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With the exponential growth in the number of academic researchers, it is crucial for editors of scientific journals to identify the highest-quality papers. While several measures exist to evaluate a paper's impact post-publication, the challenge of determining the potential impact of a manuscript during the review process remains an understudied issue. In this paper, we propose a reviewer-reputation ranking algorithm to identify high-quality papers based on paper citations, where a reviewer's reputation is computed from the correlation between their past ratings and the current number of citations received by the papers they have evaluated. During the review process, reviewers with high reputation scores are given more weight to determine the quality of papers. We test the algorithm on an artificial network with 200 reviewers and 600 papers, as well as on the American Physical Society (APS) data set, including in the analysis 308,243 papers and 274,154 mutual citations. We compare our approach with two existing methods, demonstrating that our algorithm significantly outperforms the others in identifying manuscripts with the highest quality. Our findings can help improve the impact of scientific journals, thereby contributing to academic and scientific progress. • We propose an algorithm to identify the papers with the highest quality from a large number of submissions. • We compare our new algorithm with other existing methods of aggregating user ratings in various online services. • We test our algorithm both with an artificial network and with the empirical data of the APS data set. • We show that our algorithm outperforms the other methods in identifying the papers with the highest quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting plagiarism in academic papers is crucial for maintaining academic integrity, preserving the originality of published work, and safeguarding intellectual property. While existing applications excel at text plagiarism detection, they fall short when it comes to image plagiarism. This paper introduces a novel algorithm, named "VIBRANT-WALK," designed to detect image plagiarism in academic manuscripts. The challenge of identifying plagiarized images is formidable, requiring a unique approach. Traditional Computer Vision algorithms, proficient in image similarity tasks, face limitations in determining whether an image has been previously used in an article. To address this, the proposed algorithm leverages a repository of all published article pages, focusing on absolute identicality rather than image similarity. The algorithm comprises two stages. In the first stage, a "Vibrancy Matrix" is created through image preprocessing, aiding in contour determination. The second stage involves pixel-by-pixel comparison with images from published manuscripts. To enhance efficiency, the algorithm initiates comparisons from the pixel with the highest score in the Vibrancy Matrix, followed by pixel comparisons through random walks, significantly reducing complexity. To conduct the study, a custom dataset was compiled from 69 research articles, capturing snapshots of each page and figure. Overall, we present 485 unique test cases where we can test the accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm. The lack of publicly available datasets necessitated this approach. The proposed algorithm outperformed the existing models and algorithms in this field by achieving an overall accuracy of 94.8% on the collated dataset, identifying 460 instances of plagiarism out of the 485 test cases. The algorithm also demonstrated a 100% accuracy rate in avoiding false positives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate characterization is an important issue in paper currency recognition system. This paper proposes a robust paper currency recognition method based on Hidden Markov Model (HMM). By employing HMM, the texture characteristics of paper currencies are modeled as a random process. The proposed algorithm can be used for distinguishing paper currency from different countries. A similarity measure has been used for the classification in the proposed algorithm. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, experiments have been conducted on more than 100 denominations from different countries. The results indicate 98% accuracy for recognition of paper currency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The primary objective of this paper is to aid game developers in finding the most suitable pathfinding algorithm for their games. Despite recent advancements in this field, there are few available studies that can be compared due to the absence of a standard benchmark set for weighted environments. This paper presents a new dataset for pathfinding in weighted environments. Furthermore, an investigation was conducted into the impact of node weights on pathfinding speed, and a correlation between them was identified. The complexity added to the maps due to node weights was defined as weight complexity, and two metrics were introduced to estimate it. The weight correlation factor has been identified as the most effective metric for estimating the weight complexity of the map. Another contribution of this paper pertains to the development of a model for estimating the pathfinding speed of algorithms based on weight complexity. This was accomplished through the utilization of the non-linear least squares method, which was applied to create a model for each algorithm, considering both its average search time and weight correlation factor values associated with the map. Finally an overall score metric was developed by using the integral of the models, enabling the evaluation of different algorithms in various scenarios. [Display omitted] • Testing JPSW (weighted jump point search) algorithm search speed. • Introducing the first standardized benchmark for weighted gridmaps. • Introducing a new metric for analyzing gridmap complexity. • Using edge detection techniques for weighted gridmap analysis. • Introducing a scoring system for pathfinding algorithms in weighted environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the mobile and random nature of services in cyber–physical–social systems (CPSSs), developing service composition approaches that ensure high availability, minimal energy consumption, and high quality of service (QoS) remains a complex challenge. Over the last two decades, several service composition approaches have been proposed in the literature to deal with this challenge. Nevertheless, the existing approaches have certain limitations, particularly in situations where services may move from one location to another, become unavailable due to intensive battery usage, encounter failures, or undergo a decline in quality. These limitations often arise because these approaches do not simultaneously integrate mobility, energy, and QoS constraints while defining the user's movement in a random manner. In this paper, the learning-based swarm optimization-aware service composition algorithm (LS-SCA) is proposed to overcome the aforementioned shortcoming. This approach surpasses existing ones by accounting simultaneously for the user's mobility, energy, and QoS criteria during the service composition process. First, the Small World in Motion (SWIM) mobility model is employed in this study to determine the user's mobility traces, avoiding the random generation of users' traces. Second, an energy consumption model is proposed to increase the energy efficiency by avoiding the overuse of the devices' batteries that can reduce the availability of services and lead to the composition failure. Third, the two-phase learning-based swarm optimizer (TPLSO) method is used in the composition process to find the sub-optimal composition that satisfies the global QoS constraints with the highest utility in terms of mobility, energy, and QoS. Unlike the most existing metaheuristic-based service composition approaches where the overall composition population is improved over a given number of iterations, the TPLSO method is exploited in this paper to improve only a subset of compositions, which reduces the composition time and increases the QoS utility of the composition. The simulation scenarios using two real datasets demonstrate that the LS-SCA approach outperforms six baselines in terms of energy consumption, QoS utility, and availability of composition. This notable performance makes the proposed approach more suitable for real-world applications where energy efficiency, QoS, and availability are crucial factors to consider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An efficient slime mould algorithm PPMSMA with 3 improved strategies is proposed. • A set of theoretical and experimental analysis methods are proposed and used. • The time complexity, spatial complexity and convergence of PPMSMA are proved. • Multiple experimental methods are used to test the performance of PPMSMA. • The application ability of PPMSMA is tested by solving engineering problems. Metaheuristic intelligent optimization algorithms are effective methods for solving high-dimensional nonlinear complex optimization problems. The slime mould algorithm is a novel intelligent optimization algorithm proposed in 2020. However, the basic slime mould algorithm still has some shortcomings, such as slow convergence rate, easy to fall into local extremum, and unbalanced exploration and development capability. To further improve and expand the optimization ability and application scope of the slime mould algorithm, and enhance its performance in solving large-scale complex optimization problems, this paper proposes a slime mould algorithm (PPMSMA) based on Gaussian perturbation and phased position update, positive variation, and multi-strategy greedy selection. Firstly, Gaussian perturbation and phased position update mechanism are introduced to avoid the difficulty of the algorithm to jump out of the local extrema and also to speed up the convergence of the algorithm. Then, a positive variation strategy based on the sine cosine mechanism is introduced to move the variation of the population towards a better direction. Finally, a multi-strategy greedy selection mechanism is introduced, which effectively improves the search ability of the algorithm. The analysis and research on the optimization ability and performance of metaheuristic algorithms mainly include two aspects: theoretical analysis and experimental testing. Theoretical analysis has always been a relatively weak link in the research of metaheuristic algorithms, and there is currently no clear and effective method formed. For experimental testing, although there are more methods, they often lack systematization and adequacy. In this paper, a more complete, fine-grained and systematic approach to theoretical and experimental analysis is proposed. In the theoretical analysis part, the time complexity and spatial complexity of the PPMSMA algorithm are analytically proved to be the same as the basic slime mould algorithm, and the probability measure method is used to prove that PPMSMA algorithm can converge to the global optimal solution. In the simulation experiment section, the PPMSMA