Guerrilla Research Tactics: Alternative Research Methods in Urban Environments

This case-study examines innovative experimentation with mobile and cloud-based technologies, utilising “Guerrilla Research Tactics” (GRT), as a means of covertly retrieving data from the urban fabric. Originally triggered by participatory action research (Kindon et al., 2008) and unobtrusive research methods (Kellehear, 1993), the potential for GRT lies in its innate ability to offer researchers an alternative, creative approach to data acquisition, whilst simultaneously allowing them to engage with the public, who are active co-creators of knowledge. Key characteristics are political agenda, the unexpected and the unconventional, which allow for an interactive, unique and thought-provoking experience for both researcher and participant.

Romantic terrorism? Survivor narratives of psychological and emotional tactics of domestic violence

This paper draws on the theoretical arguments outlined in Hayes (2014) to frame critical analyses of two real life domestic violence narratives. The authors are both academic criminologists and victims/survivors of domestic violence, but within differing contexts – one a conventional heterosexual relationship, the other a female same-sex relationship. Their experiences are intertwined in an extensive collaborative auto-ethnographic analysis that spans seven years of working and socialising together, in which each provided a sounding board and support for the other. The analysis therefore documents two personal journeys. The academic and theoretical are intertwined with the personal and subjective to elicit an evocative and yet empirically validated study. The theoretical underpinnings of romantic love distortion, misogyny and sexism are used to frame these experiences of domestic violence and the differing sexualities of the authors provide a rich context for exploring the ways in which domestic violence victimisation experiences are impacted by gender, sexuality, and heteronormative discourses of love, sex and relationships.

Individual-based modelling of the efficacy of fumigation tactics to control lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica) in stored grain

Increasing resistance to phosphine (PH 3) in insect pests, including lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica) has become a critical issue, and development of effective and sustainable strategies to manage resistance is crucial. In practice, the same grain store may be fumigated multiple times, but usually for the same exposure period and concentration. Simulating a single fumigation allows us to look more closely at the effects of this standard treatment.We used an individual-based, two-locus model to investigate three key questions about the use of phosphine fumigant in relation to the development of PH 3 resistance. First, which is more effective for insect control; long exposure time with a low concentration or short exposure period with a high concentration? Our results showed that extending exposure duration is a much more efficient control tactic than increasing the phosphine concentration. Second, how long should the fumigation period be extended to deal with higher frequencies of resistant insects in the grain? Our results indicated that if the original frequency of resistant insects is increased n times, then the fumigation needs to be extended, at most, n days to achieve the same level of insect control. The third question is how does the presence of varying numbers of insects inside grain storages impact the effectiveness of phosphine fumigation? We found that, for a given fumigation, as the initial population number was increased, the final survival of resistant insects increased proportionally. To control initial populations of insects that were n times larger, it was necessary to increase the fumigation time by about n days. Our results indicate that, in a 2-gene mediated resistance where dilution of resistance gene frequencies through immigration of susceptibles has greater effect, extending fumigation times to reduce survival of homozygous resistant insects will have a significant impact on delaying the development of resistance. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Fraudsters change tactics as a crackdown cuts some losses due to online scams

The amount of financial loss from online fraud suffered by people in Western Australia has almost halved, dropping from A$16.8 million in 2014 to A$9.8 million for 2015, according to a statement this January from the state’s Attorney General and Minister for Commerce, Michael Mischin. In addition, the minister noted that losses from relationship and dating fraud have fallen by 55%, to A$4.9 million lost last year. These are both impressive claims, and at face value, there is truth to the statistics. Both assertions are based on data received by WA’s Scamnet, which is the public interface between consumer protection and citizens. While it is good to see a reduction in the number of losses overall, particularly to relationship and dating fraud, it is highly unlikely that the statistics tell the full story.

