Reviewerly/exHarmony huggingface dataset:
Vehicular Cooperative Perception Through Action Branching and Federated Reinforcement Learning

Cooperative perception plays a vital role in extending a vehicle’s sensing range beyond its line-of-sight. However, exchanging raw sensory data under limited communication resources is infeasible. Towards enabling an efficient cooperative perception, vehicles need to address the following fundamental question: What sensory data needs to be shared? at which resolution? and with which vehicles? To answer this question, in this paper, a novel framework is proposed to allow reinforcement learning (RL)-based vehicular association, resource block (RB) allocation, and content selection of cooperative perception messages (CPMs) by utilizing a quadtree-based point cloud compression mechanism. Furthermore, a federated RL approach is introduced in order to speed up the training process across vehicles. Simulation results show the ability of the RL agents to efficiently learn the vehicles’ association, RB allocation, and message content selection while maximizing vehicles’ satisfaction in terms of the received sensory information. The results also show that federated RL improves the training process, where better policies can be achieved within the same amount of time compared to the non-federated approach.
CaEGCN: Cross-Attention Fusion Based Enhanced Graph Convolutional Network for Clustering

With the powerful learning ability of deep convolutional networks, deep clustering methods can extract the most discriminative information from individual data and produce more satisfactory clustering results. However, existing deep clustering methods usually ignore the relationship between the data. Fortunately, the graph convolutional network can handle such relationships, opening a new research direction for deep clustering. In this paper, we propose a cross-attention based deep clustering framework, named Cross-Attention Fusion based Enhanced Graph Convolutional Network (CaEGCN), which contains four main modules: the cross-attention fusion module which innovatively concatenates the Content Auto-encoder module (CAE) relating to the individual data and Graph Convolutional Auto-encoder module (GAE) relating to the relationship between the data in a layer-by-layer manner, and the self-supervised model that highlights the discriminative information for clustering tasks. While the cross-attention fusion module fuses two kinds of heterogeneous representation, the CAE module supplements the content information for the GAE module, which avoids the over-smoothing problem of GCN. In the GAE module, two novel loss functions are proposed that reconstruct the content and relationship between the data, respectively. Finally, the self-supervised module constrains the distributions of the middle layer representations of CAE and GAE to be consistent. Experimental results on different types of datasets prove the superiority and robustness of the proposed CaEGCN.
Federated Analytics: Opportunities and Challenges

In this article, we present federated analytics, a new distributed computing paradigm for data analytics applications with privacy concerns. With the advances of sensing, communication, and edge computing technologies, data are massively generated, transmitted and analyzed in an edge-cloud computing environment. In many applications, the edge devices and the data generated in the edge belong to heterogeneous owners. Data privacy and confidentiality have become increasing concerns to these owners. The current edge-cloud computing paradigm for data analytics, where data are sent to a central server for analytics, can no longer match the application requirements. Federated analytics is a newly proposed computing paradigm where raw data are kept local with local analytics and only the insights generated from local analytics are sent to a server for result aggregation. Federated analytics differs from the recent federated learning paradigm in the sense that federated learning emphasizes collaborative model training, whereas federated analytics emphasizes drawing conclusions from data. In this article, we first clarify what federated analytics is and its position in the research literature. We then present why we need federated analytics, that is, the motivation and application case studies. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of federated analytics.
DiverGAN: An Efficient and Effective Single-Stage Framework for Diverse Text-to-Image Generation

In this paper, we concentrate on the text-to-image synthesis task that aims at automatically producing perceptually realistic pictures from text descriptions. Recently, several single-stage methods have been proposed to deal with the problems of a more complicated multi-stage modular architecture. However, they often suffer from the lack-of-diversity issue, yielding similar outputs given a single textual sequence. To this end, we present an efficient and effective single-stage framework (DiverGAN) to generate diverse, plausible and semantically consistent images according to a natural-language description. DiverGAN adopts two novel word-level attention modules, i.e., a channel-attention module (CAM) and a pixel-attention module (PAM), which model the importance of each word in the given sentence while allowing the network to assign larger weights to the significant channels and pixels semantically aligning with the salient words. After that, Conditional Adaptive Instance-Layer Normalization (CAdaILN) is introduced to enable the linguistic cues from the sentence embedding to flexibly manipulate the amount of change in shape and texture, further improving visual-semantic representation and helping stabilize the training. Also, a dual-residual structure is developed to preserve more original visual features while allowing for deeper networks, resulting in faster convergence speed and more vivid details. Furthermore, we propose to plug a fully-connected layer into the pipeline to address the lack-of-diversity problem, since we observe that a dense layer will remarkably enhance the generative capability of the network, balancing the trade-off between a low-dimensional random latent code contributing to variants and modulation modules that use high-dimensional and textual contexts to strength feature maps. Inserting a linear layer after the second residual block achieves the best variety and quality. Both qualitative and quantitative results on benchmark data sets demonstrate the superiority of our DiverGAN for realizing diversity, without harming quality and semantic consistency.
Semi-supervised video-driven facial animation transfer for production

