bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bias in human data: A feedback from social sciences
Authors: Takan Savaş , Ergün Duygu , Getir Yaman Sinem , Kılınççeker Onur
Published: April 2023

The fairness of human‐related software has become critical with its widespread use in our daily lives, where life‐changing decisions are made. However, with the use of these systems, many erroneous results emerged. Technologies have started to be developed to tackle unexpected results. As for the solution to the issue, companies generally focus on algorithm‐oriented errors. The utilized solutions usually only work in some algorithms. Because the cause of the problem is not just the algorithm; it is also the data itself. For instance, deep learning cannot establish the cause–effect relationship quickly. In addition, the boundaries between statistical or heuristic algorithms are unclear. The algorithm's fairness may vary depending on the data related to context. From this point of view, our article focuses on how the data should be, which is not a matter of statistics. In this direction, the picture in question has been revealed through a scenario specific to “vulnerable and disadvantaged” groups, which is one of the most fundamental problems today. With the joint contribution of computer science and social sciences, it aims to predict the possible social dangers that may arise from artificial intelligence algorithms using the clues obtained in this study. To highlight the potential social and mass problems caused by data, Gerbner's “cultivation theory” is reinterpreted. To this end, we conduct an experimental evaluation on popular algorithms and their data sets, such as Word2Vec, GloVe, and ELMO. The article stresses the importance of a holistic approach combining the algorithm, data, and an interdisciplinary assessment.

This article is categorized under:

Algorithmic Development > Statistics
A Learner-Verifier Framework for Neural Network Controllers and Certificates of Stochastic Systems
Authors: Chatterjee Krishnendu , Henzinger Thomas A. , Lechner Mathias , Žikelić Đorđe
Published: April 2023

Reinforcement learning has received much attention for learning controllers of deterministic systems. We consider a learner-verifier framework for stochastic control systems and survey recent methods that formally guarantee a conjunction of reachability and safety properties. Given a property and a lower bound on the probability of the property being satisfied, our framework jointly learns a control policy and a formal certificate to ensure the satisfaction of the property with a desired probability threshold. Both the control policy and the formal certificate are continuous functions from states to reals, which are learned as parameterized neural networks. While in the deterministic case, the certificates are invariant and barrier functions for safety, or Lyapunov and ranking functions for liveness, in the stochastic case the certificates are supermartingales. For certificate verification, we use interval arithmetic abstract interpretation to bound the expected values of neural network functions.
Automated Verification for Real-Time Systems
Authors: Song Yahui , Chin Wei-Ngan
Published: April 2023

The correctness of real-time systems depends both on the correct functionalities and the realtime constraints. To go beyond the existing Timed Automata based techniques, we propose a novel solution that integrates a modular Hoare-style forward verifier with a term rewriting system (TRS) on Timed Effects (TimEffs). The main purposes are to: increase the expressiveness, dynamically manipulate clocks, and efficiently solve clock constraints. We formally define a core language $$ C^{t} $$

C
t

, generalizing the real-time systems, modeled using mutable variables and timed behavioral patterns, such as delay, timeout, interrupt, deadline. Secondly, to capture real-time specifications, we introduce TimEffs, a new effects logic, that extends regular expressions with dependent values and arithmetic constraints. Thirdly, the forward verifier reasons temporal behaviors – expressed in TimEffs – of target $$ C^{t} $$

C
t

programs. Lastly, we present a purely algebraic TRS, i.e., an extended Antimirov algorithm, to efficiently check language inclusions between TimEffs. To demonstrate the feasibility of our proposal, we prototype the verification system; prove its soundness; report on case studies and experimental results.
Real effective potentials for phase transitions in models with extended scalar sectors
Authors: Seller Károly , Szép Zsolt , Trócsányi Zoltán
Published: April 2023

Abstract

The effective potential obtained by loop expansion is usually not real in the range of field values explored by its minima during a phase transition. We apply the optimized perturbation theory in a fixed gauge to singlet scalar extensions of the Standard Model in order to calculate a one-loop effective potential that is real by construction. We test this computational scheme by comparing such a potential obtained in Landau gauge to that derived based on the Higgs pole mass. We carry out the latter construction by imposing physical renormalization conditions, which yields a potential without residual regularization scale dependence. We use our effective potential to study the parameter dependence of the critical temperatures in a two-step phase transition of the form (0,0) → (0, w′) → (v, w) that occurs for decreasing temperature in scalar extensions of the SM with two vacuum expectation valuesvandw.
People learn a two-stage control for faster locomotor interception
Authors: Zhao Huaiyong , Straub Dominik , Rothkopf Constantin A.
Published: April 2023

