Sociodemographic Risk Factors for Risky and Disordered Gambling – Investigations through Registry Data

Alder, kjønn, og sivilstatus er robuste prediktorer for problematisk pengespilling. Menn og yngre rapporterer generelt mer problematisk pengespilling, mens kvinner virker å utvikle problematisk pengespilling raskere (såkalt teleskop-effekt). Videre er skilte og ugifte overrepresentert blant de med problematisk pengespilling. Det er allikevel flere kunnskapshull i vår forståelse av disse sosiodemografiske variablene og deres betydning for problematisk pengespilling. For alder og kjønn så er det behov for studier som kombinerer større aldersspenn og lengre oppfølgningsperioder for å klargjøre trender i problematisk pengespilling for ulike alders- og kjønnsgrupper over tid. For kjønn så gjenstår det å replisere teleskop-effekten med prospektive data fra ikke-kliniske utvalg. For sivilstatus så er det behov for studier som undersøker retningen på forholdet mellom sivilstatus og problematisk pengespilling. Denne avhandlingen presenterer tre studier som har målsetting å imøtekomme tidligere begrensninger ved å benytte registerdata. Sporingsdata på pengespilling muliggjør automatisk og ikke-invaderende innsamling av objektiv spillatferd som gir opphav til store og detaljerte longitudinelle utvalg. Helseregisterdata gir tilgang til store utvalg av individer med diagnoser for psykiske lidelser slik som pengespillidelse (“gambling disorder”, GD), som er nasjonalt representative for den behandlingssøkende populasjonen og der dataen kan kobles med andre registre som har liknende høy kvalitet på helse og sosial informasjon. Den første studien i denne avhandlingen brukte sporingsdata for å undersøke hvordan årlige trender i teoretisk tap (et mål på tilbøyelighet til å ta risiko i pengespilling) varierte etter alders- og kjønnsgrupper for en populasjon av spillautomatspillere (“electronic gaming machines”, EGM) over seks år. Den andre studien brukte samme data for å undersøke en variant av teleskop-effekten: Kvinner ble antatt å være eldre enn menn når de begynte EGM-spilling og tiden det gikk fra de begynte EGM-spilling til de møtte sin første tapsgrense ble antatt å være kortere sammenlignet med menn. Den tredje studien brukte helse- og sosialregistre over en 11-års periode for å undersøke hvorvidt å skille seg var assosiert økt odds for fremtidig GD og hvorvidt å gifte seg var assosiert redusert odds for fremtidig GD. Resultater fra den første studien viste at høyere teoretisk tap på flere deler av fordelingen (25., 50. [medianen], og 90. persentil) var assosiert med høyere alder og å være kvinne. Aldersrelaterte forskjeller i teoretisk tap var også sterkere hos menn sammenlignet med kvinner. Til slutt, årlig teoretisk tap falt blant de mest intense pengespillerne (90. persentil) på tvers av de undersøkte årene for alle alders- og kjønnsgrupper utenom menn i alderen 18-29 år. Resultater fra den andre studien ga støtte for en teleskop-effekt ettersom kvinner var i gjennomsnitt 6 år yngre enn menn da de begynte sin EGM-spilling og kvinner møtte sin første månedlige tapsgrense i median 9 måneder før menn (av totalt 70 måneder i studien). Resultater fra den tredje studien viste at å skille seg var assosiert økt odds for fremtidig GD sammenlignet med kontroller som har psykisk eller somatisk sykdom (2,45 odds ratio) og kontroller fra generelle befolkningen (2,41 odds ratio). Resultatene viste også at å gifte seg var assosiert redusert odds for fremtidig GD sammenlignet med kontroller som har psykisk eller somatisk sykdom (0,62 odds ratio) og kontroller fra generelle befolkningen (0,57 odds ratio). Endringer i pengespillmarkedet og etablerte teorier for problematisk pengespilling kan være med å forklare de aktuelle funnene på landbasert EGM-spilling. EGM-spilling virker å være synkende generelt, men kvinner og eldre voksne viser en sterkere preferanse for EGM-spilling sammenlignet med menn og yngre voksne. Dette kan styrke forsterkning fra EGM og medføre opprettholdelse av kognitive skjevheter som fremmer problematisk pengespilling. Angående sivilstatus og risiko for GD: Skilte personer kan muligens utvikle GD ved at pengespillingen blir en mestringsstrategi i møte med slik belastende livshendelse. Gifte personer vil muligens dra fordel av sosial kontroll og støtte fra deres ektefeller som beskytter mot overinvolvering i pengespill. Fordeler