Guiran Liu
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Guiran Liu has a total of 34 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Binrong Zhu
Department of Computer Science San Francisco State University 94132 San Francisco CA
6 shared publications Jingyi Wang
School of Music Jiangxi Normal University 330027 Nanchang China
2 shared publicationsZhiqun Wang
School of Electronic Information HuZhou College 313000 HuZhou China
2 shared publications- Beiyu Lin
Department of Computer Science University of Texas Dallas Dallas USA
1 shared publication Binrong Zhu
1 shared publication- Dongyi He
Chongqing University of Technology, No. 459 Pufu Avenue, Liangjiang New District, Chongqing, Chongqing, 400050, CHINA
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
Rethinking On-Device LLM Reasoning: Why Analogical Mapping Outperforms Abstract Thinking for IoT DDoS Detection
The rapid expansion of IoT deployments has intensified cybersecurity threats, notably Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, characterized by increasingly sophisticated patterns. Leveraging Generative AI through On-Device Large Language Models (ODLLMs) provides a viable solution for real-time threat detection at the network edge, though limited computational resources present challenges for smaller ODLLMs. This paper introduces a novel detection framework that integrates Chain-of-Thought (CoT) reasoning with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), tailored specifically for IoT edge environments. We systematically evaluate compact ODLLMs, including LLaMA 3.2 (1B, 3B) and Gemma 3 (1B, 4B), using structured prompting and exemplar-driven reasoning strategies. Experimental results demonstrate substantial performance improvements with few-shot prompting, achieving macro-average F1 scores as high as 0.85. Our findings highlight the significant advantages of incorporating exemplar-based reasoning, underscoring that CoT and RAG approaches markedly enhance small ODLLMs' capabilities in accurately classifying complex network attacks under stringent resource constraints.
Open AccessRethinking On-Device LLM Reasoning: Why Analogical Mapping Outperforms Abstract Thinking for IoT DDoS Detection
The rapid expansion of IoT deployments has intensified cybersecurity threats, notably Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, characterized by increasingly sophisticated patterns. Leveraging Generative AI through On-Device Large Language Models (ODLLMs) provides a viable solution for real-time threat detection at the network edge, though limited computational resources present challenges for smaller ODLLMs. This paper introduces a novel detection framework that integrates Chain-of-Thought (CoT) reasoning with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), tailored specifically for IoT edge environments. We systematically evaluate compact ODLLMs, including LLaMA 3.2 (1B, 3B) and Gemma 3 (1B, 4B), using structured prompting and exemplar-driven reasoning strategies. Experimental results demonstrate substantial performance improvements with few-shot prompting, achieving macro-average F1 scores as high as 0.85. Our findings highlight the significant advantages of incorporating exemplar-based reasoning, underscoring that CoT and RAG approaches markedly enhance small ODLLMs' capabilities in accurately classifying complex network attacks under stringent resource constraints.
- Open Access
ExpertAgent: Enhancing Personalized Education through Dynamic Planning and Retrieval-Augmented Long-Chain Reasoning
The application of advanced generative artificial intelligence in education is often constrained by the lack of real-time adaptability, personalization, and reliability of the content. To address these challenges, we propose ExpertAgent - an intelligent agent framework designed for personalized education that provides reliable knowledge and enables highly adaptive learning experiences. Therefore, we developed ExpertAgent, an innovative learning agent that provides users with a proactive and personalized learning experience. ExpertAgent dynamic planning of the learning content and strategy based on a continuously updated student model. Therefore, overcoming the limitations of traditional static learning content to provide optimized teaching strategies and learning experience in real time. All instructional content is grounded in a validated curriculum repository, effectively reducing hallucination risks in large language models and improving reliability and trustworthiness.
Open AccessExpertAgent: Enhancing Personalized Education through Dynamic Planning and Retrieval-Augmented Long-Chain Reasoning
The application of advanced generative artificial intelligence in education is often constrained by the lack of real-time adaptability, personalization, and reliability of the content. To address these challenges, we propose ExpertAgent - an intelligent agent framework designed for personalized education that provides reliable knowledge and enables highly adaptive learning experiences. Therefore, we developed ExpertAgent, an innovative learning agent that provides users with a proactive and personalized learning experience. ExpertAgent dynamic planning of the learning content and strategy based on a continuously updated student model. Therefore, overcoming the limitations of traditional static learning content to provide optimized teaching strategies and learning experience in real time. All instructional content is grounded in a validated curriculum repository, effectively reducing hallucination risks in large language models and improving reliability and trustworthiness.
