Suchergebnisse

Dense urban development on a hilly terrain, coupled with intense seasonal rainfall and heterogeneous weathered profiles, gives rise to acute debris flow problems in Hong Kong. The Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) of the Hong Kong SAR Government has launched a holistic R&D programme and collaborated with various tertiary institutes and professional bodies to support the development of a comprehensive technical framework for managing landslide risk and designing debris flow mitigation measures. The scope of the technical development work includes compilation of landslide inventories, field studies of debris flows, development and calibration of tools for landslide runout modelling, back analysis of notable debris flows, physical and numerical modelling of the interaction of debris flow and mitigation measures, formulation of a technical framework for evaluating debris flow hazards, and development of pragmatic mitigation strategies and design methodologies for debris flow countermeasures. The work has advanced the technical understanding of debris flow hazards and transformed the natural terrain landslide risk management practice in Hong Kong. New analytical tools and improved design methodologies are being applied in routine geotechnical engineering practice.

AbstractIntroductionEnd‐user perspectives are vital to the design of new biomedical HIV prevention products. Conjoint analysis can support the integration of end‐user perspectives by examining their preferences of potential pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) products. The Microbicides Trial Network (MTN) 035 protocol examined three placebo rectal dosage forms (insert, enema and suppository) that could deliver PrEP prior to receptive anal sex (RAS).MethodsBetween April 2019 and July 2020, we enrolled 217 HIV‐negative, cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM; n = 172; 79.3%) and transgender people (n = 47; 20.7%) ages 18–35 into a randomized cross‐over trial across Malawi, Peru, South Africa, Thailand and the United States. Participants used each product prior to RAS over 4‐week periods. Participants completed a conjoint experiment where they selected between random profiles using seven features (dosage form, timing of use before sex, side effects, duration of protection, effectiveness, frequency of use and need for a prescription).ResultsEffectiveness was the strongest determinant of choice (30.4%), followed by modality (18.0%), potential side effects (17.2%), frequency of use (10.8%), duration of protection (10.4%), timing of use before sex (7.4%) and need for a prescription (5.9%). Relative utility scores indicated that the most desirable combination of attributes was a product with 95% efficacy, used 30 minutes before sex, offering a 3‐ to 5‐day protection window, used weekly, having no side effects, in the form of an enema and available over‐the‐counter.ConclusionsChoice in next‐generation PrEP products is highly desired by MSM and transgender people, as no one‐size‐fits‐all approach satisfies all the preferences. MTN‐035 participants weighed product features differently, recognizing the need for diverse, behaviourally congruent biomedical options that fit the needs of intended end‐users.