The overall purpose of this study is, therefore, to determine if there are measurable relationships between some specific aptitudes and certain basic personality traits.

<p>The special architecture of the Cell BE processor has made scientists revisit the problem of sorting. This paper implements and tests a variant of merge sort where a number of 2-to-1 mergers are connected in a pipelined tree. For large trees there are many more such mergers than processors which means they must be mapped to the processors in some way. Optimized mappings are tested and results show that changing the model used when optimizing might be beneficiary. It is also shown that the small size of the local storages on the co-processors is not limiting the performance.</p>

For more than 100 years, vocational psychologists and educational researchers have sought to identify the significant influences shaping occupational interests. This descriptive study used a series of vocational card sort exercises with 139 rural high school youth to identify gender differences in occupational interests toward working in 60 of the nation's fastest growing occupations, including new and emerging 21st century green energy roles. Through a classroom-based exercise, youth sorted cards from four decks into piles (1 - 5) at their desk. Sorting the card into pile (1) expressed Strong Dislike; pile (2) Dislike, pile (3) No Interest, pile (4) Some Interest, or pile (5) Strong Interest toward the occupational information depicted on each card. Four decks of 60 cards were used to measure youth expressed interest toward performing the occupational tasks (A), holding the occupational titles (B), working in the type of workplace environments (C), and using the type of tools and technology (D) used by workers in each occupation. A Total Occupational Interest Score reflected the summation of four scores from deck (A+B+C+D) by each youth toward each occupation. Significant differences in occupational interests were found. Female youth expressed strongest interest toward health care, and lowest interest toward green energy roles. Male youth were most interested in construction, transportation, advanced manufacturing, and homeland security. Both groups most preferred working in traditional roles for each gender to perform in the workplace.

Nowadays, parallel accelerators have become prominent and ubiquitous, e.g., multi-core CPUs, many-core GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) and Intel Xeon Phi. The performance gains from them can be as high as many orders of magnitude, attracting extensive interest from many scientific domains. However, the gains are closely followed by two main problems: (1) A complete redesign of existing codes might be required if a new parallel platform is used, leading to a nightmare for developers. (2) Parallel codes that execute efficiently on one platform might be either inefficient or even non-executable for another platform, causing portability issues. To handle these problems, in this dissertation, we propose a general approach using parallel patterns, an effective and abstracted layer to ease the generating efficient parallel codes for given algorithms and across architectures. From algorithms to parallel patterns, we exploit the domain expertise to analyze the computational and communication patterns in the core computations and represent them in DSL (Domain Specific Language) or algorithmic skeletons. This preserves the essential information, such as data dependencies, types, etc., for subsequent parallelization and optimization. From parallel patterns to actual codes, we use a series of automation frameworks and transformations to determine which levels of parallelism can be used, what optimal instruction sequences are, how the implementation change to match different architectures, etc. Experiments show that our approaches by investigating a couple of important computational kernels, including sort (and segmented sort), sequence alignment, stencils, etc., across various parallel platforms (CPUs, GPUs, Intel Xeon Phi). / Ph. D. / Nowadays, parallel accelerators have become prominent and ubiquitous, e.g., multi-core CPUs, many-core GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) and Intel Xeon Phi. The performance gains from them can be as high as many orders of magnitude, attracting extensive interest from many scientific domains. However, the gains are closely followed by two main problems: (1) A complete redesign of existing codes might be required if a new parallel platform is used, leading to a nightmare for developers. (2) Parallel codes that execute efficiently on one platform might be either inefficient or even non-executable for another platform, causing portability issues. To handle these problems, in this dissertation, we propose a general approach using parallel patterns, an effective and abstracted layer to ease the generating efficient parallel codes for given algorithms and across architectures. From algorithms to parallel patterns, we exploit the domain expertise to analyze the computational and communication patterns in the core computations and represent them in DSL (Domain Specific Language) or algorithmic skeletons. This preserves the essential information, such as data dependencies, types, etc., for subsequent parallelization and optimization. From parallel patterns to actual codes, we use a series of automation frameworks and transformations to determine which levels of parallelism can be used, what optimal instruction sequences are, how the implementation change to match different architectures, etc. Experiments show that our approaches by investigating a couple of important computational kernels, including sort (and segmented sort), sequence alignment, stencils, etc., across various parallel platforms (CPUs, GPUs, Intel Xeon Phi).

