Browse Articles

The effect of activation function choice on the performance of convolutional neural networks

Wang et al. | Sep 15, 2023

The effect of activation function choice on the performance of convolutional neural networks
Image credit: Tara Winstead

With the advance of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is now applied widely in society. In the study of AI, machine learning (ML) is a subfield in which a machine learns to be better at performing certain tasks through experience. This work focuses on the convolutional neural network (CNN), a framework of ML, applied to an image classification task. Specifically, we analyzed the performance of the CNN as the type of neural activation function changes.

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Development and Implementation of Enzymatic and Volatile Compound-based Approaches for Instantaneous Detection of Pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus

Nori et al. | Feb 20, 2021

Development and Implementation of Enzymatic and Volatile Compound-based Approaches for Instantaneous Detection of Pathogenic <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) has a mortality rate of up to 30% in developing countries. The purpose of this experiment was to determine if enzymatic and volatile compound-based approaches would perform more quickly in comparison to existing S. aureus diagnostic methods and to evaluate these novel methods on accuracy. Ultimately, this device provided results in less than 30 seconds, which is much quicker than existing methods that take anywhere from 10 minutes to 48 hours based on approach. Statistical analysis of accuracy provides preliminary confirmation that the device based on enzymatic and volatile compound-based approaches can be an accurate and time-efficient tool to detect pathogenic S. aureus.

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Assessing machine learning model efficacy for brain tumor MRI classification: a multi-model approach

Dhingra et al. | Mar 14, 2026

Assessing machine learning model efficacy for brain tumor MRI classification: a multi-model approach
Image credit: Dhingra and Dhingra

This manuscript explores the performance of five different machine learning models in classifying brain tumors from a dataset of MRI scans. The authors find that several of the models showed >90% accuracy. Thus, the authors suggest that machine learning models demonstrate potential for effective implementation in clinical settings, including as a diagnostic tool that can be used to complement the expertise of neuroradiologists.

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Functional Network Connectivity: Possible Biomarker for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Wang et al. | Feb 23, 2015

Functional Network Connectivity: Possible Biomarker for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder and is difficult to diagnose in young children. Here magnetoencephalography was used to compare the brain activity in patients with ASD to patients in a control group. The results show that patients with ASD have a high level of activity in different areas of the brain than those in the control group.

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The use of computer vision to differentiate valley fever from lung cancer via CT scans of nodules

El Kereamy et al. | Nov 12, 2024

The use of computer vision to differentiate valley fever from lung cancer via CT scans of nodules

Pulmonary diseases like lung cancer and valley fever pose serious health challenges, making accurate and rapid diagnostics essential. This study developed a MATLAB-based software tool that uses computer vision techniques to differentiate between these diseases by analyzing features of lung nodules in CT scans, achieving higher precision than traditional methods.

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Mitigating skin color bias in dermatology AI using CycleGAN-based data augmentation

Kannan et al. | Jun 24, 2026

Mitigating skin color bias in dermatology AI using CycleGAN-based data augmentation
Image credit: Kannan and Ramasamy

This study investigates skin tone bias in artificial intelligence models used for dermatological disease classification and evaluates a CycleGAN-based data augmentation approach to improve diagnostic performance on darker skin types. We generated synthetic dark-skinned images to enhance dataset diversity and compared model performance before and after augmentation. The results demonstrate that augmentation with synthetic dermatological images can help reduce disparities in diagnostic performance across skin tones, highlighting a practical strategy for improving fairness in dermatology AI systems.

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The impact of genetic analysis on the early detection of colorectal cancer

Agrawal et al. | Aug 24, 2023

The impact of genetic analysis on the early detection of colorectal cancer

Although the 5-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is below 10%, it increases to greater than 90% if it is diagnosed early. We hypothesized from our research that analyzing non-synonymous single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in a patient's exome sequence would be an indicator for high genetic risk of developing colorectal cancer.

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