Natural Features Research Articles

The downward spiral entangling soil sealing and hydrogeological disasters

Abstract The frequency of occurrence of hydrogeological disasters (HGDs), as well as the persistence of their impacts, are not evenly distributed. Hazardous areas, by definition, are more prone to extreme events, while in densely urbanized regions, the impacts of these events tend to be more severe. The objective of this study is to investigate statistical relationships between urban and natural environment features and HGD occurrences. Taking Italian provinces as a comprehensive case study, we assessed the coefficient of determination, the χ 2 test, and the p-value to determine the degree of statistical correlation between impact indicators and 57 hazard/risk/land management indicators, such as extension of at-risk areas or soil sealing. We discovered that HGDs persistence and frequency correlate best with an indicator describing the amount of soil sealing (i.e. urbanized soil) in medium-hazard areas. Building on that, a further dynamic analysis was carried out to investigate whether soil sealing trends changed significantly after the provinces were struck by HGDs. Our findings hold significant implications, challenging current policy norms. European directives and Italian national laws impose strict development restrictions in ‘high-hazard’ areas, but generally allow for urbanization in ‘medium-hazard’ areas, with only minor limitations. Moreover, a paradoxical positive urbanization trend is observed in the most sensitive areas, greater than in safer areas and generally unchanged after HGDs. This outcome highlights a critical gap in risk perception that reflects into territorial planning, decision-making processes, and existing policies.

Long-term scenario forecast for the grain production development in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

Subject. This article examines the problem of long-term planning and the role of natural, climatic, and industrial and economic features of the region in grain production. Objectives. The article aims to develop a long-term scenario forecast for the development of grain production in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, taking into account regional agro-climatic features. Methods. For the study, I used a factor analysis, simplex method of linear programming, and linear trends construction. Results. The article offers various forecasts for grain production in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. Conclusions. The developed long-term scenario forecast for the development of grain production in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast can be useful for the development of a regional strategy for the development of grain production.

Natural zeolite as adsorbent for metformin removal from aqueous solutions: Adsorption and regeneration properties

Drugs are being registered in water resources around the world, becoming a palpable environmental problem by altering the natural characteristics of water and, consequently, altering the environment of living organisms. Many techniques can be used to remove drugs present in contaminated waters, among them stands out the adsorption process. In this work, the adsorption of metformin, an antidiabetic drug, using a commercial natural zeolite as an adsorbent was investigated. The material was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), N2 adsorption/desorption analysis and zeta potential. The efficiency of metformin removal was evaluated under different pH conditions and adsorbent ratios. The most favorable conditions for adsorption were obtained for 1 g/L of zeolite and pH 7.0. The pseudo-second order had a better correlation with the experimental kinetic data, with equilibrium obtained after 6 h, reaching 76 % of removal and adsorption capacity of 6.8 mg/g. The Langmuir isotherm described well the equilibrium and the maximum adsorption capacity was 109 mg/g for 25 °C and 35 °C, and 130 mg/g for 45 °C. The Gibbs free energy for all temperatures studied was less than zero, which indicates a spontaneous process of metformin adsorption on the zeolite surface. NaOH solution showed the highest adsorbent regeneration efficiency, with approximately 36 % desorption in 6 h. It was possible to reuse the adsorbent for three consecutive cycles of adsorption/desorption. Afterward, there was a sudden decrease in the adsorption capacity and a collapsing effect on the material surface.

A Comprehensive Survey on Advancement and Challenges of DC Microgrid Protection

Extensive research has been conducted on protecting alternating current (AC) power systems, resulting in many sophisticated protection methods and schemes. On the other hand, the natural characteristics of direct current (DC) systems pose many challenges in designing a proper protection scheme for DC microgrids (DC-MG). This paper highlights the significant challenges facing the design of effective protection methods for DC microgrids. Furthermore, several technologies and techniques presented in the literature to overcome the challenges associated with DC microgrid protection are presented in this paper. These methods are comprehensively and comparatively analyzed. In addition, some potential issues of DC microgrid protection that need further investigation in future research are highlighted.

