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This article presents new empirical insights into European metropolitan regions, addressing a gap in the existing literature by examining the sectoral specialization and its impact on the productivity growth of metropolitan regions. The lack of evidence for European metropolitan regions contrasts with the empirical evidence for U.S. metropolitan regions, highlighting a significant research gap. By employing panel-regression analysis and leveraging unique regional data encompassing European metropolitan regions from 2000 to 2020, the authors unveil a multitude of significant findings. Key findings are that higher income countries (EU-15) tend to experience greater benefits from sectoral specialization in metropolitan regions compared to Eastern European regions (EU-NMS), suggesting that generalizing conclusions for EU-27 may be misleading. The study reveals a productivity gap resulting from sectoral specialization between metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions: Results suggest a higher concentration of specialized sectors in metropolitan regions. Policy implications are highlighted within the discussion on the framework of smart specialization in the context of metropolitan regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper examines the spatiotemporal inequality in electricity consumption at the subnational level of Bangladesh using nighttime light (NTL) data. The NTL data, sourced from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) day/night band (DNB) for the period from 2013 to 2020, reveals persistent variability in electricity consumption among the districts. Notably, the gap between urban and non-urban areas has widened. While within district inequality (measured by NTL Gini) has declined over time, it remains high in several districts. Convergence analysis confirms that while lagging districts are showing a catching up effect, the sub-districts are diverging among themselves (in terms of mean NTL per capita). Interestingly, the rural sub-districts are converging among themselves despite urban sub-district divergence. The study also identifies regions with significant imbalance between NTL, population, and built-up area density values. These findings have implications for policymakers aiming to ensure electricity for all and reduce inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers used a transcendental phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of faculty members in a Faculty Research Hub design team at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Through data analysis, several themes emerged: (1) Support and leadership, (2) Commitment to improvement, (3) Individual motivation, (4) Structure and collaborative nature of the team, (5) Small team size with diverse expertise, and (6) Faculty learning and development. These themes align with the input, process, or outcome stages of Binkhorst et al.’s (2015) integrative descriptive framework for Teacher Design Teams (TDTs). The study suggests that Hispanic-Serving Institutions aspiring to become R1 institutions should consider implementing and evaluating Faculty Design Teams (FDTs) to enhance faculty research productivity and doctoral student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green innovation plays a pivotal role in fostering sustainable and robust economic growth. Hence, it is of great practical significance to accurately assess green innovation efficiency and analyze its evolving trends and discrepancies from a spatiotemporal dynamic perspective. This study analyzes the green innovation efficiency across 30 provinces in China from 2001 to 2019 using the Super-SBM model, Dagum Gini coefficient, Kernel density estimation, and convergence models. The results reveal a consistent enhancement in China's green innovation efficiency, yet substantial room for further improvement persists, standing at 0.679 in 2019. Both China as a whole and its four major regions exhibit a polarisation trend in green innovation efficiency, characterised by notable internal disparities, albeit displaying a declining pattern. Interregional divergence is the primary source of the overall disparity, followed by intraregional disparities and the intensity of transvariation. China's green innovation efficiency demonstrates sigma and beta convergence trends. The study also highlights how uneven regional development and resource allocation disparities lead to an imbalanced convergence of regional green innovation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the earliest change of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and its relationship with β-amyloid (Aβ) burden in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) employing dual-phase 18F-florbetaben (FBB) PET. Seventy-one cognitively normal (NC) individuals were classified as Aβ negative (Aβ−NC) or positive (Aβ+NC) based on two different cutoff values: an SUVR of > 1.08 and a Centiloid scale of > 20. The PET scans were acquired in two phases: an early phase (0–10 min, eFBB) and a delayed phase (90–110 min, dFBB), which were averaged to generate single-frame images for each phase. Furthermore, an R1 parametric map was generated from the early phase data using a simplified reference tissue model. We conducted regional and voxel-based analyses to compare the eFBB, dFBB, and R1 images between the Aβ positive and negative groups. In addition, the correlations between the CBF proxy R1 and the dFBB SUVR were analyzed. The Aβ+NC group showed significantly higher dFBB SUVR in both the global cerebral cortex and target regions compared to the Aβ−NC group, while no significant differences were observed in eFBB SUVR between the two groups. Furthermore, the Aβ+NC group exhibited significantly higher R1 values, a proxy for cerebral perfusion, in both the global cerebral cortex and target regions compared to the Aβ−NC group. Significant positive correlations were observed between R1 and dFBB SUVR in both the global cerebral cortex and target regions, which remained significant after controlling for demographics and cognitive profiles, except for the medial temporal and occipital cortices. The findings reveal increased CBF in preclinical AD and a positive correlation between CBF and amyloid pathology. The positive correlation between R1 and amyloid burden may indicate a compensatory mechanism in the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease, but to elucidate this hypothesis, further longitudinal observational studies are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A positive circumferential resection margin (CRM) after rectal cancer surgery, which can be the result of direct or indirect tumour involvement, has consistently been associated with increased local recurrence and poorer survival. However, little is known of the differential impact of the mode of tumour involvement on outcomes. Methods: 1460 consecutive patients undergoing rectal cancer resection between 2003 and 2018 were retrospectively assessed. Histopathology reports for patients with a positive CRM were reviewed to determine cases of direct (R1‐tumour) or indirect tumour involvement (R1‐other). Disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed by Kaplan–Meier analysis. The role of the mode of CRM positivity was examined by univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Eighty‐five patients had an R1 resection due to CRM involvement (5.8%). Of those, 69 were due to direct tumour involvement, while 16 were from indirect causes. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that R1‐other was associated with increased OS (hazard ratio 0.40, log‐rank P = 0.006) and DFS (P = 0.043). Multivariate regression confirmed that the mode of CRM positivity was an independent predictor of OS. More interestingly, the patterns of recurrence were different between the two groups, with R1‐tumour leading to significantly more local recurrence (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Our data strongly suggests that direct tumour involvement of the CRM confers worse prognosis after rectal cancer surgery. Importantly, differences in the site and frequency of recurrences make a case for better stratification of patients with a positive CRM to guide treatment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patent commercialisation in the age of knowledge economy shows unique features, such as involving more diverse participants, requiring a more rapid flow of innovation resources and a more inclusive innovation environment. Hence, it is necessary to consider the causal complexity of patent commercialisation from a macro-perspective. Based on the regional innovation ecosystem (RIE) theory, this paper uses qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to explore the paths to realise patent commercialisation, with 31 provinces in China as samples. The findings pinpoint