Gambling Alone? A Study of Solitary and Social Gambling in America

In his acclaimed 2000 book Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam documents a disturbing social trend of the broadest kind. Putnam cites a wide variety of data that indicate that over the past fifty years, Americans have become increasingly socially disengaged. In developing this theme, Putnam specifically cites the increase in casino gambling (and especially machine gambling) as evidence in support of his argument. Building on the empirical and theoretical work of Putnam, this exploratory article examines the subphenomenon of gambling alone by exploring sample survey data on solitary and social gambling behavior among adults who reside in Las Vegas, Nevada. Specifically, to further understand these phenomena, a number of demographic, attitudinal, and behavioral variables are examined for their explanatory power in predicting solitary vs. social gambling behavior

The oligomerization of propene over cobalt catalysts

Bibliography: pages 136-140.This thesis set out to investigate the activity of various supported cobalt catalysts for high pressure propene oligomerization. This work was carried out as part of a larger research effort to upgrade light olefins to liquid fuels in the distillate range. The supports investigated included activated carbon, alumina, silica alumina, synthetic mica montmorillonite, zeolite Y and NH₄⁺-ZSM-5. A cobaltmolybdenum hydrodesulphurization catalyst was also tested. The synthesis procedures used in this work included double ammoniation (Co-C), incipient wetness impregnation (Co-C, alumina, NH₄⁺-ZSM-5), ion-exchange (NaY, NH₄⁺-ZSM-5), chemisorption (cobalt complex on activated carbon) and homogeneous deposition-precipitation (Co-Silica alumina)

Characterization of the Saturated Zone Associated with the Contour Surface Mining Spoil in the New River Basin of Tennessee

The spoil resulting from contour surface mining of coal in the mountainous of New River Basin of Tennessee was examined to determine its extent of saturation and water quality associated with this saturated zone. Two well study sites were established on the mining spoil in two small watersheds of the upper New River Basin. At each a set of permanent wells running in a line from the bench to the toe of the spoil was installed and periodically monitored for groundwater elevations and water quality. The extent and quality of the spoil saturated zone throughout each watershed was examined with a series of temporary, hand-driven observation wells. The spoil bank investigation covered a period of six years between 1975 and 1981 and was part of a larger comprehensive study in the New River Area examining environmental changes associated with the surface mining of coal. Principle support for this work came from the United States Department of Energy and its predecessor, the Energy Research and Development Administration. Several large hydrologic and groundwater quality data bases were developed and are summarized with descriptive statistics. Spatial and temporal variations in the data are examined as well as chemical relationships between water quality constituents. Storage volumes and mineral constituent masses mobilized within the mining spoil are quantified. This information and surface hydrologic and water quality data from the larger comprehensive study are used to assess the impact of the surface mining spoil on low flow hydrology in the two study watersheds. The contour surface mining spoils examined are a heterogeneous, apparently anisotropic, predominately clay material interspersed with weathering fragments of sandstone and shale of various size. They are generally saturated along their lower boundary. The size of this saturated zone, however, is known to vary as a function of surface conditions. The spoil material represents an acid soil. Concentrations of dissolved mineral constituents found in the saturated zone are moderated compared to spoils of acid drainage areas in the East and those containing glacial deposits in the Midwest. Overall pH is acidic with a median value of 6.3 Calcium and magnesium are the major cations; bicarbonate the major anion. Acid reducing conditions were found to be associated. Constituent concentrations show negative correlation with redox potential and positive associations with alkalinity and sulfate. An attempt was made to quantify the contribution of aluminosilicate minerals to calcium, magnesium and alkalinity found in spoil subsurface waters. The results were inconclusive; however, indirect evidence suggests this contribution is small compared to the dissolution of carbonate materials. The contour surface mining spoil was shown to store a substantial volume of water and mobilized mineral constituent mass and to have a significant impact on the low flow hydrology of mining disturbed basins. The degree of saturation within the spoils examined was found to be increasing with time, apparently independent of short term annual trends in rainfall. This raises the question as to the long-term stability of these embankments. Constituent concentrations in the spoil subsurface water are significantly elevated above those found in the shallow, undisturbed groundwater system of the watersheds examined. However, heavy metal concentrations in the spoil drainage are low. Except for isolated point sources of acid mine drainage, this water appears suitable for livestock, irrigation, and, with conventional treatment technology, water supply purposes. No overall, long term decreasing trend in subsurface constituent concentrations, suggestive of recovery, were observed in the spoil quality data. However, short-term variations with hydrologic condition in the spoil are noted

