Aga Khan Development Network

BACKGROUND: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. In Afghanistan, where most births take place at home without the assistance of a skilled birth attendant, there is a need for options to manage PPH in community-based settings. Misoprostol, a uterotonic that has been used as prophylaxis at the household level and has also been proven to be effective in treating PPH in hospital settings, is one possible option. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted in six districts in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan to test the effectiveness and safety of administering 800mcg sublingual misoprostol to women after a home birth for treatment of excessive blood loss. Consenting women were enrolled prior to delivery and given 600mcg misoprostol to self-administer orally as prophylaxis. Community health workers (CHW) were trained to observe for signs of PPH after delivery and if PPH was diagnosed, administer the study medication (misoprostol or placebo) and immediately refer the woman. A hemoglobin (Hb) decline of 2 g/dL or greater, measured pre- and post-delivery, served as the primary outcome; side effects, additional interventions, and transfer rates were also analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 1884 women who delivered at home, nearly all (98.7%) reported self-use of misoprostol for PPH prevention. A small fraction was diagnosed with PPH (4.4%, 82/1884) and was administered treatment. Hb outcomes, including the proportion of women with a Hb drop of 2 g/dL or greater, were similar between the study groups (misoprostol: 56.4% (22/39), placebo: 60.6% (20/33), p = 0.45). Significantly more women randomized to receive misoprostol experienced shivering (82.5% vs. placebo: 61.5%, p = 0.03). Other side effects were similar between study groups and none required treatment, including among the subset of 39 women, who received misoprostol for both of its PPH indications. CONCLUSIONS: While the study did not document a clinical benefit associated with misoprostol for treatment of PPH, study findings suggest that use of misoprostol for both prevention and treatment in the same birth as well as its use by lay level providers in home births does not result in any safety concerns. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01508429 Registered on December 1, 2011.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to assess the relationships of (1) clinical variables (age, level of injury, time since injury [TSI], and completeness of injury) and (2) psychological variables (stress and depression) with mental imagery ability in individuals with spinal cord injury. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. Participants with spinal cord injury (N = 130) were requested to fill the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire and Vividness of Motor Imagery Questionnaire. They also completed the Perceived Stress Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 for the assessment of stress and depression, respectively. RESULTS: Mental imagery scores were found to be significantly low in cervical injuries (P < 0.001) as compared with thoracic injuries (P < 0.001). Furthermore, higher levels of spinal injuries resulted in lower mental imagery scores. Completeness of injury (according to Asia Impairment Scale) also had a significant relationship (P < 0.001) with the mental imagery ability among spinal cord injury participants. Presence of stress (P < 0.001) and depression (P < 0.001) also associated with reduced efficiency of mental imagery in these individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Injury type and psychological factors were associated with mental imagery in SCI patients. Imagery-based interventions should be designed after consideration of identified factors yielding effect on their outcomes. TO CLAIM CME CREDITS: Complete the self-assessment activity and evaluation online at http://www.physiatry.org/JournalCME. CME OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this article, the reader should be able to: (1) Determine the impact of clinical variables such as level of injury, completeness and chronicity of injury on mental imagery ability in spinal cord injury; (2) Discuss the role of stress and depression on mental imagery ability in spinal cord injury; and (3) Describe the various dimensions of mental imagery ability and its variability among individuals who have spinal cord injury. LEVEL: Advanced. ACCREDITATION: The Association of Academic Physiatrists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.The Association of Academic Physiatrists designates this Journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Motivated by the successful printing of a computer-generated hologram using the computer-to-film (CtF) graphic process, we present a further refined technique with increased resolution, applicable in security. The CtF process offers low cost and fast production while persevering high resolution, and it can make every hologram unique. In this paper, we present the improvement of the printing method, with several software modifications and the implementation of security features at different levels of production.

