A multifaceted approach to detect gender biases in Natural Language Generation

Recent advances in generative models have skyrocketed the popularity of conversational chatbots and have revolutionized the way we interact with artificial intelligence. At the same time, research has shown that machine learning models can unconsciously reflect and amplify human biases. This is particularly dangerous for generative models given the huge popularity of such technologies. Specifically, a fundamental source of bias of such technologies is the resources on which the models are trained. To address this issue, this paper proposes a methodology to analyze intrinsic gender bias in Natural Language Generation (NLG). Some works already propose metrics and approaches to measure bias in the Natural Language processing field. However, there is a lack of standard methodology to measure gender bias in NLG. Therefore, adapting the Bias Score approach, our proposal involves three sequential stages applied to individual texts to detect intrinsic gender bias on NLG effectively. Those steps are as follows: (i) word scoring; (ii) word filtering; and (iii) generative-word analysis. This methodology is applied to recent datasets and pre-trained models widely used for the generation of text with common sense. In particular, this paper analyzes the potential gender bias in CommonGen and C2 Gen datasets and the SimpleNLG and T5 models. The results show the ability of the proposed methodology to detect gender bias in word distributions, presenting a strong correlation with the words typically associated with a specific gender. Results indicate that both tested datasets are intrinsically gender-biased, and therefore, tested models fine-tuned with those datasets also are.The research work has been partially funded by the University of Alicante and the University of Havana, and it is part of the R&D projects: “CORTEX: Conscious Text Generation” (PID2021-123956OB-I00), funded by MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”; “CLEAR.TEXT: Enhancing the modernization public sector organizations by deploying Natural Language Processing to make their digital content CLEARER to those with cognitive disabilities” (TED2021-130707B-I00), funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR”; TRIVIAL (PID2021-122263OB-C22) and SOCIALTRUST (PDC2022-133146-C22), funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and, as appropriate, by ERDF A way of making Europe, by the European Union or by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR. Also, the VIVES: ”Pla de Tecnologies de la Llengua per al valencià” project (2022/TL22/00215334) from the Projecte Estratègic per a la Recuperació i Transformació Econòmica (PERTE). At regional level, this research has been funded by the project “NL4DISMIS: Natural Language Technologies for dealing with disand misinformation with grant reference (CIPROM/2021/21)” by the Generalitat Valenciana. Moreover, it has been also partially funded by the European Commission ICT COST Actions “Multi-task, Multilingual, Multi-modal Language Generation” (CA18231), “Distributed Knowledge Graphs” (CA19134) and “Leading Platform for European Citizens, Industries, Academia, and Policymakers in Media Accessibility” (CA19142)

Executive Functioning in secondary education students: differential analysis by gender and grade

Las funciones ejecutivas (FE) son un conjunto de habilidades cognitivas esenciales que permiten a las personas autorregular su comportamiento y alcanzar objetivos de manera eficaz. A pesar de que se trata de un fenómeno que lleva tiempo siendo objeto de estudio, son pocos los artículos que analizan las diferencias de género a lo largo de las diversas etapas académicas. Es por ello que el objetivo de este estudio fue estudiar el FE de estudiantes de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y 1º de Bachillerato (12-17 años) y analizar sus diferencias en los diferentes cursos y en función del sexo. Se evaluó a 1164 adolescentes españoles (559 varones y 599 mujeres) de 12 a 17 años utilizando el Cuestionario de funcionamiento ejecutivo para adolescentes y adultos (ADEXI). Los análisis revelaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las FE por sexo, siendo las mujeres quienes obtuvieron más dificultades en todas las subescalas evaluadas (Control inhibitorio y Memoria de trabajo) y en la puntuación total. Además, se observó una mejora en las FE con la edad, mostrando los estudiantes de cursos superiores un mejor desempeño. Comprender las diferencias en el FE en diferentes edades y en función del sexo conlleva una importante implicación práctica. La población infanto-juvenil no solo podría beneficiarse de estos hallazgos en el ámbito académico, donde la metodología de trabajo podría adaptarse en función de las necesidades, sino que también es una herramienta útil en la práctica clínica, especialmente en poblaciones con trastornos del neurodesarrollo.Executive functions (EF) are a set of essential cognitive skills that allow people to self-regulate their behavior and achieve goals effectively. Although this phenomenon has long been studied, there are few articles that analyze gender differences across academic stages Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine EF of students in Compulsory Secondary Education and 1st year of High School (ages 12 - 17 years) and to analyze differences based on grade level and gender. A total of 1,164 Spanish adolescents (559 males) aged 12-17 years were assessed using the Adolescent and Adult Executive Functioning Questionnaire (ADEXI). Analyses revealed statistically significant differences in EF by gender, with females obtaining more difficulties in all subscales evaluated (Inhibitory control and Working memory) and the total score. In addition, an improvement in EF with age was observed, with students in higher grades showing better performance. Understanding differences in EF across different ages and genders has important practical implications. The child and adolescent population could benefit from these findings not only in the academic field, where teaching methods could be adapted to meet specific needs, but also as a useful tool in clinical practice, especially in populations with neurodevelopmental disorders.Esta investigación fue financiada por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, la Agencia y del Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (Proyecto PID123118NA-100 financiado por MCIN /AEI /10.13039/501100011033 / FEDER, UE

