University Students' Online Learning During COVID-19: The Role of Grit in Academic Performance

The governmental restriction due to COVID-19 pandemic led to Italian Universities moving teaching from face-to-face, to online. This represented an unexpected transition from traditional learning to what can be considered “e-learning.” This, together with the psychological distress that may be associated with the experience of lockdown, might have affected students' performance. It was hypothesised that grit may be a protective factor in such situations. Indeed, compared to their less “gritty” peers, individuals with higher levels of grit are expected to exhibit greater persistence in the pursuit of goals despite setbacks. Within educational contexts, grit is portrayed as a potentially important influence on outcomes such as achievement level, retention and probability of graduation. A longitudinal study was conducted using an online survey in order to assess the moderated mediation effect of grit on students' achievement. One hundred seventy-six undergraduate students from two universities in the north of Italy participated in the survey. The results showed that grit affects students' grades in final exams; perceived self-efficacy in the management of complex problems had a mediation effect on grades, while psychological distress moderated the first part of the mediation process. These novel findings extended our knowledge regarding the role of grit in academic performance investigating for the first time the role of self-efficacy and psychological distress in a learning carried out entirely online

Efeito de diferentes períodos de alagamento no desenvolvimento de Brachiaria brizantha cv. marandu.

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a resposta da Brachiaria brizantha cv Marandu a diferentes períodos de alagamento O experimento foi conduzido em casa-de-vegetação nas dependências da Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, São Carlos, com delineamento de blocos completos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 5x2, e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por 5 períodos de alagamento: zero, cinco, dez, quinze e vinte dias de alagamento, e 2 épocas de coleta: a primeira foi realizada ao final do Período de alagamento e a segunda após 15 dias de rebrota. No experimento conduzido não houve efeito significativo do alagamento sobre a taxa de alongamento foliar (P>0,05), sendo seu resultado inverso ao esperado. Observouse que a percentagem de raízes foi maior para as plantas que não sofreram alagamento e menor nas plantas que permaneceram por 20 dias com lâmina d?água. Concluiu-se que períodos de 20 dias de alagamento restringem o desenvolvimento do sistema radicular da espécie de Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu

Período apropriado para a substituição de copa do cajueiro anão precoce ou para a enxertia direta no campo.

O estudo tem o objetivo de apresentar uma alternativa para formacão de pomares de cajueiro anão precoce, em razão da grande dificuldade de disponibilidade de mudas enxertadas a época própria para plantio.bitstream/CNPAT-2010/11938/1/Pa-044.pd

A Method for Combining Experimentation and Molecular Dynamics Simulation to Improve Cohesive Zone Models for Metallic Microstructures

Fracture processes within a material begin at the nanometer length scale at which the formation, propagation, and interaction of fundamental damage mechanisms occur. Physics-based modeling of these atomic processes quickly becomes computationally intractable as the system size increases. Thus, a multiscale modeling method, based on the aggregation of fundamental damage processes occurring at the nanoscale within a cohesive zone model, is under development and will enable computationally feasible and physically meaningful microscale fracture simulation in polycrystalline metals. This method employs atomistic simulation to provide an optimization loop with an initial prediction of a cohesive zone model (CZM). This initial CZM is then applied at the crack front region within a finite element model. The optimization procedure iterates upon the CZM until the finite element model acceptably reproduces the near-crack-front displacement fields obtained from experimental observation. With this approach, a comparison can be made between the original CZM predicted by atomistic simulation and the converged CZM that is based on experimental observation. Comparison of the two CZMs gives insight into how atomistic simulation scales

Fighting or supporting corruption? The role of public sector audit organizations in Brazil

Public sector audit organizations are usually expected to fight corruption. Yet they may also end up being involved in, and contributing to, sustaining corruption. Relying on multiple interviews, this paper sheds new light on the concrete mechanisms through which corruption is sustained by Brazilian regional Courts of Accounts and their members. Our findings show how politico-economic elites’ private interests infiltrate the Courts via the appointment of high-ranked officials and how those officials may resort to a variety of actions to perpetrate forms of selective justice and to weaken the audit findings of these organizations – which ends up strengthening and supporting corruption. Additionally, we provide evidence of collective action emerging to challenge the current situation and reinforce the role Courts could play as watchdogs of the public interest. We contribute to the literature by highlighting the deleterious role of the interface between political and economic interests and the functioning of audit organizations. Moreover, relying on the literature of first- and second-order corruption, we discuss the specific conditions and mechanisms which enable corruption in public audit organizations. Finally, we present practical implications providing alternative views to the status quo

Studi Perbandingan Karakteristik Agregat Quarry Nangapanda Dan Quarry Aemau Untuk Lapis Pondasi Bawah (Sub Base)

