Retained-austenite transformation precedes grain fragmentation in carbon-partitioned QP1180 steel

Understanding the mechanistic interplay between phase transformation and grain fragmentation is critical for microstructural control in advanced structural steels subjected to severe shear. Here, we investigate the activation sequence of retained-austenite transformation and grain fragmentation along the radial strain gradient of a single QP1180 steel disk processed by high-pressure torsion. Synchrotron-based high-energy X-ray diffraction and microscopy reveal a pronounced austenite (γ) → martensite (α′/α) transformation that saturates at a critical equivalent von Mises strain εT ~ 8.5. Concomitantly, γ grain size decreases sharply up to εT , while γ peak broadening and microstructural analysis suggest limited grain fragmentation of austenite during transformation. These findings demonstrate that γ-phase reduction is primarily driven by phase transformation prior to the onset of defect-induced fragmentation. This mechanistic activation order and the critical strain εT provide key inputs for calibrating physics-based constitutive models and defining robust process windows for industrial forming operations and component design

Navigating 'Islam' in the Academy: Orientalism, Decoloniality and the Future of ‘Islamic Studies’

How can we negotiate the limiting contours of ‘Islam’ in the Academy? This paper navigates this question and attempts to do three things. Firstly, we consider the implications of the Eurocentric lens of ‘religion’ for scholars working on Islam. We explore how this categorisation shapes and bends scholars and scholarship in particular directions and equally erases other areas of exploration. Secondly, we discuss the interstices opened up through engagement with decolonial thought and what it could mean for the study of ‘Islam’. Finally, we discuss the extent to which the Academy could accommodate a radically different approach to knowledge production regarding Muslims and Islam

Force-based adaptive deposition in multi-axis additive manufacturing:Low porosity for enhanced strength

Multi-axis additive manufacturing enhances mechanical strength by aligning printed layers with principal stress directions. However, this benefit introduces a key challenge: non-uniform layer thickness becomes inevitable due to surface curvature and deposition angle variations. Moreover, unpredictable errors in material deposition – such as inaccurate extrusion control, collapse of earlier deposited layers, or machine malfunctions – can accumulate throughout the build. These issues are difficult to model accurately in advance, making purely offline planning impractical for ensuring consistent print quality, especially in complex geometries. To address this issue, we propose a force-based adaptive deposition method that actively minimizes porosity during filament-based multi-axis AM. Our closed-loop control strategy dynamically adjusts the printhead's motion speed based on real-time force feedback, while maintaining constant extrusion speed. Unlike geometry-driven offline planning approaches, our method compensates for thickness variation and process uncertainties, resulting in improved filament bonding. Experiments show up to a 72.1% increase in failure load compared to baseline methods, with similar or lower part weights. The approach also enhances robustness against extrusion irregularities, ensuring more consistent mechanical performance.</p

Crystal-Mush Remobilization Timescales and Magma Storage Depth in the Snæfellsnes Volcanic Zone (W-Iceland): Insights from Olivine Fe-Mg Diffusion Chronometry and Fluid Inclusion Barometry

Constraining the conditions and timescales of magma storage, mixing, and transfer - and understanding how deep-seated unrest progresses toward eruption - is key to deciphering early stages of magma system reactivation. While these processes are increasingly well resolved in Iceland’s on-rift zones, magma dynamics in off-rift flank zones remain poorly understood, despite their potential for hazardous explosive eruptions after long periods of dormancy. We investigate magma storage depths and pre-eruptive timescales of magma mobilization and crystal-mush erosion in the Snæfellsnes Volcanic Zone (SNVZ), a relict Tertiary volcanic belt hosting the most extensive off-rift volcanism in Iceland. Using a Combined Diffusion-and-Growth (CDG) olivine diffusion approach together with fluid inclusion and clinopyroxene barometry, we reconstruct storage conditions preceding the Holocene Búðahraun and Berserkjahraun eruptions. Our results identify a key magma storage zone at ~12-14 km depth. The absence of fluid inclusions recording shallow magma storage suggests rapid olivine entrainment and swift magma ascent from mid-crustal depths to the surface. These storage depths broadly align with deep (median: 17 km) seismicity detected in the SNVZ since August 2024, consistent with reactivation of a mid-crustal magma domain by ongoing mantle-derived melt intrusions. Olivine diffusion chronometry indicates mush erosion began ~4.9 and ~1.8 years before the Búðahraun and Berserkjahraun eruptions, respectively, with final mobilisation and ascent occurring within ~1.5 months. Compared to isothermal models, the CDG method - accounting for heating, cooling, and growth - reduces timescale estimates by ~60%, yielding refined durations of 7 days to 1.8 years (median: 22.5 days). These short timescales, similar to those in on-rift systems, suggest off-rift and on-rift volcanoes may mobilize magma in more comparable ways than previously thought. Given ongoing seismicity in the SNVZ, our findings highlight the need for enhanced monitoring and provide a framework for comparing magma dynamics in on- and off-rift settings, improving hazard assessment for systems without historical eruption records

Diagnostic Performance of Aspergillus-Specific Immunoglobulin G Testing in Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis, Its Subtypes, and Influencing Factors

