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• DC vaccine therapy in AML management. • Prospects of DC vaccination in AML. • AML patients improved via DC vaccine therapy. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is classified as a hematologic malignancy characterized by the proliferation of immature blood cells within the bone marrow (BM), resulting in an aberrant and unregulated cellular growth. The primary therapeutic modalities for AML include chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, it is important to note that these treatments are accompanied by important adverse effects and mortality rates. Therefore, the need for more effective treatment options seems necessary, and dendritic cell (DC) vaccine therapy can be one of these options. In this study, we aim to investigate the effectiveness of DC vaccination therapy for the management of AML. PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched for this systematic review. The articles were evaluated based on the inclusion criteria of this study and initially compared in terms of titles or abstracts. Finally, the articles related to the topic of this review were obtained in full text. The complete remission and partial remission, survival, correlative immune assays, and health-related metrics were used to evaluate this cellular immunotherapy effectiveness. The quality of the studies was assessed independently using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tools. The compiled data were input into a standard Excel spreadsheet. Each domain was evaluated as having either a "low risk," "high risk," or "unclear risk" of bias. Among the 3986 studies that were determined, a total of 11 correlated trials were selected for inclusion in this systematic review. DC vaccine therapy was effective in inducing complete and partial remission, and stabilization of the disease. Additionally, it was discovered that the treatment strengthened the immune system as seen by increased levels of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, Th1 cytokines, WT1-specific T cells, and activated NK cells. We conducted a systematic review that supports the use of DC vaccine therapy as an effective treatment for AML. The therapy demonstrated potentials in achieving remission, enhancing the immune system function, and increasing overall survival. However, more studies are required to improve the methods of preparing and delivering the DC vaccine, and to confirm its long-term safety and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present article, acoustic emission signals were utilized to predict the damage in polymer matrix composites, reinforced by carbon fibers, in the low-cycle fatigue regime. Displacement-controlled fatigue tests were performed on open-hole samples, under different conditions, at various displacement amplitudes of 5.5, 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0 mm and also under various displacement rates of 25, 50, 100 and 200 mm/min. After acquiring acoustic emission signals during cycles, two characteristic parameters were used, including the energy and the cumulative energy. Obtained results implied that the energy parameter of acoustic emission signals could be used only for the macroscopic damage, occurring at more than 65% of normalized fatigue cycles under different test conditions. However, the cumulative energy could properly predict both microscopic and macroscopic defects, at least two failure types, including matrix cracking at first cycles and the fiber breakage at last cycles. Besides, scanning electron microscopy images proved initially such claims under all loading conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The available evidence has increasingly demonstrated that a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation, could be considered as causing leukemia. Epigenetic changes and methylation of the suppressor of the cytokine signaling 1 promoter (SOCS1) CpG region silence SOCS1 expression in cancer. In the current study, we evaluated the impact of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and RG108 on SOCS1 promoter methylation and expression in U937 cells. Methods: In the current study, U937 leukemic cells were treated with EGCG and RG108 for 12, 24, 48, and 72 h and SOCS1 promoter methylation and its expression were measured by methylationspecific PCR (MSP) and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. Results: The outcomes indicated that the SOCS1 promoter is methylated in U937 cells, and treatment of these cells with either EGCG or RG108 reduced its methylation. Moreover, we observed that SOCS1 expression was significantly upregulated in a time-dependent manner by both EGCG and RG108 in U937 cells compared with control cells. In the RG108-treated group at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h, SOCS1 expression was upregulated by 1, 4.2, 16.6, and 32.6 -fold respectively, and in the EGCG-treated group, by 0.5, 3.2, 10.8, and 22.3 -fold, respectively. Conclusions: Treatment with either EGCG or RG108 reduced SOCS1 promoter methylation and increased SOCS1 expression in U937 cells in a time-dependent manner, which may play a role in leukemia therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune checkpoints comprise diverse receptors and ligands including costimulatory and inhibitory molecules, which play monumental roles in regulating the immune