nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Human Superior Temporal Gyrus Organization of Spectrotemporal Modulation Tuning Derived from Speech Stimuli
Venue: The Journal of Neuroscience

The human superior temporal gyrus (STG) is critical for speech perception, yet the organization of spectrotemporal processing of speech within the STG is not well understood. Here, to characterize the spatial organization of spectrotemporal processing of speech across human STG, we use high density cortical surface field potential recordings while participants listened to natural continuous speech. While synthetic broad band stimuli did not yield sustained activation of the STG, spectrotemporal receptive fields could be reconstructed from vigorous responses to speech stimuli. We find that the human STG displays a robust anterior posterior spatial distribution of spectrotemporal tuning in which the posterior STG is tuned for temporally fast varying speech sounds that have relatively constant energy across the frequency axis (low spectral modulation) while the anterior STG is tuned for temporally slow varying speech sounds that have a high degree of spectral variation across the frequency axis (high spectral modulation) This work illustrates organization of spectrotemporal processing in the human STG, and illuminates processing of ethologically relevant speech signals in a region of the brain specialized for speech perception.  Considerable evidence has implicated the human superior temporal gyrus (STG) in speech processing. However, the gross organization of spectrotemporal processing of speech within the STG is not well characterized. Here we use natural speech stimuli and advanced receptive field characterization methods to show that spectrotemporal features within speech are well organized along the posterior to anterior axis of the human STG. These findings demonstrate robust functional organization based on spectrotemporal modulation content, and illustrate that much of the encoded information in the STG represents the physical acoustic properties of speech stimuli.
Breakdown of Hooke's law of elasticity at the Mott critical endpoint in an organic conductor
Venue: Science Advances

The coupling of the critical electronic system to a compressible lattice is found to drastically alter the Mott criticality. The Mott metal insulator transition, a paradigm of strong electron electron correlations, has been considered as a source of intriguing phenomena. Despite its importance for a wide range of materials, fundamental aspects of the transition, such as its universal properties, are still under debate. We report detailed measurements of relative length changes DL/L as a function of continuously controlled helium gas pressure P for the organic conductor k (BEDT TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Cl across the pressure induced Mott transition. We observe strongly nonlinear variations of DL/L with pressure around the Mott critical endpoint, highlighting a breakdown of Hooke's law of elasticity. We assign these nonlinear strain stress relations to an intimate, nonperturbative coupling of the critical electronic system to the lattice degrees of freedom. Our results are fully consistent with mean field criticality, predicted for electrons in a compressible lattice with finite shear moduli. We argue that the Mott transition for all systems that are amenable to pressure tuning shows the universal properties of an isostructural solid solid transition.
Empirical Analysis and Modeling of Black Box Mutational Fuzzing
Venue: ESSoS

Black box mutational fuzzing is a simple yet effective method for finding software vulnerabilities. In this work, we collect and analyze fuzzing campaign data of 60,000 fuzzing runs, 4,000 crashes and 363 unique bugs, from multiple Linux programs using CERT Basic Fuzzing Framework. Motivated by the results of empirical analysis, we propose a stochastic model that captures the long tail distribution of bug discovery probability and exploitability. This model sheds light on practical questions such as what is the expected number of bugs discovered in a fuzzing campaign within a given time, why improving software security is hard, and why different parties e.g. software vendors, white hats, and black hats are likely to find different vulnerabilities. We also discuss potential generalization of this model to other vulnerability discovery approaches, such as recently emerged bug bounty programs.
Engaging customers during a website visit: a model of website customer engagement

A customer's visit to a retail website is a critical "moment of truth" during which contemporary retailers attempt to simultaneously, during a single web navigation, capture customers' attention, build rapport, and prompt them to act. By showing how to capture customer commitment over the course of a single website visit, the concept of customer website engagement, defined as "the process of developing cognitive, affective and behavioural commitment to an active relationship with the website" addresses strategic concerns. Drawing from literature on engagement, the purpose of this paper is to consider how retail websites can engage customers during the course of a website navigation. A conceptual model of website customer engagement underpinned by relationship marketing and communication knowledge, shows how perceptions of the website's exploration and sense making potential can activate consumer engagement, and is then empirically tested.  Using survey data, measures of the four dimensions of engagement (interaction engagement, activity engagement, behavioural engagement, and communication engagement) and of three drivers are developed and validated. The model is tested empirically (n=301) using structural equation modelling.  The results support the process conceptualisation of engagement, which identifies organismic as well as conative stages, and show the distinct roles played by perceptions of informational exploration, experiential exploration and sense making in activating engagement.  The study provides online retailing practice with an organising framework enabling online retailing managers to consider how, depending on their product category and their size, they might (re)design their website to optimally produce customer engagement.  The study contributes to online marketing and retailing knowledge by showing the relevance of the concept of engagement as it pertains to customers' single navigations on retail websites, and by empirically showing, through a parsimonious model, how engagement can be activated and unfold
Clarifying the influence of emotional intelligence on salesperson performance

