The Aims of the Criminal Law

Cu2ZnSnS4(CZTS) is an interesting material for sustainable photovoltaics, but efficiencies are limitedby the low open-circuit voltage. A possible cause of this is disorder among the Cu and Zn cations, aphenomenon which is difficult to detect by standard techniques. We show that this issue can beovercome using near-resonant Raman scattering, which lets us estimate a critical temperature of 533±10 K for the transition between ordered and disordered CZTS. These findings have deepsignificance for the synthesis of high-quality material, and pave the way for quantitative investigationof the impact of disorder on the performance of CZTS-based solar cells.kestCa

A comparison of emotion regulation strategies in response to craving cognitions: Effects on smoking behaviour, craving and affect in dependent smokers

AIM: The effects of three emotion regulation strategies that targeted smoking-related thoughts were compared on outcomes relevant to smoking cessation. METHOD: Daily smokers applied defusion (n = 25), reappraisal (n = 25) or suppression (n = 23) to thoughts associated with smoking during a cue-induced craving procedure. Smoking behaviour, approach/avoidance behavioural bias, and subjective measures of experiential avoidance, craving, and affect were assessed during the experimental session, with additional behavioural and subjective outcomes assessed at 24 h and seven day follow-up. The influence of baseline group differences in smoking level and nicotine dependence were explored statistically. RESULTS: Defusion and reappraisal were associated with greater restraint in smoking behaviour in the immediate post-session period as well as reduction in smoking at seven day follow-up compared to suppression. Relative to suppression, reduced subjective craving was seen in the reappraisal group, and reduced experiential avoidance in the defusion group. Differences in approach/avoidance responses to smoking and neutral cues were observed only between the suppression and reappraisal groups. Although suppression was rated as lower in both credibility and strategy-expectancy compared to defusion and reappraisal, neither credibility nor expectancy mediated the effect of any strategy on changes in levels of smoking. CONCLUSION: Defusion and reappraisal produced similar benefits in smoking-related behavioural outcomes but, relative to suppression, were associated with distinctive outcomes on experiential avoidance and craving. The effects appear to be independent of perceived expectancy and credibility of the different strategies. Overall, the results suggest a role for reappraisal and defusion strategies in the development of psychological treatments for addiction-related disorders

Comparison of 2.3 & 5 mega pixel (MP) resolution monitors when detecting mammography image blurring

Background - Image blurring in Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM) is reported to be a problem within many UK breast screening units resulting in significant proportion of technical repeats/recalls. Our study investigates monitors of differing pixel resolution, and whether there is a difference in blurring detection between a 2.3 MP technical review monitor and a 5MP standard reporting monitor. Methods - Simulation software was created to induce different magnitudes of blur on 20 artifact free FFDM screening images. 120 blurred and non-blurred images were randomized and displayed on the 2.3 and 5MP monitors; they were reviewed by 28 trained observers. Monitors were calibrated to the DICOM Grayscale Standard Display Function. T-test was used to determine whether significant differences exist in blurring detection between the monitors. Results - The blurring detection rate on the 2.3MP monitor for 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1 mm blur was 46, 59, 66, 77and 78% respectively; and on the 5MP monitor 44, 70, 83 , 96 and 98%. All the non-motion images were identified correctly. A statistical difference (p <0.01) in the blurring detection rate between the two monitors was demonstrated. Conclusions - Given the results of this study and knowing that monitors as low as 1 MP are used in clinical practice, we speculate that technical recall/repeat rates because of blurring could be reduced if higher resolution monitors are used for technical review at the time of imaging. Further work is needed to determine monitor minimum specification for visual blurring detection

Increased risk of cardiovascular and renal disease, and diabetes for all women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus in New Zealand:A national retrospective cohort study

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study is to compare cardiometabolic and renal outcomes for all women in New Zealand with gestational diabetes (2001–2010) with women without diabetes, 10–20 years following delivery. Methods: A retrospective cohort study, utilizing a national dataset providing information for all women who gave birth between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2010 (n = 604 398). Adolescent girls &lt;15 years, women ≥50 years and women with prepregnancy diabetes were excluded. In total 11 459 women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes and 11 447 were matched (for age and year of delivery) with 57 235 unexposed (control) women. A national hospital dataset was used to compare primary outcomes until 31 May 2021.Results: After controlling for ethnicity, women with gestational diabetes were significantly more likely than control women to develop diabetes—adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 20.06 and 95% confidence interval (CI) 18.46–21.79; a first cardiovascular event 2.19 (1.86–2.58); renal disease 6.34 (5.35–7.51) and all-cause mortality 1.55 (1.31–1.83), all p values &lt;.0001. The HR and 95% CI remained similar after controlling for significant covariates: diabetes 18.89 (17.36–20.56), cardiovascular events 1.79 (1.52–2.12), renal disease 5.42 (4.55–6.45), and all-cause mortality 1.44 (1.21–1.70). When time-dependent diabetes was added to the model, significance remained for cardiovascular events 1.33 (1.10–1.61), p = .003 and renal disease 2.33 (1.88–2.88), p &lt; .0001 but not all-cause mortality.Conclusions: Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes have an increased risk of adverse cardiometabolic and renal outcomes. Findings highlight the importance of follow-up screening for diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors, and renal disease

Does vitamin D sufficiency equate to a single serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D level or are different levels required for non-skeletal diseases?