We propose a simple algorithm for automatic transfer of facial expressions, from videos to a 3D character, as well as between distinct 3D characters through their rendered animations. Our method begins by learning a common, semantically-consistent latent representation for the different input image domains using an unsupervised image-to-image translation model. It subsequently learns, in a supervised manner, a linear mapping from the character images' encoded representation to the animation coefficients. At inference time, given the source domain (i.e., actor footage), it regresses the corresponding animation coefficients for the target character. Expressions are automatically remapped between the source and target identities despite differences in physiognomy. We show how our technique can be used in the context of markerless motion capture with controlled lighting conditions, for one actor and for multiple actors. Additionally, we show how it can be used to automatically transfer facial animation between distinct characters without consistent mesh parameterization and without engineered geometric priors. We compare our method with standard approaches used in production and with recent state-of-the-art models on single camera face tracking.
A mental models approach for defining explainable artificial intelligence

Wide-ranging concerns exist regarding the use of black-box modelling methods in sensitive contexts such as healthcare. Despite performance gains and hype, uptake of artificial intelligence (AI) is hindered by these concerns. Explainable AI is thought to help alleviate these concerns. However, existing definitions for explainable are not forming a solid foundation for this work.We critique recent reviews on the literature regarding: the agency of an AI within a team; mental models, especially as they apply to healthcare, and the practical aspects of their elicitation; and existing and current definitions of explainability, especially from the perspective of AI researchers. On the basis of this literature, we create a new definition of explainable, and supporting terms, providing definitions that can be objectively evaluated. Finally, we apply the new definition of explainable to three existing models, demonstrating how it can apply to previous research, and providing guidance for future research on the basis of this definition.Existing definitions of explanation are premised on global applicability and don't address the question 'understandable by whom?'. Eliciting mental models can be likened to creating explainable AI if one considers the AI as a member of a team. On this basis, we define explainability in terms of the context of the model, comprising the purpose, audience, and language of the model and explanation. As examples, this definition is applied to regression models, neural nets, and human mental models in operating-room teams.Existing definitions of explanation have limitations for ensuring that the concerns for practical applications are resolved. Defining explainability in terms of the context of their application forces evaluations to be aligned with the practical goals of the model. Further, it will allow researchers to explicitly distinguish between explanations for technical and lay audiences, allowing different evaluations to be applied to each.
Trajectory Planning For Car-like Robots Through Curve Parametrization And Genetic Algorithm Optimization With Applications To Autonomous Parking

Parallel parking a car is a difficult task and may be frustrating and stressful for the driver, while commonly causes traffic jam. One way to mitigate such negative effects is to provide vehicles with self-driving capabilities. As a cornerstone of a mobile robot's ability to move autonomously stands trajectory planning, which despite many works in the literature, is still considered an open problem especially with regards to nonholonomic vehicles such as car-like robots. Based on this scenario, this work presents a trajectory planning algorithm to parallel park car-like mobile robots based on polynomial parametrization and genetic algorithm optimization. The aim is to define a law of motion to lead the vehicle from an initial pose near a parking space to a final pose within the latter in a smooth way, with no interruption and avoiding any obstacles in the way. Simulation results validate the feasibility of the proposed algorithm which lays the foundation to broader studies.
Smart Contracts and Automation of Private Relationships

The main quality of a smart contract relies on the automation of contractual relationships, as the performance is triggered by an algorithm in turn triggered by the fulfilment of certain events. Most of the benefits arising from smart contracts are based on the ‘self-executing’ and ‘self-enforcing’ character, which represent a source of innovation for general contract law. Smart contracts use blockchain to ensure the transparency of the contractual relationship and to create trust in the capacity to execute the contract, which depends on the technology used. The aim of the present essay is to investigate whether and how blockchain technology platforms and smart contracts could be considered a modern form of private authority, which at least partially escapes the application of mandatory rules and traditional enforcement mechanisms. In particular, the authors will devote attention to innovative self-help mechanisms and dispute resolution systems, which can be depicted as ‘alternative’ insofar as they present themselves as independent from courts and other national state authorities.
Hybridization of Fuzzy and Hard Semi-Supervised Clustering Algorithms Tuned with Ant Lion Optimizer Applied to Higgs Boson Search

