Structural Change, Intersectoral Linkages And Hollowing-Out in the Taiwanese Economy, 1976-1994

This paper analyses structural change in the Taiwanese economy over the period 1976-1994 using a series of input-output tables. Unlike other studies of structural change, this analysis investigates the evolving internal complexity of intersectoral interdependencies using Key Sector Analysis which gauges the strength of forward and backward linkages, and the recently developed method of Minimal Flow Analysis, which gauges the degree of connectivity of the system. This analysis indicates that there has been a "hollowing-out" of the Taiwanese economy as the density of intersectoral linkages has declined since the early 1980s, similar to what has been observed of the US and Japanese economies at a much later stage of their development.

How much improvement in mental health can be expected when people stop smoking? Findings from a national survey

Background and aims: There is evidence that mental health improves when smokers stop. This study aimed to assess in a nationally representative sample how far anxiety and depression in long-term ex-smokers can be expected eventually to reach levels found in those who have never smoked. Methods: Data from the Smoking Toolkit Study (STS) were used. The STS involves monthly household surveys of representative samples of the adult population of England. Anxiety and depression were compared using an item from the EQ5-D in respondents aged 40+ years where were either current smokers, never smokers, or had stopped for at least a year, adjusting statistically for age, gender and social grade. Results: The prevalence of anxiety or depression was 10.0% (95% CI 9.1-10.9) in never smokers, 18.3% (95% CI 16.0-20.6) in current smokers, and 11.3% (95% CI 9.6-13.0) in long-term ex-smokers. After adjusting for age, sex and social grade, long-term ex-smokers were similar to never smokers (OR=1.15, 95% CI=0.94-1.41). Current smokers had higher prevalence than never smokers (OR=1.69, 95% CI=1.39-2.04) and ex-smokers (OR=1.47, 95% CI=1.15-1.86). Conclusions: Prevalence of anxiety and depression in long-term ex-smokers appears to be similar to what is found in never smokers

Identification of behaviour change techniques and engagement strategies to design a smartphone app to reduce alcohol consumption using a formal consensus method

Background: Digital interventions to reduce excessive alcohol consumption have the potential to have a broader reach and be more cost-effective than traditional brief interventions. However, there is not yet a strong evidence base on their ability to engage users or on their effectiveness. Objective: This study aimed to identify the behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and engagement strategies most worthy of further study by inclusion in a smartphone application (app) to reduce alcohol consumption, using formal expert consensus methods. Methods: The first phase of the study consisted of a Delphi exercise with three rounds. It was conducted with seven international experts in the field of alcohol and/or behaviour change. In the first round, experts identified BCTs most likely to be effective at reducing alcohol consumption and strategies most likely to engage users with an app; these were rated in the second round; and those rated as effective by at least four out of seven participants were ranked in the third round. The rankings were analysed using Kendall’s W coefficient of concordance, which indicates consensus between participants. The second phase consisted of a new, independent group of experts (n=43) ranking the BCTs that were identified in the first phase. The correlation between the rankings of the two groups was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results: Twelve BCTs were identified as likely to be effective. There was moderate agreement among the experts over their ranking (W=.465, χ2(11)=35.77, P<.001) and the BCTs receiving the highest mean rankings were self-monitoring, goal-setting, action planning, and feedback in relation to goals. There was a significant correlation between the ranking of the BCTs by the group of experts who identified them and a second independent group of experts (Spearman’s rho=.690, P=.01). Seventeen responses were generated for strategies likely to engage users. There was moderate agreement among experts on the ranking of these engagement strategies (W=.563, χ2(15)=59.16, P<.001) and those with the highest mean rankings were ease of use, design – aesthetic, feedback, function, design – ability to change design to suit own preferences, tailored information, and unique smartphone features. Conclusions: The BCTs with greatest potential to include in a smartphone app to reduce alcohol consumption were judged by experts to be self-monitoring, goal-setting, action planning, and feedback in relation to goals. The strategies most likely to engage users were ease of use, design, tailoring of design and information, and unique smartphone features

Does non-smoker identity following quitting predict long-term abstinence? Evidence from a population survey in England

