Experimental Information Research Articles

Estimation of secondary nucleation kinetics of benzoic acid in batch crystallizer

The nucleation and growth kinetics of benzoic acid were determined in a population balance model, describing the seeded batch antisolvent crystallization process. The process analytical technologies (PATs) were utilized to record the evolution of chord length distributions (CLDs) in solid phase together with the concentration decay in liquid phase, which provided essential experimental information for parameter estimation. The model was solved using standard method of moments based on the moments calculated from CLDs and solute concentration. A developed model, incorporating the nucleation and crystal growth as functions of both supersaturation and solvent composition, has been constructed by fitting the zeroth moment of particles and concentration trends. The determined kinetic parameters were consequently validated against a new experiment with a different flow rate, indicating that the developed model predicted crystallization process reasonably well. This work illustrates the strategy in construct a population balance model for further simulation, model-based optimization and control studies of benzoic acid in antisolvent crystallization.

Interactive methods in the foreign language teaching of future IT specialists at medical college

Introduction. Interactive teaching of a foreign language to IT students in a higher medical school is an important component of the educational environment of a medical university, as it contributes to the formation of not only professional communicative competence in a foreign language, but also key competencies for conducting future professional activities in general. The authors determined that the purpose of the scientific work is to provide promising solutions for eliminating downsides, neutralizing risks and introducing interactive technologies in linguodidactic process. Materials and methods. The study was conducted on the basis of I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Russian Federation). The students of the specialty "Bioengineering and Bioinformatics" (72 students) took part in the experiment. One of the groups was designated experimental, the remaining 3 were control. Scientific and experimental information was obtained, using such methods as theoretical analysis of sources on the problem, assessment of the experience of using interactive methods in the experimental part of the study based on SWOT analysis, observation, survey, online testing. Method of mathematical statistics: Pearson's chi-squared test. Results. The survey showed a high degree of students interest (95% of students) in learning a foreign language at a high professional level in the process of collaboration using communicative, active, interactive methods, information technology, etc. Online testing, which demonstrates the results of learning lexical and grammatical material on the educational topic of the discipline foreign language by students of the specialty "Bioengineering and Bioinformatics" in an interactive way at a medical university, showed that the students of the experimental group coped with the test tasks much better than students from the control groups (χ2 = 6.383; p=0.042 < 0,05). Conclusion. The authors have developed a number of promising solutions, based on the obtained results that optimize the process of using interactive learning in IT students training at the medical university. Due to this work, it is possible to determine the universal principles of the use of interactive methods in teaching a foreign language to students of the information technology specialties in the field of medicine and other specialties, it is possible to expand the range and conditions for the adaptability of these methods for a specific group, the purpose of training, the tasks and expected results, and also to develop a model of interactive learning for students of these specialties at medical school and subsequently create an educational program and materials.

Two proton emission and other exotic decays in the 48Ni region with ACTAR TPC

Since the first indirect measurements of the two proton radioactivity in 2002 [1], some theoretical descriptions have been able to reproduce experimental results until the 2-proton radioactivity was established for 67Kr at RIKEN [2], with a lifetime about 20 times lower than expected. New theory inputs have recently been developed [3][4], predicting angular distributions of the emitted protons for some of the two proton emitters, that need to be confirmed experimentally. An experiment at GANIL/LISE3 facility was performed in May 2021 aiming to produce one of the 2 proton emitters (48Ni) and measure the angular distribution of the emitted protons. We used the ACTAR TPC detector to implant the ions and perform the tracking of their proton decays. In addition, other exotic nuclei in the 48Ni region were produced. For several of them we have found a first evidence of exotic decays such as β delayed 3- and 2-proton emission or low energy proton branches for β delayed single proton emission. The analysis of this decays will provide helpful experimental information about the structure and the partial decay schemes of these unstable nuclei.

PredinID: Predicting Pathogenic Inframe Indels in Human Through Graph Convolution Neural Network With Graph Sampling Technique.