algorithm is compared with multiple sets of 10 representative comparison algorithms on the CEC2017 complex test function set suite for optimization accuracy analysis, Friedman comprehensive ranking analysis, average optimization rate analysis of PPMSMA relative to other algorithms, convergence curve analysis, and Wilcoxon rank-sum test analysis. To further examine the scalability of the improved algorithm in solving large-scale optimization problems, PPMSMA is compared with the above 10 comparative algorithms under 1000 dimensional conditions in the large-scale global optimization test set CEC2010, and the solution stability of each algorithm is analyzed through violin plots. The results show that the PPMSMA algorithm has significantly improved convergence performance, optimization accuracy, and solution stability in both high-dimensional and large-scale complex problems, and has significant advantages compared to multiple sets of 10 representative comparative algorithms. Finally, PPMSMA and 10 other comparative algorithms are used to solve engineering design optimization problems with different complexities. The experimental results validate the universality, reliability, and superiority of PPMSMA in handling engineering design constraint optimization problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the use of portfolio approaches based on bandit algorithms to optimize multicriteria decision-making in recommender systems (accuracy and diversity). While previous research has primarily focused on single-item recommendations, this study extends the research to consider the recommendation of several items per iteration. Two methods, Multiple-play Gorthaur and Budgeted-Gorthaur, are proposed to solve the algorithm selection problem and their performances on real-world datasets are compared. Both methods provide a generalization of the Gorthaur method, which enables it to operate with any Multi-Armed Bandit (MAB) and Contextual Multi-Armed Bandit (CMAB) algorithm as meta-algorithm in a multi-item recommendation scenario. For Multiple-play Gorthaur, an empirical evaluation shows that the use of Thompson Sampling for algorithm selection (Gorthaur-TS) yields better results than the original EXP3 method (Gorthaur-EXP3) and the exclusive use of the optimal algorithm in the portfolio in contextual recommendation problems. Additionally, the paper includes a theoretical regret analysis based on the TS sketch proof applied for this variant of the method. Concerning Budgeted-Gorthaur, experiments show that it allows more flexibility to achieve a suitable trade-off between criteria and a broader coverage of the Pareto set of solutions, overcoming a natural limit of "a-priori" methods. Finally, this paper provides a detailed review, including pseudocodes and theoretical bounds, for all the fundamental MAB and CMAB algorithms used in this study. • Bandit literature lacks formal algorithm review, hindering clarity and comparability. • There is no silver bullet: no algorithm can be the best performer in every instance. • Recommender systems need to balance accuracy, diversity, multi-item recommendations. • Optimal algorithm balances criteria, matching decision maker's preferred trade-off. • Dynamic selection ensures safe performance when optimal algorithm is unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of the Vision Transformer backbones has enabled the capture of feature information with global dependencies, leading to excellent performance in salient object detection tasks. However, it fails to adequately emphasize fine local features of edges, resulting in coarse and blurry edges in the final output. Therefore, this paper proposes a set prediction method for salient object detection. The approach enables the model to simultaneously consider both saliency (salient object) and edge features, achieving an end-to-end edge feature fusion. There is no need to design multiple complex branch structures and multiple training as with other methods. The model integrates random edge neighborhood sampling to enhance the recognition accuracy of local edge features in images. This approach addresses the weak perception of local features by Transformers and the issue encountered during actual training, where edge pixels typically occupy a much smaller proportion of the image compared to the background, resulting in insufficient learning of edge features by the model. The proposed end-to-end model in this paper fuses multiple features, including edge and salient objects. They are extracted within a unified framework while simultaneously outputting edge and salient object maps. Experimental results on six public datasets show that the proposed method significantly improves model performance benchmarks for detecting salient objects. • Vision Transformer lacks in its ability to focus on local information. • The Hungarian algorithm is effectively employed for feature fusion. • Utilizing random edge neighborhood sampling for localization of local details. • The network produces both precise salient objects and fine edges. • The proposed method enhances the performance benchmark in salient object detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of intelligent manufacturing driven by new-generation information technology, manufacturing service collaborative chains (MSCC) based on Industrial Internet Platforms have become the main way to cope with mass personalized production. To adapt the dynamics and variability of personalized demands, manufacturing services are required to be frequently reorganized. This leads to dynamic changes in manufacturing service availability and ambiguous reliable collaboration mechanisms, making it challenging for existing methods to consistently maintain stable MSCC. Therefore, this paper proposes a three-stage deep reinforcement learning method (TSDRL) to improve the reliability of MSCC while guaranteeing the satisfaction of personalized demands. The method comprehensively considers the dynamic changes of manufacturing services and service reliability, and solves the reliable MSCC recommendation problem. Specifically, in stage one, high-quality services are selected through DRL state. In stage two, the improved NSGA-III algorithm is used to optimize the MSCC. In stage three, the BP+GA algorithm is used to mine user preferences and recommend high-satisfaction MSCC. By leveraging the exploratory process of DRL, cyclic optimization of MSCC is performed. Through comprehensive analysis and experimental research, it is shown that the method of this paper is robust and practical in dynamic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates five strategies for mitigating imbalanced data: oversampling, undersampling, ensemble methods, specialized algorithms, class weight adjustments, plus a no-mitigation approach referred to as the baseline. These strategies were tested on 58 real-life binary imbalanced datasets with imbalance rates ranging from 3 to 120. We conducted a comparative analysis of 10 under-sampling algorithms, 5 over-sampling algorithms, 2 ensemble methods, and 3 specialized algorithms across eight different performance metrics: accuracy, area under the ROC curve (AUC-ROC), balanced accuracy, F1-measure, G-mean, Matthew's correlation coefficient, precision, and recall. Additionally, we assessed the five strategies plus the baseline on altered datasets, derived from real-life data, with both low (3) and high (100 or 300) imbalance ratios (IR). This paper tries to assist a practitioner in selecting a small set of algorithms within one or few of the strategies for testing for a specific imbalanced problem. The principal finding indicates that the effectiveness of each strategy significantly varies depending on the metric used. The paper also examines a selection of newer algorithms within the categories of specialized algorithms, oversampling, and ensemble methods. The findings suggest that the current hierarchy of best-performing strategies for each metric is unlikely to change with the introduction of newer algorithms. • This paper tests imbalanced algorithms grouped under five strategies. • The paper tests 20 algorithms on 53 imbalanced data sets, testing 6 different metrics of quality. • The effectiveness of each strategy varies significantly depending on the evaluation metric employed. • The paper suggests that the ranking of the strategies remains stable with the introduction of new algorithms within each strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic Constrained Multiobjective Optimization Problems (DCMOPs) are very difficult to solve because both of the objectives and constraints may change over time. The existing approaches for solving DCMOPs mainly develop dynamic response techniques and constraint handling techniques. But they do not focus on the search capability of the static optimizer in each environment, which ignores the intrinsic requirement of quickly locating Pareto-optimal Front (PF) in each environment when solving DCMOPs. To this end, this paper proposes a dual-population evolutionary algorithm for solving DCMOPs, called as DpEA, which maintains a population without considering constraints (called UP) for exploration and a population with considering constraints (called CP) for exploitation in each environment. In each iteration of a new environment, UP firstly adopts a stratified mutation strategy (SMS) and a dominated solution repairment strategy (DSR) to enhance the exploration ability of finding promising regions where the PF may reside. SMS uses solutions from different nondominated fronts to generate offspring, while DSR repairs the single-optimal variables of the dominated solutions by sampling from the distribution of those variables of nondominated solutions. Secondly, this paper uses an adaptive offspring ratio adjustment strategy to control the offspring number generated by UP and CP according to the normalized Hausdorff distance between nondominated solution sets from the two latest generations of UP. This strategy is helpful to balance the intensity between exploration and exploitation and thereby ensures efficient search. Experimental results on CEC 2023 DCF test suite show that DpEA has a superior performance over six state-of-the-art algorithms. • First EA that focuses on the search capability of static optimizer in solving DCMOPs. • Two offspring generation strategies to enhance the exploration ability. • An adaptive strategy to balance the intensity between exploration and exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can ensure the network security by identifying network intrusions according to the abnormal traffic data. However, the intrusion detection data has the problem of high dimensionality and changes with network and attack environments, which leads to the poor performance and poor portability of intrusion detection algorithms. Therefore, this paper proposes an intrusion detection algorithm based on joint symmetric uncertainty and hyperparameter optimized fusion neural network. Firstly, a feature selection method based on symmetric uncertainty and approximate Markov blanket is proposed, which fully considers the correlation and redundancy of features, and also the correlation between combined features and the class