Deep Learning Training with Simulated Approximate Multipliers

This paper presents by simulation how approximate multipliers can be utilized to enhance the training performance of convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Approximate multipliers have significantly better performance in terms of speed, power, and area compared to exact multipliers. However, approximate multipliers have an inaccuracy which is defined in terms of the Mean Relative Error (MRE). To assess the applicability of approximate multipliers in enhancing CNN training performance, a simulation for the impact of approximate multipliers error on CNN training is presented. The paper demonstrates that using approximate multipliers for CNN training can significantly enhance the performance in terms of speed, power, and area at the cost of a small negative impact on the achieved accuracy. Additionally, the paper proposes a hybrid training method which mitigates this negative impact on the accuracy. Using the proposed hybrid method, the training can start using approximate multipliers then switches to exact multipliers for the last few epochs. Using this method, the performance benefits of approximate multipliers in terms of speed, power, and area can be attained for a large portion of the training stage. On the other hand, the negative impact on the accuracy is diminished by using the exact multipliers for the last epochs of training.Comment: Presented at: IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO) 2019, Dali, China, December 2019. WINNER OF THE MOZI BEST PAPER IN AI AWAR

Evaluating The Efficiency of The banking Accounting Information Systems in Protecting The Data And Information

This research aims to identify the risks and problems resulting from modern techniques used in banks, and to investigate the protection measures which are represented by administrative, technical, and monitoring procedures and policies applied in banks and which enhance the efficiency of information systems. As a means to realize and achieve its objectives, the research presented the concept of information systems efficiency, and the factors influencing this efficiency, in addition to the actual status of the electronic work environment in Syrian banks and services offered by these banks to their clients. The researcher also demonstrated the risks and threats facing the uses of technology in general and in banks in particular in terms of using the global networks- Internet – thus shedding the light on risks that cannot be overcome unless by taking action, and applying some principles-the researcher focused here on COBIT and ISO standards (27001) and (27002). The researcher has chosen the Real-Estate Bank and Audi Bank as a sample of her research. She studied the extent to which these banks were affected by the uses of information techniques, and the risks that they were exposed to, and also the administrative, security and technical procedures taken to reduce the risk of technology uses. This was done through analyzing and assessing the actual status of information and data security by comparing the data of practical reality with safety standards specified by the appropriate authorities. Necessary data related to the accounting information systems used in the sample banks were collected from the managerial reports and statistics beside interviewing staff concerned in information and data security. In addition to that, some experimental trials were carried out, like Acunetix Website Audit, in oreder to know the number of penetrations and gaps that can occur and through which they can determine the level of protection in some electronic bank transactions. The research concluded that the efficiency of accounting information systems to offer security for bankers is relatively limited, and that it could have been better. These systems were not able to reach an advanced level of safety objectives through their security policies and procedures. تقييم مدى قدرة نظام المعلومات المحاسبي المصرفي على حماية البيانات والمعلومات (دراسة مقارنة) هدف البحث إلى التعرف على المخاطر والمشاكل الناتجة عن استخدام البنوك والمصارف للتقنيات الحديثة وما هي إجراءات الحماية المتبعة متمثلة بالسياسات والإجراءات الإدارية والفنية والرقابية المطبقة في المصارف والتي تعزز من كفاءة نظم المعلومات. تم بلوغ هدف البحث من خلال عرض واقع بيئة العمل الالكتروني بالمصارف السورية والخدمات التي تقدمها المصارف لعملائها، كما قام الباحثان أيضاً، ببيان المخاطر والمهددات التي تجابه استخدامات التقنية بصورة عامة وبالبنوك بصفة خاصة وذلك في ظل استخدام الشبكات العالمية:(الإنترنت) فتفتح بذلك نافذة على مخاطر لا يمكن التغلب عليها إلا باتخاذ إجراءات وسياسات وتطبيق معايير محددة, حيث تمَّ التركيز هنا على معيار الكوبيت والآيزو (27001) و(27002). اتخذ الباحثان المصرف العقاري ومصرف عودة عينة لدراستها لمعرفة مدى تأثرها باستخدامات تقنية المعلومات والمخاطر التي تتعرض لها، ولمعرفة الاجراءات الإدارية والأمنية والفنية المتخذة للحد من مخاطر استخدامات التقنية, وذلك من خلال تحليل وتقييم واقع حماية المعلومات والبيانات عبر مقارنة معطيات الواقع العملي لها بمعايير الأمان المحددة من المرجعيات المناسبة. تم جمع البيانات والمعلومات اللازمة عن أنظمة المعلومات المحاسبية المستخدمة في المصارف عينة الدراسة من خلال التقارير الإدارية والإحصائيات، والمقابلات الشخصية مع العاملين ذوي العلاقة بأمن المعلومات. كما أُجريت بعض الاختبارات التجريبية كاختبار Acunetix Website Audit لمعرفة عدد الاختراقات والثغرات التي يمكن حدوثها والتي يمكن من خلالها تحديد مستوى الحماية في بعض العمليات المصرفية الإلكترونية. وخلص البحث إلى أن كفاءة نظم المعلومات المحاسبية في تحقيق الأمان لـلمصرفين محدودة نسبياً، وكان من الممكن أن تكون أفضل, فهي لم تتمكن من بلوغ مستوى متقدم من أهداف الأمان من خلال سياساتها وإجراءاتها الأمنية التي كانت رسمتها

