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Representation Learning is ubiquitous in state-of-the-art machine learning workflow, including data exploration/visualization, data preprocessing, data model learning, and model interpretations. However, the majority of the newly proposed Representation Learning methods are more suitable for problems with a large amount of data. Applying these methods to problems with a limited amount of data may lead to unsatisfactory performance. Therefore, there is a need for developing Representation Learning methods which are tailored for problems with ``small data", such as, clinical and biomedical data analytics. In this dissertation, we describe our studies of tackling the challenging clinical and biomedical data analytics problem from four perspectives: data preprocessing, temporal data representation learning, output representation learning, and joint input-output representation learning. Data scaling is an important component in data preprocessing. The objective in data scaling is to scale/transform the raw features into reasonable ranges such that each feature of an instance will be equally exploited by the machine learning model. For example, in a credit flaw detection task, a machine learning model may utilize a person's credit score and annual income as features, but because the ranges of these two features are different, a machine learning model may consider one more heavily than another. In this dissertation, I thoroughly introduce the problem in data scaling and describe an approach for data scaling which can intrinsically handle the outlier problem and lead to better model prediction performance. Learning new representations for data in the unstandardized form is a common task in data analytics and data science applications. Usually, data come in a tubular form, namely, the data is represented by a table in which each row is a feature (row) vector of an instance. However, it is also common that the data are not in this form; for example, texts, images, and video/audio records. In this dissertation, I describe the challenge of analyzing imperfect multivariate time series data in healthcare and biomedical research and show that the proposed method can learn a powerful representation to encounter various imperfections and lead to an improvement of prediction performance. Learning output representations is a new aspect of Representation Learning, and its applications have shown promising results in complex tasks, including computer vision and recommendation systems. The main objective of an output representation algorithm is to explore the relationship among the target variables, such that a prediction model can efficiently exploit the similarities and potentially improve prediction performance. In this dissertation, I describe a learning framework which incorporates output representation learning to time-to-event estimation. Particularly, the approach learns the model parameters and time vectors simultaneously. Experimental results do not only show the effectiveness of this approach but also show the interpretability of this approach from the visualizations of the time vectors in 2-D space. Learning the input (feature) representation, output representation, and predictive modeling are closely related to each other. Therefore, it is a very natural extension of the state-of-the-art by considering them together in a joint framework. In this dissertation, I describe a large-margin ranking-based learning framework for time-to-event estimation with joint input embedding learning, output embedding learning, and model parameter learning. In the framework, I cast the functional learning problem to a kernel learning problem, and by adopting the theories in Multiple Kernel Learning, I propose an efficient optimization algorithm. Empirical results also show its effectiveness on several benchmark datasets. / Computer and Information Science