that the paths to realise patent commercialisation are different according to the enrichment or scarcity of elements in RIEs. Particularly, for RIEs with wholly enriched elements, it is crucial to avoid the loss of elements and retain competitiveness on patent commercialisation; for RIEs with partially enriched elements, it is crucial to supplement elements with scarcity; for RIEs with wholly scarce elements, the primary task is to cultivate its innovation ecosystem, instead of promoting patent commercialisation. The evolutionary model of RIE to realise patent commercialisation is also proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Colorectal cancer is among the most commonly encountered human malignancies, with up to a quarter of total patients exhibiting metastatic spread to the liver at some point during the disease course. For these patients, curative-intent liver resection yields the optimal oncological outcomes, ensuring long-term survival in the majority of cases. However, taking into account that liver resections are accompanied by considerable postoperative complication rates, treatment approaches should be individualized to avoid unnecessary exposure to morbid therapies. To that end, the study of tumor biology, especially in terms of RAS mutational status, is proving a very helpful adjunct in identifying patient subsets that derive the most benefit from this aggressive treatment modality. The concept of precision surgery in CRLM revolves around tailoring the aggressiveness of the employed treatments depending on tumor features, while avoiding surgery in patients not expected to derive any benefit from it. Liver resection for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) is widely considered the treatment with the highest curative potential. However, not all patients derive the same oncological benefit, underlining the need for better patient stratification and treatment allocation. In this context, we performed a systematic review of the literature to determine the role of RAS status in selecting the optimal surgical strategy. Evidence comparing anatomical with non-anatomical resections depending on RAS mutational status was scarce and conflicting, with two studies reporting superiority in mutated RAS (mutRAS) patients and two studies reporting equivalent outcomes. The rate of incomplete microscopic resection (R1) was found to be increased among mutRAS patients, possibly due to higher micrometastatic spread lateral to the primary lesion. The impact of R1 resection margins was evaluated separately for mutRAS and wild-type patients in three studies, of which, two indicated an additive detriment to long-term survival in the former group. In the current era of precision surgery, RAS status can be utilized to predict the efficacy of liver resection in the treatment of CRLM, avoiding a potentially morbid operation in patients with adverse tumor profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arctic region is one of the most exposed to the global climate change. Russia accounts for more than a half of the whole Arctic territory and population and allocates most of the economic activity of the region. From the Soviet time till now, the Arctic region also accounts for a substantial share of Russia’s wealth. The article analyzes often ambiguous knowledge on climate change implications for the long-term economic development of the Russian Arctic. Based on the review of the key policy documents issued in Russia and ongoing and planned development programs, the study aspires to contribute more clarity on Russia’s standing in the Arctic region. We aim to analyze the convergence of Russian climate and Arctic policies boosting the synergies between each other. The paper discovers, among other issues, the climate change adaptation priorities in policy areas aimed at minimizing net costs of climate change. While policies rhetorically aim at contributing to resilient and sustainable growth in the Russian North, they remain under-developed in accounting for multiple climate-related risks. Our analysis suggests that a comprehensive framework of Arctic policy measures should be centered around climate change as a core factor underlying the future of the region and should encompass two main policy dimensions: (a) strengthening the knowledge base on climate change, the adjunct risks, and emerging opportunities in the region and (b) developing the system for climate change risk management and resilience building ensuring that regional diversity and climatic and socioeconomic features of various locations are taken into serious account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The role of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease is complex and largely unknown. We investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between CBF, amyloid burden, and cognition, in cognitively normal individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Methods: We included 187 cognitively normal individuals with SCD from the SCIENCe project (65 ± 8 years, 39% F, MMSE 29 ± 1). Each underwent a dynamic (0–70 min) [18F]florbetapir PET and T1-weighted MRI scan, enabling calculation of mean binding potential (BPND; specific amyloid binding) and R1 (measure of relative (r)CBF). Eighty-three individuals underwent a second [18F]florbetapir PET (2.6 ± 0.7 years). Participants annually underwent neuropsychological assessment (follow-up time 3.8 ± 3.1 years; number of observations n = 774). Results: A low baseline R1 was associated with steeper decline on tests addressing memory, attention, and global cognition (range betas 0.01 to 0.27, p < 0.05). High BPND was associated with steeper decline on tests covering all domains (range betas − 0.004 to − 0.70, p < 0.05). When both predictors were simultaneously added to the model, associations remained essentially unchanged. Additionally, we found longitudinal associations between R1 and BPND. High baseline BPND predicted decline over time in R1 (all regions, range betasBP×time − 0.09 to − 0.14, p < 0.05). Vice versa, low baseline R1 predicted increase in BPND in frontal, temporal, and composite ROIs over time (range betasR1×time − 0.03 to − 0.08, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that amyloid accumulation and decrease in rCBF are two parallel disease processes without a fixed order, both providing unique predictive information for cognitive decline and each process enhancing the other longitudinally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the clinical significance of prepulse inhibition (PPI), the mechanisms are not well understood. Herein, we present our investigation of PPI in the R1 component of electrically induced blink reflexes. The effect of a prepulse was explored with varying prepulse test intervals (PTIs) of 20–600 ms in 4 females and 12 males. Prepulse–test combinations included the following: stimulation of the supraorbital nerve (SON)–SON [Experiment (Exp) 1], sound–sound (Exp 2), the axon of the facial nerve–SON (Exp 3), sound–SON (Exp 4), and SON–SON with a long trial–trial interval (Exp 5). Results showed that (1) leading weak SON stimulation reduced SON-induced ipsilateral R1 with a maximum effect at a PTI of 140 ms, (2) the sound– sound paradigm resulted in a U-shaped inhibition time course of the auditory startle reflex (ASR) peaking at 140 ms PTI, (3) facial nerve stimulation showed only a weak effect on R1, (4) a weak sound prepulse facilitated R1 but strongly inhibited SON-induced late blink reflexes (LateRs) with a similar U-shaped curve, and (5) LateR in Exp 5 was almost completely absent at PTIs .80 ms. These results indicate that the principal sensory nucleus is responsible for R1 PPI. Inhibition of ASR or LateR occurs at a point in the startle reflex circuit where auditory and somatosensory signals converge. Although the two inhibitions are different in location, their similar time courses suggest similar neural mechanisms. As R1 has a simple circuit and is stable, R1 PPI helps to clarify PPI mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Incidence of positive surgical margins after curative gastrectomy ranges from 1% to 20%. It has been suggested that positive surgical margin is an adverse prognosis factor, with a higher local recurrence and worse overall survival (OS). However, the management of these patients remains unclear. Methods: A total of 267 patients who underwent gastrectomy with curative intent between January 2010 and December 2018 in our centre were enrolled in this study. Post‐operative histological analysis revealed positive resection margins in 18 patients (8%). Clinicopathological features and outcome of patients undergoing gastrectomy with negative and positive margins were compared. Results: Patients with positive margins were associated with higher American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, T stage, N stage, median number of positive nodes, diffuse Lauren type, whole stomach involved and poorly differentiated tumours. Local recurrence was described in 50% of cases with positive margins. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that the TNM stage was the only independent prognostic factor associated with recurrence. OS for positive margins at 1, 3 and 5 years was 75%, 57% and 26%, respectively. The median survival in patients with positive margins was 38.33 versus 81.17 months for R0 patients (p = 0.027). Multivariate analysis showed that age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.041, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.07, sex (HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.22–3.30) and TNM stage (p < 0.001) were independent factors of OS. Conclusion: Positive resection margin was an indication of advanced and more aggressive disease rather than an independent prognosis factor for OS or recurrence in gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese (Mn) is a neurotoxicant that, due to its paramagnetic property, also functions as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1 contrast agent. Previous studies in Mn toxicity have shown that Mn accumulates in the brain, which may lead to parkinsonian symptoms. In this article, we trained support vector machines (SVM) using whole-brain R1 (R1 = 1/T1) maps from 57 welders and 32 controls to classify subjects based on their air Mn concentration ([Mn]Air), Mn brain accumulation (ExMnBrain), gross motor dysfunction (UPDRS), thalamic GABA concentration (GABAThal), and total years welding. R1 was highly predictive of [Mn]Air above a threshold of 0.20 mg/m3 with an accuracy of 88.8% and recall of 88.9%. R1 was also predictive of subjects with GABAThal having less than or equal to 2.6 mM with an accuracy of 82% and recall of 78.9%. Finally, we used an SVM to predict age as a method of verifying that the results could be attributed to Mn exposure. We found that R1 was predictive of age below 48 years of age with accuracies ranging between 75 and 82% with recall between 94.7% and 76.9% but was not predictive above 48 years of age. Together, this suggests that lower levels of exposure (< 0.20 mg/m3 and < 18 years of welding on the job) do not produce discernable signatures, whereas higher air exposures and subjects with more total years welding produce signatures in the brain that are readily identifiable using SVM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) genome, comprises both unique and repeated regions. The genome also includes reiteration regions, designated R1 to R5, which are tandemly repeating sequences termed elements. These regions represent an understudied feature of the VZV genome. The R4 region is duplicated, with one copy in the internal repeat short (IRs) which we designated R4A and a second copy in the terminal repeat short (TRs) termed R4B. We developed primers to amplify and Sanger sequence these regions, including independent amplification of both R4 regions. Reiteration regions from >80 cases of PCR-confirmed shingles were sequenced and analyzed. Complete genome sequences for the remaining portions of these viruses were determined using Illumina MiSeq. We identified 28 elements not previously reported, including at least one element for each R region. Length heterogeneity was substantial in R3, R4A and R4B. Length heterogeneity between the two copies of R4 was common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a nationwide analysis to assess the impact of adjuvant therapy on survival after a microscopically margin-positive (R1) resection for esophageal cancer. The National Cancer Database was used to identify patients with R1 resection for esophageal cancer (2004-2015). Patients were grouped by type of adjuvant therapy. Patients who had other margin status, M1 disease, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation, missing survival, and no or unknown treatment were excluded. The primary outcome was overall survival. A 1:1 propensity score–matched sensitivity analysis was also performed comparing patients who received no adjuvant therapy with those who received adjuvant chemoradiation. Of 546 patients, 279 (51%) received adjuvant therapy and 267 (49%) did not. Patients receiving adjuvant therapy were more likely to be younger, have more advanced pathologic stage, have nonsquamous histology, and have shorter hospitalization. In multivariable analysis, adjuvant chemotherapy, radiation, and chemoradiation were all associated with improved survival compared with no adjuvant therapy. In a propensity score–matched analysis of 123 patient pairs, adjuvant chemoradiation was associated with improved survival compared with no adjuvant therapy (adjusted HR: 0.30; 95% CI: [0.22, 0.40]). Adjuvant therapy is associated with improved survival compared with no adjuvant therapy in patients with R1 resection for esophageal cancer even after adjustment for pathologic stage. Adjuvant therapy should be considered in patients with incompletely resected esophageal cancer in concordance with national guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between cultural attachment and mental wellbeing among Canada's Indigenous population is explored with data from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey. Cultural attachment is assessed by involvement in traditional activities and Indigenous language. Ordered probit models are used to determine the factors associated with wellbeing. The results suggest an urban–rural divide with cultural attachment associated with higher levels of wellbeing for Indigenous Canadians living in rural areas. The results are expected to be of interest to policy makers in countries with significant Indigenous populations whom tend to have higher frequencies of psychological wellbeing issues, such as Canada, Australia and the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional inequality measures fail to capture the geographical distribution of income. The failure to consider such distribution implies that, holding income constant, different spatial patterns provide the same inequality measure. This property is referred to as anonymity and presents an interesting question about the relationship between inequality and space. Particularly, spatial dependence could play an important role in shaping the geographical distribution of income and could be usefully incorporated into inequality measures. Following this idea, this paper introduces a new measure that facilitates the assessment of the relative contribution of spatial patterns to overall inequality. The proposed index is based on the Gini correlation measure and accounts for both inequality and spatial autocorrelation. Unlike most of the spatially based income inequality measures proposed in the literature, our index introduces regional importance weighting in the analysis, thereby differentiating the regional contributions to overall inequality. Starting with the proposed measure, a spatial decomposition of the Gini index of inequality for weighted data is also derived. This decomposition permits the identification of the actual extent of regional disparities and the understanding of the interdependences among regional economies. The proposed measure is illustrated by an empirical analysis focused on Italian provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching positions provide a rewarding career pathway for Ph.D.s wishing to stay in academia outside of the research-focused position. The balance of teaching and research expectations on faculty can vary greatly depending on the type of institution. Faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions may be required to be researchactive and mentor undergraduates in the laboratory, while teaching faculty at a research-centered university may not have a research lab. In addition, faculty are expected to actively contribute to the shared governance of the institution, in the name of service. The career in teaching has become highly competitive and offers unexpected rewards and benefits. Considered here are the differences found among teaching positions to serve as a guide when considering teaching as a career option. We include our personal career narratives to illustrate the driving forces that led each of us to this challenging yet fulfilling academic path. • Teaching positions are competitive and available at PUIs as well as research-centered universities. • Teaching positions differ in expectations for promotion, and balance teaching and research differently. • Service to the department and institution can be a significant expectation of the position. • Teaching positions require creative use of resources and interpersonal skills, and unexpected rewards and benefits. • Personal narratives of authors at different institutions to illustrate the variety of teaching positions available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of