A Study of Deep Learning Robustness Against Computation Failures

For many types of integrated circuits, accepting larger failure rates in computations can be used to improve energy efficiency. We study the performance of faulty implementations of certain deep neural networks based on pessimistic and optimistic models of the effect of hardware faults. After identifying the impact of hyperparameters such as the number of layers on robustness, we study the ability of the network to compensate for computational failures through an increase of the network size. We show that some networks can achieve equivalent performance under faulty implementations, and quantify the required increase in computational complexity

Close to Peace but Far from Home: Forced Displacement and Land Restitution in Post-Accord Columbia

My research looks at the opportunities and challenges of the Colombian transitional justice process to produce long-overdue societal transformations. It critically examines the land restitution framework established by Law 1448 using the transformative justice analytical lens in order to expose enduring patterns of violence that are embedded in, or influenced by, the current transitional justice process. Based on four months of fieldwork in various regions of Colombia in the summer of 2018, my research first suggests that the discrepancies between victims expectations of the transitional justice process and the states approach, which are most visible when considering reparations for collective non-material forms of harms, have significant implications for victims recovery. Secondly, my research challenges the assumption that transitional justice and development are complementary concepts and brings attention to instances in which the transitional justice process was conditioned by states development priorities that are in direct conflict with some of the fundamental elements of Law 1448

Modeling and Energy Optimization of LDPC Decoder Circuits with Timing Violations

This paper proposes a "quasi-synchronous" design approach for signal processing circuits, in which timing violations are permitted, but without the need for a hardware compensation mechanism. The case of a low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoder is studied, and a method for accurately modeling the effect of timing violations at a high level of abstraction is presented. The error-correction performance of code ensembles is then evaluated using density evolution while taking into account the effect of timing faults. Following this, several quasi-synchronous LDPC decoder circuits based on the offset min-sum algorithm are optimized, providing a 23%-40% reduction in energy consumption or energy-delay product, while achieving the same performance and occupying the same area as conventional synchronous circuits.Comment: To appear in IEEE Transactions on Communication

Understanding Belongingness in Schools for Disabled Students Who Require a High Level of Support

The principles and practices of belonging are at the heart of inclusion (Slee, 2019, p. 917). The concept of belonging allows for a broadening of the debates around the inclusion/exclusion binary (Mee & Wright, 2009, p. 774). The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how processes of belongingness do and do not occur in schools for disabled students. A critical disability studies orientation guided the project, specifically, Meekosha and Shuttleworth’s (2017) four principles of CDS. The research questions were: (1) How do the students I work with (autistic students with IDD) develop a sense of belongingness in classrooms and school spaces? (2) What are the conditions in schools that allow belongingness to flourish? (3) What are the conditions in schools that prevent processes of belongingness from occurring? The study was influenced by Jean Clandinin and Micheal Connolly’s conceptual framework for narrative inquiry. G. Thomas Couser’s six guidelines for disability life writing and representation were used as a standard for the construction of the participant narratives. I examined the experiences of two interview participants—an autistic young adult, and a school principal with two disabled daughters. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews and construct themes. Based on the themes, I composed narratives in which I quoted the participants verbatim. Each interview resulted in its own themes, along with one similarity and two differences between the interviews, in relation to the research questions. I further reflected on these findings and their implications for my teaching practice as a special education teacher. The final discussion section answers the research questions through my findings from the participants, which are contextualized in relevant literature and CDS concepts