SAI, a Sensible Artificial Intelligence that plays Go

We propose a multiple-komi modification of the AlphaGo Zero/Leela Zero paradigm. The winrate as a function of the komi is modeled with a two-parameters sigmoid function, so that the neural network must predict just one more variable to assess the winrate for all komi values. A second novel feature is that training is based on self-play games that occasionally branch -- with changed komi -- when the position is uneven. With this setting, reinforcement learning is showed to work on 7x7 Go, obtaining very strong playing agents. As a useful byproduct, the sigmoid parameters given by the network allow to estimate the score difference on the board, and to evaluate how much the game is decided.Comment: Updated for IJCNN 2019 conferenc

Leveraging Formal Specifications to Generate Fuzzing Suites

International audienceWhen testing a library, developers typically first have to capture the semantics they want to check. They then write the code implementing these tests and find relevant test cases that expose possible misbehaviours. In this work, we present a tool that automatically takes care of these last two steps by automatically generating fuzz testing suites from OCaml interfaces annotated with formal behavioural specifications. We also show some ongoing experiments on the capabilities and limitations of fuzzing applied to real-world libraries

Ortac: Runtime Assertion Checking for OCaml

International audienceRuntime assertion checking (RAC) is a convenient set of techniques that lets developers abstract away the process of verifying the correctness of their programs by writing formal specifications and automating their verification at runtime. In this work, we present ortac, a runtime assertion checking tool for OCaml libraries and programs. OCaml is a functional programming language in which idioms rely on an expressive type system, modules, and interface abstractions. ortac consumes interfaces annotated with type invariants and function contracts and produces code wrappers with the same signature that check these specifications at runtime. It provides a flexible framework for traditional assertion checking, monitoring misbehaviors without interruptions, and automated fuzz testing for OCaml programs. This paper presents an overview of ortac features and highlights its main design choices

Optimizing Prestate Copies in Runtime Verification of Function Postconditions

International audienceIn behavioural specifications of imperative languages, postconditions may refer to the prestate of the function, usually with an old operator. Therefore, code performing runtime verification has to record prestate values required to evaluate the postconditions, typically by copying part of the memory state, which causes severe verification overhead, both in memory and CPU time. In this paper, we consider the problem of efficiently capturing prestates in the context of Ortac, a runtime assertion checking tool for OCaml. Our contribution is a postcondition transformation that reduces the subset of the prestate to copy. We formalize this transformation, and we provide proof that it is sound and improves the performance of the instrumented programs. We illustrate the benefits of this approach with a maze generator. Our benchmarks show that unoptimized instrumentation is not practicable, while our transformation restores performances similar to the program without any runtime check

Red Instrumentos para la evaluación de competencias de higiene industrial en prevención de riesgos laborales

El tratamiento del aprendizaje por competencias en la educación superior ha sido objeto de distintas investigaciones, que ponen de manifiesto la importancia de formar en competencias con objeto de conseguir profesionales competentes. El portafolio es una técnica que permite no sólo demostrar con evidencias lo que se ha aprendido sino también la capacidad de aprendizaje y las habilidades que se ponen en juego para ello, aportando datos sobre la forma en que se están adquiriendo ciertas competencias. En esta investigación se ha utilizado el portafolio como técnica para evaluar competencias en una asignatura obligatoria, Higiene Industrial I, de la titulación de Máster Universitario en Prevención de Riesgos Laborales de la Universidad de Alicante. La asignatura se imparte en el primer semestre, tiene una carga lectiva total de 3,0 ECTS, y consta de las siguientes actividades docentes: 0,2 ECTS prácticas con ordenador; 0,2 ECTS prácticas de laboratorio; 2,6 ECTS seminario teórico-práctico. La experiencia se realizó en el curso académico 2013/14

A Single-Center Experience With 1400 Patients

To assess whether the pattern of presentation and the outcome of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) have changed over the last 3 decades, we evaluated 1400 patients, divided into 3 groups: group I (1975-1987), group II (1988-1997), and group III (1998-2007). We observed a significant increase in age (p = 0.001), IgM and biclonal MGUS (p = 0.003), hemoglobin (p < 0.0001), and albumin (p = 0.0001), and a significant reduction of monoclonal (M)-protein concentration (p < 0.0001), percentage of bone marrow plasma cells (p < 0.0001), and beta2-microglobulin (p = 0.0001) over the 3 decades. The proportion of patients with M-protein <1.5 g/dL was significantly higher in group III (66%) than in group II (44%) and group I (26%) (p < 0.0001). By Kaplan-Meier analysis, group III had a significantly lower 5-year probability of transformation (5%) compared to group II (12%) and group I (22%) (p = 0.003). Patients with M-protein <1.5 g/dL had the same life expectancy as the general population (standardized mortality ratio 1.09; p = 0.41). In conclusion, we found that the pattern of presentation of MGUS has changed over time and now includes a higher proportion of patients with more favorable presenting features and probably a better outcome compared to patients presenting in the past. This changing scenario calls for revising the current concepts of the clinical significance of MGUS and the management of patients

