Gambling in children and adolescents

Introduction: Children are susceptible to problems with gambling because of developmental and cognitive immaturities, as well as a sensitivity to peer pressure and marketing. Sources of data: This review uses recent UK data from the Gambling Commission and from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, and evidence from recent reviews of gambling in children and adolescents. Areas of agreement: The prevalence of gambling in children worldwide and in the UK is stable, having generally decreased since 2013. Online gambling is increasing in children and young people. A small minority of adolescents who gamble develop a gambling disorder. Adolescents who have problems with gambling tend to have lower self-esteem and a history of hyperactivity and impulsivity, are more likely to have parents who gamble, report less parental supervision and to use more alcohol than their peers. Areas of controversy: Children’s access to slot machines, the relationship between gaming and gambling, and social media advertizing of gambling targeting children. Growing points: An increase in online gambling and in-play sports betting by adolescents and the use of skins betting in video gaming. Areas timely for developing research: impact on young people of betting on e-gaming. How best to protect children from early exposure to gambling in the current internet age. Implications for clinicians: Need to be aware of the growing and complex phenomenon of gaming and gambling, and implications for the mental health of children and adolescents. The effective management of gambling disorders in children and adolescents requires close working with families

Using DNA Barcoding to Investigate Patterns of Species Utilisation in UK Shark Products Reveals Threatened Species on Sale

This is the final version. Available on open access from Nature Research via the DOI in this recordMany shark populations are in decline, primarily due to overexploitation. In response, conservation measures have been applied at differing scales, often severely restricting sales of declining species. Therefore, DNA barcoding was used to investigate sales of shark products in fishmongers and fish and chip takeaways in England. The majority of samples were identified as Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias), which is critically endangered in the Northeast Atlantic and landings have been prohibited (although there is evidence of importation of this species). Significant differences in the species sold between retailer types were also identified, suggesting differing supply chains. The results underline issues surrounding the use of ‘umbrella’ sales terms where many species are labelled with the same designation. This denies consumer choice as purchasers cannot easily avoid declining species or those associated with high levels of toxicants. For the first time in Europe, minibarcodes are also used to identify species from dried shark fins. Despite a small sample size, analysis of UK wholesaler fins identified threatened sharks, including the endangered and CITES listed Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini). This highlights the global nature of the damaging trade in endangered shark species, in which Europe and the UK have a continuing role.Fisheries Society of the British IslesHampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife TrustUniversity of Exete

Developing a Core Competency Model and Educational Framework for Primary Maternity Services: A national consensus approach

Background: An appropriately educated and competent workforce is crucial to an effective health care system. The National Health Workforce Taskforce (now Health Workforce Australia) and the Maternity Services Inter-Jurisdictional Committee funded a project to develop Core Competencies and Educational Framework for Primary Maternity Services in Australia. These competencies recognise the interdisciplinary nature of maternity care in Australia where care is provided by general practitioners, obstetricians and midwives as well as other professionals. Participants: Key stakeholders from professional organisations and providers of services related to maternity care and consumers of services. Methods: A national consensus approach was undertaken using consultation processes with a Steering Committee, a wider Reference Group and public consultation. Findings: A national Core Competencies and Educational Framework for Primary Maternity Services in Australia was developed through an iterative process with a range of key stakeholders. There are a number of strategies that may assist in the integration of these into primary maternity service provider professional groups' education and practice. Conclusions: The Core Competencies and Educational Framework are based on an interprofessional approach to learning and primary maternity service practice. They have sought to value professional expertise and stimulate awareness and respect for the roles of all primary maternity service providers. The competencies and framework described in this paper are now a critical component of Australian maternity services as they are included in actions in the newly released National Maternity Services Plan and thus have relevance for all providers of Australian maternity services. © 2011 Australian College of Midwives

Experiments with mixing in stratified flow over a topographic ridge

The interaction of quasi-steady abyssal ocean flow with submarine topography is expected to generate turbulent mixing in the ocean. This mixing may occur locally, close to topography, or via breaking quasi-steady lee waves that can carry energy into the ocean interior. There is currently no theoretical, or empirically derived, prediction for the relative amounts of local and interior mixing. We report measurements of the mixing rate in laboratory experiments with a topographic ridge towed through a density stratification. The experiments span three parameter regimes including linear lee waves, nonlinear flow and an evanescent regime in which wave radiation is weak. Full field density measurements provide the depth-dependence of energy loss to turbulent mixing, allowing separation of the local mixing in the turbulent wake and remote mixing by wave radiation. Remote mixing is significant only for a narrow band of forcing parameters where the flow speed is resonant with internal waves; in all other parameter regimes local mixing close to the topography is dominant. The results suggest that mixing by local nonlinear mechanisms close to abyssal ocean topography may be much greater than the remote mixing by quasi-steady lee waves

The Early Bronze Age Log Coffin Burials of Britain: The Origins and Development of a Burial Rite(s)

This paper describes the results from a project to obtain radiocarbon determinations from Early Bronze Age log coffin burials. Log coffins have been recognised as a burial tradition since antiquarian excavations uncovered the first examples. However, comparatively few are associated with radiocarbon determinations and many old determinations are very imprecise. To address this, seven log coffin burials were identified across England, and 11 samples from these were submitted for radiocarbon dating. The dates from the project were reviewed with previously obtained reliable determinations to reconsider the origins and development of the log coffin burial by region. The resulting study indicates that the earliest log coffins were associated with Beaker burials but that regional variations involving different rites soon developed

