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The 2007/8 economic crisis and the global Great Recession led to widespread turmoil and instability. In Europe, unprecedented reductions in per capita resource use were crisis-driven rather than the result of deliberate policies. This study examines material use patterns in the EU-27 from 2000 to 2020, covering the period before and the onset of the Great Recession. We find that average material consumption in Europe decreased and has since stagnated, although this trend is uneven, with growing underlying inequalities, as measured using the Theil index of metabolic rates. The patterns in construction materials especially shape overall resource use trajectories. The role of infrastructure and services provisioning, especially where these are fossil-fueled, emerges as key in understanding these patterns. Geographic groupings of EU member states—Northern, Eastern, Mediterranean, and Central—further explain the inequalities that deepened following the recession. These emerging disparities raise important questions about what underpins the European project in a Union in which growth or sustained wealth in some member states systematically coincides with what can only be described as collapse elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella -related foodborne illness is a significant public health concern, with the primary source of human infection being animal-based food products, particularly chicken meat. Lebanon is currently experiencing a dual crisis: the COVID-19 pandemic and an unprecedented economic crisis, which has resulted in substantial challenges to the public health system and food safety. This study aims to assess the prevalence and antibiotic resistance profile of Salmonella in raw poultry meat sold in North Lebanon during this dual crisis. A cross-sectional study was carried out between May 2021 and April 2022 across six different districts in North Lebanon. A total of 288 whole, unprocessed chickens were examined. The isolation and identification of Salmonella isolates were done based on cultural and biochemical properties. All isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and phenotypic assays for Extended-Spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBL) detection. The prevalence of Salmonella in raw poultry meat purchased in North Lebanon reached 18.05 % (52/288). The dry season and chilled chicken were significantly associated with an increased risk of Salmonella contamination (P < 0.05). Additionally, 34.61 % of the isolates were potential ESBL producers, and 57.69 % exhibited multidrug resistance (MDR). This study highlights the existence of MDR in chicken meat in North Lebanon, posing a potential health risk if undercooked chicken meat is consumed. This emphasizes the importance of the implementation of preventive strategies and hygienic procedures throughout the food chain to reduce the risk of Salmonella spp. contamination in chicken meats and its potential transmission to humans. • Occurrence of Salmonella spp. in raw chicken carcasses sold in North Lebanon. • Association of dry-season and chilled chicken with increased Salmonella contamination. • Multidrug-resistant Salmonella isolates were found in 57.69 % of samples. • Significant public health consequences are associated with raw poultry consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

French Guiana is a French overseas territory in South America, marked by poverty and inequalities. Access to different services, including healthcare, is unequal depending on where people live. Several studies showed that among adults, the most precarious individuals had greater incidences of chronic and infectious diseases. Although the median age of the population living in this territory is 25, there is no specific focus on the pediatric population although it is documented that socioeconomic inequalities have an impact on child health. The objective of this scoping review is to shed light on health challenges concerning children living in French Guiana. A literature search was performed on PubMed to identify relevant articles, and additional references were added if within the scope of this review. A total of 106 publications were reviewed. Perinatal health issues were linked to a high rate of teenage pregnancies with poor medical follow-up leading to complications such as preterm deliveries and congenital malformations and abnormalities. Infectious diseases were a significant burden with worrisome vaccination coverage figures for some bacterial infections, partly explaining a high mortality rate attributable to infectious diseases. Herbicide poisoning with paraquat was reported in children, and environment-related concerns such as wild animal attacks as well as lead and mercury exposure were reported. Some children living in remote Amerindian communities had a higher suicide rate than in mainland France, and chronic diseases such as sickle cell disease were reported to have more transfusion-related complications. Children living in French Guiana have worse pediatric health indicators in comparison with children from mainland France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We rely on Permanent Income to define a socioeconomic stratification system based on a latent trait measurement model using objective and widely available socioeconomic variables as reflective indicators, with an official panel of households spanning 2006–2020 in Spain. We obtain an objective and transparent stratification of Spanish society for these 15 years, and track social mobility at the household level between consecutive years that included economic expansion, a major recession, economic recovery and a major pandemic.We have quantified social mobility (greater in the extreme strata) in each of the periods of growth, crisis and economic recovery. Crisis derived from COVID-19 has been more drastic and has affected more the consumption of households under 65 years of age or with few members. In Spain, measures adopted against the effects of the COVID crisis have generated less inequality than those adopted during the Big Recession of 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated an unpredictable economic crisis, currently affecting daily life for millions of workers. We examined the mental health impact of reduced working in a nationally representative sample of employees.Method: We used Wave one (April 2020) of the Understanding Society UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) COVID-19 study, with linkage to baseline mental health data from the UKHLS annual survey (January 2017- December 2018). Analysis was based on adults aged 18-65 who were employees in January/February 2020 (n=8,708), with psychological distress assessed using the GHQ-12. Logistic regression examined the mental health impact of reduced working and reasons for the reduction.Results: Forty two percent of employees reported reduced working by April 2020, with 22% furloughed. There was no evidence of an association between reduced working per se and psychological distress in the fully adjusted model (OR=1.06, 95%CI 0.91-1.23). Those permanently laid-off (less than 1% of employees) were most vulnerable to adverse mental health effects in the early months of the pandemic (OR=3.60, 95%CI 1.55-8.37). We also found evidence of higher levels of psychological distress among those sick or self-isolating, and those with reduced working due to caring responsibilities.Limitations: While the GHQ is a widely used and validated instrument in identifying potential psychiatric disorders, it is important to note that it does not represent a clinical assessment.Conclusions: Longitudinal examination of employment transitions and mental ill-health related to pandemic outcomes is imperative and should help inform public health responses and ongoing government policy in supporting those adversely affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The CASSIOPEA Study was designed to evaluate whether the economic downturn during the late 2000s was a contributing factor to the observed decrease in adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD).Methods and Results: The study protocol consists of two steps: A) recall of 7406 men and women who, between 2005 and 2006, had been randomly recruited in the Moli-sani Study from the general population of Molise, to assess possible economic hardship (EH) related to the economic crisis initiated in 2007; B) re-examination, between 2017 and 2020, of available subjects identified in Step 1 as poorly or harder hit by EH to test the hypothesis that EH is associated with a decrease in MD adherence, possibly resulting in increased inflammation. The results of Step 1 are reported here. From the initial sample of individuals re-examined after 12.6 years (median; IQR = 12.1-13.0 y), 3646 were finally analysed. An Economic Hardship Score (EHS; range 0-14) was obtained by scoring three domains: 1) change in employment status; 2) financial hardship and 3) financial hardship for health expenditures. Overall, 37.8% of the sample reported high EHS (≥3), whilst 32% scored 0 (no EH). Those with high EHS were prevalently women and younger, with low socioeconomic status.Conclusions: High economic hardship was prevalently reported by weaker socioeconomic groups. Longitudinal analysis (step 2) will examine whether the economic crisis had an effect on adherence to Mediterranean diet with consequent potential impact on inflammation, one of the main biological pathways linking MD to health outcomes. CLINICALTRIALS.Gov Identifier: NCT03119142. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communities prosper when they are able to appropriate the wealth they produce and their institutions make peoples' lives meaningful. They wither when the institutions that permit this weaken or vanish. Sacrifice zones — abandoned, economically shattered places, with growing social and health problems — are spreading in historically white rural areas and small towns across the United States. Rural decline, rooted in economic restructuring and financialization, causes severe stress, exacerbates racial resentment, and creates a breeding ground for regressive authoritarian politics. A multidimensional approach must analytically connect long-term and recent trends affecting economy and livelihoods, institutions, health, and community life. The "racial resentment" and "economic distress" explanations for authoritarian populism are inextricably connected. Since the 1980s, and in intensified form after the 2008 financial crisis, capital has systematically undermined the institutions — mutually-owned banks, credit unions, mom-and-pop businesses, family farms — that fostered reinvestment of locally-produced wealth, especially but not only in rural areas. While many Trump voters were affluent suburbanites, another important sector of supporters consists of downwardly mobile inhabitants of zones where financialization and austerity destroyed the institutions that earlier allowed people to appropriate the wealth that they produced and where the social safety net, always fragile, is increasingly in tatters. The United States now has a poor and near-poor majority. Scholars and the media have underestimated the human toll of this crisis and the interconnectedness of the multiple processes of social decomposition affecting rural zones. • Racism and economic distress factors in Trump's rise are inextricably connected. • USA has a poor and near-poor majority that earns below the minimum survival budget. • Severe economic distress increases receptivity to authoritarian populist rhetoric. • Outside investors targeted mutual banks, coöps, businesses, newspapers and housing. • Communities can no longer maintain tax bases or appropriate the wealth they produce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is aimed at determining the oscillators of crisis manifestations when the Russian economy tries to make transition to the path for accelerating technological development and forming an innovative economy. Short-term cycles were determined in the development of the Russian economy from 1995 to the first half of 2020 through the Fourier spectral analysis. Using the Granger test, causal relationships between the leading indicators of the economic crisis and the real GDP index in Russia were identified and substantiated. They reflect the influence of the key rate dynamics on the volume of lending, savings, investments, the yield on securities and the exchange rate; volumes of bank loans per the share of non-performing and bad loans and innovative development of the economy. Based on the constructed neural models of the oscillator influence on the level of real GDP in Russia, it was determined that the rapid growth of bank and mortgage lending, the devaluation of the ruble, a decreased volume of gross foreign investment and the level of innovative development predetermine crisis manifestations in the national economy. The lags of the influence of changes in the leading indicators of the economic crisis on the development of the economy were calculated. The results obtained can contribute to the effectiveness of the anti-crisis regulation strategy in Russia. They can serve as a basis for increasing the efficiency of long-term innovative development and creating appropriate conditions for increasing the scientific and technological potential of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent austerity experiences in Greece suggest a plausible link between extensive use of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and socio-economic peculiarities of life. During the economic crisis in Greece, accessibility to healthcare services has been impacted, particularly for people with low income. However, this fact has not been systematically analyzed in conjunction with an observed increase in use of OTC medicines. Gaining a better understanding of the reasons leading to self-care may help to answer additional questions. Further research is needed to assess the gap between self-care and medically assisted care/treatment by designing pilot monitoring actions and focusing on behaviours related to OTC medicine use. Primary care can offer more collaboration between primary care physicians, community pharmacists, patients, and their families. It is crucial to create a multimodal research plan to gain a better understanding of motivational reasons that eventually lead to increasing use of OTC medicines. Efforts should be made to develop data collection techniques that will elicit information from various social groups that focus on changeable behaviours and perceived needs in relation to medicine consumption. • Self-care empowerment may be beyond citizens' free choice; • OTC medicine use shows traits of increasing; • Perceived needs and OTC medicine use remain unexplored; • Manuscript Header = Commentary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of the Spanish automobile industry during the global economic crisis of 2008 shows that the number of relocations was comparatively lower than in the period before the crisis. Uncertainty weighs more in relocation decisions than the advantages that multinationals can gain from their operational flexibility. The main drivers of relocation in the sector are conditioned by relocation costs and the risks inherent in such processes. The main implication of the research is that it helps identify vulnerability in relocation under conditions of uncertainty. This is key for defining public policies aiming to avoid the impact of relocation on regions that have traditionally been affected by such processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses fixed-effect regressions estimated with heteroskedasticity-consistent standard errors to investigate the effect of international diversification on corporate cash holding behavior of French-listed firms during economic downturns. The findings show that internationally diversified firms are less inclined to save cash out of their cash flows than their undiversified counterparts. However, during economic downturns, the relationship shifts and shows that international diversification is positively associated with the propensity of firms to save cash out of their cash flows. The negative relationship between international diversification and the propensity of firms to save cash out of their cash flows suggests that risk-reducing effects coupled with easy access to external finance prevail over the high agency costs and information asymmetry associated with international companies. However, during economic slumps, this relationship becomes positive, highlighting a significant influence of the financial crisis on internationally diversified firms relative to their stand-alone counterparts. Thus, this study should provide useful insights for academics, practitioners as well as financial regulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is disagreement on the specific mechanism through which the economic recession increased suicides in Greece. Unemployment is considered by many authors to be the determining factor but the data are inconclusive and often negative, especially concerning the temporal relationship between onset of increase in unemployment and increase in suicides AIMS: The aim of this paper was to clarify the specific role of unemployment as well as of other socioeconomic variables on specific age-by-gender groups concerning the increase in suicides.Methods: Data of the Hellenic Statistical Authority ELSTAT (www.Statistics: gr) were analyzed with Linear Regression Analysis and Bonferroni correction for multiple testing RESULTS: Unemployment correlates with suicide rates only in males aged 20-24, 50-54 and 60-64 years (p < 0.001). Unemployment could held responsible for an additional 148 male deaths during the period 2009-2015, which accounts for 5.3% of the total (29 additional deaths per year). The changes in all the socioeconomic conditions could held responsible for 317 cases of suicide or 9.4% of total CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study suggest that there was a 33% increase in deaths by suicide in Greece during the early years of recession (2009-2015); one third could be directly attributed to unemployment, one third to other consequences of recession while another third is of unknown origin. The effect of unemployment is specifically restricted to males at the beginning of their working career (20-24 years old) and to middle aged (45-49 and 55-59 years old). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the continuing impact of the 2007/08 financial crisis in rural Ireland, examining the vulnerability and coping strategies at the household scale. Therefore, rather than re-examining the causes of the financial crisis, in this paper we seek to focus on the responses to the crisis within rural households, primarily focused on the geographies of household vulnerability and household financial responses. In this context, Ireland provides an illustrative case study given its severe economic crash, as well as the urban focus of its current recovery. To examine these themes, the paper advances a holistic vulnerability/resilience framework tested through a household survey. This focuses on four key components of vulnerability/resilience – exposure , sensitivity , capacity of response , and adaptive capacity – for understanding how rural households respond to change. The results emphasise the negative impact that the crisis continues to have on rural households, suggesting that the national economic recovery is uneven and further entrenches urban-rural differences. Moreover, the ability of households to cope with the crisis related to pre-crisis household (e.g. financial literacy) or spatial attributes, suggesting the need to consider vulnerability and resilience within a holistic framework. • Paper examines the continuing impact of the 2007/08 financial crisis on rural households in Ireland. • It advances a holistic vulnerability-resilience framework- This framework comprises 4 components – exposure , sensitivity , capacity of response , and adaptive capacity. • The crisis continues to have a negative impact on rural households, suggesting an uneven urban-rural recovery. • The ability of households to cope with the crisis related to pre-crisis household or spatial attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of several traditional foreign direct investment (FDI) determinants alongside the impact of economic freedom on FDI inflows in four South European economies (Greece; Italy; Portugal; Spain) for the 1996–2017 period. Results suggest a positive impact of market size and gross capital formation, as well as a negative impact of unit labor costs on FDI inflows. Economic freedom is found to bear a consistently positive impact on FDI inflows. Testing for the impact of the individual economic freedom components, I find that protection of property rights, government integrity, monetary freedom, and financial freedom all have a robustly positive effect on FDI. The paper further investigates the impact of the Eurozone crisis on FDI and documents an asymmetric economic freedom effect within versus outside the crisis that is more pronounced outside the crisis. The findings showcase the institutional factors policy-makers should focus on in order to attract FDI inflows, particularly during economic crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The prevalence of depression is alarmingly high among people with low income. • The income-depression association is stronger in men than in women. • Income is strongly and independently associated with suicidality only among men. • Financial difficulties influence depression but not suicidality. The interplay between objective and subjective measures of economic hardship on influencing mental health has not been explored during a period of enduring recession. The present study aims to fill this gap by investigating the relationship between income and economic difficulties in evoking major depression and suicidality in Greece, while taking into consideration gender differences. A random and representative sample of 2188 adults participated in a telephone survey in 2013 (response rate = 81%). Major depression and suicidality were assessed with the pertinent modules of SCID-IV; while financial difficulties were measured by the Index of Personal Economic Distress. Information on confounder variables was also gleaned. Income exerted an independent effect on major depression (OR = 0.37, 95%CI = 0.22–0.63), which was more pronounced among men than women. On the contrary, financial difficulties exerted a strong and independent effect on depression (OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.13–1.2). Income was found to bear a strong association with suicidality only among men; whereas financial difficulties were unrelated in both genders. Subjective and objective indices of economic hardship exert a differential impact on mental health outcomes amid recession. Gender-sensitive policies and interventions should be geared towards softening the social effects of the recession in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the effects of economic crises on the relationship between environmental practices, environmental performance and business performance. Six hypotheses are tested via survey responses from firms located in Brazil – a country that has recently faced a serious economic crisis. The data were analysed using PLS path-modelling (PLS-PM). The findings are discussed through the theoretical lenses of contingency theory and dynamic capabilities theory. We provide evidence that the aftermath of the recent economic crisis has significantly weakened the relationship between environmental practices, environmental performance and business performance among Brazilian firms. However, environmental practices that are linked to firms' strategy and have dynamic capability characteristics can still improve business performance, even under economic contingencies, as the win-win characteristics of these practices remain even in times of economic crisis. Firms may benefit from the awareness that even in difficult times, environmental practices continue to support business performance. The article extends the understanding of the 'win-win situation' regarding a market environment facing an economic crisis. The originality of this study, to the best of our knowledge, is that it is the first study to employ this theoretical and methodological approach to deal with this key societal and economic subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the cumulative impacts of the 2008 economic crisis and its aftermath (including policy changes) on young people in a sparsely populated rural area of northern England. The paper locates the research in the context of youth studies, Bourdieu's theory of practice, concepts of welfare regimes and welfare mix, and studies of the impacts of the crisis and austerity policies on the distribution of social and societal risk. The empirical findings reveal the challenges which faced young people in rural England before the financial crisis still persist. Moreover, the overwhelming reliance of young people on family for support generates further inequalities through what might be termed 'secondary impact austerity': young people feel indirectly and unevenly the economic effects and policy changes which impact on parents' and communities' ability to offer them support. Thus, changes to the welfare system, loss of services and less secure forms of employment exacerbate the transfer of social risk and the deepening of poverty for vulnerable groups. This is worsened in this rural area by the moral imperatives which stigmatise access to state and charitable support. Thus, moral capital and local habitus intersect with social, economic and cultural capitals in structuring inequalities. • This paper investigates cumulative impacts of the 2008 economic crisis and its aftermath on young people in rural England. • The overwhelming reliance of young people on family for support generates further inequalities through what might be termed 'secondary impact austerity'. • Changes to policies and labour markets transfer social risk and deepen poverty for vulnerable groups in rural areas. • In this rural area, such impacts are exacerbated by pressure on families, and stigma attached to alternative means of support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract stablished under the European Union (EU), the thirty-year trans-national network, Natura 2000, is considered one of the largest biodiversity conservation frameworks worldwide. The global financial crisis has afflicted European economies since 2008 and has not only caused radical changes to the economic development but has also resulted in major implications on nature conservation activities in one of the weakest EU member states, however a biodiversity hotspot, Greece. The present research constitutes a broad-based assessment of the effects of the current economic crisis on the application of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives by the Greek state for the first time. By applying an expert elicitation method, Policy Delphi, we attempt to address the impact of the crisis on the administrative levels, competent authorities and procedural frames of the national protected area system, as perceived by 38 Greek key stakeholders and experts on the topic. An evaluation of the practices and obligations of 4 Management Bodies of the Greek protected area system was conducted to get an insight of the financial consequences on their operation. The structured and participatory approach followed in this study, allowed a systematic collection of experts' transdisciplinary judgments on the state of the Greek Natura 2000 network in terms of implementation, management, administration, monitoring and legislation. With a strong tradition in managing its high nature value in a centralized way, in the face of the economic crisis, implementation challenges of the Greek state concerning Natura 2000 have been enlarged. According to a substantial part of the Greek