Inframe insertion/deletion (indel) variants may alter protein sequence and function, which are closely related to an extensive variety of diseases. Although recent researches have paid attention to the associations between inframe indels and diseases, modeling indels in silico and interpreting their pathogenicity remain challenging, mainly due to the lack of experimental information and computational methodologies. In this article, we propose a novel computational method named PredinID (Predictor for inframe InDels) via graph convolutional network (GCN). PredinID leverages k-nearest neighbor algorithm to construct the feature graph for aggregating more informative representation, regarding the pathogenic inframe indel prediction as a node classification task. An edge-based sampling strategy is designed for extracting information from both the potential connections of feature space and the topological structure of subgraphs. Evaluated by 5-fold cross-validations, the PredinID method achieves satisfactory performance and is superior to four classic machine learning algorithms and two GCN methods. Comprehensive experiments show that PredinID has superior performances when compared with the state-of-the-art methods on the independent test set. Moreover, we also implement a web server at http://predinid.bio.aielab.cc/, to facilitate the use of the model.

Influence of plate thickness on the results of residual stresses determination by through hole drilling in orthotropic composites of different fiber orientation

The main objective of this study is to characterize residual stress in composite orthotropic plates using hole drilling method. The values of hole diameter increment in the principal anisotropic directions, which were obtained from electronic speckle-pattern interferometry on the external surface of the specimen, serve as the initial experimental information. The theoretical foundation of the approach is based on S. G. Lekhnitsky's analytical solution, which describes a stress concentration along the edge of the central open hole in a rectangular orthotropic plate under tension in principal anisotropy directions. The transitional model, that is essential link for deriving residual stress components from initial experimental data, provides the unequivocally solution to the properly posed inverse problem. Firstly, the validation of the transitional model regarding prescription of residual stress values for specific plies within a specimen’s thickness is based on calibration experiments. These experiments yield data for unidirectional and cross-ply composite plates of three different thicknesses. The results demonstrate that the values of principal residual stress components for cross-ply composite material are independent of plate thickness. This means that the transition model, based on the measurements of deformation responses to through hole drilling on the external plate face, can be reliably implemented to characterize the maximal residual stress values present in the middle plane of the composite plate. An investigation into the effect of hole diamter values on the determination of residual stress is conducted for cross-ply and angle-cross-ply composites. It is shown that a hole of diameter of 3.2 mm provides the most reliable results.

New high intensity Heavy - Ion beams @ INFN-LNS: NUMEN project status and perspective

The upgrade project POTLNS to produce high-intensity beams has already started at INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud in Catania (Italy). The POTLNS project was triggered by the NUMEN physics case that aims to provide experimental information on the Nuclear Matrix Elements (NMEs) that enter in the expression of the neutrino-less double beta (0νββ) decay half-life. The tools proposed by NUMEN project are the cross-section measurements of nuclear Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reactions. The search for 0νββ decay is currently a key topic in physics, due to its possible wide implications for nuclear physics, particle physics and cosmology: the NUMEN project could provide a crucial contribution in this search.

Meta-data for absorption tomography measurements

The simplicity of nonclinical x-ray tomography data collection has caused some to overlook the importance of saving additional experimental information or experiment meta-data. Sample meta-data are often saved in the experimenter’s logbook while meta-data about the instrument and experimental conditions are saved by the instrument itself or by the instrument operator. The lack of standardization of this approach has limited the development of automatic tools for data analysis and experiment logging but has also hindered the ability to reproduce the data collection and data analysis under the same conditions. In this paper we introduce tomo-meta, a publicly available repository of laboratory and synchrotron based tomography instrument meta-data files with the aim of presenting how meta-data are currently collected and identify best practices that enable data collection and data analysis repeatability. Structured and machine readable meta-data files, such as HDF, CSV, JSON, XML, etc., are essential for creating automatic processing pipeline. When the tomography meta-data files are structured as machine readable, we also provide a simple python script to automatically load them into a python dictionary.

Jionoside A1 alleviates ischemic stroke ischemia/reperfusion injury by promoting Nix-mediated mitophagy.

In ischemia-reperfusion injury in ischemic stroke, mitophagy, which can remove damaged mitochondria, reduce cytotoxic damage, and enhance neurological recovery, is crucial. Jionoside A1 is a substance found in the traditional Chinese herb Rehmannia glutinosa, which may have neuroprotective effects. The fundamental objective of this work was to find out Jionoside A1's contribution to ischemia/reperfusion injury in ischemic stroke. The oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD-Rep) model and the right transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model were established. Jionoside A1 was used for treatment. We utilized a tiny interfering RNA (siRNA) to lower Nix expression. The results suggest that Jionoside A1 may reduce ischemic stroke. By lowering the consequences of ischemia/reperfusion injury, Rehmannia glutinosa can be utilized to treat ischemic stroke. These discoveries provide fresh experimental information for the investigation of ischemic stroke ischemia/reperfusion injury and provide some theoretical justification for their application.

