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2007 Farm Bill has been promulgated at recently. Adjustments on agricultural support policies have been focused by main members of WTO. According to the Bill, the trend will not change those agricultural subsidies would increase, but paths of subsidies would be transferred from distinctly distorting price support to fixed direct payment. In addition, it is worthwhile paying attention to adjustments on related policies and establishment on new policies. It is necessary for China to make clear direction of adjustments on agricultural policy and evaluate its potential effects so as to adopt immediately proper counter-measures.

The great income gap between urban and rural residents is one of the important problems in the economic development of Shanxi Province, The difference in income will continue to increase and affect social stability and also economic sustainable development. Based on the per capita income of urban and rural residents of Shanxi Province from 1995 to 2009, we find the income gap between urban and rural residents is widening. Considering the city and countryside wage income, the city management income, the city and countryside shift and property income, this paper analyzed their contributions to urban-rural income gap, and find that the most important factor is city and countryside management income. it has the biggest influence on the inhabitants of cities and countryside. Second is the wage income. Lastly, the city and countryside shift and property income. Property income and shift income are the smallest factors being used to determine the city's inhabitant's income differences.

Cross-sectional data from 119 peasant households' survey is used to model Logistic regression. The results show that, such factors have a negative impact on peasants households' protection willingness of cultivated land as householders' age, the main source of income, the annual net income of the family, crop types and the householder is village cadres. Householders' gender and cultivated land fragmentation have a positive impact on peasant housholds' cultivated land protection behavior.

M&A actions in product differentiation market reflect a transition of social division of labor to division of labor within enterprises. The fundamental cause underlying this transition is the significant difference in efficiency between the two types of division of labor. The triggering mechanism is the end of product differentiation competition based on a highly developed productivity. The determination of monopoly caused by M&A shall be considerably different from that of the monopoly under the context of product homogeneity. The connotation of monopoly in production differentiation market shall also be widened accordingly.

This paper takes the business demands of regional land of land enforcement and supervision work as the orientation, directs at the problem of internal and external industry verification judgment, data entry report and storage management, through combining the GIS tool and professional model, based the existing GIS to redevelop and establish a new law enforcement surveillance management information system which involve several functions, such as data standard input, the scientific auxiliary inspections and the achievements automatic Aggregation. This new system can be used to assist the work of daily inspection.

This paper discusses the situation of vegetables export trade and analyzes its comparative advantage by revealed comparative advantage index between Japan, Korea and China, and finds that the proportion of vegetables export volume to Japan and Korea to China's total export volume of vegetables is declining for the medium quality. China's vegetables have a clear comparative advantage to Japan's and Korea's, but the advantage is declining, too. In view of this, in order to improve Chinese vegetables' international competitiveness and ensure the export of vegetables successful, Chinese government should improve the quality and safety of vegetables, adjust the structure of vegetables export and increase government's support.

Method of Granger causality test was applied to analyze relationship between cultivated land conversion area and GDP from 1985 to 2005 in Shanxi Province with Eviews3.1. The results show that there exits the cointegration relationship between cultivated land conversion and GDP time series. Therefore, the government should improve the land intensive use level, abandon the extensive mode of high investment and high consumption and to achieve harmonious development between them.

Background Although evidence has shown high prevalence rates of tobacco use in the general urban populations in China, relatively little is known in its rural population. The purposes of this study were to examine smoking patterns and sociodemographic correlates of smoking in a sample of rural Chinese male residents. Methods The study employed a cross-sectional, multi-stage sampling design. Residents (N = 4,414; aged 15 years and older) were recruited from four geographic regions in China. Information on participants' tobacco use (of all forms), including their daily use, and sociodemographic characteristics were collected via survey questionnaires and the resultant data were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression procedures. Results The overall smoking prevalence in the study sample was 66.8% (n = 2,950). Of these, the average use of tobacco products per day was 12.70 (SD = 7.99) and over 60% reported daily smoking of more than 10 cigarettes. Geographic regions of the study areas, age of the participants, marital status, ethnicity, education, occupation, and average personal annual income were found to be significantly associated with an increased likelihood of smoking among rural Chinese male residents. Conclusion There is a high smoking prevalence in the Chinese rural population and smoking behaviors are associated with important sociodemographic factors. Findings suggest the need for tobacco control and intervention policies aimed at reducing tobacco use in Chinese rural smoking populations.

