Northampton Community College

About: Northampton Community College is a education organization based out in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 3410 authors who have published 4582 publications receiving 130398 citations. The organization is also known as: Northampton County Area Community College.

Testing for the existence of the ‘January effect’ in transition economies

Abstract: This paper tests the efficient market hypothesis (in terms of the presence or not of the ‘January effect’) for eight transition economies, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Slovenia Our analysis utilizes a monthly dataset that spans from 1991 till the early months of 2003 using monthly time series data of the stock markets of each country The main results support the existence of seasonal effects and particularly of the January effect for most of the countries in our sample Stronger evidence (in terms of statistical significance) is evident for the cases of Hungary, Poland and Romania; while for Hungary and Romania the results also suggest evidence in favour of the tax-loss selling hypothesis

Screening for cardiovascular risk in patients with severe mental illness in primary care: a comparison with patients with diabetes.

Abstract: BackgroundPeople with severe mental illness (SMI) have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with the general population. Clinical guidelines recommend annual screening for CVD risk factors with appropriate lifestyle counselling.AimsTo establish the proportion of patients with SMI being screened for CVD risk factors in their primary care practice compared with those with diabetes and determine whether people with SMI receive lifestyle advice.MethodDesign: a retrospective audit. Setting: five primary care centres in Northampton, England. Participants: three hundred and eighty-six patients with SMI and 1875 with diabetes.ResultsJust over a fifth of patients with SMI received a full CVD screen compared with the 96% of those with diabetes (OR = 90.37; 95% CI = 64.53–126.55, p < 0.01). Fifty-seven per cent of the SMI patients were given smoking advice but only 13% and 14% received guidance regarding diet and exercise, respectively. On average of each patient with SMI received ...

The Application of Three-Dimensional Printing in Animal Model of Augmentation Rhinoplasty.

Abstract: The role of three-dimensional (3D) printing has expanded in diverse areas in medicine. As plastic surgery needs to fulfill the different demands from diverse individuals, the applications of tailored 3D printing will become indispensable. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of using 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold seeded with fibrin/chondrocytes as a new dorsal augmentation material for rhinoplasty. The construct was surgically implanted on the nasal dorsum in the subperiosteal plane of six rabbits. The implants were harvested 4 and 12 weeks after implantation and evaluated by gross morphological assessment, radiographic imaging, and histologic examination. The initial shape of the implant was unchanged in all cases, and no definite post-operative complications were seen over the 3-month period. Radiologic evaluation confirmed that implants remained in the initial location without migration or extrusion. Histologic evaluations showed that the scaffold architectures were maintained with minimal inflammatory reactions; however, expected neo-chondrogenesis was not definite in the constructs. A new PCL scaffold designed by 3D printing method seeded with fibrin/chondrocytes can be a biocompatible augmentation material in rhinoplasty in the future.

Funding fertility: Issues in the allocation and distribution of resources to assisted reproduction technologies

Abstract: The appropriate level and source of funds for assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs), in particular IVF, have been controversial in most developed economies. Funding of fertility services internationally is characterized by low public (or other third party) funding, a greater reliance on user-pays than in most other health services, and variations in funding and provision. This article describes the characteristics of infertility as a condition and its treatment that have been used as a rationale for its exclusion from an otherwise comprehensive coverage of health services. The challenges these characteristics pose for the use of economic evaluation to inform resource allocation are discussed. Most economic evaluations have focused on the cost effectiveness of alternative infertility treatments. These evaluations provide important information, but do not inform the real issue at stake: what is the appropriate allocation of funds to ARTs, given that it involves sacrificing improvements in health in other areas? Cost utility analysis - the method of economic appraisal preferred by most agencies charged with making such decisions (including the National Institute of Clinical Excellence in the UK) - is ill-equipped to deal with the benefits produced by ARTs. Alternative methods are available, but require decision makers to weigh up very different sorts of evidence. Demonstration of the willingness to pay for the benefits of ARTs can be used to support public decisions but, conversely, also implies that those who can pay will pay in a private market. Ultimately, decisions about the inclusion or otherwise of ARTs in collectively funded health systems probably rest as much on judgments about equity in access as value for money. Given that this is the case, public funding of IVF should be accompanied by the development of agreed criteria for the prioritization of potential recipients, to ensure treatment is targeted at those for whom it is most effective and that access is consistent and fair.

Requirements rationales: integrating approaches to requirement analysis

Abstract: An empirical study of requirements analysis techniques is reported. The study used a ship board emergency application. Requirements were elicited by presenting users with a prototype-simulation of a prospective design based on preliminary analysis. This was combined with rationale based techniques for structuring probe questions and a questionnaire to elicit user preferences. Transcripts of the sessions were analysed for the type of questions asked, answers received and the type of requirement captures. The scenario and rationale techniques proved very effective in eliciting requirements, but style of questioning may be an important effect. Recommendations are made for requirements capture session using scenario based approaches.