We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
To save content items to your account,
please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies.
If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account.
Find out more about saving content to .
To save content items to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org
is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings
on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part
of your Kindle email address below.
Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations.
‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi.
‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Many governments across the world provide extensive funding to national sports teams and individual athletes in pursuit of success at international competitions such as the Olympic Games. One factor that motivates governments to fund national sports teams is the potential to exploit the elevation in nationalistic pride that attends international sporting success. Drawing on research in the psychology of sport, this article contends that politicians can access the ‘reflective glow’ of successful athletes for their political benefit. The statistical correlation between government funding and Olympic success is explored using the basic prisoners’ dilemma to represent the decisions of two governments competing for sports success. While the analysis is simple, we argue that it sheds some light on recent examples and represents a first step in understanding this complex issue.
Many male prisoners have significant mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. High proportions struggle with homelessness and substance misuse.
Aims
This study aims to evaluate whether the Engager intervention improves mental health outcomes following release.
Method
The design is a parallel randomised superiority trial that was conducted in the North West and South West of England (ISRCTN11707331). Men serving a prison sentence of 2 years or less were individually allocated 1:1 to either the intervention (Engager plus usual care) or usual care alone. Engager included psychological and practical support in prison, on release and for 3–5 months in the community. The primary outcome was the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), 6 months after release. Primary analysis compared groups based on intention-to-treat (ITT).
Results
In total, 280 men were randomised out of the 396 who were potentially eligible and agreed to participate; 105 did not meet the mental health inclusion criteria. There was no mean difference in the ITT complete case analysis between groups (92 in each arm) for change in the CORE-OM score (1.1, 95% CI –1.1 to 3.2, P = 0.325) or secondary analyses. There were no consistent clinically significant between-group differences for secondary outcomes. Full delivery was not achieved, with 77% (108/140) receiving community-based contact.
Conclusions
Engager is the first trial of a collaborative care intervention adapted for prison leavers. The intervention was not shown to be effective using standard outcome measures. Further testing of different support strategies for prison with mental health problems is needed.
People with serious mental illness (SMI) experience higher mortality partially attributable to higher long-term condition (LTC) prevalence. However, little is known about multiple LTCs (MLTCs) clustering in this population.
Methods
People from South London with SMI and two or more existing LTCs aged 18+ at diagnosis were included using linked primary and mental healthcare records, 2012–2020. Latent class analysis (LCA) determined MLTC classes and multinominal logistic regression examined associations between demographic/clinical characteristics and latent class membership.
Results
The sample included 1924 patients (mean (s.d.) age 48.2 (17.3) years). Five latent classes were identified: ‘substance related’ (24.9%), ‘atopic’ (24.2%), ‘pure affective’ (30.4%), ‘cardiovascular’ (14.1%), and ‘complex multimorbidity’ (6.4%). Patients had on average 7–9 LTCs in each cluster. Males were at increased odds of MLTCs in all four clusters, compared to the ‘pure affective’. Compared to the largest cluster (‘pure affective’), the ‘substance related’ and the ‘atopic’ clusters were younger [odds ratios (OR) per year increase 0.99 (95% CI 0.98–1.00) and 0.96 (0.95–0.97) respectively], and the ‘cardiovascular’ and ‘complex multimorbidity’ clusters were older (ORs 1.09 (1.07–1.10) and 1.16 (1.14–1.18) respectively). The ‘substance related’ cluster was more likely to be White, the ‘cardiovascular’ cluster more likely to be Black (compared to White; OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.10–2.79), and both more likely to have schizophrenia, compared to other clusters.
Conclusion
The current study identified five latent class MLTC clusters among patients with SMI. An integrated care model for treating MLTCs in this population is recommended to improve multimorbidity care.
Deutetrabenazine is FDA-approved for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in adults. In two 12-week pivotal trials (ARM-TD/AIM-TD), deutetrabenazine significantly improved Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) scores and was well-tolerated. This post hoc analysis examined the efficacy and safety of long-term deutetrabenazine treatment in TD patients with comorbid psychiatric illness, including schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder and mood disorders (bipolar/depression/other).
Methods
Patients who completed ARM-TD or AIM-TD enrolled in the 3-year, open-label extension (OLE) study. Deutetrabenazine was titrated based on dyskinesia control and tolerability. Change from baseline in total motor AIMS score, Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC), and adverse events (AEs) were analyzed in subgroups by comorbid psychiatric illness.
