58,100 results on '"Akram, A."'
Search Results
2. Octupolar vortex crystal and toroidal moment in twisted bilayer MnPSe$_3$
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Akram, Muhammad, Yang, Fan, Birol, Turan, and Erten, Onur
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Condensed Matter - Strongly Correlated Electrons ,Condensed Matter - Materials Science - Abstract
Experimental detection of antiferromagnetic order in two-dimensional materials is a challenging task due to the absence of net dipole moments. Identifying multi-domain antiferromagnetic textures via the current techniques is even more difficult. In order to address this challenge, we investigate the higher order multipole moments in twisted bilayer MnPSe$_3$. While the monolayers of MnPSe$_3$ exhibit in-plane N\'eel antiferromagnetic order, our atomistic simulations indicate that the moir\'e superlattices display a two-domain phase on each layer. We show that the octupolar moments $M_{33}^+$ and $M_{33}^-$ are significant in this multi-domain phase at the domain walls. In addition, when $[M_{33}^+,M_{33}^-]$ are represented by the $x$ and $y$ components of a vector, the resultant pattern of these octupole moments winds around the antiferromagnetic domains and forms to vortex crystals which leads to octupolar toroidal moments, $T_{xyz}$ and $T_{z}^{\beta}$. $T_{xyz}$ and $T_{z}^{\beta}$ can give rise to a magnetoelectric effect and gyrotropic birefringence that may provide indirect ways of detecting multi-domain antiferromagnetic order. Our results highlight the importance of higher-order multipole moments for identification of complex spin textures in moir\'e magnets., Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures
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- 2024
3. Top-k Stabbing Interval Queries
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Akram, Waseem and Saxena, Sanjeev
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Computer Science - Data Structures and Algorithms ,Computer Science - Computational Geometry - Abstract
We investigate a weighted variant of the interval stabbing problem, where the goal is to design an efficient data structure for a given set $\mathcal{I}$ of weighted intervals such that, for a query point $q$ and an integer $k>0$, we can report the $k$ intervals with largest weights among those stabbed by $q$. In this paper, we present a linear space solution with $O(\log n + k)$ query time. Moreover, we also present another trade-off for the problem.
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- 2024
4. UAV-based detection of landmines using infrared thermography
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Butt, Muhammad Umair Akram, Naveed, Zaighum, and Javed, Usama
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Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Image and Video Processing - Abstract
Landmines remain a pervasive threat in conflict-affected regions worldwide, exacting a toll on innocent lives. Shockingly, every 95 minutes, another individual becomes a victim of these lethal explosive devices (Landmines Monitor 2022 2022), with a significant proportion being innocent civilians. Current methods for landmine detection suffer from inefficiency, high costs, and risks to the operator and system integrity. In this paper, we present a novel, efficient, safe, and cost-effective approach to unearth these hidden dangers. Our proposed method integrates an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a thermal camera to capture high-resolution images of minefields. These images are subsequently transmitted to a base computer, where a state-of-the-art image processing algorithm is applied to identify the presence of landmines. Notably, our solution performs exceptionally well, particularly during evening hours, achieving an impressive detection accuracy of nearly 88%. These results exhibit great promise when compared to existing methods constrained by their design limitations., Comment: Accepted for publication in "Int. J. Computational Vision and Robotics"
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- 2024
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5. Weight decay induces low-rank attention layers
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Kobayashi, Seijin, Akram, Yassir, and Von Oswald, Johannes
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Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
The effect of regularizers such as weight decay when training deep neural networks is not well understood. We study the influence of weight decay as well as $L2$-regularization when training neural network models in which parameter matrices interact multiplicatively. This combination is of particular interest as this parametrization is common in attention layers, the workhorse of transformers. Here, key-query, as well as value-projection parameter matrices, are multiplied directly with each other: $W_K^TW_Q$ and $PW_V$. We extend previous results and show on one hand that any local minimum of a $L2$-regularized loss of the form $L(AB^\top) + \lambda (\|A\|^2 + \|B\|^2)$ coincides with a minimum of the nuclear norm-regularized loss $L(AB^\top) + \lambda\|AB^\top\|_*$, and on the other hand that the 2 losses become identical exponentially quickly during training. We thus complement existing works linking $L2$-regularization with low-rank regularization, and in particular, explain why such regularization on the matrix product affects early stages of training. Based on these theoretical insights, we verify empirically that the key-query and value-projection matrix products $W_K^TW_Q, PW_V$ within attention layers, when optimized with weight decay, as usually done in vision tasks and language modelling, indeed induce a significant reduction in the rank of $W_K^TW_Q$ and $PW_V$, even in fully online training. We find that, in accordance with existing work, inducing low rank in attention matrix products can damage language model performance, and observe advantages when decoupling weight decay in attention layers from the rest of the parameters.
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- 2024
6. Multi-Modal Transformer and Reinforcement Learning-based Beam Management
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Ghassemi, Mohammad, Zhang, Han, Afana, Ali, Sediq, Akram Bin, and Erol-Kantarci, Melike
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Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Signal Processing ,Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence - Abstract
Beam management is an important technique to improve signal strength and reduce interference in wireless communication systems. Recently, there has been increasing interest in using diverse sensing modalities for beam management. However, it remains a big challenge to process multi-modal data efficiently and extract useful information. On the other hand, the recently emerging multi-modal transformer (MMT) is a promising technique that can process multi-modal data by capturing long-range dependencies. While MMT is highly effective in handling multi-modal data and providing robust beam management, integrating reinforcement learning (RL) further enhances their adaptability in dynamic environments. In this work, we propose a two-step beam management method by combining MMT with RL for dynamic beam index prediction. In the first step, we divide available beam indices into several groups and leverage MMT to process diverse data modalities to predict the optimal beam group. In the second step, we employ RL for fast beam decision-making within each group, which in return maximizes throughput. Our proposed framework is tested on a 6G dataset. In this testing scenario, it achieves higher beam prediction accuracy and system throughput compared to both the MMT-only based method and the RL-only based method., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, IEEE Networking Letters
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- 2024
7. Can Transformers In-Context Learn Behavior of a Linear Dynamical System?
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Akram, Usman and Vikalo, Haris
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Computer Science - Machine Learning ,Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Systems and Control - Abstract
We investigate whether transformers can learn to track a random process when given observations of a related process and parameters of the dynamical system that relates them as context. More specifically, we consider a finite-dimensional state-space model described by the state transition matrix $F$, measurement matrices $h_1, \dots, h_N$, and the process and measurement noise covariance matrices $Q$ and $R$, respectively; these parameters, randomly sampled, are provided to the transformer along with the observations $y_1,\dots,y_N$ generated by the corresponding linear dynamical system. We argue that in such settings transformers learn to approximate the celebrated Kalman filter, and empirically verify this both for the task of estimating hidden states $\hat{x}_{N|1,2,3,...,N}$ as well as for one-step prediction of the $(N+1)^{st}$ observation, $\hat{y}_{N+1|1,2,3,...,N}$. A further study of the transformer's robustness reveals that its performance is retained even if the model's parameters are partially withheld. In particular, we demonstrate that the transformer remains accurate at the considered task even in the absence of state transition and noise covariance matrices, effectively emulating operations of the Dual-Kalman filter.
