Investigating structure‐function relationships in the locomotor system requires an understanding of the complex interactions between bones, cartilage and muscles. This is especially true when examining how these musculoskeletal structures evolved over time and across different environments in both extant and extinct species. We aimed to quantify the effect of different assumptions about cartilage thickness on reconstructions of femur length, hip range of motion (ROM), and muscle leverage in Acanthostega gunnari, one of the earliest known tetrapods and an important species in the vertebrate water‐land transition. We began by examining the hindlimbs of two extant salamanders, Dicamptodon ensatus and Ambystoma mexicanum, using contrast‐enhanced micro‐CT in order to extrapolate the degree to which cartilage thickness might affect femur length in a fossil taxon with salamander‐like morphology. Data visualization software was used to measure the distal and proximal cartilage caps of the femora in each of the extant species. Three‐dimensional modeling software was then used to estimate the center of rotation of the hip joint of Acanthostega. Then, cartilage correction factors were applied based on the measurements from the extant taxa. The limit of ROM was defined as the point at which either the femur contacted the pelvis, or less than 50% of the femoral head remained within the acetabulum. Finally, we used biomechanical modeling software to map muscles onto the bones of Acanthostega and plotted their leverage to examine how assumptions about cartilage affect reconstructions of muscle leverage. Cartilage caps on the proximal end of the femur in Dicamptodon and Ambystoma measured 36% and 14% of femur length, respectively. Taking the most conservative estimate, we modeled Acanthostega with cartilage caps of 0, 7.5 and 13% femur length. The greatest variation in muscle leverage occurred in muscles whose axes of movement were nearly perpendicular to the femur (70–120% of the mean moment arm), as opposed to those muscles whose axes were nearly parallel (less than 10%). We also found that assuming the highest percentage of cartilage increased ROM in protraction and retraction by 15–20° and in elevation and depression by 15–30° but had little to no effect on long‐axis rotation. These results will help to predict the effects of unpreserved soft tissues in future studies that reconstruct ROM and muscle leverage in extinct animals. Effect of different cartilage correction factors on reconstructed hip muscle leverage in the early tetrapod Acanthostega gunnari. The y‐axis shows coefficient of variation of muscle leverage (standard deviation/mean moment arms) across cartilage correction factors of 0, 7.5 and 13% femur length. Moment arms were measured in 3 axes of movement for muscles that cross the hip joint. The greatest effects occurred in muscles with lines of action nearly perpendicular to the femur.

Consistency between our findings and what has been reported elsewhere varies. As charter schools often have greater curricular flexibility than traditional schools, this study provides unique preliminary data to inform future innovative, or strengthen existing, SRH programming.

IntroductionCurrent medical education curricula in pain management are insufficient to match the prevalence of chronic pain and the needs of patient populations. The Supervised Student Inter-professional Pain Clinic Program (SSIPCP) aims to train healthcare professional students to improve their abilities in chronic pain management in interprofessional (IP) teams. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom was employed to allow the program to continue. In this study, survey data from students who participated during and before the COVID-19 pandemic were compared to determine if the program carried out via Zoom can maintain its effectiveness.MethodsStudent pre- and post-program survey data were entered into Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and then graphed and analyzed with Sigma Plot. Surveys assessed knowledge in chronic pain physiology and management, attitude towards IP practice, and perceived team skills in the form of questionnaires and open-ended questions. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon Signed-rank tests were used for two-group comparisons and two-way repeated ANOVA followed by the Holm-Sidak post-hoc tests were used for multiple group comparisons.ResultsOverall, students continued to exhibit significant improvement in major areas assessed even with the use of Zoom. Strengths of the programs were also shared across student cohorts regardless of Zoom usage. However, despite their improvements, students who utilized Zoom stated that they would have preferred in-person program activities.ConclusionAlthough students prefer in-person activities, the SSIPCP successfully trained healthcare students in chronic pain management and working in an IP team through Zoom.

