SHADHO: Massively Scalable Hardware-Aware Distributed Hyperparameter Optimization

Computer vision is experiencing an AI renaissance, in which machine learning models are expediting important breakthroughs in academic research and commercial applications. Effectively training these models, however, is not trivial due in part to hyperparameters: user-configured values that control a model's ability to learn from data. Existing hyperparameter optimization methods are highly parallel but make no effort to balance the search across heterogeneous hardware or to prioritize searching high-impact spaces. In this paper, we introduce a framework for massively Scalable Hardware-Aware Distributed Hyperparameter Optimization (SHADHO). Our framework calculates the relative complexity of each search space and monitors performance on the learning task over all trials. These metrics are then used as heuristics to assign hyperparameters to distributed workers based on their hardware. We first demonstrate that our framework achieves double the throughput of a standard distributed hyperparameter optimization framework by optimizing SVM for MNIST using 150 distributed workers. We then conduct model search with SHADHO over the course of one week using 74 GPUs across two compute clusters to optimize U-Net for a cell segmentation task, discovering 515 models that achieve a lower validation loss than standard U-Net.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Do You Know Your Terms? - A Procedure Model for Terminology Management

Due to the extensive development und use of information technology, a lot of companies gained access to vast internal and external information sources. Yet nonetheless, efficiency when dealing with information and trying to find the right content is not on an appropriate level. Managing terms and classifying information has a long tradition in Knowledge Management, namely by the usage of glossaries and taxonomies as two instruments of Terminology Management. But even with today’s portals, search engines and auto-classifiers, it does not work without human interaction and high costs. Therefore, we propose a procedure model for Terminology Management to build up and maintain glossaries and taxonomies. To discover the evidence of our approach three action research cases have been analysed. The first focuses on the introduction of a glossary for a Swiss insurance company whereas the second case illustrates the initial activities and results for setting up a corporate taxonomy at an international professional services firm. Based on the learnings we developed a prototype (third case) which combines glossary and taxonomy for document classification and retrieval. We conclude that only a well suited trade-off between centralized and decentralized Terminology Management activities will be sustainable

Torts

Covers cases on warrantless arrest (Kremer); on contributory negligence—absolute right to stop at a yellow light (Howe); on warning lights on the highway—absolute duty versus reasonable measures (Mackie); on automobiles—dangerous instrumentality doctrine—negligence (Lyness); on the tort liability of a building contractor to third persons injured after completion of work (Conger); and on silence as fraudulent concealment—vendor and purchaser—duty to disclose (Lyness

Ground verification of the feasibility of telepresent on-orbit servicing

In an ideal case telepresence achieves a state in which a human operator can no longer differentiate between an interaction with a real environment and a technical mediated one. This state is called transparent telepresence. The applicability of telepresence to on-orbit servicing (OOS), i.e., an unmanned servicing operation in space, teleoperated from ground in real time, is verified in this paper. For this purpose, a communication test environment was set up on the ground, which involved the Institute of Astronautics (LRT) ground station in Garching, Germany, and the European Space Agency (ESA) ground station in Redu, Belgium. Both were connected via the geostationary ESA data relay satellite ARTEMIS. Utilizing the data relay satellite, a teleoperation was accomplished in which the human operator as well as the (space) teleoperator was located on the ground. The feasibility of telepresent OOS was evaluated, using an OOS test bed at the Institute of Mechatronics and Robotics at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The manipulation task was representative for OOS and supported real-time feedback from the haptic-visual workspace. The tests showed that complex manipulation tasks can be fulfilled by utilizing geostationary data relay satellites. For verifying the feasibility of telepresent OOS, different evaluation methods were used. The properties of the space link were measured and related to subjective perceptions of participants, who had to fulfill manipulation tasks. An evaluation of the transparency of the system, including the data relay satellite, was accomplished as well

PERCEPÇÃO DOS DISCENTES DE CIÊNCIAS CONTÁBEIS SOBRE O CURSO E A PROFISSÃO CONTÁBIL: IMAGEM E ESTEREÓTIPOS

O objetivo do estudo foi compreender como está constituída a imagem do curso e da profissão contábil perante discentes de ciências contábeis. Por meio dos pressupostos da Teoria das Representações Sociais e dos estereótipos da profissão contábil, realizou-se uma pesquisa qualitativa através de entrevistas, realizadas por meio de grupos de focos, com acadêmicos do curso de ciências contábeis de um município do oeste paranaense. Para análise de dados da pesquisa, empregou-se categorização por meio da utilização do software Atlas/Ti, e posteriormente realizado análise de conteúdo. Como resultados destaca-se, que os acadêmicos, antes de entrar no curso, possuíam ideias estereotipadas quanto a profissão e quanto as expectativas sobre a profissão, constatou-se satisfação principalmente quanto ao amplo campo de atuação profissional