The purpose of this study is to explore the linkages among emotional intelligence, relational selling behavior and salesperson performance. Although existing research acknowledges the importance of emotional facets in business relationships, the role of emotional intelligence is poorly understood in the literature on salesperson performance.  Two data sets from business to business salespeople in various industrial and service sectors were analyzed with structural equation modeling. Mediation hypotheses were cross validated through a bootstrapping approach with bias corrected confidence estimates.  The results suggest that two focal types of selling behaviors namely, adaptive selling and customer oriented selling fully mediate the positive relationship between emotional intelligence and salesperson performance.  The study offers new insights to sales and marketing managers on how individual capabilities (such as emotional intelligence) can be transformed into high sales performance.  Drawing on the ability view of emotional intelligence and highlighting its conative facet, the current research posits that emotional intelligence affects salesperson performance through relational selling behaviors.
In orbit results of Delfi n3Xt: Lessons learned and move forward

This paper provides an update of the Delfi nanosatellite programme of the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) with a focus on the recent in orbit results of the second TU Delft satellite Delfi n3Xt. In addition to the educational objective that has been reached with more than 80 students involved in the project, most of the technological objectives of Delfi n3Xt have also been fulfilled with successful in orbit demonstrations of payloads and platform. Among these demonstrations, four are highlighted in this paper, including a solid cool gas micropropulsion system, a new type of solar cell, a more robust Command and Data Handling Subsystem (CDHS) and a highly integrated Attitude Determination and Control Subsystem (ADCS) that performs three axis active control using reaction wheels. Through the development of Delfi n3Xt, significant experiences and lessons have been learned, which motivated a further step towards DelFFi, the third Delfi CubeSat mission, to demonstrate autonomous formation flying using two CubeSats named Delta and Phi. A brief update of the DelFFi mission is also provided.
The effect of surface morphology and treatment of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the corrosion resistance of epoxy coating

Magnetite iron oxide base nanopigments (Fe 3 O 4 with two morphologies and different surface treatments were synthesized. Fe 3 O 4 nanopigments were synthesized in the presence and absence of triethanolamine as surfactant and then were modified with 3 amino propyl trimethoxy silane (APTMS) Nanopigments were characterized by X ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE SEM) Fourier transform infrared (FT IR) spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was utilized to investigate the corrosion inhibition properties of the epoxy composites. It was found that both surface morphology and surface chemistry of the nanopigments significantly affected the corrosion resistance of the epoxy coating.
Evolution of the insulation matrix and influences on the magnetic performance of Fe soft magnetic composites during annealing

Fe soft magnetic composites (SMCs) containing Fe powders embedded in Fe3O4/epoxy modified silicone resin (ESR) matrix have been fabricated via thermal oxidation of Fe powders with H2O under alkalic conditions, prior to mixing with ESR. The ferromagnetic Fe3O4 coating effectively reduces magnetic dilution, while high electrical resistivity of both Fe3O4 and ESR provides satisfactory insulation of the SMCs, giving rise to simultaneous high permeability and low core loss. Evolution of the Fe3O4/ESR matrix during the annealing process has been investigated, which is correlated to changes in the magnetic properties of the SMCs. The ESR starts to decompose at around 382 degC, leaving reducing groups which then convert the Fe3O4 coating into Fe with increased annealing temperature to 466 degC. Further raised annealing temperature to 570 degC leads to the reduction of Fe3O4 into FeO. Such evolution provides in sight information on choosing appropriate annealing conditions to avoid decomposition of the Fe3O4/ESR matrix and can be expanded to other Fe based SMCs.
The Geometry of Differential Privacy: The Small Database and Approximate Cases
Venue: SIAM J. Comput.

In this work, we study trade offs between accuracy and privacy in the context of linear queries over histograms. This is a rich class of queries that includes contingency tables and range queries and has been a focus of a long line of work. For a given set of $d$ linear queries $A$ over a database $x \in \mathbb{R}^N$ we seek to find the differentially private mechanism that has the minimum mean squared error relative to the true answer $Ax$ For pure differential privacy, Hart and Talwar and Bhaskara et al. give an $O(\log^2 d) approximation to the optimal mechanism. Our first contribution is to give an $O(\log^2 d) approximation guarantee for the case of \varepsilon,\delta) approximate differential privacy. Our mechanism adds carefully chosen correlated Gaussian noise to the answers and runs in time polynomial in $d$ and $N$ The mechanism is based on a recursive construction of a "small" enclosing ellipsoid of the sensitivity polytope $AB_1^N$ where $B_1^N$ denotes the $N$ dimensional \ell_1$ b.
A Counter Colonial Speculation on Elizabeth Rata's ism