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- 2024
8. Origin of the metal-rich vs. metal-poor globular clusters dichotomies in the Milky Way: A sign of low black hole natal kicks
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Rostami-Shirazi, Ali, Zonoozi, Akram Hasani, Haghi, Hosein, and Rabiee, Malihe
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Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies - Abstract
The bimodal metallicity distribution of globular clusters (GCs) in massive galaxies implies two distinct sub-populations: metal-poor and metal-rich. Using the recent data of \textit{Gaia} we highlighted three distinct dissimilarities between metal-poor and metal-rich GCs in the Milky Way (MW). Half-mass (light) radii of metal-poor GCs exhibit, on average, $\simeq 52 \pm$5 ($60 \pm$3) per cent more expansion than metal-rich ones. Furthermore, the lack of metal-poor GCs at low Galactocentric distances ($R_\mathrm{G}$) follows a triangular pattern in $R_\mathrm{G}$-[Fe/H] space, indicating that GCs with lower metallicities appear further away from the Galactic center. Metal-poor GCs are more susceptible to destruction by the tidal field in the inner part of the MW. We perform a series of \Nbody simulations of star clusters, to study the impact of the BHs' natal kicks on the long-term evolution of low- and high-metallicity GCs to explain these observational aspects. We found that the retention of BHs inside the cluster is crucial to reproducing the observed dissimilarities. The heavier and less expanded BH sub-system (BHSub) in metal-poor clusters leads to more intense few-body encounters, injecting more kinetic energy into the stellar population. Consequently, they experience larger expansion and higher evaporation rates rather than metal-rich clusters. The higher energy production within the BHSub of metal-poor GCs causes them to dissolve before a Hubble time near the Galactic center, leading to a triangular pattern in $R_\mathrm{G}$-[Fe/H] space., Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
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- 2024
9. Fine-Tuning LLMs for Reliable Medical Question-Answering Services
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Anaissi, Ali, Braytee, Ali, and Akram, Junaid
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Computer Science - Computation and Language ,Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence - Abstract
We present an advanced approach to medical question-answering (QA) services, using fine-tuned Large Language Models (LLMs) to improve the accuracy and reliability of healthcare information. Our study focuses on optimizing models like LLaMA-2 and Mistral, which have shown great promise in delivering precise, reliable medical answers. By leveraging comprehensive datasets, we applied fine-tuning techniques such as rsDoRA+ and ReRAG. rsDoRA+ enhances model performance through a combination of decomposed model weights, varied learning rates for low-rank matrices, and rank stabilization, leading to improved efficiency. ReRAG, which integrates retrieval on demand and question rewriting, further refines the accuracy of the responses. This approach enables healthcare providers to access fast, dependable information, aiding in more efficient decision-making and fostering greater patient trust. Our work highlights the potential of fine-tuned LLMs to significantly improve the quality and accessibility of medical information services, ultimately contributing to better healthcare outcomes for all., Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, accepted and to be published in the proceedings of 2024 IEEE International Conference on Data Mining Workshops (ICDMW)
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- 2024
10. Expected Sliced Transport Plans
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Liu, Xinran, Martín, Rocío Díaz, Bai, Yikun, Shahbazi, Ashkan, Thorpe, Matthew, Aldroubi, Akram, and Kolouri, Soheil
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Computer Science - Machine Learning ,Mathematics - Metric Geometry - Abstract
The optimal transport (OT) problem has gained significant traction in modern machine learning for its ability to: (1) provide versatile metrics, such as Wasserstein distances and their variants, and (2) determine optimal couplings between probability measures. To reduce the computational complexity of OT solvers, methods like entropic regularization and sliced optimal transport have been proposed. The sliced OT framework improves efficiency by comparing one-dimensional projections (slices) of high-dimensional distributions. However, despite their computational efficiency, sliced-Wasserstein approaches lack a transportation plan between the input measures, limiting their use in scenarios requiring explicit coupling. In this paper, we address two key questions: Can a transportation plan be constructed between two probability measures using the sliced transport framework? If so, can this plan be used to define a metric between the measures? We propose a "lifting" operation to extend one-dimensional optimal transport plans back to the original space of the measures. By computing the expectation of these lifted plans, we derive a new transportation plan, termed expected sliced transport (EST) plans. We prove that using the EST plan to weight the sum of the individual Euclidean costs for moving from one point to another results in a valid metric between the input discrete probability measures. We demonstrate the connection between our approach and the recently proposed min-SWGG, along with illustrative numerical examples that support our theoretical findings.
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- 2024
11. Optimized Biomedical Question-Answering Services with LLM and Multi-BERT Integration
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Qian, Cheng, Shi, Xianglong, Yao, Shanshan, Liu, Yichen, Zhou, Fengming, Zhang, Zishu, Akram, Junaid, Braytee, Ali, and Anaissi, Ali
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Computer Science - Computation and Language ,Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence - Abstract
We present a refined approach to biomedical question-answering (QA) services by integrating large language models (LLMs) with Multi-BERT configurations. By enhancing the ability to process and prioritize vast amounts of complex biomedical data, this system aims to support healthcare professionals in delivering better patient outcomes and informed decision-making. Through innovative use of BERT and BioBERT models, combined with a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) layer, we enable more specialized and efficient responses to the growing demands of the healthcare sector. Our approach not only addresses the challenge of overfitting by freezing one BERT model while training another but also improves the overall adaptability of QA services. The use of extensive datasets, such as BioASQ and BioMRC, demonstrates the system's ability to synthesize critical information. This work highlights how advanced language models can make a tangible difference in healthcare, providing reliable and responsive tools for professionals to manage complex information, ultimately serving the broader goal of improved care and data-driven insights., Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, accepted and to be published in the proceedings of 2024 IEEE International Conference on Data Mining Workshops (ICDMW)
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- 2024
12. Has the Palomar 14 globular cluster been captured by the Milky Way?
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Zonoozi, Akram Hasani, Rabiee, Maliheh, Haghi, Hosein, and Kroupa, Pavel
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Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies - Abstract
We examine a new scenario to model the outer halo globular cluster (GC) Pal 14 over its lifetime by performing a comprehensive set of direct N-body calculations. We assume Pal 14 was born in a now detached/disrupted dwarf galaxy with a strong tidal field. Pal 14 evolved there until the slope of the stellar mass function (MF) became close to the measured value which is observed to be significantly shallower than in most GCs. After about 2-3 Gyr, Pal 14 was then captured by the Milky Way (MW). Although the physical size of such a cluster is indistinguishable from a cluster that has lived its entire life in the MW, other parameters like its mass and the MF-slope, strongly depend on the time the cluster is taken from the dwarf galaxy. After being captured by the MW on a new orbit, the cluster expands and eventually reaches the appropriate mass and size of Pal 14 after 11.5 Gyr while reproducing the observed MF. These simulations thus suggest that Pal 14 may have formed in a dwarf galaxy with a post-gas-expulsion initial half-mass radius and mass of $r_h=7$ pc and $8
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- 2024
13. A Blockchain-Enhanced Framework for Privacy and Data Integrity in Crowdsourced Drone Services
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Akram, Junaid and Anaissi, Ali
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Computer Science - Cryptography and Security - Abstract
We present an innovative framework that integrates consumer-grade drones into bushfire management, addressing both service improvement and data privacy concerns under Australia's Privacy Act 1988. This system establishes a marketplace where bushfire management authorities, as data consumers, access critical information from drone operators, who serve as data providers. The framework employs local differential privacy to safeguard the privacy of data providers from all system entities, ensuring compliance with privacy standards. Additionally, a blockchain-based solution facilitates fair data and fee exchanges while maintaining immutable records for enhanced accountability. Validated through a proof-of-concept implementation, the framework's scalability and adaptability make it well-suited for large-scale, real-world applications in bushfire management., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, accepted and to be published in the proceedings of 22nd International Conference on Service-Oriented Computing (ICSOC 2024)
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- 2024
14. HATFormer: Historic Handwritten Arabic Text Recognition with Transformers
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Chan, Adrian, Mijar, Anupam, Saeed, Mehreen, Wong, Chau-Wai, and Khater, Akram
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Computer Science - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ,Computer Science - Computation and Language ,Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
Arabic handwritten text recognition (HTR) is challenging, especially for historical texts, due to diverse writing styles and the intrinsic features of Arabic script. Additionally, Arabic handwriting datasets are smaller compared to English ones, making it difficult to train generalizable Arabic HTR models. To address these challenges, we propose HATFormer, a transformer-based encoder-decoder architecture that builds on a state-of-the-art English HTR model. By leveraging the transformer's attention mechanism, HATFormer captures spatial contextual information to address the intrinsic challenges of Arabic script through differentiating cursive characters, decomposing visual representations, and identifying diacritics. Our customization to historical handwritten Arabic includes an image processor for effective ViT information preprocessing, a text tokenizer for compact Arabic text representation, and a training pipeline that accounts for a limited amount of historic Arabic handwriting data. HATFormer achieves a character error rate (CER) of 8.6% on the largest public historical handwritten Arabic dataset, with a 51% improvement over the best baseline in the literature. HATFormer also attains a comparable CER of 4.2% on the largest private non-historical dataset. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of adapting an English HTR method to a low-resource language with complex, language-specific challenges, contributing to advancements in document digitization, information retrieval, and cultural preservation.
