Search

This study documents the evolution of China’s tobacco industry over 70 years from that of unordered local trade to ordered competitive national industry. We develop a theoretical framework regarding three levers the central government utilized—quota pliability, price tiering, and public rankings—to shift the attention of producers from merely fulfilling quotas to seeking quota partners, building scale economies, and developing high quality brands. The findings provide insights to those interested in planned economies, industry dynamics, and China’s industrial development.

BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that higher levels of anxiety and anhedonia in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) are linked to poorer treatment outcomes, mechanisms contributing to these clinical presentations remain unclear. Neuroticism, impaired cognitive control, and blunted reward learning may be critical processes involved in MDD and may help to explain symptoms of anxiety and anhedonia. METHODS: Using baseline data from patients with early-onset MDD (N=296) in the Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response in Clinical Care (EMBARC) trial, we conducted a path analysis to model relationships between neuroticism, cognitive control, and reward learning to levels of anxiety and anhedonia. RESULTS: Neuroticism was positively associated with both anhedonia (standardized coefficient = 0.26, p < .001) and anxiety (standardized coefficient = 0.40, p < .001). Cognitive control was negatively associated with anxiety (standardized coefficient = −0.18, p < .05). Reward learning was not significantly associated with either anxiety or anhedonia. LIMITATIONS: Extraneous variables not included in the model may have even more influence in explaining symptoms of anxiety and anhedonia. Restricted range in these variables may have attenuated some of the hypothesized relationships. Most important, because this was a cross-sectional analysis in a currently depressed sample, we cannot draw any causal conclusions without experimental and longitudinal data. CONCLUSIONS: These cross-sectional findings suggest that neuroticism may contribute to anxiety and anhedonia in patients with early onset and either chronic or recurrent MDD, while enhanced cognitive control may protect against anxiety.

Objective The self-report Concise Associated Symptoms Tracking Scale (CAST-SR) was developed to track mania, irritability, anxiety, panic, and insomnia symptoms among depressed outpatients receiving antidepressant medication. Given the overlap between these domains, depression, and stimulant use disorders, we reexamined CAST-SR psychometrics in a novel sample: individuals with stimulant use disorder receiving aerobic exercise or health education interventions. Methods Using the subsample of stimulant-dependent (following DSM-IV criteria) individuals prescribed antidepressants (N = 124) from the multisite Stimulant Reduction Intervention Using Dosed Exercise (CTN-0037) trial (total sample N = 302), conducted July 2010 to February 2013, we analyzed CAST-SR data collected at the first assessment after participant's discharge from residential treatment. We also evaluated the convergent/discriminant validity of the CAST-SR with several self-report questionnaires. Results Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a 12-item measure composed of 4 factors: irritability, anxiety, panic, and insomnia. This factor structure loaded only in participants prescribed antidepressant medication, not in those who were not prescribed antidepressants. These results replicate the original CAST-SR factor structure, except for the mania factor, which failed to load. Internal consistency was high (α = 0.92 for total scale and α = 0.78-0.89 for the 4 factors), and convergent validity was established, especially for the insomnia and irritability factors, alongside the total score with depressive symptoms, insomnia, quality of life, suicide risk, and physical health measures. Conclusions These results demonstrate the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the CAST-SR in a novel population of only individuals with stimulant use disorders receiving both exercise/health education interventions and antidepressant medication. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01141608.

Background Functional impairments often remain despite symptomatic improvement with antidepressant treatment, supporting the need for novel treatment approaches. The present study examined the extent to which exercise augmentation improved several domains of psychosocial functioning and quality of life (QoL) among depressed participants. Methods Data were collected from 122 partial responders to antidepressant medication. Participants were randomized to either high- (16 kcal/kg of weight/week [KKW]) or low-dose (4-KKW) exercise. Participants completed a combination of supervised and home-based exercise for 12 weeks. The Short-Form Health Survey, Work and Social Adjustment Scale, Social Adjustment Scale, Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, and Satisfaction with Life Scale were collected at 6 and 12 weeks. Participants with data for at least one of the two follow-up time points (n = 106) were analyzed using a linear mixed model to assess change from baseline within groups and the difference between groups for each psychosocial outcome measure. All analyses controlled for covariates, including baseline depressive symptomatology. Results Participants experienced significant improvements in functioning across tested domains, and generally fell within a healthy range of functioning on all measures at Weeks 6 and 12. Although no differences were found between exercise groups, improvements were observed across a variety of psychosocial and QoL domains, even in the low-dose exercise group. Conclusions These findings support exercise augmentation of antidepressant treatment as a viable intervention for treatment-resistant depression to improve function in addition to symptoms.

In this paper, we present a new parameter: PM_Value. It can be used to evaluate RF quality and therefore can be used in the Optimal-Power-Control (OPC) of the next generation optical storage systems to which PRML detection is applied.

Implementation of practical Super-RENS system by using the existing commercial drive is achieved. The commercial drive can perform mark position recording with 220nm mark size and correctly retrieve the recorded signal for ZnO-type Super-RENS discs.

The implementation of a practical super-resolution near-field structure (Super-RENS) system using an existing commercialdrive is achieved. Using ZnO-type Super-RENS discs as storage media, the commercial drive can perform mark positionrecording at a mark size of 220nm and correctly retrieve the recorded signal. [DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.45.1383]

In this paper, we present a new parameter: path metric value (PM_Value). It can be used to evaluate RF quality and therefore can be used in the optimal-power-control (OPC) of the next generation optical storage systems to which partial-response maximum-likelihood (PRML) detection is applied.