OpenRaiser/Intern-Atlas huggingface dataset:
Zero-shot Classification using Hyperdimensional Computing
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2024
Year: 2024

Classification based on Zero-shot Learning (ZSL) is the ability of a model to classify inputs into novel classes on which the model has not previously seen any training examples. Providing an auxiliary descriptor in the form of a set of attributes describing the new classes involved in the ZSL-based classification is one of the favored approaches to solving this challenging task. In this work, inspired by Hyperdimensional Computing (HDC), we propose the use of stationary binary codebooks of symbol-like distributed representations inside an attribute encoder to compactly represent a computationally simple end-to-end trainable model, which we name Hyperdimensional Computing Zero-shot Classifier~(HDC-ZSC). It consists of a trainable image encoder, an attribute encoder based on HDC, and a similarity kernel. We show that HDC-ZSC can be used to first perform zero-shot attribute extraction tasks and, can later be repurposed for Zero-shot Classification tasks with minimal architectural changes and minimal model retraining. HDC-ZSC achieves Pareto optimal results with a 63.8% top-1 classification accuracy on the CUB-200 dataset by having only 26.6 million trainable parameters. Compared to two other state-of-the-art non-generative approaches, HDC-ZSC achieves 4.3% and 9.9% better accuracy, while they require more than 1.85x and 1.72x parameters compared to HDC-ZSC, respectively.
CAFCT-Net: A CNN-Transformer Hybrid Network with Contextual and Attentional Feature Fusion for Liver Tumor Segmentation
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2024
Year: 2024

Medical image semantic segmentation techniques can help identify tumors automatically from computed tomography (CT) scans. In this paper, we propose a Contextual and Attentional feature Fusions enhanced Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Transformer hybrid network (CAFCT-Net) for liver tumor segmentation. We incorporate three novel modules in the CAFCT-Net architecture: Attentional Feature Fusion (AFF), Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (ASPP) of DeepLabv3, and Attention Gates (AGs) to improve contextual information related to tumor boundaries for accurate segmentation. Experimental results show that the proposed model achieves a mean Intersection over Union (IoU) of 76.54% and Dice coefficient of 84.29%, respectively, on the Liver Tumor Segmentation Benchmark (LiTS) dataset, outperforming pure CNN or Transformer methods, e.g., Attention U-Net and PVTFormer.
Cross-Lingual Transfer from Related Languages: Treating Low-Resource Maltese as Multilingual Code-Switching
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2024
Year: 2024

Although multilingual language models exhibit impressive cross-lingual transfer capabilities on unseen languages, the performance on downstream tasks is impacted when there is a script disparity with the languages used in the multilingual model's pre-training data. Using transliteration offers a straightforward yet effective means to align the script of a resource-rich language with a target language, thereby enhancing cross-lingual transfer capabilities. However, for mixed languages, this approach is suboptimal, since only a subset of the language benefits from the cross-lingual transfer while the remainder is impeded. In this work, we focus on Maltese, a Semitic language, with substantial influences from Arabic, Italian, and English, and notably written in Latin script. We present a novel dataset annotated with word-level etymology. We use this dataset to train a classifier that enables us to make informed decisions regarding the appropriate processing of each token in the Maltese language. We contrast indiscriminate transliteration or translation to mixing processing pipelines that only transliterate words of Arabic origin, thereby resulting in text with a mixture of scripts. We fine-tune the processed data on four downstream tasks and show that conditional transliteration based on word etymology yields the best results, surpassing fine-tuning with raw Maltese or Maltese processed with non-selective pipelines.
Autonomy Loops for Monitoring, Operational Data Analytics, Feedback, and Response in HPC Operations
Venue: arXiv cs.DC 2024
Year: 2024

