Neighbourhood deprivation and the Big Five personality traits : associations with adolescent problem behaviour and educational attainment

Funding: The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant ref: 102215/2/13/2) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. A comprehensive list of grants funding is available on the ALSPAC website. This research was specifically funded by the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013) / ERC Grant Agreement n. 615159 (ERC Consolidator Grant DEPRIVEDHOODS, Socio-spatial inequality, deprived neighbourhoods, and neighbourhood effects).We studied the relation between cumulative exposure to neighbourhood deprivation and adolescents’ Big Five personality traits, and the moderating role of personality in the relation between neighbourhood deprivation and the development of problem behaviour and educational attainment. We studied 5365 British adolescents from ages 10 to 16, with neighbourhood information from birth onwards. Extraversion, agreeableness, emotional stability, and openness to experience moderated the relation between deprivation and problem behaviour. For educational attainment, only extraversion was a moderator. This means that higher values on personality traits were related to weaker relations between neighbourhood deprivation and problem behaviour and educational attainment. The results showed the importance of taking into account adolescents’ personality when assessing developmental outcomes in relation to neighbourhood deprivation.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Socio-Economic Segregation and Income Inequality:

This book attempts to get a true global overview of trends in urban inequality and residential socio-economic segregation in a large number of cities all over the world. It investigates the link between income inequality and socio-economic residential segregation in 24 large urban regions in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. In many ways the book is a sequel to the earlier book “Socio-Economic Segregation in European Capital Cities” which focussed solely on trends in Europe. Although that book was very well received, readers also asked whether trends in Europe were representative for what is happening in the rest of the world. This new book is a direct response to that question and aims to be more globally representative. The main outcome of this book is the proposal of a Global Segregation Thesis, which combines ideas of rising levels of inequality, rising levels of socio-economic segregation, and important changes in the social geography of cities. At the time of writing this preface, the world is still grappling with the global outbreak of COVID-19. Now the spread of the virus is slowing down in the Global North, the Global South is hit very hard. In response to the spread of the virus, unprecedented measures were taken, having a huge impact on the world economy. It is widely expected that these measures will lead to a deep economic crisis, which will hit those who are the most vulnerable hardest. Some of the chapters in this book mention the COVID-19 crisis, and it is expected that this crisis will speed up the increase in inequality, both globally and locally, leading to an accelerated growth in socio-economic segregation in cities. This book would not have been possible without the generous contributions from author teams from all over the world. We are very grateful for their generosity and their contributions. Much of the editorial time invested in this book was covered by funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement n.615159 (ERC Consolidator Grant DEPRIVEDHOODS, Socio-spatial inequality, deprived neighbourhoods and neighbourhood effects); from the Estonian Research Council (PUT PRG306, Infotechnological Mobility Laboratory, RITA-Ränne), and from TU Delft where Tiit Tammaru was a visiting professor in 2018

Modelling neighbourhood effects in three Dutch cities controlling for selection

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007–2013)/ERC Grant Agreement n. 615159 (ERC Consolidator Grant DEPRIVEDHOODS, Socio-spatial inequality, deprived neighbourhoods, and neighbourhood effects), as well as from European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement n. 727097 (RELOCAL).The non-random selection of people into neighbourhoods complicates the estimation of causal neighbourhood effects on individual outcomes. Measured neighbourhood effects could be the result of characteristics of the neighbourhood context, but they could also result from people selecting into neighbourhoods based on their preferences, income, and the availability of alternative housing. This paper examines how the neighbourhood effect on individual income is altered when geographic selection correction terms are added as controls, and how these results vary across three Dutch urban regions. We use a two-step approach in which we first model neighbourhood selection, and then include neighbourhood choice correction components in a model estimating neighbourhood effects on individual income. Using longitudinal register datasets for three major Dutch cities: Amsterdam, Utrecht and Rotterdam, and multilevel models, we analysed the effects for individuals who moved during a 5-year period. We show that in all cities, the effect of average neighbourhood income on individual income becomes much smaller after controlling for explicitly modelled neighbourhood selection. This suggests that studies that do not control for neighbourhood selection most likely overestimate the size of neighbourhood effects. For all models, the effects of neighbourhood income are strongest in Rotterdam, followed by Amsterdam and Utrecht.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Chronic non-specific abdominal complaints in general practice: a prospective study on management, patient health status and course of complaints

BACKGROUND: While in general practice chronic non-specific abdominal complaints are common, there is insufficient data on the clinical course and the management of these complaints. Aim of this study was to present a primary care based profile of these chronic complaints including health care involvement, health status and clinical course. METHODS: Thirty general practitioners (GPs) and patients from their practices participated in a prospective follow-up study. All patients and GPs were asked to complete questionnaires at baseline and at 6, 12 and 18 months of follow-up. The GPs provided information on diagnostic and therapeutic management and on referral concerning 619 patients with chronic non-specific abdominal complaints, while 291 patients provided information about health status and clinical course of the complaints. RESULTS: When asked after 18 months of follow-up, 51,7% of the patients reported an equal or worsened severity of complaints. General health perception was impaired and patients had high scores on SCL-anxiety and SCL-depression scales. Diagnostic tests other than physical examination and laboratory tests were not frequently used. Medication was the most frequent type of treatment. The persistence of chronic non-specific abdominal complaints was quite stable. CONCLUSION: Once non-specific chronic abdominal complaints have become labelled as chronic by the attending physician, little improvement can be expected. The impact on patients' physiological and psychological well-being is large. GPs use a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Research into the evidence base of currently applied management strategies is recommended

