Background The immunization uptake rates in Pakistan are much lower than desired. Major reasons i... more Background The immunization uptake rates in Pakistan are much lower than desired. Major reasons include lack of awareness, parental forgetfulness regarding schedules, and misinformation regarding vaccines. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and distancing measures, routine childhood immunization (RCI) coverage has been adversely affected, as caregivers avoid tertiary care hospitals or primary health centers. Innovative and cost-effective measures must be taken to understand and deal with the issue of low immunization rates. However, only a few smartphone-based interventions have been carried out in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to improve RCI. Objective The primary objectives of this study are to evaluate whether a personalized mobile app can improve children’s on-time visits at 10 and 14 weeks of age for RCI as compared with standard care and to determine whether an artificial intelligence model can be incorporated into the app. Secondary objectives are to determine the p...
2008 10th International Workshop on Signal Processing for Space Communications, 2008
Abstract By combining satellite and terrestrial (wireless) technologies, full coverage and high c... more Abstract By combining satellite and terrestrial (wireless) technologies, full coverage and high capacity can be achieved for true broadband services. The interoperability of such diverse networks imposes a number of challenges regarding service provision and management. The end-to-end quality of service (QoS) management implies that features such as service scalability between different networks have to be available. On the other hand, wireless QoS capabilities provide a promising diversity for a wide range of seamless applications. ...
Echallenges E 2014 Conference Proceedings, Oct 1, 2014
In a world of openly communicated knowledge and collaborative innovation, the educational sector ... more In a world of openly communicated knowledge and collaborative innovation, the educational sector can no longer rely on a closed, linear educational innovation model, but should adopt an open, collaborative one. In recent years an astonishing paradigm shift has occurred; user-driven, open and collaborative innovation practices have emerged and an increasing number of users mutually collaborate by openly communicating their ideas, sharing best practices, and creating new knowledge across various sectors.. However, there is lot of actions to be done for effective knowledge sharing, open and collaborative innovation. This paper discusses open and collaborative innovation in the context of open educational resources (OERs), proposes related innovation models and makes recommendations for adopting open collaborative innovation. The level of open collaborative innovation in the OER environment is assessed by examining a number of key initiatives in the field. Our analysis, conducted in terms of two dimensions - the orientation of the OER initiative (i.e., open content and open collaborative innovation) and the user orientation (i.e., users as participants and as creators/cocreators) shows that the initiatives under examination only partly meet the criteria associated with these dimensions, with the exception of only one initiative, namely, Open Discovery Space (ODS), which fully meets all criteria. The case study of ODS incorporated in the paper offers further analysis of the characteristics and potential of an initiative that combines the principles of “openness” and “collaboration”. Our findings indicate that with the integration of both principles, Open Educational Resources and Open Education (OE) have the potential to broaden the educational ecosystem beyond its existing boundaries.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Background: Pakistan’s immunization uptake rates are still significantly lower than anticipated d... more Background: Pakistan’s immunization uptake rates are still significantly lower than anticipated despite several initiatives. Lack of awareness, forgetting about vaccination schedule, and vaccine misconception/misinformation are a few of the major drivers that mitigate the rates of immunization. The current COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the importance of immunization. The significant reductions in regular childhood vaccination during pandemic have increased the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Concerns among parents over possibly exposing their children to COVID-19 during child visits may have contributed to the reported declines. Innovative and cost-effective mHealth interventions must be implemented in order to address the problem of inadequate immunization rates. In addition, it is also critical to understand the end user needs in order to reflect on the highly relevant essence of the customized healthcare experience. Objective: The aim of this study was to learn ...
2008 4th International Conference on Emerging Technologies, 2008
Abstract Due to rapid and constant evolution of wireless communication technologies, standards, p... more Abstract Due to rapid and constant evolution of wireless communication technologies, standards, protocols, applications, and systems, it is hard to rely on personal experience to make their selection, design and deployment. Testing helps to determine actual performance and limitations of technologies. Testing is also important to avoid the financial and reputation losses of the company as well as to ensure uninterrupted flow of the information for essential services such as healthcare, airports, railways, and military ...
This work was carried out as part of CRe-AM project, which is supported by European Commission (g... more This work was carried out as part of CRe-AM project, which is supported by European Commission (grant agreement n°612451).