Results
A total of 337 patients in the OLE study were included in the analysis: 205 patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (mean age, 55 years; 50% male; 6.4 years since diagnosis; 92% taking DRA) and 131 patients with mood disorders (mean age, 60 years; 35% male; 4.6 years since diagnosis; 50% taking DRA). At week 145, mean ± SE dose was 40.4 ± 1.1 mg/day for schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (n = 88) and 38.5 ± 1.2 mg/day for mood disorders (n = 72). Mean ± SE change from baseline in AIMS score at week 145 was −6.3 ± 0.49 and −7.1 ± 0.58, 56% and 72% achieved PGIC treatment success, and 66% and 82% achieved CGIC treatment success in schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder and mood disorder patients, respectively. Overall AE incidence (exposure-adjusted incidence rates [incidence/patient-years]) was low: any, 1.02 and 1.71; serious, 0.10 and 0.12; leading to discontinuation, 0.07 and 0.05).
Conclusion
Long-term deutetrabenazine treatment provided clinically meaningful improvements in TD-related movements, with a favorable safety profile, regardless of underlying comorbid psychiatric illness.
Funding
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Petach Tikva, Israel
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is an involuntary movement disorder that can result from exposure to dopamine-receptor antagonists (DRAs). Deutetrabenazine demonstrated significant improvements in Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) scores in the 12-week pivotal trials (ARM-TD/AIM-TD). This post hoc analysis assessed the long-term efficacy and safety of deutetrabenazine by baseline DRA use.
Methods
Patients who completed ARM-TD or AIM-TD enrolled in the 3-year, open-label extension (OLE) study, with deutetrabenazine dose titrated based on dyskinesia control and tolerability. Change from baseline in total motor AIMS score, Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC), and adverse event (AE) rates were analyzed in subgroups by baseline DRA use.
Results
Of 337 patients in the OLE study, 254 were taking DRAs at baseline (mean age, 56 years; 48% male; 6.0 years since diagnosis) and 83 were not (mean age, 60 years; 31% male; 4.9 years since diagnosis). Mean ± SE dose at week 145 was 39.9 ± 1.0 mg/day in patients taking DRAs (n = 108) and 38.5 ± 1.5 mg/day in patients not taking DRAs (n = 53). At week 145, mean ± SE change from baseline in AIMS score was −6.1 ± 0.43 and −7.5 ± 0.71; 64% and 62% achieved PGIC treatment success; and 69% and 81% achieved CGIC treatment success, respectively. Overall AE incidence was low (exposure-adjusted incidence rates [incidence/patient-years]: any, 1.08 and 1.97; serious, 0.10 and 0.12; leading to discontinuation, 0.06 and 0.05).
Conclusion
This analysis suggests that deutetrabenazine for long-term treatment of TD is beneficial, with a favorable safety profile, regardless of concomitant DRA use.
Funding
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Petach Tikva, Israel
Monoclonal antibody therapeutics to treat coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Many barriers exist when deploying a novel therapeutic during an ongoing pandemic, and it is critical to assess the needs of incorporating monoclonal antibody infusions into pandemic response activities. We examined the monoclonal antibody infusion site process during the COVID-19 pandemic and conducted a descriptive analysis using data from 3 sites at medical centers in the United States supported by the National Disaster Medical System. Monoclonal antibody implementation success factors included engagement with local medical providers, therapy batch preparation, placing the infusion center in proximity to emergency services, and creating procedures resilient to EUA changes. Infusion process challenges included confirming patient severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positivity, strained staff, scheduling, and pharmacy coordination. Infusion sites are effective when integrated into pre-existing pandemic response ecosystems and can be implemented with limited staff and physical resources.
Deutetrabenazine, a novel vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor, is approved by the FDA for treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in adults. Dopamine-receptor antagonists (DRAs) are associated with worsening of metabolic parameters, including weight gain, hyperlipidemia, and elevated blood glucose. This post hoc analysis assessed the short- and long-term effects of deutetrabenazine treatment on weight and metabolic parameters in individuals treated for TD.
Methods
Two 12-week, randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) of deutetrabenazine for patients with TD evaluated either fixed dosing (AIM-TD; 12, 24, or 36 mg) or dose titration (ARM-TD; max dose, 48 mg/day). Patients completing ARM-TD or AIM-TD were included in an open-label extension (OLE) study, in which all patients underwent response-driven titration of deutetrabenazine from 12 mg/day up to a maximum total dose of 48 mg/day. Weight, body mass index (BMI), serum glucose, serum total cholesterol, and serum triglycerides were evaluated at baseline and during treatment in the RCTs and in the OLE.