Aims: ‘Categorical self-labels’ (e.g. thinking of oneself as a smoker or non-smoker) are important aspects of identity that can have a fundamental influence on behaviour. To explore the role identity aspects relating to smoking can play in smoking cessation and relapse, this study assessed the prospective associations between taking on a non-smoker identity following quitting and long-term abstinence.  Methods: A representative sample of 574 ex-smokers in England who quit smoking in the past year was followed-up at three (N=179) and six months (N=163). Post-quit identity relating to smoking (‘I still think of myself as a smoker’ or ‘I think of myself as a nonsmoker’), and demographic and smoking-related characteristics were assessed at baseline. Self-reported smoking abstinence was assessed at follow-ups.  Results: Non-smoker identity was reported by 80.3% (95%CI 76.8-83.4) of recent exsmokers. Younger age (p=0.017) and longer abstinence (p<0.001) were independently associated with a post-quit non-smoker identity. After adjusting for covariates, non-smoker identity (p=0.032) and length of abstinence at baseline (p<0.001) were associated with continued abstinence at three months follow-up, and baseline length of abstinence (p=0.003) predicted continued abstinence at six months.  Conclusions: The majority of people who quit smoking recently consider themselves as nonsmokers. Younger people and those who have been abstinent for longer are more likely to take on a non-smoker identity. Ex-smokers who make this mental transition following a quit attempt appear more likely to remain abstinent in the medium term than those who still think of themselves as smokers

Girls and guys, ghetto and bougie: Metapragmatics, ideology and the management of social identities 1

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75117/1/j.1467-9841.2006.00297.x.pd

Quit success rates in England 2007-2017

BACKGROUND: More options for smokers wanting to stop, more restrictions on smoking, the introduction of standardised packaging, and a stronger anti-smoking culture in England all mean that it should be getting easier for smokers to stop. This paper examines quit success rates from 2007 to 2017 and compares rates for the first 6 months of 2017 with those in the preceding 10 years. METHODS: Data were collected from 18,356 participants using cross-sectional household surveys from representative samples of adults in England from January 2007 to June 2017. Quit success was defined as having tried to stop in the preceding 12 months and reporting still not-smoking at time of the survey. Sociodemographic information was collected on sex, age, region in England and socioeconomic status. Odds ratios were calculated comparing quitting in 2017 versus 2007-2016 in the full sample and interactions with socio-demographic variables were assessed. RESULTS: Quit success rates varied over time from a low of 13.4% (95% CI 11.9-14.9) in 2010 to a high of 19.8% (95% CI 16.7-22.9) in 2017. The figure for 2017 was significantly higher than the average for the preceding 10 years (OR=1.33, 95% CI 1.09-1.62). There was no clear evidence that the difference varied with sex, age or region but the increase in success rates was greater in people with lower socio-economic status (OR=1.66, 95% CI 1.11-2.51). CONCLUSION: Quit smoking success rates in England in the first six months of 2017 were higher than the average rate during the preceding decade. This improvement was exclusively in those with lower socioeconomic status

Should the Pomeron and imaginary parts be modelled by two gluons and real quarks?

We illustrate that solution of the Schwinger-Dyson equation for the gluon propagator in QCD does not support an infrared softened behaviour, but only an infrared enhancement. This has consequences for the modelling of the Pomeron in terms of dressed gluon exchange. It highlights that an understanding of the Pomeron within QCD must take account of the bound state nature of hadrons.Comment: 7 pages, latex, 2 figures, replaced ~\epsfig... by \mbox{\epsfig...

Remarks on E11 approach

We consider a few topics in $E_{11}$ approach to superstring/M-theory: even subgroups ($Z_2$ orbifolds) of $E_{n}$, n=11,10,9 and their connection to Kac-Moody algebras; $EE_{11}$ subgroup of $E_{11}$ and coincidence of one of its weights with the $l_1$ weight of $E_{11}$, known to contain brane charges; possible form of supersymmetry relation in $E_{11}$; decomposition of $l_1$ w.r.t. the $SO(10,10)$ and its square root at first few levels; particle orbit of $l_1 \ltimes E_{11}$. Possible relevance of coadjoint orbits method is noticed, based on a self-duality form of equations of motion in $E_{11}$.Comment: Two references adde

Mill’s Moral Standard

A book chapter (about 7,000 words, plus references) on the interpretation of Mill’s criterion of right and wrong, with particular attention to act utilitarianism, rule utilitarianism, and sanction utilitarianism. Along the way, major topics include Mill’s thoughts on liberalism, supererogation, the connection between wrongness and punishment, and breaking rules when doing so will produce more happiness than complying with them will