nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Recommending Groups to Users Using User Group Engagement and Time Dependent Matrix Factorization
Venue: AAAI

Social networks often provide group features to help users with similar interests associate and consume content together. Recommending groups to users poses challenges due to their complex relationship: user group affinity is typically measured implicitly and varies with time; similarly, group characteristics change as users join and leave. To tackle these challenges, we adapt existing matrix factorization techniques to learn user group affinity based on two different implicit engagement metrics: (i) which group provided content users consume; and (ii) which content users provide to groups. To capture the temporally extended nature of group engagement we implement a time varying factorization. We test the assertion that latent preferences for groups and users are sparse in investigating elastic net regularization. Our experiments indicate that the time varying implicit engagement based model provides the best top K group recommendations, illustrating the benefit of the added model complexity.
Cystatin C in aging and in Alzheimer's disease
Venue: Ageing Research Reviews

Under normal conditions, the function of catalytically active proteases is regulated, in part, by their endogenous inhibitors, and any change in the synthesis and/or function of a protease or its endogenous inhibitors may result in inappropriate protease activity. Altered proteolysis as a result of an imbalance between active proteases and their endogenous inhibitors can occur during normal aging, and such changes have also been associated with multiple neuronal diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) rare heritable neurodegenerative disorders, ischemia, some forms of epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease (AD) One of the most extensively studied endogenous inhibitor is the cysteine protease inhibitor cystatin C (CysC) Changes in the expression and secretion of CysC in the brain have been described in various neurological disorders and in animal models of neurodegeneration, underscoring a role for CysC in these conditions. In the brain, multiple in vitro and in vivo findings have demonstrated that CysC plays protective roles via pathways that depend upon the inhibition of endosomal lysosomal pathway cysteine proteases, such as cathepsin B (Cat B) via the induction of cellular autophagy, via the induction of cell proliferation, or via the inhibition of amyloid b (Ab) aggregation. We review the data demonstrating the protective roles of CysC under conditions of neuronal challenge and the protective pathways induced by CysC under various conditions. Beyond highlighting the essential role that balanced proteolytic activity plays in supporting normal brain aging, these findings suggest that CysC is a therapeutic candidate that can potentially prevent brain damage and neurodegeneration.
Cystatin C and Cardiovascular Disease A Mendelian Randomization Study

Epidemiological studies show that high circulating cystatin C is associated with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) independent of creatinine based renal function measurements. It is unclear whether this relationship is causal, arises from residual confounding, and/or is a consequence of reverse causation.  The aim of this study was to use Mendelian randomization to investigate whether cystatin C is causally related to CVD in the general population.  We incorporated participant data from 16 prospective cohorts (n 1/4 76,481) with 37,126 measures of cystatin C and added genetic data from 43 studies (n 1/4 252,216) with 63,292 CVD events. We used the common variant rs911119 in CST3 as an instrumental variable to investigate the causal role of cystatin C in CVD, including coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, and heart failure.  Cystatin C concentrations were associated with CVD risk after adjusting for age, sex, and traditional risk factors (relative risk: 1.82 per doubling of cystatin C; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.56 to 2.13; p 1/4 2.12 10 The minor allele of rs911119 was associated with decreased serum cystatin C (6.13% per allele; 95% CI: 5.75 to 6.50; p 1/4 5.95 10 explaining 2.8% of the observed variation in cystatin C. Mendelian randomization analysis did not provide evidence for a causal role of cystatin C, with a causal relative risk for CVD of 1.00 per doubling cystatin C (95% CI: 0.82 to 1.22; p 1/4 0.994) which was statistically different from the observational estimate (p 1/4 1.6 10 A causal effect of cystatin C was not detected for any individual component of CVD.  Mendelian randomization analyses did not support a causal role of cystatin C in the etiology of CVD. As such, therapeutics targeted at lowering circulating cystatin C are unlikely to be effective in preventing CVD. ( (c) 2016
A WCDMA Multiband Power Amplifier Module With Si CMOS/GaAs HBT Hybrid Power Stage Configuration
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques

This paper describes a newly developed Si/GaAs hybrid multiband power amplifier module (MB PAM) that supports major quad wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) bands (Bands 5, 8, 2, and 1) for handset applications. With four dies (two GaAs HBT dies, one GaAs HEMT die, and one CMOS die) and several surface mount devices, the hybrid MB PAM accommodates two amplifier chains and two single pole double throw HEMT band select switches on a 5 mm x 5.5 mm laminate, covering 824 915 and 1850 1980 MHz. Each amplifier chain has two switchable signal paths corresponding to dual (high and low) power modes [high power mode (HPM) and low power mode (LPM) for saving battery current in practical handset use. One of the main features of this MB PAM is the integration of driver stages, RF switches, and their bias control circuits on the CMOS die for pursuing cost reduction. Only the two output power stages are fabricated in a GaA HBT process. Measurements conducted under the condition of a 3.4 V supply voltage and a WCDMA (Third Generation Partnership Project Release 99) modulated signal are as follows. Owing to optimized linear design and broadband output matching design, the hybrid MB PAM achieves a power added efficiency (PAE) as high as 39% 40% at 28 dBm of output power (Pout) over 824 915 MHz in the HPM while maintaining a 5 MHz offset adjacent channel leakage power ratio (ACLR1) to less than 39 dBc. In the LPM, PAE of 15% at a Pout of 17 dBm is obtained while ACLR1 of less than 40 dBc is maintained. For 1850 1980 MHz, the MB PAM delivers 35% of PAE with ACLR1 of less than 40 dBc at 28 dBm of Pout in the HPM and 15% PAE at 17.5 dBm of Pout in the LPM.
runjags: An R Package Providing Interface Utilities, Model Templates, Parallel Computing Methods and Additional Distributions for MCMC Models in JAGS

The runjags package provides a set of interface functions to facilitate running Markov chain Monte Carlo models in JAGS from within R. Automated calculation of appropriate convergence and sample length diagnostics, user friendly access to commonly used graphical outputs and summary statistics, and parallelized methods of running JAGS are provided. Template model specifications can be generated using a standard lme4 style formula interface to assist users less familiar with the BUGS syntax. Automated simulation study functions are implemented to facilitate model performance assessment, as well as drop k type cross validation studies, using high performance computing clusters such as those provided by parallel. A module extension for JAGS is also included within runjags, providing the Pareto family of distributions and a series of minimally informative priors including the DuMouchel and half Cauchy priors. This paper outlines the primary functions of this package, and gives an illustration of a simulation study to assess the sensitivity of two equivalent model formulations to different prior distributions.
Determining Driver Phone Use by Exploiting Smartphone Integrated Sensors
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing

This paper utilizes smartphone sensing of vehicle dynamics to determine driver phone use, which can facilitate many traffic safety applications. Our system uses embedded sensors in smartphones, i.e. accelerometers and gyroscopes, to capture differences in centripetal acceleration due to vehicle dynamics. These differences combined with angular speed can determine whether the phone is on the left or right side of the vehicle. Our low infrastructure approach is flexible with different turn sizes and driving speeds. Extensive experiments conducted with two vehicles in two different cities demonstrate that our system is robust to real driving environments. Despite noisy sensor readings from smartphones, our approach can achieve a classification accuracy of over 90 percent with a false positive rate of a few percent. We also find that by combining sensing results in a few turns, we can achieve better accuracy (e.g. 95 percent) with a lower false positive rate. In addition, we seek to exploit the electromagnetic field measurement inside a vehicle to complement vehicle dynamics for driver phone sensing under the scenarios when little vehicle dynamics is present, for example, driving straight on highways or standing at roadsides.
Calibration of Strain Gauged Square Tunnels for Centrifuge Testing
Venue: Geotechnical and Geological Engineering

A series of dynamic centrifuge tests were conducted on square aluminum model tunnels embedded in dry sand. The tests were carried out at the Schofield Centre of the Cambridge University Engineering Department, aiming to investigate the dynamic response of these types of structures. An extensive instrumentation scheme was employed to record the soil tunnel system response, which comprised of miniature accelerometers, total earth pressures cells and position sensors. To record the lining forces, the model tunnels were strain gauged. The calibration of the strain gauges, the data from which was crucial to furthering our understanding on the seismic performance of box type tunnels, was performed combining physical testing and numerical modelling. This technical note summarizes this calibration procedure, highlighting the importance of advanced numerical simulation in the calibration of complex construction models.
Circadian Metabolism: From Mechanisms to Metabolomics and Medicine
Venue: Trends in Endocrinology Metabolism

The circadian clock directs nearly all aspects of diurnal physiology, including metabolism. Current research identifies several major axes by which it exerts these effects, including systemic signals as well as direct control of cellular processes by local clocks. This redundant network can transmit metabolic and timing information bidirectionally for optimal synchrony of metabolic processes. Recent advances in cellular profiling and metabolomics technologies have yielded unprecedented insights into the mechanisms behind this control. They have also helped to illuminate individual variation in these mechanisms that could prove important in personalized therapy for metabolic disease. Finally, these technologies have provided platforms with which to screen for the first potential drugs affecting clock modulated metabolic function.
Extent of alcohol prohibition in civil policy in Muslim majority countries: the impact of globalization.
Venue: Addiction

