Effects Of Sample Characteristics Research Articles

Estimating retail gasoline price dynamics: The effects of sample characteristics and research design

The study shows that much of the variation in the findings of the literature on retail gasoline price dynamics is systematic rather than sample variation from using different data. Estimates of pass-through rates depend systematically on research design and features of the data, such as the sampling frequency, the choice of upstream price, whether taxes are included or not, the sample length, and the postulated lag structure. In addition, there are systematic differences between time periods and countries. Using a 20 year-long dataset of 28 European Union countries we quantify the extent of estimate variation that arises from the choice of data structure from that arising from temporal and country heterogeneity and sampling variation. We also show that country heterogeneity itself has systematic components, with wealthier countries experiencing slower adjustments. Our results inform the interpretation of results on pass-through rates derived from Error Correction Models. They are also of relevance for the broader literature estimating the transmission of price shocks in the economy.

Estimating Retail Gasoline Price Dynamics: The Effects of Sample Characteristics and Research Design

The study shows that much of the variation in the findings of the literature on retail gasoline price dynamics is systematic rather than sample variation from using different data. Estimates of pass-through rates depend systematically on research design and features of the data, such as the sampling frequency, the choice of upstream price, whether taxes are included or not, the sample length, and the postulated lag structure. In addition, there are systematic differences between time periods and countries. Using a 20 year-long dataset of 28 European Union countries we quantify the extent of estimate variation that arises from the choice of data structure from that arising from temporal and country heterogeneity and sampling variation. We also show that country heterogeneity itself has systematic components, with wealthier countries experiencing slower adjustments. Our results inform the interpretation of results on pass-through rates derived from Error Correction Models. They are also of relevance for the broader literature estimating the transmission of price shocks in the economy.

Biotests for environmental quality assessment of composted sewage sludge

The quality of sewage sludge-based products, such as composts and growth media, is affected by the contamination of sewage sludge with, potentially, hundreds of different substances. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve the reliable environmental quality assessment of sewage sludge-based products solely based on chemical analysis. In the present work, we demonstrate the use of the kinetic luminescent bacteria test (ISO 21338) to evaluate acute toxicity and the Vitotox™ test to monitor genotoxicity of sewage sludge and composted sewages sludge. In addition, endocrine-disrupting and dioxin-like activity was studied using yeast-cell-based assays. The relative contribution of industrial waste water treated at the Waste Water Treatment Plants led to elevated concentrations of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDD/F) in sewage sludge. The effect of elevated amounts of organic contaminants could also be identified with biotests able to demonstrate higher acute toxicity, genotoxicity, and potential for endocrine-disruptive properties. Additional extraction steps in kinetic luminescent bacteria test with DMSO and hexane increased the level of toxicity detected. Composting in a pilot-scale efficiently reduced the amounts of linear alkylbenzensulphonates (LASs), nonylphenols and nonylphenolethoxylates (NPE/NPs) and PAH with relative removal efficiencies of 84%, 61% and 56%. In addition, decrease in acute toxicity, genotoxicity and endocrorine-disrupting and dioxin-like activity during composting could be detected. However, the biotests did have limitations in accessing the ecotoxicity of test media rich with organic matter, such as sewage sludge and compost, and effects of sample characteristics on biotest organisms must be acknowledged. The compost matrix itself, however, which contained a high amount of nutrients, bark, and peat, reduced the sensitivity of the genotoxicity tests and yeast bioreporter assays.

The Effects of Sample Characteristics and Experience with Infidelity on Romantic Jealousy

Past research has suggested that men are more upset by imagined sexual than emotional infidelity, and women are more upset by imagined emotional infidelity than sexual infidelity. However, experience with infidelity, methodology, and age and gender of the sample may help to explain inconsistent results. Two hundred ninety-four English-speaking undergraduate students and 325 non-college adults in a large mid-Atlantic urban area of the U.S. completed forced-choice or continuous-scale anonymous questionnaires regarding jealousy over a mate’s hypothetical infidelity. Chi-square and MANOVA analyses replicated previous findings of the expected gender difference in all hypothetical forced-choice scenarios. However, results for those participants who reported experience with actual infidelity demonstrated little support for the traditional evolutionary model, as there were no gender differences in which aspect of hypothetical infidelity was reported to be more distressing, and no gender differences at the college level in terms of which aspect of infidelity received the greatest focus. These findings, extrapolated from both undergraduates and adults and accounting for the impact of actual, primed memory of experience of infidelity on hypothetical jealousy scenarios, raise important questions about the validity of hypothetical scenarios of jealousy as proxies for real reactions to actual infidelity. The results of the present study suggest that the lack of a consistent, replicable gender difference across the lifespan may be explained by two related factors: age and actual experience with infidelity.

The reliability of romantic love: A reliability generalization meta‐analysis

AbstractThe present study is a reliability‐generalization meta‐analysis of 5 commonly used measures of romantic love: Rubin’s Loving and Liking scales, the Love Attitudes Scale, the Love Attitudes Scale–Short Form, the Passionate Love Scale, and the Triangular Love Scale. Data from 127 studies representing 38,132 participants provided internal consistency reliability estimates. The studies provide information on the average score reliability across studies and the effect of sample characteristics on score reliability across measures. The reliability of scores from several measures proved to be susceptible to the influence of sample characteristics, most notably, the ethnicity of the sample. The discussion provides recommendations to researchers and focuses on the ramifications of score reliability on love research.