This thesis presents a new cascaded iterative VLSI sorting architecture that can accelerate data sorting of variable-length sequences. The proposed sorter mainly consists of a central data memory block, a core comparison unit, and a special address generation module. Many fast sorting algorithms can be represented by a network of compare-and-swap (C&S) operations which can be divided into several processing steps. Instead of using parallel C&S functional units to perform C&S operations of the same sorting step, our comparison unit is composed of cascaded C&S units connected through data commutator such that different sorting steps can be processed simultaneously. The advantage of cascaded architecture is that the number of data memory accesses can be reduced by a factor equal to the number of cascaded stages. However, how to reduce the overhead of the data commutator becomes the most critical design issue. This thesis has explored the feature of C&S operation order in Bitonic sorting such that much simpler and more regular data commutator module can be achieved compared with the previous cascade design derived based on Batcher sorting. Therefore, the cascade level of our sorter architecture can be more than 2. A sample of 4-level cascade sorter has been implemented in our thesis. To generate the address sequence suitable for the proposed cascaded comparison unit, this paper proposes a low-cost address generator design based on the bit-permutation technique. Although high cascade level can lead to significant reduction of memory access which can help reducing the power dissipation, the issues of low hardware utilization for short data sequences and the increasing commutator overhead cannot be neglected. Therefore, to achieve further speed-up, this paper also adopts another parallelism approach for data sorter design by utilizing block-level C&S units which can compare a block of data at the same time. The block-level C&S units can be designed based on traditional Batcher¡¦s sorting network. Based on the proposed Bitonic cascade and Batcher¡¦s block sorting approaches, very fast and low-power sorter hardware can be achieved.

Submitted by Noeme Timbo (noeme.timbo@metodista.br) on 2017-01-24T13:32:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Keiti de B Munari 2.pdf: 956289 bytes, checksum: 15da0eddb8168ceaf31034ae9118eaac (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-24T13:32:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Keiti de B Munari 2.pdf: 956289 bytes, checksum: 15da0eddb8168ceaf31034ae9118eaac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-05-12 / The teaching profession has been gradually marked by political reforms in an attempt to meet the emergency needs that the socioeconomic and cultural system requires. So in every attempt to adapt teaching to meet the demands of the new capitalism, new means are created to achieve standard or hegemonic models in teacher training. This trend, in a way, as observed by Sousa and Villas Boas (2011), has created a moment of discomfort in the area; a time of uncertainty that generates "generic political responses" without contextualization of the teaching profession in their practices. In this research, we try to deepen themes that articulate factors of academic disciplinary training with teacher professionalization. We focus on the specific characteristics of the profession through aspects of social subjectivity that are transmitted to teaching. We believe we can well understand why, although inserted in an environment of bad feelings towards the career of teaching, we still have teachers who remain in the profession showing satisfaction with their activities - although this might seem to be a paradox. We study whether aspects of social subjectivity promote an intersection of theory with practice and, above all, the academic training that perpetuates the theoretical and disciplinary knowledge with the knowledge built from the context of belonging, held by subjects in a profession which we believe to be relational. In order to do so, we attempt to trace the profile of the participant subjects in this study from the specific characteristics of the behavior of these professionals in the relationship which is maintained with others in the classroom, of what characterizes this group, their expectations regarding teaching and some of the main reasons that lead them to remain in their profession. Based on these observations, we address our theoretical framework based on the concept of Teaching Subjectivity, a topic that has brought some modest contributions to education studies. Our field research was supported by the methodological approach through the measuring instrument known as Q-sort technique - a tool used for qualitative analyzes that focuses issues of subjectivity. The study subjects were teachers of the first grades of public elementary schools, who work in Nazaré, a city in São Paulo state. For the study of the results of the research, we took contributions from participant observation into account. / A profissão docente vem sendo gradativamente marcada por reformas políticas que visam o atendimento das necessidades emergenciais que o sistema socioeconômico e cultural exige. Assim, a cada tentativa de adequação do ensino para atendimento das demandas do novo capitalismo, criam-se meios para alcançar modelos padronizados ou hegemônicos na formação docente. Essa tendência, de certo modo, como observam Sousa e Villas Bôas (2011), tem criado um momento de mal estar na área; um momento de incertezas que geram “respostas políticas genéricas”, sem contextualização da profissão do professor, em sua práxis. Procuramos aprofundar temas que articulam fatores da formação disciplinar acadêmica com a profissionalização docente. Focamos as especificidades da profissão a partir de aspectos da subjetividade social que perpassam à docência. Acreditamos poder assim compreender que, mesmo inseridos num ambiente de mal estar na carreira docente, ainda temos professores que se mantêm em seu ofício e, mesmo que paradoxalmente, se mostram satisfeitos em suas atividades. Questionamos se aspectos da subjetividade social permitem um entrecruzamento da teoria com a prática e, sobretudo, da formação acadêmica que perpetua os saberes teóricos e disciplinares com os saberes construídos a partir do contexto de pertença de sujeitos de uma profissão que entendemos ser relacional. Para tanto, seguimos na tentativa de traçar o perfil dos sujeitos participantes desta pesquisa (professores dos primeiros anos do Ensino Fundamental, da rede municipal de ensino de Nazaré Paulista/SP), a partir das particularidades de atuação desses profissionais na relação que é mantida com o outro em sala de aula, do que caracteriza esse grupo, suas expectativas em relação à docência e alguns dos motivos que os levam a permanecer no ofício. Abordamos nosso referencial teórico a partir da Subjetividade Docente e para tanto nos apoiamos no instrumento de medida intitulado técnica Q-sort – uma ferramenta direcionada para estudos do campo de investigações de aspectos da subjetividade. Além da técnica, nos apoiamos na aplicação de questionário de perfil e em relatos extraídos a partir da observação participante. Os resultados obtidos nos direcionaram para a questão principal do aspecto da afetividade na docência, no que tange justificativas para a permanência no magistério e competências comportamentais para a constituição da profissionalização docente em paralelo à formação disciplinar e teórica das licenciaturas

