Holt-Winters Model Research Articles

Temporal Trends in the Prevalence of Child Undernutrition in China From 2000 to 2019, With Projections of Prevalence in 2030: Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Although the problem of malnutrition among children in China has greatly improved in recent years, there is a gap compared to developed countries, and there are differences between provinces. Research on long-term comprehensive trends in child growth failure (CGF) in China is needed for further improvement. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in stunting, wasting, and underweight among children younger than 5 years in China from 2000 to 2019, and predict CGF till 2030. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the local burden of disease (LBD) database. Using Joinpoint Regression Software, we examined trends in CGF among children younger than 5 years in China from 2000 to 2019, and predicted the trends of prevalence in 2030, using the Holt-Winters model with trends but without seasonal components. The assessment was performed with Stata 17 (StataCorp). Data were analyzed from October 17, 2023, to November 22, 2023. In 2019, the prevalences of stunting, wasting, and underweight decreased to 12%, 3%, and 4%, respectively (decreases of 36.9%, 25.0%, and 42.9%, respectively, compared with the values in 2000). The prevalence of CGF decreased rapidly from 2000 to 2010, and the downward trend slowed down after 2010. Most provinces had stagnated processes of trends after 2017. The age group with the highest stunting prevalence was children aged 1 to 4 years, and the highest prevalence of wasting and underweight was noted in early neonatal infants. From 2000 to 2019, the prevalence of CGF declined in all age groups of children. The largest relative decrease in stunting and underweight was noted in children aged 1 to 4 years, and the largest decrease in wasting was noted in early neonatal infants. The prevalences of stunting, wasting, and underweight in China are estimated to decrease to 11.4%, 3.2%, and 4.1%, respectively, by 2030. China has nationally met the World Health Organization's Global Nutrition Targets for 2030 for stunting but not for wasting. This study provides data on the prevalence and trends of CGF among children younger than 5 years and reports declines in CGF. There remain areas with slow progress in China. Most units have achieved the goal for stunting prevalence but not wasting prevalence.

Prediction of acute onset of chronic cor pulmonale: comparative analysis of Holt-Winters exponential smoothing and ARIMA model

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to analyze the trend of acute onset of chronic cor pulmonale at Chenggong Hospital of Kunming Yan’an Hospital between January 2018 and December 2022.Additionally, the study will compare the application of the ARIMA model and Holt-Winters model in predicting the number of chronic cor pulmonale cases.MethodsThe data on chronic cor pulmonale cases from 2018 to 2022 were collected from the electronic medical records system of Chenggong Hospital of Kunming Yan’an Hospital. The ARIMA and Holt-Winters models were constructed using monthly case numbers from January 2018 to December 2022 as training data. The performance of the model was tested using the monthly number of cases from January 2023 to December 2023 as the test set.ResultsThe number of acute onset of chronic cor pulmonale in Chenggong Hospital of Kunming Yan’an Hospital exhibited a downward trend overall from 2018 to 2022. There were more cases in winter and spring, with peaks observed in November to December and January of the following year. The optimal ARIMA model was determined to be ARIMA (0,1,1) (0,1,1)12, while for the Holt-Winters model, the optimal choice was the Holt-Winters multiplicative model. It was found that the Holt-Winters multiplicative model yielded the lowest error.ConclusionThe Holt-Winters multiplicative model predicts better accuracy. The diagnosis of acute onset of chronic cor pulmonale is related to many risk factors, therefore, when using temporal models to fit and predict the data, we must consider such factors’ influence and try to incorporate them into the models.