Many High Performance Computing (HPC) facilities have developed and deployed frameworks in support of continuous monitoring and operational data analytics (MODA) to help improve efficiency and throughput. Because of the complexity and scale of systems and workflows and the need for low-latency response to address dynamic circumstances, automated feedback and response have the potential to be more effective than current human-in-the-loop approaches which are laborious and error prone. Progress has been limited, however, by factors such as the lack of infrastructure and feedback hooks, and successful deployment is often site- and case-specific. In this position paper we report on the outcomes and plans from a recent Dagstuhl Seminar, seeking to carve a path for community progress in the development of autonomous feedback loops for MODA, based on the established formalism of similar (MAPE-K) loops in autonomous computing and self-adaptive systems. By defining and developing such loops for significant cases experienced across HPC sites, we seek to extract commonalities and develop conventions that will facilitate interoperability and interchangeability with system hardware, software, and applications across different sites, and will motivate vendors and others to provide telemetry interfaces and feedback hooks to enable community development and pervasive deployment of MODA autonomy loops.
Randomized Key Encapsulation/Consolidation
Venue: arXiv cs.CR 2024
Year: 2024

This article bridges the gap between two topics used in sharing an encryption key: (i) Key Consolidation, i.e., extracting two identical strings of bits from two information sources with similarities (common randomness). (ii) Quantum-safe Key Encapsulation by incorporating randomness in Public/Private Key pairs. In the context of Key Consolidation, the proposed scheme adds to the complexity Eve faces in extracting useful data from leaked information. In this context, it is applied to the method proposed in [1] for establishing common randomness from round-trip travel times in a packet data network. The proposed method allows adapting the secrecy level to the amount of similarity in common randomness. It can even encapsulate a Quantum-safe encryption key in the extreme case that no common randomness is available. In the latter case, it is shown that the proposed scheme offers improvements with respect to the McEliece cryptosystem which currently forms the foundation for Quantum safe key encapsulation. [1] A. K. Khandani, "Looping for Encryption Key Generation Over the Internet: A New Frontier in Physical Layer Security," 2023 Biennial Symposium on Communications (BSC), Montreal, QC, Canada, 2023, pp. 59-64
Heterogeneous treatment effect estimation with subpopulation identification for personalized medicine in opioid use disorder
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2024
Year: 2024

Deep learning models have demonstrated promising results in estimating treatment effects (TEE). However, most of them overlook the variations in treatment outcomes among subgroups with distinct characteristics. This limitation hinders their ability to provide accurate estimations and treatment recommendations for specific subgroups. In this study, we introduce a novel neural network-based framework, named SubgroupTE, which incorporates subgroup identification and treatment effect estimation. SubgroupTE identifies diverse subgroups and simultaneously estimates treatment effects for each subgroup, improving the treatment effect estimation by considering the heterogeneity of treatment responses. Comparative experiments on synthetic data show that SubgroupTE outperforms existing models in treatment effect estimation. Furthermore, experiments on a real-world dataset related to opioid use disorder (OUD) demonstrate the potential of our approach to enhance personalized treatment recommendations for OUD patients.
Forecasting VIX using Bayesian Deep Learning
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2024
Year: 2024

Recently, deep learning techniques are gradually replacing traditional statistical and machine learning models as the first choice for price forecasting tasks. In this paper, we leverage probabilistic deep learning for inferring the volatility index VIX. We employ the probabilistic counterpart of WaveNet, Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN), and Transformers. We show that TCN outperforms all models with an RMSE around 0.189. In addition, it has been well known that modern neural networks provide inaccurate uncertainty estimates. For solving this problem, we use the standard deviation scaling to calibrate the networks. Furthermore, we found out that MNF with Gaussian prior outperforms Reparameterization Trick and Flipout models in terms of precision and uncertainty predictions. Finally, we claim that MNF with Cauchy and LogUniform prior distributions yield well calibrated TCN and WaveNet networks being the former that best infer the VIX values.
BlockFusion: Expandable 3D Scene Generation using Latent Tri-plane Extrapolation
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2024
Year: 2024