A randomized, controlled trial comparing ganciclovir to ganciclovir plus foscarnet (each at half dose) for preemptive therapy of cytomegalovirus infection in transplant recipients

Forty-eight patients who provided 2 consecutive blood samples that tested positive for cytomegalovirus DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were randomized to receive either full-dose ganciclovir ( 5 mg/kg intravenously [iv] twice daily) or half-dose ganciclovir (5 mg/kg iv once daily) plus half-dose foscarnet (90 mg/kg iv once daily) for 14 days. In the ganciclovir arm, 17 (71%) of 24 patients reached the primary end point of being CMV negative by PCR within 14 days of initiation of therapy, compared with 12 (50%) of 24 patients in the ganciclovir-plus-foscarnet arm (P = .12). Toxicity was greater in the combination-therapy arm. In patients who failed to reach the primary end point, baseline virus load was 0.77 log(10) higher, the replication rate before therapy was faster (1.5 vs. 2.7 days), and the viral decay rate was slower (2.9 vs. 1.1 days) after therapy. Bivariable logistic regression models identified baseline virus load, bone-marrow transplantation, and doubling time and half-life of decay as the major factors affecting response to therapy within 14 days. This study did not support a synergistic effect of ganciclovir plus foscarnet in vivo

Endangered shark species traded as “cação” in São Paulo during the COVID-19 lockdown: DNA-barcoding a snapshot of products

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer via the DOI in this recordData availability: The data presented in this study are available in supplementary material submitted with this manuscript.Background Elasmobranch populations are declining, predominantly driven by overfishing, and over a third of global sharks, rays, and chimeras are estimated to be threatened with extinction. In terms of trade, Brazil is ranked the eleventh-largest shark producer and the top importer of shark meat in the world. Research has shown that elasmobranchs are sold in Brazil under the name “cação” (a generic designation for cartilaginous fish) to overcome consumer resistance. Methodology and results This study used DNA barcoding to investigate the sale of sharks in the State of São Paulo during the COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 35 samples of “cação” were analysed, revealing six different shark species on sale, including Carcharhinus falciformis, Carcharhinus signatus, Carcharias taurus, Isurus oxyrinchus, and Isurus paucus, that are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN red list. This study demonstrates that vulnerable elasmobranchs are being commercialised under the label “cação” in the São Paulo State and Brazil. Conclusions Comparison of shark products traded before and during the COVID-19 pandemic showed no significant difference, suggesting lockdown did not affect patterns of species commercialisation. Effective fisheries and sale monitoring, correct product labelling legislation and increased consumer awareness that “cação” is shark are needed for appropriate conservation and management of shark populations in Brazil.ExeterMarin

Defining continuous walking events in free-living environments : mind the gap

In free-living environments, continuous walking can be challenging to achieve without encountering interruptions, making it difficult to define a continuous walking event. While limited research has been conducted to define a continuous walking event that accounts for interruptions, no method has considered the intensity change caused by these interruptions, which is crucial for achieving the associated health outcomes. A sample of 24 staff members at the University of Salford were recruited. The participants wore an accelerometer-based device (activPAL™) for seven days continuously and completed an activity diary, to explore a novel methodological approach of combining short interruptions of time between walking events based on an average walking cadence. The definition of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) used was a minimum walking cadence of either 76, 100, or 109 steps/min. The average daily time spent in MVPA increased from 75.2 ± 32.6 min to 86.5 ± 37.4 min using the 76 steps/min, 48.3 ± 29.5 min to 53.0 ± 33.3 min using the 100 steps/min threshold, and 31.4 ± 20.5 min to 33.9 ± 22.6 min using the 109 steps/min threshold; the difference before grouping and after grouping was statistically significant (p < 0.001). This novel method will enable future analyses of the associations between continuous walking and health-related outcomes

The chaperone protein clusterin may serve as a cerebrospinal fluid biomarker for chronic spinal cord disorders in the dog

Chronic spinal cord dysfunction occurs in dogs as a consequence of diverse aetiologies, including long-standing spinal cord compression and insidious neurodegenerative conditions. One such neurodegenerative condition is canine degenerative myelopathy (DM), which clinically is a challenge to differentiate from other chronic spinal cord conditions. Although the clinical diagnosis of DM can be strengthened by the identification of the Sod1 mutations that are observed in affected dogs, genetic analysis alone is insufficient to provide a definitive diagnosis. There is a requirement to identify biomarkers that can differentiate conditions with a similar clinical presentation, thus facilitating patient diagnostic and management strategies. A comparison of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein gel electrophoresis profile between idiopathic epilepsy (IE) and DM identified a protein band that was more prominent in DM. This band was subsequently found to contain a multifunctional protein clusterin (apolipoprotein J) that is protective against endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis, oxidative stress, and also serves as an extracellular chaperone influencing protein aggregation. Western blot analysis of CSF clusterin confirmed elevated levels in DM compared to IE (p &#60; 0.05). Analysis of spinal cord tissue from DM and control material found that clusterin expression was evident in neurons and that the clusterin mRNA levels from tissue extracts were elevated in DM compared to the control. The plasma clusterin levels was comparable between these groups. However, a comparison of clusterin CSF levels in a number of neurological conditions found that clusterin was elevated in both DM and chronic intervertebral disc disease (cIVDD) but not in meningoencephalitis and IE. These findings indicate that clusterin may potentially serve as a marker for chronic spinal cord disease in the dog; however, additional markers are required to differentiate DM from a concurrent condition such as cIVDD

Challenges and strategies of children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease: a qualitative examination

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