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- 2024
15. A combined Quantum Monte Carlo and DFT study of the strain response and magnetic properties of two-dimensional (2D) 1T-VSe$_2$ with charge density wave
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Wines, Daniel, Ibrahim, Akram, Gudibandla, Nishwanth, Adel, Tehseen, Abel, Frank M., Jois, Sharadh, Saritas, Kayahan, Krogel, Jaron T., Yin, Li, Berlijn, Tom, Hanbicki, Aubrey T., Stephen, Gregory M., Friedman, Adam L., Krylyuk, Sergiy, Davydov, Albert, Donovan, Brian, Jamer, Michelle E., Walker, Angela R. Hight, Choudhary, Kamal, Tavazza, Francesca, and Ataca, Can
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Condensed Matter - Materials Science ,Condensed Matter - Strongly Correlated Electrons - Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) 1T-VSe$_2$ has prompted significant interest due to the discrepancies regarding alleged ferromagnetism (FM) at room temperature, charge density wave (CDW) states and the interplay between the two. We employed a combined Diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) and density functional theory (DFT) approach to accurately investigate the magnetic properties and response of strain of monolayer 1T-VSe$_2$. Our calculations show the delicate competition between various phases, revealing critical insights into the relationship between their energetic and structural properties. We went on to perform Classical Monte Carlo simulations informed by our DMC and DFT results, and found the magnetic transition temperature ($T_c$) of the undistorted (non-CDW) FM phase to be 228 K and the distorted (CDW) phase to be 68 K. Additionally, we studied the response of biaxial strain on the energetic stability and magnetic properties of various phases of 2D 1T-VSe$_2$ and found that small amounts of strain can enhance the $T_c$, suggesting a promising route for engineering and enhancing magnetic behavior. Finally, we synthesized 1T-VSe$_2$ and performed Raman spectroscopy measurements, which were in close agreement with our calculated results. Our work emphasizes the role of highly accurate DMC methods in advancing the understanding of monolayer 1T-VSe$_2$ and provides a robust framework for future studies of 2D magnetic materials.
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- 2024
16. The formation and evolution of dark star clusters II: The impact of primordial mass segregation
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Ghasemi, S. Mojtaba, Rostami-Shirazi, Ali, Khalaj, Pouria, Zonoozi, Akram Hasani, and Haghi, Hosein
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Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies - Abstract
We investigate the impact of primordial mass segregation on the formation and evolution of dark star clusters (DSCs). Considering a wide range of initial conditions, we conducted $N$-body simulations of globular clusters (GCs) around the Milky Way. In particular, we assume a canonical IMF for all GCs without natal kicks for supernovae remnants, namely neutron stars or black holes. Our results demonstrate that clusters with larger degrees of primordial mass segregation reach their DSC phase earlier and spend a larger fraction of their dissolution time in such a phase, compared to clusters without mass segregation. In primordially segregated clusters, the maximum Galactocentric distance that the clusters can have to enter the DSC phase is almost twice that of the clusters without primordial mass segregation. Primordially segregated clusters evolve with a higher number of stellar mass black holes, accelerating energy creation in their central regions and consequently increasing evaporation rates and cluster sizes during dark phases. The simulations reveal that aggregating heavy components at the centre doubles the time spent in the dark phase. Additionally, the study identifies potential links between simulated dark clusters and initial conditions of Milky Way globular clusters, suggesting some may transition to dark phases before dissolution. Higher primordial mass segregation coefficients amplify the average binary black hole formation rate by 2.5 times, raising higher expectations for gravitational wave emissions., Comment: 10 pages, 7 Figures, 1 Table, Accepted for publication in MNRAS
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- 2024
17. Automatic Classification of White Blood Cell Images using Convolutional Neural Network
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Asghar, Rabia, Shaukat, Arslan, Akram, Usman, and Tariq, Rimsha
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Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Image and Video Processing ,Computer Science - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ,Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
Human immune system contains white blood cells (WBC) that are good indicator of many diseases like bacterial infections, AIDS, cancer, spleen, etc. White blood cells have been sub classified into four types: monocytes, lymphocytes, eosinophils and neutrophils on the basis of their nucleus, shape and cytoplasm. Traditionally in laboratories, pathologists and hematologists analyze these blood cells through microscope and then classify them manually. This manual process takes more time and increases the chance of human error. Hence, there is a need to automate this process. In this paper, first we have used different CNN pre-train models such as ResNet-50, InceptionV3, VGG16 and MobileNetV2 to automatically classify the white blood cells. These pre-train models are applied on Kaggle dataset of microscopic images. Although we achieved reasonable accuracy ranging between 92 to 95%, still there is need to enhance the performance. Hence, inspired by these architectures, a framework has been proposed to automatically categorize the four kinds of white blood cells with increased accuracy. The aim is to develop a convolution neural network (CNN) based classification system with decent generalization ability. The proposed CNN model has been tested on white blood cells images from Kaggle and LISC datasets. Accuracy achieved is 99.57% and 98.67% for both datasets respectively. Our proposed convolutional neural network-based model provides competitive performance as compared to previous results reported in literature.
