Geographic patterns of genetic variation in a broadly distributed marine vertebrate: new insights into loggerhead turtle stock structure from expanded mitochondrial DNA sequences

Previous genetic studies have demonstrated that natal homing shapes the stock structure of marine turtle nesting populations. However, widespread sharing of common haplotypes based on short segments of the mitochondrial control region often limits resolution of the demographic connectivity of populations. Recent studies employing longer control region sequences to resolve haplotype sharing have focused on regional assessments of genetic structure and phylogeography. Here we synthesize available control region sequences for loggerhead turtles from the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic, and western Indian Ocean basins. These data represent six of the nine globally significant regional management units (RMUs) for the species and include novel sequence data from Brazil, Cape Verde, South Africa and Oman. Genetic tests of differentiation among 42 rookeries represented by short sequences (380 bp haplotypes from 3,486 samples) and 40 rookeries represented by long sequences (~800 bp haplotypes from 3,434 samples) supported the distinction of the six RMUs analyzed as well as recognition of at least 18 demographically independent management units (MUs) with respect to female natal homing. A total of 59 haplotypes were resolved. These haplotypes belonged to two highly divergent global lineages, with haplogroup I represented primarily by CC-A1, CC-A4, and CC-A11 variants and haplogroup II represented by CC-A2 and derived variants. Geographic distribution patterns of haplogroup II haplotypes and the nested position of CC-A11.6 from Oman among the Atlantic haplotypes invoke recent colonization of the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic for both global lineages. The haplotypes we confirmed for western Indian Ocean RMUs allow reinterpretation of previous mixed stock analysis and further suggest that contemporary migratory connectivity between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans occurs on a broader scale than previously hypothesized. This study represents a valuable model for conducting comprehensive international cooperative data management and research in marine ecology.

Integration of Real-Time Simulator, Motion Platform and Haptics

This thesis describes the process of the integration of a real-time simulator environment with a motion platform and a haptic device as a part of the Kvalive project. Several programs running on two computers were made to control the different devices of the environment. User tests were made to obtain information of needed improvements to make the simulator more realistic. Also new ideas for improving the simulator and directions of further research were obtained with the help of this research.

Ratsastussimulaattorin jatkokehitys

Työssä tehtiin jatkokehitystyötä jo olemassa olevaan ratsastussimulaattoriin. Kehitystyö aloitettiin selvittämällä ratsastuksen liiketila, mittaamalla ratsastukseen aikana ratsastajaan kohdistuvat dynaamiset suureet 6 vapausasteen suhteen. Mitatut signaalit käsiteltiin transformaation ja suodatuksen avulla. Käsiteltyjä signaaleja käytettiin simulaattorin liikealustan asemaohjesignaaleina. Liikealustaan päälle kiinnitettyyn hevosenrunkoon muodostettiin antureiden avulla interaktiivinen rajapinta, joka mahdollisti simulaattorin ohjastamisen pohje- ja ohja-avuin. Jatkokehitetty simulaattori toistaa käynti-, ravi- ja laukka-askellajit tunnistettavasti. Simulaattori kuvaa ratsastuksen nopeuden muutosta vaihtamalla askellajia ja muuntamalla portaattomasti askelluksen taajuutta sekä amplitudia.

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Tunnuslukujen monimuotoisuus: ROI, RI ja EVA

