Relação entre a percepção da autoeficácia acadèmica e o engagement de estudantes de engenharia

La autoeficacia se refiere a las creencias que el individuo tiene en sus propias capacidades para organizar y ejecutar las acciones necesarias con el fin de conseguir metas determinadas. Por su parte, el compromiso se refiere al estado psicológico positivo y motivacional relacionado con el bienestar individual. En esta investigación se ha procurado establecer la relación entre estas dos variables, asumiendo una hipótesis de asociación positiva entre la autoeficacia y el compromiso, tomando estudiantes de Educación Superior de diferentes ramas de Ingeniería. La muestra se constituyó por 361 estudiantes (M = 20:54, SD = 4.24). La evaluación de la autoeficacia y el compromiso se llevó a cabo mediante la aplicación de dos cuestionarios a los estudiantes en el aula. Los resultados revelan una asociación positiva y significativa, siendo mayor la asociación entre la dimensión conductual de compromiso y auto-eficacia, estando también estas dos variables asociadas de manera positiva al rendimiento académico. En esta comunicación se presentan y se discuten estos resultados y sus implicaciones en la investigación y la práctica psicológica.Self-efficacy reflects the belief that the individual has in his/her own capabilities to organize and execute actions that are needed to accomplish certain goals. On the other hand, Engagement refers to a positive psychological and motivational state, which is associated with individual well-being. This investigation aims to examine the relationship between these two variables, presenting the hypothesis that there is a positive association between self-efficacy and engagement, of engineering students in Higher Education. The sample was composed of 361 students (M = 20.54; SD = 4.24). Self-efficacy and engagement assessment was conducted through a questionnaire administered to students in classroom. Results show a positive and significant association between the variables, being the strongest association between the behavioral dimension of engagement and self-efficacy, which are, in turn, positively associated with academic performance variables. In this study we present and discuss these results and their implications for psychological research and practice.A autoeficácia refere-se às crenças que o indivíduo tem nas suas próprias capacidades para organizar e executar as ações necessárias à concretização de determinados objetivos. Por seu lado, engagement refere-se ao estado psicológico positivo e motivacional, relacionado com o bem-estar individual. Nesta investigação procurou-se estabelecer a relação entre estas duas variáveis, assumindo uma hipótese de associação positiva entre a autoeficácia e o engagement, tomando estudantes do Ensino Superior de diferentes ramos da Engenharia. A amostra foi constituída por 361 estudantes (M = 20.54; DP = 4.24). A avaliação da autoeficácia e do engagement foi realizada através da aplicação dos questionários aos estudantes em sala de aula. Os resultados revelam uma associação positiva e significativa, sendo maior a associação encontrada entre a dimensão comportamental do engagement e a autoeficácia, estando também estas duas variáveis positivamente associadas ao rendimento académico. Nesta comunicação apresentam-se e discutem-se estes resultados e as suas implicações na investigação e prática psicológica.peerReviewe

Intraspecific plant-soil feedback and intraspecific overyielding in Arabidopsis thaliana

1\. Understanding the mechanisms of community coexistence and ecosystem functioning may help to counteract the current biodiversity loss and its potentially harmful consequences. In recent years, plant-soil feedback that can, for example, be caused by below-ground microorganisms, has been suggested to play a role in maintaining plant coexistence and to be a potential driver of the positive relationship between plant diversity and ecosystem functioning. Most of the studies addressing these topics have focused on the species level. However, in addition to interspecific interactions, intraspecific interactions might be important for the structure of natural communities. 2\. Here we examine intraspecific coexistence and intraspecific diversity effects using 10 natural accessions of the model species Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. We assessed morphological intraspecific diversity by measuring several above- and below-ground traits. We performed a plant-soil feedback experiment that was based on these trait differences between the accessions in order to determine whether A. thaliana experiences feedback at intraspecific level as a result of trait differences. We also experimentally tested the diversity-productivity relationship at intraspecific level. 3\. We found strong differences in above- and below-ground traits between the A. thaliana accessions. Overall, plant-soil feedback occurred at intraspecific level. However, accessions differed in the direction and strength of this feedback: some accessions grew better on their own soils, some on soils from other accessions. Furthermore, we found positive diversity effects within A. thaliana: accession mixtures produced a higher total above-ground biomass than accession monocultures. 4\. Differences between accessions in their feedback response could not be explained by morphological traits. Therefore, we suggest that they might have been caused by accession-specific accumulated soil communities, root exudates or by accession-specific resource use based on genetic differences that are not expressed in morphological traits. 5\. Synthesis. Our results provide some of the first evidence for intraspecific plant-soil feedback and intraspecific overyielding. These findings may have wider implications for the maintenance of variation within species and the importance of this variation for ecosystem functioning. Our results highlight the need for an increased focus on intraspecific processes in plant diversity research to fully understand the mechanisms of coexistence and ecosystem functioning.Ecology and Evolution, 4 (12), 2533-254

Effects of Amphetamine on Striatal Dopamine Release, Open-Field Activity, and Play in Fischer 344 and Sprague–Dawley Rats