a stigmatized property due to undesirable mortality incidents, such as homicide and suicide, may affect people's willingness to pay to live in that particular neighborhood. The Japanese property transactional law states that a stigmatizing incident that could affect a potential buyer's/renter's decision needs to be disclosed prior to the contract phase. However, such disclosure does not occur in most cases when the transactional property is not the property at which the incident occurred by tacit agreement that the stigma does not extend beyond the property. This paper applies a hedonic approach to examine the externality of stigmatized property using data from Tokyo, Japan. By carefully considering detailed regional fixed effects, the estimation results reveal that an incident of homicide occurring in an apartment unit lowers the rents of nearby units in the same building by approximately 10% immediately after the incident, but the impact is ameliorated gradually over time and disappears after approximately 7–8 years. We do not find any evidence of a negative externality in cases of suicide or death by fire. These results suggest that under the current legal system, a recent homicide occurring at a property in an apartment building should be disclosed to potential buyers/renters of different units in the building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese (Mn) is a neurotoxicant that many workers are exposed to daily. There is limited knowledge about how changes in exposure levels impact measures in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We hypothesized that changes in Mn exposure would be reflected by changes in the MRI relaxation rate R1 and thalamic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAThal). As part of a prospective cohort study, 17 welders were recruited and imaged on 2 separate occasions approximately 2 years apart. MRI relaxometry was used to assess changes of Mn accumulation in the brain. Additionally, GABA was measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the thalamic and striatal regions of the brain. Air Mn exposure ([Mn]Air) and cumulative exposure indexes of Mn (Mn-CEI) for the past 3 months (Mn-CEI3M), past year (Mn-CEI12M), and lifetime (Mn-CEILife) were calculated using personal air sampling and a comprehensive work history, whereas toenails were collected for analysis of internal Mn body burden. Finally, welders' motor function was examined using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Median exposure decreased for all exposure measures between the first and second scan. ΔGABAThal was significantly correlated with ΔMn-CEI3M (ρ = 0.66, adjusted p  = .02), ΔMn-CEI12M (ρ = 0.70, adjusted p  = .006), and Δ[Mn]Air (ρ = 0.77, adjusted p  = .002). ΔGABAThal significantly decreased linearly with Δ Mn-CEI3M (quantile regression, β = 15.22, p  = .02) as well as Δ[Mn]Air (β = 1.27, p  = .04). Finally, Mn-CEILife interacted with Δ[Mn]Air in the substantia nigra where higher Mn-CEILife lessened the ΔR1 per Δ[Mn]Air (F -test, p  = .005). Although R1 and GABA changed with Mn exposure, UPDRS was unaffected. In conclusion, our study shows that effects from changes in Mn exposure are reflected in thalamic GABA levels and brain Mn levels, as measured by R1, in most brain regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a significant number of papers has been published providing alternative measures of progress and well-being to Gross Domestic Product. Most of these papers differs in terms of their theoretical approach as well as their purpose and statistical methodology used to define what well-being is and how to measure it. In this paper, we construct a well-being indicator for the Italian provinces that shows a high degree of heterogeneity not only between the Northern and Southern Italian provinces, but also among adjacent provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial inequality measures should take into account the geographical position of the data of reference if the focus is on the spatial aspects of territorial inequality. However, these traditional spatial inequality measures like the Theil index do not distinguish among different locational situations. On the other hand, when analyzing the spatial decomposition of inequality, it is usual to express global inequality as a weighted sum of inequality values calculated for population subgroups (within component) plus the contribution arising out of differences among subgroup means (between component). Nevertheless, it is unclear whether the reported within and between contributions have been driven primarily by specific factors related to the spatial level of research or by neighborhood factors. The present paper has two main objectives. The first consists into propose a simple way to measure the role of the geographical position in economic inequality. The second aim is to provide an approach to decompose global inequality into its within-country and between-country components assessing which part of these components could be related to neighborhood factors. The proposals are illustrated for the case of European countries. Inequality within each of the countries and inequality between countries can be filtered of neighborhood components, showing inequality components related to specific (local) factors. For a considered spatial level, this exploratory approach can highlight the relevance of future place-based policies versus policies able to support and promote regional neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pollution related to transport in big cities in Latin America and its impact on human health, and time loss due to congestion amongst other externalities are a growing concern. There are many analyses exploring this relationship at the macro and meso-levels. However, there are very few studies examining this relationship at the micro-economic level, less so in cities of developing countries. Methodology: We run a linear, quadratic and cubic ordinary least squares regression between income and three pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2eq) for a representative sample of 10 582 households within Mexico City Metropolitan Area (zmvm) from 2010, 2012 and 2014. Results: The paper shows a monotonic relation (positively linear) for CO and CO2eq and quadratic (inverted U-shape) for NOx, the least abundant of the three pollutants. Conclusions: Evidence shows that even at levels of income above the turning point observed in the literature, richer households still do not choose to internalize the social cost of polluting, therefore it is urgent to design public policies aimed at a switch in ways of transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For much of the 20th century, America's central cities were viewed as synonymous with economic and social hardship, and often used as proxy for low-income communities of color. Since the 1990s, however, many metropolitan areas have seen a resurgence of interest in central city neighborhoods. Theoretical models of income sorting lead to ambiguous predictions about where households of different income levels will live within metropolitan areas. In this paper, we explore intra-city spatial patterns of income and race for U.S. metropolitan areas, focusing particularly on the locations of low-income and minority neighborhoods. Results indicate that, on average, neighborhood income increases with distance to city centers for blacks, Hispanics and Asians. Income among non-Hispanic whites is uncorrelated with distance to CBD. All MSAs exhibit spatial clustering of poor and non-white neighborhoods. Economic sorting within high-minority neighborhoods is apparent for all racial groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We leverage the adoption of a four-day school week across schools within the jurisdiction of rural law enforcement agencies in Colorado to examine the causal link between school attendance and youth crime. Those affected by the policy attend school for the same number of hours each week as students on a typical five-day week; however, treated students do not attend school on Friday. This policy allows us to learn about two aspects of the school-crime relationship that have previously been unstudied: one, the effects of a frequent and permanent schedule change on short-term crime, and two, the impact that school attendance has on youth crime in rural areas. Our difference-in-difference estimates show that following policy adoption, agencies containing students on a four-day week experience about a 20% increase in juvenile criminal offenses, where the strongest effect is observed for property crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Directive 98/2008/EC, the operation carried out by an incinerator of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is classified either as energy recovery (R1) or as disposal (D10) depending