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The mechanisms underlying severe allergic asthma are complex and unknown, meaning it is a challenge to provide the most appropriate treatment. This study aimed to identify novel biomarkers for stratifying allergic asthmatic patients according to severity, and to uncover the biological mechanisms that lead to the development of the severe uncontrolled phenotype. By using miRNA PCR panels, we analyzed the expression of 752 miRNAs in serum samples from control subjects (n = 15) and mild (n = 11) and severe uncontrolled (n = 10) allergic asthmatic patients. We identified 40 differentially expressed miRNAs between severe uncontrolled and mild allergic asthmatic patients. Functional enrichment analysis revealed signatures related to inflammation, angiogenesis, lipid metabolism and mRNA regulation. A random forest classifier trained with DE miRNAs achieved a high accuracy of 97% for severe uncontrolled patient stratification. Validation of the identified biomarkers was performed on a subset of allergic asthmatic patients from the CAMP cohort at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Four of these miRNAs (hsa-miR-99b-5p, hsa-miR-451a, hsa-miR-326 and hsa-miR-505-3p) were validated, pointing towards their potential as biomarkers for stratifying allergic asthmatic patients by severity and providing insights into severe uncontrolled asthma molecular pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis is characterized by an atypical immune response to infection and is a dangerous health problem leading to significant mortality. Current diagnostic methods exhibit insufficient sensitivity and specificity and require the discovery of precise biomarkers for the early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis. Platelets, known for their hemostatic abilities, also play an important role in immunological responses. This study aims to develop a model integrating machine learning and explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) to identify novel platelet metabolomics markers of sepsis. Methods: A total of 39 participants, 25 diagnosed with sepsis and 14 control subjects, were included in the study. The profiles of platelet metabolites were analyzed using quantitative 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. Data were processed using the synthetic minority oversampling method (SMOTE)-Tomek to address the issue of class imbalance. In addition, missing data were filled using a technique based on random forests. Three machine learning models, namely extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and kernel tree boosting (KTBoost), were used for sepsis prediction. The models were validated using cross-validation. Clinical annotations of the optimal sepsis prediction model were analyzed using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), an XAI technique. Results: The results showed that the KTBoost model (0.900 accuracy and 0.943 AUC) achieved better performance than the other models in sepsis diagnosis. SHAP results revealed that metabolites such as carnitine, glutamate, and myo-inositol are important biomarkers in sepsis prediction and intuitively explained the prediction decisions of the model. Conclusion: Platelet metabolites identified by the KTBoost model and XAI have significant potential for the early diagnosis and monitoring of sepsis and improving patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual information affects static postural control, but how it affects dynamic postural control still needs to be fully understood. This study investigated the effect of proprioception weighting, influenced by the presence or absence of visual information, on dynamic posture control during voluntary trunk movements. We recorded trunk movement angle and angular velocity, center of pressure (COP), electromyographic, and electroencephalography signals from 35 healthy young adults performing a standing trunk flexion–extension task under two conditions (Vision and No-Vision). A random forest analysis identified the 10 most important variables for classifying the conditions, followed by a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results showed lower maximum forward COP displacement and trunk flexion angle, and faster maximum flexion angular velocity in the No-Vision condition. Additionally, the alpha/beta ratio of the POz during the switch phase was higher in the No-Vision condition. These findings suggest that visual deprivation affects cognitive- and sensory-integration-related brain regions during movement phases, indicating that sensory re-weighting due to visual deprivation impacts motor control. The effects of visual deprivation on motor control may be used for evaluation and therapeutic interventions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties of fissured sandstone will deteriorate under water–rock interaction. It is crucial to extract the precursor information of fissured sandstone instability under water–rock interaction. The potential of each acoustic emission (AE) parameter as a precursor for instability in the failure process of fissured sandstone was investigated in this study. An experimental dataset comprising 586 acoustic emission experiments was established, and subsequent classification training and testing were conducted using three machine learning (ML) models: AdaBoost, MLP, and Random Forest (RF). The primary parameters for identifying the instability risk state of fissured sandstone include acoustic emission ringing count, energy (mV·ms), centroid frequency, peak frequency, Rise Angle (RA), Average Frequency (AF), b value, and the natural/saturated state of fissured sandstone: state. To enhance data utilization, a 10-fold cross-validation method was employed during the model training process. The machine learning models were developed and designed to identify the instability risk of fissured sandstone under the natural and saturated states. The results demonstrated that the established RF model was capable of identifying fissured sandstone instability risks with an accuracy of 97.87%. Feature importance analysis revealed that state and b value exerted the most significant influence on identification results. The Spearman correlation coefficient was utilized to assess the correlation between input features. This study can provide technical support to identify the risk of instability of fissured sandstones under both natural and saturated water conditions. Based on the models developed in this study, it is possible to implement an early warning method for instability in fissured sandstone that meets realistic working conditions. Compared with the traditional empirical and formulaic methods, the machine learning method can more quickly process huge amounts of AE data and accurately identify the damage state of fissured sandstone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study comprehensively evaluates low-cost CO2 sensors from different price tiers, assessing their performance against a reference-grade instrument and exploring the possibility of calibration using different machine learning techniques. Three sensors (Sunrise AB by Senseair, K30 CO2 by Senseair, and GMP 343 by Vaisala) were tested alongside a reference instrument (Los Gatos precision greenhouse gas analyzer). The results revealed differences in sensor performance, with the higher cost Vaisala sensors exhibiting superior accuracy. Despite its lower price, the Sunrise sensors still demonstrated reasonable accuracy. Meanwhile, the K30 sensor measurements displayed higher variability and noise. Machine learning models, including linear regression, gradient boosting regression, and random forest regression, were employed for sensor calibration. In general, linear regression models performed best for extrapolating data, whereas decision tree-based models were generally more useful in handling non-linear datasets. Notably, a stack ensemble model combining these techniques outperformed the individual models and significantly improved sensor accuracy by approximately 65%. Overall, this study contributes to filling the gap in intercomparing CO2 sensors across different price categories and underscores the potential of machine learning for enhancing sensor accuracy, particularly in low-cost sensor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common challenge for exoskeleton control is discerning operator intent to provide seamless actuation of the device with the operator. One way to accomplish this is with joint angle estimation algorithms and multiple sensors on the human–machine system. However, the question remains of what can be accomplished with just one sensor. The objective of this study was to deploy a modular testing approach to test the performance of two joint angle estimation models—a kinematic extrapolation algorithm and a Random Forest machine learning algorithm—when each was informed solely with kinematic gait data from a single potentiometer on an ankle exoskeleton mock-up. This study demonstrates (i) the feasibility of implementing a modular approach to exoskeleton mock-up evaluation to promote continuity between testing configurations and (ii) that a Random Forest algorithm yielded lower realized errors of estimated joint angles and a decreased actuation time than the kinematic model when deployed on the physical device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimation of the distribution of POC in the sea surface is an important issue in understanding the carbon cycle at the basin scale in the ocean. This study explores the best machine learning approach to determine the distribution of POC in the ocean surface layer based on data obtained using satellite remote sensing. In order to estimate and verify the accuracy of this method, it is necessary to obtain a large amount of POC data from field observations, so this study was conducted in the Mediterranean Sea, where such data have been obtained and published. The research initially utilizes the Geographic Detector (GD) method to identify spatial correlations between POC and 47 environmental factors in the region. Four machine learning models of a Bayesian optimized random forest (BRF), a backpropagation neural network, adaptive boosting, and extreme gradient boosting were utilized to construct POC assessment models. Model validation yielded that the BRF exhibited superior performance in estimating sea-surface POC. To build a more accurate tuneRanger random forest (TRRF) model, we introduced the tuneRanger R package for further optimization, resulting in an R2 of 0.868, a mean squared error of 1.119 (mg/m3)2, and a mean absolute error of 1.041 