Thermal comfort in school children: Testing the validity of the Fanger method for a Mediterranean climate

Thermal comfort is an essential factor when designing or refurbishing schools because it helps to improve wellbeing and academic performance. However, little attention has been paid to assessing the thermal comfort level of children. Previous studies on thermal comfort have mainly focused on adults' perceptions, extrapolating their results to all ages without cross-checking them for relevance. The aim of this research was to determine whether children perceive temperature in a similar way to adults and if their thermal comfort limits are the same. A school in south-eastern Spain was selected as the case study. Thermal comfort surveys of children were conducted and compared with analytical calculations obtained using the Fanger method. The results showed that the Fanger method was not valid for the estimation of children's thermal comfort, especially in girls and younger children. The novelty of this research demonstrates that children have specific thermal comfort requirements that are not covered by current standards and calculation methods, such as the Fanger method. Analysis also determined the correction coefficients necessary for adapting Fanger's analytical method to children according to age and gender in BShs climate

Microplastic in bivalves of an urbanized Brazilian estuary: Human modification, population density and vegetation influence

Microplastics (MPs) global ubiquitously affects particularly coastal regions under significant anthropogenic pressures, where there are limited monitoring efforts. Bivalves are valuable sentinels of MPs contamination. This investigation determined MP contamination in oysters, clams, and mussels at Santos-São Vicente, a heavily urbanized estuary in Brazil, focusing on socio-environmental predictors, spatial distribution, and interspecies variations. Elevated MPs levels were linked to higher human modification (β = 0.5747, p = 0.0223) and reduced population density (β = −8.918e-06, p = 0.0443), regardless of vegetation cover (p > 0.05). Such a negative connection between population density and MP contamination occurred due to the significant presence of industrial and port activities, leading to high MP discharges despite a low population. The simultaneous presence of the three species at specific sites is an intrinsic limitation for broad spatial studies, depending on their environmental availability. Despite higher concentrations in clams, mussels and oysters also exhibited spatial variations in MP concentrations, serving as suitable sentinels. The central and left segments of the estuary displayed elevated MP concentrations, consistent with a well-known contamination gradient. Clams accumulated more MPs (1.97 ± 1.37 [0.00 – 5.55] particles.g−1) than mussels (0.72 ± 1.07 [0.00 – 7.74] particles.g−1) and oysters (0.70 ± 1.03 [0.00 – 7.70] particles.g−1), suggesting higher bioavailability in sediments than the water column. MPs found across all species were predominantly smaller (<1000 µm), fragments or fibers, and colorless. These discoveries lay a groundwork for prospective global investigations by linking MPs concentrations to socio-environmental predictors, contributing to the development of local mitigation measures and global discussions.This research was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP n. 2022/14011-3). I.B. Castro (PQ 304398/2021-7) was recipient of research productivity fellowship from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). V.V. Ribeiro (FAPESP n. 2022/08669-6) was sponsored by São Paulo Research Foundation. C. Sanz-Lazaro was recipient of research fellwoship by Generalitat Valenciana (GVA-THINKINAZUL/2021/041; ECOBLUE) that forms part of the ThinkInAzulprogramme and was supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities from Spain with funding from European Union NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17. I1)

Development of a new tool for seismic risk assessment and multi-criteria decision making

The present paper introduces a new risk-informed based tool that can support disaster management authorities in making decisions in response to earthquakes at local and regional scales by using estimated physical and socio-economic losses. The risk-informed based tool is building upon existing risk assessment methods, and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology. The integrated risk assessment methods are adapted from the earthquake loss estimation tool SELENA. The integrated MCDM methodology, allowing selection of optimal mitigation measures by taking into account the priorities and preferences of disaster management authorities, was developed within the EU Horizon 2020 TURNkey project [1]. The new tool presented in this study also allows easy integration and incorporation of existing database and models that can be openly available. The tool is characterized with user-friendly interface and flexible format of the input and output data, that can be easily understood by different actors in disaster risk management.This research is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, specifically grant agreement number 821046: TURNkey “Towards more Earthquake-resilient Urban Societies through a Multi-sensor-based Information System enabling Earthquake Forecasting, Early Warning and Rapid Response actions.

