Gentrificación alla neuquina: Crecimiento en altura, elitización y desplazamiento en una ciudad intermedia de la Patagonia (2001-2010)

Recientemente, una importante revista académica chilena dedicó un artículo a la problemática de la gentrificación (González y Hodkinson, 2014). Más allá de estar enfocados en Leeds, una ciudad intermedia ubicada al norte de Inglaterra, ambos autores trazaron un balance cuyas conclusiones bien podrían ser aplicadas al contexto latinoamericano.Fil: Perren, Joaquin. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Cabezas, Sergio. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Economía y Administración; Argentin

Gentrification in the "end of the world"? Growth in height and elitisation in an intermediate city of Patagonia (Neuquén, 2001-2010)

El concepto de gentrificación, que tuvo sus albores pasada la segunda mitad del siglo XX, fue aplicado para describir un fenómeno que se repetía en importantes ciudades anglosajonas que abandonaban sus actividades productivas para transformarse en espacios de acumulación de plusvalía de la economía financiarizada. Este proceso se manifestó en Latinoamérica a partir de los años 90 de la mano de las políticas neoliberales que utilizaron a las ciudades para su reproducción y transformación. Con el propósito de avanzar en el sentido de una “provincialización” de la gentrificación, este trabajo localiza la discusión en la ciudad de Neuquén, en la Norpatagonia argentina. Se analiza el proceso de densificación y crecimiento `en altura´ que el centro de la capital neuquina experimentó en el periodo comprendido entre los años 2001 y 2010. Se parte de dos ideas fuerza: que las políticas públicas municipales desempeñaron un rol fundamental en el desarrollo de ambos fenómenos y que, durante el periodo en cuestión, se construyó un nuevo `buen vivir´ que hizo de las torres-countries una opción habitacional para sectores más encumbrados de la sociedad. Por último, por medio de la utilización intensiva de recursos estadísticos y cartográficos, se analiza la relación existente entre el crecimiento en altura y la estructura social, procurando demostrar que el proceso de elitización en el centro de la ciudad fue acompañado de un desplazamiento de quienes ocupaban los peldaños inferiores de la estructura socio-ocupacional. Esto nos habilitaría a utilizar el término de gentrificación, solo que con una ligera adaptación en relación a la clásica definición de Glass: no se trataría de una renovación del parque habitacional localizado en el distrito central, sino de una “gentrificación de nueva planta” que tuvo al crecimiento en `altura´ como principal vector.The concept of gentrification, which began in the second half of the twentieth century, was applied to describe a phenomenon that was repeated in important Anglo-Saxon cities that abandoned their productive activities to become spaces of accumulation of surplus value of the financialized economy. This process was manifested in Latin America from the 90s on the hand of the neoliberal policies that used the cities for their reproduction and transformation. In order to advance in the sense of a "provincialization" of gentrification, this paper locates the discussion in the city of Neuquén, in Argentine Norpatagonia. It analyzes the process of densification and growth 'in height' that the center of Neuquén capital experienced in the period between 2001 and 2010. It is based on two main ideas: that municipal public policies played a fundamental role in the development of both phenomena and that during the period in question a new 'good living' was built that made the towers-countries a housing option for the high sectors of the society. Finally, through the intensive use of statistical and cartographic resources, the relationship between growth in height and social structure is analyzed, trying to demonstrate that the process of elitisation in the center of the city was accompanied by a displacement of those who occupy the lower rungs of the socio-occupational structure. This would enable us to use the term gentrification, only with a slight adaptation in relation to the classic definition of Glass: this would not be a renovation of the housing stock located in the central district, but a "new plant gentrification" that had the growth in `height´ as main vector.Fil: Perren, Joaquin. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Cabezas, Sergio. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Economía y Administración; Argentin

Growth in height in an intermediate city in Argentina. Neuquén towards the beginning of the 21st century