- Open Access
- 6 October 2025
- Published by MDPI AG in Mathematics
- Vol. 13 (19) , 3201
A Federated Fine-Tuning Framework for Large Language Models via Graph Representation Learning and Structural Segmentation
This paper focuses on the efficient fine-tuning of large language models within the federated learning framework. To address the performance bottlenecks caused by multi-source heterogeneity and structural inconsistency, a structure-aware federated fine-tuning method is proposed. The method incorporates a graph representation module (GRM) to model internal structural relationships within text and employs a segmentation mechanism (SM) to reconstruct and align semantic structures across inputs, thereby enhancing structural robustness and generalization under non-IID (non-Independent and Identically Distributed) settings. During training, the method ensures data locality and integrates structural pruning with gradient encryption (SPGE) strategies to balance privacy preservation and communication efficiency. Compared with representative federated fine-tuning baselines such as FedNLP and FedPrompt, the proposed method achieves consistent accuracy and F1-score improvements across multiple tasks. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, extensive comparative experiments are conducted across tasks of text classification, named entity recognition, and question answering, using multiple datasets with diverse structures and heterogeneity levels. Experimental results show that the proposed approach significantly outperforms existing federated fine-tuning strategies on most tasks, achieving higher performance while preserving privacy, and demonstrating strong practical applicability and generalization potential.
- 6 October 2025
- Published by MDPI AG in Mathematics
- Vol. 13 (19) , 3201
Open AccessA Federated Fine-Tuning Framework for Large Language Models via Graph Representation Learning and Structural Segmentation
This paper focuses on the efficient fine-tuning of large language models within the federated learning framework. To address the performance bottlenecks caused by multi-source heterogeneity and structural inconsistency, a structure-aware federated fine-tuning method is proposed. The method incorporates a graph representation module (GRM) to model internal structural relationships within text and employs a segmentation mechanism (SM) to reconstruct and align semantic structures across inputs, thereby enhancing structural robustness and generalization under non-IID (non-Independent and Identically Distributed) settings. During training, the method ensures data locality and integrates structural pruning with gradient encryption (SPGE) strategies to balance privacy preservation and communication efficiency. Compared with representative federated fine-tuning baselines such as FedNLP and FedPrompt, the proposed method achieves consistent accuracy and F1-score improvements across multiple tasks. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, extensive comparative experiments are conducted across tasks of text classification, named entity recognition, and question answering, using multiple datasets with diverse structures and heterogeneity levels. Experimental results show that the proposed approach significantly outperforms existing federated fine-tuning strategies on most tasks, achieving higher performance while preserving privacy, and demonstrating strong practical applicability and generalization potential.
- Open Access
- 18 September 2025
- Published by MDPI AG in Preprints.org
Efficient Large Language Model Fine-Tuning with Joint Structural Pruning and Parameter Sharing
This paper addresses the challenges of high computational cost and severe parameter redundancy in the fine-tuning of large language models. It proposes an efficient fine-tuning algorithm that integrates structural pruning with parameter sharing. The method operates from both the architectural and optimization perspectives. It prunes redundant connections dynamically while keeping the core model frozen and introduces task-conditioned cross-layer sharing modules to enhance representation power and parameter efficiency. A pruning residual compensation mechanism is designed to preserve semantic coherence, and a conditional sharing mapping is constructed to improve task-level consistency. The training objective jointly optimizes task loss, sparsity regularization, and inter-layer consistency constraints, achieving unified parameter compression and semantic retention. The proposed method is systematically evaluated using perplexity, accuracy, and inference speed-up across different pruning rates, learning rates, input lengths, and data distribution settings. Experimental results show that the algorithm consistently outperforms mainstream fine-tuning techniques across multiple dimensions. It achieves joint optimization of accuracy and efficiency with minimal parameter tuning, making it well-suited for large language model deployment and transfer learning across diverse scenarios.