Este trabalho visa compreender os elementos materiais e simbólicos que atravessam a trajetória de vida e fundamentam o interesse de jovens mulheres residentes na localidade da Candelária no Complexo da Mangueira no Rio de Janeiro em manter uma relação amorosa com traficantes de drogas. Objetiva - se com o estudo em questão: investigar a trajetória de vida das jovens que têm envolvimento amoroso com jovens rapazes que optaram por trabalhar no tráfico de drogas, buscando conhecer os motivos que as levam a estes relacionamentos; aprofundar o conhecimento sobre a realidade familiar, comunitária e social das jovens, enquanto fatores importantes para se compreender a opção de relacionamento amoroso com os rapazes do tráfico; Investigar se a partir do início das práticas e relações amorosas com jovens do tráfico são produzidos pontos de inflexão significativos nas trajetórias de vida das jovens estudadas, bem como o sentido e a direção desta inflexão (maior ou menor vulnerabilidade social). A análise e compreensão dos dados foram construídas a partir dos pressupostos teóricos e metodológicos da Produção dos Sentidos dentro do paradigma construcionista que situa o estudo a partir da análise das práticas discursivas. Os resultados obtidos revelam que os relacionamentos se formalizam pela presença do traficante e minimamente mais duas mulheres: a Fiel + A Outra e tantas outras qualificadas como O Lanchinho da Madrugada. As motivações para a efetivação dos citados relacionamentos passam por várias determinações: sedução, fama, status, aquisição de bens materiais entre outros elementos marcam os mesmos. Estas passam a experimentar novas formas de sociabilidade: a força policial, territórios ocupados por outras facções criminosas são elementos que contribuem para maior grau de vulnerabilidade social. / This work aims at to understand the material and symbolic elements that cross the life trajectory and base the interest of young resident women on the locality of the Candelária in the Complex of the Hose in Rio de Janeiro in keeping a loving relation with dealers of drugs. Objective - with the study in question: to investigate the trajectory of life of the young that has loving envolvement with young youngsters whom they had opted to working in the traffic of drugs, searching to know the reasons that take them to these relationships; to deepen the knowledge on the familiar, communitarian and social reality of the young, while factors important to understand the option of loving relationship with the youngsters of the traffic; To investigate if from the beginning of practical and the loving relations with young of the traffic significant points of inflection in the trajectories of life of the studied young are produced, as well as the direction and the direction of this inflection (bigger or lesser social vulnerability). The analysis and understanding of the data had been constructed from the estimated theoreticians and metodológicos of the Production of the Directions inside of the construcionista paradigm that it points out study from the analysis of the practical discursivas. The gotten results disclose that the relationships if minimum legalize for the presence of the dealer and more two women: the fidiciary office + To Another one and as much other qualified ones as the Lanchinho of the Dawn. The motivations for the efetivação of the cited relationships pass for some determination: seduction, fame, statuses, acquisition of corporeal properties among others elements mark the same ones. These start to try new forms of sociability: the police force, busy territories for other criminal factions are elements that contribute for bigger degree of social vulnerability.