Salah satu bahan penyusun perkerasan jalan adalah agregat,untuk itu perlu dilakukan penelitian terhadap karakteristik material agregat sebagai bahan dasar konstruksi jalan. Quarry Nangapanda dan quarry Aemau merupakan sumber material yang sering digunakan untuk pembangunan pekerjaan jalan di Kabupaten Ende dan Nagekeo. Tujuan Penelitian ini untuk mengetahui karakteristik agregat quarry Nangapanda dan quarry Aemau, serta perbandingan karakteristiknya untuk lapis pondasi bawah (sub base). Metode yang digunakan adalah Standar Nasional Indonesia (SNI). Hasil pengujian analisis saringan agregat dua quarry ini termasuk dalam tipikal gradasi seragam,berat jenis (bulk) quarry Nangapanda sebesar 2,53 dan quarry Aemau sebesar 2,84. Penyerapan (absorption) untuk quarry Nangapanda sebesar 2,81% dan quarry Aemau sebesar 1,60%,kadar air agregat quarry Nangapanda sebesar 1,51% dan quarry Aemau sebesar 1,075%,agregat yang lolos nomor 200 (0,075 mm) quarry Nangapanda sebesar 0,283% dan quarry Aemau sebesar 0,423%, keausan agregat quarry Nangapanda sebesar 18,30% dan quarry Aemau sebesar 12,06%. Hasil akhir agregat dua quarry ini sudah memenuhi syarat SNI dengan perbandingan karakteristik agregat quarry Aemau lebih baik dari agregat quarry Nangapanda

Avaliação da semeadura direta, do plantio de porta-enxertos e de mudas do cajueiro anão precoce para enxertia no campo ou substituição de copa.

Entre as dificuldades do estabelecimento de pomares de cajueiro anao precoce, desejaveis em epocas proprias para o plantio, o transporte e o consequente alto custo que acarreta, uma vez que nem sempre os produtores dispoem de infra estrutura suficientemente adequada para a sua producao.bitstream/CNPAT-2010/5374/1/Ct-029.pd

Tilt Angle Optimization in Two-Tier Cellular Networks - A Stochastic Geometry Approach

In this work, we address the antenna tilt optimization problem for a two tier cellular network consisting of macrocells and femtocells, where both tiers share the same spectrum and their positions are modelled via two independent Poisson Point Processes (PPPs). First, we derive the coverage probability for a traditional cellular network consisting only of macrocells and obtain the optimum tilt angle that maximises the overall energy efficiency (EE). Gains of up to 400% in EE were found for a scenario (approximately) equivalent to a hexagonal cell deployment with cell radius of 200 m when the optimum tilt was selected. We then proceed to model the Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) scenario where femtocells are also deployed in the network’s area. We observe that the macro users performance is highly sensitive to the interference emanating from the femtocell tier. In order to circumvent this issue, interference coordination by employing a guard zone for the macrocell user is proposed. Subsequently, we formulate a joint optimization problem where we derive both, the radius of a guard zone protecting the macro user and the tilt angle that maximize the EE of the network

Stochastic Geometric Modeling & Analysis of Non-Uniform Two-tier Networks: A Stienen’s Model Base Approach

While stochastic geometric models based on Poisson point processes (PPP) provide a tractable approach for the analysis of uniform two-tier network deployments, the performance evaluation of a non-uniform deployment remains an open issue which we address in this paper. This is due to the fact that smaller cells can be more efficiently deployed in areas where the QoS of traditional macro base stations is poor. Therefore, in this paper we introduce Stienen’s model which allows us to analyse such non-uniform deployment. In contrast to traditional PPP based analysis, performance characterization under Stienen Model are more challenging due to location and density dependencies. However, we demonstrate that the performance can be approximated in a tractable manner. The developed statistical framework is employed to characterize the gains in terms of energy efficiency (EE) for non-uniform deployments. Results show an achievable 19% to 124% improvements in the macrocell coverage as compared to a uniform deployment, while the femtocell coverage and system EE are of the same order of magnitude for both deployments. These results are complemented with the fact that OPEX and CAPEX are reduced due to a lesser number of FAPs deployed

Cinco libros, dos prólogos y cuatrocientos sesenta y cinco capítulos para Tirant lo Blanch

Abordo en este artículo las características de la división textual de la versión anónima de la novela de Joanot Martorell que imprimió Diego de Gumiel en 1511, con el objetivo, a mi juicio, de ofrecer a sus lectores una obra que se amoldara al patrón de los libros de caballerías que tanto éxito empezaban a gozar ya a fines de la primera década del siglo XV