Smart Buildings Energy Consumption Forecasting using Adaptive Evolutionary Ensemble Learning Models

Smart buildings are gaining popularity because they can enhance energy efficiency, lower costs, improve security, and provide a more comfortable and convenient environment for building occupants. A considerable portion of the global energy supply is consumed in the building sector and plays a pivotal role in future decarbonization pathways. To manage energy consumption and improve energy efficiency in smart buildings, developing reliable and accurate energy demand forecasting is crucial and meaningful. However, extending an effective predictive model for the total energy use of appliances at the building level is challenging because of temporal oscillations and complex linear and non-linear patterns. This paper proposes three hybrid ensemble predictive models, incorporating Bagging, Stacking, and Voting mechanisms combined with a fast and effective evolutionary hyper-parameters tuner. The performance of the proposed energy forecasting model was evaluated using a hybrid dataset comprising meteorological parameters, appliance energy use, temperature, humidity, and lighting energy consumption from various sections of a building, collected by 18 sensors located in Stambroek, Mons, Belgium. To provide a comparative framework and investigate the efficiency of the proposed predictive model, 15 popular machine learning (ML) models, including two classic ML models, three NNs, a Decision Tree (DT), a Random Forest (RF), two Deep Learning (DL) and six Ensemble models, were compared. The prediction results indicate that the adaptive evolutionary bagging model surpassed other predictive models in both accuracy and learning error. Notably, it achieved accuracy gains of 12.6%, 13.7%, 12.9%, 27.04%, and 17.4% compared to Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Categorical Boosting (CatBoost), GBM, LGBM, and Random Forest (RF).

Hybrid Wave-wind System Power Optimisation Using Effective Ensemble Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolutionary Algorithm

Floating hybrid wind-wave systems combine offshore wind platforms with wave energy converters (WECs) to create cost-effective and reliable energy solutions. Adequately designed and tuned WECs are essential to avoid unwanted loads disrupting turbine motion while efficiently harvesting wave energy. These systems diversify energy sources, enhancing energy security and reducing supply risks while providing a more consistent power output by smoothing energy production variability. However, optimising such systems is complex due to the physical and hydrodynamic interactions between components, resulting in a challenging optimisation space. This study uses a 5-MW OC4-DeepCwind semi-submersible platform with three spherical WECs to explore these synergies. To address these challenges, we propose an effective ensemble optimisation (EEA) technique that combines covariance matrix adaptation, novelty search, and discretisation techniques. To evaluate the EEA performance, we used four sea sites located along Australia's southern coast. In this framework, geometry and power take-off parameters are simultaneously optimised to maximise the average power output of the hybrid wind-wave system. Ensemble optimisation methods enhance performance, flexibility, and robustness by identifying the best algorithm or combination of algorithms for a given problem, addressing issues like premature convergence, stagnation, and poor search space exploration. The EEA was benchmarked against 14 advanced optimisation methods, demonstrating superior solution quality and convergence rates. EEA improved total power output by 111%, 95%, and 52% compared to WOA, EO, and AHA, respectively. Additionally, in comparisons with advanced methods, LSHADE, SaNSDE, and SLPSO, EEA achieved absorbed power enhancements of 498%, 638%, and 349% at the Sydney sea site, showcasing its effectiveness in optimising hybrid energy systems.

Optimizing Interplanetary Trajectories using Hybrid Meta-heuristic

This paper proposes an advanced hybrid optimization (GMPA) algorithm to effectively address the inherent limitations of the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) when applied to complex optimization scenarios. Specifically, GMPA integrates essential features from the Marine Predators Algorithm (MPA) into the GWO framework, enabling superior performance through enhanced exploration and exploitation balance. The evaluation utilizes the GTOPX benchmark dataset from the European Space Agency (ESA), encompassing highly complex interplanetary trajectory optimization problems characterized by pronounced nonlinearity and multiple conflicting objectives reflective of real-world aerospace scenarios. Central to GMPA's methodology is an elite matrix, borrowed from MPA, designed to preserve and refine high-quality solutions iteratively, thereby promoting solution diversity and minimizing premature convergence. Furthermore, GMPA incorporates a three-phase position updating mechanism combined with L\'evy flights and Brownian motion to significantly bolster exploration capabilities, effectively mitigating the risk of stagnation in local optima. GMPA dynamically retains historical information on promising search areas, leveraging the memory storage features intrinsic to MPA, facilitating targeted exploitation and refinement. Empirical evaluations demonstrate GMPA's superior effectiveness compared to traditional GWO and other advanced metaheuristic algorithms, achieving markedly improved convergence rates and solution quality across GTOPX benchmarks. Consequently, GMPA emerges as a robust, efficient, and adaptive optimization approach particularly suitable for high-dimensional and complex aerospace trajectory optimization, offering significant insights and practical advancements in hybrid metaheuristic optimization techniques.