- 18 September 2025
- Published by MDPI AG in Preprints.org
Open AccessEfficient Large Language Model Fine-Tuning with Joint Structural Pruning and Parameter Sharing
This paper addresses the challenges of high computational cost and severe parameter redundancy in the fine-tuning of large language models. It proposes an efficient fine-tuning algorithm that integrates structural pruning with parameter sharing. The method operates from both the architectural and optimization perspectives. It prunes redundant connections dynamically while keeping the core model frozen and introduces task-conditioned cross-layer sharing modules to enhance representation power and parameter efficiency. A pruning residual compensation mechanism is designed to preserve semantic coherence, and a conditional sharing mapping is constructed to improve task-level consistency. The training objective jointly optimizes task loss, sparsity regularization, and inter-layer consistency constraints, achieving unified parameter compression and semantic retention. The proposed method is systematically evaluated using perplexity, accuracy, and inference speed-up across different pruning rates, learning rates, input lengths, and data distribution settings. Experimental results show that the algorithm consistently outperforms mainstream fine-tuning techniques across multiple dimensions. It achieves joint optimization of accuracy and efficiency with minimal parameter tuning, making it well-suited for large language model deployment and transfer learning across diverse scenarios.
- 26 July 2025
- Published by Elsevier in Information Fusion
- Vol. 126
MARNet: Multi-scale adaptive relational network for robust point cloud completion via cross-modal fusion
- 26 July 2025
- Published by Elsevier in Information Fusion
- Vol. 126
MARNet: Multi-scale adaptive relational network for robust point cloud completion via cross-modal fusion
- Open Access
- 18 June 2025
- Published by MDPI AG in Preprints.org
Structuring Low-Rank Adaptation with Semantic Guidance for Model Fine-Tuning
This paper addresses the challenges of fine-tuning efficiency and semantic adaptation in large language models for question answering tasks. It proposes a low-rank parameter adaptation method that incorporates semantic representations. While keeping the main model parameters frozen, the method introduces a semantic guidance function to improve traditional low-rank tuning strategies. This allows the parameter update process to dynamically align with input semantics, enhancing the model's ability to perceive complex semantic structures. The method embeds a semantic-aware module into the attention layers of the Transformer architecture. It uses representation vectors generated by a semantic encoder to guide the construction of low-rank matrices. In addition, a semantic similarity regularization term is applied to enforce consistency in the model's responses to semantically similar inputs. The method was evaluated across multiple experimental settings. These include comparisons with existing mainstream parameter-efficient fine-tuning approaches, analysis of adaptability to different QA types, and robustness under semantic perturbation. In all cases, the proposed method demonstrates strong accuracy, stability, and generalization ability. Furthermore, training loss curves show that the method achieves good convergence speed and training stability during optimization. Overall, the results indicate that the semantically guided low-rank adaptation strategy enhances the semantic understanding of QA systems while significantly reducing computational and storage costs during fine-tuning. This provides a simple yet robust solution for building efficient intelligent QA models.
- 18 June 2025
- Published by MDPI AG in Preprints.org
Open AccessStructuring Low-Rank Adaptation with Semantic Guidance for Model Fine-Tuning
This paper addresses the challenges of fine-tuning efficiency and semantic adaptation in large language models for question answering tasks. It proposes a low-rank parameter adaptation method that incorporates semantic representations. While keeping the main model parameters frozen, the method introduces a semantic guidance function to improve traditional low-rank tuning strategies. This allows the parameter update process to dynamically align with input semantics, enhancing the model's ability to perceive complex semantic structures. The method embeds a semantic-aware module into the attention layers of the Transformer architecture. It uses representation vectors generated by a semantic encoder to guide the construction of low-rank matrices. In addition, a semantic similarity regularization term is applied to enforce consistency in the model's responses to semantically similar inputs. The method was evaluated across multiple experimental settings. These include comparisons with existing mainstream parameter-efficient fine-tuning approaches, analysis of adaptability to different QA types, and robustness under semantic perturbation. In all cases, the proposed method demonstrates strong accuracy, stability, and generalization ability. Furthermore, training loss curves show that the method achieves good convergence speed and training stability during optimization. Overall, the results indicate that the semantically guided low-rank adaptation strategy enhances the semantic understanding of QA systems while significantly reducing computational and storage costs during fine-tuning. This provides a simple yet robust solution for building efficient intelligent QA models.
