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In this contribution, we propose machine learning techniques to predict zombie firms. First, we derive the risk of failure by training and testing our algorithms on disclosed financial information and nonrandom missing values of 304,906 firms active in Italy from 2008 to 2017. We then identify the highest financial distress conditional on predictions that lie above a threshold for which a combination of the false positive rate (false prediction of firm failure) and the false negative rate (false prediction of active firms) is minimized. Therefore, we identify zombies as firms that remain in financial distress, i.e. whose forecasts fall into the risk category above the threshold for at least three consecutive years. To this end, we implement a gradient boosting algorithm (XGBoost) that exploits information about missing values. The inclusion of missing values in our prediction model is crucial because patterns of undisclosed accounts are correlated with firm failure. Finally, we show that our preferred machine learning algorithm outperforms (i) proxy models such as Z -scores and the distance-to-default, (ii) traditional econometric methods, and (iii) other widely used machine learning techniques. We provide evidence that zombies are less productive and smaller on average and that they tend to increase in times of crisis. Finally, we argue that our application can help financial institutions and public authorities design evidence-based policies—e.g. optimal bankruptcy laws and information disclosure policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of thermoelectric materials relies significantly on the thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, which serves as a crucial parameter in assessing their properties. The accurate prediction of ZT values can be accomplished by utilizing machine learning models to learn material characteristics. However, factors such as the size of the dataset, model hyperparameters, and data quality can all impact the accuracy of machine learning. In contrast to previous research where high-dimensional features were simply discarded to transform them into low-dimensional ones, deep learning models such as autoencoder can extract more effective information. Therefore, in this article, the combination of autoencoders and the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) is employed to learn the chemical characteristics and ZT values of various materials. The reliability of the model was confirmed by achieving an R2 score of 0.94 during tenfold cross-validation. 130 000 materials were predicted and screened, the temperature dependence of the screened materials was studied in depth, and 13 materials with high ZT values were identified. Four of the 13 most promising candidates identified are existing thermoelectric materials, while nine are ideal candidates for future experimental studies and validation. This work utilizes autoencoders for extensive prediction and screening of promising materials, providing an effective approach for handling high-dimensional material data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online crowdfunding has become an important fundraising channel for medical care. Yet, individuals in need face numerous challenges in meeting their fundraising goals. To improve fundraising, individuals may use project updates to evoke donors' sympathy and secure donations. Informed by the sympathy bias literature, this paper conceptualizes two important but distinct aspects of project updates—positive sentiment and negative sentiment—and hypothesizes their individual and relative impacts on the donation amount of a crowdfunding project. In addition, this paper explores moderating effects of social endorsements on the influence of update sentiment. To test our hypotheses, we conducted two studies. Study 1 examined unique project-day panel data from 1,467 projects on a leading medical crowdfunding platform. Results reveal that both positive and negative update sentiment positively affect the donation amount of a crowdfunding project, but negative updates have a greater effect. Further, endorsements by strong ties and weak ties attenuate the positive effects of update sentiment. Study 2 was a controlled, randomized experiment that corroborated findings from Study 1, established the causality of observed effects, and confirmed the mediating effects of sympathy. The findings of this paper underscore the role of sympathy in enhancing online charitable crowdfunding to individual donors and show project updates with positive or negative sentiment to be potent mechanisms to boost donations. Furthermore, the substitution effect of social endorsement on donation amount also adds nuance to our knowledge suggesting that a proper combination of various information can better help improve crowdfunding performance. Platform operators and fundraisers should prioritize project update sentiment to enhance online charitable crowdfunding success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the emergence of big data initiatives and the wealth of available chemical data, data-driven approaches are becoming a vital component of materials discovery pipelines or workflows. The screening of materials using machine-learning models, in particular, is increasingly gaining momentum to accelerate the discovery of new materials. However, the black-box treatment of machine-learning methods suffers from a lack of model interpretability, as feature relevance and interactions can be overlooked or disregarded. In addition, naive approaches to model training often lead to irrelevant features being used which necessitates the need for various regularization techniques to achieve model generalization; this incurs a high computational cost. We present a feature-selection workflow that overcomes this problem by leveraging a gradient boosting framework and statistical feature analyses to identify a subset of features, in a recursive manner, which maximizes their relevance to the target variable or classes. We subsequently obtain minimal feature redundancy through multicollinearity reduction by performing feature correlation and hierarchical cluster analyses. The features are further refined using a wrapper method, which follows a greedy search approach by evaluating all possible feature combinations against the evaluation criterion. A case study on elastic material-property prediction and a case study on the classification of materials by their metallicity are used to illustrate the use of our proposed workflow; although it is highly general, as demonstrated through our wider subsequent prediction of various material properties. Our Bayesian-optimized machine-learning models generated results, without the use of regularization techniques, which are comparable to the state-of-the-art that are reported in the scientific literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning (ML) is effective to establish the complicated trilateral relationship among structures, properties, and photovoltaic performance, which is fundamental issue in developing novel materials for improving power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, we constructed the database of 397 donor–acceptor pairs of OSCs with photovoltaic parameters and descriptor sets, which include donor–acceptor weight ratio within the active layer of the OSCs, root mean square of roughness, and 1024-bit Morgan molecular fingerprint for donor (Fp-D) and acceptor (Fp-A). The ML models random forest (RF), adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), extra trees regression, and gradient boosting regression trees were trained based on the descriptor set. The metrics determination coefficient (R2), Pearson correlation coefficient (r), root mean square error, and mean absolute error were selected to evaluate ML model performances. The results showed that the RF model exhibits the highest accuracy and stability for PCE prediction among these four ML models. Moreover, based on the decomposition of non-fullerene acceptors L8-BO, BTP-ec9, AQx-2, and IEICO, 20 acceptor molecules with symmetric A–D–A and A–π–D–π–A architectures were designed. The photovoltaic parameters of the designed acceptors were predicted using the trained RF model, and the virtual screening of designed acceptors was conducted based on the predicted PCE. The results indicate that six designed acceptors can reach the predicted PCE higher than 12% when P3HT was adopted as a donor. While PM6 was applied as a donor, five designed acceptors can achieve the predicted PCE higher than 16%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of the frontier orbital, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), energies is vital for studying chemical and electrochemical stability of compounds, their corrosion inhibition potential, reactivity, etc. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide a direct route to estimate these energies either in the gas-phase or condensed phase. However, the application of DFT methods becomes computationally intensive when hundreds of thousands of compounds are to be screened. Such is the case when all the isomers for the 1-alkyl-3-alkylimidazolium cation [CnCmim]+ (n = 1–10, m = 1–10) are considered. Enumerating the isomer space of [CnCmim]+ yields close to 386 000 cation structures. Calculating frontier orbital energies for each would be computationally very expensive and time-consuming using DFT. In this article, we develop a machine learning model based on the extreme gradient boosting method using a small subset of the isomer space and predict the HOMO and LUMO energies. Using the model, the HOMO energies are predicted with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.4 eV and the LUMO energies are predicted with a MAE of 0.2 eV. Inferences are also drawn on the type of the descriptors deemed important for the HOMO and LUMO energy estimates. Application of the machine learning model results in a drastic reduction in computational time required for such calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict hydrogen (H 2) thermodynamic properties for geological storage, focusing on its mixtures with natural gas, nitrogen (N 2), and carbon dioxide (CO 2). Employing 1167 data samples, this research utilizes multiple linear regression (MLR), random forest (RF), gradient boosting (GB), and decision tree (DT) models, enhanced by sensitivity analysis for feature engineering. GB model's superior accuracy and efficiency over conventional statistical linear regression methods. The finding reveals that the GB model achieves superior performance, with an R2 value of 0.9998 for thermal capacity and the lowest mean absolute error (MAE)/root mean square error (RMSE) across all H 2 properties—density (1.51%, 2.06 kg/m3), viscosity (0.000078%, 0.000117 cp), thermal conductivity (0.000427%, 0.000849 W/m.K), and thermal capacity (8.79%, 26.06 J/g.K). Moreover, this ML-based approach not only demonstrates remarkable accuracy and efficiency but also suggests the potential of smart paradigms to further enhance the safety and transportability of underground hydrogen storage projects. Ultimately, this work will help the reservoir simulation at field scale to be more robust and reliable. [Display omitted] • Machine learning employed in the prediction of hydrogen's thermodynamic properties. • Four advanced ML-based models constructed by variables such as pressure, temperature, and hydrogen fraction. • Gradient boosting algorithm comparatively showed the highest accuracies. • ML achieved the lowest MAE/RMSE values for viscosity 0.000078/0.000117. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frontier molecular orbitals of organic semiconductor materials play a crucial role in the performance of photoelectric devices, including organic photovoltaics (OPVs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and organic photodetectors (OPDs). In this work, a model for predicting frontier molecular orbital of organic materials, including HOMO and LUMO levels, is established with the extreme gradient boosting algorithm and Klekota-Roth fingerprints. The correlation coefficients of HOMO or LUMO energy levels in the testing set are 0.75 and 0.84 in the transfer model from 11,626 DFT data in Harvard Energy database to 1198 experimental data in literature. The difference between the ML predicted value and the experimental value is smaller than the difference between ML prediction and DFT calculation, always less than 10%. Moreover, based on correlation and SHAP interpretability analysis, 13 key structural fragments influencing energy levels are selected to further verify the effective regulation of the frontier molecular orbital by the key structural fragments in practical applications. Considering the completely opposite regulatory functions of key structural fragments on HOMO and LUMO energy levels, four new Y6 derivatives, Y-PCP, Y-P6F, Y-PCF, and Y-P4FC, are designed to flexibly modify the HOMO and LUMO energy levels. The prediction trends of ML align closely with the computational trends from DFT. It is worth noting that the accuracy of LUMO energy level prediction by the prediction model makes up for the instability of DFT calculation on LUMO energy level. This work offers a cost-effective method to accelerate the acquisition of electronic properties of organic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study found that sociodemographic and psychological factors were not associated with differences in reported pain intensity, and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) could not detect these differences either. However, a new analysis of fMRI data involving thermal pain challenges these conclusions. The analysis showed that a model incorporating sociodemographic and psychological measures could predict differences in reported pain intensity, and certain brain regions were correlated with these differences. The study suggests that while predicting pain differences is challenging, it is not impossible. The article discusses a reanalysis of fMRI data from a previous study, which found consistent results and emphasizes the importance of considering sociodemographic and psychological factors in pain models. Overall, the findings provide insights into the complex nature of pain. [Extracted from the article]

RNA modifications play an important role in actively controlling recently created formation in cellular regulation mechanisms, which link them to gene expression and protein. The RNA modifications have numerous alterations, presenting broad glimpses of RNA's operations and character. The modification process by the TET enzyme oxidation is the crucial change associated with cytosine hydroxymethylation. The effect of CR is an alteration in specific biochemical ways of the organism, such as gene expression and epigenetic alterations. Traditional laboratory systems that identify 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) samples are expensive and time-consuming compared to other methods. To address this challenge, the paper proposed XGB5hmC, a machine learning algorithm based on a robust gradient boosting algorithm (XGBoost), with different residue based formulation methods to identify 5hmC samples. Their results were amalgamated, and six different frequency residue based encoding features were fused to form a hybrid vector in order to enhance model discrimination capabilities. In addition, the proposed model incorporates SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) based feature selection to demonstrate model interpretability by highlighting the high contributory features. Among the applied machine learning algorithms, the XGBoost ensemble model using the tenfold cross-validation test achieved improved results than existing state-of-the-art models. Our model reported an accuracy of 89.97%, sensitivity of 87.78%, specificity of 94.45%, F1-score of 0.8934%, and MCC of 0.8764%. This study highlights the potential to provide valuable insights for enhancing medical assessment and treatment protocols, representing a significant advancement in RNA modification analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate prediction of soil organic carbon (SOC) is important for agriculture and land management. Methods using remote sensing data are helpful for estimating SOC in bare soils. To overcome the challenge of predicting SOC under vegetation cover, this study extracted spectral, radar, and topographic variables from multi-temporal optical satellite images (high-resolution PlanetScope and medium-resolution Sentinel-2), synthetic aperture