system. Immune checkpoints retain key potentials in maintaining the immune system homeostasis and hindering the malignancy development and autoimmunity. The expression of inhibitory immune checkpoints delineates an increase in a plethora of metastatic tumors and the inhibition of these immune checkpoints can be followed by promising results. On the other hand, the stimulation of costimulatory immune checkpoints can restrain the metastasis originating from diverse tumors. From the review above, key findings emerged regarding potential functions of inhibitory and costimulatory immune checkpoints targeting the metastatic cascade and point towards novel potential Achilles' heels of cancer that might be exploited therapeutically in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miR‐29 family is one of the small noncoding RNAs and has a very important role in many physiologic and pathologic functions through regulating the target genes that play roles in various bioprocesses such as proliferation, survival, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Thus, we aim to survey the potential of the miR‐29 family in normal model and development and progression of malignancy in this study. In addition, the potential role of miR‐29 family has been studied as the clinical marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of many cancers as the potential targets to treat cancer. Moreover, it was stated in summary that the herbal compounds can regulate miR‐29 family in cancers. Therefore, regulating the expression of the miR‐29 family in a variety of cancers can be a new strategy to obtain better results from cancerous patients' treatment in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experimentally investigation on ballasted railway tracks' longitudinal resistance and stiffness with standard and advanced Y-shaped steel sleepers. • Determination the shares of various track components in providing longitudinal resistance by measuring the displacement of the track panel. • According to the results, the shares of the rail fasteners and the sleepers in the longitudinal resistance can vary based on the flexibility or rigidity of the track-to-sleeper connection. • A comparison between the longitudinal resistance of these panels with wooden and concrete ones indicated that steel sleepers could provide acceptable levels of longitudinal resistance by requiring less ballast due to their unique geometry. • Higher prestressed force results in higher resistance and stiffness. In this research, we experimentally investigated ballasted railway tracks' longitudinal resistance and stiffness with standard and advanced Y-shaped steel sleepers. We examined the shares of various track components in providing longitudinal resistance by measuring the displacement of the track panel. Moreover, we validated the results via modeling in finite element software. According to the results, the shares of the rail fasteners and the sleepers in the longitudinal resistance can vary based on the flexibility or rigidity of the track-to-sleeper connection. In addition, a comparison between the longitudinal resistance of these panels with wooden and concrete ones indicated that steel sleepers could provide acceptable levels of longitudinal resistance by requiring less ballast due to their unique geometry. Steel sleepers can therefore provide the necessary stability in track sections where we could not utilize other sleepers due to height restrictions. This resistance also depends on the prestressed torque force in the fastener springs. Precisely, higher prestressed-force results in higher resistance and stiffness. Based on the results, we obtained the longitudinal resistance per sleeper in the track panels with standard steel sleepers and Y-shaped sleepers at spring prestressed torque forces of 80 N.m, 60 N.m, and 100 N.m to be about 5.05, 4.55, 7.5, and 11.4 kN/sleeper, respectively. The results of FE models showed a difference of 5.23, 3.55, 2.61, and 2.06 times when applying a vertical load of 300 kN for the longitudinal resistance compared to the condition of no loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Test series were done on different lengths of test panels to understand the track longitudinal behavior along the rail axle. • The 3D finite element model was verified according to the test results. • The sensitivity analysis was done to find the most influential factors in longitudinal resistance and stiffness. • Increasing cohesion from 500 Pa to 2000 Pa increased the TLRF and TLS by 63 %. • This value for the increasing friction angle from 25° to 45° was obtained as 56.5% for TLS and 66.9 for TLRF. A ballasted railway track's longitudinal stiffness and resistance with wooden sleepers were experimentally and numerically investigated. The longitudinal resistance was measured by measuring the force and displacement in the rail's axial direction by increasing the number of sleepers from one to five. The track longitudinal stiffness (TLS) and resistance force (TLRF) of the five-sleeper panel in the experiments were obtained as 15.3 kN/mm and 37.2 kN, respectively. The increased ratio of longitudinal resistance force per sleeper with increasing sleepers' numbers was measured constant. Next, a 3D numerical model was built based on the finite element method, it was verified with test results. TLS and TLRF were reported as 36.75 kN and 15.42 kN/mm in the numerical model. TLS and TLS sensitivity analyses were executed with influential parameters such as ballast property and ballast geometry. The models revealed that vertical load (140 kN) had maximum impact on TLRF with the increasing percentage of 190 %. Finally, two equations were proposed to estimate the variation of TLS/sleeper and TLRF/sleeper with R2 = 0.95 ∼ 0.97. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides are a dangerous natural hazard that can critically harm road infrastructure in mountainous places, resulting in significant damage and fatalities. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of three machine learning algorithms (MLAs) for landslide susceptibility mapping including random forest (RF), decision tree (DT), and support vector machine (SVM). We selected a case study region that is frequently affected by landslides, the important Kamyaran–Sarvabad road in the Kurdistan province of Iran. Altogether, 14 landslide evaluation factors were input into the MLAs including slope, aspect, elevation, river density, distance to river, distance to fault, fault density, distance to road, road density, land use, slope curvature, lithology, stream power index (SPI), and topographic wetness index (TWI). We identified 64 locations of landslides by field survey of which 70% were randomly employed for building and training the three MLAs while the remaining locations were used for validation. The area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUC) reached a value of 0.94 for the decision tree compared to 0.82 for the random forest, and 0.75 for support vector machines model. Thus, the decision tree model was most accurate in identifying the areas at risk for future landslides. The obtained results may inform geoscientists and those in decision-making roles for landslide management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tabriz city in NW Iran is a seismic-prone province with recurring devastating earthquakes that have resulted in heavy casualties and damages. This research developed a new computational framework to investigate four main dimensions of vulnerability (environmental, social, economic and physical). An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Model and a SWOT-Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) were applied. Firstly, a literature review was performed to explore indicators with significant impact on aforementioned dimensions of vulnerability to earthquakes. Next, the twenty identified indicators were analyzed in ArcGIS, a geographic information system (GIS) software, to map earthquake vulnerability. After classification and reclassification of the layers, standardized maps were presented as input to a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Self-Organizing Map (SOM) neural network. The resulting Earthquake Vulnerability Maps (EVMs) showed five categories of vulnerability ranging from very high, to high, moderate, low and very low. Accordingly, out of the nine municipality zones in Tabriz city, Zone one was rated as the most vulnerable to earthquakes while Zone seven was rated as the least vulnerable. Vulnerability to earthquakes of residential buildings was also identified. To validate the results data were compared between a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and a Self-Organizing Map (SOM). The scatter plots showed strong correlations between the vulnerability ratings of the different zones achieved by the SOM and MLP. Finally, the hybrid SWOT-QSPM paradigm was proposed to identify and evaluate strategies for hazard mitigation of the most vulnerable zone. For hazard mitigation in this zone we recommend to diligently account for environmental phenomena in designing and locating of sites. The findings are useful for decision makers and government authorities to reconsider current natural disaster management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the adsorption of nitrate onto ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-3 was investigated. First, CMK-3 was synthesized and then directly amino-functionalized by 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS). The physicochemical properties of as-prepared adsorbent were characterized by XRD, EDS-SEM, FT-IR and N 2 adsorption-desorption. Ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy was used to evaluate the adsorbent ability for nitrate reduction. In batch experiments, the influence of effective parameters such as contact time, adsorbent dosage, solution pH, initial concentration and temperature was investigated on the nitrate adsorption capacity. The obtained results indicated 100% removal efficiency for initial nitrate concentration of 50 mg l−1 and 78% for the concentration of 100 mg l−1, at low adsorbent dosage (3 g l−1) and very fast equilibrium attainment (5 min) without pH dependency (in the range of 2.0–8.0). The maximum nitrate adsorption capacity of Amino-CMK-3 was 48.78 mg g−1 in the concentration range of 50–250 mg g−1. Kinetic studies confirmed that the process followed a pseudo-second-order and that the Langmuir isotherm best fitted the equilibrium adsorption of nitrate. Nitrate desorption occurred after a reasonable time (3 h) and confirmed the adsorbent reusability without further treatment. The higher adsorption capacity of CMK-3 stemmed from its incredible mesoporous structure, including nano-channels that were completely functionalized by amino groups. Grafting aminopropyl groups potentially turned the CMK-3 to a promising adsorbent for nitrate removal. [Display omitted] • Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane was successfully grafted on the surface of ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC). • Functionalization of OMC significantly affected its superficial and adsorption properties. • Amino-functionalized OMC showed high nitrate removal efficiency (100%) and adsorption capacity (48.78 mg g−1). • The nitrate removal was directly independent on the pH (in the range of 2.0–8.0). • Amino-functionalized OMC indicated the ability of nitrate desorption after a reasonable time (3 h). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Immune checkpoints are the regulators of the immune system as well as several cancers, including blood malignancies. • Immune checkpoints are considered as clinical markers in blood malignancies and also as potential targets for the treatment of this cancer type. • The regulation of immune checkpoints in blood cancers can be employed as a novel strategy to obtain effective results in blood cancers treatment. Immune checkpoints are the regulators of the immune system, which include stimulatory and inhibitory receptors. They play substantial roles in the maintenance of immune system homeostasis and the prevention of autoimmunity and cancer. In the current review, immune checkpoints roles are surveyed in the initiation, progression, and treatment of blood malignancies. The significant roles of immune checkpoints are discussed as clinical markers in the diagnosis and prognosis of a plethora of blood malignancies and also as potential targets for the treatment of these malignancies. It could be concluded that the regulation of immune checkpoints in various blood cancers can be employed as a novel strategy to obtain effective results in leukemia treatment and introduce immune checkpoint inhibitors as sufficient weapons against blood cancers in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquakes are among the most catastrophic natural geo-hazards worldwide and endanger numerous lives annually. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate seismic vulnerability beforehand to decrease future fatalities. The aim of this research is to assess the seismic vulnerability of residential houses in an urban region on the basis of the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model, including the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and geographical information system (GIS). Tabriz city located adjacent to the North Tabriz Fault (NTF) in North-West Iran was selected as a case study. The NTF is one of the major seismogenic faults in the north-western part of Iran. First, several parameters such as distance to fault, percent of slope, and geology layers were used to develop a geotechnical map. In addition, the structural construction materials, building materials, size of building blocks, quality of buildings and buildings-floors were used as key factors impacting on the building's structural vulnerability in residential areas. Subsequently, the AHP technique was adopted to measure the priority ranking, criteria weight (layers), and alternatives (classes) of every criterion through pair-wise comparison at all levels. Lastly, the layers of geotechnical and spatial structures were superimposed to design the seismic vulnerability map of buildings in the residential area of Tabriz city. The results showed that South and Southeast areas of Tabriz city exhibit low to moderate vulnerability, while some regions of the north-eastern area are under severe vulnerability conditions. In conclusion, the suggested approach offers a practical and effective evaluation of Seismic Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) and provides valuable information that could assist urban planners during mitigation and preparatory phases of less examined areas in many other regions around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulnerability assessment is one of the prerequisites for risk analysis in disaster management. Vulnerability to earthquakes, especially in urban areas, has increased over the years due to the presence of complex urban structures and rapid development. Urban vulnerability is a result of human behavior which describes the extent of susceptibility or resilience of social, economic, and physical assets to natural disasters. The main aim of this paper is to develop a new hybrid framework using Analytic Network Process (ANP) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models for constructing a composite social, economic, environmental, and physical vulnerability index. This index was then applied to Tabriz City, which is a seismic-prone province in the northwestern part of Iran with recurring devastating earthquakes and consequent heavy casualties and damages. A Geographical Information Systems (GIS) analysis was used to identify and evaluate quantitative vulnerability indicators for generating an earthquake vulnerability map. The classified and standardized indicators were subsequently weighed and ranked using an ANP model to construct the training database. Then, standardized maps coupled with the training site maps were presented as input to a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) neural network for producing an Earthquake Vulnerability Map (EVM). Finally, an EVM was