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- 2024
18. The role of higher-order terms in trapped-ion quantum computing with magnetic gradient induced coupling
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Nagies, Sebastian, Geier, Kevin T., Akram, Javed, Okamoto, Junichi, Badounas, Dimitris, Wunderlich, Christof, Johanning, Michael, and Hauke, Philipp
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Quantum Physics - Abstract
Trapped-ion hardware based on the Magnetic Gradient Induced Coupling (MAGIC) scheme is emerging as a promising platform for quantum computing. Nevertheless, in this (as in any other) quantum-computing platform, many technical questions still have to be resolved before large-scale and error-tolerant applications are possible. In this work, we present a thorough discussion of the contribution of higher-order terms to the MAGIC setup, which can occur due to anharmonicities in the external potential of the ion crystal (e.g., through Coulomb repulsion) or through curvature of the applied magnetic field. These terms take the form of three-spin couplings as well as diverse terms that couple spins to phonons. We find that most of these are negligible in realistic situations, with only two contributions that need careful attention. First, there are parasitic longitudinal fields whose strength increases with chain length, but which can easily be compensated by a microwave detuning. Second, anharmonicities of the Coulomb interaction can lead to well-known two-to-one conversions of phonon excitations, which can be avoided if the phonons are ground-state cooled. Our detailed analysis constitutes an important contribution on the way of making magnetic-gradient trapped-ion quantum technology fit for large-scale applications, and it may inspire new ways to purposefully design interaction terms., Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures
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- 2024
19. jina-embeddings-v3: Multilingual Embeddings With Task LoRA
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Sturua, Saba, Mohr, Isabelle, Akram, Mohammad Kalim, Günther, Michael, Wang, Bo, Krimmel, Markus, Wang, Feng, Mastrapas, Georgios, Koukounas, Andreas, Wang, Nan, and Xiao, Han
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Computer Science - Computation and Language ,Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence ,Computer Science - Information Retrieval ,68T50 ,I.2.7 - Abstract
We introduce jina-embeddings-v3, a novel text embedding model with 570 million parameters, achieves state-of-the-art performance on multilingual data and long-context retrieval tasks, supporting context lengths of up to 8192 tokens. The model includes a set of task-specific Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) adapters to generate high-quality embeddings for query-document retrieval, clustering, classification, and text matching. Evaluation on the MTEB benchmark shows that jina-embeddings-v3 outperforms the latest proprietary embeddings from OpenAI and Cohere on English tasks, while achieving superior performance compared to multilingual-e5-large-instruct across all multilingual tasks. With a default output dimension of 1024, users can flexibly reduce the embedding dimensions to as low as 32 without compromising performance, enabled by Matryoshka Representation Learning., Comment: 20 pages, pp11-13 references, pp14-20 appendix and experiment tables
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- 2024
20. Robotic Ad-Hoc Networks
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Silaghi, Marius, Alawaji, Khulud, Alghamdi, Mohammed, Alghanmi, Akram, and Alsulami, Ameerah
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Computer Science - Robotics ,Computer Science - Networking and Internet Architecture - Abstract
Practical robotic adhoc networks (RANETs), a type of mobile wireless adhoc networks (WANETs) supporting the WiFi-Direct modes common in internet of things and phone devices, is proposed based on a strategy of exploiting WiFi-Direct connection modes to overcome hardware restrictions. For a certain period of time the community was enthusiastic about the endless opportunities in fair, robust, efficient, and cheap communication created by the Adhoc mode of the WiFi IEEE 802.11 independent basic service set (IBSS) configuration that required no dedicated access points. The mode was a main enabler of wireless Adhoc networks (WANETS). This communication mode unfortunately did not get into the standard network cards present in IoT and mobile phones, likely due to the high energy consumption it exacts. Rather, such devices implement WiFi-Direct which is designed for star topologies. Several attempts were made to overcame the restriction and support WANETs, but they break at least the fairness and symmetry property, thereby reducing applicability. Here we show a solution for fair RANETs and evaluate the behavior of various strategies using simulations., Comment: Presented at the FCRAR 24 conference in May 2024 (Florida Conference on Recent Advances in Robotics)
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- 2024
21. Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Students' Behavioral Intentions and Attitudes
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Dongmin Ma, Huma Akram, and I-Hua Chen
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Artificial intelligence (AI) has undergone considerable advancement in the contemporary period and represents an emerging technology in higher education. Cultural contexts significantly shape individuals' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, particularly in the realm of technology acceptance. By adopting a cross-cultural lens, this research explores the potential variations across Chinese and international students from diverse countries in terms of attitudes and their behavioral intentions toward AI use. With a technology acceptance model (TAM) framework, the research used a survey approach, employing questionnaires as the primary means of data collection. The data were then analyzed through structural equation modeling and descriptive statistics. A substantial discrepancy was found in the prevalence, attitudes, and behavioral intentions toward AI use between Chinese and international students. Findings further revealed a stronger effect of perceived ease of use on both attitudes and behavioral intentions among international students compared with their Chinese counterparts. Findings suggest that cultural backgrounds and prior technological exposure play intricate roles in shaping perceptions of AI technology. The study emphasizes the need for tailored educational strategies to regulate diverse cultural perspectives, provide language-specific support, and ensure user-friendly interfaces. These insights contribute to the evolving discourse on technology acceptance in higher education and offer practical implications for educators and institutions toward optimizing AI integration in pedagogical practices.
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- 2024
22. Perceptions of Faculty Members on Using Moodle as a Learning Management System in Distance Education
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Akram Mahmoud Alomari
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In order to understand how faculty members, feel about using Moodle as a learning management system (LMS) tool for teaching and learning in Jordanian universities, a mixed-methods study was conducted. Surveys and interviews were used to gather the data. 270 professors from three Jordanian universities took part in the study. The results show that while the participating faculty members thought using Moodle in instruction was a useful teaching tool, they weren't happy with it. The Internet crisis, interaction, the need for education for electronic platforms, online tests, and self-regulation were among the difficulties mentioned by these participants. The potential use of Moodle in education is encouraged through pedagogical implication. In conclusion, the implementation of the Moodle system for distance learning has been very remarkable in recent years. The effectiveness of its use depends on the active involvement of business managers and the willingness of teachers to adopt e-learning. By addressing the challenges ahead and providing incentives for faculty, universities can ensure success and use of the system. As the use of the Moodle LMS continues to grow, it is important to focus on the development of the tool and provide ongoing support to improve its effectiveness and impact on distance education.
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- 2024
23. Enhancing Student Performance Prediction via Educational Data Mining on Academic Data
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Zareen Alamgir, Habiba Akram, Saira Karim, and Aamir Wali
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Educational data mining is widely deployed to extract valuable information and patterns from academic data. This research explores new features that can help predict the future performance of undergraduate students and identify at-risk students early on. It answers some crucial and intuitive questions that are not addressed by previous studies. Most of the existing research is conducted on data from 2-3 years in an absolute grading scheme. We examined the effects of historical academic data of 15 years on predictive modelling. Additionally, we explore the performance of undergraduate students in a relative grading scheme and examine the effects of grades in core courses and initial semesters on future performances. As a pilot study, we analyzed the academic performance of Computer Science university students. Many exciting discoveries were made; the duration and size of the historical data play a significant role in predicting future performance, mainly due to changes in curriculum, faculty, society, and evolving trends. Furthermore, predicting grades in advanced courses based on initial pre-requisite courses is challenging in a relative grading scheme, as students' performance depends not only on their efforts but also on their peers. In short, educational data mining can come to the rescue by uncovering valuable insights from academic data to predict future performances and identify the critical areas that need significant improvement.
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- 2024
24. Comparative evaluation of machine learning algorithms for rainfall prediction to improve rice crops production
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Akram, Beenish Ayesha, Zafar, Amna, Waheed, Talha, Khurshid, Khaldoon, and Mahmoood, Tayyeb
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- 2024
25. An Investigation about Creative and Critical Thinking Skills of Prospective Teachers: A Preliminary Study
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Maimoona Naeem and Rizwan Akram Rana
- Abstract
This preliminary study was designed to probe the prevalence of two main 21st century higher order thinking skills which are creative and critical thinking skills. The sole objective of the study was to examine the perception regarding the current level of creative and critical thinking skills among prospective teachers. All terminal semesters' prospective teachers of public universities of the province Punjab from B.Ed. Honors and B.Ed. (1.5) were population of the study. The sample of the study was consisted of 311 prospective teachers of terminal semesters from two programs i.e. B.Ed. (1.5) and B.Ed. Honors. The convenient sampling technique was used to collect the data from five public sector universities. The instrument was a self-assessment scale based on two main higher-order thinking skills. Creative thinking skills were constructed on eight sub-factors and critical thinking skills on six sub-factors. Two instruments Creative Process Assessment Scale (CPAS), English and Urdu version by Schuler & Görlich (2007) and Critical Thinking Self-assessment Scale (CTSAS) short form by Payan et al., 2022 were adapted and merged for construction of a single self-assessment seven point likert-scale. The quantitative survey research was applied. The descriptive statistics were used to run the analysis. The study concluded the dominance of perception as low level of creative and critical thinking skills among prospective teachers.