conservation community that participated in the survey, many enforcement obstacles are considered, either direct or indirect consequences of the economic crisis, while some are inherent to the lack of a national comprehensive conservation strategy and not necessarily attributed to the austerity. However, the lack of national structural strength, as illustrated by the respondents, rather than the funding size proved to be an important cause of vulnerability for the Greek network. Based on the findings of this study we propose recommendations for improvements that align economic with conservation interests and measures that can substantially counteract the negative impacts of the economic austerity on the enforcement of nature conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that economic disasters represent a considerable risk for sustainability objectives. To address this issue, two empirical methods are used. First, the relationship between economic disasters and sustainable development is tested by panel regression. Second, the local projection method is used to explore the dynamics, i.e., the behavior of sustainable development indices for ten years after the onset of a typical economic disaster. The results suggest that the relationship between economic disasters and sustainable development is negative, and that the effects of economic disasters are much larger than the effects of "ordinary" economic crises. Moreover, sustainability indices continue to decline even after a typical economic disaster ends. Understanding the complex relationship between economic disasters and sustainability can help policymakers develop strategies to mitigate these adverse effects and ensure the transition to sustainability. [Display omitted] • The relationship between economic disasters and sustainable development is analyzed. • A special database on economic disasters is used. • Standard panel regression and local projection method are applied. • The effects of economic disasters are larger compared to ordinary economic crises. • Sustainability indices continue to decline after a typical economic disaster ends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract R&D spending, be it university or industrial spending, has a positive impact on the scale of scientific production. However, the impact of R&D spending on joint university-industry scientific production, which may vary significantly according to the phase of macroeconomic cycles, is likely to be more complex than the impact on either within-university or within-industry production. We test this assumption in the context of the OECD countries and other economies against the backdrop of the Great Recession (2007-2013). Industry R&D spending dominated university-industry scientific production, but the crisis changed the impact of that spending source, which was negative during the previous expansion and became positive during the subsequent stagnation. The Great Recession had an absolute negative impact on university-industry scientific production, but also a moderating positive impact on industry R&D spending, to the extent that the few countries where this spending increased faster during the Great Recession saw university-industry scientific production rise. Positive effects were more pronounced with regards to 'domestic' university-industry scientific production, where collaborating universities and business companies were located in the same country. Highlights • Impacts of in-house R&D on joint scientific production are complex. • R&D impact on university-industry science varies with phase of economic cycle. • Industry not university R&D fosters university-industry scientific production. • 2008–13 Great Recession cut university-industry scientific production. • Great Recession improved industry R&D impact on science produced with university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The 2008 financial crisis, and the subsequent global recession, triggered a wide-spread economic and political debate on the proper policy combination to deal with the crisis and to prevent similar ones in the future. Probably, the main dispute has been around the use of fiscal instruments in order to foster growth while keeping public debt under control. The European Union, for instance, endorsed "austerity" measures for fiscal consolidation but has been sharply criticized by several scholars. This paper aims at contributing to the current debate by presenting the outcomes of a computational study performed with the Eurace agent-based model. We set up an experiment with two base policy scenarios, i.e., stability and growth pact and fiscal compact, incrementally enriching them with complementary policies which relax fiscal rigidity and introduce quantitative easing. Results show that budgetary rigour performs well if and only if some mechanisms of fiscal relaxation and monetary accommodation are considered during bad times; thus confirming in a richer and more realistic model setting the fundamental tenet of Keynesian economics about the importance of sustaining aggregate demand during recessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of malnutrition and food insecurity (uncertainty, or limited ability to acquire acceptable foods through socially acceptable ways), among non-hospitalised, non-institutionalised, community-dwelling older adults, and to identify possible dietary, socioeconomic and health factors associated with them.Study Design: Cross-sectional, with 207 older adult participants inhabitants of Thessaloniki and Kavala, Greece. A medical diagnosis was not a criterion for exclusion from participation.Main Outcome Measures: Malnutrition risk (combined categories of "at risk of malnutrition" and "malnourished" by the Mini-Nutritional Assessment tool) and food insecurity (assessed by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale).Results: Participants had a mean age of 72.4 ± 8.5 years; 43.5% were male and 56.5% female. The prevalence of malnutrition was 5.3%, and 48.3% were "at risk of malnutrition". The group of participants assessed as being at risk of malnutrition were significantly older, smoked, had a lower body mass index and a smaller waist circumference, reported single partnership status, and exhibited reduced appetite. Some degree of food insecurity was apparent in 69% of the participants. Food insecurity was associated with lack of higher education, reduced monthly income and low adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Additionally, food insecurity as compared with food security increased the risk of malnutrition (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.21-5.75; p = 0.015) in the multivariate analysis.Conclusions: Given the financial difficulties experienced by the Greek older adult population over the last decade, a large proportion of them are at risk of malnutrition and experience some degree of food insecurity. With the two conditions being interrelated, early identification and management of both malnutrition and food insecurity are essential for public health and healthy ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Biodiversity offsetting relates to UK government's urban development aspirations. • Offsetting enables a social and spatial reterritorialization of socionatures. • Offsetting portrays urban development as the driver of environmental improvement. • Biodiversity offsetting in England is widely contested by local communities. • Struggles for the 'right to the city' should expand to embrace 'rights to nature'. Abstract In this paper, by drawing on primary empirical data obtained through 62 interviews in seven case studies we seek to offer a Marxist historical-geographical analysis of biodiversity offsetting policy in England, and its emergence in the context of the global economic crisis, and government aspirations for large-scale urban development projects. By paying attention to the interplay between offsetting, urbanization and the neoliberal reconstruction of conservation, we aim to extend the focus of the neoliberal conservation literature from the role of offsets as ecological 'commodities' to the way offsetting is used to support the production of space(s), place(s) and nature(s) in line with contemporary patterns of capitalist urban growth. In particular, we show how offsetting operationalized new ideas about nature as a stock of biodiversity, how it streamlined planning to support extended urbanization, how it foreclosed public debate about controversial urban development projects, and how it reterritorialized nature-society relationships. We also give a central role to social contestation against the implementation of offsetting in England, drawing attention to its class character and highlighting the potential for a new emancipatory politics that would encompass a 'right to nature' as a key element of struggles for the 'right to the city'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Using data on the US and EU top R&D spenders from 2004 until 2012, this paper investigates the sources of the US/EU productivity gap. We find robust evidence that US firms have a higher capacity to translate R&D into productivity gains (especially in the high-tech macro sector), and this contributes to explaining the higher productivity of US firms. Conversely, EU firms are more likely to achieve productivity gains through capital-embodied technological change, at least in the medium- and low-tech macro sectors. Our results also show that the US/EU productivity gap has worsened during the crisis period, as the EU companies have been more affected by the economic crisis in their capacity to translate R&D investments into productivity. Based on these findings, we make a case for a learning-based and selective R&D funding, which, instead of purely aiming at stimulating higher R&D expenditures, works on improving the firms' capabilities to transform R&D into productivity gains. Highlights • US firms have a higher capacity to translate R&D into productivity gains • EU firms achieve productivity gains through capital-embodied technological change • The US/EU productivity gap has worsened during the crisis period • There is a need for a learning-based and selective R&D and innovation policy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The 2008 economic crisis has sped up population aging in Italy. • Estimates to quantify the effect of the economic crisis on population ageing to date and into the future. • The demographic effects of this economic crisis will become even more visible in the future. • The demographic crisis will not be resolved in the short- or medium-term and will even worsen without political attention. Abstract Population ageing is a significant demographic change. The Italian population is one of the oldest in the world. Studies have demonstrated that the economic crisis, beginning in 2008, is related to demographic dynamics. We believe that this crisis has an impact on Italian population ageing. We show that effects of the current economic crisis on population ageing are already observable. We predict how the current economic crisis will affect population ageing in the future until 2026. We estimate the number of births and net migration entries that did not take place due to the economic crisis. We find that missing births and missing net migration entries attributed to the current economic crisis have already had and will have an effect on the speed of population ageing in Italy. The demographic effects of this short-term economic crisis will become even more visible in the future. The results can help institutions have an overview of the consequences of the worsening demographic dynamics on the population structure due to adverse economic conditions. This paper is an important warning about the consequences of unexpected shocks. Demographic scientists, as well as policymakers, should be very interested in our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Increasing transparency is one of the first and most common recommendations from international financial institutions to policymakers in countries that experience economic crises. Despite the widespread prescription of this elixir, disagreements persist about its efficacy during crises. Much of the existing literature suggests that increasing transparency decreases information asymmetries, increases policy predictability and the credibility of policy commitments, improves the effectiveness of monetary policy, and bolsters public confidence. Each of these effects could plausibly shorten the duration of economic crises. Critics counter, however, that effects of transparency are ambiguous and may increase policy uncertainty, raise volatility, increase the prospect of collectively self-destructive behaviors, and decrease the effectiveness of monetary policy – effects that could prolong crises. These debates persist in part because related empirical research tends to focus primarily on the transparency of central banks and its impact on market expectations regarding short-term interest rates without considering the transparency of national governments and how the availability of credible data about the national economy from sources other than the central bank affects public and market expectations. We argue that greater transparency of national governments – often inferred from, yet independent of, the transparency of central banks – will decrease the duration of inflation and currency crises by providing information about existing economic conditions, increasing the predictability and credibility of national economic policy, and increasing confidence in the efficacy of policy choices by demonstrating the degree to which the policy positions of national politicians and central bankers align. We operationalize government transparency in terms of the government dissemination of credible macroeconomic information using the Hollyer, Rosendorff, and Vreeland (HRV) index. Our analyses of 125 countries from 1980 through 2010 indicate that higher levels of government transparency are strongly correlated with shorter durations of inflation and currency crises and that the level of transparency is negatively correlated with the severity or size of inflation crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research suggests significant increases in suicide mortality rates in European countries following the economic crisis of 2008. However, the relationship between national differences in availability and use of mental health services and suicide rates has not been extensively examined yet.Materials and Methods: Data on mental health services and socioeconomic variables were derived from Eurostat for the years 2000-2013 for ten European countries. The national health care variables consisted of suicide mortality rate (SMR), average length of hospital stay and number of hospitalizations due to affective disorder or any psychiatric disorder, number of psychiatric beds and number of prescribed antidepressants. Economic variables included the gross domestic product (GDP), the gross domestic product per 1000 inhabitants (Real GDP), the rate of unemployment and the GINI-coefficient as a measurement for the equality of wealth distribution. Mixed models were used to investigate the potential influence of the onset of the economic crisis in 2008 on each of the psychiatric variables. Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess the influence on suicide mortality rates.Results: In this study, a significant change in slope starting from 2008 was revealed for the number of psychiatric beds, hospitalizations due to affective disorder or any psychiatric disorder and for prescribed antidepressants. Furthermore, a significant step change for hospitalizations due to affective disorder was observed in 2008. SMR exhibited a significant step change in 2008 for males and females as well as a significant change in slope from 2008 onwards for males only. Contrary to our hypothesis, most variables showed no statistically significant influence on SMR. Only a higher number of available psychiatric beds was significantly associated with higher suicide mortality rates. This effect, however, was only significant for females and did not remain significant after correcting for economic variables. Less than 10% of suicide mortality rate variability could be explained by a model including all variables, further corroborating the multifactorial etiology of suicide.Limitations: Since administrative registry data was used, the results should be interpreted with caution. Results might not be applicable to countries not included.Conclusion: While significant changes in the psychiatric variables, as well as SMR, were observed, no statistically significant influence on SMR remained after correcting for country, time and economic variables. Our study suggests the necessity of a more comprehensive international data gathering effort. Further research is needed to identify populations at risk of suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We evaluate the impact of the Spanish car scrappage programme introduced in May 2009 on short-run car purchases. The scrappage programme was simultaneously discussed and implemented and was therefore exogenous to the consumers. We analyse the effect of this programme on household new car purchase decision and household expenditures. The results show that the scrappage programme increased the probability of buying a new car but decreased the mean expenditure devoted to the purchase of this new vehicle. We also evaluate the effect of financial aid on household welfare. Our best estimate of the welfare gain related to the scrappage programme is very similar to the aid of €1000 offered by the public administrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to assess variations in housing market polarization in Italian cities since 2008, during the years of economic recession in Italy. An index of market polarization was constructed and correlated with urban density and socio-economic factors, as proxies for urban development of the Southern Euro countries. The hypothesis is that social polarization has increased since 2008, when an economic and sovereign debt crisis began, and is negatively correlated with housing market trends in more densely populated cities than in sprawl territories. Multivariate regression on housing price variations since 2008, with a dataset of economic variables concerning 112 Italian provincial capitals, was used to verify the hypothesis, and analysis confirmed that housing market polarization had increased since 2008 and shows significant statistical correlations with urban density, socio-economic characteristics, and housing affordability. Empirical evidence also demonstrates the close relationship among price trends, urban density, and the socio–economic structure of urban populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objectives To provide a detailed overview of the recent reforms in pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement processes as well as in other important areas of the pharmaceutical policy in Greece. Methods Information was collected via a structured questionnaire. The study used publicly available resources, such as publications, relevant legislation, and statistical data, while health experts were also consulted. Results Recent pharmaceutical reforms included significant price cuts, increased co-payments and some provisions for vulnerable groups, rebates/clawbacks, mandatory electronic prescribing and prescription by international nonproprietary name, generics substitution, prescription limits and detailed auditing, centralized procurement, as well as changes in the pricing and reimbursement processes, with the introduction of positive and negative lists and an internal price referencing system. Price lists are compiled by the National Organization for Medicines and are issued by the Ministry of Health (MoH). An advisory pricing committee comprising representatives of stakeholder groups was abolished in early 2018. Nevertheless, under the new provisions, a health technology assessment body for the economic evaluation of reimbursed drugs is to be established for the first time in Greece. The committee is to be staffed by experts appointed by a ministerial decision of the MoH. The specific features of the process are yet to be determined. Conclusions The pricing and reimbursement decision-making processes are centralized under the competence of the MoH. Despite the good intentions of the reformers, there are still some aspects of transparency, equity, and long-term sustainability that remain under question in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deceleration of economic growth is a characteristic feature of developed countries. Percentage gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in the old Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries has decreased approximately 2–3 times over the last 50 years, and countries have managed successfully to adopt this trend. The largest reduction of GDP growth rate was observed in countries such as Japan where the biocapacity exceedance was the largest. In addition, the analysis of long-term changes of GDP and self-reported life satisfaction in developed countries supports Easterlin's paradox indicating that richer people do not feel more satisfied with their lives; however, people from countries with higher per capita GDP feel more satisfied. At the same time, a statistically insignificant correlation was detected between GDP growth rate and life satisfaction, supporting a conclusion that in the developed countries further economic growth does not increase people's well-being. This suggests that decelerating the rate of economic growth gradually approaching the zero growth (steady state) phase is the natural way towards sustainability and it does not contradict the well-being objective in developed countries, especially ones with high biocapacity exceedance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper continues the research effort that the authors begun in 2008 on the quality factors that affect adoption of public transportation and retention of its users. The objective of this paper is to explore the impacts of the deep, 7-year economic crisis, on the perceptions of public transport users, with bus as their main transport mode, about service quality. Data from three user-satisfaction surveys that were conducted in Athens in 2008 (pre-crisis), 2013 (mid-crisis) and 2017 (deep-crisis) are used for the analysis. Mann Whitney/Wilcoxon test is applied for the distribution comparison of the responses between the pairs of consecutive years (2008–2013 and 2013–2017), in order to measure the change in users’ preferences. Ordered logit models are developed for the user satisfaction and shift to public transportation after the beginning of the economic crisis. The results of the analysis indicate that the satisfaction about quality attributes, such as service frequency, conditions at the stations and information provision, are important contributors of the total satisfaction, verifying the results of Tyrinopoulos and Antoniou (2008) and Efthymiou et al. (2014), but their impact varies over time. Despite the general decrease of commuting activities due to increase of unemployment, the shift to public transportation has increased. More specifically, demographic characteristics, such as age, occupation and gender, as well as qualitative factors, such as overall quality of service, service production, transfer quality, ticket services and environmental consciousness, have affected the decision of people to shift to and from public transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine centre right and radical right party competition. We argue that centre right parties – particularly non-incumbents - recognise economic crises as electoral opportunities for radical right parties and respond with the strategic emphasis of immigration in mass appeals. To test this, we merge party performance data with expert surveys across 24 European Union countries to examine parties’ electoral performances during the 2008 economic crisis. We find that non-incumbent centre right parties benefited from emphasising immigration, performing better than radical right parties. Second, incumbent centre right parties that did not emphasise immigration lost out electorally, providing an opportunity for far-right parties to benefit from immigration in this economic context. Qualitative case studies further suggest that while these effects appear to be more pronounced in Western Europe, the results are consistent across the East and West. The findings suggest a reconsideration of immigration as an exclusive issue for far-right electoral success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has overlooked the complementarity between National Innovation Systems and financial institutions. This paper extends the literature on National Innovation Systems, arguing that innovation policies should incorporate the particular needs of a nation's innovation system and the current conditions of that nation's financial environment. This development is important because the financial environment is malleable and subject to exogenous events, such as the recent global financial crisis. The relationship between a National Innovation System and the financial environment is presented through an analytical framework, which can be used to assess and instigate national innovation policies. The analytical framework is demonstrated using the case of Cyprus, which was on the frontline of the European debt crisis. By integrating the views of leaders from the Cypriot manufacturing and service sectors with widely available reports and indices concerning innovation performance, we demonstrate that the lack of a developed financial environment impedes national innovation performance. This research introduces policy and managerial implications for innovation, especially within the context of underdeveloped National Innovation Systems, which focus on improving innovation performance by enhancing the availability of financial instruments and the access that entrepreneurs have to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to assess the impacts of the economic crisis in Spain on the transport expenditure of households from 2006 to 2014 and how transport authorities reacted to cope with the decreasing public resources and transport demand. The approach is based on quantitative and qualitative sources of information: the Spanish Household Budget Survey and in-depth interviews with public transport policy makers from six metropolitan areas. Transport is one of the household expenditure items that is the most affected by the crisis. The average amount spent on transport fell to its lowest value in 2013, dropping by 37% in six years. The proportion of budget spent on transport was reduced by a majority of households, whatever the residential location or purchasing power, with the exception of the poorest. Households reacted promptly to the crisis by reducing their purchases of new cars; their spending on transport use was affected less significantly. Poor households or those living in low-density areas were least able to reduce their transport costs. To cope with the crisis, public transport authorities reduced transport supply and increased fares. They also implemented other measures to bring in extra income which had no impact on transport services. The research concludes that sustainability-oriented transport policies promoting public transport and the reduction of car dependency, together with sustainable land-use policies, may help to limit the household transport budget and the impacts of an economic crisis on mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the type and quality of changes in the mobility behaviour caused by the persistent economic and social shock in Greece manifested in 2010 onwards with regard to household income. A trip survey was conducted in 2014 to explore the impacts of the economic crisis on the trip characteristics between the city centre and the greater area of Thessaloniki, the second