El presente artículo estudia los fenómenos de densificación y del crecimiento enaltura en la ciudad de Neuquén (Patagonia, Argentina) durante la primera décadadel siglo XXI. El texto sigue un recorrido que cuenta con cuatro momentos biendelimitados. En el primero de ellos se analiza la división social del espacio en la capital neuquina. En el segundo, por su parte, se concentra en los factores que posibilitaron el crecimiento en altura. Se estudiarán allí las formas en que el nuevo régimen de acumulación en la Argentina posibilitó una urbanización del capital en Neuquén. En la tercera sección se explorará la anatomía del proceso de construcción de edificios, poniendo especial énfasis en lo sucedido en el distrito central. Por último, se explorarán las transformaciones que la densificación generó en el perfil social del área estudiada, poniendo a prueba términos como el de elitización, homogeneización y desplazamiento.This article studies the phenomenona of densification and growth in height in Neuquén (Patagonia, Argentina) during the first decade of the 21st century. The text follows a journey that has four well-defined moments. In the first one, the social division of space in the Neuquén capital is analyzed. In the second, on the other hand, it concentrates on the factors that made it possible to grow in height. The ways in which the new regime of accumulation in Argentina allowed an urbanization of Neuquén capital city will be studied there. In the third section, the anatomy of the building construction process will be explored, with special emphasis on what happened in the central district. Finally, the transformations that the densification generated in the social profile of the studied area will be explored, testing terms such as elitization, homogenization and displacement.Fil: Perren, Joaquin. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Perez, German Gabriel. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Cabezas, Sergio. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Economía y Administración; Argentin

Rents and income in an extractive context: An approach to tenant vulnerability in the city of Neuquén

El presente trabajo explora la relación entre los valores de los alquileres y el nivel de ingresos de la población en el caso de la ciudad de Neuquén, particularmente en su microcentro. Con ese objetivo se plantea una secuencia compuesta por cuatro momentos claramente diferenciados. El primero de ellos ofrece una aproximación al proceso mercantilización de las ciudades. En el segundo se hace foco en la ciudad de Neuquén y presta atención al impacto que la crisis sanitaria tuvo en la condición de los inquilinos. La tercera parte del trabajo reconstruye la oferta de alquileres atendiendo a sus valores, pero también a su localización en la trama urbana. Por último, y luego estudiar la estructura de ingresos de los hogares neuquinos, se correlacionan ambas dimensiones, advirtiendo diversos de vulnerabilidad inquilina. En términos metodológicos, el artículo adopta una estrategia mixta sostenida en el aprovechamiento intensivo de fuentes secundarias, notas periodísticas, información estadística oficial y cartografía temática elaborada con sistemas de información geográfica.This paper explores the relationship between rent values and the population´s income level in the case of the city of Neuquén, particularly in its downtown. To this end, a sequence composed of four clearly differentiated moments is proposed. The first of these offers an approach to the process of commodification of cities. The second focuses on the city of Neuquén and pays attention to the impact that the health crisis had on the condition of tenants. The third part of the work reconstructs the rental offer according to its values, but also to its location in the urban fabric. Finally, and then study the income structure of Neuquén households, both dimensions are correlated, warning of various tenant vulnerability. In methodological terms, the article adopts a mixed strategy sustained in the intensive use of secondary sources, journalistic notes, official statistical information and thematic cartography elaborated with geographic information systems.Fil: Perren, Joaquin. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Cabezas, Sergio Esteban. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Economía y Administración; ArgentinaFil: Perez, German Gabriel. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Patagónico de Estudios de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales; Argentin

Disparities between research attention and burden in liver diseases: implications on uneven advances in pharmacological therapies in Europe and the USA

Effective oral therapies for hepatitis B and C have recently been developed, while there are no approved pharmacological therapies for alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (ALD and NAFLD). We hypothesise that fewer advances in fatty liver diseases could be related to disparities in research attention

Reduced impact of renal failure on the outcome of patients with alcoholic liver disease undergoing liver transplantation

Pre-transplant renal failure is commonly reported to be a poor prognostic indicator affecting survival after liver transplantation (LT). However, whether the impact of renal failure on patient outcome varies according to the etiology of the underlying liver disease is largely unknown

LOXL2-A New Target in Antifibrogenic Therapy?

