bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Advising and Counseling Continuum: Triggers for Referral
Authors: Kuhn Terry , Gordon Virginia N. , Webber Jane
Published: July 2013

In this article, we describe a continuum of responsibilities shared by faculty and nonfaculty academic advisors as well as personal counselors at 4-year colleges and universities. After addressing terminology, we describe a continuum of issues that advisors and counselors routinely address and identify some triggers that might suggest that a referral from an advisor to a trained counselor is warranted.

Relative emphasis: *practice, theory, research
Academic Advising During Program Discontinuance
Authors: Maher Michelle A.
Published: July 2013

Academic program closure is explored and student advising needs that emerged in 3 stages of program decline and discontinuation are identified. Data from interviews and advising communication of 20 graduate students enrolled in a master of education program targeted for discontinuation were qualitatively analyzed within a framework of an organizational death model. Findings indicate that program decline and discontinuation require academic advisors to understand and respond to a range of advising needs that vary with the phase of program closure: addressing students' emotional responses of grief, anger, and betrayal as well as managing student concerns over the loss of professional identity and lack of a professional network. Recommendations are offered for faculty advisors caught in the midst of program discontinuation.

Relative emphasis: practice, research, theory
Advising Students About Required Grade-Point Averages
Authors: Moore W. Kent
Published: July 2013

Sophomores interested in professional colleges with grade-point average (GPA) standards for admission to upper division courses will need specific and realistic information concerning the requirements. Specifically, those who fall short of the standard must assess the likelihood of achieving the necessary GPA for professional program admission. The Excel spreadsheet described in this paper yields quantitative data that serve as a basis for clear communication and effective advising. For students who have a high probability of success, the information provides a target, and the accompanying advising can increase motivation to reach it. Conversely, students not likely to attain the necessary GPA can be more easily convinced to redirect their time and energy into another major in which they can be successful.

Relative emphasis: practice, research, theory
Five Possible Future Work Profiles for Full-Time Academic Advisors
Authors: Steele George
Published: July 2013

Five potential work profiles for full-time academic advisors, based on the impact of technology, are proposed. The forces accelerating the impact of technology are identified, and the impact of emerging technologies on full-time advisor practice is discussed.

Relative emphasis: theory, research, practice
Significant Learning, Significant Advising
Authors: Kelley Bruce
Published: July 2013

The acknowledgment that advisees are learners and advisors are teachers may be the most powerful philosophical change in advising in 30 years. This article builds generally on the growing momentum to view academic advising as an extension of student learning, and specifically as an expansion of “Advising as Learning” in which Hemwall and Trachte (2005) argued that “learning as an organizing paradigm has profound implications” (p. 75). I develop this idea by applying Fink's (2003) learning paradigm to advising. The synergy in this paradigm can be harnessed to create advising that causes change in the advisee. Fink's method for developing opportunities for significant learning requires forethought and careful design when applied to the academic advising process.

Relative Emphasis: theory, practice, research
Efficacy of Intrusively Advising First-Year Students via Frequent Reminders for Advising Appointments
Authors: Schwebel David C. , Walburn Nancy C. , Jacobsen Sharon H. , Jerrolds Kevin L. , Klyce Katherine
Published: July 2013

Intrusive advising has been frequently used to encourage or require at-risk or probationary students to attend advising sessions. The efficacy of intrusive advising targeted to all students has received little attention. We implemented a case-control experiment with 501 first-year students at a large, urban, state university to test the efficacy of nonmandated intrusive advising designed to encourage advising session attendance. Students in three academic units were randomly assigned to outreach or no outreach conditions. Those in the outreach group received a series of reminders to schedule advising appointments. Results suggest intrusive advising was successful in increasing the probability students would schedule and keep an advising appointment during their first semester of college enrollment and in shortening the time until that appointment was held. Implications for broad implementation of intrusive advising are discussed.
Students' Motivation to Access Academic Advising Services
Authors: Henning Marcus A.
Published: July 2013

The interrelationships between motivation for choosing a program of study, intention to access academic advisors, academic difficulty, and actual appointments with academic advisors were based on student self-reports of motivation and intentions. In addition, academic achievement measures and data on student access to academic advisors were obtained. Motivation level at the beginning of enrollment and academic difficulty at the end of the semester were not significantly related to intended or actual appointments with academic advisors. However, subtle trends indicate that students with higher levels of motivation, including those in academic difficulty, saw academic advisors more than did their less motivated peers. Notions of expectancy value, self-worth, goal orientation, and self-concept were the theoretical frameworks used in the analysis.

Relative Emphasis: research, theory, practice
Forging Connections: An Investigation of New Students' Perspectives of Their Transition to the University
Authors: Baruch-Runyon Adele , VanZandt Zark , Elliott S. Auguste
Published: July 2013

We studied first-year students through an integrated group workshop and longitudinal interviews that focused on students' transitional experience at the university as well as the strategies they developed to adjust to university life. Four themes emerged: the challenges of forming connections to other students with similar interests during the first few weeks on campus, the need to balance competing demands, varied experiences of connection with faculty and staff, and the need for translation of university life for minority students. To address the issues and concerns that emerged from our findings, we offer a number of advisory recommendations and programmatic initiatives.