Reframing Resolution - Managing Conflict and Resolving Individual Employment Disputes in the Contemporary Workplace

The resolution of individual workplace conflict has assumed an increasingly important place in policy debates over contemporary work and employment. This is in part due to the decline in collective industrial action and the parallel rise in the volume of employment tribunal applications. It reflects a growing concern over the implications of individual employment disputes for those involved but has perhaps been driven by concerns over the cost of litigation and the perceived burden that this places on employers. Against this backdrop, an ESRC-funded seminar series, entitled ‘Reframing Resolution – Managing Conflict and Resolving Individual Employment Disputes in the Contemporary Workplace’, was held between October 2012 and September 2013. This comprised six seminars held at: University of Strathclyde; University of Central Lancashire; Swansea University; Queen’s University Belfast; IRRU, University of Warwick and University of Westminster. The series brought leading academic researchers, practitioners and policy-makers together to explore new empirical and conceptual developments, examine innovative practice and provide insights into key questions of public policy

Behavioural activation interventions for depressed individuals with a chronic physical illness: a systematic review protocol

© 2013 Harris et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Background: Depression is common in people with chronic physical illness and is associated with worse medical outcomes. Cognitive behavioural therapy and problem solving improve depression, although usually have small to moderate effects among people with chronic physical illness. Behavioural activation interventions for depression, which aim to increase positive reinforcement from the environment by encouraging individuals to increase pleasant/rewarding activities, have been reported to be equivalent to cognitive behavioural therapy. However, the effectiveness of behavioural activation interventions for depression in individuals with chronic physical illness are unclear. The aims of this systematic review are to identify the extent to which different forms of behavioural activation have been used as a treatment for depression in this population, examine the effectiveness of the interventions, and identify any adaptations which have been made specifically to the interventions for individuals with a range of chronic physical illnesses. Methods/Design: Electronic databases will be systematically searched using terms relevant to behavioural activation and depression, and the subset of studies in people with chronic physical illnesses will be identified by manual searching. References and citations of eligible studies will be searched and experts in this field will be contacted to identify additional papers. All study designs will be included in this review to allow for a more extensive identification of the extent of different forms of behavioural activation interventions. The different forms of behavioural activation and the specific chronic physical health conditions for which this intervention has been used will be reviewed narratively. For the effectiveness of the interventions, if sufficient randomised controlled trials have been undertaken the results will be meta-analysed. Non-randomised studies will be narratively synthesised and adaptations to the interventions will also be narratively reviewed. Discussion: The findings will inform the design, development and subsequent evaluation of a behavioural activation intervention for depression in people with a chronic physical illness. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42013004500.University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental Sciences PhD Studentshi

Psychological interventions to improve psychological well-being in people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment: systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Open Access ArticleINTRODUCTION: Dementia and mild cognitive impairment are associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety, psychological distress and poor mental health-related quality of life. However, there is a lack of research examining the evidence base for psychological interventions targeting general psychological well-being within this population. Furthermore, there is little research relating to the design of randomised controlled trials examining psychological interventions for dementia and mild cognitive impairment, such as effective recruitment techniques, trial eligibility and appropriate comparators. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Systematic review of electronic databases (CINAHL; EMBASE; PsychInfo; MEDLINE; ASSIA and CENTRAL), supplemented by expert contact, reference and citation checking, and grey literature searches. Published and unpublished studies will be eligible for inclusion with no limitations placed on year of publication. Primary outcomes of interest will be standardised measurements of depression, anxiety, psychological distress or mental health-related quality of life. Eligibility and randomisation proportions will be calculated as secondary outcomes. If data permits, meta-analytical techniques will examine: (1) overall effectiveness of psychological interventions for people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment in relation to outcomes of depression, anxiety, psychological distress or mental health-related quality of life; (2) clinical and methodological moderators associated with effectiveness; (3) proportions eligible, recruited and randomised. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for the present systematic review. Results will inform the design of a feasibility study examining a new psychological intervention for people with dementia and depression, with dissemination through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at relevant conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42015025177.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR

