Missing in Action? Electronic Gaming Machines in Gambling Studies Research

In the past thirty years casinos across the world have become dominated by the rise of “electronic gaming machines” (EGMs). Expanding with tremendous speed, this technology has arguably become the dominant form of non-online gambling around the world at time of writing (DeMichele, 2017; Schwartz, 2018). EGMs are also noted as being one of the most harmful forms of gambling, with significant numbers of players betting beyond their financial limits (MacLaren et al, 2012; Stewart & Wohl, 2013), spending a disproportionate amount of time playing (Cummings, 1999; Ballon, 2005; Schüll, 2012; cf. Dickerson, 1996), becoming disconnected from the world outside of the “zone” (Schüll, 2012) of gambling play, and even becoming bankrupt or otherwise financially crippled as a result of their use (Petry, 2003; Scarf et al, 2011). Using metadata from Web of Science and Scopus databases, we analysed peer-reviewed gambling research produced in Australia, New Zealand, North America and the UK published between 1996 and 2016. Surprisingly, we found that the overwhelming of majority of articles do not specifically address EGMs as the most popular and pervasive gambling technology available. Our paper teases out some concerning implications of this finding for the interdisciplinary field of gambling studies

Using Reality Therapy in Schools: Its Potential Impact on the Effectiveness of the ASCA National Model

The primary purpose of this manuscript is to examine the application of Reality Therapy in schools. The basic components of the American School Counseling Association\u27s National Model and also the core tenets of Reality Therapy are reviewed in terms of pertinent literature. This is followed by a focus on the delivery system national model. Lastly, specific emphasis will be placedon the potential impact Reality Therapy can have on student academic achievement, personal/social development, and career decision-making skills when applied to each program component

Biomass burning emisison inventory with daily resolution: Application to aircraft observations of Asian outflow

We develop a daily-resolved global emission inventory for biomass burning using AVHRR satellite observations of fire activity corrected for data gaps and scan angle biases. We implemented this inventory in a global three-dimensional model (GEOSCHEM) to simulate aircraft CO observations during the TRACE-P mission over the NW Pacific in February-April 2001. Seasonal biomass burning in SE Asia was a major contributor to the outflow of Asian pollution observed in TRACE-P and shows large day-to-day fluctuations that vary depending on location. Three simulations were conducted with the same 3-month total (February-April) emissions but different temporal distributions: 2001 daily resolved, 2001 monthly resolved, and climatological monthly resolved. The effect of daily resolved versus monthly resolved 2001 emissions in the simulation of CO is less than 8 ppbv in Asian outflow over the NW Pacific but can exceed 100 ppbv over source regions. The relatively small effect in Asian outflow reflects spatial and temporal averaging of emissions during ageing in the continental boundary layer. Significant improvement in the simulation of TRACE-P observations (as diagnosed by the resolved variance) is found when using 2001 monthly versus climatological monthly emissions, but using 2001 daily emissions does not offer further improvement. Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union

Constraints on Asian and European sources of methane from Ch 4-C2H6-CO correlations in Asian outflow

Aircraft observations of Asian outflow from the Transport and Chemical Evolution Over the Pacific (TRACE-P) aircraft mission over the NW Pacific (March and April 2001) show large CH4 enhancements relative to background, as well as strong CH4-C2H 6-CO correlations that provide signatures of regional sources. We apply a global chemical transport model simulation of the CH4-C2H6-CO system for the TRACE-P period to interpret these observations in terms of CH4 sources and to explore in particular the unique constraints from the CH 4-C2H6-CO correlations. We use as a priori a global CH4 source inventory constrained with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (CMDL) surface observations [Wang et al., 2004]. We find that the observed CH4 concentration enhancements and CH4-C2H6-CO correlations in Asian outflow in TRACE-P are deterinined mainly by anthropogenic emissions from China and Eurasia (defined here as Europe and eastern Russia), with only little contribution from tropical sources (wetlands and biomass burning). The a priori inventory overestimates the observed CH4 enhancements and shows regionally variable biases for the CH4/C2H6 slope. The CH 4/CO slopes are simulated without significant bias. Matching both the observed CH4 enhancements and the CH 4-C2H6-CO slopes in Asian outflow requires increasing the east Asian anthropogenic source of CH 4, and decreasing the Eurasian anthropogenic source, by at least 30% for both. The need to increase the east Asian source is driven by the underestimate of the CH4/C2H 6 slope in boundary layer Chinese outflow. The Streets et al. [2003] anthropogenic emission inventory for east Asia fits this constraint by increasing CH4 emissions from that region by 40% relative to the a priori, largely because of higher livestock and landfill source estimates. Eurasian sources (mostly European) then need to be reduced by 30-50% from the a priori value of 68 Tg yr -1. The decrease of European sources could result in part from recent mitigation of emissions from coal mining and landfills. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union

