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Objectives. This study describes the development and validation the Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS-36) which measures the extent to which females’ menstrual practices and environments meet their needs. Methods. A 54-item pool was developed following systematic-review of qualitative and quantitative studies and expert feedback. Item reduction and scale validation were undertaken using a cross-sectional survey of 538 menstruating schoolgirls in Soroti, Uganda. Test-retest reliability was assessed in a sub-sample of 52 girls two weeks after the first administration. Construct validity was tested through relationships with hypothesised correlates: confidence to manage menses, self-reported school absenteeism, and mental health symptoms. Results. The final MPNS-36 comprises 28 items applicable to all respondents, and 8 items capturing washing and drying experiences for those reusing menstrual materials. A four-factor solution for the core 28 items was the best fit for the data (RMSEA=0.028-0.029; CFI=0.961-0.964; TFI=0.957-0.959), supplemented by two factors for reuse (RMSEA=0.021-0.030; CFI=0.987-0.994; TFI=0.981-0.991). Subscale and total scores were calculated as mean scores to support accessibility for practitioners. Subscales were ‘material and home environment needs’ (11 items, α-ordinal=0.84), ‘transport and school environment needs’ (5-items, α-ordinal=0.73), ‘material reliability concerns’ (3-items, α-ordinal=0.55), ‘change and disposal insecurity’ (9-items, α-ordinal=0.80), ‘reuse needs’ (5-items, α-ordinal=0.76), and ‘reuse insecurity’ (3-items, α-ordinal=0.56). Relationships between subscales and hypothesised correlates supported validity. Home- and school-based items were more strongly associated with confidence to manage menstruation at home and school, respectively. Higher scores predicted not missing school during the last menstrual period (total score: OR=2.62, 95%CI=1.52-4.50). Test-retest reliability was moderate (total score: ICC(2,1)=0.69).Conclusions. The MPNS-36 demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. It is the first measure to capture women and girls perceived menstrual hygiene and may be used across a range of study designs to assess menstrual needs. Future research should explore the suitability and sensitivity of the measure across contexts.

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SYNOPSISTwo horizons of low-grade stratabound sulphide mineralisation occur east of Tyndrum in the Ben Challum Quartzite, a newly recognised formation in the Argyll Group (Middle Dalradian). The lower horizon exceeds 9 km along strike and averages 1250 ppm Zn and 340 ppm Cu over an 80 m intersection. The upper extends for 4 km and locally contains up to 3-6% Zn over 1 m. Both comprise stratiform pyrite with minor pyrrhotite, sphalerite and chalcopyrite, in quartzite with possible meta-chert and subordinate schists, and contain manganeseenriched garnet. Sphalerite and galena in the upper horizon are associated with microcrystalline quartz and siliceous breccia interpreted as relict hydrothermal rocks. The Ben Challum Quartzite is in part highly albitic and includes bands of hornblende-schist with tholeiitic composition, some of which probably formed as basic tuff or volcanic sediment. The basal part of the overlying Ben Lui Schist includes sediment carrying talc, magnesite, chromite and Ni-sulphides which probably derived from altered ultramafic rocks. The Z n -C u -P b mineralisation is considered to be of the sedimentary-exhalative type, deposition occurring during a regime of fault-bounded subsidence prior to the turbiditic sedimentation of the Ben Lui Schist. INTRODUCTION A zone of stratiform, weakly cupriferous, pyritic mineralisation near the top of the Ben Lawers Schist has been shown to have considerable lateral persistence despite significant changes in lithofacies (Smith 1977;Smith et al. 1978). In the AUt Auchtertyre 2-5 k m east of T y n d r u m , Smith et al. (1977a) recorded a zone of pyritic mineralisation carrying about 0 -1 % C u and 0-4% Z n in quartzite which, on existing evidence, was assumed to be part of the Ben Lawers Schist. Copper drainage anomalies led subsequently to the discovery of stratabound sphalerite and galena on the north side of Ben Challum 5 k m N E of Allt Auchtertyre at a similar lithostratigraphic level. It is the intention of this paper to show that three discrete horizons of stratabound sulphide mineralisation are present in this area and that the quartzite has a far greater outcrop than shown on 1" Geological Sheet 46. It is n o w regarded as a separate formation, the Ben Challum Quartzite (Smith et al. 1981;, which by virtue of its position in the succession between the Ben Lawers and Ben Lui Schists is the lateral equivalent of the Sron Bheag Schist (Elles 1926) or Scott.

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