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Knowledge distillation (KD) is a powerful strategy for training deep neural networks (DNNs). Although it was originally proposed to train a more compact ``student'' model from a large ``teacher'' model, many recent efforts have focused on adapting it to promote generalization of the model itself, such as online KD and self KD. % as an effective way Here, we propose an accessible and compatible strategy named Spaced KD to improve the effectiveness of both online KD and self KD, in which the student model distills knowledge from a teacher model trained with a space interval ahead. This strategy is inspired by a prominent theory named \emph{spacing effect} in biological learning and memory, positing that appropriate intervals between learning trials can significantly enhance learning performance. With both theoretical and empirical analyses, we demonstrate that the benefits of the proposed Spaced KD stem from convergence to a flatter loss landscape during stochastic gradient descent (SGD). We perform extensive experiments to validate the effectiveness of Spaced KD in improving the learning performance of DNNs (e.g., the performance gain is up to 2.31\% and 3.34\% on Tiny-ImageNet over online KD and self KD, respectively).

Elucidating the functional mechanisms of the primary visual cortex (V1) remains a fundamental challenge in systems neuroscience. Current computational models face two critical limitations, namely the challenge of cross-modal integration between partial neural recordings and complex visual stimuli, and the inherent variability in neural characteristics across individuals, including differences in neuron populations and firing patterns. To address these challenges, we present a multi-modal identifiable variational autoencoder (miVAE) that employs a two-level disentanglement strategy to map neural activity and visual stimuli into a unified latent space. This framework enables robust identification of cross-modal correlations through refined latent space modeling. We complement this with a novel score-based attribution analysis that traces latent variables back to their origins in the source data space. Evaluation on a large-scale mouse V1 dataset demonstrates that our method achieves state-of-the-art performance in cross-individual latent representation and alignment, without requiring subject-specific fine-tuning, and exhibits improved performance with increasing data size. Significantly, our attribution algorithm successfully identifies distinct neuronal subpopulations characterized by unique temporal patterns and stimulus discrimination properties, while simultaneously revealing stimulus regions that show specific sensitivity to edge features and luminance variations. This scalable framework offers promising applications not only for advancing V1 research but also for broader investigations in neuroscience., Comment: AAAI 2025

Edge computing (EC), positioned near end devices, holds significant potential for delivering low-latency, energy-efficient, and secure services. This makes it a crucial component of the Internet of Things (IoT). However, the increasing number of IoT devices and emerging services place tremendous pressure on edge servers (ESs). To better handle dynamically arriving heterogeneous tasks, ESs and IoT devices with idle resources can collaborate in processing tasks. Considering the selfishness and heterogeneity of IoT devices and ESs, we propose an incentive-driven multi-level task allocation framework. Specifically, we categorize IoT devices into task IoT devices (TDs), which generate tasks, and auxiliary IoT devices (ADs), which have idle resources. We use a bargaining game to determine the initial offloading decision and the payment fee for each TD, as well as a double auction to incentivize ADs to participate in task processing. Additionally, we develop a priority-based inter-cell task scheduling algorithm to address the uneven distribution of user tasks across different cells. Finally, we theoretically analyze the performance of the proposed framework. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed framework outperforms benchmark methods., Comment: Accepted to IEEE Internet of Things Journal

The human brain exhibits a strong ability to spontaneously associate different visual attributes of the same or similar visual scene, such as associating sketches and graffiti with real-world visual objects, usually without supervising information. In contrast, in the field of artificial intelligence, controllable generation methods like ControlNet heavily rely on annotated training datasets such as depth maps, semantic segmentation maps, and poses, which limits the method's scalability. Inspired by the neural mechanisms that may contribute to the brain's associative power, specifically the cortical modularization and hippocampal pattern completion, here we propose a self-supervised controllable generation (SCG) framework. Firstly, we introduce an equivariant constraint to promote inter-module independence and intra-module correlation in a modular autoencoder network, thereby achieving functional specialization. Subsequently, based on these specialized modules, we employ a self-supervised pattern completion approach for controllable generation training. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed modular autoencoder effectively achieves functional specialization, including the modular processing of color, brightness, and edge detection, and exhibits brain-like features including orientation selectivity, color antagonism, and center-surround receptive fields. Through self-supervised training, associative generation capabilities spontaneously emerge in SCG, demonstrating excellent generalization ability to various tasks such as associative generation on painting, sketches, and ancient graffiti. Compared to the previous representative method ControlNet, our proposed approach not only demonstrates superior robustness in more challenging high-noise scenarios but also possesses more promising scalability potential due to its self-supervised manner.Codes are released on Github and Gitee.