We present BlockFusion, a diffusion-based model that generates 3D scenes as unit blocks and seamlessly incorporates new blocks to extend the scene. BlockFusion is trained using datasets of 3D blocks that are randomly cropped from complete 3D scene meshes. Through per-block fitting, all training blocks are converted into the hybrid neural fields: with a tri-plane containing the geometry features, followed by a Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP) for decoding the signed distance values. A variational auto-encoder is employed to compress the tri-planes into the latent tri-plane space, on which the denoising diffusion process is performed. Diffusion applied to the latent representations allows for high-quality and diverse 3D scene generation. To expand a scene during generation, one needs only to append empty blocks to overlap with the current scene and extrapolate existing latent tri-planes to populate new blocks. The extrapolation is done by conditioning the generation process with the feature samples from the overlapping tri-planes during the denoising iterations. Latent tri-plane extrapolation produces semantically and geometrically meaningful transitions that harmoniously blend with the existing scene. A 2D layout conditioning mechanism is used to control the placement and arrangement of scene elements. Experimental results indicate that BlockFusion is capable of generating diverse, geometrically consistent and unbounded large 3D scenes with unprecedented high-quality shapes in both indoor and outdoor scenarios.
SPViz: A DSL-Driven Approach for Software Project Visualization Tooling
Venue: arXiv cs.SE 2024
Year: 2024

For most service architectures, such as OSGi and Spring, architecture-specific tools allow software developers and architects to visualize otherwise obscure configurations hidden in the project files. Such visualization tools are often used for documentation purposes and help to better understand programs than with source code alone. However, such tools often do not address project-specific peculiarities or do not exist at all for less common architectures, requiring developers to use different visualization and analysis tools within the same architecture. Furthermore, many generic modeling tools and architecture visualization tools require their users to create and maintain models manually. We here propose a DSL-driven approach that allows software architects to define and adapt their own project visualization tool. The approach, which we refer to as Software Project Visualization (SPViz), uses two DSLs, one to describe architectural elements and their relationships, and one to describe how these should be visualized. We demonstrate how SPViz can then automatically synthesize a customized, project-specific visualization tool that can adapt to changes in the underlying project automatically. We implemented our approach in an open-source library, also termed SPViz and discuss and analyze four different tools that follow this concept, including open-source projects and projects from an industrial partner in the railway domain.
SemScore: Automated Evaluation of Instruction-Tuned LLMs based on Semantic Textual Similarity
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2024
Year: 2024

Instruction-tuned Large Language Models (LLMs) have recently showcased remarkable advancements in their ability to generate fitting responses to natural language instructions. However, many current works rely on manual evaluation to judge the quality of generated responses. Since such manual evaluation is time-consuming, it does not easily scale to the evaluation of multiple models and model variants. In this short paper, we propose a straightforward but remarkably effective evaluation metric called SemScore, in which we directly compare model outputs to gold target responses using semantic textual similarity (STS). We conduct a comparative evaluation of the model outputs of 12 prominent instruction-tuned LLMs using 8 widely-used evaluation metrics for text generation. We find that our proposed SemScore metric outperforms all other, in many cases more complex, evaluation metrics in terms of correlation to human evaluation. These findings indicate the utility of our proposed metric for the evaluation of instruction-tuned LLMs.
On $2 \times 2$ MIMO Gaussian Channels with a Small Discrete-Time Peak-Power Constraint
Venue: arXiv cs.IT 2024
Year: 2024

A multi-input multi-output (MIMO) Gaussian channel with two transmit antennas and two receive antennas is studied that is subject to an input peak-power constraint. The capacity and the capacity-achieving input distribution are unknown in general. The problem is shown to be equivalent to a channel with an identity matrix but where the input lies inside and on an ellipse with principal axis length $r_p$ and minor axis length $r_m$. If $r_p \le \sqrt{2}$, then the capacity-achieving input has support on the ellipse. A sufficient condition is derived under which a two-point distribution is optimal. Finally, if $r_m < r_p \le \sqrt{2}$, then the capacity-achieving distribution is discrete.
Active Generation Network of Human Skeleton for Action Recognition
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2024
Year: 2024