og ulemper ved bruk av registerdata for å oppnå målsettingene i studiene blir diskutert samt implikasjoner for intervensjoner og fremtidig forskning.Age, gender, and marital status are robust predictors of disordered gambling. Men and younger individuals generally report more disordered gambling, while women appear to develop disordered gambling faster (the ‘telescoping effect’). Further, divorce and unmarried status appears overrepresented among those with disordered gambling. However, there are still gaps in our understanding of these sociodemographic variables in relation to disordered gambling. For age and gender, studies are needed combining wide age ranges and longer time periods to elucidate trends in disordered gambling for different age and gender groups over time. For gender, the ‘telescoping effect’ remains to be replicated with prospective data from non-clinical samples. For marital status, studies are needed to investigate the directionality between marital status and disordered gambling. The current thesis presents three studies that aimed to alleviate previous limitations by leveraging registry data. Behavioral tracking data allows for automatic and non-intrusive recording of objective gambling behavior, giving rise to large longitudinal datasets that are rich in detail. Health registry data allows for access to large samples of individuals with psychiatric diagnoses such as gambling disorder (GD), that are nationally representative of the treatment-seeking population, and whose data can be linked with other registries containing similar high-quality recordings of health and social information. The first study of this thesis used behavioral tracking data to investigate how annual trends in theoretical loss (a measure of risk propensity in gambling) varied according to age and gender groups for a population of electronic gaming machine (EGM) players over six years. The second study used the same data to the examine a variant of the ‘telescoping effect’: Women were hypothesized to be older than men when initiating EGM gambling, and their time between first playing EGM to reaching first loss limit would be shorter compared to men. The third study made use of health and social welfare registries across an 11-year period to examine if getting divorced was associated with increased odds for future GD, and if getting married was associated with reduced odds for future GD. Results from the first study showed that higher theoretical loss at various parts of the distribution (25th, 50th [median], and 90th percentile) was associated with older age and being a woman. Age-related differences in theoretical loss were also stronger among men compared to women. Finally, yearly theoretical loss decreased among the most intense gamblers (90th percentile) across the examined years for all age- and gender groups except men aged 18-29 years. Results from the second study indicated a ‘telescoping effect’ as women were on average 6 years older than men when first gambling on EGMs, and women reached their first monthly loss limit on average 9 months before men (out of 70 total study months). Results from the third study showed that getting divorced was associated with increased risk for future GD compared to illness controls (2.45 odds ratio) and general population controls (2.41 odds ratio). Results also showed that getting married was associated with reduced odds for future GD compared to illness controls (0.62 odds ratio) and general population controls (0.57 odds ratio). The changing gambling landscape and established theories of disordered gambling might explain the present findings on land-based EGM gambling. EGM gambling appears to be decreasing, although women and older adults show stronger preference for EGM gambling compared to men and younger adults. This could increase exposure to reinforcement factors and maintain cognitive biases that facilitate disordered gambling. Regarding marital status and risk for GD: Divorced individuals might develop GD as gambling becomes a coping strategy following such a stress-full life event. Married individuals might benefit from social control and support from spouses that buffer against overinvolvement in gambling. The benefits and limitations of using registry data for achieving the study aims are discussed, as are implications for intervention and future research.Doktorgradsavhandlin

