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13 pages, 1204 KB  
Article
Real-Time Correction Algorithm for a Chromatographic Background Based on Numerical Algorithm
by Jinlin Chen, Yiquan Wu and Xinmei Xu
Separations 2026, 13(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations13010034 (registering DOI) - 16 Jan 2026
Abstract
Although numerous baseline correction methods exist, most are confined to static post-elution processing and fail to meet real-time analysis requirements. To address this, we propose a real-time baseline estimation method based on the Informer time-series prediction model that performs correction during data acquisition [...] Read more.
Although numerous baseline correction methods exist, most are confined to static post-elution processing and fail to meet real-time analysis requirements. To address this, we propose a real-time baseline estimation method based on the Informer time-series prediction model that performs correction during data acquisition without waiting for complete elution. Our work focuses on three key aspects: chromatographic dataset construction, model training, and baseline prediction. Simulation experiments demonstrate that the proposed method achieves comparable accuracy to conventional static processing approaches while exhibiting significant real-time advantages. In processing real chromatographic data, the model achieves a 98.3% chromatographic peak retention rate, with a single computation time of approximately 35 ms—substantially shorter than typical chromatographic sampling cycles (600–900 ms), thus fully satisfying the quantitative analysis requirements for real-time background subtraction. Full article
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17 pages, 7284 KB  
Article
Dynamics and Solution Behavior of the Variable-Order Fractional Newton–Leipnik System
by Rania Saadeh, Nidal E. Taha, Mohamed Hafez, Ghozail Sh. Al-Mutairi and Manahil A. M. Ashmaig
Mathematics 2026, 14(2), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/math14020312 - 16 Jan 2026
Abstract
This paper considers the solution behavior and dynamical properties of the variable-order fractional Newton–Leipnik system defined via Liouville–Caputo derivatives of variable order. In contrast to integer-order models, the presence of variable-order fractional operators in the Newton–Leipnik structure enriches the model by providing memory-dependent [...] Read more.
This paper considers the solution behavior and dynamical properties of the variable-order fractional Newton–Leipnik system defined via Liouville–Caputo derivatives of variable order. In contrast to integer-order models, the presence of variable-order fractional operators in the Newton–Leipnik structure enriches the model by providing memory-dependent effects that vary with time; hence, it is capable of a broader and more flexible range of nonlinear responses. Numerical simulations have been conducted to study how different order functions influence the trajectory and qualitative dynamics: clear transitions in oscillatory patterns have been identified by phase portraits, time-series profiles, and three-dimensional state evolution. The work goes further by considering the development of bifurcations and chaotic regimes and stability shifts and confirms the occurrence of several phenomena unattainable in fixed-order and/or integer-order formulations. Analysis of Lyapunov exponents confirms strong sensitivity to the initial conditions and further details how the memory effects either reinforce or prevent chaotic oscillations according to the type of order function. The results, in fact, show that the variable-order fractional Newton–Leipnik framework allows for more expressive and realistic modeling of complex nonlinear phenomena and points out the crucial role played by evolving memory in controlling how the system moves between periodic, quasi-periodic, and chaotic states. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section C1: Difference and Differential Equations)
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22 pages, 6124 KB  
Article
High-Resolution Monitoring of Badland Erosion Dynamics: Spatiotemporal Changes and Topographic Controls via UAV Structure-from-Motion
by Yi-Chin Chen
Water 2026, 18(2), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18020234 - 15 Jan 2026
Abstract
Mudstone badlands are critical hotspots of erosion and sediment yield, and their rapid morphological changes serve as an ideal site for studying erosion processes. This study used high-resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry to monitor erosion patterns on a mudstone badland platform in [...] Read more.
