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A texture enhanced attention model for defect detection in thermal protection materials
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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Code availability:
The code for our module can be found at our Github or can be requested from the corresponding author.Thermal protection materials are widely used in the aerospace field, where detecting internal defects is crucial for ensuring spacecraft structural integrity and safety in extreme temperature environments. Existing detection models struggle with these materials due to challenges like defect-background similarity, tiny size, and multi-scale characteristics. Besides, there is a lack of defect datasets in real-world scenarios. To address these issues, we first construct a thermal protection material digital radiographic (DR) image dataset (TPMDR-dataset), which contains 670 images from actual production and 6,269 defect instances annotated under expert guidance. And we propose an innovative texture-enhanced attention defect detection (TADD) model that enables accurate, efficient, and real-time defect detection. To implement the TADD model, we design a texture enhancement module that can enhance the concealed defect textures and features. Then we develop a non-local dual attention module to address the issue of severe feature loss in tiny defects. Moreover, we improve the model’s ability to detect multi-scale defects through a path aggregation network. The evaluation on the TPMDR-dataset and public dataset shows that the TADD model achieves a higher mean Average Precision (mAP) compared to other methods while maintaining 25 frames per second, exceeding the baseline model by 11.05%.This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province, China (202203021221118), Shanxi Scholarship Council of China, China (2022-145), and Shanxi Provincial Key Research and Development Project, China (202302020101008)
Theoretical and Experimental Study of an Electrokinetic Micromanipulator for Biological Applications
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The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors on request.The ability to control and manipulate biological fluids within microchannels is a fundamental challenge in biological diagnosis and pharmaceutical analyses, particularly when buffers with very high ionic strength are used. In this study, we investigate the numerical and experimental study of fluidic biochips driven by ac electrothermal flow for controlling and manipulating biological samples inside a microchannel, e.g., for fluid-driven and manipulation purposes such as concentrating and mixing. By appropriately switching the voltage on the electrode structures and inducing AC electrothermal forces within the channel, a fluidic network with pumping and manipulation capabilities can be achieved, enabling the control of fluid velocity/direction and also fluid rotation. By using finite element analysis, coupled physics of electrical, thermal, fluidic fields, and molecular diffusion transport were solved. AC electrothermal flow was studied for pumping and mixing applications, and the optimal model was extracted. The microfluidic chip was fabricated using two processes: electrode structure development on the chip and silicon mold fabrication in a cleanroom. PDMS was prepared as the microchannel material and bonded to the electrode structure. After implementing the chip holder and excitation circuit, a biological buffer with varying ionic strengths (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 [S/m]) was prepared, mixed with fluorescent particles, and loaded into the microfluidic chip. Experimental results demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed chip for biological applications, showing that stronger flows were generated with increasing fluid conductivity and excitation voltage. The system behavior was characterized using an impedance analyzer. Frequency response analysis revealed that for a solution with an electrical conductivity of 0.6 [S/m], the fluid velocity remained almost constant within a frequency range of 100 kHz to 10 MHz. Overall, the experimental results showed good agreement with the simulation outcomes.This research received no external funding
What helps to attract minority ethnic teachers in England?: Results from a national survey
Get PDFThis paper is concerned with the experiences and retention of minority ethnic teachers in England. There are proportionately many fewer minority ethnic teachers than there are pupils, and it is important to understand why and what can be done about it. Our national survey of 3,646 serving teachers can help address part of this. We report descriptive and comparative results for all ethnic groups, looking at factors attracting teachers to a school, or encouraging them to leave. We developed regression models explaining which teachers report intending to leave the profession, based on their background and teaching experiences. There are some small variations, mostly due to small numbers of cases in some ethnic groups such as Travellers, but many of the experiences and factors involved in moving schools and planning to leave teaching are common across all ethnic groups including White British. However, minority ethnic teachers report being more concerned about pay, and more interested in the ethnic mix of the leadership, staff and students in the schools they work in. Overall though, pay, along with promotion and the resources of schools, play little role in encouraging teachers to leave. Workload stress is the biggest and most constant factor in identifying teachers wanting to leave. For minority ethnic teachers, the ethnic mix of leaders, staff and students is a factor in planning to leave teaching. One implication for teacher retention would be that policy attempts should be made to improve the ethnic mix of schools across all regions of England. This may also help with the few reports of racism in this paper. Our next paper will look at how this might be achieved.This work was funded by ESRC grant ES/X00208X/1
