Contextual contact tracing based spatio enhanced compartment modelling & spatial risk assessment

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial TechnologiesThe current situation of COVID-19 appears as a paradigm shift that seems to have farreaching impacts on the way humans will now continue with their daily routine. The overall scenario highlights the paramount importance of infectious disease surveillance, which necessitates immediate monitoring for effective preparedness and efficient response. Policymakers are interested in data insights identifying high-risk areas as well as individuals to be quarantined, especially as the public gets back to their normal routine. This thesis research investigates both requirements in a hybrid approach by the implementation of disease outbreak modelling and exploring its induced dynamic spatial risk in the form of Risk Assessment, along with its real-time integration back into the disease model. The study implements human mobility based contact tracing in the form of an event-based stochastic SIR model as a baseline and further modifies the existing setup to be inclusive of the spatial risk. This modification of each individual-level contact’s intensity to be dependent on its spatial location has been termed as Contextual Contact Tracing. The results suggest that the Spatio-SIR model tends to perform more meaningful events concerned with the Susceptible population rather than events to the Infected or Quarantined. With an example of a real-world scenario of induced spatial high-risk, it is highlighted that the new Spatio-SIR model can empower the analyst with a capability to explore disease dynamics from an additional perspective. The study concludes that even if this domain is hindered due to lack of data availability, the investigation process related to it should keep on exploring methods to effectively understand the disease dynamics

Identification of Yellow Rust Virulence Pattern on Wheat Germplasm in Relation to Environmental Conditions in Faisalabad

One hundred and fifty varieties/lines were screened against stripe. Most of the varieties/lines showed reaction to these diseases. For the development of stripe rust disease of wheat artificial and natural inoculums was relied upon for infection and the environmental conditions of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad were favorable. Out of 150 lines/varieties which were screened against sixty four lines/varieties were immune, resistance shown by 42 lines/varieties and remaining all were susceptible against yellow rust. Area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) of all varieties was calculated. The virulence and avirulence formula studied showed that 42 varieties of yellow rust were avirulent and 29 varieties were virulent by yellow rust fungi. Environmental factors had great effect on the progress of stripe rust diseases of wheat. A positive linear relationship between temperature (maximum, minimum) and disease severity showed that maximum stripe rust develops was highly recognized to 28-32 °C maximum and 14-18 °C minimum temperatures. While, other environmental factors like relative humidity, rainfall and wind speed showed positive correlation. On the basis of data these environmental factors were tested for correlation with stripe rust severities. It was concluded that screening and identifying the virulence pattern of yellow rust on wheat germplasm and utilizing these virulence genes on advanced lines may be helpful to produced for rust resistance in wheat to get maximum production. Keywords: Yellow rust, Virulence Pattern, Resistance source, Epidemiology, Correlatio

Implantable port devices in paediatric oncology patients: A clinical experience from a tertiary care hospital

Objective: To assess the frequency of infection of portacath in children having malignant tumours and undergoing chemotherapy, and to assess the association of the infection with already known risk factors.Methods: The retrospective review was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and involved patient data related to the period between January 2005 to December 2010. A questionnaire was designed to collect the required data. A total of 67 children were included having portacath inserted for chemotherapy. Children in which portacath was inserted under local anaesthesia in Radiology department, reinserted or inserted because of a reason other than childhood malignancy were excluded. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis.Results: Of the total, 46 (67%) patients were males and a majority of the total (n = 31; 46%) was between 6-10 years of age. Besides, 42 (63%) patients had leukaemia, 7 (11%) had lymphoma and 18 (26%) had various solid tumours. Six (8.95%) ports were removed due to infection. There was significant difference between infection and non-infection groups with respect to absolute neutrophilic count levels (p \u3c 0.001). Positive association was found between low absoulute neutrophilic count level (\u3c or = 500) and the occurrence of port infection.Conclusions: Port infection rate is higher in children with low absoulute neutrophilic count. The issue needs to be addressed and one may have to alter the timings of port insertion. It is recommended to insert port when absolute neutrophilic count is normal. To further evaluate the subject, a multicentre trial must be conducted

Effects of Deceptive Advertising on Consumer Loyalty in Telecommunication Industry of Pakistan

This study is an attempt to interrogate the effects of deceptive advertising on consumer loyalty in telecommunication industry of Pakistan. Four variables, Call Charges (CC), Network Coverage (NC), Network Quality (NQ) and Customer Service (CS) were used to measure deception in Telecom Ads and then its effect on consumer loyalty while the consumer preference is used as the proxy of consumer loyalty. 10,000 random individuals from telecom industry were selected to conclude the results. Testing specification confirmed that the deception overwhelmingly exists in telecom ads and none of the telecom companies were providing exactly the same quality of service in terms of Call Charges, Network Coverage, Network Quality and Customer Service, as they promise in their advertisements, while, the consumers are inclined towards the services where the deceptions are seemingly meager

Congenital prepubic sinus: An aborted dorsal urethral duplication or a cloacal remnant?