radar satellite images (Sentinel-1), and digital elevation model, respectively, to estimate SOC content in arable soils in the Wuling Mountain region of Southwest China. These variables were modeled at four different spatial resolutions (3 m, 20 m, 30 m, and 80 m) using the eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm. The results showed that modeling resolution, the combination of multi-source remote sensing data, and temporal phases all influenced SOC prediction performance. The models generally yielded better results at a medium (20 m) modeling resolution than at fine (3 m) and coarse (80 m) resolutions. The combination of PlanetScope, Sentinel-2, and topography factors gave satisfactory predictions for dry land ( R 2 = 0.673, MAE = 0.107%, RMSE = 0.135%). The addition of Sentinel-1 indicators gave the best predictions for paddy field ( R 2 = 0.699, MAE = 0.114%, RMSE = 0.148%). The values of R 2 of the optimal models for paddy field and dry land improved by 36.0% and 33.4%, respectively, compared to that for the entire study area. The optical images in winter played a dominant role in the prediction of SOC for both paddy field and dry land. This study offers valuable insights into effectively modeling soil properties under vegetation cover at various scales using multi-source and multi-temporal remote sensing data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we utilized the deep convolutional neural network D-LinkNet, a model for semantic segmentation, to analyze the Himawari-8 satellite data captured from 16 channels at a spatial resolution of 0.5 km, with a focus on the area over the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea (32°-42°N, 117°-127°E). The objective was to develop an algorithm for fusing and segmenting multi-channel images from geostationary meteorological satellites, specifically for monitoring sea fog in this region. Firstly, the extreme gradient boosting algorithm was adopted to evaluate the data from the 16 channels of the Himawari-8 satellite for sea fog detection, and we found that the top three channels in order of importance were channels 3, 4, and 14, which were fused into false color daytime images, while channels 7, 13, and 15 were fused into false color nighttime images. Secondly, the simple linear iterative super-pixel clustering algorithm was used for the pixel-level segmentation of false color images, and based on super-pixel blocks, manual sea-fog annotation was performed to obtain fine-grained annotation labels. The deep convolutional neural network D-LinkNet was built on the ResNet backbone and the dilated convolutional layers with direct connections were added in the central part to form a string-and-combine structure with five branches having different depths and receptive fields. Results show that the accuracy rate of fog area (proportion of detected real fog to detected fog) was 66.5%, the recognition rate of fog zone (proportion of detected real fog to real fog or cloud cover) was 51.9%, and the detection accuracy rate (proportion of samples detected correctly to total samples) was 93.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current investigation, an intriguing method called Firefly-XGBoost was put up to predict and integrate blast muck-pile results notably drop, throw, and lateral spread, which are instrumental in regulating and remedying the loading problems by loader as well as deceiving factors in type of loader selection. As a result, the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm and the firefly algorithm were relied on to shore up the efficacy of the XG Boost conventional model. A total of 164 blast experiments were executed in two different mines and the data collected from these trials data were used to train the model. This data includes specific features such as joints spanning height (JSH) as well as other blast characteristics such as the number of joint sets, decking length, total quantity of explosives, stemming length, decking length and firing pattern. The Firefly-XG Boost algorithm yielded better outcomes in terms of RMSE and R2 values when compared to the XG Boost, and PSO-XG Boost algorithms. The developed model was found to be suitable in predicting muck-pile parameters for practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring pavement conditions using crowdsourced vehicular data can significantly contribute to real-time and cost-effective pavement maintenance decision-making. This paper presents the development of various machine learning models for predicting crucial pavement characteristics essential for ensuring roadway safety, including roadway longitudinal grade, cross slope, international roughness index, surface rutting, and pavement skid resistance. The study collected vehicular sensing data and paired it with field pavement characteristics obtained using innovative instruments on selected asphalt and concrete sections in Oklahoma. Seven machine learning models were trained using the AutoGluon platform, yielding highly accurate predictions for safety-related roadway characteristics. The weighted ensemble L2, random forest, and category boosting (CatBoost) models exhibited the highest accuracy, with R-squared values exceeding 0.9, while the k-nearest neighbor algorithm and LightGBM models showed lower competitiveness. The inference latency of the models varied, with CatBoost demonstrating the lowest latency and weighted ensemble L2 achieving the highest accuracy at the expense of slightly higher inference latency. The choice of model depends on the specific application, whether it be pavement network management or real-time roadway condition monitoring. The findings from this research empower transportation agencies to efficiently screen the pavement network for further inspection or maintenance, thus enhancing transportation safety by providing instant alerts to drivers about potential high-risk pavement sections, resulting in safer and more reliable transportation infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicle accidents on the road occur frequently, and head injuries are often the cause of serious casualties. However, most electric vehicle riders seldom wear helmets. Therefore, combining target detection algorithms with road cameras to intelligently monitor helmet-wearing has extremely important research significance. Therefore, a helmet-wearing detection algorithm based on the improved YOLOv8n model, PRE-YOLO, is proposed. First, we add small target detection layers and prune large target detection layers. The sophisticated algorithm considerably boosts the effectiveness of data manipulation while significantly reducing model parameters and size. Secondly, we introduce a convolutional module that integrates receptive field attention convolution and CA mechanisms into the backbone network, enhancing feature extraction capabilities by enhancing attention weights within both channel and spatial aspects. Lastly, we incorporate an EMA mechanism into the C2f module, which strengthens feature perception and captures more characteristic information while maintaining the same model parameter size. The experimental outcomes indicate that in comparison to the original model, the proposed PRE-YOLO model in this paper has improved by 1.3%, 1.7%, 2.2%, and 2.6% in terms of precision P, recall R, mAP@0.5, and mAP@0.5:0.95, respectively. At the same time, the number of model parameters has been reduced by 33.3%, and the model size has been reduced by 1.8 MB. Generalization experiments are conducted on the TWHD and EBHD datasets to further verify the versatility of the model. The research findings provide solutions for further improving the accuracy and efficiency of helmet-wearing detection on complex traffic roads, offering references for enhancing safety and intelligence in traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain tumors pose a significant threat to human lives and have gained increasing attention as the tenth leading cause of global mortality. This study addresses the pressing issue of brain tumor classification using Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It focuses on distinguishing between Low-Grade Gliomas (LGG) and High-Grade Gliomas (HGG). LGGs are benign and typically manageable with surgical resection, while HGGs are malignant and more