Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'SKEW BEHAVIOR'

The skew effect in a bridge makes the designing and analyzing of bridge more complex. Bridge design is more troublesome by considering skew angle in the engineering community, so there is a requirement to study the effect of skew angle on the skewed bridges such as bending moment, shear force, and other parameters. This investigation based on the effect of skew angle on the design of steel composite super structures in bridges. Four models have been created and have been utilized by using Finite element-based software STAAD PRO V8i. Skew angles are taken as 0, 15, 30, and 45 degrees and all models are exposed to IRC class A, IRC class 70R vehicle and Special Vehicle loading. Results for skewed bridges are in examination with the straight or non-skewed bridges.

In today's textbooks, analyzing prestressed members and bridges takes a two-dimensional approach. Two-dimensional analysis is the only way to analyze prestressed bridges and members because otherwise the hand calculations are extremely difficult. Skewed bridges, however, need to be analyzed and designed three-dimensionally. Based on engineering inspection, it is possible to tell how a non-skewed symmetric bridge will behave. However, the knowledge of how a skewed bridge will behave cannot be obtained by inspection only. Finite element analysis can be used to model a bridge and discover how the bridge will react to dead loads and post-tensioning forces. When a bridge is built on a skew, the acute corners of the bridge support much less concrete weight than the obtuse corners of the bridge. If the post-tensioning force causes a decrease in load at the acute corners of the skewed bridge and if the skew of the bridge is great enough, there is a concern that there could be uplift at these acute corners of the bridge. Uplift at any corner of the bridge should not be allowed. The objective of this study is to investigate a simple span skewed box girder bridge to see if any uplift occurs at the acute corners of the bridge due to post-tensioning forces. After careful study of a skewed simple span cast-in-place post-tensioned box girder bridge, it was found that the post-tensioning force actually transfers more downward force into the acute corners of the bridge. Based on this study, the post-tensioning force will not cause uplift in the acute corners of the skewed bridge.

A 3D nonlinear finite element analysis was developed for simulating the behavior of skewed concrete slabs and to identify the response of the slab with different angles and element sizes. The purpose of this research is helping the engineering and construction industry to utilize the FEM study and results more in different structural applications.Simulations performed in ABAQUS for skewed slabs are also compared to straight and skewed slabs according to the analytical formulation by Timoshenko.The result showed that when the distance increases, the load capacity measured by reaction forces decreases for all different skew angles except angle 0° and 15° which show a stable reaction force along the entire path. .The study reveals that depending on the skew angle and the element size, the stress distribution and vertical displacements in the slab vary significantly from those in a straight slab. It is shown that the displacement decreases with the increase of the skew angle while the stresses increase with the decrease of the skew angle.There are small differences in the vertical displacements and stress distribution between the results obtained by this study and the results obtained by Timoshenko regarding the plates with skews of 0°, 30° and 45°.

The effects of seismic forces and thermal expansion on bridge performance necessitate an accurate understanding of the relationship between passive force and backwall deflection. In past case studies, skewed bridges exhibited significantly more damage than non-skewed bridges. These findings prompted studies involving numerical modeling, lab-scale tests, and large-scale tests that each showed a dramatic reduction in passive force with increased skew. Using these results, a correlation was developed between peak passive force and backwall skew angle. The majority of these tests had length to height ratios of 2.0; however, for several abutments in the field, the length to height ratio might be considerably higher than 2.0. This change in geometry could potentially affect the validity of the previously found passive force reduction correlation. To explore this issue, laterally loaded, large-scale pile cap tests were performed with densely compacted sand at a length of 11 ft (3.35 m) and a height of 3 ft (0.91 m), resulting in a length to height ratio of 3.7. The backwall interface was adjusted to fit three various skew angles including: 0°, 15° and 30°. The behavior of both the pile cap and adjacent soil backfill were monitored under these conditions. The peak passive force for the 15° and 30° tests were found to be 71% and 45%, respectively, of the peak passive force for the 0° skew test. These findings are relatively consistent with previously performed tests. Passive forces peaked at deflections between 2% and 5% of the backwall height, decreasing with skew angle. All skews exhibited a log spiral failure plane that transitioned into a linear plane. These results also agreed with previously reported values for large-scale passive force-deflection tests. Rotation of the pile cap was detected in the direction opposite to the skew. Higher pressures were found to be on both corners of the pile cap than in the middle portion, as is suggested by the elastic theory.

