National burden of gambling in Japan: an estimation from an online-based cross-sectional investigation and national epidemiological survey.

BACKGROUND: Gambling is a popular leisure activity in many countries, often expected to boost regional economies. Nevertheless, its negative impacts remain a significant concern. Gambling disorder is recognized as the most severe consequence; however, even non- or low-risk gamblers may also face negative impacts. This study aimed to estimate the number of Japanese gamblers experiencing gambling-related harm (GRH) and its distribution across six life domains, financial, relational, emotional, health, social and other aspects, based on the severity of their problem gambling risk. METHODS: This cross-sectional study relied on an online survey conducted between August 5 and 11, 2020. Participants aged 20 years and above, who engaged in gambling during 2019 were recruited via a market research company. The survey assessed the prevalence of GRH 72 items among four gambler risk groups (non-problem, low-, moderate-, and high-risk), as categorized by the Problem Gambling Severity Index. The data was adjusted for population weighting using representative national survey data: the 2017 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions and the 2017 Epidemiological Survey on Gambling Addictions. RESULTS: Out of the 28,016 individuals invited to the survey, 6,124 participated in the screening, 3,113 in the main survey, and 3,063 provided valid responses. After adjusting the survey data, it was estimated that 39.0 million (30.8%) of Japan's 126.8 million citizens gambled in 2019. Among them, 4.44 million (11.4%) experienced financial harm, 2.70 million (6.9%) health harm, 2.54 million (6.5%) emotional harm, 1.31 million (3.4%) work/study harm, 1.28 million (3.3%) relationship harm, and 0.46 million (1.2%) other harm. Although high-risk gamblers experienced severe harm at the individual level, over 60% of gamblers who experienced GRHs were non- and low-risk gamblers, with the exception of other harm, at the population level. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlighted the prevention paradox of gambling in Japan. While national gambling policies primarily focus on the prevention and intervention for high-risk gamblers, a more effective approach would involve minimizing GRH across the entire population.

Prevalence of gambling disorder and its correlates among homeless men in Osaka city, Japan.

Internationally, the prevalence of gambling disorder has been reported to be higher among homeless people than the general population; however, little is known about the factors associated with gambling disorder in this population. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of gambling disorder and its associated factors among homeless men using shelters in Osaka City. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 30 to 2018 to 4 January 2019, using the 2017 Japanese National Survey of Gambling (JNSG) questionnaire, supplemented with questions about homeless experiences, drinking, and smoking. Using the South Oaks Gambling Screen, the presence of gambling disorder was determined by a score ≥ 5 out of 20. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to explore factors associated with lifetime gambling disorder. Lifetime and past-year prevalence of gambling disorder among 103 participants was 43.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 34.5-53.3) and 3.9% (95% CI: 1.5-9.6), respectively, which are higher than the 6.7% and 1.5% found among men in the 2017 JNSG. Reasons reported for currently gambling less were primarily financial. Factors associated with lifetime GD included "more than 20 years since the first incidence of homelessness" (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 4.97, 95% CI: 1.50-16.45) and "more than five incidences of homelessness" (AOR: 4.51, 95% CI: 1.06-19.26). When homeless individuals with gambling disorder try to rebuild and stabilize their lives, the presence or resurgence of gambling disorder may hinder the process and pose a risk of recurring homelessness. Comprehensive support services for homeless individuals with gambling disorder are required. (250 words).

Efficacy of Brief Intervention for Unhealthy Drug Use in Outpatient Medical Care: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of brief intervention (BI) for unhealthy drug use in outpatient medical care has not been sufficiently substantiated through meta-analysis despite its ongoing global delivery. This study aims to determine the efficacy of BI for unhealthy drug use and the expected length of effects, and describe subgroup analyses by outpatient setting. METHODS: Trials comparing BI with usual care controls were retrieved through four databases up to January 13, 2021. Two reviewers independently screened, selected, and extracted data. Primary outcomes included drug use frequency (days used) and severity on validated scales at 4-8 months and were analyzed using random-effects model meta-analysis. RESULTS: In total, 20 studies with 9182 randomized patients were included. There was insufficient evidence to support the efficacy of BI for unhealthy drug use among all outpatient medical care settings for use frequency (SMD = -0.07, 95% CI = -0.17, 0.02, p = 0.12, I2 = 37%, high certainty of evidence) and severity (SMD = -0.27, 95% CI = -0.78, 0.24, p = 0.30, I2 = 98%, low certainty of evidence). However, post hoc subgroup analyses uncovered significant effects for use frequency by setting (interaction p = 0.02), with significant small effects only in emergency departments (SMD = -0.15, 95% CI = -0.25, -0.04, p < 0.01). Primary care, student health, women's health, and HIV primary care subgroups were nonsignificant. Primary care BI revealed nonsignificant greater average use in the treatment group compared to usual care. DISCUSSION: BI for unhealthy drug use lacks evidence of efficacy among all outpatient medical settings. However, small effects found in emergency departments may indicate incremental benefits for some patients. Clinical decisions for SBI or specialty treatment program referrals should be carefully considered accounting for these small effects in emergency departments. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD42020157733).