Data generation is a data augmentation technique for enhancing the generalization ability for skeleton-based human action recognition. Most existing data generation methods face challenges to ensure the temporal consistency of the dynamic information for action. In addition, the data generated by these methods lack diversity when only a few training samples are available. To solve those problems, We propose a novel active generative network (AGN), which can adaptively learn various action categories by motion style transfer to generate new actions when the data for a particular action is only a single sample or few samples. The AGN consists of an action generation network and an uncertainty metric network. The former, with ST-GCN as the Backbone, can implicitly learn the morphological features of the target action while preserving the category features of the source action. The latter guides generating actions. Specifically, an action recognition model generates prediction vectors for each action, which is then scored using an uncertainty metric. Finally, UMN provides the uncertainty sampling basis for the generated actions.
Copula-based Estimation of Continuous Sources for a Class of Constrained Rate-Distortion-Functions
Venue: arXiv cs.IT 2024
Year: 2024

We present a new method to estimate the rate-distortion-perception function in the perfect realism regime (PR-RDPF), for multivariate continuous sources subject to a single-letter average distortion constraint. The proposed approach is not only able to solve the specific problem but also two related problems: the entropic optimal transport (EOT) and the output-constrained rate-distortion function (OC-RDF), of which the PR-RDPF represents a special case. Using copula distributions, we show that the OC-RDF can be cast as an I-projection problem on a convex set, based on which we develop a parametric solution of the optimal projection proving that its parameters can be estimated, up to an arbitrary precision, via the solution of a convex program. Subsequently, we propose an iterative scheme via gradient methods to estimate the convex program. Lastly, we characterize a Shannon lower bound (SLB) for the PR-RDPF under a mean squared error (MSE) distortion constraint. We support our theoretical findings with numerical examples by assessing the estimation performance of our iterative scheme using the PR-RDPF with the obtained SLB for various sources.
PlantoGraphy: Incorporating Iterative Design Process into Generative Artificial Intelligence for Landscape Rendering
Venue: arXiv cs.HC 2024
Year: 2024

Landscape renderings are realistic images of landscape sites, allowing stakeholders to perceive better and evaluate design ideas. While recent advances in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) enable automated generation of landscape renderings, the end-to-end methods are not compatible with common design processes, leading to insufficient alignment with design idealizations and limited cohesion of iterative landscape design. Informed by a formative study for comprehending design requirements, we present PlantoGraphy, an iterative design system that allows for interactive configuration of GAI models to accommodate human-centered design practice. A two-stage pipeline is incorporated: first, concretization module transforms conceptual ideas into concrete scene layouts with a domain-oriented large language model; and second, illustration module converts scene layouts into realistic landscape renderings using a fine-tuned low-rank adaptation diffusion model. PlantoGraphy has undergone a series of performance evaluations and user studies, demonstrating its effectiveness in landscape rendering generation and the high recognition of its interactive functionality.
Personalized Differential Privacy for Ridge Regression
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2024
Year: 2024

The increased application of machine learning (ML) in sensitive domains requires protecting the training data through privacy frameworks, such as differential privacy (DP). DP requires to specify a uniform privacy level $\varepsilon$ that expresses the maximum privacy loss that each data point in the entire dataset is willing to tolerate. Yet, in practice, different data points often have different privacy requirements. Having to set one uniform privacy level is usually too restrictive, often forcing a learner to guarantee the stringent privacy requirement, at a large cost to accuracy. To overcome this limitation, we introduce our novel Personalized-DP Output Perturbation method (PDP-OP) that enables to train Ridge regression models with individual per data point privacy levels. We provide rigorous privacy proofs for our PDP-OP as well as accuracy guarantees for the resulting model. This work is the first to provide such theoretical accuracy guarantees when it comes to personalized DP in machine learning, whereas previous work only provided empirical evaluations. We empirically evaluate PDP-OP on synthetic and real datasets and with diverse privacy distributions. We show that by enabling each data point to specify their own privacy requirement, we can significantly improve the privacy-accuracy trade-offs in DP. We also show that PDP-OP outperforms the personalized privacy techniques of Jorgensen et al. (2015).
Dependency-Aware Online Caching
Venue: arXiv cs.DS 2024
Year: 2024

