Obesity is a significant health issue in Aotearoa; effective and pragmatic strategies to facilitate weight loss are urgently required. Growing recognition of the circadian rhythm’s impact on metabolism has popularised diets like time-restricted eating (TRE)(1). The 16:8 TRE method involves limiting food intake to an 8-hour daily eating window and can lead to weight loss without other substantial changes to diet(2). Nonetheless, TRE requires accountability and tolerating hunger for short periods. Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) are small wearable biofeedback devices that measure interstitial glucose levels scanned via smartphones. By providing immediate feedback on the physiological effects of eating and fasting, CGM use may promote adherence to TRE(3). This pilot study aimed to 1) investigate how CGM affects adherence to TRE and 2) assess the feasibility of CGM use while undertaking TRE. This two-arm randomised controlled trial enrolled healthy adults from Dunedin, assigning them to TRE-only or TRE+CGM groups for 14 days. Successful adherence to TRE was defined a priori as maintaining an 8-hour eating window on 80% of days. CGM feasibility was defined a priori as scanning the glucose monitor thrice daily on 80% of days. Secondary outcomes included well-being, anthropometry, glucose levels, and overall TRE and CGM experiences via semi-structured interviews. Twenty-two participants were randomised into two groups: TRE-only (n = 11) and TRE+CGM (n = 11, with n = 2 excluded from analysis post-randomisation for medical reasons). Participants had a diverse range of ethnicities, the mean age was 32 (+/-14.9) years, and 55% were female. The TRE+CGM group adhered to the 8-hour eating window for an average of 10.0 days (range 2-14) compared with 8.6 days (range 2-14) in the TRE-only group. Both groups had similar mean eating window durations of 8.1 hours. Five (56%) participants in the TRE+CGM group achieved the a priori criteria for TRE adherence, compared to 3 (27%) in the TRE-only group. Participants in the TRE+CGM group performed an average of 8.2 (+/-5.6) daily scans, with n = 7 (78%) of participants meeting the a priori CGM feasibility criteria. Neither group reported consistent adverse psychological impacts in DASS-21 and WHO-5 scores. Interviews highlighted that CGM increased hunger tolerance during fasting as participants felt reassured by their normal glucose levels. CGM aided TRE accountability by acting as a biological tracker of food intake. Participants reported that TRE led to improved energy and self-efficacy, a more productive daily routine, and healthier food choices. Promisingly, 72% of participants would use CGM and undertake TRE in future. This study demonstrates that using CGM while undertaking TRE is feasible and can improve adherence by enhancing hunger tolerance and accountability. Overall, participants experienced increased awareness of eating habits and physiological mechanisms. Over the longer term, this simple and synergistic approach may be a helpful weight loss strategy.

In May 2021, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published a risk assessment on lower carbohydrate diets for adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D)(1). The purpose of the report was to review the evidence on ‘low’-carbohydrate diets compared with the current UK government advice on carbohydrate intake for adults with T2D. However, since there is no agreed and widely utilised definition of a ‘low’-carbohydrate diet, comparisons in the report were between lower and higher carbohydrate diets. SACN’s remit is to assess the risks and benefits of nutrients, dietary patterns, food or food components for health by evaluating scientific evidence and to make dietary recommendations for the UK based on its assessment(2). SACN has a public health focus and only considers evidence in healthy populations unless specifically requested to do otherwise. Since the Committee does not usually make recommendations relating to clinical conditions, a joint working group (WG) was established in 2017 to consider this issue. The WG comprised members of SACN and members nominated by Diabetes UK, the British Dietetic Association, Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of General Practitioners. Representatives from NHS England and NHS Health Improvement, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and devolved health departments were also invited to observe the WG. The WG was jointly chaired by SACN and Diabetes UK.

The first demonstration of laser action in ruby was made in 1960 by T. H. Maiman of Hughes Research Laboratories, USA. Many laboratories worldwide began the search for lasers using different materials, operating at different wavelengths. In the UK, academia, industry and the central laboratories took up the challenge from the earliest days to develop these systems for a broad range of applications. This historical review looks at the contribution the UK has made to the advancement of the technology, the development of systems and components and their exploitation over the last 60 years.

Few studies have focussed on the health and immunity of triploid Atlantic salmon and therefore much is still unknown about their response to commercially significant pathogens. This is important if triploid stocks are to be considered for full-scale commercial production. This study aimed to investigate and compare the response of triploid and diploid Atlantic salmon to an experimental challenge with Neoparamoeba perurans, causative agent of amoebic gill disease (AGD). This disease is economically significant for the aquaculture industry. The results indicated that ploidy had no significant effect on gross gill score or gill filaments affected, while infection and time had significant effects. Ploidy, infection and time did not affect complement or anti-protease activities. Ploidy had a significant effect on lysozyme activity at 21 days post-infection (while infection and time did not), although activity was within the ranges previously recorded for salmonids. Stock did not significantly affect any of the parameters measured. Based on the study results, it can be suggested that ploidy does not affect the manifestation or severity of AGD pathology or the serum innate immune response. Additionally, the serum immune response of diploid and triploid Atlantic salmon may not be significantly affected by amoebic gill disease.

The question of the conditions that must prevail before fundamentalist religion can play a significant part in politics has loomed large in recent years with the resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East. Protestant fundamentalism has drawn somewhat less attention, except for the case of the new Christian right in America. Nowhere in the contemporary world are the politics of conservative Protestantism more clearly visible than in Northern Ireland. Therefore, in this essay we seek to explain why Protestant fundamentalism has achieved such prominence and success in Ulster in recent years. First, we present a comparative analysis of conservative Protestant politics in the English-speaking world. Second, we offer an historically informed analysis of the rise of Ulster's most successful fundamentalist politician, the Reverend Ian Paisley.

It is estimated that of 50000 persons in Scotland (1% of the county's population), infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), around 90% injected drugs. This paper reviews data on the prevalence and incidence of HCV, and the methods used to generate such information, among injecting drug users (IDUs), in Scotland. The prevalence estimate for HCV among IDUs in Scotland as a whole (44% in 2000), is comparable with those observed in many European countries. Incidence rates ranged from 11·9 to 28·4/100 person-years. The data have shaped policy to prevent infection among IDUs and have informed predictions of the number of HCV-infected IDUs who will likely progress to, and require treatment and care for, severe HCV-related liver disease. Although harm reduction interventions, in particular needle and syringe exchanges and methadone maintenance therapy, reduced the transmission of HCV among IDUs during the early to mid-1990s, incidence in many parts of the country remains high. The prevention of HCV among IDUs continues to be one of Scotland's major public health challenges.