Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and other set-theoretic methods distinguish themselves from other approaches to the study of social phenomena by using sets and the search for set relations. In ...virtually all social science fields, statements about social phenomena can be framed in terms of set relations, and using set-theoretic methods to investigate these statements is therefore highly valuable. This book guides readers through the basic principles of set theory and then on to the applied practices of QCA. It provides a thorough understanding of basic and advanced issues in set-theoretic methods together with tricks of the trade, software handling and exercises. Most arguments are introduced using examples from existing research. The use of QCA is increasing rapidly and the application of set-theory is both fruitful and still widely misunderstood in current empirical comparative social research. This book provides the comprehensive guide to these methods for researchers across the social sciences.
Charles C. Ragin's The Comparative Method proposes a synthetic strategy, based on an application of Boolean algebra, that combines the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative sociology. ...Elegantly accessible and germane to the work of all the social sciences, and now updated with a new introduction, this book will continue to garner interest, debate, and praise.
This volume assesses comparative political communication research and considers potential ways in which it could and should develop. Twenty experts from Europe and the United States offer a unique ...and comprehensive discussion of the theories, cases, and challenges of comparative research in political communication. The first part discusses the fundamental themes, concepts and methods essential to analyze the effects of modernization and globalization of political communication. The second part offers a broad range of case studies that illustrate the enormous potential of cross-national approaches in many relevant fields of political communication. The third part paves the way for future research by describing the most promising concepts and pressing challenges of comparative political communication. This book is intended to introduce new students to a crucial, dynamic field as well as deepening advanced students' knowledge of its principles and perspectives.
The comparative method plays a central role in efforts to uncover the adaptive basis for primate behaviors, morphological traits, and cognitive abilities.1–4 The comparative method has been used, for ...example, to infer that living in a larger group selects for a larger neocortex,5, 6 that primate territoriality favors a longer day range relative to home range size,7 and that sperm competition can account for the evolution of primate testes size.8, 9 Comparison is fundamental for reconstructing behavioral traits in the fossil record, for example, in studies of locomotion and diet.10–13 Recent advances in comparative methods require phylogenetic information,2, 14–16 but our knowledge of phylogenetic information is imperfect. In the face of uncertainty about evolutionary relationships, which phylogeny should one use? Here we provide a new resource for comparative studies of primates that enables users to run comparative analyses on multiple primate phylogenies Importantly, the 10,000 trees that we provide are not random, but instead use recent systematic methods to create a plausible set of topologies that reflect our certainty about some nodes on the tree and uncertainty about other nodes, given the dataset. The trees also reflect uncertainty about branch lengths.
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PhyloNetworks is a Julia package for the inference, manipulation, visualization, and use of phylogenetic networks in an interactive environment. Inference of phylogenetic networks is done with ...maximum pseudolikelihood from gene trees or multi-locus sequences (SNaQ), with possible bootstrap analysis. PhyloNetworks is the first software providing tools to summarize a set of networks (from a bootstrap or posterior sample) with measures of tree edge support, hybrid edge support, and hybrid node support. Networks can be used for phylogenetic comparative analysis of continuous traits, to estimate ancestral states or do a phylogenetic regression. The software is available in open source and with documentation at https://github.com/crsl4/PhyloNetworks.jl.