With increased growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and physical exposure of devices to adversaries, a class of physical attacks called side-channel analysis (SCA) has emerged which compromises the security of systems. While security claims of cryptographic algorithms are based on the complexity of classical cryptanalysis attacks, they exclude information leakage by implementations on hardware platforms. Recent standardization processes require assessment of hardware security against SCA. In this dissertation, we study SCA based on deep learning techniques (DL-SCA) as a universal analysis toolbox for assessing the leakage of secret information by hardware implementations. We demonstrate that DL-SCA techniques provide a trade-off between the amount of prior knowledge of a hardware implementation and the amount of measurements required to identify the secret key. A DL-SCA based on supervised learning requires a training set, including information about the details of the hardware implementation, for a successful attack. Supervised learning has been widely used in power analysis (PA) to recover the secret key with a limited size of measurements. We demonstrate a similar trend in fault injection analysis (FIA) by introducing fault intensity map analysis with a neural network key distinguisher (FIMA-NN). We use dynamic timing simulations on an ASIC implementation of AES to develop a statistical model for biased fault injection. We employ the model to train a convolutional neural network (CNN) key distinguisher that achieves a superior efficiency, nearly $10times$, compared to classical FIA techniques. When a priori knowledge of the details of hardware implementations is limited, we propose DL-SCA techniques based on unsupervised learning, called SCAUL, to extract the secret information from measurements without requiring a training set. We further demonstrate the application of reinforcement learning by introducing the SCARL attack, to estimate a proper model for the leakage of secret data in a self-supervised approach. We demonstrate the success of SCAUL and SCARL attacks using power measurements from FPGA implementations of the AES and Ascon authenticated ciphers, respectively, to recover entire 128-bit secret keys without using any prior knowledge or training data. / Doctor of Philosophy / With the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile devices, cryptographic algorithms have become essential components of end-to-end cybersecurity. A cryptographic algorithm is a highly nonlinear mathematical function which often requires a secret key. Only the user who knows the secret key is able to interpret the output of the algorithm to find the encoded information. Standardized algorithms are usually secure against attacks in which in attacker attempts to find the secret key given a set of input data and the corresponding outputs of the algorithm. The security of algorithms is defined based on the complexity of known cryptanalysis attacks to recover the secret key. However, a device executing a cryptographic algorithm leaks information about the secret key. Several studies have shown that the behavior of a device, such as power consumption, electromagnetic radiation and the response to external stimulation provide additional information to an attacker that can be exploited to find the secret key with much less effort than cryptanalysis attacks. Hence, exposure of devices to adversaries has enabled the class of physical attacks called side-channel analysis (SCA). In SCA, an attacker attempts to find the secret key by observing the behavior of the device executing the algorithm. Recent government and industry standardization processes, which choose future cryptographic algorithms, require assessing the security of hardware implementations against SCA in addition to the algorithmic level security of the cryptographic systems. The difficulty of an SCA attack depends on the details of a hardware implementation and the form of information leakage on a particular device. The diversity of possible hardware implementations and platforms, including application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and microprocessors, has hindered the development of a unified measure of complexity in SCA attacks. In this research, we study SCA with deep learning techniques (DL-SCA) as a universal methodology to evaluate the leakage of secret information by hardware platforms. We demonstrate that DL-SCA based on supervised learning can be considered as a generalization of classical SCA techniques, and is able to find the secret information with a limited size of measurements. However, supervised learning techniques require a training set of data that includes information about the details of hardware implementation. We propose unsupervised learning techniques that are able to find the secret key even without knowledge of the details of the hardware. We further demonstrate the ability of reinforcement learning in estimating a proper model for data leakage in a self-supervised approach. We demonstrate that DL-SCA techniques are able to find the secret information even if the timing of data leakage in measurements are random. Hence, traditional countermeasures are unable to protect a hardware implementation against DL-SCA attacks. We propose a unified countermeasure to protect the hardware implementations against a wide range of SCA attacks.

<p dir="ltr">The past two decades have seen photography shift from the hands of professionals to that of the average smartphone user. However, fitting a camera module in the palm of your hand has come with its own cost. The reduced sensor size, and hence the smaller pixels, has made the image inherently noisier due to fewer photons being captured. To compensate for fewer photons, we can increase the exposure of the camera but this may exaggerate the effect of hand shake, making the image blurrier. The presence of both noise and blur has made the post-processing algorithms necessary to produce a clean and sharp image. </p><p dir="ltr">In this thesis, we discuss various methods of deblurring images in the presence of noise. Specifically, we address the problem of photon-limited deconvolution, both with and without the underlying blur kernel being known i.e. non-blind and blind deconvolution respectively. For the problem of blind deconvolution, we discuss the flaws of the conventional approach of joint estimation of the image and blur kernel. This approach, despite its drawbacks, has been the go-to method for solving blind deconvolution for decades. We then discuss the relatively unexplored kernel-first approach to solving the problem which is numerically stable than the alternating minimization counterpart. We show how to implement this framework using deep neural networks in practice for both photon-limited and noiseless deconvolution problems. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Bias and fairness issues in artificial intelligence algorithms are major concerns as people do not want to use AI software they cannot trust. This work uses college admissions data as a case study to develop methodology to define and detect bias, and then introduces a new method for interactive bias mitigation.</p><p dir="ltr">Admissions data spanning six years was used to create machine learning-based predictive models to determine whether a given student would be directly admitted into the School of Science under various scenarios at a large urban research university. During this time, submission of standardized test scores as part of a student’s application became optional which led to interesting questions about the impact of standardized test scores on admission decisions. We developed and analyzed predictive models to understand which variables are important in admissions decisions, and how the decision to exclude test scores affects the demographics of the students who are admitted.</p><p dir="ltr">Then, using a variety of bias and fairness metrics, we analyzed these predictive models to detect biases the models may carry with respect to three variables chosen to represent sensitive populations: gender, race, and whether a student was the first in his/her family to attend college. We found that high accuracy rates can mask underlying algorithmic bias towards these sensitive groups.</p><p dir="ltr">Finally, we describe our method for bias mitigation which uses a combination of machine learning and user interaction. Because bias is intrinsically a subjective and context-dependent matter, it requires human input and feedback. Our approach allows the user to iteratively and incrementally adjust bias and fairness metrics to change the training dataset for an AI model to make the model more fair. This interactive bias mitigation approach was then used to successfully decrease the biases in three AI models in the context of undergraduate student admissions.</p>

