How High Is Too High? Implications of High-Deductible Health Plans

Assesses high deductible health plans, and the likelihood that they would have a substantial effect on either health costs or coverage. Suggests legislative modifications to protect lower wage adults and ensure access to early preventive and primary care

In the Name of Shareholder Value: Origin Myths of Corporations and Their Ongoing Implications

Part I of this Article analyzes some of the contemporary critiques of, and debates around, shareholder value in order to illustrate why many of these contestations demonstrate underlying gaps or problematic assertions in the history and politics of shareholder value, especially if they are delimited by the narrow legal frames and neoliberal assumptions of corporations. It also provides the context necessary to explicate and ground why shareholder primacy and ownership assumptions are historically and legally flawed, and how financial values and assumptions continue to be championed (and financial power elided), despite the recent implosions of shareholder value. Part II expands upon several leading scholars’ work in showing the paradoxical and ahistorical nature of the shareholder ownership assumption and the conflation of primary and secondary financial markets. Throughout, this Article attempts to differentiate and disentangle multiple problems with the shareholder value interpretation by emphasizing Wall Street’s undue influence, the myth and ideology of shareholder value primacy, and the intersections between them

Wages, Health Benefits, and Workers' Health

Examines the divide in the U.S. labor market between higher wage earners with health insurance, and lower wage earners who often lack coverage and access to essential health care

Narrative in the music of Jay Chou : a case study of music, globalization and semantics

La version intégrale de ce mémoire est disponible uniquement pour consultation individuelle à la Bibliothèque de musique de l’Université de Montréal (www.bib.umontreal.ca/MU).Un auditoire constitué d'une variété de différentes cultures et traditions nationales peut-il arriver à une compréhension commune d'une seule chanson populaire? Utilisant une analyse musématique, une méthodologie développée par Tagg (Tagg & Clarida, 2003), nous avons croisé des structures musicales non seulement avec d'autres pièces de musique de styles variés, mais aussi avec des résultats de simples tests d'écoute. La pièce de l'artiste taiwanais Jay Chou a été jouée à des sondés provenant de différents milieux culturels. Les résultats sont surprenants: comment est-il possible que les réponses des sondés, issus de milieux culturels multiples, mènent à des directions semblables? La mondialisation joue-t-elle un rôle en incitant de telles réactions similaires? Néanmoins, quelles sont les différences interprétatives entre les auditeurs provenant de différents milieux culturels? La base empirique pour mon étude est double: 1) des données au niveau de la réception, basées sur des tests d'écoute et des sondages en ligne; 2) une analyse structurelle détaillée, incluant des transcriptions complètes. Les relations entre les deux catégories d'information seront examinées en utilisant le technique d'analyse musématique de Tagg. Évidemment, il sera nécessaire de mettre les aspects sémiotiques, ci haut mentionnés, dans leur contexte socioculturel particulier, spécifiquement par rapport à la diaspora chinoise. Tout particulièrement, je devrai concentrer cette partie de l'étude sur les membres de la communauté chinoise à Montréal.Can an audience consisting of a variety of different national cultures and traditions come to a common understanding of a single pop song? Using musematic analysis, a methodology devised by Tagg (in Tagg & Clarida 2003), we cross-referenced musical structures not only with other pieces of music in varying musical styles but also with the results from simple reception tests. A piece by Taiwanese artist Jay Chou was played to respondents from various cultural backgrounds. The results were surprising, how was it that respondents from quite disparate cultural backgrounds associated in similar directions? Does globalization play a role in prompting such similar reactions? What differences in interpretation, nevertheless exist between listeners from different cultural backgrounds? The empirical basis for my study is twofold: 1) reception data based on listening tests and online surveys; 2) detailed structural analysis, including full transcriptions. Relationships between these two information categories will be examined using Tagg’s musematic analysis techniques. It is obvious that it will be necessary to put the above-mentioned semiotic aspects in their particular socio-cultural context, specifically that relating to the Chinese diaspora; more specifically, I shall concentrate this part of the study on members of the Chinese community in Montreal

The inferior caval vein draining into the left atrial cavity : a rare case

The inferior vena cava (IVC) draining into the left atrium (LA) is exceedingly rare in the setting of the usual atrial arrangement (situs solitus). This article describes a patient with this unique anomaly, and its repair.peer-reviewe

