Traditional Model Research Articles

The Evaluation of Neuroprotective Effect of Nigella sativa Linn Seed Using Zebrafish Model

Naturally occurring materials that can serve as preservatives in foodstuffs are substances found in their composition. Nigella sativa Linn, a member of the Ranunculaceae family, is a widely recognized medicinal herb with global usage. For centuries, N. sativa L., seeds have been employed to address various ailments and health issues. In behavioral research, the bioactive compound derived from N. sativa L., namely Kaempferol 3-(2-galloyl-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside), has gained significant attention. The escalating prevalence of Alzheimer's disease among elderly individuals worldwide necessitates exploration beyond traditional mammalian and rodent models. This has led to the adoption of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a unique model organism in biomedical research, behavior analysis and human disorders. Experiments involving scopolamine-induced T-maze, escape, place preference and bite tests have strongly suggested that behavior in zebrafish is governed by conserved regulatory processes. The results of the behavior tests demonstrated that N. sativa L., enhances learning and memory, which was otherwise affected by scopolamine treatment. Notably, a thorough analysis of histoarchitecture revealed no adverse effects of Kaempferol 3-(2-galloyl-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside), which might be a promising therapeutic option for such a multi-factorial Alzheimer's disease.

Genetic evaluations of dairy goats with few pedigree data: different approaches to use molecular information.

One of the limitations of implementing animal breeding programs in small-scale or extensive production systems is the lack of production records and genealogical records. In this context, molecular markers could help to gain information for the breeding program. This study addresses the inclusion of molecular data into traditional genetic evaluation models as a random effect by molecular pedigree reconstruction and as a fixed effect by Bayesian clustering. The methods were tested for lactation curve traits in 14 dairy goat herds with incomplete phenotypic data and pedigree information. The results showed an increment of 37.3% of the relationships regarding the originals with MOLCOAN and clustering into five genetic groups. Data leads to estimating additive variance, error variance, and heritability with four different models, including pedigree and molecular information. Deviance Information Criterion (DIC) values demonstrate a greater fitting of the models that include molecular information either as fixed (genetic clusters) or as random (molecular matrix) effects. The molecular information of simple markers can complement genetic improvement strategies in populations with little information.

Improvement in simultaneous processing through metacognitive instruction

This study presents the improvement generated in simultaneous processing by the application of metacognitive instruction to 3rd grade primary education students. A pre-post-follow-up test design was used. The sample consisted of 30 students from one classroom. Two groups were formed; an intervention group comprising students in the classroom who presented difficulties in simultaneous processing, showing a cognitive weakness that compromises reading comprehension, and a comparison group comprising the rest of the students in the class. The instruments used were the Das-Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System (DN CAS), Assessment of Reading Comprehension (ACL) test and the Reading Awareness Scale (ESCOLA). The groups were equivalent in socioeconomic and cultural status and in successive processing. Reading and study variables were used as differentiators: simultaneous processing and reading awareness. A metacognitive training program based on the Planning Facilitation method was applied to the intervention group. The comparison group followed the usual curricular activities of the classroom and for the education level, according to the traditional teaching model. The program was implemented in 48 sessions over 12 weeks. After the intervention, the group with weakness improved significantly in simultaneous processing and reading awareness; the comparison group did not show any change in their initial scores. The metacognitive instruction that facilitates discussion between students and reflective verbalization about reading tasks promotes improvement in reading awareness and in the simultaneous processing necessary for reading comprehension.

Complex pattern evolution of a two-dimensional space diffusion model of malware spread

In order to investigate the propagation mechanism of malware in cyber-physical systems (CPSs), the cross-diffusion in two-dimensional space is attempted to be introduced into a class of susceptible-infected (SI) malware propagation model depicted by partial differential equations (PDEs). Most of the traditional reaction-diffusion models of malware propagation only take into account the self-diffusion in one-dimensional space, but take less consideration of the cross-diffusion in two-dimensional space. This paper investigates the spatial diffusion behaviour of malware nodes spreading through physical devices. The formations of Turing patterns after homogeneous stationary instability triggered by Turing bifurcation are investigated by linear stability analysis and multiscale analysis methods. The conditions under the occurence of Hopf bifurcation and Turing bifurcation in the malware model are obtained. The amplitude equations are derived in the vicinity of the bifurcation point to explore the conditions for the formation of Turing patterns in two-dimensional space. And the corresponding patterns are obtained by varying the control parameters. It is shown that malicious virus nodes spread in different forms including hexagons, stripes and a mixture of the two. This paper will extend a new direction for the study of system security theory.