The construction of horizontally curved bridges with skewed supports requires careful consideration. These types of bridges exhibit three-dimensional response characteristics that are not commonly seen in straight bridges with normal supports. As a result, engineers may face difficulties during the construction, when the components of the bridge do not fit together or the final geometry of the structure does not correspond to that intended by the designer. These complications can lead to problems that compromise the serviceability aspects of the bridge and in some cases, its structural integrity. The three dimensional response that curved and skewed bridges exhibit is directly influenced by the bracing system used to configure the structure. In I-girder bridges, cross-frames are provided to integrate the structure, transforming the individual girders into a structural system that can support larger loads than when the girders work separately. In general, they facilitate the construction of the structure. However, they can also induce undesired collateral effects that can be a detriment to the performance of the system. These effects must be considered in the design of a curved and skewed bridge because, in some cases, they can modify substantially its response. This research is focused on understanding how the bracing system affects the performance of curved and skewed I-girder bridges, as well as, the ability of the approximate analysis methods to capture the structural behavior. In this research, techniques that can be implemented in the creation of 2D-grid models are developed to overcome the limitations of this analysis method. In addition, efficient cross-frame arrangements that mitigate the collateral effects of skew are developed. These mitigation schemes reduce the undesired cross-frame forces and flange lateral bending stresses associated with the transverse stiffness of the structure, while ensuring that the bracing system still performs its intended functions.

Bridge abutments are designed to withstand lateral pressures from thermal expansion and seismic forces. Current design curves have been seen to dangerously over- and under-estimate the peak passive resistance and corresponding deflection of abutment backfills. Similar studies on passive pressure have shown that passive resistance changes with different types of constructed backfills. The effects of changing the length to width ratio, or including MSE wingwalls determine passive force-deflection relationships. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of the wall heights and of the MSE support on passive pressure and backfill failure, and to compare the field results with various predictive methods. To compare the effects of backfill geometries, three large-scale tests with dense compact sand were performed with abutment backfill heights of 3 ft (0.91 m), 5.5 ft (1.68 m), and 5.5 ft (1.68 m) confined with MSE wingwalls. Using an existing pile cap 11 ft (3.35 m) wide and 5.5 ft (1.68 m) high, width to height ratios for the abutment backfills were 3.7 for the 3ft test, and 2.0 for the 5.5ft and MSE tests. The failure surface for the unconfined backfills exhibited a 3D geometry with failure surfaces extending beyond the edge of the cap, increasing the "effective width", and producing a failure "bulb". In contrast, the constraint provided by the MSE wingwalls produced a more 2D failure geometry. The "effective width" of the failure surface increased as the width to height ratio decreased. In terms of total passive force, the unconfined 5.5ft wall provided about 6% more resistance than the 5.5ft MSE wall. However, in terms of passive force/width the MSE wall provided about 70% more resistance than the unconfined wall, which is more consistent with a plane strain, or 2D, failure geometry. In comparison with predicted forces, the MSE curve never seemed to fit, while the 3ft and 5.5ft curves were better represented with different methods. Even with optimizing between both the unconfined curves, the predicted Log Spiral peak passive forces were most accurate, within 12% of the measured peak resistances. The components of passive force between the unconfined tests suggest the passive force is influenced more by frictional resistance and less by the cohesion as the height of the backwall increases.

Lo scopo principale di questa tesi è quello di voler mostrare un approccio per il riconoscimento di frodi bancarie. Vengono descritte e fornite soluzioni per diversi problemi, tra i quali la manipolazione di dataset con distribuzioni sbilanciate dei dati tra le classi. Vengono addestrati e testati diversi algoritmi di classificazione dimostrando come Random Forest e XGBoost siano gli approcci migliori. Un aspetto principale che permette di migliorare notevolmente i risultati ottenuti è quello di basare la classificazione sul comportamento degli utenti. Viene mostrato come sia possibile tramite un processo di feature engineering proporre nuovi attributi che permettano di catturare relazioni tra una transazione bancaria e le operazioni passate effettuate dallo stesso utente. Viene infine proposta l'implementazione di un prototipo basato su un'infrastruttura big data che possa analizzare streaming di dati.

