Sound field reproduction with undistorted sound quality and precise spatial localization is desirable for automotiveaudio systems. However, the complexity of the automotive cabin acoustic environment often necessitates a trade-offbetween sound quality and spatial accuracy. To overcome this limitation, we propose Spatial Power Map Net, alearning-based sound field reproduction method that improves both sound quality and spatial localization in complexenvironments. We introduce a spatial power map constraint, which characterizes the angular energy distribution ofthe reproduced field using beamforming. This constraint guides energy toward the intended direction to enhance spatiallocalization, and is integrated into a multi-channel equalization framework to also improve sound quality underreverberant conditions. To address the resulting non-convexity, deep optimization that uses neural networks to solveoptimization problems is employed for filter design. Both in situ objective and subjective evaluations confirm thatour method enhances sound quality and improves spatial localization within the automotive cabin. Furthermore, weanalyze the influence of different audio materials and the arrival angles of the virtual sound source in the reproducedsound field, investigating the potential underlying factors affecting these results.
Swimming in fish arises from tightly integrated neural, muscular, skeletal, and hydrodynamic processes that are difficult to capture in compact, transferable models for robotics. An interpretable system identification (SySID) is presented that bidirectionally maps between electromyography (EMG) and kinematics in freely swimming koi and further tests its generalization to a robotic fish. Synchronized EMG and kinematic are collected across laminar, Kármán vortex, and reverse Kármán vortex flows spanning 0.146–0.274 m s−1. A linear autoregressive with exogenous input (ARX) model architecture is chosen to capture both feedforward (EMG to kinematics) and feedback (kinematics to EMG) pathways, enabling the extraction of key system parameters, such as natural frequency, damping ratio, and input–output delays. Cross-individual validation demonstrates robust performance and identifies the best-performing fish-trained model, which is then evaluated for cross-domain transfer by replacing EMG input with processed pulse width modulation actuation signals from a robotic fish. Despite differences in mechanics and actuation physics, predictions closely match measured trajectories (mean R2 = 0.86 ± 0.13), substantially outperforming a deep neural network (97.8% higher percentage fit index) trained on the same biological datasets. These findings show that compact, interpretable SySID models enable accurate bio-to-robot transfer without robot-specific retraining, grounding robotic motion models directly in biological function rather than imitation.
The dissolution of waste glasses by groundwater presents a key mechanism for immobilised or encapsulated contaminant release over geological timescales. Accurately predicting glass dissolution rates remains a challenge to waste management, where a complete understanding of glass dissolution mechanisms is required to model the release and fate of contaminants. Here, this work investigated the suitability of boron isotope fingerprinting techniques for studying glass dissolution mechanisms, focussing on solid-state diffusion processes during boron release. Two glasses (magnesium-free 10B-ISG and magnesium-bearing 6Li-Mg-EM) were altered in deionised water at 90 °C for 0.25 to 112 d. Solution renewal experiments were used to further study altered surface layer properties. At ≤ 28 d, solution boron isotope (11B/10B) ratios for 6Li-Mg-EM were consistent with the apparent congruent release of boron alongside sorption/coprecipitation processes with secondary minerals, but decreasing solution 11B/10B ratios at > 28 d suggested diffusion occurred across the altered layer at a dissolution front spatially separated from that of lithium. Contrastingly, solution 11B/10B ratios for 10B-ISG at ≤ 28 d were fitted well using a diffusion model assuming a time-dependent apparent diffusion coefficient, but those at > 28 d were better explained by either sorption/coprecipitation processes with secondary minerals or a spatially-dependent apparent diffusion coefficient. The altered layer formed for 10B-ISG after 28 d was not protective following solution renewal, and renewed solution 11B/10B ratios were instead consistent with an apparent congruent release mechanism. This study presents boron isotopes as in situ tracers for studying glass dissolution mechanisms, assisting in predicting contaminant releases during waste glass-aqueous solution interactions.
