Groton
PropaInsight: Toward Deeper Understanding of Propaganda in Terms of Techniques, Appeals, and Intent
Liu, Jiateng, Ai, Lin, Liu, Zizhou, Karisani, Payam, Hui, Zheng, Fung, May, Nakov, Preslav, Hirschberg, Julia, Ji, Heng
Propaganda plays a critical role in shaping public opinion and fueling disinformation. While existing research primarily focuses on identifying propaganda techniques, it lacks the ability to capture the broader motives and the impacts of such content. To address these challenges, we introduce propainsight, a conceptual framework grounded in foundational social science research, which systematically dissects propaganda into techniques, arousal appeals, and underlying intent. propainsight offers a more granular understanding of how propaganda operates across different contexts. Additionally, we present propagaze, a novel dataset that combines human-annotated data with high-quality synthetic data generated through a meticulously designed pipeline. Our experiments show that off-the-shelf LLMs struggle with propaganda analysis, but training with propagaze significantly improves performance. Fine-tuned Llama-7B-Chat achieves 203.4% higher text span IoU in technique identification and 66.2% higher BertScore in appeal analysis compared to 1-shot GPT-4-Turbo. Moreover, propagaze complements limited human-annotated data in data-sparse and cross-domain scenarios, showing its potential for comprehensive and generalizable propaganda analysis.
CardioGenAI: A Machine Learning-Based Framework for Re-Engineering Drugs for Reduced hERG Liability
Kyro, Gregory W., Martin, Matthew T., Watt, Eric D., Batista, Victor S.
The link between in vitro hERG ion channel inhibition and subsequent in vivo QT interval prolongation, a critical risk factor for the development of arrythmias such as Torsade de Pointes, is so well established that in vitro hERG activity alone is often sufficient to end the development of an otherwise promising drug candidate. It is therefore of tremendous interest to develop advanced methods for identifying hERG-active compounds in the early stages of drug development, as well as for proposing redesigned compounds with reduced hERG liability and preserved on-target potency. In this work, we present CardioGenAI, a machine learning-based framework for re-engineering both developmental and commercially available drugs for reduced hERG activity while preserving their pharmacological activity. The framework incorporates novel state-of-the-art discriminative models for predicting hERG channel activity, as well as activity against the voltage-gated NaV1.5 and CaV1.2 channels due to their potential implications in modulating the arrhythmogenic potential induced by hERG channel blockade. We applied the complete framework to pimozide, an FDA-approved antipsychotic agent that demonstrates high affinity to the hERG channel, and generated 100 refined candidates. Remarkably, among the candidates is fluspirilene, a compound which is of the same class of drugs (diphenylmethanes) as pimozide and therefore has similar pharmacological activity, yet exhibits over 700-fold weaker binding to hERG. We envision that this method can effectively be applied to developmental compounds exhibiting hERG liabilities to provide a means of rescuing drug development programs that have stalled due to hERG-related safety concerns. Additionally, the discriminative models can also serve independently as effective components of a virtual screening pipeline. We have made all of our software open-source.
Waymo's Fatigue Risk Management Framework: Prevention, Monitoring, and Mitigation of Fatigue-Induced Risks while Testing Automated Driving Systems
Favaro, Francesca, Hutchings, Keith, Nemec, Philip, Cavalcante, Leticia, Victor, Trent
This report presents Waymo's proposal for a systematic fatigue risk management framework that addresses prevention, monitoring, and mitigation of fatigue-induced risks during on-road testing of ADS technology. The proposed framework remains flexible to incorporate continuous improvements, and was informed by state of the art practices, research, learnings, and experience (both internal and external to Waymo). Fatigue is a recognized contributory factor in a substantial fraction of on-road crashes involving human drivers, and mitigation of fatigue-induced risks is still an open concern researched world-wide. While the proposed framework was specifically designed in relation to on-road testing of SAE Level 4 ADS technology, it has implications and applicability to lower levels of automation as well.
Navy Block V submarine deal brings new attack ops and strategies
The Virginia-class, nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarine, USS North Dakota (SSN 784), transits the Thames River as it pulls into its homeport on Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn - file photo. Bringing massive amounts of firepower closer to enemy targets, conducting clandestine "intel" missions in high threat waters and launching undersea attack and surveillance drones are all anticipated missions for the Navy's emerging Block V Virginia-class attack submarines. The boats, nine of which are now surging ahead through a new developmental deal between the Navy and General Dynamics Electric Boat, are reshaping submarine attack strategies and concepts of operations -- as rivals make gains challenging U.S. undersea dominance. Eight of the new 22-billion Block V deal are being engineered with a new 80-foot weapons sections in the boat, enabling the submarine to increase its attack missile capacity from 12 to 40 on-board Tomahawks. "Block V Virginias and Virginia Payload Module are a generational leap in submarine capability for the Navy," Program Executive Officer for Submarines Rear Adm. David Goggins, said in a Navy report.
Integrating Machine Learning With Microsimulation to Classify Hypothet POR
Purpose: Variability in patient treatment responses can be a barrier to effective care. Utilization of available patient databases may improve the prediction of treatment responses. We evaluated machine learning methods to predict novel, individual patient responses to pregabalin for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, utilizing an agent-based modeling and simulation platform that integrates real-world observational study (OS) data and randomized clinical trial (RCT) data. Patients and methods: The best supervised machine learning methods were selected (through literature review) and combined in a novel way for aligning patients with relevant subgroups that best enable prediction of pregabalin responses. Data were derived from a German OS of pregabalin (N 2642) and nine international RCTs (N 1320).
Laps: Cases to Models to Complete Expert Systems
Piazza, Joseph S. di, Helsabeck, Frederick A.
Contrary to many prevailing approaches to knowledge acquisition, Laps, our expert-interviewing software, begins by soliciting cases from the expert, but it does not end there. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it interweaves knowledge gathering, organizing, and testing. Laps begins with a case in the form of a sample solution path elicited from the domain expert. This sample solution path is refined by a process called dechunking, which facilitates finding a model of the expert's reasoning process. The model guides the determination of the structure of alternatives tables at an effective level of abstraction. Once these tables have been set up, the expert is able to produce row after row on his own until a complete rule base is built. A rule generator currently produces rules in Clips or M.1 syntax.