A deep-reinforcement learning approach for optimizing homogeneous droplet routing in digital microfluidic biochips

Over the past two decades,digital microfluidic biochips have been in much demand for safety-critical and biomedical applications and increasingly important in point-of-care analysis,drug discovery,and immunoassays,among other areas.However,for complex bioassays,finding routes for the transportation of droplets in an electrowetting-on-dielectric digital biochip while maintaining their discreteness is a challenging task.In this study,we propose a deep reinforcement learning-based droplet routing technique for digital microfluidic biochips.The technique is implemented on a distributed architecture to optimize the possible paths for predefined source–target pairs of droplets.The actors of the technique calculate the possible routes of the source–target pairs and store the experience in a replay buffer,and the learner fetches the experiences and updates the routing paths.The proposed algorithm was applied to benchmark suitesⅠand Ⅲ as two different test benches,and it achieved significant improvements over state-of-the-art techniques.

Deep-reinforcement-learning-based robot motion strategies for grabbing objects from human hands

Background Robot grasping encompasses a wide range of research areas;however, most studies have been focused on the grasping of only stationary objects in a scene;only a few studies on how to grasp objects from a user's hand have been conducted. In this paper, a robot grasping algorithm based on deep reinforcement learning (RGRL) is proposed. Methods The RGRL takes the relative positions of the robot and the object in a user's hand as input and outputs the best action of the robot in the current state. Thus, the proposed algorithm realizes the functions of autonomous path planning and grasping objects safely from the hands of users. A new method for improving the safety of human-robot cooperation is explored. To solve the problems of a low utilization rate and slow convergence of reinforcement learning algorithms, the RGRL is first trained in a simulation scene, and then, the model para-meters are applied to a real scene. To reduce the difference between the simulated and real scenes, domain randomization is applied to randomly change the positions and angles of objects in the simulated scenes at regular intervals, thereby improving the diversity of the training samples and robustness of the algorithm. Results The RGRL's effectiveness and accuracy are verified by evaluating it on both simulated and real scenes, and the results show that the RGRL can achieve an accuracy of more than 80% in both cases. Conclusions RGRL is a robot grasping algorithm that employs domain randomization and deep reinforcement learning for effective grasping in simulated and real scenes. However, it lacks flexibility in adapting to different grasping poses, prompting future research in achieving safe grasping for diverse user postures.

基于改进Q-Learning的移动机器人路径规划算法

随着移动机器人在生产生活中的深入应用,其路径规划能力也需要向快速性和环境适应性兼备发展。为解决现有移动机器人使用强化学习方法进行路径规划时存在的探索前期容易陷入局部最优、反复搜索同一区域,探索后期收敛率低、收敛速度慢的问题,本研究提出一种改进的Q-Learning算法。该算法改进Q矩阵赋值方法,使迭代前期探索过程具有指向性,并降低碰撞的情况;改进Q矩阵迭代方法,使Q矩阵更新具有前瞻性,避免在一个小区域中反复探索;改进随机探索策略,在迭代前期全面利用环境信息,后期向目标点靠近。在不同栅格地图仿真验证结果表明,本文算法在Q-Learning算法的基础上,通过上述改进降低探索过程中的路径长度、减少抖动并提高收敛的速度,具有更高的计算效率。

基于Q-Learning的航空器滑行路径规划研究

针对传统算法规划航空器滑行路径准确度低、不能根据整体场面运行情况进行路径规划的问题,提出一种基于Q-Learning的路径规划方法。通过对机场飞行区网络结构模型和强化学习的仿真环境分析,设置了状态空间和动作空间,并根据路径的合规性和合理性设定了奖励函数,将路径合理性评价值设置为滑行路径长度与飞行区平均滑行时间乘积的倒数。最后,分析了动作选择策略参数对路径规划模型的影响。结果表明,与A*算法和Floyd算法相比,基于Q-Learning的路径规划在滑行距离最短的同时,避开了相对繁忙的区域,路径合理性评价值高。

