No abstract

The Late Cretaceous was a greenhouse world, characterized by elevated temperatures and high atmospheric pCO2. Even in the context of an extreme greenhouse climate, existing planktic foraminiferal δ18O data from the Falkland Plateau (paleolatitude of ~55°S) suggest anomalous warmth, with sea‐surface temperatures (SSTs) >30 °C for much of the Late Cretaceous, followed by sudden cooling in the Campanian. Over the last two decades, there has been discussion as to whether these high δ18O‐based SSTs reflect a genuine temperature signal and, if so, whether there was a local temperature anomaly in the South Atlantic or whether the data are representative of zonal paleotemperatures at 55°S. To provide new insights into the degree of ocean warming in the southern high latitudes during the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian to Campanian), new SST records from the Falkland and Kerguelen Plateaus are presented here using the organic geochemical paleothermometer TetraEther indeX of 86 carbon atoms (TEX86). Overall, the TEX86 data support the δ18O data, indicating extreme and widespread warmth in the middle to high southern latitudes in the Late Cretaceous, with SSTs from 27 to 37 °C. Crucially, the TEX86 data show slow, steady cooling from the Turonian to the Campanian and suggest that temperature gradients during the Campanian did not become as steep as suggested by some planktic foraminiferal data.

Tasimelteon (HETLIOZ™) is an orally bioavailable agonist of the melatonin MT1 and MT2 receptors that has been approved in the US for the treatment of non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder. It is the first US FDA-approved medication for this orphan indication. Melatonin is thought to play a role in governing the body's natural sleep-wake cycle through physiological processes regulated in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. The hormone is secreted by the pineal gland, with onset typically occurring when daylight begins to dim. In healthy, sighted individuals, the endogenous circadian period is a little over 24 hours, but is entrained to the 24-hour day through exposure to environmental cues, such as light and darkness. In the absence of these cues, synchronisation is lost and the circadian rhythm follows the intrinsic non-24-hour clock, resulting in disorders like non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder. Because the rhythm of endogenous melatonin is considered to be a measure of the human circadian phase, the carefully timed administration of melatonin analogues, such as tasimelteon, can potentially promote circadian readjustment. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of tasimelteon leading to this first approval for the treatment of non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder.

The study firmly supported BPD as a valid diagnosis. Its treatment within the state mental health system was generally haphazard and ineffective. Post-discharge plans were implemented for only 3 subjects. Current moves toward community psychiatric treatment represent a unique opportunity for improving treatment of BPD by using existing resources more effectively.

Introduction: The Irish Mental Health Act (MHA) 2001 brings Irish health legislation into line with the European Convention for the protection of Human Rights.It replaced the older 1945 Act.The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the MHA 2001 on involuntary admissions to a private psychiatric hospital before and after its implementation. Methods: All involuntary patients admitted to the hospital over a 3 year period for 2 years before and 1 year after the act was introduced were included.A retrospective case note review was undertaken.Data collected included number of days as an involuntary patient and discharge diagnosis.Data was analysed using SPSSv14. Results: A total of 204 patients files were examined. 94 and 70 patients were admitted in the 2 years before the introduction of the MHA, this fell to 40 admissions in the year after the MHA.The mean number of days that patients were involuntarily admitted for 2 years before the Act was 68.6, this fell to 24.9 days in the year after the act, p value < .001.The percentage of involuntary patients with a diagnosis of dementia fell and the percentage of admissions with schizophrenia and BPAD increased. Conclusion: There was a considerable reduction in the number of involuntary admissions and average length of stay after the introduction of the 2001 MHA.More bed numbers may be needed for acute adult admissions and less for long stay admissions.Patients human rights have been improved by the new act which is a positive consequence.