Nitrogen Doping Effect for Improving Operation Reliability of Phase Modulator Using Ge2Sb2Te5 Thin Film for Hologram Image Implementation.

A phase modulation device was proposed for the implementation of hologram image for display applications. A Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) film as thin as 7 nm was prepared between the ITO films to form the cavities corresponding a unit pixel. Nitrogen was incorporated into the GST for improving the thermal stability of the GST active region. The effects of the nitrogen doping on the physical properties of GST was investigated with the variations in doping amounts. The nitrogen incorporation was found to reduce the surface micro-roughness and to improve the thermal stability of the GST even after the crystallization by effectively suppressing the excessive grain growth. As results, the number of repeatable operations for the fabricated phase modulation device was evidently improved from 10 to 69 cycles when a 2.7-at% nitrogen was doped into the GST.

Reflection-type spatial amplitude modulation of visible light based on a sub-wavelength plasmonic absorber.

We present a method for reflection-type spatial amplitude modulation using a sub-wavelength plasmonic absorber structure that can operate in the visible region. We utilize a pixelated array of absorbing elements based on a two-dimensional sub-wavelength metal grating, and the reflectance of each pixel is controlled by simple structural modification. For the purpose of validation, numerical simulations were performed on an amplitude modulation hologram fabricated using our method.

Stepwise angular spectrum method for curved surface diffraction.

We present a method to calculate wave propagation between arbitrary curved surfaces using a staircase approximation approach. The entire curved surface is divided into multiple subregions and each curved subregion is approximated by a piecewise flat subplane allowing the application of conventional diffraction theory. In addition, in order to reflect the local curvature of each subregion, we apply the phase compensation technique. Analytical expressions are derived based on the angular spectrum method and numerical studies are conducted to validate our method.

Fast focus estimation using frequency analysis in digital holography.

A novel fast frequency-based method to estimate the focus distance of digital hologram for a single object is proposed. The focus distance is computed by analyzing the distribution of intersections of smoothed-rays. The smoothed-rays are determined by the directions of energy flow which are computed from local spatial frequency spectrum based on the windowed Fourier transform. So our method uses only the intrinsic frequency information of the optical field on the hologram and therefore does not require any sequential numerical reconstructions and focus detection techniques of conventional photography, both of which are the essential parts in previous methods. To show the effectiveness of our method, numerical results and analysis are presented as well.

Anamorphic optical transformation of an amplitude spatial light modulator to a complex spatial light modulator with square pixels [invited].

A method is proposed for the construction of a square pixel complex spatial light modulator (SLM) from a commercial oblong full-high-definition (full-HD) amplitude SLM using an anamorphic optical filter. In the proposed scheme, one half-band of the optical Fourier transform of the amplitude-only spatial light field is rejected in the optical Fourier plane and the other half-band is reformatted to be an effective complex SLM with square pixels. This has an advantage in the viewing window plane since the shape of the viewing window becomes square and more ideal for observers who watch the hologram contents through it. For optimal transformation, the amplitude computer generated hologram encoding scheme was developed. Mathematical modeling of the proposed system is described herein, and it was experimentally demonstrated that the effective complex SLM displays complex holographic three-dimensional images with a clear depth discrimination effect.

Slow non-dispersing wavepackets.

We show that in plasmonic or metamaterial slab waveguides, it is possible to generate slow non-dispersing wavepackets which undergo neither spatial diffraction nor temporal spreading with no nonlinear effects by forming a type of hybrid wavepacket between slow-light waveguide modes and diffraction-free Airy wavepackets. Three mechanisms are involved in their slowness: the slow-light feature of waveguide modes, the initial launching speed of hybrid wavepackets, and their acceleration along the time domain in a moving frame.

Bessel-like beam generation by superposing multiple Airy beams.

We propose a way of generating Bessel-like non-diffracting beams based on the superposition of multiple Airy beams. We also demonstrate, through numerical simulations of the propagation dynamics of the Bessel-like beams, that these Bessel-like beams can be modified to show the feature of vortex power flow by controlling the initial positions of each single Airy beam.

Dynamic switching of the chiral beam on the spiral plasmonic bull's eye structure [Invited].

A polarization-dependent switchable plasmonic beaming structure composed of metallic hole surrounded by double spiral dielectric gratings is proposed. The main mechanism of the proposed structure is based on the angular momentum change of surface plasmon caused by the spiral geometry. On- and off-states of the proposed device are determined by the condition whether the rotating direction of incident polarization is the same as or opposite of the direction of the spiral rotations. Qualitative analytical expressions of the switching mechanisms and full-vectorial numerical results are presented.

Dual Airy beam.