mg/m3. It was employed to estimate the surface POC concentrations in the Mediterranean for May and June 2017. Spatial analysis revealed higher concentrations in the west and north and lower concentrations in the east and south, with higher levels near the coast and lower levels far from the coast. Additionally, we deliberated on the impact of human activities on the surface POC in the Mediterranean. This research contributes a high-precision method for satellite retrieval of surface POC concentrations in the Mediterranean, thereby enriching the understanding of POC dynamics in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) is a critical environmental issue that has significant effects on biodiversity, ecosystem services, and climate change. This study examines the land-use and land-cover (LULC) spatiotemporal dynamics across a three-decade period (1998–2023) in a district area. In order to forecast the LULCC patterns, this study suggests a hybrid strategy that combines the random forest method with multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and Markov chain analysis. To predict the dynamics of LULC changes for the year 2035, a hybrid technique based on multi-layer perceptron and Markov chain model analysis (MLP-MCA) was employed. The area of developed land has increased significantly, while the amount of bare land, vegetation, and forest cover have all decreased. This is because the principal land types have changed due to population growth and economic expansion. This study also discovered that between 1998 and 2023, the built-up area increased by 468 km2 as a result of the replacement of natural resources. It is estimated that 25.04% of the study area's urbanization will increase by 2035. The performance of the model was confirmed with an overall accuracy of 90% and a kappa coefficient of around 0.89. It is important to use advanced predictive models to guide sustainable urban development strategies. The model provides valuable insights for policymakers, land managers, and researchers to support sustainable land-use planning, conservation efforts, and climate change mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevalence estimates of Parkinson's disease (PD)—the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease—are generally underestimated due to issues surrounding diagnostic accuracy, symptomatic undiagnosed cases, suboptimal prodromal monitoring, and limited screening access. Remotely monitored wearable devices and sensors provide precise, objective, and frequent measures of motor and non-motor symptoms. Here, we used consumer-grade wearable device and sensor data from the WATCH-PD study to develop a PD screening tool aimed at eliminating the gap between patient symptoms and diagnosis. Early-stage PD patients (n = 82) and age-matched comparison participants (n = 50) completed a multidomain assessment battery during a one-year longitudinal multicenter study. Using disease- and behavior-relevant feature engineering and multivariate machine learning modeling of early-stage PD status, we developed a highly accurate (92.3%), sensitive (90.0%), and specific (100%) random forest classification model (AUC = 0.92) that performed well across environmental and platform contexts. These findings provide robust support for further exploration of consumer-grade wearable devices and sensors for global population-wide PD screening and surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building Performance Simulation extensively uses statistical learning techniques for quicker insights and improved accessibility. These techniques help understand the relationship between input variables and the desired outputs, and they can predict unknown observations. Prediction becomes more informative with uncertainty quantification, which involves computing prediction intervals. Conformal prediction has emerged over the past 25 years as a flexible and rigorous method for estimating uncertainty. This approach can be applied to any pre-trained model, creating statistically rigorous uncertainty sets or intervals for model predictions. This study uses data from simulated buildings to demonstrate the powerful applications of conformal prediction in Building Performance Simulation (BPS) and, consequently, to the broader energy sector. Results show that conformal prediction can be applied when any assumptions about input and output variables are made, enhancing understanding and facilitating informed decision-making in energy system design and operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies were mostly conducted based on sparse time series and different phenological images, which often ignored the dramatic changes in salinization evolution throughout the year. Based on Landsat and moderate-resolution-imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) images from 2000 to 2020, this study applied the Enhanced Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (ESTARFM) algorithm to obtain similar phenological images for the month of April for the past 20 years. Based on the random forest algorithm, the surface parameters of the salinization were optimized, and the feature space index models were constructed. Combined with the measured ground data, the optimal monitoring index model of salinization was determined, and then the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of salinization and its driving mechanisms in the Yellow River Delta were revealed. The main conclusions were as follows: (1) The derived long-time-series and similar phenological-fusion images enable us to reveal the patterns of change in the dramatic salinization in the year that we examined using the ESTARFM algorithm. (2) The NDSI-TGDVI feature space salinization monitoring index model based on point-to-point mode had the highest accuracy of 0.92. (3) From 2000 to 2020, the soil salinization in the Yellow River Delta showed an aggravating trend. The average value of salinization during the past 20 years was 0.65, which is categorized as severe salinization. The degree of salinization gradually decreased from the northeastern coastal area to the southwestern inland area. (4) The dominant factors affecting soil salinization in different historical periods varied. The research results could provide support for decision-making regarding the precise prevention and control of salinization in the Yellow River Delta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree species classification using hyperspectral imagery shows incredible promise in developing a large-scale, high-resolution model for identifying tree species, providing unprecedented details on global tree species distribution. Many questions remain unanswered about the best practices for creating a global, general hyperspectral tree species classification model. This study aims to address three key issues in creating a hyperspectral species classification model. We assessed the effectiveness of three data-labeling methods to create training data, three data-splitting methods for training/validation/testing, and machine-learning and deep-learning (including semi-supervised deep-learning) models for tree species classification using hyperspectral imagery at National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Sites. Our analysis revealed that the existing data-labeling method using the field vegetation structure survey performed reasonably well. The random tree data-splitting technique was the most efficient method for both intra-site and inter-site classifications to overcome the impact of spatial autocorrelation to avoid the potential to create a locally overfit model. Deep learning consistently outperformed random forest classification; both semi-supervised and supervised deep-learning models displayed the most promising results in creating a general taxa-classification model. This work has demonstrated the possibility of developing tree-classification models that can identify tree species from outside their training area and that semi-supervised deep learning may potentially utilize the untapped terabytes of unlabeled forest imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil nutrient content varies spatially across agricultural fields in hard-to-predict ways, particularly in floodplains with complex fluvial depositional history. Satellite reflectance data from the Sentinel-2 (S2) mission provides spatially continuous land reflectance data that can aid model development when used with point observations of nutrients. Reflectance from vegetation is assumed to obstruct land reflectance of bare soil, such that researchers have masked vegetation in models. We developed a routine for masking vegetation within Google Earth Engine (GEE) using Random Forest classification for iterative application to libraries of S2-images. Using gradient boosting, we then developed soil nutrient models for surface soils at a 250-ha agricultural site using S2 images. Soils were sampled at 2145 point locations to a 23-cm depth and analyzed for Ca, K, Mg, P, pH, S, and Zn. Results showed that masking vegetation improved model performance for models from subsets of the data (80% of samples used for model development, 20% validation), but full data sets did not require masking to achieve accuracy. Models of Ca, K, Mg, and S were successful (validation R2 > 0.60 to 0.96), but models for pH, P, and Zn failed. Bare soil composite images from S2 data are helpful in predicting soil fertility in low-relief floodplains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of lake surface water temperature (LSWT) is essential for understanding the impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems and for guiding environmental management strategies. Predictions of LSWT for two prominent lakes in northern China, Qinghai Lake and Hulun Lake, under various future climate scenarios, were conducted in the present study. Utilizing historical hydrometeorological data and MODIS satellite observations (MOD11A2), we employed three advanced machine learning models—Random Forest (RF), XGBoost, and Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network (MLPNN)—to predict monthly average LSWT across three future climate scenarios (ssp119, ssp245, ssp585) from CMIP6 projections. Through the comparison of training and validation results of the three models across both lake regions, the RF model demonstrated the highest accuracy, with a mean MAE of 0.348 °C and an RMSE of 0.611 °C, making it the most optimal and suitable model for this purpose. With this model, the predicted LSWT for both lakes reveals a significant warming trend in the future, particularly under the high-emission scenario (ssp585). The rate