State-of-the-art AI-based Learning Approaches for Deepfake Generation and Detection, Analyzing Opportunities, Threading through Pros, Cons, and Future Prospects

The rapid advancement of deepfake technologies, specifically designed to create incredibly lifelike facial imagery and video content, has ignited a remarkable level of interest and curiosity across many fields, including forensic analysis, cybersecurity and the innovative creation of digital characters. By harnessing the latest breakthroughs in deep learning methods, such as Generative Adversarial Networks, Variational Autoencoders, Few-Shot Learning Strategies, and Transformers, the outcomes achieved in generating deepfakes have been nothing short of astounding and transformative. Also, the ongoing evolution of detection technologies is being developed to counteract the potential for misuse associated with deepfakes, effectively addressing critical concerns that range from political manipulation to the dissemination of fake news and the ever-growing issue of cyberbullying. This comprehensive review paper meticulously investigates the most recent developments in deepfake generation and detection, including around 400 publications, providing an in-depth analysis of the cutting-edge innovations shaping this rapidly evolving landscape. Starting with a thorough examination of systematic literature review methodologies, we embark on a journey that delves into the complex technical intricacies inherent in the various techniques used for deepfake generation, comprehensively addressing the challenges faced, potential solutions available, and the nuanced details surrounding manipulation formulations. Subsequently, the paper is dedicated to accurately benchmarking leading approaches against prominent datasets, offering thorough assessments of the contributions that have significantly impacted these vital domains. Ultimately, we engage in a thoughtful discussion of the existing challenges, paving the way for continuous advancements in this critical and ever-dynamic study area.

Effective Predictive Modeling for Emergency Department Visits and Evaluating Exogenous Variables Impact: Using Explainable Meta-learning Gradient Boosting

Over an extensive duration, administrators and clinicians have endeavoured to predict Emergency Department (ED) visits with precision, aiming to optimise resource distribution. Despite the proliferation of diverse AI-driven models tailored for precise prognostication, this task persists as a formidable challenge, besieged by constraints such as restrained generalisability, susceptibility to overfitting and underfitting, scalability issues, and complex fine-tuning hyper-parameters. In this study, we introduce a novel Meta-learning Gradient Booster (Meta-ED) approach for precisely forecasting daily ED visits and leveraging a comprehensive dataset of exogenous variables, including socio-demographic characteristics, healthcare service use, chronic diseases, diagnosis, and climate parameters spanning 23 years from Canberra Hospital in ACT, Australia. The proposed Meta-ED consists of four foundational learners-Catboost, Random Forest, Extra Tree, and lightGBoost-alongside a dependable top-level learner, Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), by combining the unique capabilities of varied base models (sub-learners). Our study assesses the efficacy of the Meta-ED model through an extensive comparative analysis involving 23 models. The evaluation outcomes reveal a notable superiority of Meta-ED over the other models in accuracy at 85.7% (95% CI ;85.4%, 86.0%) and across a spectrum of 10 evaluation metrics. Notably, when compared with prominent techniques, XGBoost, Random Forest (RF), AdaBoost, LightGBoost, and Extra Tree (ExT), Meta-ED showcases substantial accuracy enhancements of 58.6%, 106.3%, 22.3%, 7.0%, and 15.7%, respectively. Furthermore, incorporating weather-related features demonstrates a 3.25% improvement in the prediction accuracy of visitors' numbers. The encouraging outcomes of our study underscore Meta-ED as a foundation model for the precise prediction of daily ED visitors.

Predicting the Stay Length of Patients in Hospitals using Convolutional Gated Recurrent Deep Learning Model

Predicting hospital length of stay (LoS) stands as a critical factor in shaping public health strategies. This data serves as a cornerstone for governments to discern trends, patterns, and avenues for enhancing healthcare delivery. In this study, we introduce a robust hybrid deep learning model, a combination of Multi-layer Convolutional (CNNs) deep learning, Gated Recurrent Units (GRU), and Dense neural networks, that outperforms 11 conventional and state-of-the-art Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) methodologies in accurately forecasting inpatient hospital stay duration. Our investigation delves into the implementation of this hybrid model, scrutinising variables like geographic indicators tied to caregiving institutions, demographic markers encompassing patient ethnicity, race, and age, as well as medical attributes such as the CCS diagnosis code, APR DRG code, illness severity metrics, and hospital stay duration. Statistical evaluations reveal the pinnacle LoS accuracy achieved by our proposed model (CNN-GRU-DNN), which averages at 89% across a 10-fold cross-validation test, surpassing LSTM, BiLSTM, GRU, and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) by 19%, 18.2%, 18.6%, and 7%, respectively. Accurate LoS predictions not only empower hospitals to optimise resource allocation and curb expenses associated with prolonged stays but also pave the way for novel strategies in hospital stay management. This avenue holds promise for catalysing advancements in healthcare research and innovation, inspiring a new era of precision-driven healthcare practices.