Mudstone badlands are critical hotspots of erosion and sediment yield, and their rapid morphological changes serve as an ideal site for studying erosion processes. This study used high-resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry to monitor erosion patterns on a mudstone badland platform in southwestern Taiwan over a 22-month period. Five UAV surveys conducted between 2017 and 2018 were processed using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry to generate time-series digital surface models (DSMs). Topographic changes were quantified using DSMs of Difference (DoD). The results reveal intense surface lowering, with a mean erosion depth of 34.2 cm, equivalent to an average erosion rate of 18.7 cm yr−1. Erosion is governed by a synergistic regime in which diffuse rain splash acts as the dominant background process, accounting for approximately 53% of total erosion, while concentrated flow drives localized gully incision. Morphometric analysis shows that erosion depth increases nonlinearly with slope, consistent with threshold hillslope behavior, but exhibits little dependence on the contributing area. Plan and profile curvature further influence the spatial distribution of erosion, with enhanced erosion on both strongly concave and convex surfaces relative to near-linear slopes. The gully network also exhibits rapid channel adjustment, including downstream meander migration and associated lateral bank erosion. These findings highlight the complex interactions among hillslope processes, gully dynamics, and base-level controls that govern badland landscape evolution and have important implications for erosion modeling and watershed management in high-intensity rainfall environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Water Erosion and Sediment Transport)
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30 pages, 3291 KB  
Article
AI-Based Demand Forecasting and Load Balancing for Optimising Energy Use in Healthcare Systems: A Real Case Study
by Isha Patel and Iman Rahimi
Systems 2026, 14(1), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010094 - 15 Jan 2026
Abstract
This paper addresses the critical need for efficient energy management in healthcare facilities, where fluctuating energy demands pose challenges to both operational reliability and sustainability objectives. Traditional energy management approaches often fall short in healthcare settings, resulting in inefficiencies and increased operational costs. [...] Read more.
This paper addresses the critical need for efficient energy management in healthcare facilities, where fluctuating energy demands pose challenges to both operational reliability and sustainability objectives. Traditional energy management approaches often fall short in healthcare settings, resulting in inefficiencies and increased operational costs. To address this gap, the paper explores AI-driven methods for demand forecasting and load balancing and proposes an integrated framework combining Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, a genetic algorithm (GA), and SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations), specifically tailored for healthcare energy management. While LSTM has been widely applied in time-series forecasting, its use for healthcare energy demand prediction remains relatively underexplored. In this study, LSTM is shown to significantly outperform conventional forecasting models, including ARIMA and Prophet, in capturing complex and non-linear demand patterns. Experimental results demonstrate that the LSTM model achieved a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 21.69, a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 29.96, and an R2 of approximately 0.98, compared to Prophet (MAE: 59.78, RMSE: 81.22, R2 ≈ 0.86) and ARIMA (MAE: 87.73, RMSE: 125.22, R2 ≈ 0.66), confirming its superior predictive performance. The genetic algorithm is employed both to support forecasting optimisation and to enhance load balancing strategies, enabling adaptive energy allocation under dynamic operating conditions. Furthermore, SHAP analysis is used to provide interpretable, within-model insights into feature contributions, improving transparency and trust in AI-driven energy decision-making. Overall, the proposed LSTM–GA–SHAP framework improves forecasting accuracy, supports efficient energy utilisation, and contributes to sustainability in healthcare environments. Future work will explore real-time deployment and further integration with reinforcement learning to enable continuous optimisation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Artificial Intelligence and Digital Systems Engineering)
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17 pages, 1208 KB  
Article
Portable Raspberry Pi Platform for Automated Interpretation of Lateral Flow Strip Tests
by Natalia Nakou, Panagiotis K. Tsikas and Despina P. Kalogianni
Sensors 2026, 26(2), 598; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26020598 - 15 Jan 2026
Abstract
Paper-based rapid tests are widely used in point-of-care diagnostics due to their simplicity and low cost. However, their application in quantitative analysis remains limited. In this work, a nucleic acid lateral flow assay (NALFA) was integrated with an automated image acquisition system built [...] Read more.
