Space hardware for concrete sample production on ISS "MASON concrete mixer".

Advances in space flight technology will enable the construction of Moon or even Mars bases in the not-too-distant future. Thus, materials will be needed that are suitable for building in microgravity environments. One idea is to use concrete, the most used construction material on Earth, for these challenging tasks. The hardening and the properties of concrete under the boundary conditions prevailing on Earth are well understood, but there is only limited research on concrete produced in microgravity. Hence, a research project called MASON was established, which aims to mix and harden concrete on the ISS and to investigate the properties of the specimens made in microgravity extensively. Since a defined geometry of the specimens would be favorable for these investigations, a special hardware was developed, called the MASON Concrete Mixer (MCM), which allows the production of concrete specimens fulfilling the requirements on the geometry as well as the safety requirements. Subsequently, the development, design, tests, and qualification of the MCM as well as its usage are presented.

The Campaign to End Fistula: what have we learned? Findings of facility and community needs assessments.

OBJECTIVE: To present a summary of the findings of the fistula needs assessments that have been conducted through the Campaign to End Fistula in 25 countries in Africa and Asia to expand knowledge on the issue related to causes and impact, country capacity to manage the problem and clinical and programmatic gaps. METHOD: The methodology of the assessments was qualitative and quantitative, and included focus group discussions; in-depth interviews/narratives; key informant interviews; and review of medical records, with slight variations by country. RESULTS: Analysis of 20 of these assessments provides insight into the capacities, gaps, and perspectives specific to each country regarding fistula prevention and treatment and the social reintegration of treated women. CONCLUSION: Needs assessment findings have been key tools to spark action and guide the implementation of national programs to eliminate obstetric fistulas throughout Africa and Asia.

African women struggling against female circumcision and sexual violence.

PIP: In France, Mariatou Koita, a woman born of Malian parents, endured female genital mutilation as a child at the hands of another Malian immigrant. When the mutilator returned years later to perform genital mutilation on Koita's younger sister, Koita took action that resulted in the first case of female genital mutilation tried in France upon the complaint of a victim. The mutilator was sentenced to 8 years in jail for mutilating 48 young girls in the period 1983-94, and 23 mothers and 3 fathers received prison or suspended prison sentences. Women are struggling against another form of sexual violence in South Africa, where Johannesburg is gaining the reputation as the "rape capital" of the world. Surveys by a nongovernmental organization (NGO) have revealed that a third of 4000 women interviewed were raped in the past year and that 25% of the boys in a sample of 1500 school children considered gang rape a recreational activity. In response, the NGO is creating recommendations to address the problem in schools and to raise the role model profile of men who oppose sexual violence. Also, in Wynberg, Western Cape, a special Sexual Offenses Court has been created to mitigate some of the difficulties rape victims have encountered with the legal system. Global studies indicate that most victims of sexual assaults are adolescent girls.^ieng