“Ripple effects” and forecasting home prices in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix

We examine the time-series relationship between house prices in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. First, temporal Granger causality tests reveal that Los Angeles house prices cause house prices in Las Vegas (directly) and Phoenix (indirectly). In addition, Las Vegas house prices cause house prices in Phoenix. Los Angeles house prices prove exogenous in a temporal sense and Phoenix house prices do not cause prices in the other two markets. Second, we calculate out-of-sample forecasts in each market, using various vector autoregressive and vector error-correction models, as well as Bayesian, spatial, and causality versions of these models with various priors. Different specifications provide superior forecasts in the different cities.     

Memory,narrative and display – city museums in recent initiatives and debates

Currently, the study and the exhibition of the history and artistic traces of city development are gaining new interest. Several Italian and European cities are proposing, or have just established, organisations or museums intended to ‘display’ their past. Recently a research group has been constitued at the University IUAV of Venice based on the premiss that a contemporary City Museum has to be a conduit for knowledge to a large and varied public including, on equal terms: citizens, immigrants, tourists and people with cultural and professional interests in the urban environment. In this sense Venice seems to be a very good clase‐study. While an important initiative, such as the constitution of a new Museum of the twentieth century in Mestre (the mainland of Venice) is going on, the research group thinks that this kind of institution, within the framework of a very complex and rich system of museums, such as the Venetian one, could have a wide remit. In fact, one of the special key issues for Venice in the twentieth century has been opening up its cultural and productive activities to the external world. Foreigner visitors, as well as many citizens have always had the vision of Venice as a medieval and renaissance city with a very old historical centre. Yet in the course of the twentieth century, the urban settlement had greatly changed in a very interesting and innovative way. This has to be explained and shown to both tourists and the Venetians.     

Methylmercury in water, seston, and epiphyton of an Amazonian river and its floodplain, Tapajós River, Brazil

Levels and accumulation of MeHg were characterized in filtered water, suspended organo-mineral matter, phytoplankton, zooplankton and epiphyton during the dry season and the wet season. In open water of the lentic and lotic ecosystems, the MeHg in filtered water (< 0.2 microm) was near or below the detection limit (< 0.02-0.03 ng/l). These concentrations represent < 5% of the Hgtot. content in filtered water. Inundated forests (Igapó) and macrophyte floating mats were the only sites where MeHg was significantly detected (0.07-0.24 ng/l), representing 3-22% of the Hgtot. in filtered water. MeHg concentrations in organo-mineral suspended matter (2-26 ng/g dry wt. representing 0.6-7.3% of Hgtot.) were correlated with the N content but not with the C content. Data suggest that MeHg enrichment of suspended matter is strongly influenced by the presence of degraded planktonic remains relatively rich in N and MeHg. In zooplankton, MeHg concentrations (20-140 ng/g dry wt.) increased from the dry season to the end of the wet season. This increase was followed by higher proportions of MeHg during the wet season in comparison to the dry season (15-40 to 50-70% of the Hgtot.). The epiphytic material collected from the roots of macrophyte floating mats contained 2-8.5 ng/g dry wt. of MeHg. The proportion of MeHg to Hgtot. in epiphyton (1.5-8.3%) correlated with its C and N contents. The data suggest a greater bioavailability of MeHg in the Tapaj6s River ecosystems due to the seasonal increase in water level and the consequent inundation of the floodplain. Inundation favours the development of large macrophyte floating mats which increases the bioavailability of epiphyton to herbivorous/detritivorous fish. The root zone of floating macrophytes and the flooded organic horizon of the Igapó forest are the only sites along the Tapajós River where significant MeHg can be detected in the water column and sediment. This new study supports the hypothesis that MeHg production and transfer to the first link of the food chain in Amazonian river systems is closely related to organic matter biogeochemistry in the floodplain environment.     

