Figure 2.

Contributions of the top-ranking predictor variables in microRNA (miRNA)-based predictions of infant birth weight. A, The relative importance of the 20 predictor variables with the highest importance is shown in terms of the percent increase of the mean squared error when a given variable is randomly permuted. All of these variables contributed towards model performance at levels above random noise. B, The relative contribution of each variable towards model predictions is shown, focusing on the 6 predictor variables with the highest importance. Values for each predictor variable are plotted against their relative impact on birth weight predictions in the resulting model. Results focus on the miRNA models developed using molecules identified as significantly associated with birth weight; although similar results were obtained from the miRNA models developed using molecules identified as the “top 100” most significantly associated with birth weight. Abbreviation: gadays, gestational age in days.