Paper-based rapid tests are widely used in point-of-care diagnostics due to their simplicity and low cost. However, their application in quantitative analysis remains limited. In this work, a nucleic acid lateral flow assay (NALFA) was integrated with an automated image acquisition system built on a Raspberry Pi platform for the quantitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus, increasing the accuracy of the test compared to subjective visual interpretation. The assay employed blue polystyrene microspheres as reporters, while automated image capturing, image processing and quantification were performed using custom Python software (version 3.12). Signal quantification was achieved by comparing the grayscale intensity of the test line with that of a simultaneously captured negative control strip, allowing correction for illumination and background variability. Calibration curves were used for the training of the algorithm. The system was applied for the analysis of a series of samples with varying DNA concentrations, yielding recoveries between 84 and 108%. The proposed approach integrates a simple biosensor with an accessible computational platform to achieve full low-cost automation. This work introduces the first Raspberry Pi-driven image processing approach for accurate quantification of NALFAs and establishes a foundation for future low-cost, portable diagnostic systems targeting diverse nucleic acids, proteins, and biomarkers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Application of Optical Chemical Sensing)
24 pages, 4850 KB  
Article
Multi-Dimensional Monitoring of Agricultural Drought at the Field Scale
by Yehao Wu, Liming Zhu, Maohua Ding and Lijie Shi
Agriculture 2026, 16(2), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16020227 - 15 Jan 2026
Abstract
The causes of agricultural drought are complex, and its actual occurrence process is often characterized by rapid onset in terms of time and small scale in terms of space. Monitoring agricultural drought using satellite remote sensing with low spatial resolution makes it difficult [...] Read more.
The causes of agricultural drought are complex, and its actual occurrence process is often characterized by rapid onset in terms of time and small scale in terms of space. Monitoring agricultural drought using satellite remote sensing with low spatial resolution makes it difficult to accurately capture the details of small-scale drought events. High-resolution satellite remote sensing has relatively long revisit cycles, making it difficult to capture the rapid evolution of drought conditions. Furthermore, the occurrence of agricultural drought is linked to multiple factors including precipitation, evapotranspiration, soil properties, and crop physiological characteristics. Consequently, relying on a single variable or indicator is insufficient for multidimensional monitoring of agricultural drought. This study takes Hebi City, Henan Province as the research area. It uses Sentinel-1 satellite data (HV, VV), Sentinel-2 data (NDVI, B2, B11), elevation, slope, aspect, and GPM precipitation data from 2019 to 2024 as independent variables. Three machine learning algorithms—Random Forest (RF), Random Forest-Recursive Feature Elimination (RF-RFE), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost)—were employed to construct a multi-dimensional agricultural drought monitoring model at the field scale. Additionally, the study verified the sensitivity of different environmental variables to agricultural drought monitoring and analyzed the accuracy performance of different machine learning algorithms in agricultural drought monitoring. The research results indicate that under the condition of full-factor input, all three models exhibit the optimal predictive performance. Among them, the XGBoost model performs the best, with the smallest Relative Root Mean Square Error (RRMSE) of 0.45 and the highest Correlation Coefficient (R) of 0.79. The absence of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data impairs the models’ ability to capture the patterns of key features, which in turn leads to a reduction in predictive accuracy. Meanwhile, there is a significant correlation between model performance and sample size. Ultimately, the constructed XGBoost model takes the lead with an accuracy of 89%, while the accuracies of Random Forest (RF) and Random Forest-Recursive Feature Elimination (RF-RFE) are 88% and 86%, respectively. Based on these three drought monitoring models, this study further monitored a drought event that occurred in Hebi City in 2023, presented the spatiotemporal distribution of agricultural drought in Hebi City, and applied the Mann–Kendall test for time series analysis, aiming to identify the abrupt change process of agricultural drought. Meanwhile, on the basis of the research results, the feasibility of verifying drought occurrence using irrigation signals was discussed, and the potential reasons for the significantly lower drought occurrence probability in the western mountainous areas of the study region were analyzed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Artificial Intelligence and Digital Agriculture)
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19 pages, 8046 KB  
Article
Instruction Fine-Tuning Through the Lens of Verbatim Memorization
by Jie Zhang, Chi-Ho Lin and Suan Lee
Electronics 2026, 15(2), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15020377 - 15 Jan 2026
Abstract
Supervised fine-tuning is key for model alignment, but its mechanisms are debated, with conflicting evidence supporting either a superficial alignment hypothesis or significant task improvements. This paper examines supervised fine-tuning’s impact from the perspective of verbatim memorization. Using the open-source OLMo-2 model series [...] Read more.