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)
The orchid bees have always been considered promising for studies of the evolution of social behavior and reproductive division of labor. This is due to the fact that the orchid bees are the only members not clearly eusocial in corbiculate clade. In this study, the correlation between genetic relatedness and reproductive skew was investigated in the genus Euglossa, one of the five genus of Euglossini tribe, in order to support the understanding of the evolution of reproductive division of labor in Euglossini. Among the five genera of Euglossini, Euglossa is the most suitable for studies on the evolution of reproductive division of labor, because in this genus can be found solitary, communal and primitively eusocial species. Twelve nests of Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758) were analyzed. In this species, the foundation process is solitary, but small colonies are formed during nest reactivations, with females establishing different types of associations, in which their relatedness differs. During reactivations, one of the females performs oophagy and then oviposition in brood cells previously operculated by another females, consequently leaving a larger number of offspring. The behavioral analysis associated with relatedness estimates, made through the use of microsatellite markers, indicated that the dominant female perform oophagy followed by oviposition in all operculated cells by the subordinated bees. The reproductive skew was complete, regardless of the type of association established between the interacting females, and so reproductive skew and genetic relatedness was not associated in this study. Furthermore, the nesting biology of Euglossa was also studied, given the information scarcity about the nesting process in most species already described for this genus. Using the technique of trap nests, 43 nests of Euglossa were sampled. This study provides new information on the nesting biology of this genus, especially with regard to natural enemies associated with nests.
As abelhas da tribo Euglossini sempre foram consideradas promissoras para estudos sobre evolução do comportamento social e divisão de trabalho reprodutivo. Isto decorre do fato dos Euglossini serem os únicos membros não claramente eussociais entre as abelhas corbiculadas. Neste estudo, foi investigada a correlação entre parentesco genético e desvio reprodutivo em uma espécie do gênero Euglossa, um dos cinco gêneros de Euglossini, visando subsidiar o entendimento da evolução da divisão de trabalho reprodutivo na tribo. Dentre os cinco gêneros de Euglossini, Euglossa é o mais indicado para estudos sobre a evolução de divisão de trabalho reprodutivo, pois neste gênero são encontradas espécies solitárias, comunais e primitivamente eussociais. Foram analisados doze ninhos da espécie Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758). Nesta espécie, o processo de fundação dos ninhos é solitário, mas pequenas colônias são formadas durante as reativações, com as fêmeas estabelecendo diferentes tipos de associações, nas quais o parentesco entre elas é distinto. Durante as reativações, uma das fêmeas realiza oofagias, seguidas de oviposições em células anteriormente operculadas por outras fêmeas, deixando um maior número de descendentes. As análises de comportamento, associadas a estimativas de parentesco, realizadas mediante o uso de marcadores microssatélites, indicam que as fêmeas dominantes realizam oofagia, seguida de oviposição, em todas as células operculadas pelas subordinadas. O desvio reprodutivo foi completo, independentemente do tipo de associação formada entre as fêmeas reativadoras e, portanto, não houve correlação entre parentesco genético e desvio reprodutivo. Além disso, a biologia de nidificação em espécies de Euglossa foi estudada, dada a escassez de informações sobre os hábitos e características do processo de nidificação na maioria das espécies já descritas. Utilizando a técnica de ninhos-armadilha, foram obtidos 44 ninhos de Euglossa. O estudo traz novas informações sobre a biologia de nidificação no gênero, principalmente no que diz respeito aos inimigos naturais associados aos ninhos.

