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Composite materials/structures are advancing in product efficiency, cost-effectiveness and the development of superior specific properties. There are increasing demands in their applications to load-carrying structures in aerospace, wind turbines, transportation, and medical equipment, etc. Thus robust and reliable non-destructive testing (NDT) of composites is essential to reduce safety concerns and maintenance costs. There have been various NDT methods built upon different principles for quality assurance during the whole lifecycle of a composite product. This paper reviews the most established NDT techniques for detection and evaluation of defects/damage evolution in composites. These include acoustic emission, ultrasonic testing, infrared thermography, terahertz testing, shearography, digital image correlation, as well as X-ray and neutron imaging. For each NDT technique, we cover a brief historical background, principles, standard practices, equipment and facilities used for composite research. We also compare and discuss their benefits and limitations, and further summarise their capabilities and applications to composite structures. Each NDT technique has its own potential and rarely achieves a full-scale diagnosis of structural integrity. Future development of NDT techniques for composites will be directed towards intelligent and automated inspection systems with high accuracy and efficient data processing capabilities.

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Objectives In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to explore the mechanisms of early cognitive impairment in a post stroke non-dementia cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) cohort by comparing the SVD score with the structural brain network measures. Method 127 SVD patients were recruited consecutively from a stroke clinic, comprising 76 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 51 with no cognitive impairment (NCI). Detailed neuropsychological assessments and multimodal MRI were performed. SVD scores were calculated on a standard scale, and structural brain network measures were analyzed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Between-group differences were analyzed, and logistic regression was applied to determine the predictive value of SVD and network measures for cognitive status. Mediation analysis with structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to better understand the interactions of SVD burden, brain networks and cognitive deficits. Results Group difference was found on all global brain network measures. After adjustment for age, gender, education and depression, significant correlations were found between global brain network measures and diverse neuropsychological tests, including TMT-B ( r = −0.209, p < .05), DSST ( r = 0.206, p < .05), AVLT short term free recall ( r = 0.233, p < .05), AVLT long term free recall ( r = 0.264, p < .05) and Rey-O copy ( r = 0.272, p < .05). SVD score showed no group difference and was not correlated with cognition tests. Network global efficiency (E Global ) was significantly related to cognitive state ( p < .01) but not the SVD score. Mediation analysis showed that the standardized total effect ( p = .013) and the standardized indirect effect ( p = .016) of SVD score on cognition was significant, but the direct effect was not. Conclusions Brain network measures, but not the SVD score, are significantly correlated with cognition in post-stroke SVD patients. Mediation analysis showed that the cerebral vascular lesions produce cognitive dysfunction by interfering with the structural brain network in SVD patients. The brain network measures may be regarded as direct and independent surrogate markers of cognitive impairment in SVD.