In this letter, we investigate the design of multiple reconfigurable intelligent sensing surfaces (RISSs) that enhance both communication and sensing tasks. An RISS incorporates additional active elements tailored to improve sensing accuracy. Our initial task involves optimizing placement of RISSs to mitigate signal interference. Subsequently, we establish power allocation schemes for sensing and communication within the system. Our final consideration involves examining how sensing results can be utilized to enhance communication, alongside an evaluation of communication performance under the impact of sensing inaccuracies. Numerical results reveal that the sensing task reaches its optimal performance with a finite number of RISSs, while the communication task exhibits enhanced performance with an increasing number of RISSs. Additionally, we identify an optimal communication spot under user movement.

With the development of satellite communication technology, satellite-terrestrial integrated networks (STIN), which integrate satellite networks and ground networks, can realize seamless global coverage of communication services. Confronting the intricacies of network dynamics, the diversity of resource heterogeneity, and the unpredictability of user mobility, dynamic resource allocation within networks faces formidable challenges. Digital twin (DT), as a new technique, can reflect a physical network to a virtual network to monitor, analyze, and optimize the physical network. Nevertheless, in the process of constructing the DT model, the deployment location and resource allocation of DTs may adversely affect its performance. Therefore, we propose a STIN model, which alleviates the problem of insufficient single-layer deployment flexibility of the traditional edge network by deploying DTs in multi-layer nodes in a STIN. To address the challenge of deploying DTs in the network, we propose multi-layer DT deployment in a STIN to reduce system delay. Then we adopt a multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) scheme to explore the optimal strategy of the DT multi-layer deployment problem. The implemented scheme demonstrates a notable reduction in system delay, as evidenced by simulation outcomes.

The diffusion model has emerged as a powerful tool for generating atomic structures for materials science. This work calls attention to the deficiency of current particle-based diffusion models, which represent atoms as a point cloud, in generating even the simplest ordered crystalline structures. The problem is attributed to particles being trapped in local minima during the score-driven simulated annealing of the diffusion process, similar to the physical process of force-driven simulated annealing. We develop a solution, the grand canonical diffusion model, which adopts an alternative voxel-based representation with continuous rather than fixed number of particles. The method is applied towards generation of several common crystalline phases as well as the technologically important and challenging problem of grain boundary structures.

Mobile edge computing (MEC) is a promising computing paradigm that offers users proximity and instant computing services for various applications, and it has become an essential component of the Internet of Things (IoT). However, as compute-intensive services continue to emerge and the number of IoT devices explodes, MEC servers are confronted with resource limitations. In this work, we investigate a task-offloading framework for device-assisted edge computing, which allows MEC servers to assign certain tasks to auxiliary IoT devices (ADs) for processing. To facilitate efficient collaboration among task IoT devices (TDs), the MEC server, and ADs, we propose an incentive-driven pricing and task allocation scheme. Initially, the MEC server employs the Vickrey auction mechanism to recruit ADs. Subsequently, based on the Stackelberg game, we analyze the interactions between TDs and the MEC server. Finally, we establish the optimal service pricing and task allocation strategy, guided by the Stackelberg model and priority settings. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme dramatically improves the utility of the MEC server while safeguarding the interests of TDs and ADs, achieving a triple-win scenario., Comment: This paper is accepted by IEEE Globecom 2024

