Variations in the Skull of the Bearded Seal

Fourteen measurements taken on 260 skulls are described and analysed using variance, covariance, reduced major axes, and discriminant functions. No sexual variation is found. Changes in relative growth with age are demonstrated and discussed. Skulls from the Atlantic adult population are shown to be significantly larger than those from the Pacific in most dimensions. An important exception, nasal breadth, is significantly smaller. Differences in the regression coefficients between the Atlantic and Pacific populations are probably not significant, but some differences in position of the regression lines are highly significant. The results are compared with those of some previous authors and the boundaries between the populations considered. The recognition of E. b. nauticus for the Pacific population is justified

Thoriated nickel bonded by solid-state diffusion method

Solid-state diffusion bonding in an inert-gas atmosphere forms high-strength joints between butting or overlapping surfaces of thoriated nickel. This method eliminates inert-phase agglomeration

Efficient AUC Optimization for Information Ranking Applications

Adequate evaluation of an information retrieval system to estimate future performance is a crucial task. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) is widely used to evaluate the generalization of a retrieval system. However, the objective function optimized in many retrieval systems is the error rate and not the AUC value. This paper provides an efficient and effective non-linear approach to optimize AUC using additive regression trees, with a special emphasis on the use of multi-class AUC (MAUC) because multiple relevance levels are widely used in many ranking applications. Compared to a conventional linear approach, the performance of the non-linear approach is comparable on binary-relevance benchmark datasets and is better on multi-relevance benchmark datasets.Comment: 12 page

Glass bead shot peening retards stress corrosion failure of titanium tanks

Rigidly controlled shot peening retards the incompatibility between titanium alloys and nitrogen tetroxide in rocket-propellant storage tanks. This sets up a residual compressive stress in the surface of a material which reduces tensile stresses in the material fibers, alleviating stress corrosion

Controlled glass bead peening Patent

Method and apparatus for inducing compressive stresses in pressure vessel to prevent stress corrosio

Gardner-Webb, The Magazine 2022, Fall (Volume 57)

Gardner-Webb, The Magazine, previously titled The Webb Magazine, focuses on alumni news and campus events from Gardner-Webb College; now Gardner-Webb University. This issue includes articles on the launch of the new Bulldog brand, new provost Dr Aubrey, new VP for Athletics Dr. Goodrich, and record setting golfer Zach Byers.https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/gwmagazine/1028/thumbnail.jp

Predictors of Outcome of Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Wrist surgery is a common method for treating carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) although few studies have examined patient outcomes or predictive correlates of such procedures. The objectives of this study were to characterize Utah workers who received surgery for CTS in terms of relevant presurgical and outcome variables and to identify presurgical correlates of patient outcomes. Participants were 75 Utah workers\u27 compensation patients who underwent surgery for CTS from 1999-2002 and were at least 6 months postsurgery at time of follow-up. A retrospective cohort design was utilized consisting of a review of presurgical medical records and a postsurgical telephone survey. Presurgical variables included: gender, age, history of depression, and litigation status. Correlational analyses revealed that age and lawyer involvement were consistent significant predictors of poorer outcomes. The importance of conceptualizing CTS surgery patient outcomes from a biopsychosocial perspective is discussed

Relationship Among Team Collective Efficacy, Cohesion, and Coaching Competency in Sports

A team\u27s performance in any sport can be predicted by many factors. Some of these factors include team collective efficacy, team cohesiveness, and coaching competency. Currently, there is little research investigating the relationships among teams\u27 beliefs about their capabilities, their level of cohesion, and their perceptions of coaching competency on overall sport performance. The purpose of this study was to document the relationship among collective efficacy, cohesion, and coaching on sport performance in a sample of university athletes. The objectives of this study were to identify the level of cohesion, collective efficacy, and perceptions of coaching competency by each athletic team at the university, and to identify the relationships among each of these variables in regard to sport performance. Participants were 163 collegiate athletes involved in eight sports at Utah State University during the 2005-2006 academic year. Correlational analysis revealed significant positive relationships with collective efficacy, cohesion, and coaching competency. Multi-level modeling and linear regression analyses revealed that collective efficacy was a significant predictor of win/loss percentage, whereas some aspects of cohesion and coaching competency were seen as predictors of collective efficacy

Gardner-Webb, The Magazine 2020, Fall (Volume 55)

Gardner-Webb, The Magazine, previously titled The Webb Magazine, focuses on alumni news and campus events from Gardner-Webb College; now Gardner-Webb University. This issue includes articles on the COIVD-19 pandemic, alumnus Clayton King\u27s mission work in Africa, GWU students standing against racism, the installation of new football coach Tre Lamb, the Fay Webb Gardner Collection and O. Max Gardner Foundation, and the Brinkley gift of the GWU Marching Band uniforms. Issue was awarded the Davey Award. The Davey is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/gwmagazine/1025/thumbnail.jp