Some arboreal monocotyledons, such as the dragon trees (Dracaena sp.), can develop impressive trunks (>5 m perimeter) through a lateral meristem, but their ages are difficult to determine. We report here a series of calibrated radiocarbon (14C) dates obtained from a stem section of Dracaena draco (L.) L. subsp. draco growing on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. This radial section, about 40 cm long, was cut on October 18, 2023, from a large (∼60 cm diameter) branch that had fallen off the main stem of a privately owned dragon tree. In order to apply 14C calibration, and given the lack of clearly defined growth layers, we collected 33 sequential samples at ∼1-cm intervals along this radial section. A first attempt at wiggle-matching resulted in a calibrated dating of ∼1787 CE for the innermost sample. Because we only knew the spatial distance, but not the time interval, between 14C dates, we further applied calibration tools commonly used for sedimentary sequences. The Poisson-process deposition model in the software OxCal resulted in a calibrated age for the innermost sample of 1776–1798 CE (2σ). The classic and Bayesian age-depth deposition models available as R packages dated the innermost sample to, respectively, 1775–1862 and 1768–1813 CE. Because the branch was at a height of ∼3 m from the ground, and its section did not reach the pith, our results suggest that this dragon tree was ∼300 years old in 2023.

For any integer $t \geq 2$, we prove a local limit theorem (LLT) with an explicit convergence rate for the number of parts in a uniformly chosen t-regular partition. When $t = 2$, this recovers the LLT for partitions into distinct parts, as previously established in the work of Szekeres [‘Asymptotic distributions of the number and size of parts in unequal partitions’, Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 36 (1987), 89–97].

The literature on internal commitment cites Adam Smith as a precursor because of his elaboration of diachronic control, and this has given rise to attempts to model his account. Some of these efforts stress the role he assigns to the “general rules of morality” by which the “bulk of mankind” ensure the constancy of their conduct, and interpret them as self-enforcing resolutions. But how could such internal tactics as adopted by weak agents be effective? How could the knowledge of general rules escape self-deception? We take a closer look at what Smith writes about beliefs and emotional dispositions regarding the important rules of morality.

Paleoecological reconstructions provide valuable insights into the impacts of environmental change on key functions of wetland ecosystems. Here, we integrate biological and sedimentological proxies to provide a baseline of vegetation and hydrological change since the Middle Holocene at a riparian marsh, with the goal of informing wetland restoration within a regional biodiversity hotspot in the Great Lakes coastal zone. Four stages of wetland development are identified, reflecting the combined impacts of Lake Erie fluctuations, fluvial processes, regional paleoclimate, and anthropogenic influence. Wetland establishment took place ∼6000 cal yr BP during a Lake Erie high stand, and pollen assemblages indicate that the site was initially a forested wetland. Subsequently, water levels remained elevated as a transition to an emergent marsh with silty, organic-rich sediments took place ∼5300 cal yr BP. Once water levels stabilized in the Late Holocene, a thicket swamp established in sandier sediments, suggesting closer proximity to the meandering channel. The intensification of European settlement from 1850 CE marked a major transition, resulting from disturbances caused by land clearance and hydrological alterations, including higher rates of sediment accretion, novel diatom communities, and increases in herbaceous vegetation. These paleoecological records demonstrate the importance of considering whole-watershed measures in restoration planning, including controls on mineral sediment influxes, maintenance of local water tables, and management of invasive species producing high biomass.

Many argue that America’s punitive turn was the result of racial backlash to the Civil Rights Movement. Yet some have noted support among black people for the policies attributed to this backlash, citing the influence of rising crime on black voters and politicians. In this article we gather new evidence and examine what it implies. Public opinion data show that not just the white but also the black public became more punitive after the 1960s. Voting data from the House show that most black politicians voted punitively at the height of concern about crime. In addition, an analysis of federally mandated redistricting suggests that in the early 1990s, black political representation had a punitive impact at the state level. Together, our evidence suggests that crime had a profound effect on black politics. It also casts some doubt on the conventional view of the origins of mass incarceration.

We used AMS 14C dating to determine the age of the composite wedge formation in the Batagay Upper Sand unit. The composite wedges are interpreted as syngenetic structures; they have grown vertically upward with aggradation of the host sandy deposits. The formation of composite wedges in Upper Sand commenced no later than 38.3 cal ka BP and stopped not earlier than 25.5 cal ka BP in the northwestern part of the slump. In the formation of ice wedges within the Upper Sand, frost cracks extended to a depth of 5–7 m, surpassing the normal depth of 3–4 m observed in the Upper Ice Complex. The composite ice wedges in the Upper Sand formed at temperatures ranging from –47 to –54°C, as evidenced by the paleotemperature reconstruction of the isotope composition of the Upper Ice Complex’s ice wedges.

This paper assesses the rhetorical and lyrical qualities of the Cretan translation of Guarini’s Pastor Fido as O Bistikos Voskos, by analysing passages that either deviate notably from the original or are the invention of the unknown Cretan poet. Comparison of the two dramatic works sheds light on the translator’s tendency to add or expand lyrical passages, thus giving more extended and emphatic poetic expression to the heroes’ emotions and thoughts.