label, so as to reduce the data dimensionality. Secondly, the CNN-LSTM classifier fused with Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is used to extract the spatial features and temporal features to improve the classification performance. Finally, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is improved and used to automatically optimize the hyperparameters of the classifier, so that the classifier can be applied to different intrusion detection datasets with better generalization ability and portability. Experiments have verified the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm on multiple evaluation indicators. • An effective algorithm for intrusion detection is proposed in this paper. • Feature selection is based on symmetric uncertainty and approximate Markov blanket. • A fusion neural network is constructed to extract the spatial and temporal features. • The PSO algorithm is improved to automatically optimize the hyperparameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the contemporary world, data pervades every facet of human life, and the information contained in this data plays a pivotal role in shaping decision-making and advancing technology. Among the plethora of techniques available, classification methods are highly effective tools for extracting valuable insights from vast volumes of data. The R ule A ggregation C lassifi ER (RACER) is a novel rule-based classification algorithm known for its exceptional performance. A notable limitation of RACER lies in its inability to handle continuous features. In this paper, we address the aforementioned limitation by employing various supervised discretization methods, including CAIM, MDLP, Decision Tree (CART), and ChiMerge. The impact of these methods on RACER's accuracy and understandability is evaluated across nine datasets from the UCI repository. Additionally, the paper conducts a comparative analysis of RACER's accuracy against well-known classifiers such as Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, SVM, LightGBM, and Decision Tree. The findings indicate that RACER achieves the highest average accuracy when we utilize MDLP as the discretization method, surpassing its initial average accuracy. Moreover, RACER demonstrates superior understandability by generating the lowest number of rules when employing ChiMerge and Decision Tree for discretizing numerical features. Furthermore, RACER outperforms the other five classifiers when employing MDLP. • The discretization unit enables the RACER algorithm to handle continuous data. • The discretization unit improves the classification accuracy of the RACER. • The discretization unit increases the understandability of the RACER rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim at the cross-period matching problem on a third-party shared manufacturing platform (TSMP) that provides matching services for capacity demanders (CDs) and capacity suppliers (CSs). Considering the impact of delay in meeting demand, we formulate a bi-level multi-objective optimization model (BMOM) with the objective functions of maximizing the manufacturers' matching rate and the TSMP's commission revenue, in which the lower-level model optimizes the matching strategy for the current period, and the upper-level model matches the cross-period demand (i.e., the demand with delay). Then, we propose a method that combines the ε -constraint and a three-stage solution algorithm to solve the BMOM, and the performance of the proposed method is verified by comparing it with the optimization solver CPLEX in numerical experiments. The results of numerical experiments show that the method proposed in the paper has advantages in computational effectiveness and efficiency and can solve the current-period and cross-period joint matching problem of the TSMP, which provides a reference method for TSMPs to optimize the matching strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A feature selection method based on binary dandelion algorithm is proposed. • The algorithm applies a sine-cosine operator and a restart strategy. • Mutual information and quick bit mutation improve the performance of the algorithm. • The algorithm performs well on datasets with larger dimensions. Feature selection (FS) is an important data preprocessing technology for machine learning and data mining. Metaheuristic algorithm (MH) has been widely used in feature selection because of its powerful search function. This paper presents an improved Binary Dandelion Algorithm using Sine Cosine operator and Restart strategy (SCRBDA) for feature selection. First, the sine cosine operator is used in the radius formula of the core dandelions (CD), which significantly enhances the ability of algorithm development and exploration. Secondly, the algorithm uses a restart strategy to increase its ability to get rid of local optimum. Thirdly, mutual information is used to guide the generation of some dandelions, which pays more attention to the correlation between the selected features and categories. Finally, quick bit mutation is used as the mutation strategy to improve the diversity of the population. The SCRBDA proposed in this paper was tested on 18 datasets of different sizes from UCI machine learning database. The SCRBDA was compared with 8 other classical feature selection algorithms, and the performance of the proposed algorithm was evaluated through feature subset size, classification accuracy, fitness value, and F1-score. The experimental results show that SCRBDA achieves the best performance, which has stronger feature reduction ability and achieves better overall performance on most datasets. Especially on large-scale datasets, SCRBDA can obtain extremely smaller feature subsets while maintaining much higher classification accuracy, and satisfactory F1-score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent multi-objective optimization problems are very complex which require an effective and robust evolutionary method for obtaining a global Pareto-optimal solutions. Most of these multi-objective evolutionary techniques are population-based methods which usually work on random search approaches and often trapped into local minima during their execution. A new fuzzy tuned mayfly algorithm (FTMA) is presented in this paper, to obtain the Pareto-optimal solutions for any complex multi-objective power system problem. It has a self-adapting global exploration capability to get the best Pareto-optimal solutions by varying two crucial parameters i.e., crossover (P c) and mutation P m probabilities. Moreover, a model of Pareto-dominance is employed to rank non-dominating solutions to maintain the diversity within the populations. The proposed evolutionary approach is examined on a standard ZDT benchmark test suite and its algorithmic performance is statistically compared with a few of the recent optimization techniques such as NSGA-II, NSGA-III, MMODE, MOAVOA and MMA algorithm. It is further applied to minimize two distinct objective functions (i.e., total transmission loss and voltage stability index) for IEEE-118 bus system and IEEE-24 bus RTS. A comprehensive statistical analysis is presented for the obtained numerical results, which proves that proposed FTMA has better convergence with better solution diversity in comparison to the other competing algorithms. A comprehensive analysis based on statistical results reveal that the proposed FTMA is superior for obtaining better non-dominating pareto-fronts as compared to other competing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During past several decades, extensive interdisciplinary collaboration has greatly promoted the scientific innovation. Especially, collaborations among top scholars have become major driving forces in advancing scientific progress. Therefore, this article focusses on the mechanism and modes underlying collaboration of scholars. The advantage of this paper resides in its capacity to elucidate the hierarchical architecture and dynamics of top scholars' collaboration, discern the hidden collaborative association probabilities, and provide recommendation for fostering intellectual exchange and information dissemination. Results show that: (1) In terms of collaboration features, it exhibits a significant clustering effect. The largest three communities concentrate in Asia, Europe, and North America. Meanwhile, we further introduce dominant flow analysis, an algorithm originated from the geography, to excavate hierarchy architecture of collaborations. We have identified three kinds of scholars who perform distinct roles in the dissemination of knowledge: leading scholars tend to play a guiding role, senior scholars tend to act as a bridge to enlarge the collaboration range, and general scholars predominantly contribute to the collaborations. (2) In terms of formation mechanism of collaborations, we found the collaboration of top scholars are grounded in their publications' quality instead of quantity. Furthermore, the closed rather than opened triangular configuration potently catalyzes knowledge transmission. (3) Meanwhile, hidden collaborative partnerships are extrapolated based on the model proposed in this article. In these hidden patterns, scholars who are geographically close and have similar research background potentially develop further research collaborations, and at least one scholar in collaborations has high citations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hub capacities are considered for the single-allocation Hub Maximal Covering problem. • A new Mixed-Integer Linear-Programming model is proposed and solved for the problem. • A Comprehensive fitness landscape analysis shows the problem space is rugged plain. • A new GARVND algorithm with original Crossover and Mutation operators is proposed. • Experiments showed that GARVND outdid GA, SA, VNS, TS, & GWO+SA methods in objective value. In this paper, a new variation to the Hub Maximal Covering problem called the Capacitated Single-Allocation Hub Maximal Covering Problem (CSAHMCP) is addressed for the first time and a novel binary-integer mathematical model has been proposed. To analyze the features of the problem's solution space and to determine the most effective heuristic approach to solve it, a comprehensive Fitness Landscape Analysis is performed which reveals that the problem is of 'rugged plain' type and can best be solved using an algorithm with good exploration and exploitation capabilities at the same time. Accordingly, we proposed a new algorithm named GARVND, which is a hybrid of the Genetic Algorithm acting as the main framework for diversification, and a variant of the Variable Neighborhood Descent algorithm called 'Reduced VND' acting as a means to improve individual solutions (intensification) by searching in the spaces generated by four types of neighborhood operators. We also introduced two original crossover and mutation operators that can be used for any hub location solution method. The parameters of GARVND are tuned toward less computational times and higher solution quality by using the Taguchi experiment design technique. We solved 114 CSAHMCP instances (several times each) from the Australian Post (AP) dataset using the proposed GARVND, as well