pwc-archive/papers-with-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Perceiver-based CDF Modeling for Time Series Forecasting
Authors: Cat P. Le, Chris Cannella, Ali Hasan, Yuting Ng, Vahid Tarokh
Date: 2023-10-03 00:00:00
Tasks: Prediction, Time Series, Time Series Forecasting, Time Series Prediction

Transformers have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in forecasting time series data. However, their extensive dependence on self-attention mechanisms demands significant computational resources, thereby limiting their practical applicability across diverse tasks, especially in multimodal problems. In this work, we propose a new architecture, called perceiver-CDF, for modeling cumulative distribution functions (CDF) of time series data. Our approach combines the perceiver architecture with a copula-based attention mechanism tailored for multimodal time series prediction. By leveraging the perceiver, our model efficiently transforms high-dimensional and multimodal data into a compact latent space, thereby significantly reducing computational demands. Subsequently, we implement a copula-based attention mechanism to construct the joint distribution of missing data for prediction. Further, we propose an output variance testing mechanism to effectively mitigate error propagation during prediction. To enhance efficiency and reduce complexity, we introduce midpoint inference for the local attention mechanism. This enables the model to efficiently capture dependencies within nearby imputed samples without considering all previous samples. The experiments on the unimodal and multimodal benchmarks consistently demonstrate a 20% improvement over state-of-the-art methods while utilizing less than half of the computational resources.
Ensemble Distillation for Unsupervised Constituency Parsing
Authors: Behzad Shayegh, Yanshuai Cao, Xiaodan Zhu, Jackie C. K. Cheung, Lili Mou
Date: 2023-10-03 00:00:00
Tasks: Constituency Grammar Induction, Constituency Parsing, Sentence

We investigate the unsupervised constituency parsing task, which organizes words and phrases of a sentence into a hierarchical structure without using linguistically annotated data. We observe that existing unsupervised parsers capture differing aspects of parsing structures, which can be leveraged to enhance unsupervised parsing performance. To this end, we propose a notion of "tree averaging," based on which we further propose a novel ensemble method for unsupervised parsing. To improve inference efficiency, we further distill the ensemble knowledge into a student model; such an ensemble-then-distill process is an effective approach to mitigate the over-smoothing problem existing in common multi-teacher distilling methods. Experiments show that our method surpasses all previous approaches, consistently demonstrating its effectiveness and robustness across various runs, with different ensemble components, and under domain-shift conditions.
Transcending Domains through Text-to-Image Diffusion: A Source-Free Approach to Domain Adaptation
Authors: Shivang Chopra, Suraj Kothawade, Houda Aynaou, Aman Chadha
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Domain Adaptation, Source-Free Domain Adaptation

Domain Adaptation (DA) is a method for enhancing a model's performance on a target domain with inadequate annotated data by applying the information the model has acquired from a related source domain with sufficient labeled data. The escalating enforcement of data-privacy regulations like HIPAA, COPPA, FERPA, etc. have sparked a heightened interest in adapting models to novel domains while circumventing the need for direct access to the source data, a problem known as Source-Free Domain Adaptation (SFDA). In this paper, we propose a novel framework for SFDA that generates source data using a text-to-image diffusion model trained on the target domain samples. Our method starts by training a text-to-image diffusion model on the labeled target domain samples, which is then fine-tuned using the pre-trained source model to generate samples close to the source data. Finally, we use Domain Adaptation techniques to align the artificially generated source data with the target domain data, resulting in significant performance improvements of the model on the target domain. Through extensive comparison against several baselines on the standard Office-31, Office-Home, and VisDA benchmarks, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach for the SFDA task.
Zero-Shot Continuous Prompt Transfer: Generalizing Task Semantics Across Language Models
Authors: Zijun Wu, Yongkang Wu, Lili Mou
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00

Prompt tuning in natural language processing (NLP) has become an increasingly popular method for adapting large language models to specific tasks. However, the transferability of these prompts, especially continuous prompts, between different models remains a challenge. In this work, we propose a zero-shot continuous prompt transfer method, where source prompts are encoded into relative space and the corresponding target prompts are searched for transferring to target models. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of our method, showing that 'task semantics' in continuous prompts can be generalized across various language models. Moreover, we find that combining 'task semantics' from multiple source models can further enhance the generalizability of transfer.
Designing User-Centric Behavioral Interventions to Prevent Dysglycemia with Novel Counterfactual Explanations
Authors: Asiful Arefeen, Hassan Ghasemzadeh
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: counterfactual