People can use the constant target-heading (CTH) strategy or the constant bearing (CB) strategy to guide their locomotor interception. But it is still unclear whether people can learn new interception behavior. Here, we investigated how people learn to adjust their steering to intercept targets faster. Participants steered a car to intercept a moving target in a virtual environment similar to a natural open field. Their baseline interceptions were better accounted for by the CTH strategy. After five learning sessions across multiple days, in which participants received feedback about their interception durations, they adopted a two-stage control: a quick initial burst of turning accompanied by an increase of the target-heading angle during early interception was followed by significantly less turning with small changes in target-heading angle during late interception. The target’s bearing angle did not only show this two-stage pattern but also changed comparatively little during late interception, leaving it unclear which strategy participants had adopted. In a following test session, the two-stage pattern of participants’ turning adjustment and the target-heading angle transferred to new target conditions and a new environment without visual information about an allocentric reference frame, which should preclude participants from using the CB strategy. Indeed, the pattern of the target’s bearing angle did not transfer to all the new conditions. These results suggest that participants learned a two-stage control for faster interception: they learned to quickly increase the target-heading angle during early interception and subsequently follow the CTH strategy during late interception.
Microlocal analysis for Gelfand–Shilov spaces
Authors: Rodino Luigi , Wahlberg Patrik
Published: April 2023

We introduce an anisotropic global wave front set of Gelfand–Shilov ultradistributions with different indices for regularity and decay at infinity. The concept is defined by the lack of super-exponential decay along power type curves in the phase space of the short-time Fourier transform. This wave front set captures the phase space behaviour of oscillations of power monomial type, a k a chirp signals. A microlocal result is proved with respect to pseudodifferential operators with symbol classes that give rise to continuous operators on Gelfand–Shilov spaces. We determine the wave front set of certain series of derivatives of the Dirac delta, and exponential functions.
Dioxins and furans in biochars, hydrochars and torreficates produced by thermochemical conversion of biomass: a review
Authors: Sobol Łukasz , Dyjakon Arkadiusz , Soukup Karel
Published: April 2023

Converting raw biomass into valuable products protects the environment, improves economics, and helps tackle climate change by cutting resource demand and waste production. Thermochemical treatment is a common method for producing biochars, hydrochars and torreficates from biomass and organic wastes, which can also generate dioxins and furans and consequently limit the use of thermochemically converted chars. Here we review the presence of dioxins and furans in chars produced by hydrothermal carbonization, torrefaction, and pyrolysis processes under the influence of temperature, residence time, heating rate, pressure, and feedstock type. Dioxins and furans were mostly below 20 ng total toxic equivalence per kilogram (TEQ kg−1), with the highest level of 113 ng TEQ kg−1 found in over 100 samples of different char types. The most toxic products were hydrochars produced from sewage sludge. Processing temperature and feedstock type were key factors resulting in high dioxin levels in chars, and care should be taken when producing chars at temperatures up to 300 °C or using feedstocks previously contaminated with dioxins or preservatives.
Evaluation of the adaptive potential of three non-native multipurpose species for soil rehabilitation
Authors: Flores-Trejo Olga Lidia , Buendía-Espinoza Julio César , Zamora-Elizalde Mayra Clementina
Published: April 2023

Soil rehabilitation involves restoring their capacity to provide goods and services; however, there is a lack of information regarding the survival and growth responses of individual species to local environmental variations. This study evaluated the adaptation capacity of three non-native multiple-use species in agroforestry design, in a degraded semiarid temperate climate zone located in the Tula watershed in Mexico, assessing their survival, growth of morphological variables, and death risk for use as soil restoration plants. According to the slope of the terrain, the species were planted in an agroforestry arrangement of lines and ridges. Plants were selected according to their multipurpose potential, including their taxonomy, form, function, and use, as well as their soil and climatic conditions. Survival rates for all three species were below acceptable levels$$(< 49\%)$$(<49%). NeitherSenna multiglandulosanorSedum dendroideumadapted well to the soil and climate of the site, since their survival rates were below acceptable$$(\sim 17<49\mathrm{\%})$$(∼17<49%).Aloe sp.adapted to the edaphoclimatic conditions of the site because its survival rate was excellent$$(\sim 97 \ge 90\%)$$(∼97≥90%). Climate conditions during the autumn and winter affected growth rates ofSenna multiglandulosaandSedum dendroideum.Aloe sp.growth rates were only affected by climatic conditions during the winter months.Senna multiglandulosa's final height reduced death risk by$$1.50\%$$1.50%.Sedum dendroideum's final diameter, initial canopy cover and canopy growth rate reduced the risk of death by$$55.1$$55.1,$$5.1$$5.1and$$30.7\%$$30.7%, respectively. The height growth rate of aloe and initial canopy cover reduced the risk of death by 93.9 and 2.4%, respectively. Plant species evaluated showed varying levels of adaptation.Aloe sp.was the species that adapted best to the site's soil and climate.
A digitally driven manufacturing process for high resolution patterning of cell formations
Authors: Smith Matthew A A , Khot M Ibrahim , Taccola Silvia , Fry Nicholas R , Muhonen Pirkko L , Tipper Joanne L , Jayne David G , Kay Robert W , Harris Russell A
Published: April 2023

This paper presents the engineering and validation of an enabling technology that facilitates new capabilities in in vitro cell models for high-throughput screening and tissue engineering applications. This is conducted through a computerized system that allows the design and deposition of high-fidelity microscale patterned coatings that selectively alter the chemical and topographical properties of cell culturing surfaces. Significantly, compared to alternative methods for microscale surface patterning, this is a digitally controlled and automated process thereby allowing scientists to rapidly create and explore an almost infinite range of cell culture patterns. This new capability is experimentally validated across six different cell lines demonstrating how the precise microscale deposition of these patterned coatings can influence spatiotemporal growth and movement of endothelial, fibroblast, neuronal and macrophage cells. To further demonstrate this platform, more complex patterns are then created and shown to guide the behavioral response of colorectal carcinoma cells.