- Open Access
- 20 December 2024
- Published by MDPI AG in Electronics
- Vol. 13 (24) , 5023
Improving Short-Term Load Forecasting with Multi-Scale Convolutional Neural Networks and Transformer-Based Multi-Head Attention Mechanisms
This research introduces an original approach to time series forecasting through the use of multi-scale convolutional neural networks with Transformer modules. The objective is to focus on the limitations of short-term load forecasting in terms of complex spatio-temporal dependencies. The model begins with the convolutional layers, which perform feature extraction from the time series data to look for features with different temporal resolutions. The last step involves making use of the self-attention component of the Transformer block, which tries to find the long-range dependencies within the series. Also, a spatial attention layer is included to handle the interactions among the different samples. Equipped with these features, the model is able to make predictions. Experimental results show that this model performs better compared to the time series forecasting models in the literature. It is worth mentioning that the MSE score or mean square error of the model was 0.62, while the measure of fit R2 was 0.91 in predicting the individual household electric power consumption dataset. The baseline models for this dataset such as the LSTM model had an MSE of 2.324 and R2 value of 0.79, showing that the proposed model was significantly improved by a margin.
- 20 December 2024
- Published by MDPI AG in Electronics
- Vol. 13 (24) , 5023
Open AccessImproving Short-Term Load Forecasting with Multi-Scale Convolutional Neural Networks and Transformer-Based Multi-Head Attention Mechanisms
This research introduces an original approach to time series forecasting through the use of multi-scale convolutional neural networks with Transformer modules. The objective is to focus on the limitations of short-term load forecasting in terms of complex spatio-temporal dependencies. The model begins with the convolutional layers, which perform feature extraction from the time series data to look for features with different temporal resolutions. The last step involves making use of the self-attention component of the Transformer block, which tries to find the long-range dependencies within the series. Also, a spatial attention layer is included to handle the interactions among the different samples. Equipped with these features, the model is able to make predictions. Experimental results show that this model performs better compared to the time series forecasting models in the literature. It is worth mentioning that the MSE score or mean square error of the model was 0.62, while the measure of fit R2 was 0.91 in predicting the individual household electric power consumption dataset. The baseline models for this dataset such as the LSTM model had an MSE of 2.324 and R2 value of 0.79, showing that the proposed model was significantly improved by a margin.
- Open Access
A Review of Intelligent Device Fault Diagnosis Technologies Based on Machine Vision
This paper provides a comprehensive review of mechanical equipment fault diagnosis methods, focusing on the advancements brought by Transformer-based models. It details the structure, working principles, and benefits of Transformers, particularly their self-attention mechanism and parallel computation capabilities, which have propelled their widespread application in natural language processing and computer vision. The discussion highlights key Transformer model variants, such as Vision Transformers (ViT) and their extensions, which leverage self-attention to improve accuracy and efficiency in visual tasks. Furthermore, the paper examines the application of Transformer-based approaches in intelligent fault diagnosis for mechanical systems, showcasing their superior ability to extract and recognize patterns from complex sensor data for precise fault identification. Despite these advancements, challenges remain, including the reliance on extensive labeled datasets, significant computational demands, and difficulties in deploying models on resource-limited devices. To address these limitations, the paper proposes future research directions, such as developing lightweight Transformer architectures, integrating multimodal data sources, and enhancing adaptability to diverse operational conditions. These efforts aim to further expand the application of Transformer-based methods in mechanical fault diagnosis, making them more robust, efficient, and suitable for real-world industrial environments.
Open AccessA Review of Intelligent Device Fault Diagnosis Technologies Based on Machine Vision
This paper provides a comprehensive review of mechanical equipment fault diagnosis methods, focusing on the advancements brought by Transformer-based models. It details the structure, working principles, and benefits of Transformers, particularly their self-attention mechanism and parallel computation capabilities, which have propelled their widespread application in natural language processing and computer vision. The discussion highlights key Transformer model variants, such as Vision Transformers (ViT) and their extensions, which leverage self-attention to improve accuracy and efficiency in visual tasks. Furthermore, the paper examines the application of Transformer-based approaches in intelligent fault diagnosis for mechanical systems, showcasing their superior ability to extract and recognize patterns from complex sensor data for precise fault identification. Despite these advancements, challenges remain, including the reliance on extensive labeled datasets, significant computational demands, and difficulties in deploying models on resource-limited devices. To address these limitations, the paper proposes future research directions, such as developing lightweight Transformer architectures, integrating multimodal data sources, and enhancing adaptability to diverse operational conditions. These efforts aim to further expand the application of Transformer-based methods in mechanical fault diagnosis, making them more robust, efficient, and suitable for real-world industrial environments.
