Riverscape Genetics: Insights Into the Drivers of Divergence in Coastal Brazilian Fishes

The movement of organisms in spatially structured landscapes is affected by constraints imposed by geographic and physical properties of the environment, and by the response of the organisms to this environment (i.e., ecological requirements). Freshwater environments, especially rivers, are known for imposing stronger movement constraints than terrestrial and marine environments. These constraints are associated with the isolation of different river drainages and the properties of a river itself, such as shape and water flow. Because of these unique characteristics of riverine landscapes (riverscapes), our understanding of neutral demographic processes in these environments is still lacking relative to that of other environments. This dissertation research aims to help fill this knowledge gap by advancing the understanding of the effects of riverine environments on neutral demographic processes. I combine simulated and empirical data to ask how riverine basins over spatial scales (i.e., local and regional) and temporal scales (i.e., present and past) interact with organisms to promote the observed patterns of genetic diversity in freshwater fishes. The Brazilian coastal drainages are an ideal area for this study as a series of isolated basins that were cyclically connected and disconnected because of Pleistocene sea level changes lead to a great diversity of endemic fishes. In my dissertation, I first demonstrate that paleodrainage structure during the Pleistocene is the main factor explaining population genetic differentiation in one species. Then, I give insights about how riverine landscapes and their physical properties (including during past time periods) structure genetic diversity within drainages. Finally, I used a comparative approach to elucidate whether sea level changes in coastal areas affected the freshwater community as a whole, or if responses were species-specific. The work presented here advances knowledge pertaining to the evolution of freshwater fishes, particularly those of the Neotropics. Overall, by exploring relevant hypotheses in order to identify processes that structure genetic variation within and between basins and species, my dissertation distinguishes the evolutionary mechanisms operating at different spatial and temporal scales, and provides insights into patterns of genetic diversity in freshwater fishes, especially along the coastal Brazilian basins.PHDEcology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138632/1/thomaz_1.pd

The dynamics of the employee branding effect: The valuation of interpersonal relationships in organizational results

Focusing on competency management, the Employee Branding Effect process results from the increase of catalytic actions of the interpersonal relations domain, which stem from the informality created in social exchanges both inside and outside organizations, namely by the introduction of mentoring and helping relations between chiefs and headed. The Employee Branding Effect contributes to a real and concrete diagnosis of the organizational and relational environment of the organizations, by promoting and reinforcing the psychological contract between employees and the organization. The present study covered 30 organizations in the central zone of Portugal that responded to a questionnaire survey for Employee Branding Effect measurement. The results statistically show that the moderating effect of mentoring and helping relationships actions, from the informal domain over the formal domain of the organizations, confirm a positive increase of the employee branding process results when promoted by actions within the scope of the interpersonal relations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Socially guided machine learning

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 139-146).Social interaction will be key to enabling robots and machines in general to learn new tasks from ordinary people (not experts in robotics or machine learning). Everyday people who need to teach their machines new things will find it natural for to rely on their interpersonal interaction skills. This thesis provides several contributions towards the understanding of this Socially Guided Machine Learning scenario. While the topic of human input to machine learning algorithms has been explored to some extent, prior works have not gone far enough to understand what people will try to communicate when teaching a machine and how algorithms and learning systems can be modified to better accommodate a human partner. Interface techniques have been based on intuition and assumptions rather than grounded in human behavior, and often techniques are not demonstrated or evaluated with everyday people. Using a computer game, Sophie's Kitchen, an experiment with human subjects provides several insights about how people approach the task of teaching a machine. In particular, people want to direct and guide an agent's exploration process, they quickly use the behavior of the agent to infer a mental model of the learning process, and they utilize positive and negative feedback in asymmetric ways.(cont.) Using a robotic platform, Leonardo, and 200 people in follow-up studies of modified versions of the Sophie's Kitchen game, four research themes are developed. The use of human guidance in a machine learning exploration can be successfully incorporated to improve learning performance. Novel learning approaches demonstrate aspects of goal-oriented learning. The transparency of the machine learner can have significant effects on the nature of the instruction received from the human teacher, which in turn positively impacts the learning process. Utilizing asymmetric interpretations of positive and negative feedback from a human partner, can result in a more efficient and robust learning experience.by Andrea Lockerd Thomaz.Ph.D

