Correlates of Gambling Behaviours Among Day Traders: Evidence from a National Study.

Although research examining the relationship between participation in financial speculation (e.g., purchasing penny stocks, shorting stocks, cryptocurrency trading, and day trading) is sparse, findings consistently indicate that engaging in speculative activities is associated with problematic gambling behaviour. For the present study, gamblers across Canada who had or had not also engaged in day trading were surveyed. A total of n = 467 day traders and n = 9,558 non-day traders were compared in terms of their sociodemographic backgrounds, gambling habits, primary gambling motives, and endorsement of gambling fallacies. Male gender, racial/ethnic minority status, higher educational attainment and income, not working or studying full- or part-time, participation in a larger number of gambling activities, and lower endorsement of coping motives were associated with day trading involvement. Furthermore, lower income, participation in a larger number of gambling activities, greater endorsement of gambling fallacies, and not showing a preference for either skill- or chance-based games predicted moderate-risk-to-problem gambling behaviour among day traders. This research provides insight into factors that may underlie day traders' susceptibility to experiencing gambling problems.

Right transaxillary transcatheter aortic valve replacement is comparable to left despite challenges.

OBJECTIVES: Transaxillary access is the most popular alternative to transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Although left transaxillary access is generally preferred, right transaxillary transcatheter aortic valve replacement could be challenging because of the opposing axillary artery and aortic curvatures, which may warrant procedural modifications to improve alignment. Our aim is to compare our single center's outcomes for left and right transaxillary access groups and to evaluate procedural modifications for facilitating right transaxillary transcatheter aortic valve replacement. METHODS: Patient characteristics and outcomes were compared for consecutive left or right axillary TAVRs performed from 6/2016 to 6/2022 with SAPIEN 3. The effects of our previously reported "flip-n-flex" technique on procedural efficiency and new conduction disturbances were subanalyzed in the right axillary group. RESULTS: Right and left transaxillary transcatheter aortic valve replacement were performed in 25 (18 with the "flip-n-flex" technique) and 26 patients, respectively. There were no significant differences between patient characteristics or outcomes. Right axillary subanalysis showed the "flip-n-flex" technique group had significantly shorter fluoroscopy times (21.2 ± 6.2 vs 29.6 ± 12.4 min, p = 0.03) and a trend towards less permanent pacemaker implantation (6.3% vs. 42.9%, p = 0.07) compared to the group without "flip-n-flex". CONCLUSIONS: In our study, despite anatomical challenges, right transaxillary transcatheter aortic valve replacement is comparable to left access. The "flip-n-flex" technique advances right transaxillary as an appealing access for patients with few options.

Clarifying the pathway from anxiety sensitivity to binge eating: The mediating role of depressive symptoms in a 3-week, 3-wave longitudinal study of undergraduates.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) - characterized by a persistent fear that arousal-related bodily sensations will lead to serious cognitive, physical, and/or social consequences - is associated with various psychopathologies, including depressive symptoms and binge eating. This 3-week, 3-wave longitudinal study examined the relation between AS (including its global AS factor and lower-order AS cognitive, physical, and social concern dimensions), depressive symptoms, and binge eating among 410 undergraduates from two universities. Using generalized estimating equation models, we found that global AS, AS social concerns, and depressive symptoms predicted binge eating during any given week. Mediation analyses showed that global AS (as a latent variable with its lower-order AS dimensions as indicators), AS cognitive concerns, and AS physical concerns at Wave 1 predicted subsequent increases in depressive symptoms at Wave 2, which, in turn, led to increases in binge eating at Wave 3. Findings contribute to a better understanding of the interplay between AS, depressive symptoms, and binge eating, highlighting the role of binge eating as a potential coping mechanism for individuals with high AS, particularly in managing depressive symptoms. This study underscores the importance of AS-targeted intervention and prevention efforts in addressing depressive symptoms and binge eating.

A Comparative Profile of Online, Offline, and Mixed-Mode Problematic Gamblers' Gambling Involvement, Motives, and HEXACO Personality Traits.

Few studies have compared gamblers who play in exclusively online (i.e., Internet-based), exclusively offline (i.e., land-based), and mixed-mode contexts. In studies that have compared these groups, mixed-mode gamblers have consistently exhibited the greatest susceptibility to problematic gambling. In order to expand the scope of previous research that has compared gamblers based on their preferred mode of play, and to improve understanding of mixed-mode gamblers' proneness to problematic gambling, a sample of gamblers who play in exclusively online, exclusively offline, and mixed-mode contexts were compared on indices of gambling involvement, motives, and personality traits. Results indicated that mixed-mode gamblers played a wider range of games, and reported higher problematic gambling severity scores, higher scores on enhancement and social gambling motive scales, and lower and higher honesty-humility and extraversion personality scores, respectively. Associations between gambling motives and personality traits are discussed in relation to the role that these characteristics might play in mixed-mode gamblers' increased risk of gambling-related harm.

