X-ray Structure and Magnetic Properties of Heterobimetallic Chains Based on the Use of an Octacyanidodicobalt(III) Complex as Metalloligand

The assembly of [Co2III(μ-2,5-dpp)(CN)8]2− anions and [MII(CH3OH)2(DMSO)2]2+ cations resulted into the formation of two heterobimetallic 1D coordination polymers of formula [MII(CH3OH)2(DMSO)2(μ-NC)2Co2III(μ-2,5-dpp)(CN)6]n·4nCH3OH [M = CoII (1)/FeII (2) and 2,5-dpp = 2,5-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine. The [Co2III(μ-2,5-dpp)(CN)8]2− metalloligand coordinates the paramagnetic [MII(CH3OH)2(DMSO)2]2+ complex cations, in a bis-monodentate fashion, to give rise to neutral heterobimetallic chains. Cryomagnetic dc (1.9–300 K) and ac (2.0–13 K) magnetic measurements for 1 and 2 show the presence of Co(II)HS (1) and Fe(II)HS (2) ions (HS – high-spin), respectively, with D values of +53.7(5) (1) and −5.1(3) cm−1 (2) and slow magnetic relaxation for 1, this compound being a new example of SIM with transversal magnetic anisotropy. Low-temperature Q-band EPR study of 1 confirms that D value is positive, which reveals the occurrence of a strong asymmetry in the g-tensors and allows a rough estimation of the E/D ratio, whereas 2 is EPR silent. Theoretical calculations by CASSCF/NEVPT2 on 1 and 2 support the results from magnetometry and EPR. The analysis of the ac magnetic measurements of 1 shows that the relaxation of M takes place in the ground state under external magnetic dc fields through dominant Raman and direct spin-phonon processes.

Doping dependence of thermopower in cuprate superconductors

The doping dependence of the thermopower of cuprate superconductors in the normal-state is studied within the [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] model. It is shown that with a proper modification of the bare electron dispersion in the [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] model, the experimental results of the doping dependence of the normal-state thermopower are qualitatively reproduced. In particular, the theory shows that a pseudogap-generated split of the van Hove peak in the density of states appears in the underdoped and optimally doped regimes, however, this split is absent from the overdoped regime. Concomitantly, the strong asymmetry of the spectral conductivity near the electron Fermi surface emerges, where the peak in the spectral conductivity appears always below the electron Fermi surface in the underdoped and optimally doped regimes, while it appears above the electron Fermi surface in the overdoped regime. This strong asymmetry of the spectral conductivity leads to the unusual behaviors of the normal-state thermopower from the underdoped regime to the overdoped regime.

Asymmetries in Football: The Pass—Goal Paradox

We investigate the relation between the number of passes made by a football team and the number of goals. We analyze the 380 matches of a complete season of the Spanish national league “LaLiga" (2018/2019). We observe how the number of scored goals is positively correlated with the number of passes made by a team. In this way, teams on the top (bottom) of the ranking at the end of the season make more (less) passes than the rest of the teams. However, we observe a strong asymmetry when the analysis is made depending on the part of the match. Interestingly, fewer passes are made in the second half of a match, while, at the same time, more goals are scored. This paradox appears in the majority of teams, and it is independent of the number of passes made. These results confirm that goals in the first half of matches are more “costly” in terms of passes than those scored in second halves.

Avaliação relativa de desempenho na compensação pecuniária de executivos: evidências empíricas no Brasil

The objective of this study was to analyze the implicit use of relative performance evaluation in BM&FBovespa listed companies as a way to measure the remuneration of its executives. To define the sample, we sought to identify companies that disclosed information about the compensation of their executives between 2009 and 2012, totaling the sample size in 67 companies, totaling 112 observations. They were then categorized in order to capture risk sharing as predicted by the theory of relative performance evaluation. The results of this research indicate a strong asymmetry in the distribution of the compensation, mainly due to the long-term compensation, which caused the occurrence of outliers. As a result of this situation, and following studies already developed, it was decided to test the model through quantile regression. Even with the use of the median regression it was not possible to identify statistically significant evidences of the occurrence of relative performance evaluation, therefore, there is no evidence that the variation of the result of the sector reduces the impacts that the results obtained by the organizations exercise on the executive remuneration.

On the ridges, undulations & streams in Gaia DR2: Linking the topography of phase-space to the orbital structure of an N-body bar

We explore the origin of phase-space substructures revealed by the second Gaia data release in the disc of the Milky Way, such as the ridges in the Vφ-r plane, the undulations in the Vφ-r-Vr space and the streams in the Vφ-Vr plane. We use a collisionless N-body simulation with co-spatial thin and thick discs, along with orbit integration, to study the orbital structure close to the Outer Lindblad Resonance (OLR) of the bar. We find that a prominent, long-lived ridge is formed in the Vφ-r plane due to the OLR which translates to streams in the Vφ-Vr plane and examine which closed periodic and trapped librating orbits are responsible for these features. We find that orbits which carry out small librations around the x1(1) family are preferentially found at negative Vr, giving rise to a ‘horn’-like feature, while orbits with larger libration amplitudes, trapped around the x1(2) and x1(1) families, constitute the positive Vr substructure, i.e. the Hercules-like feature. This changing libration amplitude of orbits will translate to a changing ratio of thin/thick disc stars, which could have implications on the metallicity distribution in this plane. We find that a scenario in which the Sun is placed close to the OLR gives rise to a strong asymmetry in Vr in the Vφ-Vr plane (i.e. Hercules vs. ‘the horn’) and subsequently to undulations in the Vφ-r-Vr space. We also explore a scenario in which the Sun is placed closer to the bar corotation and find that the bar perturbation alone cannot give rise to the these features.