Considerable research evidence has been accumulated since 1990 that practicing Tai Chi can ameliorate multiple characteristics in older adults that place them at increased risk of falling, including poor balance, loss of strength, limited flexibility, and fear of falling. However, relatively few studies have directly examined the influence of Tai Chi practice on falls in this population.Nine randomized controlled trials utilizing Tai Chi (n = 6), or Tai Chi-inspired exercise (n = 3), were published between 1996 and July, 2007. The studies varied considerably on study settings, participant characteristics, sample size, type of Tai Chi intervention, length of intervention and quality of the study design. Of the six studies that used Tai Chi forms, three showed significant improvement in fall-related outcomes. One study using Tai Chi-inspired exercise also had a significant fall-related outcome.Despite the evidence demonstrating the beneficial influence of Tai Chi practice on known risk factors for falling in older adults, evidence indicating an actual impact on falls-related outcomes is equivocal. More large-scale, longitudinal studies with consistent intervention parameters and clinically meaningful outcome variables are needed to a clarify the role of Tai Chi in effective falls prevention programs. The recent development of a standardized, research-to-practice Tai Chi falls prevention program may be an important step in this process.

Background: Considerable research evidence has been accumulated since 1990 that practicing Tai Chi can ameliorate multiple characteristics in older adults that place them at increased risk of fallin

What do parents do to establish, maintain, or aUer the developmental course of their teenager? Which dimensions of parenting lead to maladaptive outcomes in children? These are among the most perplexing questions in research on adolescent problem behavior. The two most studied variables in this area are parental family-management strategies (Patterson, 1982; Patterson, Reid, & Dishion, 1992) and the affective connection between parent and child, described as either the attachment relationship or the parent-child bond (Bowlby, 1969; Elliott, Huizinga, & Ageton, 1985; Hirschi, 1969). The family-management perspective emphasizes minimizing coercive and conflicted parent-child exchanges that contribute to antisocial and other problem behaviors. Researchers who emphasize the parent-child relationship consider it to be the key to an adolescent's success in other relationships throughout the life span. A more comprehensive view integrates multiple dimensions of parenting on child and adolescent social development. Baumrind (1985) considers parenting to have two dimensions: warmth (relationship quality) and control

The primary objective of this study was to provide preliminary evaluation of the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a newly developed Tai Chi-based exercise program for older adults with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Using a one-group pretest-posttest design, 17 community-dwelling adults (mean age 71.51 years) with mild to moderate idiopathic PD (Stage I, II, or III on the Hoehn and Yahr scale) and stable medication use completed a 5-day, 90-min/day Tai Chi exercise-evaluation program. Outcome measures included face-to-face exit interviews on appropriateness and safety and physical performance (i.e., 50-ft speed walk, up-and-go, functional reach). At the end of this brief intervention, exercise adherence was 100% and the program was shown to be safe. Exit interviews indicated that the program was well received by all participants with respect to program appropriateness, participant satisfaction and enjoyment, and intentions to continue. Furthermore, a significant pretest-to-posttest change was observed at the end of the 5-day program in all three physical-performance measures (p < .05). The results of this pilot evaluation suggest that Tai Chi is an appropriate physical activity for older adults with PD and might also be useful as a therapeutic exercise modality for improving and maintaining physical function. These preliminary findings warrant further investigation.