Ordered Reliability Direct Error Pattern Testing Decoding Algorithm

We introduce a novel universal soft-decision decoding algorithm for binary block codes called ordered reliability direct error pattern testing (ORDEPT). Our results, obtained for a variety of popular short high-rate codes, demonstrate that ORDEPT outperforms state-of-the-art decoding algorithms of comparable complexity such as ordered reliability bits guessing random additive noise decoding (ORBGRAND) in terms of the decoding error probability and latency. The improvements carry on to the iterative decoding of product codes and convolutional product-like codes, where we present a new adaptive decoding algorithm and demonstrate the ability of ORDEPT to efficiently find multiple candidate codewords to produce soft output

Role of Rote Learning as an ESL Learning Strategy

Abstract Hundreds of thousands of graduates of both professional and non-professional courses are churned out every year by the universities and colleges in India. Unfortunately, a majority of them often find themselves in the status of perennial jobseekers running from one establishment to another. Ultimately, most of them reconcile themselves to the fate of being rejected by the job market as "unemployable", in spite of their score cards bearing the stamp of a 'first-class' or 'super-first class' . What causes this anomaly? This article attempts to probe some of the reasons behind the malady, from the perspective of ESL (English as Second Language) proficiency. The investigation is done with the help of a random survey carried out among a group of ESL learners at the point of their entry into various undergraduate courses in South India. Nevertheless, the findings of this study would be representative of the status of the ESL proficiency of a vast majority of the Indian student community

Biliary complications following liver transplantation in the model for end-stage liver disease era: Effect of donor, recipient, and technical factors

Biliary complications remain a significant problem following liver transplantation in the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) era. We hypothesized that donor, recipient, and technical variables may differentially affect anastomotic biliary complications in MELD era liver transplants. We reviewed 256 deceased donor liver transplants after the institution of MELD at our center and evaluated these variables' association with anastomotic biliary complications. The bile leak rate was 18%, and the stricture rate was 23%. Univariate analysis revealed that recipient age, MELD, donor age, and warm ischemia were risk factors for leak, whereas a Roux limb or stent was protective. A bile leak was a risk factor for anastomotic stricture, whereas use of histidine tryptophan ketoglutarate (HTK) versus University of Wisconsin (UW) solution was protective. Additionally, use of a transcystic tube/stent was also protective. Multivariate analysis showed that warm ischemia was the only independent risk factor for a leak, whereas development of a leak was the only independent risk factor for a stricture. HTK versus UW use and transcystic tube/stent use were the only independent protective factors against stricture. Use of an internal stent trended in the multivariate analysis toward being protective against leaks and strictures, but this was not quite statistically significant. This represents one of the first MELD era studies of deceased donor liver transplants evaluating factors affecting the incidence of anastomotic bile leaks and strictures. Donor, recipient, and technical factors appear to differentially affect the incidence of anastomotic biliary complications, with warm ischemia, use of HTK, and use of a stent emerging as the most important variables. Liver Transpl 14:73–80, 2008. © 2007 AASLD.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57538/1/21354_ftp.pd