Radiation- and water-use associated with growth and yields of wheat and chickpea in sole and mixed crops

A renewed interest in mixed cropping for its potential to boost yields through increased capture and use of solar radiation and soil-water by the component species. This led to the present study, in which we assessed the performance of wheat and chickpea, grown as sole crops or mixed at half their sole crop populations for their capacity to capture and use solar radiation and soil-water. Trials were conducted in the drought season of 1994 and with or without supplementary irrigation in an average rainfall season of 1995. For the rainfed crops in both years, there was no advantage of mixed crops over wheat grown as a sole crop (wheat-s) either in terms of green area index (GAI), fraction of photosynthetically active radiation intercepted by the canopy (iPAR), dry matter (DM) or grain yield produced. The lack of a yield advantage of mixed cropping was associated with poor canopy development and low yielding capacity of chickpea; it was unable to compensate for its reduced population density in the mixture. Grain yield for chickpea in the mixed crop (chickpea-m) averaged just 29% that of its sole crop (chickpea-s), whereas wheat grown in mixture (wheat-m) produced 72% the yield for wheat-s. Supplementary irrigation from early spring onwards in 1995 increased yield for chickpea-m by 44% over that of chickpea-s, while yield for wheat-m fell to 65% that for wheat-s. Every millimetre of irrigation water increased yield by 10.0, 3.8 and 12.5 kg ha-1 for wheat-s, mixed crop and chickpea-s, respectively. Mixed cropping did not affect the time taken by either wheat or chickpea to attain maximum growth rate, flowering or maturity. The land equivalent ratio (LER) based on grain yields for wheat-chickpea intercropping were 1.01 in 1994, 1.02 without irrigation in 1995, and 1.10 with irrigation in 1995. Neither radiation-use-efficiency nor water-use-efficiency was improved by mixed cropping compared with wheat-s. The poor performance of the mixed crop was ascribed to its poor canopy development early in the season, especially by the chickpea that resulted in low iPAR and transpiration. It is concluded that there was no advantage of growing wheat and chickpea in mixed crops in southern cereal belts of Australia if total biomass or grain yield is the primary purpose. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Intermediate and high peri-operative cardiac enzyme release following isolated coronary artery bypass surgery are independently associated with higher one-year mortality

BACKGROUND: The relationship between cardiac enzyme (CE) release following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) and medium term outcome is unclear. We sought to determine the relationship between post-operative CE release and one-year survival following isolated CABG. METHODS: Over three years 3,024 consecutive patients underwent isolated CABG. Patient characteristics were prospectively recorded in a cardiac surgical database. CE release, taken as the highest single measurement recorded in the first 24 hours post-op, was abstracted from an electronic archive. All cause mortality was taken from a national registry of deaths. RESULTS: Data were complete for 2,860 (94.6%) patients. CK-MB isoenzyme (reference range 5–24 U/l) was recorded in 2,568 (89.8%), total CK in 292 (10.2%). CE release three or more times the upper limit of the reference range (ULR) were recorded in 498 (17.4%) patients, 163 (5.7%) patients had CE more than six times ULR. There were 122 deaths (4.3%). Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that CE release 3–6 times ULR (adjusted HR 2.1 [95% CI: 1.6 to 2.6], p = 0.002) and CE release six or more times the ULR (adjusted HR 5.0 [95% CI: 4.5 to 5.4], p < 0.001) were independently associated with increased one-year mortality. CONCLUSION: Cardiac enzyme release following CABG is associated with increased one-year all-cause mortality. The definition of peri-operative myocardial infarction following CABG should include elevation of CK-MB three or more times the upper limit of normal

