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.

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.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and antimicrobial pollution caused by human activity are placing pressure on global microbiota. However, microbial protection remains mostly absent from international law and global governance frameworks. This policy brief highlights the chronic marginalisation of microbes in international health, environmental, and human rights law, as well as in governance frameworks addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Drawing on recent genomics and humanities research, it argues that policymakers need to abandon interventions designed to control or combat individual microbes in favour of microbiota-oriented governance. This brief discusses three major areas (pollution thresholds, microbial conservation, and the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment) where change is already occurring.