Assessing the accessibility of the homeownership market

Abstract: In this paper, we examine the accessibility of the homeownership market using measures that include both supply and demand characteristics of regional housing markets. We apply these measures empirically on an extensive data set that covers the Dutch housing market. Our analysis quantifies the extent to which the position of new entrants of the homeownership market, the first-time buyers, has weakened over the sample period and we identify which factors are driving this change. We find that due to financial constraints of young households smaller portions of the housing market are becoming affordable. However, more importantly, we report that first-time buyers today need to contend with a much larger group of competing bidders on every house that suits their financial situation, than ever before

Ice Crystal Icing Physics Study using a NACA 0012 Airfoil at the National Research Council of Canada's Research Altitude Test Facility

This paper presents results from a study of the fundamental physics of ice-crystal ice accretion using a NACA 0012 airfoil at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) Research Altitude Test Facility in August 2017. These tests were a continuation of work which began in 2010 as part of a joint collaboration between NASA and NRC. The research seeks to generate icing conditions representative of those that occur inside a jet engine when ingesting ice crystals. In this test, an airfoil was exposed to mixed-phase icing conditions and the resulting ice accretions were recorded and analyzed. This paper details the specific objectives, procedures, and measurements which included the aero-thermal and cloud measurements. The objectives were built upon observations and hypothesis generated from several previous test campaigns regarding mixed-phase ice-crystal icing. The specific objectives included (A) ice accretions under different wet-bulb temperatures, (B) investigations of steady-state ice shapes previously reported in the literature, (C) total water content variations in search of a threshold for accretion, and (D) probe characterization related to measuring melt fraction which is important to characterize the mixed-phase condition. The resulting ice accretions and conditions leading to such accretions are intended to help extend NASAs predictive ice-accretion codes to include conditions occurring in engine ice-crystal icing

Long-term neuropsychological outcome following pediatric anti-NMDAR encephalitis

Objective: To provide detailed long-term outcome data of children and adolescents following pediatric anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis, to identify neuropsychological impairments, and to evaluate the influence of these factors on quality of life (QoL). Methods: All Dutch children diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis were identified. Patients currently aged 4 years or older were included in the follow-up study, consisting of a visit to our clinic for a detailed interview and a standardized neuropsychological assessment. The following domains were included: attention, memory, language, executive functioning, QoL, and fatigue. Primary outcome measures were z scores on sustained attention, long-term verbal memory, QoL, fatigue, and working memory. Results: Twenty-eight patients were included. Median Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category at last visit was 1 (interquartile range 1-2, range 1-4), and 64% (18/28) of patients returned consistently to their previous school level. Twenty-two patients were included in the cross-sectional part of the long-term follow-up study. Median follow-up time was 31 months (interquartile range 15-49, range 5-91). There were problems with sustained attention (z = -2.10, 95% confidence interval = -2.71 to -1.46, p < 0.0001) and fatigue (z = -0.96, 95% confidence interval = -1.64 to -0.28, p = 0.008). Cognitive deficits were not correlated with QoL, while fatigue was strongly correlated with QoL (r = 0.82, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Although follow-up is often reported as "good" following pediatric anti-NMDAR encephalitis, many patients have cognitive problems an

House prices and income tax in the Netherlands: an international perspective

A sharp drop in prices on the home owner market is not only hard to predict but also the reason why many politicians would prefer to implement any tax changes gradually, if at all. Against this backdrop, the present study explores the relationship between a change in the personal income tax treatment of home ownership and a change in house prices. First, based on a literature study, it identifies the factors in the development of house prices. Then, using data from several European countries, it compares the effects of personal income tax reform on the development of house prices. As the comparison reveals, the method and timing of adjustments in the tax system have a strong influence on house price development. Furthermore, econometric modelling of the Dutch home owner market suggests that when the restrictions on tax concessions are less stringent, the real decline in house prices is not as steep and does not last as long

Modification of the twist angle in chiral nematic polymer films by photoisomerization of the chiral dopant

A method for the production of polarization sensitive recordings in liquid crystalline polymers is presented. The system is based on local modification of the twist angle of chiral nematic polymer films. The twist angle of the polymer film is varied by modifying the chemical structure of the chiral dopant. Here a photoisomerizable menthone derivative is used that has a fivefold difference in helical twisting power between the E and the Z isomer. The twist angle of the film can be varied between –90° and 0° by introducing a nonphotosensitive chiral dopant with opposite twisting sense. Complex pictures with gray scales can be recorded in the films with black and white contrasts higher than 20

Proteomics Urine Analysis of Pregnant Women Suffering from Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MScl) frequently is remitted during the third trimester of pregnancy but exacerbated in the first postpartum period. In this context, we investigated protein identification, its abundance, and its change in urine related to these two periods. Using mass spectrometry (LTQ Orbitrap), we identified 1699 tryptic peptides (related to 402 proteins) in urine from 31 MScl and 8 control at these two periods. Pregnancy-related peptides were significantly elevated (<i>p</i> < 0.01) in MScl patients compared with controls (Analysis 1: 531 peptides in MScl and 36 peptides in controls higher abundant in the third trimester compared to postpartum). When comparing the longitudinal differences (Analysis 2), we identified 43 (related to 35 proteins) MScl disease-associated peptides (<i>p</i> < 0.01) with increased or decreased difference ratio in MScl compared with controls. The most discriminating peptides identified were trefoil factor 3 and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2. Both proteins have a role in the innate immune system. Three proteins with a significant decreased ratio were plasma glutamate carboxypeptidase, Ig mu chain C region, and osteoclast associated immune like receptor. Our results indicate that the protein expression pattern in urine of MScl patients contains information about remote CNS and brain disease processes

The Military Role in Filling the Security Gap After Armed Conflict

During stabilization operations, the host nation and the international community are often confronted with a security gap, which could be a prelude to an explosive growth of crime and public disorder. In the absence of a functioning local police, an alternative is that the (international) military temporarily intervenes as interim police. This article analyzes how the Netherlands’ military performed during security gaps in three (post)conflict areas: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Iraq. It concludes that army units frequently were involved in interim policing and de facto operated as hybrid organizations, without leaving the military paradigm behind. Policing is generally not seen as a primary task of the military, however. To adapt to the reality of security gaps and to increase the operational effectiveness in the field of public security, the military would benefit from reflecting on their current military paradigm and on what they could learn from current policing practices. Keywords: stabilization operations, security gap, public security, interim policing, policing by the militar