Prevalence of Adult Problem and Pathological Gambling between 2000 and 2005: An Update

Background Excessive gambling is a prominent Public Health problem with high prevalence rates in many countries. Substance abuse and other co-morbidities often constitute a major health hazard for the person which gambles with a loss of material and social resources, as well as being a major concern for his or her significant others. The present study updates and extends prevalence data to include work published between 2000 and 2005 in English and other European languages. Methods In a three-step search and exclusion process, studies with current adult prevalence rates were gathered. Results Almost all studies fulfil basic research standards. The weighted mean prevalence rates for excessive gambling (problem and pathological) are 3.0% for the South Oaks Gambling Survey (problem 1.2%; pathological 1.8%), 3.3% for the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (problem 2.4%; pathological 0.8%) and 3.1% for the DSM-IV (problem 1.9%; pathological 1.2%). Conclusion The prevalence rates are comparable and relatively stable between countries and across survey instruments, and do not differ from earlier reviews. The regular epidemiological monitoring of excessive gambling remains a major Public Health issue although the distinction between pathological and problem gambling is not appropriate for epidemiological research. Further studies are needed with respect to concomitant lifestyle characteristics.     

Reward-Sensitivity,Inhibition of Reward-Seeking,and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Working Memory Function in Problem Gamblers not in Treatment

Given the central role of perseverative chasing in problem gambling, the present study sought to find evidence for three hypothesized components of perseveration in problem gamblers: reward-sensitivity dominance, deficient inhibition of reward-seeking behavior, and working memory deficits. This was the first attempt to examine working memory deficits in problem gamblers using a conditional association task, which is associated with posterior-dorsolateral prefrontal functioning. In a sample that was not in treatment, and representative in terms of comorbidity, problem gamblers performed significantly worse on the conditional association working memory tasks after controlling for general memory function, compared to demographically-matched controls. This is significant because deficits in the dorsolateral prefrontal region have been consistently associated with perseveration, which suggests that problem gamblers’ perseverative chasing may be associated with a working memory deficit. Problem gamblers were not significantly higher than at-risk gamblers in terms of reward-sensitivity dominance (measured as a personality trait in terms of extraversion) suggesting that it may not be specifically associated with problem gambling. Sensation-seeking was also not associated with problem gambling in a sample that corrected for the methodological problems of previous studies which examined it. The need for gambling research to focus specifically on the perseverative inability to stop gambling is emphasized, and the present findings of specific working memory deficits in problem gamblers suggest the need for further examination of working memory as a potential risk factor for problem gambling. We propose that subsequent studies examine working memory in terms of the self-regulatory capacity for goal maintenance where attention must specifically be allocated to resist interference.     

Developing Entrepreneurship in Social Work Through International Education. Reflections on a European Intensive Programme

This paper addresses the issue of introducing training on entrepreneurial skills in social work education and illustrates the opportunities offered for doing so by international courses. It presents a critical reflection on the concept of entrepreneurship in social work based on the case of a European Intensive Programme within the Erasmus scheme. It explores the potential of using active experiential learning methods in an international environment and of creating a situation where participants are confronted with ‘real world’ problems so that they can develop entrepreneurial skills. The paper argues that experiences of this kind provide new stimuli and contribute substantially to developing an entrepreneurial mentality, by which is meant innovative and proactive attitudes as well as skills to develop the resources with which to face social problems in an adverse context.     

农业文化遗产保护实践中容易出现的问题

通过近十年的努力,中国的农业文化遗产保护已经取得了不小的成绩,但存在的问题也是明显的。这些问题集中体现在传统农业耕作技艺的传承、传统农作物品种的保护、传统农业生产制度的坚守、传统农耕信仰的维系、遗产地生态环境的治理以及传统农耕技艺人才的培养等几个方面。这些问题不解决,就会直接影响到中国重要农业文化遗产的保护与传承。     

