- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Retraction of a fraudulent publication

by Michael Biehl

Dear All. It is my pleasure to announce that a fraudulent and blatantly plagiarized publication from July 2023, (allegedly) about the training of layered neural networks in time-dependent envrionments, has been retracted by the Editorial Office of *MDPI Applied Sciences*, at last. The retraction process took very long and communication was quite unpleasant. *Please see * *https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/2/476* <https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/2/476> *for details and links to the plagiarized original pieces of work. * Note that the term "overlap" in the retraction notice is way too polite in view of the brazen "cut-and-paste" approach of the "authors". They literally copy/pasted essentially all figures and equations from other sources. The text consists of non-sensical gibberish and contains no original results whatsoever. Four referees apparently failed to note the gobbledygook and recognize the plagiarism. Best wishes, Michael Biehl -- --------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen, NL https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

Jan. 8, 2024

Modellers Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox

by Stewart Heitmann

Enrolments are now open for the Modellers Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox. This is an online course for researchers who wish to build custom dynamical models using the Brain Dynamics Toolbox. The course focuses on practical programming techniques for the major classes of differential equations (ordinary, partial, delay, stochastic) that arise in computational neuroscience. Example code is provided in all cases. Upon completion, students will be able to turn custom differential equations into working simulations. Study time is 8 hours. Course Website https://bdtoolbox.teachable.com/p/modellers-workshop Toolbox Website https://bdtoolbox.org Important Dates Enrolments close 31st Jan 2024. Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website.

Jan. 7, 2024

From Animals to Animats: 17th International Conference on the Simulation of Adaptive Behavior (SAB 2024) - Conference Announcement and Call For Papers

by Jeffrey L Krichmar

Happy New Year! On September 9-12, 2024, UC Irvine will be hosting this year’s From Animals to Animats: 17th International Conference on the Simulation of Adaptive Behavior (SAB 2024). The Simulation of Adaptive Behavior (SAB) interdisciplinary conference brings together researchers in artificial intelligence, artificial life, computer science, cybernetics, ethology, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, robotics, and many other fields, to further our understanding of the behaviors and underlying mechanisms that allow natural animals and artificial agents to adapt and survive in complex, dynamic and uncertain environments. Animats denote the connection between animals and synthetic agents. The conference focuses on models and experiments designed to help characterize and compare various organizational principles and architectures underlying adaptive behavior in real animals and in animats. SAB 2024 solicits contributions dealing with any aspect of adaptive behavior. We especially invite submissions from researchers who connect biology and natural behavior to synthetic agents. Conference papers are peer-reviewed and accepted papers will be published in “From Animals to Animats 17. SAB 2024.” Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence, Springer Nature. We have a great lineup of confirmed speakers: Oliver Brock – Technische Universitat Berlin Lola Canamero – CY Cergy Paris University Kris Carlson – BrainChip Jeff Clune – The University of British Columbia Jens Krause – Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Maja Mataric – University of Southern California Praveen Pilly – Intelligent Systems Laboratory at HRL Laboratories Jun Tani – Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Janet Wiles – University of Queensland More conference information is available at: https://sites.uci.edu/sab2024/ Venue -------- CalIT2 Auditorium University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697 USA CALL FOR PAPERS - SAB 2024 (April 1, 2024 Deadline) ————————————————————— More details can be found at: https://sab2024.socsci.uci.edu/call-for-papers Important Dates ---------------------- April 1, 2024: Deadline for paper submission April 15, 2024: Deadline for Workshop and tutorial proposals June15, 2024: Notice of acceptance June 30, 2024: Camera-ready papers September 9-12: Conference dates Hope to see you in September! Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma https://sites.uci.edu/sab2024/

