diff --git a/src/icartt/dataset.py b/src/icartt/dataset.py
index a0224da00a4247becba0ebedcb45ab317252fd3b..7dbaeaf3275040e67ea9b80f7cacd04be7551d2d 100644
--- a/src/icartt/dataset.py
+++ b/src/icartt/dataset.py
@@ -594,8 +594,11 @@ class Dataset:
                 vstandardname += [standardname]
                 vlongname += [longname]
 
-            return { # TODO: refactor dict comp for readability?
-                shortname: Variable(
+            d = {}
+            for shortname, unit, standardname, longname, scale, miss in zip(
+                    vshortname, vunits, vstandardname, vlongname, vscale, vmiss
+                ):
+                d[shortname] = Variable(
                     shortname,
                     unit,
                     standardname,
@@ -604,10 +607,10 @@ class Dataset:
                     miss=miss,
                     vartype=vtype,
                 )
-                for shortname, unit, standardname, longname, scale, miss in zip(
-                    vshortname, vunits, vstandardname, vlongname, vscale, vmiss
-                )
-            }
+
+            return d
+
+
 
         self.dependentVariables = readVars(f, VariableType.DependentVariable)