A study of the abundances of small mammals was conducted in Idu, UruanL.G.A of Akwa Ibom State Nigeria from April to December 2013. Indirect and direct methods for the observation of small mammals were employed in the area under study. A total of 36 individuals, consisting of 3 Orders (Rodentia, Carnivora and Pholidota) and 7 families of small mammals were encountered. The most abundant was Thryonomys swinderianus with a percentage of 63.88 followed by Rattus rattus 16.66, Cricetomys gambianus 8.33 while Crossarchus obscurus, Atherurus africanus, Xerus erythropus and Manis tricuspis accounted for 2.77 respectively. The Thryonomys swinderianus had the highest body mass of 3.9kg while, Manis tricuspis has the highest body length of 79.9cm.. The abundance and diversity index of small mammal encountered were low and this may be attributed to deforestation, habitat loss, hunting and other anthropogenic activities in the study area. There is therefore a great need for conservation and management practices to protect these vulnerable mammals and their habitats. © JASEM KEY WORDS: Small mammals, Abundance, Anthropogenic activities, Conservation

The processing and utilization of natural resources aims to meet all human needs in each country, both in the agriculture, fisheries, and mining sectors. Natural resource law focuses more on exploitation and utilization, while environmental law focuses on its preservation, indeed these two laws seem to contradict and there is a difference. But this is always related to each other and cannot be separated. Downstream which refers to the development or transformation of the added value of a product or commodity from raw materials upstream to semi-finished products or finished products downstream. In other words, through the downstream program, Indonesia has the opportunity to increase revenue by managing the production process from upstream to downstream. Downstream is the main focus of the government because downstream has significant added value potential for the country's economy. The government said the key to Indonesia's economic growth reaching 6-7% lies in downstream. One of the downstream industry programs is predicted to be an important step to support the momentum of golden Indonesia 2045.

Virtual reality (VR) offers an immersive and interactive solution for health education, enhancing knowledge retention while allowing safe repetition of complex procedures. The PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) is vital in neonatal care but requires specialized skill for insertion, with reported adverse events highlighting the need for improved training. PICCBabyRV is a VR simulator designed to train neonatal nurses in PICC insertion for premature infants, aiming to reduce errors, and contribute to the safety and effectiveness of neonatal care. The simulator covers all pre-procedural stages and procedural steps and goes beyond traditional training methods, offering a robust tool to enhance technical skills and confidence for real-world clinical practice.

Welche Funktion sollen Dichtung und Drama erfüllen? Sollen und wollen Dichter, wie Horaz in seiner „ars poetica“ sagt, entweder erfreuen oder nützen – aut prodesse volunt aut delectare poetae? Diese Fragen werden vom Protagonisten zu Beginn des Romans aufgeworfen. Romanheld Perikles Krause, kurz Peh genannt, und der Autor Jens-Ulrich Davids machen sich auf den Weg, sie in in 5 Akten und 24 Kapiteln zu beantworten. Perikles Krause, 44, ein bisher unambitionierter, sich von Vertrag zu Vertrag hangelnder Germanistikdozent an der Carl von Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg, erhält im Wintersemester 1999/2000 die Chance auf eine Juniorprofessur im neu aufzubauenden Lehrstuhl Darstellendes Spiel. Allerdings muss er „weitergehende Beweise künstlerischer Kompetenz“ (15) erbringen. Peh soll mit einer Gruppe Studenten ein Theaterstück inszenieren, das folgende Forderungen erfüllt: Es sollte von einer Gruppe, von Ihrer Theatergruppe, gemeinsam verfasst werden. […] Es sollte ein aktuelles Thema sein, eine zeitgenössische große Frage sollte hinter allem stehen. […] Dramatisierung eines Romans, […] Gattungsüberblendung, Grenzauflösung, semantische Kontinuität; Tiefe und Vielfalt, Tradition und Modernität, denken Sie an Sokrates, denken Sie an Sloterdijk; eine große Künstlerin im Mittelpunkt; englischer Realismus als Vorbild, […] historische und designerisch aufregende Kostüme; aufbauend und vorwärtstreibend, Universitätsorchester berücksichtigen, [...] das Wort, das Wort, Weltwissen und religiöse Erfahrung; auf ...