Many policies have been introduced to reduce alcohol harm in different countries. However, Muslim majority countries (MMCs) where the major religion (Islam) prohibits alcohol consumption, have less well developed civil alcohol policies. Overall, MMCs have low prevalence of alcohol consumption, although recently most MMCs have been undergoing transition, which has sometimes increased pressure for alcohol availability and impacted on social practices, alcohol policies and broader public health. Globalization, the influence of the global alcohol industry, recent governmental transition or political instability and the presence of immigrants from non Muslim countries can all affect civil alcohol policy. In this context, consumption overall has increased compared with two decades ago. This paper presents an overview of current civil alcohol policy, with regard to the presence or absence of alcohol prohibition, and provides an insight into the legal availability of alcohol in MMCs and the challenges facing policymakers.  English, Arabic and Persian language sources were examined, using PubMed, government websites for each country and the World Health Organization (WHO) Some of the challenges MMCs may face in developing alcohol policies are explored, including the need to interact with the global economy and the potential influence of the alcohol industry.  Muslim majority countries have adopted a range of civil alcohol policies in recent decades. There is a pressing need for better data and to support Muslim majority countries in alcohol policy development. Lessons from Muslim majority countries can help to inform other parts of the world.
Effects of Prohibition and Decriminalization on Drug Market Conflict: Comparing Street Dealers, Coffeeshops, and Cafes in Amsterdam

To reduce individual and social harms, most nations prohibit certain psychoactive drugs. Yet, prior scholarship has suggested that prohibition reduces illicit drug sellers' access to law and thereby increases predation against and retaliation by them. No prior study, however, has directly tested that theory by comparing drug sellers of different legal statuses operating in a single place and time. This study analyzes rates of victimization, legal mobilization, and violent retaliation in three retail drug markets in Amsterdam, the Netherlands: the legally regulated alcohol trade of cafes, the decriminalized cannabis market of "coffeeshops," and the illegal street drug market. Results from interviews conducted with 50 sellers in each market indicate, as expected, that illicit drug dealers have the highest rates of victimization and violent retaliation and the lowest rates of legal mobilization. Contrary to expectations, we find coffeeshops experience less victimization than cafes and have similar rates of violent retaliation and legal mobilization. Policy Implications Our findings suggest that state regulation of drug markets affects victimization and conflict management of sellers, but the relationship does not seem to be linear. Prohibition undercuts the state's regulatory capacity by producing zones of virtual statelessness in which formal means of dispute resolution are unavailable, and thus, victimization and retaliation are more common. At the other extreme is laissez faire regulation, which may make sellers more likely to address problems only after they occur (instead of preventing their occurrence) The Dutch government originally instituted coffeeshops as a harm reduction method meant to separate the market for cannabis from that of hard drugs. The policy also seems to work well when it comes to reducing victimization, perhaps by encouraging the use of preventive measures by coffeeshop owners and employees. The Dutch experience offers lessons for drug policy reforms elsewhere.
Legislating on Violence Against Women: A Critical Analysis of Nigeria's Recent Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015

In many African countries, as in other countries around the world, women suffer violence on the basis of their gender. Unfortunately, many countries lack legislation that provide effective protections against gender based violence. Evidence from Nigeria, including the passage of new legislation at federal and state levels, suggests some progress. How effective such laws will be is yet to be seen. This paper begins the process of investigating the potential for the effectiveness of these new laws by conducting an in depth analysis of Nigeria's recently enacted Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015. This examines the relevance of the Act and its significance for issues around violence against women. This critique investigates the provisions of the Act alongside internationally accepted best practices and standards on legislation against gender based violence. From this analysis, the article identifies gaps within the provisions articulated in the Act. It also examines the place of the VAPP Act amongst the pantheon of extant laws addressing violence against women. It argues that, by itself, the law will have only a limited impact, in part because of its limited geographical reach. This impact can only be moderated by intensive advocacy to ensure that this legislation is adopted by all States in the federation. The paper suggests the next steps after enactment to ensure effective implementation. The article concludes that the enactment of the Act is a positive step, which has the potential to provide effective protections for women against gender based violence. However, gaps exist in the legislation, which will need to be remedied. Finally, specific actions will need to be taken to move the law from words on paper to active implementation and protection of women from gender based violence in Nigeria.
Provision of Healthcare Services to Men Who Have Sex with Men in Nigeria: Students' Attitudes Following the Passage of the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Law.
Venue: LGBT health