The primary rationale for the use of phylogenetically based statistical methods is that phylogenetic signal, the tendency for related species to resemble each other, is ubiquitous. Whether this ...assertion is true for a given trait in a given lineage is an empirical question, but general tools for detecting and quantifying phylogenetic signal are inadequately developed. We present new methods for continuous‐valued characters that can be implemented with either phylogenetically independent contrasts or generalized least‐squares models. First, a simple randomization procedure allows one to test the null hypothesis of no pattern of similarity among relatives. The test demonstrates correct Type I error rate at a nominal α= 0.05 and good power (0.8) for simulated datasets with 20 or more species. Second, we derive a descriptive statistic, K, which allows valid comparisons of the amount of phylogenetic signal across traits and trees. Third, we provide two biologically motivated branch‐length transformations, one based on the Ornstein‐Uhlenbeck (OU) model of stabilizing selection, the other based on a new model in which character evolution can accelerate or decelerate (ACDC) in rate (e.g., as may occur during or after an adaptive radiation). Maximum likelihood estimation of the OU (d) and ACDC (g) parameters can serve as tests for phylogenetic signal because an estimate of d or g near zero implies that a phylogeny with little hierarchical structure (a star) offers a good fit to the data. Transformations that improve the fit of a tree to comparative data will increase power to detect phylogenetic signal and may also be preferable for further comparative analyses, such as of correlated character evolution. Application of the methods to data from the literature revealed that, for trees with 20 or more species, 92% of traits exhibited significant phylogenetic signal (randomization test), including behavioral and ecological ones that are thought to be relatively evolutionarily malleable (e.g., highly adaptive) and/or subject to relatively strong environmental (nongenetic) effects or high levels of measurement error. Irrespective of sample size, most traits (but not body size, on average) showed less signal than expected given the topology, branch lengths, and a Brownian motion model of evolution (i.e., K was less than one), which may be attributed to adaptation and/or measurement error in the broad sense (including errors in estimates of phenotypes, branch lengths, and topology). Analysis of variance of log K for all 121 traits (from 35 trees) indicated that behavioral traits exhibit lower signal than body size, morphological, life‐history, or physiological traits. In addition, physiological traits (corrected for body size) showed less signal than did body size itself. For trees with 20 or more species, the estimated OU (25% of traits) and/or ACDC (40%) transformation parameter differed significantly from both zero and unity, indicating that a hierarchical tree with less (or occasionally more) structure than the original better fit the data and so could be preferred for comparative analyses.
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The maximum amount of oxygen consumed during forced exercise (V̇O
max) sets the upper limit to the effort that can be sustained over relatively long periods and can limit activity levels in nature. ...Among ectotherms, V̇O
max is primarily affected by body size and body temperature, but it should also coadapt with behavior, ecology, and life history aspects. We compiled published data from 11 different families of lizards, including 58 species and 7 populations (total 65 data points) and tested whether V̇O
max was related to diet (herbivore, insectivore, insectivore/carnivore, carnivore, and omnivore), climate (tropical, temperate, and arid), nocturnality, viviparity, or family. We fitted models that included body mass and measurement temperature as covariates, and all possible combinations of other independent variables using ordinary least-squares (OLS) and phylogenetic regressions assuming an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model of residual trait evolution (RegOU). The sum of Akaike weights for each independent variable revealed viviparity (∑
=0.996) and the combined set of dummy variables coding for helodermatids, varanids, and skinks (∑
=0.996) as the most important predictors. These three families had relatively high V̇O
max. They are composed mainly of active foragers that probably benefit from higher V̇O
max. Viviparity had a negative effect on V̇O
max. Ecological or behavioral factors associated with viviparity (e.g., activity levels), but not included here, may explain this effect. The average allometric slope of V̇O
max from the top eight models (which accounted for 99% of the cumulative evidence) was 0.803, which is similar to that reported previously for lizards and for mammals in general.
A Mixtec Sound Change Database Auderset, Sandra; Campbell, Eric W.
Journal of open humanities data,
03/2024, Volume:
10
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
We present an interlinked, expandable database of segmental sound changes among a large sample of Mixtec languages of Mexico. The database provides an up-to-date repository for scholars working on ...Mixtec and related languages. It serves the wider historical linguistics community by providing a model for managing large data sets in a way that streamlines traditional historical linguistic analysis at the same time as preparing the data for computational and quantitative analysis. We build upon previous studies but also introduce a novel annotation scheme for analyzing sound change in large and complex language groups or families. The database is hosted on GitHub (https://github.com/SAuderset/MixteCaSo) so that it can be improved and expanded on in the future. Publication versions such as this one are archived on Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10630996).
The Creative Economy Agency noted that in 2020 around 60% of MSMEs in the culinary sector in Indonesia were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic which made the wheels of the business economy temporarily ...stop. On the other hand, some MSMEs can still survive and rise ready to live the new normal even though they have been hit by a pandemic. The purpose of this study is to find out how the implementation of Entrepreneurial Marketing in maintaining Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) during the pandemic. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach. The data source was taken using purposive sampling techniques. Data collection uses active participative observation techniques, semi-structured interviews, and document studies. Data validation using source triangulation and techniques. Data analysis techniques are carried out using the constant comparative method. The results showed that Bakulanvia business people implemented entrepreneurial marketing which was reviewed through an opportunity focused on the implementation of joining Jakpreneur and expanding relationships. Innovation-oriented is by innovating attractive packaging different from others. Value Creation is through satisfaction and customer input suggestions that are constructive. Calculated risk-taking is by making strategies through promos and utilizing social media. Research limitations and suggestions for subsequent research are provided.