Enhancing flood wave modelling of reservoir failure: a comparative study of structure-from-motion based 2D and 3D methodologies

Predicting flood wave propagation from reservoir failures is critical to practical flood hazard assessment and risk management. Flood waves are sensitive to topography, channel geometry, structures, and natural features along floodplain paths. Thus, the accuracy of flood wave modelling depends on how precisely those features are represented. This study introduces an enhancing approach to flood wave modelling by accurately representing three-dimensional objects in floodplains using the structure-from-motion (SfM). This method uses an unmanned aerial vehicle to capture topographic complexities and account for ground objects that impact flood propagation. Using the three-dimensional volume of fluid numerical approach significantly improves an enhanced representation of turbulent flow dynamics and computational efficiency, especially in handling large topography datasets. Reproductions from this enhanced three-dimensional approach were validated against recent reservoir failure observations and contrasted with traditional two-dimensional models. The results revealed that the suggested three-dimensional methodology achieved a significant 84.4% reproducibility when juxtaposed with actual inundation traces. It was 35.5%p more accurate than the two-dimensional diffusion wave equation (DWE) and 17.1%p more than the shallow water equation (SWE) methods in predicting flood waves. This suggests that the reproducibility of the DWE and SWE decreases compared to the three-dimensional approach when considering more complex floodplains. These results demonstrate that three-dimensional flood wave analysis with the SfM methodology is optimal for effectively minimising topographic and flood wave reproduction errors across extensive areas. This dual reduction in errors significantly enhances the reliability of flood hazard assessments and improves risk management by providing more precise and realistic predictions of flood waves.

The Novel Applications of Bionic Design Based on the Natural Structural Characteristics of Bamboo

The Novel Applications of Bionic Design Based on the Natural Structural Characteristics of Bamboo

Lethal wolf control elicits change in moose habitat selection in unexpected ways

AbstractMoose (Alces alces) and woodland caribou (Ranger tarandus caribou) are the 2 large prey species for wolves (Canis lupus) in the Nearctic boreal forest in North America. Caribou have declined, with widespread anthropogenic disturbance as the ultimate cause and wolf predation as the proximal cause. To conserve caribou the government of Alberta, Canada initiated a wolf control program to reduce predation rates on caribou populations and contribute to caribou population recovery. Predators play an important role in shaping the structure and function of ecosystems through top‐down forces. We hypothesized that the strongest factors influencing moose occurrences would reflect changes in predation risk before and after the onset of wolf control. We weighed evidence for competing hypothesis by deploying cameras across a highly industrialized landscape in Alberta for 3 years after wolf control (2017–2020), capitalizing on 3 years of existing data before the onset of wolf control (2011–2014). We created generalized linear models representing competing hypotheses about moose response to natural and anthropogenic landscape features before and after wolf control, examining support for each in an information‐theoretic framework. Prior to wolf control, the model containing landscape features providing security cover was best‐supported, but this was scale‐dependent. After wolf control, the model containing landscape features that offer increased forage opportunities was best‐supported. Unexpectedly, the direction of effect was often opposite to predictions, with moose avoiding some features thought to provide security and forage. We demonstrate that lethal predator control affects the spatial distribution of its primary prey species but in ways we do not fully comprehend, highlighting the need for a better understanding of community dynamics following wolf control.

Experimental investigation on sedimentation characteristics of coastal slurry by flocculation

Coastal waste slurry has a negative impact on the environment due to its slow, natural settling characteristics. In this study, the organic, inorganic, and composite flocculants were applied to improve the mud-water separation performance. A series of experiments with sedimentation columns and particle size analysis were conducted to investigate the effects of flocculant type, dosage and combination on slurry settling rates and its associated mechanisms. The experimental results show that different types of flocculants varied in improving the settling efficiency of slurry, while the flocculation effect of inorganic flocculants is relatively poor. The settling efficiency of organic polymer flocculants on slurry is in order of anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) > cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) > nonionic polyacrylamide (PAM), with their optimal dosage 0.2%, 0.1%, and 0.1%, respectively. Moreover, the combination of APAM and Solid Polymeric Ferric Sulfate (SPFS) can further improve the efficiency of mud-water separation by enhancing electro-neutralization and net sweeping capability. Subsequently, the change in the particle size distribution of the slurry demonstrates that flocculation causes the aggregation of fine particles in slurry to form coarse particles. These findings have implications for improving the sedimentation characteristics of waste slurry to reduce environmental pollution.