Nonunion scaphoid bone shape prediction using iterative kernel principal polynomial shape analysis.

The scaphoid is an important mechanical stabilizer for both the proximal and distal carpal columns. The precise estimation of the complete scaphoid bone based on partial bone geometric information is a crucial factor in the effective management of scaphoid nonunion. Statistical shape model (SSM) could be utilized to predict the complete scaphoid shape based on the defective scaphoid. However, traditional principal component analysis (PCA) based SSM is limited by its linearity and the inability to adjust the number of modes used for prediction. This study proposes an iterative kernel principal polynomial shape analysis (iKPPSA)-based SSM to predict the pre-morbid shape of the scaphoid, aiming at enhancing the accuracy as well as the robustness of the model. Sixty-five sets of scaphoid images were used to train SSM and nine sets of scaphoid images were used for validation. For each validation image set, three defect types (tubercle, proximal pole, and avascular necrosis) were virtually created. The predicted shapes of the scaphoid by PCA, PPSA, KPCA, and iKPPSA-based SSM were evaluated against the original shape in terms of mean error, Hausdorff distance error, and Dice coefficient. The proposed iKPPSA-based scaphoid SSM demonstrates significant robustness, with a generality of 0.264mm and a specificity of 0.260mm. It accounts for 99% of variability with the first seven principal modes of variation. Compared to the traditional PCA-based model, the iKPPSA-based scaphoid model prediction demonstrated superior performance for the proximal pole type fracture, with significant reductions of 25.2%, 24.7%, and 24.6% in mean error, Hausdorff distance, and root mean square error (RMSE), respectively, and a 0.35% improvement in Dice coefficient. This study showed that the iKPPSA-based SSM exploits the nonlinearity of data features and delivers high reconstruction accuracy. It can be effectively integrated into preoperative planning for scaphoid fracture management or morphology-based biomechanical modeling of the scaphoid.

Development of a high-throughput scale-down model in Ambr® 250 HT for plasmid DNA fermentation processes.

Recent advances in messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines and gene therapy vectors have increased the need for rapid plasmid DNA (pDNA) screening and production within the biopharmaceutical industry. High-throughput (HT) fermentor systems, such as the Ambr® 250 HT, can significantly accelerate process development timelines of pDNA upstream processes compared to traditional bench-scale glass fermentors or small-scale steam-in-place (SIP) fermentors. However, such scale-down models must be qualified to ensure that they are representative of the larger scale process similar to traditional small-scale models. In the current study, we developed a representative scale-down model of a Biostat® D-DCU 30 L pDNA fermentation process in Ambr® 250 HT fermentors using three cell lines producing three different constructs. The Ambr scale-down model provided comparable process performance and pDNA quality as the 30 L SIP fermentation process. In addition, we demonstrated the predictive value of the Ambr model by two-way qualification, first by accurately reproducing the prior trends observed in a 30 L process, followed by predicting new process trends that were then successfully reproduced in the 30 L process. The representative and predictive scale-down Ambr model developed in this study would enable a faster and more efficient approach to strain/clone/host-cell screening, pDNA process development and characterization studies, process scale-up studies, and manufacturing support.

Damage detection of road domain waveform guardrail structure based on machine learning multi-module fusion.

The current highway waveform guardrail recognition technology has encountered problems with low segmentation accuracy and strong noise interference. Therefore, an improved U-net semantic segmentation model is proposed to improve the efficiency of road maintenance detection. The model training is guided by mixed expansion convolution and mixed loss function, while the presence of guardrail shedding is investigated by using partial mean values of gray values in ROI region based on segmentation results, while the first-order detail coefficients of wavelet transform are applied to detect guardrail defects and deformation. It has been determined that the Miou and Dice of the improved model are improved by 8.63% and 17.67%, respectively, over the traditional model, and that the method of detecting defects in the data is more accurate than 85%. As a result of efficient detection of highway waveform guardrail, the detection process is shortened and the effectiveness of the detection is improved later on during road maintenance.