Numeration Systems on the Admiralty Islands and Implications for the Mental Number Line

Over the last decades there has been growing interest in the relationship between cognition and culture. One question that has yet to be answered on this topic is the role counting systems have for cognition. Counting systems vary between cultures and may influence the mental representation of numbers. On that note, some authors argue that numbers map onto a mental number line that is used when dealing with numbers. This thesis gives an overview of numerals for the Admiralty Islands, an Island group located outside of Papua New Guinea. It analyzed the counting systems and their implications for the mental number line. The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of number systems on the Admiralty Islands in order to investigate how these characteristics may affect the mental number line. The thesis took an explorative and theoretical method approach where numerical data on the languages of the Admiralty Languages were gathered from literature. The results from the data collection suggested that the counting systems on the Admiralty Islands facilitat a linear, two- dimensional mental number line ranging from 1 to 100. It was concluded that various cultural aspects could be influential in shaping the mental number line. The predictions made may be used as a basis for further empirical research on mental representations of numbers.Masteroppgave i psykologiMAPSYK330INTL-HFINTL-JUSINTL-MEDINTL-PSYKINTL-SVINTL-MNMAPS-PSYKINTL-KM

Dangerous Love

The relationships between female sex workers and their noncommercial male partners are often assumed to be coercive and anchored in risk, dismissed as “pimp-prostitute” arrangements by researchers and the general public alike. Yet, these stereotypes unjustly erase the complexity of lives we imagine to be consumed by social suffering. Dangerous Love centers a framework of love to rethink sex workers’ intimate relationships as commitments to collective solidarity and survival in contexts of oppression. Combining epidemiological research and ethnographic fieldwork in Tijuana, Mexico, Jennifer Leigh Syvertsen examines how individuals try to find love and meaning in lives marked by structural violence, social marginalization, drug addiction, and HIV/AIDS. Linking the political economy of inequalities along the border with emotional lived experience, this book explores how intimate relationships become dangerous safe havens that fundamentally shape both partners’ well-being. Through these stories, we are urged to reimagine the socially transformative power of love to carve new pathways to health equity. “Jennifer Leigh Syvertsen has done everything right in Dangerous Love. Too often, social and behavioral scientists studying drug use avoid describing the affective aspects of drug-using behavior. Syvertsen, rather than averting her eyes, seeks to understand these lives and help the reader to understand.” — J. BRYAN PAGE, Professor of Anthropology, University of Miami “Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews in Tijuana, Dangerous Love includes intimate partners, an element that is usually missing in the qualitative study of drug use—and rare in the study of sex work. By examining female-male partnerships and relational repertoires, Syvertsen makes novel and important contributions.” — LISA MAHER, author of Sexed Work: Gender, Race, and Resistance in a Brooklyn Drug Marke

Tangible Scalar Fields

Data Visualization is a field that explores how to most efficiently convey information to the user, most often via visual representations like plots, graphs or glyphs. While this field of research has had great growth within the last couple of years, most of the work has been focused on the visual part of the human visual and auditory system - much less visualization work has been done in regards to the visually impaired. In this thesis, we will look at some previous methods and techniques for visualizing scalar fields via the sense of touch, and additionally provide two novel approaches to visualize a two-dimensional scalar field. Our first approach creates passive physicalizations from a scalar field in a semi-automatic pipeline by encoding the scalar value and field coordinates as positions in 3D space, which we use to construct a triangular mesh built from hexagonal pillars that can be printed on a 3D printer. We further enhance our mesh by encoding a directional attribute on the pillars, creating a visual encoding of the model orientation and improving upon a readability issue by mirroring the mesh. Our second approach uses a haptic force-feedback device to simulate the feeling of moving across a surface based on the scalar field by replicating three physical forces: the normal force, the friction force and the gravity force. We also further extend our approach by introducing a local encoding of global information about the scalar field via a volume representation build from the scalar field.Masteroppgave i informatikkINF399MAMN-PROGMAMN-IN

Establishing efficient transformation technologies for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in Lolium perenne L.