The concept of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis being static and therefore irreversible is outdated. Indeed, both human and animal studies have shown that fibrogenesis is a dynamic and potentially reversible process that can be modulated either by stopping its progression and/or by promoting its resolution. Therefore, the study of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis is critical for the development of future antifibrotic therapies. The fibrogenesis process, common to all forms of liver injury, is characterized by the increased deposition of extracellular matrix components (EMCs), including collagen, proteoglycans, and glycoproteins (laminin and fibronectin 2). These changes in the composition of the extracellular matrix components alter their interaction with cell adhesion molecules, influencing the modulation of cell functions (growth, migration, and gene expression). Hepatic stellate cells and Kupffer cells (liver macrophages) are the key fibrogenic effectors. The antifibrogenic mechanism starts with the activation of Ly6Chigh macrophages, which can differentiate into macrophages with antifibrogenic action. The research of biochemical changes affecting fibrosis irreversibility has identified lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2), an enzyme that promotes the network of collagen fibers of the extracellular matrix. LOXL2 inhibition can decrease cell numbers, proliferation, colony formations, and cell growth, and it can induce cell cycle arrest and increase apoptosis. The development of a new humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody against LOXL2 could open the window of a new antifibrogenic treatment. The current therapeutic target in patients with liver cirrhosis should focus (after the eradication of the causal agent) on the development of new antifibrogenic drugs. The development of these drugs must meet three premises: Patient safety, in non-cirrhotic phases, down-staging or at least stabilization and slowing the progression to cirrhosis must be achieved; whereas in the cirrhotic stage, the objective should be to reduce fibrosis and portal pressure.Funding: This research was funded by NEXT-VAL grant 15/12 from Health Research Institute Marques de Valdecilla (IDIVAL)

Low prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in urban and rural community settings in Bolivia and Peru☆

Summary Objective To investigate the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage in rural and urban community settings of Bolivia and Peru. Methods MRSA nasal carriage was investigated in 585 individuals living in rural and urban areas of Bolivia and Peru (one urban area, one small rural village, and two native communities, one of which was highly isolated). MRSA isolates were subjected to molecular analysis for the detection of virulence genes, characterization of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCC mec ), and genotyping (multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)). Results An overall very low prevalence of MRSA nasal carriage was observed (0.5%), with MRSA carriers being detected only in a small rural village of the Bolivian Chaco. The three MRSA isolates showed the characteristics of community-associated MRSA (being susceptible to all non-beta-lactam antibiotics and harboring the SCC mec type IV), were clonally related, and belonged to ST1649. Conclusions This study provides an insight into the epidemiology of MRSA in community settings of Bolivia and Peru. Reliable, time-saving, and low-cost methods should be implemented to encourage continued surveillance of MRSA dissemination in resource-limited countries

Hepatic lipocalin 2 promotes liver fibrosis and portal hypertension

Advanced fibrosis and portal hypertension influence short-term mortality. Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) regulates infection response and increases in liver injury. We explored the role of intrahepatic LCN2 in human alcoholic hepatitis (AH) with advanced fibrosis and portal hypertension and in experimental mouse fibrosis. We found hepatic LCN2 expression and serum LCN2 level markedly increased and correlated with disease severity and portal hypertension in patients with AH. In control human livers, LCN2 expressed exclusively in mononuclear cells, while its expression was markedly induced in AH livers, not only in mononuclear cells but also notably in hepatocytes. Lcn2−/− mice were protected from liver fibrosis caused by either ethanol or CCl4 exposure. Microarray analysis revealed downregulation of matrisome, cell cycle and immune related gene sets in Lcn2−/− mice exposed to CCl4, along with decrease in Timp1 and Edn1 expression. Hepatic expression of COL1A1, TIMP1 and key EDN1 system components were elevated in AH patients and correlated with hepatic LCN2 expression. In vitro, recombinant LCN2 induced COL1A1 expression. Overexpression of LCN2 increased HIF1A that in turn mediated EDN1 upregulation. LCN2 contributes to liver fibrosis and portal hypertension in AH and could represent a new therapeutic target

The role of low-income and middle-income country prisons in eliminating Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a global health problem affecting 58 million people, 80% of whom live in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). In 2019, 1·5 million new HCV infections and 290 000 HCV-related deaths were estimated worldwide. One in two people who inject drugs has been exposed to HCV, and nearly half of incident HCV infections could be prevented if transmission risk due to injection drug use was removed. Mainly as a result of the criminalisation of substance use and the incarceration of people who use drugs, HCV is the most prevalent infectious disease in carceral settings worldwide. However, HCV-related data from prisons in LMICs are scarce.Research grants from AbbVie, Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, Merck Canada and Sequiris.www.thelancet.com/public-healthhttps://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/justice-and-prison-reform/NMRules.htmlhttp://www.thelancet.com/public-healtham2023Family Medicin