pwc-archive/papers-with-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Analyzing Stylistic Variation across Different Political Regimes
Authors: Liviu P. Dinu, Ana-Sabina Uban
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Authorship Attribution, Clustering

In this article we propose a stylistic analysis of texts written across two different periods, which differ not only temporally, but politically and culturally: communism and democracy in Romania. We aim to analyze the stylistic variation between texts written during these two periods, and determine at what levels the variation is more apparent (if any): at the stylistic level, at the topic level etc. We take a look at the stylistic profile of these texts comparatively, by performing clustering and classification experiments on the texts, using traditional authorship attribution methods and features. To confirm the stylistic variation is indeed an effect of the change in political and cultural environment, and not merely reflective of a natural change in the author's style with time, we look at various stylistic metrics over time and show that the change in style between the two periods is statistically significant. We also perform an analysis of the variation in topic between the two epochs, to compare with the variation at the style level. These analyses show that texts from the two periods can indeed be distinguished, both from the point of view of style and from that of semantic content (topic).
End-to-End QA on COVID-19: Domain Adaptation with Synthetic Training
Authors: Revanth Gangi Reddy, Bhavani Iyer, Md Arafat Sultan, Rong Zhang, Avi Sil, Vittorio Castelli, Radu Florian, Salim Roukos
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Domain Adaptation, Information Retrieval, Machine Reading Comprehension, Question Answering, Reading Comprehension, Retrieval

End-to-end question answering (QA) requires both information retrieval (IR) over a large document collection and machine reading comprehension (MRC) on the retrieved passages. Recent work has successfully trained neural IR systems using only supervised question answering (QA) examples from open-domain datasets. However, despite impressive performance on Wikipedia, neural IR lags behind traditional term matching approaches such as BM25 in more specific and specialized target domains such as COVID-19. Furthermore, given little or no labeled data, effective adaptation of QA systems can also be challenging in such target domains. In this work, we explore the application of synthetically generated QA examples to improve performance on closed-domain retrieval and MRC. We combine our neural IR and MRC systems and show significant improvements in end-to-end QA on the CORD-19 collection over a state-of-the-art open-domain QA baseline.
Biomedical Knowledge Graph Refinement with Embedding and Logic Rules
Authors: Sendong Zhao, Bing Qin, Ting Liu, Fei Wang
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Graph Embedding, Knowledge Graph Embedding, Knowledge Graphs

Currently, there is a rapidly increasing need for high-quality biomedical knowledge graphs (BioKG) that provide direct and precise biomedical knowledge. In the context of COVID-19, this issue is even more necessary to be highlighted. However, most BioKG construction inevitably includes numerous conflicts and noises deriving from incorrect knowledge descriptions in literature and defective information extraction techniques. Many studies have demonstrated that reasoning upon the knowledge graph is effective in eliminating such conflicts and noises. This paper proposes a method BioGRER to improve the BioKG's quality, which comprehensively combines the knowledge graph embedding and logic rules that support and negate triplets in the BioKG. In the proposed model, the BioKG refinement problem is formulated as the probability estimation for triplets in the BioKG. We employ the variational EM algorithm to optimize knowledge graph embedding and logic rule inference alternately. In this way, our model could combine efforts from both the knowledge graph embedding and logic rules, leading to better results than using them alone. We evaluate our model over a COVID-19 knowledge graph and obtain competitive results.
Feedback from the participants of the ADBIS, TPDL and EDA 2020 joint conferences
Authors: Pegdwendé Sawadogo, Jérôme Darmont, Fabien Duchateau
Date: 2020-11-27 00:00:00
Tasks: Survey

This paper presents the way the joint ADBIS, TPDL and EDA 2020 conferences were organized online and the results of the participant survey conducted thereafter. We present the lessons learned from the participants' feedback.
Open-Ended Multi-Modal Relational Reasoning for Video Question Answering
Authors: Haozheng Luo, Ruiyang Qin, Chenwei Xu, Guo Ye, Zening Luo
Date: 2020-12-01 00:00:00
Tasks: Question Answering, Relational Reasoning, Video Question Answering, Video Recognition, Visual Question Answering (VQA)

In this paper, we introduce a robotic agent specifically designed to analyze external environments and address participants' questions. The primary focus of this agent is to assist individuals using language-based interactions within video-based scenes. Our proposed method integrates video recognition technology and natural language processing models within the robotic agent. We investigate the crucial factors affecting human-robot interactions by examining pertinent issues arising between participants and robot agents. Methodologically, our experimental findings reveal a positive relationship between trust and interaction efficiency. Furthermore, our model demonstrates a 2\% to 3\% performance enhancement in comparison to other benchmark methods.
Proceedings of NeurIPS 2019 Workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response
Authors: Ritwik Gupta, Eric T. Heim
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Disaster Response, Humanitarian