Machine learning applications in stroke medicine:advancements,challenges,and future prospectives

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide,necessitating the development of advanced technologies to improve its diagnosis,treatment,and patient outcomes.In recent years,machine learning techniques have emerged as promising tools in stroke medicine,enabling efficient analysis of large-scale datasets and facilitating personalized and precision medicine approaches.This abstract provides a comprehensive overview of machine learning’s applications,challenges,and future directions in stroke medicine.Recently introduced machine learning algorithms have been extensively employed in all the fields of stroke medicine.Machine learning models have demonstrated remarkable accuracy in imaging analysis,diagnosing stroke subtypes,risk stratifications,guiding medical treatment,and predicting patient prognosis.Despite the tremendous potential of machine learning in stroke medicine,several challenges must be addressed.These include the need for standardized and interoperable data collection,robust model validation and generalization,and the ethical considerations surrounding privacy and bias.In addition,integrating machine learning models into clinical workflows and establishing regulatory frameworks are critical for ensuring their widespread adoption and impact in routine stroke care.Machine learning promises to revolutionize stroke medicine by enabling precise diagnosis,tailored treatment selection,and improved prognostication.Continued research and collaboration among clinicians,researchers,and technologists are essential for overcoming challenges and realizing the full potential of machine learning in stroke care,ultimately leading to enhanced patient outcomes and quality of life.This review aims to summarize all the current implications of machine learning in stroke diagnosis,treatment,and prognostic evaluation.At the same time,another purpose of this paper is to explore all the future perspectives these techniques can provide in combating this disabling disease.

改进Q-Learning的路径规划算法研究

针对Q-Learning算法学习效率低、收敛速度慢且在动态障碍物的环境下路径规划效果不佳的问题,本文提出一种改进Q-Learning的移动机器人路径规划算法.针对该问题,算法根据概率的突变性引入探索因子来平衡探索和利用以加快学习效率;通过在更新函数中设计深度学习因子以保证算法探索概率;融合遗传算法,避免陷入局部路径最优同时按阶段探索最优迭代步长次数,以减少动态地图探索重复率;最后提取输出的最优路径关键节点采用贝塞尔曲线进行平滑处理,进一步保证路径平滑度和可行性.实验通过栅格法构建地图,对比实验结果表明,改进后的算法效率相较于传统算法在迭代次数和路径上均有较大优化,且能够较好的实现动态地图下的路径规划,进一步验证所提方法的有效性和实用性.

Significant risk factors for intensive care unit-acquired weakness:A processing strategy based on repeated machine learning

BACKGROUND Intensive care unit-acquired weakness(ICU-AW)is a common complication that significantly impacts the patient's recovery process,even leading to adverse outcomes.Currently,there is a lack of effective preventive measures.AIM To identify significant risk factors for ICU-AW through iterative machine learning techniques and offer recommendations for its prevention and treatment.METHODS Patients were categorized into ICU-AW and non-ICU-AW groups on the 14th day post-ICU admission.Relevant data from the initial 14 d of ICU stay,such as age,comorbidities,sedative dosage,vasopressor dosage,duration of mechanical ventilation,length of ICU stay,and rehabilitation therapy,were gathered.The relationships between these variables and ICU-AW were examined.Utilizing iterative machine learning techniques,a multilayer perceptron neural network model was developed,and its predictive performance for ICU-AW was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve.RESULTS Within the ICU-AW group,age,duration of mechanical ventilation,lorazepam dosage,adrenaline dosage,and length of ICU stay were significantly higher than in the non-ICU-AW group.Additionally,sepsis,multiple organ dysfunction syndrome,hypoalbuminemia,acute heart failure,respiratory failure,acute kidney injury,anemia,stress-related gastrointestinal bleeding,shock,hypertension,coronary artery disease,malignant tumors,and rehabilitation therapy ratios were significantly higher in the ICU-AW group,demonstrating statistical significance.The most influential factors contributing to ICU-AW were identified as the length of ICU stay(100.0%)and the duration of mechanical ventilation(54.9%).The neural network model predicted ICU-AW with an area under the curve of 0.941,sensitivity of 92.2%,and specificity of 82.7%.CONCLUSION The main factors influencing ICU-AW are the length of ICU stay and the duration of mechanical ventilation.A primary preventive strategy,when feasible,involves minimizing both ICU stay and mechanical ventilation duration.

