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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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1,203 records · Page 67

Model Residuals as Shields: A Two-Level Formulation to Defend Smart Grids From Poisoning Attacks

The advancement of smart grids presents both vast opportunities and heightened cybersecurity risks. Data-driven defense mechanisms, though designed as a shield against these threats, can fall prey to poisoning attacks. We delve into regression settings, underscoring the imperative to fortify defenses against a spectrum of poison ratios, notably those above 0.5—an issue scarcely addressed in prior studies. Recognizing the susceptibilities of smart grids and their manipulable sensors, we exploit the very intent of poisoning attacks, compromising model accuracy, as our defense mechanism. Our proposed two-level optimization framework discerns between poisoned and authentic data based on model residuals, outperforming or matching existing methods in 72% to 77% of precision and 75% to 80% of recalls across various poisoning attacks, poison ratios, and datasets. Once the authentic data are identified, the trained model is adaptable for a variety of applications. Comprehensive evaluations on different smart grid datasets, pitted against myriad poisoning schemes, validate our methodology’s edge over existing methods. Here, we also shed light on the implications of model misspecification originating from temporal auto-correlation, a common feature in Internet of Things and smart grid data.

Adversarial machine learning (ML)↗

Bridging Python to Silicon: The SODA Toolchain

Systems performing scientific computing, data analysis, and machine learning tasks have a growing demand for application-specific accelerators that can provide high computational performance while meeting strict size and power requirements. However, the algorithms and applications that need to be accelerated are evolving at a rate that is incompatible with manual design processes based on hardware description languages. Agile hardware design tools based on compiler techniques can help by quickly producing an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) accelerator starting from a high-level algorithmic description. Here, we present the software-defined accelerator (SODA) synthesizer, a modular and open-source hardware compiler that provides automated end-to-end synthesis from high-level software frameworks to ASIC implementation, relying on multilevel representations to progressively lower and optimize the input code. Our approach does not require the application developer to write any register-transfer level code, and it is able to reach up to 364 giga floating point operations per second (GFLOPS)/W efficiency (32-bit precision) on typical convolutional neural network operators.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Data-driven Minimum Entropy Control for Stochastic Nonlinear Systems using the Cumulant-Generating Function

Here, we present a novel minimum entropy control algorithm for a class of stochastic nonlinear systems subjected to non-Gaussian noises. The entropy control can be considered as an optimization problem for the system randomness attenuation, but the mean value has to be considered separately. To overcome this disadvantage, a new representation of the system stochastic properties was given using the cumulant-generating function based on the moment-generating function, in which the mean value and the entropy was reflected by the shape of the cumulant-generating function. Based on the samples of the system output and control input, a time-variant linear model was identified, and the minimum entropy optimization was transformed to system stabilization. Then, an optimal control strategy was developed to achieve the randomness attenuation, and the boundedness of the controlled system output was analyzed. The effectiveness of the presented control algorithm was demonstrated by a numerical example. In this paper, a data-driven minimum entropy design is presented without pre-knowledge of the system model; entropy optimization is achieved by the system stabilization approach in which the stochastic distribution control and minimum entropy are unified using the same identified structure; and a potential framework is obtained since all the existing system stabilization methods can be adopted to achieve the minimum entropy objective.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Transfer Learning-Based Independent Component Analysis

Understanding the underlying component structure is crucial for multivariate signal analysis. Among all the techniques that try to learn the latent structure, independent component analysis (ICA) is one of the most important and popular methods, which aims to extract independent components from multivariate signals and enables further analysis. For example, in electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis, artifacts filtering and disease detection are conducted based on the independent components of the signals. One critical challenge in existing ICA approaches is that the component extraction accuracy may degrade when the available data of a unit are limited. To address this issue, this paper proposes a transfer learning-based ICA method by innovatively transferring component distribution from a source domain, so that accurate component extraction results can be achieved even when only limited data are available in the target domain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that leverages transfer learning to improve ICA accuracy with limited available data. In particular, we first extract all the independent components from the source domain by maximizing the log-likelihood function with a Newton-like method on a smooth manifold. Then for the target domain, the component with the largest negentropy is extracted in each round. To effectively leverage the knowledge from the source domain and to prevent the negative transfer, we try to find a component in the source domain that matches the component we are extracting. The probability density function of the matched component will then be used to improve the component extraction accuracy if such matched component can be found; otherwise, no knowledge will be transferred. Finally, numerical simulations and a case study with electrocardiogram (ECG) data are conducted, showing the effectiveness of the proposed method in transferring knowledge and reducing negative transfer.