- Published
- 2023
26. Substitution of a single non-coding nucleotide upstream of TMEM216 causes non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa and is associated with reduced TMEM216 expression
- Author
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Malka, Samantha, Biswas, Pooja, Berry, Anne-Marie, Sangermano, Riccardo, Ullah, Mukhtar, Lin, Siying, D’Antonio, Matteo, Jestin, Aleksandr, Jiao, Xiaodong, Quinodoz, Mathieu, Sullivan, Lori, Gardner, Jessica C, Place, Emily M, Michaelides, Michel, Kaminska, Karolina, Mahroo, Omar A, Schiff, Elena, Wright, Genevieve, Cancellieri, Francesca, Vaclavik, Veronika, Santos, Cristina, Rehman, Atta Ur, Mehrotra, Sudeep, Baig, Hafiz Muhammad Azhar, Iqbal, Muhammad, Ansar, Muhammad, Santos, Luisa Coutinho, Sousa, Ana Berta, Tran, Viet H, Matsui, Hiroko, Bhatia, Anjana, Naeem, Muhammad Asif, Akram, Shehla J, Akram, Javed, Riazuddin, Ayuso, Carmen, Pierce, Eric A, Hardcastle, Alison J, Riazuddin, S Amer, Frazer, Kelly A, Hejtmancik, J Fielding, Rivolta, Carlo, Bujakowska, Kinga M, Arno, Gavin, Webster, Andrew R, and Ayyagari, Radha
- Subjects
Biological Sciences ,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology ,Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ,Genetics ,Neurodegenerative ,Rare Diseases ,Biotechnology ,Neurosciences ,Human Genome ,2.1 Biological and endogenous factors ,African ancestry ,South Asian ,ancestral allele ,ciliopathy ,equity of genetic testing ,ethnic genetic diversity ,gene expression ,non-coding genetic variation ,retinal dystrophy ,retinitis pigmentosa ,Medical and Health Sciences ,Genetics & Heredity ,Biological sciences ,Biomedical and clinical sciences ,Health sciences - Abstract
Genome analysis of individuals affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP) identified two rare nucleotide substitutions at the same genomic location on chromosome 11 (g.61392563 [GRCh38]), 69 base pairs upstream of the start codon of the ciliopathy gene TMEM216 (c.-69G>A, c.-69G>T [GenBank: NM_001173991.3]), in individuals of South Asian and African ancestry, respectively. Genotypes included 71 homozygotes and 3 mixed heterozygotes in trans with a predicted loss-of-function allele. Haplotype analysis showed single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) common across families, suggesting ancestral alleles within the two distinct ethnic populations. Clinical phenotype analysis of 62 available individuals from 49 families indicated a similar clinical presentation with night blindness in the first decade and progressive peripheral field loss thereafter. No evident systemic ciliopathy features were noted. Functional characterization of these variants by luciferase reporter gene assay showed reduced promotor activity. Nanopore sequencing confirmed the lower transcription of the TMEM216 c.-69G>T allele in blood-derived RNA from a heterozygous carrier, and reduced expression was further recapitulated by qPCR, using both leukocytes-derived RNA of c.-69G>T homozygotes and total RNA from genome-edited hTERT-RPE1 cells carrying homozygous TMEM216 c.-69G>A. In conclusion, these variants explain a significant proportion of unsolved cases, specifically in individuals of African ancestry, suggesting that reduced TMEM216 expression might lead to abnormal ciliogenesis and photoreceptor degeneration.
- Published
- 2024
27. Jina-ColBERT-v2: A General-Purpose Multilingual Late Interaction Retriever
- Author
-
Jha, Rohan, Wang, Bo, Günther, Michael, Mastrapas, Georgios, Sturua, Saba, Mohr, Isabelle, Koukounas, Andreas, Akram, Mohammad Kalim, Wang, Nan, and Xiao, Han
- Subjects
Computer Science - Information Retrieval ,Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence ,Computer Science - Computation and Language ,68T50 ,I.2.7 - Abstract
Multi-vector dense models, such as ColBERT, have proven highly effective in information retrieval. ColBERT's late interaction scoring approximates the joint query-document attention seen in cross-encoders while maintaining inference efficiency closer to traditional dense retrieval models, thanks to its bi-encoder architecture and recent optimizations in indexing and search. In this work we propose a number of incremental improvements to the ColBERT model architecture and training pipeline, using methods shown to work in the more mature single-vector embedding model training paradigm, particularly those that apply to heterogeneous multilingual data or boost efficiency with little tradeoff. Our new model, Jina-ColBERT-v2, demonstrates strong performance across a range of English and multilingual retrieval tasks., Comment: 8 pages, references at pp7,8; EMNLP workshop submission
- Published
- 2024
28. Contracting Self-similar Groups in Group-Based Cryptography
- Author
-
Kahrobaei, Delaram, Malik, Arsalan Akram, and Savchuk, Dmytro
- Subjects
Mathematics - Group Theory ,Computer Science - Cryptography and Security ,94A60, 20E08, 68W30 - Abstract
We propose self-similar contracting groups as a platform for cryptographic schemes based on simultaneous conjugacy search problem (SCSP). The class of these groups contains extraordinary examples like Grigorchuk group, which is known to be non-linear, thus making some of existing attacks against SCSP inapplicable. The groups in this class admit a natural normal form based on the notion of a nucleus portrait, that plays a key role in our approach. While for some groups in the class the conjugacy search problem has been studied, there are many groups for which no algorithms solving it are known. Moreover, there are some self-similar groups with undecidable conjugacy problem. We discuss benefits and drawbacks of using these groups in group-based cryptography and provide computational analysis of variants of the length-based attack on SCSP for some groups in the class, including Grigorchuk group, Basilica group, and others., Comment: 37 pages, 13 figures
- Published
- 2024
29. Long-Range Vision-Based UAV-assisted Localization for Unmanned Surface Vehicles
- Author
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Akram, Waseem, Yang, Siyuan, Kuang, Hailiang, He, Xiaoyu, Din, Muhayy Ud, Dong, Yihao, Lin, Defu, Seneviratne, Lakmal, He, Shaoming, and Hussain, Irfan
- Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics ,Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence - Abstract
The global positioning system (GPS) has become an indispensable navigation method for field operations with unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) in marine environments. However, GPS may not always be available outdoors because it is vulnerable to natural interference and malicious jamming attacks. Thus, an alternative navigation system is required when the use of GPS is restricted or prohibited. To this end, we present a novel method that utilizes an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to assist in localizing USVs in GNSS-restricted marine environments. In our approach, the UAV flies along the shoreline at a consistent altitude, continuously tracking and detecting the USV using a deep learning-based approach on camera images. Subsequently, triangulation techniques are applied to estimate the USV's position relative to the UAV, utilizing geometric information and datalink range from the UAV. We propose adjusting the UAV's camera angle based on the pixel error between the USV and the image center throughout the localization process to enhance accuracy. Additionally, visual measurements are integrated into an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) for robust state estimation. To validate our proposed method, we utilize a USV equipped with onboard sensors and a UAV equipped with a camera. A heterogeneous robotic interface is established to facilitate communication between the USV and UAV. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach through a series of experiments conducted during the ``Muhammad Bin Zayed International Robotic Challenge (MBZIRC-2024)'' in real marine environments, incorporating noisy measurements and ocean disturbances. The successful outcomes indicate the potential of our method to complement GPS for USV navigation.
- Published
- 2024
30. Effect of IBA concentration and water soaking on rooting hardwood cuttings of black mulberry (Morus nigra L.)
- Author
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Aziz, Rasul Rafiq, Mohammed, Aram Akram, Ahmad, Faraydwn Karim, and Ali, Ari Jamil
- Subjects
Quantitative Biology - Other Quantitative Biology - Abstract
The research was conducted at the College of Agricultural Sciences Engineering/University of Sulaimani/ Kurdistan Region-Iraqi to investigate effects of different concentrations of IBA (0, 3000, 4000 and 5000 ppm) and soaking in water for 24 hours on propagation black mulberry (Morus nigra L.) by hardwood cuttings. In this research the parameters of rooting percentage, root number, root length, sprout bud number, shoot length and shoot diameter were measured. Effect of individual factors showed that the highest rooting percentage (15%) was achieved in cuttings soaked in water for 24 hours, as well as improving other traits. Also, the best (23.33%) rooting was found in cuttings dipped in 4000 ppm IBA. Interaction effects of the two factors showed that cuttings treated with 4000 ppm IBA and soaked in water for 24 hours gave the highest (40%) rooting, and the highest other root and shoot traits were achieved in the same interaction as well.