Kapitał obcy a potencjał wytwórczy i wyniki produkcyjno-ekonomiczne towarowych gospodarstw rolnych

The aim of the research is to find an answer to the question: Does the use of debt by commodity farms contribute to the increase of production potential and improvement of production and economic conditions? The research was based on data collected as part of the Polish FADN for 2015. The research sample consisted of 12021 commodity farms, of which almost half (48.61%), apart from equity also used external sources of financing agricultural activity. To describe the features characterizing the studied entities, positional measures were used due to strong asymmetry. The U Mann-Whitney rank sum test was used to assess the significance of differences in distributions. The obtained research results indicate the existence of significant differences in production potential as well as production and economic efficiency of commodity farms financing agricultural activity with debt and farms that use only own capital. Entities that use debt to finance agricultural activities, apart from equity, are characterized by a higher production potential and obtain higher production and economic results than farms using only equity.

Polar answers

How do people answer polar questions? In this fourteen-language study of answers to questions in conversation, we compare the two main strategies; first, interjection-type answers such asuh-huh(or equivalentsyes,mm, head nods, etc.), and second, repetition-type answers that repeat some or all of the question. We find that all languages offer both options, but that there is a strong asymmetry in their frequency of use, with a global preference for interjection-type answers. We propose that this preference is motivated by the fact that the two options are not equivalent in meaning. We argue that interjection-type answers are intrinsically suited to be the pragmatically unmarked, and thus more frequent, strategy for confirming polar questions, regardless of the language spoken. Our analysis is based on the semantic-pragmatic profile of the interjection-type and repetition-type answer strategies, in the context of certain asymmetries inherent to the dialogic speech act structure of question–answer sequences, including sequential agency and thematic agency. This allows us to see possible explanations for the outlier distributions found in ǂĀkhoe Haiǁom and Tzeltal.

Sexual behavior of the desert locust during intra-and inter-phase interactions

Mating and reproduction behaviors and strategies are fundamental aspects of an organism’s evolutionary and ecological success. In locusts, intra- as well as inter-phase reproductive interactions among gregarious and solitarious locust populations have a major impact on the locust population dynamics. However, practically all previous work on locust sexual behavior has been limited to the gregarious phase. Here we provide a first detailed description of pre-copulatory behavior of solitarious desert locusts. We compare our findings with those of previous reports of pre-copulatory behavior of gregarious locusts, focusing on the behavioral elements that serve in inter-sex signaling and communication. We also studied inter-phase (mixed pairs) reproductive interactions. Solitarious males were found to invest more in pre-copulatory courtship and signaling compared to their gregarious counterparts; and the solitarious females played a comparatively more dominant role in the inter-sex communication. The solitarious females were also less prone to demonstrate the typical rejection-related behavioral patterns displayed by the gregarious females. As a consequence of the particular characteristic behavior of each phase, the most successful among intra- and inter-phase pairs were gregarious males with solitary females. Least successful were solitary males encountered with gregarious females, indicating a strong asymmetry in inter-phase reproductive interactions. We discuss these results in the context of non-random or assortative mating in locust mixed or sympatric solitarious-gregarious populations.

Linear and Nonlinear Dynamics of North Atlantic Oscillations: A New Thinking of Symmetry Breaking

Observations reveal that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) exhibits a strong asymmetry: large amplitude, long persistence, and westward movement in its negative phase (NAO−) and conversely in its positive phase (NAO+). Further calculations show that blocking days occur frequently over the North Atlantic (Eurasia) after the NAO− (NAO+) peaks, thus indicating that North Atlantic blocking occurs because of the retrogression of the NAO−, whereas blocking occurs over Eurasia because of enhanced downstream energy dispersion of the NAO+. Motivated by a unified nonlinear multiscale interaction (UNMI) model, the authors define dispersion, nonlinearity, and movement indices to describe the basic characteristics of the NAO. On this basis, the physical cause of the strong asymmetry or symmetry breaking of the NAO is examined. It is revealed that the strong asymmetry between the NAO+ and NAO− may be associated with the large difference of the North Atlantic jet in intensity and latitude between both phases. When the NAO+ grows, the North Atlantic jet is intensified and shifts northward and corresponds to reduced nonlinearity and enhanced energy dispersion because of an increased difference between its group velocity and phase speed related to enhanced meridional potential vorticity gradient. Thus, the NAO+ has smaller amplitude, eastward movement, and less persistence. Opposite behavior is seen for the NAO− because of the opposite variation of the North Atlantic jet during its life cycle. Thus, the above results suggest that the NAO+ (NAO−) tends to be a linear (nonlinear) process as a natural consequence of the NAO evolution because of different changes in the North Atlantic jet between both phases.