on the result achieved by the application of the R1 formula. In 2011 the DG Environment of the European Commission (EC) issued some non-binding guidelines on the interpretation of such a formula that clarified many aspects related to its application. A point not fully clarified by the EC guidelines is the determination of the energy contained in the treated waste (E W ). For this term of the formula, reference is made to the indirect method for the calculation of boiler thermal efficiency, as defined by the norm EN 12952-15. However, the application of such a norm to an entire year of operation of a Waste-to-Energy (WtE) boiler is not immediate. Therefore, a practical method for the calculation of the E W term has been developed in the framework of a collaboration between the MatER Study Centre and the Lombardy Region (Italy). The method is based on: (i) the identification of the most reliable data available from the Distributed Control System (DCS) of the plant; (ii) the definition of a control volume around the boiler(s) also based on the availability of data; (iii) the closure of the mass balance for such a control volume; (iv) the energy balance of the same control volume that gives, thus, the E W term of the R1 formula. The method has been applied in 2015–2016 to nine plants, generating a number of interesting data reported and discussed in this work, such as R1 index values, Lower Heating Values (LHV) of the treated wastes, main sources of energy losses in WtE boilers, etc. For one case study, discussed in detail in this work, the law of propagation of uncertainties has been applied according to the ISO/IEC Guide 98–3, leading to the assessment of the accuracy of the method, which resulted in ±2.4% with a confidence level of circa 95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residual municipal solid waste (MSW) has an average lower heating value higher than 10 GJ/Mg in the EU, and can be recovered in modern Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants, producing combined heat and power (CHP) and reaching high levels of energy recovery. CHP is pinpointed as the best technique for energy recovery from waste. However, in some cases, heat recovery is not technically feasible – due to the absence of a thermal user (industrial plant or district heating) in the vicinity of the WtE plant – and power production remains the sole possibility. In these cases, there are some challenges involved in increasing the energy performance as much as possible. High energy recovery efficiency values are very important for the environmental sustainability of WtE plants. The more electricity and heat is produced, the better the saving of natural resources that can be achieved. Within this frame, the aim of this work is to carry out an environmental assessment, through Life Cycle Assessment, of an MSW WtE plant, considering different sizes and operated in different ways, from power production only to full cogeneration. The main assumption is that the electric conversion efficiency increases as the plant size increases, introducing technical improvements thanks to the economies of scale. Impact assessment results were calculated using ReCiPe 2008 methods. The climate change indicator is positive when the WtE plant is operated in power production only mode, with values decreasing for the increasing size. Values for the climate change are negative when cogeneration is applied, requiring increasing cogeneration ratios for decreasing size. Similarly, the fossil fuel depletion indicator benefits from increase of both the plant size and the cogeneration rate, but it is always negative, meaning that the residual MSW burning with energy recovery always provides a saving of fossil primary energy. Other indicator values are in general negative and are also beneficially affected by increasing the plant size, but they worsen when increasing the cogeneration rate. The remaining indicators – i.e. human toxicity and terrestrial ecotoxicity – always have positive values, which decrease for increasing plant size and increase as the cogeneration rate increases. However, the local context should be evaluated carefully with reference to the type of electricity which is substituted and in view of a future massive production of renewable electricity, because conclusions change accordingly. Finally, it was evaluated that the inclusion of bottom ash recovery – instead of landfilling – can significantly improve the values of several impact assessment indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Growing evidence suggests regional economic factors impact on individual outcomes, such as life expectancy and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact that player-specific and regional differences have on the number of senior international appearances football players accumulate over the course of their careers, for six UEFA member countries, from 1993 to 2014.Design/methodology/approach The research employs a Poisson regression model to analyse the impact of individual and regional factors on the number of senior international caps a footballer receives over the course of their career.Findings The results indicate that both individual and regional variables can explain the number of caps a player receives over the course of their career. The authors find that an individual’s career length positively influences the number of international caps accrued. Players born in wealthier and more populous regions accumulate a greater number of international appearances. Distance from the capital has no effect, however, the number of youth academies in the player’s region of birth has a significant positive effect.Research limitations/implications The analysis is limited to regional variations within economically developed states. It would be interesting to test whether the correlation between relative regional development and international success exists in less developed countries. The authors only address mens international football in this study and cannot comment on the generality of the findings across genders or sports.Practical implications The results can provide insights for local football authorities and policy makers concerned with regional characteristics and those interested in the development of elite talent.Originality/value This is the first study to analyse a pan-European data set, using an increasingly adopted econometric method to understanding regional economic development – Poisson modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive method that allows the indirect quantification of manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) accumulation in the brain due to their paramagnetic features. The WELDOX II study aimed to explore the influence of airborne and systemic exposure to Mn and Fe on the brain deposition using the relaxation rates R1 and R2* as biomarkers of metal accumulation in regions of interest in 161 men, including active and former welders. Material and methods We obtained data on the relaxation rates R1 and R2* in regions that included structures within the globus pallidus (GP), substantia nigra (SN), and white matter of the frontal lobe (FL) of both hemispheres, as well as Mn in whole blood (MnB), and serum ferritin (SF). The study subjects, all male, included 48 active and 20 former welders, 41 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), 13 patients with hemochromatosis (HC), and 39 controls. Respirable Mn and Fe were measured during a working shift for welders. Mixed regression models were applied to estimate the effects of MnB and SF on R1 and R2*. Furthermore, we estimated the influence of airborne Mn and Fe on the relaxation rates in active welders. Results MnB and SF were significant predictors of R1 but not of R2* in the GP, and were marginally associated with R1 in the SN (SF) and FL (MnB). Being a welder or suffering from PD or HC elicited no additional group effect on R1 or R2* beyond the effects of MnB and SF. In active welders, shift concentrations of respirable Mn > 100 μg/m 3 were associated with stronger R1 signals in the GP. In addition to the effects of MnB and SF, the welding technique had no further influence on R1. Conclusions MnB and SF were significant predictors of R1 but not of R2*, indicative of metal accumulation, especially in the GP. Also, high airborne Mn concentration was associated with higher R1 signals in this brain region. The negative results obtained for being a welder or for the techniques with higher exposure to ultrafine particles when the blood-borne concentration was included into the models indicate that airborne exposure to Mn may act mainly through MnB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do women's economic decision-making and political empowerment vary so widely? What are the main potential determinants of such variations? Over a cross-section of Italian provincial data, we analyze the