These are the "proceedings" of the 1st AI + HADR workshop which was held in Vancouver, Canada on December 13, 2019 as part of the Neural Information Processing Systems conference. These are non-archival and serve solely as a collation of all the papers accepted to the workshop.
Multi-Objective Optimization of the Textile Manufacturing Process Using Deep-Q-Network Based Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Zhenglei He, Kim Phuc Tran, Sebastien Thomassey, Xianyi Zeng, Jie Xu, Changhai Yi
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning

Multi-objective optimization of the textile manufacturing process is an increasing challenge because of the growing complexity involved in the development of the textile industry. The use of intelligent techniques has been often discussed in this domain, although a significant improvement from certain successful applications has been reported, the traditional methods failed to work with high-as well as human intervention. Upon which, this paper proposed a multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) framework to transform the optimization process into a stochastic game and introduced the deep Q-networks algorithm to train the multiple agents. A utilitarian selection mechanism was employed in the stochastic game, which (-greedy policy) in each state to avoid the interruption of multiple equilibria and achieve the correlated equilibrium optimal solutions of the optimizing process. The case study result reflects that the proposed MARL system is possible to achieve the optimal solutions for the textile ozonation process and it performs better than the traditional approaches.
Complex Coordinate-Based Meta-Analysis with Probabilistic Programming
Authors: Valentin Iovene, Gaston Zanitti, Demian Wassermann
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Probabilistic Programming

With the growing number of published functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, meta-analysis databases and models have become an integral part of brain mapping research. Coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA) databases are built by automatically extracting both coordinates of reported peak activations and term associations using natural language processing (NLP) techniques. Solving term-based queries on these databases make it possible to obtain statistical maps of the brain related to specific cognitive processes. However, with tools like Neurosynth, only singleterm queries lead to statistically reliable results. When solving richer queries, too few studies from the database contribute to the statistical estimations. We design a probabilistic domain-specific language (DSL) standing on Datalog and one of its probabilistic extensions, CP-Logic, for expressing and solving rich logic-based queries. We encode a CBMA database into a probabilistic program. Using the joint distribution of its Bayesian network translation, we show that solutions of queries on this program compute the right probability distributions of voxel activations. We explain how recent lifted query processing algorithms make it possible to scale to the size of large neuroimaging data, where state of the art knowledge compilation (KC) techniques fail to solve queries fast enough for practical applications. Finally, we introduce a method for relating studies to terms probabilistically, leading to better solutions for conjunctive queries on smaller databases. We demonstrate results for two-term conjunctive queries, both on simulated meta-analysis databases and on the widely-used Neurosynth database.
Improving Solution Quality of Bounded Max-Sum Algorithm to Solve DCOPs involving Hard and Soft Constraints
Authors: Md. Musfiqur Rahman, Mashrur Rashik, Md. Mamun-or-Rashid, Md. Mosaddek Khan
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00

Bounded Max-Sum (BMS) is a message-passing algorithm that provides approximation solution to a specific form of de-centralized coordination problems, namely Distributed Constrained Optimization Problems (DCOPs). In particular, BMS algorithm is able to solve problems of this type having large search space at the expense of low computational cost. Notably, the traditional DCOP formulation does not consider those constraints that must be satisfied(also known as hard constraints), rather it concentrates only on soft constraints. Hence, although the presence of both types of constraints are observed in a number of real-world applications, the BMS algorithm does not actively capitalize on the hard constraints. To address this issue, we tailor BMS in such a way that can deal with DCOPs having both type constraints. In so doing, our approach improves the solution quality of the algorithm. The empirical results exhibit a marked improvement in the quality of the solutions of large DCOPs.
Ontological Smart Contracts in OASIS: Ontology for Agents, Systems, and Integration of Services (Extended Version)
Authors: Domenico Cantone, Carmelo Fabio Longo, Marianna Nicolosi-Asmundo, Daniele Francesco Santamaria, Corrado Santoro
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00