Relative Emphasis: research, practice, theory
The Impact of College on Students: Myths, Rational Myths, and Some Other Things That May Not Be True
Authors: Pascarella Ernest T. , Terenzini Patrick T.
Published: July 2013

Academia clings to several myths about higher education and its effect on students. This article outlines 10 of these popular myths—myths about effective teaching styles, indicators of quality education, and the value of faculty research for undergraduate education, to name a few. The authors cite extensive research calling these myths into question and challenge readers to rethink assumptions about higher education.
The History of NACADA: An Amazing Journey
Authors: Grites Thomas J. , Gordon Virginia N.
Published: July 2013

In this article, we trace the history of NACADA from many perspectives. The NACADA mission, organization, programming, and services throughout the past 30 years provide a story of innovation and change. The effect of technology on NACADA's growth, especially in the last decade, has created enumerable opportunities for more comprehensive programming, services, sharing of expertise and resources, and support to members. NACADA has had a phenomenal impact on the perceptions of advising, the redefined the role of advisors, and the means by which students have benefited directly and indirectly from the professionalism it has engendered.
Voices From the Field: Veteran Advisors
Authors: Joslin Jennifer
Published: July 2013

Recently veteran academic advisors were asked to share their experiences. The respondents to an E-mailed survey self-identified as advisors or administrators and represented six American regions and various sizes of public and private 2- and 4-year institutions. Their responses reflect a geniune interest in the welfare of students today and a thoughtful reflection on the changes in advising and advisees in the last 3 decades.
Advising with Understanding: Considering Hermeneutic Theory in Academic Advising
Authors: Champlin-Scharff Sarah
Published: July 2013

One might say that good advising requires understanding of those being advised. Yet, the way to achieve an accurate understanding of each advisee is unclear. An introduction to the field of hermeneutics, including an outline of Martin Heidegger's notion of human being and existential understanding, is presented to offer advisors a new opportunity to think closely about how to approach the work of understanding the advisee. Hermeneutic theory is presented, not as a new methodological approach to advising, but as a way of reconceptualizing what ought to be involved in the process of understanding the individual advisee.
Cumulative Subject Index to Volumes 16–30 of the NACADA Journal
Authors: Shaffer Leigh S.
Published: July 2013

The first cumulative index to the contents of the NACADA Journal, covering the first 15 years of publication, was published in 1995. This second cumulative index covers the subsequent 15 years of the Journal, making it possible for readers to follow the progress of scholarship in academic advising concerning subjects of interest across all 30 years of publication of the NACADA Journal.
The Utility of Liberal Education: Concepts and Arguments for Use in Academic Advising
Authors: Rust Matthew M.
Published: July 2013

Liberal education remains a mystery to many of the students enrolled in colleges and universities. Academic advisors, standing at the crossroads of the various curricular and cocurricular experiences that make up a student's liberal education, should be prepared to help students recognize the coherence of their education. This article provides advisors with conceptual knowledge and practical applications for guiding students toward an understanding and appreciation of liberal education. Specifically, I define liberal education and examine the goals associated with it, answer the critic who claims liberal education should not serve as a means to other ends, and provide five arguments for academic advisors to use in persuading students of the utility of liberal education.
Applying Social Cognitive Theory to Academic Advising to Assess Student Learning Outcomes
Authors: Erlich Richard J. , Russ-Eft Darlene
Published: July 2013

Review of social cognitive theory constructs of self-efficacy and self-regulated learning is applied to academic advising for the purposes of assessing student learning. A brief overview of the history of student learning outcomes in higher education is followed by an explanation of self-efficacy and self-regulated learning constructs and how they can be applied to academic advising. The article concludes with the development of a model for assessing student learning outcomes in academic advising using these theoretical constructs.
Academic and Career Advising of Scanners
Authors: Bloom Arvid J. , Tripp Philip R. , Shaffer Leigh S.
Published: July 2013

Scanners has become a common term for a recently identified category of people who find choosing just one interest or career path difficult (Sher, 2006). Academic and career advisors who work with scanners will likely find that these students have difficulty selecting an academic major or career path and that they seem to suffer anxiety and a palpable sense of loss with each attempt to make a final selection. We introduce the concept of scanners and describe a new self-report instrument called The Scanner Self Inventory (Bloom, 2009; Bloom & Tripp, 2011) that academic and career advisors can use to work with students who display unusual anxiety associated with major selection or career decision making.
Advisors as Interaction Designers
Authors: Shockley-Zalabak Pamela
Published: July 2013