Experimental Study and Thermodynamic Modelling of Equilibrium Distributions of Ni, Sn and Zn Between Slag and Black Copper for E-Scrap Recycling Applications

The recycling of waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) and other secondary copper-containing materials through the "black copper" process relies on the selective distribution of metals among the gas, slag, and copper-rich liquid phase. This distribution is controlled by the effective oxidation/reduction potential, often expressed in terms of oxygen partial pressure. Separation of Ni and Sn presents a certain challenge in recycling though black copper route due to similar distribution coefficients over a wide range of oxygen partial pressures and possibly can be improved by optimizing the slag chemistry. This study provides experimental information on the distribution of Ni, Sn, and Zn between fayalite slags or calcium ferrite slags and copper-rich metal at 1250°C. The study uses high-temperature equilibration, quenching, and electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA) techniques along with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for selected measurements of low concentrations. The oxygen partial pressure is controlled by the CO/CO2/Ar gas flow or by measuring the concentration of copper oxide in the slag. The effect of slag composition in terms of Fe/SiO2 or Fe/CaO ratio is studied by using different holding materials, such as silica (SiO2) ampoule, solid spinel (Fe3O4), wüstite (FeO), or dicalcium ferrite (Ca2Fe2O5). The experimental results are compared with literature data and used to optimize thermodynamic models for FactSage® software. The results demonstrate an opportunity for more effective separation of Ni and Sn using at oxidizing stage by using calcium ferrite slag promoting the formation of Sn4+.

How single-cell techniques help us look into lung cancer heterogeneity and immunotherapy.

Lung cancer patients tend to have strong intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneity and complex tumor microenvironment, which are major contributors to the efficacy of and drug resistance to immunotherapy. From a new perspective, single-cell techniques offer an innovative way to look at the intricate cellular interactions between tumors and the immune system and help us gain insights into lung cancer and its response to immunotherapy. This article reviews the application of single-cell techniques in lung cancer, with focuses directed on the heterogeneity of lung cancer and the efficacy of immunotherapy. This review provides both theoretical and experimental information for the future development of immunotherapy and personalized treatment for the management of lung cancer.

Relating GPR system parameters to regulatory emissions limits

AbstractGround penetrating radar (GPR) is regulated regarding emission limits for ultra‐wideband in a number of jurisdictions. The definitions of these regulations employ concepts and terminology that are more suited to traditional narrow band radio transmitters. Further, the emissions limits were based on limited quantitative factual information and have resulted in stringent limitations on GPR technology advancement. Factual theoretical and experimental information on the emissions from actual GPR devices is not generally available, and the relationship with regulatory requirements is poorly understood by users. This information gap must be filled if a compelling argument for less stringent emissions levels is to be mounted in the future. Moreover, the current regulations have the potential to trigger further review of emission limits in the future which could be detrimental to the use of GPR. In this paper, we present the basic steps entailed in translating impulse time‐domain GPR instrument behaviour into ‘regulatory’ parameters. To achieve this, we also employ three‐dimensional finite‐difference time‐domain numerical modelling to simulate the transient electromagnetic field variation around dipole antennas placed on the surface of a half‐space or at a height over it to illustrate the dependency on sensor height and ground permittivity. The ultimate goal is to establish the foundation for more sensible rule making, if and when, the regulatory standards come under scrutiny for revision and further user understanding.

