The (co-)occurrence of problematic video gaming, substance use, and psychosocial problems in adolescents

Aims. The current study explored the nature of problematic (addictive) video gaming and the association with game type, psychosocial health, and substance use. Methods. Data were collected using a paper and pencil survey in the classroom setting. Three samples were aggregated to achieve a total sample of 8478 unique adolescents. Scales included measures of game use, game type, the Video game Addiction Test (VAT), depressive mood, negative self-esteem, loneliness, social anxiety, education performance, and use of cannabis, alcohol and nicotine (smoking). Results. Findings confirmed problematic gaming is most common amongst adolescent gamers who play multiplayer online games. Boys (60%) were more likely to play online games than girls (14%) and problematic gamers were more likely to be boys (5%) than girls (1%). High problematic gamers showed higher scores on depressive mood, loneliness, social anxiety, negative self-esteem, and self-reported lower school performance. Nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis using boys were almost twice more likely to report high PVG than non-users. Conclusions. It appears that online gaming in general is not necessarily associated with problems. However, problematic gamers do seem to play online games more often, and a small subgroup of gamers – specifically boys – showed lower psychosocial functioning and lower grades. Moreover, associations with alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use are found. It would appear that problematic gaming is an undesirable problem for a small subgroup of gamers. The findings encourage further exploration of the role of psychoactive substance use in problematic gaming

The evolution of Internet addiction: A global perspective

Kimberly Young’s early work on Internet addiction (IA)has been pioneering and her early writings on the topic inspired many others to carry out research in the area. Young's (2015) recent paper on the 'evolution of Internet addiction' featured very little European research, and did not consider the main international evidence that has contributed to our current knowledge about the conceptualization, epidemiology, etiology, and course of Internet-related disorders. This short commentary paper elaborates on important literature omitted by Young that the present authors believe may be of use to researchers. We also address statements made in Young’s (2015) commentary that are incorrect (and therefore misleading) and not systematically substantiated by empirical evidence

Repertório comportamental de chamamento, corte e cópula de Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: noctuidae).

Observações do repertório comportamental de chamamento, de corte e de cópula de Spodoptera frugiperda caracterizaram atividades comportamentais bem definidas e semelhantes a de outras espécies do gênero Spodoptera. Durante a escotofase, no horário do comportamento sexual, fêmeas realizam o chamamento dos machos com a exposição da glândula de feromônio, podendo estarem paradas, vibrando as asas, ou em movimento de caminhamento ou vôo. Ao perceber o feromônio liberado pela fêmea o macho se aproxima da fêmea, e realiza a corte tocando o tórax, o abdômen e as asas da fêmea com suas antenas e pernas anteriores. Enquanto toca a fêmea, o macho vibra as antenas e expõe o ?tufo de pelos‟ (hair-pencil) do final de seu abdômen, em movimentos intermitentes e ritmados de expansão e retração, sempre acompanhado de batidas de asas. Quando a fêmea está receptiva, a mesma levanta as asas durante as tentativas de cópula investidas pelo macho, permitindo que a cópula ocorra. Depois de acoplar, o macho move seu corpo em 180º, ficando no mesmo sentido vetorial que a fêmea, porém em direção contrária ao corpo desta

COMPETITION AMONG HOSPITALS AND ITS MEASUREMENT: THEORY AND A CASE STUDY

Our paper provides several insights on the characteristics of the concept of “Poles d’Excellence Rurale” (PER) through bilateral comparisons with that of Competitive Pole (CP) and cluster. The concept of PER is a French government’ initiative designed for the development of rural areas similar to that of the Competitive Pole. We emphasize important particularities of these concepts by analyzing some of their similarities and major differences.Pole d’Excellence Rurale, Competitive Pole, cluster, rural development

Problematic mobile phone use and smartphone addiction across generations: the roles of psychopathological symptoms and smartphone use

Contemporary technological advances have led to a significant increase in using mobile technologies. Recent research has pointed to potential problems as a consequence of mobile overuse, including addiction, financial problems, dangerous use (i.e. whilst driving) and prohibited use (i.e. use in forbidden areas). The aim of this study is to extend previous findings regarding the predictive power of psychopathological symptoms (depression, anxiety and stress), mobile phone use (i.e. calls, SMS, time spent on the phone, as well as the engagement in specific smartphone activities) across Generations X and Y on problematic mobile phone use in a sample of 273 adults. Findings revealed prohibited use and dependence were predicted by calls/day, time on the phone and using social media. Only for dependent mobile phone use (rather than prohibited), stress appeared as significant. Using social media and anxiety significantly predicted belonging to Generation Y, with calls per day predicted belonging to Generation X. This finding suggests Generation Y are more likely to use asynchronous social media-based communication, whereas Generation X engage more in synchronous communication. The findings have implications for prevention and awareness-raising efforts of possibly problematic mobile phone use for educators, parents and individuals, particularly including dependence and prohibited use

Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Balloon Flight Data Handling Overview