Pamela Shockley-Zalabak, Chancellor, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, gave the following speech at the 2011NACADA Annual Conference October 3, 2011, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. She provides an overview of changes affecting U.S. higher education, commentary on how those changes affect the role of the academic advisor, and the importance of helping students achieve life goals. She encourages academic advisors to embrace a broad definition of the academic advising profession and to lead change and innovation on campus. She relates personal teaching experiences, including her first instructor job at a federal prison, a chance meeting of a young woman who exemplifies today's college student, and the imperative that academic advisors engage in “disruptive innovation and interaction design” to better serve students.
Critical Building Blocks: Mandatory Prerequisite Registration Systems and Student Success
Authors: Soria Krista M. , Mumpower Lori
Published: July 2013

Many colleges and universities require prerequisites prior to enrollment in introductory composition courses; however, enforcement of prerequisites is not consistent across institutions. In this study, we examine the impact of an automated, mandatory prerequisite enforcement system on students and advisors at a public comprehensive university. Results indicate that prerequisite systems are positively associated with student outcomes including improved GPAs and retention rates; furthermore, while functioning similarly to prescriptive advising, prerequisite systems can also facilitate developmental advising relationships between students and academic advisors.
ANALYSIS OF STUDENT AND FACULTY OPINION OF ACADEMIC ADVISING SERVICES
Authors: McAnulty Brenda Hart , O'Connor Carol Alf , Sklare Libby
Published: July 2013

As college student enrollment continues to decline on regional and national levels, faculty members and administrators alike are increasingly concerned about the corresponding loss in revenue. Closely aligned with this concern, and also with the increased intensity of recruitment activities, is the emphasis on college student retention. At the same time, the quality of academic advising provided to an institution's students is being carefully scrutinized, particularly for its relationship to retention. This article reports on the results of a questionnaire dealing with faculty and student perceptions of the role of advising and the advisor in academic institutions.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF ACADEMIC ADVISING
Authors: Nowicki Michael
Published: July 2013

This article is offered primarily for the benefit of newcomers to the ranks of academic advising. It can also serve as a quick review for experienced advisors who might have forgotten some of the points made in past JOURNAL articles on this subject.
TEACHING, ADVISING, AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT: FINDING THE COMMON GROUND
Authors: Laff Ned Scott , Schein Howard K. , Allen Deborah R
Published: July 2013

This article is adapted from a chapter in Giving Advice to Students: A Roadmap for College Professionals, * by Howard K. Schein, Ned Scott Laff, and Deborah R. Allen. It will appear in the summer 1987 edition of American College Personnel Association Media Publication No. 44, published by the American Association of Counseling and Development. Inthis adaptation, the authors offer root concepts and critical thinking skills as the solution—the “common ground”—to the disparate interests and concerns of academic affairs and student affairs professionals. Further, it provides the academic advisor with a variety of advising strategies to assist advisees in learning how to make well-informed decisions about their future.
DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE DELIVERY SYSTEM—THE FRESHMAN ADVISING PROGRAM
Authors: Iaccino James
Published: July 2013

A nationwide survey conducted by Crockett and Levitz (1984) revealed that most advising programs have the following things in common: 1) they use inexperienced advisors, 2) they are not evaluated on a systematic basis, and 3) they are rarely recognized by their institutions as being a vital part of college service, worthy of consideration in the promotion-tenure process. The author of this article feels that a change is in order: colleges and universities must begin to see academic advising as one of the keys to a student's survival and success in college. In this article, Dr. Iaccino discusses the change that took place to improve the status and activity of advising in one educational institution.
THE LEGAL LIMITATIONS ON STATEMENTS MADE BY ADVISORS
Authors: Gehring Donald D.
Published: July 2013

Academic advisors serve a useful and necessary function in higher education. The nature of the academic advisor's role requires that he or she receive and transmit information concerning advisees. In fulfilling this role, an advisor is often defined by the legal concept of “agent.” This entitles the advisor to specific legal privilege, but it also holds the advisor accountable for actions taken within the scope of his or her employment. Acting beyond this scope could be grounds for personal liability rather than liability as an agent of the college or university. This article outlines the legal parameters that define the liability of an advisor for statements made in transmitting information to or about students.
RETENTION OF ADULT COLLEGE STUDENTS
Authors: Swift John Stewart
Published: July 2013

There are many studies dealing with retention of traditional college-age students, but few about retention of adult students. Some of the reasons traditional college-age students withdraw, while others remain enrolled, can be found in that literature. What is lacking is data about adults who do not finish a degree program, data that indicate whether or not they follow the patterns that characterize traditional college-age students. In this article some of the reasons traditional college-age students withdraw are applied to adults, as summarized by a review of the literature. In addition to offering additional conclusions regarding adults who persist versus those who drop out, suggestions are given for increasing the retention of adult students.
A REPORT ON THE 1988 NACADA RESEARCH AWARD WINNERS
Authors: Kelly James J.
Published: July 2013