Remote coupling of electrical and mechanical cues by diurnal photothermal irradiation synergistically promotes bone regeneration

Recapitulating the natural extracellular physical microenvironment has emerged as a promising method for tissue regeneration, as multiple physical interventions, including ultrasound, thermal and electrical therapy, have shown great potential. However, simultaneous coupling of multiple physical cues to highly bio-mimick natural characteristics for improved tissue regeneration still remains formidable. Coupling of intrinsic electrical and mechanical cues has been regarded as an effective way to modulate tissue repair. Nevertheless, precise and convenient manipulation on coupling of mechano-electrical signals within extracellular environment to facilitate tissue regeneration remains challengeable. Herein, a photothermal-sensitive piezoelectric membrane was designed for simultaneous integration of electrical and mechanical signals in response to NIR irradiation. The high-performance mechano-electrical coupling under NIR exposure synergistically triggered the promotion of osteogenic differentiation of stem cells and enhances bone defect regeneration by increasing cellular mechanical sensing, attachment, spreading and cytoskeleton remodeling. This study highlights the coupling of mechanical signals and electrical cues for modulation of osteogenesis, and sheds light on alternative bone tissue engineering therapies with multiple integrated physical cues for tissue repair.Graphical

Seismic behavior of high-rise modular buildings with simplified models of inter-module connections

Inter-module connections serve as crucial components, horizontally and vertically connecting individual modules to form modular buildings. This paper presents a component-based model that divides inter-module connections into vertical and horizontal connection components, facilitating the simplification of shear and axial behaviors for input into the global numerical model. Initially, experimental studies and numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the shear and axial behavior of these connection components, following which simplified connection component models were derived. Subsequently, a component-based model of inter-module connections was established, in which the shear and axial properties of the vertical and horizontal components were represented by nonlinear connector elements. Finally, the proposed component-based model was incorporated directly into the global frame models of high-rise steel modular buildings, and the seismic behavior was evaluated. The accuracy of the proposed component-based model was investigated by comparing the natural vibration characteristics and global building responses of high-rise steel modular buildings with traditional empirical models established based on assumptions of rigid or pinned fixities. The results reveal that traditional empirical models fail to accurately represent the discontinuous properties of inter-module connections, resulting in an overestimation of structural lateral stiffness. In contrast, the component-based model accounts for the actual load-transfer mechanisms of vertical and horizontal components, providing a more accurate understanding of the natural vibration characteristics and seismic response of high-rise steel modular buildings. The proposed component-based model establishes a critical link between isolated connection behavior and structural response assessment for high-rise steel modular buildings, making it well-suited for accurately predicting global building responses.

Mining software insights: uncovering the frequently occurring issues in low-rating software applications.

In today's digital world, app stores have become an essential part of software distribution, providing customers with a wide range of applications and opportunities for software developers to showcase their work. This study elaborates on the importance of end-user feedback for software evolution. However, in the literature, more emphasis has been given to high-rating & popular software apps while ignoring comparatively low-rating apps. Therefore, the proposed approach focuses on end-user reviews collected from 64 low-rated apps representing 14 categories in the Amazon App Store. We critically analyze feedback from low-rating apps and developed a grounded theory to identify various concepts important for software evolution and improving its quality including user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), functionality and features, compatibility and device-specific, performance and stability, customer support and responsiveness and security and privacy issues. Then, using a grounded theory and content analysis approach, a novel research dataset is curated to evaluate the performance of baseline machine learning (ML), and state-of-the-art deep learning (DL) algorithms in automatically classifying end-user feedback into frequently occurring issues. Various natural language processing and feature engineering techniques are utilized for improving and optimizing the performance of ML and DL classifiers. Also, an experimental study comparing various ML and DL algorithms, including multinomial naive Bayes (MNB), logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), multi-layer perception (MLP), k-nearest neighbors (KNN), AdaBoost, Voting, convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), bidirectional long short term memory (BiLSTM), gated recurrent unit (GRU), bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU), and recurrent neural network (RNN) classifiers, achieved satisfactory results in classifying end-user feedback to commonly occurring issues. Whereas, MLP, RF, BiGRU, GRU, CNN, LSTM, and Classifiers achieved average accuracies of 94%, 94%, 92%, 91%, 90%, 89%, and 89%, respectively. We employed the SHAP approach to identify the critical features associated with each issue type to enhance the explainability of the classifiers. This research sheds light on areas needing improvement in low-rated apps and opens up new avenues for developers to improve software quality based on user feedback.