Tässä työssä käsitellään sijoitetun pääoman tuottoprosentin, jäännöskatteen ja taloudellisen lisäarvon historiaa, käsitteitä ja käyttöä. Erityisesti keskitytään näistä tunnusluvuista käytettyjen määritelmien moninaisuuteen. Aluksi tutustutaan tunnuslukujen historiaan ja määritelmiin. Tämän jälkeen tutkitaan niiden käyttömahdollisuuksia johdon ja rahoituksen laskentatoimessa. Lopuksi tutkitaan empiirisen aineiston avulla näiden tunnuslukujen käyttöä yrityksissä. Sijoitetun pääoman tuottoprosentti syntyi 1900-luvun alussa Yhdysvalloissa, josta se levisi maailmanlaajuiseksi. Sijoitetun pääoman tuottoprosentti on suosittu tunnusluku sen helppokäyttöisyyden ansiosta. Rahoituksen laskentatoimen puolella on annettu tarkat ohjeet sijoitetun pääoman tuottoprosentin laskemiseksi, koska sen esittäminen ulkoisessa tiedottamisessa on joillekin yrityksille lakisääteistä. Johdon laskentatoimessa ei ole olemassa sääntöjä tämän tunnusluvun laskemiseksi, ja se voidaan laskea yrityksen haluamalla tavalla. Jäännöskate on ensimmäisen kerran mainittu kirjallisuudessa jo 1700-luvun loppupuolella, mutta sen käytöstä tuli yleisempää vasta 1900-luvulla. Jäännöskate ei kuitenkaan koskaan saavuttanut suurta suosiota, eikä sitä nykyään juuri käytetä. Jäännöskatteeseen pohjautuva taloudellinen lisäarvo nousi julkisuuteen, kun Stern Stewart & Co. rekisteröi sen tuotemerkikseen 1980-luvun lopussa. Verrattuna jäännöskatteeseen taloudellinen lisäarvo vastaa paremmin yrityksen todellista arvonmuodostusta. Näiden tunnuslukujen laskenta ei ole lakisääteisiä, joten kaikki yritykset voivat laskea ne omalla tavallaan. Jäännöskatetta ja taloudellista lisäarvoa käytetään lähinnä johdon laskentatoimessa, mutta vähitellen ne ovat siirtymässä myös rahoituksen laskentatoimeen.

PRAPRAG: software para planejamento racional de máquinas agrícolas

O software PRAPRAG é uma ferramenta de escolha de máquinas e implementos agrícolas que apresentam o menor custo por área ou por quantidade produzida, bem como, faz o planejamento de aquisição das máquinas para a propriedade agrícola, do ponto de vista técnico e econômico. Foi utilizada a linguagem de programação Borland Delphi 3.0 e, a partir de prospectos das máquinas e implementos, criou-se um banco de dados onde o usuário pode cadastrar e modificar suas características de uso. O software mostrou-se uma ferramenta útil e uso amigável. O software proporciona maior rapidez, segurança e confiabilidade ao processo produtivo e econômico das propriedades, na seleção e aquisição de conjuntos mecanizados agrícolas, e na determinação de custos com a mão de obra utilizada.

Variabilidade espacial da rentabilidade, perdas na colheita e produtividade do feijoeiro

O feijoeiro comum é cultivado em todas as regiões do País e apresenta grande importância econômica e social. É uma cultura de subsistência em pequenas propriedades, porém apresenta alguns problemas que influenciam em sua comercialização, como oscilação de preço pago ao produtor. Os métodos de colheita são diversos e, atualmente, o mais utilizado no Brasil é a colheita semimecanizada. Com o objetivo de avaliar a produtividade, rentabilidade, perdas manual e mecânica na colheita da cultivar de feijão Juriti, realizou-se o levantamento de dados georreferenciados em uma área de 10,45 ha, com o auxílio de uma grade de amostragem regular de 50 x 50 m. Para estudar a variabilidade espacial, foram utilizadas técnicas geoestatísticas, que geraram mapas temáticos por meio da krigagem. Constatou-se que, para a safra de 2005/2006, a produtividade média encontrada na área foi 7,66% maior que a média regional informada pela SEAB do Paraná. Por ocasião da colheita, as perdas manuais foram menores (1,47%) que as mecânicas (7,28%) e, estas, quando somadas, representaram uma perda total de 8,75% da produtividade média da área. Pelos mapas, foi possível identificar a distribuição espacial das variáveis estudadas por toda a área estudada e verificar que, em 21,37% da área cultivada, houve prejuízo, ou seja, a rentabilidade obtida com a venda do feijão foi menor que o custo de produção, causado especialmente pela baixa produtividade da cultura. Tais informações são importantes para que o agricultor conheça a sua área de plantio, bem como avalie por meio do mapa de rentabilidade se, eventualmente, outra cultura agrícola não teria uma rentabilidade maior por área.