Long-term Events in Adult Patients with Clinical Stage IA-IIA Nonbulky Hodgkin's Lymphoma Treated with Four Cycles of Doxorubicin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, and Dacarbazine and Adjuvant Radiotherapy: A Single-Institution 15-Year Follow-up

Abstract Purpose: To report on long-term events after short doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) chemotherapy and adjuvant radiotherapy in favorable early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma. Experimental Design: We monitored late events and causes of death over 15 years (median follow-up, 120 months) in 120 patients with nonbulky stage IA-IIA Hodgkin's lymphoma, treated with four cycles of ABVD and limited radiotherapy. Pulmonary and cardiac function tests were done throughout the follow-up. Outcome measures included cause-specific mortality, standardized mortality ratio, and standardized incidence ratio for secondary neoplasia. Results: Projected 15-year event-free and overall survival were 78% and 86%, and tumor mortality was 3%. Standardized mortality ratio was significantly higher than 1 for both males (2.8; P = 0.029) and females (9.4; P = 0.003). The risk of cardiovascular events at 5 and 12 years was 5.5% and 14%, with a median latent time of 67 months (range: 23-179 months) from the end of radiotherapy. Pulmonary toxicity developed in 8% of patients; all had received mediastinal irradiation and the median time from radiotherapy to pulmonary sequelae was 76 weeks (range: 50-123 weeks). The risk of secondary neoplasia at 5 and 12 years was 4% and 8%, respectively, with no cases of leukemia. Fertility was preserved. Conclusions: Long-term events were mostly related to radiotherapy; the role of short ABVD chemotherapy was very limited, as documented by fertility preservation and lack of secondary myelodysplasia/leukemia. A proportion of patients died from causes unrelated to disease progression and the excess mortality risk was mostly due to the occurrence of secondary neoplasms and cardiovascular diseases. A moderate dose reduction of radiotherapy from 40-44 Gy to 30-36 Gy did not decrease the risk of late complications; abolishing radiotherapy in nonbulky early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma is being evaluated

Prognostic factors for thrombosis, myelofibrosis, and leukemia in essential thrombocythemia: a study of 605 patients

Background Essential thrombocythemia is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder; patients with this disorder have a propensity to develop thrombosis, myelofibrosis, and leukemia. Design and Methods We studied 605 patients with essential thrombocythemia (follow-up 4596 person-years) with the aim of defining prognostic factors for thrombosis, myelofibrosis, and leukemia during follow-up. Results Sixty-six patients (11%) developed thrombosis with a 10-year risk of 14%. Age >60 years ( p 60 years ( p =0.02) was significantly correlated with the development of leukemia. Cytotoxic treatment did not imply a higher risk of leukemia. At the time of the analysis, 64 of the 605 patients (10.6%) had died. The 10-year probability of survival was 88%, with a median survival of 22.3 years. Age >60 years ( p <0.001) and history of thrombosis ( p =0.001) were independent risk factors for survival. Conclusions The findings from this study on a large series of patients treated according to current clinical practice provide reassurance that essential thrombocythemia is an indolent disorder and affected patients have a long survival. The main risk is thrombosis, while myelofibrosis and leukemia are rare and late complications

Du savoir local au pouvoir central : un processus participatif sur la réforme foncière au Sénégal

Une série d'expérimentations participatives en situation réelle de développement territorial, s'appuyant sur un jeu original de simulation, a été engagée depuis la fin des années 1990 au Sénégal, dans le but de laisser les acteurs locaux participant à l'expérience construire leurs positions de façon autonome sur la question foncière. L'enjeu méthodologique était d'établir une procédure délibérative sans méthodologie de diagnostic ou de planification particulière, durant laquelle toutes les connaissances et les opinions sont simplement mises en position d'être débattues et réfutées. En 2014, une ONG sénégalaise, ENDA PRONAT, puis d'autres organisations de la société civile, se sont approprié cette méthode et l'ont mise en oeuvre eux-mêmes jusqu'à l'échelle nationale, pour élaborer de façon concertée leurs propres principes de réforme foncière. Quelques dimensions de ce processus sont présentées dans cet article, en particulier la façon dont les ateliers de simulation participative ont fait émerger la diversité des expressions puis accompagné l'exercice collectif et ascendant de leur synthèse