Young Children Treat Robots as Informants

Children ranging from 3 to 5 years were introduced to two anthropomorphic robots that provided them with information about unfamiliar animals. Children treated the robots as interlocutors. They supplied information to the robots and retained what the robots told them. Children also treated the robots as informants from whom they could seek information. Consistent with studies of children's early sensitivity to an interlocutor's non-verbal signals, children were especially attentive and receptive to whichever robot displayed the greater non-verbal contingency. Such selective information seeking is consistent with recent findings showing that although young children learn from others, they are selective with respect to the informants that they question or endorse

Subjective wellbeing in people living with dementia: Exploring processes of multiple object handling sessions in a museum setting

Dementia care guidance highlights the importance of supporting people living with dementia to access engaging and meaningful activities to promote their quality of life. There is a growing evidence base for the efficacy of heritage settings and arts-based interventions to provide social prescribing opportunities to help support wellbeing in this population. This study extended previous research and explored the potential processes underlying this effect in multiple small group object handling sessions in a museum setting. A mixed-methods design was used comprising a pre-post measure of subjective wellbeing and an inductive thematic analysis to explore in-the-moment session content across multiple sessions. Four people with dementia participated in three, one-hour group object handling sessions led by two facilitators. Pre-post wellbeing scores tentatively corroborated subjective wellbeing scores by showing improved wellbeing after each session though this was largely not significant due to low power resulting from the small sample size. Qualitative findings identified four key themes: facilitating, interest in exploring objects, active participation, and group collaboration. Tentative interpretations were made around the dynamic interaction of themes and subthemes. Findings offer ways to optimise object handling sessions for people with dementia by providing in-depth information about the processes involved across multiple object handling sessions facilitated my museum/heritage professionals in a museum setting. This has useful implications for community-based activities as part of dementia care planning and public health programming. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed. This is the first study we are aware of that has taken an in-depth look at multiple museum-based group object handling sessions for people living with dementia. The study contributes to a deeper understanding and elucidates the processes that enhance wellbeing for people living with dementia who participate in such sessions. It also helps to develop further theoretical understanding about why these types of activities are helpful in community-based dementia care

Optical Diagnostics on Helical Flux Compression Generators

Explosively driven magnetic flux compression (MFC) has been object of research for more than three decades. Actual interest in the basic physical picture of flux compression has been heightened by a newly started Department of Defense (DoD) Multi-University Research Initiative. The emphasis is on helical flux compression generators comprising a hollow cylindrical metal liner filled with high explosives and at least one helical coil surrounding the liner. After the application of a seed current, magnetic flux is trapped and high current is generated by moving, i.e., expanding, the liner explosively along the winding of the helical coil. Several key factors involved in the temporal development can be addresses by optical diagnostics. 1) The uniformity of liner expansion is captured by framing camera photography and supplemented by laser illuminated high spatial and temporal resolution imaging. Also, X-ray flash photography is insensitive to possible image blur by shockwaves coming from the exploding liner. 2) The thermodynamic state of the shocked gas is assessed by spatially and temporally resolved emission spectroscopy. 3) The moving liner-coil contact point is a possible source of high electric losses and is preferentially monitored also by emission spectroscopy. Since optical access to the region between liner and coil is not always guaranteed, optical fibers can he used to extract light from the generator. The information so gained will give, together with detailed electrical diagnostics, more insight in the physical loss mechanisms involved in MFC