pwc-archive/papers-with-abstracts huggingface dataset:
End-to-End Transformer-based Automatic Speech Recognition for Northern Kurdish: A Pioneering Approach
Authors: Abdulhady Abas Abdullah, Shima Tabibian, Hadi Veisi, Aso Mahmudi, Tarik Rashid
Date: 2024-10-19 00:00:00
Tasks: Automatic Speech Recognition, Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), speech-recognition, Speech Recognition

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) for low-resource languages remains a challenging task due to limited training data. This paper introduces a comprehensive study exploring the effectiveness of Whisper, a pre-trained ASR model, for Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) an under-resourced language spoken in the Middle East. We investigate three fine-tuning strategies: vanilla, specific parameters, and additional modules. Using a Northern Kurdish fine-tuning speech corpus containing approximately 68 hours of validated transcribed data, our experiments demonstrate that the additional module fine-tuning strategy significantly improves ASR accuracy on a specialized test set, achieving a Word Error Rate (WER) of 10.5% and Character Error Rate (CER) of 5.7% with Whisper version 3. These results underscore the potential of sophisticated transformer models for low-resource ASR and emphasize the importance of tailored fine-tuning techniques for optimal performance.
Adaptive Wireless Image Semantic Transmission: Design, Simulation, and Prototype Validation
Authors: Jiarun Ding, Peiwen Jiang, Chao-Kai Wen, Shi Jin
Date: 2024-10-23 00:00:00
Tasks: Image Reconstruction, Quantization

The rapid development of artificial intelligence has significantly advanced semantic communications, particularly in wireless image transmission. However, most existing approaches struggle to precisely distinguish and prioritize image content, and they do not sufficiently incorporate semantic priorities into system design. In this study, we propose an adaptive wireless image semantic transmission scheme called ASCViT-JSCC, which utilizes vision transformer-based joint source-channel coding (JSCC). This scheme prioritizes different image regions based on their importance, identified through object and feature point detection. Unimportant background sections are masked, enabling them to be recovered at the receiver, while the freed resources are allocated to enhance object protection via the JSCC network. We also integrate quantization modules to enable compatibility with quadrature amplitude modulation, commonly used in modern wireless communications. To address frequency-selective fading channels, we introduce CSIPA-Net, which allocates power based on channel information, further improving performance. Notably, we conduct over-the-air testing on a prototype platform composed of a software-defined radio and embedded graphics processing unit systems, validating our methods. Both simulations and real-world measurements demonstrate that ASCViT-JSCC effectively prioritizes object protection according to channel conditions, significantly enhancing image reconstruction quality, especially in challenging channel environments.
Stool Recognition for Colorectal Cancer Detection through Deep Learning
Authors: Glenda Hui En Tan, Goh Xin Ru Karin, Shen Bingquan
Date: 2024-10-19 00:00:00
Tasks: Deep Learning

Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in Singapore and the third most common cancer worldwide. Blood in a person's stool is a symptom of this disease, and it is usually detected by the faecal occult blood test (FOBT). However, the FOBT presents several limitations - the collection process for the stool samples is tedious and unpleasant, the waiting period for results is about 2 weeks and costs are involved. In this research, we propose a simple-to-use, fast and cost-free alternative - a stool recognition neural network that determines if there is blood in one's stool (which indicates a possible risk of colorectal cancer) from an image of it. As this is a new classification task, there was limited data available, hindering classifier performance. Hence, various Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) (DiffAugment StyleGAN2, DCGAN, Conditional GAN) were trained to generate images of high fidelity to supplement the dataset. Subsequently, images generated by the GAN with the most realistic images (DiffAugment StyleGAN2) were concatenated to the classifier's training batch on-the-fly, improving accuracy to 94%. This model was then deployed to a mobile app - Poolice, where users can take a photo of their stool and obtain instantaneous results if there is blood in their stool, prompting those who do to seek medical advice. As "early detection saves lives", we hope our app built on our stool recognition neural network can help people detect colorectal cancer earlier, so they can seek treatment and have higher chances of survival.
Gradient-Based Meta Learning for Uplink RSMA with Beyond Diagonal RIS
Authors: Shreya Khisa, Ali Amhaz, Mohamed Elhattab, Chadi Assi, Sanaa Sharafeddine
Date: 2024-10-23 00:00:00
Tasks: Meta-Learning