Spatial and temporal analysis and forecasting of TB reported incidence in western China

ObjectiveTuberculosis (TB) remains an important public health concern in western China. This study aimed to explore and analyze the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of TB reported incidence in 12 provinces and municipalities in western China and to construct the optimal models for prediction, which would provide a reference for the prevention and control of TB and the optimization of related health policies.MethodsWe collected monthly data on TB reported incidence in 12 provinces and municipalities in western China and used ArcGIS software to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of TB reported incidence. We applied the seasonal index method for the seasonal analysis of TB reported incidence and then established the SARIMA and Holt-Winters models for TB reported incidence in 12 provinces and municipalities in western China.ResultsThe reported incidence of TB in 12 provinces and municipalities in western China showed apparent spatial clustering characteristics, and Moran’s I was greater than 0 (p < 0.05) over 8 years during the reporting period. Among them, Tibet was the hotspot for TB incidence in 12 provinces and municipalities in western China. The reported incidence of TB in 12 provinces and municipalities in western China from 2004 to 2018 showed clear seasonal characteristics, with seasonal indices greater than 100% in both the first and second quarters. The optimal models constructed for TB reported incidence in 12 provinces and municipalities in western China all passed white noise test (p > 0.05).ConclusionsAs a hotspot of reported TB incidence, Tibet should continue to strengthen government leadership and policy support, explore TB intervention strategies and causes. The optimal prediction models we developed for reported TB incidence in 12 provinces and municipalities in western China were different.

Pollutants-mediated viral hepatitis in different types: assessment of different algorithms and time series models

The escalating frequency of environmental pollution incidents has raised significant concerns regarding the potential health impacts of pollutant fluctuations. Consequently, a comprehensive study on the role of pollutants in the prevalence of viral hepatitis is indispensable for the advancement of innovative prevention strategies. Monthly incidence rates of viral hepatitis from 2005 to 2020 were sourced from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Infectious Disease Surveillance Information System. Pollution data spanning 2014–2020 were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), encompassing pollutants such as CO, NO2, and O3. Time series analysis models, including seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), Holt-Winters model, and Generalized Additive Model (GAM), were employed to explore prediction and synergistic effects related to viral hepatitis. Spearman correlation analysis was utilized to identify pollutants suitable for inclusion in these models. Concurrently, machine learning (ML) algorithms were leveraged to refine the prediction of environmental pollutant levels. Finally, a weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression framework was developed to evaluate the singular and combined impacts of pollutants on viral hepatitis cases across different demographics, age groups, and environmental strata. The incidence of viral hepatitis in Beijing exhibited a declining trend, primarily characterized by HBV and HCV types. In predicting hepatitis prevalence trends, the Holt-Winters additive seasonal model outperformed the SARIMA multiplicative model ((1,1,0) (2,1,0) [12]). In the prediction of environmental pollutants, the SVM model demonstrated superior performance over the GPR model, particularly with Polynomial and Besseldot kernel functions. The combined pollutant risk effect on viral hepatitis was quantified as βWQS (95% CI) = 0.066 (0.018, 0.114). Among different groups, PM2.5 emerged as the most sensitive risk factor, notably impacting patients with HCV and HEV, as well as individuals aged 35–64. CO predominantly affected HAV patients, showing a risk effect of βWQS (95% CI) = − 0.0355 (− 0.0695, − 0.0016). Lower levels of PM2.5 and PM10 were associated with heightened risk of viral hepatitis incidence with a lag of five months, whereas elevated levels of PM2.5 (100–120 μg/m3) and CO correlated with increased hepatitis incidence risk with a lag of six months. The Holt-Winters model outperformed the SARIMA model in predicting the incidence of viral hepatitis. Among machine learning algorithms, SVM and GPR models demonstrated superior performance for analyzing pollutant data. Patients infected with HAV and HEV were primarily influenced by PM10 and CO, whereas SO2 and PM2.5 significantly impacted others. Individuals aged 35–64 years appeared particularly susceptible to these pollutants. Mixed pollutant exposures were found to affect the development of viral hepatitis with a notable lag of 5–6 months. These findings underscore the importance of long-term monitoring of pollutants in relation to viral hepatitis incidence.

