. Green building design is concerned with constructing a building in such a way that its carbon footprint is reduced throughout its life span. Lecture rooms are key components of educational institutions because they are where students spend the majority of their time. This study aims to propose a methodology to convert the existing designs of building to green buildings by optimizing the airflow. The lecture room at UET was chosen for this investigation because the air velocity distribution inside the room is not uniform due to the current design, which influences the convective heat loss from the room by creating pressure and temperature gradient. SOLIDWORKS 2021 was used to create the model of a lecture theatre. Because the majority of the rooms are naturally ventilated, a fluid dynamics analysis was performed on ANSYS Fluent 19.1 to ensure proper air ventilation. Natural airflow was improved by the addition of an extra column of windows. The total electric energy load has been computed, and the quantity of solar panels necessary to meet the demand has been recommended

Financial liberalization and reforms in Pakistan and Korea

Thesis(Master) --KDI School:Master of Public Policy,2007masterpublishedby Mirza Khalid Amin

A SIMPLE EM DIPOLE RADIATING ELEMENT FOR DUAL-POLARIZED PHASED ARRAY WEATHER RADARS

The Dual Polarized radiating element is a critical component in the Multi-function Phased Array Radar (MPAR) System. This thesis studies a new type of dual polarized radiating element based on the Electro-Magnetic (EM) dipole concept. Two different geometries i.e., loop approximated as magnetic dipole and a printed electric dipole are used to form a single dual polarized radiating element. Radiation patterns based on Ansoft® High Frequency Structural Simulator (HFSS) simulation software and measurements carried out in Anechoic Chambers are presented. The results are compared to commercially available electric and magnetic dipole antennas. An Initial array and simple linear array design based on these elements is also discussed