association between two specific facets of women's empowerment, the percentage of women holding office in local political bodies and the percentage of women in high-ranking jobs, and the religious and cultural conditions which facilitate or hinder women's inclusion. Our hypothesis is that culture, in particular those values embodied by religious culture, plays a central role in shaping norms and beliefs about the role and involvement of women in society. Moreover we suggest that these cultural norms are inherited from the past and therefore have a high degree of inertia. Both OLS and IV results indicate that our measures of women's empowerment are strongly associated with religious culture, as proxied by religious marriages. These results are robust and consistent across specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugative plasmids encode the genes responsible for the synthesis of conjugative pili and plasmid transfer. Expression of the conjugative machinery (including conjugative pili) may be costly to bacteria, not only due to the energetic/metabolic cost associated with their expression but also because they serve as receptors for certain viruses. Consequently, the presence of two plasmids in the same cell may be disadvantageous to each plasmid, because they may impose a higher fitness cost on the host. Therefore, plasmids may encode mechanisms to cope with co-resident plasmids. Moreover, it is possible that the transfer rate of a plasmid is affected by the presence of a distinct plasmid in the recipient cell. In this work, we measured transfer rates of twelve natural plasmids belonging to seven incompatibility groups in three situations, namely when: (i) donor cells contain a plasmid and recipient cells are plasmid-free; (ii) donor cells contain two unrelated plasmids and recipient cells are plasmid-free; and (iii) half of the cells contain a given plasmid and the other half contain another, unrelated, plasmid. In the third situation, recipient cells of a plasmid are the donor cells of the other plasmid. We show that there are more negative interactions (reduction of a plasmid's conjugative efficiency) between plasmids if they reside in the same cell than if they reside in different cells. However, if plasmids interacted intercellularly, the transfer rate of one of the plasmids was often higher (when the unrelated conjugative plasmid was present in the recipient cell) than if the recipient cell was plasmid-free – a positive effect. Experimental data retrieved from the study of mutant plasmids not expressing conjugative pili on the cell surface suggest that positive effects result from a higher efficiency of mating pair formation. Overall, our results suggest that negative interactions are significantly more frequent when plasmids occupy the same cell. Such interactions may determine how antibiotic resistance disseminates in bacterial populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As shown in the previous article, two distinct conjugative plasmids sometimes interact within bacterial cells, implicating changes of transfer rates. In most cases of interactions within bacteria, the transfer of one of the plasmids decreases. Less frequently, the transfer rate of one of the plasmids increases. Here we analyse what happens if three distinct conjugative plasmids colonize the same bacterial cell. Our aim is to understand how interactions between two plasmids affect the transfer rate of the third plasmid. After showing that plasmids interact in 59 out of 84 possible interactions we show that, with some exceptions, if the transfer rate of a plasmid decreases in the presence of a second plasmid, a decrease is also observed in the presence of a third plasmid. Moreover, if the conjugation rate of a plasmid increases in the presence of another, an increase is also observed if there is a third plasmid in the cell. Both types of interactions are mostly independent of the third plasmid's identity, even if sometimes the third plasmid quantitatively distorts the interaction of the other two plasmids. There is a bias towards negative intensifying interactions, which provide good news concerning the spread conjugative plasmids encoding antibiotic-resistance genes and virulence factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugative plasmids encode genes that enable them to transfer, by conjugation, from a given host cell to another cell. Conjugative transfer, despite being an important feature of conjugative plasmids, is not constitutive for most plasmids, the reason being that genes involved in horizontal transfer are mostly repressed. Only upon their transient de-repression are plasmids able to transfer horizontally. If host cells harbour multiple plasmids, their simultaneous transfer depends on simultaneous transient de-repression of all plasmids. If de-repression of different plasmids was random and independent events, simultaneous de-repression should be a rare event because the probability of simultaneous de-repression would be the product of the probabilities of de-repression of each plasmid. Some previous observations support this hypothesis, while others show that co-transfer of plasmids is more frequent than this reasoning indicates. Here, we show that co-transfer of multiple plasmids mainly results from non-independent events: the probability that all plasmids within a cell become de-repressed is much higher than if de-repression of plasmids genes were independent. We found a simple model for the probability of co-transfer: the plasmid having the lowest conjugation rates is the one who limits co-transfer. In this sense, cells receiving the plasmid with the lower transfer rate also receive the other plasmid. If de-repression happens simultaneously on co-resident plasmids, common cues may stimulate de-repression of distinct plasmids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0 heralds the profound transformation of business models by enabling the fusion of virtual and real worlds and the application of digitization, automatization and robotics in manufacturing. We review the basic premises of Industry 4.0 and map them against the clusters’ features with the aim to establish the kind of relations between these two categories. By exploring the likely impact of clusters on Industry 4.0, our discussion revolves around the broader question of the role of regional ecosystems in industrial transformation. Clusters, thanks to the advantages such as knowledge base and mechanisms, agglomeration economies and externalities (labour pool and critical mass of firms) and favourable more stable, less uncertain environment of trust and cooperation, may facilitate the digital transformation, particularly its phasing-in and testing phases. Notwithstanding this potential, it should be stressed that not all clusters would be able to play such prominent role. Only these equipped with adequate knowledge base and providing some expertise in the field of IT solutions, robotics, automatics, and so on, i.e. the technologies crucial to Industry 4.0 seem predestined to contribute to the emergence of fully fledged industrial internet. Despite seemingly some inconsistency between these two categories, clusters can facilitate the business transformation towards Industry 4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New evidence on the effects of growing up in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty has heightened policy interest in understanding the role housing programs may play in shaping the distribution of poverty. In particular, as the nation's largest source of funding for the construction of affordable rental housing, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) could play a critical role in shaping the distribution of poverty. This paper examines whether the LIHTC affects the concentration of poverty by examining who lives in tax credit developments in different neighborhoods, and how neighborhoods and metropolitan areas change after LIHTC developments are built. Through assessing both the effects of siting and tenant composition, we find little evidence that the LIHTC is increasing the concentration of poverty – and we find some evidence that it is reducing poverty rates in high-poverty neighborhoods. We also make suggestions for states who want to use LIHTC to do more to deconcentrate poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 2007–2009 housing crisis, concentrations of foreclosed and vacant properties created severe blight in many cities and neighborhoods. The federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) was established to help mitigate distress in hard-hit areas by funding the rehabilitation or demolition of troubled properties. This paper analyzes housing market changes in areas that received investments during the second round of NSP funding, focusing on seven large urban counties. Grantees used NSP to invest in census