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Passively waiting for the natural appearance of a turning point in the Environmental Kuznets Curve is no longer the appropriate attitude for coping with the increasing environmental pressures. The present study selected the provincial legislation regarding environmental protection as the current measurements of environmental policies. Then, tests were conducted in order to determine whether or not the current environmental policies were empirically conducive for reducing industrial pollution emission intensities using the provincial panel data for the period ranging from 2005 to 2014. The results indicated that the introduction and implementation of environmental policies could significantly reduce industrial pollution emission levels. However, such obvious inhibitions caused by the environmental policies regarding pollution emission reductions were found to be highly dependent on the marketization processes and environmental behaviors of the government. Furthermore, it was revealed in this research investigation that the effectiveness of the environmental policies for pollution reduction was related to regional environmental quality. The findings of this study bear important policy implications in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence rate and risk factors of depression in outpatients who were diagnosed with PE. Therefore, between September 2009 and September 2011,1801 outpatients at andrology clinics were enrolled and consented to participate in our survey by completed a verbal questionnaire. It included the following: (1) demographic data (e.g., age, body mass index), (2) PE duration, medical history, and sexual history, (3) self-estimated intravaginal ejaculatory latency times, (4) the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and (5) the National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) and (6) the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). The results showed that a total of 1,206 patients were diagnosed with PE. The prevalence rate of depression in these PE patients was 26.78%. Depression was associated with PE duration, NIH-CPSI score, and IIEF-5 score. Risk factors for depression specifically included PE durations for 13-24, 25-60, or ≥61 months, CPSI scores of 15-30 or ≥31, and IIEF-5 scores <22. These findings suggested that several associated factors (PE duration, CPSI scores, and IIEF-5 scores) were the risk factors of depression in men with PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]