Bakterial Vaginosis dinyatakan sebagai infeksi polimikrobial yang disebabkan oleh penurunan jumlah Lactobacillus dan diikuti oleh peningkatan bakteri anaerob yang berlebihan. Beberapa penelitian melaporkan kesembuhan bacterial vaginosis sebesar 71-89% atau lebih pada wanita dalam jangka waktu 1 bulan sesudah terapi dengan antibiotik. Tetapi dengan adanya resistensi terhadap antibiotik maka beberapa peneliti menggunakan prebiotik sebagai salah satu penanganan pada kejadian bacterial vaginosis. Glucomannan Hydrolysates (GMH) yang diesktrak (sebagai polisakarida) dari tanaman Konjac yang banyak digunakan di Asia sebagai sumber pangan, material prebiotik ini telah diuji baik in vitro dan in vivo dan berhasil yang ditunjukkan dengan peningkatan pertumbuhan lactobacilli atau bifidobacteria dan berkurangnya pathogen. Selain GMH juga digunakan Balance Active sebagai pengatur pH.

Museus Virtuais (MVs) são ferramentas poderosas para difusão cultural, mas muitos ainda exibem artefatos 3D isolados, sem transmitir seu contexto histórico. Este artigo apresenta o MuseumVR, um framework que utiliza Realidade Virtual para transformar esses espaços em experiências narrativas interativas. Nele, artefatos funcionam como portais que transportam o usuário para cenários historicamente plausíveis guiados por narrativas. Usando a coleção do Museu Câmara Cascudo (MCC) como estudo de caso, o framework integra curadoria, design narrativo e tecnologia imersiva para promover aprendizado, empatia histórica e engajamento por meio da Imersão Contextual.

Este artigo explora a integração entre públicos reais e virtuais em apresentações teatrais por meio de um metaverso interativo. Inspirado no conceito V2R de Lin (2020), o sistema utiliza uma “janela virtual” que transmite imagens em tempo real do espaço físico para o ambiente virtual, e vice-versa. A primeira versão apresenta uma sala de espera onde os participantes personalizam avatares e interagem antes de um concerto literário-musical baseado em Viagem ao Centro da Terra, de Júlio Verne. Desenvolvido em Unity e Blender, com comunicação via servidor WebSocket em TypeScript, o projeto demonstra o potencial de experiências híbridas que conectam públicos físicos e digitais em eventos culturais.

We’re in the midst of something of a revolution. The science behind the gathering of information is rapidly changing the way we work, commute, and even relax at home. For something so instrumental to our lifestyle, few people really understand the concept clearly. Personal data has become a currency in itself. In fact, it’s how Google and Facebook have made their billions; by selling the personal data they collect to third party advertisers. More often than not, consumers don’t mind, provided they’re presented something of value in return. It’s important, however, that a line is not crossed. Exchanging personal information with third parties can be a slippery slope. It is the duty of these companies to ensure that data collection is not abused. Advocates of a higher degree of antitrust intervention in online markets agree that Big Data is increasingly controlled by only a handful of dominant players. Consequently, with little competition to worry about, they are likely to keep collecting more and more data; effectively creating a status quo or glass ceiling that cannot be breached.

This paper presents a work-in-progress on a virtual reality (VR) system designed to elicit a sense of “care” towards virtual objects without relying on traditional haptic hardware. Our method translates the user’s physical grip strength into a dynamic, multi-layered feedback system: a diegetic UI on a robotic hand visualizes the applied force, while a procedural shader generates real-time micro-fractures on the object’s surface. This approach aims to create a credible perception of fragility and measurably promote “careful” user behavior, exploring a novel, perception-based pathway for emotional and behavioral response in VR. The system uses Unity and the Meta SDK on Meta Quest 3, focusing on planning a user study to evaluate the impact of incremental sensory feedback. The outcomes of this project have the potential to provide designers with evidence-based techniques for creating more nuanced and emotionally compelling virtual experiences.

Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento inicial de uma bateria virtual em realidade aumentada (RA) utilizando a engine Unity e o dispositivo Meta Quest 3. O projeto tem como objetivo ampliar o instrumento físico, o que na prática, significa permitir uma experiência imersiva de interação musical que mescle real e virtual. Atualmente, o projeto está em fase de protótipo, com implementação das funcionalidades básicas, como a detecção de alguns gestos e o posicionamento livre dos tambores. Espera-se que o sistema contribua para aplicações educacionais e de entretenimento em realidade aumentada, além de servir como base para outros projetos na mesma área.

