Although the school performance of children of migrants in the Netherlands continues to improve, it still lags behind compared to that of children of Dutch origin, which contributes to inequality in socio-economic outcomes. To reduce this performance gap it is of great societal importance to gain insight into the factors influencing language proficiency of children of migrants. This paper investigates to what extent the share of people from children’s own origin group in the network – network isolation – influences their Dutch language proficiency and subsequent sorting in educational secondary school tracks. To measure network isolation of children we used a whole-population network from Statistics Netherlands containing family members, household members, neighbours, classmates and colleagues. The score on the language component of the final-year primary school exam is used as an indicator of Dutch language proficiency. Results show that higher levels of network isolation, i.e., a higher share of the own origin group in the network, are associated with lower Dutch language proficiency. Furthermore, higher levels of network isolation are related to lower teacher track recommendations for secondary school, and this relationship is fully mediated by language proficiency. These findings highlight the importance of considering the broader social context —beyond language exposure in the household — when promoting social mobility of children of migrants. ● A whole-population network is used to measure network isolation – the rate of exposure to the own origin group – in children’s networks. ● Higher levels of network isolation are related to lower levels of Dutch language proficiency for children of migrants at primary school. ● In turn, higher isolation is related to lower teacher’s track recommendation for secondary school ● The total effect of network isolation on language proficiency and secondary school tracking is negative

Interactions between loneliness, social isolation and reversible cognitive frailty on falls and fall-induced injuries among community-dwelling older adults: A prospective cohort study.

Accurate measurement of current switching transients in SiC and GaN power converters requires current sensors with bandwidths exceeding 100 MHz, along with high immunity, sensitivity, isolation, and usability. Magnetic coils are typically the least invasive type of sensor but can be challenging to design and may be unsuitable in high EMI environments. This paper explores the use of coreless twin-coil magnetic current sensors in compact power circuits with complex magnetic fields. A design method is presented to achieve the required bandwidth, immunity, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), guided by 2D gain and immunity plots to optimise orientation relative to adjacent currents. Equations for gain and bandwidth as functions of geometry are experimentally verified using a vector network analyser. The method is validated in two scenarios: individual gate current sensing on adjacent, parallel-connected power devices, and power loop current sensing on a 30 mm wide PCB trace with a closely spaced return path on an adjacent layer. The gate sensor achieves an SNR above 10, a 660 MHz bandwidth, and closely matches current sense resistor measurements. The power loop current sensor has similar accuracy to a commercial Rogowski coil. These results demonstrate removable high bandwidth AC current sensors that minimally impact compact, optimised circuits, and show promise for application in power modules.

Assessments on effects of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have shown wide-ranging health and exposure co-benefits in the United States (U.S.). However, the benefits of these policies may not be shared equally, and few studies have investigated differences in impacts across populations. We estimated exposure, health, and monetary benefits for various sociodemographic subpopulations, under several environmental justice indices, across three midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio) at the census tract level. We estimated changes to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations across three sector-specific energy policy scenarios (high natural gas use, high electric vehicle uptake, building energy efficiency) and a business-as-usual policy case. Health impact function analyses were used to determine census-tract level changes in mortality, and value of statistical life (VSL) was used to determine the associated monetary impacts. All energy policies were estimated to reduce PM2.5 concentrations in 2050 compared to 2010 reference levels (1.55 to 1.70μg/m3 across policy projections, with avoided mortalities of 6010 (95% confidence interval 4093, 7396) to 6560 (4469, 8072), and mortality savings of $69.115 to $75.440 billion, with cost per capita between $2456 and $2681). Several subpopulations, including those with high educational isolation, the Black population, and those making <$75,000/year, had higher baseline expected mortality and higher projected avoided mortality compared to the overall population, indicating strong benefits for these groups. Our findings highlight the ability of climate change mitigation strategies to reduce exposure and mortalities in the Midwestern U.S. while directly benefitting certain disadvantaged populations.