Results
In the RCTs, 282 and 133 patients received deutetrabenazine or placebo. At baseline, 77% of patients used DRAs. At Week 12, no meaningful changes in weight were observed, with mean (standard error) weight changes of 0.9–1.2 (0.3–0.5) and 0.2 (0.3) kg in the deutetrabenazine and placebo groups, respectively, and mean BMI changes of 0.3–0.5 (0.1–0.2) and 0.1 (0.1) kg/m2. 337 patients were included in the analysis of the OLE study. No meaningful changes were observed in weight (mean change: 0.4 [0.4] kg at Week 54, –0.5 [0.6] kg at Week 106, and –1.1 [0.6] kg at Week 145) or BMI (mean change: 0.1 [0.2] kg/m2 at Week 54, –0.2 [0.2] kg/m2 at Week 106, and –0.3 [0.2] kg/m2 at Week 145). Across the studies, no meaningful changes were observed in triglyceride, cholesterol, or glucose levels.
Conclusion
Deutetrabenazine does not affect common metabolic parameters in patients with TD, even during long-term exposure.
Funding
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Petach Tikva, Israel
The 12-week ARM-TD and AIM-TD studies in tardive dyskinesia (TD) patients showed statistically significant improvements in TD symptoms with deutetrabenazine. The completed open-label extension (OLE) study (SD-809-C−20) evaluated long-term efficacy and safety of deutetrabenazine in TD.
Methods
Patients who completed ARM-TD or AIM-TD enrolled in the OLE study, with deutetrabenazine dose titrated based on dyskinesia control and tolerability. Change from baseline in Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) score was assessed by local site raters. Treatment success was evaluated locally as patients being “much improved” or “very much improved” on Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC).
Results
343 patients enrolled in the OLE study; 6 patients were excluded from analyses. At Week 54 (n=249; dose [mean±SE]: 38.7±0.66mg/day), mean change from baseline in AIMS score was –4.8±0.28; 66% of patients experienced treatment success. At Week 106 (n=194; dose: 39.3±0.75mg/day), mean change from baseline in AIMS score was –5.4±0.33; 65% of patients experienced treatment success. At Week 145 (n=160; dose: 39.4±0.83mg/day), mean change from baseline in AIMS score was –6.6±0.37; 73% of patients experienced treatment success. Treatment was generally well tolerated across 723 patient-years of exposure through Week 158, and exposure-adjusted incidence rates (incidence/patient-years) for akathisia/restlessness were 0.01, somnolence/sedation were 0.07, and symptoms which may represent parkinsonism or depression were 0.08 each.
Conclusions
Patients who received long-term treatment with deutetrabenazine achieved sustained improvement in AIMS scores. Findings from this open-label trial with response-driven dosing suggest the possibility of increasing benefit over time.
Funding
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Petach Tikva, Israel
Deutetrabenazine (Austedo) is approved by the FDA for treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in adults. In the 12-week ARM-TD and AIM-TD studies, deutetrabenazine showed clinically significant improvements in Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) scores compared with placebo, and there were low rates of overall adverse events (AEs) and discontinuations associated with deutetrabenazine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of deutetrabenazine in patients with TD at 3 years.
METHODS:
Patients who completed ARM-TD or AIM-TD were included in this open-label, single-arm extension study, in which all patients restarted/started deutetrabenazine 12 mg/day, titrating up to a maximum total daily dose of 48 mg/day based on dyskinesia control and tolerability. The study comprised a 6-week titration period and a long-term maintenance phase. Safety measures included incidence of AEs, serious AEs (SAEs), and AEs leading to withdrawal, dose reduction, or dose suspension. Exposure-adjusted incidence rates (EAIRs; incidence/patient-years) were used for calculating AE frequencies. This analysis reports results up to Week 158.
RESULTS:
A total of 343 patients were enrolled (111 received placebo and 232 received deutetrabenazine in the parent studies). At the time of this analysis, 183 patients were still receiving treatment; 259 completed 1 year, 172 completed 2 years, and 41 completed 3 years. There were 623 patient-years of exposure. More than 40% of patients reached the maximum dose. EAIRs of AEs were comparable to or lower than those observed in the ARM-TD and AIM-TD short-term randomized trials of deutetrabenazine vs. placebo. The frequency of SAEs (EAIR 0.10) was similar to that observed with short-term placebo (0.33) and short-term deutetrabenazine (range 0.06–0.33) treatment. AEs leading to withdrawal (0.06), dose reduction (0.10), and dose suspension (0.05) were uncommon.