In this paper we will discuss the applications of mathematics in computer science. The applications of mathematics in computer science have significantly impacted the development of modern technology. Mathematics provides a foundation for the analysis, design, and implementation of algorithms, which are the building blocks of computer programs. Mathematics is used extensively in cryptography and network security, data compression, computer graphics and animation, artificial intelligence and machine learning, optimization and operations research, and many other fields. Mathematics provides the theoretical foundation for computer science and is essential in the development of algorithms, programming, data analysis, and modern computational technologies. This paper explores the key applications of mathematics in computer science, including logic for problem-solving, algebra and matrices in computer graphics, probability and statistics, graph theory in networking, Boolean algebra, Set theory, Discrete mathematics, Number theory. By highlighting these applications, the paper emphasizes how mathematics not only supports but also drives innovation in computer science.

International audience

Jogos de interpretação de papéis de mesa (RPG) são atividades colaborativas que estimulam criatividade e imersão. A Realidade Virtual (RV) oferece potencial para aumentar a presença espacial em campanhas, mas soluções atuais dependem de hardware caro e foco em jogos remotos. Este trabalho apresenta o VRPG, um sistema de suporte imersivo de baixo custo que utiliza smartphones e Google Cardboard para integrar RV em campanhas presenciais. O mestre controla os avatares dos jogadores em um mapa 3D compartilhado, enquanto os jogadores visualizam o ambiente de forma imersiva. Desenvolvido em Unity com comunicação peer-to-peer em rede local, o sistema promove acessibilidade e sincronização em tempo real. Testes futuros avaliarão o impacto da RV na experiência e criatividade durante as campanhas.

This scientific article provides a comprehensive analysis of the formation, development and theoretical foundations of the concept of artistic thought during the period of independence of Uzbekistan. The conceptual changes that occurred in the literary process during the years of independence, the impact of creative freedom, awareness of national identity, historical memory and spiritual values on artistic thought are covered from a scientific and theoretical point of view. The article explains the philosophical, aesthetic and literary-critical interpretations of the concept of artistic thought using the example of the literature of the period of independence. It also reveals the continuity and differences between the legacy of Jadidism, the literature of the Soviet period and the period of independence. During the research, it is scientifically proven that new paradigms of artistic thought are being formed in contemporary Uzbek literature.

Text-based comments play a crucial role in providing feedback for various industries. However, effectively filtering and categorizing this feedback based on custom context-specific criteria requires sophisticated language modeling techniques. While traditional approaches have shown effectiveness, they often require a substantial amount of data to compensate for their modeling deficiencies. In this work, we focus on highlighting the performance and limitations of prompt-free few-shot text classification using open-source pre-trained sentence transformers. On the one hand, our research includes a comprehensive study across different benchmark datasets, encompassing 9 dimensions such as sentiment analysis, topic modeling, grammatical acceptance, and emotion classification. Also, we worked at making different experiences to test Prompt-Free Few-Shot Text Classification. On the other hand, we underline prompt-free few-shot classification limitations when the targeted criteria are complex. As an alternative approach, prompting an instruction-fine-tuned language model has demonstrated favorable outcomes, as proven by our application in the specific use case of “Identifying and extracting resolution results and actions from explanatory notes”, achieving an accuracy rate of 80%.

Este artigo apresenta o Immersive Ocean, experiência em Realidade Virtual para educar alunos do ensino fundamental sobre a biodiversidade da costa brasileira e os impactos da poluição. Desenvolvido no Unity para a Semana da Educação do IEEE, o projeto usa uma narrativa que transforma um ecossistema saudável em poluído, gerando impacto emocional. Testes iniciais com alunos motivaram ajustes no design, como a troca do teletransporte por locomoção livre. Questionários mostraram boa recepção e potencial de conscientização, indicando avanços futuros como maior interatividade e suporte multiplayer.

On 11 December 2013, the European Union (EU) General Court upheld the European Commission's unconditional approval for the acquisition of Skype by Microsoft Corporation, dismissing an appeal brought by Cisco Systems and Messagenet. Despite the rivals’ concerns of the creation of a near-monopoly, the Court ruled that in such a dynamic, fast-growing industry as video communications, market share does not necessarily correspond to market power, and the transaction will not harm consumers by impeding competition or innovation. The unanimous ruling is expected to clear the way for future mergers in other innovative, fast-paced markets.