Abstract This paper presents a frequency-selective self-quadruplexing antenna implemented using substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) technology, specifically targeting 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) NR bands n257, n258, and n261. The proposed methodology involves the systematic reconstruction of a single full-mode SIW cavity into four independent quarter-mode (QM) subcavities of varying dimensions. Each subcavity is individually excited using microstrip feedlines to enable independent frequency tuning and quad-band operation while maintaining high port isolation. Orthogonal arrangement of subcavities and incorporation of metallic via walls between them result in isolation exceeding 20 dB without impacting resonant frequencies. The antenna exhibits precise frequency selectivity across four distinct bands: 24.6 GHz (S₁₁ = −27.23 dB, fractional bandwidth (FBW) = 1.06%), 25.83 GHz (S₁₁ = −33.21 dB, FBW = 5.03%), 27.85 GHz (S₁₁ = −27.81 dB, FBW = 7.54%), and 29.15 GHz (S₁₁ = −40.76 dB, FBW = 10.91%). Independent frequency selectivity is achieved through geometric parameter optimization, offering an operational span of 23.5 GHz to 29.5 GHz. The proposed antenna achieves a peak realized gain of 4.66 dBi and performs well in both simulation and measurement. Compared to existing self-quadruplexing antennas, this work demonstrates compact size, broadband operation, enhanced isolation, and full support for 5G mmWave bands, marking it as the first such passive SIW-based design offering wide-range independent frequency selectivity across all ports within the 5G FR2 spectrum.

This work presents a compact electronically switchable filtering power divider (FPD) for Sub-6GHz wireless front ends requiring adaptive and spectrum-flexible RF hardware. Conventional multi-band receivers rely on separate narrowband and wideband chains, resulting in increased loss, complexity, and circuit footprint. To overcome these limitations, a miniaturized band-tuned FPD is developed by integrating a folded-resonator bandpass filter with a Wilkinson-based power-divider core through a coupled-line capacitive interface. The resonator employs inverted S-shaped and modified C-shaped elements to achieve size reduction, while four PIN diodes embedded in a step-impedance resonating structure enable electronic switching between wideband and narrowband modes. In the diode-OFF state, the proposed structure realizes wideband operation centered at 2.9GHz with a 34.4% fractional bandwidth, insertion loss near 1.4 dB, return loss better than 15 dB, and isolation better than 10 dB. While for the diode-ON state, the circuit offers narrowband response centered at 2.35GHz, realizing return loss better than 20 dB, isolation better than 10 dB, within an electrical size of only 0.14λ₀ × 0.18λ₀. The results confirm that the proposed FPD provides equal power division with high isolation, and electronically selectivity.

This paper presents the systematic design, fabrication, and experimental validation of a compact quad-port dielectric resonator antenna (DRA)–based MIMO system for sub-6 GHz 5G applications. An aperture-fed excitation combined with optimized spatial arrangement is employed to achieve high inter-port isolation intrinsically, without using additional parasitic decoupling networks or external isolation elements. Each radiating element supports dual-mode operation by exciting a fundamental linearly polarized TE11δ mode at 3.5 GHz and a higher-order TE12δ mode at 3.9 GHz, enabling dual-band performance. The proposed four-port MIMO antenna achieves inter-port isolation exceeding 20 dB at the operating frequencies of 3.5 GHz and 3.9 GHz within a compact footprint of 0.35λ₀ × 0.35λ₀. Experimental results demonstrate excellent diversity characteristics with ECC below 0.05, CCL of approximately 0.1 bps/Hz, peak gain up to 2.62 dBi, and radiation efficiency approaching 89%. The moderate gain level is well suited for compact user terminals, indoor access points, and small-cell 5G devices, where omnidirectional coverage and low correlation are prioritized over high directional gain. The close agreement between simulated and measured results confirms the robustness of the design, making it a promising candidate for compact sub-6 GHz 5G communication devices.

Clostridioides difficile is a well-recognized cause of antibiotic-associated colitis. The highly pathogenic PCR ribotype(RT)027/sequence type(ST)1 strain has been prevalent since 2002, particularly in Europe and the United States, whereas strains detected in Japan primarily comprise RT018/ST17, RT369/ST81, and RT002/ST8. Community-associated C. difficile infection (CA-CDI) has increased in recent years, and an association with livestock, food, and companion animals has been suggested. This study investigated the molecular epidemiology of C. difficile in Japan, focusing on isolates from diarrheal outpatients in comparison with animal and environmental sources. A total of 401 samples were collected, including park soil and fecal samples from livestock, companion animals, wild animals, and outpatients. Overall, 63 strains were isolated. High isolation rates were observed in soil samples (19/37, 51%) and companion animals (19/64, 30%), of which 68% and 37% were toxigenic, respectively. Whole-genome sequencing revealed ST2 as the most common sequence type, followed by ST42 and ST15. No single sequence type predominated among isolates from diarrheal outpatients, and six patients met the epidemiological definition of CA-CDI. Core-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis identified close genetic relationships in two pairs of ST42 strains-one between a patient-derived isolate and park soil, and another between a canine-derived isolate and soil from a different park-using a hypothetical transmission-exclusion cutoff of <13 SNPs. These findings suggest the presence of shared environmental reservoirs linking humans, animals, and soil, rather than indicating the direction of transmission. The study highlights the importance of considering environmental reservoirs within a One Health framework for CA-CDI in Japan.IMPORTANCEClostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a widely recognized cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and reports of community-associated CDI (CA-CDI) have risen in recent years. Understanding how C. difficile circulates outside healthcare settings is, therefore, an important public health challenge. In this study, we analyzed C. difficile isolates from outpatients with diarrhea, companion animals, and environmental sources, including soil from public parks. The organism was frequently detected in soil and pets, and genomic analyses identified closely related strains across human, animal, and soil samples. Although these findings do not indicate transmission direction, they suggest that environmental reservoirs may contribute to the broader ecology of C. difficile in the community. Our results underscore the importance of a One Health perspective integrating human, animal, and environment together when studying CA-CDI and highlight the need for further research to better understand how C. difficile persists and spreads outside hospital settings.