Design of corporate human capital value measurement model based on binary tree

The measurement process of corporate human capital value ignores the in-depth analysis of the influencing factors of value measurement, which leads to the inaccuracy of the measurement result of corporate human capital value. Therefore, taking an enterprise in Heilongjiang Province as the research object, a measurement model of enterprise human capital value based on binary tree is designed. Establish the corporate human capital value measurement index system, and initially fix the human capital value. Calculate the floating value of human capital under the complete information, and determine the influencing factors of human capital value measurement. The human capital value of enterprise under incomplete information is calculated to complete the construction of the measurement model of human capital value of enterprise based on binary tree. Taking the actual human resource performance score of an enterprise from 2019 to 2022 as an example, the experiment proved that the design model and the traditional measurement model evaluated the enterprise human resource performance, and proved that the measurement model based on binary tree was more accurate than the traditional model, and the final measurement accuracy of the design model reached 93.5%. Compared with the traditional measurement model ahead of 18.5%–10.3%, compared with the current advanced measurement model ahead of 5.2%–5.7%. The evaluation Angle in the research is slightly lacking of practical significance, and further research can carry out further evaluation on income to maximize the practical significance of the research. However, the model is evaluated from the perspective of pricing, but in real life, the value of enterprise human capital is reflected in income distribution. Therefore, if the measurement of human capital value is combined with income distribution in the next step, the research results will be closer to the actual situation and will have more practical significance.

Research on contactless intelligent medication pickup mode selection based on a hospital in China under COVID-19.

During an outbreak such as COVID-19, hospital staff needs to be in close contact with all types of patients visiting the hospital and the risk of cross-infection is extremely high. Payment and medication pickup is a mandatory part of a patient's hospital visit, with direct contact between healthcare workers and patients, and long waiting times in the hospital area, which can easily lead to the spread of disease infection. This paper designed the prototype of a contactless smart medicine cabinet based on RFID technology and optimized the patient consultation and medication pickup process to address these problems. We conducted a 50-day field observation of patients for consultation and medication pickup at the First Hospital in H city, Jiangsu Province, China, and randomly timed 1600 sets of data from Surgery (ophthalmology) and Internal patients, then we designed the prototype of a contactless smart medicine cabinet based on RFID technology, optimized the patient consultation and medication pickup process, comparing the traditional and intelligent models using AnyLogic. The results show that this contactless medicine cabinet was able to reduce the time taken by patients in consultation and medicine pickup by 18.74 minutes, increasing the overall efficiency of the consultation by 32.20%. The simulation revealed that this contactless intelligent medication pickup model was able to reduce the time taken by patients in consultation and medicine pickup, increasing the overall efficiency of the consultation, effectively reducing the frequency of contact between healthcare workers and patients, and reducing the risk of disease infection. The proposed technical model provides a new idea to solve the problems of long queues, low efficiency and high risk of infection for patients to consult and get medicine during epidemics. Especially within hospitals it has important theoretical and practical implications for epidemic prevention and control as well as future hospital management.

Spin‐Transfer‐Torque Magnetic Tunnel Junction Nonlinear In‐Sensor Computing Synapse for Improving the Performance of the Feedforward Neural Network

In‐sensor computing architecture has a great advantage especially in massive data sampling, transfer, and processing compared with the separated intelligent sensor systems. However, most of the in‐sensor computing device is proposed based on the traditional neural network model, where the synapse performs linear multiplication of input and weight. This approach fails to make the most use of the nonlinearity of in‐sensor computing devices. Therefore, in this article, first a modified feedforward neural network model with the nonlinear in‐sensor computing synapse (NSCS) located at the input layer is presented, and the backpropagation (BP) algorithm is modified to train the network. Then, the nonlinear characteristics of the NSCS composed of the spin‐transfer‐torque magnetic tunnel junction (STT–MTJ) devices and simple complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) circuit are analyzed. Based on the nonlinear response of STT–MTJ NSCS, the small‐scale network with NSCS synapse is experimented on the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology dataset and compared with the traditional network of the same network size. In the simulation result, it is shown that better performance can be achieved with the STT–MTJ NSCS, including a 2–15 times improvement in convergence speed and a 2.5%–5.1% increase in accuracy.