Background Smoking is related to many diseases, and the relapse to smoking after cessation in China is noticeable. We examined the attitudes of Chinese male smokers regarding smoking cessation and reasons for relapse. Methods We interviewed 201 male smokers in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang province, China who had tried to quit smoking at least once in order to identify reasons for quitting and situations triggering relapse. Results The most significant reported reasons for quitting included personal health (77.1%), the cost of cigarettes (53.7%), and family pressures to quit (29.9%). The most common factors triggering relapse were social situations (34.3%), feeling negative or down (13.4%) and times of being alone (8.4%). Conclusion Health and family concerns, personal factors, the influence of others and a lack of cessation resources were cited as salient factors concerning smoking cessation among male smokers in this study. Effective smoking control efforts in China will require attention to these influences if China is to curb its current smoking epidemic.

To determine the relative effects of cobblestone mat walking, in comparison with regular walking, on physical function and blood pressure in older adults.Randomized trial with allocation to cobblestone mat walking or conventional walking.General community in Eugene, Oregon.One hundred eight physically inactive community-dwelling adults aged 60 to 92 (mean age+/-standard deviation=77.5+/-5.0) free of neurological and mobility-limiting orthopedic conditions.Participants were randomized to a cobblestone mat walking condition (n=54) or regular walking comparison condition (n=54) and participated in 60-minute group exercise sessions three times per week for 16 consecutive weeks.Primary endpoint measures were balance (functional reach, static standing), physical performance (chair stands, 50-foot walk, Up and Go), and blood pressure (systolic, diastolic). Secondary endpoint measures were Short Form-12 physical and mental health scores and perceptions of health-related benefits from exercise.At the 16-week posttest, differences between the two exercise groups were found for balance measures (P=.01), chair stands (P.001), 50-foot walk (P=.01), and blood pressure (P=.01) but not for the Up and Go test (P=.14). Although significant within-group changes were observed in both groups for the secondary outcome measures, there were no differences between intervention groups.Cobblestone mat walking improved physical function and reduced blood pressure to a greater extent than conventional walking in older adults. Additional benefits of this walking program included improved health-related quality of life. This new physical activity may provide a therapeutic and health-enhancing exercise alternative for older adults.

This study examined the role of falls self-efficacy as a potential mediator of the exercise and fear-of-falling relationship. The study sample involved 256 community-dwelling older adults aged 70-92 years (M = 77.48, SD = 4.95) who were recruited from a local health care system in Portland, Oregon, and participated in either a Tai Chi (n = 125) or a stretching control (n = 131) exercise intervention, three times per week, for 6 consecutive months. Measures of falls self-efficacy and fear of falling were assessed at baseline and at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups. Intention-to-treat analyses were conducted to evaluate the hypothesis of falls self-efficacy as a mediator of change in fear of falling that resulted from the 6-month Tai Chi intervention. Results supported the mediational hypothesis in that Tai Chi participants, who evidenced improvement in falls self-efficacy over the course of the intervention, reported greater reductions in fear of falling, compared with those in the stretching control condition. Results suggest that exercise interventions designed to improve falls self-efficacy are likely to reduce fear of falling in older adults.

Background: Few studies have considered the neighborhood as a context in which to examine the physical activity and quality of life relationship.Purpose: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of a neighborhood walking program on quality of life among older adults. It was designed as a randomized trial involving a multilevel design with neighborhoods corresponding to primary sampling units and residents to secondary units.Methods: Five hundred eighty-two communitydwelling senior residents (65 years of age or older) in neighborhoods in the northeast metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon, were recruited through telephone, direct mail, and referrals. The walking intervention was delivered at the neighborhood level. Neighborhoods (N = 56) were randomly assigned to a 6-month, 3 times per week, leader-led walking group activity (n = 28) or an information-only control group (n = 28). Primary outcome measures included SF-12 (Physical, Mental summary scores) and life satisfaction (SWLS); the secondary outcome measure was neighborhood walking activity, assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months of the study period.Results: Compared to the control neighborhoods, results from multilevel, longitudinal analyses indicated significant improvements in the primary outcomes of SF-12 Physical (p < .05), SF-12 Mental (p < .05) summary scores, and SWLS (p < .05), over the course of the 6-month intervention. A significant increase was also observed in the secondary outcome of walking activity (p < .05).Conclusions: Implementing a neighborhood-based walking program of low to moderate intensity is feasible and beneficial for promoting quality of life among senior residents at a community level.