Demographic, gambling, and psychological characteristics of sports bettors in a stratified sample of adults who gamble regularly.

OBJECTIVE: Sports betting accounts for the greatest proportion of online gambling behavior globally and has been linked to various harms. Few studies have examined the average sports bettor profile using stratified samples of adults who gamble regularly. The present study builds upon existing research on the demographic variables of sports bettors and provides an in-depth examination of the clinical and gambling-related factors associated with sports betting. METHOD: Participants (N = 10,039; 53.6% female) consisted of a stratified sample of Canadian adults who endorsed participating in gambling at least once per month in the past year. Participants completed standardized measures assessing demographics, gambling behavior, problem gambling severity, gambling-related harms, gambling motives, and psychological characteristics (e.g., substance use, mental health). RESULTS: About 1,816 participants (18.1%) reported engaging in sports betting in the past year. Sports bettors tended to be younger, male, and employed full-time compared to nonsports bettors. Sports bettors endorsed different patterns of clinical comorbidities and greater substance use. Sports betting was also associated with unique gambling motives and greater time and money spent on gambling. Among participants who endorsed problem gambling, sports betting was associated with greater impulsivity and likelihood of using illicit substances while gambling. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the characteristics of individuals who bet on sports, as well as the characteristics of sports bettors with problem gambling which may help to inform the development of targeted prevention and intervention efforts to mitigate the potential harms of sports betting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Predictors of problem gambling remission in adults: A Canadian longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Remission from problem gambling (PG) continues to be a priority of clinicians and researchers. Data from cross-sectional studies indicate that some correlates are more predictive of PG, and existing longitudinal studies have exclusively examined risk factors that predict emergence of PG. This study's objective is to fill in the remaining pieces of the puzzle by identifying factors that might facilitate remission from PG. METHOD: A stratified sample of 10,199 Canadian adult gamblers were recruited from an online panel. Respondents who screened positively for PG at baseline and completed a follow-up assessment 1 year later (n = 468) were assessed on a series of modifiable gambling, psychosocial, mental health, and substance use variables. A forward stepwise logistic regression was conducted to identify the strongest predictors of remission from PG at follow-up. A Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression was also conducted to confirm the most relevant predictors. RESULTS: Out of 75 candidate variables, 10 were retained by the regression model. Two were related to cessation of specific gambling activities, two were related to gambling motivations, two were psychosocial in nature, two were related to substance use while gambling, and one was related to remission from a mental health disorder. The final and strongest predictor was PG severity at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Although PG remission predictors were mostly gambling-related, psychosocial aspects may also be targeted by stakeholders aiming to reduce PG. Ceasing to use tobacco while gambling and diversifying leisure activities may be promising targets. Other mental health and substance use predictors may still possibly be relevant, but only for a subset of people with PG. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Addiction substitution and concurrent recovery in gambling disorder: Who substitutes and why?

Objectives: When individuals recover from gambling disorder, their involvement in other potentially addictive substances and behaviors may also subsequently increase (substitution) or decrease (concurrent recovery). The objectives of this study were to identify and compare recovery processes associated with substitution and concurrent recovery in gambling disorder. Methods: A mixed-method study was conducted with 185 people who were recovered from gambling disorder. Semi-structured interviews were used to: (i) establish onset and recovery of gambling disorder as well as other substance and behavioral addictions; and (ii) assess processes (e.g., reasons, emotional state, helpfulness) associated with addiction substitution and concurrent recovery. Participants also completed a survey assessing demographic characteristics, gambling behaviors, and psychological characteristics to compare demographic and clinical differences between participants who engaged in addiction substitution, concurrent recovery, or neither (controls). Results: The most frequently reported reason for engaging in addiction substitution was as a substitute coping mechanism. The most reported reason for engaging in concurrent recovery was due to the addictions being mutually influenced. Negative emotional states were common when engaging in both addiction substitution and concurrent recovery. Although the three groups did not differ on gambling characteristics, addiction substitution was associated with greater underlying vulnerabilities including childhood adversity, impulsivity, emotion dysregulation, and, maladaptive coping skills. Conclusion: Transdiagnostic treatments that target the underlying mechanisms of addictions may reduce the likelihood of engaging in addiction substitution.