NACADA launched its inaugural Research Support Program this year by announcing award-winning proposals at the Chicago National Conference in October. Earlier in the year five thousand copies of the research announcement had been printed and distributed individually to NACADA members, to regional representatives and to attendees at NACADA regional conferences. Notices of the Research Support Program had been printed in the Newsletter and the Journal. As a result of promotional activities, seventy requests were received for the Application for Research Support. Requests came from sixty-one institutions located in thirty states. The yield of completed proposals from the application mailout amounted to sixteen: fourteen in the practicing professional category and two in the dissertation research category. From this pool of sixteen, six proposals were selected for funding in 1988. Overviews of the six winning proposals appear in this report.
ENHANCING THE ROLE OF ACADEMIC ADVISING ON THE COLLEGE CAMPUS
Authors: Kramer Gary L.
Published: July 2013

In this guest editorial, Gary Kramer relates some excerpts on the five points of a successful advising program from a paper in press entitled “Developmental Advising to Enhance Freshman Success,” written by Gary Kramer, E. D. Peterson, and R. W. Spencer, to be published as a chapter in John Gardner and Lee Upcraft's book, Enhancing Success in the First Year of College, a Jossey-Bass publication.
A COUNSELING SERVICE'S REVIEW OF A GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM
Authors: Handel Stephen J. , Muratore Jane C.
Published: July 2013

Colleges and universities across the country are currently examining the goals and commitments they have made to undergraduate education in general and to the freshman and sophomore years in particular. One of the most important aspects of undergraduate education is a university's general education program. In the spirit of review, UCLA's Academic Counseling Service recently studied that university's general education program. This article reflects the results of that study and demonstrates the ways in which any general education curriculum can be modified so that students can acquire requisite academic skills, not just academic content, that will help them beyond their college years. The authors acknowledge, however, that many of the ideas presented here derive from the work of others, but their synthesis should provide a useful new protocol for curricular review.
A LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF NACADA AND ADVISING
Authors: Habley Wesley R.
Published: July 2013

Wes Habley, the immediate past president of NACADA, gave the following address on October 12, 1987, at the business luncheon of the 11th National Conference on Academic Advising. In addition to his presidency, Wes served as NACADA treasurer from 1981 to 1985. He was director of the Advisement Center at Illinois State University from 1975 to 1981, director of academic and career advising at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 1981 to 1985, and is currently associate director of the ACT National Center for the Advancement of Educational Practices.

The text of this speech, has been edited for publication purposes.
ISSUES IN ACADEMIC ADVISING REVISITED
Authors: Polson Cheryl J. , Gordon Virginia N.
Published: July 2013

This report on major issues facing academic advising summarizes research conducted for NACADA in 1985 and compares the results to those of a similar study completed in 1980.
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE HISTORY OF ACADEMIC ADVISING
Authors: Wall Harvey W.
Published: July 2013

The JOURNAL continues its series on the development of academic advising in higher education with the third installment of an interview with Dr. Harvey Wall, who began his career in clinical psychology in the early 1950s. In March 1986, Dr. Wall retired from his position as director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), an advising unit at Penn State University that enrolls freshmen and sophomores exploring a variety of majors and advanced students seeking advising assistance with changes in their academic plans. Dr. Wall was the first director of DUS, which started in 1973 with 800 students. It now enrolls 4,000. In many ways Dr. Wall's professional experiences parallel the development of academic advising nationwide. For those new to advising, Dr. Wall's remembrances of things past, although personal and local, should provide powerful insights into the present status and procedures of advising, regardless of location or type of institution. This final interview with Dr. Wall is particularly significant, because he offers readers an extended definition of academic advising and his experienced views on how advising should look to the future.
EDUCATING FOR CITIZENSHIP THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Authors: Ryan Carol
Published: July 2013

The author states that most advisors do not have enough information about experiential learning opportunities in their communities to encourage their universities to become involved in offering these opportunities to their students. In this article, the author identifies some successful experiential learning programs, discusses possible Learning outcomes of such programs, and explains the advisor's role in such an activity.
DEVELOPING THE ADVISING “TOOL KIT”
Authors: Kelly James J.
Published: July 2013

As an advisor, you may have heard one, or both, of these statements: It has been said that 1) anyone can advise; or, more generously, 2) anyone can advise if he/she is given a copy of a university/college catalog. Most advisors know, however, that this is not exactly accurate. In most cases, it isn't even remotely close to the truth. Here, the author shares with us his reactions to what many of us would consider a challenging statement: “All I need is a copy of the catalog to advise my students!”
AN ANALYSIS OF AN ENROLLMENT CONTROL PROGRAM AT AN OPEN ADMISSION UNIVERSITY
Authors: Beronja Terry A. , Bee Richard H.
Published: July 2013

University officials at many institutions of higher learning have initiated enrollment control programs (ECPs) in over-subscribed majors. Although the qualifying academic barriers determining program admission associated with these ECPs establish hardships for some students, the gewal intention of such programs is to prepare students for a particular curriculum as well as to select individuals deemed most qualified when limited enrollment opportunities exist. At universities where collegiate admission is a selection process, these ECPs fit into the framework of normal operation. At institutions (such as Youngstown State University) where “open admission” to the university is the policy, however, the establishment of ECPs has caused inadvertent conflicts for academic advisors.
EGO-IDENTITY STATUSES OF UNDECIDED AND DECIDED STUDENTS AND THEIR PERCEIVED ADVISING NEEDS
Authors: Gordon Virginia N. , Kline Diana Ikenberry
Published: July 2013