Jan. 7, 2024

PhD and postdoc position at Jülich Research Center

by Sacha van Albada

PhD and postdoc position in large-scale brain modeling and simulation at Jülich Research Center PhD and postdoc opportunities with a focus on the simulation of large-scale biological neural networks are available in the Theoretical Neuroanatomy group at Jülich Research Center, Germany (https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/inm/inm-6/forschung/theoretical-neuroanatomy) The projects will advance a research program that centers on the full-scale simulation of thalamocortical networks using the simulator NEST. The postdoc position is available in the context of the Henriette Herz Scouting Program of the Humboldt Foundation, and will be offered to a female candidate. The program is particularly aimed at candidates from countries underrepresented in the Humboldt Foundation. We will jointly define a research project and the selected candidate will receive a Humboldt Research Fellowship (https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/apply/sponsorship-programmes/humboldt…) The position is available for 24 months for postdocs up to 4 years after the PhD defense and for 18 months for experienced researchers 4-12 years after the PhD defense. The PhD defense should not be more than 12 years ago, and candidates should not have previous or existing links to Germany in terms of study, research stays, or citizenship. Due consideration will be given to any gaps in the CV due to family care or other personal circumstances. The PhD position is open to candidates regardless of gender. The candidate should have a background in physics, mathematics, computer science, biology (or specifically neuroscience), or engineering. Excellent quantitative and analytical skills are highly valued. We offer a structured program guiding doctoral researchers through the PhD work and plenty of opportunities for local and international collaboration. The researchers will be embedded in a vibrant research institute (https://<https://www.csn.fz-juelich.de/>www.csn.fz-juelich.de<https://www.csn.fz-juelich.de/>). Links also exist to the University of Cologne, so that candidates can gain teaching/tutoring experience. To apply, please send a motivation letter, CV, and university transcripts and certificates to s.van.albada(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:s.van.albada@fz-juelich.de> and to our scientific coordinator Martina Reske (m.reske(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:m.reske@fz-juelich.de>). -- Prof. Sacha Jennifer van Albada Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Tel. +49 2461 61-96808 Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Fax +49 2461 61-9460 Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience & JARA-Institut Brain Structure-Function Relationships (INM-10) Jülich Research Centre Jülich, Germany Computational Neuroanatomy Tel. +49-221-470-3829 Institute of Zoology Fax +49-221-470-4889 University of Cologne Cologne, Germany ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 52425 Jülich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Jülich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Düren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Stefan Müller Geschäftsführung: Prof. Dr. Astrid Lambrecht (Vorsitzende), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Dr. Ir. Pieter Jansens ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jan. 4, 2024

Applications open for Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course 2024 (OCNC 2024)

by Erik De Schutter

OKINAWA/OIST COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE COURSE 2024 Methods, Neurons, Networks and Behaviors June 17 to July 4, 2024 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc The aim of the Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to learn the latest advances in neuroscience, and for those with experimental backgrounds to have hands-on experience in computational modeling. We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate in the course, held from June 17th through July 4th, 2024 at an oceanfront seminar house of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. Applications are through the course web page (https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc) only; January 1 - January 31, 2024. Applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance end of March. Like in preceding years, the 19th OCNC will be a comprehensive three-week course covering single neurons, networks, and behaviors with ample time for student projects. The first week will focus exclusively on methods with hands-on tutorials during the afternoons, while the second and third weeks will have lectures by international and local experts. The course has a strong hands-on component based on student proposed modeling or data analysis projects, which are further refined with the help of a dedicated tutor. Applicants are required to propose their project at the time of application. There is no tuition fee. The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course. We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and experimental neuroscientists to meet each other and to explore the attractive nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of Japan. Lecturers: Erik De Schutter (OIST) Kenji Doya (OIST) Tomoki Fukai (OIST) Izumi Fukunaga (OIST) N. Alex Cayco Gajic (École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France) Yukiko Goda (OIST) Arvind Kumar (KTH, Stockholm, Sweden) Bernd Kuhn (OIST) Matthew Larkum (Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany) Hakwan Lau (RIKEN CBS, Tokyo, Japan) Sukbin Lim (NYU Shangai, China) Gerald Pao (OIST) Thomas Parr (Oxford University, UK) Sam Reiter (OIST) Kazumasa Tanaka (OIST)