In this contribution we extend an ontology for modelling agents and their interactions, called Ontology for Agents, Systems, and Integration of Services (in short, OASIS), with conditionals and ontological smart contracts (in short, OSCs). OSCs are ontological representations of smart contracts that allow to establish responsibilities and authorizations among agents and set agreements, whereas conditionals allow one to restrict and limit agent interactions, define activation mechanisms that trigger agent actions, and define constraints and contract terms on OSCs. Conditionals and OSCs, as defined in OASIS, are applied to extend with ontological capabilities digital public ledgers such as the blockchain and smart contracts implemented on it. We will also sketch the architecture of a framework based on the OASIS definition of OSCs that exploits the Ethereum platform and the Interplanetary File System.
Malware Detection using Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm
Authors: Farid Ghareh Mohammadi, Farzan Shenavarmasouleh, M. Hadi Amini, Hamid R. Arabnia
Date: 2020-12-01 00:00:00
Tasks: feature selection, Malware Analysis, Malware Detection

Malware detection has become a challenging task due to the increase in the number of malware families. Universal malware detection algorithms that can detect all the malware families are needed to make the whole process feasible. However, the more universal an algorithm is, the higher number of feature dimensions it needs to work with, and that inevitably causes the emerging problem of Curse of Dimensionality (CoD). Besides, it is also difficult to make this solution work due to the real-time behavior of malware analysis. In this paper, we address this problem and aim to propose a feature selection based malware detection algorithm using an evolutionary algorithm that is referred to as Artificial Bee Colony (ABC). The proposed algorithm enables researchers to decrease the feature dimension and as a result, boost the process of malware detection. The experimental results reveal that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art.
Artificial intelligence techniques for integrative structural biology of intrinsically disordered proteins
Authors: Arvind Ramanathan, Heng Ma, Akash Parvatikar, Chakra S. Chennubhotla
Date: 2020-12-01 00:00:00

We outline recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques for integrative structural biology of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDP) ensembles. IDPs challenge the traditional protein structure-function paradigm by adapting their conformations in response to specific binding partners leading them to mediate diverse, and often complex cellular functions such as biological signaling, self organization and compartmentalization. Obtaining mechanistic insights into their function can therefore be challenging for traditional structural determination techniques. Often, scientists have to rely on piecemeal evidence drawn from diverse experimental techniques to characterize their functional mechanisms. Multiscale simulations can help bridge critical knowledge gaps about IDP structure function relationships - however, these techniques also face challenges in resolving emergent phenomena within IDP conformational ensembles. We posit that scalable statistical inference techniques can effectively integrate information gleaned from multiple experimental techniques as well as from simulations, thus providing access to atomistic details of these emergent phenomena.
Driving-Policy Adaptive Safeguard for Autonomous Vehicles Using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Zhong Cao, Shaobing Xu, Songan Zhang, Huei Peng, Diange Yang
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Autonomous Vehicles, Collision Avoidance, reinforcement-learning, Reinforcement Learning, Reinforcement Learning (RL)

Safeguard functions such as those provided by advanced emergency braking (AEB) can provide another layer of safety for autonomous vehicles (AV). A smart safeguard function should adapt the activation conditions to the driving policy, to avoid unnecessary interventions as well as improve vehicle safety. This paper proposes a driving-policy adaptive safeguard (DPAS) design, including a collision avoidance strategy and an activation function. The collision avoidance strategy is designed in a reinforcement learning framework, obtained by Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS). It can learn from past collisions and manipulate both braking and steering in stochastic traffics. The driving-policy adaptive activation function should dynamically assess current driving policy risk and kick in when an urgent threat is detected. To generate this activation function, MCTS' exploration and rollout modules are designed to fully evaluate the AV's current driving policy, and then explore other safer actions. In this study, the DPAS is validated with two typical highway-driving policies. The results are obtained through and 90,000 times in the stochastic and aggressive simulated traffic. The results are calibrated by naturalistic driving data and show that the proposed safeguard reduces the collision rate significantly without introducing more interventions, compared with the state-based benchmark safeguards. In summary, the proposed safeguard leverages the learning-based method in stochastic and emergent scenarios and imposes minimal influence on the driving policy.
Leveraging Neural Network Gradients within Trajectory Optimization for Proactive Human-Robot Interactions
Authors: Simon Schaefer, Karen Leung, Boris Ivanovic, Marco Pavone
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Motion Planning, Navigate, Trajectory Prediction