as by the Genetic Algorithm, Variable Neighborhood Search, Simulated Annealing, Tabu Search algorithms, and a hybrid algorithm consisting of Grey Wolf Optimizer and Simulated Annealing, in addition to the Gurobi exact solver. Extensive computational results and statistical analyses showed that GARVND yields favorable solutions, outperforming all the compared algorithms by producing smaller gaps with global optimal objective values. In addition, to illustrate the practical value of the CSAHMCP and the GARVND method, we performed a cost-flow sensitivity analysis for the AP Central Sydney network and came up with the best expansion scenarios to be adopted by the management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adversarial sample generation problem is a hot issue in the security field of deep learning. Evolutionary algorithm has been widely used to solve this problem in recent years because of its good global search ability. However, existing methods still suffer from the "curse of dimensionality" when attacking high-resolution images. In this paper, a two-stage frequency domain generation algorithm of black-box adversarial samples based on differential evolution is proposed. In the first stage, a representative image-guided differential evolution method is proposed to quickly generate a universal adversarial perturbation with a high attack success rate in the frequency-domain. In the second stage, a space reduction strategy based on frequency-domain pixel blocks is designed to reduce the search space and alleviate the problem of "curse of dimensionality". In addition, a new space–frequency interaction sensitivity measure is introduced to evaluate the similarity between the adversarial samples and the original images. The adversarial perturbations obtained by the measure are more in line with the subjective perception of the human eye. Finally, compared with several typical black-box adversarial sample generation algorithms, experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve higher attack success rate with less prediction times. • Proposing a two-stage evolutionary generation framework of adversarial samples. • Developing a space–frequency interaction sensitivity measure. • Presenting a representative image-guided differential evolutionary algorithm. • Designing an individual adversarial perturbation generation algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the distributed Nash equilibrium seeking problem for multi-agent finite games is considered. Considering the locally-informed communication structure, previous centralized game-theoretic learning dynamic methods are not feasible. To this end, we propose a distributed log-linear algorithm by introducing a timestamp-based communication mechanism that enables agents to acquire estimates of the true action profile from their neighborhoods. It is shown that the proposed distributed log-linear algorithm significantly outperforms the existing best response dynamics regarding both effectiveness and reliability. For illustration, a locally-informed multi-player Sudoku puzzle is introduced, where each cell is taken as a player, and each player fills numbers only based on the local information of its neighboring players. The simulation results validate the effectiveness of our algorithm in solving the locally-informed multi-player Sudoku puzzle. Our methodology provides a viable and benchmark approach to address the fully distributed locally-informed multi-agent joint decision-making problem. • A distributed log-linear algorithm is proposed for Nash seeking in finite games. • A locally-informed multiplayer Sudoku puzzle is initialized to evaluate algorithm. • The proposed algorithm is superior in terms of both effectiveness and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-object tracking (MOT) detects multiple targets in an image and assigns a unique identifier to each target. However, challenges such as rapid motion, occlusion, and camera motion in the tracking scene may lead to identity switches (IDs) and missing trajectory problems, which degrade the performance of the tracker. To address these issues, this paper presents an MOT algorithm based on an interactive attention network and adaptive trajectory reconnection. First, an interactive attention network was created to learn the features for two different tasks of detection and tracking to alleviate feature conflicts in order to extract sufficient feature information. A new cost matrix was then designed to fuse the motion and feature information, thereby reducing the number of IDs. Meanwhile, the extreme gradient boosting reconnection module was used to achieve adaptive trajectory reconnection and reduce missing trajectories. The proposed algorithm achieved 61.5 % and 55.4 % HOTA using the standard MOT17 and MOT20 datasets, respectively. In comparison to FairMOT, our algorithm showcased notable enhancements of 3% and 1.6% on these datasets. Furthermore, when compared to state-of-the-art algorithms, the proposed algorithm demonstrated superior tracking performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decade, RRT* algorithm has been widely concerned by researchers because of its asymptotic optimality. However, the slow convergence rate of the RRT* algorithm leads to poor quality of the optimal paths at small number of iterations. Meanwhile, searching the initial path slowly limits its application scenarios. To overcome these problems, a directionally biased variable step APF-RRT* (DBVS-APF-RRT*) algorithm is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a novel directionally biased variable step sampling strategy is used in RRT* algorithm to quickly generate the initial path. Then, global random sampling and key region sampling strategies are added to improve global search ability and optimal path quality. At the same time, an artificial potential field (APF) method is introduced to improve the ability of obstacle avoidance. In addition, we propose a pruning strategy based on triangular inequality with direct connection of goal points to reduce the number of redundant nodes and shorten the path length. Finally, DBVS-APF-RRT* algorithm is compared with RRT*, Bias-RRT*, Informed-RRT* and Bias-P-RRT* algorithms to verify its superiority of optimal path quality, stability of the algorithm and its rapidity of finding the initial path. • A DBVS sampling strategy is proposed to find the initial path with ultra-high speed. • Global random sampling and key region sampling are added to improve path quality. • APF algorithm is combined to improve obstacle avoidance ability and adaptability. • A pruning strategy is proposed to reduce redundant nodes and shorten path length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rising data security concerns, privacy preserving machine learning (ML) methods have become a key research topic. Federated learning (FL) is one such approach which has gained a lot of attention recently as it offers greater data security in ML tasks. Substantial research has already been done on different aggregation methods, personalized FL algorithms etc. However, insufficient work has been done to identify the effects different model update strategies (concurrent FL, incremental FL, etc.) have on federated model performance. This paper presents results of extensive FL simulations run on multiple datasets with different conditions in order to determine the efficiency of 4 different FL model update strategies: concurrent, semi-concurrent, incremental, and cyclic-incremental. We have found that incremental updating methods offer more reliable FL models in cases where data is distributed both evenly and unevenly between edge nodes, especially when the number of data samples across all edge nodes is small. • Federated learning model performance is influenced by multiple environmental factors. • Different update strategies react differently to dataset size and participant number. • Update strategies can be categorized into incremental and concurrent. • Strategy selection can help inter-institutional collaboration achieve better results. • Incremental modes are more robust to lack of data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge graph (KG) modeling constructs a connected network of hazard/fault events by drawing on historical reports, helping extract risk factors and propagation features in railway signaling safety. For the huge graph structure of the knowledge system, efficiently and accurately transforming the event information with text for risk level prediction is the crucial topic of this paper. To establish a quantitative risk assessment method based on KG modeling, we innovatively introduce text clustering technology to intelligently divide the entity short text data set in the KG, assign standardized entity names to the cluster partitions, and then complete the calculation and analysis according to the characteristic parameter formula, greatly reducing the labor and time consumption of data annotation and approximate text repetitive processing. Significantly, a two-stage clustering ensemble algorithm (TSCEA) integrating base clusterer optimization and hierarchical clustering prediction is proposed, whose innovative approach lies in describing sample similarity by the co-association matrix, while considering the contribution discrepancy of samples for decision-making. Specifically, Stage One selects and optimizes various base clusterers with different method kernels, while Stage Two emphasizes the contribution discrepancy of the cluster core and the cluster halo to make the final clustering decision, with the ensemble strategy serving as the bridge between these two. The KG established on field investigation is used to complete the experiment and analysis of the novel algorithm. Another clustering ensemble algorithm (based on a direct weighting strategy) and each base clusterer are applied to verify clustering performance, while the evaluation depends on external indicators. The results indicate that the proposed clustering ensemble algorithm outperforms others in various indicators, significantly improving clustering accuracy and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time-variant Sylvester equation (TVSE) plays a highly crucial role in many areas of scientific research and engineering applications. Recently, zeroing neural network (ZNN) has been prevailed as an effective solution for time-variant problem. However, the majority of the existing ZNN solution schemes for TVSE are either only considered in noiseless environments or are unable to converge in a finite amount of time, and while there is a pressing need for effective and noise-resisting ZNNs to fulfill real-time applications' requirements in the actual world. For this reason, inspired by the advantages offered by super-twisting algorithm (STA), being a well-accepted second order sliding mode method, this paper introduces STA into ZNN and establishes a novel STZNN model for TVSE solving. Actually, the intrinsic properties of STA, such as finite-time convergence and anti-noise robustness, are perfectly in line with what an efficient and noise-resisting ZNN model desired to be. Hence, the STZNN model can realize a much quick convergence time and a much great