Graphical Abstract
Social capital in academia: How does postdocs’ relationship with their superior professors shape their career intentions?
Authors: Epstein Nurith , Elhalaby Christina
Published: April 2023

In this study, we hypothesize that full professors have an important impact on their postdocs’ career intentions. Using multivariate regression analysis, we found a positive association between postdocs’ ratings of their professor relationship, their integration into the scientific community and their career intentions. In addition, publications as a co-author were significantly related to the intention to pursue professorship. Our results suggest that social capital but specifically the quality of postdocs’ social capital is important for their career intentions: particularly the relationship with their professor, integration into the scientific community and ties to other scientists that translate into publications. Implications for career strategy on the individual level and policy implications are discussed.
Evaluation of retinal microcirculation alterations using OCTA in hyperopic ametropic amblyopia patients before and after treatment
Authors: Rao Ting , Zou Wen , Hu Xiaoqin , He Hai , Luo Wei , You Zhipeng
Published: April 2023

Purpose

We aimed to compare retinal microcirculation in hyperopic ametropic amblyopia patients before and after treatment and in healthy children using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and to explore the pathogenesis of hyperopic ametropic amblyopia.

Methods

Eighteen patients with hyperopic ametropic amblyopia aged 4–8 years were selected as the patient group, and 18 age-matched healthy children were randomly selected as controls. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, perimeter and circularity, vessel density (VD) and perfusion density (PD) of macular superficial retinal capillary plexus, macular thickness, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness were compared between both groups. After 6 months of amblyopia treatment, the same parameters were measured again.

Results

The VD and PD in the central, inner, inner nasal, and inner inferior regions in hyperopic ametropic amblyopia were lower than in the control group after adjustment for axial length. After 6 months of treatment, the VD increased significantly, except in the outer nasal and outer inferior regions. The PD in the central (p < 0.001), inner superior (p = 0.001), inner inferior (p = 0.011) and inner temporal (p = 0.026) regions increased. The FAZ perimeter and circularity significantly differed between the groups. After 6 months of treatment, the FAZ area and perimeter decreased, but circularity increased.

Conclusion

Hyperopic ametropic amblyopia eyes showed a significant decrease in vessel and perfusion densities. After amblyopia treatment, the vessel and perfusion densities of patients with hyperopic ametropic amblyopia increased, suggesting that abnormalities in the microvascular system are a pathogenic factor of amblyopia.
Effect of Cr:Fe ratio on the mechanical properties of (Cr,Fe)7C3 ternary carbides in abrasion-resistant white cast irons
Authors: Jokari-Sheshdeh Maziar , Ali Yahia , Gallo Santiago Corujeira , Lin Weikang , Gates J. D.
Published: April 2023

(Cr,Fe)7C3 ternary carbides constitute the majority of eutectic carbides in abrasion-resistant white cast irons. Density functional theory models have predicted these carbides to have a combination of metallic, covalent and ionic bonding, in proportions depending on the carbide’s Cr:Fe ratio. However, experimental research to validate these predictions has been lacking. This study investigates the characteristics of the carbides as a function of Cr:Fe ratio, which was manipulated from Fe-rich to Cr-rich by varying the Cr:C ratio of the bulk alloy. The carbides’ crystalline structure, hardness, Young’s modulus, fracture toughness and abrasion performance have been assessed through techniques including nano-indentation, HR-TEM and the inner circumference abrasion test (ICAT). Fe-rich M3C formed at very low bulk Cr:C ratio was found to have an orthorhombic crystal structure. In all other alloys, with Cr:C ratios above 2.7, M7C3 was formed and found to have a hexagonal structure. Hardness, Young’s modulus and calculated fracture toughness of M7C3 all increase with Cr:Fe ratio, from (Fe5,Cr2)C3 up to a maximum for (Cr4,Fe3)C3 (in 18Cr–6.8Cr:C WCI). This gave the highest hardness (22.9 GPa) and Young’s modulus (315 GPa), but also the highest fracture toughness (4.5 MPa.m0.5). The peak fracture toughness at carbide composition of (Cr4,Fe3)C3 in this study is consistent with the prediction of DFT models in the literature; while the peak hardness at the same carbide composition shows a marginal deviation from the predictions. Abrasion performance generally increased with carbide hardness and fracture toughness, with one exception: (Cr4.3,Fe2.7)C3. Although (Cr4.3,Fe2.7)C3 showed marginally lower inherent fracture toughness than (Cr4.0,Fe3.0)C3, the higher Cr:Fe carbides imparted the highest abrasion performance, associated with modified eutectic morphology.
How School and Home Contexts Impact the School Adjustment of Adolescents from Different Ethnic and SES Backgrounds During COVID-19 School Closures
Authors: Hillekens Jessie , Baysu Gülseli , Phalet Karen
Published: April 2023