- Published
- 2024
31. Learning Randomized Algorithms with Transformers
- Author
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von Oswald, Johannes, Kobayashi, Seijin, Akram, Yassir, and Steger, Angelika
- Subjects
Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
Randomization is a powerful tool that endows algorithms with remarkable properties. For instance, randomized algorithms excel in adversarial settings, often surpassing the worst-case performance of deterministic algorithms with large margins. Furthermore, their success probability can be amplified by simple strategies such as repetition and majority voting. In this paper, we enhance deep neural networks, in particular transformer models, with randomization. We demonstrate for the first time that randomized algorithms can be instilled in transformers through learning, in a purely data- and objective-driven manner. First, we analyze known adversarial objectives for which randomized algorithms offer a distinct advantage over deterministic ones. We then show that common optimization techniques, such as gradient descent or evolutionary strategies, can effectively learn transformer parameters that make use of the randomness provided to the model. To illustrate the broad applicability of randomization in empowering neural networks, we study three conceptual tasks: associative recall, graph coloring, and agents that explore grid worlds. In addition to demonstrating increased robustness against oblivious adversaries through learned randomization, our experiments reveal remarkable performance improvements due to the inherently random nature of the neural networks' computation and predictions.
- Published
- 2024
32. A Deep Features-Based Approach Using Modified ResNet50 and Gradient Boosting for Visual Sentiments Classification
- Author
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Arslan, Muhammad, Mubeen, Muhammad, Akram, Arslan, Abbasi, Saadullah Farooq, Ali, Muhammad Salman, and Tariq, Muhammad Usman
- Subjects
Computer Science - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ,Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
The versatile nature of Visual Sentiment Analysis (VSA) is one reason for its rising profile. It isn't easy to efficiently manage social media data with visual information since previous research has concentrated on Sentiment Analysis (SA) of single modalities, like textual. In addition, most visual sentiment studies need to adequately classify sentiment because they are mainly focused on simply merging modal attributes without investigating their intricate relationships. This prompted the suggestion of developing a fusion of deep learning and machine learning algorithms. In this research, a deep feature-based method for multiclass classification has been used to extract deep features from modified ResNet50. Furthermore, gradient boosting algorithm has been used to classify photos containing emotional content. The approach is thoroughly evaluated on two benchmarked datasets, CrowdFlower and GAPED. Finally, cutting-edge deep learning and machine learning models were used to compare the proposed strategy. When compared to state-of-the-art approaches, the proposed method demonstrates exceptional performance on the datasets presented., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, IEEE International Conference on Multimedia Information Processing and Retrieval (MIPR) 2024
- Published
- 2024
33. Periodic Source Detection in Discrete Dynamical Systems via space-time sampling
- Author
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Aldroubi, Akram, Cabrelli, Carlos, and Molter, Ursula
- Subjects
Mathematics - Classical Analysis and ODEs ,41A65, 43A70 - Abstract
In this paper, we examine a discrete dynamical system defined by x(n+1) = Ax(n)+ w(n), where x takes values in a Hilbert space H and w is a periodic source with values in a fixed closed subspace W of H. Our goal is to identify conditions on some spatial sampling system G = {gj: j in J} of H that enable stable recovery of the unknown source term w from space-time samples {
: n >=0,j in J}. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions on G = {g_j }_{j in J} to ensure stable recovery of any w in W . Additionally, we explicitly construct an operator R, dependent on G, such that R{ }_n,j} = w., Comment: 12 pages - Published
- 2024
34. Bordered Floer homology, handlebody detection, and compressing diffeomorphisms
- Author
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Alishahi, Akram and Lipshitz, Robert
- Subjects
Mathematics - Geometric Topology - Abstract
We show that, up to connected sums with integer homology $L$-spaces, bordered Floer homology detects handlebodies, as well as whether a mapping class extends over a given handlebody or compression body. Using this, we combine ideas of Casson-Long with the theory of train tracks to give an algorithm using bordered Floer homology to detect whether a mapping class extends over any compression body., Comment: 62 pages, 27 figures. V2: minor corrections to background
- Published
- 2024
35. Competing addition processes give distinct growth regimes in the assembly of 1D filaments
- Author
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Akram, Sk Ashif, Brown, Tyler, Whitelam, Stephen, Meisl, Georg, Knowles, Tuomas P. J., and Schmit, Jeremy D.
- Subjects
Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter - Abstract
We present a model to describe the concentration-dependent growth of protein filaments. Our model contains two states, a low entropy/high affinity ordered state and a high entropy/low affinity disordered state. Consistent with experiments, our model shows a diffusion-limited linear growth regime at low concentration, followed by a concentration independent plateau at intermediate concentrations, and rapid disordered precipitation at the highest concentrations. We show that growth in the linear and plateau regions is the result of two processes that compete amid the rapid binding and unbinding of non-specific states. The first process is the addition of ordered molecules during the periods where the end of the filament is free of incorrectly bound molecules. The second process is the capture of defects, which occurs when consecutive ordered additions occur on top of incorrectly bound molecules. We show that a key molecular property is the probability that a diffusive collision results in a correctly bound state. Small values of this probability suppress the defect capture growth mode, resulting in a plateau in the growth rate when incorrectly bound molecules become common enough to poison ordered growth. We show that conditions that non-specifically suppress or enhance intermolecular interactions, such as the addition of depletants or osmolytes, have opposite effects on the growth rate in the linear and plateau regimes. In the linear regime stronger interactions promote growth by reducing dissolution events, but in the plateau regime stronger interactions inhibit growth by stabilizing incorrectly bound molecules., Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures
- Published
- 2024
36. Attention is all you need for an improved CNN-based flash flood susceptibility modeling. The case of the ungauged Rheraya watershed, Morocco
- Author
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Elghouat, Akram, Algouti, Ahmed, Algouti, Abdellah, and Baid, Soukaina
- Subjects
Computer Science - Machine Learning ,Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence - Abstract
Effective flood hazard management requires evaluating and predicting flash flood susceptibility. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are commonly used for this task but face issues like gradient explosion and overfitting. This study explores the use of an attention mechanism, specifically the convolutional block attention module (CBAM), to enhance CNN models for flash flood susceptibility in the ungauged Rheraya watershed, a flood prone region. We used ResNet18, DenseNet121, and Xception as backbone architectures, integrating CBAM at different locations. Our dataset included 16 conditioning factors and 522 flash flood inventory points. Performance was evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC). Results showed that CBAM significantly improved model performance, with DenseNet121 incorporating CBAM in each convolutional block achieving the best results (accuracy = 0.95, AUC = 0.98). Distance to river and drainage density were identified as key factors. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the attention mechanism in improving flash flood susceptibility modeling and offer valuable insights for disaster management.
- Published
- 2024
37. Uplink Wave-Domain Combiner for Stacked Intelligent Metasurfaces Accounting for Hardware Limitations
- Author
-
Rezvani, Maryam, Adve, Raviraj, Sediq, Akram bin, and El-Keyi, Amr
- Subjects
Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Signal Processing - Abstract
Refractive metasurfaces (RMTSs) offer a promising solution to improve energy efficiency of wireless systems. To address the limitations of single-layer RMTS, stacked intelligent metasurfaces (SIMs), which form the desired precoder and combiner in the wave domain, have been proposed. However, previous analyses overlooked hardware non-idealities that significantly affect SIM performance. In this paper, we study the achievable sum-rate of SIM antennas in an uplink scenario, accounting for hardware constraints. We propose a system model that includes noise and hardware effects, formulate a non-convex sum-rate optimization problem, and solve it using gradient ascent and interior point methods. We compare SIMs and digital phased arrays (DPAs) under Rayleigh fading and 3GPP channels with two conditions: equal number of RF chains and equal physical aperture size. Our results show SIMs outperform DPAs under equal number of RF chains but underperform DPAs with equal aperture size.