This thesis has discussed both properties and geometry of concrete slabs used in bridges. It gave understanding on behavior of concrete in both tension and compression zones and how crack propagates in specimens by presenting both theory of fracture and performing concrete tests like tension splitting, uniaxial compression and uniaxial tension tests. Furthermore, it supported experimental tests with finite elements modelling for each test, and illustrated both boundary conditions and loads. The thesis has used ARAMIS cameras to observe crack propagations in all experimental tests, and its first study at LNU that emphasized on Brazilian test, because of importance of this test to describe both crushing and cracking behavior of concrete under loading. It’s an excellent opportunity to understand how concrete and steel behave individually and in combination with each other, and to understand fracture process zone, and this has been discussed in theory chapter. The geometry change that could affect stresses distributions has also described in literature and modelled to give good idea on how to model slabs in different angles in the methodology chapter. Thus, thesis will use finite elements program (Abaqus) to model both experimental specimens and concrete slabs without reinforcement to emphasize on concrete behavior and skewness effect. This means studying both properties of concrete and geometry of concrete slabs. This thesis has expanded experimental tests and chose bridges as an application.

Masonry arch bridge building declined considerably in· the twentieth century due to the development of faster methods of construction, such as reinforced concrete. However, in recent years, the repair and maintenance of bridge structures has become a major concern. The lower maintenance costs and longer 'design life of arch bridges over alternative bridge designs were key reasons in the selection of several arch bridges built towards the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty first century. The FlexiArch design allows a masonry arch system to be cost competitive with other forms of bridge systems while offering superior durability and lower long term maintenance. The aim of this research was to extend the knowledge of the FlexiArch bridge system into the behaviour of FlexiArch bridge systems with skew and to address the shortfalls found in the literature review. The literature review demonstrated that skew arches are complex 3D structures, and that the assumptions used in current 2D analysis methods to define the effects in the transverse direction often incorrectly predict the behaviour of the skew arch. This research investigated the behaviour of the skew FlexiArch bridge system through a detailed experimental test programme. The experimental test programme involved the design, construction and testing of five third scale skew FlexiArch bridge systems with varying angles of skew. As the skew angle was increased, and the square span and square width were kept constant, the peak load decreased. The skew arch systems transferred the load along the shortest load path; namely the square span direction where possible, or the shortest distance in the highly skewed arch systems. The experimental test data was compared against an analytical model and a 3D NLFEA model, which were found to accurately predict the behaviour of the skew arch.

Bakgrund: Tidigare pandemier har haft negativa konsekvenser för både människan och samhället. Pandemihanteringen behöver anpassas till den lokala kontexten och åtgärderna kräver förändringar av människornas beteenden. För att dessa ska kunna implementeras på ett fördelaktigt sätt krävs det information om människors upplevelser och uppfattningar i en pandemikontext. Syfte: Att studera erfarenheter gällande coronapandemin och dess konsekvenser hos människor som lever i en ö-värld. Metod: Studiens deltagare (n=21) rekryterades från Ålands Covidkohort (ÅCK). Datainsamlingen skedde genom fyra fokusgruppintervjuer och dessa analyserades med hjälp av systematisk textkondensering.  Resultat: Tre kategorier identifierades genom analysen. Den första kategorin handlar om både positiva och negativa förändringar gällande arbete, studier, vardag och det sociala livet. I den andra kategorin tar deltagarna upp oron för både framtiden och anhöriga, samt den psykiska påverkan som pandemin har lett till. Den sista kategorin handlar om erfarenheter kring pandemihanteringen, förvirring och frustration kopplat till denna, tilliten till myndigheter samt en gemensam strävan att stoppa pandemin. Slutsats: Ålands egenskap av ö-värld har påverkat människornas erfarenheter av pandemin. Ön är positionerad mellan två länder och pandemin har påverkat förhållandet till dessa.Litenheten har bidragit till ett socialt tryck och en ansvarskänsla. Det är viktigt att ta hänsyn till den lokala kontexten samt vilken fas pandemin befinner sig i vid framtida studier.
Background: Previous pandemics have had negative effects on both people and society. Pandemic management needs to be adapted to the local context and the measures require a behavioral change. To implement these measures in a beneficial way, information about people's experiences and perceptions in a pandemic context are required. Aim: To study experiences regarding the corona pandemic and its consequences on people living on an island. Method: The study was conducted on Åland and participants (n = 21) were recruited from Åland's Covid cohort (ÅCK). Data were collected through four focus groups interviews, and these were analyzed using systematic text condensation. Results: Three categories were identified through the analysis. The first category deals with both positive and negative changes regarding occupation, everyday life and social life. In the second category, the participants address their worry, both for the future and their relatives, as well as the psychological impact due to the pandemic. The last category deals with experiences of pandemic management, the confusion and frustration associated with it, trust in authorities and a joint effort to stop the pandemic. Conclusion: The fact that Åland is an island has affected people's experiences of the pandemic. The island is situated between two countries its relationship to these has been affected due to the pandemic. The littleness has contributed to social pressure and a sense of responsibility. It is important to consider the local context and the phase of the pandemic when conducting future studies.

