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The early Permian represents a crucial period of climate change in Gondwana. This climate signature is captured in the palynological record that represents the floral assemblage of the region. Palynofacies analysis of the No. 2 Coal Seam of the Highveld Coalfield provides a high-resolution picture of this climatic shift, as well as detailing the vegetation patterns and local environments. Core samples taken from two localities were studied with respect to the characteristics of the plant debris and the palynomorph assemblages to differentiate between regional and local signatures. At both of the sampling localities, the No. 2 Coal Seam is split into a Lower Coal Seam and an Upper Coal Seam by a siltstone and a sandstone intraseam parting, respectively. The uneven palaeotopography and distal depositional environment of the Highveld Coalfield distinguish it from the northern Witbank Coalfield as a river-dominated delta plain, with differences in the palaeoenvironment at each locality. Results from the Lower Coal Seam indicate a fern-dominated lowland and conifer-dominated upland. This gives way to a Glossopteris-dominated lowland and a diverse gymnospermous assemblage in the upland of the Upper Coal Seam. This change in floral composition is also observed in the adjacent Witbank Coalfield and is likely caused by climate amelioration related to the movement of Gondwana away from the South Pole.

The Aramac Coal Measures in the Galilee Basin represent the early transition from a cold to a cool-temperate climate at the terminus of the Late Palaeozoic Ice Age (LPIA). The aim of this study is to examine the record of deglaciation and the establishment of the peat-forming Glossopteris-flora. Two boreholes, Longreach 1-1B and Muttaburra 1. were sampled to compare palynological and carbon isotope records alongside coal petrology. Palynological samples yield high abundances of striate bisaccate pollen derived from glossopterids, along with spores represent fem, horsetail and lycopsid undergrowth. Aquatic palynomorphs are rare but are indicative of freshwater conditions with no marine influence. These results reflect the quick establishment of Glossopteris-Qora following the glaciation. Coals from both sections show a degree of variability can be observed in the coals between each borehole. Coal seams in both holes show relatively low maturity for Australian Permian coals (vitrinite reflectance between 0.5% and 0.6%). Muttaburra 1 features fewer and thinner coal seams than Longreach 1 - IB. Coals from Longreach 1-1B tend to have a higher abundance of minerals and variable vitrinite/inertinite rations. Coals in Muttaburra 1 feature higher inertinite proportions. The liptinite component is made up mainly of sporinite and cutinite, but exsudatinite is also present filling pore space in the fusinites. The thin seams in the lower part of the Aramac Coal Measures feature higher proportions of liptinite, which tends to decrease upsection. With regards to intraseam variability, increases in inertinite can be observed in some seams in Longreach 1-1B, but not observed in Muttaburra 1. Organic carbon isotope values are within the expected range for C3 terrestrial plants. These values show an apparent cyclicity which may be related to climatic changes and humidity changes affected by the Pl and P2 glaciations. The timing of the deposition of the Aramac Coal Measures coincides with the P2 glaciation. Peat-formation either occurred distally from the position of the ice sheets or during brief interglacial phases. The high inertinite proportions indicate fire and/or fungal degradation of within the mire. Sedimentological evidence suggests permafrost was present during the formation of at least some proportion of the coal seams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article takes a look into an unpublished letter from historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle to his editor in New England, Charles Stearns Wheeler. Topics discussed are printing of the two volumes of Carlyle's "Critical and Miscellaneous Essays," proofreading and correction of errors made by Wheeler on the book, and role of Wheeler in bringing Carlyle to an American audience and in shaping the British perception of Carlyle.

The jail‐based competency treatment (JBCT) model has become an established forensic practice across the country. From the perspective of implementation science and the three core elements of the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Service (PARiHS) framework, the JBCT model is a remarkable example of how context (an unrelenting and overwhelmingly strong demand for forensic beds) has driven multiple state governments to facilitate implementation of a methodology in the absence of empirical evidence supporting its efficacy. This 7‐year study of outcomes from four JBCT program sites provides this much‐needed evidence by showing that JBCT restored 56% of 1553 male and 336 female patients over an average of 48.7 days. At the same time, the study highlights how variations in JBCT models, methods, and preadmission stabilization time present challenges to planned and effective implementation of evidence‐based practice at the statewide system level. By identifying differential responsiveness to JBCT treatment by diagnosis and other factors, the study suggests preliminary implementation ideas for what types of patients are well served by the JBCT model as part of a continuum of restoration options that includes inpatient, outpatient and diversion. Significant findings showed that JBCT patients were restored at a higher rate and in a shorter time if they were female, < 20 years old (highest restoration rate; those < 60 years old also significantly better rates), free of co‐occurring intellectual and cognitive deficits, and malingering. Of the major diagnoses, schizoaffective disorder required a significantly longer length of JBCT treatment for restoration, and lower restoration rates than schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, although this was moderated by a significant interaction with abuse of amphetamines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe mental illness, especially psychotic disorders that are worsening, acute or complicated, normally require intensive psychiatric care and treatment that is most appropriately provided in a mental hospital. For criminal defendants, transfer to a forensic security hospital has traditionally been the means of achieving hospital care for mentally disordered defendants who have been found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity. In recent years, with the shortage of intermediate and long‐term hospital beds in the United States, including forensic security hospital beds, jail‐based competency restoration programs are being established, seemingly obviating hospital transfer. Potential advantages of and concerns about jail‐based, as opposed to hospital‐based, competency restoration programs are discussed in the literature. If defendants with severe mental illness traditionally treated in a forensic security hospital for competency restoration are now treated for competency restoration in jail, it is not inconceivable that insanity acquittees could one day be treated in jail for sanity restoration. With the premise that it is better to consider the potential consequences before this becomes a serious proposal and is implemented, this analysis examine the advantages and concerns that have been put forth for jail‐based competence restoration programs as they may or may not apply to jail‐based sanity restoration programs. Substantial commonality is recognized, but also some differences, as well as reason for skepticism of the purported virtues of either alternative to care and treatment in forensic security hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the treatment of leptomeningeal melanoma, focusing on various case studies. Topics discussed include impact of BRAF inhibitors and immunotherapy on the same; clinical and radiological responses to BRAF inhibitors and ipilimumab; and a table depecting summary of the patient history with leptomeningeal metastasis.

