Abstract

Abstract
Medical imaging, mainly Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), plays a predominant role in healthcare diagnosis. Nevertheless, the diagnostic process is prone to errors and is conditioned by available medical data, which might be insufficient. A novel solution is resorting to image generation algorithms to address these challenges. Thus, this paper presents a Deep Learning model based on a Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network (DCGAN) architecture. Our model generates 2D MRI images of size 256x256, containing an axial view of the brain with a tumor. The model was implemented using ChainerMN, a scalable and flexible framework that enables faster and parallel training of Deep Learning networks. The images obtained provide an overall representation of the brain structure and the tumoral area and show considerable brain-tumor separation. For this purpose, and owing to their previous state-of-the-art results in general image-generation tasks, we conclude that GAN-based models are a promising approach for medical imaging.

Abstract
Conflict-free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) are a very popular class of distributed data structures that strike a compromise between strong and eventual consistency. Ensuring the protection of data stored within a CRDT, however, cannot be done trivially using standard encryption techniques, as secure CRDT protocols would require replica-side computation. This paper proposes an approach to lift general-purpose implementations of CRDTs to secure variants using secure multiparty computation (MPC). Each replica within the system is realized by a group of MPC parties that compute its functionality. Our results include: i) an extension of current formal models used for reasoning over the security of CRDT solutions to the MPC setting; ii) a MPC language and type system to enable the construction of secure versions of CRDTs and; iii) a proof of security that relates the security of CRDT constructions designed under said semantics to the underlying MPC library. We provide an open-source system implementation with an extensive evaluation, which compares different designs with their baseline throughput and latency.

Abstract
The application of machine learning to insurance risk prediction requires learning from sensitive data. This raises multiple ethical and legal issues. One of the most relevant ones is privacy. However, privacy-preserving methods can potentially hinder the predictive potential of machine learning models. In this paper, we present preliminary experiments with life insurance data using two privacy-preserving techniques: discretization and encryption. Our objective with this work is to assess the impact of such privacy preservation techniques in the accuracy of ML models. We instantiate the problem in three general, but plausible Use Cases involving the prediction of insurance claims within a 1-year horizon. Our preliminary experiments suggest that discretization and encryption have negligible impact in the accuracy of ML models.

Abstract
This tool paper presents Caos: a methodology and a programming framework for computer-aided design of structural operational semantics for formal models. This framework includes a set of Scala libraries and a workflow to produce visual and interactive diagrams that animate and provide insights over the structure and the semantics of a given abstract model with operational rules. Caos follows an approach in which theoretical foundations and a practical tool are built together, as an alternative to foundations-first design (tool justifies theory) or tool-first design (foundations justify practice). The advantage of Caos is that the tool-under-development can immediately be used to automatically run numerous and sizeable examples in order to identify subtle mistakes, unexpected outcomes, and unforeseen limitations in the foundations-under-development, as early as possible. We share two success stories of Caos' methodology and framework in our own teaching and research context, where we analyse a simple while-language and a choreographic language, including their operational rules and the concurrent composition of such rules. We further discuss how others can include Caos in their own analysis and Scala tools.

Abstract
Team automata describe networks of automata with input and output actions, extended with synchronisation policies guiding how many interacting components can synchronise on a shared input/output action. Given such a team automaton, we can reason over communication properties such as receptiveness (sent messages must be received) and responsiveness (pending receivesmust be satisfied). Previouswork focused on how to identify these communication properties. However, automatically verifying these properties is non-trivial, as it may involve traversing networks of interacting automata with large state spaces. This paper investigates (1) how to characterise communication properties for team automata (and subsumed models) using test-free propositional dynamic logic, and (2) how to use this characterisation to verify communication properties by model checking. A prototype tool supports the theory, using a transformation to interact with the mCRL2 tool for model checking.