The following research was supported by a NACADA Research Grant.
THE EVOLUTION OF A FRESHMAN SEMINAR
Authors: Boe Jonathan , Jolicoeur Pamela
Published: July 2013

With a required one-credit freshman seminar in place since 1977, California Lutheran University has a relatively long history of involvement with this kind of course. Using classification schemes from the literature on freshman seminars as a context, this article examines how California Lutheran's seminar has changed over the years as it has been integrated more directly into the University's retention program. The authors also discuss some of the persistent issues involved in maintaining such a course.
CHOOSING A MAJOR
Authors: Kahn Norma B.
Published: July 2013

In this article, the author describes how a collaborative effort among advisors produced some very useful self-help materials for students who are in the process of deciding on a major. The author states that the advising staff of the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Pennsylvania offers its “Choosing a Major: Factors to Consider” checklist to NACADA members, who may adapt it for their own students. The advising staff invite recommendations for improving the material.
ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY
Authors: Frost Susan H.
Published: July 2013

In this article, the author discusses the mission, activities, and results of a freshman seminar at a private women's college. The course was designed to involve the students actively in the learning and advising process.
EXPANDING THE ADVISING TEAM
Authors: Glennen Robert E. , Farren P. J. , Vowell Faye , Black Lendley
Published: July 2013

The Student Advising Center (an intrusive, centralized advising center) at Emporia State University has become a catalyst for team building throughout the whole campus. This paper examines the process and results of such teamwork from four different perspectives: presidential, enrollment management, centralized advising, and faculty. This article demonstrates that a commitment to advising from central administration, statewide Board of Regents, and an expansion of the advising team can create positive effects. The results obtained are a reduction in freshman attrition, higher graduation rates, and an increase in credit hours generated.
AN ACTIVE APPROACH FOR EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENT PROBLEMS
Authors: Powers Sandra M.
Published: July 2013

It is often difficult for larger schools to lend a personal touch to advising students. It is also hard to spot problems with students who do not come forth for assistance. This article describes a technique that helps with both problems at the College of Charleston.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AS RESOURCES FOR ADVISORS
Authors: Rose Richard M.
Published: July 2013

Increased enrollment in professional programs, combined with increased demands for limited resources, has diminished the ability of advisors in these programs to provide the services students demand. This article examines the potential of student professional organizations for assisting students and advisors in an overenrolled program such as a business administration program.
Mentoring Support and Relational Uncertainty in the Advisor–Advisee Relationship
Authors: Mansson Daniel H. , Myers Scott A.
Published: July 2013

We examine the extent to which career mentoring and psychosocial mentoring received from their advisors relates to advisee perceptions of advisor–advisee relational uncertainty. Doctoral students (N = 378) completed the Academic Mentoring Behaviors Scale (Schrodt, Cawyer, & Sanders, 2003), the Mentoring and Communication Support Scale (Hill, Bahniuk, Dobos, & Rouner, 1989), and the Relational Uncertainty Scale (Knobloch & Solomon, 1999). The results of a series of Pearson correlational analyses indicate that advisees' reports of received career mentoring and psychosocial mentoring from their advisors are negatively related to their advisor–advisee relational uncertainty. These findings emphasize further the importance of advisors' provision of mentoring support for their advisees.
Assessment of axial bone rigidity in rats with metabolic diseases using CT-based structural rigidity analysis
Authors: Smith M. D. , Baldassarri S. , Anez-Bustillos L. , Tseng A. , Entezari V. , Zurakowski D. , Snyder B. D. , Nazarian A.
Published: July 2013

Objectives

This study aims to assess the correlation of CT-based structural rigidity analysis with mechanically determined axial rigidity in normal and metabolically diseased rat bone.

Methods

A total of 30 rats were divided equally into normal, ovariectomized, and partially nephrectomized groups. Cortical and trabecular bone segments from each animal underwent micro-CT to assess their average and minimum axial rigidities using structural rigidity analysis. Following imaging, all specimens were subjected to uniaxial compression and assessment of mechanically-derived axial rigidity.

Results

The average structural rigidity-based axial rigidity was well correlated with the average mechanically-derived axial rigidity results (R2 = 0.74). This correlation improved significantly (p < 0.0001) when the CT-based Structural Rigidity Analysis (CTRA) minimum axial rigidity was correlated to the mechanically-derived minimum axial rigidity results (R2 = 0.84). Tests of slopes in the mixed model regression analysis indicated a significantly steeper slope for the average axial rigidity compared with the minimum axial rigidity (p = 0.028) and a significant difference in the intercepts (p = 0.022). The CTRA average and minimum axial rigidities were correlated with the mechanically-derived average and minimum axial rigidities using paired t-test analysis (p = 0.37 and p = 0.18, respectively).

