Cue Reactivity in Active Pathological, Abstinent Pathological, and Regular Gamblers

Twenty-one treatment-seeking pathological gamblers, 21 pathological gamblers in recovery, and 21 recreational gamblers watched two video-taped exciting gambling scenarios and an exciting roller-coaster control scenario while their arousal (heart rate and subjective excitement) and urge to gamble were being measured. The gamblers did not differ significantly in cue-elicited heart rate elevations or excitement. However, the active pathological gamblers reported significantly greater urges to gamble across all cues compared to the abstinent pathological gamblers and, with marginal significance (p = 0.06), also compared to the social gamblers. Further exploration of these findings revealed that active pathological gamblers experience urges to gamble in response to exciting situations, whether or not they are gambling related, whereas abstinent and social gamblers only report urges to an exciting gambling-related cue. This suggests that for pathological gamblers excitement itself, irrespective of its source, may become a conditioned stimulus capable of triggering gambling behavior. Implications for treatment and future research are discussed

From the Shell-shocked Soldier to the Nervous Child: Psychoanalysis in the Aftermath of the First World War

This article investigates the development of child analysis in Britain between the wars, as the anxious child succeeded the shell-shocked soldier as a focus of psychoanalytic enquiry. Historians of psychoanalysis tend to regard the Second World War as a key moment in the discovery of the ‘war within’ the child, but it was in the aftermath of the First War that the warring psyche of the child was observed and elaborated. The personal experience of war and its aftermath, and the attention given to regression in the treatment of war neuroses, encouraged Melanie Klein, Anna Freud and others to turn their attention to children. At the same time, however, the impact of the First World War as a traumatic event, with inter-generational consequences, remained largely unaccounted for within psychoanalysis as Klein and others focused on the child's riven internal world

Review of gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnic background considerations reported in active school travel intervention studies

Introduction: Trends over the last half century have shown that fewer children today are engaging in active modes of travel to and from school than in previous generations. Interventions promoting active school travel (AST) can be effective at reversing these trends and increasing rates of AST among children. This paper aims to explore (1) how studies of AST interventions have considered or framed multiple equity factors, namely those related to gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and ethnic background, in the design and evaluation of AST interventions, and (2) to what extent studies of AST interventions report these equity considerations in their analyses, outcomes, programming, and discussions. Methods: Six databases were used (BIOSIS Previews, GeoBase, PubMed, SCOPUS, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science) to obtain AST literature published between 2010 and 2019 from around the world. The inclusion criteria applied in this review included a focus on an AST intervention for children (aged 5–19 years), quantitative results, and a primary outcome related to AST. A total of 69 papers were included in the review. Results: Across AST intervention studies, equity considerations were scarcely reported. Among the explicit mentions, gender and socioeconomic status were reported most often compared to ethnic background. Some papers reported differential effects among groups. Gender, SES, and ethnic background were, when reported, generally considered as variables that were controlled for within study samples. Conclusions: Suggestions to address equity within studies of AST interventions include reporting equity considerations made throughout the intervention and its evaluation in the published article. Using and reporting equity frameworks to develop AST interventions and conducting sub-group analyses during evaluation allows for greater assessment of equity effects and improved utility and applicability of the AST intervention. Ensuring the integration of equity into AST literature is needed to support evidence-based and equitable practices

Field evaluation of a multi-point fibre optic sensor array for methane detection (“OMEGA”)

A multi-point fibre optic sensor array for methane detection (“OMEGA”) has been developed and tested under semiquantitative field conditions. The new system employed wavelength modulation spectroscopy using a DFB laser source scanned across the Q6 methane line at 1.665•m. A branched fibre network connected the single source to up to 64 sensor heads. Controlled releases of natural gas were provided for test purposes within an array of four optical sensors and four pellistor reference sensors. An automated system delivered standard gases to each sensor, to enable routine calibration checks to be carried out. Agreement between the conventional and optical systems was excellent in the range 0-100% LEL (lower explosion limit). The optical system offers a simple, intrinsically safe design with a low cost of ownership per sensor head