A credibility-aware swarm-federated deep learning framework in internet of vehicles

Although Federated Deep Learning(FDL)enables distributed machine learning in the Internet of Vehicles(IoV),it requires multiple clients to upload model parameters,thus still existing unavoidable communication overhead and data privacy risks.The recently proposed Swarm Learning(SL)provides a decentralized machine learning approach for unit edge computing and blockchain-based coordination.A Swarm-Federated Deep Learning framework in the IoV system(IoV-SFDL)that integrates SL into the FDL framework is proposed in this paper.The IoV-SFDL organizes vehicles to generate local SL models with adjacent vehicles based on the blockchain empowered SL,then aggregates the global FDL model among different SL groups with a credibility weights prediction algorithm.Extensive experimental results show that compared with the baseline frameworks,the proposed IoV-SFDL framework reduces the overhead of client-to-server communication by 16.72%,while the model performance improves by about 5.02%for the same training iterations.

Assessments of Data-Driven Deep Learning Models on One-Month Predictions of Pan-Arctic Sea Ice Thickness

In recent years,deep learning methods have gradually been applied to prediction tasks related to Arctic sea ice concentration,but relatively little research has been conducted for larger spatial and temporal scales,mainly due to the limited time coverage of observations and reanalysis data.Meanwhile,deep learning predictions of sea ice thickness(SIT)have yet to receive ample attention.In this study,two data-driven deep learning(DL)models are built based on the ConvLSTM and fully convolutional U-net(FC-Unet)algorithms and trained using CMIP6 historical simulations for transfer learning and fine-tuned using reanalysis/observations.These models enable monthly predictions of Arctic SIT without considering the complex physical processes involved.Through comprehensive assessments of prediction skills by season and region,the results suggest that using a broader set of CMIP6 data for transfer learning,as well as incorporating multiple climate variables as predictors,contribute to better prediction results,although both DL models can effectively predict the spatiotemporal features of SIT anomalies.Regarding the predicted SIT anomalies of the FC-Unet model,the spatial correlations with reanalysis reach an average level of 89%over all months,while the temporal anomaly correlation coefficients are close to unity in most cases.The models also demonstrate robust performances in predicting SIT and SIE during extreme events.The effectiveness and reliability of the proposed deep transfer learning models in predicting Arctic SIT can facilitate more accurate pan-Arctic predictions,aiding climate change research and real-time business applications.

Low-Cost Federated Broad Learning for Privacy-Preserved Knowledge Sharing in the RIS-Aided Internet of Vehicles

High-efficiency and low-cost knowledge sharing can improve the decision-making ability of autonomous vehicles by mining knowledge from the Internet of Vehicles(IoVs).However,it is challenging to ensure high efficiency of local data learning models while preventing privacy leakage in a high mobility environment.In order to protect data privacy and improve data learning efficiency in knowledge sharing,we propose an asynchronous federated broad learning(FBL)framework that integrates broad learning(BL)into federated learning(FL).In FBL,we design a broad fully connected model(BFCM)as a local model for training client data.To enhance the wireless channel quality for knowledge sharing and reduce the communication and computation cost of participating clients,we construct a joint resource allocation and reconfigurable intelligent surface(RIS)configuration optimization framework for FBL.The problem is decoupled into two convex subproblems.Aiming to improve the resource scheduling efficiency in FBL,a double Davidon–Fletcher–Powell(DDFP)algorithm is presented to solve the time slot allocation and RIS configuration problem.Based on the results of resource scheduling,we design a reward-allocation algorithm based on federated incentive learning(FIL)in FBL to compensate clients for their costs.The simulation results show that the proposed FBL framework achieves better performance than the comparison models in terms of efficiency,accuracy,and cost for knowledge sharing in the IoV.