The reliability of attentional biases for gambling-related images in free-viewing eye-tracking paradigms.

Attentional biases for gambling-related stimuli are a robust correlate of problem gambling. Free-viewing eye-tracking paradigms are considered the gold standard for measuring attentional bias in addiction research, but their reliability in measuring biases for gambling-related stimuli remains unclear. Using secondary data from two different free-viewing eye-tracking paradigms (two-image and four-image displays), this study examined the internal consistency of fixation indices in samples with varying degrees of gambling involvement and problem gambling risk. Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and split-half reliability coefficients were used to assess internal consistency of several fixation indices (total dwell time, total dwell time percent, total fixation count, time of first fixation) for gambling-related images, neutral images, and computed attentional bias difference scores. For both two- and four-image displays, internal consistency estimates for total dwell time, total dwell time percent, and total fixation count were good to excellent for gambling-related images, neutral images, and attentional bias scores. Only time of first fixation exhibited low internal consistency. These findings indicate that both two-image and four-image free-viewing eye-tracking paradigms can reliably measure attentional biases for gambling-related stimuli among participants reporting varying degrees of gambling involvement and problem gambling risk.

Problem gambling severity, gambling behavior, substance use, and mental health in gamblers who do and do not use cannabis: Evidence from a Canadian national sample.

INTRODUCTION: Cannabis use frequently co-occurs with gambling, and evidence indicates that both acute and chronic cannabis use may influence gambling behavior. The primary aim of the present study was to further contribute to the literature on this relationship by examining data collected from a Canadian national study of gambling. METHODS: Respondents consisted of 10,054 Canadian gamblers recruited from Leger Opinion's (LEO) online panel. In this study, gamblers who used cannabis were compared with non-users across a number of gambling as well as demographic and mental health variables. RESULTS: Of the total sample, 25.4 % reported past 12-month cannabis use. Among the 2,553 cannabis-users, 21.3 % reported daily use, and 69.9 % reported using once a month or more. A total of 56.2 % indicated they had used cannabis while gambling in the past 12 months. Bivariate analysis found significant differences between cannabis use and non-use on numerous demographic, mental health, and gambling-related variables. Individuals with greater problem gambling severity scores, more hours gambling, and a larger range of gambling activities were more likely to endorse using cannabis. Hierarchical logistic regression revealed that tobacco use, and having experienced significant child abuse were predictors of cannabis use. Non-use of cannabis was associated with older age, less engagement in online gambling, and being less likely to consume alcohol. CONCLUSION: The present findings both corroborate previous studies and expand upon the relationship between cannabis and gambling.

Etiology of problem gambling in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a large-scale national cohort study to identify the current etiological risk factors for problem gambling in Canada. METHOD: A cohort of 10,119 Canadian gamblers completed a comprehensive self-administered online questionnaire in 2018 and were reassessed in 2019. At baseline, the sample contained 1,388 at-risk gamblers, 1,346 problem gamblers, and 2,710 with a major DSM-5 mental health disorder. A total of 108 independent variables (IVs) were available for analysis, as well as the self-report of perceived causes of gambling-related problems for 1,261 individuals. RESULTS: The strongest multivariate predictors of current and future problem gambling were "gambling-related" variables (i.e., current and past problem gambling, intensive gambling involvement, playing electronic gambling machines (EGMs), gambling fallacies, socializing with other people having gambling-related problems, and family history of having gambling-related problems). Beyond gambling-related variables, greater impulsivity and lower household income were robustly predictive. Thirteen additional variables were either concurrently or prospectively predictive, but not both. In contrast to the many different quantitative predictors, self-reported causes tended to be singular and psychologically oriented (i.e., desire to win money, boredom, stress, poor self-control). CONCLUSIONS: The predictors of problematic gambling in the present study are very similar to the predictors identified in prior international longitudinal and cross-sectional research. This implies core cross-cultural risk factors, with gambling-related variables and impulsivity being most important, and comorbidities and demographic variables having more modest contributions. The additional value of the present results is that they comprehensively identify the relative importance of all known etiologically relevant variables within a current Canadian context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Radiofrequency ablation (Rafaelo Procedure) for the treatment of hemorrhoids: a case series in the United Kingdom.