- Published
- 2024
38. Hardware Limitations of Dynamic Metasurface Antennas in the Uplink: A Comparative Study
- Author
-
Rezvani, Maryam, Adve, Raviraj, El-Keyi, Amr, and Sediq, Akram bin
- Subjects
Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Signal Processing - Abstract
Dynamic Metasurface Antennas (DMAs) have emerged as promising candidates for basestation deployment in the next generation of wireless communications. While overlooking the practical and hardware limitations of DMA, previous studies have highlighted DMAs' potential to deliver high data rates while maintaining low power consumption. In this paper, we address this oversight by analyzing the impact of practical hardware limitations such as antenna efficiency, power consumed in required components, processing limitations, etc. Specifically, we investigate DMA-assisted wireless communications in the uplink and propose a model which accounts for these hardware limitations. To do so, we propose a concise model to characterize the power consumption of a DMA. For a fair assessment, we propose a wave-domain combiner, based on holography theory, to maximize the achievable sum rate of DMA-assisted antennas. We compare the achievable sum rate and energy efficiency of DMA antennas with that of a partially connected hybrid phased array. Our findings reveal the true potential of DMAs when accounting for the limitations of both designs.
- Published
- 2024
39. When can transformers compositionally generalize in-context?
- Author
-
Kobayashi, Seijin, Schug, Simon, Akram, Yassir, Redhardt, Florian, von Oswald, Johannes, Pascanu, Razvan, Lajoie, Guillaume, and Sacramento, João
- Subjects
Computer Science - Machine Learning ,Computer Science - Neural and Evolutionary Computing - Abstract
Many tasks can be composed from a few independent components. This gives rise to a combinatorial explosion of possible tasks, only some of which might be encountered during training. Under what circumstances can transformers compositionally generalize from a subset of tasks to all possible combinations of tasks that share similar components? Here we study a modular multitask setting that allows us to precisely control compositional structure in the data generation process. We present evidence that transformers learning in-context struggle to generalize compositionally on this task despite being in principle expressive enough to do so. Compositional generalization becomes possible only when introducing a bottleneck that enforces an explicit separation between task inference and task execution., Comment: ICML 2024 workshop on Next Generation of Sequence Modeling Architectures
- Published
- 2024
40. Model-free Distortion Canceling and Control of Quantum Devices
- Author
-
Fouad, Ahmed F., Youssry, Akram, El-Rafei, Ahmed, and Hammad, Sherif
- Subjects
Quantum Physics ,Computer Science - Machine Learning ,Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Systems and Control - Abstract
Quantum devices need precise control to achieve their full capability. In this work, we address the problem of controlling closed quantum systems, tackling two main issues. First, in practice the control signals are usually subject to unknown classical distortions that could arise from the device fabrication, material properties and/or instruments generating those signals. Second, in most cases modeling the system is very difficult or not even viable due to uncertainties in the relations between some variables and inaccessibility to some measurements inside the system. In this paper, we introduce a general model-free control approach based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL), that can work for any closed quantum system. We train a deep neural network (NN), using the REINFORCE policy gradient algorithm to control the state probability distribution of a closed quantum system as it evolves, and drive it to different target distributions. We present a novel controller architecture that comprises multiple NNs. This enables accommodating as many different target state distributions as desired, without increasing the complexity of the NN or its training process. The used DRL algorithm works whether the control problem can be modeled as a Markov decision process (MDP) or a partially observed MDP. Our method is valid whether the control signals are discrete- or continuous-valued. We verified our method through numerical simulations based on a photonic waveguide array chip. We trained a controller to generate sequences of different target output distributions of the chip with fidelity higher than 99%, where the controller showed superior performance in canceling the classical signal distortions.
- Published
- 2024
41. Prediction of Frequency-Dependent Optical Spectrum for Solid Materials: A Multi-Output & Multi-Fidelity Machine Learning Approach
- Author
-
Ibrahim, Akram and Ataca, Can
- Subjects
Physics - Chemical Physics ,Condensed Matter - Materials Science ,Physics - Computational Physics ,Physics - Optics - Abstract
The frequency-dependent optical spectrum is pivotal for a broad range of applications, from material characterization to optoelectronics and energy harvesting. Data-driven surrogate models, trained on density functional theory (DFT) data, have effectively alleviated the scalability limitations of DFT while preserving its chemical accuracy, expediting material discovery. However, prevailing machine learning (ML) efforts often focus on scalar properties such as the band gap, overlooking the complexities of optical spectra. In this work, we employ deep graph neural networks (GNNs) to predict the frequency-dependent complex-valued dielectric function across the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet spectra directly from crystal structures. We explore multiple architectures for multi-output spectral representation of the dielectric function and utilize various multi-fidelity learning strategies, such as transfer learning and fidelity embedding, to address the challenges associated with the scarcity of high-fidelity DFT data. Additionally, we model key solar cell absorption efficiency metrics, demonstrating that learning these parameters is enhanced when integrated through a learning bias within the learning of the frequency-dependent absorption coefficient. This study demonstrates that leveraging multi-output and multi-fidelity ML techniques enables accurate predictions of optical spectra from crystal structures, providing a versatile tool for rapidly screening materials for optoelectronics, optical sensing, and solar energy applications across an extensive frequency spectrum.
- Published
- 2024
42. Off-grid Channel Estimation for Orthogonal Delay-Doppler Division Multiplexing Using Grid Refinement and Adjustment
- Author
-
Shan, Yaru, Shafie, Akram, Yuan, Jinhong, and Wang, Fanggang
- Subjects
Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Signal Processing - Abstract
Orthogonal delay-Doppler (DD) division multiplexing (ODDM) has been recently proposed as a promising multicarrier modulation scheme to tackle Doppler spread in high-mobility environments. Accurate channel estimation is of paramount importance to guarantee reliable communication for the ODDM, especially when the delays and Dopplers of the propagation paths are off-grid. In this paper, we propose a novel grid refinement and adjustment-based sparse Bayesian inference (GRASBI) scheme for DD domain channel estimation. The GRASBI involves first formulating the channel estimation problem as a sparse signal recovery through the introduction of a virtual DD grid. Then, an iterative process is proposed that involves (i) sparse Bayesian learning to estimate the channel parameters and (ii) a novel grid refinement and adjustment process to adjust the virtual grid points. The grid adjustment in GRASBI relies on the maximum likelihood principle to attain the adjustment and utilizes refined grids that have much higher resolution than the virtual grid. Moreover, a low-complexity grid refinement and adjustment-based channel estimation scheme is proposed, that can provides a good tradeoff between the estimation accuracy and the complexity. Finally, numerical results are provided to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed channel estimation schemes.