Conclusions

In summary, the results of this study suggest that structural rigidity analysis of micro-CT data can be used to accurately and quantitatively measure the axial rigidity of bones with metabolic pathologies in an experimental rat model. It appears that minimum axial rigidity is a better model for measuring bone rigidity than average axial rigidity.
Does a new knee design perform as well as the design it replaces?
Authors: Molt M. , Ljung P. , Toksvig-Larsen S.
Published: July 2013

Objectives

The objective of this study was to compare the early migration characteristics and functional outcome of the Triathlon cemented knee prosthesis with its predecessor, the Duracon cemented knee prosthesis (both Stryker).

Methods

A total 60 patients were prospectively randomised and tibial component migration was measured by radiostereometric analysis (RSA) at three months, one year and two years; clinical outcome was measured by the American Knee Society score and the Knee Osteoarthritis and Injury Outcome Score.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences in rotation or translation around or along the three coordinal axes, or in the maximum total point motion (MTPM) during the two-year follow-up.

Conclusions

The Triathlon cemented knee prosthesis has similar early stability and is likely to perform at least as well as the Duracon cemented knee prosthesis over the longer term.
Minimal clinically important differences in health-related quality of life after total hip or knee replacement
Authors: Keurentjes J. C. , Van Tol F. R. , Fiocco M. , Schoones J. W. , Nelissen R. G.
Published: July 2013

Objectives

We aimed first to summarise minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) after total hip (THR) or knee replacement (TKR) in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), measured using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36). Secondly, we aimed to improve the precision of MCID estimates by means of meta-analysis.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of English and non-English articles using MEDLINE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (1960–2011), EMBASE (1991–2011), Web of Science, Academic Search Premier and Science Direct. Bibliographies of included studies were searched in order to find additional studies. Search terms included MCID or minimal clinically important change, THR or TKR and Short-Form 36. We included longitudinal studies that estimated MCID of SF-36 after THR or TKR.

Results

Three studies met our inclusion criteria, describing a distinct study population: primary THR, primary TKR and revision THR. No synthesis of study results can be given.

Conclusions

Although we found MCIDs in HRQoL after THR or TKR have limited precision and are not validated using external criteria, these are still the best known estimates of MCIDs in HRQoL after THR and TKR to date. We therefore advise these MCIDs to be used as absolute thresholds, but with caution.
Muscle ‘regenerative potential’ determines physical recovery following total knee replacement
Authors: Hamilton D. F. , McLeish J. A. , Gaston P. , Simpson A. H. R. W.
Published: July 2013

Objectives

Lower limb muscle power is thought to influence outcome following total knee replacement (TKR). Post-operative deficits in muscle strength are commonly reported, although not explained. We hypothesised that post-operative recovery of lower limb muscle power would be influenced by the number of satellite cells in the quadriceps muscle at time of surgery.

Methods

Biopsies were obtained from 29 patients undergoing TKR. Power output was assessed pre-operatively and at six and 26 weeks post-operatively with a Leg Extensor Power Rig and data were scaled for body weight. Satellite cell content was assessed in two separate analyses, the first cohort (n = 18) using immunohistochemistry and the second (n = 11) by a new quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) protocol for Pax-7 (generic satellite cell marker) and Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (NCAM; marker of activated cells).

Results

A significant improvement in power output was observed post-operatively with a mean improvement of 19.7 W (95% confidence interval (CI) 14.43 to 30.07; p < 0.001) in the first cohort and 27.5 W (95% CI 13.2 to 41.9; p = 0.002) in the second. A strong correlation was noted between satellite cell number (immunohistochemistry) and improvement in patient power output (r = 0.64, p = 0.008). Strong correlation was also observed between the expression of Pax-7 and power output (r = 0.79, p = 0.004), and the expression of NCAM and power output (r = 0.84, p = 0.001). The generic marker explained 58% of the variation in power output, and the marker of activated cells 67%.

Conclusions

Muscle satellite cell content may determine improvement in lower limb power generation (and thus function) following TKR.
Metastatic bone disease
Authors: Harvie P. , Whitwell D.
Published: July 2013

Objectives

Guidelines for the management of patients with metastatic bone disease (MBD) have been available to the orthopaedic community for more than a decade, with little improvement in service provision to this increasingly large patient group. Improvements in adjuvant and neo-adjuvant treatments have increased both the number and overall survival of patients living with MBD. As a consequence the incidence of complications of MBD presenting to surgeons has increased and is set to increase further. The British Orthopaedic Oncology Society (BOOS) are to publish more revised detailed guidelines on what represents ‘best practice’ in managing patients with MBD. This article is designed to coincide with and publicise new BOOS guidelines and once again champion the cause of patients with MBD.

Methods

A series of short cases highlight common errors frequently being made in managing patients with MBD despite the availability of guidelines.

