Osteology and functional morphology of Dimorphodon macronyx (Buckland) (Pterosauria: Rhamphorhynchoidea) based on new material in the Yale Peabody Museum

Two incompfete skeletons and other isolated bones of Dimorphodon macronyx (Buckland), an early rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur from the Lower Lias (Hettangian) of England, have remained undescribed in the collections of the Peabody Museum of Natural History since their acquisition by O. C. Marsh over a century ago. Some of this material comes from Aust Cliff near Bristol, and therefore constitutes the first record of Dimorphodon outside the Lyme Regis area of Dorset. The two individuals are smaller than those in the British Museum (Natural History) described by Owen, and juvenile proportions characterize both cranial and postcranial remains. Much of the material is three-dimensional and has been prepared from its matrix; it provides some of the fullest structural and functional information available for any pterosaur. A particularly well-preserved humerus gives insight into the articulations and folding of the wing, and two sets of distal tarsals demonstrate the mesotarsal flexion of the ankle. Comparison with more extensive but less fully prepared material in the British Museum (Natural History) allows some osteological identifications to be established or corrected; it also provides the basis for a new assessment of structure and function in pterosaurs. The forelimbs could not have moved parasagittally but were well suited for an active flight stroke. The hindlimbs were positioned and moved like those of bipedal dinosaurs and birds. The feet were digitigrade and were not adapted to hang fromtreesorcliffs.Comparativeosteology indicates that these features and abilities conform very well to an advanced archosaurian Bauplan seen in dinosaurs and birds

Consistent use of a combination product versus a single product in a safety trial of the diaphragm and microbicide in Harare, Zimbabwe.

BACKGROUND: We examined the use and acceptability of a combination product (diaphragm and gel) compared to a single product (gel) during a 6-month safety trial in Zimbabwe. STUDY DESIGN: Women were randomized to the use of a diaphragm with gel or the use of gel alone, in addition to male condoms. Ever use and use of study product on the last act of sexual intercourse were assessed monthly by Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing. Acceptability, correct use and consistent use (use at every sexual act during the previous 3 months) were measured on the last visit by face-to-face interview. Predictors of consistent use were examined using multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: In this sample of 117 sexually active, monogamous, contracepting women, rates of consistent use were similar in both groups (59.7% for combination method vs. 56.4% for gel alone). Product acceptability was high, but was not independently associated with consistent use. Independent predictors of consistent use included age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=1.08; 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=1.01-1.16], consistent condom use (AOR=3.85; 95% CI=1.54-9.63) and having a partner who approves of product use (AOR=2.66; 95% CI=1.10-6.39). CONCLUSIONS: Despite high reported acceptability and few problems with the products, the participants reported only moderate product adherence levels. Consistent use of condoms and consistent use of products were strongly associated. If observed in other studies, this may bias the estimation of product effectiveness in future trials of female-controlled methods

Facility-based delivery in the context of Zimbabwe's HIV epidemic--missed opportunities for improving engagement with care: a community-based serosurvey.

BackgroundIn developing countries, facility-based delivery is recommended for maternal and neonatal health, and for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT). However, little is known about whether or not learning one's HIV status affects one's decision to deliver in a health facility. We examined this association in Zimbabwe.MethodsWe analyzed data from a 2012 cross-sectional community-based serosurvey conducted to evaluate Zimbabwe's accelerated national PMTCT program. Eligible women (≥16 years old and mothers of infants born 9-18 months before the survey) were randomly sampled from the catchment areas of 157 health facilities in five of ten provinces. Participants were interviewed about where they delivered and provided blood samples for HIV testing.ResultsOverall 8796 (77 %) mothers reported facility-based delivery; uptake varied by community (30-100%). The likelihood of facility-based delivery was not associated with maternal HIV status. Women who self-reported being HIV-positive before delivery were as likely to deliver in a health facility as women who were HIV-negative, irrespective of when they learned their status - before (adjusted prevalence ratio (PRa) = 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.00-1.09) or during pregnancy (PRa = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.01-1.09). Mothers who had not accessed antenatal care or tested for HIV were most likely to deliver outside a health facility (69%). Overall, however 77% of home deliveries occurred among women who had accessed antenatal care and were HIV-tested.ConclusionsUptake of facility-based delivery was similar among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected mothers, which was somewhat unexpected given the substantial technical and financial investment aimed at retaining HIV-positive women in care in Zimbabwe

Truth or Consequences? Engaging the “Truth” of Evolution

Paleontologist Kevin Padian reviews "Why Evolution Is True," which presents the vast, varied, and unquestionably robust evidence that shows how evolution makes sense of biology

Hidden in Plain View: Paintings Reveal Dietary Disparities Between European Social Classes (c. 1850-1900)

The period of European industrialization and urbanization in the latter half of the nineteenth century brought about significant change in traditional food systems. This study identifies differences in diet quality between the upper and lower socioeconomic classes based on their depictions in selected major works of art from the period. Twenty European paintings were chosen, ten each from the upper and lower classes, which show people eating typical fare of the period. To examine class differences in diet, the artworks were coded for dietary diversity, gender, setting, and tone. Content analysis was examined in detail by comparing a randomly selected work portraying each of the two classes. Dietary diversity was measured using a questionnaire from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, from which variable frequencies and average diversity scores were tabulated and compared. The average dietary diversity score of the higher-class group was more than double the score of the lower-class group. Depictions were equivalent for the genders, but the upper classes had more scenes in private exterior settings. In addition, the higher class paintings contained only warm and neutral tones, while the lower classes had primarily cool and neutral tones.Master of Public Healt