The effects of eutrophication on alternative reproductive tactics in threespine sticklebacks

When organisms compete for mates and fertilisations, the process of sexual selection drives the evolution of traits that increase reproductive success. The traits targeted by selection, and the extent to which they change, are constrained by the local environment. Sexual selection due to female mate choice can be undermined by alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), which refers to discontinuous variation in traits or behaviours used in reproduction. As human activities are rapidly changing our planet, this raises the question how ARTs will be affected. Fish show a bewildering diversity of ARTs, which make them good model organisms to answer these questions. One example of human-induced environmental change, which is affecting aquatic ecosystems around the world, is eutrophication, the over-enrichment of water bodies with nutrients. One of its effects is decreased underwater visibility due to increases in both turbidity and vegetation density. The aims of this thesis were to investigate the effects increased turbidity and vegetation density have on an ART in sticklebacks, a fish common to marine and fresh water bodies of the Northern hemisphere. I furthermore investigated how this affected sexual selection for male size, a trait commonly under selection. I used a combination of behavioural observations in microcosms, where I manipulated underwater visibility, with collection of genetic material to reconstruct parentage of broods, and thus identify sneak fertilisations. The results show that turbidity might have weak negative effects on the frequency of sneaking behaviour, although this behaviour was rather infrequent in these experiments, which complicates firm conclusions. In dense vegetation the number of sneak fertilisations decreased slightly, as fewer nesting males sneaked, while the number of non-nesting males sneaking remained constant. The paternity analyses revealed that a significantly smaller fraction of eggs was sneak fertilised under dense vegetation. Furthermore, amongst the nesting males that sneaked, the amount of eggs sneak fertilised correlated positively with courtship success. A reduction in sneaking by these males under dense vegetation equalised the distribution of fertilisation success, in turn contributing to a decrease in the opportunity for selection. Under dense vegetation significantly more males built nests, which has also been observed in previous field studies. In a separate experiment we addressed if such changes in the proportion of nesters and non-nesters, without changes in visibility, affected the incidence of sneak fertilisation. My results show this was not the case, likely because sneaking is an opportunistic tactic shown by both nesters and non-nesters. Non-nesters did sneak proportionately more when there were many of them, which could be due to changes in the cost-benefit ratio of sneaking. As nesters can only attack one intruder at a time, the costs and risks per sneaker will decrease as the number of sneakers increases. The defensive behaviours shown by the nesters before spawning shifted to a more aggressive form of nest defence. This could be because less aggressive behaviours lose their effectiveness when the number of intruders increases. It could also indicate that the risks associated with aggressive behaviours decrease when there are fewer fellow nesters, as other studies indicate nesters are competitive and aggressive individuals. Under turbid conditions I did not detect changes in the opportunity for selection, based on fertilisation success, nor was male size under significant selection under clear or turbid conditions. More thorough analyses under densely vegetated conditions across the nesting, courtship and fertilisation stages revealed a decrease in the opportunity for selection across all stages. A reduction in sneaking by nesters contributed to this. During the nesting stage, but not during later stages, body size was under significant directional selection under sparse, but not dense vegetation. This illustrates the importance of considering all selection stages to get a complete picture of how environmental changes affect sexual selection. Leaving out certain stages or subgroups can result in incomplete or misleading results.

UAV Grouping and Coordination Tactics for Ground Attack Missions

Grouping and coordination tactics for ground attack missions by a heterogeneous mix of reconnaissance, enemy suppression, and attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is presented. Dubins' paths are used to determine the optimal number of attack UAVs and their positional and heading freedoms, as functions of weapon seeker range and field of view. A generic battlefield scenario with layered defense is created and the tactics are evaluated on a Group Flyer simulation platform for both nominal and off-nominal conditions.

Life history tactics of Atlantic salmon in Newfoundland

Popular articles about the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) usually state that ‘the Atlantic salmon is an anadromous species’, e.g. publications by the Atlantic Salmon Federation (North America), Atlantic Salmon Trust (UK), and WWF (World Wildlife Fund), and the life history is depicted as migration of juveniles from fresh water to the marine environment, with a return to where the fish were born as spawning adults. This article reviews the life history tactics of Atlantic salmon in Newfoundland.