BACKGROUND Digital health is well-positioned in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) to revolu... more BACKGROUND Digital health is well-positioned in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) to revolutionize health care due, in part, to increasing mobile phone access and internet connectivity. This paper evaluates the underlying factors that can potentially facilitate or hinder the progress of digital health in Pakistan. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to identify the current digital health projects and studies being carried out in Pakistan, as well as the key stakeholders involved in these initiatives. We aim to follow a mixed-methods strategy and to evaluate these projects and studies through a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis to identify the internal and external factors that can potentially facilitate or hinder the progress of digital health in Pakistan. METHODS This study aims to evaluate digital health projects carried out in the last 5 years in Pakistan with mixed methods. The qualitative and quantitative data obtained from field surve...
International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 2011
Abstract Today, satellite communication networks are being integrated into the infrastructure of ... more Abstract Today, satellite communication networks are being integrated into the infrastructure of modern Terrestrial communication networks and becoming popular for the delivery of educational content and data, as well as education-centric services, including information, tele-conferencing, entertainment, or 'edutainment'services. With fresh demand for new services and applications, it is becoming essential that wireless network architecture seamlessly interoperate with new and existing technologies, protocols and standards. ...
ABSTRACT The 21st century has seen an expansion in digital technology and the ways in which it af... more ABSTRACT The 21st century has seen an expansion in digital technology and the ways in which it affects everyday life. These technologies have become essential in the growth of social communication and mass media. Fostering 21st Century Digital Literacy and Technical Competency offers the latest in research on the technological advances on computer proficiency in the educational system and society. This collection of research brings together theories and experiences in order to create a common framework and is essential for educators and professionals in the technology fields.
2008 4th International Conference on Emerging Technologies, 2008
Page 1. Heterogeneous Satellite-Terrestrial Technologies: Quality of Service and Availability Tes... more Page 1. Heterogeneous Satellite-Terrestrial Technologies: Quality of Service and Availability Testing Munir Abbasi1, Lampros K. Stergioulas1 1School of Information Systems, Computing and Mathematics, Brunel University, Uxbridge ...
Background The immunization uptake rates in Pakistan are much lower than desired. Major reasons i... more Background The immunization uptake rates in Pakistan are much lower than desired. Major reasons include lack of awareness, parental forgetfulness regarding schedules, and misinformation regarding vaccines. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and distancing measures, routine childhood immunization (RCI) coverage has been adversely affected, as caregivers avoid tertiary care hospitals or primary health centers. Innovative and cost-effective measures must be taken to understand and deal with the issue of low immunization rates. However, only a few smartphone-based interventions have been carried out in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to improve RCI. Objective The primary objectives of this study are to evaluate whether a personalized mobile app can improve children’s on-time visits at 10 and 14 weeks of age for RCI as compared with standard care and to determine whether an artificial intelligence model can be incorporated into the app. Secondary objectives are to determine the p...
2008 10th International Workshop on Signal Processing for Space Communications, 2008
Abstract By combining satellite and terrestrial (wireless) technologies, full coverage and high c... more Abstract By combining satellite and terrestrial (wireless) technologies, full coverage and high capacity can be achieved for true broadband services. The interoperability of such diverse networks imposes a number of challenges regarding service provision and management. The end-to-end quality of service (QoS) management implies that features such as service scalability between different networks have to be available. On the other hand, wireless QoS capabilities provide a promising diversity for a wide range of seamless applications. ...