Modelling and Forecasting Nigeria's Tax Revenue: A Comparative Analysis of SARIMA and Holt-Winters Models

Modelling and Forecasting Nigeria's Tax Revenue: A Comparative Analysis of SARIMA and Holt-Winters Models

LQ45 Stock Price Forecasting: A Comparison Study of Arima(p,d,q) and Holt-Winter Method

The Holt-Winter method and ARIMA(p,d,q) are two frequently used forecasting techniques. When using ARIMA, errors are expected to be connected with earlier errors because it is based on data correlation with prior data (autoregressive) (moving average). The Holt-Winter model comes in two different forms: Multiplicative Holt-Winter and Additive Holt-Winter. No one has ever attempted to compare combined time series and cross-section data, despite the fact that there has been a great deal of prior study on ARIMA and Holt-Winter. In a combined time-series and cross-section dataset, the accuracy rates of Holt-Winter and ARIMA(p,d,q) will be compared in this study. LQ45 stock prices are used because they track the performance of 45 stocks with substantial liquidity, sizable market caps, and solid underlying businesses. The Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) method is used to gauge accuracy. This study contributes to MAPE exploration by using a Boxplot diagram from cross-sectional data. With the Boxplot diagram, we can see the MAPE spread, the MAPE's center point, and the presence of outliers from the MAPE of LQ45 stock. According to the findings of this empirical study, the average error rate for predicting LQ45 stock prices using ARIMA is 7,0390%, with a standard deviation of 7,7441%; for multiplying Holt-Winter, it is 29,3919%, with a standard deviation of 25,7571%; and for additive Holt-Winter, it is 18,0463%, with a standard deviation of 18,3504%. Apart from numerical comparisons, it can also be seen visually, based on the Boxplot diagram, that the MAPE of ARIMA(p,d,q) is more focused than Holt-Winter. In addition, in terms of accuracy distribution, it can be seen that the MAPE accuracy of the ARIMA method produces four outliers. Based on the MAPE accuracy rate, we conclude that Holt-Winter has a bigger error based on the MAPE value than ARIMA(p,d,q) at forecasting LQ45 stock prices.

Prediction of Energy Consumption on Example of Heterogenic Commercial Buildings

The management of large enterprises influences their efficiency and profitability. One of the important aspects is the appropriate management of electricity consumption used for production and daily operation. The problem becomes more complicated when you need to manage not one but a large complex of buildings with heterogeneous purposes. In the paper, we examine real-time series data of electrical energy consumption in a complex of heterogeneous buildings, including offices and warehouses, using time series analysis methods such as the Holt–Winters model and ARIMA/SARIMA model, and neural networks (Deep Neural Network, Recurrent Neural Network, and Long Short-Term Memory). Experimental research was performed on a dataset obtained from an energy consumption meter placed in the building complex, built in different periods, and equipped with a variety of automation devices. The data were collected over a period of four years 2018–2021 in the form of time series. Results show that classic models are good at predicting energy consumption in the mentioned type of buildings. The ARIMA model gave the best results—for buildings characterized by seasonality and trends the forecasts were almost perfect with actual values.

A study of European wheat price series forecasting based on multiple variants of Holt-Winters and LSTM models

Given the importance of wheat in global food security and agricultural economy, accurate price forecasts are of significant practical significance for growers, the food chain, and government macro-control. Four different time series forecasting models were used in this study, including the traditional Holt-Winters three-parameter exponential smoothing method and three improved models based on the Long Short-Term Memory Network (LSTM): the CNN-LSTM, the GRU, and the VMD-LSTM. By comparing the forecasting effects of these models under the same training and test sets, this study aims to select the best models using the best model for predicting European wheat prices from 2010 to 2023 after training. The results show that the CNN-LSTM model performs the best in predicting the European wheat price series, and the future wheat price will show a slow downward trend, and the CNN-LSTM model combines the feature extraction ability of convolutional neural network and the long-term dependency learning ability of LSTM, which can effectively capture the fluctuation characteristics of the price series and the trend characteristics. The GRU model also shows a better prediction ability, especially in dealing with long-term dependencies. in dealing with long-term dependencies. However, the VMD-LSTM model has certain shortcomings in its prediction effect when facing time series data with large fluctuations in the later period. In addition, the Holt-Winters model predicts that after a period of slow decline, wheat prices may rebound, which may be related to the adjustment of market supply and demand and changes in external factors.