In Maori thought, the possibility exists for a sort of lateral thinking that does not necessarily directly respond to another's utterance or opinion but that considers some of the creative and arbitrary themes that arise. In this article, I employ this counter colonial speculation, keeping in mind a Maori worldview whilst thinking in the wake of Elizabeth Rata's "Ethnic Ideologies in New Zealand Education: What's Wrong with Kaupapa Maori?" The speculative powers that Maori have at our disposal here have undoubtedly been employed in a number of ways throughout Maori history; here, I use them in a way that does not directly respond to a prompt. Although Rata's true aim is to critique kaupapa Maori, she inadvertently brings my attention to a particular characteristic of her writing the suffix ism. The fact that it saturates her writing in this article leads me to consider the broader issues associated with instrumentalist language, and the impact of the ism on a Maori relationship with things in the world. It emerges that, although Rata may be controversial for Maori in her views, her writing is useful for some unintended reasons, as it prompts some thinking around the appropriateness of the ism for Maori.
Anomaly Detection in Bitcoin Network Using Unsupervised Learning Methods
Venue: ArXiv

The problem of anomaly detection has been studied for a long time. In short, anomalies are abnormal or unlikely things. In nancial networks, thieves and illegal activities are often anomalous in nature. Members of a network want to detect anomalies as soon as possible to prevent them from harming the network's community and integrity. Many Machine Learning techniques have been proposed to deal with this problem; some results appear to be quite promising but there is no obvious superior method. In this paper, we consider anomaly detection particular to the Bitcoin transaction network. Our goal is to detect which users and transactions are the most suspicious; in this case, anomalous behavior is a proxy for suspicious behavior. To this end, we use three unsupervised learning methods including k means clustering, Mahalanobis distance, and Unsupervised Support Vector Machine (SVM) on two graphs generated by the Bitcoin transaction network: one graph has users as nodes, and the other has transactions as nodes.
Visual management in production management a literature synthesis

The purpose of this paper is to holistically discuss, explore and synthesise the key literature on visual management (VM) an important, yet highly fragmented subject that is frequently referred in lean production accounts.  An extensive literature review was conducted to classify the current literature, to explore the different aspects and limitations of the current discussions on the subject, to clarify in what ways VM benefits manifest themselves in a workplace and to identify the future research focus.  VM is an important close range communication strategy based on cognitively effective information conveyance. This strategy has been frequently discussed in the production management literature. However, the literature is fragmented as to the roles of VM in a production setting; the body of literature lacks integrated focus and cohesion with an abundance of related terminology from scholarly works and consultant books; a practical VM tools taxonomy and a visual workplace implementation framework were presented; there is poor clarity with regards to the functions (benefits) that VM may provide within organisations, nine conceptual VM functions were proposed; a wide array of future research directions related to VM was identified.  This paper synthesises the key literature related to VM, providing a conceptual picture of the current knowledge.
An adaptive data collection technique for streaming video over decentralized MANETs
Venue: 2016 Sixth International Conference on Digital Information Processing and Communications (ICDIPC)

This paper addresses the data collection problem for streaming video over a decentralized MANET to improve the average video quality received among the users. The solution to such a problem is known to be NP complete. Therefore, an adaptive data collection technique is proposed to shares the video meta data available across the nodes among other nodes in the network based on node degree and level of popularity of the video. The performance of the proposed technique is calculated and compared against MVSS and HAS A GEM. The results show that the proposed technique significantly reduces the signalling overhead.
A review on the buyer supplier dyad relationships in sustainable procurement context: past, present and future

Sustainable development is currently being applied in most fields of research. Procurement, focused on the buyer supplier dyad, is one such discipline where sustainability is being widely applied. This paper provides a review of these research studies, conducting a systematic content analysis in order to present the state of the art in this domain. The paper carries out a detailed review of articles in international scientific journals and well known international conferences related to green and sustainable supplier selection published between 2008 and 2014 inclusive. Seven designed research questions are proposed and answered based on this bibliography. Interesting results are reported in each section and gaps in the current body of literature are identified. The purpose of this review is to provide important future directions and limitations in this research topic.
ProjecToR: Agile Reconfigurable Data Center Interconnect
Venue: SIGCOMM