Many schools worldwide closed to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. However, the consequences of school closures for the school adjustment of adolescents from different ethnic and SES backgrounds remain unclear. This study examined how school adjustment changed before, during, and after school closure across adolescents from different ethnic and SES backgrounds; and which factors in home and school contexts served as resources. Early adolescents (N = 124, Mage = 12.86, 58.8% boys) from different ethnic and SES backgrounds were repeatedly assessed 1 week before (March 2020), during (June 2020), and 1 year after (February 2021) the first school closure in Belgium. The results revealed that school closure augmented ethnicity- and SES-based inequalities in school adjustment. Moreover, factors in the school context—and not the home context—served as resources. Specifically, the quality of online instruction and teacher-pupil relationships buffered against reduced school adjustment during school closure, particularly among youth from ethnic minority and lower SES backgrounds. The findings corroborate unequal school adjustment consequences of school closures, but also highlight the role of teachers to buffer against them. The study design, hypotheses, and analyses were preregistered in the following link: https://osf.io/6ygcu/?view_only=c77cfb46028447bdb7844cd2c76237aa.
Health-related quality of life before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Roser Katharina , Baenziger Julia , Ilic Anica , Mitter Vera R. , Mader Luzius , Dyntar Daniela , Michel Gisela , Sommer Grit
Published: April 2023

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic forced people to give up their daily routines and adjust to new circumstances. This might have affected health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We aimed to compare HRQOL during the first COVID-19 wave in 2020 to HRQOL before the pandemic and to identify determinants of HRQOL during the pandemic in Switzerland.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional online survey during the pandemic (between May and July 2020; CoWELL sample; convenience sample). Before the pandemic (2015–2016), we had conducted a cross-sectional paper-based survey among a representative random sample of the Swiss general population (SGP sample). In both samples, we assessed physical and mental HRQOL (Short Form-36) and socio-demographic characteristics. In the CoWELL sample, we additionally assessed health- and COVID-19-related characteristics. Data were analysed using linear regressions.

Results

The CoWELL sample included 1581 participants (76% women; mean age = 43 years, SD = 14 years) and the SGP sample 1209 participants (58% women, mean age = 49 years, SD = 15 years). Adjusted for sex, age, and education, the CoWELL sample reported higher physical HRQOL (PCS, +5.8 (95% CI: 5.1, 6.6), p < 0.001) and lower mental HRQOL (MCS, −6.9 (−7.8, −6.0), p < 0.001) than the SGP sample. In the CoWELL sample, especially persons with lower health literacy, who had no support network or who have had COVID-19, reported lower HRQOL.

Discussion

Aspects unique to the COVID-19 pandemic affected HRQOL. Vulnerable persons such as those having had COVID-19, less support opportunities, and with lower health literacy are especially prone to impaired HRQOL during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crotofolanes, rearranged crotofolanes, and a novel diterpene: isocrotofolane from Croton cascarilloides, collected in Okinawa
Authors: Kawakami Susumu , Otsuka Hideaki
Published: April 2023

To this day, since about 50% of all medicines are derived from natural sources, natural product chemistry, especially the search for biologically active natural components, remains extremely important (Newman and Cragg in J Nat Prod 83:770–803, 2020). In this review, we deal with our continuing research work for promising constituents from plants collected in the Ryukyu Archipelago. The isolation of islands in the archipelago by the sea or by straits gives rise to endemic plant species that are unique to the islands. The structural diversity of the constituents produced by this unique flora is of great scientific interest in various aspects, including chemical structures, biosynthesis, and biological activities. The components from this structural diversity have great potential as new pharmaceutical seeds. In our continuing studies, we have successfully investigated new but extremely unusual diterpenoids: crotofolanes and their rearranged varieties (nor-crotofolane, trinor-crotofolane, neocrotofolane) and a glycoside with a new skeletal diterpenoid (isocrotofolane glucoside) from Croton cascarilloides. This review summarizes our reports on the investigation of crotofolanes as well as those on crotofolanes by other research groups.

Graphical Abstract
Spezielle Aspekte der pharmakotherapeutischen Behandlung forensisch untergebrachter Patientinnen
Authors: Singer Monika , Eckermann Gabriel
Published: April 2023

Frauen weisen ein erhöhtes Risiko für unerwünschte Arzneimittelwirkungen auf. Die Ergebnisse von Untersuchungen zu geschlechtsspezifischen Unterschieden sind dabei z. T. noch lückenhaft und widersprüchlich. Durch das komplexe Zusammenspiel exogener und endogener, geschlechtsspezifischer und individueller Einflüsse können unerwartete Effekte eintreten. Die Auswahl einer Medikation sollte nach individuellen Gegebenheiten und gemeinsamer Nutzen-Risiko-Abwägung mit der zu behandelnden Frau erfolgen. Dies ist insbesondere in der Forensik von hoher Bedeutung, da Frauen hier häufig eine Langzeitbehandlung benötigen.