largest city of Greece. The sample consisted of 853 randomly selected users of the city centre and is representative of the sex and age distribution of the overall population of the urban agglomeration. Aiming to minimise their expenses, the individuals have reduced the trip frequency by private car, notably for optional trip purposes like shopping and entertainment, or they have shifted to public transport, motorbike, walking and cycling for downtown trips. In some cases, this reduction in expenses led to household relocation. These changes were more evident in the lowest income groups. In general, the effects of the economic crisis are proving more effective in limiting car use compared to any sustainable mobility measure that has been implemented in the past. However, households, despite their income, appeared mostly uncertain to preserve any sustainable mobility behaviour. In fact, their decision seems to depend on the future economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Aim of the study was to assess the effect of economic recession on organ donation and transplantation in Greece. Methods Retrospective data (2002-2016) provided by the Hellenic Transplant Organization (HTO), International Registry in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Eurotransplant, Scandiatransplant, National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), and United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) databases were analyzed. HTO database was divided into the precrisis (2002-2008) and crisis (2009-2016) era. Donation and transplantation rates between the two periods were compared. Trend estimation analysis was applied on the latter period. Results Since 2009, organ donation significantly declined without significant change in the reported brain deaths. Overall solid organ transplantations decreased (319.63 ± 70.4 from 460 ± 55.25 transplants/year, P = 0.001). Kidney transplantation rates declined (139.38 ± 29.7 from 209.43 ± 20.9 transplants/year, P = 0.000), with dramatic reduction in both deceased (99 ± 27.5 from 136.43 ± 131.4 transplants/year, P = 0.030) and living donor kidney transplantations (40.38 ± 6.1 from 73 ± 12.5 transplants/year, P = 0.000). Liver, heart, and lung transplant rates were not significantly affected; however, they have been low throughout both periods. Convertion to donation has not been affected by the crisis. Time series logistic regression of the crisis period demonstrated declining trends in organ donation, total solid organ transplantation, and deceased donor kidney, liver, and lung transplantation. In 2015, Greek organ donation rates were inferior to Eurotransplant, Scandiatransplant, NHSBT, UNOS, and Italy. Conclusions There has been a temporal correlation between the economic recession and organ donation and transplantation crisis in Greece. Irrespective of the cause, measures should be taken to reverse this in order to avert the increased morbidity and mortality on the transplant waiting list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of economic crisis in the destination country, migrants might decide to stay or leave. Having obtained dual citizenship facilitates both options: on the one hand, it allows for a secure stay, without fear of losing residence permits. On the other hand, it allows for either a connected return or new cross-border mobility options, especially in the case of citizenship from the EU. It can also be considered a significant milestone in someone’s migratory trajectory, especially among those who started their migration as undocumented. This paper discusses the ways in which dual citizens interpret this status after the 2008 economic crisis in Spain and shows how it provided many with the opportunity to embark on new migrations within the EU. Drawing on 80 interviews with dual citizens born in Colombia and Ecuador who resided in Madrid and London, the authors argue that dual citizenship is understood as a resource that offers a sense of personal security and an enhancement of one’s position in the global hierarchy of citizenships. Respondents in this study do not consider formal citizenship as a necessary step for emotional belonging, which they base on their daily interactions and relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tests the links between economic performance, democratic quality and satisfaction with democracy (SWD) at multiple levels. By analysing a time-series cross-sectional (TSCS) dataset of 57 democracies between 1990 and 2014, it finds the two types of performance matter almost equally: countries with good democratic and economic records tend to show higher levels of SWD than countries without them. Over time, an improvement in ‘objective’ democratic and economic conditions is shown to be related to increasing levels of national SWD. The second part of the study reconfirms these relationships at the individual level by analysing survey data from the “Europeans' understandings and evaluations of democracy” special module of the sixth round of the European Social Survey. It shows that respondents' evaluations of the economy and democracy are strongly related to their SWD. Finally, it demonstrates that the effect of objective democratic and economic performances on SWD is mediated by peoples' evaluations of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To describe the utilization of health and home care services among older people (≥65 years) with diabetes during the economic crisis; to identify the factors associated with changes in the utilization of these services; and to study the time trends (2009-2014).Methods: We used the European Health Interview Surveys for Spain (EEHSS) for 2009/10 and 2014. The dependent variables included self-reported hospitalizations; general practitioner (GP) visits; 'other healthcare services' (OHS) used; and home care services (HCS) used.Results: We identified 6026 and 6020 diabetic patients (EEHSS2009 and EEHSS2014, respectively). A significant decrease in the number of GP visits (OR 0.94; 95% CI 0.91-0.98) and the use of HCS (OR 0.95; 95% CI 0.91-0.99) was found; however, we found an increase in the use of OHS (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.02-1.10). Multivariate models showed that factors associated with an increased use included chronic conditions, worse self-rated health, pain and mental disorders. Physical activity was a strong predictor of lower hospitalizations and HCS use. Female gender was associated with significantly lower hospitalizations and a higher use of OHC and HCS.Conclusion: We found a decrease in the number of GP visits and the use of HCS among elderly diabetic adults; however, we also observed an increase in the use of OHS, which may partly explain this decrease in the figures. Significant differences in the use of health services were found according to gender. The effect of the economic crisis, if any, seems to have had a small magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the transfer of development rights (TDR) in Italy. It presents a comparative analysis of the TDR programs implemented in the twelve capital cities of the Lombardy region in the past decade. After introducing the international debate on TDR and the distinctive features of the transfer of development rights in Italy, the essay analyses the specificity of TDR programs in Lombardy. The spread of this planning mechanism is stressed, and seven relevant characterising aspects of TDR programs in Lombardy are highlighted (with reference to: reasons for TDR adoption, designation of sending and receiving areas, allocation rate, destiny of sending areas, mandatory nature of the transfer, market of development rights and role of the public authority). The analysis identifies internal factors (e.g. related to the design of the program) and external factors (e.g. exogenous to the program, such as the condition of the real estate market) for the success of the transfer of development rights in the Lombardy case. It allows us also to enrich (and partially correct) the international debate on the TDR, by considering the diffusion of this planning tool in Italy and its potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourist spending behavior is not only relevant in terms of volume but also in terms of trip budget composition or allocation (share or proportion of total trip budget allocated to transportation, accommodation or activities). This paper aims to profile expenditure patterns before, during and after the economic crisis, and how they affect destinations. Clustering methods and compositional data analysis is used as an appropriate statistical approach to analyze share. Incoming tourists to Spain are segmented by trip budget share using repeated cross-sections of official statistics data (2006–2012). One of the main findings is that segments are heterogeneous in their cutting back on expenditure during the economic crisis, and segments increasing in size during the crisis not only spend less but also have the lowest activity share. Furthermore, the paper identifies one of the segments being particularly attractive for destinations in terms both of total expenditure and expenditure profile, with a high activity expenditure share and usually flying with low-cost airlines. The paper contributes to understanding tourist consumer behavior in terms of expenditure pattern at micro level in times of economic