We explore a novel, free space optics based approach for building data center interconnects. It uses a digital micromirror device (DMD) and mirror assembly combination as a transmitter and a photodetector on top of the rack as a receiver  Our approach enables all pairs of racks to establish direct links, and we can reconfigure such links (i.e. connect different rack pairs) within 12 us. To carry traffic from a source to a destination rack, transmitters and receivers in our interconnect can be dynamically linked in millions of ways. We develop topology construction and routing methods to exploit this flexibility, including a flow scheduling algorithm that is a constant factor approximation to the offline optimal solution. Experiments with a small prototype point to the feasibility of our approach. Simulations using realistic data center workloads show that, compared to the conventional folded Clos interconnect, our approach can improve mean flow completion time by 30 95% and reduce cost by 25 40%
Characterization of Nuclease Activity in Human Seminal Plasma and its Relationship to Semen Parameters, Sperm DNA Fragmentation and Male Infertility.
Venue: The Journal of urology

Some studies have shown that complementary biomarkers are needed in semen analysis to provide a more accurate diagnosis for couples with infertility problems. To our knowledge no study has been done to determine the relationships among nuclease activity in seminal plasma, semen parameters, sperm DNA fragmentation and male infertility.  A total of 94 semen samples were collected according to WHO 2010 semen analysis parameters. Samples were analyzed using the single radial enzyme diffusion method for nuclease activity in seminal plasma, and alkaline and neutral Comet assay for sperm DNA fragmentation. Samples were obtained from 11 fertile donors with proven fertility, 17 patients with normozoospermia in an infertile couple, and 16 patients with asthenozoospermia, 19 with teratozoospermia, 21 with asthenoteratozoospermia and 10 with azoospermia.  Nuclease activity analyzed in seminal plasma was higher in patients than in controls. It correlated with sperm motility and morphology, and sperm DNA fragmentation measured by the alkaline Comet assay. No correlation with sperm DNA fragmentation was measured by the neutral Comet assay. ROC curves to determine male infertility revealed 0.658 sensitivity, 0.727 specificity and 0.705 cm(2) AUC for the single radial enzyme diffusion method, 0.918, 1 and 0.994 cm(2) for the alkaline Comet assay, and 0.917, 0.250 and 0.373 cm(2) respectively, for the neutral Comet assay.  Nuclease activity in seminal plasma corrected by sperm count is a good variable to predict male infertility. Results indicate that it could be a useful complementary parameter for male infertility diagnosis.
Designing a Musical Fabric Based Surface to Encourage Children with Autism to Practice Motor Movements

Children with autism have difficulties in controlling the strength and timing of their movements. Neurologic music therapy uses musical instruments to promote motor development in children with autism. However, most musical instruments are not appropriate to support control strength problems and coordination of movements in children with autism. In this paper, we present the design of MalleableBirds, a fabric based interactive surface that combines neuro music therapy exercises with multi sensory feedback. To design MalleableBirds, we followed a user centered design methodology. Reflecting from our design process we propose a set of design implications that could be helpful to others interested in designing deformable surfaces. We close discussing directions for future work.
Wearable body sensor network for health care applications

Wearable computing" refers to electronic systems that are directly integrated into garments and accessories for constant monitoring and easy accessibility, which is a wearable body sensor network (WBSN) based on smart textiles. WBSNs will be a great solution to enable the ubiquitous noninvasive health monitoring in people's daily life. However, developing smart textile based body sensor networks poses significant technical challenges for the sensor and sensor network design such as miniaturization of sensors, imbedding sensors in noninvasive wearable structures, the integration of radio integrated circuits (ICs) and modules with body worn antennas, energy consumption minimization, and data security. In this chapter, the challenges of designing electronic textiles based body sensor networks are discussed, and strategies and solutions to overcome the problems are proposed. To demonstrate the applicability of smart textile based body sensor networks, the Internet of Things (IoT) systems for health care and fitness applications will be reviewed.
A Personal, Distributed Exposimeter: Procedure for Design, Calibration, Validation, and Application
Venue: Sensors

This paper describes, for the first time, the procedure for the full design, calibration, uncertainty analysis, and practical application of a personal, distributed exposimeter (PDE) for the detection of personal exposure in the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) downlink (DL) band around 900 MHz (GSM 900 DL) The PDE is a sensor that consists of several body worn antennas. The on body location of these antennas is investigated using numerical simulations and calibration measurements in an anechoic chamber. The calibration measurements and the simulations result in a design (or on body setup) of the PDE. This is used for validation measurements and indoor radio frequency (RF) exposure measurements in Ghent, Belgium. The main achievements of this paper are: first, the demonstration, using both measurements and simulations, that a PDE consisting of multiple on body textile antennas will have a lower measurement uncertainty for personal RF exposure than existing on body sensors; second, a validation of the PDE, which proves that the device correctly estimates the incident power densities; and third, a demonstration of the usability of the PDE for real exposure assessment measurements. To this aim, the validated PDE is used for indoor measurements in a residential building in Ghent, Belgium, which yield an average incident power density of 0.018 mW/m2.