To achieve seamless human-robot interactions, robots need to intimately reason about complex interaction dynamics and future human behaviors within their motion planning process. However, there is a disconnect between state-of-the-art neural network-based human behavior models and robot motion planners -- either the behavior models are limited in their consideration of downstream planning or a simplified behavior model is used to ensure tractability of the planning problem. In this work, we present a framework that fuses together the interpretability and flexibility of trajectory optimization (TO) with the predictive power of state-of-the-art human trajectory prediction models. In particular, we leverage gradient information from data-driven prediction models to explicitly reason about human-robot interaction dynamics within a gradient-based TO problem. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach in a multi-agent scenario whereby a robot is required to safely and efficiently navigate through a crowd of up to ten pedestrians. We compare against a variety of planning methods, and show that by explicitly accounting for interaction dynamics within the planner, our method offers safer and more efficient behaviors, even yielding proactive and nuanced behaviors such as waiting for a pedestrian to pass before moving.
Intrusion Detection Systems for IoT: opportunities and challenges offered by Edge Computing and Machine Learning
Authors: Pietro Spadaccino, Francesca Cuomo
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Edge-computing, Intrusion Detection

Key components of current cybersecurity methods are the Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) were different techniques and architectures are applied to detect intrusions. IDSs can be based either on cross-checking monitored events with a database of known intrusion experiences, known as signature-based, or on learning the normal behavior of the system and reporting whether some anomalous events occur, named anomaly-based. This work is dedicated to survey the application of IDS to the Internet of Things (IoT) networks, where also the edge computing is used to support the IDS implementation. New challenges that arise when deploying an IDS in an edge scenario are identified and remedies are proposed. We focus on anomaly-based IDSs, showing the main techniques that can be leveraged to detect anomalies and we present machine learning techniques and their application in the context of an IDS, describing the expected advantages and disadvantages that a specific technique could cause.
Proceedings Second Workshop on Formal Methods for Autonomous Systems
Authors: Matt Luckcuck, Marie Farrell
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00

Autonomous systems are highly complex and present unique challenges for the application of formal methods. Autonomous systems act without human intervention, and are often embedded in a robotic system, so that they can interact with the real world. As such, they exhibit the properties of safety-critical, cyber-physical, hybrid, and real-time systems. The goal of FMAS is to bring together leading researchers who are tackling the unique challenges of autonomous systems using formal methods, to present recent and ongoing work. We are interested in the use of formal methods to specify, model, or verify autonomous or robotic systems; in whole or in part. We are also interested in successful industrial applications and potential future directions for this emerging application of formal methods.
Improving Students Performance in Small-Scale Online Courses -- A Machine Learning-Based Intervention
Authors: Sepinoud Azimi, Carmen-Gabriela Popa, Tatjana Cucić
Date: 2020-11-23 00:00:00
Tasks: BIG-bench Machine Learning, Management

The birth of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has had an undeniable effect on how teaching is being delivered. It seems that traditional in class teaching is becoming less popular with the young generation, the generation that wants to choose when, where and at what pace they are learning. As such, many universities are moving towards taking their courses, at least partially, online. However, online courses, although very appealing to the younger generation of learners, come at a cost. For example, the dropout rate of such courses is higher than that of more traditional ones, and the reduced in person interaction with the teachers results in less timely guidance and intervention from the educators. Machine learning (ML) based approaches have shown phenomenal successes in other domains. The existing stigma that applying ML based techniques requires a large amount of data seems to be a bottleneck when dealing with small scale courses with limited amounts of produced data. In this study, we show not only that the data collected from an online learning management system could be well utilized in order to predict students overall performance but also that it could be used to propose timely intervention strategies to boost the students performance level. The results of this study indicate that effective intervention strategies could be suggested as early as the middle of the course to change the course of students progress for the better. We also present an assistive pedagogical tool based on the outcome of this study, to assist in identifying challenging students and in suggesting early intervention strategies.
Target Reaching Behaviour for Unfreezing the Robot in a Semi-Static and Crowded Environment
Authors: Arturo Cruz-Maya
Date: 2020-12-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Robot Navigation

Robot navigation in human semi-static and crowded environments can lead to the freezing problem, where the robot can not move due to the presence of humans standing on its path and no other path is available. Classical approaches of robot navigation do not provide a solution for this problem. In such situations, the robot could interact with the humans in order to clear its path instead of considering them as unanimated obstacles. In this work, we propose a robot behavior for a wheeled humanoid robot that complains with social norms for clearing its path when the robot is frozen due to the presence of humans. The behavior consists of two modules: 1) A detection module, which make use of the Yolo v3 algorithm trained to detect human hands and human arms. 2) A gesture module, which make use of a policy trained in simulation using the Proximal Policy Optimization algorithm. Orchestration of the two models is done using the ROS framework.