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A key barrier to the consistent use of condoms is their negative effect on sexual pleasure. Although sexual pleasure is a primary motivation for engaging in sex and is an integral part of overall sexual health, most programs to improve sexual health operate within a pregnancy and disease-prevention paradigm. A new condom, CSD500 (Futura Medical Developments; Surrey, UK), containing an erectogenic drug was developed for use among healthy couples to improve sexual pleasure by increasing penile firmness, size and erection duration. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to test whether promoting the novel condom CSD500 for improved sexual pleasure is effective in reducing condomless sex compared to the provision of standard condoms with counseling for pregnancy and disease prevention. We randomized 500 adult, heterosexual, monogamous couples in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam to receive either CSD500 (n = 248) or standard condoms (n = 252). At enrollment and after 2, 4, and 6 months, we interviewed women and sampled vaginal fluid to test for the presence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), an objective, biological marker of recent semen exposure. We registered the protocol before trial initiation at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT02934620). Overall, 11.0% of women were PSA positive at enrollment. The proportion of follow-up visits with PSA-positivity did not differ between the intervention (6.8%) and control arms (6.7%; relative risk, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.66–1.54). Thus, we found no evidence that promoting an erectogenic condom to women in a monogamous, heterosexual relationship in Vietnam reduced their exposure to their partner’s semen. These findings might not hold for other populations, especially those with a higher frequency of condomless sex.

The mechanisms underlying abnormal granuloma formation in patients with sarcoidosis are complex and remain poorly understood. A novel in vitro human granuloma model was used to determine the molecular mechanisms of granuloma genesis in patients with sarcoidosis in response to putative disease-causing mycobacterial antigens. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with active sarcoidosis and from normal, disease-free control subjects were incubated for 7 days with purified protein derivative-coated polystyrene beads. Molecular responses, as reflected by differential expression of genes, extracellular cytokine patterns, and cell surface receptor expression, were analyzed. Unbiased systems biology approaches were used to identify signaling pathways engaged during granuloma formation. Model findings were compared with human lung and mediastinal lymph node gene expression profiles. Compared with identically treated PBMCs of control subjects (n = 5), purified protein derivative-treated sarcoidosis PBMCs (n = 6) were distinguished by the formation of cellular aggregates resembling granulomas. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of differential expression gene patterns identified molecular pathways that are primarily regulated by IL-13, which promotes alternatively activated (M2) macrophage polarization. M2 polarization was further demonstrated by immunohistochemistry performed on the in vitro sarcoidosis granuloma-like structures. IL-13-regulated gene pathways were confirmed in human sarcoidosis lung and mediastinal lymph node tissues. The in vitro human sarcoidosis granuloma model provides novel insights into early granuloma formation, particularly IL-13 regulation of molecular networks that regulate M2 macrophage polarization. M2 macrophages are predisposed to aggregation and multinucleated giant cell formation, which are characteristic features of sarcoidosis granulomas. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01857401).

Rice production in Vietnam has been developing rapidly and sustainably in recent years, contributing to ensuring national food security. However, it is facing the effect of climate change, sea-level rise, salinity intrusion, drought, and flood which threatens food production, especially in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. For this reason, building a tool that allows estimating rice yield is necessary. SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) remote sensing data from Sentinel-1 satellites is provided by European Space Agency (ESA) with no cost, large coverage, and high spatio-temporal resolution, which has the advantage of observation in cloudy, foggy, rainy weather and independent of solar radiation. Therefore, this data is suitable for rice monitoring in countries with tropical monsoon climate like Vietnam. This paper presents the results of estimating the Winter-Spring rice yield in 2018 by using multitemporal Sentinel-1 data with C-band. The estimated rice yield was compared with the in-situ yield, which shows that the average values of the samples of estimated and surveyed yield were equivalent with 6.5 ton/ha and 6.6 ton/ha respectively, and the standard deviation between the estimated and surveyed yield was 0.80 ton/ha. The results demonstrate the applicability of the multitemporal SAR Sentinel-1 data for estimating rice yield in the study area, An Giang province, the Vietnamese Mekong Delta.

A holomorphic endomorphism of ${{\\mathbb {CP}}}^n$ is post-critically algebraic if its critical hypersurfaces are periodic or preperiodic. This notion generalizes the notion of post-critically finite rational maps in dimension one. We will study the eigenvalues of the differential of such a map along a periodic cycle. When $n=1$ , a well-known fact is that the eigenvalue along a periodic cycle of a post-critically finite rational map is either superattracting or repelling. We prove that, when $n=2$ , the eigenvalues are still either superattracting or repelling. This is an improvement of a result by Mattias Jonsson [Some properties of 2-critically finite holomorphic maps of P2. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys. 18(1) (1998), 171–187]. When $n\\geq 2$ and the cycle is outside the post-critical set, we prove that the eigenvalues are repelling. This result improves one obtained by Fornæss and Sibony [Complex dynamics in higher dimension. II. Modern Methods in Complex Analysis (Princeton, NJ, 1992) (Annals of Mathematics Studies, 137). Ed. T. Bloom, D. W. Catlin, J. P. D’Angelo and Y.-T. Siu, Princeton University Press, 1995, pp. 135–182] under a hyperbolicity assumption on the complement of the post-critical set.

