An overlapping generations approach to price policies in privatehealthcare insurance. The Catalan case

We analyze premium policies and price dispersion among private healthcare insurance firms from an overlapping-generations model. The model shows that firms that apply equal premium to all policyholders and firms that set premiums according to the risk of insured can coexist in the short run, whereas coexistence is unlikely in the long run because it requires the coincidence of economic growth and interest rates. We find support for the model’s results in the Catalan health insurance industry. Keywords: Economic theory, price policies, health insurance, health economics, overlapping-generations. JEL Classifications: I11 / L11 / L23

Immigration and housing: rethinking the role of fiscal policies to manage diversity

We study the two key social issues of immigration and housing in lightof each other and analyse which housing policies work best to distributediversity (racial, economic, cultural) equally across our cities and towns. Inparticular, we compare the impact of direct government expenditure andtax incentives on the housing conditions of immigrants in four Europeancountries: France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. The analysisshows that the different policies which have been adopted in these countrieshave not succeeded in preventing immigrants from being concentratedin certain neighbourhoods. The reason is that housing benefits andtax incentives are normally “spatially blind”. In our opinion, governmentsshould consider immigration indirectly in their housing policies and, forinstance, distribute social housing more evenly across different areas topromote sustainable levels of diversity.

El principio del Universal Design. Concepto y desarrollos en la enseñanza superior

Los principios, las prácticas y la investigación sobre diseño universal han sidoimplantados progresivamente en diferentes ámbitos, respecto al diseño y la preparación de entornos para la atención a las necesidades de las personas con discapacidad. En el contexto internacional, este desarrollo ha estado vinculado al avance en derechos sobre igualdad de oportunidades. En el contexto legislativo español, en la Ley 51/2003 se introducen definiciones sobre «accesibilidad universal» y «diseño para todos», con lo que se genera un marco que posibilita el análisis de fuentes conceptuales y de aplicación en nuestro contexto, de las aportaciones del diseño universal, así como su consideración para la fundamentación de prácticas de innovación e investigación en nuestros ámbitos universitarios. En este trabajo, a partir de una amplia revisión de fuentes y aportaciones de gran trayectoria en este campo, se presentan y analizan distintos enfoques, a través de los cuales se están desarrollando y aplicando prácticas de diseño universal en el ámbito de la enseñanza universitaria, y se plantean sus implicaciones educativas. Este análisis permite concluir que las aplicaciones del diseño universal parecen más prometedoras para el progreso hacia metas de inclusión en el entorno universitario que una perspectiva de «adaptación curricular»; aunque se pone de manifiesto la necesidad de que la investigación que se desarrolle en nuestros contextos aporte pruebas y elementos que favorezcan su implementa- ción. Aplicar prácticas docentes y de planificación en la enseñanza universitaria con bases en el diseño universal podría contribuir a superar, eliminar o evitar en un futuro barreras en el aprendizaje, no solo limitadoras del progreso de las personas con discapacidad, sino también del conjunto del alumnado. Asimismo, las conclusiones de este trabajo plantean aplicaciones y estimaciones de nuevas muestras empíricas como puntos de partida para futuras y posibles determinaciones de enfoques conceptuales.

La metàfora en les teories de la imatge: l’«analogia universal» i el «correlat objectiu»

Aquest treball posa en funcionament una gran xarxa d’intertextualitat generada al voltant d’un fenomen molt complex, que és la metàfora. La metàfora és segurament el motiu pel qual avui ens expressem i pel qual avui escrivim textos. Ja no ho diem pel fet que la metàfora sigui una figura literària molt eficaç per crear bellesa estètica, sinó perquè està implicada en la formació del llenguatge i en l’estructuració de la ment per assimilar i per figurar el coneixement. Per aquest motiu, en el nostre treball, hem volgut donar un enfocament pluridisciplinar a l’estudi de la metàfora, perquè, creiem, que sense aquesta visió àmplia, no es pot arribar a copsar ni entendre aquesta figura retòrica, que és molt més que això.

New universal definition of myocardial infarction applicable after complex percutaneous coronary interventions?