Research on Important Discourses on Socialist Consultative Democracy in the New Era

General Secretary clearly pointed out that consultative democracy is an important way to realize the Party's leadership style. The formation and development and maturity of socialist consultative democracy in the new era has a deep theoretical origin, which was gradually developed on the basis of criticizing the western consultative democracy theory; it is a consultative democracy in conformity with Marxism; it has deep roots in traditional Chinese culture; and it is the collective essence of successive generations of leaders. In the century-long journey from the founding to 2021, Chinese-style consultative democracy has its own unique advantages and characteristics, and in exploring the path of consultative democracy, it is also different from the Western path of consultative democracy, with Chinese characteristics in nature.

Nanoscopic gel particle for intra-articular injection formulation

Hyaluronic acid (HA) based nanogels showed effective intracellular delivery efficacy for anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory drugs, characterized by their ability targeting relevant cell receptors. In the present study, we demonstrate the ability of hyaluronic acid-polyethyleneimine (HA-PEI) nanogels as a promising dual-functional interfacial active for intra-articular injection to intervene arthritis. Nanomechanical measurements on both model substrates and human cartilage samples confirm that the HA-PEI nanogels can significantly improve interfacial lubrication, in comparison to HA molecules, or silica-based nanoparticles. We show that the Coefficient of Friction significantly decreases with a decreasing nanogel size. The exceptional lubricating performance, coupled with the proven drug delivery capability, evidences the great potential of nanoscopic hydrogels for early-stage arthritis treatment. The flexibility in choosing the chemical nature, molecular architecture, and structural characteristics of nanogels makes it possible to modulate both drug delivery kinetics and interfacial lubrication, thus representing an innovative approach to treat degenerative joint diseases.

Derivation of two iPSC lines (KAIMRCi004-A, KAIMRCi004-B) from a Saudi patient with Biotin-Thiamine-responsive Basal Ganglia Disease (BTBGD) carrying homozygous pathogenic missense variant in the SCL19A3 gene

The neurometabolic disorder known as biotin-thiamine-responsive basal ganglia disease (BTBGD) is a rare autosomal recessive condition linked to bi-allelic pathogenic mutations in the SLC19A3 gene. BTBGD is characterized by progressive encephalopathy, confusion, seizures, dysarthria, dystonia, and severe disabilities. Diagnosis is difficult due to the disease’s rare nature and diverse clinical characteristics. The primary treatment for BTBGD at this time is thiamine and biotin supplementation, while its long-term effectiveness is still being investigated. In this study, we have generated two clones of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a 10-year-old female BTBGD patient carrying a homozygous mutation for the pathogenic variant in exon 5 of the SLC19A3 gene, c.1264A > G (p.Thr422Ala). We have confirmed the pluripotency of the generated iPS lines and successfully differentiated them to neural progenitors. Because our understanding of genotype–phenotype correlations in BTBGD is limited, the establishment of BTBGD-iPSC lines with a homozygous SLC19A3 mutation provides a valuable cellular model to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying SLC19A3-associated cellular dysfunction. This model holds potential for advancing the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Political Economic Role in Natural Quality Management and its Impact on Plant Ecology: Why Arar-Juniper Plants Disappeared

Wadi-Arar is a unique region that has lost some of its most important natural features within 200 years, including plants, geographical lakes, and valleys. The study aimed to investigate the disappearance of the juniper plant, a vital species in Saudi Arabia, in recent decades. The research highlighted various factors influencing the quality of life for the juniper plant and its habitats. It sought to identify the primary factors causing changes in the natural conditions of the plant and those influencing its growth. The findings indicated a significant impact of the Suez Canal on the Arar region, the sole connection between Africa and Asia, and Europe. This influence extends beyond geopolitical factors in the surrounding area, as the existence of the Suez Canal disrupted the natural life cycle of many animal species over thousands of years of migrations and coexistence across Earth's continents. These animals previously provided natural organic fertilizer to the soil, supporting plant growth. However, due to low rainfall resulting in low natural nutrients and high salinity, the plants' viability has diminished, reflecting a history of administrative and geopolitical decisions.