Presence of elevated serum Aspergillus-specific IgG is an integral diagnostic criterion for CPA. The study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of rapid ICT-POCT with ELISA in diagnosing CPA and its subtypes, and to identify factors influencing these methods. A total of 112 CPA cases and 61 control patients were included. We found that 90% of CPA patients had elevated Aspergillus antibody levels by ImmunoCAP, while the ICT assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 88.4% and a specificity of 95.1% for diagnosing CPA overall. In contrast, the ELISA showed lower sensitivity at 58.9% but higher specificity at 82.0% for all CPA patients. The combination of both assays yielded the highest specificity (98.4%) but reduced sensitivity. For specific CPA subtypes, the sensitivity of the ICT assay was 78.6% for CCPA, 57.1% for CFPA, 66.7% for SA, 66.7% for SAIA, and 50% for AN, respectively, in patients who had previously received antifungal treatment. In addition, the sensitivity of the ICT assay was 60.0% in patients with COPD who had previously received glucocorticoid therapy, 97.3% in patients with bronchiectasis, and 96.7% in patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis, respectively. Notably, prior antifungal and steroid therapy decreased the performance of both assays. In conclusion, Aspergillus-specific IgG testing offers significant diagnostic value in CPA, especially for the CCPA subtype. The ICT assay demonstrates superior sensitivity compared to ELISA, making it a valuable tool for prompt diagnosis, particularly in resource-limited settings. However, prior antifungal and glucocorticoid therapy impact the diagnostic performance of both assays

Longitudinal Analysis of Sleep-disordered Breathing and Cognitive Outcomes in Children Living with Sickle Cell Anaemia

Objectives: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and cognitive challenges are commonly observed in children living with sickle cell anaemia (SCA). This study investigated the longitudinal change in polysomnographic outcomes and the association with cognitive functions in children living with SCA. Method: Data from the Sleep Asthma Cohort (SAC 1, 2 and 3) included participants living with SCA (aged 4-18 years) who were initially recruited between 2006-2009, with follow-up studies conducted through until 2019. Polysomnographic indices (PSG indices), i.e., obstructive apnoea hypopnoea index (OAHI), central apnoea index (CAI), mean overnight oxygen saturation and total sleep time were assessed over two visits. Additional analyses assessed the impact of PSG indices on cognitive outcomes collected at Visit 3. Results: Ninety-two participants (91 HbSS, 1HbSβ) completed a PSG at Visit 1 and 56 participants returned for Visit 2, 40 of whom returned for the Visit 3 cognitive assessment; mean ages were 9.9 (3.8), 14.7 (3.69), and 17.7 (4.64) years, respectively. Total sleep time significantly decreased between the two visits, while overall PSG indices remained stable. Mean overnight oxygen saturation at Visit 1 significantly predicted working memory at Visit 3. In addition, CAI at Visit 2 was associated with lower scores on the verbal comprehension index and self or caregiver-reported measures of executive function. Conclusions: PSG indices did not change significantly over time; however, routine PSG screening is recommended, given the complexity of sickle pathology. Overnight oxygen saturation levels and central apnoea influence cognitive outcomes for children living with SCA.<br/

How do two different local authorities (LAs) support pupils who are at risk of permanent exclusion and overcome problems with reintegrating into mainstream secondary school following permanent exclusion?

Permanent exclusion is one of the most serious punitive disciplinary measures enforced in response to a pupil’s behaviour. The rate of school suspensions and permanent exclusions remains a growing concern in England. A case study design, utilising semi-structured interviews with local authority (LA) staff, school staff and pupils in two LAs, explored how LA and secondary school systems operate to support pupils who have experienced or are at risk of permanent exclusion. Findings demonstrated key areas of support for successful reintegration, including pupil-staff relationships, personalised support, staff approach and understanding of need. Cross-case analysis revealed differences in systemic approaches across the cases and highlighted current challenges within the UK context. The paper concludes by considering the findings in line with current research and implications for future practice

From fluttering to drifting in inertialess sedimentation of achiral particles

There has been much recent interest in the chiral motion of achiral particles that sediment in a viscous fluid in a regime where inertial effects can be neglected. This occurs in a broad range of applications such as those involving biological objects like algae, ultra-thin graphene flakes, or colloidal suspensions. It is known that particles with two planes of symmetry can be categorised as “settlers”, “drifters” or “flutterers”, where the latter sediment along chiral trajectories despite their achiral shapes. Here we analyse the sedimentation of circular disks bent into a U-shape (“flutterers”) and show how their behaviour changes when we break one of their symmetries by pinching the disks along their axis. The “fluttering” behaviour is found to be robust to such shape changes, with the trajectories now evolving towards helical paths. However, the behaviour changes when the degree of pinching becomes too strong, at which point the particles become “drifters” which sediment steadily without rotation. We establish criteria for the transition between the two types of behaviour and confirm our predictions in experiments. Finally, we discuss the implications of our observations for the dispersion of dilute suspensions made of such particles.<br/

Combining User and Venue Personality Proxies with Customers’ Preferences and Opinions to Enhance Restaurant Recommendation Performance

Recommendation systems are popular information systems that help consumers manage information overload. Whilst personality has been recognised as an important factor influencing consumers’ choice, it has not yet been fully exploited in recommendation systems. This study proposes a restaurant recommendation approach that integrates customer personality traits, opinions and preferences, extracted either directly from online review platforms or derived from electronic word of mouth (eWOM) text using information extraction techniques. The proposed method leverages the concept of venue personality grounded in personality–brand congruence theory, which posits that customers are more satisfied with brands whose personalities align with their own. A novel model is introduced that combines fine-tuned BERT embeddings with linguistic features to infer users’ personality traits from the text of their reviews. Customers’ preferences are identified using a custom named-entity recogniser, while their opinions are extracted through structural topic modelling. The overall framework integrates neural collaborative filtering (NCF) features with both directly observed and derived information from eWOM to train an extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) regression model. The proposed approach is compared to baseline collaborative filtering methods and state-of-the-art neural network techniques commonly used in industry. Results across multiple performance metrics demonstrate that incorporating personality, preferences and opinions significantly improves recommendation performance