We derive a general form of Airy wave function which satisfies paraxial equation of diffraction. Based on this, we propose a new form of Airy beam, which is composed of two symmetrical Airy beams which accelerate mutually in the opposite directions. This 'dual' Airy beam shows several distinguishing features: it has a symmetric transverse intensity pattern and improved self-regeneration property. In addition, we can easily control the propagation direction. We also propose 'quad' Airy beam, which forms a rectangular shaped optical array of narrow beams that travel along a straight line. We can control its propagation direction without changing transverse intensity patterns. These kinds of superposed optical beams are expected to be useful for various applications with their unique properties.

Efficacy of brief intervention for drug misuse in primary care facilities: systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Drug misuse is associated with significant global morbidity, mortality, economic costs and social costs. Many primary care facilities have integrated drug misuse screening and brief intervention (BI) into their usual care delivery. However, the efficacy of BI for drug misuse in primary care has not been substantiated through meta-analysis. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the efficacy of BI for drug misuse in primary care settings. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will include all randomised controlled trials comparing primary care-delivered BI for drug misuse with no intervention or minimal screening/assessment and usual care. Primary outcomes are (1) drug use frequency scores and (2) severity scores at intermediate follow-up (4-8 months). We will retrieve all studies through searches in CENTRAL, Embase, MEDLINE and PsycINFO until 31 May 2020. The reference list will be supplemented with searches in trial registries (eg, www.clinicaltrials.gov) and through relevant existing study reference lists identified in the literature. We will conduct a random-effect pairwise meta-analysis for primary and secondary outcomes. We will assess statistical heterogeneity though visual inspection of a forest plot and calculate I2 statistics. We will assess risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool V.2 and evaluate the certainty of evidence through the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Sensitivity analyses will account for studies with control group variations and studies with a high risk of bias. If heterogeneity is present, subgroup analyses will consider patient variables of age, sex/gender, race/ethnicity, per cent insured, baseline severity and primary drug misused. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study will use published aggregate data and will not require ethical approval. Findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal.

Rewritable full-color computer-generated holograms based on color-selective diffractive optical components including phase-change materials.

We propose rewritable full-color computer-generated holograms (CGHs) based on color-selective diffraction using the diffractive optical component with the resonant characteristic. The structure includes an ultrathin layer of phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) on which a spatial binary pattern of amorphous and crystalline states can be recorded. The CGH patterns can be easily erased and rewritten by the pulsed ultraviolet laser writing technique owing to the thermally reconfigurable characteristic of GST. We experimentally demonstrate that the fabricated CGH, having a fine pixel pitch of 2 µm and a size of 32.8 × 32.8 mm2, reconstructs the three-dimensional holographic images. In addition, the feasibility of the rewritable property is verified by erasing and rewriting part of the CGH.

Correction: Rewritable full-color computer-generated holograms based on color-selective diffractive optical components including phase-change materials.

Correction for 'Rewritable full-color computer-generated holograms based on color-selective diffractive optical components including phase-change materials' by Chi-Young Hwang et al., Nanoscale, 2018, DOI: 10.1039/c8nr04471f.

Holographic image generation with a thin-film resonance caused by chalcogenide phase-change material.

The development of digital holography is anticipated for the viewing of 3D images by reconstructing both the amplitude and phase information of the object. Compared to analog holograms written by a laser interference, digital hologram technology has the potential to realize a moving 3D image using a spatial light modulator. However, to ensure a high-resolution 3D image with a large viewing angle, the hologram panel requires a near-wavelength scale pixel pitch with a sufficient large numbers of pixels. In this manuscript, we demonstrate a digital hologram panel based on a chalcogenide phase-change material (PCM) which has a pixel pitch of 1 µm and a panel size of 1.6 × 1.6 cm2. A thin film of PCM encapsulated by dielectric layers can be used for the hologram panel by means of excimer laser lithography. By tuning the thicknesses of upper and lower dielectric layers, a color-selective diffraction panel is demonstrated since a thin film resonance caused by dielectric can affect to the absorption and diffraction spectrum of the proposed hologram panel. We also show reflection color of a small active region (1 µm × 4 µm) made by ultra-thin PCM layer can be electrically changed.

Gas molecule sensing of van der Waals tunnel field effect transistors.

van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures with two-dimensional (2D) crystals such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) allow us to demonstrate atomically thin field-effect transistors (FETs), photodetectors (PDs) and photovoltaic devices capable of higher performance and greater stability levels than conventional devices. Although there have been studies of gas molecule sensing with 2D crystal channels, vdW heterostructures based on 2D crystals have not been employed thus far. Here, utilizing graphene/WS2/graphene (G/WS2/G) vdW heterostructure tunnel FETs, we demonstrate the rectification behavior of the sensitivity signal by tuning the WS2 potential barriers as a function of the gas molecule concentration and devise a fingerprint map of the sensitivity variation corresponding to an individual ratio of two different molecules in a gas mixture. Because the separation of different gas molecule concentrations from gas mixtures is in high demand in the gas-sensing research field, this result will greatly assist in the progress on selective gas sensing.