Recently, machine learning and deep neural networks (DNNs) have gained a significant amount of attention since they have achieved human-like performance in various tasks, such as image classification, recommendation, and natural language processing. As the tasks get more complicated, people build bigger and deeper networks to obtain high accuracy, and this brings challenges to existing hardware on fast and energy-efficient DNN computation due to the memory wall problem. First, traditional hardware spends a significant amount of energy on moving the data between memory and ALU units. Second, the traditional memory blocks only support row-by-row access, and this limits the computation speed and energy efficiency. In-memory computing (IMC) is one promising measure to solve the aforementioned problems in DNN computation. This approach combines the memory blocks with the computation units to enable high computation throughput and low energy consumption. On the macro level, both digital and analog-mixed-signal (AMS) IMC macros achieve high performance in the multiply-and-accumulation (MAC) computation. The AMS designs have high energy efficiency and highcompute density, and the digital designs have PVT robustness and technology scalability. On the architecture level, specialized hardware accelerators that integrate these IMC macros outperform the traditional hardware accelerators in end-to-end DNN inference. Beyond the IMC, other approaches also reduce energy consumption. For example, sparsity-aware training reduces the arithmetic energy by adding more zeros to the weights and zero-gating the multiplication and/or addition. Weight and activation compression reduces the off-chip memory access energy. This thesis presents new circuit and architecture designs for efficient DNN inference with in-memory computing architectures. First, this thesis presents two SRAM-based analog-mixed signal IMC macros. One is a macro with custom 10T1C cells for binary/ternary MAC operation. The other one, MACC-SRAM, is a multistep-accumulation capacitor-based IMC macro for 4b MAC computation. The macro features stepwise charging and discharging, sparsity optimization, and adder-first architecture for energy efficiency. Second, we propose a programmable DNN accelerator that integrates 108 AMS IMC macros. This accelerator, named PIMCA, with its own pipeline structure and instruction set architecture, can flexibly support the inference at the instruction level. Last, we implement a fully-digital accelerator that integrates IMC macros supporting floating-point number computation. The accelerator contains online decompression hardware to reducedata movement energy of weight and activation. It also contains online activation compressors to reduce the activation memory footprint.

Applying machine learning to various applications has gained significant momentum in recent years. However, the increasing complexity of networks introduces challenges such as a larger memory footprint and decreased throughput. This thesis aims to address these challenges by exploring the use of 8-bit floating-point numbers for machine learning. The numerical accuracy was evaluated empirically by implementing software models of the arithmetic and running experiments on a neural network provided by MediaTek. While the initial findings revealed poor accuracy when performing computations solely with 8-bit floating-point arithmetic, a significant improvement could be achieved by using a higher-precision accumulator register. The hardware cost was evaluated using a synthesis tool by measuring the increase in silicon area and impact on clock frequency after four new vector instructions had been implemented. A large increase in area was measured for the functional blocks, but the hardware cost for interconnect and instruction decoding were negligible. A slight decrease in system clock frequency was observed, although marginally. Ideas that likely could improve the accuracy of inference calculations and decrease the hardware cost are proposed in the section for future work.

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This study investigates the effects of including a recipient in writing instructions on the quality of writing produced by L2 English students. To evaluate the effect of the recipient, writing performances are first assessed in texts written in response to instructions that do not explicitly specify a recipient. They are subsequently compared to writing performances by the same students in texts produced for similar instructions but this time with an explicitly stated recipient. The results of the main experiment are complemented with test-taker surveys that capture the students’ own perceptions about the differences between the two tasks. The participating pupils are from two classes at an inner-city municipal Upper Secondary school in Sweden, one at level ENG05 and the other at level ENG07. The study is inspired by communicative language teaching where the writer’s adaptation to the recipient is central. The study tests for the recipient effect along a broad spectrum of linguistic and communicative measures. The results show that students in both classes performed at a higher level with an explicit recipient across all four communicative measures and two out of four linguistic measures. The study also identified a generally stronger recipient effect in ENG05 than in ENG07 and a mixed pattern when comparing students with differing abilities in English. The main finding of the test-taker survey is that students prefer doing tasks with a specified recipient but are slightly more familiar with tasks without a recipient. They also report that they rarely imagine an English-speaking recipient when writing a task and that they often write with the teacher in mind.