Configuration reconstruction and all-joint synchronous measurement based on vision for segmented linkage manipulator of rigid-flexible dual-arm space robot

A rigid-flexible dual-arm space robot offers promising potential for on-orbit operation due to complementary strengths of its rigid and flexible manipulators. The rigid manipulator has the advantage of large payload capacity and high motion accuracy. The segmented linkage flexible manipulator is ideal for maneuvering in narrow, unstructured environments like internal satellite inspections and maintenance, due to its flexibility and slender body. However, there are inevitable tracking errors due to the multiple cable-driven mechanisms in the flexible manipulator. It’s difficult to get the configuration and end pose of flexible manipulator without adding external sensors. To address these issues, this paper presents a method for configuration reconstruction and all-joint synchronous measurement of the flexible manipulator. The flexible manipulator is captured by the stereovision system mounted on the rigid manipulator. The links’ equivalent center points are recognized by central moment method and edge line extraction method based on the natural characteristics. Joint-to-link kinematic model of flexible manipulator is established to measure joint angles and reconstruct configuration. Several simulations and experiments are carried out to validate the proposed method. The experimental results showed links’ average measurement position errors were less than 13 mm and joint angles reconstructed using the proposed method had an error of approximately 0.35°. These results demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed method.

APPLICATION OF MEDIA EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LESSONS IN INSTITUTIONS OF GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS

The article characterizes the peculiarities of using media education technologies in foreign language lessons in general secondary education institutions in theoretical and practical aspects. The goals of using media technologies in foreign language lessons are defined: to teach students to perceive foreign language media texts of various forms, types and genres; to develop critical thinking, the ability to analyze media texts and evaluate them; to form the ability to acquire, create, transmit and receive media texts using various technical equipment. The stages (reproductive, associative, explanatory, analytical, classification, evaluation) of implementing media education technology in a foreign language lesson are identified and characterized. With the help of media education technologies, a teacher can build a lesson in an interactive mode, which will help prepare students for critical perception of information, its evaluation, selection, as well as the development of aesthetic qualities of a personality, his or her ethical views and general spiritual enrichment. A foreign language teacher should have a sufficient level of media competence, i.e. be able to: change the structure and content of traditional classes by including invalid information in the educational context of the lesson; develop and implement teaching technologies using a multimedia screen, multimedia computer systems; have the basics of multimedia creativity. As a result of using media lessons, students develop media competence, i.e. they can: comprehend foreign language media texts; interpret, critically analyze, evaluate foreign language media texts, understand their topic and idea, targeted focus; find the necessary information in foreign language media texts, systematize it according to certain features; transform visual information into verbal information or vice versa; create their own foreign language media texts. The essence of using media education technologies in foreign language lessons is to use media texts to immerse students in a foreign language and foreign culture environment, to acquaint them with the culture, traditions, nature, climatic and geographical features of the countries whose language is being studied; to develop skills and abilities to perceive and transmit information through the means of the language being studied, as well as their own media texts in various situations of intercultural communication. The introduction of media education technologies in the process of teaching a foreign language in secondary education institutions will contribute to the formation of a harmonious personality of the student, the formation of communicative foreign language competence.

On the road to losing connectivity: Faecal samples provide genome-wide insights into anthropogenic impacts on two large herbivore species in central India.

Humans have impacted most of the planet, and the ensuing fragmentation results in small, isolated habitat patches posing a risk of genetic diversity loss, inbreeding, and genetic load. Understanding how natural and anthropogenic landscape features affect gene flow among habitat patches is critical for maintaining connectivity. Genome-wide data are required to comprehend the impacts of recent fragmentation, which can be challenging when only non-invasive samples are available. Here, we build upon advancements in conservation genomics to address connectivity of two large herbivores, gaur (Bos gaurus) and sambar (Rusa unicolor) in central India. Given their habitat associations, we expected these species to respond similarly to habitat fragmentation. We used faecal-DNA and methylation-based host-DNA enrichment with modified ddRAD protocol to generate genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data for 124 gaur and 99 sambar individuals. Our findings reveal that gaur populations in central India are fragmented, displaying high genetic differentiation, with drift significantly affecting small populations like Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary. Although sambar shows low genetic structure, another small population, Bor Tiger Reserve is genetically differentiated. Our results suggest that although land cover change and roads restrict animal movement, the extent of this impact varies across the two species. We show that different species respond differently to landscape features, even with similar habitat associations. We highlight small and isolated populations requiring urgent conservation intervention. Such multi-species approaches enhance our understanding of cross-species connectivity patterns. We suggest shifting from single-species to multi-species holistic conservation approach in rapidly developing landscapes to better manage co-occurring endangered species.