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to characterize myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) based on cardiac marker elevation as recommended by the new universal definition and on the detection of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). It is also assessed whether baseline inflammatory biomarkers are higher in patients developing myocardial injury. BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance accurately assesses infarct size. Baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) and neopterin predict prognosis after stent implantation. METHODS: Consecutive patients with baseline troponin (Tn) I within normal limits and no LGE in the target vessel underwent baseline and post-PCI CMR. The Tn-I was measured until 24 h after PCI. Serum high-sensitivity CRP and neopterin were assessed before coronary angiography. RESULTS: Of 45 patients, 64 (53 to 72) years of age, 33% developed LGE with infarct size of 0.83 g (interquartile range: 0.32 to 1.30 g). A Tn-I elevation >99% upper reference limit (i.e., myocardial necrosis) (median Tn-I: 0.51 μg/l, interquartile range: 0.16 to 1.23) and Tn-I > 3× upper reference limit (i.e., type 4a myocardial infarction [MI]) occurred in 58% and 47% patients, respectively. LGE was undetectable in 42% and 43% of patients with periprocedural myocardial necrosis and type 4a MI, respectively. Agreement between LGE and type 4a MI was moderate (kappa = 0.45). The levels of CRP or neopterin did not significantly differ between patients with or without myocardial injury, detected by CMR or according to the new definition (p = NS). CONCLUSIONS: This study reports the lack of substantial agreement between the new universal definition and CMR for the diagnosis of small-size periprocedural myocardial damage after complex PCI. Baseline levels of CRP or neopterin were not predictive for the development of periprocedural myocardial damage.

Towards a universal sampling protocol for soil biotas in the humid tropics

This paper reviews the methods for the inventory of below-ground biotas in the humid tropics, to document the (hypothesized) loss of soil biodiversity associated with deforestation and agricultural intensification at forest margins. The biotas were grouped into eight categories, each of which corresponded to a major functional group considered important or essential to soil function. An accurate inventory of soil organisms can assist in ecosystem management and help sustain agricultural production. The advantages and disadvantages of transect-based and grid-based sampling methods are discussed, illustrated by published protocols ranging from the original "TSBF transect", through versions developed for the alternatives to Slash-and-Burn Project (ASB) to the final schemes (with variants) adopted by the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Below-ground Biodiversity Project (CSM-BGBD). Consideration is given to the place and importance of replication in below-ground biological sampling and it is argued that the new sampling protocols are inclusive, i.e. designed to sample all eight biotic groups in the same field exercise; spatially scaled, i.e. provide biodiversity data at site, locality, landscape and regional levels, and link the data to land use and land cover; and statistically robust, as shown by a partial randomization of plot locations for sampling.

The Adoption of Technologies, Policies, and Systems for Improving Fleet Fuel Performance, 2007

The dramatic rise in fuel prices and growing environmental concerns are pressing freight transportation companies to pursue new systems and methods to improve fuel efficiency and reduce their environmental impact. While select major carriers appear to be leading efforts to adopt technologies that support a dramatic improvement in fuel performance, there appears to be little understanding as to the breadth and depth of efforts being taken by the broader motor carrier community, consisting of over 20,000 companies of all sizes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of adoption of technologies and policies to support improved fuel efficiency among motor carrier fleets.

The lower quality of preventive care among forced migrants in a country with universal healthcare coverage.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between socio-demographic factors and the quality of preventive care and chronic care of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in a country with universal health care coverage. METHODS: Our retrospective cohort assessed a random sample of 966 patients aged 50-80years followed over 2years (2005-2006) in 4 Swiss university primary care settings (Basel/Geneva/Lausanne/Zürich). We used RAND's Quality Assessment Tools indicators and examined recommended preventive care among different socio-demographic subgroups. RESULTS: Overall patients received 69.6% of recommended preventive care. Preventive care indicators were more likely to be met among men (72.8% vs. 65.4%; p<0.001), younger patients (from 71.0% at 50-59years to 66.7% at 70-80years, p for trend=0.03) and Swiss patients (71.1% vs. 62.7% in forced migrants; p=0.001). This latter difference remained in multivariate analysis adjusted for gender, age, civil status and occupation (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.54-0.86). Forced migrants had lower scores for physical examination and breast and colon cancer screening (all p≤0.02). No major differences were seen for chronic care of CV risk factors. CONCLUSION: Despite universal healthcare coverage, forced migrants receive less preventive care than Swiss patients in university primary care settings. Greater attention should be paid to forced migrants for preventive care.

L'esquema universal de clústers de 2-seccions d'una família de superfícies

Generalitzem el concepte de clúster de punts d'una superfície a clúster de seccions d'una família de superfícies per passar al cas relatiu, és a dir, a clústers de B-punts d'una B-superfície. Llavors definim, amb una propietat universal, la família universal de clusters de 2-seccions d'una família de superfícies, que, en cas que existir, és un esquema que parametritza tots els clústers de 2-seccions d'una famíla de superfícies. Demostrem la seva existencia sota certes hipotesis i trobem que es pot construir en termes de blowups a partir del producte de la família universal de seccions de la fmília de superficies per si mateixa. Al final del treball hi ha tres exemples que mostren part de la teoria estudiada.