A key barrier to the consistent use of condoms is their negative effect on sexual pleasure. Although sexual pleasure is a primary motivation for engaging in sex and is an integral part of overall sexual health, most programs to improve sexual health operate within a pregnancy and disease-prevention paradigm. A new condom, CSD500 (Futura Medical Developments; Surrey, UK), containing an erectogenic drug was developed for use among healthy couples to improve sexual pleasure by increasing penile firmness, size and erection duration. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to test whether promoting the novel condom CSD500 for improved sexual pleasure is effective in reducing condomless sex compared to the provision of standard condoms with counseling for pregnancy and disease prevention. We randomized 500 adult, heterosexual, monogamous couples in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam to receive either CSD500 (n = 248) or standard condoms (n = 252). At enrollment and after 2, 4, and 6 months, we interviewed women and sampled vaginal fluid to test for the presence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), an objective, biological marker of recent semen exposure. We registered the protocol before trial initiation at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT02934620). Overall, 11.0% of women were PSA positive at enrollment. The proportion of follow-up visits with PSA-positivity did not differ between the intervention (6.8%) and control arms (6.7%; relative risk, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-1.54). Thus, we found no evidence that promoting an erectogenic condom to women in a monogamous, heterosexual relationship in Vietnam reduced their exposure to their partner's semen. These findings might not hold for other populations, especially those with a higher frequency of condomless sex.

The rapidly developing urbanization since the last decade of the 20th century has led to extensive groundwater extraction, resulting in subsidence in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Recent advances in multi-temporal spaceborne SAR interferometry, especially with a persistent scatters interferometry (PSI) approach, has made this a robust remote sensing technique for measuring large-scale ground subsidence with millimetric accuracy. This work has presented an advanced PSI analysis, to provide an unprecedented spatial extent and continuous temporal coverage of the subsidence in Ho Chi Minh City from 2006 to 2010. The study shows that subsidence is most severe in the Holocene silt loam areas along the Sai Gon River and in the southwest of the city. The groundwater extraction resulting from urbanization and urban growth is mainly responsible for the subsidence. Subsidence in turn leads to more flooding and water nuisance. The correlation between the reference leveling velocity and the estimated PSI result is R-2 = 0.88, and the root mean square error is 4.3 (mm/year), confirming their good agreement. From 2006 to 2010, the estimation of the average subsidence rate is -8.0 mm/year, with the maximum value up to -70 mm/year. After four years, in regions along Sai Gon River and in the southwest of the city, the land has sunk up to -12 cm. If not addressed, subsidence leads to the increase of inundation, both in frequency and spatial extent. Finally, regarding climate change, the effects of subsidence should be considered as appreciably greater than those resulting from rising sea level. It is essential to consider these two factors, because the city is inhabited by more than 7.5 million people, where subsidence directly impacts urban structures and infrastructure.

A novel cyclovirus, CyCV-VN, was recently identified in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with central nervous system (CNS) infections in central and southern Vietnam. To explore the geographic distribution of this novel virus, more than 600 CSF specimens from patients with suspected CNS infections in northern Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal and The Netherlands were screened for the presence of CyCV-VN but all were negative. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis between CyCV-VN and another novel cyclovirus recently identified in CSF from Malawian patients indicated that these represent distinct cycloviral species, albeit phylogenetically closely related. The data suggest that CyCV-VN has a limited geographic distribution within southern and central Vietnam. Further research is needed to determine the global distribution and diversity of cycloviruses and importantly their possible association with human disease.

Background Prosopis species have been introduced to many areas outside their native range to provide benefits to local communities. Several Prosopis species and their hybrids (hereafter “mesquite”) have, however, become naturalised and invasive and now generate substantial costs. Management options are limited because of the complex conflicts of interest regarding benefits and costs. Management policies and strategies must take account of such conflicts, but further insights are needed on the dimensions of uses and impacts before such information can be usefully applied. Current policy in South Africa allows for the growth and use of mesquite in one province, but not in others where its control is mandatory. We report on a study to quantify the direct use and perceptions of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) from mesquite and native trees in South Africa. Methods Semi-structures household interviews were conducted with various stakeholder groups to identify what tree products are used, to ascertain amounts used as well as to gauge perceptions of natural resource use between different tree species and use over time. Results The direct household use value of native trees was higher than that of mesquite , and local stakeholders attached greater value to products from native trees than from mesquite. Therefore, native trees are and will still be preferentially harvested, and mesquite is unlikely to offer protection to native species by providing an alternative source of products. Mesquite pods do, however, provide valuable additional resources (fodder and medicinal products). The use of both native trees and mesquite is decreasing as the incomes of poorer households rise and as alternative energy sources become available. The benefits and reliance on mesquite are not as high as previously assumed and the impacts from mesquite invasions create large problems for local communities. Conclusion This study provides further evidence that the impacts of mesquite exceed the benefits, lending support for a policy to reduce negative impacts.

This book provides a comprehensive and systematic reference on the range of biomass conversion processes and technology. Part One reviews the key issues in the biofuels production chain, including feedstocks, sustainability assessment and policy development. Part Two reviews chemical and biochemical conversion and in turn Part Three reviews thermal and thermo-chemical conversion, with both sections detailing the wide range of processes and technologies applicable to the production of first, second and third generation biofuels. Finally, Part Four reviews developments in the integration of biofuels production, including biorefineries and by-product valorisation, as well as the utilization of biofuels in diesel engines. With its distinguished international team of contributors, this book is a standard reference for biofuels production engineers, industrial chemists and biochemists, plant scientists, academics and researchers in this area.