- Open Access
Dynamic EEG-fMRI mapping: Revealing the relationship between brain connectivity and cognitive state
This study investigated the dynamic connectivity patterns between EEG and fMRI modalities, contributing to our understanding of brain network interactions. By employing a comprehensive approach that integrated static and dynamic analyses of EEG-fMRI data, we were able to uncover distinct connectivity states and characterize their temporal fluctuations. The results revealed modular organization within the intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) of the brain, highlighting the significant roles of sensory systems and the default mode network. The use of a sliding window technique allowed us to assess how functional connectivity varies over time, further elucidating the transient nature of brain connectivity. Additionally, our findings align with previous literature, reinforcing the notion that cognitive states can be effectively identified through short-duration data, specifically within the 30-60 second timeframe. The established relationships between connectivity strength and cognitive processes, particularly during different visual states, underscore the relevance of our approach for future research into brain dynamics. Overall, this study not only enhances our understanding of the interplay between EEG and fMRI signals but also paves the way for further exploration into the neural correlates of cognitive functions and their implications in clinical settings. Future research should focus on refining these methodologies and exploring their applications in various cognitive and clinical contexts.
Open AccessDynamic EEG-fMRI mapping: Revealing the relationship between brain connectivity and cognitive state
This study investigated the dynamic connectivity patterns between EEG and fMRI modalities, contributing to our understanding of brain network interactions. By employing a comprehensive approach that integrated static and dynamic analyses of EEG-fMRI data, we were able to uncover distinct connectivity states and characterize their temporal fluctuations. The results revealed modular organization within the intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) of the brain, highlighting the significant roles of sensory systems and the default mode network. The use of a sliding window technique allowed us to assess how functional connectivity varies over time, further elucidating the transient nature of brain connectivity. Additionally, our findings align with previous literature, reinforcing the notion that cognitive states can be effectively identified through short-duration data, specifically within the 30-60 second timeframe. The established relationships between connectivity strength and cognitive processes, particularly during different visual states, underscore the relevance of our approach for future research into brain dynamics. Overall, this study not only enhances our understanding of the interplay between EEG and fMRI signals but also paves the way for further exploration into the neural correlates of cognitive functions and their implications in clinical settings. Future research should focus on refining these methodologies and exploring their applications in various cognitive and clinical contexts.
- Open Access
Recording Brain Activity While Listening to Music Using Wearable EEG Devices Combined with Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory Networks
Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are crucial for investigating brain function and cognitive processes. This study aims to address the challenges of efficiently recording and analyzing high-dimensional EEG signals while listening to music to recognize emotional states. We propose a method combining Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) networks with attention mechanisms for EEG signal processing. Using wearable EEG devices, we collected brain activity data from participants listening to music. The data was preprocessed, segmented, and Differential Entropy (DE) features were extracted. We then constructed and trained a Bi-LSTM model to enhance key feature extraction and improve emotion recognition accuracy. Experiments were conducted on the SEED and DEAP datasets. The Bi-LSTM-AttGW model achieved 98.28% accuracy on the SEED dataset and 92.46% on the DEAP dataset in multi-class emotion recognition tasks, significantly outperforming traditional models such as SVM and EEG-Net. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining Bi-LSTM with attention mechanisms, providing robust technical support for applications in brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and affective computing. Future work will focus on improving device design, incorporating multimodal data, and further enhancing emotion recognition accuracy, aiming to achieve practical applications in real-world scenarios.
Open AccessRecording Brain Activity While Listening to Music Using Wearable EEG Devices Combined with Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory Networks
Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are crucial for investigating brain function and cognitive processes. This study aims to address the challenges of efficiently recording and analyzing high-dimensional EEG signals while listening to music to recognize emotional states. We propose a method combining Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) networks with attention mechanisms for EEG signal processing. Using wearable EEG devices, we collected brain activity data from participants listening to music. The data was preprocessed, segmented, and Differential Entropy (DE) features were extracted. We then constructed and trained a Bi-LSTM model to enhance key feature extraction and improve emotion recognition accuracy. Experiments were conducted on the SEED and DEAP datasets. The Bi-LSTM-AttGW model achieved 98.28% accuracy on the SEED dataset and 92.46% on the DEAP dataset in multi-class emotion recognition tasks, significantly outperforming traditional models such as SVM and EEG-Net. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining Bi-LSTM with attention mechanisms, providing robust technical support for applications in brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and affective computing. Future work will focus on improving device design, incorporating multimodal data, and further enhancing emotion recognition accuracy, aiming to achieve practical applications in real-world scenarios.