A design and a prototype for a mobile information service for tourists

Tourism is one of the biggest industry branches with billions of tourists traveling every year around the world. Therefore, solutions providing tourist information have to be up to date with both changes in the industry and the world’s technological progress. The aim of this thesis is to present a design and a prototype of a tourist mobile service which is individual-oriented, cost-free for the end user, and secure. On the information providers’ side, the solution is implemented as a Webbased database. The end users access the information through a Bluetooth application on their mobile devices. The Bluetooth-based solution allows to avoid any costs for the end users, that is tourists. The study shows that, even with small data transfers, the tourists could save significantly when compared to possible roaming charges for data transfer. Also, the proposed mobile service is not intrusive, as it is provided through an application installed by tourists voluntarily on their mobile devices. Through design and implementation this work shows that it is possible to build a system which can be used to provide information services to tourists through mobile phones. The work achieved a successful ongoing synchronization between the client and the server databases. Implementation and usage were limited to smart phones only, as they provide better technological support for the solution having features like maps, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Databases. Moreover, the design of this system shows how Bluetooth technology can be used effectively as a means of communication while minimizing its shortcomings and risks, such as security, by bypassing Bluetooth server service discovery protocol (SDP) and connecting directly to the device. Apart from showing the design and implementation of the end-user costfree mobile information service, the results of this work also highlight the possible business opportunities to the provider of the service.

Comparison measures of maps generated by geostatistical methods

This study uses several measures derived from the error matrix for comparing two thematic maps generated with the same sample set. The reference map was generated with all the sample elements and the map set as the model was generated without the two points detected as influential by the analysis of local influence diagnostics. The data analyzed refer to the wheat productivity in an agricultural area of 13.55 ha considering a sampling grid of 50 x 50 m comprising 50 georeferenced sample elements. The comparison measures derived from the error matrix indicated that despite some similarity on the maps, they are different. The difference between the estimated production by the reference map and the actual production was of 350 kilograms. The same difference calculated with the mode map was of 50 kilograms, indicating that the study of influential points is of fundamental importance to obtain a more reliable estimative and use of measures obtained from the error matrix is a good option to make comparisons between thematic maps.

Use of data mining and spectral profiles to differentiate condition after harvest of coffee plants

This study aimed at identifying different conditions of coffee plants after harvesting period, using data mining and spectral behavior profiles from Hyperion/EO1 sensor. The Hyperion image, with spatial resolution of 30 m, was acquired in August 28th, 2008, at the end of the coffee harvest season in the studied area. For pre-processing imaging, atmospheric and signal/noise effect corrections were carried out using Flaash and MNF (Minimum Noise Fraction Transform) algorithms, respectively. Spectral behavior profiles (38) of different coffee varieties were generated from 150 Hyperion bands. The spectral behavior profiles were analyzed by Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm considering 2; 3; 4 and 5 clusters. T-test with 5% of significance was used to verify the similarity among the wavelength cluster means. The results demonstrated that it is possible to separate five different clusters, which were comprised by different coffee crop conditions making possible to improve future intervention actions.

Data mining techniques for identification of spectrally homogeneous areas using NDVI temporal profiles of soybean crop

The aim of this study was to group temporal profiles of 10-day composites NDVI product by similarity, which was obtained by the SPOT Vegetation sensor, for municipalities with high soybean production in the state of Paraná, Brazil, in the 2005/2006 cropping season. Data mining is a valuable tool that allows extracting knowledge from a database, identifying valid, new, potentially useful and understandable patterns. Therefore, it was used the methods for clusters generation by means of the algorithms K-Means, MAXVER and DBSCAN, implemented in the WEKA software package. Clusters were created based on the average temporal profiles of NDVI of the 277 municipalities with high soybean production in the state and the best results were found with the K-Means algorithm, grouping the municipalities into six clusters, considering the period from the beginning of October until the end of March, which is equivalent to the crop vegetative cycle. Half of the generated clusters presented spectro-temporal pattern, a characteristic of soybeans and were mostly under the soybean belt in the state of Paraná, which shows good results that were obtained with the proposed methodology as for identification of homogeneous areas. These results will be useful for the creation of regional soybean "masks" to estimate the planted area for this crop.