After signing of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013 in Nigeria, media reports portray widespread societal intolerance toward the lesbian, gay, and bisexual population. This study was conducted to assess the attitudes of university undergraduates in Lagos state, Nigeria, toward provision of healthcare services for men who have sex with men (MSM) because the 2014 same sex marriage prohibition law stipulates a jail sentence for organizations providing services to MSM.  A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted by using self administered questionnaires to collect information, including homophobic attitudes and views on access to healthcare, from 4000 undergraduates in 10 randomly selected faculties in two universities. During analysis, inter university and inter faculty comparison was carried out between medical and nonmedical students.  Outright denial of healthcare services to MSM was supported by 37.6% of the 3537 undergraduates who responded, whereas denial of HIV prevention services was supported by 32.5% However, compared with 38.7% and 34.1% of undergraduates from other faculties, 23.7% and 18.2% of medical students agreed that healthcare providers should not provide services to MSM and that MSM should not have access to HIV prevention services, respectively (P 0.000) Although a significant proportion of the medical students supported the statement that doctors and other healthcare workers should be compelled to give priority to other groups before MSM (29.4% of medical vs. 47.2% of students from other faculties) a statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups of students. The homophobic statement with the highest support was that doctors and healthcare workers should be compelled to report MSM who come to access treatment (48.1% of medical vs. 57.4% of students from other faculties)  A very high proportion of the undergraduate students had a negative attitude toward provision of healthcare services to MSM in Nigeria; the medical students were, however, less homophobic than their nonmedical counterparts. If attitudes translate to a lack of healthcare service provision to MSM, with the high burden of HIV among MSM in Nigeria, it is unlikely that the country will achieve the UNAIDS 90 90 90 target of 90% of the population knowing their HIV status, 90% of people living with HIV receiving sustained antiretroviral medication, and 90% of those receiving antiretroviral medication having viral suppression by 2020.
The Political Economy of Moral Conflict: An Empirical Study of Learning and Law Enforcement Under Prohibition

The U.S. Prohibition experience shows a remarkable policy reversal. In only 14 years, a drastic shift in public opinion required two constitutional amendments. I develop and estimate a model of endogenous law enforcement, determined by beliefs about the Prohibition crime nexus and alcohol related moral views. In turn, the policy outcomes shape subsequent learning about Prohibition enforcement costs. I estimate the model through maximum likelihood on Prohibition Era city level data on police enforcement, crime, and alcohol related legislation. The model can account for the variation in public opinion changes, and the heterogeneous responses of law enforcement and violence across cities. Results show that a 15% increase in the homicide rate can be attributed to Prohibition enforcement. The subsequent learning driven adjustment of local law enforcement allowed for the alcohol market to rebound to 60% of its pre Prohibition size. I conclude with counterfactual exercises exploring the welfare implications of policy learning, prior beliefs, preference polarization, and alternative political environments. Results illustrate the importance of incorporating the endogenous nature of law enforcement into our understanding of policy failure and policy success.
Global trends on fears and concerns of genetic discrimination: a systematic literature review
Venue: Journal of Human Genetics

Since the 1990s, developments in the field of genetics have led to many questions on the use and possible misuse of genetic information. 'Genetic discrimination' has been defined as the differential treatment of asymptomatic individuals or their relatives on the basis of their real or assumed genetic characteristics. Despite the public policy attention around genetic discrimination, there is currently still much confusion surrounding this phenomenon. On the one hand, there is little evidence of the occurrence of genetic discrimination. On the other hand, it appears that people remain concerned about this theme, and this fear influences their health and life choices. This article makes use of a systematic literature review to investigate what is already known about the nature, extent and background of these fears and concerns. The 42 included studies have found considerable levels of concerns about genetic discrimination. Concerns dominate in insurance contexts and within personal interactions. The extent of concerns appears to vary depending on the type of genetic illness. Furthermore, installed laws prohibiting genetic discrimination do not seem to alleviate existing fears. This raises important questions as to the origins of these fears. Based on the findings, recommendations for future research are made. First, research on the background of fears is needed. Second, future research needs to assess more fully all different forms (for example, direct and indirect) of genetic discrimination. Thirdly, it has to be studied whether genetic discrimination is a form of discrimination that is distinguishable from discrimination based on an illness or disability. Finally, a last element that should be addressed in future research is the most recent developments in research on genomics, such as next generation sequencing or genome wide association studies.