A multi-timescale optimization method for integrated energy systems with carbon capture and accounting

As the goal of “double carbon”, integrated energy systems aiming at the development of low-carbon economy are developing rapidly, and carbon capture and other emission reduction technologies are gradually gaining more extensive development space. For controlling carbon emissions and enhance the consumption of renewable energy. This work proposes to introduce carbon capture technology in the framework of integrated energy system and optimize the energy dispatching of integrated energy system in multiple time scales, and design a multi-time scale optimization model of integrated energy system with carbon capture. Based on the basic architecture of a low-carbon integrated energy system, this study analyzes the power characteristics of each unit of the integrated energy system, which consists of thermal power units, gas turbines, electric boilers, batteries, gas storage, heat storage, etc. By studying the energy conversion and storage processes of each unit, a power model of each unit of the integrated energy system is established. On this basis, the relationship between carbon emissions and unit output of thermal power units and gas turbines was studied, and a carbon emission model for the energy supply unit in the comprehensive energy system was established. At the same time, in order to solve the problem of carbon emission reduction under the day ahead scheduling plan of the integrated energy system, considering the emission reduction goals and system operation security factors, the study analyzed the economic model and carbon emission model of the integrated energy system, established the day ahead low-carbon scheduling model of the integrated energy system, and reasonably planned the output of each unit that can achieve the carbon emission reduction goals on the premise of meeting the balance of supply and demand. The innovation of the research method of this paper is that this paper establishes a multi time scale rolling optimization model under the emission reduction goal of the integrated energy system. Based on the day ahead scheduling scheme obtained in the day ahead low-carbon scheduling phase, the day ahead plan is first revised through 4 h rolling scheduling in the day; Then, with the goal of minimizing the adjustment amount, fine tune the unit output within 15 minutes to provide a daily output plan for subsequent low-carbon emission reduction targets. The outcomes indicate that in the practical application, the carbon emission of the optimized model in the peak hour 11:00 to 12:00 phase is 118 tons, which is 7 tons less than the 125 tons of the traditional model. In summary, it demonstrates that the studied multi-timescale optimization model of integrated energy system with carbon capture has good application. We have studied and analyzed the low-carbon implementation mechanism of coordinated cooperation in multiple time scales, and constructed a multi time scale rolling optimization model, laying a theoretical foundation for subsequent low-carbon scheduling research. This enables the system to formulate more accurate and reasonable scheduling plans, while improving the low-carbon performance and economic benefits of the system, providing reference for the low-carbon development of the power system.

Anisotropic turbulence modeling of the atmospheric surface layer: Validation of novel model settings and comparison with traditional two-equation models in flows over complex terrain

For atmospheric flows, the limitations of the eddy viscosity assumption are even more critical in cases involving complex terrain and features, where secondary strains are influential. Reynolds Stress Models (RSMs) can account for these effects, but their numerical stiffness and crucially the lack of established guidelines for modelers regarding the appropriate boundary conditions and model settings, as exist for eddy-viscosity models (EVMs), have led to limited adoption. In order to circumvent the shortcomings of EVMs, the focus has been directed at large eddy simulations (LES), which have greater computational requirements that can be prohibitive. Thus, this work aims to extend the traditional methodology that has been applied to adapt EVMs to atmospheric flows to an RSM that incorporates near-ground effects. This results in suggestions for new model constants and novel boundary conditions, which can easily be adapted according to local atmospheric parameters and employed by modelers. The performance of the proposed RSM is compared with four distinct EVMs through real-life cases representing two distinct complex terrain configurations. The results showed that the RSM indeed outperformed the EVMs, and it was found that only its anisotropic formulation could capture more complex flow features that were observed experimentally.

Machine Learning Did Not Outperform Conventional Competing Risk Modeling to Predict Revision Arthroplasty.

