Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CROSS-NATIONAL RESEARCH AS AN ANALYTIC STRATEGY* American. Sociological Association, 1987 Presidential Address

In this essay, I discuss some of the uses and dilemmas of cross-national research. I argue that cross-national research is valuable, even indispensable, for establishing the generality of findings and the validity of interpretations derived from single-nation studies. In no other way can we be certain that what we believe to be social-structural regularities are not merely particularities, the product of some limited set of historical or cultural or political circumstances. I also argue that cross-national research is equally valuable, perhaps even more valuable, for forcing us to revise our interpretations to take account of cross-national differences and inconsistencies that could never be uncovered in single-nation research. My thesis is that cross-national research provides an especially useful method for generating, testing, and further developing sociological theory. As with any research strategy, cross-national research comes at a price. It is costly in time and money, it is difficult to do, and it often seems to raise more interpretive problems than it solves. Yet it is potentially invaluable and, in my judgment, grossly underutilized. This is hardly a radically new thesis. As Stein Rokkan (1964) long ago pointed out, to do cross-national research is to return to the preferred analytic.strategy of the forefathers of sociology, a strategy that was nearly abandoned in sociology's quest for methodological rigor but now can be pursued anew with the much more powerful methodological tools available today. I A sensible discussion of the uses and dilemmas of cross-national research requires that I first define the domain and delineate the principal types of cross-national research. Then I illustrate some of these uses and dilemmas by scrutinizing the body of cross-national research I know best, namely my own, my rationale being William Form's (1979) cogent observation that "probably no field has generated more methodological advice on a smaller data base with fewer results than has [cross-national] comparative sociology. " Using my research as a source of illustrations makes it possible to discuss the issues concretely. I review this research in sufficient detail to highlight its accomplishments and its failures, my concern being only in part with the substance of the research for its own sake; I also want to extrapolate from this concrete example, to make some more general observations. Finally, I discuss some fundamental issues about the conduct of cross-national research. In so doing, I bring in studies dealing with quite different substantive problems from those that I have addressed in my own research, and using quite different methods, to see whether my conclusions apply as well to a much broader range of studies.
Family Planning and Rural Fertility Decline in Iran: A Study in Program Evaluation

During the flrst few years of the Islamic Revolution Iranian fertility was on the rise, in part because of the revolutionary government’s pro-natal policies. In a policy reversal, in 1989 the government launched an ambitious and innovative family planning program speciflcally aimed at rural families. By 2005, the program had covered more than 90 percent of the rural population and the average number of births per rural woman had declined to near replacement level from about 8 birth in the mid 1980s. In this paper we ask to what extent this decline was the result of the family planning program. We use the timing of establishment of rural health houses to identify the efiect of the program on change in village-level fertility. Our results indicate only a moderate efiect of the program on rural fertility. Fertility decline in villages that received health services earlier was only slightly greater than those that received it later. Our regression results indicate that other factors, such as initial literacy and availability of schools may have played a larger role in fertility decline than family planning.
A Review of Research on Aging Families: Emerging Issues

Against the background of the demographic shifts of population aging, increased immigration, and growing ethno-cultural diversity in Canada, it is important that we gain a better understanding of the needs of aging families. To date, family gerontologists have begun producing research on aging families to better understand how their needs can be met. In order to assess the state of the literature on aging families, we conducted a literature search (2009-2014) of eleven top, peer-reviewed journals. This literature was then assessed, revealing five prevalent themes: (1) structural diversity in aging families, (2) family relationships in later life, (3) caregiving and intergenerational transfers, (4) living arrangements of aging families, and (5) partnerships in later life. This article synthesizes the research of each theme and each of their subsequent sub-themes. Lastly, the article concludes with some suggestions for future directions in research which were revealed through the literature review. include: (i) studies on the effect of immigration on living arrangements in Canada; (ii) studies on whether there are differences in cohabiting stability between married and non-married in other countries besides Finland and the United States. Fifth, future directions for research on partnerships in later life include: (i) assessing the effects of singlehood on health and well-being; and (ii) assessing the impact of divorce among older adults on their well-being.
THE TRUMPET PUT ME IN A BAD MOOD : SOME REMARKS ON THE MECHANISM OF METONYMY IN CURRENT LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS

The notion of metonymy, gaining its name from two Greek particles, i.e. meta – ‘after’, ‘later’ and ònyma/ònoma – ‘name’, ‘word’ first appeared in the antiquity, where it was considered one of the four figures of speech, or rhetorical tropes, together with metaphor, synecdoche and irony. Today metonymy is frequently discussed in connection with metaphor, as two closely connected phenomena, whereas synecdoche, i.e. ‘part for the whole’ – pars pro toto relation, is generally subsumed within the notion of metonymy. In accordance with the classical, rhetorical approach metonymy is broadly defined as a device in which the name of one entity stands for another one by association of ideas (cf. Rayevska 1979, Ullmann 1957). The assumptions characteristic for the rhetorical approach are as follows:
ACCESS TIME OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES UNDER THE CONDITION OF STREET BLOCKAGES AFTER A LARGE EARTHQUAKE