Prediction model for corrosion rate of low-alloy steels under atmospheric conditions using machine learning algorithms

This work constructed a machine learning(ML)model to predict the atmospheric corrosion rate of low-alloy steels(LAS).The material properties of LAS,environmental factors,and exposure time were used as the input,while the corrosion rate as the output.6 dif-ferent ML algorithms were used to construct the proposed model.Through optimization and filtering,the eXtreme gradient boosting(XG-Boost)model exhibited good corrosion rate prediction accuracy.The features of material properties were then transformed into atomic and physical features using the proposed property transformation approach,and the dominant descriptors that affected the corrosion rate were filtered using the recursive feature elimination(RFE)as well as XGBoost methods.The established ML models exhibited better predic-tion performance and generalization ability via property transformation descriptors.In addition,the SHapley additive exPlanations(SHAP)method was applied to analyze the relationship between the descriptors and corrosion rate.The results showed that the property transformation model could effectively help with analyzing the corrosion behavior,thereby significantly improving the generalization ability of corrosion rate prediction models.

A game-theoretic approach for federated learning:A trade-off among privacy,accuracy and energy

Benefiting from the development of Federated Learning(FL)and distributed communication systems,large-scale intelligent applications become possible.Distributed devices not only provide adequate training data,but also cause privacy leakage and energy consumption.How to optimize the energy consumption in distributed communication systems,while ensuring the privacy of users and model accuracy,has become an urgent challenge.In this paper,we define the FL as a 3-layer architecture including users,agents and server.In order to find a balance among model training accuracy,privacy-preserving effect,and energy consumption,we design the training process of FL as game models.We use an extensive game tree to analyze the key elements that influence the players’decisions in the single game,and then find the incentive mechanism that meet the social norms through the repeated game.The experimental results show that the Nash equilibrium we obtained satisfies the laws of reality,and the proposed incentive mechanism can also promote users to submit high-quality data in FL.Following the multiple rounds of play,the incentive mechanism can help all players find the optimal strategies for energy,privacy,and accuracy of FL in distributed communication systems.

Machine Learning Analysis of Impact of Western US Fires on Central US Hailstorms

Fires,including wildfires,harm air quality and essential public services like transportation,communication,and utilities.These fires can also influence atmospheric conditions,including temperature and aerosols,potentially affecting severe convective storms.Here,we investigate the remote impacts of fires in the western United States(WUS)on the occurrence of large hail(size:≥2.54 cm)in the central US(CUS)over the 20-year period of 2001–20 using the machine learning(ML),Random Forest(RF),and Extreme Gradient Boosting(XGB)methods.The developed RF and XGB models demonstrate high accuracy(>90%)and F1 scores of up to 0.78 in predicting large hail occurrences when WUS fires and CUS hailstorms coincide,particularly in four states(Wyoming,South Dakota,Nebraska,and Kansas).The key contributing variables identified from both ML models include the meteorological variables in the fire region(temperature and moisture),the westerly wind over the plume transport path,and the fire features(i.e.,the maximum fire power and burned area).The results confirm a linkage between WUS fires and severe weather in the CUS,corroborating the findings of our previous modeling study conducted on case simulations with a detailed physics model.

Artificial Intelligence Meets Flexible Sensors:Emerging Smart Flexible Sensing Systems Driven by Machine Learning and Artificial Synapses

The recent wave of the artificial intelligence(AI)revolution has aroused unprecedented interest in the intelligentialize of human society.As an essential component that bridges the physical world and digital signals,flexible sensors are evolving from a single sensing element to a smarter system,which is capable of highly efficient acquisition,analysis,and even perception of vast,multifaceted data.While challenging from a manual perspective,the development of intelligent flexible sensing has been remarkably facilitated owing to the rapid advances of brain-inspired AI innovations from both the algorithm(machine learning)and the framework(artificial synapses)level.This review presents the recent progress of the emerging AI-driven,intelligent flexible sensing systems.The basic concept of machine learning and artificial synapses are introduced.The new enabling features induced by the fusion of AI and flexible sensing are comprehensively reviewed,which significantly advances the applications such as flexible sensory systems,soft/humanoid robotics,and human activity monitoring.As two of the most profound innovations in the twenty-first century,the deep incorporation of flexible sensing and AI technology holds tremendous potential for creating a smarter world for human beings.

