Syllable frequency effects in Spanish handwriting production. 'Efectos de la frecuencia silábica en la producción escrita del español'.

Resumen en español. Resumen basado en el de la publicación

Spanish adaptation of the Expectancy Questionnaire (EQ) about alcohol effects in adolescents

Resumen tomado de la publicación

Transfer effects in implicit memory and consumer choice

Two experiments investigated transfer effects in implicit memory and consumer choice, using a preference judgement task. Experiment 1 examined whether it is possible to obtain priming for unfamiliar food labels. Additionally, it investigated whether the experience of seeing a brand name with a particular product type would benefit subsequent processing of the brand name when linked with a different product type. Experiment 2 examined whether changes in modality between study and test would affect priming for unfamiliar brand names. Both questions are theoretically important, as well as pertaining to practical concerns in the consumer choice literature. Experiment 1 demonstrated significant priming for unfamiliar food labels, and established that priming was unaffected by changing the product type with which the brand name was associated. In Experiment 2, priming on both auditory and visual versions of the preference judgement task was reduced by changes in modality. The results and implications are discussed in relation to consumer choice and current theories of implicit memory.

Anharmonicity and local mode effects in the vibrational spectrum of NiCO4 and Co(CO)3NO

Previously published data on the vibrational fundamentals and overtones of the carbonyl stretching modes of Ni(CO)4 and Co(CO)3NO are reinterpreted using the recent model of Mills and Robiette, including Darling-Dennison resonances and local mode effects. The harmonic wavenumber θm and anharmonicity constant xm associated with the carbonyl and nitrosyl stretching modes are derived, and the 13C and 18O isotopic shifts are discussed in relation to the harmonic and anharmonic force field.

Vibrational Renner-Teller effects in the infrared spectrum of carbonsuboxide

The infrared spectrum of carbon suboxide has been recorded with a resolution of 0•01cm-1 from 400 to 700 cm-1. The region from 530 to 570 cm-1 shows intense absorption due to the v6(Πu) band system, of which the fundamental band only has been assigned and analysed, giving v6=540•221 cm-1. The region 590 to 660 cm-1 shows weaker absorption due to the v5(Πg) band system appearing in combination with odd quanta of the v7(Πu) fundamental at 18 cm-1. The v5 + v7 band and several hot bands have been assigned and analysed, and the effective v7 bending potential in the v5 state has been deduced. This potential shows a splitting as the large amplitude bending coordinate q7 is displaced due to interaction between v5 and v7 analogous to the Renner-Teller effect in electronic spectroscopy. This splitting is about 4 cm-1 for the classical turning points in q7 and the mean q7 bending potential is closely similar to that in the ground state.

Threshold effects in price transmission: The case of Brazilian wheat, maize, and soya prices

Recent studies into price transmission have recognized the important role played by transport and transaction costs. Threshold models are one approach to accommodate such costs. We develop a generalized Threshold Error Correction Model to test for the presence and form of threshold behavior in price transmission that is symmetric around equilibrium. We use monthly wheat, maize, and soya prices from the United States, Argentina, and Brazil to demonstrate this model. Classical estimation of these generalized models can present challenges but Bayesian techniques avoid many of these problems. Evidence for thresholds is found in three of the five commodity price pairs investigated.

An evaluation of different growth functions for describing the profile of live weight with time (age) in meat and egg strains of chicken

A total of 86 profiles from meat and egg strains of chickens (male and female) were used in this study. Different flexible growth functions were evaluated with regard to their ability to describe the relationship between live weight and age and were compared with the Gompertz and logistic equations, which have a fixed point of inflection. Six growth functions were used: Gompertz, logistic, Lopez, Richards, France, and von Bertalanffy. A comparative analysis was carried out based on model behavior and statistical performance. The results of this study confirmed the initial concern about the limitation of a fixed point of inflection, such as in the Gompertz equation. Therefore, consideration of flexible growth functions as an alternatives to the simpler equations (with a fixed point of inflection) for describing the relationship between live weight and age are recommended for the following reasons: they are easy to fit, they very often give a closer fit to data points because of their flexibility and therefore a smaller RSS value, than the simpler models, and they encompasses simpler models for the addition of an extra parameter, which is especially important when the behavior of a particular data set is not defined previously.

Time patterns in UK demand for alcohol and tobacco: an application of the EM algorithm

Capturing the pattern of structural change is a relevant task in applied demand analysis, as consumer preferences may vary significantly over time. Filtering and smoothing techniques have recently played an increasingly relevant role. A dynamic Almost Ideal Demand System with random walk parameters is estimated in order to detect modifications in consumer habits and preferences, as well as changes in the behavioural response to prices and income. Systemwise estimation, consistent with the underlying constraints from economic theory, is achieved through the EM algorithm. The proposed model is applied to UK aggregate consumption of alcohol and tobacco, using quarterly data from 1963 to 2003. Increased alcohol consumption is explained by a preference shift, addictive behaviour and a lower price elasticity. The dynamic and time-varying specification is consistent with the theoretical requirements imposed at each sample point. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Substituent effects in single helix-double helix interconversions in copper(I) complexes

The copper(I) complex of L, the 1:2 condensate of benzil dihydrazone and 2-formylpyridine, exists as single, helical [CuL](+) and double helical [Cu2L2](2+) in dichloromethane solution but crystallizes only as the double helicate [Cu2L2](ClO4)(2). In contrast, earlier [New J Chem, 27 (2003) 193] it has been found that with L', the 1:2 condensate of benzil dihydrazone and 2-acetylpyridine, only the single helical monomeric species [CuL'](+) is isolable as solid. This contrasting behaviour of the copper(I) complexes of L and L' are scrutinised here by density functional calculations.

Ligand effects in cis-Ru-II(N-N)(2)L-2 species where N-N is a substituted 2,2 '-bisoxazoline and L is monodentate

Starting from previously reported cis-Ru(MeL)(2)Cl-2, where MeL is 4,4,4',4'-tetramethyl-2,2'-bisoxazoline, cis-Ru(MeL)(2)Br-2 (1), cis-Ru( MeL)(2)I-2 (2), cis-Ru(MeL)(2)(NCS)(2) center dot H2O (3), cis-Ru(MeL)(2)(N-3)(2) (4) and cis-[Ru(MeL)(2)(MeCN)(2)](PF6)(2) center dot (CH3)(2)CO (5) are synthesised. The X-ray crystal structures of complexes 1, 2, 3 and 5 have been determined. All the five new complexes have been characterized by FTIR, ESIMS and H-1 NMR. In cyclic voltammetry in acetonitrile at a glassy carbon electrode, the complexes display a quasireversible Ru(II/III) couple in the range 0.32-1.71 V versus NHE. The Ru(II/III) potentials yield a satisfactorily linear correlation with Chatt's ligand constants P-L for the monodantate ligands. From the intercept and by comparing the known situation in Ru(2,2'-bipyridine)(2)L-2, it is concluded that MeL, a non-aromatic diimine, is significantly more pi-acidic than 2,2'-bipyridine. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.