- Published
- 2024
43. Decentralized PKI Framework for Data Integrity in Spatial Crowdsourcing Drone Services
- Author
-
Akram, Junaid and Anaissi, Ali
- Subjects
Computer Science - Cryptography and Security - Abstract
In the domain of spatial crowdsourcing drone services, which includes tasks like delivery, surveillance, and data collection, secure communication is paramount. The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) ensures this by providing a system for digital certificates that authenticate the identities of entities involved, securing data and command transmissions between drones and their operators. However, the centralized trust model of traditional PKI, dependent on Certificate Authorities (CAs), presents a vulnerability due to its single point of failure, risking security breaches. To counteract this, the paper presents D2XChain, a blockchain-based PKI framework designed for the Internet of Drone Things (IoDT). By decentralizing the CA infrastructure, D2XChain eliminates this single point of failure, thereby enhancing the security and reliability of drone communications. Fully compatible with the X.509 standard, it integrates seamlessly with existing PKI systems, supporting all key operations such as certificate registration, validation, verification, and revocation in a distributed manner. This innovative approach not only strengthens the defense of drone services against various security threats but also showcases its practical application through deployment on a private Ethereum testbed, representing a significant advancement in addressing the unique security challenges of drone-based services and ensuring their trustworthy operation in critical tasks., Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, accepted and to be published in the proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Web Services (ICWS 2024)
- Published
- 2024
44. Privacy-First Crowdsourcing: Blockchain and Local Differential Privacy in Crowdsourced Drone Services
- Author
-
Akram, Junaid and Anaissi, Ali
- Subjects
Computer Science - Cryptography and Security ,Computer Science - Distributed, Parallel, and Cluster Computing - Abstract
We introduce a privacy-preserving framework for integrating consumer-grade drones into bushfire management. This system creates a marketplace where bushfire management authorities obtain essential data from drone operators. Key features include local differential privacy to protect data providers and a blockchain-based solution ensuring fair data exchanges and accountability. The framework is validated through a proof-of-concept implementation, demonstrating its scalability and potential for various large-scale data collection scenarios. This approach addresses privacy concerns and compliance with regulations like Australia's Privacy Act 1988, offering a practical solution for enhancing bushfire detection and management through crowdsourced drone services., Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, accepted and to be published in the proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Web Services (ICWS 2024)
- Published
- 2024
45. DDRM: Distributed Drone Reputation Management for Trust and Reliability in Crowdsourced Drone Services
- Author
-
Akram, Junaid and Anaissi, Ali
- Subjects
Computer Science - Distributed, Parallel, and Cluster Computing - Abstract
This study introduces the Distributed Drone Reputation Management (DDRM) framework, designed to fortify trust and authenticity within the Internet of Drone Things (IoDT) ecosystem. As drones increasingly play a pivotal role across diverse sectors, integrating crowdsourced drone services within the IoDT has emerged as a vital avenue for democratizing access to these services. A critical challenge, however, lies in ensuring the authenticity and reliability of drone service reviews. Leveraging the Ethereum blockchain, DDRM addresses this challenge by instituting a verifiable and transparent review mechanism. The framework innovates with a dual-token system, comprising the Service Review Authorization Token (SRAT) for facilitating review authorization and the Drone Reputation Enhancement Token (DRET) for rewarding and recognizing drones demonstrating consistent reliability. Comprehensive analysis within this paper showcases DDRM's resilience against various reputation frauds and underscores its operational effectiveness, particularly in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of drone services., Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, accepted and to be published in the proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Web Services (ICWS 2024)
- Published
- 2024
46. Deep Reinforcement Learning Strategies in Finance: Insights into Asset Holding, Trading Behavior, and Purchase Diversity
- Author
-
Mohammadshafie, Alireza, Mirzaeinia, Akram, Jumakhan, Haseebullah, and Mirzaeinia, Amir
- Subjects
Quantitative Finance - Trading and Market Microstructure ,Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence ,Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
Recent deep reinforcement learning (DRL) methods in finance show promising outcomes. However, there is limited research examining the behavior of these DRL algorithms. This paper aims to investigate their tendencies towards holding or trading financial assets as well as purchase diversity. By analyzing their trading behaviors, we provide insights into the decision-making processes of DRL models in finance applications. Our findings reveal that each DRL algorithm exhibits unique trading patterns and strategies, with A2C emerging as the top performer in terms of cumulative rewards. While PPO and SAC engage in significant trades with a limited number of stocks, DDPG and TD3 adopt a more balanced approach. Furthermore, SAC and PPO tend to hold positions for shorter durations, whereas DDPG, A2C, and TD3 display a propensity to remain stationary for extended periods.
- Published
- 2024
47. Rooting behavior of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) hardwood cuttings in relation to genotype and irrigation frequency
- Author
-
Salih, Kocher Omer, Mohammed, Aram Akram, Faraj, Jamal Mahmood, Raouf, Anwar Mohammed, and Tahir, Nawroz Abdul-Razzak
- Subjects
Quantitative Biology - Other Quantitative Biology - Abstract
The study was conducted to determine the best irrigation frequency for rooting hardwood cuttings of some pomegranate genotypes that are cultivated in Halabja province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The hardwood cuttings were collected from 11 genotypes, which were 'Salakhani Trsh' (G1), 'Salakhani Mekhosh' (G2), 'Amriki' (G3), 'Twekl Sury Trsh' (G4), 'Twekl Astury Naw Spy' (G5), 'Hanara Sherina' (G6), 'Kawa Hanary Sherin' (G7), 'Kawa Hanary Trsh' (G8), 'Malesay Twekl Asture' (G9), 'Malesay Twekl Tank' (G10), and 'Sura Hanary Trsh' (G11). The genotypes were subjected to irrigation applications by 1-day, 2-day, 7-day, or 10-day frequencies. Among pomegranates, G11, G6, and G7 produced 95, 90, and 83% rooting percentages, which were significantly higher than the rest of other genotypes. The lowest rooting percentages (28, 36, 38, and 40%) were found in G1, G5, G3, and G10, respectively. The effect of irrigation frequencies on the genotypes confirmed that a 7-day frequency was the best irrigation frequency to achieve the maximum rooting percentages (93, 86, 80, 73, 53, and 40%) in G6, G9, G2, G4, G3, and G1, respectively. In contrast, the minimum rooting percentage (20%) was recorded in G3 with a 1-day frequency and in G1 with 10-day frequency. In this study, it was found that the cuttings of G11, G6, and G7 had the best ability to form roots, and irrigation with a 7-day frequency was the best for the cuttings of all the 11 pomegranate genotypes investigated.
- Published
- 2024
48. On the non-commuting graph associated to a finite-dimensional Lie algebra
- Author
-
moghaddam, Akram Chareh khah, Erfanian, Ahmad, and Shamsaki, Afsaneh
- Subjects
Mathematics - Commutative Algebra - Abstract
In this paper, we define the non-commuting graph associated to a Lie algebra L and obtain some basic graph properties such as connectivity, diameter, girth, Hamiltonian and Eulerian. Moreover, planarity, outer planarity and isomorphism between two such graphs are also discussed in the paper., Comment: 11 pages
- Published
- 2024
49. Muharaf: Manuscripts of Handwritten Arabic Dataset for Cursive Text Recognition
- Author
-
Saeed, Mehreen, Chan, Adrian, Mijar, Anupam, Moukarzel, Joseph, Habchi, Georges, Younes, Carlos, Elias, Amin, Wong, Chau-Wai, and Khater, Akram
- Subjects
Computer Science - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ,Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
We present the Manuscripts of Handwritten Arabic~(Muharaf) dataset, which is a machine learning dataset consisting of more than 1,600 historic handwritten page images transcribed by experts in archival Arabic. Each document image is accompanied by spatial polygonal coordinates of its text lines as well as basic page elements. This dataset was compiled to advance the state of the art in handwritten text recognition (HTR), not only for Arabic manuscripts but also for cursive text in general. The Muharaf dataset includes diverse handwriting styles and a wide range of document types, including personal letters, diaries, notes, poems, church records, and legal correspondences. In this paper, we describe the data acquisition pipeline, notable dataset features, and statistics. We also provide a preliminary baseline result achieved by training convolutional neural networks using this data.
- Published
- 2024
50. Attention as a Hypernetwork
- Author
-
Schug, Simon, Kobayashi, Seijin, Akram, Yassir, Sacramento, João, and Pascanu, Razvan
- Subjects
Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
Transformers can under some circumstances generalize to novel problem instances whose constituent parts might have been encountered during training but whose compositions have not. What mechanisms underlie this ability for compositional generalization? By reformulating multi-head attention as a hypernetwork, we reveal that a composable, low-dimensional latent code specifies key-query specific operations. We find empirically that this latent code is predictive of the subtasks the network performs on unseen task compositions revealing that latent codes acquired during training are reused to solve unseen problem instances. To further examine the hypothesis that the intrinsic hypernetwork of multi-head attention supports compositional generalization, we ablate whether making the hypernetwork generated linear value network nonlinear strengthens compositionality. We find that this modification improves compositional generalization on abstract reasoning tasks. In particular, we introduce a symbolic version of the Raven Progressive Matrices human intelligence test which gives us precise control over the problem compositions encountered during training and evaluation. We demonstrate on this task how scaling model size and data enables compositional generalization in transformers and gives rise to a functionally structured latent space., Comment: Code available at https://github.com/smonsays/hypernetwork-attention
- Published
- 2024
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