CONCLUSION:
These results support the safety outcomes observed in the ARM-TD and AIM-TD parent studies and the safety of deutetrabenazine for long-term use in patients with TD.
Funding Acknowledgements: This study was funded by Teva Pharmaceuticals, Petach Tikva, Israel
In the 12-week ARM-TD and AIM-TD studies evaluating deutetrabenazine for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD), the percentage of patients achieving ≥50% response was higher in the deutetrabenazine-treated group than in the placebo group. These studies also showed low rates of overall adverse events (AEs) and discontinuations associated with deutetrabenazine. The current open-label study evaluated the long-term efficacy and safety of deutetrabenazine in patients with TD.
Methods:
Patients with TD who completed ARM-TD or AIM-TD could enroll in this open-label, single-arm extension study, titrating up over 6 weeks to a maximum total daily dose of deutetrabenazine 48 mg/day on the basis of dyskinesia control and tolerability. The proportion of Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS; items 1-7) responders was assessed based on response rates for achieving ≥50% improvement from baseline in the open-label extension study. AlMS score was assessed by local site raters for this analysis.
Results:
343 patients enrolled in the extension study. At Week 54 (n=249; total daily dose [mean ± standard error]: 38.6±0.66 mg), the mean percentage change from baseline in AIMS score was –40%; 48% of patients achieved a ≥50% response and 59% of those had already achieved a ≥50% response at Week 15. Further, 34% of those who had not achieved a ≥50% response at Week 15 achieved a ≥50% response at Week 54. At Week 106 (n=169; total daily dose: 39.6±0.77 mg), the mean percentage change from baseline in AIMS score was –45%; 55% of patients achieved a ≥50% response, 59% of those patients had already achieved a ≥50% response at Week 15, and 41% of those who had not achieved a ≥50% response at Week 15 but who reached Week 106 achieved a ≥50% response. At Week 132 (n=109; total daily dose: 39.7±0.97 mg), the mean percentage change from baseline in AIMS score was –61%; 55% of patients achieved a ≥50% response, 61% of those patients had already achieved a ≥50% response at Week 15, and 43% of those who had not achieved a ≥50% response at Week 15 but who reached Week 132 achieved a ≥50% response. Completer analysis suggests that long-term efficacy was not due to dose increases over time. Treatment with deutetrabenazine was generally well tolerated. There were 623 patient-years of exposure through Week 158, and exposure-adjusted incidence rates (incidence/patient-years) of adverse events of special interest were 0.01 for akathisia and restlessness, 0.07 for somnolence and sedation, 0.04 for parkinsonism, and 0.05 for depression.
Conclusions:
Patients who received long-term treatment with deutetrabenazine achieved response rates that were indicative of clinically meaningful long-term benefit. Results from this open-label trial suggest the possibility of increasing benefit over time with individual dose titration of deutetrabenazine.
Funding Acknowledgements:
This study was funded by Teva Pharmaceuticals, Petach Tikva, Israel.
Recently, openness has become a new approach in strategizing as ownership and control of internal assets are no longer vital to achieving competitive advantage (Chesbrough & Appleyard, 2007). Nowadays, knowledge is widespread and open systems are generally regarded as beneficial in terms of organizational design and work culture. However, openness also comes with politics and it is not a practice that will necessarily be welcomed by all. Openness changes the power dynamics within an organization; there are critics as well as friends, as we shall explore. Openness is a process that can change over time, becoming more or less open as events occur and contingencies or actors change. We are interested in how dominant organizational actors can seemingly manipulate “open systems” strategically. Openness is problematic per se for social systems. Systems endogenously construct their differentiation from other systems through closure achieved through specific cognitive rules. In this chapter, we use Clegg’s (1989) “circuits” approach to a theory of power to grasp the politics of openness in terms of three circuits of power. Some of the recent problems posed in the wider world of social media will be analyzed in terms of the three circuits to illustrate some potential problems.
To evaluate long-term efficacy of deutetrabenazine in patients with tardive dyskinesia (TD) by examining response rates from baseline in Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) scores. Preliminary results of the responder analysis are reported in this analysis.
Background
In the 12-week ARM-TD and AIM-TD studies, the odds of response to deutetrabenazine treatment were higher than the odds of response to placebo at all response levels, and there were low rates of overall adverse events and discontinuations associated with deutetrabenazine.