of increase is most pronounced under ssp585, with Hulun Lake showing a rise of 0.55 °C per decade (R2 = 0.72) and Qinghai Lake 0.32 °C per decade (R2 = 0.85), surpassing trends observed under ssp119 and ssp245. These results underscore the vulnerability of lake ecosystems to future climate change and provide essential insights for proactive climate adaptation and environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate river ice mapping is crucial for predicting and managing floods caused by ice jams and for the safe operation of hydropower and water resource facilities. Although satellite multispectral images are widely used for river ice mapping, atmospheric contamination limits their effectiveness. This study developed river ice mapping models for the Han River in South Korea using atmospherically uncorrected Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) multispectral reflectance data, addressing atmospheric influences with a Random Forest (RF) classification approach. The RF-based river ice mapping models were developed by implementing various combinations of input variables, incorporating the Landsat-8 multispectral top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance, normalized difference indices for snow, water, and bare ice, and atmospheric factors such as aerosol optical depth, water vapor content, and ozone concentration from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer observations, as well as surface elevation from the GLO-30 digital elevation model. The RF model developed using all variables achieved excellent performance in the classification of snow-covered ice, snow-free ice, and water, with an overall accuracy and kappa coefficient exceeding 98.4% and 0.98 for test samples, and higher than 83.7% and 0.75 when compared against reference river ice maps generated by manually interpreting the Landsat-8 images under various atmospheric conditions. The RF-based river ice mapping model for the atmospherically corrected Landsat-8 multispectral surface reflectance was also developed, but it showed very low performance under atmospheric conditions heavily contaminated by aerosol and water vapor. Aerosol optical depth and water vapor content were identified as the most important variables. This study demonstrates that multispectral reflectance data, despite atmospheric contamination, can be effectively used for river ice monitoring by applying machine learning with atmospheric auxiliary data to mitigate atmospheric effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the responses of non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) and photosynthetic vegetation (PV) communities to climate change is crucial in illustrating the sensitivity and sustainability of these ecosystems. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of inverting NPV and PV using Landsat imagery with random forest (RF), backpropagation neural network (BPNN), and fully connected neural network (FCNN) models. Additionally, we inverted MODIS NPV and PV time-series data using spectral unmixing. Based on this, we analyzed the responses of NPV and PV to precipitation and drought across different ecological regions. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) In NPV remote sensing inversion, the softmax activation function demonstrates greater advantages over the ReLU activation function. Specifically, the use of the softmax function results in an approximate increase of 0.35 in the R2 value. (2) Compared with a five-layer FCNN with 128 neurons and a three-layer BPNN with 12 neurons, a random forest model with over 50 trees and 5 leaf nodes provides better inversion results for NPV and PV (R2_RF-NPV = 0.843, R2_RF-PV = 0.861). (3) Long-term drought or heavy rainfall events can affect the utilization of precipitation by NPV and PV. There is a high correlation between extreme precipitation events following prolonged drought and an increase in PV coverage. (4) Under long-term drought conditions, the vegetation in the study area responded to precipitation during the last winter and growing season. This study provides an illustration of the response of semi-arid ecosystems to drought and wetting events, thereby offering a data basis for the effect evaluation of afforestation projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming and climate change are significantly impacting local climates, causing more intense heat during the summer season, which poses risks to individuals with pre-existing health conditions and negatively affects overall human health. While various studies have examined the Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) phenomenon, these studies often focus on small to large geographic regions using low-to-moderate-resolution data, highlighting general thermal trends across large administrative areas. However, there is a growing need for methods that can detect microscale thermal patterns in environments familiar to urban residents, such as streets and alleys. The temperature-humidity index (THI), which incorporates both temperature and humidity data, serves as a critical measure of human-perceived heat. However, few studies have explored microscale THI variations within urban settings and identified potential THI hotspots at a local level where SUHI effects are pronounced. This research aims to address this gap by estimating THI at a finer resolution scale using data from multiple sensor platforms. We developed a model with the random forest algorithm to assess THI trends at a resolution of 0.5 m, utilizing various variables from different sources, including Landsat 8 land surface temperature (LST), unmanned aerial system (UAS)-derived LST, Sentinel-2 NDVI and NDMI, a wind exposure index, solar radiation modeled from aircraft and UAS-derived Digital Surface Models, and vehicle density and building floor area from social big data. Two models were constructed with different variables: Modelnatural, which includes variables related to only natural factors, and Modelmix, which includes all variables, including anthropogenic factors. The two models were compared to reveal how each source contributes to the model development and SUHI effects. The results show significant improvements, as Modelnatural had a fitting R2 = 0.5846, a root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.5936 and a mean absolute error (MAE) = 0.4294. Moreover, when anthropogenic factors were introduced, Modelmix performed even better, with R2 = 0.9638, RMSE = 0.1751, and MAE = 0.1065 (n = 923). This study contributes to the future of microscale SUHI analysis and offers important insights into urban planning and smart city development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting clouds, snow, and lakes in remote sensing images is vital due to their propensity to obscure underlying surface information and hinder data extraction. In this study, we utilize Sentinel-2 images to implement a two-stage random forest (RF) algorithm for image labeling and delve into the factors influencing neural network performance across six aspects: model architecture, encoder, learning rate adjustment strategy, loss function, input image size, and different band combinations. Our findings indicate the Feature Pyramid Network (FPN) achieved the highest MIoU of 87.14%. The multi-head self-attention mechanism was less effective compared to convolutional methods for feature extraction with small datasets. Incorporating residual connections into convolutional blocks notably enhanced performance. Additionally, employing false-color images (bands 12-3-2) yielded a 4.86% improvement in MIoU compared to true-color images (bands 4-3-2). Notably, variations in model architecture, encoder structure, and input band combination had a substantial impact on performance, with parameter variations resulting in MIoU differences exceeding 5%. These results provide a reference for high-precision segmentation of clouds, snow, and lakes and offer valuable insights for applying deep learning techniques to the high-precision extraction of information from remote sensing images, thereby advancing research in deep neural networks for semantic segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiDAR-unmanned aerial system (LiDAR-UAS) technology can accurately and efficiently obtain detailed and accurate three-dimensional spatial information of objects. The classification of objects in estuarine areas is highly important for management, planning, and ecosystem protection. Owing to the presence of slopes in estuarine areas, distinguishing between dense vegetation (lawns and trees) on slopes and the ground at the tops of slopes is difficult. In addition, the imbalance in the number of point clouds also poses a challenge for accurate classification directly from point cloud data. A multifeature-assisted and multilayer fused neural network (MLF-PointNet++) is proposed for LiDAR-UAS point cloud classification in estuarine areas. First, the 3D shape features that characterize the geometric characteristics of targets and the visible-band difference vegetation index (VDVI) that can characterize vegetation distribution are used as auxiliary features to enhance the distinguishability of dense vegetation (lawns and trees) on slopes and the ground at the tops of slopes. Second, to enhance the extraction of target spatial information and contextual relationships, the feature vectors output by different layers of set abstraction in the PointNet++ model are fused to form a combined feature vector that integrates low and high-level information. Finally, the focal loss function is adopted as the loss function in the MLF-PointNet++ model to reduce the effect of imbalance in the number of point clouds in each category on the classification accuracy. A classification evaluation was conducted using LiDAR-UAS data from the Moshui River estuarine area in Qingdao, China. The experimental results revealed that MLF-PointNet++ had an overall accuracy (OA), mean intersection over union (mIOU), kappa coefficient, precision, recall, and F1-score of 0.976, 0.913, 0.960, 0.953, 0.953, and 0.953, respectively, for object classification in the three representative areas, which were better than the corresponding values for the classification methods of random forest, BP neural network, Naive Bayes, PointNet, PointNet++, and RandLA-Net. The study results provide effective methodological support for the classification of objects in estuarine areas and offer a scientific basis for the sustainable development of these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant 1 (CINC-1), a cluster of differentiation 95 (CD95), fractalkine, and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 