Aufgrund vielfältiger Einflüsse, wie z. B. auch Schwankungen von Medikamentenspiegeln im Rahmen des Zyklus, sind neben der spiegelkontrollierten Behandlung v. a. immer eine klinische Kontrolle und Befragung der behandelten Frau wichtigste Instrumente bei der Beurteilung erwünschter und unerwünschter Effekte. So kann im Idealfall gute klinische Verträglichkeit bei effektiver Wirkung Behandlungssicherheit und Zufriedenheit erhöhen.
Starch treatment improves the salivary proteome for subject identification purposes
Authors: Smith Hannah , Giulivi Cecilia
Published: April 2023

Identification of subjects, including perpetrators, is one of the most crucial goals of forensic science. Saliva is among the most common biological fluids found at crime scenes, containing identifiable components. DNA has been the most prominent identifier to date, but its analysis can be complex due to low DNA yields and issues preserving its integrity at the crime scene. Proteins are emerging as viable candidates for subject identification. Previous work has shown that the salivary proteome of the least-abundant proteins may be helpful for subject identification, but more optimized techniques are needed. Among them is removing the most abundant proteins, such as salivary α-amylase. Starch treatment of saliva samples elicited the removal of this enzyme and that of glycosylated, low-molecular-weight proteins, proteases, and immunoglobulins, resulting in a saliva proteome profile enriched with a subset of proteins, allowing a more reliable and nuanced subject identification.
The Role of Ipsilateral Tonsillectomy in the Extirpation of Branchial Cleft Anomalies- A Retrospective Monocentric Analysis Over 13 Years
Authors: Fiedler Lukas S. , Fiedler Lorenz F.
Published: April 2023

Backround

Branchial cleft anomalies (BCA) can occur as sinuses, fistulas or cysts. They arise from the first, second, third or fourth pharyngeal cleft due to non-fusion or subinvolution. Mostly, located in Robbin’s neck-level II, BCA clinically present as a painless compressible swelling, cutaneous draining sinus, or fistula.

Aims

Surgical treatment is the gold standard to prevent recurrence in BCA, though the necessity of ipsilateral tonsillectomy is discussed and was being examined within this work.

Methods

In retrospect, data was collected from patients, that were admitted with the diagnosis BCA between 2006 and 2020 in an academic tertiary care center. 160 patients met inclusion criteria, the data was further evaluated, the focus was set on the occurrence of recurrence.

Results

Recurrence of BCA was observed in 2 out of 160 surgically treated patients (1,25%), one of them with simultaneous tonsillectomy, the other without.

Conclusion

A statistically significant difference in the recurrence-rate between these two groups (with/without tonsillectomy) could not be shown. The performance of an ipsilateral simultaneous tonsillectomy in the surgical workup of BCA cannot be recommended at the basis of our data.
A Partially Synthesized Position on the Automation of Machine Ethics
Authors: Nallur Vivek , Dennis Louise , Bringsjord Selmer , Govindarajulu Naveen Sundar
Published: April 2023

We economically express our respective prior positions on the automation of machine ethics, and then seek a corporate, partly synthesized position that could underlie, at least to a degree, our future machine-ethics work, and such work by others as well.
Shanghai Tai Chi
Authors: Lu Hanchao
Published: April 2023

Shanghai Tai Chi offers a masterful portrait of daily urban life under socialism in a rich social and political history of one of the world's most complex cities. Hanchao Lu explores the lives of people from all areas of society - from capitalists and bourgeois intellectuals to women and youth. Utilizing the metaphor of Tai Chi, he reveals how people in Shanghai experienced and adapted to a new Maoist political culture from 1949. Exploring the multifaceted complexity of everyday life and material culture in Mao's China, Lu addresses the survival of old bourgeois lifestyles under the new proletarian dictatorship, the achievements of intellectuals in an age of anti-intellectualism, the pleasure that urban youth derived from reading taboo literature, the emergence of women's liberation and the politics of greening and horticulture. This captivating, epitomizing, and vivid history transports readers to history as lived on Shanghai's streets and back alleyways.
Wisdom Is Welcome Wherever It Comes From: War, Diffusion, and State Formation in Scandinavia
Authors: Grynaviski Eric , Steinsson Sverrir
Published: April 2023

Prominent theories of state formation hold that states formed because of warfare and competition on the one hand, or the diffusion of organizational templates and practices through learning and emulation on the other. We propose that the two strands of theory can be linked to more accurately account for mechanisms of state formation. War, we argue, is an important source of social diffusion. War establishes contacts between political elites across borders, generates migratory flows, and establishes new economic networks. We examine the validity of the theory through a comparative case study of Nordic political units from the dawn of the Viking Age to the end of the High Middle Ages (CE 800–1300), finding that raids, settlements, and conquests by Norwegian and Danish rulers in England, Europe's most advanced kingdom, set in motion state formation processes in Norway and Denmark. In these cases, the winners emulated the losers.
Two-port miniaturized textile antenna for 5G and WLAN applications
Authors: Jha Pankaj , Kumar Anubhav , De Asok
Published: April 2023

A compact, two-element textile MIMO antenna is designed with enhanced isolation by using modification in the ground, open-ended slots along with shorting pins. Maximum 27.8 dB isolation is achieved in two-element antennae, where the edge-to-edge distance is kept at 0.19 λ0 which is less than the conventional half wavelength. The Y-shaped decoupling and shorting pins improve the isolation up to 14 dB and can mitigate the current moment between the two ports effectively. The open slots in the ground are enhancing the mutual impedance and shift the operating band of the antenna toward the lower frequency band and thus size miniaturization is also achieved. The textile antenna achieves a 10 dB impedance bandwidth from 4.24 to 5.38 GHz with more than 21.1 dB isolation in the entire band. The phantom wrist model and bending analysis are carried out with the textile antenna to validate the on-body effects of the antenna in wearable and 5G applications.
A novel wearable monopole antenna with controlled SAR using metamaterial
Authors: Ramasamy K. , Sapna B. A. , Jayasheela M.
Published: April 2023