42 ENGINEERING↗

InversionNet3D: Efficient and Scalable Learning for 3-D Full-Waveform Inversion

Seismic full-waveform inversion (FWI) techniques aim to find a high-resolution subsurface geophysical model provided with waveform data. Some recent effort in data-driven FWI has shown some encouraging results in obtaining 2-D velocity maps. However, due to high computational complexity and large memory consumption, the reconstruction of 3-D high-resolution velocity maps via deep networks is still a great challenge. Here, in this article, we present InversionNet3D (InvNet3D), an efficient and scalable encoder–decoder network for 3-D FWI. The proposed method employs group convolution in the encoder to establish an effective hierarchy for learning information from multiple sources while cutting down unnecessary parameters and operations at the same time. The introduction of invertible layers further reduces the memory consumption of intermediate features during training and, thus, enables the development of deeper networks with more layers and higher capacity as required by different application scenarios. Experiments on the 3-D Kimberlina dataset demonstrate that InvNet3D achieves state-of-the-art reconstruction performance with lower computational cost and lower memory footprint compared to the baseline.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Propagation Pattern for Moment Representation of the Lattice Boltzmann Method

A propagation pattern for the moment representation of the regularized lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) in three dimensions is presented. Using effectively lossless compression, the simulation state is stored as a set of moments of the lattice Boltzmann distribution function, instead of the distribution function itself. An efficient cache-aware propagation pattern for this moment representation has the effect of substantially reducing both the storage and memory bandwidth required for LBM simulations. This article extends recent work with the moment representation by expanding the performance analysis on central processing unit (CPU) architectures, considering how boundary conditions are implemented, and demonstrating the effectiveness of the moment representation on a graphics processing unit (GPU) architecture.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Regional Relative Risk, a Physics-Based Metric for Characterizing Airborne Infectious Disease Transmission

Airborne infectious disease transmission events occur over a wide range of spatial scales and can be an important means of disease transmission. Physics- and biology-based models can assist in predicting airborne transmission events, overall disease incidence, and disease control strategy efficacy. We describe a new theory that extends current approaches for the case in which an individual is infected by a single airborne particle, including the scenario in which numerous infectious particles are present in the air but only one causes infection. A single infectious particle can contain more than one pathogenic microorganism and be physically larger than the pathogen itself. This approach allows robust relative risk estimates even when there is wide variation in (i) individual exposures and (ii) the individual response to that exposure (the pathogen dose-response function can take any mathematical form and vary by individual). Based on this theory, we propose the regional relative risk—a new metric, distinct from the traditional relative risk metric, that compares the risk between two regions. In theory, these regions can range from individual rooms to large geographic areas. In this paper, we apply the regional relative risk metric to outdoor disease transmission events over spatial scales ranging from 50 m to 20 km, demonstrating that in many common cases minimal input information is required to use the metric. Also, we demonstrate that the model predictions are consistent with data from prior outbreaks. Future efforts could apply and validate this theory for other spatial scales, such as transmission within indoor environments. This work provides context for (i) the initial stages of an airborne disease outbreak and (ii) larger-scale disease spread, including unexpected low-probability disease “sparks” that potentially affect remote populations, a key practical issue in controlling airborne disease outbreaks.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Explaining machine-learning models for gamma-ray detection and identification