Supervised fine-tuning is key for model alignment, but its mechanisms are debated, with conflicting evidence supporting either a superficial alignment hypothesis or significant task improvements. This paper examines supervised fine-tuning’s impact from the perspective of verbatim memorization. Using the open-source OLMo-2 model series and test datasets (instruction format, safety-sensitive, and factual knowledge) constructed from its pre-training corpus, we analyzed changes across memorization, linguistic styles, and task performance. We found that supervised fine-tuning significantly weakens the model’s verbatim memorization of pre-training data. Simultaneously, it improves generated text in terms of alignment objectives, such as polite expression and structured organization. However, this process also leads to performance degradation on knowledge-intensive downstream tasks. Further representation analysis reveals that these changes are mainly concentrated in the later layers of the model. We conclude that supervised fine-tuning acts as a continuation of the learning process on new data. By adjusting model representations, supervised fine-tuning induces a learning tilt toward the styles and content of the instruction-tuning dataset. This inclination successfully instills alignment objectives while consequently reducing the effective accessibility of previously learned knowledge, which indicates the observed degradation in both pre-training data memorization and factual task performance. The source code is publicly available. Full article
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20 pages, 3268 KB  
Article
Portable Electronic Olfactometer for Non-Invasive Screening of Canine Ehrlichiosis: A Proof-of-Concept Study Using Machine Learning
by Silvana Valentina Durán Cotrina, Cristhian Manuel Durán Acevedo and Jeniffer Katerine Carrillo Gómez
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(1), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13010088 - 15 Jan 2026
Abstract
Canine ehrlichiosis, caused by Ehrlichia canis, represents a relevant challenge in veterinary medicine, particularly in resource-limited settings where access to laboratory-based diagnostics may be constrained. This pilot and exploratory study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a portable electronic olfactometer as a [...] Read more.
Canine ehrlichiosis, caused by Ehrlichia canis, represents a relevant challenge in veterinary medicine, particularly in resource-limited settings where access to laboratory-based diagnostics may be constrained. This pilot and exploratory study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a portable electronic olfactometer as a non-invasive screening approach, based on the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in breath, saliva, and hair samples from dogs. Signals were acquired using an array of eight metal-oxide (MOX) gas sensors (MQ and TGS series). After preprocessing, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied for dimensionality reduction, and the resulting features were analyzed using supervised machine-learning classifiers, including AdaBoost, support vector machines (SVM), k-nearest neighbors (k-NN), and Random Forests (RF). A total of 38 dogs (19 PCR-confirmed infected cases and 19 controls) were analyzed, generating 114 samples evenly distributed across the three biological matrices. Among the evaluated models, SVM showed the most consistent performance, particularly for saliva samples, achieving an accuracy, sensitivity, and precision of 94.7% (AUC = 0.964). In contrast, breath and hair samples showed lower discriminative performance. Given the limited sample size and the exploratory nature of the study, these results should be interpreted as preliminary; nevertheless, they suggest that electronic olfactometry may represent a complementary, low-cost, non-invasive screening tool for future research on canine ehrlichiosis, rather than a standalone diagnostic method. Full article
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26 pages, 1170 KB  
Article
Sustainable Financing Mechanism for Energy System Development Toward a Decarbonized Economy: Conceptual Model and Management Framework
by Artur Zaporozhets, Viktoriia Khaustova, Mykola Kyzym and Nataliia Trushkina
Energies 2026, 19(2), 422; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19020422 - 15 Jan 2026
Abstract
The development of energy systems toward a decarbonized economy is increasingly constrained not only by technological challenges, but also by deficiencies in the organization, coordination, and governability of sustainable financing. This study aims to substantiate an integrated conceptual model and a multi-level governance [...] Read more.