Jan. 3, 2024

ICDL Confirmed Speakers – paper deadline Jan 8, poster deadline March 1

by nagai.yukie＠mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Dear colleagues, Join us in Austin May 20-23 2024 for the IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL). ICDL is an intimate and unique meeting gathering researchers interested in development from the perspective of ecological psychology, robotics, and computation. We have confirmed an amazing list of speakers for the event - including a keynote by Jitendra Malik, the research director for Facebook AI - as well as 20 of the most important thinkers in this space. Our goal is to encourage deep conversations through carefully curated single-track symposia, including: Curiosity-Driven Learning and Predictive Models Yukie Nagai - The University of Tokyo, Japan Elizabeth Bonawitz - Harvard University, USA Gert Westermann - Lancaster University, UK Michael Goldstein - Cornell University, USA Language Development in Humans and Machines Xavier Hinaut - Inria & Bordeaux University, France Casey Lew-Williams - Princeton University, USA Daniel Messinger - University of Miami, USA Catherine Laing - University of York, UK Developmental Machine Learning and Everyday Inputs Karen Adolph - New York University, USA Linda Smith - Indiana University, USA Jochen Triesch - Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Germany Marvin Lavechin - Ecole Normale Supérieure, France Egocentric vision and attention John Franchak - University of California, Riverside, USA Kristen Grauman - The University of Texas at Austin, USA Mary Hayhoe - The University of Texas at Austin, USA Jim Rehg - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA Body Representation and Sensorimotor Organization Daniela Corbetta - The University of Tennessee, USA Matej Hoffmann - Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic Hoshinori Kanazawa - The University of Tokyo, Japan Peter Marshall - Temple University, USA Website: https://la.utexas.edu/users/dil/ICDL_Austin_2024/ Deadline for full paper submissions extended: December 15, 2023, January 8, 2024 Deadline for 1-page poster abstracts and journal track poster submissions: March 1, 2024 Full papers and other submissions are invited on a range of topics including but not limited to: • Embodied learning and development in biological systems and robots • Developmental stages and sensitive periods • Emergence of verbal and nonverbal communication • Curiosity, intrinsic motivations, exploration, play and active learning • Architectures for lifelong learning • Emergence of body and affordance perception • Learning control of body movement • Emotional development and the role of emotion in learning • Prediction, planning, and problem solving • The relationship between evolution and development • Epistemological foundations and philosophical issues • Robotic and computational models of human and animal development • Developmentally-inspired machine learning • Human-robot interaction in developmental contexts • Applications of machine learning to human and animal development Submissions may take the form of full (6-page) papers, 1-page poster abstracts, journal track posters, and workshops or tutorials. Please see below for details on each submission type. Decisions regarding acceptance will be based on technical quality, novelty, and expected interest to the conference’s interdisciplinary audience. In addition to talks and posters originating from these submissions, the conference will feature a keynote speaker as well as several invited symposia showcasing recent research on a set of themes, with different disciplines and perspectives featured, to prompt lively and productive discussion at the conference. Submission types: Full six-page paper submissions Papers of at most 6 pages in IEEE double column format will undergo peer-review, and accepted and presented submissions will be included in the conference proceedings published by IEEE Xplore. Up to two extra pages are acceptable for a publication fee of $100 per page. Accepted papers will be invited for presentation either in oral or poster format Please make use of the template provided at https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html 1-page poster abstracts To encourage discussion of late-breaking results or for work that is not sufficiently mature for a full paper, we will accept 1-page abstracts. These submissions will not be included in the conference proceedings. Accepted abstracts will be presented during the poster session. Journal-track posters Journal track poster submissions must be about a journal paper that has been published recently (no earlier than December 2022), on a topic relevant to ICDL. Best regards, Yukie Nagai, on behalf of the organizing committees — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Project Professor, The University of Tokyo nagai.yukie(a)mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp | https://developmental-robotics.jp CREST Cognitive Feelings: https://cognitive-feeling.jp CREST Cognitive Mirroring: https://cognitive-mirroring.org

Jan. 3, 2024

CfP Social Interaction for Human and Virtual Agents

by Treur, J. (Jan)