Unravelling dispersion forces in liquid-phase enantioseparation. Part I: Impact of ferrocenyl versus phenyl groups

BackgroundHighly ordered chiral secondary structures as well as multiple (tunable) recognition sites are the keys to success of polysaccharide carbamate-based chiral selectors in enantioseparation science. Hydrogen bonds (HBs), dipole-dipole, and π-π interactions are classically considered the most frequent noncovalent interactions underlying enantioselective recognition with these chiral selectors. Very recently, halogen, chalcogen and π-hole bonds were also identified as interactions working in polysaccharide carbamate-based selectors to promote enantiomer distinction. On the contrary, the function of dispersion interactions in this field was not explored so far. ResultsThe enantioseparation of chiral ferrocenes featuring chiral axis or chiral plane as stereogenic elements was performed by comparing five polysaccharide carbamate-based chiral columns, with the aim to identify enantioseparation outcomes that could be reasonably determined by dispersion forces, making available a reliable experimental data set for future theoretical studies to confirm the heuristic hypothesis. The effects of mobile phase polarity and temperature on the enantioseparation were considered, and potential recognition sites on analytes and selectors were evaluated by electrostatic potential (V) analysis and molecular dynamics (MD). In this first part, the enantioseparation of 3,3′-dibromo-5,5′-bis-ferrocenylethynyl-4,4′-bipyridine bearing two ferrocenylethynyl units linked to an axially chiral core was performed and compared to that of the analyte featuring the same structural motif with two phenyl groups in place of the ferrocenyl moieties. The results of this study showed the superiority of the ferrocenyl compared to the phenyl group, as a structural element favouring enantiodifferentiation. Significance and noveltyEven if dispersion (London) forces have been envisaged acting in liquid-phase enantioseparations, focused studies to explore possible contributions of dispersion forces with polysaccharide carbamate-based selectors are practically missing. This study allowed us to collect experimental information that support the involvement of dispersion forces as contributors to liquid-phase enantioseparation, paving the way to a new picture in this field.

LED-based Fourier spectroscopy of HD17O in the range of 10000-11300 cm−1. Energy structure of (022), (102), (080), (400), (003), (211), (051), (131), (320), (032), (112) resonating states

We report our investigation of the HD17О absorption spectrum in the range of 10,000–11,300 cm−1. The measurements were performed using an IFS-125 M Fourier spectrometer with a resolution of 0.02 cm−1 at a pressure of 29 mbar and an optical path length of 2400 cm. An EDEN-1L53 LED was used as a light source giving a maximum radiation intensity in the region of 0.95 µm. The absorption spectrum was analyzed using a set of software programs capable of searching for spectral lines, fitting line parameters, and making line assignments. As a result of the analysis, experimental information was obtained for the first time on the parameters of 1137 spectral lines assigned to 12 vibrational bands of HD17О, and 364 vibrational-rotational energy levels of the (022), (102), (080), (400), (003), (211), (051), (131), (320), (032), and (112) vibrational states were determined. The obtained experimental results are compared with calculated data.

Diversity of CysD domains in gel-forming mucins.

CysD domains are disulfide-rich modules embedded within long O-glycosylated regions of mucin glycoproteins. CysD domains are thought to mediate intermolecular adhesion during the intracellular bioassembly of mucin polymers and perhaps also after secretion in extracellular mucus hydrogels. The human genome encodes 18 CysD domains distributed across three different mucins. To date, experimental structural information is available only for the first CysD domain (CysD1) of the intestinal mucin MUC2, which is one of the most divergent of the CysDs. To provide experimental data on a CysD that is representative of a larger branch of the fold family, we determined the crystal structure of the seventh CysD domain (CysD7) from MUC5AC, a mucin found in the respiratory tract and stomach. The MUC5AC CysD7 structure revealed a single calcium-binding site, contrasting with the two sites in MUC2 CysD1. The MUC5AC CysD7 structure also contained an additional α-helix absent from MUC2 CysD1, with potential functional implications for intermolecular interactions. Lastly, the experimental structure emphasized the flexibility of the loop analogous to the main adhesion loop of MUC2 CysD1, suggesting that both sequence divergence and physical plasticity in this region may contribute to the adaptation of mucin CysD domains.