Beyond diagonal reconfigurable intelligent surface (BD-RIS) has emerged as an innovative and generalized RIS framework that provides greater flexibility in wave manipulation and enhanced coverage. In comparison to conventional RIS, optimization of BD-RIS is more challenging due to the large number of optimization variables associated with it. Typically, optimization of large-scale optimization problems utilizing traditional optimization methods results in high complexity. To tackle this issue, we propose a gradient-based meta learning algorithm which works without pre-training and is able to solve large-scale optimization problems. With the objective to maximize the sum rate of the system, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first work considering joint optimization of receiving beamforming vectors at the base station (BS), scattering matrix of BD-RIS and transmission power of users equipment (UEs) in uplink rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) communication. Numerical results demonstrate that our proposed scheme can outperform the conventional RIS RSMA framework by 22.5$\%$.
Experimental Demonstration of End-to-End Optimization for Directly Modulated Laser-based IM/DD Systems
Authors: Sergio Hernandez, Christophe Peucheret, Francesco Da Ros, Darko Zibar
Date: 2024-10-23 00:00:00

We experimentally demonstrate the joint optimization of transmitter and receiver parameters in directly modulated laser systems, showing superior performance compared to nonlinear receiver-only equalization while using fewer memory taps, less bandwidth, and lower radiofrequency power.
Time-varying Graph Signal Estimation via Dynamic Multi-hop Topologies
Authors: Yi Yan, Fengfan Zhao, Ercan Engin Kuruoglu
Date: 2024-10-23 00:00:00

The assumption of using a static graph to represent multivariate time-varying signals oversimplifies the complexity of modeling their interactions over time. We propose a Dynamic Multi-hop model that captures dynamic interactions among time-varying node signals, while also accounting for time-varying edge signals, by extracting latent edges through topological diffusion and edge pruning. The resulting graphs are time-varying and sparse, capturing key dynamic node interactions and representing signal diffusion to both near and distant neighbors over time. The Dynamic Multi-hop Estimation algorithm is further proposed, accurately representing the interaction dynamics among node signals while enabling adaptive estimation of time-varying multivariate signals spatially and temporally. The Dynamic Multi-hop Estimation is evaluated under two real-world datasets of brain network and stock market for the online estimation of partially observed time-varying signals corrupted by noise.
Exploring the Impact of RIS on Cooperative NOMA URLLC Systems: A Theoretical Perspective
Authors: Jianchao Zheng, Tuo Wu, Junteng Yao, Chau Yuen, Zhiguo Ding, Fumiyuki Adachi
Date: 2024-10-23 00:00:00

In this paper, we conduct a theoretical analysis of how to integrate reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) with cooperative non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), considering URLLC. We consider a downlink two-user cooperative NOMA system employing short-packet communications, where the two users are denoted by the central user (CU) and the cell-edge user (CEU), respectively, and an RIS is deployed to enhance signal quality. Specifically, compared to CEU, CU lies nearer from BS and enjoys the higher channel gains. Closed-form expressions for the CU's average block error rate (BLER) are derived. Furthermore, we evaluate the CEU's BLER performance utilizing selective combining (SC) and derive a tight lower bound under maximum ratio combining (MRC). Simulation results are provided to our analyses and demonstrate that the RIS-assisted system significantly outperforms its counterpart without RIS in terms of BLER. Notably, MRC achieves a squared multiple of the diversity gain of the SC, leading to more reliable performance, especially for the CEU. Furthermore, by dividing the RIS into two zones, each dedicated to a specific user, the average BLER can be further reduced, particularly for the CEU.
Performance of orthogonal delay-doppler division multiplexing modulation with imperfect channel estimation
Authors: Kehan Huang, Min Qiu, Jun Tong, Jinhong Yuan, Hai Lin
Date: 2024-10-23 00:00:00