aggressive. The research introduces an innovative custom convolutional neural network (CNN) model, Glioma-CNN. GliomaCNN stands out as a lightweight CNN model compared to its predecessors. The research utilized the BraTS 2020 dataset for its experiments. Integrated with the gradient-boosting algorithm, GliomaCNN has achieved an impressive accuracy of 99.1569%. The model's interpretability is ensured through SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM++). They provide insights into critical decision-making regions for classification outcomes. Despite challenges in identifying tumors in images without visible signs, the model demonstrates remarkable performance in this critical medical application, offering a promising tool for accurate brain tumor diagnosis which paves the way for enhanced early detection and treatment of brain tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stroke is a dangerous, life-threatening disease that mostly affects people over 65, but an unhealthy diet is also contributing to the development of strokes at younger ages. Strokes can be treated successfully if they are identified early enough, and suitable therapies are available. The purpose of this study is to develop a stroke prediction model that will improve stroke prediction effectiveness as well as accuracy. Predicting whether someone is suffering from a stroke or not can be accomplished with this proposed machine learning algorithm. In this research, various machine learning techniques are evaluated for predicting stroke on the healthcare stroke dataset. The feature selection algorithms used here are gradient boosting and random forest, and classifiers include the decision tree classifier, Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier, logistic regression classifier, gradient boosting classifier, random forest classifier, K neighbors classifier, and Xtreme gradient boosting classifier. In this process, different machine-learning approaches are employed to test predictive methods on different data samples. As a result obtained from the different methods applied, and the comparison of different classification models, the random forest model offers an accuracy rate of 98%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article extends recent asymptotic theory developed for the Hodrick Prescott (HP) filter and boosted HP (bHP) filter to long-range dependent time series that have fractional Brownian motion (fBM) limit processes after suitable standardization. Under general conditions, it is shown that the asymptotic form of the HP filter is a smooth curve, analogous to the finding in Phillips and Jin for integrated time series and series with deterministic drifts. Boosting the filter using the iterative procedure suggested in Phillips and Shi leads under well-defined rate conditions to a consistent estimate of the fBM limit process or the fBM limit process with an accompanying deterministic drift when that is present. A stopping criterion is used to automate the boosting algorithm, giving a data-determined method for practical implementation. The theory is illustrated in simulations and two real data examples that highlight the differences between simple HP filtering and the use of boosting. The analysis is assisted by employing a uniformly and almost surely convergent trigonometric series representation of fBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In this review, we investigated how Machine Learning (ML) was utilized to predict all-cause somatic hospital admissions and readmissions in adults. Methods: We searched eight databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, ProQuest, OpenGrey, WorldCat, and MedNar) from their inception date to October 2023, and included records that predicted all-cause somatic hospital admissions and readmissions of adults using ML methodology. We used the CHARMS checklist for data extraction, PROBAST for bias and applicability assessment, and TRIPOD for reporting quality. Results: We screened 7,543 studies of which 163 full-text records were read and 116 met the review inclusion criteria. Among these, 45 predicted admission, 70 predicted readmission, and one study predicted both. There was a substantial variety in the types of datasets, algorithms, features, data preprocessing steps, evaluation, and validation methods. The most used types of features were demographics, diagnoses, vital signs, and laboratory tests. Area Under the ROC curve (AUC) was the most used evaluation metric. Models trained using boosting tree-based algorithms often performed better compared to others. ML algorithms commonly outperformed traditional regression techniques. Sixteen studies used Natural language processing (NLP) of clinical notes for prediction, all studies yielded good results. The overall adherence to reporting quality was poor in the review studies. Only five percent of models were implemented in clinical practice. The most frequently inadequately addressed methodological aspects were: providing model interpretations on the individual patient level, full code availability, performing external validation, calibrating models, and handling class imbalance. Conclusion: This review has identified considerable concerns regarding methodological issues and reporting quality in studies investigating ML to predict hospitalizations. To ensure the acceptability of these models in clinical settings, it is crucial to improve the quality of future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study intended to determine the nationality of the fastest 100-mile ultra-marathoners and the country/events where the fastest 100-mile races are held. A machine learning model based on the XG Boost algorithm was built to predict the running speed from the athlete's age (Age group), gender (Gender), country of origin (Athlete country) and where the race occurred (Event country). Model explainability tools were then used to investigate how each independent variable influenced the predicted running speed. A total of 172,110 race records from 65,392 unique runners from 68 different countries participating in races held in 44 different countries were used for analyses. The model rates Event country (0.53) as the most important predictor (based on data entropy reduction), followed by Athlete country (0.21), Age group (0.14), and Gender (0.13). In terms of participation, the United States leads by far, followed by Great Britain, Canada, South Africa, and Japan, in both athlete and event counts. The fastest 100-mile races are held in Romania, Israel, Switzerland, Finland, Russia, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Czechia, and Taiwan. The fastest athletes come mostly from Eastern European countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Finland, Russia, Hungary, Slovakia) and also Israel. In contrast, the slowest athletes come from Asian countries like China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. The difference among male and female predictions is relatively small at about 0.25 km/h. The fastest age group is 25–29 years, but the average speeds of groups 20–24 and 30–34 years are close. Participation, however, peaks for the age group 40–44 years. The model predicts the event location (country of event) as the most important predictor for a fast 100-mile race time. The fastest race courses were occurred in Romania, Israel, Switzerland, Finland, Russia, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Czechia, and Taiwan. Athletes and coaches can use these findings for their race preparation to find the most appropriate racecourse for a fast 100-mile race time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the gradual increase in the grid-connected capacity of renewable energy sources, the uncertainty in the operation of power systems has increased, posing challenges to static security assessment considering N-1 contingency scanning. To address this, this article first establishes a static security calculation model based on stochastic power flow. Then, it proposes stochastic component-level safety indexes and system-level safety indexes. Finally, using the analytic hierarchy process to analyze the obtained weighting coefficients, the article establishes a system of static security assessment indexes for power systems. A data-driven simulation method based on extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) is proposed to tackle the high time consumption of multi-scenario static security assessment, which brings difficulties in model debugging and application. Case studies based on the IEEE 39-bus system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and the rapidity of the data-driven approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Survival analysis has been used to characterize the time-to-event data. In medical studies, a typical application is to analyze the survival time of specific cancers by using high-dimensional gene expressions. The main challenges include the involvement of non-informaive gene expressions and possibly nonlinear relationship between survival time and gene expressions. Moreover, due to possibly imprecise data collection or wrong record, measurement error might be ubiquitous in the survival time and its censoring status. Ignoring measurement error effects may incur biased estimator and wrong conclusion. Results: To tackle those challenges and derive a reliable estimation with efficiently computational implementation, we develop the R package AFFECT, which is referred to Accelerated Functional Failure time model with Error-Contaminated survival Times. Conclusions: This package aims to correct for measurement error effects in survival times and implements a boosting algorithm under corrected data to determine informative gene expressions as well as derive the corresponding nonlinear functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power dispatching network forms the backbone of efforts to automate and modernize power grid dispatching, rendering it an indispensable infrastructure element within the power system. However, accurately forecasting future flows remains a formidable challenge due to the network's intricate nature, variability, and extended periods of missing data resulting from equipment maintenance and anomalies. Vital to enhancing prediction precision is the interpolation of missing values aligned with the data distribution across other time points, facilitating the effective capture of nonlinear patterns within historical flow sequences. To address this, we propose a transfer learning approach leveraging the gated recurrent unit (GRU) for interpolating missing values within the power dispatching network's flow sequence. Subsequently, we decompose the generation of future flow predictions into two stages: first, extracting historical features using the GRU, and then generating robust predictions via eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). This integrated process termed the GRU-XGBoost module, is applied in experiments on four flow sequences obtained from a power grid company in southern China. Our experimental findings illustrate that the proposed flow prediction model outperforms both machine learning and neural network models, underscoring its superiority in short-term flow prediction for power-dispatching networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coalbed methane (CBM) productive efficiency and coal mine disasters such as gas outbursts and water inrush are closely correlated with coal seam permeability. Effective prediction of coal seam permeability can provide guidance for CBM production and prevention of coal mine disasters. In this research, a hybrid neural network prediction model integrating a genetic algorithm, an adaptive boosting algorithm, and a back propagation neural network was developed to predict coal seam permeability. Additional momentum and variable learning rate algorithms were used to improve the learning rate and accuracy of the model, and the model structure was optimized, including the number of hidden layer nodes and the transfer function. The input parameters of the prediction model included gas pressure, compressive strength, reservoir temperature, and effective stress. The corresponding output parameter was coal seam permeability. The correlation between the parameters was calculated. Additionally, a comparative analysis between the proposed prediction model and four other prediction models was carried out to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed model. The results indicated that the correlations between compressive strength, gas pressure, reserve temperature, effective stress, and coal seam permeability were 0.334, −0.148 , −0.406 , and −0.785 , respectively. The proposed prediction model had high accuracy compared with the other prediction models, and its coefficient of determination and root mean squared error were 0.999 and 0.021. Thus, the model can predict coal seam permeability more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the performance of gradient boosting methods in bankruptcy prediction for a highly imbalanced dataset. We developed different heterogenous ensemble models based on three popular gradient boosting methods—XGBoost, LightGBM, and CatBoost. Our ensemble models were optimized using the cross‐validation method and the results of the hold‐out test sets showed that the optimized ensemble models not only outperform their base learners, but also improve the state‐of‐the‐art benchmark results on the same dataset. Interestingly, we observed that the data oversampling technique that is commonly used to address the class imbalance issue had an adverse impact on our ensemble models' performance. This indicates that our models are robust to the imbalanced dataset problem that typically degrades the classification performance of machine learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality prediction in additive manufacturing (AM) processes is crucial, particularly in high-risk manufacturing sectors like aerospace, biomedicals, and automotive. Acoustic sensors have emerged as valuable tools for detecting variations in print patterns by analyzing signatures and extracting distinctive features. This study focuses on the collection, preprocessing, and analysis of acoustic data streams from a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D-printed sample cube (10 mm × 10 mm × 5 mm). Time and frequency-domain features were extracted at 10-s intervals at varying layer thicknesses. The audio samples were preprocessed using the Harmonic–Percussive Source Separation (HPSS) method, and the analysis of time and frequency features was performed using the Librosa module. Feature importance analysis was conducted, and machine learning (ML) prediction was implemented using eight different classifier algorithms (K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB), Decision Trees (DT), Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM)) for the classification of print quality based on the labeled datasets. Three-dimensional-printed samples with varying layer thicknesses, representing two print quality levels, were used to generate audio samples. The extracted spectral features from these audio samples served as input variables for the supervised ML algorithms to predict print quality. The investigation revealed that the mean of the spectral flatness, spectral centroid, power spectral density, and RMS energy were the most critical acoustic features. Prediction metrics, including accuracy scores, F-1 scores, recall, precision, and ROC/AUC, were utilized to evaluate the models. The extreme gradient boosting algorithm stood out as the top model, attaining a prediction accuracy of 91.3%, precision of 88.8%, recall of 92.9%, F-1 score of 90.8%, and AUC of 96.3%. This research lays the foundation for acoustic based quality prediction and control of 3D printed parts using Fused Deposition Modeling and can be extended to other additive manufacturing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to further improve performance of the Slime Mould Algorithm, the Enhanced Multi-Strategy Slime Mould Algorithm (EMSMA) is proposed in this paper. There are three main modifications to SMA. Firstly, a leader covariance learning strategy is proposed to replace the anisotropic search operator in SMA to ensure that the agents can evolve in a better direction during the optimization process. Secondly, the best agent is further modified with an improved non-monopoly search mechanism to boost the algorithm's exploitation and exploration capabilities. Finally, a random differential restart mechanism is developed to