produced for Tabriz City and the level of vulnerability in various zones was obtained. South and southeast regions of Tabriz City indicate low to moderate vulnerability, while some zones of the northeastern tract are under critical vulnerability conditions. Furthermore, the impact of the vulnerability of Tabriz City on population during an earthquake was included in this analysis for risk estimation. A comparison of the result produced by EVM and the Population Vulnerability (PV) of Tabriz City corroborated the validity of the results obtained by ANP-ANN. The findings of this paper are useful for decision-makers and government authorities to obtain a better knowledge of a city’s vulnerability dimensions, and to adopt preparedness strategies in the future for Tabriz City. The developed hybrid framework of ANP and ANN Models can easily be replicated and applied to other urban regions around the world for sustainability and environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) is regarded as a key soil physical variable to determine soil infiltration rate, percolation depth and other hydrological processes. The purpose of this study was to determine the best soil sampling’s ring size for measuring Ksat. For this purpose, 25 rings with five different diameters (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 inch) and with the same depth of 20 cm (five replicates) were hammered in close vicinity to each other into the ground of undisturbed loess deposits of a small farm to measure Ksatand bulk density. Hydraulic conductivity was measured at three constant loads of 22, 27 and 32 cm. The results showed that the ring with the internal diameter of 6 inches had the minimum variation coefficient and maximum Ksatfor all the three hydraulic heads. In addition, the bulk density of this ring size was less than the other rings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: The cytotoxic properties upon treatment with nicotine have been reported in several studies, but the underlying mechanisms remain not fully defined. The alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) is one of the important nicotinic receptors, which nicotine partly by binding to this receptor exerts its effects. The current study aimed to investigates the influences of nicotine on cellular proliferative and apoptotic activities and tried to determine the involvement of α7nAChR in these functions. Methods: Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line was used to determine the individual or combined effects of treatments with nicotine (10 μM) and specific siRNA (100 nM) targeting α7nAChR expression. The MTT assay, DAPI staining assay, and flow cytometry assay were applied to measure the cell viability, apoptosis and cell cycle progression of the cells, respectively. In addition, the changes in the mRNA level of the genes were assessed by qRT-PCR. Results: Compared to control groups, the cells treated with nicotine exhibited significant dose-dependent decreases in cell viability (log IC50 = -5.12 ± 0.15). Furthermore, nicotine induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest especially at G2/M Phase. The qRT-PCR revealed that nicotine increased the mRNA levels of α7nAChR as well as caspase-3 and suppressed the expression of cyclin B1. Treatment with α7-siRNA abolished these effects of nicotine. Conclusion: These experiments determined that upregulation of α7nAChR by nicotine inhibits HepG2 cells proliferation and induces their apoptosis. These effects blocked by treatment with α7-siRNA, which indicates the involvement of α7nAChR pathways in these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Today, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains and the acquisition of antibiotic resistance have caused many problems in the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infection and is one of the most important health issues. At present, nanotechnology has a significant impact on the various fields including pharmacology, health, medicine, and food. This study aimed to synthesize the titanium dioxide nanoparticles (Tio2NPs) and its antibacterial effect on S. aureus compared with conventional antibiotics. Materials and Methods: In this study, Tio2NPs were tested on S. aureus compared with a number of antibiotics. First, Tio2NPs were synthesized. The shape and size of the particles as well as the synthesis quality were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering, zeta potential and X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The antimicrobial effect of Tio2NPs on S. aureus strain (ATCC 12600) was then studied by disc diffusion method. Antibiotics of ampicillin, colistin, and ertapenem were used as control group. Results: Based on the results and given that the polydispersity index of the samples was below 0.5 (0.466), the other sample was estimated at 347.9 nm. The zeta potential of Tio2 sample was estimated at −9.48 indicating the stability of the nanoparticle and its suspension in a suitable amount per unit of time in the solution. The results of the AFM showed that the lower mean value obtained for the Tio2NPs was 0.5 nm, and the growth of the nanoparticles was noticeable in some regions and uniform and low in some others. The result of SEM showed that the size of the nanoparticle was 28.45–34.14 nm. The best inhibition zone diameter was obtained for ampicillin (30.66 mm), followed by ertapenem (15 mm) and Tio2(10 mm). Colistin without inhibition zone was identified as ineffective group. Conclusion: Due to the development of drug resistance to antibiotics, the production and synthesis of antimicrobial agents is one of the requirements of the current time. Due to the excellent synthesis of Tio2 and the presence of very fine nanoparticles, it can be used as a strong antimicrobial compound, especially on S. aureus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines transformative resilience as the common challenge for urban/regional governance and planning systems in two contrasting contexts from the Global North (Germany) and the Global South (Iran). The aim is to reveal the pathways and trade-offs through which governance and planning systems interactions constrain or open opportunities for transformative resilience to the challenges posed by urbanization and migration dynamics. To proactively deal with the new requirements emerging from urbanization, climate change, migration, and their associated challenges on cities, the resilience narrative is discussed by examining the guiding discourses on resilience in the context of urban and regional planning. The comparative case study method is based on the 'Most Different Systems Design' to analyze the heterogeneous governance and planning systems and examine transformative resilience as their common challenge. The findings from the case study analysis revealed the associated strengths and weaknesses of the established governance processes (decentralized v.s centralized) and planning systems (performing v.s conforming) to drive the transition toward transformative resilience. Recommendations stress the need for reorganization of governance structures and reorientation of planning frameworks in the context of increasing complexities induced by urbanization and migration dynamics. • Examining resilience as a common challenge for urban governance and planning to the dynamics of urbanization and migration • Analyzing governance and planning implications and innovation needs that have emerged from within the heterogeneous contexts • Synthesizing four domains to capacitate urban governance and planning in guiding the transition to transformative resilience • Revealing opportunities or constraints of governance and planning systems to deliver transformative pathways to resilience [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, pristine and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes with silver/water nanofluids were first synthesized. To investigate thermal performance of two-phase closed thermosyphon, thermal efficiency was experimentally obtained as a key parameter. To obtain optimal points in operational condition, the active learning method was employed in concentration ranges of 0–1 wt% as well as input power of 30–150 W which cannot be accessed. The active learning method is based on the fuzzy logic rules; here query synthesis and the measure human algorithm interaction (HAI) were used for learning. As the primary data obtained from experiments is small, this method was used to suggest the most optimal conditions. First, primary data obtained from experiments are given to the algorithm and then algorithm proposed some suggestions based on the maximum uncertainty. Subsequently, thermal efficiency is estimated based on fuzzy inference. Here, two mechanisms are employed as combined ones. The mentioned suggestions will be tested in the offered operational conditions. If the accuracy of the suggestions was confirmed by the obtained data, these data would be added to the primary ones. In fact, the used method can be considered in the area of HAI performing with the aid of experienced human simultaneously with intelligent algorithms. Meanwhile, the best working concentration to obtain the most optimum thermal efficiency obtained in the range 0.90 to 0.95 for both nanofluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since landslide detection using the combination of AIRSAR data and GIS-based susceptibility mapping has been rarely conducted in tropical environments, the aim of this study is to compare and validate support vector machine (SVM) and index of entropy (IOE) methods for landslide susceptibility assessment in Cameron Highlands area, Malaysia. For this purpose, ten conditioning factors and observed landslides were detected by AIRSAR data, WorldView-1 and SPOT 5 satellite images. A spatial database was generated including a total of 92 landslide locations encompassing the same number of observed and detected landslides, which was divided into training (80%; 74 landslide locations) and validation (20%; 18 landslide locations) datasets. Results of the difference between observed and detected landslides using root mean square error (RMSE) indicated that only 16.3% error exists, which is fairly acceptable. The validation process was performed using statistical-based measures and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves. Results of validation process indicated that the SVM model has the highest values of sensitivity (88.9%), specificity (77.8%), accuracy (83.3%), Kappa (0.663) and AUROC (84.5%), followed by the IOE model. Overall, the SVM model applied to detected landslides is considered to be a promising technique that could be tested and utilized for landslide susceptibility assessment in tropical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]