Risk-based life-cycle cost–benefit analysis for critical infrastructure: piled bridge abutments under earthquake loading
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All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.Piled bridge abutments, which are essential components of transport infrastructure, are frequently overlooked in life-cycle performance design due to their perception as sources of uncertainty rather than as structural elements contributing to seismic resistance. This design oversight, coupled with limited research on seismic risks related to soil liquefaction during service life, has contributed to significant structural damage and traffic disruptions. This paper proposes a comprehensive framework for assessing the life-cycle seismic risk of critical infrastructure on liquefiable ground. A cost–benefit criterion is incorporated into the seismic risk analysis to evaluate return on investment (ROI). The life-cycle cost–benefit (LCC-B) model serves as an effective tool for evaluating both seismic life-cycle risk and the associated cost–benefit trade-offs. A case study focusing on the seismic risk analysis of a piled bridge abutment is included, examining the effectiveness of various ground improvement techniques, such as stone columns, deep-cement-mixing (DCM) columns, and DCM columns with non-uniform length, for mitigating soil liquefaction and associated ground deformations. The results demonstrate that DCM columns with non-uniform length design constitute the optimal solution for liquefiable ground, effectively reducing seismic risk and yielding a ROI of approximately 50%. The proposed framework and its outcomes offer practical guidance for strategic investments, enhancing the efficiency of transportation geotechnical asset management.The research reported in this paper was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52322809; 52478355; 52078392) and the State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety (Tianjin University) (Grant No. HESS-2318), the Discretionary Fund of National Science Center for Earthquake Engineering (NO.2025ZZB4005)
From Inner Sensations to Creative Innovations: Uncovering the Links Between Interoceptive Sensitivity and Creative Traits
Get PDFThis study explored the relationship between interoceptive sensitivity (IS) – the subjective ability to perceive internal bodily sensations – and creative traits, framed within the dual-process theory, which highlights the interplay between associative and analytical thinking. While interoception is known to influence cognitive and emotional processes, its impact on creativity remains largely unexplored. Individual differences in creative traits, such as idea generation, evaluation, and implementation, mode shifting, and inspiration, may be shaped by how individuals perceive and process their internal bodily states. Participants completed questionnaires measuring IS, alexithymia, distractibility, and various creative traits, such as mode shifting, inspiration, ideation, evaluation, and idea implementation. Results showed that IS was positively correlated with all measured creative traits, with the strongest relationships found between IS and both inspiration and idea implementation. Alexithymia, which was negatively correlated with IS, also showed negative correlations with most creative traits. Additionally, distractibility was negatively associated with both IS and most creative traits and was found to partially mediate the relationship between IS and creative traits. These findings suggest a complex interplay between bodily awareness, emotional processing, and attentional control in shaping creativity, revealing a hitherto unknown connection between interoception and creativity.Fundacao Bial [The neural signatures of leadership: two-brain directed synchronization during eye-contact
Copyright Infringement in AI Models: Statutory interpretation, Memorisation and Metaphors in Getty Images and GEMA
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Sovereign debt sustainability: some evidence for the US and Europe
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The data that support the findings of this study are available upon reasonable request.This paper examines the sustainability of sovereign debt and its components by applying fractional integration methods to annual data starting in 1831 for the UK and the US, in 1862 for Italy and in 1881 for France and Germany, and ending in all cases in 2022. The results suggest in all cases I(d) behaviour of the differential between interest payments and primary deficits, but with different speeds of adjustment towards the long-run equilibrium. By contrast, since 1950 all estimates of the fractional differencing parameter are all within the same interval (0.5 < d < 1), implying slower dynamic adjustment. This sustainability finding is confirmed by further tests based on the budget constraint as a whole, which, especially in the post-WWII period, suggest relatively low persistence.Prof. Luis A. Gil-Alana gratefully acknowledges financial support from the project from ‘Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades`Agencia Estatal de Investigación' (AEI) Spain and `Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional' (FEDER), Grant D2023-149516NB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. Prof. Luis A. Gil-Alana and prof. Miguel A. Martin-Valmayor also acknowledges support from an internal Project of the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Grand UFV 2025-28