Sampling and Sample Homogeneity as Introductory Topics in Analytical Chemistry Undergraduate Courses

ABSTRACT This work deals with the development of an experiment to evaluate the effect of sample characteristics on precision and accuracy of the sampling step. Parameters such as sample homogeneity, particle sizes, and sample mass were evaluated by analyzing the standard deviations (n = 3) obtained for Ca, Fe, Mg, Na, P, S, and Zn determinations in a breakfast cereal sample by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The proposed experiment can improve the assimilation of important concepts such as sampling, sample representativity, precision and accuracy by undergraduate students in analytical chemistry laboratory courses.

Usage impact factor: The effects of sample characteristics on usage‐based impact metrics

AbstractThere exist ample demonstrations that indicators of scholarly impact analogous to the citation‐based ISI Impact Factor can be derived from usage data; however, so far, usage can practically be recorded only at the level of distinct information services. This leads to community‐specific assessments of scholarly impact that are difficult to generalize to the global scholarly community. In contrast, the ISI Impact Factor is based on citation data and thereby represents the global community of scholarly authors. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of community characteristics on assessments of scholarly impact from usage. We define a journal Usage Impact Factor that mimics the definition of the Thomson Scientific ISI Impact Factor. Usage Impact Factor rankings are calculated on the basis of a large‐scale usage dataset recorded by the linking servers of the California State University system from 2003 to 2005. The resulting journal rankings are then compared to the Thomson Scientific ISI Impact Factor that is used as a reference indicator of general impact. Our results indicate that the particular scientific and demographic characteristics of a discipline have a strong effect on resulting usage‐based assessments of scholarly impact. In particular, we observed that as the number of graduate students and faculty increases in a particular discipline, Usage Impact Factor rankings will converge more strongly with the ISI Impact Factor.

Experiment and modeling of mass-transfer processes of volatile metal beta-diketonates. I. Study of mass-transfer process of tris-(acetylacetonato) Chromium(III) at atmospheric pressure

In this work the original method for study of kinetic features of mass transfer of the precursors by means of non-stop weighing is advanced. The special installation and software were developed. Tris-(acetylacetonato)chromium (III), Cr(acac) 3, was chosen as the object for investigation. The effect of sample characteristics and operating conditions on mass transfer rate was studied in detail. On the basis of experimental data the dependences of mass transfer rate versus carrier gas flow rate (0.5–40 l·h −1), temperature (162–242 ∘C), aggregated condition of precursor (powder, crystal, melt) and size of evaporation surface were obtained. The processes of sublimation of film samples of tris-(acetylacetonato)chromium (III) were analyzed in detail. The features of sublimation of films are explained by nature of rate profile of gas flow in the experimental reactor. Activation parameters of sublimation/evaporation processes were estimated (the enthalpy of sublimation process of Cr(acac) 3 is equal to 133.8 ± 4.2 kJ·mol −1 and the enthalpy of evaporation process is equal to 79.4 ± 4.2 kJ·mol −1).

The effects of sampling characteristics with downward age extension

The effects of sampling characteristics with downward age extension

The effects of sampling characteristics with downward age extension

The effects of sampling characteristics with downward age extension

Interlaboratory Comparison on High-Temperature Superconductor Critical-Current Measurements.

An extensive interlaboratory comparison was conducted on high temperature superconductor (HTS) critical-current measurements. This study was part of an international cooperative effort through the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS). The study involved six U.S. laboratories that are recognized leaders in the field of HTS. This paper includes the complete results from this comparison of critical-current measurements on Ag-sheathed Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10–x (2223) tapes. The effects of sample characteristics, specimen mounting, measurement technique, and specimen damage were studied. The future development of a standard HTS measurement method is also discussed. Most of the evolution of this emerging technology has occurred in improvement of the performance of the conductors. The successful completion of this interlaboratory comparison is an important milestone in the evolution of HTS technology and marks a level of maturity that the technology has reached.

Experiment and modeling on the evaporation of β-diketonates of copper, yttrium and barium

The evaporation behavior of the β-diketonates of copper, yttrium and barium were investigated in detail. The effects of sample characteristics and operating conditions, such as carrier gas flow rate, system pressure and temperature, and exposure area were studied. An empirical correlation, n = k 2 L 2 3 P −1 Q 1 9 exp(—Δ H/RT), which is based on a simple mass transfer model is proposed to describe the rate of evaporation for these β-diketonates. The L 2 3 term represents the effects of the exposure area of the organometallic sample. The calculated values agree well with our experimental data. The evaporation rate is, in general, very sensitive to temperature and system pressure, but not to gas flow rate. Another factor that influences the reproducibility of the evaporation is the stability of the material during storage. Storing the precursors below −10°C seems to help.

Crystallization Kinetics of a Lithia–Silica Glass: Effect of Sample Characteristics and Thermal Analysis Measurement Techniques

The crystallization kinetics of a 40Li2O · 60SiO2 (mol%) glass were studied using DTA and both isothermal and nonisothermal DSC techniques as a function of (1) particle size of the glass powder, (2) crucible material, e.g., alumina or platinum, (3) furnace atmosphere, e.g., nitrogen, oxygen, or argon, and (4) surface pretreatment of the glass powder with deionized water, HCl, or HF. The kinetic parameters for crystallization, namely, the activation energy, E, frequency factor, v, and Avrami exponent, n, for a particular sample particle size are in close agreement for all three techniques. E and v both decrease while n increases (from 0.9 to 3.0) as the particle size of the glass powder increases from 40 to ∼250 μm, whereupon these parameters become fairly constant for larger particles. Neither the furnace atmosphere nor crucible material had a significant effect on E, v, or n. Washing the glass with deionized water, HCl, or HF before the measurements decreased the crystallization temperature by 25° to 30°C. E and v remain unchanged by this treatment, but n decreased from 3 to 1.6 for a sample of particle size ∼250 μm.