resistance against noise. Moreover, rigorous theoretical analyses on the case of zero noise, constant noise and dynamic bounded noise are conducted, and the illustrative verification not only verifies the STZNN's convergence property, validates its superior ability in convergence time and noise resisting compared to the gradient-based neural network (GNN), the conventional ZNN (CZNN) model and the integration-enhanced ZNN (IEZNN) model, but also shows the STZNN model's capability in addressing moving localization problems based on angle of arrival (AoA) and time difference of arrival (TDOA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manifold learning is essential for analyzing high-dimensional data, but it suffers from high time complexity. To address this, researchers proposed using anchors and constructing a similarity matrix to expedite eigen decomposition and reduce sparse consumption. However, randomly selected anchors fail to represent the data well, and using K-means for anchor generation is time-consuming. In this paper, we introduce Granular-ball (GB) into unsupervised manifold learning, presenting GB-USC and GB-USEC. By employing a coarse-to-fine approach, GB-USC generates high-quality anchors aligned with the data distribution. A bipartite graph is constructed between data points and anchors, enabling low-dimensional manifold embedding using transfer cut. GB-USEC combines multiple GB-USC clusters, generating consistent low-dimensional embeddings across dimensions and determining clustering results through voting. The experimental results show that compared with the state-of-the-art algorithm U-SPEC, GB-USC achieves the similar performance with the average running time of GB-USC is 33.96% less than that of U-SPEC for several million-level datasets. Additionally, our ensemble algorithm improves the clustering efficiency by an average of 29.19% compared with U-SENC. • We propose a novel anchors generation method based on granular-ball computing. • We present an ensemble clustering algorithm and it is more efficient than U-SPEC. • The proposed algorithms can process millions of points on a commonly used PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge of high-dimensional feature selection (FS) lies in the search technique, which needs to consider both minimizing the size of feature subset and maximizing the classification accuracy. Recently, multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) have shown excellent performance in solving FS tasks. However, most existing MOEAs struggle to effectively balance these two conflicting objectives when solving high-dimensional FS tasks. To cover this issue, in this paper, a decomposition-based multi-population evolutionary algorithm is proposed, called MPEA-FS. In the initialization stage, a multi-population generation strategy (MGS) based on feature weights (MGS) was adopted, with each population corresponding to a search subspace, which can improve the algorithm's search ability. During the evolutionary stage, an external population is designed to integrate the excellent feature subsets of multiple populations to achieve knowledge sharing between them. In addition, to reduce the feature dimension, a feature reduction strategy (FRS) is proposed, which can remove unimportant features while maintaining classification accuracy. Extensive experiments are performed on 13 high-dimensional datasets, and the proposed algorithm is compared with 5 state-of-the-art FS methods proposed in the last 3 years on multiple metrics. The experimental results indicate that MPEA-FS can achieve higher classification accuracy on most datasets, and the number of selected features is also competitive. • A decomposition-based multi-population feature selection algorithm is proposed. • The generation of multi-population is based on a novel feature weight method. • Multi-population knowledge sharing strategy based on elite population is proposed. • Evolution operator based on guide vector can correct the feature subset effectively. • Obtained higher classification accuracy and competitive number of features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we proposed a novel multi-robot collaborative exploration method to improve the efficiency and robustness of multi-robot exploration in unknown environments. Firstly, a novel frontier detection algorithm based on hybrid multi-strategy rapidly-exploring random tree (HMS-RRT) is proposed, which is composed of an adaptive incremental distance strategy, a subregion sampling strategy and a greedy frontier-based exploration strategy. To improve the frontier detection performance of the algorithm, we adopt the Voronoi diagram to continuously partition the explored region, and dynamically adjust the incremental distance according to the density of obstacles in the subregions. To avoid the algorithm is trapped in the local optimum, we use Gaussian distribution to calculate the sampling probability in each subregion, so that the algorithm tends to sample in the subregion with lower crowded level of nodes and cover the unexplored regions quickly. Secondly, we introduce the greedy frontier-based exploration strategy to explore all Voronoi polygons in turn and refine the search results, meanwhile, the centroid of each frontier region is extracted as the exploration target point. Then, a multi-robot task assignment strategy based on improved market mechanism is introduced to dynamically assign the exploration target points to each robot, and the map-merging algorithm is used in the exploration process to merge several local maps in real-time. Finally, an experimental testing platform is developed based on Robot Operating System (ROS) and a series of experiments are carried out. The results show that our method can improve the efficiency and reliability of multi-robot exploration in both the simulations and the prototype experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Multi-Objective Discrete Network Design Problem (MO-DNDP) describes the optimisation of a transport network across multiple metrics. Due to the impractical processing times of exact solutions, heuristics have been harnessed to solve this problem. However, the scale of the networks, the set of candidate links and the metrics assessed have been limited. This research proposes a MO-DNDP that encapsulates 8 metrics across three real networks used as benchmarks scaling from 17 km2 to 41,850 km2 to encapsulate the complexity of optimising transport networks at different scales, traffic demands and constraint densities. To solve this more comprehensive MO-DNDP, this paper proposes the Physarum-inspired algorithm PANDA that improves upon the classical Physarum Solver algorithm by harnessing the attractant sensing and merging capabilities of the biological Physarum Polycephalum slime mould. PANDA is a first attempt at solving the complex MO-DNDP using the Physarum foraging model. PANDA consistently scored better than the classical Solver in the land use rating by circumventing landforms, built-up areas, and environmentally sensitive regions. Additionally, PANDA constructed networks that were on average 30 % better than the existing benchmark networks and 32 % better than the Physarum Solver networks. PANDA improved upon the benchmarks by constructing lower capacity roads that were optimised for the actual traffic demand between each origin–destination pair instead of shared arterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High dimensional and small samples characterize gene expression data and contain a large number of genes unrelated to disease. Feature selection improves the efficiency of disease diagnosis by selecting a small number of important genes. Unfortunately, existing algorithms do not consider the correlation between features, and search algorithms tend to fall into the local optimal solution in the feature search process. To this end, this paper proposes a feature filter and group evolution hybrid feature selection algorithm (FG-HFS) for high-dimensional gene expression data. Unlike existing algorithms, we propose using spectral clustering to group redundant features into a group. Then, we propose a redundant feature filter algorithm. According to the principle of approximate Markov blanket, grouped feature groups are filtered to delete these redundant features. Among them, filtered features are evenly divided by density according to the feature exponential strategy. Most importantly, we propose using the group evolution multi-objective genetic algorithm to search the filtered feature subsets and evaluate the candidate feature subsets according to the in-group and out-group so as to select the feature subsets with the highest accuracy and the least number. Experimental results show that the average accuracy (ACC) and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) indexes of the selected feature subsets (FSs) by the FG-HFS algorithm on 5 gene expression datasets are 92.76% and 88.76%, respectively, which are significantly better than the existing algorithms. In addition, the FSs and ACC/FSs indexes of the FG-HFS algorithm are also better than the existing algorithms, which fully proves the superiority of the FG-HFS algorithm. More importantly, the Wilcoxon and Friedman statistical experiments results show that the feature selection effect of FG-HFS algorithm is significantly better than that of existing algorithms, no matter in pairwise comparison or multiple comparison. • We propose using spectral clustering to group the features so that the in-group feature similarity is extremely high. • We propose a redundant feature filter algorithm since existing algorithms cannot filter redundant features. • we propose using the group evolution multi-objective genetic algorithm to search the filtered feature subsets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel surrogate-assisted multi-objective nutcracker optimization algorithm. This algorithm is built upon the recently proposed nutcracker optimization algorithm, drawing inspiration from the behaviours observed in Clark's nutcrackers. The algorithm is developed based on two distinct behaviours exhibited by these birds. To comprehensively evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, a dual-pronged approach is adopted. On the one hand, a set of artificial test problems is employed to scrutinize the algorithm's capabilities, while on the other hand, a set of real-world problems is considered to assess its practical efficacy. The results of the proposed algorithm are evaluated in comparison to existing baseline algorithms and state-of-the-art algorithms, using well-recognized performance metrics, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The obtained results provide convincing evidence of the performance of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the deadlock control and scheduling problem of two-stage assembly permutation flowshop with limited buffers. In such a system, all parts are first processed in a permutation flowshop, then assembled into final products. The objective is to find a feasible schedule, including a manufacturing subschedule and an assembly subschedule, to minimize makespan. Owing to limited buffers, not only may the blocking