Heterogeneous social isolation and its psychosocial and functional correlates in older adults with chronic heart failure: An integrated latent profile and network analysis.

ABSTRACT This paper presents a high-performance, triangular split-ring resonator (TSRR) metamaterial-inspired MIMO antenna with triple-band and dual-polarisation, designed for modern wireless applications, including 3 G, 5 G, and 6 G. The antenna operates in three distinct frequency bands: 1950–2100 MHz, 3.2–4.3 GHz, and 8.0–8.3 GHz, covering 3 G, 5 G (sub-6 GHz), and beyond 5 G (potential 6 G bands). The design evolves systematically from a single TSRR-based antenna element to two, three, and four-element MIMO configurations, effectively addressing the challenge of mutual coupling. A rectangular split-ring structure between the antennas improves isolation by up to −20 dB between the elements. Measurement results show excellent MIMO performance, with input reflection coefficients (S11, S22, S33 and S44) <−10 dB, isolation (S21, S31, S41) <−20 dB, envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) <0.04, channel capacity loss (CCL) = 0.4 bits/sec/Hz, and diversity gain (DG) = 10. This antenna design is a promising solution for future wireless communication systems.

Abstract This article proposes a quad-band filtering linear polarization converter (LPC) based on a single multimode resonant metasurface unit. In contrast to the traditional designs with combined resonators, the proposed resonating unit is composed of a multimode cross-shaped patch resonator and a multi-mode slot-line resonator in an inlaid form. It can enable the excitation of these resonant modes and zeros from both resonators without increasing the overall size and complexity, thereby simultaneously realizing polarization conversion and multi-mode filtering effects in four passbands, as well as high isolation outside the bands. Mode analysis is utilized to demonstrate in detail the evolution of the unit cell, and the polarization conversion and passband adjustment properties are thoroughly illustrated. The proposed LPC achieves polarization conversion ratios (PCRs) exceeding 85% across four bands of 3. GHz, while maintaining nearly zero PCR outside these bands, showing the advantages of multi-band and good filtering characteristics. This LPC is promising for polarization control in complex electromagnetic environments to improve spectrum utilization.

High power and high isolation transmit/receive switch for ultra-high field whole-body magnetic resonance imaging.

Twisted solenoid B1 field and isolation requirements for two-coil radial TRASE.

ABSTRACT In this article, ultra‐wideband (UWB) single‐element and two‐port multiple‐input‐multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna structures with circular polarization (CP) characteristics are designed to support numerous modern wireless systems. The basic CP element is designed to obtain an ultra‐wide operating bandwidth. In the design process, a circular stub is integrated into the ground plane, and a circular slot is structured into the patch to achieve CP. On the other hand, a rectangular stub is used to improve the axial ratio bandwidth (ARBW). The elemental antenna achieves an impedance bandwidth (IBW) of 97.96% (4.13–12.06 GHz), an ARBW of 49.62% (5–8.3 GHz), a peak gain of 5.75 dB, and a minimum efficiency of 80%, maintaining small dimensions of 20 mm 20 mm 1.6 mm (0.275 λ 0 × 0.275 λ 0 × 0.022 λ 0 ). Meanwhile, a two‐element UWB MIMO radiator of 20 mm 44 mm 1.6 mm (0.275 λ 0 × 0.606 λ 0 × 0.022 λ 0 ) is designed and experimentally validated. It addresses the challenges of achieving wide impedance and axial‐ratio bandwidths while maintaining a compact size and high isolation for MIMO operation with attractive diversity performance. It achieves an impressive ultrawide IBW of 100% (4–12 GHz), ARBW of 42.73% (4.6–7.1 GHz), and 10.90% (7.8–8.7 GHz) while offering improved isolation. The MIMO geometry exhibits outstanding diversity performance, with an envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) &lt; 0.01, diversity gain (DG) &gt; 9.92 dB, total active reflection coefficient (TARC) &lt; 10 dB, and channel capacity loss (CCL) &lt; 0.2 bits/s/Hz. These features render the proposed UWB MIMO antenna exceptionally appropriate for various wireless communication uses, such as microwave C‐band (4–8 GHz), WiMAX (5.725–5.850), WLAN (5.150–5.825 GHz; 5.925–7.125 GHz), and satellite communication in X‐band (downlink: 7.25–7.745 GHz and uplink: 7.9–8.4 GHz).