This paper focuses on the unsupervised detection of the Higgs boson particle using the most informative features and variables which characterize the “Higgs machine learning challenge 2014” data set. This unsupervised detection goes in this paper analysis through 4 steps: (1) selection of the most informative features from the considered data; (2) definition of the number of clusters based on the elbow criterion. The experimental results showed that the optimal number of clusters that group the considered data in an unsupervised manner corresponds to 2 clusters; (3) proposition of a new approach for hybridization of both hard and fuzzy clustering tuned with Ant Lion Optimization (ALO); (4) comparison with some existing metaheuristic optimizations such as Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). By employing a multi-angle analysis based on the cluster validation indices, the confusion matrix, the efficiencies and purities rates, the average cost variation, the computational time and the Sammon mapping visualization, the results highlight the effectiveness of the improved Gustafson–Kessel algorithm optimized with ALO (ALOGK) to validate the proposed approach. Even if the paper gives a complete clustering analysis, its novel contribution concerns only the Steps (1) and (3) considered above. The first contribution lies in the method used for Step (1) to select the most informative features and variables. We used the t-Statistic technique to rank them. Afterwards, a feature mapping is applied using Self-Organizing Map (SOM) to identify the level of correlation between them. Then, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), a metaheuristic optimization technique, is used to reduce the data set dimension. The second contribution of this work concern the third step, where each one of the clustering algorithms as K-means (KM), Global K-means (GlobalKM), Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM), Fuzzy C-means (FCM), Gustafson–Kessel (GK) and Gath–Geva (GG) is optimized and tuned with ALO.
Quantum Hoare Logic with Classical Variables

Hoare logic provides a syntax-oriented method to reason about program correctness and has been proven effective in the verification of classical and probabilistic programs. Existing proposals for quantum Hoare logic either lack completeness or support only quantum variables, thus limiting their capability in practical use. In this paper, we propose a quantum Hoare logic for a simple while language which involves both classical and quantum variables. Its soundness and relative completeness are proven for both partial and total correctness of quantum programs written in the language. Remarkably, with novel definitions of classical-quantum states and corresponding assertions, the logic system is quite simple and similar to the traditional Hoare logic for classical programs. Furthermore, to simplify reasoning in real applications, auxiliary proof rules are provided which support standard logical operation in the classical part of assertions, and of super-operator application in the quantum part. Finally, a series of practical quantum algorithms, in particular the whole algorithm of Shor's factorisation, are formally verified to show the effectiveness of the logic.
AutoTune: Controller Tuning for High-Speed Flight

Due to noisy actuation and external disturbances, tuning controllers for high-speed flight is very challenging. In this letter, we ask the following questions: How sensitive are controllers to tuning when tracking high-speed maneuvers? What algorithms can we use to automatically tune them? To answer the first question, we study the relationship between parameters and performance and find out that the faster the maneuver, the more sensitive a controller becomes to its parameters. To answer the second question, we review existing methods for controller tuning and discover that prior works often perform poorly on the task of high-speed flight. Therefore, we propose AutoTune, a sampling-based tuning algorithm specifically tailored to high-speed flight. In contrast to previous work, our algorithm does not assume any prior knowledge of the drone or its optimization function and can deal with the multi-modal characteristics of the parameters’ optimization space. We thoroughly evaluate AutoTune both in simulation and in the physical world. In our experiments, we outperform existing tuning algorithms by up to 90% in trajectory completion. The resulting controllers are tested in the AirSim Game of Drones competition, where we outperform the winner by up to 25% in lap-time. Finally, we validate AutoTune in real-world flights in one of the world’s largest motion-capture systems. In these experiments, we outperform human experts on the task of parameter tuning for trajectory tracking, achieving flight speeds over <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$50 \,\mathrm{k}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{h}^{-1}$</tex-math></inline-formula> .
Multi-Objective Path-Based D* Lite