phenomenon appear in the system operation, but also some manufacturing subschedules may lead to deadlock states, making them unavailable. To obtain a feasible schedule, this work first proposes a deadlock control or an availability detection and amendment (ADA) algorithm to determine whether a manufacturing subschedule is available, and convert unavailable ones to available ones. Then by embedding ADA into a social spider algorithm (SSA), a hybrid social spider algorithm (HSSA) is developed for computing feasible schedules. In HSSA, an improved heuristic search algorithm is proposed to generate a better initial population, and a simplified variable neighborhood search algorithm is designed and incorporated into HSSA to enhance its searching ability. Finally, HSSA is tested on instances, showing its superiority over SSA in performance. The effect of buffer size on the scheduling objective is discussed. • The availability of manufacturing subschedules is determined. • The unavailable subschedules can be transformed into available ones. • A hybrid social spider algorithm is developed for computing feasible schedules. • Using an improved heuristic search algorithm to obtain a better initial population. • The local search ability is enhanced by a simplified variable neighborhood search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many-objective optimization problems (MaOPs) are challenging tasks involving optimizing many conflicting objectives simultaneously. Decomposition-based many-objective evolutionary algorithms have effectively maintained a balance between convergence and diversity in recent years. However, these algorithms face challenges in accurately approximating the complex geometric structure of irregular Pareto fronts (PFs). In this paper, an information entropy-driven evolutionary algorithm based on reinforcement learning (RL-RVEA) for many-objective optimization with irregular Pareto fronts is proposed. The proposed algorithm leverages reinforcement learning to guide the evolution process by interacting with the environment to learn the shape and features of PF, which adaptively adjusts the distribution of reference vectors to cover the PFs structure effectively. Moreover, an information entropy-driven adaptive scalarization approach is designed in this paper to reflect the diversity of nondominated solutions, which facilitates the algorithm to balance multiple competing objectives adaptively and select solutions efficiently while maintaining individual diversity. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, the RL-RVEA compared with seven state-of-the-art algorithms on the DTLZ, MaF, and WFG test suites and four real-world MaOPs. The results of the experiments demonstrate that the suggested algorithm provides a novel and practical method for addressing MaOPs with irregular PFs. • A novel RL-RVEA addresses many-objective optimization with irregular pareto fronts. • A reinforcement learning-based adaptive reference vector to guide the direction of convergence. • A scalarization approach preserves the diversity of solutions for next generation. • The RL-RVEA outperforms seven advanced many-objective optimization algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of rapid paper publications in various venues, automatic citation recommendations would be highly useful to researchers when they write papers. Local citation recommendation aims to recommend possible papers to cite given local citation contexts. Previous work mainly computes the similarity score between citation contexts and cited papers on a one-to-one basis, which is quite time-consuming. We train a pair of neural network encoders that map citation contexts and all possible cited papers to the same vector space, respectively. After that, we index the positions of all cited papers in the vector space. This makes our process for searching recommended papers considerably faster. On the other hand, existing methods tend to recommend papers that are highly similar to each other, which makes recommendations lack diversity. Therefore, we extend our algorithm to perform multi-topic recommendations. We generate multi-topic training examples based on the index we mentioned earlier. Furthermore, we specially design a multi-group contrastive learning method to train our model so that it can distinguish different topics. Empirical experiments show that our model outperforms previous methods by a wide margin. Our model is also light weighted and has been deployed online so that researchers can use it to obtain recommended citations for their own paper in real-time. • Proposed FLCR algorithm with sentence-transformer & k-d tree. • Introduced multi-topic citation recommendation for diverse contexts. • Developed large-scale dataset with 1.7 million citation contexts for evaluation. • Demonstrated significant performance improvement over previous methods. • Deployed demo for real-time citation recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent Fault-Tolerant Control (IFTC) refers to the applications of machine learning algorithms for fault diagnosis and design of Fault-Tolerant Control (FTC). The overall goal of the FTC is to accommodate defects in the system components while they are in use and maintain stability with little to no performance reduction. These systems are crucial for mission-critical and safety-related applications where the safety of people is at stake and service continuity is crucial. In this review paper, a systematic study has been done for the development of FTC with machine learning, deep learning, and transfer learning algorithms. The challenges and limitations faced with their possible solutions through machine learning theories for the IFTC model are lined up. This paper guides researchers on the different possible types of machine learning algorithms and their advanced forms like deep learning and transfer learning. The differences among these are highlighted by the challenges and limitations of each. The paper is significant such that most of the important literature references from the Scopus database particularly related to important electrical and mechanical industrial problems have been discussed to guide the researchers who want to apply IFTC for specific industrial problems, being the research gap. Finally, future research directions for the development of IFTC are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the abnormal samples from a data set and determining their type are two key tasks of anomaly detection. However, the existing anomaly detection algorithms are generally faced with the defects of weak generalization ability and insufficient interpretation, the core reason of which is that they cannot mine specific features for different abnormal types. In this paper, a new anomaly detection algorithm aiming at feature selection for different abnormal types is developed. Inspired by self-supervised learning, we take the stationarity of variance changes of abnormal score similarity as a pretext task and combine it with wrapped search method. Then, the features and the corresponding parameters for different abnormal types can be screened to apply to the downstream task of anomaly integration detection. To verify the efficiency of the new algorithm, we conduct two sets of experiments to compare the new algorithm with 11 classical anomaly detection and 3 clustering anomaly detection algorithms on the data sets WDBC, WPBC and Wilt from DAMI database with the evaluation measures P@n , Adj- P@n , AP, Adj-AP and AUC. The experiment results show that, both in the identification and classification on abnormal samples, all performance measures of the new algorithm are explicitly better than that of the contrastive algorithms. Also, we apply the new algorithm to the Chinese auto insurance market, and find that the results can help managers to identify the main patterns of fraudulent claims and to summarize the feature combinations of fraud behaviors. In general, the new algorithm developed in this paper has the following advantages compared with traditional algorithms: 1) It can directly capture abnormal features and realize effective recognition of abnormal types, which effectively bridge the gap between abnormal judgement and feature screening. 2) Automatic screening of abnormal features can be completed under the condition of self-updating learning optimal strategy. 3) Only a few features are extracted from all features to reveal the abnormal characteristics, which significantly improves the interpretability and generalization ability of the algorithm and its results. In a word, through the novel self-supervised design method, feature screening is skillfully integrated into the anomaly detection task, which may provide a new way for anomaly detection research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of the post-pandemic era, the global economic situation has tightened, and the economic benefits of container ports have also been affected. This paper attempts to build a novel berth-tugboat-quay crane joint scheduling method for container ports to reduce the economic cost of container ports. Firstly, from the perspective of the economic cost of container ports, considering random economic factors, this paper proposes a new berth-tugboat-quay crane joint dispatch optimization model, namely E-BUQC, by taking the minimum time cost of vessels in port, the cost of additional freight distance for trucks, the cost of tugboat operation, and the minimum operation cost of quay cranes as the objective function. Then, in order to obtain a relatively high-quality solution, based on chaotic mapping and quantum computing, this paper constructs a new chaotic quantum adaptive satin bower bird optimizer algorithm, namely CQASBO, formulates exclusive coding rules for the E-BUQC model, develops a feasible integer algorithm, and proposes a new joint scheduling solution method of berth-tugboat-quay crane, named E-BUQC_CQASBO. Subsequently, based on the simulation examples of two ports in northern China, the new solution method is tested. The simulation test results show that the E-BUQC model obtains an appropriate solution; The CQASBO constructed in this paper has better performance than other traditional comparison algorithms selected in this paper and can provide a better solution when solving the E-BUQC model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federated learning (FL) is a distributed machine learning method to protect users' privacy and security. It currently faces the following two problems (McMahan et al., 2017): (1) The performance of the global model degrades when dealing with Non-Independent Identically Distributed (Non-IID) data. Other existing classical methods do not have a rigorous theory based on error processing ; (2) In the process of global model aggregation, the classical FL algorithm either directly averages local models or solely considers the proportion of local data to assign weights to the models, without accounting for the discrepancies between the local models. In this paper, a federated aggregation algorithm Federated Maximum Mean Discrepancy (FedMMD) is proposed to address the deviation between the local models and Non-IID. First of all, this paper utilizes