This article examines institutional fragmentation among key organisations in charge of Biafra’s struggle for independence since the year 2000. The article argues that contrary to the mainstream explanations, which attribute the split to the differences in tactics between organisations (Duruji 2012) or their relations with the state (Kalyvas 2008; Cunningham 2014), organisational cohesion is largely absent due to the struggle for power and resources among the leaders in charge of the organisations. Supported by the in-depth interviews with key informants, we treat Biafran secessionist organisations as business models through which leading politicians act as political entrepreneurs and engage in predatory rent-seeking practices to maximise profits and power through the institutions that represent the collective struggle.

The combination of a right aortic arch with a vascular ring and coarctation of the aorta is a rare association, presenting a unique management challenge for the primary team. A thorough literature review revealed only seven published case reports, with three cases reported in the neonatal period with similar anatomy. This distinctive anatomy inspires inquiry into the development of coarctation in the context of a right aortic arch and vascular ring, as well as the best approach to surgical management. We encountered a similar case in a neonate with a combination of these malformations and a unique aortic arch branching pattern. Cardiac CT was instrumental in the diagnosis and surgical planning. This article reviews the variations in anatomy, clinical presentation, imaging findings, and management challenges encountered in the reported cases. This comprehensive review aims to assist the primary team in making informed decisions when treating these complex patients.

Understanding biotic responses to environmental changes will help identify extinction risks and direct conservation efforts to mitigate negative effects associated with anthropogenic-induced environmental changes. Here we use the Quaternary fossil record of mole salamanders (Ambystoma) from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico to reveal geographic patterns of extirpation since the Pleistocene. Ambystoma are known to have previously inhabited regions of central Texas on the Edwards Plateau; however, they are largely absent from the region today. We used a well-dated fossil record of Ambystoma from Hall’s Cave combined with other fossil sites in the region to deduce why Ambystoma was ultimately extirpated from the Edwards Plateau and to test hypotheses related to temperature-driven body-size changes in line with the temperature–size rule. We propose that Ambystoma was likely extirpated from the region due to changing temperature and precipitation regimes that caused increased mortality and disruptions to breeding and larval development. We found some support for decreased body size in Ambystoma with increased temperature during the late Pleistocene, suggesting that body size may be an important feature to monitor in modern populations of Ambystoma as salamanders become subjected to increasingly hotter temperatures in the coming decades.

Gay and Meier asked if a trisection diagram for the Gluck twist on a spun or twist-spun 2-knot in $S^4$ obtained by a certain method is standard. In this paper, we show that the trisection diagram for the Gluck twist on the spun $(p+1,p)$-torus knot is standard, where p is any integer greater than or equal to 2.

Garra gotyla is a benthopelagic freshwater cyprinid fish native to Asia, valued for both food and ornamental purposes; nevertheless, its parasitic diseases are poorly understood. The present study investigated the presence and ecological indices (prevalence and intensity) of monogenean parasites infecting G. gotyla in Mizoram, northeast India. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the phylogenetic relationships among three closely related dactylogyrid genera: Dactylogyrus, Dogielius, and Dactylogyroides. Monogeneans were initially identified based on the comparative morphology of their sclerotised haptoral and reproductive structures, followed by BLASTn comparisons of their partial 28S rRNA gene sequences. Two dactylogyrid species, Dactylogyrus labro sp. n. and Dogielius salpinx sp. n., were recovered and are described herein as new to science. Dactylogyrus labro was found to infect all examined fish, whereas D. salpinx had a slightly lower prevalence, ranging from 76.5% to 83.3% across different sampling sites. The phylogenetic insights from these species presented in this study highlight the complex evolutionary relationships within these three genera. Further, this study provides the first confirmed molecular data for a Dogielius species, allowing for much-needed phylogenetic studies on the genus and filling a gap in sequencing data for Indian monogeneans. Since all monogeneans are potentially hazardous parasites, more studies are needed to map their diversity and effects on host fishes in this region.

This review article discusses five volumes that provide the final report on the excavations in Insula ix at Silchester (the ‘Town Life Project’), which began in 1997 and were completed in 2014:

M Fulford, A Clarke and H Eckardt 2006. Life and Labour in Late Roman Silchester: excavations in Insula ix since 1997 (Britannia Monogr no. 22), Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London [henceforth Vol 1]

M Fulford and A Clarke 2011. Silchester: city in transition. The mid-Roman occupation of Insula ix c AD 125–250/300. A report on excavations undertaken since 1997 (Britannia Monogr no. 25), Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London [henceforth Vol 2]

M Fulford, A Clarke, E Durham and N Pankhurst 2018. Late Iron Age Calleva: the pre-conquest occupation at Silchester Insula ix (Britannia Monogr no. 32), Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London [henceforth Vol 3]

M Fulford, A Clarke, E Durham and N Pankhurst 2020. Silchester Insula ix. The Claudio-Neronian occupation of the Iron Age oppidum: the early Roman occupation at Silchester Insula ix (Britannia Monogr no. 33), Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies London [henceforth Vol 4]

M Fulford, A Clarke and N Pankhurst 2024. Silchester Insula ix: oppidum to Roman city c 85–125/150 (Britannia Monogr no. 37), Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London [henceforth Vol 5]