OBJECTIVE To prospectively examine potential differences in upper- and lower-body muscle strength, lower-body power, lean muscle mass, total body fat, intra-abdominal fat, and energy expenditure (METS) variables in early postmenopausal women. Measurements were taken at baseline and 12 months. DESIGN Prospective, 1-year non-randomized [self-selected hormone therapy (HT) and non-HT-replaced], longitudinal study with participation from 136 normally active, early [14.2 +/- 9.8 mo past menopause (51.1 +/- 3.0 y) mean age +/- SD] postmenopausal women. Total body fat mass, lean mass, and bone mass were assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (Hologic), METS (6-mo activity recall questionnaire) upper- and lower-body peak force by isokinetic dynamometry (KinCom 500H, Chattex Corp.), and leg power by the Bassey Power Rig (Nottingham, UK). RESULTS We observed no significant differences in central adipose tissue, total fat mass, lean muscle mass, strength, or lower limb power. However, estrogen did promote a maintenance affect in bone mineral density at the spine and total hip and an increase in greater trochanter bone mineral density (P < 0.01) in the estrogen-replaced group. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that HT does not play a role in either increasing or maintaining strength, lean muscle mass, lower limb power, or the attenuation of increases in total body or abdominal fat, at least in this group of postmenopausal women during the initial years of menopause

Objectives: This study examined falls self-efficacy and fear of falling to determine whether self-efficacy acts as a mediator between fear of falling and functional ability. Methods: Using the Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly as a fear-of-falling measure and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale for falls self-efficacy, structural relationships among fear of falling, self-efficacy, functional balance, and physical functioning outcomes were tested with older adults ( N = 256, M age = 77.5). Results: Lower levels of fear of falling were significantly related to higher levels of falls self-efficacy, which was in turn associated with better functional outcomes. Moreover, falls self-efficacy mediated the effects of fear of falling on functional outcomes. Discussion: Results substantiate the hypothesized mediational role of falls self-efficacy in fear of falling and underscore the need to consider ways of enhancing falls self-efficacy in interventions aimed at reducing falls and fear of falling.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects that changes in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia of persons with Alzheimer's disease have on their caregivers' mental health and physical health. The research design was a prospective, longitudinal follow-up study conducted in a major medical center and in participants' homes. Longitudinal analysis linking change in behavior to caregiver outcomes was based on 64 cases. Care recipients were assessed at the time of diagnosis with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). To provide information on the care recipient's behaviors, caregivers participated in an interview with the Modified Neuropsychiatric Inventory at diagnosis and at follow-up. Caregivers also completed a battery of established instruments to measure stress appraisal, mental health, and perceptions of their physical health at follow-up. Results showed that increases in problem behaviors among persons living with dementia, along with residence status, were significant predictors of caregivers' mental health and also their physical health. However, these relationships were mediated through stress appraisal. Variables such as MMSE score of the person with dementia, number of years caregiving, relationship status, and education level were not significant predictors of caregivers' health when behavior change was in the model.

