Neighborhood decline and the economic crisis : an introduction

Some of Maarten van Ham’s time on this project 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) and from the Marie Curie programme under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013) / Career Integration Grant n. PCIG10-GA-2011-303728 (CIG Grant NBHCHOICE, Neighbourhood choice, neighbourhood sorting, and neighbourhood effects), Platform31 (The Netherlands).Urban neighborhoods are still important in the lives of its residents. Therefore, it is important to find out how the recent global financial and economic crisis affects these neighborhoods. Which types of neighborhoods and which residents suffer more than others? This introduction provides an overview of the papers in this special feature that focus on this question. It concludes with the statement that governments should specifically pay attention to the poor neighborhoods and the people living there, because here the effects of the crisis are very prominent and in many cases probably long-lasting.PostprintPeer reviewe

The Global Financial Crisis and neighborhood decline

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC), which started in 2008, has had a major impact on many Western European and North American countries. In the years preceding the crisis, many countries in the Global North experienced rising house prices, accompanied by an expansion of mortgage financing (Wachter, 2015). As the financial market has become increasingly global, the collapse of the subprime mortgage market and house price bubble in the United States (US) has had repercussions on a global scale (Martin, 2011). While there were significant differences between impacted countries in the timing and macroeconomic processes underlying the GFC, the characteristics of the subsequent economic recession have been similar: stagnating economic growth, a sovereign debt crisis, and rising unemployment (Aalbers, 2015). Many governments have responded to the declining economy and growing unemployment levels with the implementation of major budget cuts for social provisions (Peck, 2012). This has contributed to both relative and absolute growth in the number of economically disadvantaged households and has exacerbated poverty on both sides of the Atlantic. While the average income of the top 10% of the populations of OECD countries was essentially unaffected by the crisis, the average income of households in the lowest income decile experienced an annual decline of 2% between 2007 and 2010 (OECD, 2013a). In many countries, the GFC has also had a major impact on the housing market, evidenced by a large drop in home prices and declining sales of both existing and new-build housing (Van Der Heijden et al., 2011). Today, many countries are slowly recovering from the first shocks of the GFC and the economic recession that followed. However, in many Southern European countries, unemployment rates continue to be very high and, although unemployment is declining in places like the United States and Germany, long-term unemployment appears to be a persistent problem in many countries (OECD, 2014; Shierholz, 2014). Similarly, despite graudual stock market recoveries and some modest increases in house prices, repercussions from the GFC and economic recession persist in all countries. In many countries, the GFC has had predictable effects on the supply side of the housing market - the willingness of banks to lend money to prospective owners has generally declined. In some countries, investors in real estate became more selective, avoiding projects with too much risk; in the United States, in contrast, investors of another ilk have bought large numbers of foreclosed, real estate owned (REO) properties with the main goal of making a profit (e.g. Mallach, 2010b). Regeneration and restructuring initiatives have been put on hold throughout Western Europe (Boelhouwer & Priemus, 2014; Raco & Tasan-Kok, 2009; Schwartz, 2011). While some governments, such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, implemented stimulus programs to generate more (affordable) housing in the years after the crisis, recent budget cuts have put an end to these programs (Scanlon & Elsinga, 2014; Schwartz, 2011). The demand side of the housing market has also changed. Banks have tightened lending terms, making it more difficult for many households to obtain a mortgage (Goodman et al., 2015). As a result, there is more demand for private rentals and social or public housing. The GFC has affected employment on both sides of the Atlantic, in terms of either high unemployment levels or a shift toward more casualized labor contracts such as zero hour or temporary employment contracts (Aalbers, 2015; Puno & Thomas, 2010). This has led to financial strain and housing affordability problems for many households (JCHS, 2015). In the United States, households that are behind on their mortgage payments, and that are unable to obtain a mortgage modification with their lender, are faced with displacement due to foreclosure. This results in a large group of residents with badly damaged credit ratings who are in search of post-foreclosure housing in nearby areas (Martin, 2012). In other countries where the option of foreclosure is often not available, households that are unable to pay their rent or mortgage often have to move to cheaper dwellings and less attractive neighborhoods, while others have to stay put, because moving is too expensive or alternatives are not available, or because negative equity makes it impossible for them to move. All of these developments have contributed to rising inequality in the Global North, particularly in terms of income and housing (e.g. Immervoll et al., 2011; Bellman & Gerner, 2011). The GFC therefore raises questions about the future development of neighborhoods, especially because inequality tends to have specific spatial outcomes including increased segregation, increased spatial concentrations of low-income groups, and negative neighborhood effects (e.g., European Commission, 2010; Glaeser et al., 2009; Van Eijk, 2010; Zwiers & Koster, 2015). While there has been little research on the effects of the GFC at the neighborhood level, the evidence described above suggests that the effects are distributed unevenly across urban areas (Foster & Kleit, 2015;   Batson & Monnat, 2015). As households in the bottom income decile have experienced the sharpest drop in income, the effects of the GFC are likely to be felt most acutely in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods (see also Rugh & Massey, 2010; Thomas, 2013). In view of these concerns, this article sets out to identify factors that affect neighborhood decline in the aftermath of the GFC. Many economists have pointed to structural changes in national housing markets and to the changing role of states as important consequences of the GFC (e.g. Wachter, 2015), yet, few researchers analyze how these changes play out at the neighborhood level. Similarly, housing researchers have identified multiple drivers behind neighborhood decline, but many of them focus on within-neighborhood processes at the expense of developments at higher scale levels (Van Beckhoven et al., 2009). In this paper, we aim to bridge this gap by presenting 10 hypotheses on how changes at different geographical scales affect neighborhood decline. Our goal is not to create the next ideal-type model of neighborhood decline processes; rather, we seek to further the intellectual debate on neighborhood decline call for more research on the spatial consequences of the GFC, specifically on neighborhoods as an important territorial dimension of increasing inequality. Our hypotheses mainly pertain to the Global North. Although these countries have very different political, economic, and social structures, research on neighborhood change in different contexts in the Global North has often led to broadly similar findings. This suggests that many of the underlying processes of neighborhood change are comparable across countries. In the same vein, the increasingly global nature of financial and housing markets (Aalbers, 2015) yields similarities in the effects of the GFC and the economic recession between countries. However, the effects of the GFC are mediated by national policies, local (housing market) circumstances, and intra-neighborhood processes, meaning that the GFC has different outcomes in different places. The next section of this article presents a short discussion of definitions of neighborhoods and neighborhood decline. We then highlight important elements from existing studies to formulate 10 hypotheses about the effects of the GFC and the economic recession on neighborhood decline. These hypotheses are divided over three sections, each with a different geographical focus. The conclusion brings our arguments together and calls for more contextualized longitudinal research.&nbsp