1 (TIM-1) are circulating proteins known to be involved in inflammation. While their roles have been studied in neurological conditions and cardiovascular diseases, their potential as peripheral artery disease (PAD) biomarkers remain unexplored. We conducted a cross-sectional diagnostic study using data from 476 recruited patients (164 without PAD and 312 with PAD). Plasma levels of CINC-1, CD95, fractalkine, and TIM-1 were measured at baseline. A PAD diagnosis was established at recruitment based on clinical exams and investigations, defined as an ankle-brachial index < 0.9 or toe-brachial index < 0.67 with absent/diminished pedal pulses. Using 10-fold cross-validation, we trained a random forest algorithm, incorporating clinical characteristics and biomarkers that showed differential expression in PAD versus non-PAD patients to predict a PAD diagnosis. Among the proteins tested, CINC-1, CD95, and fractalkine were elevated in PAD vs. non-PAD patients, forming a 3-biomarker panel. Our predictive model achieved an AUROC of 0.85 for a PAD diagnosis using clinical features and this 3-biomarker panel. By combining the clinical characteristics with these biomarkers, we developed an accurate predictive model for a PAD diagnosis. This algorithm can assist in PAD screening, risk stratification, and guiding clinical decisions regarding further vascular assessment, referrals, and medical/surgical management to potentially improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy consumption of air-jet looms mainly comes from air compressors. Predicting the air consumption of air-jet looms for the upcoming period is significant for the variable frequency adjustment of air compressors, thereby aiding in energy saving and reducing fabric costs. This paper proposes an innovative method that combines Sliding Time Windows (STW), feature analysis, and incremental learning to improve the accuracy of short-term air consumption prediction. First, the STW method is employed during the data collection phase to enhance data reliability. Through feature analysis, significant factors affecting the air consumption of air-jet looms, beyond traditional research, are explored and incorporated into the prediction model. The experimental results indicate that the introduction of new features improved the model's R2 from 0.905 to 0.950 and reduced the MSE from 32.369 to 16.239. The STW method applied to the same random forest model increased the R2 from 0.906 to 0.950 and decreased the MSE from 32.244 to 16.239. The decision tree method, compared to the linear regression model, improved the R2 from 0.928 to 0.950 and reduced the MSE from 23.541 to 16.239, demonstrating significant predictive performance enhancement. After establishing the optimal model, incremental learning is used to continuously improve the reliability and accuracy of short-term predictions. Experiments show that the incremental learning method, compared to static models, offers better resilience and reliability when new data are collected. The proposed method significantly improves the accuracy of air consumption prediction for air-jet looms, providing strong support for the variable frequency adjustment of air compressors, and contributes to the goals of energy saving and cost reduction. The research results indicate that this method not only enhances prediction accuracy but also provides new insights and methods for future energy-saving research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces an innovative approach by incorporating statistical offset features, range profiles, time–frequency analyses, and azimuth–range–time characteristics to effectively identify various human daily activities. Our technique utilizes nine feature vectors consisting of six statistical offset features and three principal component analysis network (PCANet) fusion attributes. These statistical offset features are derived from combined elevation and azimuth data, considering their spatial angle relationships. The fusion attributes are generated through concurrent 1D networks using CNN-BiLSTM. The process begins with the temporal fusion of 3D range–azimuth–time data, followed by PCANet integration. Subsequently, a conventional classification model is employed to categorize a range of actions. Our methodology was tested with 21,000 samples across fourteen categories of human daily activities, demonstrating the effectiveness of our proposed solution. The experimental outcomes highlight the superior robustness of our method, particularly when using the Margenau–Hill Spectrogram for time–frequency analysis. When employing a random forest classifier, our approach outperformed other classifiers in terms of classification efficacy, achieving an average sensitivity, precision, F1, specificity, and accuracy of 98.25%, 98.25%, 98.25%, 99.87%, and 99.75%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) refers to the capability of the heart rhythm to vary at different times, typically reflecting the regulation of the heart by the autonomic nervous system. In recent years, with advancements in Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal processing technology, HRV features reflect various aspects of cardiac activity, such as variability in heart rate, cardiac health status, and responses. We extracted key features of HRV and used them to develop and evaluate an automatic recognition model for cardiac diseases. Consequently, we proposed the HRV Heart Disease Recognition (HHDR) method, employing the Spectral Magnitude Quantification (SMQ) technique for feature extraction. Firstly, the HRV signals are extracted through electrocardiogram signal processing. Then, by analyzing parts of the HRV signal within various frequency ranges, the SMQ method extracts rich features of partial information. Finally, the Random Forest (RF) classification computational method is employed to classify the extracted information, achieving efficient and accurate cardiac disease recognition. Experimental results indicate that this method surpasses current technologies in recognizing cardiac diseases, with an average accuracy rate of 95.1% for normal/diseased classification, and an average accuracy of 84.8% in classifying five different disease categories. Thus, the proposed HHDR method effectively utilizes the local information of HRV signals for efficient and accurate cardiac disease recognition, providing strong support for cardiac disease research in the medical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into decoding hand gestures using surface electromyography (EMG) signals collected via a precision Myo-armband sensor, leveraging machine learning algorithms. The research entails rigorous data preprocessing to extract features and labels from raw EMG data. Following partitioning into training and testing sets, four traditional machine learning models are scrutinized for their efficacy in classifying finger movements across seven distinct gestures. The analysis includes meticulous parameter optimization and five-fold cross-validation to evaluate model performance. Among the models assessed, the Random Forest emerges as the top performer, consistently delivering superior precision, recall, and F1-score values across gesture classes, with ROC-AUC scores surpassing 99%. These findings underscore the Random Forest model as the optimal classifier for our EMG dataset, promising significant advancements in healthcare rehabilitation engineering and enhancing human–computer interaction technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kidney transplantation is followed by immunosuppressive therapy involving calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) such as cyclosporin A. However, long-term high CNIs doses can lead to vitamin D deficiency, and genetic variations influencing vitamin D levels can indirectly impact the necessary CNIs dosage. This study investigates the impact of genetic variations of vitamin D binding protein (DBP) rs2282679 and CYP2R1 hydroxylase rs10741657 polymorphisms on the cyclosporin A dosage in kidney transplant recipients. Additional polymorphisims of genes that are predicted to influence the pharmacogenetic profile were included. Methods: Gene polymorphisms in 177 kidney transplant recipients were analyzed using data mining techniques, including the Random Forest algorithm and Classification and Regression Trees (C&RT). The relationship between the concentration/dose (C/D) ratio of cyclosporin A and genetic profiles was assessed to determine the predictive value of DBP rs2282679 and CYP2R1 rs10741657 polymorphisms. Results: Polymorphic variants of the DBP (rs2282679) demonstrated a strong predictive value for the cyclosporin A C/D ratio in post-kidney transplantation patients. By contrast, the CYP2R1 polymorphism (rs10741657) did not show predictive significance. Additionally, the immune response genes rs231775 CTLA4 and rs1800896 IL10 were identified as predictors of cyclosporin A response, though these did not result in statistically significant differences. Conclusions:DBP rs2282679 polymorphisms can significantly predict the cyclosporin A C/D ratio, potentially enhancing the accuracy of CNI dosing. This can help identify patient groups at risk of vitamin D deficiency, ultimately improving the management of kidney transplant recipients. Understanding these genetic influences allows for more personalized and effective treatment strategies, contributing to better long-term outcomes for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning methods have improved in recent years and provide increasingly powerful tools for understanding landscape evolution. In this study, we used the random forest method based on Google Earth Engine to evaluate the desertification dynamics in northern China from 1995 to 2020. We selected Landsat series image bands, remote sensing inversion data, climate baseline data, land use data, and soil type data as variables for majority voting in the random forest method. The method's average classification accuracy was 91.6% ± 5.8 [mean ± SD], and the average kappa coefficient was 0.68 ± 0.09, suggesting good classification results. The random forest classifier results were consistent with the results of visual interpretation for the spatial distribution of different levels of desertification. From 1995 to 2000, the area of aeolian desertification increased at an average rate of 9977 km2 yr−1, and from 2000 to 2005, from 2005 to 2010, from 2010 to 2015, and from 2015 to 2020, the aeolian desertification decreased at an average rate of 2535, 3462, 1487, and 4537 km2 yr−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf area index (LAI) is