Forecasting Retail Sales for Furniture and Furnishing Items through the Employment of Multiple Linear Regression and Holt–Winters Models

Global economic growth, marked by rising GDP and population, has spurred demand for essential goods including furniture. This study presents a comprehensive demand forecasting analysis for retail furniture sales in the U.S. for the next 36 months using Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Holt–Winters methods. Leveraging retail sales data from 2019 to 2023, alongside key influencing factors such as furniture imports, consumer sentiment, and housing starts, we developed two predictive models. The results indicated that retail furniture sales exhibited strong seasonality and a positive trend, with the lowest forecasted demand in April 2024 (USD 9118 million) and the highest in December 2026 (USD 13,577 million). The average annual demand for 2024, 2025, and 2026 is projected at USD 12,122.5 million, USD 12,522.67 million, and USD 12,922.17 million, respectively, based on MLR, while Holt–Winters results are slightly more conservative. The models were compared using the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) metric, with the MLR model yielding a MAPE of 3.47% and the Holt–Winters model achieving a MAPE of 4.21%. The study’s findings align with global market projections and highlight the growing demand trajectory in the U.S. furniture industry, providing valuable insights for strategic decision-making and operations management.

DETERMINATION AND APPLICATION OF FORECASTING METHOD FOR MEDICINE CONSUMPTION IN HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION

The aim of this research is to estimate the consumption of a selected medicine in a public hospital for the next 1-year period by choosing the most appropriate fore casting method. Kaptoril 5-mg tablets from January 2018 to December 2022 were examined. In this research, time series methods were applied to the existing data using the Minitab 18 program. Moving average, exponentials moothing, and Holt-Winters fore casting methods were used in this study. Error measures such as mean absolute error, mean absolute percent age error, and mean squared error were used to compare the methods. For Kaptoril 5 mg, the most appropriatedem and fore casting method according to error measures is the Multiplicative Holt-Winters Method. According to this method, the mean absolute percent age error is 37.23. According to the multiplic ative Holt-Winters model, the total medicine consumption in 2023 was found to be 145 tablets. This research shows that time series fore casting methods can be applied to help reliable decision making in stock management of medicines by making a sample application on a selected medicine in a public hospital.

COVID-19 Forecasting Using Recurrent Neural Network and Machine Learning

The COVID-19 variant’s complexity and the dire consequences of the variant spread are the inspirations behind the profound research on modeling and predicting new emerging variant surges. Multiple factors, including the variant characteristics, vaccination rate, the immune response of vaccinated individuals, and disease prevention health policies, impact the COVID-19 infection trend. The advancements in machine learning and neural network models, combined with the growth in computing, have demonstrated outstanding potential in modeling and predicting epidemic diseases. This research presents the modeling and prediction of the combined COVID-19 variant infection trends using the Holt-Winters exponential smoothing and seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average with exogenous factors (SARIMAX) time-series machine learning models and recurrent neural network (RNN) long short-term memory (LSTM) model. Real-world United States COVID variant data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is used for prediction. The SARIMAX model factoring the seasonality of COVID-19 infections showed higher prediction accuracy than the Holt-Winters model, which is heavily weighted towards the most recent trends. The LSTM model had the best prediction accuracy of 91% with the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) values due to its property of selectively remembering patterns for long duration and the forget gates that correct the vanishing gradient problem, minimizing the error losses. This research demonstrates the promising application of the neural network deep learning models for epidemic disease modeling and prediction, enabling timely assessment of different policy decisions to mitigate the impact of an epidemic.