The Moisture Effect on Ultrasonic, Rebound Hardness and Drilling Resistance Data in Non-Destructive Testing of Concrete
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The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.As the volume of reinforced concrete structures continues to grow, it is important to determine the quality of concrete in the shortest time possible. Therefore, the development and validation of methods for non-destructive testing (NDT) of concrete structures are becoming increasingly important. However, some factors may affect the accuracy of the measurement results obtained as concrete is often exposed to a moist environment, e.g., in marine structures. Ignoring these factors may lead to an inaccurate interpretation of measurements. Therefore, in this research, the water saturation factor of concrete was investigated in response to various NDT methods. C25/30 and C40/50 MPa concrete were evaluated using ultrasonic pulse velocity and rebound hardness devices, and for the first time, a drilling resistance (DR) method was systematically adapted and validated for moisture-affected concrete testing. Unlike conventional approaches that only consider surface effects, the DR method introduced here provides in-depth profiling of concrete, revealing variations in resistance with depth and identifying zones influenced by internal moisture distribution. This study demonstrates that the DR method can complement traditional NDT techniques, providing a more reliable evaluation of moisture-induced variations in concrete properties. Moreover, with the novel DR method, changes in the mechanical response with depth have been quantified, offering new insight into internal moisture effects that are not accessible by conventional NDT methods.This research has been supported by research and development grant No RTU-PA-2024/1-0036 under the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility funded project No. 5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/003 “Implementation of consolidation and management changes at Riga Technical University, Liepaja University, Rezekne Academy of Technology, Latvian Maritime Academy and Liepaja Maritime College for the progress towards excellence in higher education, science, and innovation”
Spatial Influence on Waste-to-Energy Sustainability: A Life Cycle Assessment of RDF Transport and Plant Siting
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The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed at the corresponding authors.The spatial configuration of Waste-to-Energy infrastructure plays a decisive role in determining the environmental and economic performance of municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems. This study applies a Life Cycle Assessment methodology to evaluate the environmental implications of centralized and decentralized siting strategies for Refuse-Derived Fuel utilization in Greece. Two alternative scenarios were modeled: (i) a centralized approach based on six large WtE plants as proposed by the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy (gr. YPEN), and (ii) a decentralized approach involving smaller, regionally distributed units located closer to Recycling and Recovery Facilities. Using the SimaPro software and the ReCiPe method, environmental impacts were quantified across categories including global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, and particulate matter formation. The results indicate that the decentralized scenario yields substantial environmental advantages, with reductions ranging from 33% to 45% across all impact categories and displaying a 35% decrease in CO2-equivalent emissions compared to the centralized scenario. Economic analysis confirms these findings, showing a 31% reduction in total transport and emissions-related costs due primarily to minimized long-distance and maritime transport. The study concludes that decentralized RDF-to-energy systems offer a more balanced and sustainable pathway, enhancing operational flexibility, lowering environmental burdens, and improving social acceptance. These results underscore the importance of integrating spatial and logistical parameters in national WtE planning to align with EU waste hierarchy principles and circular economy objectives.This research received no external funding
Numerical Analysis of an Ultra-Sensitive Optical Fiber for Hemoglobin Concentration Detection
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No data was used in this research.Hemoglobin is a vital protein in the human body, and its deficiency leads to anemia. This condition reduces oxygen levels in red blood cells, which can be life-threatening. This paper presents the design of a novel optical fiber (OF) sensor for label-free detection of hemoglobin concentration. The sensor features concentric layers of gold and silica arranged sequentially. Finite element method (FEM) simulations were used to analyze its performance. The results indicate that for a refractive index (RI) range of 1.34 to 1.41, the sensor achieves a wavelength sensitivity (Sw) of up to 38,000 nm/RIU and an amplitude sensitivity (SA) of 11,280 RIU⁻¹. The sensor exhibits a resolution of 1.85 × 10⁻⁶ RIU and a figure of merit (FOM) of 736.56 RIU⁻¹. Its simple construction and high sensitivity make it a promising candidate for hemoglobin detection applications.This research received no external funding
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