assist SMA in escaping from local optimality and increasing population diversity when it is stalled. The impacts of three strategies are discussed, and the performance of EMSMA is evaluated on the CEC2017 suite and CEC2022 test suite. The numerical and statistical results show that EMSMA has excellent performance on both test suites and is superior to the SMA variants such as DTSMA, ISMA, AOSMA, LSMA, ESMA, and MSMA in terms of convergence accuracy, convergence speed, and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin cancer is a prevalent and perilous form of cancer and presents significant diagnostic challenges due to its high costs, dependence on medical experts, and time-consuming procedures. The existing diagnostic process is inefficient and expensive, requiring extensive medical expertise and time. To tackle these issues, researchers have explored the application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, particularly machine learning techniques such as shallow and deep learning, to enhance the diagnostic process for skin cancer. These tools employ computer algorithms and deep neural networks to identify and categorize skin cancer. However, accurately distinguishing between skin cancer and benign tumors remains challenging, necessitating the extraction of pertinent features from image data for classification. This study addresses these challenges by employing Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a dimensionality-reduction approach, to extract relevant features from skin images. Additionally, accurately classifying skin images into malignant and benign categories presents another obstacle. To improve accuracy, the AdaBoost algorithm is utilized, which amalgamates weak classification models into a robust classifier with high accuracy. This research introduces a novel approach to skin cancer diagnosis by integrating Principal Component Analysis (PCA), AdaBoost, and EfficientNet B0, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The novelty lies in the combination of these techniques to develop a robust and accurate system for skin cancer classification. The advantage of this approach is its ability to significantly reduce costs, minimize reliance on medical experts, and expedite the diagnostic process. The developed model achieved an accuracy of 93.00% using the DermIS dataset and demonstrated excellent precision, recall, and F1-score values, confirming its ability to correctly classify skin lesions as malignant or benign. Additionally, the model achieved an accuracy of 91.00% using the ISIC dataset, which is widely recognized for its comprehensive collection of annotated dermoscopic images, providing a robust foundation for training and validation. These advancements have the potential to significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of skin cancer diagnosis and classification. Ultimately, the integration of AI tools and techniques in skin cancer diagnosis can lead to cost reduction and improved patient outcomes, benefiting both patients and healthcare providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was undertaken to develop and evaluate a machine learning‐based algorithm for the detection of focal to bilateral tonic–clonic seizures (FBTCS) using a novel multimodal connected shirt. Methods: We prospectively recruited patients with epilepsy admitted to our epilepsy monitoring unit and asked them to wear the connected shirt while under simultaneous video‐electroencephalographic monitoring. Electrocardiographic (ECG) and accelerometric (ACC) signals recorded with the connected shirt were used for the development of the seizure detection algorithm. First, we used a sliding window to extract linear and nonlinear features from both ECG and ACC signals. Then, we trained an extreme gradient boosting algorithm (XGBoost) to detect FBTCS according to seizure onset and offset annotated by three board‐certified epileptologists. Finally, we applied a postprocessing step to regularize the classification output. A patientwise nested cross‐validation was implemented to evaluate the performances in terms of sensitivity, false alarm rate (FAR), time in false warning (TiW), detection latency, and receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (ROC‐AUC). Results: We recorded 66 FBTCS from 42 patients who wore the connected shirt for a total of 8067 continuous hours. The XGBoost algorithm reached a sensitivity of 84.8% (56/66 seizures), with a median FAR of.55/24 h and a median TiW of 10 s/alarm. ROC‐AUC was.90 (95% confidence interval =.88–.91). Median detection latency from the time of progression to the bilateral tonic–clonic phase was 25.5 s. Significance: The novel connected shirt allowed accurate detection of FBTCS with a low false alarm rate in a hospital setting. Prospective studies in a residential setting with a real‐time and online seizure detection algorithm are required to validate the performance and usability of this device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wearable textile bra-tenna system based on dual-polarization sensors for breast cancer (BC) detection is presented in this paper. The core concept behind our work is to investigate which type of polarization is most effective for BC detection, using the combination of orthogonal polarization signals with machine learning (ML) techniques to enhance detection accuracy. The bra-tenna sensors have a bandwidth ranging from 2–12 GHz. To complement the proposed system, detection based on machine learning algorithms (MLAs) is developed and tested to enhance its functionality. Using scattered signals at different polarizations, the bra-tenna system uses MLAs to predict BC in its early stages. Classification techniques are highly effective for data classification, especially in the biomedical field. Two scenarios are considered: Scenario 1, where the system detects a tumor or non-tumor, and Scenario 2, where the system detects three classes of one, two, and non-tumors. This confirms that MLAs can detect tumors as small as 10 mm. ML techniques, including eight algorithms such as the Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting Methods (GBMs), Decision Tree (DT) classifier, Ada Boost (AD), CatBoost, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XG Boost), and Logistic Regression (LR), are applied to this balanced dataset. For optimal analysis of the BC, a performance evaluation is performed. Notably, SVM achieves outstanding performance in both scenarios, with metrics such as its F1 score, recall, accuracy, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under the ROC curve (AUC), and precision all exceeding 90%, helping doctors to effectively investigate BC. Furthermore, the Horizontal-Horizontal (HH) sensor configuration achieved the highest accuracy of 98% and 99% for SVMs in the two scenarios, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Variation in usual practice in fluid trials assessing lower versus higher volumes may affect overall comparisons. To address this, we will evaluate the effects of heterogeneity in treatment intensity in the Conservative versus Liberal Approach to Fluid Therapy of Septic Shock in Intensive Care trial. This will reflect the effects of differences in site‐specific intensities of standard fluid treatment due to local practice preferences while considering participant characteristics. Methods: We will assess the effects of heterogeneity in treatment intensity across one primary (all‐cause mortality) and three secondary outcomes (serious adverse events or reactions, days alive without life support and days alive out of hospital) after 90 days. We will classify sites based on the site‐specific intensity of standard fluid treatment, defined as the mean differences in observed versus predicted intravenous fluid volumes in the first 24 h in the standard‐fluid group while accounting for differences in participant characteristics. Predictions will be made using a machine learning model including 22 baseline predictors using the extreme gradient boosting algorithm. Subsequently, sites will be grouped into fluid treatment intensity subgroups containing at least 100 participants each. Subgroups differences will be assessed using hierarchical Bayesian regression models with weakly informative priors. We will present the full posterior distributions of relative (risk ratios and ratios of means) and absolute differences (risk differences and mean differences) in each subgroup. Discussion: This study will provide data on the effects of heterogeneity in treatment intensity while accounting for patient characteristics in critically ill adult patients with septic shock. Registrations: The European Clinical Trials Database (EudraCT): 2018‐000404‐42, ClinicalTrials. gov: NCT03668236. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed modified higher gain boost converter employs switched Inductor and multiplier cell-based voltage boosting techniques, as the paper represents. This converter is modelled to enhance the static gain and efficiency. As the designed topology has an incessant source current at its input side, it is ideal for solar PV applications. With a power capacity of 100 W, the proposed topology is designed to work on 24 V source input and 200 V load/output voltage. The load voltage is maintained by a PI controller, which achieves the highest efficiency of 92% under rated load conditions. The converter’s transient performance with the controller is investigated under various situations, including supply voltage variation, reference voltage variation, and load power variation. Finally, the designed converter’s experimental model is created to evaluate the simulated and conceptual results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Supply chain (SC) efficacy and efficiency can be severely hampered by supplier delays in orders, especially in the fast-paced business environment of today. Effective risk reduction necessitates the identification of suppliers who are prone to delays and the precise prediction of future interruption. Accurately predicting availability dates is therefore a key factor in successfully executing logistics operations. By leveraging machine learning (ML) techniques, organizations can proactively identify high-risk suppliers, anticipate delays, and implement proactive measures to minimize their impact on manufacturing processes and overall SC performance. This study explores and utilizes various regression and classification ML algorithms to predict future delayed delivery, determine the status of order deliveries, and classify suppliers according to their delivery performance. The employed models include K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) Random Forest (RF) Classifier and Regression, Gradient Boosting (GB) Regression and Classifier, Linear Regression (LR), Decision Trees(DT) Classifier and Regression, Logistic Regression and Support Vector Machine (SVM) Based on real data, our experiments and evaluation metrics including Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) demonstrate that the ensemble based regression algorithms (RF Regression and GB Regression) provide the best generalization error and outperforms all other regression models tested. Similarly, Logistic regression and GB Classifier outperforms other classification algorithms according to precision, recall, and F1-score metrics. The knowledge obtained from this study could aid in the proactive identification of high-risk suppliers and the application of proactive actions to increase resilience in the face of unanticipated disruptions, in addition to increasing SC efficiency and decreasing manufacturing disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the complex relationships between process parameters and material properties in FDM-based 3D-printed biocomposites using explainable AI techniques. We examine the effects of key parameters, including biochar content (BC), layer thickness (LT), raster angle (RA), infill pattern (IP), and infill density (ID), on the tensile, flexural, and impact strengths of FDM-printed pure PLA and biochar-reinforced PLA composites. Mechanical testing was used to measure the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), flexural strength (FS), and impact strength (IS) of the 3D-printed samples. The extreme gradient boosting (XGB) algorithm was used to build a predictive model based on the data collected from mechanical testing. Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP), Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME), and Partial Dependence Plot (PDP) techniques were implemented to understand the effects of the interactions of key parameters on mechanical properties such as UTS, FS, and IS. Prediction by XGB was accurate for UTS, FS, and IS, with R-squared values of 0.96, 0.95, and 0.85, respectively. The explanation showed that infill density has the most significant influence on UTS and FS, with SHAP values of +2.75 and +5.8, respectively. BC has the most significant influence on IS, with a SHAP value of +2.69. PDP reveals that using 0.3 mm LT and 30° RA enhances mechanical properties. This study contributes to the field of the application of artificial intelligence in additive manufacturing. A novel approach is presented in which machine learning and XAI techniques such as SHAP, LIME, and PDP are combined and used not only for optimization but also to provide valuable insights about the interaction of the process parameters with mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) typically exhibit excellent high-temperature strength but limited ductility. In this study, a comprehensive machine learning strategy with integrated material knowledge is proposed to predict the elongation of TiZrNbVAl RHEAs. By referring to the ductility theories, a set of cost-effective material features is developed with various mathematical forms of thermodynamic parameters. These features are proven to effectively incorporate material knowledge into ML modeling. They also offer potential alternatives to those obtained from costly first-principles calculations. Based on Pearson correlation coefficients, the linear relationships between pairwise features were compared, and the seven key features with the greatest impact on the model were selected for ML modeling. Regression tasks were performed to predict the ductility of TiZrNbVAl, and the CatBoost gradient boosting algorithm exhibiting the best performance was eventually selected. The established optimized model achieves high predictive accuracies exceeding 0.8. These key features were further analyzed using interpretable ML methods to elucidate their influences on various ductility mechanisms. According to the ML results, different compositions of TiZrNbVAl with excellent tensile properties were prepared. The experimental results indicate that Ti44Zr24Nb17V5Al10 and Ti44Zr26Nb8V13Al9 both exhibited ultimate tensile strengths of approximately 1180 MPa and elongations higher than 21%. They verified that the ML strategy proposed in this study is an effective approach for predicting the properties of RHEAs. It is a potential method that can replace costly first-principles calculations. Thermodynamic parameters have been shown to effectively predict alloy ductility to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An influx of smart spaces that are now connected to the IoT network has increased new forms of cyber threats; thus, a need for more effective IDS to deal with these complex cyber threats. Traditional security measures cannot solve the modern problem of protecting IoT devices as they are a complex and homogeneously distributed network. Advancements and development of Artificial intelligent (AI) and machine learning technologies have provided new hope to make more reliable IDS. Our study presents Particle Swarm Optimization integrated Light-Weight Gradient Boosting Machine, abbreviated as LGBM-PSO in which, the PSO algorithm is applied for hyper parameters optimization in the model training. Based on the ensemble methodology, a new model for network intrusion detection is proposed in this study to improve the accuracy of the technique proposed. As for the current study project, the “DS2OS” dataset was employed to execute the suggested task. All of the data obtained from the traces of the smart devices placed in a smart home environment are incorporated in this dataset. The IDS model comprises several stages, one of which comprises data preprocessing that entails data cleaning, normalization, and encoding of network traffic data. Feature selection and dimensionality reduction are used which leads to the optimization