Tunable diode laser spectroscopy with wavelength modulation : a phasor decomposition method for calibration-free measurements of gas concentration and pressure

method for analyzing signals in tunable diode laser spectroscopy with wavelength modulation are described. This new technique enables recovery of the isolated and normalized residual amplitude modulation (RAM) signal from measured first harmonic signals at any chosen fundamental modulation frequency. Like the previously reported RAM technique, this new approach is absolute, yielding gas absorption line shape functions, concentrations and pressures without the need for calibration, under certain defined operating conditions. It represents an advancement of the RAM technique in that it obviates the need to operate at a specific high frequency to achieve phase quadrature between the RAM and derivative signals: the signals may be recovered at their maximum levels at any frequency. Measurements of the 1650.96 nm and the 1666.2 nm rotation/vibration absorption line shape functions for 1% and 10% methane in nitrogen at various pressures are compared to theoretical predictions derived from HITRAN data. The excellent agreement confirms the validity of the new technique. Further measurements of concentration and pressure confirm the efficacy of the technique for determining concentration in industrial process environments where the pressure may be unknown and changing. With the above features this new method is particularly suited to stand alone instrumentation for on-line deployment in industrial processes where the calibration factors in the conventional approach would present significant difficulties

Tunable diode laser spectroscopy with wavelength modulation : a calibration-free approach to the recovery of absolute gas absorption line-shapes

The principles and implementation of an alternative approach to tunable diode-laser spectroscopy with wavelength modulation are described. This new technique uses the inherent phase shift between diode-laser power modulation and frequency modulation to separate the residual amplitude modulation and the first derivative signals recovered at the fundamental modulation frequency. The technique, through analysis of the residual-amplitude-modulation signal, is absolute, yielding gas-absorption-line-shape functions, concentrations, and pressures without the need for calibration under certain defined operating conditions. It offers the simplicity of signal analysis of direct detection while providing all the advantages of phase-sensitive electronic detection. Measurements of the 1650.96-nm rotation/vibration-absorption-line-shape function for 1% and 10% methane in nitrogen at various pressures are compared to theoretical predictions derived from HITRAN data, and the excellent agreement confirms the validity of the new technique. Further measurements of concentration and pressure confirm the efficacy of the technique for determining concentration in industrial-process environments where the pressure may be unknown and changing. An analysis of signal strength demonstrates that sensitivity comparable to that of conventional approaches is achievable. The new approach is simpler and more robust in coping with unknown pressure variations and drift in instrumentation parameters (such as laser characteristics) than the conventional approach. As such, it is better suited to stand-alone instrumentation for online deployment in industrial processes and is particularly useful in high-temperature applications, where the background infrared is strong

Field evaluation of a multi-point fibre optic sensor array for methane detection (“OMEGA”)

A multi-point fibre optic sensor array for methane detection (“OMEGA”) has been developed and tested under semi-quantitative field conditions. The new system employed wavelength modulation spectroscopy using a DFB laser source scanned across the Q6 methane line at 1.665•m. A branched fibre network connected the single source to up to 64 sensor heads. Controlled releases of natural gas were provided for test purposes within an array of four optical sensors and four pellistor reference sensors. An automated system delivered standard gases to each sensor, to enable routine calibration checks to be carried out. Agreement between the conventional and optical systems was excellent in the range 0-100 % LEL (lower explosion limit). The optical system offers a simple, intrinsically safe design with a low cost of ownership per sensor head

OptoSci educator kits - an immediate solution to photonics teaching laboratories

This paper describes the design philosophy and specific educational objectives for a unique range of photonics educational packages developed by OptoSci, in collaboration with university academics. These fully self-contained teaching packages offer the tutor an immediate and cost effective solution to the provision of comprehensive and stimulating experimental courses in key areas of photonic