Understanding implicit social context in electronic communication

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2002.Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-72).Artificial Intelligence (Al) has shown competence in helping people with complex cognitive decisions like air traffic control and playing chess. The goal of this work is to demonstrate that Al can help people with social decisions. In this work Artificial Intelligence of Social Networks is used to improve human-human communication, recognizing the social characteristics of human relations in order to achieve a more natural online communication interface. Can a computer learn to understand the value of communication? It is shown here that a first attempt at social context classification performs with almost 70% reliability. Could a computer use this to help a person relate to other people through technology? The addition of social context to an email interface is shown to have a positive effect in a user's online communication behavior. Email is a tool that people use practically every day, making an implicit statement about their relationships with other people, and providing an opportunity for a computer to learn about their social network. Furthermore, over the years people have come to utilize and depend on email more in their daily lives, but the tool has hardly changed to help people deal with the overwhelming amount of information. Many of the social cues that allow people to naturally function with their social network are not inherent or obvious in Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). This work offers automatic social network analysis as a means to bring these cues to CMC and to foster the user's coherent understanding of the people and resources of their communication network.by Andrea Lyn Lockerd.S.M

Desenvolvimento de dermocosméticos à base de composto bioativos de macromiceto, cianobactéria e melatonina na redução de poros, rugas, manchas em pele humana

Orientador : Prof. Dr. Carlos Ricardo SoccolTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia. Defesa: Curitiba, 14/01/2015Inclui referências : f. 95-109Área de concentração: Saúde humana e animalResumo: O envelhecimento da população vem gerando crescente preocupação com a saúde e a beleza. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar as propriedades dermatológicas de cremes produzidos com extratos aquosos de esporos de Ganoderma lucidum, extratos aquosos de biomassa de Spirulina platensis e melatonina. Elaborou-se uma composição básica de creme que foi acrescida de dois compostos bioativos, denominados Fórmula 1 e Ativo 1. A Fórmula 1 era composta de um creme de composição básica acrescido de10% (g/g) de extrato aquoso de esporos de G. lucidum concentrado a 50% e melatonina a 0,01%. O Ativo 1 era composto por 10% (g/g) de extrato aquoso de esporos de G. lucidum concentrado a 50%. Estes foram testados in vitro em cultivo celular de fibroblastos humanos e em melanócitos murinos, submetendo-os às análises imunohistoquimicas e anatomopatológicas.Na segunda fase do estudo foi realizado um ensaio clínico randomizado, duplo cego, para avaliação dos cinco (05) biocremes. Os biocremes foram denominados A, E, I, O e U. Para análise objetiva da avaliação dos resultados da ação de cada biocreme na pele humana, optou-se por realizar as análises no equipamento VisioFace® (Courage e Khazaka, Germany), que fornece dados analíticos objetivos como dimensões dos poros, manchas e rugas. O composto BIOATIVO 1 foi capaz de elevar significativamente (p<0,01) a atividade da enzima superóxido dismutase, evidenciando sua extrema capacidade antioxidante. O composto BIOATIVO 1 quando testado em fragmentos de pele submetidos à irradiação tiveram níveis de ação antioxidante comparável aos do padrão Trolox e aumentados em 100% em comparação ao grupo controle, irradiado. O creme A (base de extrato aquoso de Spirulina e melatonina) promoveu redução em média de 61% para poros grandes e de 56,63% para manchas ultravioletas p<0,01. O creme O (extrato aquoso de esporos de Ganoderma e melatonina) também se destacou em seus resultados, apresentando em média 55,9% de redução percentual de manchas. Conclui-se que os dermocremes desenvolvidos e testados em pele humana possuem atividades antioxidantes importantes, antimelanogênica e promotora de neocolageogênese. Palavras-chave: Ganoderma lucidum; Spirulina platensis, dermocosméticos, melatonina, antioxidante.Abstract: The aging population is generating increasing concern with health and beauty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the properties of dermatological creams made with extracts of Ganoderma lucidum spore extract of Spirulina platensis obtained by fermentation in liquid state and melatonin. Stabilized preparation of an active and a cream nominated "Active 1" and "Formula 1". Formula 1 was comprised of 10% cream prepared extract of Ganoderma spores concentrated to 50% and melatonin to 0.01%. Formula 1 consisted of 10 % extract of Ganoderma spores concentrated to 50% were tested in cell culture of human - murine fibroblasts and melanocytes, subjecting them to immunohistochemistry and pathological analysis. In the second phase of the study was done by a randomized and double blind study to evaluate 5 biocremes trial. For analysis of the results of the cream was chosen by VisioFace ® (Courage & Khazaka, Germany ) - a system that provides objective analytical data as pore size, spots and wrinkles. ACTIVE 1 product was able to significantly (P < 0.01) increase the activity of superoxide dismutase, showing its extreme antioxidant capacity. Fragments of skin subjected to irradiation treated with Formula 1 had levels of antioxidants, comparing to Trolox, increased 100 % compared to the irradiated control group. Five biocremes (A, E, I, O and U) were prepared and tested in humans. The biocreme A (spore extract of Spirulina and Melatonin) promoted an average reduction of 61 % for large pores and reduction of 56.63 % for ultraviolet spots p < 0.01. The Biocreme O (Ganoderma extract and melatonin) also give excelled results, it was on average 55.9% reduction in the percentage of spots. It possible concluded that the biocremes have important anti-spots action, inducing collagen and antioxidant activities. Keywords: Extract of Ganoderma lucidum; extract of Spirulina platensis, skin care products,melatonina, antioxidants