Місце України в процесах глобалізації світового туристичного ринку

Мета статті: визначити, чи має Україна можливості для активної участі в процесах глобалізації шляхом глибокого аналізу рекреаційного потенціалу окремих її туристичних регіонів

Hyper-diversity in/and geographies of childhood and youth

This paper reviews recent work on childhood, youth and diversity in geography. It argues for a need to move from conceptualisations of super-diversity to notions of hyper-diversity. Such a move recognises how multiple facets of social difference extend beyond commonly used identity categories deployed in intersectional or superdiverse analyses. In particular, the notion of hyper-diversity enables an exploration of how identity categories articulate with materialities, feelings and everyday practices. The paper sets out some starting propositions for theorisations of hyper-diversity, childhood and youth, whilst recognising the need for critical reflection upon the term’s usefulness, especially when set alongside other conceptual languages for understanding intersections of age with other forms of difference. Finally, the paper introduces the four articles that comprise this special issue

A Nationwide Study on the Impact of Routine Testing for EGFR Mutations in Advanced NSCLC Reveals Distinct Survival Patterns Based on EGFR Mutation Subclasses

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The presence of an EGFR activating mutation in tumors of non-small-cell lung cancer patients enables effective targeted therapy towards EGFR. Studies that describe a nationwide uptake of EGFR testing, the impact of the switch from single-gene EGFR to multi-gene testing, and the clinical response towards EGFR inhibitors in first-line treatment are limited. From 2013 to 2017 the percentage of patients routinely tested for EGFR mutations increased from 73% to 81% in the Netherlands. A strong shift towards EGFR testing as part of a multi-gene next generation sequencing analysis was observed. However, this did not change the percentage of EGFR mutations that were reported for this patient population, which remained stable at 12%. When treated with EGFR inhibitors that were available in a routine clinical setting prior to 2018, clear differences were observed between the type of EGFR mutation and survival. ABSTRACT: EGFR mutation analysis in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is currently standard-of-care. We determined the uptake of EGFR testing, test results and survival of EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients in the Netherlands, with the overall objective to characterize the landscape of clinically actionable EGFR mutations and determine the role and clinical relevance of uncommon and composite EGFR mutations. Non-squamous NSCLC patients diagnosed in 2013, 2015 and 2017 were identified in the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR) and matched to the Dutch Pathology Registry (PALGA). Overall, 10,254 patients were included. Between 2013–2017, the uptake of EGFR testing gradually increased from 72.7% to 80.9% (p < 0.001). Multi-gene testing via next-generation sequencing (increased from 7.8% to 78.7% (p < 0.001), but did not affect the number of detected EGFR mutations (n = 925; 11.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 11.0–12.4) nor the distribution of variants. For patients treated with first-line EGFR inhibitors (n = 651), exon 19 deletions were associated with longer OS than L858R (HR 1.58; 95% CI, 1.30–1.92; p < 0.001) or uncommon, actionable variants (HR 2.13; 95% CI, 1.60–2.84; p < 0.001). Interestingly, OS for patients with L858R was similar to those with uncommon, actionable variants (HR 1.31; 95% CI, 0.98–1.75; p = 0.069). Our analysis indicates that grouping exon 19 deletions and L858R into one class of ‘common’ EGFR mutations in a clinical trial may mask the true activity of an EGFR inhibitor towards specific mutations