SIHVA 2024: Computational Modeling of Social Interaction for Human and Virtual Agents Special Session at the 16th Asian Conference on Intelligent Information and Database Systems (ACIIDS 2024) 15-18 April 2024, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE Website: https://aciids.pwr.edu.pl/2024/session.php?acronym=SIHVA Organizers Sophie C.F. Hendrikse University of Amsterdam, Psychological Methods Group E-mail: s.c.f.hendrikse(a)uva.nl<mailto:s.c.f.hendrikse@uva.nl> Jan Treur Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Social AI Group E-mail: j.treur(a)vu.nl<mailto:j.treur@vu.nl> Objectives From a Computer Science or AI perspective, social interaction for human or virtual agents might simply be modeled like exchange of information. However, as many researchers involved in this area know, in a realistic context there is much more to it than that. Some examples of quite relevant aspects are how information about the other agent is represented and interpreted, how the interaction behaviour is context-sensitive and has flexibility in responses, and can be adaptive over time, for example, like in bonding. Research on all of such and other relevant aspects can be addressed in this track. Topics Some of the specific topics covered are (but the scope is not limited to these): * Multimodal interaction * Representing and learning about the other agent, self-other distinction * Social contagion and mirroring * Emergence of similarity during social interaction: homophily, synchrony * Adaptivity of interaction behaviour over shorter and longer time periods * Interpersonal regulation of emotions between agents * Joint-decision making * Collaborative learning * Artificial social systems * Social affective computing * Socially intelligent agents and multi-agent systems Important dates Paper submission: January 5, 2024 (2nd extension) Notification of acceptance: February 28, 2024 Camera-ready papers: March 15, 2024 Registration & payment: March 15, 2024 Conference date: April 15-18, 2024

Dec. 29, 2023

Postdoctoral fellowships at the Neuromathematics Center in Sao Paulo State, Brazil

by Antonio Roque

Positions for Postdoctoral Researchers The Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics (NeuroMat), hosted by the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil, and funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), is offering post-doctoral fellowships for recent PhDs with outstanding research potential. The fellowship will involve collaborations with research teams and laboratories associated with NeuroMat. The research to be developed by the post-doc fellow shall be strictly related to ongoing research lines developed by the NeuroMat team that can be consulted at our website. The project may be developed at the laboratories of USP, campuses of São Paulo or Ribeirão Preto, or at UNICAMP, Campinas, in person. We seek candidates capable of developing independent research in one of the research lines below. 1. Stochastic modeling of neurobiological data. 2. Acquisition, processing, and quantitative analysis of neurobiological data. 3. Instrumentation development associated with brain stimuli. Candidates to the first research line are required to have a strong background in probability theory with emphasis on stochastic processes. Candidates to the second research line are required to have a strong background in neuroscience with previous experience in neurophysiological data acquisition, processing and analysis, and knowledge of computer programming. Candidates to the third research line are required to have a strong background in electronic instrumentation, robotics, programing, and safety in medical equipment. The initial appointment is for one year, with a possible extension, conditional on research progress. The fellowship is competitive at an international level, and fellows benefit from extra funds for travel and research expenses plus limited support for relocation expenses. Application Instructions: Applicants should complete and submit the application form <https://neuromat.numec.prp.usp.br/postdoc/new/>. The following documents and information are requested (please see the form for further details): - Summary of the CV, in the format required by FAPESP (see fapesp.br/en/6351 <http://www.fapesp.br/en/6351> for instructions); - List of publications, with links to those available online. - A summary of the research plan for the next year, up to 5 pages in length. This document must explicitly state for which of the three research lines the candidate has applied. It should also address how this research plan fits within the framework of the NeuroMat research program <https://neuromat.numec.prp.usp.br/scientific-project/>. - Pointers to other research related output, such as software, web pages, and so forth. Candidates should be willing to send copies of publications, if requested. - Any further information deemed relevant to the application. In addition to the above, we require at least two recommendation letters. Those should be mailed by the recommenders directly to postdoc-appl(a)numec.prp.usp.br. Timetable: Candidates are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience until the deadline of February 02, 2024. Appointment is expected to start by March 2024. The initial period of the position lasts for 12 months, with possible renewals to up to the end of the project, July 31, 2025. This opportunity is open to candidates of any nationality. The selected candidates will be awarded FAPESP Postdoctoral fellowships in the amount of BRL 9,047.40 monthly and a research contingency fund, equivalent to 15% of the annual value of the fellowship, which should be spent on items directly related to the research activity. More details on FAPESP's postdoctoral fellowships are available at: fapesp.br/en/5427 <http://www.fapesp.br/en/5427>. -- Antonio C. Roque Professor Associado Departamento de Fisica FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto-SP Brazil - Brasil antonior(a)usp.br <antonior(a)ffclrp.usp.br> aroquesilva(a)gmail.com www.sisne.org ORCID: 0000-0003-1260-4840 <https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1260-4840> ResearcherID: C-2316-2011 <http://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/C-2316-2011> Google Scholar: GqHWF74AAAAJ <http://scholar.google.com.br/citations?user=GqHWF74AAAAJ> CV Lattes: 4609096963207702 <http://lattes.cnpq.br/4609096963207702>