Computing globally optimal (s,S,T) inventory policies

We consider a single-echelon inventory installation under the (s,S,T) periodic review ordering policy. Demand is stationary random and, when unsatisfied, is backordered. Under a standard cost structure, we seek to minimize total average cost in all three policy variables; namely, the reorder level s, the order-up-to level S and the review interval T. Considering time to be continuous, we first model average total cost per unit time in terms of the decision variables. We then show that the problem can be decomposed into two simpler sub-problems; namely, the determination of locally optimal solutions in s and S (for any T) and the determination of the optimal T. We establish simple bounds and properties that allow solving both these sub-problems and propose a procedure that guarantees global optimum determination in all policy variables via finite search. Computational results reveal that the usual practice of not treating the review interval as a decision variable may carry severe cost penalties. Moreover, cost differences between (s,S,T) and other standard periodic review policies, including the simple base stock policy, are rather marginal (or even zero), when all policies are globally optimized. We provide a physical interpretation of this behavior and discuss its practical implications.     

基于TRIZ、功能技术矩阵的概念产品开发模式研究

主要对概念产品创新设计方法进行研究,结合TRIZ创新理论原理、功能技术矩阵,提出一种的基于TRIZ、功能技术矩阵的概念产品开发模式,并阐述具体的实现技术,以期降低概念产品设计的复杂性和不确定性,提高设计成功率,提升设计品质。论文选取了轮椅为典型产品进行案例应用,验证了方法的有效性。     

国内离婚问题研究综述

离婚水平高和离婚率上升作为一个世界性现象,已经引起了学术界的关注和探索,本文对前者有关离婚问题的研究进行文献综述,通过这种方式对于以往离婚问题研究的视角进行一定的整合,进而寻求一种更为新颖的视角去探索中国离婚问题的研究。     

诺贝尔自然科学奖与创新型国家

大学哲学学院,上海 200433）
　摘要： 拥有较多的诺贝尔自然科学奖获得者和获奖成果是创新型国家的重要标志之一。以“获奖者做出获奖研究工作的所在国家”为标准,通过统计世界各国诺贝尔自然科学奖获得者的人数,发现诺贝尔自然科学奖获得者高度集中于美、英、德、法等主要创新型国家;分析这些创新型国家所具有的以原始性科技创新为国家发展的基本战略取向、独特而富有活力的国家创新体系,拥有培养和造就科学精英的世界一流大学、强大的科研经费投入以及开放、宽松、自由的学术环境等基本内涵,揭示了作为诺贝尔自然科学奖获得者的科学精英进行获奖研究工作的创新机制、社会支持系统;概括和总结了中国向创造型国家迈进所取得的举世瞩目的成就,分析中国建设创新型国家所面临的主要问题和存在的巨大差距;从历史与现实的结合上对“中国为什么与诺贝尔奖无缘”这一问题作了独到的解析,深入揭示了造成中国与国际上创新型国家之差距的主要原因。正视现实,不急于求成,踏实、切实地解决好每一个问题,中国获得诺贝尔自然科学奖将不会是一个梦,中国也一定能够成为世界上创新型国家的一颗冉冉升起的新星。
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当前高校考试管理存在的主要问题及其对策研究

对当前高校考试管理工作中存在的主要问题进行分析和研究,并提出相应对策,使考试管理更为科学,从而为考试作用的充分发挥提供保障。     

丰裕社会中的贫困——再论香港的贫困问题

以香港为个案探究丰裕社会的贫困问题,考察其快速经济发展过程中贫困问题的历史演变以及现实特征。香港是一个典型的丰裕社会,其经济水平和富裕程度在世界名列前茅。香港也是一个贫富悬殊的社会,可谓＂富有一群属最富,贫穷一族属最穷＂。一直以来,香港奉行＂不干预主义＂,坚守自由经济政策,这既培育了香港今日的繁荣与富庶,也为贫富悬殊和贫困问题埋下了祸根。香港的经验表明,经济发展并不自动缓贫,实现包容性经济增长和益贫式社会发展,建立公正合理的收入分配格局,才是缓贫的关键和根本。