Results

Despite guidelines for the management of patients with MBD being available for more than a decade basic errors in management continue to be made, affecting patient survival and quality of life.

Conclusions

It is hoped that by publicising the new BOOS guidelines the management of patients with MBD will improve over the next decade, significantly more than it has over the last decade.
Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Stress and Incident Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Ho Jennifer E , Hwang Shih-Jen , Wollert Kai C , Larson Martin G , Cheng Susan , Kempf Tibor , Vasan Ramachandran S , Januzzi James L , Wang Thomas J , Fox Caroline S
Published: July 2013

BACKGROUND

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), soluble ST2 (sST2), and high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) are emerging predictors of adverse clinical outcomes. We examined whether circulating concentrations are related to the development of kidney disease in the community.

METHODS

Plasma GDF-15, sST2, and hsTnI concentrations were measured in 2614 Framingham Offspring cohort participants (mean age 57 years, 54% women) at the sixth examination cycle (1995–1998). Associations of biomarkers with incident chronic kidney disease [CKD, eGFR <60 mL · min−1 · (1.73 m2) −1, n = 276], microalbuminuria (urinary albumin to creatinine ratio ≥25 mg/g in women and 17 mg/g in men, n = 191), and rapid decline in renal function [decline in eGFR ≥3 mL · min−1 · (1.73 m2) −1 per year, n = 237], were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression; P < 0.006 was considered statistically significant in primary analyses.

RESULTS

Participants were followed over a mean of 9.5 years. Higher plasma GDF-15 was associated with incident CKD [multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.9 per 1-U increase in log-GDF-15, 95% CI 1.6–2.3, P < 0.0001] and rapid decline in renal function (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3–1.8; P < 0.0001). GDF-15, sST2, and hsTnI had suggestive associations with incident microalbuminuria but did not meet the prespecified P-value threshold after multivariable adjustment. Adding plasma GDF-15 to clinical covariates improved risk prediction of incident CKD: the c-statistic increased from 0.826 to 0.845 (P = 0.0007), and categorical net reclassification was 6.3% (95% CI, 2.7–9.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher circulating GDF-15 is associated with incident renal outcomes and improves risk prediction of incident CKD. These findings may provide insights into the mechanisms of renal injury.
Metric and Scale Design as Choice Architecture Tools
Authors: Camilleri Adrian R. , Larrick Richard P.
Published: July 2013

Interest is increasing in using behavioral decision insights to design better product labels. A specific policy target is the fuel economy label, which policy makers can use to encourage reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from transport-related fossil-fuel combustion. In two online experiments, the authors examine whether vehicle preferences can be shifted toward more fuel-efficient vehicles by manipulating the metric (consumption of gas vs. cost of gas) and scale (100 miles vs. 15,000 miles vs. 100,000 miles) on which fuel economy information is expressed. They find that preference for fuel-efficient vehicles is highest when fuel economy is expressed in terms of the cost of gas over 100,000 miles, regardless of whether the vehicle pays for its higher price in gas savings. The authors discuss the underlying psychological mechanisms for this finding, including compatibility, anchoring, and familiarity effects, and conclude that policy makers should initiate programs that communicate fuel-efficiency information in terms of costs over an expanded, lifetime scale.
The Correlation of Activity Coefficients of Ionic Species of Aqueous Electrolytes Using a New Model
Authors: Amooey Ali Akbar
Published: July 2013

This study proposed a new model based on the solvation phenomena. The ionic activity coefficients of individual ions of some 1:1 and 1:2 salts were correlated successfully. Comparison was made between the results of the present model and those of Khoshkbarchi–Vera (KV), Pitzer, and Lin–Lee models. The average relative errors for cation and anion were 3.03, 3.53, 3.45 and 1.24, 1.14, 1.38, respectively, in Lin–Lee, KV, Pitzer models, whereas they are 1.81 and 0.66 in the proposed model.These results show that the proposed model improved the correlation of the individual ionic activity coefficients. Contrary to arguments found in the literature, it is also demonstrated that the short-range solvation contribution is a linear function of ionic strength.
A New Wrapped Ensemble Approach for Financial Forecast
Authors: Ling Yun , Yue BaoLong , Zhang Hua
Published: July 2013

The financial market is a highly complex and dynamic system that has great commercial value; thus, many financial elite are drawn to research on the subject. Recent studies show that machine learning methods perform better than traditional statistical ones. In our study, based on the characteristics of financial sequence data, we propose a wrapped ensemble approach using a supervised learning algorithm to predict stock price volatility of China’s stock markets. To check our new approach, we developed an intelligent financial forecast system and used the Hushen 300 index data to test our model; it proves that our model performs better than a single algorithm. We also compared our model with the famous ensemble approach of bagging, and the result shows that our model is better.
John Muir’s Orchard Home
Authors: Hickman David
Published: July 2013