Apart from their remarkable phonological skills young infants prior to their first birthday show ability to match the mouth articulation they see with the speech sounds they hear. They are able to detect the audiovisual conflict of speech and to selectively attend to articulating mouth depending on audiovisual congruency. Early audiovisual speech processing is an important aspect of language development, related not only to phonological knowledge, but also to language production during subsequent years. This article reviews recent experimental work delineating the complex developmental trajectory of audiovisual mismatch detection. The central issue is the role of age-related changes in visual scanning of audiovisual speech and the corresponding changes in neural signatures of audiovisual speech processing in the second half of the first year of life. This phenomenon is discussed in the context of recent theories of perceptual development and existing data on the neural organisation of the infant 'social brain'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2-μm wave band is emerging as a potential new window for optical telecommunications with several distinct advantages over the traditional 1.55 μm region. First of all, the hollow-core photonic band gap fiber (HC-PBGF) is an emerging transmission fiber candidate with ultra-low nonlinearity and lowest latency (0.3% slower than light propagating in vacuum) that has its minimum loss within the 2-μm wavelength band. Second, the thulium-doped fiber amplifier that operates in this spectral region provides significantly more bandwidth than the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. In this paper, we demonstrate a single-channel 2-μm transmitter capable of delivering >52 Gbit/s data signals, which is twice the capacity previously demonstrated. To achieve this, we employ discrete multitone modulation via direct current modulation of a Fabry–Perot semiconductor laser. The 4.4-GHz modulation bandwidth of the laser is enhanced by optical injection locking, providing up to 11 GHz modulation bandwidth. Transmission over 500-m and 3.8-km samples of HC-PBGF is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Taking its cue from Allah's description of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) as 'mercy to all worlds,' this paper attempts to show that compassion was the natural characteristic of the Prophet (peace be on him), manifesting itself in all situations. The paper begins with outlining the difficulty encountered in uncovering the personality and character of historical figures since their fame overshadows their true personalities, shows that the case of the Prophet Muliammad (peace be on him), however, is quite different. The paper then looks at the Prophet's attitude to his enemies who waged wars against him, when they were awaiting his verdict while totally defeated, and finds it full of mercy, both at the collective as well as individual level. Similarly his attitude towards individuals who attempted to kill him is found to be forbearing and forgiving. The paper then looks at his attitude towards his relatives and finds it to be the epitome of kindness, even towards those who gave him great pains by rejecting him and accusing him of being a liar and an impostor. The paper further finds that his compassion for children was unparalleled. He keenly showed such kindness even to hardened Bedouins to moderate their hard attitude. The paper then completes the picture looking at attitude of the Prophet (peace be on him) towards the potent and finds it that of dignity and compassion. The paper, thus, highlights, that Muliammad (peace be on him) was consistently compassionate and merciful to all people not only to Muslims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A summary is presented of the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) project, with a focus on the field experiment that was conducted from October 1997 to October 1998. The primary objective of the field work was to collectocean, ice, and atmospheric datasets over a full annual cycle that could be used to understand the processes controlling surface heat exchanges—in particular, the ice-albedo feedback and cloud-radiation feedback. This information is being used to improve formulations of arctic ice-ocean-atmosphere processes in climate models and thereby improve simulations of present and future arctic climate. The experiment was deployed from an ice breaker that was frozen into the ice packand allowed to drift for the duration of the experiment. This research platform allowed the use of an extensive suite of instruments that directly measured ocean, atmosphere, and ice properties from both the ship and the ice pack in the immediate vicinity of the ship. This summary describes the project goals, experimental design, instrumentation, and the resulting datasets. Examples of various data products available from the SHEBA project are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructivism is regarded as increasingly important in International Relations. More often than not the approach is related to the issue of identity. Constructivism and identity are, however, in a dangerous liaison. This article argues that Alexander Wendt's constructivism needs identity as a central concept but that this very concept threatens to undermine the possibility of his constructivism. It is further suggested that this problem has some relevance to other constructivist approaches positioned in the middle ground between rationalist and reflectivist theorizing. The argument is illustrated with a consideration of the debates around the redefinition of the role of the Federal Republic of Germany to include the possibility of German military involvement abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]