a key variable for monitoring crop growth. Compared with traditional measurement methods, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing offers a cost-effective and efficient approach for rapidly obtaining crop LAI. Although there is extensive research on rice LAI estimation, many studies suffer from the limitations of models that are only applicable to specific scenarios with unclear applicability conditions. In this study, we selected commonly used RGB and multispectral (Ms) data sources, which contain three channels of color information and five multi-band information, respectively, combined with five different spatial resolutions of data at intervals of 20–100 m. We evaluated the effectiveness of models using single- and multi-feature variables for LAI estimation in rice. In addition, texture and coverage features other than spectra were introduced to further analyze their effects on the inversion accuracy of the LAI. The results show that the accuracy of the model established with multi-variables under single features is significantly higher than that of the model established with single variables under single features. The best results were obtained using the RFR (random forest regression) model, in which the model's R2 is 0.675 and RMSE is 0.886 for multi-feature VIs at 40 m. Compared with the analysis results of Ms and RGB data at different heights, the accuracy of Ms data estimation results fluctuates slightly and is less sensitive to spatial resolution, while the accuracy of the results based on RGB data gradually decreases with the increase in height. The estimation accuracies of both Ms and RGB data were improved by adding texture features and coverage features, and their R2 improved by 9.1% and 7.3% on average. The best estimation heights (spatial resolution) of the two data sources were 40 m (2.2 cm) and 20 m (0.4 cm), with R2 of 0.724 and 0.673, and RMSE of 0.810 and 0.881. This study provides an important reference for the estimation of rice LAI based on RGB and Ms data acquired using the UAV platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil erodibility (K) refers to the inherent ability of soil to withstand erosion. Accurate estimation and spatial prediction of K values are vital for assessing soil erosion and managing land resources. However, as most K-value estimation models are empirical, they suffer from significant extrapolation uncertainty, and traditional studies on spatial prediction focusing on individual empirical K values have neglected to explore the spatial pattern differences between various empirical models. This work proposed a universal framework for selecting an optimal soil-erodibility map using empirical models enhanced by machine learning. Specifically, three empirical models, namely, the erosion-productivity impact calculator model (K_EPIC), the Shirazi model (K_Shirazi), and the Torri model (K_Torri) were used to estimate K values. Random Forest (RF) and Gradient-Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) algorithms were employed to develop prediction models, which led to the creation of three K-value maps. The spatial distribution of K values and associated environmental covariates were also investigated across varying empirical models. Results showed that RF achieved the highest accuracy, with R2 of K_EPIC, K_Shirazi, and K_Torri increasing by 46%, 34%, and 22%, respectively, compared to GBDT. And distinctions among environmental variables that shape the spatial patterns of empirical models have been identified. The K_EPIC and K_Shirazi are influenced by soil porosity and soil moisture. The K_Torri is more sensitive to soil moisture conditions and terrain location. More importantly, our study has highlighted disparities in the spatial patterns across the three K-value maps. Considering the data distribution, spatial distribution, and measured K values, the K_Torri model outperformed others in estimating soil erodibility in the plateau lake watershed. This study proposed a framework that aimed to create optimal soil-erodibility maps and offered a scientific and accurate K-value estimation method for the assessment of soil erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ocean tide loading (OTL) can result in displacements of centimeters or even decimeters at nearshore stations. Global ocean tide models exhibit errors in nearshore regions, which limit the accuracy of maintaining the coordinates of these stations. GNSS positioning can obtain tidal load displacements in nearshore areas, but it often requires long-term observation data and cannot provide timely correction models for newly established reference stations. This paper proposes a method for an empirical correction model of short-term OTL displacements using GNSS observations, where the kinematic coordinate sequences are first obtained by multi-GNSS precise point positioning with ambiguity resolution (PPP-AR), and then the OTL corrections are obtained by window-sliding forecast based on random forest modeling. Through experiments conducted in the Hong Kong region, the empirical model with a window of 15 days is established by the proposed method. After applying the empirical model, root mean square errors of the residuals are reduced by 1.5 (30.6%), 3.7 (53.6%), and 3.7 mm (37.8%) in the East, North, and Up (ENU) components, respectively. When using the global ocean tide model FES2014, the RMSE values are reduced by 1.2 (24.5%), 0.3 (4.3%), and 3.7 mm (37.8%) in the ENU components, respectively. The empirical model shows better effects for the OTL displacement compared to FES2014, especially in the N component, with an improvement ratio of about 49.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution and accurate precipitation data are essential for hydrological, meteorological, and ecological research at the watershed scale. However, in regions with complex terrain and significant rainfall variability, the limited number of rain gauge stations (RGS) is insufficient, and the spatial resolution of existing satellite precipitation data is too low to capture detailed precipitation patterns at the watershed scale. To address this issue, the downscaling of satellite precipitation products has become an effective method to obtain high-resolution precipitation data. This study proposes a monthly downscaling method based on a random forest model, aiming to improve the resolution of precipitation data in cloudy and rainy regions at mid-to-low latitudes. We combined the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform with a local Python environment, introducing cloud cover characteristics into traditional downscaling variables (latitude, longitude, topography, and vegetation index). The TRMM data were downscaled from 25 km to 1 km, generating high-resolution monthly precipitation data for the Dongting Lake Basin from 2001 to 2019. Furthermore, we analyzed the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of precipitation in the study area. The results show the following: (1) In cloudy and rainy regions, our method improves resolution and detail while maintaining the accuracy of precipitation data; (2) The response of monthly precipitation to environmental variables varies, with cloud cover characteristics contributing more to the downscaling model than vegetation characteristics, helping to overcome the lag effect of vegetation characteristics; and (3) Over the past 20 years, there have been significant seasonal trends in precipitation changes in the study area, with a decreasing trend in winter and spring (January–May) and an increasing trend in summer and autumn (June–December). These results indicate that the proposed method is suitable for downscaling monthly precipitation data in cloudy and rainy regions of the Dongting Lake Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on large-scale landslide susceptibility modelling in NW Croatia. The objective of this research was to provide new insight into stable and unstable area sampling strategies on a representative inventory of small and shallow landslides mainly occurring in soil and soft rock. Four strategies were tested for stable area sampling (random points, stable area polygon, stable polygon buffering and stable area centroid) in combination with four strategies for unstable area sampling (landslide polygon, smoothing digital terrain model derived landslide conditioning factors, polygon buffering and landslide centroid), resulting in eight sampling scenarios. Using Logistic Regression, Neural Network, Random Forest and Support Vector Machine algorithm, 32 models were derived and analysed. The main conclusions reveal that polygon sampling of unstable areas is an imperative in large-scale modelling, as well as that subjective and/or biased stable area sampling leads to misleading models. Moreover, Random Forest and Neural Network proved to be more favourable methods (0.804 and 0.805 AUC, respectively), but also showed extreme sensitivity to the tested sampling strategies. In the comprehensive comparison, the advantages and disadvantages of 32 derived models were analysed through quantitative and qualitative parameters to highlight their application to large-scale landslide zonation. The results yielded by this research are beneficial to the susceptibility modelling step in large-scale landslide susceptibility assessments as they enable the derivation of more reliable zonation maps applicable to spatial and urban planning systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil, a leading rice producer globally, faces challenges in systematically mapping its diverse rice fields due to varying cropping systems, climates, and planting calendars. Existing rice mapping methods often rely on complex techniques like deep learning or microwave imagery, posing limitations for large-scale mapping. This study proposes a novel approach utilizing Sentinel-2 spectral–temporal metrics (STMs) in conjunction with a random forest classifier for rice paddy mapping. By extracting diverse STMs and training both regional and global classifiers, we validated the method across independent areas. While regional models tended to overestimate rice areas, the global model effectively reduced discrepancies between our data and the reference maps, achieving an overall classifier accuracy exceeding 80%. Despite the need for further refinement to address confusion with other crops, STM exhibits promise for national-scale rice paddy mapping in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring air pollution is important for human health and the environment. Previous studies on the prediction of air pollutants from satellite images have employed machine