As more complex predictive models are used for gamma-ray spectral analysis, methods are needed to probe and understand their predictions and behavior. Recent work has begun to bring the latest techniques from the field of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) into the applications of gamma-ray spectroscopy, including the introduction of gradient-based methods like saliency mapping and Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM), and black box methods like Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). In addition, new sources of synthetic radiological data are becoming available, and these new data sets present opportunities to train models using more data than ever before. In this work, we use a neural network model trained on synthetic NaI(Tl) urban search data to compare some of these explanation methods and identify modifications that need to be applied to adapt the methods to gamma-ray spectral data. We find that the black box methods LIME and SHAP are especially accurate in their results, and recommend SHAP since it requires little hyperparameter tuning. We also propose and demonstrate a technique for generating counterfactual explanations using orthogonal projections of LIME and SHAP explanations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Mathematical nuances of Gaussian process-driven autonomous experimentation

Abstract The fields of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have transformed almost every aspect of science and engineering. The excitement for AI/ML methods is in large part due to their perceived novelty, as compared to traditional methods of statistics, computation, and applied mathematics. But clearly, all methods in ML have their foundations in mathematical theories, such as function approximation, uncertainty quantification, and function optimization. Autonomous experimentation is no exception; it is often formulated as a chain of off-the-shelf tools, organized in a closed loop, without emphasis on the intricacies of each algorithm involved. The uncomfortable truth is that the success of any ML endeavor, and this includes autonomous experimentation, strongly depends on the sophistication of the underlying mathematical methods and software that have to allow for enough flexibility to consider functions that are in agreement with particular physical theories. We have observed that standard off-the-shelf tools, used by many in the applied ML community, often hide the underlying complexities and therefore perform poorly. In this paper, we want to give a perspective on the intricate connections between mathematics and ML, with a focus on Gaussian process-driven autonomous experimentation. Although the Gaussian process is a powerful mathematical concept, it has to be implemented and customized correctly for optimal performance. We present several simple toy problems to explore these nuances and highlight the importance of mathematical and statistical rigor in autonomous experimentation and ML. One key takeaway is that ML is not, as many had hoped, a set of agnostic plug-and-play solvers for everyday scientific problems, but instead needs expertise and mastery to be applied successfully. Graphical abstract

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Solar Farm Development Impacts on Eastern Box Turtle ( Terrapene carolina ) Home Ranges

Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) populations have declined drastically since 1970 because of continued destruction and fragmentation of their habitat. Although they are known to shift their home ranges because of environmental degradation, it is unknown how solar arrays impact Eastern Box Turtles. From 2011–2018, we collected data on Eastern Box Turtle movement and occupancy in a 79-ha solar farm. The solar farm is divided into six fenced areas, each containing wildlife openings for movement of terrestrial fauna every 23 m around the fenced solar arrays. For this work, we hypothesized that the solar arrays changed the home range sizes of turtles that interacted with the field. We fitted 41 Eastern Box Turtles with radio transmitters and tracked their locations twice per week in June–August from 2011–2018. Seventeen turtles had home ranges that overlapped with the solar arrays whereas 24 turtles had home ranges that never interacted with the solar arrays. We calculated home range sizes and tested for differences between overlapping and nonoverlapping groups. We further considered if the number of observations within the solar farm impacted home range size and displacement. We found that Eastern Box Turtles that used the solar farm exhibited 55–83% larger home ranges on average than turtles in natural habitats, but there was no significant association of home range size with the amount of time observed within the solar farm. Finally, we discuss strategies to mitigate negative impacts of solar farm development on turtles.

Radio telemetry↗

NDMAS System and Process Description

The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) has made a significant investment in research to develop the next generation of reactor technologies as well as to improve the performance and lengthen the life cycle of existing nuclear reactors. Data collected to demonstrate new concepts may also be used in the future to support licensing of these technologies. Provenance of these data must be preserved. The Nuclear Data Management and Analysis System (NDMAS) was established to manage and preserve data collected by fuels and materials research conducted by the high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor program. The scope of NDMAS is expanding to include other nuclear research programs that have the shared need to preserve the provenance of research data. Nuclear research funded by DOE is conducted by Idaho National Laboratory (INL), universities, other national laboratories, foreign research partners, and private companies. This research will generate a large amount of data from a variety of sources over a period of many years. Managing the data generated by the research and development projects presents a significant challenge for retaining data integrity and availability.