The rapid advancement of wireless communication technologies, particularly fourth-generation (4G) and fifthgeneration (5G) systems, has created a growing demand for compact and high-performance antenna solutions for modern smartphone applications. To address these requirements, this work presents the design and analysis of a compact multi-element Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna system using a MATLAB-based simulation approach. The proposed antenna is developed within standard smartphone printed circuit board (PCB) dimensions and is optimized to support multi-band operation across both sub-6 GHz (4G) and millimeter-wave (5G) frequency ranges. The antenna system employs a multi-element configuration with optimized geometry and orthogonal placement to minimize mutual coupling and improve isolation between closely spaced antenna elements. The design focuses on achieving good impedance matching, stable radiation characteristics, and enhanced diversity performance without increasing structural complexity. MATLAB is used for antenna modeling, simulation, and evaluation of key performance parameters such as Sparameters (S₁₁ and S₂₁), current distribution, radiation patterns, gain, and MIMO performance metrics. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed antenna achieves good impedance matching (S₁₁ &lt; −10 dB) and high isolation between antenna elements, ensuring efficient multi-band operation. The antenna exhibits omnidirectional radiation patterns at lower frequencies and more directive behavior at higher frequencies, making it suitable for both conventional mobile communication and high-data-rate 5G applications. Overall, the proposed MIMO antenna system provides a simple, compact, and efficient solution for next-generation smartphone communication systems, offering improved performance in terms of bandwidth, isolation, and signal reliability.

ABSTRACT This article introduces an eight-port wideband Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna with suppressed mutual coupling for radar systems and satellite communications. To reduce inter-element coupling, the design incorporates a neutralisation line and a defected ground structure (DGS) to enhance isolation and minimise mutual coupling to >30 dB, ensuring efficient MIMO operation for high-frequency communication systems. The fabricated antenna has dimensions of 40 × 58 × 0.8 mm3 (6.07λg × 8.80λg × 0.121λg at 36 GHz) The printed antenna achieves a wide bandwidth from 27 to 45 GHz and gain of 10.5 dBi. The diversity parameter analysis reveals an envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) ˂0.00025, a diversity gain (DG) >9.999 dB. This antenna’s design manages to combine high isolation, large bandwidth, compact dimensions, and good MIMO diversity measurements. The observed outcomes closely match with those predicted by the simulation. Furthermore, the presented design obtains enhanced efficiency and increased compactness in comparison with current and more contemporary efforts. The proposed architecture addresses critical challenges such as strong mutual coupling in compact multi-port arrays, wideband impedance matching, stable radiation characteristics and high efficiency for radar and satellite communication systems.