Method
Patients with TD who completed ARM-TD or AIM-TD were included in this open-label, single-arm extension study, in which all patients restarted/started deutetrabenazine 12mg/day, titrating up to a maximum total daily dose of 48mg/day based on dyskinesia control and tolerability. The study comprised a 6-week titration and a long-term maintenance phase. The cumulative proportion of AIMS responders from baseline was assessed. Response was defined as a percent improvement from baseline for each patient from 10% to 90% in 10% increments. AlMS score was assessed by local site ratings for this analysis.
Results
343 patients enrolled in the extension study (111 patients received placebo in the parent study and 232 patients received deutetrabenazine). At Week 54 (n=145; total daily dose [mean±standard error]: 38.1±0.9mg), 63% of patients receiving deutetrabenazine achieved ≥30% response, 48% of patients achieved ≥50% response, and 26% achieved ≥70% response. At Week 80 (n=66; total daily dose: 38.6±1.1mg), 76% of patients achieved ≥30% response, 59% of patients achieved ≥50% response, and 36% achieved ≥70% response. Treatment was generally well tolerated.
Conclusions
Patients who received long-term treatment with deutetrabenazine achieved response rates higher than those observed in positive short-term studies, indicating clinically meaningful long-term treatment benefit.
Presented at: American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting; April 21–27, 2018, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Funding Acknowledgements: This study was supported by Teva Pharmaceuticals, Petach Tikva, Israel.
To evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of deutetrabenazine in patients with tardive dyskinesia (TD) at 2years.
Background
In the 12-week ARM-TD and AIM-TD studies, deutetrabenazine showed clinically significant improvements in Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale scores compared with placebo, and there were low rates of overall adverse events (AEs) and discontinuations associated with deutetrabenazine.
Method
Patients who completed ARM-TD or AIM-TD were included in this open-label, single-arm extension study, in which all patients restarted/started deutetrabenazine 12mg/day, titrating up to a maximum total daily dose of 48mg/day based on dyskinesia control and tolerability. The study comprised a 6-week titration period and a long-term maintenance phase. Safety measures included incidence of AEs, serious AEs (SAEs), and AEs leading to withdrawal, dose reduction, or dose suspension. Exposure-adjusted incidence rates (EAIRs; incidence/patient-years) were used to compare AE frequencies for long-term treatment with those for short-term treatment (ARM-TD and AIM-TD). This analysis reports results up to 2 years (Week106).
Results
343 patients were enrolled (111 patients received placebo in the parent study and 232 received deutetrabenazine). There were 331.4 patient-years of exposure in this analysis. Through Week 106, EAIRs of AEs were comparable to or lower than those observed with short-term deutetrabenazine and placebo, including AEs of interest (akathisia/restlessness [long-term EAIR: 0.02; short-term EAIR range: 0–0.25], anxiety [0.09; 0.13–0.21], depression [0.09; 0.04–0.13], diarrhea [0.06; 0.06–0.34], parkinsonism [0.01; 0–0.08], somnolence/sedation [0.09; 0.06–0.81], and suicidality [0.02; 0–0.13]). The frequency of SAEs (EAIR 0.15) was similar to those observed with short-term placebo (0.33) and deutetrabenazine (range 0.06–0.33) treatment. AEs leading to withdrawal (0.08), dose reduction (0.17), and dose suspension (0.06) were uncommon.
Conclusions
These results confirm the safety outcomes seen in the ARM-TD and AIM-TD parent studies, demonstrating that deutetrabenazine is well tolerated for long-term use in TD patients.