The development of energy systems toward a decarbonized economy is increasingly constrained not only by technological challenges, but also by deficiencies in the organization, coordination, and governability of sustainable financing. This study aims to substantiate an integrated conceptual model and a multi-level governance framework for the sustainable financing mechanism of energy system development under decarbonization, ensuring the alignment of financial instruments with transition strategies, performance indicators, and feedback mechanisms. The methodology combines a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed journal publications with an examination of international statistical and analytical data produced by leading global organizations, complemented by systemic, institutional, and comparative analytical approaches. The bibliometric analysis was conducted in 2025 and covered peer-reviewed articles published during 2017–2025, while empirical financial indicators were synthesized for the most recent available period of 2022–2024 using comparable time-series data reported by international institutions. The results indicate that despite global energy investments reaching approximately $3 trillion in 2024—nearly $2 trillion of which was allocated to clean energy technologies—a persistent annual financing gap for climate change mitigation in the energy sector remains. Moreover, to remain consistent with the Net Zero trajectory, investments in clean energy must increase by approximately 1.7 times by 2030. The synthesis of contemporary research and empirical evidence reveals a predominance of studies focused on individual green and transition finance instruments, accompanied by persistent fragmentation between financial flows, governance structures, and measurable decarbonization outcomes. To address this gap, the paper proposes a conceptual model that interprets sustainable finance as a governed system rather than a collection of isolated instruments, together with a multi-level governance framework integrating strategic (policy), sectoral, and project-level decision-making with systems of key performance indicators, monitoring, and feedback. The findings demonstrate that the effectiveness of sustainable financing critically depends on the coherence between financial instruments, governance architectures, and decarbonization objectives, which ultimately determines the capacity to translate mobilized capital into tangible energy infrastructure modernization and measurable emissions reductions. The proposed approach provides a practical foundation for improving energy transition policies and investment strategies at both national and supranational levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section A: Sustainable Energy)
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21 pages, 378 KB  
Article
Can Climate Transition Risks Enhance Enterprise Green Innovation? An Analysis Employing a Dual Regulatory Mechanism
by Liping Cao and Fengqi Zhou
Climate 2026, 14(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli14010018 - 15 Jan 2026
Abstract
In the context of the global pursuit of the ‘carbon neutrality’ objective, Chinese enterprises are proactively advancing green development and low-carbon transformation. Among these efforts, climate transition risks have emerged as a crucial factor affecting strategic enterprise decisions and long-term competitiveness. This study [...] Read more.