Den diploide fôrgressarten flerårig raigras (Lolium perenne L.) er den vik?gste fôrgressarten i Europa. Den brukes både i eng og beite og er en avgjørende komponent i husdyrproduksjonen fra drøvtyggere (melk og kjøY) på grunn av god fôrkvalitet og høy fordøyelighet. Den dårlige ?lpasningen ?l kaldt og tørt klima utgjør imidler?d en ubordring i de pågående klimaendringene med tørrere somre og uforutsigbare vintre, slik som i Norge. Et vik?g aspekt for flere gressarter er induksjon av blomstring gjennom vernalisering, definert som en prosess hvor en langvarig kuldeperiode fremmer blomstring i planten. Frysetoleranse og vernalisering har et komplekst forhold med flere molekylære samspill der mange gener er involvert og kan induseres som følge av eksponering med lave temperaturer samt kortere dager. I denne studien ble to gener vik?ge for vernalisering i flerårig raigras, VRN1 og VIN3, valgt for genredigering ved bruk av CRISPR/Cas9. To flerårige raigrasgenotyper, Fagerlin-201 og Fagerlin-204, som er forskjellige med hensyn ?l vernaliseringskrav og uYrykk for disse to genene under korte og kalde dager, ble brukt som plantemateriale. Disse genotypene ble selektert innen den norske sorten ‘Fagerlin’. Tidligere studier har funnet at induksjonen av VRN1 og VIN3 er betydelig høyere i genotypen som krever vernalisering (Fagerlin-204) sammenlignet med genotypen som blomstrer uten vernalisering. For begge gener ble knock-out- og overekspresjonskonstruksjoner designet og brukt ?l å transformere kalli av flerårig raigras ved bruk av Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediert transformasjon. For å gjøre det ble fire gRNA-er designet for hvert gen. Meristema?ske kalli ble produsert fra frø fra sorten ‘Fagerlin’, som senere ble transformert. Det ble også forsøkt å produsere kalli fra blader, embryo og meristemer, men deYe ga ikke de samme posi?ve resultatene. Frems?llingen av CRISPR/Cas9-konstruksjoner, samt produksjon og transformasjon av flerårig raigraskallus, er ?dkrevende, og demonstrerer ubordringene med å etablere vevskulturmetoder og CRISPR/Cas9-knock-outs i denne arten. Derfor bør det arbeides videre med deYe prosjektet, dvs. fenotypisk validering av de transformerte kalliene, og etablering 3 av meristema?ske kalli- eller protoplastkulturer og transformasjon av de to utvalgte genotypene, Fagerlin-201 og Fagerlin-204. Etablering av et funksjonelt CRISPR/Cas knockout-system for flerårig raigras er nødvendig for å studere funksjonen ?l gener karakterisert gjennom transkriptom og QTL (Quan?ta?ve Trait Loci) studier. DereYer kan slik informasjon implementeres og brukes ?l å forbedre presisjonen av genomisk-baserte foredlingsmetoder, redusere lengden på foredlingsprogrammet, og dermed raskere utvikle nye sorter med forbedret toleranse mot stress som frost og tørke.The diploid forage grass species perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is the most important forage grass species in Europe. It is used both in leys and pastures and is a crucial component of ruminant livestock produc?on (milk and meat) due to its good nutri?onal values and high diges?bility. However, its poor adapta?on to cold and dry climates poses a challenge in the ongoing climate changes with drier summers and unpredictable winters, such as in Norway. An important aspect for several grasses is the induc?on of flowering through vernaliza?on, defined as a process where a prolonged cold period promotes flowering in the plant. Freezing tolerance and vernaliza?on have a complex rela?onship with several molecular cross-talks where many genes are involved and can be induced as a result of exposure to low temperatures as well as shorter days. In this study, two genes important for vernaliza?on in perennial ryegrass, VRN1 and VIN3, were selected for gene edi?ng using CRISPR/Cas9. Two perennial ryegrass genotypes, Fagerlin-201 and Fagerlin-204, which differ regarding vernaliza?on requirements and expression of these two genes during short and cold days were used as plant material. These genotypes were selected within the Norwegian cul?var ‘Fagerlin’. Previous studies have found that the induc?on of VRN1 and VIN3 is significantly higher in the genotype requiring vernaliza?on (Fagerlin-204) compared to the genotype that flowers without vernaliza?on. For both genes, knock-out and overexpression constructs were designed and used to transform perennial ryegrass calli using Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transforma?on. To do so, four gRNAs were designed for each gene. Meristema?c calli were produced from seeds from the perennial ryegrass cul?var ‘Fagerlin’, which were later transformed. Calli from leaves, embryos and meristems were also aYempted to be established, however this did not yield the same posi?ve results. Genera?ng CRISPR/Cas9 constructs, as well as the produc?on and transforma?on of perennial ryegrass callus, is ?me-consuming, and demonstrate the challenges of establishing ?ssue culture methods and CRISPR/Cas9 knock-outs in this species. Therefore, further work should be done on this project such as phenotypic valida?on of the transformed calli, and 1 establishment of meristema?c calli or protoplast cultures and transforma?on of the two selected genotypes, Fagerlin-201 and Fagerlin-204. Establishing a func?onal CRISPR/Cas knockout system for perennial ryegrass is needed for studying the func?on of genes characterized through transcriptomic and QTL (Quan?ta?ve Trait Loci) studies. Subsequently, such informa?on can be implemented and used to improve the precision of genomic based breeding methods, reduce the length of the breeding cycle, and thus more rapidly develop new cul?vars with improved tolerances against stresses like frost and drought

Chaos Theory and Butterfly Effects in Times of Corruption and a Bank Crash in 1886: The Case of Arendal (Norway) Illustrated through a Regional-Globalized Model