Prediction of influenza outbreaks in Fuzhou, China: comparative analysis of forecasting models

BackgroundInfluenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease that presents a significant challenge to public health globally. Therefore, effective influenza prediction and prevention are crucial for the timely allocation of resources, the development of vaccine strategies, and the implementation of targeted public health interventions.MethodIn this study, we utilized historical influenza case data from January 2013 to December 2021 in Fuzhou to develop four regression prediction models: SARIMA, Prophet, Holt-Winters, and XGBoost models. Their predicted performance was assessed by using influenza data from the period from January 2022 to December 2022 in Fuzhou. These models were used for fitting and prediction analysis. The evaluation metrics, including Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Error (MAE), were employed to compare the performance of these models.ResultsThe results indicate that the epidemic of influenza in Fuzhou exhibits a distinct seasonal and cyclical pattern. The influenza cases data displayed a noticeable upward trend and significant fluctuations. In our study, we employed SARIMA, Prophet, Holt-Winters, and XGBoost models to predict influenza outbreaks in Fuzhou. Among these models, the XGBoost model demonstrated the best performance on both the training and test sets, yielding the lowest values for MSE, RMSE, and MAE among the four models.ConclusionThe utilization of the XGBoost model significantly enhances the prediction accuracy of influenza in Fuzhou. This study makes a valuable contribution to the field of influenza prediction and provides substantial support for future influenza response efforts.

Decomposition and Holt-Winters Enhanced by the Whale Optimization Algorithm for Forecasting the Amount of Water Inflow into the Large Dam Reservoirs in Southern Thailand

This study introduces hybrid forecasting models integrating the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) with Holt-Winters (HW) and decomposition methods, applied in both additive and multiplicative models, for time series forecasting. Focusing on monthly water inflow into four dam reservoirs in Southern Thailand, the study compares these hybrid models against classical statistical models, Grid Search for Holt-Winters (Grid-HW) and Classical Decomposition (Classic-D). The analysis comprises two phases: the training dataset phase and the testing dataset phase. In the training phase, WOA demonstrates superior parameter optimization, enhancing both HW and decomposition methods, resulting in lower Mean Absolute Error (MAE) values compared to classical models. In the testing phase, performance metrics such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), MAE, and Symmetric Mean Absolute Percentage Error (sMAPE) are employed. The findings reveal that the Whale Optimization Algorithm with Holt-Winters (WOA-HW) and Decomposition (WOA-D) models surpass classical approaches in long-term forecasting accuracy for three dam reservoirs. Over 24 data points, the WOA with Multiplicative Holt-Winters (WOA-HWx) is optimal for Pran Buri dam, the WOA with Additive Decomposition (WOA-D+) for Bang Lang dam, and the WOA with Multiplicative Decomposition (WOA-Dx) for Kaeng Krachan dam. The Box-Jenkins approach, further refined through a Box-Cox transformation employing a natural logarithm, emerged as the superior forecasting model for Rajjaprabha dam. This model satisfied all critical statistical criteria, including normality of residuals (Anderson-Darling: 0.359, p-value: 0.433), homoscedasticity (Levene's test: 1.24, p-value: 0.274), independence (Ljung-Box test: 14.10, p-value: 0.169), and zero mean (t-test: -0.39, p-value: 0.702), establishing its robustness and reliability for forecast analysis.

Prophet time series modeling of waste disposal rates in four North American cities.

In this study, three different univariate municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal rate forecast models (SARIMA, Holt-Winters, Prophet) were examined using different testing periods in four North American cities with different socioeconomic conditions. A review of the literature suggests that the selected models are able to handle seasonality in a time series; however, their ability to handle outliers is not well understood. The Prophet model generally outperformed the Holt-Winters model and the SARIMA model. The MAPE and R2 of the Prophet model during pre-COVID-19 were 4.3-22.2% and 0.71-0.93, respectively. All three models showed satisfactory predictive results, especially during the pre-COVID-19 testing period. COVID-19 lockdowns and the associated regulatory measures appear to have affected MSW disposal behaviors, and all the univariate models failed to fully capture the abrupt changes in waste disposal behaviors. Modeling errors were largely attributed to data noise in seasonality and the unprecedented event of COVID-19 lockdowns. Overall, the modeling errors of the Prophet model were evenly distributed, with minimum modeling biases. The Prophet model also appeared to be versatile and successfully captured MSW disposal rates from 3000 to 39,000 tons/month. The study highlights the potential benefits of the use of univariate models in waste forecast.