the Dilated Convolution Meet Transformer (DCMT) model for local model feature extraction. This approach aims to capture more feature information and minimize the impact of Non-IID scenarios. Secondly, the learning stability of the local model data participating in the aggregation is compared with Maximum Mean Discrepancy (MMD). The weights of the local models involved in the aggregation are determined using the SKNQ (Student–Keuls–Newman-Q) method and the entropy weight method. The SKNQ method calculates and compares the MMD across multiple clients, while the entropy weight method assigns different weights to clients based on their deviations. On the standard dataset, the FedAvg algorithm (McMahan et al., 2017), the FedProx algorithm (Li et al., 2020) and the FedMMD algorithm are compared. The experimental results demonstrate that the FedMMD algorithm, used in training the global model, not only enhances the accuracy of learning IID and Non-IID data but also improves the generalization capability of the global model. • An DCMT model is proposed to alleviate the model fluctuations caused by NonIID data. • An MMD method is proposed to compared horizontally before the model is aggregated. • Entropy weight method and the SKNQ method are combined to allocate local models' weight when they are fused into global model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the existing Differential Evolution (DE) research, there are two main crossover schemes: exponential crossover and binomial crossover. Most researchers believe that binomial crossover is skilled in handling numerical optimization problems while exponential crossover has the advantage in handling optimization problems with certain correlation between adjacent variables. However, we discover that DE variants with exponential crossover can achieve performance comparable to advanced ones utilizing binomial crossover in optimization applications, provided that an appropriate crossover rate C R and associated parameter control are established. In this paper, an Elite-guided Resampling and Multi-mutation based DE with exponential crossover (ERM-DE) is raised to fill the blank in this field, and its main highlights are as follows: First, a novel structure with two stages is raised in our ERM-DE algorithm. The first stage is elite-guided global opposition learning based resampling, and the other is novel exponential crossover DE evolution stage. Second, a Novel Parameter Control (NPC) technique involving scale factor F and crossover rate C R is raised. Different from applying the fitness-based parameter control, the adaptation schemes of the parameters F and C R in our ERM-DE algorithm are fitness-independent. In addition, this NPC technique will also be selectively applied to the trial vector generation strategy DE/target-to- p best/1/exp with or without optional archive. Third, a novel population Diversity Enhancement Mechanism (DEM) is proposed, which can enhance population diversity by recalculating individuals in a stagnant state. Finally, a time stamp mechanism is posed to deal with outdated inferior and historical solutions in the external archive. A Large test suite with 88 benchmark functions from CEC2013, CEC2014, and CEC2017 test suites is used for algorithm validation and the experimental results indicate that our ERM-DE demonstrates competitiveness with several state-of-the-art DE variants. • Novel DE variant with exponential crossover is proposed for numerical optimization. • It fills the gap that exponential DE were not satisfactory on numerical optimization. • Novel resampling approach with elite-guided global opposition learning is proposed. • Novel Parameter Control (NPC) technique is proposed for parameter adaptation. • Finally, a large test suite is employed for algorithm validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many real-world decision-making tasks, multi-agent need to learn collaboration in a high-dimensional complex action space, rather than just a single discrete action space. Recently, value decomposition learning methods such as QMIX have emerged as a promising approaches for collaborative multi-agent tasks. However, most of the value decomposition algorithms can only be used in discrete action space, which would limit their practicability. To address the limitation, we propose a novel algorithm called Multi-Agent Sequential Q-Networks (MASQN), which can be applied to the multi-agent domains with continuous, multidiscrete or hybrid action spaces. The proposed algorithm is based on the structure of centralized training with decentralized execution (CTDE). The decentralized actors ensure adaptability to different action spaces by utilizing action space discretization and sequential models, and the centralized critic utilizes the value decomposition architecture to guide effective updates of the policy parameters for each agent. We also give the convergence of joint policy from the perspective of policy iteration, by combining it with the CTDE structure and the constraint of the Individual Global Max (IGM) condition. Finally, we evaluate the MASQN algorithm on two benchmark environments: MAMuJoCo and Hybrid Predator–Prey. The empirical results show that MASQN out performs the state-of-the-art performance on three different action spaces. • This MARL algorithm can be directly used in continuous action spaces. • This MARL algorithm can be directly used in multi-discrete action spaces. • This MARL algorithm can be directly used in hybrid action spaces. • We analyzed the convergence of this algorithm in our paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we consider how Qualitative Spatial Reasoning (QSR) can be used to answer queries over large-scale knowledge graphs such as YAGO and DBPedia. We describe the challenges associated with spatially querying knowledge graphs such as point based representations, sparsity of qualitative relations, and scale. We address these challenges and present a query engine, Parallel Qualitative Reasoner-Query Engine (ParQR-QE), that uses a novel distributed qualitative spatial reasoning algorithm to provide answers to GeoSPARQL queries. An experimental evaluation using a range of different query types and the YAGO knowledge graph shows the advantages of QSR techniques in comparison to purely quantitative approaches. • Demonstration of techniques to develop enhanced large-scale knowledge graphs. • Integration of qualitative spatial reasoning into query answering. • Development of a distributed spatial query answering system for large-scale knowledge graphs. • Evaluation shows advantages of querying using qualitative spatial reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In aeroengine defect inspection, traditional algorithms are often encumbered by overreliance on pixel-level labels and an inability to adapt to variations in domain-specific data, resulting in a lack of efficiency and generalizability. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an innovative solution using a single-click interactive framework that combines user-friendly interaction and computational efficiency. First, user clicks are incorporated into an additional channel coupled with the original images. Second, superpixel-guided interactive signals and corresponding Gaussian heat maps are utilized to embed user clicks into the training and prediction processes, tolerating certain click errors without additional corrections. Third, the tailored backbone handles defect variations and captures intricate details. Furthermore, the Bayesian-optimization-based refinement process further enhances accuracy and generalizability. The experimental results from four industrial scenarios demonstrate that our method not only excels in aeroengine defect segmentation but also has the potential to be effectively applied as a semi-automatic annotation tool in other industrial inspection fields. • Innovative single-click segmentation framework for fine-grained defect analysis. • Superpixel-based interactive signal reduces interaction errors with Bayesian optimization. • Turbo19 dataset improves aeroengine inspection in aerospace computer vision. • Versatile method shows potential for semi-automatic labeling in various industrial scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proper optimization algorithm is very important for solving the parameters of neural networks. People always want to train neural networks as fast as possible and obtain optimal parameters, while existing optimization algorithms are still far from perfect in both efficiency and convergence. In this paper, we propose an Adaptive optimization algorithm with Gradient bias Correction (AdaGC) for training neural networks. In this algorithm, the iterative direction is improved utilizing the gradient deviation and momentum. The step size is adaptively revised using the second-order moment of gradient deviation. Intuitively, when the iterative vector changes significantly, the iterative vector is corrected by enlarging the effect of iterative deviation and reducing the effect of momentum. At the same time, the step size will decrease correspondingly based on the second-order moment of gradient deviation. When the iterative vector changes slightly, the gradient deviation also decreases, and the influence of momentum will increase at this time. The second-order moment of gradient deviation is correspondingly reduced, resulting in a large step size. In this case, a large iterative step is probably to reduce the iterative time and enlarge the rate of convergence. Furthermore, rigorous theoretical analysis is provided to prove the convergence of the AdaGC algorithm in both convex and non-convex optimization problems. The proposed algorithm is also validated through extensive experimentation. It has better performance and faster convergence for different networks and applications. Code is available at https://github.com/breeze7-opt/optimizer. • Introducing gradient bias into momentum accelerates convergence adaptively. • Using second-order moment information of gradient deviation to accelerate convergence. • Strict theoretical proof of convergence for convex and non-convex optimization. • Numerous experiments support the effectiveness of our algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fuzzy C-means clustering (FCM) algorithm has gained prominence as a widely utilized technique for data partitioning and image segmentation in various applications. Nevertheless, it exhibits certain limitations in its current form, primarily in its inability to effectively incorporate spatial information from images and its diminished robustness and accuracy when confronted with noisy image data. This paper proposes an adaptive sparse regularization FCM algorithm for noisy image segmentation based on complementary spatial information. Firstly, a novel local spatial operation based on the non-averaging idea and a novel non-local spatial operation based on wavelet transform are proposed. Combining these two kinds of spatial information, we construct the FCM objective function incorporating the complementary spatial information. Secondly, the absolute pixel difference between the original image and the local and non-local information is computed, using the absolute