Investigations sur les protéines placentaires extraites des cotylédons fœtaux du Cervus elaphus

Poster (2012, February)

Learning to play K-armed bandit problems

in Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence (ICAART 2012) (2012, February)

We propose a learning approach to pre-compute K-armed bandit playing policies by exploiting prior information describing the class of problems targeted by the player. Our algorithm first samples a set of K ... [more ▼]

We propose a learning approach to pre-compute K-armed bandit playing policies by exploiting prior information describing the class of problems targeted by the player. Our algorithm first samples a set of K-armed bandit problems from the given prior, and then chooses in a space of candidate policies one that gives the best average performances over these problems. The candidate policies use an index for ranking the arms and pick at each play the arm with the highest index; the index for each arm is computed in the form of a linear combination of features describing the history of plays (e.g., number of draws, average reward, variance of rewards and higher order moments), and an estimation of distribution algorithm is used to determine its optimal parameters in the form of feature weights. We carry out simulations in the case where the prior assumes a fixed number of Bernoulli arms, a fixed horizon, and uniformly distributed parameters of the Bernoulli arms. These simulations show that learned strategies perform very well with respect to several other strategies previously proposed in the literature (UCB1, UCB2, UCB-V, KL-UCB and $\epsilon_n$-GREEDY); they also highlight the robustness of these strategies with respect to wrong prior information. [less ▲]

Le portail de Mont-devant-Sassey : aspects iconographiques

in Conroy, Jean-François (Ed.) Actes du 11ème colloque international étudiant du Département d'histoire de l'Université Laval (2012, February)

Le portail sculpté méridional de Mont-devant-Sassey est intéressant à plus d’un titre. Premièrement, il est le portail gothique lorrain le mieux conservé qui soit, comme la critique d’authenticité le ... [more ▼]

Le portail sculpté méridional de Mont-devant-Sassey est intéressant à plus d’un titre. Premièrement, il est le portail gothique lorrain le mieux conservé qui soit, comme la critique d’authenticité le confirme. Ensuite, certains des choix iconographiques effectués par le « commanditaire » sont surprenants, inusités, voire inédits. Enfin, en raison de sa situation géographique char- nière entre le domaine français et l’Empire germanique, les sculpteurs ont pu profiter des innovations sculpturales introduites tant à l’ouest qu’à l’est et les combiner de manière originale. Le présent article est l’occasion de renouveler l’identification iconographique de certaines figures, de proposer une datation de l’ensemble et de suggérer les transferts artistiques attestés par le portail (réception de formules iconographiques et stylistiques mises en place dans des grands centres). [less ▲]

QUALITY BY DESIGN COMPLIANT METHOD VALIDATION

Poster (2012, February)

Analytical method validation is a mandatory step to evaluate the ability of developed methods to provide accurate results for their routine application in order to trust the critical decisions that will ... [more ▼]

Analytical method validation is a mandatory step to evaluate the ability of developed methods to provide accurate results for their routine application in order to trust the critical decisions that will be made with them. Even if several guidelines exist to help perform analytical method validations (ICH Q2R1 [1], USP <1225> [2], …) there is still the need to clarify the meaning and interpretation of analytical method validation criteria and methodology. Indeed, actually method validation is mostly realised as the traditional check list implementation of e.g. the ICH Q2R1 or USP <1225> method validation requirements. However, within the trend of Quality by Design [3], there is the need to switch from this traditional vision to an analytical method validation really adding value and providing a high level of assurance of analytical methods results reliability. Yet, different interpretations can be made of the validation guidelines as well as for the definitions of the validation criteria. This will lead to diverse experimental designs implemented to try fulfilling these criteria. Finally, different decision methodologies can also be interpreted from these guidelines. Therefore, the risk that a validated analytical method may be unfit for its future purpose will depend on a personal interpretation of these guidelines. The objective of this presentation is thus to show that analytical method validation should be planned and performed by first starting with the end in mind: what is the objective of the analytical methods under study? In such a way analytical method validation is coherent with the actual Quality by Design regulatory expectations. The risk of having validated an analytical method unfit for its purpose is strongly reduced as well as the risk of generating Out of Specification (OOS) results due to an unfit method. References [1] International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) of Technical Requirements for registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, Topic Q2 (R1): Validation of Analytical Procedures: Text and Methodology, Geneva, 2005. [2] USP 33 NF 28 S1, U.S. Pharmacopeia, 2007. USP–NF General Chapter <1225>. [3] International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, Topic Q8(R2): Pharmaceutical development, Geneva, 2009. [less ▲]

Contribution à l’optimalisation du support nutritionnel et de la croissance des prématurés de très faible poids à la naissance

Doctoral thesis (2012)

Lower impact of blue light on non-visual brain functions in older subjects

Poster (2012, February)

Des idées fausses et autres illusions en management

Article for general public (2012)

L’objet de ce bref article est de revoir certaines idées fausses et autres illusions en management, dont les retombées dans la vie dépassent, de très loin, l’attention que nous devrions accorder à y ... [more ▼]

L’objet de ce bref article est de revoir certaines idées fausses et autres illusions en management, dont les retombées dans la vie dépassent, de très loin, l’attention que nous devrions accorder à y renoncer. [less ▲]

Coordinated primary frequency control among nonsynchronous systems connected by a multi-terminal HVDC grid

in IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution (2012), 6(2), 99-108

The authors consider a power system composed of several non-synchronous AC areas connected by a multiterminal high-voltage direct current (HVDC) grid. In this context, the authors propose a distributed ... [more ▼]

The authors consider a power system composed of several non-synchronous AC areas connected by a multiterminal high-voltage direct current (HVDC) grid. In this context, the authors propose a distributed control scheme that modifies the power injections from the different AC areas into the DC grid so as to make the system collectively react to load imbalances. This collective reaction allows each individual AC area to downscale its primary reserves. The scheme is inspired by algorithms for the consensus problem extensively studied by the control theory community. It modifies the power injections based on frequency deviations of the AC areas so as to make them stay close to each other. A stability analysis of the closed-loop system is reported as well as simulation results on a benchmark power system with five AC areas. These results show that with proper tuning, the control scheme makes the frequency deviations converge rapidly to a common value following a load imbalance in an area. [less ▲]

Amérique latine: progrès et défis d'une région en plein essor

in Spirit of Management (2012), 14

Depuis 2003, l'Amérique latine connaît une période économique de croissance importante. Elle parvient à traverser la crise mondiale sans trop de difficultés. La demande chinoise des matières premières ... [more ▼]

Depuis 2003, l'Amérique latine connaît une période économique de croissance importante. Elle parvient à traverser la crise mondiale sans trop de difficultés. La demande chinoise des matières premières latino-américaines combinée à une augmentation de la consommation interne et de l'investissement expliquent ces performances. Par ailleurs, des progrès ont été accompli en matière sociale. En outre, la région connaît une stabilité politique grâce à l'enracinement de la démocratie depuis plus de 20 ans. Toutefois, l'Amérique latine a encore pas mal de défis à relever: diversification économique et des débouchés; réduction des inégalités; lutte contre la criminalité organisée, la violence et la corruption. [less ▲]

Cours de géologie

Learning material (2012)

Notes du cours de géologie de 1 bac en géologie et de 2 bac en géographie