Estimating the risk of revision after arthroplasty could inform patient and surgeon decision-making. However, there is a lack of well-performing prediction models assisting in this task, which may be due to current conventional modeling approaches such as traditional survivorship estimators (such as Kaplan-Meier) or competing risk estimators. Recent advances in machine learning survival analysis might improve decision support tools in this setting. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the performance of machine learning compared with that of conventional modeling to predict revision after arthroplasty. Does machine learning perform better than traditional regression models for estimating the risk of revision for patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty? Eleven datasets from published studies from the Dutch Arthroplasty Register reporting on factors associated with revision or survival after partial or total knee and hip arthroplasty between 2018 and 2022 were included in our study. The 11 datasets were observational registry studies, with a sample size ranging from 3038 to 218,214 procedures. We developed a set of time-to-event models for each dataset, leading to 11 comparisons. A set of predictors (factors associated with revision surgery) was identified based on the variables that were selected in the included studies. We assessed the predictive performance of two state-of-the-art statistical time-to-event models for 1-, 2-, and 3-year follow-up: a Fine and Gray model (which models the cumulative incidence of revision) and a cause-specific Cox model (which models the hazard of revision). These were compared with a machine-learning approach (a random survival forest model, which is a decision tree-based machine-learning algorithm for time-to-event analysis). Performance was assessed according to discriminative ability (time-dependent area under the receiver operating curve), calibration (slope and intercept), and overall prediction error (scaled Brier score). Discrimination, known as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, measures the model's ability to distinguish patients who achieved the outcomes from those who did not and ranges from 0.5 to 1.0, with 1.0 indicating the highest discrimination score and 0.50 the lowest. Calibration plots the predicted versus the observed probabilities; a perfect plot has an intercept of 0 and a slope of 1. The Brier score calculates a composite of discrimination and calibration, with 0 indicating perfect prediction and 1 the poorest. A scaled version of the Brier score, 1 - (model Brier score/null model Brier score), can be interpreted as the amount of overall prediction error. Using machine learning survivorship analysis, we found no differences between the competing risks estimator and traditional regression models for patients undergoing arthroplasty in terms of discriminative ability (patients who received a revision compared with those who did not). We found no consistent differences between the validated performance (time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) of different modeling approaches because these values ranged between -0.04 and 0.03 across the 11 datasets (the time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the models across 11 datasets ranged between 0.52 to 0.68). In addition, the calibration metrics and scaled Brier scores produced comparable estimates, showing no advantage of machine learning over traditional regression models. Machine learning did not outperform traditional regression models. Neither machine learning modeling nor traditional regression methods were sufficiently accurate in order to offer prognostic information when predicting revision arthroplasty. The benefit of these modeling approaches may be limited in this context.

Linking energy-based circularity with environment in high-income economies.

A circular economy is a regenerative approach that emphasizes resource efficiency, waste reduction, and the reuse of materials for a sustainable world. By adopting circular practices, we can reduce the negative impact of traditional linear economic models on the environment. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the world is generating only 26% of total energy production from circular practices, which positively impacts environmental health. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the empirical estimation of circular practices regarding energy on the environment. The current study focuses on the association between the circular economic index, economic growth, trade, digitization, energy use, and the financial development index on the environment in 29 high-income countries from 1990 to 2019. The study employs the second-generation econometric technique Driscoll-Kraay to empirically estimate the association among the variables of interestafter confirming cross-sectional dependencywithin the data set. The study findings reveal that circular practices improve high-income countries' environmental conditions. Furthermore, the study confirms the association between economic growth, financial development index, energy use, trade, and digitization on the environment, and it leads to a more sustainable situation. Policies are drawn based on findings for policymakers toward a sustainable world.

Prognostic risk models for incident hypertension: A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis.