Times series data analysis: The Holt-Winters model for rainfall prediction In West Java

Time series data analysis is used to analyze data that considers time and data characteristics to predict future events. One of the time series data is rainfall data. Rainfall data has a seasonal pattern because there is a pattern that repeats itself over a certain period. Data analysis that considers the characteristics of seasonal patterns is the Holt-Winters method. The Holt-Winters model is divided into two, namely additive and multiplicative models. This research aims to compare the Holt-Winters additive and multiplicative methods to see the accuracy in predicting rainfall data in West Java. The additive model has level parameter α=0,435, trend parameter β=0, seasonal parameter γ=1, and RMSE value 140,174. The multiplicative model has level parameter α=0,936, trend parameter β=0, seasonal parameter γ=0,247, and RMSE value 150,020. The additive model has a smaller RMSE value so it can predict future rainfall with greater accuracy.

A data-driven approach to river discharge forecasting in the Himalayan region: Insights from Aglar and Paligaad rivers

This study aims to better understand the time series forecasting of Aglar and Paligaad rivers' discharge (which has a significant impact on the Himalayan river) using advanced time series methods such as Holt-Winters (HW) additive method, Simple exponential smoothing (SES), and Non-seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models. This study used antecedent discharge information to forecast the next event. Comprehensive statistical examinations were conducted and analyzed. The highly stochastic nature of these river discharge trends adds complexity to the forecasting efforts and requires sophisticated modeling techniques that are capable of capturing and interpreting such variability accurately. The models proposed in the current study provide a reliable forecast for the next 15 months using 31 months of recorded river discharge data. The forecast analysis shows that both the HW and non-seasonal ARIMA model results indicate exponential decay for the end of 2016 and early 2017. The HW model shows the best performance in long-term forecasting, indicating a sharp increase in spring and a small increase in discharge during fall months. However, for short-term forecasting, the non-ARIMA model should show more promising results. The results show that the proposed methodologies substantially improve the forecast accuracy of discharge for all consecutive months in perennial rivers. While the study presents promising results for forecasting the Aglar and Paligaad rivers' discharge, generalizing these findings to other river systems or different geographical regions may be problematic due to varying hydrological characteristics and environmental conditions, which may need further study.

Analysis and Forecasting of Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Kenya and South Africa using Holt Winter Model

In this paper, Holt-Winters exponential smoothing approach is applied to model and forecast monthly CPI in Kenya and South Africa. Monthly data from January 2000 to December 2023 was obtained from Central Bank of Kenya and South Africa department of statistics. Time series decomposition showed that the trend component is the most dominant component in both countries. Kenya Holt-Winters estimated model has parameters 0.6756, 0.0077 and 1 for level smoothing, trend smoothing and seasonal smoothing respectively. On the other hand, South Africa estimated model has parameters 0.8917, 0.1057 and 1 for level smoothing, trend smoothing and seasonal smoothing respectively. The estimated models are efficient and effective as on average the fitted values are less than one percent off the observed values. The initial values for level smoothing, trend smoothing and seasonal smoothing are approximately equal in both countries. The estimated models are then used to predict CPI next twelve months. Over the forecast period, South Africa will experience a lower index as compared to Kenya. In both countries, it’s expected that monthly CPI will rise.