Giraffidae is a small family of ruminants with approximately 53 species, all of which are extinct except for four extant giraffe species and the okapi. The Giraffa species are morphologically very similar. During the Miocene (18–6 million years ago), various diverse species of Giraffidae were found in numerous faunas in Eurasia and in Africa. Giraffidae are united by a set of major characteristics, including: (1) large body size (the smallest were the size of an okapi), (2) long and large metacarpals and metatarsals (when compared to antelopes and deer), (3) ossicones attached to the frontal bones and (4) presence of bi‐lobed lower canines. The family appears about 18 million years ago with the earliest fossils sampled in the Siwaliks of Pakistan, in Libya’s Gebel Zelten and in Kenya’s Moruorot Hill. From ancestral species of Gelocidae (Oligocene taxa), adaptive radiation resulted in numerous families, including Giraffidae, Palaeomerycidae and Climacoceridae (early to Middle Miocene 18–10 Ma). The basal Giraffidae (18–16 Ma) possess laterally directed ossicones, long necks and large elongated metapodials. One way to subdivide the family is into genera possessing simple premolars or complex premolars. Four groups of higher Giraffidae emerge separately from these basal taxa. The first branch, as represented by Sivatherium, is characterized by the presence of frontal sinuses, four ossicones, short necks and short metapodials. The second branch, as represented by Samotherium, is characterized by the lack of frontal sinuses, and the presence of two long slender ossicones, medium metapodials and longer necks. The third branch, as represented by Bohlinia, is characterized by the lack of a frontal sinus, and the presence of two short robust ossicones, long metapodials and a long neck. The fourth branch, as represented by Giraffa, is characterized by the presence of a frontal sinus, two robust and short ossicones, long metapodials and a long neck. The establishment of these four groups allows us to properly identify and classify a plethora of fossils and aid in the future classification of ruminants.

Objectifs : Déterminer la prévalence du cancer du col chez les femmes séropositives au virus de l'immunodéficience humaine (VIH), décrire les déterminants de l'association VIH et cancer du col et faire des recommandations par rapport au dépistage et à la prise en charge du cancer du col chez ces patientes. Méthodologie : Nous avons procédé à une revue non systématique de la littérature de 2004 à 2008 des publications pertinentes, en français ou en anglais sur le cancer du col chez les femmes infectées par le VIH en Afrique subsaharienne, à travers une recherche dans Pubmed, Hinari, Médecine d'Afrique Noire et African Journal On Line (AJOL). Résultats : Sur 20 publications retrouvées, nous en avons retenu 15 qui traitaient du dépistage et/ou de la prise en charge des lésions précancéreuses et cancéreuses du col. La prévalence du cancer du col varie de 1,87 à 14 %. Quant à la prévalence moyenne du VIH chez les femmes atteintes de cancer du col utérin, elle est de 25,73 % et est généralement plus élevée que chez les femmes non infectées par le VIH. Les différentes études rapportent également de forts taux d'infection par le virus human papilloma virus (HPV) (60,0 à 85,3 %) avec une grande diversité des sérotypes. La radiothérapie dans les stades avancés de cancer du col, ainsi que l'hystérectomie radicale dans les stades précoces sont préconisées comme étant des alternatives thérapeutiques raisonnables. Conclusion : Le dépistage du cancer du col doit désormais être systématique chez toute femme infectée par le VIH. Le rythme du dépistage devrait être annuel. Il apparaît nécessaire d'intégrer la lutte contre ces deux pathologies. Dans une perspective d'un continuum des soins, il est souhaitable de proposer systématiquement le dépistage du VIH aux femmes enceintes pour la prévention de la transmission mère-enfant, et le dépistage du cancer du col de l'utérus dans le post-partum. Mots clés Revue · Cancer du col utérin · VIH · Dépistage · AfriqueAbstract Objectives: Assess the prevalence rate of cervical cancer in HIV positive women. Describe the underlying factors of such an association. Provide recommendations for the screening and management of cervical cancer in HIV positive women. Methods: This was a non-systematic review of all publications on cervical cancer and HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa over the last five years (2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008). We searched Pubmed, Hinari, Médecine d'Afrique Noire and African Journal On Line (AJOL) for the relevant papers either in English or in French. Results: Twenty papers were found and only 15 matched the selection criteria. Prevalence rates of cervical cancer ranged from 1.87 to 14%. The mean HIV prevalence rate in cervical cancer patients was 25.73% and this was generally higher than in non-HIV positive women. High HPV infection rates (60 to 85.3%) were also reported along with a large variety of serotypes. Radiotherapy was considered a reasonable therapeutic option in advanced cervical cancers in HIV positive women with hysterectomy for cancers at an earlier stage.Conclusio...