Spatial Separation of HLA-DM/HLA-DR Interactions within MIIC and Phagosome-Induced Immune Escape

SummaryMajor Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II molecules, including Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-DR, present peptide fragments from proteins degraded in the endocytic pathway. HLA-DR is targeted to late-endocytic structures named MHC class II-containing Compartments (MIIC), where it interacts with HLA-DM. This chaperone stabilizes HLA-DR during peptide exchange and is critical for successful peptide loading. To follow this process in living cells, we have generated cells containing HLA-DR3/Cyan Fluorescent Protein (CFP), HLA-DM/Yellow Fluorescent Protein (YFP), and invariant chain. HLA-DR/DM interactions were observed by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). These interactions were pH insensitive, yet occurred only in internal structures and not at the limiting membrane of MIIC. In a cellular model of infection, phagosomes formed a limiting membrane surrounding internalized Salmonella. HLA-DR and HLA-DM did not interact in Salmonella-induced vacuoles, and HLA-DR was not loaded with antigens. The absence of HLA-DR/DM interactions at the limiting membrane prevents local loading of MHC class II molecules in phagosomes. This may allow these bacteria to successfully evade the immune system

A micro-scale approach to ethnic minority concentration in the residential environment and voting for the radical right in the Netherlands

This work was supported by European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013) / ERC Grant Agreement n. 615159 (ERC Consolidator Grant DEPRIVEDHOODS, Socio-spatial inequality, deprived neighbourhoods, and neighbourhood effects).Existing empirical research on the link between ethnic minority concentration in residential environments and voting for the radical right is inconclusive, mainly due to major differences between studies in the spatial scale at which minority concentration is measured. We examined whether the presence of non-western ethnic minorities in the residential environment, measured at four spatial scales, is related to individuals’ intention to vote for the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV). We combined individual level survey data and register data, and we used multilevel structural equation models to examine possible mediation by anti-immigrant attitudes and political dissatisfaction. The models show different effects at different scales. At the micro scale (100 by 100 meter grids) we find a curvilinear effect: individuals with 30-50% non-western minorities in their direct living environment are most likely to report to vote for the PVV. At higher spatial scales (up to municipal level) we find that the higher the proportion of non-western minorities, the more likely individuals are to report to vote for the PVV. These effects can however not be explained by anti-immigrant attitudes or political dissatisfaction. We even find that at the micro scale the presence of non-western minorities is related to less anti-immigrant attitudes.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The Functional, Metabolic, and Anabolic Responses to Exercise Training in Renal Transplant and Hemodialysis Patients

BACKGROUND.: Exercise intolerance is common in hemodialysis (HD) and renal transplant (RTx) patients and is related to muscle weakness. Its pathogenesis may vary between these groups leading to a different response to exercise. The aim of the study was to compare intrinsic muscular parameters between HD and RTx patients and controls, and to assess the response to exercise training on exercise capacity and muscular structure and function in these groups. METHODS.: Quadriceps function (isokinetic dynamometry), body composition (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were analyzed before and after a 12-week lasting training-program in 35 RTx patients, 16 HD patients, and 21 healthy controls. RESULTS.: At baseline, myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoform composition and enzyme activities were not different between the groups. VO2peak and muscle strength improved significantly and comparably over the training-period in RTx, HD patients and controls (ptime<0.05). The proportion of MyHC type I isoforms decreased (ptime<0.001) and type IIa MyHC isoforms increased (ptime<0.05). The 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase activity increased (ptime=0.052). Intrinsic muscular changes were not significantly different between groups. In the HD group, changes in lean body mass were significantly related to changes in muscle insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-II and IGF binding protein-3. CONCLUSIONS.: Abnormalities in metabolic enzyme activities or muscle fiber redistribution do not appear to be involved in muscle dysfunction in RTx and HD patients. Exercise training has comparable beneficial effects on functional and intrinsic muscular parameters in RTx patients, HD patients, and controls. In HD patients, the anabolic response to exercise training is related to changes in the muscle IGF system

Selective Infection of Antigen-Specific B Lymphocytes by Salmonella Mediates Bacterial Survival and Systemic Spreading of Infection

Background: The bacterial pathogen Salmonella causes worldwide disease. A major route of intestinal entry involves M cells, providing access to B cell-rich Peyer's Patches. Primary human B cells phagocytose Salmonella typhimurium upon recognition by the specific surface Ig receptor (BCR). As it is unclear how Salmonella disseminates systemically, we studied whether Salmonella can use B cells as a transport device for spreading. Methodology/Principal Findings: Human primary B cells or Ramos cell line were incubated with GFP-expressing Salmonella. Intracellular survival and escape was studied in vitro by live cell imaging, flow cytometry and flow imaging. HEL-specific B cells were transferred into C57BL/6 mice and HEL-expressing Salmonella spreading in vivo was analyzed investigating mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and blood. After phagocytosis by B cells, Salmonella survives intracellularly in a non-replicative state which is actively maintained by the B cell. Salmonella is later excreted followed by reproductive infection of other cell types. Salmonella-specific B cells thus act both as a survival niche and a reservoir for reinfection. Adoptive transfer of antigen-specific B cells before oral infection of mice showed that these B cells mediate in vivo systemic spreading of Salmonella to spleen and blood. Conclusions/Significance: This is a first example of a pathogenic bacterium that abuses the antigen-specific cells of the adaptive immune system for systemic spreading for dissemination of infection. \ua9 2012 Souwer et al