The decline and rise of neighbourhoods: the importance of neighbourhood governance

There is a substantial literature on the explanation of neighbourhood change. Most of this literature concentrates on identifying factors and developments behind processes of decline. This paper reviews the literature, focusing on the identification of patterns of neighbourhood change, and argues that the concept of neighbourhood governance is a missing link in attempts to explain these patterns. Including neighbourhood governance in the explanations of neighbourhood change and decline will produce better explanatory models and, finally, a better view about what is actually steering neighbourhood change

Hypoxia inducible factor 2α (HIF2α/EPAS1) is associated with development of pulmonary hypertension in severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia patients

We show that hypoxia inducible factor 2α (HIF2α) is highly expressed in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). HIF2α is expressed in every patient with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, while only half of the controls express HIF2α. Our data suggest that HIF2α is a link between hypoxia and the development of PH

Histological, immunohistochemical and transcriptomic characterization of human tracheoesophageal fistulas

Esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) are relatively frequently occurring foregut malformations. EA/TEF is thought to have a strong genetic component. Not much is known regarding the biological processes disturbed or which cell type is affected in patients. This hampers the detection of the responsible culprits (genetic or environmental) for the origin of these congenital anatomical malformations. Therefore, we examined gene expression patterns in the TEF and compared them to the patterns in esophageal, tracheal and lung control samples. We studied tissue organization and key proteins using immunohistochemistry. There were clear differences between TEF and control samples. Based on the number of differentially expressed genes as well as histological characteristics, TEFs were most similar to normal esophagus. The BMP-signaling pathway, actin cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix pathways are downregulated in TEF. Genes involved in smooth muscle contraction are overexpressed in TEF compared to esophagus as well as trachea. These enriched pathways indicate myofibroblast activated fibrosis. TEF represents a specific tissue type with large contributions of intestinal smooth muscle cells and neurons. All major cell types present in esophagus are present-albeit often structurally disorganized-in TEF, indicating that i

Predictive factors of urinary tract infections among the oldest old in the general population. a population-based prospective follow-up study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common among the oldest old and may lead to a few days of illness, delirium or even to death. We studied the incidence and predictive factors of UTI among the oldest old in the general population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The Leiden 85-plus Study is a population-based prospective follow-up study of 86-year-old subjects in Leiden, The Netherlands. Information on the diagnosis of UTI was obtained annually during four years of follow-up from the medical records and interviews of treating physicians. A total of 157 men and 322 women aged 86 years participated in the study. Possible predictive factors were collected at baseline, including history of UTI between the age of 85 and 86 years, aspects of functioning (cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) < 19), presence of depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) > 4), disability in activities of daily living (ADL)), and co-morbidities.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence of UTI from age 86 through 90 years was 11.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.4, 13.1) per 100 person-years at risk. Multivariate analysis showed that history of UTI between the age of 85 and 86 years (hazard ratio (HR) 3.4 (95% CI 2.4, 5.0)), impaired cognitive function (HR 1.9 (95% CI 1.3, 2.9)), disability in daily living (HR 1.7 (95% CI 1.1, 2.5)) and urine incontinence (HR 1.5 (95% CI 1.0, 2.1)) were independent predictors of an increased incidence of UTI from age 86 onwards.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Within the oldest old, a history of UTI between the age of 85 and 86 years, cognitive impairment, ADL disability and urine incontinence are independent predictors of developing UTI. These predictive factors could be used to target preventive measures to the oldest old at high risk of UTI.</p