HighlightsWhat are the main findings?A four-element multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system achieves wideband operation spanning from 4.23 GHz to 5.96 GHz. This tri-mode wideband operation is realized by independently controlling the TM10, TM01, and TM11δ modes through the specific utilization of a slot and a pair of metallized vias within the patch element.The strategic implementation of an additional group of metallized vias effectively controls mutual coupling between the elements. This decoupling technique secures a high inter-element isolation level of over 17 dB, alongside a total efficiency exceeding 45% and an envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) lower than 0.25.What are the implications of the main findings?The proposed multimode excitation technique provides sufficient bandwidth to practically cover multiple commercial frequency bands simultaneously, including N79 (4.4–5 GHz), V2X (5.905–5.925 GHz), and Wi-Fi 5/6 (5.150–5.850 GHz).By resolving the dependency on air spacing found in previous wideband multimode designs, this compact geometric configuration offers a highly efficient and practical solution that can be seamlessly and directly integrated onto the back covers of 5G mobile terminals.This work introduces a wideband four-element multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system with four rectangular patches arranged in a sequentially rotated configuration. Wideband frequency operation is realized by exploiting the TM10, TM01 and TM11δ modes through the utilization of a slot and metallized vias in the patch design. Another group of metallized vias are used to control coupling between the antenna elements, achieving an isolation level of over 17 dB. A prototype is fabricated and measured, demonstrating −6 dB impedance bandwidth ranging from 4.23 GHz to 5.96 GHz, enabling coverage of the N79 (4.4–5 GHz), V2X (5.905–5.925 GHz) and Wi-Fi 5/6 (5.150–5.850 GHz) frequency bands. The MIMO antenna features an efficiency of over 45% and a low envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) lower than 0.25. Owing to its broad bandwidth, compact geometry, and good isolation, the proposed MIMO antenna provides an efficient and practical solution for 5G MIMO applications integrated within mobile terminal back covers.

Cord blood is an important hematopoietic stem cell source for treating over 80 FDA-approved diseases, driving demand for HSC-containing-umbilical cord blood (UCB) unit cryopreservation for future use. Total nucleated cell (TNC) and CD34+ cell amounts are key determinants of transplant success. Predicting processing outcomes is clinically valuable, particularly for public stem cell banks where storing high-quality UCB units is a priority. This study aimed to establish selection models for UCB units with high isolation yields of these critical cellular determinants. We first performed univariate analysis and multiple linear regression on 3338 UCB units processed at MekoStem Stem Cell Bank (Vietnam) from 2019 to 2023 to explore correlations between potential variables (maternal age, mode of delivery, baby blood type, birth weight, gestational age, infant sex, blood volume, procurement time, and time to processing after collection) and TNC and CD34+ cell counts. Subsequently, Bayesian Model Averaging and exhaustive search were applied to develop predictive models. The developed models were then validated using a dataset of 660 UCB units processed in 2024. Results identified an optimal selection model incorporating birth weight, delivery mode, blood volume, and gestational age for predicting high isolation yields of both TNC and CD34+ cells. Reference values for these variables were birth weight >3200 g, vaginal delivery mode, blood volume >79.22 mL, and gestational age >39 weeks or ≤39 weeks for TNC or CD34+ cell models, respectively. The models proposed in this study demonstrated robust predictive performance in external validation and can be applied to any type of stem cell bank.

ABSTRACT A low-cost semi-petal shaped two-port MIMO antenna with an elliptical slotted decoupling structure to achieve high isolation is proposed for multiband applications. The antenna is developed and fabricated on a low-cost FR4 substrate to operate in quad-band mode, resonating at 11.8 GHz, 15.13 GHz, 17 GHz, and 20.68 GHz. The antenna with elliptical slitted cuts in the patch enhances the gain. A diagonally oriented elliptical-slot decoupling structure is embedded at the centre to suppress surface-current coupling between the semi-petal elements. This decoupling mechanism eliminates the need for EBGs, parasitic structures, or Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS). The antenna achieves decoupling < −25 dB and an Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC) <0.003, with a directive gain close to 10 dB. The antenna supports radar imaging and 5 G millimetre-wave applications. An RLC equivalent circuit is generated and validated using ADS software. The prototype, fabricated using standard PCB processes, shows strong agreement with simulations.

With the constant development of new polymer chemistry technologies, it is necessary to find modern synthetic pathways for the synthesis of polymers bearing numerous applicable characteristics, in an easy, efficient and environmentally friendly way. One such possibility is to present the use of metathesis type reactions and more specifically ring-opening metathesis polymerisation (ROMP), which provides the opportunity to produce linear unsaturated functionalised polymeric chains in a ‘living’ yet controlled manner with the use of ruthenium-based carbene (Ru=CHR) Grubbs’ catalysts (initiators: G1, G2, G3). In order to achieve satisfying results and obtain full conversion of the monomers, sterically hindered molecules are preferred, because the process of opening the ring results in simultaneous release of the energy that propagates the whole process. The incorporation of silicon-based substituents (such as silyl ethers) into the norbornene matrix can provide higher thermal stability of polymers, leading to the creation of flame-retardant materials. Other applications include gas separation membranes or biomedicine, upon further modification. This paper focusses on the development and optimisation of the synthetic method of previously not reported exo-norbornene silyl ethers along with their metathesis polymerisation to achieve linear unsaturated polymers with high isolation yields.