ShadowNet: A Secure and Efficient System for On-device Model Inference

With the increased usage of AI accelerators on mobile and edge devices, on-device machine learning (ML) is gaining popularity. Consequently, thousands of proprietary ML models are being deployed on billions of untrusted devices. This raises serious security concerns about model privacy. However, protecting the model privacy without losing access to the AI accelerators is a challenging problem. In this paper, we present a novel on-device model inference system, ShadowNet. ShadowNet protects the model privacy with Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) while securely outsourcing the heavy linear layers of the model to the untrusted hardware accelerators. ShadowNet achieves this by transforming the weights of the linear layers before outsourcing them and restoring the results inside the TEE. The nonlinear layers are also kept secure inside the TEE. The transformation of the weights and the restoration of the results are designed in a way that can be implemented efficiently. We have built a ShadowNet prototype based on TensorFlow Lite and applied it on four popular CNNs, namely, MobileNets, ResNet-44, AlexNet and MiniVGG. Our evaluation shows that ShadowNet achieves strong security guarantees with reasonable performance, offering a practical solution for secure on-device model inference.Comment: single column, 21 pages (29 pages include appendix), 12 figure

Comparative iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of spotted seal (Phoca largha) pups inhabiting different environments

Captive breeding is among the most effective approaches for ensuring the conservation of numerous endangered species. However, only a few studies have examined the effects of captive maintenance of animals at the molecular level. In this study, we adopted the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) approach to compare protein expression in the blood of endangered spotted seal pups (Phoca largha) inhabiting different environments. We identified 519 proteins from 2,628 peptides, the expression of 158 of which differed significantly between short-term captive and wild seals. In addition, 140 proteins were identified as being differentially expressed between short-term and long-term captive seals, whereas 235 proteins were differentially expressed between the wild and long-term captive groups (p < 0.05). In wild seal pups, proteins associated with the maintenance of cardiomyocyte cell stability and integrity, protection of the heart, and prevention of anemia were upregulated, reflecting the high stress and energetic costs associated with movement and foraging. In addition, significant differences were detected among the three groups with respect to immune-related proteins. The results of this study advance our current understanding of protein expression in spotted seals and provide data that will contribute to the future conservation of this species

Tissue distribution and trophic magnification of trace elements in typical marine mammals in Bohai and north Yellow Seas

A total of 20 stranded spotted seals (Phoca largha) and 9 stranded minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) were collected from Liaodong Bay and the northern part of the Yellow Sea to investigate the tissue distribution (liver, kidney, heart, lung, and muscle), risk, and trophic magnification of 13 trace elements (TEs, Hg, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, V, Zn). The 13 TEs were all detected in all spotted seal and minke whale tissue samples, with mean concentrations ranging from 0.041 to 136.3 mg kg-1 dry weight (dw) and 0.022 to 152.6 mg kg-1 dw, respectively. Zn was the dominant contaminant in all tissues for both spotted seals and minke whales. There was tissue-specific distribution of TEs in both marine mammals, and the TEs tended to accumulate in internal organs. Significant positive correlations were found in the body length of the spotted seals and minke whales among some of the TEs, especially for Cd in the internal organs. Gender-dependent distribution of the TEs was not obtained for the spotted seal. Ecological risk evaluation for spotted seals and minke whales suggested that greater concern should be given to Hg, As, and Se. Based on the TE concentrations detected in this study and trophic levels determined by stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, trophic level-associated biodilution was obtained for As, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se, Sn, and V in the spotted seal, while Zn displayed a significant biomagnification trend with increasing trophic levels. In the case of the minke whale, As, Cd, Co, Mn, Pb, Se, and V displayed significant biomagnification trends with increasing trophic levels

DataSheet_1_Age and sex differences in in-air vocalization characteristics of spotted seal pups from newborn to 1 year old in captivity.docx

Acoustic parameters of spotted seals (Phoca largha), including the duration, peak frequency, and peak-to-peak source level, are reported to vary between different ages and sexes; however, to our knowledge, the vocal ontogeny of the spotted seal from newborn to 1 year old is yet to be studied. In the present study, we recorded and analyzed vocalizations of human-cared spotted seals from the Liaodong Bay colony from newborn to 1 year old, aiming to document the first-year development of seal vocalizations. We divided the spotted seal pups into four age groups (i.e., 1–3-month, 4–6-month, 7–9-month, and 10–12-month groups) for both sexes. The results show significant differences in sex patterns in sound parameters in terms of duration, peak frequency, and peak-to-peak source level. The vocalizations of female seal pups were longer in duration but lower in peak frequency and peak-to-peak source level than those of male pups. All three sound parameters were significantly different across different age groups. Specifically, the 1–3-month group had significantly lower values in duration, peak frequency, and peak-to-peak source level than the three other age groups. The 10–12-month group had significantly higher values in duration and peak-to-peak source level than the three other age groups. Our results also indicate a sex-specific development pattern of seal vocalizations from 1 year old until sexual maturity. Our findings will benefit the evaluation of anthropogenic noise impacts on spotted seal pups and further conservation of the seal population.</p

Annual variation in the gut microbiota of captive adult spotted seals, <i>Phoca largha</i>

This study monitored monthly variations in the gut microbiota of three captive adult spotted seals from October 2021 to September 2022. Fecal samples were collected regularly, and 16S rRNA sequencing was used for analysis. A total of 5,502,711 raw sequence reads were generated, revealing 11,978 Amplifying Subsequence Variants across different classification levels. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were dominant, showing consistent patterns with varying relative abundances over time, indicating stability with seasonal variations. Alpha and beta diversity analyses showed significant variations, with higher diversity in May and June and notable changes between spring and autumn. Intriguingly, nonendemic Proteobacteria were present, suggesting external influences such as interactions with zookeepers or exposure to public programs. Long-term monitoring of microbial communities in captive marine mammals is crucial for understanding impacts from diet, medical history, and enclosure conditions, optimizing their health and wellbeing. This research highlights the importance of microbiota monitoring for managing captive marine mammal health.</p