This article presents a flexible wearable KIT monopole antenna for biomedical application. A metamaterial unit cell is proposed to improve the antenna performance. The proposed antenna and the metamaterial are fabricated on 1 mm-thick polydimethylsiloxane substrate to operate in the ISM frequency band of 2.45 GHz. Integration of the metamaterial improves the gain and reduces the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the antenna. The overall dimension of the antenna with the metamaterial is 49 × 49 × 19 mm3. The designed antenna is investigated for the loading effect of the body by placing on the hand phantom model. Bending tolerances are also analyzed for x and y direction with various bend radii. Gain and SAR of the proposed antenna are 4.61 dBi and 0.868 W/kg. The results of the fabricated prototype show that the proposed wearable antenna is safe for biomedical applications.
A 38-GHz demodulator with high image rejection in 65 nm-CMOS process
Authors: Huang Tian-Wei , Huang Yi-Cheng , Chien Chen , Chiang Kun-Chan , Tsai Jeng-Han
Published: April 2023

A high image rejection 38 GHz demodulator in TSMC 65-nm CMOS process is presented. To achieve better than −40 dBc image rejection ratio (IRR), a low I/Q mismatch 45° LO power splitter of sub-harmonic mixer is proposed. In this design, the 45° LO power splitter is composed of a Wilkinson divider, a series delay line with electrical length of 45° on one side of the divider, and a shunt 90° transmission line on the other side. This configuration is attractive because of its design simplicity and easy fabrication. Compared with the conventional techniques that utilize capacitors and inductors instead of the shunt 90° transmission line, the proposed LO power splitter can alleviate the issue of process variation. The demodulator demonstrates an IRR lower than −40 dBc from 37.5 to 41.5 GHz. In addition, conversion gain is 1.3 ± 0.9 dB from 33 to 41 GHz with 6 dBm LO power. The total direct current power consumption is 78 mW from 1.0 V supply voltage. At the modulation scheme of 4096-QAM, the proposed demodulator demonstrates 1.7% (−35.1 dB) error vector magnitude (EVM), which is very close to the EVM measurement floor 1.6% (−36 dB) of our millimeter-wave signal analyzer.
Effects of green tea on lipid profile in overweight and obese women
Authors: Li Aixin , Wang Qian , Li Peng , Zhao Na , Liang Zhaoguang
Published: April 2023

Abstract: The effect of green tea administration on serum lipids’ concentrations remains unclear as various investigations, which have explored this topic, have produced conflicting results. Gender might be one of the factors influencing the impact of green tea on the lipid profile. Hence, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effect of green tea intake on the lipid profile in overweight and obese women. We searched five databases (Web of Science, SCOPUS, Embase, PubMed/Medline, and Google Scholar) using a combination of MeSH and non-MeSH terms. Results were expressed as weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and synthesized with a random-effects model. In total, 15 eligible RCTs with 16 arms (1818 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. The combined effect size revealed a significant reduction in total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: −4.45 mg/dl, 95% CI: −6.63, −2.27, P<0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD: −4.49 mg/dl, 95% CI: −7.50 to −1.47, P=0.003) concentrations following green tea supplementation in overweight and/or obese women. In addition, a more pronounced reduction of triglyceride (TG) levels occurred when the baseline TG value was ≥150 mg/dL (WMD: −24.45 mg/dL, 95% CI: −40.63 to −8.26, P=0.003). Moreover, a significant decrease in TG concentrations occurred in RCTs conducted on overweight subjects (BMI: 25–29.99 kg/m2) (WMD: −5.88 mg/dl, 95% CI: −10.76 to −0.99, P=0.01). In the subgroup analyses based on the study population, a notable increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) values was observed in obese individuals (>30 kg/m2) (WMD: 2.63 mg/dl, 95% CI: 0.10 to 5.16, P=0.041). Consumption of green tea causes a reduction in LDL-C and TC concentrations in overweight and obese women. The decline in TG levels was notable particularly in overweight patients with hypertriglyceridemia at baseline. In addition, a significant increase in HDL-C was detected in obese subjects following intake of green tea.
Soil Moisture Memory of Land Surface Models Utilized in Major Reanalyses Differ Significantly From SMAP Observation
Authors: He Qing , Lu Hui , Yang Kun
Published: April 2023

Weather and climate forecast predictability relies on hydrometeorological processes occurring at different time scales. However, evaluation of parameterizations of such processes in current land surface models (LSMs) is challenging since they are complex, and large‐scale observations are scarce and uncommon. Recent advancements in satellite observations, in this light, provide a unique opportunity to evaluate the models' performances at large spatial scales. Using 5‐year soil moisture memory (SMM) from Soil Moisture Active and Passive observations, we evaluate hydrometeorological behaviors of four LSMs in major reanalyses. Multi‐model mean comparison at the global scale shows that current LSMs tend to overestimate SMM that is controlled by water‐limited processes whereas underestimate SMM controlled by energy‐limitations. Large model spreads in SMM are also observed between individual models. The SMM biases are highly dependent on models' parameterizations, while showing minor relevance to the models' online/offline simulating schemes. Further analyses of two important terrestrial water cycle‐related variables indicate current LSMs may underestimate soil moisture that is directly available for water cycle rate and water‐limited evapotranspiration. Finally, the comparison of two soil moisture thresholds indicates the soil parameters utilized in LSMs play an essential role in producing the model's biases. This study provides an observation‐based reference for hydrometeorological evaluations in multiple LSMs, shedding lights on improving land surface simulations in future.
Water Availability in China's Oases Decreased Between 1987 and 2017
Authors: Chen Peng , Wang Shuai , Liu Yanxu , Wang Yijia , Wang Yaping , Zhang Tiegang , Zhang Haoyu , Yao Ying , Song Jiaxi
Published: April 2023