Physical exercise,health, and post-socialist landscapes—recreational running in Sofia,Bulgaria

Abstract

The changes that have been brought about since the end of state socialism include modifications to the urban landscape of cities like Sofia, Bulgaria. There has been a decline in the number of green spaces, sports facilities and state-run sports programmes. The changing urban landscape has seen an increase in car travel, car parking and projects such as the Sofia Metro. Citizens from Bulgaria are among the least active in Europe; this has an enormous effect on the prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases. However, during the last decade, there has been an increase in recreational running, and in particular informal running clubs in Sofia. This paper uses recreational running to understand the changing landscape of post-socialist cities and its effect on techniques of public health. Using data from two in-depth qualitative case studies of informal running clubs from Sofia to examine the effects of the changing urban landscape on recreational fitness practices and well-being, the rationale of this paper is that this has the potential to generate fresh suggestions about the effective promotion of public health through exercise in view of how and where urban running is currently conducted in post-socialist landscapes.     

The Mega-Cities in China: Development, Problems and Prospect

3.2.1 Continuing impact of factors af-fecting mega-city growth The growing city is an economic andtechnical process.as well as a social and po-litical process(Jean Gottmann).We mustlook into the different factors that have af-fected,and are affecting,the growth of themega-cities.     

Figurations of spatiality and temporality in participatory design and after – networks,meshworks and patchworking

In recent years, many have combined actor–network theory (and after) and collective design. In this emerging field that we call participatory design and after, many have proposed and appropriated figurations such as networks, fluid, fire, thing and meshwork. In this paper, we argue that figurations do not only contribute to knowing the world, they also intervene in the becoming of worlds. This recognition of the performative character of figuration suggests that knowledge-making and world-making are inseparable, and makes it very important to be careful what figurations we imagine, articulate and use. In order to continue the work done in ANT and collective design that focuses on uncertainties, boundary-making, complexities and time, we propose the figuration of patchworking. What we particularly find generative with the figuration of patchworking is that it figures design as entanglements in multiple temporalities. Through the figuration of patchworking, we offer an approach that allows for understanding and working with multiple and overlapping collectives. This means to refigure how and where to draw the boundaries of co-designing in technological societies.     

Exploring 17α-ethinylestradiol removal, mineralization, and bioincorporation in engineered bioreactors

This research investigated removal, mineralization, and bioincorporation of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE₂) in membrane bioreactors and conventional bioreactors. When the influent EE₂ concentration was >50 μg/L, the membrane bioreactor (MBR) biomass removed more EE₂ than conventional bioreactor (CBR) biomass in continuous tests, likely because the sorption partitioning coefficients are higher for MBR biomass. Microautoradiography was carried out to investigate the distribution of EE₂ within the aggregates retrieved from the bioreactors, and the results revealed concentration gradients present within the floc. Experiments using radiolabeled ¹⁴C-EE₂ experiments (done with 24.5 μg/L EE₂) showed that EE₂ removal rates and the amount of EE₂ mineralized were similar in MBRs and CBRs. Direct measurements and bioenergetic estimates suggest that EE₂-related carbon is probably incorporated into active biomass, despite the fact that EE₂ was added at a concentration that was much lower than that of the primary growth substrates.     

The Mega-Cities in China: Development, Problems and Prospect

The existence of large and very large cities is a worldwide phenomenon. and has beena subject of much research and concern, The potentiai difficulty in tackling the issue isnow well understood. The number of large and very large cities is the greatest in China: there aretwenty-eight cities of 50,000 to one million population, and thirty of over one million, thelatter being regarded as meg-citics. There are nine of over two million population,amongst which Beijing has 10.4 million(1990)and Shanghai has 12.8 million(1990).Planning and research of the mega-cities tend to be locally specific and what is lackingseems to be an overview of the common and general issues in their development.     

People and houses in South Oxfordshire, 1300–1650

This article is one outcome of an intensive study of inhabitants’ perceptions of landscape in south Oxfordshire over the long period 500–1650. Analysis of late medieval and early modern vernacular buildings was an important part of the research project, in particular for working out how houses might have been used as part of the wider social space of the village. The study area, the fourteen parishes of the former hundred of Ewelme, is particularly useful for such an investigation because it incorporates a range of settlement types, from the villages of the south Oxfordshire vale to the scattered hamlets of the Chiltern Hills to the south-east. What follows is an initial summary of results, including information about the character and size of tenant houses, discussion of the way internal spaces were organised, and an assessment of key phases of plan-form change. Emphasis is placed on the physical relationship between houses, roads and other features, and the potential implications for the way people engaged with each other on a day-to-day basis. Data collected from recording work on 53 houses (including some new dendrochronological and radiocarbondates) is combined with analysis of documents, notably a survey of Ewelme manor in 1609.     

