The impact of speed of play in gambling on psychological and behavioural factors: a critical review

Conceptually, there is a common association between gambling games with fast speeds of play and problem gambling. This relationship however, is largely correlational in nature, which comes at the expense of carefully controlled empirical investigation. Research that does exist aimed towards investigating the impact of gambling speeds on psychological and behavioural factors, is in its relative infancy, and the research possesses disparate methodologies and variables of interest. The aims of the current review is therefore to evaluate and summarise the existing body of evidence relating to speed of play in gambling, as well as discuss how this evidence can be used to inform harm minimisation approaches aimed at facilitating self-control during gambling. Eleven studies were selected for review based on the inclusion criteria, comprising nine experimental and two qualitative studies (one self-report focus group study and one observational study). There was a consistent finding across studies that games with faster speeds of play were preferred and rated as more exciting for all gamblers, ranging from non-problem to problem gamblers. Of concern, was the repeated finding that fast games are particularly appealing to those suffering with a gambling problem. Behavioural results were more inconsistent across studies, though the general trend supports the notion that games with faster speeds of play encourage more wagers, longer game play, and caused players, particularly problem gamblers, to experience difficulty in ceasing gambling. The implications of these findings for gambling policy, harm minimisation approaches, and future research are discussed

A critical review of the harm-minimisation tools available for electronic gambling

The increasing sophistication of gambling products afforded by electronic tech- nologies facilitates increased accessibility to gambling, as well as encouraging rapid and continuous play. This poses several challenges from a responsible gambling perspective, in terms of facilitating player self-awareness and self-control. The same technological advancements in gambling that may facilitate a loss of control may also be used to provide responsible gambling tools and solutions to reduce gambling-related harm. Indeed, several harm-minimisation strategies have been devised that aim to facilitate self-awareness and self- control within a gambling session. Such strategies include the use of breaks in play, 'pop-up' messaging, limit setting, and behavioural tracking. The present paper reviews the theoretical argument underpinning the application of specific harm-minimisation tools, as well as pro- viding one of the first critical reviews of the empirical research assessing their efficacy, in terms of influencing gambling cognitions and behaviour

Universal scaling of local plasmons in chains of metal spheres

The position, width, extinction, and electric field of localized plasmon modes in closely-coupled linear chains of small spheres are investigated. A dipole-like model is presented that separates the universal geometric factors from the specific metal permittivity. An electrostatic surface integral method is used to deduce universal parameters that are confirmed against results for different metals (bulk experimental Ag, Au, Al, K) calculated using retarded vector spherical harmonics and finite elements. The mode permittivity change decays to an asymptote with the number of particles in the chain, and changes dramatically from 1/f3to 1/f 1/2 as the gap fraction (ratio of gap between spheres to their diameter), f, gets smaller. Scattering increases significantly with closer coupling. The mode sharpness, strength and electric field for weakly retarded calculations are consistent with electrostatic predictions once the effect of radiative damping is accounted for. ©2010 Optical Society of America

What do gamblers think of responsible gambling tools?

The promotion of responsible gambling (RG) and the prevention of problem gambling have become major topics in the gambling studies field. This has led to the introduction of many RG and harm-minimisation initiatives. As gambling products become more technologically sophisticated, the same technological innovation is starting to be used to facilitate the development of harm-minimisation tools to assist gamblers in maintaining self-control and make rational and controlled gambling-related decisions

Gambling, motor cautiousness, and choice impulsivity: an experimental study

Background: Impulsivity is currently more commonly regarded as multifaceted, comprising both motor and cognitive subdomains. However, it is less clear how distinct these subdomains are, and the extent to which they interact and draw upon the same psychological resources. Methods: The present experiment comprised 70 regular (non-problem) gamblers, and investigated the potential to induce impulsivity transfer effects within an electronic gambling context. Original and existing harm-minimization approaches were tested for their efficacy in inducing motor cautiousness during an electronic slot machine simulation. Participants were exposed to a forced discriminatory motor choice procedure, or pop-up responsible gambling messages that either contained emotive or non-emotive responsible gambling content. The subsequent impact these interventions had on delay discounting and reflection impulsivity was also measured using the 27-item Monetary Choice Questionnaire and Information Sampling Task, respectively. Results: Findings demonstrated that only original harm-minimization approaches, which force the gambler to engage in discriminatory motor choice procedures during gambling, were successful in inducing motor cautiousness. However, both the discriminatory choice procedure and emotive message harm-minimization approaches were successful in facilitating cognitive choice, even though the emotive message intervention was unsuccessful in facilitating motor response inhibition, suggesting both an indirect motor cautiousness route, and a more direct route to improved cognitive choice during gambling. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that decision-making during gambling can be improved by making simple structural changes to slot machine platforms, by encouraging active engagement in motor processes, which result in a transfer of cautiousness to wider cognitive domains

