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Author(s): E. R. Stofan (corresponding author) [1, 2]; C. Elachi [3]; J. I. Lunine [4]; R. D. Lorenz [5]; B. Stiles [3]; K. L. Mitchell [3]; S. Ostro [3]; L. [...]

The first two swaths collected by Cassini's Titan Radar Mapper were obtained in October of 2004 (Ta) and February of 2005 (T3). The Ta swath provides evidence for cryovolcanic processes, the possible occurrence of fluvial channels and lakes, and some tectonic activity. The T3 swath has extensive areas of dunes and two large impact craters. We interpret the brightness variations in much of the swaths to result from roughness variations caused by fracturing and erosion of Titan's icy surface, with additional contributions from a combination of volume scattering and compositional variations. Despite the small amount of Titan mapped to date, the significant differences between the terrains of the two swaths suggest that Titan is geologically complex. The overall scarcity of impact craters provides evidence that the surface imaged to date is relatively young, with resurfacing by cryovolcanism, fluvial erosion, aeolian erosion, and likely atmospheric deposition of materials. Future radar swaths will help to further define the nature of and extent to which internal and external processes have shaped Titan's surface. Keywords: Titan; Geological processes; Saturn, satellites; Satellites, surfaces

Author(s): C. Elachi [1]; S. Wall (corresponding author) [1]; M. Janssen [1]; E. Stofan [2]; R. Lopes [1]; R. Kirk [3]; R. Lorenz [4]; J. Lunine [4, 5]; F. Paganelli [...]

Pregnant women attending a prenatal clinic can be tested for HIV to estimate the impact of HIV infection on the entire population. In the town of Bukoba, Tanzania, the percentage of pregnant women infected with HIV dropped from 22% in 1990 to 14% in 1996. This mirrored a drop in the infection rate among the town's women.

In order to deepen the understanding of risk factors associated with HIV infection in the Kagera region of Tanzania and to investigate the potentials of communicating with the people in planning for interventions, two studies were performed in the districts of Bukoba Urban, Bukoba Rural and Muleba in 1989. The HIV prevalence of these areas ranged between 4.5% and 24.2% according to the prevalence study performed earlier in 1987. The studies involved the community in ward meetings on the one hand, and previously studied individuals on the other hand. The studies aimed both at conveying to the people the results of a previously performed study and at collecting new data using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods in order to better understand the associated risk factors, perceived or real, and what suggestions the community could offer for reducing HIV transmission in the region. From the initial study, awareness about AIDS was found to be universal. Change of sexual partners and infection with syphilis were found to be the major risk factors for HIV-1 infection. From the ward meetings people suggested a variety of solutions for interventions which we have categorized as either 'hard' or 'soft'. The 'hard' solutions involved suggestions such as isolation, imprisonment, castration and killing of AIDS victims, while the 'soft' solutions involved sympathetic handling of the sick and educating the people about the modes of transmission and how best to prevent infection. There was a greater tendency for the low HIV prevalence rural communities to suggest the 'hard' solutions than the high HIV prevalence urban ones which tended to suggest the 'soft' solutions. However, with the changing dynamics of HIV infection in the region towards higher HIV prevalence in rural areas, it is likely that the 'soft' solutions will gain acceptance and become adopted for interventions throughout the region. The information obtained from these studies has provided lessons that can be used for rational counselling as well as for guiding the implementation of IEC activities geared at interventions. It is also suggested that there should be further research into new strategies or their combinations which could be crucial in prevention such as those of community participation, empowerment of women and solidarity in AIDS intervention work. Key words - risk factors, HIV infection, feedback study, perceived risk, community participation, Tanzania

Gender differences in mortality risks in rural Somali communities were studied to assess their relation to literacy, marital status and family economy between January 1987 and December 1989. In all, 6947 person-years form the basis for the demographic analysis and estimations of mortality rates and survival. Both sexes showed similar mortality risks in infancy and early childhood, but females demonstrated a greater risk of dying during their reproductive life than males. Respiratory symptoms, diarrhoea, fever and jaundice dominated the symptoms prior to death. Illiteracy in women considerably increased the risk of dying from 15 years and onwards particularly when living with literate men. The life expectancy from 15 years was 58 for a literate male but only 42 years for an illiterate woman living with a literate head of household. Multivariate analyses showed after adjustment for marital status and literacy that an excess female mortality from 15 years, but especially from 45 years, was associated to a household situation, where the woman did not subside on farming but on other, mainly commercial, activities. This vulnerability of females was associated to the recession of the economy in the pre-war situation in Somalia, a backlash hitting women trying to earn their living. To conclude, gender differences in a number of factors in the household - literacy, marital status and especially source of income - were disadvantageous for the women, increasing the mortality risk in this setting. Key words - mortality, gender, inequality, marital status, Somalia