Sunlight-driven photosynthesis by covalent organic frameworks (COFs) from water and air without using sacrificial reagents is a promising H2O2 fabrication approach, but is still restricted by the insufficient charge separation and sluggish 2e- water oxidation process. Herein, we provide a facile strategy to simultaneously improve charge separation and water oxidation in COFs via confining the charge transfer pathways from two diversion ones to a confluence one through regulating the site of nitrogen in bipyridine. Combining in-situ characterization with computational calculations, we reveal that compared to COF-BD1 containing two diversion charge transfer pathways, the charge transfer pathway in COF-BD2 is confined to a confluence one due to the electron-deficiency effect of nitrogen, which greatly accelerates the intermolecular and out-of-plane charge transfer. Via effectively reducing the energy barrier of rate-determining water oxidation reaction, the subsequent water oxidation process to produce key *OH intermediate in COF-BD2 is also greatly facilitated, boosting the yield of H2O2 (5211 μmol g-1 h-1) from water, oxygen, and light without sacrificial agents or additional energy consumption. We further demonstrate that H2O2 can be efficiently produced by COF-BD2 in broad pH range, in real water, and in enlarged reactor with using natural sunlight for water decontamination.
Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study examines the impact of art education on Chinese citizens’ trust in Americans. We find that participation in art tutorials correlates with increased trust towards Americans, with the level of trust rising with time spent in art education. Further analysis indicates that this effect is more pronounced in males and individuals whose parents already hold positive views of Americans. These results highlight the role of art education in fostering intercultural understanding. The study contributes to the literature on trust formation and the effects of art education, underscoring the significance of cultural engagement in promoting cross-cultural trust in global relations.
Addressing poverty is paramount, aligning with the first Sustainable Development Goal focused on eradicating poverty in all its forms. While the effects of high-speed rail (HSR) on absolute poverty have been documented, its impact on relative poverty remains understudied. This paper examines the influence of HSR on household relative poverty in China through a quasi-experimental design. The main results are as follows: (1) The opening of HSR significantly reduced the household relative poverty by approximately 1.8 %. (2) This alleviation effect primarily transpires through the expansion of economic activities and employment opportunities. (3) Notably, the impact of HSR is more pronounced in lower-ranked, smaller cities and in the western regions of China. Moreover, households with migrant workers or those engaged in non-agricultural sectors derive greater benefits from HSR developments. Our results suggest that HSR opening could have contributed to China’s relative poverty alleviation. Policymakers can consider the role of transportation infrastructure in mitigating household relative poverty, especially for low rank cities, small cities and periphery regions in other developing countries.
The advantage of Chinese-as-a-heritage-language (CHL) learners in acquiring Chinese has been widely recognized. However, it is still unclear whether the effect of CHL background on Chinese receptive vocabulary breadth varies across different countries. To address this gap, the present study recruited 232 Chinese language learners (half were CHL learners) from Indonesia and Thailand and administered a Chinese vocabulary proficiency test. The results of regression analysis revealed an interaction effect between country and CHL background on vocabulary breadth, with the contribution of CHL background to vocabulary breadth more robust in the Indonesian group than that in the Thai group. Interviews were then conducted to explore the factors that might influence such an interaction effect. Analysis of the interview data found that the influencing factors could be categorized into four themes, including individual differences, family background, Chinese language education and socio-cultural factors. The overall results were discussed within the framework of ecological system theory, and pedagogical implications for CHL learners were proposed.
Worldwide, humanities and social sciences (HSS) scholars produce and disseminate knowledge in an unequal global knowledge space, which can be caused by various structural, epistemological, and individual-level factors. Although global epistemic injustice receives much attention, the factors contributing to it, including the extraverted mindsets and practices of non-Euro-American scholars, remain less discussed. This article draws on semibiographical interviews with 30 high-achieving ethnic Chinese HSS scholars in mainland China, in Hong Kong, and overseas. It explores how these scholars display intellectual extraversion and why and how they are reflexive about and confronting it. The findings reveal three manifestations of intellectual extraversion, four sources of reflexivity regarding such extraversion, and three ways to confront it. The research uncovers the continuous reflexivity and efforts of ethnic Chinese HSS scholars in dealing with lingering epistemic discontinuities and exclusions and sheds light on new possible approaches to challenging global epistemic injustice in HSS research.