THE IMPACT OF MENTORING AND HELPING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE INFORMAL PROCESS OF EMPLOYEE BRANDING: CONSTRUCTION OF THE MEASURING INSTRUMENT

The process of employee branding (EeB), according to Miles and Mangold (2004; 2005) promotes and strengthen the psychological contract between employees and the organization by increasing and maximizing the employees’ sense of commitment and loyalty. The object of this research focuses on the measurement of the impact of mentoring and helping relationships in the informal process of EeB, with a focus on People and on an integrated vision of the Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior, based on the exchange ratio of Relationship Marketing. With the introduction of a new variable (mentoring and helping relationships), this article focuses on the construction of the measuring instrument and the confirmation of its validity and reliability, in order to measure the involvement and internalization of the “effect of employee brand” in organizations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

EFEITO DE MARCA DE EMPREGADO: DIFERENÇAS DE PERCEÇÃO ENTRE OS COLABORADORES

O processo Efeito de Marca de Empregado contribui de forma inovadora, ao considerar a perceção de cada colaborador, para um diagnóstico real e concreto do ambiente organizacional e relacional das organizações. Este artigo identifica as tipologias e analisa a perceção de Efeito de Marca de Empregado nas organizações, tendo em conta os perfis organizacionais, os dados sociodemográficos e o perfil profissional dos colaboradores. Para esta investigação, optou-se por um estudo exploratório, tendo sido aplicado um inquérito por questionário a 30 organizações do centro de Portugal, tendo-se obtido 725 respostas válidas. Para testar as hipóteses recorreu-se ao teste t de Student para comparação de amostras independentes e ao coeficiente de correlação de Pearson para estudar a relação entre variáveis. Dos vários resultados recolhidos é possível destacar que a perceção de Efeito de Marca de Empregado é mais positiva (i) nos colaboradores do género feminino, (ii) nos que têm um contrato a termo certo, (iii) nos que exercem funções de chefia e (iii) nos que têm menos anos de serviço na organização e na função. Os resultados encontrados nesta investigação confirmam de que, através do diagnóstico de Efeito Marca de Empregado, é possível aferir a influência na perceção dos colaboradores através das práticas de gestão de recursos humanos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Trajectories and Keyframes for Kinesthetic Teaching: A Human-Robot Interaction Perspective

Presented at the 7th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, March 5-8, 2012, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.Kinesthetic teaching is an approach to providing demonstrations to a robot in Learning from Demonstration whereby a human physically guides a robot to perform a skill. In the common usage of kinesthetic teaching, the robot's trajectory during a demonstration is recorded from start to end. In this paper we consider an alternative, keyframe demonstrations, in which the human provides a sparse set of consecutive keyframes that can be connected to perform the skill. We present a user-study (n = 34) comparing the two approaches and highlighting their complementary nature. The study also tests and shows the potential benefits of iterative and adaptive versions of keyframe demonstrations. Finally, we introduce a hybrid method that combines trajectories and keyframes in a single demonstratio