Previous work from our laboratories has shown that juvenile Fischer 344 (F344) rats are less playful than other strains and also appear to be compromised in dopamine (DA) functioning. To determine whether the dysfunctional play in this strain is associated with deficits in the handling and delivery of vesicular DA, the following experiments assessed the extent to which F344 rats are differentially sensitive to the effects of amphetamine. When exposed to amphetamine, striatal slices obtained from F344 rats showed a small increase in unstimulated DA release when compared with slices from Sprague–Dawley rats; they also showed a more rapid high K+-mediated release of DA. These data provide tentative support for the hypothesis that F344 rats have a higher concentration of cytoplasmic DA than Sprague–Dawley rats. When rats were tested for activity in an open field, F344 rats presented a pattern of results that was consistent with either an enhanced response to amphetamine (3 mg/kg) or a more rapid release of DA (10 mg/kg). Although there was some indication that amphetamine had a dose-dependent differential effect on play in the two strains, play in F344 rats was not enhanced to any degree by amphetamine. Although these results are not consistent with our working hypothesis that F344 rats are less playful because of a deficit in vesicular release of DA, they still suggest that this strain may be a useful model for better understanding the role of DA in social behavior during the juvenile period

Expectativas académicas segundo o género dos estudantes portugueses do primeiro ano do ensino superior

Entre el amplio rango de variables contuextuales y personales que pueden asociarse a las dificultades del estudiante en el acceso a la Educacion Superior, las expectativas académicas serán el foco de este estudio. Las expectativas académicas representan lo que los estudiantes esperan conseguir a lo largo de su vida académica. El estudio se realizó por 372 estudiantes de primer año de Eduación Superior, de ambos sexos, y con edades en un rango de 17 a 57 años. Estos estudiantes completaron el Cuestionario de Percepción Académica (QPA), que diferencia siete dimensiones en las expectativas académicas. Los análisis de los datos consideran el género de los estudiantes, el dominio científico de los estudios (Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Ciencia y Tecnología) y los niveles de la Educación parental. Los resultados sugieren más diferenciación de las expectativas académicas en función del género de los estudiantes y el nivel educacional de los padres. Esta comunicación presenta y discute estos resultados, su posible justificación e implicaciones.Among the wide range of personal and contextual variables that may be associated with difficulties in students’ access to higher education (HE), academic expectations will be the focus of this study. Academic expectations represent what students hope to accomplish and achieve in their academic life. The sample was formed by 372 first-year Higher Education students, of both sexes, and with ages ranging from 17 to 57 years old. These students completed the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire (QPA), which assesses seven dimensions of academic expectations. Data analysis considers students´ gender, scientific domain of studies (social sciences and humanities, science and technology) and the levels of parental education (parents concluded or not HE studies). Results suggest more differentiation of academic expectations in function of students´ gender and parents´ educational level. This communication presents and discusses these results, and possible justifications and implications.De entre o amplo conjunto de variáveis pessoais e contextuais que poderão estar associadas às dificuldades sentidas pelos estudantes ao ingressarem no ensino superior (ES), as expectativas académicas serão o foco deste estudo. As expectativas académicas representam aquilo que o estudante espera concretizar no decurso da sua vida académica. Este estudo considera uma amostra de 372 estudantes do primeiro ano do Ensino Superior, de ambos os géneros e com idades entre os 17 e os 57 anos. Estes estudantes preencheram o Questionário de Perceções Académicas (QPA), avaliando sete dimensões das expectativas académicas. Os resultados foram analisados considerando o género, a área científica (ciências sociais e humanas; ciências e tecnologias) e se algum dos pais concluiu o ES. As análises sugerem maior diferenciação do nível de expectativas em função do género dos estudantes e se os pais frequentaram ou não o ES. Nesta comunicação apresentam-se e discutem-se estes resultados, adiantando potenciais justificações e implicações.peerReviewe

The Spectral Energy Distribution and Infrared Luminosities of z ≈ 2 Dust-obscured Galaxies from Herschel and Spitzer

Dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) are a subset of high-redshift (z ≈ 2) optically-faint ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs, e.g., L_(IR) > 10^(12) L_☉). We present new far-infrared photometry, at 250, 350, and 500 μm (observed-frame), from the Herschel Space Telescope for a large sample of 113 DOGs with spectroscopically measured redshifts. Approximately 60% of the sample are detected in the far-IR. The Herschel photometry allows the first robust determinations of the total infrared luminosities of a large sample of DOGs, confirming their high IR luminosities, which range from 10^(11.6) L_☉ 10^(13) L_☉. The rest-frame near-IR (1-3 μm) spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the Herschel-detected DOGs are predictors of their SEDs at longer wavelengths. DOGs with "power-law" SEDs in the rest-frame near-IR show observed-frame 250/24 μm flux density ratios similar to the QSO-like local ULIRG, Mrk 231. DOGs with a stellar "bump" in their rest-frame near-IR show observed-frame 250/24 μm flux density ratios similar to local star-bursting ULIRGs like NGC 6240. None show 250/24 μm flux density ratios similar to extreme local ULIRG, Arp 220; though three show 350/24 μm flux density ratios similar to Arp 220. For the Herschel-detected DOGs, accurate estimates (within ~25%) of total IR luminosity can be predicted from their rest-frame mid-IR data alone (e.g., from Spitzer observed-frame 24 μm luminosities). Herschel-detected DOGs tend to have a high ratio of infrared luminosity to rest-frame 8 μm luminosity (the IR8 = L_(IR)(8-1000 μm)/νL_ν(8 μm) parameter of Elbaz et al.). Instead of lying on the z = 1-2 "infrared main sequence" of star-forming galaxies (like typical LIRGs and ULIRGs at those epochs) the DOGs, especially large fractions of the bump sources, tend to lie in the starburst sequence. While, Herschel-detected DOGs are similar to scaled up versions of local ULIRGs in terms of 250/24 μm flux density ratio, and IR8, they tend to have cooler far-IR dust temperatures (20-40 K for DOGs versus 40-50 K for local ULIRGs) as measured by the rest-frame 80/115 μm flux density ratios (e.g., observed-frame 250/350 μm ratios at z = 2). DOGs that are not detected by Herschel appear to have lower observed-frame 250/24 μm ratios than the detected sample, either because of warmer dust temperatures, lower IR luminosities, or both