The orthogonal delay-Doppler division multiplexing (ODDM) modulation is a recently proposed multi-carrier modulation that features a realizable pulse orthogonal with respect to the delay-Doppler (DD) plane's fine resolutions. In this paper, we investigate the performance of ODDM systems with imperfect channel estimation considering three detectors, namely the message passing algorithm (MPA) detector, iterative maximum-ratio combining (MRC) detector, and successive interference cancellation with minimum mean square error (SIC-MMSE) detector. We derive the post-equalization signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) for MRC and SIC-MMSE and analyze their bit error rate (BER) performance. Based on this analysis, we propose the MRC with subtractive dither (MRC-SD) and soft SIC-MMSE initialized MRC (SSMI-MRC) detector to improve the BER of iterative MRC. Our results demonstrate that soft SIC-MMSE consistently outperforms the other detectors in BER performance under perfect and imperfect CSI. While MRC exhibits a BER floor above $10^{-5}$, MRC-SD effectively lowers the BER with a negligible increase in detection complexity. SSMI-MRC achieves better BER than hard SIC-MMSE with the same detection complexity order. Additionally, we show that MPA has an error floor and is sensitive to imperfect CSI.
Urban Outdoor Propagation Measurements and Channel Models at 6.75 GHz FR1(C) and 16.95 GHz FR3 Upper Mid-Band Spectrum for 5G and 6G
Authors: Dipankar Shakya, Mingjun Ying, Theodore S. Rappaport, Peijie Ma, Idris Al-Wazani, Yanze Wu, Yanbo Wang, Doru Calin, Hitesh Poddar, Ahmad Bazzi, Marwa Chafii, Yunchou Xing, Amitava Ghosh
Date: 2024-10-23 00:00:00

Global allocations in the upper mid-band spectrum (4--24 GHz) necessitate a comprehensive exploration of the propagation behavior to meet the promise of coverage and capacity. This paper presents an extensive Urban Microcell (UMi) outdoor propagation measurement campaign at 6.75 GHz and 16.95 GHz conducted in Downtown Brooklyn, USA, using a 1 GHz bandwidth sliding correlation channel sounder over 40--880 m propagation distance, encompassing seven Line of Sight (LOS) and 13 Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) locations. Analysis of the path loss (PL) reveals lower directional and omnidirectional PL exponents compared to mmWave and sub-THz frequencies in the UMi environment, using the close-in (CI) free space PL (FSPL) model with a 1 m reference distance. Additionally, a decreasing trend in root mean square (RMS) delay spread (DS) and angular spread (AS) with increasing frequency was observed. The measured NLOS RMS DS and RMS AS mean values (as computed by 3GPP methods) are found to be consistently lower compared to 3GPP model predictions. Point-data tables with corresponding site-specific environmental information for all measured statistics at each TX-RX location are provided to support the models and results. The spatio-temporal statistics presented here offer valuable insights for the design of next-generation wireless systems and networks.
Deep Learning Aided Broadcast Codes with Feedback
Authors: Jacqueline Malayter, Christopher Brinton, David Love
Date: 2024-10-22 00:00:00
Tasks: Deep Learning, Federated Learning, Vertical Federated Learning

Deep learning aided codes have been shown to improve code performance in feedback codes in high noise regimes due to the ability to leverage non-linearity in code design. In the additive white Gaussian broadcast channel (AWGN-BC), the addition of feedback may allow the capacity region to extend far beyond the capacity region of the channel without feedback, enabling higher data rates. On the other hand, there are limited deep-learning aided implementations of broadcast codes. In this work, we extend two classes of deep-learning assisted feedback codes to the AWGN-BC channel; the first being an RNN-based architecture and the second being a lightweight MLP-based architecture. Both codes are trained using a global model, and then they are trained using a more realistic vertical federated learning based framework. We first show that in most cases, using an AWGN-BC code outperforms a linear-based concatenated scheme. Second, we show in some regimes, the lightweight architecture far exceeds the RNN-based code, but in especially unreliable conditions, the RNN-based code dominates. The results show the promise of deep-learning aided broadcast codes in unreliable channels, and future research directions are discussed.
Reconstructing MRI Parameters Using a Noncentral Chi Noise Model
Authors: Klara Baś, Christian Lambert, John Ashburner
Date: 2024-10-22 00:00:00