The rapid evolution of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) has led to a surge in research on efficient anomaly detection methods to ensure their safe and reliable operation. While state-of-the-art deep learning models offer promising results in this domain, their high computational requirements present challenges for deployment in resource-constrained environments, such as Electronic Control Units (ECU) in vehicles. In this context, we consider using the ensemble learning technique specifically the cascaded modeling approach for real-time and resource-efficient multivariate time series anomaly detection in CAVs. The study was done in collaboration with SCANIA, a transport solutions provider. The company is now undergoing a transformation of providing autonomous and sustainable solutions and this work will contribute towards that transformation. Our methodology employs unsupervised learning techniques to construct a cascade of models, comprising a coarse-grained model with lower computational complexity at level one, and a more intricate fine-grained model at level two. Furthermore, we incorporate cascaded model training to refine the complex model's ability to make decisions on uncertain and anomalous events, leveraging insights from the simpler model. Through extensive experimentation, we investigate the trade-off between model performance and computational complexity, demonstrating that our proposed cascaded model achieves greater efficiency with no performance degradation. Further, we do a comparative analysis of the impact of probabilistic versus deterministic approaches and assess the feasibility of model training at edge environments using the Federated Learning concept.

Mean shift (MS) and subspace constrained mean shift (SCMS) algorithms are non-parametric, iterative methods to find a representation of a high dimensional data set on a principal curve or surface embedded in a high dimensional space. The representation of high dimensional data on a principal curve or surface, the class of mean shift type algorithms and their properties, and applications of these algorithms are the main focus of this dissertation. Although MS and SCMS algorithms have been used in many applications, a rigorous study of their convergence is still missing. This dissertation aims to fill some of the gaps between theory and practice by investigating some convergence properties of these algorithms. In particular, we propose a sufficient condition for a kernel density estimate with a Gaussian kernel to have isolated stationary points to guarantee the convergence of the MS algorithm. We also show that the SCMS algorithm inherits some of the important convergence properties of the MS algorithm. In particular, the monotonicity and convergence of the density estimate values along the sequence of output values of the algorithm are shown. We also show that the distance between consecutive points of the output sequence converges to zero, as does the projection of the gradient vector onto the subspace spanned by the D-d eigenvectors corresponding to the D-d largest eigenvalues of the local inverse covariance matrix. Furthermore, three new variations of the SCMS algorithm are proposed and the running times and performance of the resulting algorithms are compared with original SCMS algorithm. We also propose an adaptive version of the SCMS algorithm to consider the effect of new incoming samples without running the algorithm on the whole data set. As well, we develop some new potential applications of the MS and SCMS algorithm. These applications involve finding straight lines in digital images; pre-processing data before applying locally linear embedding (LLE) and ISOMAP for dimensionality reduction; noisy source vector quantization where the clean data need to be estimated before the quanization step; improving the performance of kernel regression in certain situations; and skeletonization of digitally stored handwritten characters. / Thesis (Ph.D, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2013-09-30 18:01:12.959

Rail track asset sighting distance must be checked regularly to ensure the continued and safe operation of rolling stock. Methods currently used to check asset line-of-sight involve manual labour or laser systems. Video cameras and computer vision techniques provide one possible route for cheaper, automated systems. Three categories of computer vision method are identified for possible application: two-dimensional object recognition, two-dimensional object tracking and three-dimensional scene recovery. However, presented experimentation shows recognition and tracking methods produce less accurate asset line-of-sight results for increasing asset-camera distance. Regarding three-dimensional scene recovery, evidence is presented suggesting a relationship between image feature and recovered scene information. A novel framework which learns these relationships is proposed. Learnt relationships from recovered image features probabilistically limit the search space of future features, improving efficiency. This framework is applied to several scene recovery methods and is shown (on average) to decrease computation by two-thirds for a possible, small decrease in accuracy of recovered scenes. Asset line-of-sight results computed from recovered three-dimensional terrain data are shown to be more accurate than two-dimensional methods, not effected by increasing asset-camera distance. Finally, the analysis of terrain in terms of effect on asset line-of-sight is considered. Terrain elements, segmented using semantic information, are ranked with a metric combining a minimum line-of-sight blocking distance and the growth required to achieve this minimum distance. Since this ranking measure is relative, it is shown how an approximation of the terrain data can be applied, decreasing computation time. Further efficiency increases are found by decomposing the problem into a set of two-dimensional problems and applying binary search techniques. The combination of the research elements presented in this thesis provide efficient methods for automatically analysing asset line-of-sight and the impact of the surrounding terrain, from captured monocular video.

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