In the context of the global pursuit of the ‘carbon neutrality’ objective, Chinese enterprises are proactively advancing green development and low-carbon transformation. Among these efforts, climate transition risks have emerged as a crucial factor affecting strategic enterprise decisions and long-term competitiveness. This study utilizes a sample comprising Chinese A-share listed enterprises over the period from 2012 to 2024 to construct an enterprise climate transition risk index using text analysis methods. It empirically investigates this index’s impact on enterprise green innovation by adopting panel data analysis method to construct a fixed effects model and further examines the moderating roles of institutional investors’ shareholding and enterprise environmental uncertainties in response to climate transition risks. The research findings indicate the following: First, climate transition risks significantly enhance enterprise green innovation. The validity of this conclusion persists following a series of robustness and endogeneity tests, including replacing the explained variable, lagging the explanatory variable, controlling for city-level fixed effects, and applying instrumental variable methods. Second, both institutional investors’ shareholding and enterprise environmental uncertainties exert a significant positive regulatory effect on the relationship between climate transition risk and green innovation, indicating that external monitoring and heightened risk perception jointly enhance enterprises’ responsiveness in driving green innovation. Thirdly, heterogeneity analysis indicates that the positive impact of climate transition risks on green innovation is notably amplified within non-state-owned enterprises and manufacturing enterprises. By examining the dual regulatory mechanisms of ‘external monitoring’ and ‘risk perception’, this study broadens the study framework on the relationship between climate risks and enterprise green innovation, offering new empirical evidence supporting the applicability of the ‘Porter Hypothesis’ within the context of climate-related challenges. Furthermore, it provides valuable implications for policymakers in refining climate information disclosure policies and assists enterprises in developing forward-looking green innovation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change Adaptation Costs and Finance)
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21 pages, 1337 KB  
Article
The Health-Wealth Gradient in Labor Markets: Integrating Health, Insurance, and Social Metrics to Predict Employment Density
by Dingyuan Liu, Qiannan Shen and Jiaci Liu
Computation 2026, 14(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/computation14010022 - 15 Jan 2026
Abstract
Labor market forecasting relies heavily on economic time-series data, often overlooking the “health–wealth” gradient that links population health to workforce participation. This study develops a machine learning framework integrating non-traditional health and social metrics to predict state-level employment density. Methods: We constructed a [...] Read more.
Labor market forecasting relies heavily on economic time-series data, often overlooking the “health–wealth” gradient that links population health to workforce participation. This study develops a machine learning framework integrating non-traditional health and social metrics to predict state-level employment density. Methods: We constructed a multi-source longitudinal dataset (2014–2024) by aggregating county-level Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data with County Health Rankings to the state level. Using a time-aware split to evaluate performance across the COVID-19 structural break, we compared LASSO, Random Forest, and regularized XGBoost models, employing SHAP values for interpretability. Results: The tuned, regularized XGBoost model achieved strong out-of-sample performance (Test R2 = 0.800). A leakage-safe stacked Ridge ensemble yielded comparable performance (Test R2 = 0.827), while preserving the interpretability of the underlying tree model used for SHAP analysis. Full article
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27 pages, 4670 KB  
Article
An Efficient Remote Sensing Index for Soybean Identification: Enhanced Chlorophyll Index (NRLI)
by Dongmei Lyu, Chenlan Lai, Bingxue Zhu, Zhijun Zhen and Kaishan Song
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(2), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18020278 - 14 Jan 2026
Abstract
Soybean is a key global crop for food and oil production, playing a vital role in ensuring food security and supplying plant-based proteins and oils. Accurate information on soybean distribution is essential for yield forecasting, agricultural management, and policymaking. In this study, we [...] Read more.