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) allows images to be compared across sites and time points, which is particularly important for assessing long-term conditions or for longitudinal studies. The multiparametric mapping (MPM) protocol is used to acquire images with conventional clinical contrasts, namely PD-, T1-, and MT-weighted volumes. Through multi-echo acquisition for each contrast and variations in flip angles between PD- and T1-weighted contrasts, parameter maps, such as proton density (PD), longitudinal relaxation rate (R1), apparent transverse relaxation rate (R2$^*$), and magnetization transfer saturation (MT$_{sat}$), can be estimated. Various algorithms have been employed to estimate these parameters from the acquired volumes. This paper extends an existing maximum a posteriori approach, which uses joint total variation regularization, by transitioning from a Gaussian noise approximation to a more physically plausible model that assumes noncentral chi-distributed noise.
Wireless Picosecond Time Synchronization for Distributed Antenna Arrays with Dynamic Connectivity
Authors: Naim Shandi, Jason M. Merlo, Jeffrey A. Nanzer
Date: 2024-10-22 00:00:00

Phase, time, and frequency coordination are crucial for the coherent operation of distributed antenna arrays. This paper demonstrates a high accuracy decentralized time synchronization method for arrays with dynamic connectivity. To overcome challenges such as alteration in network topology, system scaling, and single- or multiple-node failures, we present a decentralized time synchronization method implementing the average consensus algorithm and two-way time transfer. Our approach supports decentralized time synchronization with picosecond accuracy ($< 13$ ps), unbiased convergence, resilience to node failures, and robustness to other network connection adversities. A time synchronization precision of under 3 ps was achieved for a fully connected frequency syntonized network. The algorithm ensured convergence in time even for a network with only one link connecting two randomly chosen nodes at each iteration; however, the speed of convergence decreased along with the number of connected links. The method is exhibited for a six-node distributed array, by both simulation and experimental implementation using software defined radios.
Double-Side Delay Alignment Modulation for Multi-User Millimeter Wave and TeraHertz Communications
Authors: Xingwei Wang, Haiquan Lu, Jieni Zhang, Yong Zeng
Date: 2024-10-22 00:00:00

Delay alignment modulation (DAM) is an innovative broadband modulation technique well suited for millimeter wave (mmWave) and terahertz (THz) massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems. Leveraging the high spatial resolution and sparsity of multi-path channels, DAM mitigates inter-symbol interference (ISI) effectively, by aligning all multi-path components through a combination of delay pre/post-compensation and path-based beamforming. As such, ISI is eliminated while preserving multi-path power gains. In this paper, we explore multi-user double-side DAM with both delay pre-compensation at the transmitter and post-compensation at the receiver, contrasting with prior one-side DAM that primarily focuses on delay pre-compensation only. Firstly, we reveal the constraint for the introduced delays and the delay pre/post-compensation vectors tailored for multi-user double-side DAM, given a specific number of delay pre/post-compensations. Furthermore, we show that as long as the number of base station (BS)/user equipment (UE) antennas is sufficiently large, single-side DAM, where delay compensation is only performed at the BS/UE, is preferred than double-side DAM since the former results in less ISI to be spatially eliminated. Next, we propose two low-complexity path-based beamforming strategies based on the eigen-beamforming transmission and ISI-zero forcing (ZF) principles, respectively, based on which the achievable sum rates are studied. Simulation results verify that with sufficiently large BS/UE antennas, single-side DAM is sufficient. Furthermore, compared to the benchmark scheme of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), multi-user BS-side DAM achieves higher spectral efficiency and/or lower peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR).
Precise Ranging: Modeling Bias and Variance of Double-Sided Two-Way Ranging with TDoA Extraction under Multipath and NLOS Effects
Authors: Patrick Rathje, Olaf Landsiedel
Date: 2024-10-01 00:00:00
Tasks: Autonomous Vehicles