We consider a variant of the online caching problem where the items exhibit dependencies among each other: an item can reside in the cache only if all its dependent items are also in the cache. The dependency relations can form any directed acyclic graph. These requirements arise e.g., in systems such as CacheFlow (SOSR 2016) that cache forwarding rules for packet classification in IP-based communication networks. First, we present an optimal randomized online caching algorithm which accounts for dependencies among the items. Our randomized algorithm is $O( \log k)$-competitive, where $k$ is the size of the cache, meaning that our algorithm never incurs the cost of $O(\log k)$ times higher than even an optimal algorithm that knows the future input sequence. Second, we consider the bypassing model, where requests can be served at a fixed price without fetching the item and its dependencies into the cache -- a variant of caching with dependencies introduced by Bienkowski et al. at SPAA 2017. For this setting, we give an $O( \sqrt{k \cdot \log k})$-competitive algorithm, which significantly improves the best known competitiveness. We conduct a small case study, to find out that our algorithm incurs on average 2x lower cost.
Learning Agent-based Modeling with LLM Companions: Experiences of Novices and Experts Using ChatGPT & NetLogo Chat
Venue: arXiv cs.HC 2024
Year: 2024

Large Language Models (LLMs) have the potential to fundamentally change the way people engage in computer programming. Agent-based modeling (ABM) has become ubiquitous in natural and social sciences and education, yet no prior studies have explored the potential of LLMs to assist it. We designed NetLogo Chat to support the learning and practice of NetLogo, a programming language for ABM. To understand how users perceive, use, and need LLM-based interfaces, we interviewed 30 participants from global academia, industry, and graduate schools. Experts reported more perceived benefits than novices and were more inclined to adopt LLMs in their workflow. We found significant differences between experts and novices in their perceptions, behaviors, and needs for human-AI collaboration. We surfaced a knowledge gap between experts and novices as a possible reason for the benefit gap. We identified guidance, personalization, and integration as major needs for LLM-based interfaces to support the programming of ABM.
Transfer Learning for Text Diffusion Models
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2024
Year: 2024

In this report, we explore the potential for text diffusion to replace autoregressive (AR) decoding for the training and deployment of large language models (LLMs). We are particularly interested to see whether pretrained AR models can be transformed into text diffusion models through a lightweight adaptation procedure we call ``AR2Diff''. We begin by establishing a strong baseline setup for training text diffusion models. Comparing across multiple architectures and pretraining objectives, we find that training a decoder-only model with a prefix LM objective is best or near-best across several tasks. Building on this finding, we test various transfer learning setups for text diffusion models. On machine translation, we find that text diffusion underperforms the standard AR approach. However, on code synthesis and extractive QA, we find diffusion models trained from scratch outperform AR models in many cases. We also observe quality gains from AR2Diff -- adapting AR models to use diffusion decoding. These results are promising given that text diffusion is relatively underexplored and can be significantly faster than AR decoding for long text generation.
Gazetteer-Enhanced Bangla Named Entity Recognition with BanglaBERT Semantic Embeddings K-Means-Infused CRF Model
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2024
Year: 2024

Named Entity Recognition (NER) is a sub-task of Natural Language Processing (NLP) that distinguishes entities from unorganized text into predefined categorization. In recent years, a lot of Bangla NLP subtasks have received quite a lot of attention; but Named Entity Recognition in Bangla still lags behind. In this research, we explored the existing state of research in Bangla Named Entity Recognition. We tried to figure out the limitations that current techniques and datasets face, and we would like to address these limitations in our research. Additionally, We developed a Gazetteer that has the ability to significantly boost the performance of NER. We also proposed a new NER solution by taking advantage of state-of-the-art NLP tools that outperform conventional techniques.