Self-consistency for open-ended generations

In this paper, we present a novel approach for improving the quality and consistency of generated outputs from large-scale pre-trained language models (LLMs). Self-consistency has emerged as an effective approach for prompts with fixed answers, selecting the answer with the highest number of votes. In this paper, we introduce a generalized framework for self-consistency that extends its applicability beyond problems that have fixed-answer answers. Through extensive simulations, we demonstrate that our approach consistently recovers the optimal or near-optimal generation from a set of candidates. We also propose lightweight parameter-free similarity functions that show significant and consistent improvements across code generation, autoformalization, and summarization tasks, even without access to token log probabilities. Our method incurs minimal computational overhead, requiring no auxiliary reranker models or modifications to the existing model

Maximizing Overall Diversity for Improved Uncertainty Estimates in Deep Ensembles

The inaccuracy of neural network models on inputs that do not stem from the training data distribution is both problematic and at times unrecognized. Model uncertainty estimation can address this issue, where uncertainty estimates are often based on the variation in predictions produced by a diverse ensemble of models applied to the same input. Here we describe Maximize Overall Diversity (MOD), a straightforward approach to improve ensemble-based uncertainty estimates by encouraging larger overall diversity in ensemble predictions across all possible inputs that might be encountered in the future. When applied to various neural network ensembles, MOD significantly improves predictive performance for out-of-distribution test examples without sacrificing in-distribution performance on 38 Protein-DNA binding regression datasets, 9 UCI datasets, and the IMDB-Wiki image dataset. Across many Bayesian optimization tasks, the performance of UCB acquisition is also greatly improved by leveraging MOD uncertainty estimates.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

IN VIVO ACUTE TOXICITY, ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTIAQUATIC FUNGAL, ANTHELMINTHIC ACTIVITY OF LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM KP894100 AND LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS KP942831

Objective: This study observed the antibacterial, antifungal (aquatic and pathogenic fungi), and anthelmintic properties of Lactobacillus plantarum(LP) KP894100 and Lactobacillus acidophilus (LC) KP942831, isolated from a dairy product.Methods: Lactic acid bacteria traditionally used to improve human health. For in vitro antibacterial, antifungal, and antihelminthic studies ofintracellular cell-free extract (ICFE) from LP and LC were produced separately by using filtration methods. ICFE was freeze-dried then resuspendedin citrate phosphate buffer. This ICFE is further used for the antimicrobial and anthelmintic assay. In the antimicrobial assay, ICFE were tested againstpathogenic bacteria, i.e., Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonasstutzeri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and aquatic fungal species including: Aspergillus clavatus, Pythium aphanidermatum Saprolegnia parasitica,Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternata, Curvularia sp., Mucor sp., Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus niger, andPenicillium chrysogenum. In the anthelmintic assay, young stages of Pheretima posthuma (Indian earthworms) were used. For the analysis of acutetoxicity assay different graded doses (100, 250, 500, 1000 mg/kg bw) of ICFE of LP and LC was administered in Wistar albino rats, respectively, andthe control group received distilled water.Result: The ICFE of both Lactobacillus strains showing strong antibacterial and weak antifungal activity against aquatic fungi except, S. parasitica, andC. albicans. The ICFE shows 100% paralysis and killing efficacy against P. posthuma in 48-72 hrs. In the acute toxicity test, LP and LC did not produceany toxic signs or death at the maximum concentration 1000 mg/kg bw.Conclusion: ICFE of LP and LC possess anthelmintic activity against P. posthuma with only strong antibacterial activity. Both the lactobacillus strainshave strong antibacterial activity and have potential activity against P. posthuma helminthes.Keywords: Antimicrobial, Antifungal, Aquatic fungi, Anthelmintic activity, Pheretima posthuma

BACTERIOCIN: A NOVEL APPROACH FOR PRESERVATION OF FOOD

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides which are ribosomally synthesized and produced by Lactic acid bacteria. They play a major role in prevention of human disease such as cancer, inflammatory disease, respiratory infection, systemic infection, intestinal disorder and bacterial infection and also contribute in maintaining the healthy gut microflora. Now day's bacteriocin is emerging as the very promising natural alternative against the antibiotic and chemical preservatives and gaining commercial importance worldwide. The inhibition of pathogenic bacterial strains occurs due to cell permiabilization, but producing strains are protected from it by specific immunity proteins. They are mainly classified in 4 classes: class I, class II, class III, and class IV bacteriocin based on lantibiotics ring. Nisin, Pediocin, Lactococcin B, Acidocin CH5, Curvacin A, and Sakacin are the bacteriocins, which have strong inhibition against pathogenic bacterial strain and used in food preservation. This review article summarizes and focuses on general introduction, classification, ecology and potential applications of bacteriocin as biopreservatives in food industry

A retrospective study to assess and correlate maternal periodontal status with term of pregnancy and weight of newborn

Background: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease affecting the tooth supporting structures; studies have shown that it also affects the systemic health and conditions like pregnancy. With this background the present retrospective study was conducted to assess and correlate periodontal status of pregnant women with their pregnancy outcome.Methods: A total of 150 pregnant women two days postpartum were examined for periodontal status using following parameters: Oral hygiene index- simplified (OHI-S), modified gingival index (MGI), probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL). The level of education, body mass index (BMI), gestational age and weight of the baby were recorded and correlated with the periodontal status.Results: Out of 150 women, 83 (55.3%) women suffered from gingivitis and 67 (44.7%) had periodontitis. The incidence of preterm low birth weight babies was seen in 65 (43.33%) women. Body mass index, education level and periodontal disease were significantly associated with preterm low birth weight infants.Conclusions: A significant association was found between periodontitis and preterm low birth infants. The promotion of early detection and treatment of periodontal diseases in women before and during pregnancy will be beneficial. This will minimize the cost of post natal care and morbidity in the new born

Synthesis of a hydrogel-based vaccine to mimic dendritic cell responses to pathogens

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Biological Engineering Division, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-160).Live or attenuated pathogens are the basis of many successful vaccines due in part to the orchestrated response of dendritic cells (DCs) triggered by these immunizations, which includes (1) DC and DC precursor attraction to the immunization site, (2) efficient antigen delivery to class I and class II MHC loading pathways coincident with maturation of DCs, and (3) emigration to draining lymph nodes for T cell activation. We have developed a model immunization system designed to allow these steps in the DC life cycle to be controlled in the context of a subunit vaccine. The system is comprised of microspheres encapsulating chemokines and hydrogel nanoparticles; each nanoparticle contains antigen and DC maturation signals (e.g., TLR ligands). The nanoparticles remain sequestered within the carrier microspheres but the chemokine is released at a controllable rate, creating a local chemoattractant gradient centered on each microsphere. DCs are attracted to individual microspheres where nanoparticles are concentrated; attracted DCs extract nanoparticles from the carrier microspheres, and receive maturation signals coincident with the delivery of antigen into both class I and class II MHC processing pathways.(cont.) In addition, the nanoparticles may be labeled to allow subsequent tracking of particle-carrying DCs in vivo. These components allow the attraction (or if desired, emigration) of dendritic cells and their precursors to be selectively modulated at an immunization site, and the activation signals received by these cells when they encounter antigen to be tailored. In vitro experiments indicate that chemokine-releasing microspheres effectively attract DCs and monocytes over significant distances, and that the gel nanoparticles efficiently trigger DC maturation and lead to both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation in vitro and in vivo. This system provides both a platform for rational immunotherapy as well as a powerful set of tools by which the function of dendritic cells can be manipulated and dissected to improve our understanding of how DC trafficking and functional state impacts immune responses.by Siddhartha Jain.Ph.D