tracts with high rates of distressed and vacant properties, and tracts that had previously received other housing subsidies. The median NSP tract received quite sparse investment, relative to the overall housing stock and the initial levels of distress. Analysis of housing market outcomes indicates the recovery has been uneven across counties and neighborhoods. In a few counties, there is some evidence that NSP2 activity is correlated with improved housing outcomes, primarily increased sales volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We demonstrated recently that the T1 relaxation rate (R1) captured short-term Mn exposure in welders with chronic, relatively low exposure levels in a cross-sectional study. In the current study, we used a longitudinal design to examine whether R1 values reflect the short-term dynamics of Mn exposure. Methods Twenty-nine welders were evaluated at baseline and 12 months. Occupational questionnaires estimated short-term welding exposure using welding hours in the 90 days prior to each study visit (HrsW 90 ). In addition, blood Mn levels, the pallidal index (PI; globus pallidus T1-weighted intensity (T1WI)/frontal white matter T1WI), and R1 values in brain regions of interest (ROIs) were determined as Mn biomarkers at each visit. Associations between changes in estimated welding exposure and changes in purported Mn biomarkers were assessed by Spearman’s correlations with adjustment for age and baseline R1, HrsW 90 , and blood Mn values. Results Changes in welding hours (HrsW 90 : the short-term welding exposure estimate), was associated significantly with changes in R1 values in the putamen (r = 0.541, p = 0.005), caudate (R = 0.453, p = 0.023), globus pallidus (R = 0.430, p = 0.032), amygdala (R = 0.461, p = 0.020), and hippocampus (R = 0.447, p = 0.025), but not with changes in blood Mn levels or the PI. Discussion Changes in R1 values correlated with changes in the short-term welding exposure estimate, but not with more traditional measures of Mn exposure (blood Mn levels or PI). These results suggest that R1 may serve as a useful marker to capture the short-term dynamics in Mn brain accumulation related to welding exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional policy-makers have long sought to attract highly-educated workers with a view to stimulating economic growth and vibrancy. Previous studies over the decades leading up to the new millennium show human capital divergence across cities, where the share of college graduates grew faster in cities that had larger initial shares of college-educated workers. However, labour markets have changed significantly post-2000, likely affecting migration decisions of highly-skilled workers. Additionally, past studies have not controlled for important changes in industry education levels and overall industry composition that may influence city-level college graduate growth. We use detailed 4-digit NAICS industry employment data combined with public micro-data to construct measures of industry skill upgrading and changes in industry composition to control for their effects on human capital growth. We find agglomeration forces, rather than initial graduate share, explains college-graduate share growth post-2000. We also decompose graduates into bachelors and postgraduate degree holders to determine whether different forces are at play on growth of graduates at different education levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper primarily investigates if China affects emerging markets economies triggered by its rapid economic growth and the trend of economic globalization over the world. Our results indicate that China's economic growth causes a significant spillover effect on the economic performances of emerging markets, varying across the detected structural break in 2006 and the degree of economic globalization between China and 25 emerging economies over the period 2000–2012. The results herein support the formation of an inseparable interdependence between China and those emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A standard result on international capital income taxation is that applying the residence principle does not affect industrial location and is therefore more efficient than applying the source principle. However, many countries do in fact apply the source principle. We argue that in a new economic geography framework the standard result needs to be qualified: the size of the market is crucial for industry location and it is changed by taxation and by public expenditures; we show that - for the high tax region - this effect dampens capital losses under the source principle and causes them under the residence principle. The sharp difference between the two taxation principles blurs and, unsurprisingly, both principles are found in taxation laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the change in the Turkish economy in the last 14 years is historical, the primary question for public and academic circles remains unanswered: why hasn’t the growth translated into more and better jobs? This paper intends to develop a better understanding about the dragging structural unemployment by investigating the contribution of a possible labour immobility to the unemployment in Turkey. This is the first study that examines the unemployment duration and its relation to residential mobility, more specifically housing tenure in Turkey. It uses the first and only longitudinal survey, Survey of Income and Living Conditions, which became publicly available in 2011. Unlike in developed countries, homeowners in Turkey are often migrants from rural to urban areas living in semi-illegal dwellings. We use this “squatter” effect to reduce the endogeneity problem in estimations, which indicate that residential immobility has a serious impact on unemployment durations in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A great deal of regional research has focused on the innovation-competitiveness-growth chain, which is implicit in territorial innovation models ( TIMs). TIMs literature has neglected or subordinated social and ecological regional conditions. This research adopts a broader perspective by: ( i) studying an interscalar intergovernmental network aimed at meeting tridimensional sustainable development ( SD) goals; and ( ii) showing why this arrangement is successful. The network members are the regional government and provincial councils, which act as network promoters, and the municipalities. We model the network as a platform for integrating both pre-existing idiosyncratic resources and emergent resources/benefits that come from rich and regular interactions (in the shape of learning, enjoyment, reputation, identification, and attitude towards citizen participation); resources integration leads to network member satisfaction. This view is supported by data concerning a network in a Spanish autonomous community (region), Castile- La Mancha. We see this study as a first step towards more systematic research on what might be termed 'territorial sustainability models'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Availability of an innocuous and repeatable technique for monitoring tumor oxygenation throughout therapeutic course should be a key factor for adaptative therapeutic strategies. We previously qualified lipids R1 as a marker of oxygen level on experimental tumor models. The objectives of the present study were to assess the applicability of measuring lipids R1 in primary central nervous system malignancies in a clinical setting as well as to compare lipids R1 with global (water + lipids) R1 and R2* which are also sensitive to the oxygen environment. 