The previous studies have been carried out on accessibility in daily life. However it is an important issue to improve the accessibility of emergency vehicles after a large earthquake. In this paper, we analyzed the accessibility of firefighters by using a microscopic simulation model immediately after a large earthquake. More specifically, we constructed the simulation model, which describes the property damage, such as collapsed buildings, street blockages, outbreaks of fires, and fire spreading, and the movement of firefighters from fire stations to the locations of fires in a large-scale earthquake. Using this model, we analyzed the influence of the street-blockage on the access time of firefighters. In case streets are blocked according to property damage simulation, the result showed the average access time is more than 10 minutes in the outskirts of the 23 wards of Tokyo, and there are some firefighters arrive over 20 minutes at most. Additionally, we focused on the alternative routes and proposed that volunteers collect information on street blockages to improve the accessibility of firefighters. Finally we demonstrated that access time of firefighters can be reduced to the same level as the case no streets were blocked if 0.3% of residents collected information in 10 minutes.
POLYANDRY IN THE AMERICAN JAC. ANA (JACANA SPINOSA)

LITTLE is known about the biology of any of the Jacanidae, a circum- tropical family of shorebirds that inhabit freshwater swamps and marshes. The lack of knowledge reflects the limited field research done on tropical aquatic birds in general (Birkenholz and Jenni, 1964; Lack, 1968; Orians and Paulsen, 1969). The reversal of roles of the sexes in the American Jaana (Yacana spinosa), in which males incubate eggs and rear young without help from the females has long been known (Miller, 1931). The same reversal of sex roles occurs in the Pheasant-tailed Jaana (Hydro- phasianus chirurgus) (Hoffmann, 1949, 1950.), in the Bronze-winged Ja- ana (Meto'pidius indicus) (Mathew, 1964; Collier, pers. obs.), and prob- ably in the African Greater Jagana (Actophilornis a/ricana) (Miller, 1951). Furthermore, both Hoffmann and Mathew studied small breeding popula- tions consisting of one female and two or three males. Although they inves- tigated very small, unmarked populations, and almost all of Hoffmann's excellent data were gathered in Peking at the northernmost distributional limits of the Pheasant-tailed Jaana, there is little doubt that these two species are polyandrous. Polyandry is a rare form of social organization in birds (Lack, 1968; Orians, 1969). It is known or postulated to occur in some Tinamiformes, Charadriiformes (Rostratulidae, Jacanidae), Gruiformes (Turnicidae, Pedi- onomidae, Mesitornithidae, and one Rallidae). Polyandry has been sug- gested, but not substantiated, in a number of other orders. Although the Phalaropidae have been considered polyandrous, HShn (1965, 1967) and Johns (1969) have recently shown that Wilson's Phalarope (Steganopus tricolor) is probably monogamous though it may be promiscuous. After reviewing the literature on the other two phalaropes, HShn (1967) con- cludes that no real evidence of their polyandry exists. True polyandry, defined here as one female being mated simultaneously or having simultaneous pair bonds with more than one male, is difficult to distinguish from promiscuity and successive polyandry. When polyandry is suspected, it must be verified in the field with individually marked birds. The purpose of this paper is to document polyandry and certain related phenomena in the American Jaana. To our knowledge there are no previ- ous accounts of polyandry based on the study o.f a marked population of birds. Both authors are currently working on other aspects of the biology of the American Jagana (population dynamics and food habits, Collier; and behavior and social organization, Jenni).
The Impact of Property Rights on Households’ Investment, Risk Coping, and Policy Preferences: Evidence from China*

Even though it is widely recognized that giving farmers more secure land rights may increase agricultural investment, scholars contend that, in the case of China, such a policy might undermine the function of land as a social safety net and, as a consequence, not be sustainable or command broad support. Data from three provinces, one of which had adopted a policy to increase security of tenure in advance of the others, suggest that greater tenure security, especially if combined with transferability of land, had a positive impact on agricultural investment and, within the time frame considered, led neither to an increase in inequality of land distribution nor a reduction in households' ability to cope with exogenous shocks. Household support for more secure property rights is increased by their access to other insurance mechanisms, suggesting some role of land as a safety net. At the same time, past exposure to this type of land right has a much larger impact quantitatively, suggesting that a large part of the resistance to changed property rights arrangements disappears as household familiarity with such rights increases.
Modification and Analysis of Conventional Air Conditioning “Subcooling Effect by Mix of Glycerin and H2O”