Objective: Clarify the concept of vitamin D sufficiency, the relationship between efficacy and vitamin D status and the role of Vitamin D supplementation in the management of non-skeletal diseases. We outline reasons for anticipating different serum vitamin D levels are required for different diseases. Method: Review the literature for evidence of efficacy of supplementation and minimum effective 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels in non-skeletal disease. Results: Evidence of efficacy of vitamin supplementation is graded according to levels of evidence. Minimum effective serum 25-OHD levels are lower for skeletal disease, e.g., rickets (25 nmol/L), osteoporosis and fractures (50 nmol/L), than for premature mortality (75 nmol/L) or non-skeletal diseases, e.g., depression (75 nmol/L), diabetes and cardiovascular disease (80 nmol/L), falls and respiratory infections (95 nmol/L) and cancer (100 nmol/L). Conclusions: Evidence for the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation at serum 25-OHD levels ranging from 25 to 100 nmol/L has been obtained from trials with vitamin D interventions that change vitamin D status by increasing serum 25-OHD to a level consistent with sufficiency for that disease. This evidence supports the hypothesis that just as vitamin D metabolism is tissue dependent, so the serum levels of 25-OHD signifying deficiency or sufficiency are disease dependent.Simon Spedding, Simon Vanlint, Howard Morris and Robert Scrag

Sizing the association between lifestyle behaviours and fatness in a large, heterogeneous sample of youth of multiple ethnicities from 4 countries

Background:&nbsp;The magnitude of the relationship between lifestyle risk factors for obesity and adiposity is not clear.&nbsp;The aim of this study was to clarify this in order to determine the level of importance of lifestyle factors in obesity&nbsp;aetiology.Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was carried out on data on youth who were not trying to change weight&nbsp;(n = 5714), aged 12 to 22 years and from 8 ethnic groups living in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Tonga.&nbsp;Demographic and lifestyle data were measured by questionnaires. Fatness was measured by body mass index (BMI),&nbsp;BMI z-score and bioimpedance analysis, which was used to estimate percent body fat and total fat mass (TFM).&nbsp;Associations between lifestyle and body composition variables were examined using linear regression and forest plots.Results: TV watching was positively related to fatness in a dose-dependent manner. Strong, dose-dependent&nbsp;associations were observed between fatness and soft drink consumption (positive relationship), breakfast consumption&nbsp;(inverse relationship) and after-school physical activity (inverse relationship). Breakfast consumption-fatness associations&nbsp;varied in size across ethnic groups. Lifestyle risk factors for obesity were associated with percentage differences in body&nbsp;composition variables that were greatest for TFM and smallest for BMI.Conclusions: Lifestyle factors were most strongly related to TFM, which suggests that studies that use BMI alone to&nbsp;quantify fatness underestimate the full effect of lifestyle on adiposity. This study clarifies the size of lifestyle-fatness&nbsp;relationships observed in previous studies.</div

Can vitamin D deficiency cause diabetes and cardiovascular diseases? Present evidence and future perspectives

Several studies have shown that vitamin D may play a role in many biochemical mechanisms in addition to bone and calcium metabolism. Recently, vitamin D has sparked widespread interest because of its involvement in the homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. Hypovitaminosis D has been associated with obesity, related to trapping in adipose tissue due to its lipophilic structure. In addition, vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and this may be due to the relationship between low vitamin D levels and obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. However, although vitamin D has been identified as a potentially important marker of CVD, the mechanisms through which it might modulate cardiovascular risk are not fully understood. Given this background, in this work we summarise clinical retrospective and prospective observational studies linking vitamin D levels with cardio-metabolic risk factors and vascular outcome. Moreover, we review various randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of vitamin D supplementation on surrogate markers of cardiovascular risk. Considering the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D among patients with high cardiovascular risk, vitamin D replacement therapy in this population may be warranted; however, further RCTs are urgently needed to establish when to begin vitamin D therapy, as well as to determine the dose and route and duration of administration. © 2011 Elsevier B.V

Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy adults

AbstractObservational studies have reported an inverse association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations and Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage; however, clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation are lacking. To assess the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on persistent S. aureus nasal carriage we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial among 322 healthy adults. Participants were given an oral dose of either 200 000 IU vitamin D3 for each of 2 months, followed by 100 000 IU monthly or placebo in an identical dosing regimen, for a total of 18 months. Nasal swabs for S. aureus culture and serum for 25OHD measurement were obtained at baseline, 6, 12 and 18 months of study. The mean baseline concentration of 25OHD was 72 nM (SD 22 nM). Vitamin D3 supplementation increased 25OHD levels which were maintained at >120 nM throughout the study. Nasal colonization by S. aureus was found in 31% of participants at baseline. Persistent carriage, defined as those that had positive S. aureus nasal cultures for all post-baseline swabs, occurred in 20% of the participants but vitamin D3 supplementation was not associated with a reduction in persistent carriage (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.63–3.06). Risk factor analysis showed that only gender was significantly associated with carriage, where women were less likely to be carriers than men (relative risk 0.83, 95% CI 0.54–0.99). Serum 25OHD concentrations were not associated with the risk of carriage. In conclusion, monthly administration of 100 000 IU of vitamin D3 did not reduce persistent S. aureus nasal carriage