Extensions and foundations of the continuous symmetry measure

A quantum mechanical extension of the continuous symmetry measures (CMS) proposed by Avnir et al. is described. The theoretical framework is essentially based in a simple extension of the HMO approach, leading to compute molecular CSM energy spectra, constituting a useful step for construction of first and higher order CSM terms. This permits in turn to connect the general CMS theoretical framework with the fundaments of structure-property relationships and allows the evaluation of statistical mechanics CMS partition functions and the deduction of CMS thermodinamical functions as well

Service Quality and Customer Loyalty in a Post-Crisis Context. Prediction-Oriented Modeling to Enhance the Particular Importance of a Social and Sustainable Approach

Research into the influence of service quality on customer loyalty has typically focused on confirming isolated direct causal influences regarding particular dimensions of quality, usually undertaken in the context of positive, firm-customer relations. The present study extends analysis of these factors through a new lens. First, the study was undertaken in a market context following a crisis that has had far-reaching consequences for customers’ relational behaviors. We explore the case of the Spanish banking industry, a sector that accurately reflects these new relational conditions, including a rising demand for more socially responsible banking. Second, we propose a holistic model that combines the effects of four key factors associated with service quality (outcome, personnel, servicescape and social qualities). We also apply an innovative predictive methodological technique using partial least squares (PLS) and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) that enables us not only to determine the direct causal effects among variables, but also to consider different scenarios in which to predict customer loyalty. The results highlight the role of outcome and social qualities. The novelty of the social qualities factor helps to underscore the importance of social, ethical and sustainable practices to customer loyalty, although personnel and servicescape qualities must also be present to improve the predictive capability of service quality on loyalty

On the Absence of the Zeno Effect in Relativistic Quantum Field Theory

We study the time evolution of decaying particles in renormalizable models of Relativistic Quantum Field Theory. Significant differences between the latter and Non Relativistic Quantum Mechanics are found -in particular, the Zeno effect seems to be absent in such RQFT models. Conventional renormalization yields finite time behavior in some cases but fails to produce finite survival probabilities in others.Comment: Revised version of the paper Time evolution and Zeno effect in relativistic quantum field theory. To appear in Phys. Lett.

Effective chiral lagrangian from QCD at nonzero chemical potential

We start from the euclidean QCD action for gluons and massless quarks with N_c colours at finite baryon chemical potential μ_B and zero temperature. For μ_B of the order of external momenta o(p) we derive an euclidean effective real chiral lagrangian at finite μ_B, up to and including o(pˆ4), in terms of Goldstone Bosons (GB), in the large N_c limit, including gluon contributions. Our effective action generalizes non-trivially the one obtained for μ_B = 0 by previous authors, and it includes new μ_B -dependent terms. In particular, a topological term μ_B N_B is found, N_B being the baryon number in terms of GB fields with the correct normalization factor. Physical implications of the remaining μ_B -dependent terms are discussed briefly

Erratum: Effective chiral lagrangian from QCD at nonzero chemical potential (vol 355, pg 288, 1995)

© 1996 Elsevier Science.Depto. de Física TeóricaFac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUEpu

Dual Training in Language Didactics of Foreign Language/CLIL Pre-Service Primary Education Teachers in Spain

Classroom-based research in second language acquisition (SLA) has focused in the last decade on the pedagogical implications concerning the mental representation of language but has not considered the didactic training of pre-service teachers. Empirical analyses have been concerned almost exclusively with the linguistic development of foreign language learners, who do not receive specific training to become language teachers. Due to the lack of literature regarding simultaneous linguistic and didactic training with pre-service foreign language teachers, this exploratory classroom-based research analyses a case of linguistic and didactic dual training for pre-service primary education teachers of German in Spain, both when being trained to work as foreign language teachers, or as CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) teachers. The objective is to assess the effectiveness of the dual training by measuring the degree of the pre-service teachers' (N=4) willingness to communicate (WTC) before and after each practice session (N=14). This is a mixed-methods research where data were collected through (i) a questionnaire answered by the pre-service teachers and (ii) the lecturer's linguistic and didactic excursuses. The results show a high degree of WTC among the pre-service teachers, mainly as result of the Instructed Foreign Language Acquisition (IFLA)-based teaching practice model implemented, including linguistic training in German and didactic training (e.g., excursuses) in Spanish (L1). Factors like grouping increase the pre-service teachers' WTC, while factors like talking to someone they know little about decrease it. However, personal traits need to be considered when it comes to WTC, even with individuals who share similar language proficiency. The innovation of this teacher training methodology lies in the coordinated combination of linguistic (i.e., IFLA-based teaching model) and didactic training. IFLA-based teaching practices are evaluated positively by the pre-service teachers in terms of linguistic and didactic training and WTC. Final recommendations are suggested about teaching methodology

Crónicas de la ultramodernidad. "El relativismo reaccionario"

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La prudencia

post-print176,09 K