This study examines heterogeneity in the developmental trajectories of alcohol use in adolescents and the accompanying trajectory-specific longitudinal influence of exposure to their deviant peers. Using a national data set on alcohol use (N = 188), a growth mixture model capturing growth trajectories in adolescent alcohol use from ages 14 to 18 years was first examined. This was followed by an investigation of age-varying influences of peers on adolescent alcohol use and the co-development of peer influence and adolescent alcohol use. Results of growth mixture modeling of repeated-measures data on adolescent alcohol use showed two distinct latent classes of developmental trajectory with significant differences in levels of use. Analyses of exposure to deviant peer and adolescent alcohol use variables indicated differential effects of peers across trajectory classes. Stronger prospective influences for the trajectory group having a low initial status of use were found. Findings from this study suggest the need to consider heterogeneity in the study of peer influence on alcohol use during adolescence to facilitate more refined targeting of prevention/intervention programs.

This study examined issues of heterogeneity in multiple stage development as it corresponds to qualitatively different developmental trajectories in alcohol use during adolescence.Using a piecewise growth mixture modeling methodology, a two-piece growth model capturing growth trajectories in adolescent alcohol use from middle school (Grades 6 through 8) to high school (Grades 9 through 12) was examined (N = 179; 54% male). It was hypothesized that (1) two stages of alcohol use development with varying trajectories would exist in these data (the first corresponding to development during middle school, followed by a second stage of continuing growth during high school) and (2) there would be multiple growth trajectories (subgroups) of alcohol use in the stage-wise development, with varying effects in initial alcohol use and growth rates of alcohol use.Results indicated the tenability of the two-piece growth model of alcohol use with heterogeneity in the population comprising two distinct latent developmental trajectory classes. Class 1, with a high initial status of alcohol use at Grade 6, showed an upward increase in trajectory only during high school. Class 2, with a low initial status of alcohol use at Grade 6, showed a linear increase in middle school with a second growth spurt at high school entry and continuity in growth throughout the high school years. Analyses, incorporating time-invariate covariates, indicated varying influences of gender, early levels of deviant behavior, family structure (single vs two parent), peer encouragement and parent disapproval of alcohol use, and adolescent deviant behavior upon high school entry, on the two trajectory classes. Results also showed effects of the identified trajectories, with varying magnitudes, on later substance use in young adulthood, with Class 1 showing the strongest continuity in later substance use.Findings suggest heterogenous development of alcohol use in the adolescent population, associated with varying background and covariate influences. In addition, this heterogeneity is linked to alcohol and other substance use in young adulthood.

The merits of Tai Ji Quan in preventing or ameliorating chronic disease conditions are increasingly being explored in the biomedical research and clinical rehabilitation communities. Recent findings suggest that this ancient martial art's modality, when implemented as a complementary exercise regimen, can be therapeutically beneficial to people with neurodegenerative conditions. This article builds on a recent clinical trial that demonstrated the benefits of Tai Ji Quan for patients with Parkinson's disease by introducing an enhanced training approach that emphasizes integration of multiple facets of movement control mechanisms aimed at reducing or alleviating dysfunctional movement-related symptoms. This innovative approach to traditional Tai Ji Quan practice reflects the need for it to be adapted to modern behavioural medicine and the potential for it to fill a gap between research and clinical practice. The ultimate goal of this approach is to identify the extent of health benefits of Tai Ji Quan as an integrated and alternative intervention used to meet the increasing demand for adjunct clinical treatments for movement disorders and chronic disease prevention.

Self-determination theory (DeciRyan, 1985) suggests that motivational orientation or regulatory styles with respect to various behaviors can be conceptualized along a continuum ranging from low (a motivation) to high (intrinsic motivation) levels of self-determination. This pattern is manifested in the rank order of correlations among these regulatory styles (i.e., adjacent correlations are expected to be higher than those more distant) and is known as a simplex structure. Using responses from the Sport Motivation Scale (Pelletier et al., 1995) obtained from a sample of 857 college students (442 men, 415 women), the present study tested the simplex structure underlying SMS subscales via structural equation modeling. Results confirmed the simplex model structure, indicating that the various motivational constructs are empirically organized from low to high self-determination. The simplex pattern was further found to be invariant across gender. Findings from this study support the construct validity of the SMS and have important implications for studies focusing on the influence of motivational orientation in sport.