learning, yet there are few enhancements to the constructure of model. Moreover, the existing models have been successful in predicting pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, and O3. They have not been as effective in predicting other primary air pollutants. To improve the overall prediction performance of the existing model, a novel residual learning backpropagation model, abs. as BresNet, has been proposed in this research. This model has revealed the availability to precisely predict the ground-surface concentration of the six primary air pollutants, PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, CO, and SO2, based on the satellite imagery of MODIS AOD. Two of the most commonly used machine learning models so far, viz. the multilayer backpropagation neural network (MLBPN) and random forest (RF), were employed as the control. In the conducted experiments, the proposed BresNet model demonstrated significant improvements of 18.75%/31.94%, 33.82%/85.71%, 15.00%/35.29%, 39.06%/134.21%, 23.23%/68.00%, and 137.14%/260.87% in terms of R2 for the six primary air pollutants, compared to the RF/MLBPN model. Moreover, the convergence speed and loss function of the BresNet model compared to that of the MLBPN decreased by 55.15%, revealing superior convergence speed with the lower loss function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) has been widely utilized to track the dynamics of gross primary productivity (GPP). It has been shown that the photochemical reflectance index (PRI), which may be utilized as an indicator of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), improves SIF-based GPP estimation. However, the influence of weather conditions on GPP estimation using SIF and PRI has not been well explored. In this study, using an open-access dataset, we examined the impact of the clearness index (CI), which is associated with the proportional intensity of solar incident radiation and can represent weather conditions, on soybean GPP estimation using SIF and PRI. The midday PRI (xanthophyll de-epoxidation state) minus the early morning PRI (xanthophyll epoxidation state) yielded the corrected PRI (ΔPRI), which described the amplitude of xanthophyll pigment interconversion during the day. The observed canopy SIF at 760 nm ( S I F T O C _ 760 ) was downscaled to the broadband photosystem-level SIF for photosystem II ( S I F T O T _ F U L L _ P S I I ). Our results show that GPP can be accurately estimated using a multi-linear model with S I F T O T _ F U L L _ P S I I and ΔPRI. The ratio of GPP measured using the eddy covariance (EC) method ( G P P E C ) to GPP estimated using S I F T O T _ F U L L _ P S I I and ΔPRI exhibited a non-linear correlation with the CI along both the half-hourly (R2 = 0.21) and daily scales (R2 = 0.25). The GPP estimates using S I F T O T _ F U L L _ P S I I and ΔPRI were significantly improved by the addition of the CI (for the half-hourly data, R2 improved from 0.64 to 0.71 and the RMSE decreased from 8.28 to 7.42 μ mol•m−2•s−1; for the daily data, R2 improved from 0.71 to 0.81 and the RMSE decreased from 6.69 to 5.34 μ mol•m−2•s−1). This was confirmed by the validation results. In addition, the GPP estimated using the Random Forest method was also largely improved by considering the influences of the CI. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that GPP can be well estimated using S I F T O T _ F U L L _ P S I I and ΔPRI, and it can be significantly enhanced by accounting for the CI. These results will be beneficial to vegetation GPP estimation using different remote sensing platforms, especially under various weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) can accurately estimate the location and probability of landslides. An effective approach for precise LSM is crucial for minimizing casualties and damage. The existing LSM methods primarily rely on static indicators, such as geomorphology and hydrology, which are closely associated with geo-environmental conditions. However, landslide hazards are often characterized by significant surface deformation. The Small Baseline Subset-Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SBAS-InSAR) technology plays a pivotal role in detecting and characterizing surface deformation. This work endeavors to assess the accuracy of SBAS-InSAR coupled with ensemble learning for LSM. Within this research, the study area was Shiyan City, and 12 static evaluation factors were selected as input variables for the ensemble learning models to compute landslide susceptibility. The Random Forest (RF) model demonstrates superior accuracy compared to other ensemble learning models, including eXtreme Gradient Boosting, Logistic Regression, Gradient Boosting Decision Tree, and K-Nearest Neighbor. Furthermore, SBAS-InSAR was utilized to obtain surface deformation rates both in the vertical direction and along the line of sight of the satellite. The former is used as a dynamic characteristic factor, while the latter is combined with the evaluation results of the RF model to create a landslide susceptibility optimization matrix. Comparing the precision of two methods for refining LSM results, it was found that the method integrating static and dynamic factors produced a more rational and accurate landslide susceptibility map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide corrosion is a pervasive issue in pipelines and the petroleum industry, posing substantial risks to equipment safety and longevity. Accurate prediction of corrosion rates and severity is essential for effective material selection and equipment maintenance. This paper begins by addressing the limitations of traditional corrosion prediction methods and explores the application of machine learning algorithms in C O 2 corrosion prediction. Conventional models often fail to capture the complex interactions among multiple factors, resulting in suboptimal prediction accuracy, limited adaptability, and poor generalization. To overcome these limitations, this study systematically organized and analyzed the data, performed a correlation analysis of the data features, and examined the factors influencing corrosion. Subsequently, prediction models were developed using six algorithms: Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT), Support Vector Machine (SVM), XGBoost, and LightGBM. The results revealed that SVM exhibited the lowest performance on both training and test sets, while RF achieved the best results with R2 values of 0.92 for the training set and 0.88 for the test set. In the classification of corrosion severity, RF, LightGBM, SVM, and KNN were utilized, with RF demonstrating superior performance, achieving an accuracy of 99% and an F1-score of 0.99. This study highlights that machine learning algorithms, particularly Random Forest, offer substantial potential for predicting and classifying C O 2 corrosion. These algorithms provide innovative approaches and valuable insights for practical applications, enhancing predictive accuracy and operational efficiency in corrosion management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The next generation of advanced materials is tending toward increasingly complex compositions. Synthesizing precise composition is time-consuming and becomes exponentially demanding with increasing compositional complexity. An experienced human operator does significantly better than a novice but still struggles to consistently achieve precision when synthesis parameters are coupled. The time to optimize synthesis becomes a barrier to exploring scientifically and technologically exciting compositionally complex materials. This investigation demonstrates an active learning (AL) approach for optimizing physical vapor deposition synthesis of thin-film alloys with up to five principal elements. We compared AL-based on Gaussian process (GP) and random forest (RF) models. The best performing models were able to discover synthesis parameters for a target quinary alloy in 14 iterations. We also demonstrate the capability of these models to be used in transfer learning tasks. RF and GP models trained on lower dimensional systems (i.e., ternary, quarternary) show an immediate improvement in prediction accuracy compared to models trained only on quinary samples. Furthermore, samples that only share a few elements in common with the target composition can be used for model pre-training. We believe that such AL approaches can be widely adapted to significantly accelerate the exploration of compositionally complex materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variational heteroencoder based on recurrent neural networks, trained with SMILES linear notations of molecular structures, was used to derive the following atomic descriptors: delta latent space vectors (DLSVs) obtained from the original SMILES of the whole molecule and the SMILES of the same molecule with the target atom replaced. Different replacements were explored, namely, changing the atomic element, replacement with a character of the model vocabulary not used in the training set, or the removal of the target atom from the SMILES. Unsupervised mapping of the DLSV descriptors with t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) revealed a remarkable clustering according to the atomic element, hybridization, atomic type, and aromaticity. Atomic DLSV descriptors were used to train machine learning (ML) models to predict 19F NMR chemical shifts. An R2 of up to 0.89 and mean absolute errors of up to 5.5 ppm were obtained for an independent test set of 1046 molecules with random forests or a gradient-boosting regressor. Intermediate representations from a Transformer model yielded comparable results. Furthermore, DLSVs were applied as molecular operators in the latent space: the DLSV of a halogenation (H→F substitution) was summed to the LSVs of 4135 new molecules with no fluorine atom and decoded into SMILES, yielding 99% of valid SMILES, with 75% of the SMILES incorporating fluorine and 56% of the structures incorporating fluorine with no other structural change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to assess systemic risk factors in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and predict diabetic retinopathy (DR) using a Random Forest (RF) classification model. Methods: We included DM patients presenting to the retina clinic for first-time DR screening. Data on age, gender, diabetes type, treatment history, DM control status, family history, pregnancy history, and systemic comorbidities were collected. DR and sight-threatening DR (STDR) were diagnosed via a dilated fundus examination. The dataset was split 80:20 into training and testing