Chasing losses in online poker and casino games: Characteristics and game play of Internet gamblers at risk of disordered gambling

Disordered Internet gambling is a psychological disorder that represents an important public health issue due to the increase in highly available and conveniently accessible Internet gambling sites. Chasing losses is one of the few observable markers of at-risk and problem gambling that may be used to detect early signs of disordered Internet gambling. This study examined loss chasing behaviour in a sample of Internet casino and poker players and the socio-demographic variables, irrational beliefs, and gambling behaviours associated with chasing losses. An online survey was completed by 10,838 Internet gamblers (58% male) from 96 countries. The results showed that Internet casino players had a greater tendency to report chasing losses than poker players and gamblers who reported chasing losses were more likely to hold irrational beliefs about gambling and spend more time and money gambling than those who reported that they were unaffected by previous losses. Gamblers who played for excitement and to win money were more likely to report chasing losses. This study is one of the largest ever studies of Internet gamblers and the results are highly significant as they provide insight into the characteristics and behaviours of gamblers using this mode of access

Exploring a School-University Model for Professional Development with Classroom Staff: Teaching Trauma-Informed Approaches

Schools serving communities with high rates of poverty face the profound challenge of meeting the needs of students who are often exposed to significant family and environmental stressors and trauma. Classroom staff are vital members of schoolcommunities who often work closely with students with the highest needs, but they are typically not provided with professionaldevelopment opportunities to develop skills for social-emotional learning intervention. This study, conducted in three parts, describes (1) a needs assessment with classroom staff to determine their learning needs, (2) the development and implementation of a series ofprofessional development workshops that incorporated findings from the needs assessment, and (3) post-workshop surveys and focus groups to assess the impact of the workshops and identify ongoing professional development needs. Findings include themes of continuing concern regarding learning, school climate, and the need to address stress and trauma in students\u27 lives. Additionally, findings point to the workplace environment as creating barriers for classroom staff to implement new strategies and make use of the knowledge and skills gained in the workshops. Implications for building or enhancing a trauma-informed school community are discussed

Syrjäseutujen matkailun kehittäminen:matkailupalveluyrittäjien näkemyksiä Rokua Geoparkin matkailun tilasta

Tiivistelmä. Tässä tutkielmassa tarkastellaan matkailun kehittämistä ja roolia syrjäseutujen aluekehityksessä sekä matkailun menestystä määrittäviä tekijöitä. Tarkoitus on myös tutkia matkakohteen ja kohdealueorganisaation ominaisuuksien vaikutusta matkailun kehitykseen ja sen avulla tapahtuvaan aluekehitykseen. Esimerkkitapauksena toimii Rokua Geoparkin kohdealueorganisaatio ja matkailualue, joka sijaitsee Vaalan, Utajärven ja Muhoksen kuntien alueella Pohjois-Pohjanmaalla. Työssä selvitetään tutkimusalueen matkailupalveluyrittäjien näkemyksiä Rokua Geoparkin matkailun kehityksestä nyt ja tulevaisuudessa sekä geopark-toiminnan näkymisestä heidän yritystoiminnassaan. Työ jakautuu teoria- ja empiriaosioihin. Teoriaosiossa tarkastellaan matkailun kehittämistä ja matkailun vaikutuksia syrjäseutujen aluekehitykseen. Matkailualan näkökulmasta syrjäseuduilla voi olla ominaisuuksia, jotka lisäävät niiden potentiaalia toimia matkailualueina. Aluekehityksen kannalta matkailu voi olla lääke syrjäseutujen rakennemuutoksesta aiheutuviin ongelmiin. Lisäksi teoriaosiossa käydään läpi matkailun menestykseen vaikuttavia tekijöitä ja tarkastellaan matkakohteen ja kohdealueorganisaation ominaisuuksien roolia menestyksessä. Näitä tietoja voidaan hyödyntää strategisessa matkailusuunnittelussa lisäämään matkakohteen kilpailukykyä. Empiirinen aineisto on laadullinen ja siihen sisältyy 15 Rokua Geoparkin alueella toimivan matkailupalveluyrittäjän haastattelua. Fenomenografista tutkimusotetta hyödyntäen haastatteluja kuvailtiin ja luokiteltiin sekä analysoitiin muun muassa teemoittelun ja SWOT-analyysin avulla. Empiirisen aineiston avulla halutaan tarkastella aluetta yhdistävän geopark-teeman ja kohdealueorganisaation roolia Rokua Geoparkin matkailukehityksessä. Tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella haastatellut yrittäjät tiedostavat Rokua Geoparkin potentiaalin matkailun kasvun välineenä. Geopark-toiminta ei kuitenkaan vielä merkittävästi näkynyt yritysten toiminnassa lukuun ottamatta verkostoitumisen ja kansainvälisen näkyvyyden lisääntymistä. Rokua Geoparkin matkailun kehitykseen negatiivisesti vaikuttaviksi tekijöiksi koettiin alueen kuntien passiivisuus matkailun kehittämisessä, matkailutoimijoiden välisen yhteistyön puute, matkailupalveluiden vähyys tai taso, sekä Rokua Geoparkin heikko tunnettuus. Positiivisia asioita matkailun kehityksen kannalta olivat koko aluetta yhdistävä imago, verkostoitumisalusta ja kansainvälistyminen. Matkailutoimijoiden välisen yhteistyön systemaattinen kehittäminen ja investointien saaminen alueelle voisi sysätä matkailun kehitystä laajemmin liikkeelle, minkä ansiosta alueen tunnettuus ja imago voisivat parantua. Matkailun vaikutuksia Rokua Geoparkin alueella tulisi pystyä mittaamaan nykyistä paremmin, jotta matkailusuunnittelu olisi tehokkaampaa ja kilpailukykyä saataisiin kasvatettua