of the dataset in this case. The core of the model comprises four classifiers: The compared models are Decision Tree (DT), LGBM-PSO, Light Gradient Boost Machine (LGBM), and Extreme Gradient Boost (XGB). Each of these classifiers can be combined with a majority voting ensemble method to increase the reliability of the predictions. The suggested model's accuracy that is LGBM-PSO is the highest with a value of 99.89%. The corresponding figures for the training data are 99.79%. Stand on the testing data proving the efficiency and stability of the algorithm. The use of the ensemble approach is superior especially when using a complex model like LGBM-PSO in the field of intrusion detection. As a result, high accuracy, optimized time, and effective threat identification ensure that it is a useful tool in strengthening security in the different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Venlafaxine is frequently prescribed for patients with depression. To control the concentration of venlafaxine within the therapeutic window for the best treatment effect, a model to predict venlafaxine concentration is necessary. Aim: Our objective was to develop a prediction model for venlafaxine concentration using real-world evidence based on machine learning and deep learning techniques. Method: Patients who underwent venlafaxine treatment between November 2019 and August 2022 were included in the study. Important variables affecting venlafaxine concentration were identified using a combination of univariate analysis, sequential forward selection, and machine learning techniques. Predictive performance of nine machine learning and deep learning algorithms were assessed, and the one with the optimal performance was selected for modeling. The final model was interpreted using SHapley Additive exPlanations. Results: A total of 330 eligible patients were included. Five influential variables that affect venlafaxine concentration were venlafaxine daily dose, sex, age, hyperlipidemia, and adenosine deaminase. The venlafaxine concentration prediction model was developed using the eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm (R2 = 0.65, mean absolute error = 77.92, root mean square error = 93.58). In the testing cohort, the accuracy of the predicted concentration within ± 30% of the actual concentration was 73.49%. In the subgroup analysis, the prediction accuracy was 69.39% within the recommended therapeutic range of venlafaxine concentration within ± 30% of the actual value. Conclusion: The XGBoost model for predicting blood concentration of venlafaxine using real-world evidence was developed, guiding the adjustment of regimen in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed an auto‐configurable machine learning framework based on the differential evolution algorithm (AutoML‐DE) driven by hybrid data for the screening and discovery of promising CO2 to light olefins (CO2TLO) catalysts candidates. The hybrid dataset comprises 532 experimental data from the literature and 296 simulation data. Results show that the AutoML‐DE model with extreme gradient boosting algorithms demonstrated superior performance for predicting the conversion ratio of CO2 and selectivity of light olefins (average R2 > 0.86). After identifying the input feature with the most significant impact on the output feature, the optimal AutoML‐DE model integrated with the genetic algorithm is applied to multiobjective optimization, sensitivity analysis, and prediction of new CO2TLO catalysts. The optimized Cu‐Zn‐Al/SAPO‐34 catalyst has the highest catalytic performance among the reported CO2TLO catalysts. Moreover, five new CO2TLO catalysts with higher C2=‐C4= yields are successfully predicted. However, the performance of these catalysts should be further verified by experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of deep-sea manganese nodule grasping behavior by a manipulator, a novel approach employing an improved YOLOv5 algorithm is proposed for the extraction of the shortest paths to manganese nodules targeted by the manipulator. The loss function of YOLOv5s has been improved by integrating a dual loss function that combines IoU and NWD, resulting in better accuracy for loss calculations across different target sizes. Additionally, substituting the initial C3 module in the network backbone with a C2f module is intended to improve the flow of gradient information while reducing computational demands. Once the geometric center of the manganese nodules is identified with the improved YOLOv5 algorithm, the next step involves planning the most efficient route for the manipulator to pick up the nodules using an upgraded elite strategy ant colony algorithm. Enhancements to the ACO algorithm consist of implementing an elite strategy and progressively decreasing the number of ants in each round. This method reduces both the number of iterations and the time required for each iteration, while also preventing the occurrence of local optimal solutions. The experimental findings indicate that the improved YOLOv5s detection algorithm boosts detection accuracy by 2.3%. Furthermore, when there are fewer than 30 target planning points, the improved algorithm requires, on average, 24% fewer iterations than the ACO algorithm to determine the shortest path. Additionally, the speed of calculation for each iteration is quicker while still providing the optimal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of this research is to investigate the accuracy of machine learning models in forecasting and evaluating house prices, and to understand the key factors that impact pricing. The study involved analyzing data scraped from real estate ads in the "sale of secondary housing" category on the website krisha.kz. The paper emphasizes the importance of understanding the factors that affect house prices, such as quality, location, size, and building materials. It was concluded that these factors have a strong correlation with house price prediction. The information available on krisha.kz was found to be a useful resource for finding good apartments. The data collected by the scraper was analyzed by models: Linear regression (LR), interactions linear regression (ILR), robust linear regression (RLR), fine tree regression (FTR), medium tree regression (MTR), coarse tree regression (CTR), linear support vector machine (LSVM), quadratic SVM (QSVM), medium gaussian SVM (MGSVM), rational quadratic gaussian process regression (RQGPR), boosted trees (BoosT), bagged trees (BagT), neural network based on the bayesian regularization algorithm (BR-BPNN). BR-BPNN showed better results than other models, with an MSE of 32.14 and R of 0.9899. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis with global public health impact, particularly in poor socio-economic settings in tropical regions. Transmitted through urine-contaminated water or soil from rodents, dogs, and livestock, leptospirosis causes over a million clinical cases annually. Risk factors include outdoor activities, livestock production, and substandard housing that foster high densities of animal reservoirs. This One Health study in southern Chile examined Leptospira serological evidence of exposure in people from urban slums, semi-rural settings, and farm settings, using the Extreme Gradient Boosting algorithm to identify key influencing factors. In urban slums, age, shrub terrain, distance to Leptospira-positive households, and neighborhood housing density were contributing factors. Human exposure in semi-rural communities was linked to environmental factors (trees, shrubs, and lower vegetation terrain) and animal variables (Leptospira-positive dogs and rodents and proximity to Leptospira-positive households). On farms, dog counts, animal Leptospira prevalence, and proximity to Leptospira-contaminated water samples were significant drivers. The study underscores that disease dynamics vary across landscapes, with distinct drivers in each community setting. This case study demonstrates how the integration of machine learning with comprehensive cross-sectional epidemiological and geospatial data provides valuable insights into leptospirosis eco-epidemiology. These insights are crucial for informing targeted public health strategies and generating hypotheses for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]