This paper sought to understand how onboarding should be designed for a low-complexity game that favours implicit instructions. Low-complexity games are defined as having a low number of mechanics with predictable gameplay. This may make explicit instructions less applicable for onboarding players in those types of games, as players may have a more enjoyable experience learning the game with higher agency. Currently, there is a lack of studies focusing on the subject of onboarding in low-complexity games. This paper aims to contribute findings to the topic, which may prove relevant for game designers seeking to design viable onboarding methods for their low-complexity games. For this study, we conducted research through design. We iterated our own low-complexity game, The Social Grip, over three playtests. The changes were motivated by the results presented during each playtest and iterated within the cognitive load and feedback systems framework. We found that in low-complexity games, it is important to also keep the environment low in complexity to ensure players notice intentionally designed landmarks or breadcrumbs. Finally, we concluded that explicit instructions may be usable in areas that implicit instructions cannot cover, such as teaching players keyboard shortcuts.

<p>Näringsliv och offentlig sektor står inför ständiga utmaningar att förändra och effektivisera sin verksamhet. Idag ses information som en verklig produktionsfaktor och åtkomst till lämplig informationen ses som en nödvändighet för uppnå effektivitet och produktivitet i de individuella aktiviteterna (Oehlmann, Thoben & Weber, 1997). Med hjälp av elektroniska arbetsinstruktioner på produktionsgolvet har tillverkande industrier hittat en effektiv metod för att minska variationerna, öka kvaliteten, förbättra kommunikationen, minimera kostnaderna och snabbare få ut produkterna på marknaden, den s.k. Time-to-market (Coetzee, 2004).</p><p>Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka om Informationslogistik genom införandet av elektroniska arbetsinstruktioner kan påverka effektiviteten och kvaliteten i ett företag vilket använder sig av elektroniska arbetsinstruktioner.</p><p>En fallföretagsstudie har genomförts på HMS Industrial Networks AB, en världsledande leverantör av fältbuss-teknologi för automationsutrustning. De har utvecklat ett IT-system för att hantera elektroniska arbetsinstruktioner vilket de använder fullt ut i sin tillverkning.</p><p>Mer praktiskt har uppsatsens arbete handlat om att undersöka hur de anställda upplever att det påverkat deras effektivitet i det dagliga arbetet, såväl som kvaliteten i arbetet, informationen och på produkterna.</p><p>Intervjuer med användare från dokumentationsteamet och produktionsmedarbetarna har gjorts och resultatet visar att användandet av PRIS och elektroniska arbetsinstruktioner har gett en rad effekter i verksamheten, både för dem vilka administrerar och hanterar produktionsunderlagen såväl som för de berörda användarna på produktionsgolvet och i övriga delar i organisationen.</p><p>Resultatet visar att Informationslogistik i allra högsta grad kan påverka effektiviteten och kvaliteten i ett företag. Dokumentationsteamet kan arbeta parallellt i de olika produktionsunderlagen, det är enklare att lägga upp ett underlag och hantera uppdateringar, innehållet är spårbart och de kan återanvända allt innehåll i nya artiklar, samtidigt som informationen snabbt når ut på produktionsgolvet. För medarbetarna i produktionen har det inneburit att de nu kommer åt informationen snabbare, de kan ta egna och snabbare beslut, de känner sig mer självständiga, de har blivit mer effektiva samt att de nu har ett samlat ställe för all produktionsrelaterad information de behöver för att kunna utföra sitt jobb.</p><p>Likaså har kvaliteten i underlagen ökat och på produkterna ut till kund. De har också fått en en säker distribution och hantering av information samt en större kontroll på tillverk-ningsprocessen.</p> / <p>Industries and governments stand before constant challenges to change and make their business processes more efficient. Information is now considered an actual production factor, and the appropriate availability of information is seen as crucial for the efficiency and effectiveness of individual tasks (Oehlmann, Thoben & Weber, 1997). With help of electronic work instructions process manufacturers has discovered an effective method for reducing variability, increasing consistency, and bringing new products to the market significantly faster (Coetzee, 2004).</p><p>The main objective of this report is to examine if Information Logistics through the use of electronic work instructions can affect the efficiency and quality in a company that uses electronic work instructions.</p><p>A case study has been carried out at HMS Industrial Networks AB, a world-leading supplier of field bus technology for automation devices. They have developed a system that handles the electronic work instructions, which they use through out the production plant. The system is called Production Resource Infomanagment System (PRIS).</p><p>The work in this report has examine how the employees experience that PRIS has affected their efficiency on a daily basis, as well as the quality of their work, in the information and on the products.</p><p>Interviews with users from both the documentation team and the production team have been carried out and the result shows that the use of PRIS and electronic work instructions have had major impacts in the company, for those who administrates and handle the production sheets as well as for the users on the production floor and in other parts of the company.</p><p>The result shows that Information Logistics can affect efficiency and quality in a company. The documentation team can work parallel in different production sheets, it’s easier to create production sheets and work with updates in them, all of the content in a production sheet can be reused in other articles and the distribution of information to the users is instant. For the production team, the use of electronic work instructions has decreased their time for information retrieval, they can now make their own decisions and in a faster way than before, they feel more independent, their efficiency has increased and they now only have one place for all the production related information they need in order to perform their jobs.</p><p>The quality of the information in the production sheets have also increased, as well as the quality of the products sent to customers. They have also got a secure distribution and in-formation management and improved process control.</p>