Some factors of the time of breaking and training affecting racing performance in young trotters

Saastamoinen, M.T. (Agricultural Research Center, Equine Research Station, SF-32100 Ypäjä, Finland). Some factors of the time of breaking and training affecting racing performance in young trotters. An inquiry study was carried out to query the main reasons for non-starting and poor racing results, as well as to estimate the effect of some factors of the time of breaking and training on racing performance. The numbers of acceptable responses were 796 for Standardbred trotters and 857 for Finnhorses. About 72 % of the Standardbred trotters raced before the end of the five-year season, and about 42 % of the Finnhorse trotters raced before the end of their six-year season. The main reasons for non-starting and poor racing results were injuries and ailments, bad character, lack of talent and poor training. In general, young age at the beginning of breaking and training was favorably associated with racing performance. For instance, three-year-old Standardbred trotters broken at the age of 1 or Wi years were 2.1 seconds faster (

Second-generation antipsychotic use during pregnancy and risk of congenital malformations

Purpose To study if second-generation antipsychotic (S-GA) use during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of major congenital malformations (MCM). Methods A population-based birth cohort study using national register data extracted from the Drugs and Pregnancy database in Finland, years 1996-2017. The sampling frame included 1,273,987 pregnant women. We included singleton pregnancies ending in live or stillbirth or termination of pregnancy due to severe malformation. Pregnancies with exposure to known teratogens were excluded. Women were categorized into three groups: exposed to S-GAs (n = 3478), exposed to first-generation antipsychotics (F-GAs) (n = 1030), and unexposed (no purchases of S-GAs or F-GAs during pregnancy, n = 22,540). We excluded genetic conditions and compared the prevalence of MCMs in S-GA users to the two comparison groups using multiple logistic regression models. Results Use of S-GAs during early pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of overall MCMs compared to unexposed (adjusted odds ratio, OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.72-1.19) or to F-GA users (OR 0.82; 95% CI 0.56-1.20). Of individual S-GAs, olanzapine use was associated with an increased risk of overall MCMs (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.19-3.76), and specifically, an increased risk of musculoskeletal malformations (OR 3.71; 95% CI 1.35-10.1) when compared to unexposed, while comparisons to F-GA users did not show significant results. Conclusions Olanzapine use is associated with an increased risk of major congenital malformations and specifically, musculoskeletal malformations. Use during pregnancy should be restricted to situations where no safer alternatives exist.Peer reviewe

Laser Spectroscopy of Niobium Fission Fragments: First Use of Optical Pumping in an Ion Beam Cooler Buncher

A new method of optical pumping in an ion beam cooler buncher has been developed to selectively enhance ionic metastable state populations. The technique permits the study of elements previously inaccessible to laser spectroscopy and has been applied here to the study of Nb. Model independent mean-square charge radii and nuclear moments have been studied for $^{90,90 m,91,91 m,92,93,99,101,103}$Nb to cover the region of the N=50 shell closure and N≈60 sudden onset of deformation. The increase in mean-square charge radius is observed to be less than that for Y, with a substantial degree of β softness observed before and after N=60

Q_EC values of the Superallowed beta-Emitters 10-C, 34-Ar, 38-Ca and 46-V

The Q_EC values of the superallowed beta+ emitters 10-C, 34-Ar, 38-Ca and 46-V have been measured with a Penning-trap mass spectrometer to be 3648.12(8), 6061.83(8), 6612.12(7) and 7052.44(10) keV, respectively. All four values are substantially improved in precision over previous results.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 5 table

Absolute kinematics of radio source components in the complete S5 polar cap sample. III. First wide-field high-precision astrometry at 15.4 GHz

We report on the first wide-field, high-precision astrometric analysis of the 13 extragalactic radio sources of the complete S5 polar cap sample at 15.4 GHz. We describe new algorithms developed to enable the use of differenced phase delays in wide-field astrometric observations and discuss the impact of using differenced phase delays on the precision of the wide-field astrometric analysis. From this global fit, we obtained estimates of the relative source positions with precisions ranging from 14 to 200 $\mu$as at 15.4 GHz, depending on the angular separation of the sources (from $\sim$1.6 to $\sim$20.8 degrees). These precisions are $\sim$10 times higher than the achievable precisions using the phase-reference mapping technique.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure