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Any form of Brexit will impact heterogeneously in terms of sectors and regions on the competitive position of firms in both the UK and Europe. The ongoing uncertainty about the conditions under which the UK will be leaving the EU creates difficulties in structurally estimating these impacts. Using uniquely detailed interregional trade data on goods and services for the EU, we apply a novel methodology that disentangles region-sector sensitivities (elasticities) of firms' competitive positions to (non)tariff barriers from the implications of different post-Brexit UK–EU trade scenarios. This enables us to derive the economic geography of competitive opportunities and vulnerabilities of Brexit of firms, along with the degree of uncertainty that surrounds these effects, independently from scenarios. Our analysis demonstrates that the adverse international competitive vulnerabilities of UK regions are much larger than those of the rest of the EU due to the dependency of the UK on the EU via global value chains. The impact on the competitive positions of firms means that within the UK, Brexit is likely to increase interregional inequalities. In contrast, interregional inequalities across Europe may actually fall, depending on the nature of the post-Brexit UK–EU trading arrangements. Moreover, the key political focus on the nature of the post-Brexit arrangements appears to be misplaced in that most UK regions are rather insensitive to the specific nature of the deal. As such, the economic geography implications of Brexit appear to be largely unrelated to UK domestic political narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces indicators of regional related variety and unrelated variety to conceptually overcome the current impasse in the specialization-diversity debate in agglomeration economics. Although various country-level studies have been published on this conceptualization in recent years, a pan-European test has been missing from the literature until now. A pan-European test is more interesting than country-level tests, as newly defined cohesion policies, smart-specialization policies, place-based development strategies and competitiveness policies may be especially served by related variety and unrelated variety conceptualizations. We test empirically for the significance of variables based on these concepts, using a cross-sectional data set for 205 European regions during the period 2000–2010. The results confirming our hypotheses are that related variety is significantly related to employment growth, especially in small and medium-sized city-regions, and that specialization is significantly related to productivity growth. We do not find robust relationships that are hypothesized between unrelated variety and unemployment growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Faecal immunochemical tests (FITs) are commonly used in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Diagnostic accuracy of FIT differs between males and females. This so far unexplained difference could result in a dissimilarity in screening outcome between both sexes. The aim of this study is to compare sensitivity and specificity of a FIT between males and females, and study potential explanatory variables Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were prospectively collected. 3,022 subjects performed a FIT prior to complete colonoscopy. Sensitivity, specificity, and ROC curves were compared for both sexes. Potential explanatory variables of the relation between sensitivity and sex were explored. Results: At all cut-off values, FIT sensitivity for CRC was higher (range 13-23%) and specificity was lower (range 2-4%) in males compared to females. At 75 ng/ml, sensitivity for CRC was 93% in males compared to 71% in females (p = 0.03), and specificity was 90% in males compared to 93% in females (p = <0.05). For advanced adenomas, males had a slightly higher sensitivity and lower specificity (not significant). At 75 ng/ml, sensitivity for advanced adenomas was 33% in males compared to 29% in females (p = 0.46), and specificity was 93% in males compared to 95% in females (p = 0.22). ROC curves were similar for both sexes, and equal combinations of sensitivity and specificity could be achieved by adjusting the cut-off values. For CRC, the difference in sensitivity could not be explained by age or location of the tumour. Conclusions: FIT has a higher sensitivity and a lower specificity for CRC in males than in females. Equal test characteristics can be achieved by allowing separate cut-off values for both sexes. Location and age do not explain the observed differences in sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport corridors are viewed as a promising way forward in European Union (EU) transport policy, assumed to contribute positively to regional economic development. However, the validity of this assumption is not evident. The aim of this paper is to empirically test whether agglomeration economies in European transport corridor regions are positively related to indicators of regional economic development compared to regions outside the scope of corridors. The results build on the notion that the type of agglomeration economy in combination with the structure of the economy matters for prospects of structural economic growth in different regions. In this way, the analysis not only contributes to enhancing the empirical scrutiny of the corridor concept in EU transport policy, but also provides new insights into how corridors contribute to regional economic growth. We find only limited evidence for a corridor effect across European regions on productivity and employment growth externalities. Instead, we find a large degree of spatial heterogeneity interacting with corridors—a heterogeneity that has been little recognized in EU policies. We suggest that recent attention to place-based development strategies may accord well with the kinds of agglomeration effects related to corridor development observed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brownfields are spatial manifestations of previous economic activities, and their redevelopment may contribute to a more sustainable urban land-use in the rapidly urbanising environment of post-reform China. Owing to China's unique institutional background, two types of brownfields can be distinguished in China, namely of brownfields in urban areas and brownfields in urban villages. Based on this twofold classification, a stage model consisting of three stages (industrialization, suburbanization, and deindustrialization) is introduced to conceptualize the formation process of brownfields in both types of locations in Chinese cities. Deindustrialization of economic activity in the urban core is considered as the main cause of brownfield creation. Differing characteristics of brownfields in urban areas and brownfields in urban villages are interpreted in detail, consisting of land ownership, size of the site, spatial distribution, the mechanisms by which the sites are created, and the stakeholders involved. This article concludes that future research on brownfield redeveloping strategies in China needs to pay particular attention to different institutional settings of urban areas and urban villages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science parks (SPs) have received special attention as a policy tool to facilitate localised economic growth by attracting high-tech firms, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The effectiveness of this strategy has been called into question. Empirical studies suggest that the benefits of SPs for high-tech firms are limited. While this debate is mainly concentrated in the US and Europe, this paper sheds light on the role of SPs in China. It is found that, despite the presence of alternatives, the locations of high-tech SMEs in the region of Shenzhen are determined by hierarchically structured and governed SPs. This finding supports the notion that SPs can play a positive role in attracting high-tech SMEs. Moreover, these effects occur in the relatively unexplored Chinese context of increasingly liberalised but governed market circumstances, where a mature innovation system is still lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

After half a century of corridor development in Europe, the corridor concept is well-established in the academic discourse on transportation. Transport corridors have also been common practice in European transport policy since the creation of a borderless Europe in the 1990s. What is largely lacking in present-day research on European transport corridors is a consideration of a sector-transcendent and comprehensive spatial approach. We argue that adopting such an approach is beneficial to a valued analysis of European transport corridors, especially in the light of EU cohesion policy, agglomeration effects and place-based development. Also, negative external effects of persisting bottlenecks on welfare and quality of life in transport corridors should be better assessed and contextualised. This paper therefore suggests that policy can and should capitalise more on spatiality in corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Although their market scope often exceeds the neighborhood level, for most entrepreneurs of small-scale firms the neighborhood is the relevant arena for both their professional activities and their personal affairs. Dutch local economic policy aims to stimulate new firm formation and firm survival in (disadvantaged) neighborhoods by conditioning economic, social, and physical aspects of the neighborhood such as economic zoning and clustering, livability, and the quality of the built-up area. Although substantial differences in firm success exist across neighborhoods, it is not clear whether area-level factors contribute to these differences, suggesting that area-level policies are useful, or whether differences are due to either urban effects or to microlevel entrepreneurial and firm composition effects. This article distinguishes neighborhood effects from composition effects on local firm survival and firm growth, thereby also taking into account spatial dependence across neighborhoods. Our results suggest that aspects of the local livability of neighborhoods and of economic agglomeration are significantly related to individual firm survival and firm growth. The models provide proof for spillover effects of livability problems and market potential between adjacent neighborhoods. Neighborhoods and cities are therefore potentially places for area-based policies, aiming at the survival and growth of local firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the Netherlands, the diminishing accessibility of locations of consumers, producers and services potentially hampers economic growth. Reducing congestion is therefore one of the pivotal challenges for Dutch policymakers. In this paper we analyze population–employment dynamics in the Netherlands and concurrently decompose total employment into four broad sectors: manufacturing, distribution, business service and personal service activities. We explicitly allow for inter-sectoral relations to capture employment dynamics more accurately. We introduce a model in which endogeneity and spatial autocorrelation are dealt with by a generalized spatial three stage least squares (3SLS) estimator. Our empirical results suggest that population growth primarily causes the consumer service sector to grow. Employment growth in industrial activities and business services are not decisively affected by population growth. Moreover, the inter-sectoral relations appear more important than between employment and population growth itself. Our findings indicate that the existing magnitude and direction of consumer and business trips will be persistent over time, and potentially be even more pronounced in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT An important subset of the literature on agglomeration externalities hypothesizes that intrasectoral and intersectoral relations are endogenously determined in models of local and regional economic growth. Remarkably, structural adjustment models describing the spatio-temporal dynamics of population and employment levels or growth traditionally do not include intersectoral economic dynamics. This paper argues and shows that allowing for economic linkages across sectors in these models adds considerable value, especially in forecasting. An econometric model of population-employment dynamics, in which sectoral variations in economic development are explicitly taken into account, is applied to a large urban planning policy proposal in the Netherlands. The empirical analyses suggest that population dynamics are largely exogenous, population changes drive employment in particular in the industry and retail sectors, and employment in all sectors depends strongly on intersectoral dynamics. Intersectoral dynamics appear as important drivers of regional sectoral employment changes; they are even more important than population changes, and their effect shows up clearly even within the Dutch institutional context where strict regulatory housing and planning restrictions are enforced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Economic growth is one of the main European policy objectives of structural funds targeted at objective 1 regions. In an empirical analysis on growth differentials over 219 European regions between 2000 and 2010, we find that - controlled for other determinants - objective 1 regions grow in productivity due to higher degrees of specialisation, while other regions grow faster in employment, being embedded in a diverse economic environment. We argue that the type of agglomeration economies in combination with the structure of the economy is crucial for future long-term development prospects of regions - and that especially the larger objective 1 regions should diversify their economy more to reap long-term convergence prospects. This outcome favours a focus on place-based development, as advocated recently by the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we argue that conceptually disentangling the ‘context versus composition’ aspects of regional growth is a multilevel issue. By applying multilevel models (also called random-effects models), we show (1) the importance of considering firm-specific characteristics simultaneously with region-specific characteristics, as we find that a large part of what is traditionally assigned to the impact of the region should be assigned to firm-specific characteristics and (2) that existing single-level methodologies can be problematic, as they are vulnerable to the charge of estimating significance levels that are too liberally assigned and promote exaggerations. This is illustrated empirically by showing that single-level approaches would lead to the conclusion that innovation spillovers are highly significant in a setting of Dutch urban growth differentials, while multilevel analyses shows less liberally assigned significance levels. We conclude that multilevel-effect models better fit research questions that combine firm and spatial characteristics simultaneously, especially because they allow firm-specific characteristics to be differently linked to their regional contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inherent tension between regional equality and economic growth (efficiency) is recently much debated in the context of place based development policy and agglomeration in the European Union. A general conclusion reached in the literature is that a policy targeted at regional equality may be harmful for economic growth. Such policy therefore should be transformed in such a way that it also promotes the mobility of both people and firms and hence facilitates the possibilities of increased agglomeration. Recent insights from economic theories suggest that agglomeration externalities are not taken into account in the migration decision of firms and people, causing the dynamic urbanisation processes to not necessarily result in a (social) welfare optimum. This is even more so if other welfare effects than GDP and product variety are taken into account. Regional economic development is not sustainable if the dynamic urbanisation processes stemming from agglomeration economies do not lead to a welfare optimum. In this paper we assess the possibility of a non-sustainable regional development path. We conclude that strong additional negative externalities of growing large agglomerations are harder to prove than negative externalities of small agglomerations becoming smaller. Moreover, the size of short run negative effects that will stimulate the migration of people has not been adequately assessed. The European Union should therefore be careful in interpreting place-based costs and benefits of growing, large agglomerations at the detriment of small regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptually, the degrees of spatial and functional integration and urban complementarities in economic network relations are hypothesised to be important. In this paper, data on interfirm relations in the Dutch Randstad are used to test conditions for integration and the existence of economic complementarities. A clear hierarchy is observed in the different types of spatial interdependencies in the Randstad, in which the central place model prevails. Furthermore, no evidence is found for the functional integration of municipalities in the Randstad. It is concluded that, at this moment, the Randstad does not function as a spatially and functionally integrated region and that spatial economic policy can better focus on smaller regions within the Randstad. This also calls into question the applicability of the urban network concept in general, as the Dutch Randstad is usually seen as a prime example of an economically successful polycentric urban system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diagnosing colorectal cancer (CRC) at an early stage improves survival. To what extent any delay affects outcome once patients are symptomatic is still unclear. Our objectives were to evaluate the association between diagnostic delay and survival in symptomatic patients with early stage CRC and late stage CRC. Methods: Prospective population-based observational study evaluating daily clinical practice in Northern Holland. Diagnostic delay was determined through questionnaire-interviews. Dukes' stage was classified into two groups: early stage (Dukes A or B) and late stage (Dukes C or D) cancer. Patients were followed up for 3.5 years after diagnosis. Results: In total, 272 patients were available for analysis. Early stage CRC was present in 136 patients while 136 patients had late stage CRC. The mean total diagnostic delay (SE) was 31 (1.5) weeks in all CRC patients. No significant difference was observed in the mean total diagnostic delay in early versus late stage CRC (p = 0.27). In early stage CRC, no difference in survival was observed between patients with total diagnostic delay shorter and longer than the median (Kaplan-Meier, log-rank p = 0.93). In late stage CRC, patients with a diagnostic delay shorter than the median had a shorter survival than patients with a diagnostic delay longer than the median (log-rank p = 0.01). In the multivariate Cox regression model with survival as dependent variable and median delay, age, open access endoscopy, number and type of symptoms as independent variables, the odd's ratio for survival in patients with long delay (>median) versus short delay (≤median) was 1.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1 to 3.0; p = 0.01). Tumor-site was not associated with patient survival. When separating late stage CRC in Dukes C and Dukes D tumors, a shorter delay was associated with a shorter survival in Dukes D tumors only and not in Dukes C tumors. Conclusion: In symptomatic CRC patients, a longer diagnostic and therapeutic delay in routine clinical practice was not associated with an adverse effect on survival. The time to CRC diagnosis and initiation of treatment did not differ between early stage and late stage colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces a series of papers discussed within this issue, including one on the agglomeration economies literature and another on the concept of social capital of clusters in economic geography.

This paper analyses the spatial concentration patterns of innovation in science-based industries in the Netherlands. Using patents as an indicator for innovation we show that science-based industries have a relatively high level of spatial concentration compared to other technologies. In order to understand spatial patterns of innovation, insights into specific spatial and market characteristics of these technologies appears necessary. This is illustrated by the large influence of the Royal Philips Electronics NV on the spatial pattern of innovation in the Netherlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaboration and the exchange of knowledge are supposedly made easier by geographical proximity because of the tacit character of knowledge. Recently a number of scholars' criticised this view on geographical proximity as being oversimplified and argued that the precise role of geographical proximity for knowledge exchange and collaboration still remains unclear. This paper analyses the role of geographical proximity for collaborative scientific research in science-based technologies between universities, companies and governmental research institutes. We test the hypothesis that the collaboration between different kinds of organisations is more geographically localised than collaboration between organisations that are similar due to institutional proximity. Using data on co-publications, collaborations patterns are analysed and the hypothesis is confirmed. La colaboración y el intercambio de conocimiento son supuestamente más fáciles si hay una proximidad geográfica debido al carácter tácito del conocimiento. Varios investigadores han criticado recientemente esta suposición sobre la proximidad geográfica como simplista argumentando que el papel preciso que juega la proximidad geográfica en el intercambio de conocimiento y la colaboración aun no está claro. Este artículo analiza el rol de la proximidad geográfica en la investigación científica colaborativa en tecnologías de base científica entre universidades e institutos de investigación privados o gubernamentales. Analizamos la hipótesis de que la colaboración entre tipos diferentes de organizaciones es más localizada geográficamente que la colaboración entre organizaciones que son similares debido a su proximidad institucional. Usando datos sobre co-publicaciones, se analizan patrones de colaboración y se confirma la hipótesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we test for dynamic inter- and intra-industry externalities on the urban level in the Netherlands. We argue that previous contributions might be sensitive to untested spatial and sectoral composition effects of urban data. We conclude that research results are better controlled when analysed on lower spatial scales, that results improve in robustness when spatial dependence in the form of spatially lagged versions of explained (growth) variables is introduced in the econometric models, and that results are more informative when hierarchical urban regimes are tested for. Introducing spatially lagged versions of explanatory agglomeration variables is informative but leads to less robust outcomes. In general our research results are more conclusive on inter-industry externalities circumstances when outcomes of city-industry as well as sectoral research designs are compared with the same dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we contribute to the longstanding discussion on the role of knowledge to economic growth in a spatial context. We observe that in adopting the European policy strategy towards a competitive knowledge economy, the Netherlands is—as most European countries—mainly oriented towards industrial, technological factors. The policy focus is on R&D specialized regions in their spatial economic strategies. We place the knowledge economy in a broader perspective. Based on the knowledge economy literature, we value complementary indicators: the successful introduction of new products and services to the market (“innovation”) and indicators of skills of employees (“knowledge workers”). Using econometric analysis, we relate the three factors “R&D”, “innovation” and “knowledge workers” to regional economic growth. We conclude that the factors “innovation” and “knowledge workers” are more profoundly related to urban employment and productivity growth than the R&D-factor. Preferably, urban research and policy-makers should therefore take all three knowledge factors into account when determining economic potentials of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two classical and opposite perspectives on the effects of information and communication technology (ICT) on spatial economic development: dispersal or concentration. In this paper we analyse the dynamics in the spatial pattern of the ICT using industries in the period 1991–2002. We conclude that particularly the urban centres and the areas just outside of these centres had a loss of their share in the ICT-related employment and that the more rural areas are catching up. There is not a general dispersal of ICT-related employment over non-central areas though, but rather an emergence of new agglomeration areas at both the urban fringe and non-central locations within the urban system. ICT use as such does lead to spatial developments different from general spatial changes: not in general trends but particularly in a much larger magnitude of the dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study which examined the role of amenities in the location choice of both information and communication technology (ICT) firms and their employees in the Netherlands. Knowledge workers in ICT firms; Residential preferences of ICT employees; Importance that ICT employees attach to amenities.

Focuses on spatial research and development clustering as indicators of economic agglomeration in the Netherlands. Information on exploratory spatial data analysis; Discussion on modelling spatial proximity and spatial heterogeneity; Analysis of spatial-econometric models of industrial innovation intensity in 1999.

In the Netherlands, a shift occurred over the last two decades from positively framed spatial-economic policies promoting the development of extra-large distribution centres (DCs) and their claimed positive employment benefits towards a critical stance questioning the benefits of such policies, fuelled by the connected debate regarding the extensive land use and environmental impacts of DCs. In this paper, we unravel the assumed regional employment benefits of DCs into (i) direct employment benefits within the DCs, (ii) indirect employment benefits in the supply chain, and (iii) employment benefits from structural changes in regional production systems around DCs. We analyse these benefits using detailed business microdata and logistics-building data over a 20-year timeframe in the East-Southeast freight corridor (from Rotterdam to Germany). In the corridor, logistics footprint has doubled, and average DC size has tripled in this timeframe. We demonstrate that, although part of the hypothesised benefits can be spatially identified, employment benefits of new DCs decrease over time, due in part to automation and use of migrant labour. The expected co-agglomeration of manufacturing near DCs does not occur structurally, and although DC-favouring regions have successfully established competitive logistics business ecosystems, they can be vulnerable to a spatial-economic lock-in, relying primarily on the logistics sector. The spatial-economic policy narratives framing DCs as employment catalysts are thus of limited validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overseas Chinese communities are an important determinant in the location choice of greenfield investments made by mainland Chinese multinational enterprises across European regions. Conceptually embedded in a relational approach, this effect is shown through an empirical analysis of an exhaustive set of investment projects across NUTS-1 regions in twenty-six European countries for the period 2003–2010. When controlling for endogeneity bias and the embeddedness of existing Chinese economic activity, we find that the importance of overseas communities in the location choices of Chinese firms is based on increased access to strategic information. Our results confirm that the relationship between the size of an overseas Chinese community and the probability of Chinese investment is stronger for communities hosting newer generations of Chinese migrants; in addition, they partially corroborate that this relationship is stronger when the education level of the community’s Chinese migrants is higher. Our findings are particularly robust in the context of knowledge-intensive sectors and high value-added functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses the important shifts in the editorial policy of the journal "Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie," the opportunities of electronic publication channels, and the broadened scope of the journal towards issues of planning, governance and sustainability.

In this paper, we introduce network dependence in European regional growth analyses in two new ways. First, we use detailed trade-flow data across European regions to decompose regional economic growth into two components: demand-led growth due to growing export markets and structural growth due to growing market shares in those export markets. Only structural growth, constituting on average approximately 20 per cent of total growth, is potentially affected by regionally varying locational characteristics. The second network novelty we introduce is revealed competition as a measure of regional network membership in the growth analysis. Applying a neo-classical regional growth model using geographically weighted regression, we show that the degree of revealed competition in trade and services between sectors moderates regional structural growth. Regions operating on similar international markets share more favourable structural growth prospects, with locational determinants being more - albeit still limited - significant due to similar externalities. With regional characteristics being of limited sectoral and geographical importance for structural growth, our results suggest that the recently advocated place-based development strategies of European regions should be complemented with competitive regional network strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring functional coherence in metropolitan regions, in particular polycentric ones, requires taking the issues of multiplexity and individual level heterogeneity more explicitly into account, as the spatial organisation of functional linkages is not necessarily identical. Based on the analysis of one type of functional linkage a region can appear to be integrated, but loosely connected based on another. We demonstrate the occurrence of multiplexity for the polycentric Dutch Randstad region, and focus particularly on the presence of individual level heterogeneity. Commuting patterns in the Randstad are strongly related to socio-demographic variables and firm characteristics largely determine the scale of buyer-supplier relationships. We present studies into functional coherence in the Randstad, and assess whether methods, including the interlocking network model, are sufficiently capable of accounting for multiplexity and individual level heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Inland port challenges involve trade-offs between positive and negative effects. [•] Different port governance strategies exist to cope with these trade-offs. [•] Proactive zoning contributes to efficiently accommodating inland ports. [•] Facing inland port challenges is relevant for European corridor development. [•] Governing bodies should address multi-dimensional inland port challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real estate factors, such as property ownership, size and age, are generally not accounted for in research on revealed relocation decisions of firms. This is remarkable, as entrepreneurs often suggest that real estate characteristics at the property level provide an explanation for firm relocation behaviour in addition to more-frequently tested drivers of firm relocation. We assess the role of real estate determinants, focusing on firms in urban residential neighbourhoods, differentiating between firms located in residential and commercial properties. We find that property ownership is negatively related to relocation likelihood, while being located in property with multiple users is positively related to relocation likelihood. For firms in residential properties high property age and large property size limits firm relocation. Our findings confirm that real estate characteristics are important determinants for relocation likelihood of firms, suggesting that the structure of neighbourhood housing stocks can be linked to the mobility pattern of local firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The twenty-first century will be one of intensified urbanization, on a scale never before experienced. How do urban systems and individual cities change and develop? The social sciences have many different approaches to analyzing the economic, social, and spatial dimensions of urban change. We inventory some of these approaches and their implications for public policy toward cities, urban change, and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the increasing burden on colonoscopy capacity, it has been suggested that faecal immunochemical test (FIT) results could guide surveillance colonoscopy intervals. Against this background, we have evaluated the test accuracy of single and double FIT sampling to detect colorectal cancer (CRC) and/or advanced adenomas in an asymptomatic colonoscopy-controlled high-risk population. Methods: Cohort study of asymptomatic high-risk patients (personal history of adenomas/CRC or family history of CRC), who provided one or two FITs before elective colonoscopy. Test accuracy of FIT for detection of CRC and advanced adenomas was determined (cut-off level 50 ng/ml). Results: 1,041 patients provided a FIT (516 personal history of adenomas, 172 personal history of CRC and 353 family history of CRC). Five CRCs (0.5%) and 101 advanced adenomas (9.7%) were detected by colonoscopy. Single FIT sampling resulted in a sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for CRC of 80%, 89%, 3% and 99.9%, respectively, and for advanced adenoma of 28%, 91%, 24% and 92%, respectively. Double FIT sampling did not result in a significantly higher sensitivity for advanced neoplasia. Simulation of multiple screening rounds indicated that sensitivity of FIT for advanced adenoma could reach 81% after 5 screening rounds. Conclusions: In once-only FIT sampling before surveillance colonoscopy, 70% of advanced neoplasia were missed. A simulation approach indicates that multiple screening rounds may be more promising in detecting advanced neoplasia and could potentially alleviate endoscopic burden [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study shows for eight science-based industries that the citation impact of research collaboration is higher for international collaboration than for national and regional collaboration. A further analysis of institutional affiliations shows that university-industry-government collaborations profit from being organized at the regional scale only in the cases of biotechnology and organic fine chemistry. The alleged importance of physical proximity for successful interaction between university, industry and government thus is not robust across industries. We discuss the policy implications that follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which determines the extent of attraction of the Chinese and Indian foreign direct investment (FDI) in Europe with regional location factors via a dataset of greenfield investments from 1997-2008. The study sought to find the reason behind the uneven distribution of Chinese and Indian FDI in Europe by employing descriptive statistics and binominal estimation method. Results show that there is an increasing divergence in its core and peripheral European locations.

This article examines the extent to which agglomeration economies in one location affect employment growth and establishment births, using data from the Dutch province of South-Holland. The data are of particular interest because they represent a census, rather than a sample, of all establishments and the location of establishments can be pinpointed to within 416 (postal) zip code areas averaging less than 6 km2 in size. Results suggest that agglomeration economies positively affect employment growth and the location of new establishments, but with the possible exception of manufacturing, this effect dies out quickly with distance. Thus, the main finding is that for many industries, agglomerative forces may well operate at a geographic scale that is smaller than a city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing and transitional countries devote considerable funds to selected areas to stimulate local growth and firm productivity. We examine the impact of place‐based interventions due to the opening of science parks in Shenzhen, China, on firm productivity and factor use. Our identification strategy, exploiting spatial and temporal differencing in firm‐level data, addresses the issues that (a) the selection of science park locations is not random and (b) high‐productivity firms sort themselves into science parks. Firm productivity is approximately 15–25% higher due to the science park policy. The policy also increases local wages and leads to distortions due to job displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale residential displacement is occurring in many Chinese cities, with migrants living in ‘Villages in the City’ (ViCs) as the main groups affected. This study uniquely captures a situation in Baishizhou village in Shenzhen, where people live under a threat of imminent displacement. We elucidate the (social) heterogeneity of the affected population, their perceptions before and residential choices after displacement. Identifying four migrant groups, the two older generation groups (the first-generation labour migrant class and the new affluent migrant class) tend to anticipate severe consequences more than the two younger generation groups (the second-generation labour migrant class and the intellectual migrant class), mainly because the former groups are more economically and emotionally attached to the village. The residential choices of migrants (of all types) facing displacement increase housing demand in (remaining) ViCs in central urban areas, causing limitations to the absorptive capacity of cities for displaced migrants. Displacement occasionally enables displacees to climb the housing ladder; however, more often, it drives them further away from the city and places of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gentrification in China is intertwined with urban redevelopment, which causes the large‐scale displacement of rural–urban migrants from ‘villages in the city’ (ViCs). Because of the informality of ViCs, migrant renters have very insecure tenancy and during redevelopment they are treated as