Enhanced prediction of anisotropic deformation behavior using machine learning with data augmentation

Mg alloys possess an inherent plastic anisotropy owing to the selective activation of deformation mechanisms depending on the loading condition.This characteristic results in a diverse range of flow curves that vary with a deformation condition.This study proposes a novel approach for accurately predicting an anisotropic deformation behavior of wrought Mg alloys using machine learning(ML)with data augmentation.The developed model combines four key strategies from data science:learning the entire flow curves,generative adversarial networks(GAN),algorithm-driven hyperparameter tuning,and gated recurrent unit(GRU)architecture.The proposed model,namely GAN-aided GRU,was extensively evaluated for various predictive scenarios,such as interpolation,extrapolation,and a limited dataset size.The model exhibited significant predictability and improved generalizability for estimating the anisotropic compressive behavior of ZK60 Mg alloys under 11 annealing conditions and for three loading directions.The GAN-aided GRU results were superior to those of previous ML models and constitutive equations.The superior performance was attributed to hyperparameter optimization,GAN-based data augmentation,and the inherent predictivity of the GRU for extrapolation.As a first attempt to employ ML techniques other than artificial neural networks,this study proposes a novel perspective on predicting the anisotropic deformation behaviors of wrought Mg alloys.

ST-LSTM-SA:A New Ocean Sound Velocity Field Prediction Model Based on Deep Learning

The scarcity of in-situ ocean observations poses a challenge for real-time information acquisition in the ocean.Among the crucial hydroacoustic environmental parameters,ocean sound velocity exhibits significant spatial and temporal variability and it is highly relevant to oceanic research.In this study,we propose a new data-driven approach,leveraging deep learning techniques,for the prediction of sound velocity fields(SVFs).Our novel spatiotemporal prediction model,STLSTM-SA,combines Spatiotemporal Long Short-Term Memory(ST-LSTM) with a self-attention mechanism to enable accurate and real-time prediction of SVFs.To circumvent the limited amount of observational data,we employ transfer learning by first training the model using reanalysis datasets,followed by fine-tuning it using in-situ analysis data to obtain the final prediction model.By utilizing the historical 12-month SVFs as input,our model predicts the SVFs for the subsequent three months.We compare the performance of five models:Artificial Neural Networks(ANN),Long ShortTerm Memory(LSTM),Convolutional LSTM(ConvLSTM),ST-LSTM,and our proposed ST-LSTM-SA model in a test experiment spanning 2019 to 2022.Our results demonstrate that the ST-LSTM-SA model significantly improves the prediction accuracy and stability of sound velocity in both temporal and spatial dimensions.The ST-LSTM-SA model not only accurately predicts the ocean sound velocity field(SVF),but also provides valuable insights for spatiotemporal prediction of other oceanic environmental variables.

UAV-Assisted Dynamic Avatar Task Migration for Vehicular Metaverse Services: A Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach

Avatars, as promising digital representations and service assistants of users in Metaverses, can enable drivers and passengers to immerse themselves in 3D virtual services and spaces of UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses. However, avatar tasks include a multitude of human-to-avatar and avatar-to-avatar interactive applications, e.g., augmented reality navigation,which consumes intensive computing resources. It is inefficient and impractical for vehicles to process avatar tasks locally. Fortunately, migrating avatar tasks to the nearest roadside units(RSU)or unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) for execution is a promising solution to decrease computation overhead and reduce task processing latency, while the high mobility of vehicles brings challenges for vehicles to independently perform avatar migration decisions depending on current and future vehicle status. To address these challenges, in this paper, we propose a novel avatar task migration system based on multi-agent deep reinforcement learning(MADRL) to execute immersive vehicular avatar tasks dynamically. Specifically, we first formulate the problem of avatar task migration from vehicles to RSUs/UAVs as a partially observable Markov decision process that can be solved by MADRL algorithms. We then design the multi-agent proximal policy optimization(MAPPO) approach as the MADRL algorithm for the avatar task migration problem. To overcome slow convergence resulting from the curse of dimensionality and non-stationary issues caused by shared parameters in MAPPO, we further propose a transformer-based MAPPO approach via sequential decision-making models for the efficient representation of relationships among agents. Finally, to motivate terrestrial or non-terrestrial edge servers(e.g., RSUs or UAVs) to share computation resources and ensure traceability of the sharing records, we apply smart contracts and blockchain technologies to achieve secure sharing management. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the MAPPO approach by around 2% and effectively reduces approximately 20% of the latency of avatar task execution in UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses.

Assessment of compressive strength of jet grouting by machine learning

Jet grouting is one of the most popular soil improvement techniques,but its design usually involves great uncertainties that can lead to economic cost overruns in construction projects.The high dispersion in the properties of the improved material leads to designers assuming a conservative,arbitrary and unjustified strength,which is even sometimes subjected to the results of the test fields.The present paper presents an approach for prediction of the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of jet grouting columns based on the analysis of several machine learning algorithms on a database of 854 results mainly collected from different research papers.The selected machine learning model(extremely randomized trees)relates the soil type and various parameters of the technique to the value of the compressive strength.Despite the complex mechanism that surrounds the jet grouting process,evidenced by the high dispersion and low correlation of the variables studied,the trained model allows to optimally predict the values of compressive strength with a significant improvement with respect to the existing works.Consequently,this work proposes for the first time a reliable and easily applicable approach for estimation of the compressive strength of jet grouting columns.

Deep learning for joint channel estimation and feedback in massive MIMO systems

The great potentials of massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output(MIMO)in Frequency Division Duplex(FDD)mode can be fully exploited when the downlink Channel State Information(CSI)is available at base stations.However,the accurate CsI is difficult to obtain due to the large amount of feedback overhead caused by massive antennas.In this paper,we propose a deep learning based joint channel estimation and feedback framework,which comprehensively realizes the estimation,compression,and reconstruction of downlink channels in FDD massive MIMO systems.Two networks are constructed to perform estimation and feedback explicitly and implicitly.The explicit network adopts a multi-Signal-to-Noise-Ratios(SNRs)technique to obtain a single trained channel estimation subnet that works well with different SNRs and employs a deep residual network to reconstruct the channels,while the implicit network directly compresses pilots and sends them back to reduce network parameters.Quantization module is also designed to generate data-bearing bitstreams.Simulation results show that the two proposed networks exhibit excellent performance of reconstruction and are robust to different environments and quantization errors.

Machine Learning-Based Decision-Making Mechanism for Risk Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease(CVD)has gradually become one of the main causes of harm to the life and health of residents.Exploring the influencing factors and risk assessment methods of CVD has become a general trend.In this paper,a machine learning-based decision-making mechanism for risk assessment of CVD is designed.In this mechanism,the logistics regression analysismethod and factor analysismodel are used to select age,obesity degree,blood pressure,blood fat,blood sugar,smoking status,drinking status,and exercise status as the main pathogenic factors of CVD,and an index systemof risk assessment for CVD is established.Then,a two-stage model combining K-means cluster analysis and random forest(RF)is proposed to evaluate and predict the risk of CVD,and the predicted results are compared with the methods of Bayesian discrimination,K-means cluster analysis and RF.The results show that thepredictioneffect of theproposedtwo-stagemodel is better than that of the comparedmethods.Moreover,several suggestions for the government,the medical industry and the public are provided based on the research results.