Soybean is a key global crop for food and oil production, playing a vital role in ensuring food security and supplying plant-based proteins and oils. Accurate information on soybean distribution is essential for yield forecasting, agricultural management, and policymaking. In this study, we developed an Enhanced Chlorophyll Index (NRLI) to improve the separability between soybean and maize—two spectrally similar crops that often confound traditional vegetation indices. The proposed NRLI integrates red-edge, near-infrared, and green spectral information, effectively capturing variations in chlorophyll and canopy water content during key phenological stages, particularly from flowering to pod setting and maturity. Building upon this foundation, we further introduce a pixel-wise compositing strategy based on the peak phase of NRLI to enhance the temporal adaptability and spectral discriminability in crop classification. Unlike conventional approaches that rely on imagery from fixed dates, this strategy dynamically analyzes annual time-series data, enabling phenology-adaptive alignment at the pixel level. Comparative analysis reveals that NRLI consistently outperforms existing vegetation indices, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and Greenness and Water Content Composite Index (GWCCI), across representative soybean-producing regions in multiple countries. It improves overall accuracy (OA) by approximately 10–20 percentage points, achieving accuracy rates exceeding 90% in large, contiguous cultivation areas. To further validate the robustness of the proposed index, benchmark comparisons were conducted against the Random Forest (RF) machine learning algorithm. The results demonstrated that the single-index NRLI approach achieved competitive performance, comparable to the multi-feature RF model, with accuracy differences generally within 1–2%. In some regions, NRLI even outperformed RF. This finding highlights NRLI as a computationally efficient alternative to complex machine learning models without compromising mapping precision. This study provides a robust, scalable, and transferable single-index approach for large-scale soybean mapping and monitoring using remote sensing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Remote Sensing for Smart Agriculture and Digital Twins)
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26 pages, 10014 KB  
Article
Dynamic Monitoring and Analysis of Mountain Excavation and Land Creation Projects in Lanzhou Using Multi-Source Remote Sensing and Machine Learning
by Quanfu Niu, Jiaojiao Lei, Qiong Fang and Lifeng Zhang
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(2), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18020273 - 14 Jan 2026
Abstract
Mountain Excavation and Land Creation Projects (MELCPs) have emerged as a critical strategy for expanding urban development space in mountainous regions facing land scarcity. Dynamic monitoring and risk management of these projects are essential for promoting sustainable urban development. This study develops an [...] Read more.
Mountain Excavation and Land Creation Projects (MELCPs) have emerged as a critical strategy for expanding urban development space in mountainous regions facing land scarcity. Dynamic monitoring and risk management of these projects are essential for promoting sustainable urban development. This study develops an integrated monitoring framework for MELCPs by combining ascending and descending Sentinel-1 SAR data, Sentinel-2 optical imagery, SRTM digital elevation models (DEM), and field survey data. The framework incorporates multi-temporal change detection, random forest classification, and time-series InSAR analysis to systematically capture the spatiotemporal evolution and subsidence mechanisms associated with MELCPs. Key findings include: (1) The use of dual-orbit SAR data significantly improves the detection accuracy of excavation areas, achieving an overall accuracy of 87.1% (Kappa = 0.85) and effectively overcoming observation limitations imposed by complex terrain. (2) By optimizing the combination of spectral, texture, topographic, and polarimetric features using a random forest algorithm, the classification accuracy of MELCPs is enhanced to 91.2% (Kappa = 0.889). This enables precise annual identification of MELCP progression from 2017 to 2022, revealing a three-stage evolution pattern: concentrated expansion, peak activity, and restricted slowdown. Specifically, the reclaimed area increased from 2.66 km2 (pre-2018) to a peak of 12.61 km2 in 2021, accounting for 34.56% of the total area of the study region, before decreasing to 2.69 km2 in 2022. (3) InSAR monitoring from 2017 to 2023 indicates that areas with only filling experience minor shallow subsidence (<50 mm), whereas subsequent building loads and underground engineering activities lead to continuous deep soil consolidation, with maximum cumulative subsidence reaching 333.8 mm. This study demonstrates that subsidence in MELCPs follows distinct spatiotemporal patterns and is predictable, offering important theoretical insights and practical tools for engineering safety management and territorial spatial optimization in mountainous cities. Full article
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22 pages, 4203 KB  
Article
Consensus and Divergence in Explainable AI (XAI): Evaluating Global Feature-Ranking Consistency with Empirical Evidence from Solar Energy Forecasting
by Kay Thari Thinn and Waddah Saeed
Mathematics 2026, 14(2), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/math14020297 - 14 Jan 2026
Abstract
The growing reliance on solar energy necessitates robust and interpretable forecasting models for stable grid management. Current research frequently employs Explainable AI (XAI) to glean insights from complex black-box models, yet the reliability and consistency of these explanations remain largely unvalidated. Inconsistent feature [...] Read more.
