Nottingham Trent University

About: Nottingham Trent University is a education organization based out in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 4702 authors who have published 12862 publications receiving 307430 citations. The organization is also known as: NTU & Trent Polytechnic.

Hybrid Genetic Algorithms: A Review

Abstract: Hybrid genetic algorithms have received significant interest in recent years and are being increasingly used to solve real-world problems. A genetic algorithm is able to incorporate other techniques within its framework to produce a hybrid that reaps the best from the combination. In this paper, different forms of integration between genetic algorithms and other search and optimization techniques are reviewed. This paper also aims to examine several issues that need to be taken into consideration when designing a hybrid genetic algorithm that uses another search method as a local search tool. These issues include the different approaches for employing local search information and various mechanisms for achieving a balance between a global genetic algorithm and a local search method. Index Terms—Genetic algorithms, evolutionary computation, hybrid genetic algorithms, genetic-local hybrid algorithms, memetic algorithms, Lamarckian search, Baldwinian search.

The social impact of internet gambling

Abstract: Technology has always played a role in the development of gambling practices and continues to provide new market opportunities. One of the fastest growing areas is that of Internet gambling. The effect of such technologies should not be accepted uncritically, particularly as there may be areas of potential concern based on what is known about problem gambling offline. This article has three aims. First, it overviews some of the main social concerns about the rise of Internet gambling. Second, it looks at the limited research that has been carried out in this area. Third, it examines whether Internet gambling is doubly addictive, given research that suggests that the Internet can be addictive itself. It is concluded that technological developments in Internet gambling will increase the potential for problem gambling globally, but that many of the ideas and speculations outlined in this article need to be addressed further by large-scale empirical studies.

Gambling on the internet: A brief note

Abstract: With the number of online computer users more than doubling over the past two years, it has been alleged that social pathologies are beginning to surface in cyberspace (e.g. Griffiths, 1995a; 1996a). The internet is currently under mass expansion and it is estimated that, there are over 30 million people current users. Studies of the internet, its users and their potential excesses should therefore be of psychological concern not least of all because of its sudden growth and heightened public awareness. It should also be of interest to those of us who research into gambling because there is now an abundance of virtual gambling sites proliferating the internet (e.g. The Global Casino, Virtual Vegas, The House of Hazard, The Fox Casino). For some time I have been carrying out research in to the area of \"technological addictions\" (Griffiths, 1995a; b). Technological addictions are operationally defined as non-chemical (behavioural) addictions which involve human-machine interaction. They can either be passive (e.g. television) or active (e.g. computer games) and usually contain inducing and reinforcing features which may contribute to the promotion of addictive tendencies. There is little in the way of an established academic literature on technological addictions, but possible activities that could be included under this category are television addiction, computer addiction (e.g.

Internet sex addiction: A review of empirical research

Abstract: The advent of the Internet has added another medium in which people can engage in sexual behavior. This ranges from the passive consumption of online pornography to the interactive exchange of sexual content in cybersex chat rooms. It is believed that access, affordability, and anonymity are critical factors that make the Internet viable for the acquisition, development, and maintenance of online sexuality. For some, sexual behaviors online are used as a complement to their offline sexuality, whereas for others, they serve as a substitute, potentially resulting in Internet sex addiction, which can be conceptualized as the intersection between Internet addiction and sex addiction. The current literature suggests that there does not appear a clear dividing line between these psychopathologies. The aim of this review was therefore to provide a comprehensive overview of the empirical studies that have investigated Internet sex addiction in adults. Based on the five qualitative and nine quantitative studies co...