Echallenges E 2014 Conference Proceedings, Oct 1, 2014
In a world of openly communicated knowledge and collaborative innovation, the educational sector ... more In a world of openly communicated knowledge and collaborative innovation, the educational sector can no longer rely on a closed, linear educational innovation model, but should adopt an open, collaborative one. In recent years an astonishing paradigm shift has occurred; user-driven, open and collaborative innovation practices have emerged and an increasing number of users mutually collaborate by openly communicating their ideas, sharing best practices, and creating new knowledge across various sectors.. However, there is lot of actions to be done for effective knowledge sharing, open and collaborative innovation. This paper discusses open and collaborative innovation in the context of open educational resources (OERs), proposes related innovation models and makes recommendations for adopting open collaborative innovation. The level of open collaborative innovation in the OER environment is assessed by examining a number of key initiatives in the field. Our analysis, conducted in terms of two dimensions - the orientation of the OER initiative (i.e., open content and open collaborative innovation) and the user orientation (i.e., users as participants and as creators/cocreators) shows that the initiatives under examination only partly meet the criteria associated with these dimensions, with the exception of only one initiative, namely, Open Discovery Space (ODS), which fully meets all criteria. The case study of ODS incorporated in the paper offers further analysis of the characteristics and potential of an initiative that combines the principles of “openness” and “collaboration”. Our findings indicate that with the integration of both principles, Open Educational Resources and Open Education (OE) have the potential to broaden the educational ecosystem beyond its existing boundaries.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Background: Pakistan’s immunization uptake rates are still significantly lower than anticipated d... more Background: Pakistan’s immunization uptake rates are still significantly lower than anticipated despite several initiatives. Lack of awareness, forgetting about vaccination schedule, and vaccine misconception/misinformation are a few of the major drivers that mitigate the rates of immunization. The current COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the importance of immunization. The significant reductions in regular childhood vaccination during pandemic have increased the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Concerns among parents over possibly exposing their children to COVID-19 during child visits may have contributed to the reported declines. Innovative and cost-effective mHealth interventions must be implemented in order to address the problem of inadequate immunization rates. In addition, it is also critical to understand the end user needs in order to reflect on the highly relevant essence of the customized healthcare experience. Objective: The aim of this study was to learn ...
2008 4th International Conference on Emerging Technologies, 2008
Abstract Due to rapid and constant evolution of wireless communication technologies, standards, p... more Abstract Due to rapid and constant evolution of wireless communication technologies, standards, protocols, applications, and systems, it is hard to rely on personal experience to make their selection, design and deployment. Testing helps to determine actual performance and limitations of technologies. Testing is also important to avoid the financial and reputation losses of the company as well as to ensure uninterrupted flow of the information for essential services such as healthcare, airports, railways, and military ...
This work was carried out as part of CRe-AM project, which is supported by European Commission (g... more This work was carried out as part of CRe-AM project, which is supported by European Commission (grant agreement n°612451).
BACKGROUND Digital health is well-positioned in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) to revolu... more BACKGROUND Digital health is well-positioned in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) to revolutionize health care due, in part, to increasing mobile phone access and internet connectivity. This paper evaluates the underlying factors that can potentially facilitate or hinder the progress of digital health in Pakistan. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to identify the current digital health projects and studies being carried out in Pakistan, as well as the key stakeholders involved in these initiatives. We aim to follow a mixed-methods strategy and to evaluate these projects and studies through a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis to identify the internal and external factors that can potentially facilitate or hinder the progress of digital health in Pakistan. METHODS This study aims to evaluate digital health projects carried out in the last 5 years in Pakistan with mixed methods. The qualitative and quantitative data obtained from field surve...
International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 2011
Abstract Today, satellite communication networks are being integrated into the infrastructure of ... more Abstract Today, satellite communication networks are being integrated into the infrastructure of modern Terrestrial communication networks and becoming popular for the delivery of educational content and data, as well as education-centric services, including information, tele-conferencing, entertainment, or 'edutainment'services. With fresh demand for new services and applications, it is becoming essential that wireless network architecture seamlessly interoperate with new and existing technologies, protocols and standards. ...
ABSTRACT The 21st century has seen an expansion in digital technology and the ways in which it af... more ABSTRACT The 21st century has seen an expansion in digital technology and the ways in which it affects everyday life. These technologies have become essential in the growth of social communication and mass media. Fostering 21st Century Digital Literacy and Technical Competency offers the latest in research on the technological advances on computer proficiency in the educational system and society. This collection of research brings together theories and experiences in order to create a common framework and is essential for educators and professionals in the technology fields.
2008 4th International Conference on Emerging Technologies, 2008
Page 1. Heterogeneous Satellite-Terrestrial Technologies: Quality of Service and Availability Tes... more Page 1. Heterogeneous Satellite-Terrestrial Technologies: Quality of Service and Availability Testing Munir Abbasi1, Lampros K. Stergioulas1 1School of Information Systems, Computing and Mathematics, Brunel University, Uxbridge ...
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