The growing reliance on solar energy necessitates robust and interpretable forecasting models for stable grid management. Current research frequently employs Explainable AI (XAI) to glean insights from complex black-box models, yet the reliability and consistency of these explanations remain largely unvalidated. Inconsistent feature attributions can mislead grid operators by incorrectly identifying the dominant drivers of solar generation, thereby affecting operational planning, reserve allocation, and trust in AI-assisted decision-making. This study addresses this critical gap by conducting a systematic statistical evaluation of feature rankings generated by multiple XAI methods, including model-agnostic (SHAP, PDP, PFI, ALE) and model-specific (Split- and Gain-based) techniques, within a time-series regression context. Using a LightGBM model for one-day-ahead solar power forecasting across four sites in Calgary, Canada, we evaluate consensus and divergence using the Friedman test, Kendall’s W, and Spearman’s rank correlation. To ensure the generalizability of our findings, we further validate the results using a CatBoost model. Our results show a strong overall agreement across methods (Kendall’s W: 0.90–0.94), with no statistically significant difference in ranking (p > 0.05). However, pairwise analysis reveals that the “Split” method frequently diverges from other techniques, exhibiting lower correlation scores. These findings suggest that while XAI consensus is high, relying on a single method—particularly the split count—poses risks. We recommend employing multi-method XAI and using agreement as an explicit diagnostic to ensure transparent and reliable solar energy predictions. Full article
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36 pages, 6828 KB  
Article
Discriminating Music Sequences Method for Music Therapy—DiMuSe
by Emil A. Canciu, Florin Munteanu, Valentin Muntean and Dorin-Mircea Popovici
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 851; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16020851 - 14 Jan 2026
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to investigate whether music empirically associated with therapeutic effects contains intrinsic informational structures that differentiate it from other sound sequences. Drawing on ontology, phenomenology, nonlinear dynamics, and complex systems theory, we hypothesize that therapeutic relevance may be [...] Read more.
The purpose of this research was to investigate whether music empirically associated with therapeutic effects contains intrinsic informational structures that differentiate it from other sound sequences. Drawing on ontology, phenomenology, nonlinear dynamics, and complex systems theory, we hypothesize that therapeutic relevance may be linked to persistent structural patterns embedded in musical signals rather than to stylistic or genre-related attributes. This paper introduces the Discriminating Music Sequences (DiMuSes) method, an unsupervised, structure-oriented analytical framework designed to detect such patterns. The method applies 24 scalar evaluators derived from statistics, fractal geometry, nonlinear physics, and complex systems, transforming sound sequences into multidimensional vectors that characterize their global temporal organization. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reduces this feature space to three dominant components (PC1–PC3), enabling visualization and comparison in a reduced informational space. Unsupervised k-Means clustering is subsequently applied in the PCA space to identify groups of structurally similar sound sequences, with cluster quality evaluated using Silhouette and Davies–Bouldin indices. Beyond clustering, DiMuSe implements ranking procedures based on relative positions in the PCA space, including distance to cluster centroids, inter-item proximity, and stability across clustering configurations, allowing melodies to be ordered according to their structural proximity to the therapeutic cluster. The method was first validated using synthetically generated nonlinear signals with known properties, confirming its capacity to discriminate structured time series. It was then applied to a dataset of 39 music and sound sequences spanning therapeutic, classical, folk, religious, vocal, natural, and noise categories. The results show that therapeutic music consistently forms a compact and well-separated cluster and ranks highly in structural proximity measures, suggesting shared informational characteristics. Notably, pink noise and ocean sounds also cluster near therapeutic music, aligning with independent evidence of their regulatory and relaxation effects. DiMuSe-derived rankings were consistent with two independent studies that identified the same musical pieces as highly therapeutic.The present research remains at a theoretical stage. Our method has not yet been tested in clinical or experimental therapeutic settings and does not account for individual preference, cultural background, or personal music history, all of which strongly influence therapeutic outcomes. Consequently, DiMuSe does not claim to predict individual efficacy but rather to identify structural potential at the signal level. Future work will focus on clinical validation, integration of biometric feedback, and the development of personalized extensions that combine intrinsic informational structure with listener-specific response data. Full article
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