sets. The RF model was trained to detect DR and STDR separately, and its performance was evaluated using misclassification rates, sensitivity, and specificity. Results: Data from 1416 DM patients were analyzed. The RF model was trained on 1132 (80%) patients. The misclassification rates were 0% for DR and ~20% for STDR in the training set. External testing on 284 (20%) patients showed 100% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for DR detection. For STDR, the model achieved 76% (95% CI-70.7%–80.7%) accuracy, 53% (95% CI-39.2%–66.6%) sensitivity, and 80% (95% CI-74.6%–84.7%) specificity. Conclusions: The RF model effectively predicts DR in DM patients using systemic risk factors, potentially reducing unnecessary referrals for DR screening. However, further validation with diverse datasets is necessary to establish its reliability for clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a frequent, worldwide tumor described for its huge complexity, including inter-/intra-heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment (TME) variability. Intra-tumor heterogeneity and its connections with metabolic reprogramming and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) were investigated with explorative shotgun proteomics complemented by a Random Forest (RF) machine-learning approach. Deep and superficial tumor regions and distant-site non-tumor samples from the same patients (n = 16) were analyzed. Among the 2009 proteins analyzed, 91 proteins, including 23 novel potential CRC hallmarks, showed significant quantitative changes. In addition, a 98.4% accurate classification of the three analyzed tissues was obtained by RF using a set of 21 proteins. Subunit E1 of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH-E1) was the best classifying factor for the superficial tumor region, while sorting nexin-18 and coatomer-beta protein (beta-COP), implicated in protein trafficking, classified the deep region. Down- and up-regulations of metabolic checkpoints involved different proteins in superficial and deep tumors. Analogously to immune checkpoints affecting the TME, cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM) dynamics were crucial for EMT. Galectin-3, basigin, S100A9, and fibronectin involved in TME–CRC–ECM crosstalk were found to be differently variated in both tumor regions. Different metabolic strategies appeared to be adopted by the two CRC regions to uncouple the Krebs cycle and cytosolic glucose metabolism, promote lipogenesis, promote amino acid synthesis, down-regulate bioenergetics in mitochondria, and up-regulate oxidative stress. Finally, correlations with the Dukes stage and budding supported the finding of novel potential CRC hallmarks and therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Fetal macrosomia is when a baby's weight at birth is equal to or greater than 4000 g or 4500 g. The rising incidence of macrosomia poses a significant challenge in obstetrics, as it can have serious health consequences for both mothers and babies. The maternal gut microbiome can influence the health of pregnant women and their babies, with potential effects on birth weight. However, research on the link between the microbiome and birth weight, especially macrosomia, is limited; further investigation is needed. Here, we discovered a connection between the maternal gut microbiome and macrosomia. Our findings present novel opportunities for preventing macrosomia by manipulating the composition of the intestinal microbiota. Early prediction models using gut microbiota and clinical indicators can predict macrosomia. Fetal macrosomia is defined as a birthweight ≥4000 g and causes harm to pregnant women and fetuses. Studies reported that the maternal intestinal microbiome plays a key role in the establishment, growth, and development of the fetal intestinal microbiome. However, whether there is a relationship between maternal gut microbiota and macrosomia remains unclear. Our study aimed to identify gut microbiota that may be related to the occurrence of macrosomia, explore the possible mechanisms by which it causes macrosomia, and establish a prediction model to determine the feasibility of predicting macrosomia by early maternal gut microbiota. We conducted a nested case-control study based on an early pregnancy cohort (ChiCTR1900020652) in the Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Hunan Province on fecal samples of 93 women (31 delivered macrosomia as the case group and 62 delivered normal birth weight newborns as the control group) collected and included in this study. We performed metagenomic analysis to compare the composition and function of the gut microbiome between cases and controls. Correlation analysis was used to explore the association of differential species and differential functional pathways. A random forest model was used to construct an early pregnancy prediction model for macrosomia. At the species level, there were more Bacteroides salyersiae, Bacteroides plebeius, Ruminococcus lactaris, and Bacteroides ovatus in the intestinal microbiome of macrosomias' mothers compared with mothers bearing fetuses that had normal birth weight. Functional pathways of the gut microbiome including gondoate biosynthesis, L-histidine degradation III, cis-vaccenate biosynthesis, L-arginine biosynthesis III, tRNA processing, and mannitol cycle, which were more abundant in the macrosomia group. Significant correlations were found between species and functional pathways. Bacteroides plebeius was significantly associated with the pathway of cis-vaccenate biosynthesis (r = 0.28, p = 0.005) and gondoate biosynthesis (r = 0.28, p < 0.001) and Bacteroides ovatus was positively associated with the pathway of cis-vaccenate biosynthesis (r = 0.29, p = 0.005) and gondoate biosynthesis (r = 0.32, p = 0.002). Bacteroides salyersiae was significantly associated with the pathway of cis-vaccenate biosynthesis (r = 0.24, p = 0.018), gondoate biosynthesis (r = 0.31, p = 0.003), and L–histidine degradation III (r = 0.22, p = 0.291). Finally, four differential species and four clinical indicators were included in the random forest model for predicting macrosomia. The areas under the working characteristic curves of the training and validation sets were 0.935 (95% CI: 0.851~0.979) and 0.909 (95% CI: 0.679~0.992), respectively. Maternal gut microbiota in early pregnancy may play an important role in the development of macrosomia and can be used as potential predictors to prevent macrosomia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global climate change intensifies, nations around the world are implementing policies aimed at reducing emissions, with carbon-trading mechanisms emerging as a key market-based tool. China has launched carbon-trading markets in several cities, achieving significant trading volumes. Carbon-trading mechanisms encompass cap-and-trade markets and voluntary markets, influenced by various factors, including policy changes, economic conditions, energy prices, and climate fluctuations. The complexity of these factors, coupled with the nonlinear and non-stationary nature of carbon prices, makes forecasting a substantial challenge. This paper proposes a dynamic weight hybrid forecasting model based on a dual sliding window approach, effectively integrating multiple forecasting models such as LSTM, Random Forests, and LASSO. This model facilitates a thorough analysis of the influences of policy, market dynamics, technological advancements, and climatic conditions on carbon pricing. It serves as a potent tool for predicting carbon market price fluctuations and offers valuable decision support to stakeholders in the carbon market, ultimately aiding in the global efforts towards emission reduction and achieving sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the complex powertrain of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and diversified vehicle platooning synergy constraints, a control strategy that simultaneously considers inter-vehicle synergy control and energy economy is one of the key technologies to improve transportation efficiency and release the energy-saving potential of platooning vehicles. In this paper, an energy-oriented hybrid cooperative adaptive cruise control (eHCACC) strategy is proposed for an FCEV platoon, aiming to enhance energy-saving potential while ensuring stable car-following performance. The eHCACC employs a hybrid cooperative control architecture, consisting of a top-level centralized controller (TCC) and bottom-level distributed controllers (BDCs). The TCC integrates an eco-driving CACC (eCACC) strategy based on the minimum principle and random forest, which generates optimal reference velocity datasets by aligning the comprehensive control objectives of the platoon and addressing the car-following performance and economic efficiency of the platoon. Concurrently, to further unleash energy-saving potential, the BDCs utilize the equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) to determine optimal powertrain control inputs by combining the reference datasets with detailed optimization information and system states of the powertrain components. A series of simulation evaluations highlight the improved car-following stability and energy efficiency of the FCEV platoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional mobility tests, such as the L test of functional mobility, are recommended to provide clinicians with information regarding the mobility progress of lower-limb amputees. Smartphone inertial sensors have been used to perform subtask segmentation on functional mobility tests, providing further clinically useful measures such as fall risk. However, L test subtask segmentation rule-based algorithms developed for able-bodied individuals have not produced sufficiently acceptable results when tested with lower-limb amputee data. In this paper, a random forest machine learning model was trained to segment subtasks of the L test for application to lower-limb amputees. The model was trained with 105 trials completed by able-bodied participants and 25 trials completed by lower-limb amputee participants and tested using a leave-one-out method with lower-limb amputees. This algorithm successfully classified subtasks within a one-foot strike for most lower-limb amputee participants. The algorithm produced acceptable results to enhance clinician understanding of a person's mobility status (>85% accuracy, >75% sensitivity, >95% specificity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deep-seated landslide could release numerous microseismic signals from creep-slip movement, which includes a rock-soil slip from the slope surface