a negligible (‘invisible’) social group. As they are very difficult to locate after displacement, they are also literally invisible to researchers. To make the invisible visible, this study traced a sample of displaced migrants from Huangbeiling village in Shenzhen. The focus was on the displacement process and on identifying the consequences for the displaced. We found various forms of displacement during the redevelopment process. Nearby ViCs were prioritized by displaced migrants to minimize as much utility loss as possible. However, they generally suffer from decreased proximity, increased living costs, and the loss of social networks and job opportunities. Remarkably, some choose to return to the gentrifying village, enduring displacement in situ caused by increasing rents, drastic physical neighbourhood changes and declining liveability, in exchange for retaining their original social and economic networks. Large‐scale urban redevelopment is causing the rapid shrinkage of informal housing. Recognizing and addressing the housing needs of this impoverished social group is a matter of urgency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we employ an extension of the World Input‐Output Database (WIOD) with regional detail for EU countries to study the degree to which EU regions and countries are exposed to negative trade‐related consequences of Brexit. We develop an index of this exposure, which incorporates all effects due to geographically fragmented production processes within the UK, the EU and beyond. Our findings demonstrate that UK regions are far more exposed than regions in other countries. Only regions in the Republic of Ireland face exposure levels similar to some UK regions, while the next most affected regions are in Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and France. This imbalance may influence the outcomes of the negotiations between the UK and the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable urban transformation is a socially inclusive process in which urban residents, including the most marginalized groups, have a representative voice in planning and redevelopment. Nevertheless, the redevelopment of ‘villages in the city’ (ViCs) in China is often an exclusive process in which rural migrants are absent from decision-making, resulting in inequality and a redistribution of migrants' real income, defined as command over society's scarce resources. Migrants' displacement pattern of spatial attachment is explained by their attempts to maintain real income through three modes of integration (redistribution, market exchange and reciprocity). In particular, there is a spatial logic behind each mode of integration: centrality and access are essential for command over resources in market exchange; the limited redistributive resources available to migrants are strictly defined by political territory, which is to a certain extent supplemented by the ‘externality effect’ of public goods; and proximity to social groups gives rise to a variety of reciprocal activities that help migrants to integrate in the urban system. The research outcomes show that displaced migrants exhibit a strong desire to remain nearby and maintain their real incomes. The impacts of displacement on migrants must be taken into account in urban redevelopment projects, since this social group can become more marginalized in the city due to the redistribution of real incomes resulting from displacement. Considering that ViCs are very lively and accommodate diverse commercial and industrial activities, they could be gradually transformed into sustainable neighbourhoods with small interventions and incremental upgrading. In light of this, this research suggests economically, spatially and socially inclusive planning strategies to replace the demolition–redevelopment model and provide pathways towards the sustainable transformation of ViCs in Shenzhen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for detecting hemoglobin is used widely for noninvasive colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, but its sensitivity leaves room for improvement. Objective: To identify novel protein biomarkers in stool that outperform or complement hemoglobin in detecting CRC and advanced adenomas. Design: Case–control study. Setting: Colonoscopy-controlled referral population from several centers. Participants: 315 stool samples from one series of 12 patients with CRC and 10 persons without colorectal neoplasia (control samples) and a second series of 81 patients with CRC, 40 with advanced adenomas, and 43 with nonadvanced adenomas, as well as 129 persons without colorectal neoplasia (control samples); 72 FIT samples from a third independent series of 14 patients with CRC, 16 with advanced adenomas, and 18 with nonadvanced adenomas, as well as 24 persons without colorectal neoplasia (control samples). Measurements: Stool samples were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify protein combinations that differentiated CRC or advanced adenoma from control samples. Antibody-based assays for 4 selected proteins were done on FIT samples. Results: In total, 834 human proteins were identified, 29 of which were statistically significantly enriched in CRC versus control stool samples in both series. Combinations of 4 proteins reached sensitivities of 80% and 45% for detecting CRC and advanced adenomas, respectively, at 95% specificity, which was higher than that of hemoglobin alone (P < 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). Selected proteins could be measured in small sample volumes used in FIT-based screening programs and discriminated between CRC and control samples (P < 0.001). Limitation: Lack of availability of antibodies prohibited validation of the top protein combinations in FIT samples. Conclusion: Mass spectrometry of stool samples identified novel candidate protein biomarkers for CRC screening. Several protein combinations outperformed hemoglobin in discriminating CRC or advanced adenoma from control samples. Proof of concept that such proteins can be detected with antibody-based assays in small sample volumes indicates the potential of these biomarkers to be applied in population screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability challenge requires various forms of experimentation with inventions, which may lead to an upscaling process in which the invention and its applications will spread to other users and regions in the world. However, many experiments fail. In this paper, we explore the success factors for sustainability experiments in their contribution to a longer-term regime