Monitoring unexpected health events and taking actionable measures to avert them beforehand is central to maintaining health and preventing disease. Therefore, a tool capable of predicting adverse health events and offering users actionable feedback about how to make changes in their diet, exercise, and medication to prevent abnormal health events could have significant societal impacts. Counterfactual explanations can provide insights into why a model made a particular prediction by generating hypothetical instances that are similar to the original input but lead to a different prediction outcome. Therefore, counterfactuals can be viewed as a means to design AI-driven health interventions to not only predict but also prevent adverse health outcomes such as blood glucose spikes, diabetes, and heart disease. In this paper, we design \textit{\textbf{ExAct}}, a novel model-agnostic framework for generating counterfactual explanations for chronic disease prevention and management. Leveraging insights from adversarial learning, ExAct characterizes the decision boundary for high-dimensional data and performs a grid search to generate actionable interventions. ExAct is unique in integrating prior knowledge about user preferences of feasible explanations into the process of counterfactual generation. ExAct is evaluated extensively using four real-world datasets and external simulators. With $82.8\%$ average validity in the simulation-aided validation, ExAct surpasses the state-of-the-art techniques for generating counterfactual explanations by at least $10\%$. Besides, counterfactuals from ExAct exhibit at least $6.6\%$ improved proximity compared to previous research.
Artemis: HE-Aware Training for Efficient Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning
Authors: Yeonsoo Jeon, Mattan Erez, Michael Orshansky
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Model Compression, Privacy Preserving

Privacy-Preserving ML (PPML) based on Homomorphic Encryption (HE) is a promising foundational privacy technology. Making it more practical requires lowering its computational cost, especially, in handling modern large deep neural networks. Model compression via pruning is highly effective in conventional plaintext ML but cannot be effectively applied to HE-PPML as is. We propose Artemis, a highly effective DNN pruning technique for HE-based inference. We judiciously investigate two HE-aware pruning strategies (positional and diagonal) to reduce the number of Rotation operations, which dominate compute time in HE convolution. We find that Pareto-optimal solutions are based fully on diagonal pruning. Artemis' benefits come from coupling DNN training, driven by a novel group Lasso regularization objective, with pruning to maximize HE-specific cost reduction (dominated by the Rotation operations). We show that Artemis improves on prior HE-oriented pruning and can achieve a 1.2-6x improvement when targeting modern convolutional models (ResNet18 and ResNet18) across three datasets.
It's all about you: Personalized in-Vehicle Gesture Recognition with a Time-of-Flight Camera
Authors: Amr Gomaa, Guillermo Reyes, Michael Feld
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: All, Data Augmentation, Gesture Recognition, Hand Gesture Recognition, Hand-Gesture Recognition, Incremental Learning

Despite significant advances in gesture recognition technology, recognizing gestures in a driving environment remains challenging due to limited and costly data and its dynamic, ever-changing nature. In this work, we propose a model-adaptation approach to personalize the training of a CNNLSTM model and improve recognition accuracy while reducing data requirements. Our approach contributes to the field of dynamic hand gesture recognition while driving by providing a more efficient and accurate method that can be customized for individual users, ultimately enhancing the safety and convenience of in-vehicle interactions, as well as driver's experience and system trust. We incorporate hardware enhancement using a time-of-flight camera and algorithmic enhancement through data augmentation, personalized adaptation, and incremental learning techniques. We evaluate the performance of our approach in terms of recognition accuracy, achieving up to 90\%, and show the effectiveness of personalized adaptation and incremental learning for a user-centered design.
CoDBench: A Critical Evaluation of Data-driven Models for Continuous Dynamical Systems
Authors: Priyanshu Burark, Karn Tiwari, Meer Mehran Rashid, Prathosh A P, N M Anoop Krishnan
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Benchmarking, Computational Efficiency, Decision Making, Super-Resolution, Weather Forecasting

Continuous dynamical systems, characterized by differential equations, are ubiquitously used to model several important problems: plasma dynamics, flow through porous media, weather forecasting, and epidemic dynamics. Recently, a wide range of data-driven models has been used successfully to model these systems. However, in contrast to established fields like computer vision, limited studies are available analyzing the strengths and potential applications of different classes of these models that could steer decision-making in scientific machine learning. Here, we introduce CodBench, an exhaustive benchmarking suite comprising 11 state-of-the-art data-driven models for solving differential equations. Specifically, we comprehensively evaluate 4 distinct categories of models, viz., feed forward neural networks, deep operator regression models, frequency-based neural operators, and transformer architectures against 8 widely applicable benchmark datasets encompassing challenges from fluid and solid mechanics. We conduct extensive experiments, assessing the operators' capabilities in learning, zero-shot super-resolution, data efficiency, robustness to noise, and computational efficiency. Interestingly, our findings highlight that current operators struggle with the newer mechanics datasets, motivating the need for more robust neural operators. All the datasets and codes will be shared in an easy-to-use fashion for the scientific community. We hope this resource will be an impetus for accelerated progress and exploration in modeling dynamical systems.
On Training Derivative-Constrained Neural Networks
Authors: KaiChieh Lo, Daniel Huang
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00

