The effect of recessions on gambling expenditures

Contains fulltext : 111895.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)06 december 201115 p

Problem gambling among international and domestic university students in Australia : who is at risk?

Young people are a high risk group for gambling problems and university (college) students fall into that category. Given the high accessibility of gambling in Australia and its association with entertainment, students from overseas countries, particularly those where gambling is restricted or illegal, may be particularly vulnerable. This study examines problem gambling and its correlates among international and domestic university students using a sample of 836 domestic students (286 males; 546 females); and 764 international students (369 males; 396 females) at three Australian universities. Our findings indicate that although most students gamble infrequently, around 5 % of students are problem gamblers, a proportion higher than that in the general adult population. Popular gambling choices include games known to be associated with risk (cards, horse races, sports betting, casino games, and gaming machines) as well as lotto/scratch tickets. Males are more likely to be problem gamblers than females, and almost 10 % of male international students could be classified as problem gamblers. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that male gender, international student status, financial stress, negative affect and frequency of gambling on sports, horses/dogs, table games, casino gaming machines, internet casino games and bingo all significantly predicted problem gambling. Results from this study could inform gambling-education programs in universities as they indicate which groups are more vulnerable and specify which games pose more risk of problem gambling.<br /

Exoplanetary Biosignatures for Astrobiology

Since life evolved on our planet there have been subtle interplays between biology and Earth System Components (atmosphere-lithosphere-ocean-interior). Life, for example, can impact weathering rates which, in turn, influence climate stabilizing feedback cycles on Earth. Photosynthesis is ultimately responsible for our oxygen-rich atmosphere, which favours the formation of the protective ozone layer. The recent rise of exoplanetary science has led to a re-examination of such feedbacks and their main drivers under different planetary conditions. In this work we present a brief overview of potential biosignatures (indicators of life) and review knowledge of the main processes, which influence them in an exoplanetary context. Biosignature methods can be broadly split into two areas, namely “in-situ” and “remote”. Criteria employed to detect biosignatures are diverse and include fossil morphology, isotope ratios, patterns in the chemical constituents of cells, degree of chirality, shifts from thermal or redox equilibrium, and changes in the abundance of atmospheric species. For the purposes of this review, our main focus lies upon gas-phase species present in Earth-like atmospheres, which could be detected remotely by spectroscopy. We summarize current knowledge based on the modern (and early) Earth and the Solar System then review atmospheric model studies for Earth-like planets, which predict climate, photochemistry and potential spectral signals of biosignature species