Undue influence: back door tactics?

Implications of CA decision on whether it was abuse of process for bank to pursue remedy against mortgagor by suing on personal covenant which could result in bankruptcy following successful defence of possession proceedings by wife. [From Legal Journals Index]

Coping, conversation tactics and marital interaction in persons with acquired profound hearing loss (APHL): correlates of distress

This study investigated coping strategies, conversation tactics, and marital interaction in acquired profound hearing loss (APHL) and compared emotionally stable (n = 15) and emotionally distressed (n = 7) participants. Nominated family members were assessed on most measures. Comparisons were also made in the subgroup of married participants. A combined distress criterion was derived from scores on standardized measures of anxiety, depression, hearing handicap, and post-traumatic stress. Groups were compared on the Ways-of-Coping Checklist, a newly devised measure of conversation tactics, and on the Couple Behaviour Report. It was found that distressed APHL participants were more likely to cope through avoidance, self-blame, and wishful thinking, and they used more avoidant tactics in conversation. The coping profile of family members did not differentiate distress groups. However, there was some indication of greater employment of coercive tactics by family members of distressed participants. The results are consistent with the view that the coping style of a person with APHL and the nature of their conversational interactions with family members contribute to their level of distress. Implications for audiological rehabilitation are discussed.

Does social context influence male mating tactics in Drosophila melanogaster?

Social context, such as mate availability and perceived competition, can influence a male’s mating tactics. In Drosophila melanogaster most research has investigated how physical interactions and the perceived levels of sperm competition alter mating behaviour. I wanted to know if males would respond to the perceived social environments without the presence of physical interaction. Using a unique apparatus, I altered focal males’ social context by separating them physically from a social environment using a screen. Focal males were either in: (i) the presence of rival males and mates, (ii) the presence of potential mates only, (iii) isolation, or (iv) the presence of rival males only. I also manipulated the period the focal male was conditioned to a social environment to assess if the timing of cues is important. My findings suggest that the duration of acclimation alters male mating tactics. Regardless of social environment, the duration a male was conditioned influenced copulation latency. Males that were conditioned to their social environment for the duration of the experiment had differing copulation latencies between environments. Males held in isolation took longer to successfully court females, and transferred less sperm during mating then experimental males in the presence of rival males. Additionally, copulation duration correlated with the number of sperm transferred. Overall, my results suggest that the social environment and the perceived competition level affect mating strategies even without physical interactions. Since this apparatus may trick flies into believing they are a part of a social group, while controlling the male mating status, future work could examine behavioural, genetic and physiological phenotype effects of the social environment for both sexes.

Testosterone levels in dominant sociable males are lower than in solitary roamers: Physiological differences between three male reproductive tactics in a sociably flexible mammal

The relative plasticity hypothesis predicts that alternative tactics are associated with changes in steroid hormone levels. In species with alternative male reproductive tactics, the highest androgen levels have usually been reported in dominant males. However, in sociable species, dominant males show amicable behaviors to gain access to females, which might conflict with high testosterone levels. We compared testosterone, corticosterone, and resting metabolic rate in male striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) following a conditional strategy with three different reproductive tactics: (i) philopatric group-living males, (ii) solitary-living roamers, (iii) dominant but sociable group-living territorial breeders. Philopatrics had the lowest testosterone but highest corticosterone levels, suggesting that they make the best of a bad job. Dominant territorial breeders had lower testosterone levels than roamers, which have a lower competitive status. Roamers had the highest testosterone levels, which might promote risky behavior, such as invading territories defended by territorial males. Roamers also had lower resting metabolic rates than either type of group-living males. Our results suggest that dominant males' testosterone levels reflect a trade-off between low testosterone amicable behavior and high testosterone dominance behavior.