Analysis of the failure mechanism of a blast furnace tuyere sleeve with protective coating

The tuyere sleeve plays a crucial role in blast furnaces, enduring a harsh working environment that frequently leads to substantial damage. One approach to extend the service life of tuyere sleeve is to prepare a Ni-based alloy protective layer on its surface. However, there is a lack of experimental information concerning the failure of these protective coatings after real-world use. Therefore, in this study, the failure of a blast furnace tuyere sleeve with protective layer was investigated. Characterizations were performed on both the “original” and failed protective layers, as well as the scale layer. The “original” protective layer exhibits two main issues: excessive copper dilution (＞40%) and significant Ni-Cr enrichment at the interface, which may be attributed to inadequate preparation techniques. The failed protective layer surface is covered with molten slag and iron, and there is a crack running almost completely through the coating. Both oxidation reaction and sulfur corrosion are important factors contributing to the accelerated failure of the coating. Moreover, it is suggested that the compositional inhomogeneity of the protective layer of the tuyere sleeve leads to local stress concentration within the coating, which is an internal cause for thermal fatigue crack formation. Additionally, it can be inferred that the molten slag and iron falling onto the protective layer surface under abnormal furnace conditions not only accelerates crack initiation and propagation but also directly melts the coating material or causes interface reactions, leading to the failure of the protective layer.

Analysis of Seasonal Driving Factors and Inversion Model Optimization of Soil Moisture in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau Based on Machine Learning

The accuracy of soil moisture retrieval based on traditional microwave remote sensing models in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau (QTP) is unstable due to its unique plateau climate. However, considering the impact of multiple multi-scale factors effectively improves the accuracy and stability of soil moisture inversion. This article uses Sentinel-1 and seasonal climate data to analyze factors and influencing mechanisms of soil moisture in the QTP. First, an artificial neural network (ANN) was used to conduct a significance analysis to screen significant influencing factors to reduce the redundancy of the experimental design and insert information. Second, the normalization effect of each factor on the soil moisture inversion was determined, and the factors with significant normalization influences were input to fit the model. Third, different fitting methods combined the semi-empirical models for soil moisture inversion. The decision tree Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) analyzed the model accuracy, and the Pearson correlation coefficient between the sample and measured data was tested to further validate the accuracy of the results to obtain an optimized model that effectively inverts soil moisture. Finally, the influencing mechanisms of various factors in the optimization model were analyzed. The results show that: (1) The terrain factors, such as elevation, slope gradient, aspect, and angle, along with climate factors, such as temperature and precipitation, all have the greatest normalized impact on soil moisture in the QTP. (2) For spring (March), summer (June), and autumn (September), the greatest normalized factor of soil moisture is the terrain factor. In winter (December), precipitation was the greatest factor due to heavy snow cover and permafrost. (3) Analyzing the impact mechanism from various factors on the soil moisture showed a restricted relationship between the inversion results and the accuracy of the power fitting model, meaning it is unsuitable for general soil moisture inversion. However, among the selected models, the accuracy of the linear fit was generally higher than 79.2%, the Pearson index was greater than 0.4, and the restricted relationship between the inversion results and accuracy was weak, making it suitable for the general inversion of soil moisture in the QTP.

LIRcentral: a manually curated online database of experimentally validated functional LIR motifs

ABSTRACT Several selective macroautophagy receptor and adaptor proteins bind members of the Atg8 (autophagy related 8) family using short linear motifs (SLiMs), most often referred to as Atg8-family interacting motifs (AIMs) or LC3-interacting regions (LIRs). AIM/LIR motifs have been extensively studied during the last fifteen years, since they can uncover the underlying biological mechanisms and possible substrates for this key catabolic process of eukaryotic cells. Prompted by the fact that experimental information regarding LIR motifs can be found scattered across heterogeneous literature resources, we have developed LIRcentral (https://lircentral.eu), a freely available online repository for user-friendly access to comprehensive, high-quality information regarding LIR motifs from manually curated publications. Herein, we describe the development of LIRcentral and showcase currently available data and features, along with our plans for the expansion of this resource. Information incorporated in LIRcentral is useful for accomplishing a variety of research tasks, including: (i) guiding wet biology researchers for the characterization of novel instances of LIR motifs, (ii) giving bioinformaticians/computational biologists access to high-quality LIR motifs for building novel prediction methods for LIR motifs and LIR containing proteins (LIRCPs) and (iii) performing analyses to better understand the biological importance/features of functional LIR motifs. We welcome feedback on the LIRcentral content and functionality by all interested researchers and anticipate this work to spearhead a community effort for sustaining this resource which will further promote progress in studying LIR motifs/LIRCPs. Abbreviations: AIM, Atg8-family interacting motif; Atg8, autophagy related 8; GABARAP, GABA type A receptor-associated protein; LIR, LC3-interacting region; LIRCP, LIR-containing protein; MAP1LC3/LC3, microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; PMID, PubMed identifier; PPI, protein-protein interaction; SLiM, short linear motif

