Essence Framework Research Articles

ESSENCE: Exploiting Structured Stochastic Gradient Pruning for Endurance-Aware ReRAM-Based In-Memory Training Systems

Processing-in-memory (PIM) enables energyefficient deployment of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) from edge to cloud. Resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) is one of the most commonly used technologies for PIM architectures. One of the primary limitations of ReRAM-based PIM in neural network training arises from the limited write endurance due to the frequent weight updates. To make ReRAM-based architectures viable for CNN training, the write endurance issue needs to be addressed. This work aims to reduce the number of weight reprogrammings without compromising the final model accuracy. We propose the ESSENCE framework with an endurance-aware structured stochastic gradient pruning method, which dynamically adjusts the probability of gradient update based on the current update counts. Experimental results with multiple CNNs and datasets demonstrate that the proposed method can extend ReRAM’s life time for training. For instance, with the ResNet20 network and CIFAR-10 dataset, ESSENCE can save the mean update counts of up to 10.29× compared to the SGD method and effectively reduce the maximum update counts compared with No Endurance method. Furthermore, aggressive tuning method based on ESSENCE can boost the mean update count savings by up to 14.41×.

External financial control in the Russian Federation: the essence and legal framework

The genesis of the essence and foundations of the legal regulation of financial control in Russia since the market reforms of the 1990s and to the present time has been considered. The current regulatory framework and general characteristics of the system of external state and municipal financial control in the Russian Federation have been introduced. The main provisions of the Federal law dated 7 February 2011 No 6-FZ «On general principles of organization and activity of control and accounting bodies of the Russian Federation and municipalities» have been considered. The main tasks, remaining at the present stage of development of the system of state financial control in the Russian Federation have been disclosed.

Integrating capacity development during digital health research: a case study from global health

ABSTRACTBackground: The Bloomberg Data for Health Initiative Research and Development Arm at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, has thus far collected NCD risk factor data from more than 13,000 citizens of three LMICs (Bangladesh, Tanzania and Uganda), and has actively worked to improve capacity with partners worldwide.Objective: This paper focuses on how a research project, can also act as a capacity building activity through its research into collecting non-communicable disease risk factor data using different mobile phone modalities.Methods: This paper evaluates the activities undertaken by the project using the ESSENCE Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Research Capacity Strengthening.Results: The project was able to successfully integrate meaningful capacity development activities across all partners. Training, networking, sharing resources, joint data collection, and analysis across individual, organizational and project levels were some of the strategies used. The ESSENCE framework allowed a good assessment strategy for this type of work.Conclusions: This paper highlights the value of making capacity development a high priority for digital health research activities, while also considering the need to monitor and evaluate those activities in order for them to be meaningful and sustainable. It also considers how to utilize the ESSENCE Framework to evaluate capacity development activities through research, and how best to adapt the Framework to different programs.

A Formal Method for Mapping Software Engineering Practices to Essence

Essence Framework EF aims at addressing the core problems of software engineering SE and its practices

A FORMAL METHOD FOR MAPPING SOFTWARE ENGINEERING PRACTICES TO ESSENCE

Essence Framework (EF) aims at addressing the core problems of software engineering (SE) and its practices. As a relatively new framework, one important issue for EF has been mapping software practices to its conceptual domain. Although there are several works describing systematic procedures, a review of literature cannot suggest a study using a formal method. The study is conducted according to the guidelines of Design Science Research (DSR) Method. The research contribution is classified as an “application of a new solution (the formal method) to a new problem (mapping software practices to EF). The formal method employs an algorithm based on Concept Algebra and it is applied in a Scrum case study. The results are promising and they differ from the ones exist in the current EF related literature.

Modeling Software Product Line Engineering with Essence Framework

Although several software product line engineering (SPLE) methods have been described in the literature, adopting these methods in practice is often not straightforward. Thorough understanding of the methods and their artefacts is necessary to apply the methods in a proper manner, and likewise realize the expected goals of SPLE. Recently the Essence framework has been proposed to model the essential elements of a method and to support the modeling of a broad set of software development methods including plan-driven methods and agile methods. So far, the Essence framework has been applied to single system development methods and not yet for SPLE methods. To enhance the understanding of SPLE methods and support a vision for tailoring SPLE methods, we provide a mapping of an SPLE method to the Essence framework. We present experiences about modeling an SPLE method using the Essence framework within the industrial context of Havelsan.

A Formal Method for Mapping Software Engineering Practices to Essence

Essence Framework EF aims at addressing the core problems of software engineering SE and its practices

Using Essence Reflection Meetings in Team-based Project Courses

Background Many software engineering curriculum contain a team-based project course. This is the case of Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley's masters of science in software engineering. In this context, we have been using Essence Reflection Meetings for five semesters with 17 teams and approximately 70 students. During these meetings, the teams reflect on various project's dimensions based on a systems thinking framework. The positive results have been published in research papers. Activity and Discussions Participants will learn about Essence Reflection Meetings for team-based project courses by practicing in a classroom environment. They will discuss challenges and solutions for team-based project courses, and how the proposed approach could potentially be leveraged in their own teaching environment. Organization We will start the tutorial with a discussion revealing the participants positive and negative experiences with team-based projects. After briefly introducing the Essence's systems thinking framework and our research results, we will use hands-on training exercises to demonstrate how to use the approach. This will be followed with guided debriefing. Finally, we will go deeper into the Essence framework, and discuss our research results and their applicability in various teaching environments. Learning Objectives By the end of the tutorial, participants will be familiar with a systems thinking framework that they can leverage to coach their students teams and monitor their progress. They will be able to articulate the pros and cons of applying the approach in their own teaching environment.

Frameworks for evaluating health research capacity strengthening: a qualitative study

BackgroundHealth research capacity strengthening (RCS) projects are often complex and hard to evaluate. In order to inform health RCS evaluation efforts, we aimed to describe and compare key characteristics of existing health RCS evaluation frameworks: their process of development, purpose, target users, structure, content and coverage of important evaluation issues. A secondary objective was to explore what use had been made of the ESSENCE framework, which attempts to address one such issue: harmonising the evaluation requirements of different funders.MethodsWe identified and analysed health RCS evaluation frameworks published by seven funding agencies between 2004 and 2012, using a mixed methods approach involving structured qualitative analyses of documents, a stakeholder survey and consultations with key contacts in health RCS funding agencies.ResultsThe frameworks were intended for use predominantly by the organisations themselves, and most were oriented primarily towards funders’ internal organisational performance requirements. The frameworks made limited reference to theories that specifically concern RCS. Generic devices, such as logical frameworks, were typically used to document activities, outputs and outcomes, but with little emphasis on exploring underlying assumptions or contextual constraints. Usage of the ESSENCE framework appeared limited.ConclusionsWe believe that there is scope for improving frameworks through the incorporation of more accessible information about how to do evaluation in practice; greater involvement of stakeholders, following evaluation capacity building principles; greater emphasis on explaining underlying rationales of frameworks; and structuring frameworks so that they separate generic and project-specific aspects of health RCS evaluation. The third and fourth of these improvements might assist harmonisation.