PURPOSE: Hemorrhoidal disease remains a common condition that can have a significant effect on a patient's quality of life. Various methods have been introduced over the years; however, their overall success rates remain low. Although the traditional Milligan Morgan technique is effective, the associated pain level prevents it from being an attractive form of treatment. This study was devised to assess the safety and efficacy associated with a novel minimally invasive approach, radiofrequency ablation (RFA). METHODS: Forty-two patients underwent RFA at a single center, by 1 of 2 surgeons. This was performed under local anesthetic and sedation. Outcomes including postoperative pain levels, recurrence rates, and patient satisfaction scores were recorded and analyzed using medians and interquartile ranges. RESULTS: The median postoperative pain score was 2.5/10 (interquartile range [IQR], 0-4.5) and the overall patient satisfaction score was 9 out of 10 (IQR, 6.5-10). Recurrence rates (6-12 months following the procedure) were low at 12% and all patients reported milder symptoms at recurrence. There were no serious adverse complications. CONCLUSION: The results from this case series supports other limited data in concluding that RFA is a safe and effective method in the treatment of hemorrhoids and patients report a high level of satisfaction following.

Self-Generated Motives of Social Casino Gamers.

Social casino games have achieved widespread popularity, and are accessed by more than 85 million people each day. Yet, why people play social casino games is largely unknown. To address this gap, an inductive approach was taken to better understand the motives for playing social casino games, as well as the motives for transitioning from social casino gaming to gambling and vice versa. To this end, 269 social casino gamers were asked to provide a ranked list of their motives for playing social casino games. Additionally, we asked participants their motivations for transitioning from gambling to social casino gaming (n = 202) or vice versa (n = 67). A total of 795, 605, and 201 unique responses describing motives for playing social casino games, transitioning from social casino gaming to gambling, and transitioning from gambling to social casino gaming, respectively, were analyzed using a thematic content analysis. The most frequently endorsed motive for playing social casino games was for enhancement (e.g., fun, challenge). Participants also noted playing to earn rewards, including money, and for social reasons. Several motives linked social casino game play to gambling. These included: to hone gambling-related 'skills', a desire to transition to gambling to win real money, and as a gambling harm-reduction strategy. Motives for playing social casino games did not differ significantly between those who first gambled and then transitioned to social casino gaming and vice versa, suggesting that once people begin playing social casino games, they have similar motives for continued engagement. The present study contributes to understanding the immense popularity of social casino games and their links to gambling.

Harm Minimization Training, Knowledge, and Behaviour of Canadian Casino Employees.

Casino employees regularly interact with problem and at-risk gamblers and thus have considerable potential to both prevent and reduce gambling-related harm. While harm minimization (HM) and responsible gambling (RG) are routinely espoused by the casino industry, the actual level of employee HM/RG training, knowledge, and behaviour is unknown. The present study investigated this issue in the Canadian context by examining employee surveys collected by the RG Check accreditation program (8,262 surveys from 78 Canadian casinos/racinos collected between 2011 and 2020). These surveys revealed that almost all casino employees receive HM/RG training, but the amount of training tends to be quite limited (one hour) except for supervisors, managers, and security personnel. Basic HM/RG knowledge among all employees appears adequate, although their understanding of probability is incomplete. The most important consideration is whether this training and knowledge translates into meaningful HM/RG behaviour towards patrons. The large majority of employees (83.1%) report engaging in at least one HM/RG interaction with a patron at some point during the course of their employment (median length of 4 to 9 years), with security personnel reporting the highest rates. However, the frequency, nature, and impact of these interactions is unknown.

Making Change: Attempts to Reduce or Stop Gambling in a General Population Sample of People Who Gamble.

Objective: This study examined past year attempts to reduce or quit gambling among people who gamble generally and those with gambling problems specifically. Methods: Regular gamblers recruited from an online panel (N = 10,054) completed a survey of gambling, mental health and substance use comorbidity and attempts to reduce or quit gambling. The sample was weighted to match the gambling and demographic profile for the same subsample (i.e., past month gamblers) in a recent Canadian national survey. Results: 5.7% reported that they tried to cutback or stop gambling in the past year. As predicted, individuals making a change attempt had greater levels of problem gambling severity and were more likely to have a gambling problem. Of individuals with problem gambling, 59.8% made a change attempt. Of those, 90.2% indicated that they did this primarily on their own, and 7.7% accessed formal or informal treatment. Most people attempting self- change indicated that this was a personal preference (55%) but about a third reported feeling too ashamed to seek help. Over a third (31%) reported that their attempt was successful. Of the small group of people accessing treatment, 39% described it as helpful. Conclusions: Whereas gambling treatment-seeking rates are low, rates of self-change attempts are high. The public health challenge is to promote self-change efforts among people beginning to experience gambling problems, facilitate success at self-change by providing accessible support for use of successful strategies, and provide seamless bridges to a range of other treatments when desired or required.