Mental Health Through Movement

Children’s mental health: ‘has become an issue of real concern, in the media and to both politicians and NHS leaders, over the last five years in particular. It has prompted numerous inquiries, reports, recommendations and pledges by politicians and NHS leaders to improve the situation’: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/22/what-is-happening-withchildrens-mental-health On July 1st 2019, the Local Government Association released statistics to show that: ‘There were 205,720 cases where a child was identified as having a mental health issue in 2017/18, compared with 133,600 in 2014/15- up 54%’: https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/councils-seeing-more-560-child-mentalhealth-cases-every-day It is within this context that the All-Party Parliamentary Group on A Fit and Healthy Childhood presents its 14th Report: ‘Positive Mental Health Through Movement’. With 1 in 10 children now having a mental health diagnosis and 1 in 4 an undiagnosed mental health issue, this, our third Report on the issue of child mental health, addresses the link between positive mental health and physical activity and movement experiences at a time when, paradoxically, today’s children and young people are more inactive and play less than ever before. The growing recognition of a link between mental health and movement is fortuitous because from September 2019, health education in English schools will be statutory alongside the expectation that they will offer their pupils at least 30 ‘active minutes’ per day. The APPG on A Fit and Healthy Childhood welcomes the change whilst recognising that those responsible for implementing the new strategy (including practitioners and families) will need guidance as they help children to develop individual strategies to address future adverse events and foster the positive sense of self that will enable them to lead fulfilled, healthy lives. This Report is therefore presented as a practical contribution to an essential debate. It offers new strategies against the persistence of historical and traditional ways of thinking; examines and collates best practice in the devolved Home Countries as well as the wider world and discusses exactly what is required to ensure that future child mental health strategy is holistic. It is respectful of equalities and is aware that the successful outcome of policies is entirely dependent upon the expertise and confidence of those tasked with the responsibility of delivering them. As the 21st century advances, we consider the effects of the digital age and its impact on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and the crucial role of parents and carers who want the best for their children in a societal climate where, all too often, fears of ‘nanny state’ meddling serve to isolate families who suffer in silence – until a disaster that may have been all too predictable and preventable overtakes them, making a private grief a public concern. The trajectory of progress in mental health policy has been ‘stop start’ rather than linear, with legislative change in 1959 and 1983, an increase in spending from 1997- 2010 and radical changes to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in 2000. The Wessely Independent Review of the Mental Health Act is another such milestone: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/independent-review-of-the-mentalhealth-act The APPG on A Fit and Healthy Childhood anticipates that the Government will fulfil its pledge to parents, children and practitioners by introducing much needed mental health legislation - and that our trio of Reports and the holistic theme of this one will help to inform a strategy that works for 21st century children

Identity: Societal And Legal Ramifications With Special Focus On Transsexuals

The law is stuck on binary or categorical approaches.2 One is either this or that—heterosexual or homosexual; male or female; black or white; and the list can go on and on.3 This article posits that this approach should not be the way in which we categorize people’s personhoo

The Primary PE and School Sport Premium

Central to London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, was the Government’s commitment to improve competitive sport and the sporting habits of young people (Ofsted, 2014). On the 12th March 2013, the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced that Primary Schools in England would receive funding worth £150 million per year to create a sustainable infrastructure for long-lasting change and improve the provision of physical education (PE) and sport across all state maintained primary schools. Speaking at the time, he said: ‘We can create a culture in our schools that encourages all children to be active and enjoy sport.’ He added: ‘The Olympic and Paralympic Games marked an incredible year for this country and I will always be proud that we showed the world what Britain can do. I want to ensure the Games count for the future too and that means capitalising on the inspiration young people took from what they saw during those summer months.’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/21808982 Six years on, and with a total investment now of over £1.2 billion, the Primary PE and Sport Premium (here onwards referred to as the PESS Premium) has been a defining feature of the London 2012 legacy. Invariably funding streams at this level do not last forever or in the same format, which raises significant questions about what impact the funding has had on young people since 2013. We believe that a significant investment from Government merits debate and accountability at the highest possible level and that it should acknowledge where the opportunities and shortcomings of such a policy have left us. During the years of austerity, mounting concerns have arisen over the present and long term state of children’s health and the need for the debate to be heard is now imperative. To date there has been little critical appraisal of the PESS Premium funding. This report aims to begin a necessary process and in doing so, brings together evidence from across the sector to consider the future of the PESS Premium post 2018. During the course of the report, we outline and underpin the holistic value and importance of PE for every child. We examine the historic status and funding of PE and Sport and the nature and increasing diversity of the workforce. How has the PESS Premium funding impacted the way in which the subject is regarded and the ability of those tasked with delivering it to discharge their responsibilities? We have uncovered an abiding uncertainty about the nature of the PESS Premium itself; the ways in which it may be spent and its effect on an increasing divide between PE specialists, generalists and externally contracted coaches. Will its legacy be to have established a secure foundation for lifelong physical activity, sport and education – or is it, in effect, another temporarily seductive mirage, leaving PE precisely where it has become accustomed to be; regularly sidelined, delivered largely by those who are not qualified teachers and perpetuating the status quo for the children who already belong to groups that are perceived to be at a disadvantage? The PESS Premium funding is a significant sum and these questions deserve answers. This report is therefore our contribution to an essential debate, containing practical suggestions that we hope will be of use to policy makers. We invite all who care about the physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing of children to join the discussion