INTRODUCTION Air conditioning systems control the temperature, humidity, air movement and air cleanliness inside a building, in order to provide occupants a comfortable environment with good indoor air quality. An air conditioning system, or a stand-alone air conditioner, provides cooling and humidity control for all or part of a building. Air conditioned buildings often have sealed windows, because open windows would work against the system intended to maintain constant indoor air conditions. Outside, fresh air is generally drawn into the system by a vent into the indoor heat exchanger section, creating positive air pressure. The percentage of return air made up of fresh air can usually be manipulated by adjusting the opening of this vent. Typical fresh air intake is about 10%. Air conditioning and refrigeration are provided through the removal of heat. Heat can be removed through radiation, convection, or conduction. Refrigeration conduction media such as water, air, ice, and chemicals are referred to as refrigerants. A refrigerant is employed either in a heat pump system in which a compressor is used to drive thermodynamic refrigeration cycle, or in a free cooling system which uses pumps to circulate a cool refrigerant (typically water or a glycol mix). Received date: 6/03/2018 Accepted date: 23/04/2018 Published date: 30/04/2018
Factoring General Games

The goal of General Game Playing is to construct an autonomous agent that can play games it has never encountered before. Only the game rules are given explicitly; interesting and useful properties of a game are implicit and need to be deduced. One particular such property is decomposability into separate subgames that have little interaction with each other. We present a method to decompose a given game into its subgames by analyzing the preconditions and effects of actions. Moreover, a search algorithm that exploits this information in single-player games is proposed.
Stress Field Effects on Phonon Properties in Spatially Confined Semiconductor Nanostructures

The phonon properties of spatially confined nanofilms under the preexisting stress fields are investigated theoretically by accounting for the confinement effects and acoustoelastic effects. Due to the spatial confinement in lowdimensional structures, the phonon dispersion relations, phonon group velocities as well as the phonon density of states are of significant difference with the ones in bulk structures. Here, the continuum elasticity theory is made use of to determine the phonon dispersion relations of shear modes (SH), dilatational modes (SA) and the flexural modes (AS), thus to analyze the contribution of stress fields on the phonon performance of confined nanofilms. Our numerical calculations indicate that the phonon properties can be modified by the preexisting stress fields significantly. The influence of the stress field on the phonon energy, phonon group velocity and the phonon density of states are sensitive to the strength and the direction of stress fields. The results in this paper can offer an alternative and applicable approach for phonon engineering to control the phonon properties in semiconductor nanostructures.
IMPACT OF MODERN AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES ON POPULATION DENSITY OF INDIAN PEAFOWL (Pavo cristatus) IN HARYANA, INDIA

Impact of changing cropping pattern, increased pesticide usage and mechanized farming on the population density of Indian peafowl was studied in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Yamuna Nagar districts of Haryana. The study area selected is dominated by agricultural lands under the cultivation of rice, wheat and sugarcane. Density of Indian peafowl was quite low in wheat and paddy fields but was high in orchards. Peafowl in orchards was found in microhabitat Cyonodon whereas in sugarcane it preferred Cenchrus. Pesticides used in orchards had less effect on the population density while those used in wheat and paddy decreased the population density immensely. In mango orchards where harvesting was done manually both eggs and fledglings were found while in wheat fields where combine harvesters were used occurrence of eggs and fledglings was nil. Maximum covey size of Indian peafowl was observed in orchards whereas, no coveys were found in paddy or wheat. Habitat loss due to rapid urbanization, decreasing number of orchards as well as use of pesticides and mechanized farming pose serious threat to peafowl in the study area.
Comparing Bacterial Diversity in Two Full-ScaleEnhanced Biological Phosphate Removal ReactorsUsing 16S Amplicon Pyrosequencing

Despite their stability and the widespread use of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR), little is known about their microbial composition and activity. In our study we investigated highthroughput pyrosequencing of bacterial communities from two full-scale EBPR reactors of South Africa. Findings indicated that both EBPRs harboured high bacterial similarity, ranging from 83 to 100% with a diverse community dominated by Proteobacteria (57.04 to 79.48% for failed EBPR and 61.7 to 85.39% for successful EBPR) throughout the five selected treatment zones with the exception of the fermenter (Bacteroidetes: 55.84%) from the successful EBPR. However, a lower dissimilarity was observed with the presence of 70 unique bacterial genera from successful EBPRs belonging to Gammaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, while 69 unique genera from failed EBPR belonged to Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Clostridia. The failed EBPR (54.58%) revealed less fermenting bacteria in the fermenter as compared to the successful EBPR (73.58%). More detrimental organisms and less nitrifying/denitrifying bacteria were also found in failed EBPR than in the successful EBPR, as well as phosphate-accumulating bacteria. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) displayed a very low relationship between microbial patterns, pH and DO – suggesting that these environmental factors played a major role in community dissimilarity. Aerobic zones appeared to have the highest dissimilarity between both EBPRs, with the failed EBPR predominated by Acidovorax (26.2%) and the successful EBPR with unclassified Rhodocyclaceae (37.24%). Furthermore, 21.47% of readings (failed EBPR) and 17.18% of readings (successful EBPR) could not be assigned to taxonomic classifications, highlighting the high diversity level of novel microbial species in such an environment.
Prediction of Sound Propagation in Ducted Potential Flows Using Green's Function Discretization