A comparison of continuous and bi-level positive airway pressure non-invasive ventilation in patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema: a meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: We conducted the present study to investigate the potential beneficial and adverse effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) compared with bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) noninvasive ventilation in patients with cardiogenic pulmonary oedema. METHOD: We included randomized controlled studies comparing CPAP and BiPAP treatment in patients with cardiogenic pulmonary oedema from the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (2005 issue 3), and EMBASE and MEDLINE databases (1966 to 1 December 2005), without language restriction. Two reviewers reviewed the quality of the studies and independently performed data extraction. RESULTS: Seven randomized controlled studies, including a total of 290 patients with cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, were considered. The hospital mortality (relative risk [RR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32–1.78; P = 0.52; I(2 )= 0%) and risk for requiring invasive ventilation (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.33–1.94; P = 0.62; I(2 )= 0%) were not significantly different between patients treated with CPAP and those treated with BiPAP. Stratifying studies that used either fixed or titrated pressure during BiPAP treatment and studies involving patients with or without hypercapnia did not change the results. The duration of noninvasive ventilation required until the pulmonary oedema resolved (weighted mean difference [WMD] in hours = 3.65, 95% CI -12.12 to +19.43; P = 0.65, I(2 )= 0%) and length of hospital stay (WMD in days = -0.04, 95% CI -2.57 to +2.48; P = 0.97, I(2 )= 0%) were also not significantly different between the two groups. Based on the limited data available, there was an insignificant trend toward an increase in new onset acute myocardial infarction in patients treated with BiPAP (RR 2.10, 95% CI 0.91–4.84; P = 0.08; I(2 )= 25.3%). CONCLUSION: BiPAP does not offer any significant clinical benefits over CPAP in patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema. Until a large randomized controlled trial shows significant clinical benefit and cost-effectiveness of BiPAP versus CPAP in patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, the choice of modality will depend mainly on the equipment available

Biomarkers of progression in diabetic nephropathy: The past, present and future

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How to Pioneer Occupational Therapy in College Campuses

Discover why occupational therapy practitioners should be employed on college campuses, what it would take to build a program or position, and how you can demonstrate your unique value as an occupational therapy practitioner

Using participatory research to explore the oral health awareness of junior and senior high students at L.Y. Cairns School

Introduction. Vulnerable populations, such as school-aged adolescents with mild cognitive disabilities, can be partners in the creation of interactive learning tools. Objectives. This participatory qualitative study involved teachers and school-aged adolescents in the creation of artwork that answered 4 questions:  1) What does a healthy mouth look like? 2) What does an unhealthy mouth look like? 3) What foods keep your teeth healthy?, and 4) What are some healthy teeth habits? Methods/Results. Three teachers and their 33 students provided artwork that depicted their answers to the 4 questions, and written descriptions. The researchers coded the artwork individually and grouped the data into 4 major categories: Healthy vs. unhealthy (yellow teeth, pain); Lifestyle (no smoking, visiting the dentist), healthy habits (brushing, flossing); and Foods and Nutrition (fruits and vegetables - to eat, soda pops and pizza - to avoid). A four-minute-long video featuring animations of the students’ artwork was created professionally to showcase their knowledge and facilitate an interactive learning tool. Conclusion. Co-learning between researchers and participants fostered positive, collaborative learning within the community. Significance. This study provided insights into an effective strategy for creating oral health education tools for the learners, by the learners. The video presentation will be used by dental hygiene students to engage vulnerable populations in a discussion about oral health. &nbsp

Health Care Services Utilization Among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders: The Effect of Health Beliefs and Enabling Resources

Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) have some of the poorest health status in the United States. The disparities in the health status of the NHPI as compared to other ethnic groups can be explained by many factors such as health care access. According to the Andersen Behavioral Model, inequitable access to health care can occur when social structure, health beliefs, and enabling resources determines who gets medical care. In order for equitable access to occur, factors such as health beliefs must be mutable or point to a policy change that leads to behavioral change. Social structure was found to have low mutability. This study, then, assesses what health beliefs and enabling resources influence the use of health care services by NHPI and ultimately health status. The results of this study found that health beliefs were the strongest predictor for use of health care services. The NHPI’s individual cultural medicines and practices and past observed experiences with the Western health care system were embedded in their attitudes, values, and knowledge and that influenced their subsequent perceptions of need and use of health care services and ultimately health status. Except for long wait times and transportation, the NHPI rarely mentioned other enabling resources such as health care insurance. However, the community and personal enabling services must still be present for use of health care services to take place.Doctor of Public Healt