25 patients with brain neuroepithelial tumors were examined on a clinical 3 T MR system. Values obtained within regions of interest contouring contrast-enhanced tumor (C +), unenhanced tumor (C −), peritumoral edema, and normal appearing white matter (NAWM) were compared to those obtained for the normal brain parenchyma of 17 healthy volunteers. Global R1 and lipids R1 values were significantly lower in tumors than in NAWM of patients or healthy brain of normal volunteers. In contrast, R2* values were not significantly different in tumors compared to NAWM or healthy brains. None of them showed significant difference between C + and C − tumors. Global R1 values within NAWM were significantly different from that of both tumor and peritumoral edema, but lacked sensitivity to differentiate between tumor and peritumoral edema. In turn, lipids R1 measurements enabled discrimination between tumor areas and peritumoral edema. In conclusion, global R1 and lipids R1 deserve further attention as potential markers of tumor hypoxia in primary brain tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurs are assumed to be multiskilled, covering a number of skills and achieving in each skill a level as high as possible. Being such a jack-of-all-trades increases the probability of running an entrepreneurial venture successfully, but what happens to the jack-of-few-trades who lacks sufficient skills? This article investigates a possible compensation mechanism between balanced skills and cities and how this compensatory measure relates to performance. Specifically, we test and find support for the idea put forward by Helsley and Strange that high market thickness, such as that found in cities, can compensate for a lack of entrepreneurial skill balance. The results indicate that entrepreneurs with low skill balance benefit more from being located in cities than their counterparts with high skill balance. Innovative firms do not differ from other businesses in this respect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is becoming more and more urbanized at every income level, and there has been a dramatic increase in the number of mega-cities in the developing world. This has led scholars to believe that development and urbanization are not always correlated, either across space or over time. In this paper, we use historical data at both the country level and city level over the five centuries between 1500–2010 to revisit the topic of “ urbanization without growth ” (Fay and Opal, 2000). In particular, we first establish that, although urbanization and income remain highly correlated within any given year, urbanization is 25–30 percentage points higher in 2010 than in 1500 at every level of income per capita. Second, while historically this shift in urbanization rates was more noticeable at the upper tail of the income distribution, i.e. for richer countries, it is now particularly visible at the lower tail, i.e. for poorer countries. Third, these patterns suggest that different factors may have explained the shift in different periods of time. We use the discussion of these factors as an opportunity to provide a survey of the literature and summarize our knowledge of what drives the urbanization process over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial district and cluster literature has generated an extraordinary quantity of articles, debates and topics for discussion, and encompasses one of the most vibrant lines of research in the field of economics, geography, management and related disciplines. The literature, however, is fairly fragmented. In this paper, “bibliometric” methods are used to analyse the cluster literature published between 1957 and 2014 in order to explore “prospective” research priorities through the method of “bibliographic coupling”. Beyond focusing on foundational works in the past, this approach shifts the focus away from the practice of analysing co-citations and seminal contributions to one of looking at current and emerging trends in the literature. Using the ISI Web of Knowledge (Web of Science) as a database, an examination of two samples of 3955 and 2419 articles is made. Results reveal the existence of sub-fields of inquiry that follow their own particular research agendas, which remain distinct yet interconnected to one another. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although the essential element manganese (Mn) is neurotoxic at high doses, the effects of lower exposure are unclear. MRI T1-weighted (TIW) imaging has been used to estimate brain Mn exposure via the pallidal index (PI), defined as the T1W intensity ratio in the globus pallidus (GP) versus frontal white matter (FWM). PI may not, however, be sensitive to Mn in GP because Mn also may accumulate in FWM. This study explored: (1) whether T1 relaxation rate (R1) could quantify brain Mn accumulation more sensitively; and (2) the dose-response relationship between estimated Mn exposure and T1 relaxation rate (R1). Thirty-five active welders and 30 controls were studied. Occupational questionnaires were used to estimate hours welding in the past 90 days (HrsW) and lifetime measures of Mn exposure. T1W imaging and T1-measurement were utilized to generate PI and R1 values in brain regions of interest (ROIs). PI did not show a significant association with any measure of Mn and/or welding-related exposure. Conversely, in several ROIs, R1 showed a nonlinear relationship to HrsW, with R1 signal increasing only after a critical exposure was reached. The GP had the greatest rate of Mn accumulation. Welders with higher exposure showed significantly higher R1 compared either with controls or with welders with lower exposure. Our data are additional evidence that Mn accumulation can be assessed more sensitively by R1 than by PI. Moreover, the nonlinear relationship between welding exposure and Mn brain accumulation should be considered in future studies and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most powerful tools within social science in general and economics in particular is game theory. This methodology allows for the formal analysis of the interactions among economic agents and, therefore, it is particularly useful for the study of economic decisions regarding spatial issues. For this reason, a quantitative systematization of the use of this tool on regional economics research is a relevant topic in the agenda concerned with progress in regional science. In this paper we study research in regional economics and provide a quantitative retrospective of the use of game theory in this field. Our main goal is twofold. First, we intend to categorize the contributions in the use of this analytical tool - by main research subjects, by authors' affiliations, by journal, etc. - using a bibliometric approach. Second, by analysing co-authoring and using social network analysis, we want to test the existence of structures of knowledge upon which distinct co-authorship emerges. The results of this research provide a framework for analysing the potential use of game theory in regional economics, suggesting new future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the determinants of bank branch location in Spain taking the role of geography explicitly into account. After a long period of intense territorial expansion, especially by savings banks, many of these firms are now involved in merger processes triggered off by the financial crisis, most of which entail the closing of many branches. However, given the contributions of this type of banks to limit financial exclusion, this process might exacerbate the consequences of the crisis for some disadvantaged social groups. Related problems such as new banking regulation initiatives (Basel III), or the current excess capacity in the sector add further relevance to this problem. We address this issue from a Bayesian perspective, using a Poisson regression model within the framework of generalized linear mixed models. This proposal allows us to assess whether over-branching or under-branching has taken place. Our results suggest, among other findings, that both phenomena are present in the Spanish banking sector, although the implications for the three types of banks in the industry, namely commercial banks, savings banks or credit unions, vary a great deal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the production of a panel of price indices for housing services, other produced goods and services, and all produced goods and services for each metropolitan area in the United States and the non-metropolitan part of each state for each year from 1982 through 2012. Our general approach is to first produce interarea price indices for a single year 2000 and then use BLS time-series price indices to create the panel. Our geographic housing price index for 2000 is based on a large data set with detailed information about the characteristics of rented dwelling units and their neighborhoods throughout the United States that enables us to overcome many shortcomings of existing interarea housing price indices. For most areas, our price index for all goods other than housing is calculated from the price indices for categories of nonhousing goods produced each quarter by the Council for Community and Economic Research, formerly the American Chambers of Commerce Researchers Association. In order to produce a nonhousing price index for areas of the United States not covered by their index, we estimate a theoretically-based regression model explaining differences in the composite price index for nonhousing goods for areas where it is available and use it to predict a price index for these goods for the uncovered areas. The overall consumer price index for all areas is based on the preceding estimates of the price of housing and other goods. Electronic versions of the price indices are available online. The paper and its online appendices report many sensitivity analyses, and the paper compares the new housing price index with the most widely used indices of differences in the rents of identical units across areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]