change. These factors are related to the experiment itself as well as to the habitat in which the experiment takes place. A habitat is regarded as a configuration of contextual factors, which are mainly locally or regionally embedded. We introduce complementary insights from transition management literature and regional innovation systems literature to hypothesise that various types of experiments have distinctive favourite habitats, each with their specific success factors. Our exploratory survey among 56 sustainability experiments throughout Europe in the area of food, mobility and energy innovation suggests that user involvement is the most important success factor. Other important factors are the cooperation in local and regional networks, the policy instruments from the local and regional government, the dissemination of learning experiences, and the existence of a local or regional vision of the future. We conclude that entrepreneurs, users, local and regional governments as well as other regional partners should collaborate actively to make sustainability experiments more successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Chinese cities are undergoing large-scale property-led redevelopment, which can result in both direct and indirect residential displacement. Although a number of studies on direct displacement have been carried out, insights into the mechanisms underlying indirect displacement are lacking. The present research investigated property-led redevelopment in Shenzhen and the induced chain effects of price-shadowing and indirect residential displacement. It was found that property-led urban redevelopment exhibits strong effects of price-shadowing on adjacent housing prices by creating property hot spots and bringing about changes in the housing market. A multilevel hedonic model quantitatively confirmed the price-shadowing effect of urban redevelopment, by showing that perceived or actual redevelopment increases housing prices in the vicinity. Interviews with residents of neighbourhoods adjacent to three typical redevelopment projects revealed that redevelopment-induced indirect displacement is closely related to rising property values and that residents suffer from both exclusionary displacement and displacement pressure. Residential displacement in China has gone beyond forced eviction and has taken on more indirect and latent forms. Property-led urban redevelopment is a key catalyst for this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyse the sectoral and functional division of labour in Central and Eastern European ( CEE) regions within the convergence debate. By analysing the investment decisions of multinational corporations in 49 NUTS 2 regions across six European CEE countries ( Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria), we show that capital city regions not only receive more greenfield FDI but also attract a larger variety of investments in terms of sectors and functions. Capital cities are more likely to host higher-end sectors and functions, which provides an explanation for the existing regional disparities within CEE countries. These results highlight the importance of functional and sectoral divisions of labour in the view of regional profiling and contribute to the recent EU Cohesion Policy debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stool-based molecular tests hold large potential for improving colorectal cancer screening. Here, we investigated the analytical sensitivity of a DNA methylation assay on partial stool samples, and estimated the DNA degradation in stool over time. In addition, we explored the detection of DNA methylation in fecal immunochemical test (FIT) fluid. Materials and Methods: Partial stool samples of colonoscopy-negative individuals were homogenized with stool homogenization buffer, spiked with different numbers of HCT116 colon cancer cells and kept at room temperature for 0, 24, 48, 72 and 144 h before DNA isolation. Analytical sensitivity was determined by the lowest number of cells that yielded positive test results by DNA methylation or mutation analysis. DNA methylation in FIT fluid was measured in 11 CRC patients and 20 control subjects. Results: The analytical sensitivity for detecting DNA methylation was 3000 cells per gram stool, compared to 60000 cells per gram stool for detection of DNA mutations in the same stool samples. No degradation up to 72 h was noted when a conservation buffer was used. DNA methylation was detected in 4/11 CRC FIT samples and in none of the 20 control FIT samples. Conclusions: Methylation based stool DNA testing showed a high analytical sensitivity for tumor DNA in partial stool samples, which was hardly influenced by DNA degradation over time, provided an adequate buffer was used. The feasibility of detecting DNA methylation in FIT fluid demonstrates the opportunity to combine testing for occult blood with DNA methylation in the same collection device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the increasing burden on colonoscopy capacity, it has been suggested that faecal immunochemical test (FIT) results could guide surveillance colonoscopy intervals. Against this background, we have evaluated the test accuracy of single and double FIT sampling to detect colorectal cancer (CRC) and/or advanced adenomas in an asymptomatic colonoscopy-controlled high-risk population.Methods: Cohort study of asymptomatic high-risk patients (personal history of adenomas/CRC or family history of CRC), who provided one or two FITs before elective colonoscopy. Test accuracy of FIT for detection of CRC and advanced adenomas was determined (cut-off level 50 ng/ml).Results: 1,041 patients provided a FIT (516 personal history of adenomas, 172 personal history of CRC and 353 family history of CRC). Five CRCs (0.5%) and 101 advanced adenomas (9.7%) were detected by colonoscopy. Single FIT sampling resulted in a sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for CRC of 80%, 89%, 3% and 99.9%, respectively, and for advanced adenoma of 28%, 91%, 24% and 92%, respectively. Double FIT sampling did not result in a significantly higher sensitivity for advanced neoplasia. Simulation of multiple screening rounds indicated that sensitivity of FIT for advanced adenoma could reach 81% after 5 screening rounds.Conclusions: In once-only FIT sampling before surveillance colonoscopy, 70% of advanced neoplasia were missed. A simulation approach indicates that multiple screening rounds may be more promising in detecting advanced neoplasia and could potentially alleviate endoscopic burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]