Aneurysmal Rupture Without Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Case Report Abstract

Introduction: The present case study reports an intraparenchymal hemorrhage from a ruptured basilar tip aneurysm without subarachnoid hemorrhage. Case Report: A 57-year-old male presented with intraparenchymal hemorrhage from a ruptured basilar tip aneurysm without subarachnoid hemorrhage. The patient had successful endovascular embolization of his ruptured cerebral aneurysm 9 years previously. Discussion: Ruptured cerebral aneurysms without subarachnoid hemorrhage are extremely rare. Cerebral angiogram for atypical presentation of patients with intracranial hemorrhages should be considered. In patients with known cerebral aneurysms who present with an intracranial hemorrhage, rupture of that aneurysm or a de novo aneurysm must be ruled out

Plasmon absorption in nanospheres: A comparison of sodium, potassium, aluminium, silver and gold

The optical absorption for nanospheres made from Na, K, Al, Ag and Au are compared as a precursor to choosing the ideal metal for use in a negative permittivity (NP) near-field superlens. The relationship between optical absorption of the metal nanosphere and the ability of the NP lens to reconstruct the near field is one to one. Metals with low dielectric losses have large plasmon absorption cross-sections and absorb over a very narrow wavelength range; they are consequently excellent materials for superlenses. Numerical solutions to Mie theory were used to calculate the absorption efficiency, Qabs, for nanospheres varying in radius between 5 and 100 nm in vacuum. We show that, although silver is the most commonly used material for superlensing, its absorption efficiency, as a nanosphere, at the plasmon resonance is not as strong as materials such as the alkali metals. Of all these materials, potassium spheres with a radius of 21 nm have an optimum absorption efficiency of 14.7, resulting in the ability of a film with thickness of 40 nm to reconstruct a grating with a period of 57 nm. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Plasmonic resonances of closely coupled gold nanosphere chains

The optical properties of an ordered array of gold nanospheres have been calculated using the T-matrix method in the regime where the near-fields of the particles are strongly coupled. The array consists of a one-dimensional chain of spheres of 15 nm diameter where the number of spheres in the chain and interparticle spacing is varied. Calculations have been performed with chains up to 150 particles in length and with an interparticle spacing between 0.5 and 30 nm. Incident light polarized along the axis of the chain (longitudinal) and perpendicular (transverse) to it are considered, and in the latter case for wavevectors along and perpendicular to the chain axis. For fixed chain length the longitudinal plasmon resonance red shifts, relative to the resonance of an isolated sphere, as the interparticle spacing is reduced. The shift in the plasmon resonance does not appear to follow an exponential dependence upon gap size for these extended arrays of particles. The peak shift is inversely proportional to the distance, a result that is consistent with the van der Waals attraction between two spheres at short range, which also varies as 1/d. The transverse plasmon resonance shifts in the opposite direction as the interparticle gap is reduced; this shift is considerably smaller and approaches 500 nm as the gap tends to zero. Increasing the number of particles in the chain for a fixed gap has a similar effect on the longitudinal and transverse plasmon. In this case, however, the longitudinal plasmon tends toward an asymptotic value with increasing chain length, with the asymptotic value determined by the interparticle spacing. Here, the approach to the asymptote is exponential with a characteristic length of approximately two particles, at small interparticle spacings. This approach to an asymptote as the chain length becomes infinite has been verified in a finite element calculation with periodic boundary conditions. © 2009 American Chemical Society

Safeguarding children in dentistry: 1. Child protection training, experience and practice of dental professionals with an interest in paediatric dentistry

* Few dental professionals with child protection training have experience of making referrals. * There is a wide gap in practice between recognising signs of child abuse and neglect and responding effectively. * This may indicate missed opportunities to save children from continuing abuse. * There is a need for improved child protection information, support and training for dental professionals. Abstract Following several highly publicised inquiries into the deaths of children from abuse and neglect, there has been much recent interest in the role and responsibility of all health professionals to protect children at risk of maltreatment. The findings of a postal questionnaire, sent in March 2005 to 789 dentists and dental care professionals with an interest in paediatric dentistry working in varied settings in the UK, are presented in a two-part report and discussed in the context of current multi-agency good practice in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This first part explores reported child protection training, experience and practice. There was a significant gap between recognising signs of abuse and responding effectively: 67% of respondents had suspected abuse or neglect of a child patient at some time in their career but only 29% had ever made a child protection referral. The dental profession is alerted to the need to ensure necessary appropriate action to safeguard children is always taken when child abuse or neglect are suspected