Studies of mating systems and social organisation have been central to understanding of the evolution of social behaviour. The European badger Meles meles is a good species in which to study these processes, as its complex social system provides an opportunity to investigate how both natural and kin selection shape the evolution of mating systems and social structure. In this thesis, I use behavioural and genetic data to describe the mating system and social organisation of a high-density badger population and examine the occurrence of cooperative breeding. I genotyped 915 (85%) badgers trapped in Wytham Woods (1987–2005), 630 of which were cubs, and assigned both parents to 331 cubs with 95% confidence. This revealed a polygynandrous mating system, with up to five mothers and five fathers per social group. Mounting behaviour was also polygynandrous and I show the strongest evidence to date for multiple-paternity litters. I demonstrate, for the first time, that groups consisted of close and distant kin: approximately one third of group members were first-order kin, and overall group members had slightly lower relatedness levels than half-siblings. Within groups, adult and yearling females had higher pairwise relatedness than males, and neighbouring groups contained relatives. These findings result from the high level (42%) of extra-group paternities, 86% of which were assigned to neighbouring males. For the first time I show that females avoided inbreeding by mating with extra-group males; however, incestuous matings did occur. Promiscuous and repeated mountings were observed, which may reduce male–male aggression and infanticide, but may also promote sperm competition, genetic diversity, and / or genetic compatibility. Just under a third of adult males and females were assigned parentage each year and I quantify, for the first time, reproductive skew within badger groups. Correlations between relatedness, group productivity, and reproductive skew were not consistent with the predictions of incomplete-control models; rather, resource availability may play a role. Older and younger badgers displayed reduced annual breeding success, with male success increasing initially with experience. The Restraint, Constraint, and Selection Hypotheses did not explain the age-related breeding pattern in females. Variance in lifetime breeding success (LBS) was greater for males. Males that only bred within or only outside of their groups had half the LBS of males that did both. Females that were assigned maternity probably bred cooperatively and allonursed non-offspring, which has not been demonstrated previously. No benefit was established, however, in terms of litter size, probability of offspring breeding, or offspring lifetime breeding success, with more mothers in a group. In conclusion, badger social groups are fostered through kinship ties. Polygynandry and repeated mounting may have evolved originally to reduce male–male aggression and infanticide by males, through paternity masking. Although plural breeding occurs, group living appears to be costly. Motivation to disperse may be reduced through high-levels of extra-group paternities, which may also reduce inbreeding. Cooperative breeding among mothers may represent a low-cost behaviour with indirect benefits due to high levels of relatedness between female group-members. Badger sociality therefore represents an early stage in the evolution of social behaviour.