Our goal was to review the available literature on prognostic risk prediction for incident hypertension, synthesize performance, and provide suggestions for future work on the topic. A systematic search on PUBMED and Web of Science databases was conducted for studies on prognostic risk prediction models for incident hypertension in generally healthy individuals. Study-quality was assessed using the Prediction model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST) checklist. Three-level meta-analyses were used to obtain pooled AUC/C-statistic estimates. Heterogeneity was explored using study and cohort characteristics in meta-regressions. From 5090 hits, we found 53 eligible studies, and included 47 in meta-analyses. Only four studies were assessed to have results with low risk of bias. Few models had been externally validated, with only the Framingham risk model validated more than thrice. The pooled AUC/C-statistics were 0.82 (0.77-0.86) for machine learning models and 0.78 (0.76-0.80) for traditional models, with high heterogeneity in both groups (I2 > 99%). Intra-class correlations within studies were 60% and 90%, respectively. Follow-up time (P = 0.0405) was significant for ML models and age (P = 0.0271) for traditional models in explaining heterogeneity. Validations of the Framingham risk model had high heterogeneity (I2 > 99%). Overall, the quality of included studies was assessed as poor. AUC/C-statistic were mostly acceptable or good, and higher for ML models than traditional models. High heterogeneity implies large variability in the performance of new risk models. Further, large heterogeneity in validations of the Framingham risk model indicate variability in model performance on new populations. To enable researchers to assess hypertension risk models, we encourage adherence to existing guidelines for reporting and developing risk models, specifically reporting appropriate performance measures. Further, we recommend a stronger focus on validation of models by considering reasonable baseline models and performing external validations of existing models. Hence, developed risk models must be made available for external researchers.

Ex-vivo drug screening of surgically resected glioma stem cells to replace murine avatars and provide personalise cancer therapy for glioblastoma patients

With diminishing returns and high clinical failure rates from traditional preclinical and animal-based drug discovery strategies, more emphasis is being placed on alternative drug discovery platforms. Ex vivo approaches represent a departure from both more traditional preclinical animal-based models and clinical-based strategies and aim to address intra-tumoural and inter-patient variability at an earlier stage of drug discovery. Additionally, these approaches could also offer precise treatment stratification for patients within a week of tumour resection in order to direct tailored therapy. One tumour group that could significantly benefit from such ex vivo approaches are high-grade gliomas, which exhibit extensive heterogeneity, cellular plasticity and therapy-resistant glioma stem cell (GSC) niches. Historic use of murine-based preclinical models for these tumours has largely failed to generate new therapies, resulting in relatively stagnant and unacceptable survival rates of around 12-15 months post-diagnosis over the last 50 years. The near universal use of DNA damaging chemoradiotherapy after surgical resection within standard-of-care (SoC) therapy regimens provides an opportunity to improve current treatments if we can identify efficient drug combinations in preclinical models that better reflect the complex inter-/intra-tumour heterogeneity, GSC plasticity and inherent DNA damage resistance mechanisms. We have therefore developed and optimised a high-throughput ex vivo drug screening platform; GliExP, which maintains GSC populations using immediately dissociated fresh surgical tissue. As a proof-of-concept for GliExP, we have optimised SoC therapy responses and screened 30+ small molecule therapeutics and preclinical compounds against tumours from 18 different patients, including multi-region spatial heterogeneity sampling from several individual tumours. Our data therefore provides a strong basis to build upon GliExP to incorporate combination-based oncology therapeutics in tandem with SoC therapies as an important preclinical alternative to murine models (reduction and replacement) to triage experimental therapeutics for clinical translation and deliver rapid identification of effective treatment strategies for individual gliomas.

Short term power load forecasting system based on improved neural network deep learning model

AbstractThe electricity load prediction is closely related to production and daily life. The electricity load prediction is also a very important task. With the widespread application of smart grids, load data shows an exponential growth trend. The huge amount of data in the load makes power prediction even more difficult. On the basis of traditional prediction algorithms, a power load prediction model based on machine learning and neural networks is designed. Because the single model prediction has the unstable results, a combined model is obtained based on the ensemble learning idea and two single model prediction method. The prediction results are detected by the load data. From the experimental results, the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the AdaBoost‐GRU data fusion model is 0.066%. Compared to the AdaBoost‐GRU data fusion model, the MAPE decreases by 1.59% and 1.12%, respectively. The relative mass scores of the two groups decrease by 132.57% and 89.14%, respectively. The prediction accuracy is improved, which has advantages compared to traditional combination models. It can effectively enhance the accuracy of short‐term power grid load forecasting. It is an important scientific and practical reference for power grid decision‐making.