Presented at: American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting; April 21–27, 2018, Los Angeles, California,USA
Funding Acknowledgements: Funding: This study was supported by Teva Pharmaceuticals, Petach Tikva, Israel
Objectives: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurological disorder with symptom onset early in childhood. Growing evidence suggests anomalous brain development across multiple brain regions is evident in school-aged children; however, few studies have examined whether such differences are notable in the preschool years when symptom onset typically occurs. Methods: High resolution anatomical (MPRAGE) images and cognitive and behavioral measures were analyzed in a total of 90 medication-naïve preschoolers, ages 4–5 years (52 with ADHD, 38 controls; 64.4% boys). Results: Results revealed reductions in bilateral frontal, parietal, and temporal lobe gray matter volumes in children with ADHD relative to typically developing children, with largest effect sizes noted for right frontal and left temporal lobe volumes. Examining frontal lobe sub-regions, the largest between group effect sizes were evident for left orbitofrontal cortex, left primary motor cortex (M1), and left supplementary motor complex (SMC). ADHD-related reductions in specific sub-regions (left prefrontal, left premotor, left frontal eye field, left M1, and right SMC) were significantly correlated with symptom severity, such that higher ratings of hyperactive/impulsive symptoms were associated with reduced cortical volumes. Conclusions: These findings represent the first comprehensive examination of cortical volume in preschool children with ADHD, providing evidence that anomalous brain structure in ADHD is evident very early in development. Furthermore, findings set the stage for developing our understanding of the way in which developmental trajectories of anomalous brain development are associated with the unfolding of symptoms in childhood ADHD. (JINS, 2018, 24, 531–539)
The end of the last Ice Age in Britain (c. 11500 BP) created major disruption to the biosphere. Open habitats were succeeded by more wooded landscapes, and changes occurred to the fauna following the abrupt disappearance of typical glacial herd species, such as reindeer and horse (Conneller & Higham 2015). Understanding the impact of these changes on humans and how quickly they were able to adapt may soon become clearer, due to recent discoveries in the Colne Valley on the western edge of Greater London, north of the River Thames. An exceptionally well-preserved open-air site was discovered in 2014 as part of a wider project of archaeological investigation and excavation carried out by Wessex Archaeology (2015), on behalf of CEMEX UK. The site, at Kingsmead Quarry in Horton, is unusual because it has good organic preservation and, in addition to worked flint artefacts, it has yielded groups of articulated horse bone. The extreme rarity of such sites of this period in Britain makes this discovery especially significant and re-emphasises the potential importance of the Colne Valley (Lacaille 1963; Lewis 2011; Morgi et al. 2011).
Late Quaternary reflooding of the Persian Gulf climaxed with the mid-Holocene highstand previously variously dated between 6 and 3.4 ka. Examination of the stratigraphic and paleoenvironmental context of a mid-Holocene whale beaching allows us to accurately constrain the timing of the transgressive, highstand and regressive phases of the mid- to late Holocene sea-level highstand in the Persian Gulf. Mid-Holocene transgression of the Gulf surpassed today's sea level by 7100–6890 cal yr BP, attaining a highstand of > 1 m above current sea level shortly after 5290–4570 cal yr BP before falling back to current levels by 1440–1170 cal yr BP. The cetacean beached into an intertidal hardground pond during the transgressive phase (5300–4960 cal yr BP) with continued transgression interring the skeleton in shallow-subtidal sediments. Subsequent relative sea-level fall produced a forced regression with consequent progradation of the coastal system. These new ages refine previously reported timings for the mid- to late Holocene sea-level highstand published for other regions. By so doing, they allow us to constrain the timing of this correlatable global eustatic event more accurately.
A combination of ‘bomb spike’ calibration and conventional calibration of AMS 14C dating has been used to determine a detailed age-depth model for a 1-m sediment section collected from a salt marsh in Poole Harbour, southern England. These data were compared with the chronology obtained from 210Pb analysis and 137Cs age markers. We report post bomb values of over 1.46 F14C (> 146% modern 14C), and both the rising and falling limbs of the atmospheric ‘bomb spike’ are identified. Five pre-bomb samples were analysed using multi-target high-precision 2‰ AMS analysis, and after the replicates were combined the one-sigma uncertainty was as low as ± 9 14C yr on some ages. These data, and an additional three normal-precision pre-bomb 14C samples, were calibrated using CALIB 5.0 and the chronology constrained using the ‘prior knowledge’ of independent age markers obtained from the analysis of pollen and spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCPs). No agreement was found between the 14C ‘bomb spike’ dates and the CRS 210Pb chronology modelled for this sequence. In addition, poor agreement was found between the signal of the 1960s weapons test fallout indicated by the 14C ‘bomb spike’ dates and the timing suggested by the 137Cs data. This disagreement is attributed to the influence of the local discharge of 137Cs from the former UKAEA site at Winfrith. We use our new chronology to confirm the existence of an acceleration in sedimentation rates in Poole Harbour during the last 100 yr previously reported for this site by Long et al. (Long, A.J., Scaife, R.G., Edwards, R.J. 1999. Pine Pollen in intertidal sediments from Poole Harbour, UK; implications for late-Holocene sediment accretion rates and sea-level rise. Quaternary International, 55, 3–16.), and conclude that ‘bomb spike’ 14C calibration dating may offer a more robust alternative to the use of 210Pb chronologies for dating sediment deposition in salt-marsh environments. In addition, we demonstrate how the use of high-precision AMS analysis has the potential for reducing some of the uncertainties involved in the high-resolution dating of recent salt-marsh sediments.