The significant expansion of China's oases during recent decades has inevitably increased water demand, profoundly affecting the regional water budget. While streamflow and precipitation have increased in China's oases under climate change, it remains uncertain whether this augmented water supply will suffice to meet the increasing water demand of oases, presenting a great challenge to guarantee regional water security. Here we used a process‐based crop water model, oasis land use datasets, vegetation maps, and observational data on streamflow and grain production to estimate the impacts of China's oasis dynamics on regional water resources from 1987 to 2017. We found that the water demand in oases significantly increased during 1987–2017, and oasis areas that have existed since 1987 accounted for a greater proportion of the increased water demand than newly expanded oasis areas. Although increases in precipitation and streamflow largely offset the additional water demand, 60.3% of counties in oasis regions experienced a decrease in water availability after 1987 because of a spatiotemporal mismatch between water supply and demand, and some counties suffered water deficits. Our findings provide a quantified basis for identifying and optimizing water use structures for water security in oases.
Influence of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) on Concentration and Distribution of Escherichia coli in Water Surrounding an Informal Floating Community in Iquitos, Peru
Authors: Neumann Rebecca B. , Paredes Fernández Susan , Andrews Leann , Alarcón Jorge A. ,   InterACTION Labs Working Group
Published: April 2023

Floating communities exist throughout the world. Many live on water with a high pathogen load due to difficulties associated with sewage management. In Claverito, an informal floating community in Iquitos, Peru, we conducted a controlled experiment to test the ability of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) to remove Escherichia coli from water. When river E. coli concentrations were at or below ∼1,500 CFU 100 mL−1, water hyacinth reduced shallow concentrations (8 cm depth) down to levels deemed safe by U.S. EPA for recreational use. Above this threshold, plants were able to reduce E. coli levels within shallow water, but not down to “safe” levels. At deeper depths (>25 cm), there was evidence that plants increased E. coli concentrations. Water hyacinth removed E. coli from shallow water by providing a surface (i.e., submerged roots) onto which E. coli sorbed and by protecting organisms that can potentially consume E. coli. Unfortunately, because of root association, the total E. coli load within the water column was greater with water hyacinth present. The use of water hyacinth to keep surface water around floating communities low in E. coli could be beneficial as this is the water layer with which people most likely interact. Aquatic vegetation naturally proliferates in and around Claverito. While this study was based on curating aquatic plants in order to achieve a water‐quality outcome, it nonetheless supports concrete actions for Claverito residents under non‐curated conditions, which are outlined at the end of the manuscript.
Strontium Isotope Characteristics (δ88/86Sr, 87Sr/86Sr) of Arima‐Type Brines Originated From Slab‐Fluids
Authors: Kani T. , Misawa K. , Morikawa N. , Kazahaya K. , Kusuhara F. , Yoneda S. , Terakado Y.
Published: April 2023

In the southwest Japan forearc, slab‐fluids produced from subducted materials migrate to crustal levels and appear as deep‐seated brine. We have analyzed for the first‐time stable strontium isotopes in non‐volcanic spring water with high salinity, referred to as Arima‐type saline water that likely originate from slab‐fluid that upwelled along major faults. The stable strontium isotope compositions of the saline water are isotopically light (δ88/86Sr = 0.122–0.157‰) and different from those of local bedrock and near‐surface water. The light strontium‐enriched and radiogenic signature of the saline water reflects the primary characteristic of slab‐fluids without an isotopic overprint in the crust. The Arima‐type brines show signatures of slab‐fluids at forearc depth, which is different from the slab‐fluids at subarc depth estimated from arc lavas. The characteristic features of the Arima‐type brines are explained by a larger contribution of subducted sediments and strontium isotope fractionation during fluids generation at shallower depth.
10Be Indicator for the Matuyama‐Gauss Magnetic Polarity Reversal From Chinese Loess
Authors: Zhou Weijian , Kong Xianghui , Du Yajuan , Xie Xingjun , Xian Feng , Tang Ling , Zhou Jie , Zhao Guoqing , Fu Yunchong , Chen Ning
Published: April 2023