Background: Congenital Prepubic Sinus (CPS) is an uncommon urogenital anomaly characterized by a blind tract between the skin over the pubis to anterior of the urinary bladder, Urethra or umbilicus. We report four such cases to emphasize varied clinical presentation and embryological conundrum. Methods: Following Ethical Review Committee (ERC) approval, medical records of pediatric patients (\u3c16 \u3eyears) presenting with CPS (identified through operating room records and Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) between 1994 and 2018 were reviewed for demographics, clinical presentation, investigations including histopathology, management and outcome. Results: Four cases of CPS, 3 females and 1 male, age range 9 months to 13 years were managed over 25-years. Clinical presentation includes a discharging sinus and recurrent episodes of cellulitis and abscess formation in pubic area and labia majora. Urological investigations were mostly normal. Insertion of lacrimal probe or plastic sheath of intravenous cannula through the sinus opening was useful to determine the course of sinus and aid its excision. Histology of excised sinus highlights the possible embryological origin. Concluions: CPS is a rare anomaly with varied clinical presentation. It seems CPS is an aborted urethral duplication (Stephen Type 3) or a Cloacal remnant. Complete excision of the tract in the reported cases was curative

Sensitivity and specificity of CT scan in small bowel obstruction among children

Objective: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of computed tomography scan for diagnosing small bowel obstruction among children.Methods: The retrospective diagnostic test accuracy study was carried out at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data of all patients aged 2-16 years who presented with clinical features of small bowel obstruction and underwent computed tomography scan of abdomen from January 2001 to December 2015Data was analyzed using SPSS19.Results: Of the 98 subjects, 65(66.0%) were males and 33(34.0%) were females. Overall mean age of the patients was 7.67±4.33 years and mean duration of symptoms was 2.84±1.17 days. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values as well as accuracy of computed tomography scan was 97.4%, 81.8%, 94.9%, 90.0% and 93.9% respectively.Conclusions: CT scan was found to have a high sensitivity, fairly good specificity and accuracy in revealing small bowel obstruction. However, the scan is known to have its limitations in sub-acute intestinal obstruction and primary peritoniti

Factors Affecting Job Turnover: A Case Study of Private Schools of District Swat

 Several factors force employees to leave the organization. This study examines the relationship among job turnover intention, workload, low pay and job stress in private schools at district swat. For this purpose, the data has been collected from of two hundred and forty eight employees. The results of the study indicated that workload, low pay and job stress are significantly positive related to turnover intention. This study also suggested that for overcoming the turnover from the schools enough salary should be given to employees to motivate them and retained

Assessment of Distillery Effluent on Soil Quality of Adjoining Communities- A Case Study

This study is conducted to evaluate the inmical impact of distillery spent wash on the soil properties. This is a quantitative study based on the physico-chemical analysis of distillery spent wash and soil. Soil and spent samples were collected from two different locations; Mirpurkhas and Tando Muhammad Khan in Sindh province, A controlled soil sample was also collected from Town Tando Qaiser, Hyderabad district, where there is no distillery operating and has farms. All the samples were analyzed with different analytical parameters and compared with Sindh Environmental Quality Standards. The testing methods were followed under standard reference methods of ASTM-2011, USEPA-2001 and APHA-2005. The analytical results have shown the chronic effect of spent wash on the soil, Electrical conductivity of district Mirpurkhas was found 92348.421μs/cm and Tando Muhammad Khan has 76375.134μs/cm, which was greater than the controlled samples EC of 18229.89μs/cm. Both distilleries have very high electrical conductivity of 171448.65μs/cm and 160314.462μs/cm respectively. Other results of spent wash and soil were also exceeding the limit of SEQs and controlled sample. The distillery spent wash has high concentration of BOD (760 mg/l, 4,120 mg/l) and COD (2,950 mg/l, 20,640 mg/l) as compared to SEQs BOD (80 mg/l) and COD (150 mg. l) for discharge of industrial effluent. Both the distilleries discharged their effluent directly into the river canal. The physical appearance of the soil was noticed to be garish black in color and stunted growths of trees indicate the excessive use of spent wash for irrigation

Hexa­kis­(N,N′-dimethyl­thio­urea-κS)nickel(II) nitrate

The title complex salt, [Ni(C3H8N2S)6](NO3)2, consists of an [Ni(Dmtu)6]2+ (Dmtu is N,N′-dimethyl­thio­urea) dication and two nitrate counter-anions. The NiII atom (site symmetry ) is coordinated by the S atoms of six Dmtu ligands within a slightly distorted octa­hedral environment. The crystal structure is characterized by weak intra­molecular N—H⋯S inter­actions and by inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the nitrate anion (site symmetry 3.). These inter­molecular inter­actions lead to the formation of two-dimensional networks lying parallel to the ab plane. The networks are linked via non-classical inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional arrangement