La maladie rénale peut se manifester avec différents types de pathologies buccales pouvant augmenter les risques de bactériémie. Bien que l’endocardite infectieuse soit une condition rare chez les patients atteints de maladie rénale, elle peut toutefois être retrouvée suite à des infections nosocomiales. Dans le passé, une antibiothérapie prophylactique était prescrite aux patients hémodialysés pour les protéger de l’endocardite infectieuse et de l’infection de l’accès d’hémodialyse. Aujourd’hui, cette recommandation est révolue. Afin de contrer les risques de bactériémie transitoire, une attention particulière doit être apportée aux soins d’hygiène orale à la maison. Le but de l’étude est d’évaluer l’efficacité de deux méthodes d’enseignement d’hygiène orale chez les patients atteints de maladie rénale. Objectifs de recherche Les trois objectifs de recherche sont a) d’évaluer les connaissances des parents de patients atteints de maladies rénales sur l’endocardite infectieuse et le lien avec la santé buccodentaire; b) d’évaluer la perception des parents par rapport à la santé buccodentaire de leur enfant et leurs habitudes d’hygiène orale; et c) de comparer l’influence de deux méthodes d’hygiène orale sur l’indice de plaque chez les enfants atteints de maladies rénales. Hypothèses Les deux hypothèses de recherche sont que a) les parents d’enfants atteints de maladies rénales connaissent et adhèrent aux recommandations émises par l’American Heart Association; et que b) l’amélioration de l’indice de plaque chez les patients atteints de maladies rénales est plus grande pour le groupe recevant des instructions par le matériel audiovisuel par rapport à ceux qui les reçoivent par le néphrologue. Méthodologie Suite à l’obtention d’un certificat d’éthique à la recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, 37 des 38 sujets recrutés âgés entre 6 et 16 ans (19 filles et 18 garçons) ont participé à cette étude transversale. Suite à la signature d’un consentement éclairé, les sujets sont assignés par randomisation à l’un des deux groupes d’instructions d’hygiène orale, soit celui sans instructions spécifiques (groupe 1) ou par matériel audiovisuel (groupe 2). Un questionnaire portant sur les connaissances des parents en rapport avec la santé buccodentaire est remis aux parents. Un indice de plaque initial est noté avant l’application des instructions d’hygiène orale reçues. Un indice de plaque final mis en évidence à l’aide de pastilles révélatrices est documenté avec des photographies intra-orales et mesuré par deux observateurs, testés pour la fiabilité intra et inter-observateurs. Résultats Les analyses statistiques ne démontrent aucune différence significative entre les deux groupes d’instructions d’hygiène orale. Les variables à l’étude (âge, sexe, suivi dentaire, fréquence des soins à la maison, connaissances et motivation) ne montrent aucune influence significative sur la qualité de l’hygiène orale des sujets. Seul l’indice de plaque initial est inversement relié à la perception des parents face à la santé buccodentaire de leur enfant : plus le relevé de plaque est bas, plus la santé buccodentaire est perçue comme bonne. Conclusion Selon les résultats de notre étude, il n’existe pas de différence statistiquement significative entre les deux méthodes d’instructions d’hygiène orale. Néanmoins, les deux techniques permettent de diminuer significativement l’indice de plaque chez les enfants atteints de maladies rénales et de conscientiser cette population à l’importance du maintien d’une bonne santé buccodentaire. / Renal diseases are known to cause oral changes that can increase the risk of developping a bacteraemia. Even if infective endocarditis is a rare condition in patients with renal disease, it is associated with nosocomial infections. In the past, antimicrobial therapy was recommended for haemodialysis patients to prevent infective endocarditis and indwelling venous catheter-related infections. The administration of prophylactic antibiotics is no longer supported, given the lack of evidence concerning this approach. To prevent patients from developing a transitory bacteraemia, home oral care has to be improved. The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy of two oral health instruction methods in children with renal disease. Objectives The objectives of this study are to assess the knowledge on infective endocarditis and its link to the oral health of parents with children who present with renal disease; to evaluate the perception of parents in relation with their child’s oral health and their dental behaviour and finally to compare the impact of the oral health instruction methods on the plaque index of children with renal disease. Hypothesis The two hypotheses of this study are a) parents of children suffering from renal diseases know and respect the guidelines published by the American Heart Association and b) that the improvement of the plaque index is better in the group who receives oral health instructions from the audio-visual material compared to the one receiving instructions from the nephrologist. Methods An ethic’s certification was obtained from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine for children. Of the 38 recruited patients, 37 patients (19 girls, 18 boys) ranging in age from 6 to 16 years participated in this transversal study. Consent was obtained prior to randomised assignment to either oral hygiene delivered by means of an audio-visual aid (groupe 1) or by a nephrologist (group 2). A questionnaire investigating parental knowledge on renal disease linked with oral health was administered. An initial plaque index was taken before applying oral health instructions. A final plaque index using disclosing tablets was measured by two observers tested for intra and inter-reliability through intra-oral pictures. Results The statistical analyses do not show any significant differences between the two oral health instruction groups. No significant relation was found between oral health status and age, gender, dental follow up, frequency of home dental hygiene and motivation. The only significant relationship found was as parents perception of their child’s oral health increases, the initial plaque index decreases. Conclusion The results indicate that even if there is no statistically significant difference between the two methods of oral health instruction, both techniques are capable of reducing the plaque index of children suffering from renal disease.

