Stakeholder interests in gambling revenue: an obstacle to public health interventions?

OBJECTIVES: This article explores the financial interests that are behind gambling revenue and their relative importance. Identifying these interests is crucial to further analysis on how they may impact gambling policy and public health interventions. STUDY DESIGN: The analysis focuses on the spending structures of ten European gambling operators derived from their income statements to identify where money from gambling is further directed and who are the main financial stakeholders (SHs). METHODS: Gambling companies' income statements were categorised based on four types of SHs: states, earmarked contributions, operators, and cost-dependants. The sums directed to these groups are compared with company gross gambling revenue (GGR). RESULTS: Overall, the main financial SHs behind gambling appear to be states and earmarked beneficiaries. State budgets and earmarked contributions account for an average of 50 percent of the GGR of gambling companies, whereas about one-third is directed to cost-dependants. The most significant cost-dependant groups that can be identified are the distribution network and providers of materials. Results also show variance between companies depending on institutional contexts. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of states and earmarked causes as significant beneficiaries of European gambling companies is confirmed by the analysis. The results also show that cost-dependants are an important financial SH in gambling. The implications on public health of a wide network of SHs in gambling revenue are discussed.

Prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking and structural properties of the human corpus callosum.

Alterations induced by prenatal exposure to nicotine have been observed in experimental (rodent) studies. While numerous developmental outcomes have been associated with prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking (PEMCS) in humans, the possible relation with brain structure is less clear. Here we sought to elucidate the relation between PEMCS and structural properties of human corpus callosum in adolescence and early adulthood in a total of 1,747 youth. We deployed three community-based cohorts of 446 (age 25-27 years, 46% exposed), 934 (age 12-18 years, 47% exposed) and 367 individuals (age 18-21 years, 9% exposed). A mega-analysis revealed lower mean diffusivity in the callosal segments of exposed males. We speculate that prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking disrupts the early programming of callosal structure and increases the relative portion of small-diameter fibres.

Structural properties of the human corpus callosum: Multimodal assessment and sex differences.

A number of structural properties of white matter can be assessed in vivo using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We measured profiles of R1 and R2 relaxation rates, myelin water fraction (MWF) and diffusion tensor measures (fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD]) across the mid-sagittal section of the corpus callosum in two samples of young individuals. In Part 1, we compared histology-derived axon diameter (Aboitiz et al., 1992) to MRI measures obtained in 402 young men (19.55 ± 0.84 years) recruited from the Avon Longitudinal Study on Parents and Children. In Part 2, we examined sex differences in FA, MD and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) across the corpus callosum in 433 young (26.50 ± 0.51 years) men and women recruited from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. We found that R1, R2, and MWF follow the anterior-to-posterior profile of small-axon density. Sex differences in mean MTR were similar across the corpus callosum (males > females) while these in FA differed by the callosal segment (Body: M>F; Splenium: F>M). We suggest that the values of R1, R2 and MWF are driven by high surface area of myelin in regions with high density of "small axons".

Brain structural changes in women and men during midlife.

Brain development during childhood and adolescence differs between boys and girls. Structural changes continue during adulthood and old age, particularly in terms of brain volume reductions that accelerate beyond age 35 years. We investigated whether brain structural change in mid-life differs between men and women. 43 men and 28 women from the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort underwent MRI brain scans at age 33-35 (SD=0.67) and then again at age 42-44 (SD=0.41). We examined sex differences in total percentage brain volume change (PBVC) and regional brain change with FSL SIENA software. Women showed significant PBVC reduction compared with men between the ages of 33-35 and 42-44 years (Mean=-3.21% in men, Mean=-4.03% in women, F (1, 68)=6.37, p<0.05). In regional analyses, women exhibited greater brain reduction than men in widespread areas. After controlling for total percent brain volume change, men show greater relative regional brain reduction than women in bilateral precentral gyri, bilateral paracingulate gyri, and bilateral supplementary motor cortices. The results indicate sex differences in brain changes in mid-life. Women have more total brain reduction, and more reduction on the outer brain surface than men, whereas men exhibit more brain reduction on the mid-line surface than women after co-varying for total brain volume loss. These changes could contribute to sex differences in midlife behaviour and health.

Validation of a MOSFET dosemeter system for determining the absorbed and effective radiation doses in diagnostic radiology.

This study aimed to validate a MOSFET dosemeter system for determining absorbed and effective doses (EDs) in the dose and energy range used in diagnostic radiology. Energy dependence, dose linearity and repeatability of the dosemeter were examined. The absorbed doses (ADs) were compared at anterior-posterior projection and the EDs were determined at posterior-anterior, anterior-posterior and lateral projections of thoracic imaging using an anthropomorphic phantom. The radiation exposures were made using digital radiography systems. This study revealed that the MOSFET system with high sensitivity bias supply set-up is sufficiently accurate for AD and ED determination. The dosemeter is recommended to be calibrated for energies <60 and >80 kVp. The entrance skin dose level should be at least 5 mGy to minimise the deviation of the individual dosemeter dose. For ED determination, dosemeters should be implanted perpendicular to the surface of the phantom to prevent the angular dependence error.