difference and its inverse to achieve adaptation computation of critical parameters. Finally, the sparse regularization term is introduced into the objective function of FCM, which reduces the number of iterations of the algorithm. In addition, we also designed a three-step iterative algorithm to solve the sparse regularization-based FCM model, which consists of a Lagrange multiplier method, a hard threshold operator, and a normalization operator, respectively. Numerous experiments on synthetic images and authentic images on the BSDS500 dataset show that the proposed algorithm is superior to state-of-the-art algorithms. Furthermore, extensive experiments on different types of authentic images on different databases show that the proposed algorithm has good generalization performance and may be applied in most image segmentation situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature selection is a critical task for optimizing system performance and reducing computational overhead in the context of Internet of Things (IoT) applications. This paper presents a two-stage feature selection approach specifically designed for IoT scenarios. In the first stage, a variety of feature dimensionality reduction techniques are employed to significantly reduce the dimensionality of the original feature set by more than 50%. This process results in the creation of a highly effective feature subset, which serves as a solid foundation for subsequent feature selection in the second stage. In the second stage, feature selection is performed on the feature subset by an evolutionary algorithm to obtain high accuracy. Notably, we propose an improved whale optimization algorithm (WOA-HA), which incorporates several improvement factors such as a chaotic Hénon map mechanism (HMM), adaptive coefficient vector (ACV), and a binary operator. To assess the effectiveness of our approach, we compare the performance of WOA-HA with other evolutionary algorithms in terms of feature selection outcomes. Through extensive experiments, our proposed approach achieves an average accuracy of up to 95.5% on Aalto IoT dataset and 98.8% on RT-IoT 2022 dataset, respectively. Meanwhile, the average number of selected features reduced by about 82.5% on Aalto IoT dataset and about 62.3% in the RT-IoT 2022 dataset, respectively. Our proposed approach consistently outperforms other methods and achieves the best performance on most datasets with higher accuracy and fewer features. • Two-stage feature selection approach is proposed for the high-dimensionality of IoT data. • A novel WOA-HA algorithm is proposed in the second stage. • WOA-HA has a special chaotic initial solution and adaptive strategy. • The proposed approach outperforms other algorithms on Aalto IoT dataset and RT-IoT 2022 dataset. • The first stage of experimentation with the Aalto dataset resulted in a reduction of the feature set dimensionality by over 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a hyper-heuristic evolutionary algorithm via proximal policy optimization, named HHEA-PPO, for solving multi-objective truss optimization problems. HHEA-PPO has a two-layer structure: a high-level strategy and low-level heuristics. The high-level strategy consists of proximal policy optimization, while the low-level heuristics consist of ten predefined heuristic operators. During the iteration process, the high-level strategy selects the most promising low-level heuristic according to the state of the individuals and the population. To maintain the convergence and distribution of the external Pareto archive, a dynamic crowding distance mechanism is employed. HHEA-PPO is applied to eight multi-objective truss optimization problems and compared with thirteen state-of-the-art optimization algorithms in terms of success rate, average computation duration, and average fitness evaluations to evaluate its performance. The results show that HHEA-PPO has higher search efficiency and greater stability, demonstrating its ability to solve large-scale engineering design problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pixel prediction is an important issue in the field of reversible data hiding. Neural networks are gradually used to improve the accuracy of pixel prediction owing to their excellent performance. However, current neural network-based pixel predictors are designed for natural images and do not consider the characteristics of medical images. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a dual-branch neural network-based reversible data hiding scheme for medical images. Detailedly, considering the characteristics of medical images, in which complex and smooth regions are more clearly distinguished, we present a clustering method to classify pixels into three classes according to their complexities, and generate masks to assist pixel prediction. Then, in the prediction stage, a dual-branch neural network-based pixel predictor is designed to extract unique and shared features, and a convolutional block attention module is used to optimize the extracted features. Finally, in the embedding stage, considering the characteristics of region of interest (ROI) and region of non-interest (NROI) in medical images, we design a class-based embedding algorithm, which can prioritize embedding data into NROI with low complexity and then sequentially into low texture complexity region and high texture complexity region of ROI. Experimental results show that our scheme can achieve better performance of pixel prediction and data embedding than existing state-of-the-art works. • A novel neural network-based PEE-RDH scheme for medical images is proposed. • We design an efficient neural network-based pixel predictor to obtain sharper PEH. • A class-based embedding strategy is exploited to reduce ROI distortion. • Unique features of different classes of pixels are considered in feature extraction. • Our scheme achieves better prediction accuracy and embedding performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• RFM generates multiple feature subsets by random feature mapping for stabilizing. • RFM enhances classification effect by fusing results of multiple feature subsets. • RFM assigns optimal weights to different weak classifiers by AdaBoost algorithm. • RFM processes datasets of different dimensions and distribution adaptively. The feature mapping method can improve data separability, enhance data representation ability, and reduce data processing complexity. However, on the one hand, the existing feature mapping methods have difficulty processing datasets of different dimensions and distributions adaptively, limiting the scope of application; on the other hand, a single feature mapping method has the problem of instability and poor generalization ability, weakening the classification ability of subsequent classifiers. This paper proposes a random feature mapping method based on the AdaBoost algorithm and results fusion to enhance classification performance. The method adopts horizontal expansion, fine-tuning weights through sparse autoencoders, and uses input-mapped features as feature nodes to generate multiple feature subsets for increasing stability. After training weak classifiers on each multiple feature subset, the weights of classifiers are adjusted adaptively by the Adaboost ensemble algorithm. Finally, the method fuses weak classifiers twice to enhance classification performance, which abandons the traditional voting method and uses the weighted probability selection method. Experiments on twenty classic datasets show that the proposed method can effectively mine essential features and enhance classification accuracy compared with original datasets. For instance, the Balance dataset has an average classification accuracy of more than 20% higher than the original dataset on the KNN classifier. The proposed method outperforms alternative feature mapping methods in terms of performance and efficiency on different classifiers in most cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to outstanding representation abilities, deep neural networks (DNNs) have recently been extensively studied and attracted increasing attention in virtual sensing of key industrial variables. Although various learning algorithms have been developed to train the DNNs, the complexities of industrial data, such as scarcity of labeled samples, inevitable measurement noise, and multi-modality, may prevent the DNNs from achieving the best performance. This paper aims to deal with the limitations of the DNNs in an alternative way, by fully exploiting the potentials of shallow NNs. Specifically, a Bayesian model structure of a semi-supervised mixture of multiple single-hidden layer NNs (BSsMSLNN), each of which serves as an expert for a local region, is first proposed. Then, a variational inference- and gradient ascent-based training algorithm is developed, which allows parameter learning and mode identification to be completed in a unified framework. The performance of the BSsMSLNN is evaluated using both synthetic and real industrial cases for virtual sensing, demonstrating the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed schemes. • A novel model BSsMSLNN is proposed, exploiting full potentials of shallow networks. • A unified training framework based on VI and SGD is developed for the BSsMSLNN. • Thorough performance evaluations show the superiorities of the BSsMSLNN over DNNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy-Preserving Deep Learning (PPDL) has been successfully applied in the inference phase to preserve the privacy of input data. However, PPDL models are vulnerable to model extraction attacks, in which an adversary attempts to steal the trained model itself. In this paper, we propose a new defense method against model extraction attacks that is specifically designed for PPDL based on secure multi-party computations and homomorphic encryption. The proposed method confounds inference queries for out-of-distribution data by using a fake network with the target network while optimizing computational efficiency for PPDL environments. Furthermore, we introduce Wasserstein regularization to ensure that the fake network's output distribution is indistinguishable from the target network, thwarting adversaries' attempts to discern any discrepancies within the PPDL framework. The experimental results demonstrate that our defense method attains a good accuracy-security trade-off and is effective against a wide range of attacks, including adaptive attacks and transfer attacks. Our work contributes to the field of PPDL by providing an extended perspective to improve the algorithm's security and reliability beyond privacy. • We develop a novel model extraction defense method for PPDL using secure computations. • Our method enables privacy-preserving inference against malicious clients. • Our method incorporates Wasserstein regularization to obfuscate adaptive adversaries. • This regularization helps obfuscate adversaries who are aware of our defense strategy. • We show the effectiveness of the proposed method via the accuracy-security trade-off. • Our method also attains resistance to adaptive attacks and adversarial robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]