As OP, turns out that on RTFMing I can easily get HLM and xtmelogit to within 10%, quite good enough for govt work given the differing numerical methods. Why Stata thinks that I might (as a default) want to estimate a mixed model with the random coefficient centered on 0 (that is, no fixed component entered automatically) is well beyond me. But not reading the FM is not a good excuse for assuming that all Stata syntax looks like R syntax (mutatis mutandis). Sorry.
Neal
Neal Beck
On leave AY 2009 at the Instituto Juan March, Madrid Spain
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