We refer to the setting where the (partial) derivatives of a neural network's (NN's) predictions with respect to its inputs are used as additional training signal as a derivative-constrained (DC) NN. This situation is common in physics-informed settings in the natural sciences. We propose an integrated RELU (IReLU) activation function to improve training of DC NNs. We also investigate denormalization and label rescaling to help stabilize DC training. We evaluate our methods on physics-informed settings including quantum chemistry and Scientific Machine Learning (SciML) tasks. We demonstrate that existing architectures with IReLU activations combined with denormalization and label rescaling better incorporate training signal provided by derivative constraints.
Naming Practices of Pre-Trained Models in Hugging Face
Authors: Wenxin Jiang, Chingwo Cheung, Mingyu Kim, Heesoo Kim, George K. Thiruvathukal, James C. Davis
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Model Discovery, Survey

As innovation in deep learning continues, many engineers seek to adopt Pre-Trained Models (PTMs) as components in computer systems. Researchers publish PTMs, which engineers adapt for quality or performance prior to deployment. PTM authors should choose appropriate names for their PTMs, which would facilitate model discovery and reuse. However, prior research has reported that model names are not always well chosen - and are sometimes erroneous. The naming for PTM packages has not been systematically studied. In this paper, we frame and conduct the first empirical investigation of PTM naming practices in the Hugging Face PTM registry. We initiated our study with a survey of 108 Hugging Face users to understand the practices in PTM naming. From our survey analysis, we highlight discrepancies from traditional software package naming, and present findings on naming practices. Our findings indicate there is a great mismatch between engineers' preferences and practical practices of PTM naming. We also present practices on detecting naming anomalies and introduce a novel automated DNN ARchitecture Assessment technique (DARA), capable of detecting PTM naming anomalies. We envision future works on leveraging meta-features of PTMs to improve model reuse and trustworthiness.
Imitation Learning from Observation through Optimal Transport
Authors: Wei-Di Chang, Scott Fujimoto, David Meger, Gregory Dudek
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: continuous-control, Continuous Control, Imitation Learning

Imitation Learning from Observation (ILfO) is a setting in which a learner tries to imitate the behavior of an expert, using only observational data and without the direct guidance of demonstrated actions. In this paper, we re-examine optimal transport for IL, in which a reward is generated based on the Wasserstein distance between the state trajectories of the learner and expert. We show that existing methods can be simplified to generate a reward function without requiring learned models or adversarial learning. Unlike many other state-of-the-art methods, our approach can be integrated with any RL algorithm and is amenable to ILfO. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this simple approach on a variety of continuous control tasks and find that it surpasses the state of the art in the IlfO setting, achieving expert-level performance across a range of evaluation domains even when observing only a single expert trajectory without actions.
VAL: Interactive Task Learning with GPT Dialog Parsing
Authors: Lane Lawley, Christopher J. MacLellan
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Philosophy

Machine learning often requires millions of examples to produce static, black-box models. In contrast, interactive task learning (ITL) emphasizes incremental knowledge acquisition from limited instruction provided by humans in modalities such as natural language. However, ITL systems often suffer from brittle, error-prone language parsing, which limits their usability. Large language models (LLMs) are resistant to brittleness but are not interpretable and cannot learn incrementally. We present VAL, an ITL system with a new philosophy for LLM/symbolic integration. By using LLMs only for specific tasks--such as predicate and argument selection--within an algorithmic framework, VAL reaps the benefits of LLMs to support interactive learning of hierarchical task knowledge from natural language. Acquired knowledge is human interpretable and generalizes to support execution of novel tasks without additional training. We studied users' interactions with VAL in a video game setting, finding that most users could successfully teach VAL using language they felt was natural.
Sample-Efficiency in Multi-Batch Reinforcement Learning: The Need for Dimension-Dependent Adaptivity
Authors: Emmeran Johnson, Ciara Pike-Burke, Patrick Rebeschini
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: reinforcement-learning, Reinforcement Learning

We theoretically explore the relationship between sample-efficiency and adaptivity in reinforcement learning. An algorithm is sample-efficient if it uses a number of queries $n$ to the environment that is polynomial in the dimension $d$ of the problem. Adaptivity refers to the frequency at which queries are sent and feedback is processed to update the querying strategy. To investigate this interplay, we employ a learning framework that allows sending queries in $K$ batches, with feedback being processed and queries updated after each batch. This model encompasses the whole adaptivity spectrum, ranging from non-adaptive 'offline' ($K=1$) to fully adaptive ($K=n$) scenarios, and regimes in between. For the problems of policy evaluation and best-policy identification under $d$-dimensional linear function approximation, we establish $\Omega(\log \log d)$ lower bounds on the number of batches $K$ required for sample-efficient algorithms with $n = O(poly(d))$ queries. Our results show that just having adaptivity ($K>1$) does not necessarily guarantee sample-efficiency. Notably, the adaptivity-boundary for sample-efficiency is not between offline reinforcement learning ($K=1$), where sample-efficiency was known to not be possible, and adaptive settings. Instead, the boundary lies between different regimes of adaptivity and depends on the problem dimension.
Solving the Quadratic Assignment Problem using Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Puneet S. Bagga, Arthur Delarue
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Deep Reinforcement Learning, reinforcement-learning, Reinforcement Learning, Traveling Salesman Problem

The Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP) is an NP-hard problem which has proven particularly challenging to solve: unlike other combinatorial problems like the traveling salesman problem (TSP), which can be solved to optimality for instances with hundreds or even thousands of locations using advanced integer programming techniques, no methods are known to exactly solve QAP instances of size greater than 30. Solving the QAP is nevertheless important because of its many critical applications, such as electronic wiring design and facility layout selection. We propose a method to solve the original Koopmans-Beckman formulation of the QAP using deep reinforcement learning. Our approach relies on a novel double pointer network, which alternates between selecting a location in which to place the next facility and a facility to place in the previous location. We train our model using A2C on a large dataset of synthetic instances, producing solutions with no instance-specific retraining necessary. Out of sample, our solutions are on average within 7.5% of a high-quality local search baseline, and even outperform it on 1.2% of instances.
A Review of Digital Learning Environments for Teaching Natural Language Processing in K-12 Education
Authors: Xiaoyi Tian, Kristy Elizabeth Boyer
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Text Generation

Natural Language Processing (NLP) plays a significant role in our daily lives and has become an essential part of Artificial Intelligence (AI) education in K-12. As children grow up with NLP-powered applications, it is crucial to introduce NLP concepts to them, fostering their understanding of language processing, language generation, and ethical implications of AI and NLP. This paper presents a comprehensive review of digital learning environments for teaching NLP in K-12. Specifically, it explores existing digital learning tools, discusses how they support specific NLP tasks and procedures, and investigates their explainability and evaluation results in educational contexts. By examining the strengths and limitations of these tools, this literature review sheds light on the current state of NLP learning tools in K-12 education. It aims to guide future research efforts to refine existing tools, develop new ones, and explore more effective and inclusive strategies for integrating NLP into K-12 educational contexts.
CAT-LM: Training Language Models on Aligned Code And Tests
Authors: Nikitha Rao, Kush Jain, Uri Alon, Claire Le Goues, Vincent J. Hellendoorn
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Code Generation, Language Modeling, Language Modelling

Testing is an integral part of the software development process. Yet, writing tests is time-consuming and therefore often neglected. Classical test generation tools such as EvoSuite generate behavioral test suites by optimizing for coverage, but tend to produce tests that are hard to understand. Language models trained on code can generate code that is highly similar to that written by humans, but current models are trained to generate each file separately, as is standard practice in natural language processing, and thus fail to consider the code-under-test context when producing a test file. In this work, we propose the Aligned Code And Tests Language Model (CAT-LM), a GPT-style language model with 2.7 Billion parameters, trained on a corpus of Python and Java projects. We utilize a novel pretraining signal that explicitly considers the mapping between code and test files when available. We also drastically increase the maximum sequence length of inputs to 8,192 tokens, 4x more than typical code generation models, to ensure that the code context is available to the model when generating test code. We analyze its usefulness for realistic applications, showing that sampling with filtering (e.g., by compilability, coverage) allows it to efficiently produce tests that achieve coverage similar to ones written by developers while resembling their writing style. By utilizing the code context, CAT-LM generates more valid tests than even much larger language models trained with more data (CodeGen 16B and StarCoder) and substantially outperforms a recent test-specific model (TeCo) at test completion. Overall, our work highlights the importance of incorporating software-specific insights when training language models for code and paves the way to more powerful automated test generation.
Memory-efficient particle filter recurrent neural network for object localization
Authors: Roman Korkin, Ivan Oseledets, Aleksandr Katrutsa
Date: 2023-10-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Object Localization

This study proposes a novel memory-efficient recurrent neural network (RNN) architecture specified to solve the object localization problem. This problem is to recover the object states along with its movement in a noisy environment. We take the idea of the classical particle filter and combine it with GRU RNN architecture. The key feature of the resulting memory-efficient particle filter RNN model (mePFRNN) is that it requires the same number of parameters to process environments of different sizes. Thus, the proposed mePFRNN architecture consumes less memory to store parameters compared to the previously proposed PFRNN model. To demonstrate the performance of our model, we test it on symmetric and noisy environments that are incredibly challenging for filtering algorithms. In our experiments, the mePFRNN model provides more precise localization than the considered competitors and requires fewer trained parameters.