Offenders’ perspectives on acquisitive crime targets and stolen goods disposal methods

This paper examines offenders’ perspectives about acquisitive crime targets and stolen goods markets in Australia that have not been comprehensively reviewed since 2005. Over the last 18 years there have been significant changes in the rates of property crime, reductions in cash usage, and rapid movements to online markets as a disposal outlet, that motivate this updated analysis. In late 2022, n = 107 detainees in a Western Australian police watchhouse were interviewed about their property offending frequency, offence preferences, target selection, disposal methods, and estimated financial return for targeted goods. Results demonstrated (a) meaningful shifts towards shoplifting and away from the other stealing offences, (b) increases in stealing for personal consumption rather than selling on, (c) declines in preferences for small electronic items, (d) ongoing dependence on drug dealers as a preferred outlet for off-loading stolen goods, (e) disposal of stolen goods is still quick, easy, and typically offenders receive about one-third of the original purchase price for items, and (f) growth in the use of online markets to dispose of stolen goods. The theoretical and applied implications of these findings are discussed, emphasising the importance of opportunity-focused interventions to prevent crime

Target setting for nitrogen use efficiency in Scotland

The Scottish Government's Climate Change Plan Update (CCPu) sets out an ambition for the agriculture sector to reduce emissions by 31% from 2019 levels by 2032, and a commitment to “work with the agriculture and science sectors regarding the feasibility and development of a SMART target for reducing Scotland’s emissions from nitrogen (N) fertiliser.” The agricultural sector is dependent on N inputs, both organic and inorganic. The inefficient use of these inputs creates N wastage, impacting air and water quality and the climate. This report explores the potential for setting a NUE target for agriculture in Scotland. It examines N flows found in Scottish agriculture as shown in the Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet (SNBS), providing a clear analysis of the opportunities and barriers

Breeding for reduced methane emissions in livestock

This project examined the potential reductions in livestock methane emissions through breeding, and the policy levers that could motivate these changes. We explored the technologies that detect and measure methane, manage data and are used in the breeding process and examined their potential availability in Scotland in 2030 and 2045. We also identified the relevant policy levers and behaviour changes and considered what Government, the post-farm market, pre-farm gate actors and farmers can do differently to encourage methane reductions through breeding

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Assessing the effect of insecticide-treated cattle on tsetse abundance and trypanosome transmission at the wildlife-livestock interface in Serengeti, Tanzania

In the absence of national control programmes against Rhodesian human African trypanosomiasis, farmer-led treatment of cattle with pyrethroid-based insecticides may be an effective strategy for foci at the edges of wildlife areas, but there is limited evidence to support this. We combined data on insecticide use by farmers, tsetse abundance and trypanosome prevalence, with mathematical models, to quantify the likely impact of insecticide-treated cattle. Sixteen percent of farmers reported treating cattle with a pyrethroid, and chemical analysis indicated 18% of individual cattle had been treated, in the previous week. Treatment of cattle was estimated to increase daily mortality of tsetse by 5–14%. Trypanosome prevalence in tsetse, predominantly from wildlife areas, was 1.25% for T. brucei s.l. and 0.03% for T. b. rhodesiense. For 750 cattle sampled from 48 herds, 2.3% were PCR positive for T. brucei s.l. and none for T. b. rhodesiense. Using mathematical models, we estimated there was 8–29% increase in mortality of tsetse in farming areas and this increase can explain the relatively low prevalence of T. brucei s.l. in cattle. Farmer-led treatment of cattle with pyrethroids is likely, in part, to be limiting the spill-over of human-infective trypanosomes from wildlife areas

Effects of Salmeterol on Sleeping Oxygen Saturation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

&lt;i&gt;Background:&lt;/i&gt; Sleep is associated with important adverse effects in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), such as disturbed sleep quality and gas exchange, including hypoxemia and hypercapnia. The effects of inhaled long-acting β&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-agonist therapy (LABA) on these disturbances are unclear. &lt;i&gt;Objectives:&lt;/i&gt; The aim of the study was to assess the effect of inhaled salmeterol on nocturnal sleeping arterial oxygen saturation (Sa&lt;i&gt;O&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) and sleep quality. &lt;i&gt;Methods:&lt;/i&gt; In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of moderate/severe stable COPD patients, we compared the effects of 4 weeks of treatment with salmeterol 50 µg b.d. and matching placebo on sleeping Sa&lt;i&gt;O&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and sleep quality. Overnight polysomnography (PSG) was performed at baseline, and after 4 and 8 weeks in addition to detailed pulmonary function testing. Of 15 patients included, 12 completed the trial (median age 69 years, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, FEV&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;: 39%). &lt;i&gt;Results:&lt;/i&gt; Both mean Sa&lt;i&gt;O&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; [salmeterol vs. placebo: 92.9% (91.2, 94.7) vs. 91.0% (88.9, 94.8); p = 0.016] and the percentage of sleep spent below 90% of Sa&lt;i&gt;O&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; [1.8% (0.0, 10.8) vs. 25.6% (0.5, 53.5); p = 0.005] improved significantly with salmeterol. Sleep quality was similar with both salmeterol and placebo on PSG. Static lung volumes, particularly trapped gas volume, tended to improve with salmeterol. &lt;i&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/i&gt; We conclude that inhaled LABA therapy improves sleeping Sa&lt;i&gt;O&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; without significant change in sleep quality.</jats:p