recession and its implications for particular destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of economic uncertainty and crisis, residents' perceptions of the impacts of tourism and their support for tourism development may be different to those noted in times of prosperity. This study tests the influence of an economic crisis on such perceptions and residents' willingness to support the development of tourism. The research compares data gathered in 2006, in a booming economic environment, with data from 2014, in the middle of a long-lasting economic recession. The data are from two major international mass tourism resorts in Spain: Mallorca and Tenerife. Results indicate that an economic recession causes a significant growth of the residents' support towards tourism, particularly due to a significant decrease in the residents' perception of costs related to such development. These findings highlight how economic crises influence residents' perceptions of the impacts of tourism and lead to an underestimation of costs. Hence, it evidences the crucial role that resort managers have to play to ensure the sustainability of the destination at times when a more permissive view is taken by residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health inequalities adversely affect the health outcomes generally but more so for those who are socially deprived, immigrants of unknown status and low socioeconomic status. The inequitable access to care during pregnancy can lead to long term adverse inter-generational effects. Current economic crisis within Europe will have deepening effect on the health of the vulnerable families. The European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology calls for action by the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strongest economic crisis ever known, started in 2008, destroyed much of the social achievements. Although the European Union had to deal with this situation by designing common policies, the member states have handled this crisis in many different ways. Nevertheless, not all the countries had the same possibilities for manage their economic policies inside a common currency area. These states involved in the EuroZone have faced some restrictions due to their belonging to a currency area, so they have had to design alternative economic policies to the monetary one. The main objective of this paper is to assess the acceptance of the restrictive policies on public health expenses due to economic crisis and the implemented economic policy, from the point of view of citizens. This paper hypothesized that this acceptance or not depends on citizens perception of adequate use of the public health care system. A survey was conducted among the main social actors involved on healthcare system: the general population and health professionals. And for testing the hypotheses a means comparison ( t -test and ANOVA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) has been developed using data from that survey. Outcomes from those econometric exercises show a general disagreement with the cuts in health expenses, but in a level very related with citizen’s perceptions of overuse of public health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, cities are creating local climate change mitigation strategies and combining strengths in international efforts. In addition to making the strategies, it is important to follow, how they work in practice. The aim of the study is to examine, how climate change mitigation policies and other events affected the consumption-based household carbon footprints in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (HMA) from 2006 until 2012. The cities of the HMA launched an ambitious climate change mitigation strategy in 2007. Furthermore, the study analyses the changes in the carbon footprints of six different types of urban zone within the HMA: the central pedestrian zone, the fringe of the central pedestrian zone, intensive public transport zone, public transport zone, car zone and the pedestrian zones of subcentres. The results of the study reveal that the average carbon footprint decreased 7% from 2006 to 2012, despite 1% increase in expenditure, which is encouraging. Emissions caused by housing energy consumption and motor fuel consumption decreased the most. Among the urban zones, public transport zone and car zone, which are the two outermost zones of the HMA, had the strongest emission reductions. Cleaner electricity and the improved energy efficiency of buildings had a strong effect. The regression analysis of the study suggests that the central pedestrian zone and the car zone, the two most affluent zones of the HMA, have higher carbon footprints than all the other zones have between them. However, this is only true when income is controlled, not when expenditure is controlled. The economic crisis in 2008, and changes in consumption behaviour because of it, seem to explain the result. The reduction of the average carbon footprint in the HMA was not only due to steered mitigation actions. Increased housing costs seem to have contributed to the decline of consumption-based emissions. The results of the study suggest that to achieve the ambitious international, national and local climate change mitigation targets, stronger measures are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to deal with questions of instability and economic crises, deriving theoretical arguments from Schumpeter’s works and presenting relevant empirical evidence for the case of the US manufacturing sector in the time period 1958–2006, just before the first signs of the global recession made their appearance. More precisely, we use a wide dataset that contains 473 manufacturing industries, that are clustered based on their annual change of hourly earnings per worker and we make an attempt to interpret the economic fluctuations in the clusters formed. Meanwhile, we study the causal relationships between the crucial variables dictated by Schumpeterian theory. In this context, a number of relevant techniques have been used, such as hierarchical clustering, canonical discriminant analysis, cointegration analysis, periodograms and Granger causality tests. Our findings seem to give credit to certain aspects of the Schumpeterian theory of business cycles. The results are discussed in a broader context, related to the US economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) faces a double crisis: both economic and environmental, which has brought into stark relief the question of whether climate change mitigation and economic growth are mutually exclusive. Is saving the environment a ‘luxury’ reserved for wealthy countries, with less affluent countries being too poor to be green? We seek to address this important and timely question using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyse the causal relationship between economic growth and stability, and the expansion of renewable electricity shares among the European Union's (EU) 28 member states during the recent economic recession (2008–2013). Our paper, analyses the recent economic and financial crisis and its effects on sustainability transitions, and establishes a new indicator for progress in renewable electricity transitions in the context of Europe's 2020 targets. It therefore extends the ‘sustainability as a luxury’ debate to include renewable energy. The analysis reveals an ambivalent picture of the role of wealth in renewable energy transitions (RET) in Europe. Indeed, driven by the EU's common renewable energy targets, the findings suggest that RETs are promoted both because, and in spite of the means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of anger about the economic crisis on electoral participation and voting behavior. Previous work on emotions has consistently underlined the mobilization potential of anger. The economic crisis has generated widespread anger, but political disengagement, rather than mobilization, and growing support for populist parties have emerged as the dominant effects. This is because the impact of anger about the crisis is moderated by political efficacy. Among citizens with low efficacy, anger decreased electoral participation and fueled support for populist parties. In contrast, among citizens with high efficacy, anger promoted participation and increased support for mainstream opposition parties. I use the 2005–2010 British election panel, which allows me to address endogeneity concerns, control for pre-crisis engagement and other negative emotions, and perform causal mediation analysis. This work contributes to the study of emotions and voting behavior; support for populist parties; and the political consequences of the crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheltered and stray dogs, exposed to zoonotic parasites, including protozoa, helminths, and arthropods, may represent a major threat to public health. Resources for addressing health problems in these animals are not on the priority list of veterinary and public health authorities. Thus, dogs continue to represent an important reservoir for zoonotic parasites. In this article, we review the importance of sheltered and stray dogs as reservoirs of zoonotic parasites in different parts of the world, especially in the context of the current global political and economic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]