Introduction. Executive function refers to the top-down neurocognitive processes involved in flexible, goal-oriented behavior. A number of studies have shown positive effects of EF training. The overall aim of these studies was to explore the neurocognitive processes that support the development of EF by understanding how EF training works and what the active ingredients are. Particular interest was in isolating the role of reflection in EF training to understand its top-down affect on ACC-mediated conflict detection. Method. In Exp. 1 the neural markers of EF were explored by comparing ERPs of preschoolers who passed the DCCS and preschoolers who failed. Exp. 2 represents an attempt to replicate the key findings of Kloo & Perner, (2003, Exp. 2) that reflection training improves preschoolers’ performance on the DCCS and demonstrates far transfer. A shortened version of the training protocol was also tested (Exp. 3). In Exp. 4, the neural correlates of reflection training in preschoolers were explored by examining changes in the neural marker of EF found in Exp. 1. Results. In Exp. 1, the N2 amplitude was smaller (less negative) for children who passed the DCCS and were able to efficiently resolve the conflict in the stimuli than for children who failed and were unable to resolve the conflict. Exp. 2 replicated the findings of Kloo & Perner, (2003, Exp. 2) even using a brief (15 min) intervention targeting reflection (Exp. 3). In Exp. 4, one brief session of reflection training made children who initially failed the DCCS look like children who initially passed at both the behavioral and neural level (reduced N2 amplitude). Conclusion. Results suggest that reflective processing facilitates the development of EF in young children by teaching them to notice conflict, reflect on it, and formulate rules for resolving it, resulting in the down-regulation of ACC-mediated conflict detection.

Introduction. Executive function refers to the top-down neurocognitive processes involved in flexible, goal-oriented behavior. A number of studies have shown positive effects of EF training. The overall aim of these studies was to explore the neurocognitive processes that support the development of EF by understanding how EF training works and what the active ingredients are. Particular interest was in isolating the role of reflection in EF training to understand its top-down affect on ACC-mediated conflict detection. Method. In Exp. 1 the neural markers of EF were explored by comparing ERPs of preschoolers who passed the DCCS and preschoolers who failed. Exp. 2 represents an attempt to replicate the key findings of Kloo & Perner, (2003, Exp. 2) that reflection training improves preschoolers’ performance on the DCCS and demonstrates far transfer. A shortened version of the training protocol was also tested (Exp. 3). In Exp. 4, the neural correlates of reflection training in preschoolers were explored by examining changes in the neural marker of EF found in Exp. 1. Results. In Exp. 1, the N2 amplitude was smaller (less negative) for children who passed the DCCS and were able to efficiently resolve the conflict in the stimuli than for children who failed and were unable to resolve the conflict. Exp. 2 replicated the findings of Kloo & Perner, (2003, Exp. 2) even using a brief (15 min) intervention targeting reflection (Exp. 3). In Exp. 4, one brief session of reflection training made children who initially failed the DCCS look like children who initially passed at both the behavioral and neural level (reduced N2 amplitude). Conclusion. Results suggest that reflective processing facilitates the development of EF in young children by teaching them to notice conflict, reflect on it, and formulate rules for resolving it, resulting in the down-regulation of ACC-mediated conflict detection.

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。