Increasing wildfire impacts on snowpack in the western U.S.

Wildfire area has been increasing in most ecoregions across the western United States, including snow-dominated regions. These fires modify snow accumulation, ablation, and duration, but the sign and magnitude of these impacts can vary substantially between regions. This study compares spatiotemporal patterns of western United States wildfires between ecoregions and snow zones. Results demonstrate significant increases in wildfire area from 1984 to 2020 throughout the West, including the Sierra Nevada, Cascades, Basin and Range, and Northern to Southern Rockies. In the late snow zone, where mean annual snow-free date is in May or later, 70% of ecoregions experienced significant increases in wildfire area since 1984. The distribution of burned area shifted from earlier melt zones to later-melt snow zones in several ecoregions, including the Southern Rockies, where the area burned in the late snow zone during 2020 exceeded the total burned area over the previous 36 y combined. Snow measurements at a large Southern Rockies fire revealed that burning caused lower magnitude and earlier peak snow-water equivalent as well as an 18-24 d estimated advance in snow-free dates. Latitude, a proxy for solar radiation, is a dominant driver of snow-free date, and fire advances snow-free timing through a more-positive net shortwave radiation balance. This loss of snow can reduce both ecosystem water availability and streamflow generation in a region that relies heavily on mountain snowpack for water supply.

Affective impulsivity moderates the relationship between disordered gambling severity and attentional bias in electronic gaming machine (EGM) players.

Background and aims: Attentional bias to gambling-related stimuli is associated with increased severity of gambling disorder. However, the addiction-related moderators of attentional bias among those who gamble are largely unknown. Impulsivity is associated with attentional bias among those who abuse substances, and we hypothesized that impulsivity would moderate the relationship between disordered electronic gaming machine (EGM) gambling and attentional bias. Methods: We tested whether facets of impulsivity, as measured by the UPPS-P (positive urgency, negative urgency, sensation seeking, lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (cognitive, motor, non-planning) moderated the relationship between increased severity of gambling disorder, as measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), and attentional bias. Seventy-five EGM players participated in a free-viewing eye-tracking paradigm to measure attentional bias to EGM images. Results: Attentional bias was significantly correlated with Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) motor, positive urgency, and negative urgency. Only positive and negative urgency moderated the relationship between PGSI scores and attentional bias. For participants with high PGSI scores, higher positive and negative urgency were associated with larger attentional biases to EGM stimuli. Discussion: The results indicate that affective impulsivity is an important contributor to the association between gambling disorder and attentional bias.

Attentional Bias in Non-Smoking Electronic Cigarette Users: An Eye-Tracking Study.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined attentional bias (AB) to e-cigarette cues among a sample of non-smoking daily e-cigarette users (n = 27), non-smoking occasional e-cigarette users (n = 32), and control participants (n = 61) who did not smoke or use e-cigarettes. The possibility that e-cigarette users develop a transference of cues to traditional cigarettes was also examined. METHODS: AB was assessed using a free-viewing eye-gaze tracking methodology, in which participants viewed 180 pairs of images for 4 seconds (e-cigarette and neutral image, e-cigarette and smoking image, smoking and neutral image). RESULTS: Daily and occasional e-cigarette users attended to pairs of e-cigarette and neutral images equally, whereas non-users attended to neutral images significantly more than e-cigarette images. All three groups attended to e-cigarette images significantly more than smoking images, with significantly larger biases for e-cigarette users. There were no between-group differences in attention to pairs of smoking and neutral images. A moderation analysis indicated that for occasional users but not daily users, years of vaping reduced the bias toward neutral images over smoking images. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the results indicate that the e-cigarette users exhibit heightened attention to e-cigarettes relative to non-users, which may have implications as to how they react to e-cigarette cues in real-world settings. AB for e-cigarettes did not transfer to traditional cigarette cues, which indicates that further research is required to identify the mechanisms involved in the migration of e-cigarettes to traditional cigarettes. IMPLICATIONS: This study is the first attempt to examine attentional biases for e-cigarette cues among non-smoking current e-cigarette users using eye-gaze tracking. The results contribute to the growing literature on the correlates of problematic e-cigarette use and indicate that daily and occasional e-cigarette use is associated with attentional biases for e-cigarettes. The existence of attentional biases in e-cigarette users may help to explain the high rate of failure to quit e-cigarettes and provides support for the utility of attentional bias modification in the treatment of problematic e-cigarette use.