Study of eddy current probes

The recognition of materials properties still presents a number of problems for nondestructive testing in aerospace systems. This project attempts to utilize current capabilities in eddy current instrumentation, artificial intelligence, and robotics in order to provide insight into defining geometrical aspects of flaws in composite materials which are capable of being evaluated using eddy current inspection techniques

Texture control in a pseudospin Bose-Einstein condensate

We describe a wavefunction engineering approach to the formation of textures in a two-component nonrotated Bose-Einstein condensate. By controlling the phases of wavepackets that combine in a three-wave interference process, a ballistically-expanding regular lattice-texture is generated, in which the phases determine the component textures. A particular example is presented of a lattice-texture composed of half-quantum vortices and spin-2 textures. We demonstrate the lattice formation with numerical simulations of a viable experiment, identifying the textures and relating their locations to a linear theory of wavepacket interference.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, REVTeX4-

Response to Single Trait and Multiple Trait Sire Selection in Holstein Cattle (Milk Production, Body Conformation, Reproduction, Breeding Value).

Direct and correlated responses from two different sire selection strategies were compared for twelve characteristics of dairy cattle. Daughters of sires selected on genetic merit for milk production (ST) were compared to daughters of sires selected on genetic merit for an index of milk production, fat production and type scores (MT). Data consisted of repeated measures of twelve dairy traits on 275 foundation through third generation Holstein cows in a single herd. First through third generation animals represented daughters of 42 AI sires. Phenotypic response to selection was change in first lactation performance and producing ability per generation and per year. Expected and actual genetic response to selection was change in sire Predicted Difference and daughter breeding value per generation and per year. Breeding value and producing ability was estimated using best linear unbiased prediction techniques. Mean changes in milk production from first through third generation ranged from 292 kg for breeding value to 650 kg for first lactation phenotype in the ST line and from -525 kg for first lactation phenotype to 150 kg for sire Predicted Difference in the MT line. The ST line increased genetically across generations for milk and fat production, udder dimensions and milking speed. The MT line decreased in genetic merit for improved reproductive performance. Phenotypic and genetic changes across generations for the remainder of the traits were similar across selection lines. Annual changes in phenotypic performance and breeding value for milk production in the ST line were -15 kg and 11 kg as compared to -56 kg and -5 kg in the MT line. Correlations between breeding values and first lactation performance for milk and fat production ranged from .70 to .84 in the ST and MT lines. Results indicated that selection for yield increased phenotypic performance and genetic merit for milk yield, fat yield, udder dimensions and milking speed. Selection for an index of milk yield, fat yield and type decreased genetic merit for improved reproductive performance

Editorial: Language Acquisition in Diverse Linguistic, Social and Cognitive Circumstances

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An assessment of undergraduate business program admission and retention standards: Working paper series--04-11

Some business schools apply selection criteria to limit student admissions to their undergraduate program (major status). Other schools allow all students accepted for admission to the university to major in business. Still others allow freshmen to be admitted to the business major but apply performance-based retention criteria that must be met for students to continue as business majors. Where additional admissions or retention criteria are used, there appear to be substantial variations in the timing of the acceptance or retention decision, and a variety of alternative criteria are used in determining which students to admit or retain. This paper examines undergraduate professional program admission/retention criteria used by a random sample of one-fourth of all U.S. business schools accredited by the AACSB. Characteristics of admissions criteria across the schools in our sample together with some general demographic information about the distribution of schools are also presented

Course integration: What impact on student grades? Working paper series--02-11

Universities are implementing a number of strategies designed to help students develop an integrated view of a business. Faculty and students are each interested in the impact these integration strategies have on student grades. This paper describes one school's experiment in curriculum integration and the impact it has had on student grades comparing a set of courses taken individually versus the same courses taken as an integrated block. The results indicate that grading rigor did not suffer in the block format and that students' grades were more highly correlated between courses in the block format. It is hypothesized that the higher correlation of grades is due to the content integration present in the block courses. That is, if content is more integrated we would expect a student doing well in one of the courses to be more likely to do well in the other courses in the same block. Partial correlation analysis lends support to this hypothesis

An empirical look at criteria for admission to an undergraduate business program: Working paper series--03-10

Many business schools require that students apply for admission to the professional business program after the completion of one to two years of preliminary and general coursework. These schools apply selection criteria to limit student admissions to those most likely to succeed in a business major. The selection criteria often include overall GPA and/or measures of performance in a specific set of classes. This paper examines predictors of academic performance of students admitted as business majors at a mid-sized public university in the Southwest. Students at this university are admitted to major status based in part on their grades in a set of courses of which seven are lower division business-related courses. Empirical analysis was performed to identify indicators that predict performance in the business major. Preliminary results suggest that student GPAs in the lower-division business classes are a strong indicator of their later performance in the upper-division core and a somewhat better indicator than overall GPA. Analysis of the impact of specific course grades was also performed and some patterns were identified that might be useful in targeting intervention efforts to improve student success

Student and faculty views of plus-minus grading systems: Working paper series--07-11

Plus-minus grading systems and other systems that increase the grading options beyond the whole-letter system of A, B, C, D, and F are now in wide use. However, a number of schools continue to use the traditional whole-letter system and changes in grading systems arouse strong emotions which can make implementation of a new system difficult or, in some cases impossible. This study first presents a review of the prevalence of alternative grading systems based upon examination of online catalogs. Then a survey of faculty and student opinions about implementation of a plus-minus grading system at a school currently using the whole-letter grading system is presented as well as a discussion of the motivation underlying these opinions. Because this study presents a thorough discussion of the comparative advantages and disadvantages of plus-minus grading systems to constituent groups, it should be of interest to faculty and policy makers at schools contemplating a change in their grading systems

Development implementation, and assessment of course learning outcomes: Working paper series--02-01

This paper describes a process for developing program learning outcomes for an undergraduate business major program and mapping more specific course-level learning outcomes to these program-level outcomes. Also described is a process for assessing the effectiveness with which the course-level learning outcomes have been achieved. The processes is designed to provide a mechanism for making broad program level outcomes meaningful to instructors in their ongoing delivery of the program