In vielen promisken Paarungssystemen konkurrieren die Männchen einer Gruppe um den Zugang zu fertilen Weibchen. Um es Rivalen zu erschweren, haben sie verschiedene Paarungstaktiken entwickelt. Eine von Vertebraten und Invertebraten oft genutzte Strategie ist das „mate-guarding“. Hier bewacht ein hochrangiges Männchen das fertile Weibchen indem es ständig in dessen Nähe bleibt, wodurch es den Zugang der anderen Männchen stark minimiert. Durch diese Monopolisierung des Weibchens erhöht ein Männchen seinen Reproduktionserfolg und damit zusätzlich die Wahrscheinlichkeit der Vaterschaft. Diese für das Männchen gewinnbringende Strategie birgt jedoch auch energetische Kosten. Solche negativen Verknüpfungen zwischen Kosten und Gewinn, sogenannte „trade-offs“, beeinflussen den Fortpflanzungserfolg ebenso wie die Körperkondition und die Überlebenschance eines Männchens. Haben solche Kosten beispielsweise eine Verschlechterung der körperlichen Verfassung zur Folge, kann sich das negativ auf die Fähigkeiten der Männchen, ein Weibchen zu monopolisieren, auswirken und damit den Vaterschaftserfolg der Männchen mindern. Die mit solch einer Paarungstaktik wie dem „mate-guarding“ einhergehenden Kosten könnten sich auch auf die Entstehung von Strategien zur Partnerwahl bei den Männchen auswirken: Männchen sollten ihre Energie vor allem auf die Reproduktion mit den fittesten Weibchen aufwenden. Um die grundlegenden Faktoren der Partnerwahl sowie die Verteilung des Reproduktionserfolges unter den Männchen („reproductive skew“) besser zu verstehen, müssen die bei der Monopolisierung des Weibchens entstehenden Kosten quantifiziert werden. Primaten sind ein interessantes Taxa um diese Fragen zu untersuchen, da viele Arten in stabilen Mehr-Männchen-Gruppen leben und „mate-guarding“ eine vorteilhafte Taktik ist, die oft von hochrangigen Männchen angewandt wird. Allerdings haben sich bisherige Studien an Primaten auf die Quantifizierung der Futterkosten beschränkt und die Ergebnisse sind bisher sehr widersprüchlich. Unser Verständnis dieser Kosten wird weiterhin durch das Fehlen eines zuverlässigen, nicht-invasiven physiologischen Markers, der den energetischen Zustand von Nicht-Menschenaffen misst, beeinträchtigt. Das Hauptziel dieser Arbeit war es daher, die Kosten des „mate-guarding“ in einer Primatenart, die in Mehr-Männchen-Gruppen lebt wie die Javaneraffen (Macaca fascicularis), zu quantifizieren. Bisherige Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Alpha-Männchen dieser Primatenart ihre Weibchen weniger monopolisieren als das „Priority of Access-Model“ vorhersagt. Der Monopolisierungserfolg scheint demnach durch die Kosten, die den Männchen durch das „mate-guarding“ entstehen, limitiert zu sein. In Studie 1 der vorliegenden Arbeit habe ich die Eignung von Urin C-Peptiden (UCP, ein Nebenprodukt der Insulinproduktion), als Marker für den Energiestatus von Makakenmännchen, evaluiert. In Studie 2 und 3 quantifizierte ich die energetischen, physiologischen und physischen (z.B. Aggression) Kosten des „mate-guardings“. In der vierten Studie untersuchte ich den Einfluss der Qualität der Weibchen auf die Kosten der des „mate-guardings“ und die Investition der Männchen in dieses Verhalten. Als erstes betrachtete ich den Zusammenhang zwischen den UCP Werten und Indikatoren für den Zustand der körperlichen Verfassung bei frei- und in Gefangenschaft lebender Makaken, um UCP als zuverlässigen Marker für Energiestatus (Studie 1) zu validieren. Die UCP Level waren positiv korreliert mit dem BMI (Body-Mass-Index) sowie mit dem Fettgehalt einer Hautfalte. In einem Experiment, bei dem die Futterzufuhr reduziert wurde, stellte sich heraus, dass UCP Level mit Änderungen des BMI und der geminderten Futterzufuhr kovariiert. Demzufolge ist UCP ein nützlicher Marker um nicht-invasiv intra- und interindividuelle Veränderungen der Körperkondition und des Ernährungszustandes zu ermitteln. Für die weitere Fragestellung beobachtete ich drei freilebende Javaneraffengruppen während zwei Paarungsperioden, in Ketambe, Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesien. Um ein möglichst umfassendes Bild der potentiellen Kosten des „mate-guarding“ bereitzustellen, kombinierte ich zum