The Matuyama‐Gauss (M‐G) magnetic polarity reversal is regarded as a fundamental time marker in the stratigraphic division of the Quaternary‐Neogene. However, previous paleomagnetic studies have shown that the M‐G is mainly recorded in the Chinese loess unit L33—a glacial stage (corresponding to marine isotope stage 104, i.e., MIS 104)—which is asynchronous with the timing recorded in marine sediments. Here, we solve this long‐standing debate by exploiting a method to extract reproducible records of paleomagnetic field intensity from Xifeng and Lantian loess profiles with meteoric 10Be. The results showed that for both loess profiles, the 10Be‐derived M‐G boundary is located in paleosol S32 ca. 2,589 ± 3 ka, which corresponds to MIS 103. This is synchronous with that seen in marine sediments, though it is, on average, ∼19 ka younger than the boundary inferred from paleomagnetic measurements from the two profiles, which demonstrates that magnetic overprinting has occurred.
Deep Learning‐Based Ensemble Forecasts and Predictability Assessments for Surface Ozone Pollution
Authors: Zhang Aoxing , Fu Tzung‐May , Feng Xu , Guo Jianfeng , Liu Chanfang , Chen Jiongkai , Mo Jiajia , Zhang Xiao , Wang Xiaolin , Wu Wenlu , Hou Yue , Yang Honglong , Lu Chao
Published: April 2023

The impacts of weather forecast uncertainties have not been quantified in current air quality forecasting systems. To address this, we developed an efficient 2‐D convolutional neural network‐surface ozone ensemble forecast (2DCNN‐SOEF) system using 2‐D convolutional neural network and weather ensemble forecasts, and we applied the system to 216‐hr ozone forecasts in Shenzhen, China. The 2DCNN‐SOEF demonstrated comparable performance to current operating forecast systems and met the air quality level forecast accuracies required by the Chinese authorities up to 144‐hr lead time. Uncertainties in weather forecasts contributed 38%–54% of the ozone forecast errors at 24‐hr lead time and beyond. The 2DCNN‐SOEF enabled an “ozone exceedance probability” metric, which better represented the risks of air pollution given the range of possible weather outcomes. Our ensemble forecast framework can be extended to operationally forecast other meteorology‐dependent environmental risks globally, making it a valuable tool for environmental management.
Multiple Voronoi Partition Improves Multimodal Dispersion Imaging From Ambient Noise: A Case Study of LASSO Dense Array
Authors: Li Zhengbo , Dong Sheng , Shi Caiwang , Fu Lei , Pan Lei , Wang Jiannan , Chen Xiaofei
Published: April 2023

Recent studies on the frequency‐Bessel transform (F‐J) method demonstrate the ability of the array‐based method to extract higher‐mode surface wave dispersion curves from ambient noise, which provides a new opportunity to reveal more accurate underground structures. However, problems with the subarray selection for three‐dimensional imaging remain. On the one hand, we need the subarray to be large enough such that the F‐J method can capture high‐quality dispersion curves, and on the other hand, we want the subarray to be small enough to maintain a sufficient horizontal resolution. To solve this problem, we propose a strategy that randomly and repeatedly partitions the subarray based on Voronoi diagrams. We call this the FJ‐VoroTomo method. The FJ‐VoroTomo method does not require tedious parameter tuning and can measure high‐quality dispersion while maintaining horizontal resolution. More importantly, this method can quantitatively analyze the uncertainty of the measured dispersion curves. In this work, we use the noise cross‐correlation functions from the LArge‐n Seismic Survey in Oklahoma array as an example to demonstrate the dispersion and its uncertainty obtained by the FJ‐VoroTomo method and evaluate the three‐dimensional S wave velocity structure beneath this dense array. We hope that by using this strategy, the multimodal surface wave method can be more feasible in dense arrays that are currently widely used.
Thank You to Our 2022 Reviewers
Authors: Caprarelli Graziella , Altintas Ilkay , Baratoux David , Cervato Cinzia , Diviacco Paolo , Donea Alina , Donnellan Andrea , Gentemann Chelle , Glaves Helen M. , Jiang Jonathan H. , Jones Cathleen E. , Maute Astrid , Mills Franklin P. , Pirenne Benoit , Pryor Sara C. , Tiampo Kristy , Xie Zunyi
Published: April 2023

Plain Language Summary

The Editors and Staff of Earth and Space Science acknowledge the importance of hundreds of peer reviewers who contributed to the scientific rigor of the papers published in the journal. The Editors wish to publicly recognize the 839 reviewers who gave selflessly of their time and expertise in 2022.
Evaluating the Variability of Simulated Raindrop Size Distributions in the “21·7” Henan Extremely Heavy Rainfall Event
Authors: Chen Gang , Lu Yinghui , Hua Shaofeng , Liu Qingyuan , Zhao Kun , Zheng Yuanyuan , Wang Mingjun , Zhang Shushi , Wang Xiuming
Published: April 2023

Significant variability of raindrop size distributions (DSDs) has been observed in the “21·7” Henan extremely heavy rainfall event (the “21·7” Henan EHR event), while the capability of model to reproduce such complicated heavy rainfall DSDs is yet unclear. This study primarily evaluates the simulated DSDs of multiple microphysics schemes by comparing with the observations from a network of 50 disdrometers. Constrained DSD variability is identified in most schemes that the simulated raindrop mean sizes are gradually restricted around specific values as the growth of heavy rainfall intensity. The schemes are also incapable of reproducing the different raindrop mean sizes from deep convection and shallow convection. Moreover, simulations show unrealistic evolutions of raindrop mean size standard deviations as height declines. By investigating the empirical formula and performing sensitivity experiment, the constrained DSD variability in heavy rainfall is largely blamed on the insufficient parameterizations of the self‐collection (breakup) processes.