The chapter focuses at corruption practices in the bank crash in the town of Arendal in Southern Norway in 1886 using insights from chaos theory and butterfly effects as theoretical frameworks. Using secondary sources from reports and documents, we illustrate that the bank crash can be explained by corrupt practices of the business and political elite involving manipulation of accounting figures, financial guarantees given in closed and secret circles, and banks giving credit without sufficient security. These activities led the town into a large bank crash in the fall of 1886 having negative effects on business performance, large unemployment, and falling living standards for decades illustrated through a regional-global model discussed in the chapter. The findings can be of interest when studying other bank crashes such as the global bank crisis setting in fall 2008 having negative consequences for leading OECD countries up to present times

Death poems for Cindy

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Precarious hope and reframing risk behavior from the ground up: insight from ethnographic research with Rwandan urban refugees in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

BackgroundTheoretical and methodological research on risk-taking practices often frames risk as an individual choice. While risk does occur at individual level, it is determined by aspirations which are connected to others and society. For many displaced women globally, these aspirations are often linked to the well-being of their children and other household members. This article explores the links between aspirations for the future, gendered household dynamics, and health risk-taking behavior among the Rwandan urban refugee community.MethodsThis analysis drew from participant observation, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews with 49 male and 42 female household members from 36 Rwandan refugee households in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The fieldwork was conducted over 12 months between May-August 2016, May-August 2017, and February-August 2018.ResultsWe observed that while there was considerable convergence among household members in aspirations, there was considerable difference in risk-taking practices engaged to achieve them with women often assuming the greatest risks. These gendered realities of risk were not only related to structural concerns including access to different forms of capital, but also to socio-cultural gendered expectations of women, how risks were defined and justified, and household dynamics that drove the gendered reality of observed risk-behavior.ConclusionsHumanitarian programs and policies are distinctly finite in nature; focused on the short-term needs of persons affected by conflict. However, many humanitarian situations in the world are protracted. In the midst of these challenges, themes of future-orientation, possibilities, and shared aspirations for a better future emerge. These aspirations and the practices, including risk-taking practices that stem from them are central to understand if we are to ensure a just peace and stability in displaced communities throughout the developing world. Our analysis highlights the need to examine sociocultural dimensions related to hopes for the future, gender, and household dynamics as a way to understand risk behavior. We propose this can be done through a framework of precarious hope which we put forward in this paper, in which hope, agency, sociocultural and political economic contexts situate risk as a gendered practice of hope amidst constraint

Media Institutions as a Research Field: Three Phases of Norwegian Broadcasting Research

The article discusses the background and origins of research on media institutions as a field, and especially assesses the development and status of Norwegian research on broadcasting institutions. It is demonstrated how the field has developed, both quantitatively and qualitatively, through three key phases: the era of broadcasting monopolies; the "newmedia situation" in the 1980s and 1990s; and the era of convergence; globalization andcommercialization from the late 1990s. A key purpose is to discuss the theoretical perspectives and implicit and explicit assumptions upon which the research is based. Further, the article points to shortcomings and gaps in our knowledge of how media institutions evolve and operate. In closing, it is suggested how the field may maintain its relevance in an era where the very concept of a “broadcasting institution” is becoming more blurred

Dangerous Love

The relationships between female sex workers and their noncommercial male partners are often assumed to be coercive and anchored in risk, dismissed as “pimp-prostitute” arrangements by researchers and the general public alike. Yet, these stereotypes unjustly erase the complexity of lives we imagine to be consumed by social suffering. Dangerous Love centers a framework of love to rethink sex workers’ intimate relationships as commitments to collective solidarity and survival in contexts of oppression. Combining epidemiological research and ethnographic fieldwork in Tijuana, Mexico, Jennifer Leigh Syvertsen examines how individuals try to find love and meaning in lives marked by structural violence, social marginalization, drug addiction, and HIV/AIDS. Linking the political economy of inequalities along the border with emotional lived experience, this book explores how intimate relationships become dangerous safe havens that fundamentally shape both partners’ well-being. Through these stories, we are urged to reimagine the socially transformative power of love to carve new pathways to health equity. “Jennifer Leigh Syvertsen has done everything right in Dangerous Love. Too often, social and behavioral scientists studying drug use avoid describing the affective aspects of drug-using behavior. Syvertsen, rather than averting her eyes, seeks to understand these lives and help the reader to understand.” — J. BRYAN PAGE, Professor of Anthropology, University of Miami “Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews in Tijuana, Dangerous Love includes intimate partners, an element that is usually missing in the qualitative study of drug use—and rare in the study of sex work. By examining female-male partnerships and relational repertoires, Syvertsen makes novel and important contributions.” — LISA MAHER, author of Sexed Work: Gender, Race, and Resistance in a Brooklyn Drug Marke