Incremental graph search algorithms such as D* Lite reuse previous, and perhaps partial, searches to expedite subsequent path planning tasks. In this article, we are interested in developing incremental graph search algorithms for path finding problems to simultaneously optimize multiple objectives such as travel risk, arrival time, etc. This is challenging because in a multi-objective setting, the number of "Pareto-optimal" solutions can grow exponentially with respect to the size of the graph. This article presents a new multi-objective incremental search algorithm called Multi-Objective Path-Based D* Lite (MOPBD*) which leverages a path-based expansion strategy to prune dominated solutions. Additionally, we introduce a sub-optimal variant of MOPBD* to improve search efficiency while approximating the Pareto-optimal front. We numerically evaluate the performance of MOPBD* and its variants in various maps with two and three objectives. Results show that our approach is more efficient than search from scratch, and runs up to an order of magnitude faster than the existing incremental method for multi-objective path planning.
Using Ribonucleic acid (RNA) and Hénon map in new image encryption scheme

Confidentially transmitting the image data through Internet has become a great concern due to the online multimedia applications popularity. Image encryption algorithms as an important part of image information security are proposed to gain this goal. In recent years, many image encryption algorithms are proposed in combining DNA sequences and chaotic maps which have shown some strengths and also some weaknesses. In this paper, a new scheme is proposed using Ribonucleic acid (RNA)and a 2D Hénon map which is a try to overcome these weaknesses and also improve the strengths of the state-of-the-art algorithms. Experimental results and several analyses which is reported in the paper briefly prove the security and efficiency of the proposed scheme and its resistance against several known attacks.
A Model-Agnostic Causal Learning Framework for Recommendation using Search Data

Machine-learning based recommender systems(RSs) has become an effective means to help people automatically discover their interests. Existing models often represent the rich information for recommendation, such as items, users, and contexts, as embedding vectors and leverage them to predict users' feedback. In the view of causal analysis, the associations between these embedding vectors and users' feedback are a mixture of the causal part that describes why an item is preferred by a user, and the non-causal part that merely reflects the statistical dependencies between users and items, for example, the exposure mechanism, public opinions, display position, etc. However, existing RSs mostly ignored the striking differences between the causal parts and non-causal parts when using these embedding vectors. In this paper, we propose a model-agnostic framework named IV4Rec that can effectively decompose the embedding vectors into these two parts, hence enhancing recommendation results. Specifically, we jointly consider users' behaviors in search scenarios and recommendation scenarios. Adopting the concepts in causal analysis, we embed users' search behaviors as instrumental variables (IVs), to help decompose original embedding vectors in recommendation, i.e., treatments. IV4Rec then combines the two parts through deep neural networks and uses the combined results for recommendation. IV4Rec is model-agnostic and can be applied to a number of existing RSs such as DIN and NRHUB. Experimental results on both public and proprietary industrial datasets demonstrate that IV4Rec consistently enhances RSs and outperforms a framework that jointly considers search and recommendation.
Adaptative Perturbation Patterns: Realistic Adversarial Learning for Robust Intrusion Detection

Adversarial attacks pose a major threat to machine learning and to the systems that rely on it. In the cybersecurity domain, adversarial cyber-attack examples capable of evading detection are especially concerning. Nonetheless, an example generated for a domain with tabular data must be realistic within that domain. This work establishes the fundamental constraint levels required to achieve realism and introduces the adaptative perturbation pattern method (A2PM) to fulfill these constraints in a gray-box setting. A2PM relies on pattern sequences that are independently adapted to the characteristics of each class to create valid and coherent data perturbations. The proposed method was evaluated in a cybersecurity case study with two scenarios: Enterprise and Internet of Things (IoT) networks. Multilayer perceptron (MLP) and random forest (RF) classifiers were created with regular and adversarial training, using the CIC-IDS2017 and IoT-23 datasets. In each scenario, targeted and untargeted attacks were performed against the classifiers, and the generated examples were compared with the original network traffic flows to assess their realism. The obtained results demonstrate that A2PM provides a scalable generation of realistic adversarial examples, which can be advantageous for both adversarial training and attacks.
DialogVED: A Pre-trained Latent Variable Encoder-Decoder Model for Dialog Response Generation

Dialog response generation in open domain is an important research topic where the main challenge is to generate relevant and diverse responses.In this paper, we propose a new dialog pre-training framework called DialogVED, which introduces continuous latent variables into the enhanced encoder-decoder pre-training framework to increase the relevance and diversity of responses.With the help of a large dialog corpus (Reddit), we pre-train the model using the following 4 tasks, used in training language models (LMs) and Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) literature: 1) masked language model; 2) response generation; 3) bag-of-words prediction; and 4) KL divergence reduction.We also add additional parameters to model the turn structure in dialogs to improve the performance of the pre-trained model.We conduct experiments on PersonaChat, DailyDialog, and DSTC7-AVSD benchmarks for response generation.Experimental results show that our model achieves the new state-of-the-art results on all these datasets.