The GLAST Balloon Flight Engineering Model (BFEM) represents one of 16 towers that constitute the Large Area Telescope (LAT), a high-energy (>20 MeV) gamma-ray pair-production telescope being built by an international partnership of astrophysicists and particle physicists for a satellite launch in 2006. The prototype tower consists of a Pb/Si pair-conversion tracker (TKR), a CsI hodoscopic calorimeter (CAL), an anti-coincidence detector (ACD) and an autonomous data acquisition system (DAQ). The self-triggering capabilities and performance of the detector elements have been previously characterized using positron, photon and hadron beams. External target scintillators were placed above the instrument to act as sources of hadronic showers. This paper provides a comprehensive description of the BFEM data-reduction process, from receipt of the flight data from telemetry through event reconstruction and background rejection cuts. The goals of the ground analysis presented here are to verify the functioning of the instrument and to validate the reconstruction software and the background-rejection scheme.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in IEEE Transacations on Nuclear Science, August 200

Video game characteristics, happiness and flow as predictors of addiction among video game players: A pilot study.

AIMS: Video games provide opportunities for positive psychological experiences such as flow-like phenomena during play and general happiness that could be associated with gaming achievements. However, research has shown that specific features of game play may be associated with problematic behaviour associated with addiction-like experiences. The study was aimed at analysing whether certain structural characteristics of video games, flow, and global happiness could be predictive of video game addiction. METHOD: A total of 110 video game players were surveyed about a game they had recently played by using a 24-item checklist of structural characteristics, an adapted Flow State Scale, the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, and the Game Addiction Scale. RESULTS: The study revealed decreases in general happiness had the strongest role in predicting increases in gaming addiction. One of the nine factors of the flow experience was a significant predictor of gaming addiction - perceptions of time being altered during play. The structural characteristic that significantly predicted addiction was its social element with increased sociability being associated with higher levels of addictive-like experiences. Overall, the structural characteristics of video games, elements of the flow experience, and general happiness accounted for 49.2% of the total variance in Game Addiction Scale levels. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for interventions are discussed, particularly with regard to making players more aware of time passing and in capitalising on benefits of social features of video game play to guard against addictive-like tendencies among video game players

Estudo de corte e cópula de Spodoptera eridania (WALKER) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) por meio de etograma comportamental.

A lagarta-das-vagens da soja Spodoptera eridania, é uma espécie desfolhadora que tem ocorrido em maiores densidades populacionais em vários cultivos nos últimos anos. Conhecer o comportamento reprodutivo desta espécie visando subsidiar estudos de feromônios pode auxiliar no manejo desta espécie em campo. Este trabalho teve por objetivo construir um etograma do comportamento de corte e cópula de S. eridania, e caracterizar o repertório comportamental relacionado ao acasalamento. Também foram observados e registrados os comportamentos de chamamento e corte de fêmeas e machos, e a exposição da glândula de feromônio pelas fêmeas, e montado um etograma para a caracterização das sequências destas atividades. As avaliações foram realizadas durante o horário de maior atividade sexual dos insetos, utilizando-se machos e fêmeas em idade reprodutiva. Primeiramente, 10 casais, formados por adultos virgens foram colocados em gaiolas de acasalamento de PVC cristal de 10 cm de diâmetro e de altura, com a base fechada por placa de Petri e a parte de cima coberta com tule. Os adultos foram alimentados com solução de mel a 10%. Estes casais foram filmados com câmera digital manual com luz infravermelha para não interferir no comportamento dos insetos. Após a análise das filmagens, que definiu as sequencias comportamentais desta espécie, foram observados mais 20 cópula com auxílio de lanterna de luz vermelha para definir as freqüências de cada comportamento. No horário de maior atividade sexual desta espécie, fêmeas expunham a glândula de feromônio e começaram a circular pela gaiola com batida de asas que alternavam desde batidas vagarosas até batidas de asas bastante rápidas. A resposta do macho foi vibrar as antenas, limpá-las e se aproximar da fêmea com vôos ou caminhamento. O tempo de aproximação e procura da fêmea foi bastante variável, sendo que alguns machos copularam nos primeiros minutos após o chamamento da fêmea e outros demoraram horas repetindo todo o repertório de procura da fêmea e corte. Na maioria dos casais, os comportamentos que antecediam a cópula consistiam de: vibração de a tenas, limpeza de antenas, aproximação para a fêmea de forma que o corpo do macho ficava pareado ao da fêmea; nesta posição o macho fazia toques com as antenas e as pernas dianteiras e medianas próxima a fêmea tocando o abdomen e as asas da fêmea. Em seguida o macho fazia tentativas de cópula expondo o tufo de pelos do final do abdômen e inclinando-o 90º na direção do abdômen da fêmea e tentando acoplar. Quando a fêmea estava receptiva a cópula ocorria, caso contrário a fêmea continuava o repertório de chamamento e o macho em resposta continuava o comportamento de corte. Muitos dos casais observados não copularam, apesar de exibirem todo o repertório comportamental de acasalamento e corte. Este comportamento indica a necessidade de investigar a possibilidade de seleção sexual nesta espécie