Elastic modulus identification of particles in particulate composite through nanoindentation

The characterization of the constitutive behavior of embedded particles is crucial for the mechanical analysis of functional particulate composites. However, current methods for identifying the elastic parameters through instrumented indentation tests lack robust theoretical foundations. In this study, a series-connection analytical model was proposed to determine the Young's modulus of the embedded particles based on the Oliver-Pharr (O-P) model. Additionally, a simplified regression function was derived from the complete analytical model.To validate the accuracy of these methods in estimating the Young's modulus, 2D indentation simulations were conducted. Furthermore, in order to facilitate practical engineering applications, a data processing strategy was developed and implemented to determine the statistical value of the Young's modulus for LiNixMnyCozO2 (NMC) particles in the cathode of a Lithium-ion battery (LIB). Moreover, data obtained from continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) of a single embedded NMC particle were utilized to verify the reliability of the simplified regression function. The simplified regression function was found to possess significant engineering potential in related studies, as it enables a quick and reliable approximation of the Young's modulus of embedded particles without requiring detailed experimental information.

Characteristics and exploration targets of Chang 7 shale oil in Triassic Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, NW China

The geological characteristics and enrichment laws of the shale oil in the third submember of the seventh member of Triassic Yanchang Formation (Chang 73) in the Ordos Basin were analyzed by using the information of core observations, experiments and logging, and then the exploration potential and orientation of the Chang 73 shale oil were discussed. The research findings are obtained in three aspects. First, two types of shale oil, i.e. migratory-retained and retained, are recognized in Chang 73. The former is slightly better than the latter in quality. The migratory-retained shale oil reservoir is featured with the frequent interbedding and overlapping of silty–sandy laminae caused by sandy debris flow and low-density turbidity current and semi-deep–deep lacustrine organic-rich shale laminae. The retained shale oil reservoir is composed of black shale with frequent occurrence of bedding and micro-laminae. Second, high-quality source rocks provide a large quantity of hydrocarbon-rich high-quality fluids with high potential energy. The source-reservoir pressure difference provides power for oil accumulation in thin interbeds of organic-poor sandstones with good seepage conditions and in felsic lamina, tuffaceous lamina and bedding fractures in shales. Hydrocarbon generation-induced fractures, bedding fractures and microfractures provide high-speed pathways for oil micro-migration. Frequent sandstone interlayers and felsic laminae provide a good space for large-scale hydrocarbon accumulation, and also effectively improve the hydrocarbon movability. Third, sand-rich areas around the depression are the main targets for exploring migratory-retained shale oil. Mature deep depression areas are the main targets for exploring retained oil with medium to high maturity. Theoretical research and field application of in-situ conversion in low-mature deep depression areas are the main technical orientations for exploring retained shale oil with low to medium maturity.

A Physics-informed Neural Network for Pulsed Thermography- Based Defect Detection

The non-destructive testing technique of pulsed thermography has been widely used in materials to detect defects due to its low cost, large detection area, and rapid implementation. After conducting experiments, data processing is often necessary to reduce the influences of noise and non-uniform backgrounds and highlight defect information. However, during the analysis, physical information is usually ignored. In addition to thermographic data analysis, numerical simulations are also popular for analytical studies based on physical information, but they don’t fully utilize the experimental data. To address this, a new method was proposed using a physics-informed neural network (PINN) for thermographic data processing. PINN combines the prediction capabilities of deep neural networks with physical laws presented as partial differential equations and boundary conditions, allowing for both experimental data and physics information to be utilized in modelling. In pulsed thermography, the heat transfer is governed by Fourier's law of heat conduction in a three-dimensional system. However, there is a lack of temperature measurements in the depth direction. The proposed method solves this problem by using collocation points generated from Latin hypercube sampling. The PINN model provides a good estimation of the backgrounds in the thermograms, and the features of surface/subsurface defects are highlighted by subtracting the estimated backgrounds from the original thermograms. In the case study, the performance of the proposed method was found to be effective.