Parallelization of kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm to simulate AL3Sc precipitation

The present paper reports the precipitation process of Al3Sc structures in an aluminum scandium alloy, which has been simulated with a synchronous parallel kinetic Monte Carlo (spkMC) algorithm. The spkMC implementation is based on the vacancy diffusion mechanism. To filter the raw data generated by the spkMC simulations, the density-based clustering with noise (DBSCAN) method has been employed. spkMC and DBSCAN algorithms were implemented in the C language and using MPI library. The simulations were conducted in the SeARCH cluster located at the University of Minho. The Al3Sc precipitation was successfully simulated at the atomistic scale with the spkMC. DBSCAN proved to be a valuable aid to identify the precipitates by performing a cluster analysis of the simulation results. The achieved simulations results are in good agreement with those reported in the literature under sequential kinetic Monte Carlo simulations (kMC). The parallel implementation of kMC has provided a 4x speedup over the sequential version.

Measuring university-to-work success: development of a new scale

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a subjective multidimensional measure of early career success during university-to-work transition. Design/methodology/approach – The construct of university-to-work success (UWS) was defined in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic career outcomes, and a three-stage study was conducted to create a new scale. Findings – A preliminary set of items was developed and tested by judges. Results showed the items had good content validity. Factor analyses indicated a four-factor structure and a second-order model with subscales to assess: career insertion and satisfaction, confidence in career future, income and financial independence, and adaptation to work. Third, the authors sought to confirm the hypothesized model examining the comparative fit of the scale and two alternative models. Results showed that fits for both the first- and second-order models were acceptable. Research limitations/implications – The proposed model has sound psychometric qualities, although the validated version of the scale was not able to incorporate all constructs envisaged by the initial theoretical model. Results indicated some direction for further refinement. Practical implications – The scale could be used as a tool for self-assessment or as an outcome measure to assess the efficacy of university-to-work programs in applied settings. Originality/value – This study provides a useful single measure to assess early career success during the university-to-work transition, and might facilitate testing of causal models which could help identify factors relevant for successful transition.

Práticas centradas na família: um estudo de caso do Centro de Educación Infantil y de Atención Temprana da Universidade Católica de Valência

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação Especial (área de especialização em Intervenção Precoce)

Tecnologias para a inclusão: centros de recursos virtuais no apoio às necessidades educativas especiais

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Educação (área de especialização em Tecnologia Educativa).

Preschool education in Brazil: does public supply crowd out private enrollment?

Expanding access to preschool education is a particularly important policy issue in developing countries, where enrollment rates are generally much lower, and where private institutions constitute a much larger share of the formal preschool sector, than in developed countries. This paper examines if an expansion in the supply of public preschool crowds-out private enrollment using rich data for municipalities in Brazil from 2000 to 2006, where federal transfers to local governments change discontinuously with given population thresholds. Results from a regression-discontinuity design reveal that larger federal transfers lead to a significant expansion of local public preschool services, but show no evidence of crowding-out of private enrollment, nor of negative impacts on the quality of private providers. This finding is consistent with a theory in which households differ in willingness-to-pay for preschool services, and private suppliers optimally adjust prices in response to an expansion of lower-quality, free-of-charge public supply. In the context of the model, the absence of crowding-out effects of more public preschool providers can be rationalized by the existence of relatively large differences in willingness-to-pay for preschool services across different demand segments. Our theoretical and empirical findings therefore suggest that in developing country settings characterized by relatively high income inequality, an expansion in public preschool supply will likely significantly increase enrollment among the poorest segments of society, and need not have adverse effects on the quantity or quality of local private supply.