The combination of mobile edge computing (MEC) and radio frequency-based wireless power transfer (WPT) presents a promising technique for providing sustainable energy supply and computing services at the network edge. This study considers a wireless-powered mobile edge computing system that includes a hybrid access point (HAP) equipped with a computing unit and multiple Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In particular, we propose a novel muti-user cooperation scheme to improve computation performance, where collaborative clusters are dynamically formed. Each collaborative cluster comprises a source device (SD) and an auxiliary device (AD), where the SD can partition the computation task into various segments for local processing, offloading to the HAP, and remote execution by the AD with the assistance of the HAP. Specifically, we aims to maximize the weighted sum computation rate (WSCR) of all the IoT devices in the network. This involves jointly optimizing collaboration, time and data allocation among multiple IoT devices and the HAP, while considering the energy causality property and the minimum data processing requirement of each device. Initially, an optimization algorithm based on the interior-point method is designed for time and data allocation. Subsequently, a priority-based iterative algorithm is developed to search for a near-optimal solution to the multi-user collaboration scheme. Finally, a deep learning-based approach is devised to further accelerate the algorithm's operation, building upon the initial two algorithms. Simulation results show that the performance of the proposed algorithms is comparable to that of the exhaustive search method, and the deep learning-based algorithm significantly reduces the execution time of the algorithm., Comment: Accepted to IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society

With the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), certain IoT devices have the capability to not only accomplish their own tasks but also simultaneously assist other resource-constrained devices. Therefore, this paper considers a device-assisted mobile edge computing system that leverages auxiliary IoT devices to alleviate the computational burden on the edge computing server and enhance the overall system performance. In this study, computationally intensive tasks are decomposed into multiple partitions, and each task partition can be processed in parallel on an IoT device or the edge server. The objective of this research is to develop an efficient online algorithm that addresses the joint optimization of task partitioning and parallel scheduling under time-varying system states, posing challenges to conventional numerical optimization methods. To address these challenges, a framework called online task partitioning action and parallel scheduling policy generation (OTPPS) is proposed, which is based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL). Specifically, the framework leverages a deep neural network (DNN) to learn the optimal partitioning action for each task by mapping input states. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the remaining parallel scheduling problem exhibits NP-hard complexity when considering a specific task partitioning action. To address this subproblem, a fair and delay-minimized task scheduling (FDMTS) algorithm is designed. Extensive evaluation results demonstrate that OTPPS achieves near-optimal average delay performance and consistently high fairness levels in various environmental states compared to other baseline schemes., Comment: Accepted to IEEE Internet of Things Journal

Due to advantages in security and privacy, blockchain is considered a key enabling technology to support 6G communications. Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) and RAFT are seen as the most applicable consensus mechanisms (CMs) in blockchain-enabled wireless networks. However, previous studies on PBFT and RAFT rarely consider the channel performance of the physical layer, such as path loss and channel fading, resulting in research results that are far from real networks. Additionally, 6G communications will widely deploy high-frequency signals such as terahertz (THz) and millimeter wave (mmWave), while performances of PBFT and RAFT are still unknown when these signals are transmitted in wireless PBFT or RAFT networks. Therefore, it is urgent to study the performance of non-ideal wireless PBFT and RAFT networks with THz and mmWave signals, to better make PBFT and RAFT play a role in the 6G era. In this paper, we study and compare the performance of THz and mmWave signals in non-ideal wireless PBFT and RAFT networks, considering Rayleigh Fading (RF) and close-in Free Space (FS) reference distance path loss. Performance is evaluated by five metrics: consensus success rate, latency, throughput, reliability gain, and energy consumption. Meanwhile, we find and derive that there is a maximum distance between two nodes that can make CMs inevitably successful, and it is named the active distance of CMs. The research results analyze the performance of non-ideal wireless PBFT and RAFT networks, and provide important references for the future transmission of THz and mmWave signals in PBFT and RAFT networks., Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2303.15759

With the rapid development of cloud computing, edge computing, and smart devices, computing power resources indicate a trend of ubiquitous deployment. The traditional network architecture cannot efficiently leverage these distributed computing power resources due to computing power island effect. To overcome these problems and improve network efficiency, a new network computing paradigm is proposed, i.e., Computing Power Network (CPN). Computing power network can connect ubiquitous and heterogenous computing power resources through networking to realize computing power scheduling flexibly. In this survey, we make an exhaustive review on the state-of-the-art research efforts on computing power network. We first give an overview of computing power network, including definition, architecture, and advantages. Next, a comprehensive elaboration of issues on computing power modeling, information awareness and announcement, resource allocation, network forwarding, computing power transaction platform and resource orchestration platform is presented. The computing power network testbed is built and evaluated. The applications and use cases in computing power network are discussed. Then, the key enabling technologies for computing power network are introduced. Finally, open challenges and future research directions are presented as well.