Assessment of Local Reaction to Vaccines in Live Piglets with Magnetic Resonance Imaging Compared to Histopathology

The safety of veterinary vaccines is assessed in clinical trials in Europe. The assessment of the local tissue reaction to vaccination by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could reduce the number of animals needed because repeated examinations can be performed in the same animal over time. The present study compared the evaluation of local tissue reactions to vaccination using MRI in live pigs with histopathology of porcine tissue, the current gold standard in regulatory safety testing. Eight piglets each were administered one of two commercial vaccines into marked injection sites. All animals were sedated and scanned repeatedly by MRI using a contrast agent up to day 29 after vaccination. On day 29, the animals were euthanized and underwent a pathological examination. The MRI results were compared with the pathomorphological findings at the injection site by regression analysis. The MR images and the pathological examinations yielded matching results concerning the sizes of the affected tissue volumes or areas. The use of MRI for regulatory safety testing can reduce the number of animals needed to 8 per examination group. The volume of a local reaction and its progression over time can be evaluated and documented. If persistent lesions develop a final pathomorphological examination is needed to identify the kind and local distribution of the reaction

Effects of cold winters and roost site stability on population development of non-native Asian ring-necked parakeets (Alexandrinus manillensis) in temperate Central Europe – Results of a 16-year census

Asian ring-necked parakeets (Alexandrinus manillensis, formerly Psittacula krameri, hereafter RNP) first bred in Germany in 1969. Since then, RNP numbers increased in all three major German subpopulations (Rhineland, Rhine-Main, Rhine-Neckar) over the period 2003–2018. In the Rhine-Neckar region, the population increased to more than fivefold within only 15 years. Interestingly, there was no significant breeding range expansion of  RNP in the period 2010–2018. In 2018, the total number of RNP in Germany amounted to >16,200 birds. Differences in RNP censuses between years were evident. Surprisingly, cold winters (extreme value, −13.7 °C) and cold weather conditions in the breeding season (coldest month average, −1.36 °C) were not able to explain between-year variation. This finding suggests that in general winter mortality is low – with exceptions for winters 2008/2009 and 2009/2010, and a population-relevant loss of broods is low in our study population. Surprisingly, the social behaviour in terms of spatio-temporal stability of roost sites could well explain positive and negative population trends. Years of spatially stable and regularly used roost sites seem to correlate with increasing population sizes. In contrast, known shifts of RNP among different roost sites or the formations of new roost sites by split are related to population stagnation or a decrease in numbers. Climate change may lead to further range expansion as cities not suitable yet for RNP may become so in the near future.

Competências docentes e aprendizagem em controladoria em programas de mestrado: uma investigação da percepção discente

Objetivo: Compreender a percepção dos discentes sobre a relação entre competências docentes e aprendizado de controladoria em programas de mestrado em contabilidade no sul e sudeste do Brasil. Metodologia: Estudo qualitativo com caráter descritivo-exploratório realizado por meio de entrevistas em profundidade. Foram entrevistados 19 alunos que concluíram a disciplina de controladoria em 9 programas de mestrado em contabilidade no sul e sudeste do Brasil. Empregou-se análise de conteúdo. Resultados: Os alunos indicaram que a percepção sobre conhecimentos (domínio de conteúdo, experiência prática sobre organizações e experiência acadêmica), habilidades (prática pedagógica, incluindo comunicação, estratégias de ensino e método de avaliação) e atitudes (preparação das aulas; escolha dos materiais da disciplina; e relacionamento interpessoal) dos professores se relacionam com seu processo de aprendizagem. Esta diferenciação é apenas didática, pois tanto a teoria sobre competências quanto os resultados obtidos a partir das entrevistas demonstram que esses aspectos se inter-relacionam no processo de aprendizagem. Contribuições do Estudo: Essa pesquisa pode trazer contribuições relevantes para professores e instituições avaliarem e promoverem mudanças no processo de ensino em controladoria nos programas de mestrado