The environmental pioneer John Muir spent most of his adult years living and working on a fruit ranch outside of Martinez, California. His entire domestic life unfolded among the orchards. Yet, repeatedly and explicitly, he rejected the ranch as his true home, claiming instead a spiritual affinity with the Sierra wilderness. That response famously helped launch modern, wilderness-oriented environmentalism, but less noticed was its role in closing an earlier horticultural movement that promoted the combined economic and environmental development of the landscape. Muir’s in-laws, John and Louisiana Strentzel, typified the horticulturalists. Contrasting how the two generations made their homes in the natural landscape demonstrates the diversity of environmental thinking in nineteenth-century California and reveals how much Muir left behind in turning toward the mountains.
Ergonomics Observation: Harvesting Tasks at Oil Palm Plantation
Authors: Ng Yee Guan , Bahri Mohd Tamrin Shamsul , Syah Md Yusoff Irwan , Mori Ippei , Hashim Zailina
Published: July 2013

Ergonomics Observation: Harvesting Tasks at Oil Palm Plantation: Yee Guan NG, et al. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia—

Objectives

Production agriculture is commonly associated with high prevalence of ergonomic injuries, particularly during intensive manual labor and during harvesting. This paper intends to briefly describe an overview of oil palm plantation management highlighting the ergonomics problem each of the breakdown task analysis.

Methods

Although cross‐sectional field visits were conducted in the current study, insight into past and present occupational safety and health concerns particularly regarding the ergonomics of oil palm plantations was further exploited. Besides discussion, video recordings were extensively used for ergonomics analysis.

Results

The unique commodity of oil palm plantations presents significantly different ergonomics risk factors for fresh fruit bunch (FFB) cutters during different stages of harvesting. Although the ergonomics risk factors remain the same for FFB collectors, the intensity of manual lifting increases significantly with the age of the oil palm trees‐weight of FFB.

Conclusions

There is urgent need to establish surveillance in order to determine the current prevalence of ergonomic injuries. Thereafter, ergonomics interventions that are holistic and comprehensive should be conducted and evaluated for their efficacy using approaches that are integrated, participatory and cost‐effective.
Removal of TaN/Ta Barrier with Variable Selectivity to Copper and TEOS
Authors: Bian Jinru , Quanci John , VanHanehem Matthew
Published: July 2013

Highly selective 2nd step copper slurries developed by Rodel have efficient barrier (TaN) polishing rates at extremely low down force (1000 Å/min at one psi, and 2000 Å/min at 3 psi). Removal rates of dielectrics (TEOS or low k CDO) can be independently adjusted from zero to nearly any designed value and copper removal rates can be independently controlled from 20 to 500 Å /min, while maintaining the high barrier removal rates. In addition, zero loss of low-k dielectric capping layers has been demonstrated, and zero loss of high metal density (90%) domain of pattern wafers with 30 seconds overpolishing has been demonstrated. Experiments also show that the high selectivity is a true CMP effect and not due to static etching.
Phosphorus extracted by ion exchange resins and mehlich-1 from oxisols (latosols) treated with different phosphorus rates and sources for varied soil-source contact periods
Authors: Freitas Irio Fernando de , Novais Roberto Ferreira , Villani Ecila Mercês de Albuquerque , Novais Sarah Vieira
Published: July 2013

Despite the large number of studies addressing the quantification of phosphorus (P) availability by different extraction methods, many questions remain unanswered. The aim of this paper was to compare the effectiveness of the extractors Mehlich-1, Anionic Resin (AR) and Mixed Resin (MR), to determine the availability of P under different experimental conditions. The laboratory study was arranged in randomized blocks in a [(3 x 3 x 2) + 3] x 4 factorial design, with four replications, testing the response of three soils with different texture: a very clayey Red Latosol (LV), a sandy clay loam Red Yellow Latosol (LVA), and a sandy loam Yellow Latosol (LA), to three sources (triple superphosphate, reactive phosphate rock from Gafsa-Tunisia; and natural phosphate from Araxá-Minas Gerais) at two P rates (75 and 150 mg dm-3), plus three control treatments (each soil without P application) after four contact periods (15, 30, 60, and 120 days) of the P sources with soil. The soil acidity of LV and LVA was adjusted by raising base saturation to 60 % with the application of CaCO3 and MgCO3 at a 4:1 molar ratio (LA required no correction). These samples were maintained at field moisture capacity for 30 days. After the contact periods, the samples were collected to quantify the available P concentrations by the three extractants. In general, all three indicated that the available P-content in soils was reduced after longer contact periods with the P sources. Of the three sources, this reduction was most pronounced for triple superphosphate, intermediate for reactive phosphate, while Araxá phosphate was least sensitive to the effect of time. It was observed that AR extracted lower P levels from all three soils when the sources were phosphate rocks, while MR extracted values close to Mehlich-1 in LV (clay) and LVA (medium texture) for reactive phosphate. For Araxá phosphate, much higher P values were determined by Mehlich-1 than by the resins, because of the acidity of the extractor. For triple superphosphate, both resins extracted higher P levels than Mehlich-1, due to the consumption of this extractor, particularly when used for LV and LVA.