Location-based services such as autonomous vehicles, drones, and indoor positioning require precise and scalable distance estimates. The bias and variance of range estimators inherently influence the resulting localization quality. In this work, we revisit the well-established Double-Sided Two-Way-Ranging (DS-TWR) protocol and the extraction of timing differences (DS-TDoA) at devices overhearing DS-TWR. Under non-line-of-sight (NLOS) and multipath effects, we analytically derive their bias and variance. Our proposed model reveals that DS-TWR retains half the variance than anticipated while DS-TDoA comprises roughly a five-fold increase in variance. We conduct numerical simulations and experimental deployments using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) devices in a public testbed. Our results confirm the adequacy of our model, providing centimeter-accurate predictions based on the underlying timestamping noise with a median $R^2$ score of 77% (30% IQR). We find that both DS-TWR and DS-TDoA exhibit reduced variance when response times are symmetric. Our experimental results further show that double-sided variants exhibit less error and variance compared to Carrier Frequency Offset (CFO)-based single-sided methods.
The Continuous-Time RC-Chain ADC
Authors: Hampus Malmberg, Fredrik Feyling
Date: 2024-10-22 00:00:00

An amplifier-less continuous-time analog-to-digital converter consisting of only passives, comparators, and inverters is presented. Beyond simplicity, the architecture displays significant robustness properties with respect to component variations and comparator input offsets. We give an analytical design procedure demonstrating how to parameterize the architecture to a range of signal-to-noise and bandwidth requirements and validate the procedure's accuracy with behavioral transient simulations.
Codebook Design and Performance Analysis for Wideband Beamforming in Terahertz Communications
Authors: Boyu Ning, Weidong Mei, Lipeng Zhu, Zhi Chen, Rui Zhang
Date: 2024-10-22 00:00:00

The codebook-based analog beamforming is appealing for future terahertz (THz) communications since it can generate high-gain directional beams with low-cost phase shifters via low-complexity beam training. However, conventional beamforming codebook design based on array response vectors for narrowband communications may suffer from severe performance loss in wideband systems due to the ``beam squint" effect over frequency. To tackle this issue, we propose in this paper a new codebook design method for analog beamforming in wideband THz systems. In particular, to characterize the analog beamforming performance in wideband systems, we propose a new metric termed wideband beam gain, which is given by the minimum beamforming gain over the entire frequency band given a target angle. Based on this metric, a wideband analog beamforming codebook design problem is formulated for optimally balancing the beamforming gains in both the spatial and frequency domains, and the performance loss of conventional narrowband beamforming in wideband systems is analyzed. To solve the new wideband beamforming codebook design problem, we divide the spatial domain into orthogonal angular zones each associated with one beam, thereby decoupling the codebook design into a zone division sub-problem and a set of beamforming optimization sub-problems each for one zone. For the zone division sub-problem, we propose a bisection method to obtain the optimal boundaries for separating adjacent zones. While for each of the per-zone-based beamforming optimization sub-problems, we further propose an efficient augmented Lagrange method (ALM) to solve it. Numerical results demonstrate the performance superiority of our proposed codebook design for wideband analog beamforming to the narrowband beamforming codebook and also validate our performance analysis.
A mathematical framework to study organising principles in graphical representations of biochemical processes
Authors: Adittya Chaudhuri, Ralf Köhl, Olaf Wolkenhauer
Date: 2024-10-23 00:00:00

Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN) is a standardised notational system that visualises biochemical processes as networks. These visualizations lack a formal framework, so that the analysis of such networks through modelling and simulation is an entirely separate task, determined by a chosen modelling framework (e.g. differential equations, Petri nets, stochastic processes, graphs). A second research gap is the lack of a mathematical framework to compose network representations. The complexity of molecular and cellular processes forces experimental studies to focus on subsystems. To study the functioning of biological systems across levels of structural and functional organisation, we require tools to compose and organise networks with different levels of detail and abstraction. We address these challenges by introducing a category-theoretic formalism for biochemical processes visualised using SBGN Process Description (SBGN-PD) language. Using the theory of structured cospans, we construct a symmetric monoidal double category and demonstrate its horizontal 1-morphisms as SBGN Process Descriptions. We obtain organisational principles such as 'compositionality' (building a large SBGN-PD from smaller ones) and 'zooming-out' (abstracting away details in biochemical processes) defined in category-theoretic terms. We also formally investigate how a particular portion of a biochemical network influences the remaining portion of the network and vice versa. Throughout the paper, we illustrate our findings using standard SBGN-PD examples.