Tin-polymetallic mineralization and granitic rocks in the Nanling daping mining area: Geochemical and geochronological constraints

The Daping polymetallic deposit in the Nanling is a recently discovered deposit with significant potential in the Dayishan area. High-precision geochronological studies indicate that the emplacement ages of two fine-grained porphyritic (containing tourmaline) biotite granite units are 153.2 ± 0.9 Ma and 152.3 ± 1.0 Ma, representing products of the fifth magmatic activity in the Dayishan intrusion. The cassiterite U-Pb ages from the residual skarn type and greisen-type tin ores are 153.4 ± 3.6 Ma and 150.22 ± 0.37 Ma, respectively, and they are consistent within the error range, both belonging to the Yanshanian Early period. Petrogeochemical analyses of the granite reveal characteristics of high silica content (73.56 ∼ 75.91 %), alkali (K2O = 4.04 ∼ 5.58 %, Na2O = 2.22 ∼ 3.67 %), low calcium (0.42 ∼ 0.80 %), low magnesium (0.075 ∼ 0.29 %), and peraluminous nature (A/CNK = 1.26 ∼ 1.35). The rare earth element (REE) contents range from 35.78 × 10-6 to 111.57 × 10-6, with δEu values between 0.006 and 0.026, LREE/HREE ratios of 2.23 ∼ 3.41, and (La/Yb)N values of 1.20 ∼ 2.42. The granite is enriched in elements such as Rb, K, Th, U, Nd, Hf, and depleted in Ba, Sr, P, Nb, Ti, indicating strong crystal differentiation in the area. Sr, Nd, and Hf isotope studies show that the granite samples have ISr values of 0.67612–0.70040, εNd(t) values of −5.83 ∼ -8.23, εHf(t) values of −6.1 ∼ -1.9, (Nd)TDM2 values ranging from 1361 to 1573 Ma, and (Hf)TDM2 values ranging from 1147 to 1408 Ma. It is proposed that the Dayishan intrusion originated from the mixing of a mid-Paleoproterozoic mafic rock and a metamorphic sedimentary source region, with the latter being predominant. The detachment of source rocks from the mantle reservoir occurred in the mid-Paleoproterozoic. Combining lithological, petrogeochemical, and comparative analyses, it is classified as a highly fractionated A-type granite formed in a local extensional setting related to the subduction of the Pacific Plate. Additionally, this paper constructs a ore-forming model for the Daping tin deposit, aiming to provide reference for regional rare metal ore exploration.

The super‐recogniser advantage extends to the detection of hyper‐realistic face masks

AbstractHyper‐realistic silicone masks provide a viable route to identity fraud. Over the last decade, more than 40 known criminal acts have been committed by perpetrators using this type of disguise. With the increasing availability and bespoke sophistication of these masks, research must now focus on ways to enhance their detection. In this study, we investigate whether super‐recognisers (SRs), people who excel at identity recognition, are more likely to detect this type of fraud, in comparison to typical‐recogniser controls. Across three tasks, we examined mask detection rates in the absence of a pre‐task prompt (covert task), and again after making participants aware of their use in criminal settings (explicit task). Finally, participants were asked to indicate which aspects of the masks could support their detection (regions of interest task). The findings show an SR advantage for the detection of hyper‐realistic masks across the covert and explicit mask detection tasks. In addition, the eye, mouth, and nose regions appear to be particularly indicative of the presence of a mask. The lack of natural skin texture, proportional features, expressiveness, and asymmetry are also salient cues. The theoretical and applied implications of these findings are discussed.