A New Model for Building Energy Modeling and Management Using Predictive Analytics: Partitioned Hierarchical Multitask Regression (PHMR)

Buildings are major consumers of energy, accounting for a significant proportion of total energy use worldwide. This substantial energy consumption not only leads to increased operational costs but also contributes to environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas emissions. In the United States, building energy consumption accounts for about 40% of total energy use, highlighting the importance of efficient energy management. Therefore, accurate prediction of energy usage in buildings is crucial. However, accurate prediction of building energy consumption remains a challenge due to the intricate interaction of indoor and outdoor variables. This study introduces the Partitioned Hierarchical Multitask Regression (PHMR), an innovative model integrating recursive partition regression (RPR) with multitask learning (hierML). PHMR adeptly predicts building energy consumption by integrating both indoor factors, such as building design and operational variables, and outdoor environmental influences. Rigorous simulation studies illustrate PHMR’s efficacy. It outperforms traditional single-predictor regression models, achieving a 32.88% to 41.80% higher prediction accuracy, especially in scenarios with limited training data. This highlights PHMR’s robustness and adaptability. The practical application of PHMR in managing a modular house’s Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system in Spain resulted in a 37% improvement in prediction accuracy. This significant efficiency gain is evidenced by a high Pearson correlation coefficient (0.8) between PHMR’s predictions and actual energy consumption. PHMR not only offers precise predictions for energy consumption but also facilitates operational cost reductions, thereby enhancing sustainability in building energy management. Its application in a real-world setting demonstrates the model’s potential as a valuable tool for architects, engineers, and facility managers in designing and maintaining energy-efficient buildings. The model’s integration of comprehensive data analysis with domain-specific knowledge positions it as a crucial asset in advancing sustainable energy practices in the building sector.

Preclinical Evidence Synthesis Facilitates Open Science

Evidence synthesis methodology, particularly preclinical evidence synthesis reviews, provides substantial benefits by reducing research waste, enhancing the quality of research, and providing comprehensive and objective overviews of specific fields. These reviews also allow for the contribution of citizen scientists, who represent an important facet of open science. Recent policy changes by the Biden-Harris Administration require that researchers receiving federal funding immediately make their publications and data available to the public without an embargo, highlighting the importance placed upon the open science principles of transparency, reproducibility, and accessibility. Despite this, the following assessment highlights two challenges for evidence synthesis reviews that are at odds with open science principles: (1) the lack of funding available for evidence synthesis reviews, particularly preclinical reviews, despite their demonstrated value and (2) the slow and expensive traditional publication model. I recommend allocating funding for preclinical evidence synthesis reviews as they are beneficial to both the researchers conducting the review and the field that is being reviewed. I also recommend supporting publication platforms that employ the quick release of preprints with a transparent peer review process and/or creating a federally funded and run publication platform characterized by open access and minimal publication costs.

Optimizing the Economic Order Quantity Using Fuzzy Theory and Machine Learning Applied to a Pharmaceutical Framework

In this article, we present a novel methodology for inventory management in the pharmaceutical industry, considering the nature of its supply chain. Traditional inventory models often fail to capture the particularities of the pharmaceutical sector, characterized by limited storage space, product degradation, and trade credits. To address these particularities, using fuzzy logic, we propose models that are adaptable to real-world scenarios. The proposed models are designed to reduce total costs for both vendors and clients, a gap not explored in the existing literature. Our methodology employs pentagonal fuzzy number (PFN) arithmetic and Kuhn–Tucker optimization. Additionally, the integration of the naive Bayes (NB) classifier and the use of the Weka artificial intelligence suite increase the effectiveness of our model in complex decision-making environments. A key finding is the high classification accuracy of the model, with the NB classifier correctly categorizing approximately 95.9% of the scenarios, indicating an operational efficiency. This finding is complemented by the model capability to determine the optimal production quantity, considering cost factors related to manufacturing and transportation, which is essential in minimizing overall inventory costs. Our methodology, based on machine learning and fuzzy logic, enhances the inventory management in dynamic sectors like the pharmaceutical industry. While our focus is on a single-product scenario between suppliers and buyers, future research hopes to extend this focus to wider contexts, as epidemic conditions and other applications.