Comovement of labor supply and human capital investment in policy analysis

Quantitative studies of human capital report the comovement of labor and human capital investment in response to policy changes, which is usually understood based on the intuition that human capital is utilized only while working: both inputs are complements in the formation of effective labor. Given the lack of (i) theoretical analysis of exact conditions and (ii) the preference-side intuition that both inputs involve disutility leading to a similar comovement, we fill the gap. The general condition for the comovement specifies the minimum extent of disutility smoothing between labor and human capital investment, and the prior intuition relaxes this condition, raising comovement possibilities. The conclusion has wide applicabilities in policy analysis.Euiyoung Jung acknowledges financial support from Consellería de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital de la Generalitat Valenciana (CIPROM/2021/060)

Potential feeding sites for seabirds and marine mammals reveal large overlap with offshore wind energy development worldwide

Offshore wind energy is experiencing accelerated growth worldwide to support global net zero ambitions. To ensure responsible development and to protect the natural environment, it is essential to understand and mitigate the potential impacts on wildlife, particularly on seabirds and marine mammals. However, fully understanding the effects of offshore wind energy production requires characterising its global geographic occurrence and its potential overlap with marine species. This study aims to generate risk maps of interaction between offshore and seabirds and marine mammals based on the distribution of their potential foraging areas. These maps will allow visualisation of the spatial occurrence of risk and its severity for both groups. To achieve it, we built a structural equation model of three levels (plankton, fish, and top predators) to predict small-ranged seabirds and marine mammal spatial richness as a proxy of potential feeding sites. Later, we overlapped these maps with global wind density (as a proxy of potential offshore development areas) to identify risk areas. Our results pointed to simplified trophic chain models that effectively explained the richness of small-ranged seabirds and marine mammals. Our risk maps reveal a high overlap with potential offshore wind development. Low-risk areas were located mainly in so-called Global North countries, suggesting vast knowledge gaps and potential hidden risks in these areas. Importantly, the highest risk values were found outside the Marine Protected Areas for both groups, underscoring the necessity for strategic planning and the expansion of renewable energy sources to avert potential conservation challenges in the future.JMPG was supported by a Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities postdoctoral contract (IJC-2019-038968). JM was supported by Generalitat Valenciana and the European Social Fund (CIAPOSTD/199/2022). This research was funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 grant number PID2020-113808RA-I00

Embankment construction with limestone powder waste: From laboratory to full-scale implementation

Limestone powder waste is a by-product generated in the polishing and cutting activities of the natural stone industry. In this research, the effect of limestone powder waste as an additive, either alone or in combination with hydrated lime, on the geotechnical properties of three clayey soils has been studied. Moreover, the suitability of limestone powder waste as a standalone material for embankment construction has been assessed. The geotechnical properties were measured in the laboratory by the Proctor, free swell, CBR, unconfined compressive strength and oedometer tests. A full-scale embankment was also constructed with four different sections combining natural soil, limestone powder waste, and lime. A final section with only limestone powder was also constructed. The strength and deformability of these sections were assessed by the plate load test, the dynamic probe test and the footprint test. The laboratory test results indicate a general improvement in the strength and deformability of the soil when mixed with limestone powder waste. The strength increased by up to 88%, while the deformation was reduced by 32% when the by-product was added to the natural soil. When added to the soil and lime samples the strength increased by up to 59% and the deformation was reduced by 15%. The in-situ tests confirmed a reduction in deformability of up to 83% and an increase in soil strength when the by-product was added. Finally, the section with only limestone powder showed less deformability than the others, indicating that this by-product can be used for road embankment construction.This work is supported by the funding scheme of the European Commission, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges in the frame of the project UPGRADE – GA 101131146. This project has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Universities under the project PRX21/00554, by Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital (Generalitat Valenciana) under the project CIBEST/ 2022/52, and developed within the framework of the project INNVA1/ 2021/8 of the Agencia Valenciana de Innovación (Generalitat Valenciana)

Improved Laser Performance of Carbon-Bridged Oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s Through σ-π Conjugation with Silyl Groups

All-solution processed organic distributed feedback (DFB) lasers are attractive devices for a variety of applications. Among many classes of active laser materials, carbon-bridged oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s (COPVm), particularly those with repeating unit of m ≥ 3, have demonstrated well-balanced and excellent performance for that purpose. However, the blue-emitting shorter COPVm (with m = 1,2) face significant challenges in terms of photostability and excitation energy for lasing (threshold). Here, the effectiveness of σ-π conjugation to improve these properties of COPV2 is demonstrated by functionalizing its terminal positions with silyl groups. This study includes the synthesis and optical characterization of two COPV2 derivates, COPV2–Sin (n = 1 and 2) dispersed in polystyrene films. Both compounds show amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) at ≈480 nm over a wide range of concentrations (1–30 wt.%), with COPV2–Si2 exhibiting a lower ASE threshold and longer operational durability than parent COPV2. The potential of these materials has been further demonstrated through the construction of DFB lasers with top-layer polymeric resonators.The Japanese team was supported by JSPS KAKENHI grants JP19H05716 and JP23KK0099 (for HT). The research at the University of Alicante was funded by the “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación” (MCIN) of Spain and the European Regional Development Fund and Next generation funds (grant Nos. PID2020-119124RB-I00 and PID2023-146660OB-I00). Besides, this study was part of the Advanced Materials program supported by the Spanish MCIN with funding from the European Union NextGenerationEU and by Generalitat Valenciana (grant no. MFA/2022/045)