The sound propagation in ducted mean potential flows is computed by using a Green's function discretization (GFD) technique. Linear combinations of the free-space Green's functions of the locally uniform convected Helmholtz problem are analytically differentiated to build shape functions for the derivatives of the acoustic potential. These are used to discretize both the field governing equation and the boundary conditions. The GFD approach is validated by computing the sound propagation in annular ducts with hard/soft walls and uniform flow. Acoustic modes of increasing wave number are computed without changing the computational mesh. A good level of accuracy is ensured up to three points per wavelength. As a first step toward relevant applications, the propagation in nonconstant annular ducts, with/without wall treatment and with/without flow, is computed. The numerical solutions compare favorably with the well-known analytical multiscale solutions.
Inertial-subrange structures of isotropic incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the Lagrangian renormalized approximation

spectrum. The residual energy spectrum in LRA is found to obey k 2 scaling law, where k is the wave number. Given are the quantitative estimates of i the dimensionless constants in the total and residual energy spectra, ii contribution of triad interactions to the energy flux, and iii the eddy viscosity and the eddy magnetic diffusivity. A direct numerical simulation DNS of a forced quasi-isotropic incompressible MHD turbulence is performed to find that the obtained total energy spectrum is in good agreement with the one derived within LRA both in its scaling exponent and in the dimensionless constant. The residual energy spectrum obtained in the DNS agrees with that derived in LRA with respect to the scaling exponent and the sign of the dimensionless constant, which is negative, although the magnitude of the dimensionless constant is about four times larger. © 2007 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2717687
USE OF FLUORESCENT PIGMENTS AND IMPLANTABLE TRANSMITTERS TO TRACK A FOSSORIAL TOAD (PELOBATES FUSCUS)

Compared to other vertebrate groups, movement patterns and microhabitat use in amphibians has been little studied. The two goals of this study were (1) to compare two different methods of tracking amphibians (implantable transmitters and fluorescent pigments); and (2) to characterize movement patterns and habitat use in the nocturnal, fossorial spadefoot toad (Pelobates fuscus) A fluorescent pigment method was useful for microhabitat studies, as trails could be detected in all kinds of terrestrial habitats, even under wet conditions Using this method it was possible to trace complete nocturnal movement patterns (maximum distance moved 73 m). Implantable transmitters were particularly appropriate for fossorial species, such as Pelobatesfuscus. Diel home range and microhabitat preferences were more precisely defined using a combination of telemetry and pigments. In addition, the vertical component of habitat use could be assessed. The spadefoot toad was more likely to use areas of bare soil or short vegetation and seemed to avoid shrub-covered areas. Mean distance moved between two successive burrows was higher in females (22.9 m) than in males (12.9 m).
Periastron shifts of stellar orbits near the Galactic Center

The presence of a $2.9\pm0.4$ million solar mass object in the central stellar cluster of the Milky Way has recently been demonstrated via measurements of the stellar proper motions and radial velocities. This mass is located at the position of the compact radio source Sagittarius A * (Sgr A * ) at a distance of $R_{\rm o}=8.0$ kpc and is most likely present in the form of a massive black hole (BH). Some of the stars have a projected distance to Sgr A * of ≤ 0.005 pc and have proper motion velocities of up to 1400 km s -1 . Recent measurements indicate that their orbits show significant curvatures indicating that the stars indeed orbit the central compact object. Detailed measurements of the stellar orbits close to Sgr A * will allow us to precisely determine the distribution of this mass. With an increased point source sensitivity due to the combination of large telescope apertures, adaptive optics, and -in the very near future -NIR interferometry it is likely that stars with orbital time scales of the order of one year will be detected. Theses sources, however, will most likely not be on simple Keplerian orbits. The effects of measurable prograde relativistic and retrograde Newtonian periastron shifts will result in rosetta shaped orbits. A substantial Newtonian periastron rotation can already be expected if only a few percent of the central mass are extended. We discuss the conditions under which an extended mass can (over-) compensate the relativistic periastron shift. We also demonstrate that measuring a single periastron shift is not sufficient to determine the distribution of an extended mass component. A periastron shift will allow us to determine the inclination of the stellar orbits and to derive inclination corrected shift values. These have to be acquired for three stars on orbits with different energy or angular momentum in order to unambiguously solve for the compactness, extent and shape of any extended mass contribution.