Urban development,maintenance and conservation: planning in Germany – values in transition

In the history of urban planning, the attitude toward the existing urban fabric, the built heritage, has been subject to a number of changes both in theory and practice. This wide‐ranging article reviews the changing attitudes to the built heritage within Germany’s cities since the nineteenth century. Drawing on contemporary literature and many specific examples of practice, it charts perspectives and priorities which have ranged between neglect and attention, conversion and imitation. Present perspectives in German planning are marked by a growing awareness of future urban shrinkage which is likely to affect urban development policy for sustainability: from expansion to maintenance and regeneration of existing structure and substance.     

Organisation, ‘anchoring’ of knowledge,and innovative activity in construction

The construction industry is characterised by the widespread use of project organisation. It has been suggested that the relatively low level of innovative activity in the industry can be explained by the temporary nature of firm boundary‐crossing projects. Survey data from the Danish construction industry is used to investigate the importance of learning and ‘anchoring’ of project‐specific knowledge at the firm level for participation in innovative activities. The data cover both the overall Danish construction industry and a specific region, North Jutland, which has a relatively high specialisation of construction workers. Latent class and regression analyses reveal that firms that make extensive use of partnering, together with internal product and process evaluation and knowledge diffusion (labelled ‘knowledge‐anchoring mechanisms’), are more likely to participate in innovative activities than firms which make less use of these mechanisms. This indicates that construction firms are able to compensate for the problems that temporary interorganisational projects may cause in relation to continuous learning at the firm level.     

Formation,distribution and risk control of landslides in China

China is a country with a large population as well as frequent landslides. The formation and distribution of landslides in China are determined by its special topography, complex geological environment, active earthquake environment and unusual climate features. This paper analyzes the main features and distribution of 200 catastrophic landslides that occurred in China since 1900. The relationships among the distribution of landslides and topographic conditions, geological structure, climate features and st...     

Mite and pet allergen exposure in hotels in Uberlândia, Midwestern Brazil

Mite allergens are involved in airway sensitization and allergic diseases. We evaluated the exposure to house dust-mite (Der p 1 and Der f 1) and pet (Fel d 1 and Can f 1) allergens in hotels in Uberlandia, Midwestern Brazil. A total of 140 dust samples were collected from bedding (n = 98) and carpet (n = 42) of bedrooms in 20 hotels enrolled for this study. Geometric mean (GM) levels of Der f 1 (11.30 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 8.34-15.30 microg/g) were significantly higher than Der p 1 (0.15 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 0.13-0.18 microg/g) in bedding dust samples (P < 0.001), regardless of the hotel classes. Der f 1 levels were significantly higher in bedding (11.30 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 8.34-15.30 microg/g) than carpet (6.32 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 4.31-9.26 microg/g) dust samples (P < 0.05). High levels of Der f 1 (>10 microg/g of dust) were found in 58%, 76%, and 69% of dust samples from Simple, Economical, and Tourist/Superior hotels, respectively, while GM levels of Fel d 1 (0.11 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 0.09-0.14 microg/g) and Can f 1 (0.30 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 0.20-0.44 microg/g) were relatively low. These results indicate that Der f 1 is the predominant allergen in hotels in Uberlandia, especially in bedding dust samples, regardless of the hotel classes and could represent an important risk factor for exacerbation of allergic symptoms in previously mite-sensitized guests. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Mites and pets are important sources of indoor allergens. Most people spend the greatest part of their time indoors. Hotels can constitute an important allergen reservoir of the indoor environment and could represent an important risk for exacerbation of allergic symptoms in previously sensitized guests. Thus, hotels should also be included for planning indoor allergen avoidance as part of a global management strategy, especially in patients with respiratory allergy.     