Applying k‐nearest neighbors to time series forecasting: Two new approaches

AbstractThe k‐nearest neighbors algorithm is one of the prominent techniques used in classification and regression. Despite its simplicity, the k‐nearest neighbors has been successfully applied in time series forecasting. However, the selection of the number of neighbors and feature selection is a daunting task. In this paper, we introduce two methodologies for forecasting time series that we refer to as Classical Parameters Tuning in Weighted Nearest Neighbors and Fast Parameters Tuning in Weighted Nearest Neighbors. The first approach uses classical parameters tuning that compares the most recent subsequence with every possible subsequence from the past of the same length. The second approach reduces the neighbors' search set, which leads to significantly reduced grid size and hence a lower computational time. To tune the models' parameters, both methods implement an approach inspired by cross‐validation for weighted nearest neighbors. We evaluate the forecasting performance and accuracy of our models. Then, we compare them to other approaches, especially, Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average, Holt Winters, and Exponential Smoothing State Space Model. Real data examples on retail and food services sales in the United States and milk production in the United Kingdom are analyzed to demonstrate the application and efficiency of the proposed approaches.

Prediction of volatility and seasonality vegetation by using the GARCH and Holt-Winters models.

Seasonality and volatility of vegetation in the ecosystem are associated with climatic sensitivity, which can have severe consequences for the environment as well as on the social and economic well-being of the nation. Monitoring and forecasting vegetation growth patterns in ecosystems significantly rely on remotely sensed vegetation indices, such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). A novel integration of the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) and the Holt-Winters (H-W) models was used to simulate the seasonality and volatility of the three different agro-climatic zones in Jharkhand, India: the central north-eastern, eastern, and south-eastern agro-climatic zones. MODIS Terra Vegetation Indices NDVI data MOD13Q1, from 2001 to 2021, was used to create NDVI time series volatility and seasonality modeled by the GARCH and the H-W models, respectively. GARCH-based Exponential GARCH (EGARCH) [1,1] and Standard GARCH (SGARCH) [1,1] models were used to check the volatility of vegetation growth in three different agro-climatic zones of Jharkhand. The SGARCH [1,1] and EGARCH [1,1] models for the western agro-climatic zone experienced the best indicator as it has maximum likelihood and minimal Schwarz-Bayesian criterion and Akaike information criterion. The seasonality results showed that the additive H-W model showed better results in the eastern agro-climatic zone with the optimized values of MAE (16.49), MAPE (0.49), NSE (0.86), RMSE (0.49), and R2 (0.82) followed by the south-eastern and central north-eastern agro-climatic zones. By utilizing the H-W and GARCH models, the finding demonstrates that vegetation orientation and monitoring seasonality can be predicted using NDVI.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the Brazilian maternal mortality ratio: A comparative analysis of Neural Networks Autoregression, Holt-Winters exponential smoothing, and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average models.

The acute respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in increased mortality among pregnant, puerperal, and neonates. Brazil has the highest number of maternal deaths and a distressing fatality rate of 7.2%, more than double the country's current mortality rate of 2.8%. This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Brazilian Maternal Mortality Ratio (BMMR) and forecasts the BMMR up to 2025. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the BMMR, we employed Holt-Winters, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), and Neural Networks Autoregression (NNA). We utilized a retrospective time series spanning twenty-five years (1996-2021) to forecast the BMMR under both a COVID-19 pandemic scenario and a controlled COVID-19 scenario. Brazil consistently exhibited high maternal mortality values (mean BMMR [1996-2019] = 57.99 ±6.34/100,000 live births) according to World Health Organization criteria. The country experienced its highest mortality peak in the historical BMMR series in the second quarter of 2021 (197.75/100,000 live births), representing a more than 200% increase compared to the previous period. Holt-Winter and ARIMA models demonstrated better agreement with prediction results beyond the sample data, although NNA provided a better fit to previous data. Our study revealed an increase in BMMR and its temporal correlation with COVID-19 incidence. Additionally, it showed that Holt-Winter and ARIMA models can be employed for BMMR forecasting with lower errors. This information can assist governments and public health agencies in making timely and informed decisions.