einen meine durchgeführten Verhaltensbeobachtungen der Männchen, den Aufenthalt der Männchen in den Bäumen und sexuelle Interaktionen der Männchen mit den Weibchen. Zum anderen ermittelte ich GPS-Daten der Wanderungsdistanz, non-invasive Indikatoren für physiologischen Stress (faecal glucocorticoid, fGC), den Energiestatus (UCP) und bewertete die Verfügbarkeit von Früchten. Insgesamt konnten 2088 Fokusstunden, 331 Urin- und 771 Kotproben gesammelt und analysiert werden. Zudem wurden jeden Monat 360 Fruchtbäume begutachtet. In Studie 2 konnte ich zeigen, dass „mate-guarding“ die Parameter der Energieaufnahme und des Energieverbrauches reduziert. Dies hatte jedoch keine signifikanten Auswirkungen auf den gesamten Energiestatus (UCP Level) eines Männchens. Dieses Ergebnis weist auf ein ausbalanciertes Verhältnis von Energieaufnahme und Energieverbrauch der Männchen während des „mate-guardings“ hin. In Studie 3 konnte ich nachweisen, dass die Männchen während des „mate-guardings“, höhere fGC Werte aufwiesen. Dieser Wert wurde jedoch durch die Zeit, die Männchen in Vigilanz investieren, moduliert. „Mate-guarding” erhöhte einerseits die Vigilanzzeit eines Männchens und andererseits auch die Aggressionsrate der Männchen. Alpha-Männchen waren das ganze Jahr über gestresster als andere Männchen, unabhängig von Paarungskonkurrenz. Dies suggeriert, dass erhöhte Glucocorticoidlevel während des „mate-guarding“ den Männchen helfen ihre energetische Homöostase aufrechtzuerhalten, jedoch könnte dies Langzeitkosten darstellen, die bei lang anhaltender Belastung zu chronischem Stress führen können. Die Kombination dieser physiologischer Kosten und dem Verletzungsrisiko, dass mit Aggressionen einhergeht, könnte die Möglichkeit eines Alphamännchens ein Weibchen zu monopolisieren minimieren und damit auch Einfluss auf die Verteilung des Reproduktionserfolges der Männchen in einer Gruppe haben. In Studie 4 konnte ich zeigen, dass männliche Javaneraffen einige der Kosten des „mate-guarding“ reduzieren können indem sie gezielt Weibchen mit hohem reproduktiven Wert bewachen, da sie dann geringere fGC Werte haben. Darüber hinaus passten Männchen ihre Investition in „mate-guarding“ an, indem sie aufmerksamer und aggressiver waren wenn sie hochrangige Weibchen oder Weibchen mit denen sie starke Bindungen formten, bewachten. Diese Ergebnisse bestätigen, dass Männchen nicht nur hochwertige Weibchen auswählen, sondern diese auch länger und besser monopolisieren. In meiner Arbeit konnte ich die Kosten, die „mate-guarding“ für die Männchen einer Primatenart mit sich bringt, aufzeigen und hervorheben wie diese Kosten die Verteilung des Reproduktionserfolges unter den Männchen in der Gruppe beeinflusst. Auf Grundlage meiner Ergebnisse schlage ich vor, dass männliche Javaneraffen eine „unvollständige Weibchenmonopolisierungs-Strategie“ entwickelt haben, bei der sie die Kosten des „mate-guarding“ reduzieren indem sie Weibchen selektiv nach deren Reproduktionsqualität wählen und Weibchen mit geringerer Qualität weniger gründlich monopolisieren. Diese unvollständige Weibchenmonopolisierung könnte eine entscheidende Komponente des Energiemanagements von Alphamännchen sein, die ihnen erlaubt ganzjährig adäquat auf versuchte Rangübernahmen zu reagieren und somit ihre Amtszeit zu verlängern und die damit einhergehenden Fitnessvorteile zu erhalten. Beim Vergleich meiner Ergebnisse mit anderen Säugetier-Taxa, diskutiere ich in meiner Arbeit weiterhin die Beziehung zwischen den Kosten des „mate-guarding“ und der Verteilung des Reproduktionserfolges der Männchen in der Gruppe, die durch 1) reproduktive Saisonalität, 2) Energie-Management-Strategien der Männchen, 3) Errungenschaft eines hohen Ranges in der Gruppe und 4) der Sozialstruktur, moduliert sein kann. Zukünftige Studien, die die Kosten der Paarungstaktiken der Männchen untersuchen, sollten die Komplexität des Reproduktionsaufwandes, den Männchen investieren, bedenken. Diese Investitionen scheinen nicht ausschließlich auf die reproduktive Phase im Jahr beschränkt zu sein, sondern können sich über das ganze Jahr verteilen und spiegeln sich in Form der Konkurrenz zwischen Männchen in Bezug auf Rangstatus und sozialen Interaktionen wider.