Hybrid Inception Architecture with Residual Connection: Fine-tuned Inception-ResNet Deep Learning Model for Lung Inflammation Diagnosis from Chest Radiographs

Diagnosing lung inflammation, particularly pneumonia, is of paramount importance for effectively treating and managing the disease. Pneumonia is a common respiratory infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi and can indiscriminately affect people of all ages. As highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO), this prevalent disease tragically accounts for a substantial 15% of global mortality in children under five years of age. This article presents a comparative study of the Inception-ResNet deep learning model's performance in diagnosing pneumonia from chest radiographs. The study leverages Mendeleys chest X-ray images dataset, which contains 5856 2D images, including both Viral and Bacterial Pneumonia X-ray images. The Inception-ResNet model is compared with seven other state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and the experimental results demonstrate the Inception-ResNet model's superiority in extracting essential features and saving computation runtime. Furthermore, we examine the impact of transfer learning with fine-tuning in improving the performance of deep convolutional models. This study provides valuable insights into using deep learning models for pneumonia diagnosis and highlights the potential of the Inception-ResNet model in this field. In classification accuracy, Inception-ResNet-V2 showed superior performance compared to other models, including ResNet152V2, MobileNet-V3 (Large and Small), EfficientNetV2 (Large and Small), InceptionV3, and NASNet-Mobile, with substantial margins. It outperformed them by 2.6%, 6.5%, 7.1%, 13%, 16.1%, 3.9%, and 1.6%, respectively, demonstrating its significant advantage in accurate classification.

A Novel Hybrid Algorithm for Optimized Solutions in Ocean Renewable Energy Industry: Enhancing Power Take-Off Parameters and Site Selection Procedure of Wave Energy Converters

Ocean renewable energy, particularly wave energy, has emerged as a pivotal component for diversifying the global energy portfolio, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and mitigating climate change impacts. This study delves into the optimization of power take-off (PTO) parameters and the site selection process for an offshore oscillating surge wave energy converter (OSWEC). However, the intrinsic dynamics of these interactions, coupled with the multi-modal nature of the optimization landscape, make this a daunting challenge. Addressing this, we introduce the novel Hill Climb - Explorative Gray Wolf Optimizer (HC-EGWO). This new methodology blends a local search method with a global optimizer, incorporating dynamic control over exploration and exploitation rates. This balance paves the way for an enhanced exploration of the solution space, ensuring the identification of superior-quality solutions. Further anchoring our approach, a feasibility landscape analysis based on linear water wave theory assumptions and the flap's maximum angular motion is conducted. This ensures the optimized OSWEC consistently operates within safety and efficiency parameters. Our findings hold significant promise for the development of more streamlined OSWEC power take-off systems. They provide insights for selecting the prime offshore site, optimizing power output, and bolstering the overall adoption of ocean renewable energy sources. Impressively, by employing the HC-EGWO method, we achieved an upswing of up to 3.31% in power output compared to other methods. This substantial increment underscores the efficacy of our proposed optimization approach. Conclusively, the outcomes offer invaluable knowledge for deploying OSWECs in the South Caspian Sea, where unique environmental conditions intersect with considerable energy potential.

Brain Tumor Detection and Classification Using a New Evolutionary Convolutional Neural Network

A definitive diagnosis of a brain tumour is essential for enhancing treatment success and patient survival. However, it is difficult to manually evaluate multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images generated in a clinic. Therefore, more precise computer-based tumour detection methods are required. In recent years, many efforts have investigated classical machine learning methods to automate this process. Deep learning techniques have recently sparked interest as a means of diagnosing brain tumours more accurately and robustly. The goal of this study, therefore, is to employ brain MRI images to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy patients (including tumour tissues). As a result, an enhanced convolutional neural network is developed in this paper for accurate brain image classification. The enhanced convolutional neural network structure is composed of components for feature extraction and optimal classification. Nonlinear L\'evy Chaotic Moth Flame Optimizer (NLCMFO) optimizes hyperparameters for training convolutional neural network layers. Using the BRATS 2015 data set and brain image datasets from Harvard Medical School, the proposed model is assessed and compared with various optimization techniques. The optimized CNN model outperforms other models from the literature by providing 97.4% accuracy, 96.0% sensitivity, 98.6% specificity, 98.4% precision, and 96.6% F1-score, (the mean of the weighted harmonic value of CNN precision and recall).

Optimization Study of Hydraulic Power Take-off System for an Ocean Wave Energy Converter

Ocean wave renewable energy is fast becoming a key part of renewable energy industries over the recent decades. By developing wave energy converters as the main converter technology in this process, their power take-off (PTO) systems have been investigated. Adjusting PTO parameters is a challenging optimization problem because there is a complex and nonlinear relationship between these parameters and the absorbed power output. In this regard, this study aims to optimize the PTO system parameters of a point absorber wave energy converter in the wave scenario in Perth, on Western Australian coasts. The converter is numerically designed to oscillate against irregular and multi-dimensional waves and sensitivity analysis for PTO settings is performed. Then, to find the optimal PTO system parameters which lead to the highest power output, ten optimization algorithms are incorporated to solve the non-linear problem, Including Nelder-Mead search method, Active-set method, Sequential quadratic Programming method (SQP), Multi-Verse Optimizer (MVO), and six modified combination of Genetic, Surrogate and fminsearch algorithms. After a feasibility landscape analysis, the optimization outcome is carried out and gives us the best answer in terms of PTO system settings. Finally, the investigation shows that the modified combinations of Genetic, Surrogate, and fminsearch algorithms can outperform the others in the studied wave scenario, as well as the interaction between PTO system variables.