Collective (in) efficacy,substance abuse and violence in “Freedom Park,” Cape Town

Using collective efficacy as a lens, the paper tries to understand high levels of violence and crime within an urban settlement in Cape Town, which has recently undergone an upgrading process from an informal into a formal settlement. Theory and evidence from North America are that collective efficacy (social cohesion and informal control) has a significant bearing on levels of violence and crime and impacts on the ability of a community to regulate antisocial behavior. The paper has three main concerns, namely (a) the impact of the upgrading project on social cohesion within the settlement (b) the impact of an apparent decrease in social cohesion on informal measures of social control and the community’s ability to regulate crime and violence in the settlement and (c) how the presence of a concentration of illegal liquor and drug outlets affects collective efficacy and levels of violence and crime in turn. Research in Freedom Park reveals that the upgrading project did seem to diminish levels of social cohesion, marked by trust and solidarity, within the settlement. Whereas residents had previously depended on one another to maintain order and safety within the settlement, after upgrading, these informal arrangements and support structures have all but disappeared. A proliferation of illegal alcohol and drug outlets has simultaneously contributed to increasing levels of violence and crime and eroded social cohesion among residents. This research shows that while collective efficacy does provide a useful starting point, given the complex nature of violence and crime, it cannot be considered in isolation of broader structural constraints like poverty and unemployment, which feed into a vicious cycle of deprivation violence and crime in disadvantaged neighborhoods in cities of the South.     

Parking Policies in China’s Metropolises: Rationales,Consequences, and Implications

Metropolises in China, a rapidly motorizing nation, are confronted with the challenge of managing parking pressures. Given the generally increased affordability of cars, most local authorities are making efforts to provide more parking spaces to accommodate additional cars. Although the worldwide paradigm of managing parking is shifting from a supply-focused approach to a restraint mind-set, China has been slow to follow this trend. To untangle the factors that contribute to delays implementing desirable parking policy reforms, this paper examines the development of parking policies in China. This paper characterizes the challenge of parking in Chinese cities as a spatio-temporal mismatch. In the context of rapid motorization, local authorities are subject to political pressure to cater to the increased parking demand by increasing the minimum parking requirements. However, this approach fails to mitigate parking shortages and results in unintended consequences, including relatively high parking density in central and transit-rich areas and imbalanced parking across neighbourhoods. This paper suggests four strategies, including market-based pricing, geographically differentiated supply regulations, and district-based parking management (“Parking management is referred to as various policies and programs that result in more efficient use of parking resources”). These strategies represent policy-reform targets to establish more efficient parking systems in rapidly motorizing urban settings worldwide.     

Incarnating Spirits,Composing Shrines,and Cooking Divine Power in Vodún

In this article I consider the ways in which shrine building, adornment, and the resulting experience of secrecy that emanates from shrines supports the building of new transnational networks and diasporas that are beginning to encourage a conceptual expansion of the African-Atlantic world. To achieve this I focus on how strategic choices in ritual flexibility and experimentation in shrine-building work to support the transnationalization of religions such as Vodún as they move from space to space, and how the religion’s material culture and repertoire re-localize as social and national spaces shift. In so doing, I argue that processes of secrecy, which in Vodún are typically tethered to religious objects such as shrines, encourage – instead of restrict – the global expansion of West African religions.     

Tissue, age, and sex distribution of thallium in shrews from Doñana, a protected area in SW Spain

In 1998, the protected area of Do?ana, an important natural region in SW Europe, was affected with great amount of acidic waters and sludge from a pyrite mine loaded with toxic metals such as thallium (Tl). Since this ecological catastrophe, several studies have addressed the effects of this pollution on the flora and fauna in this protected area. However, in contrast to other non-essential metals, scarce information on Tl was available after this disaster, especially in terrestrial environments. This study reported a 3- and 10-fold increase in Tl in liver and kidneys, respectively, of the greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula, in the polluted site in comparison with reference animals. Kidneys showed the highest concentrations of this metal in the polluted site, whereas both organs analysed have similar concentrations in the reference site. Although no significant age-dependent variation was found, adults had higher concentrations than juveniles. Moreover, females showed higher concentrations than males. These results demonstrate the high entrance and transfer of Tl in terrestrial food-chains. To the best of my knowledge, these data constitute the first measurements of Tl in mammals from the protected area of Do?ana and are among the few available for insectivorous mammals.