Synapse at CAp 2017 NER challenge: Fasttext CRF

We present our system for the CAp 2017 NER challenge which is about named entity recognition on French tweets. Our system leverages unsupervised learning on a larger dataset of French tweets to learn features feeding a CRF model. It was ranked first without using any gazetteer or structured external data, with an F-measure of 58.89\%. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first system to use fasttext embeddings (which include subword representations) and an embedding-based sentence representation for NER

Detection of Water Vapor in the Thermal Spectrum of the Non-Transiting Hot Jupiter upsilon Andromedae b

The upsilon Andromedae system was the first multi-planet system discovered orbiting a main sequence star. We describe the detection of water vapor in the atmosphere of the innermost non-transiting gas giant ups~And~b by treating the star-planet system as a spectroscopic binary with high-resolution, ground-based spectroscopy. We resolve the signal of the planet's motion and break the mass-inclination degeneracy for this non-transiting planet via deep combined flux observations of the star and the planet. In total, seven epochs of Keck NIRSPEC $L$ band observations, three epochs of Keck NIRSPEC short wavelength $K$ band observations, and three epochs of Keck NIRSPEC long wavelength $K$ band observations of the ups~And~system were obtained. We perform a multi-epoch cross correlation of the full data set with an atmospheric model. We measure the radial projection of the Keplerian velocity ($K_P$ = 55 $\pm$ 9 km/s), true mass ($M_b$ = 1.7 $^{+0.33}_{-0.24}$ $M_J$), and orbital inclination \big($i_b$ = 24 $\pm$ 4$^{\circ}$\big), and determine that the planet's opacity structure is dominated by water vapor at the probed wavelengths. Dynamical simulations of the planets in the ups~And~system with these orbital elements for ups~And~b show that stable, long-term (100 Myr) orbital configurations exist. These measurements will inform future studies of the stability and evolution of the ups~And~system, as well as the atmospheric structure and composition of the hot Jupiter.Comment: Accepted to A

M&A Update and Cross-Border M&As: Considerations for Middle-Market Firms

Global activity in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) has weakened during the past year and a half. With continued concerns about the recovery of the global economy, many large companies were reluctant to close mega-deals. Economic and political events, such as increased fiscal crises in Europe, slowing economic growth in the BRIC countries, and political gridlock in Washington, reduced confidence among many dealmakers. Despite companies’ record cash reserves, many were reluctant to execute new M&A deals. In this article, we discuss global M&A activity in 2011 and the first half of 2012. The article concludes with a discussion of factors for middle-market companies to consider in pursuing cross-border M&As

Patterns of Implicit and Explicit Attitudes in Children and Adults: Tests in the Domain of Religion

Among the most replicated results in social cognition is the split between explicit and implicit attitudes; adults demonstrate weaker group-based preferences on explicit rather than implicit measures. However, the developmental origins of this pattern remain unclear. If implicit attitudes develop over a protracted period of time, children should not demonstrate the implicit preferences observed among adults. Additionally, unlike adults, children may report group-based preferences due to their lesser concern with social desirability. In Study 1, Christian adults showed the expected pattern of robust implicit preference but no explicit preference. In 4 additional experiments, 6- to 8-year-old children whose parents identified them as Christian viewed characters described as belonging to 2 starkly different religious groups (“strong religious difference”) or 2 relatively similar religious groups (“weak religious difference”). Participants then completed explicit and implicit (IAT) measures of attitude toward Christians and either Hindus (Study 2) or Jews (Studies 3–5). Three main results emerged. First, like adults, children showed significant implicit pro-Christian preferences across all studies. Second, unlike adults, children in the “strong religious difference” case reported preferences of approximately the same magnitude as their implicit attitudes (i.e., no dissociation). Third, even in the “weak religious difference” case, children showed implicit pro-Christian preferences (although, like adults, their explicit attitudes were not sensitive to intergroup difference). These data suggest that the seeds of implicit religious preferences are sown early and that children’s explicit preferences are influenced by the social distance between groups.Psycholog