Mitt arbete syftar till att utveckla förståelse för och kunskap om hur lärare arbetar med muntlig kommunikation i klassrummet. För att belysa detta har jag intervjuat fem verksamma lärare i grundskolans lägre åldrar, samt observerat en lektion av vardera lärare. Jag valde triangulering som metod för min undersökning, då jag är nyfiken på hur lärare betraktar ämnet vad gäller undervisning samt de mål eleverna ska uppnå. Genom observationer fick jag studera muntlig kommunikation i närmiljö. Undersökningen är kvalitativ, där ett sociokulturellt perspektiv använts som teoretisk utgångspunkt. Sociokulturellt perspektiv har använts då muntlig kommunikation sker via samspel med två eller fler individer. Lärarna arbetar aktivt med muntlig kommunikation både synligt, och osynligt i undervisningen. Det gäller att både ge samt ta muntliga instruktioner. Undervisningen har likheter, dock med olika tillvägagångssätt. Det finns ett flertal bedömningsstöd att luta sig mot för att säkerställa att eleverna uppnått kunskapsmålen, dock inget lärarlyft så kallat som kan utveckla undervisningen. / My work aims to develop understanding and knowledge about how teachers work with oral communication in the classroom. To illustrate, I interviewed five active teachers in the primary school lower ages, and observed one lesson for each teacher. I chose triangulation of my survey, as I´m curious about how they view the topic in regards to teaching. Trough my observations, I got the chance to study oral communication in a local environment.  The survey is qualitative, where a socio-cultural perspective has been used as a theoretical starting point. That`s when oral communication occurs via interaction with two or more individuals. Teachers work actively with oral communications both visibly, and invisibly in teaching. It applies to both giving and taking oral instructions. The teaching has similarities, though with different approaches. There are several assessments supports to lean on to ensure that the students reach knowledge targets, however no teacher boost that can develop the teaching.

In my thesis is focused on the development of the reading literacy to primary school across the curriculum. The aim of my thesis is to explore the possibilities of development of the reading literacy in all school subjects and across them and identify or solve the obstacles in the process. In the individual chapters of the theoretical part it defines the key terms literacy, reading literacy, school subjects and reading. I am trying to present reading literacy as a means to understand the various relationships between the general phenomena and as an input to various educational fields. It presents here the different methods specific to the development of the reading literacy. In the practical part deals with the development of the reading literacy across the curriculum and across them. The focus is mainly on subjects czech language and literature, mathematics, man and his world, art and music. The practical part consists of two parts. The first part contains processed responses of teachers from the survey and the second part contains the results of the work of pupils from the learning process. The practical part of my thesis provides a variety of examples from practice to the development of the reading literacy across the curriculum. Further, there are the possibilities of the development of the...