and a rock-soil shear rupture in the subsurface. Machine learning can effectively enhance the classification of microseismic signals in landslide seismic monitoring and interpret the mechanical processes of landslide motion. In this paper, eight sets of triaxial seismic sensors were deployed inside the deep-seated landslide, Jiuxianping, China, and a large number of microseismic signals related to the slope movement were obtained through 1-year-long continuous monitoring. All the data were passed through the seismic event identification mode, the ratio of the long-time average and short-time average. We selected 11 days of data, manually classified 4131 data into eight categories, and created a microseismic event database. Classical machine learning algorithms and ensemble learning algorithms were tested in this paper. In order to evaluate the seismic event classification performance of each algorithmic model, we evaluated the proposed algorithms through the dimensions of the accuracy, precision, and recall of each model. The validation results demonstrated that the best performing decision tree algorithm among the classical machine learning algorithms had an accuracy of 88.75%, while the ensemble algorithms, including random forest, Gradient Boosting Trees, Extreme Gradient Boosting, and Light Gradient Boosting Machine, had an accuracy range from 93.5% to 94.2% and also achieved better results in the combined evaluation of the precision, recall, and F1 score. The specific classification tests for each microseismic event category showed the same results. The results suggested that the ensemble learning algorithms show better results compared to the classical machine learning algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyber-security challenges are growing globally and are specifically targeting critical infrastructure. Conventional countermeasure practices are insufficient to provide proactive threat hunting. In this study, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), multi-layer perceptron (MLP), AdaBoost, and hybrid models were applied for proactive threat hunting. By automating detection, the hybrid machine learning-based method improves threat hunting and frees up time to concentrate on high-risk warnings. These models are implemented on approach devices, access, and principal servers. The efficacy of several models, including hybrid approaches, is assessed. The findings of these studies are that the AdaBoost model provides the highest efficiency, with a 0.98 ROC area and 95.7% accuracy, detecting 146 threats with 29 false positives. Similarly, the random forest model achieved a 0.98 area under the ROC curve and a 95% overall accuracy, accurately identifying 132 threats and reducing false positives to 31. The hybrid model exhibited promise with a 0.89 ROC area and 94.9% accuracy, though it requires further refinement to lower its false positive rate. This research emphasizes the role of machine learning in improving cyber-security, particularly for critical infrastructure. Advanced ML techniques enhance threat detection and response times, and their continuous learning ability ensures adaptability to new threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection performance of radar is significantly impaired by active jamming and mutual interference from other radars. This paper proposes a radio signal modulation recognition method to accurately recognize these signals, which helps in the jamming cancellation decisions. Based on the ensemble learning stacking algorithm improved by meta-feature enhancement, the proposed method adopts random forests, K-nearest neighbors, and Gaussian naive Bayes as the base-learners, with logistic regression serving as the meta-learner. It takes the multi-domain features of signals as input, which include time-domain features including fuzzy entropy, slope entropy, and Hjorth parameters; frequency-domain features, including spectral entropy; and fractal-domain features, including fractal dimension. The simulation experiment, including seven common signal types of radar and active jamming, was performed for the effectiveness validation and performance evaluation. Results proved the proposed method's performance superiority to other classification methods, as well as its ability to meet the requirements of low signal-to-noise ratio and few-shot learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To optimize growth and management, precision agriculture relies on a deep understanding of agricultural dynamics, particularly crop water status analysis. Leveraging unmanned aerial vehicles, we can efficiently acquire high-resolution spatiotemporal samples by utilizing remote sensors. However, non-linear relationships among data features, localized within specific subgroups, frequently emerge in agricultural data. Interpreting these complex patterns requires sophisticated analysis due to the presence of noise, high variability, and non-stationarity behavior in the collected samples. Here, we introduce Local Biplot, a methodological framework tailored for discerning meaningful data patterns in non-stationary contexts for precision agriculture. Local Biplot relies on the well-known uniform manifold approximation and projection method, such as UMAP, and local affine transformations to codify non-stationary and non-linear data patterns while maintaining interpretability. This lets us find important clusters for transformation and projection within a single global axis pair. Hence, our framework encompasses variable and observational contributions within individual clusters. At the same time, we provide a relevance analysis strategy to help explain why those clusters exist, facilitating the understanding of data dynamics while favoring interpretability. We demonstrated our method's capabilities through experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets, covering scenarios involving grass and rice crops. Moreover, we use random forest and linear regression models to predict water status variables from our Local Biplot-based feature ranking and clusters. Our findings revealed enhanced clustering and prediction capability while emphasizing the importance of input features in precision agriculture. As a result, Local Biplot is a useful tool to visualize, analyze, and compare the intricate underlying patterns and internal structures of complex agricultural datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfire susceptibility maps play a crucial role in preemptively identifying regions at risk of future fires and informing decisions related to wildfire management, thereby aiding in mitigating the risks and potential damage posed by wildfires. This study employs eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) techniques, particularly SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), to map wildfire susceptibility in Izmir Province, Türkiye. Incorporating fifteen conditioning factors spanning topography, climate, anthropogenic influences, and vegetation characteristics, machine learning (ML) models (Random Forest, XGBoost, LightGBM) were used to predict wildfire-prone areas using freely available active fire pixel data (MODIS Active Fire Collection 6 MCD14ML product). The evaluation of the trained ML models showed that the Random Forest (RF) model outperformed XGBoost and LightGBM, achieving the highest test accuracy (95.6%). All of the classifiers demonstrated a strong predictive performance, but RF excelled in sensitivity, specificity, precision, and F-1 score, making it the preferred model for generating a wildfire susceptibility map and conducting a SHAP analysis. Unlike prevailing approaches focusing solely on global feature importance, this study fills a critical gap by employing a SHAP summary and dependence plots to comprehensively assess each factor's contribution, enhancing the explainability and reliability of the results. The analysis reveals clear associations between factors such as wind speed, temperature, NDVI, slope, and distance to villages with increased fire susceptibility, while rainfall and distance to streams exhibit nuanced effects. The spatial distribution of the wildfire susceptibility classes highlights critical areas, particularly in flat and coastal regions near settlements and agricultural lands, emphasizing the need for enhanced awareness and preventive measures. These insights inform targeted fire management strategies, highlighting the importance of tailored interventions like firebreaks and vegetation management. However, challenges remain, including ensuring the selected factors' adequacy across diverse regions, addressing potential biases from resampling spatially varied data, and refining the model for broader applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site-specific weed management employs image data to generate maps through various methodologies that classify pixels corresponding to crop, soil, and weed. Further, many studies have focused on identifying specific weed species using spectral data. Nonetheless, the availability of open-access weed datasets remains limited. Remarkably, despite the extensive research employing hyperspectral imaging data to classify species under varying conditions, to the best of our knowledge, there are no open-access hyperspectral weed datasets. Consequently, accessible spectral weed datasets are primarily RGB or multispectral and mostly lack the temporal aspect, i.e., they contain a single measurement day. This paper introduces an open dataset for training and evaluating machine-learning methods and spectral features to classify weeds based on various biological traits. The dataset comprises 30 hyperspectral images, each containing thousands of pixels with 204 unique visible and near-infrared bands captured in a controlled environment. In addition, each scene includes a corresponding RGB image with a higher spatial resolution. We included three weed species in this dataset, representing different botanical groups and photosynthetic mechanisms. In addition, the dataset contains meticulously sampled labeled data for training and testing. The images represent a time series of the weed's growth along its early stages, critical for precise herbicide application. We conducted an experimental evaluation to test the performance of a machine-learning approach, a deep-learning approach, and Spectral Mixture Analysis (SMA) to identify the different weed traits. In addition, we analyzed the importance of features using the random forest algorithm and evaluated the performance of the selected algorithms while using different sets of features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]