Dec. 27, 2023

First Call for Papers: RaPID-5@LREC-COLING 2024

by Dim X

************************************************************************************* *First Call for Papers:* The 5th workshop on: "*Resources and ProcessIng of linguistic, para-linguistic and extra-linguistic Data from * * people with various forms of cognitive/psychiatric/developmental impairments*" *Workshop*: co-located with LREC-COLING 2024 | Turin, Italy | May 21st, 2024 RaPID-5 serves as an interdisciplinary platform for researchers to exchange insights, methods, and experiences related to collecting and processing data from individuals with mental, cognitive, neuropsychiatric, or neurodegenerative impairments. The workshop focuses on creating, processing, and applying such data resources from individuals at different stages and severity levels of these impairments. The ultimate goal of RaPID-5 is to facilitate the study of relationships among linguistic, paralinguistic, and extra-linguistic observations, with applications ranging from aiding diagnosis to enhancing monitoring and predicting individuals at higher risk, ultimately promoting multidisciplinary collaboration across clinical, language technology, computational linguistics, and computer science communities. *Submission deadline*: Sun., 31st of March, 2024 (anywhere on earth) *Paper submission*: https://softconf.com/lrec-coling2024/rapid2024/ *Website and more details*: https://spraakbanken.gu.se/en/rapid-2024 *Contact*: Dimitrios Kokkinakis *Contact email*: dimitrios.kokkinakis(a)gu.se *Organizing committee*: - Kathleen C. Fraser, National Research Council, Canada; - Dimitrios Kokkinakis, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; - Kristina Lundholm Fors, Lund University, Sweden; - Charalambos K. Themistocleous, University of Oslo, Norway - Athanasios Tsanas, The University of Edinburgh, UK - Fredrik Öhman, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden **************************************************************************************

Dec. 27, 2023

Neuro-AI Conference in Chile, April 2024

by Christopher Pack, Dr.

Abstract submission is now open for the Pucón Summit on Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, to be held in Pucón, Chile, from April 8-12, 2024. The Summit will aim to explore the intersection of neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a particular focus on mechanisms of learning. This event will provide a platform for AI and experimental neuroscience researchers to delve into the mechanisms of learning at the cellular, systems, and behavioral levels. The meeting aims to address three fundamental questions that have been the subject of intense research and theoretical debate: 1) What cellular mechanisms enable learning on different timescales? 2) How do brain networks modify their connectivity to support adaptive behaviors? 3) How do popular AI learning algorithms relate to biological mechanisms of learning at the cellular and systems levels? The emphasis will be on exchanging information between theoretical and experimental scientists. How can AI generate testable predictions for neuroscientists? How can neuroscientific discoveries inform the next generation of AI models? More information is available at the website: https://plena.cenia.cl/<https://plena.cenia.cl/registration/> This five-day meeting will involve talks in the morning, free afternoons for speakers, workshops for students, and round table discussions in the evenings. There is also a possibility of satellite workshops and other activities involving trainees before and after the meeting. Important dates Abstract submission: January 24, 2024 Early registration: February 2, 2024 Regular registration: March 5, 2024 Keynote speakers Sara Solla (Northwestern University) Nelson Spruston (HHMI) Full list of invited talks: https://plena.cenia.cl/speakers/ Chile is renowned for its beautiful landscapes, rich culture, and vibrant research community. We have selected the city of Pucón, as an exceptional venue providing a secluded and conducive environment for stimulating conversations, fruitful collaborations, and unique outdoor activities (i.e., Volcano trekking, river rafting, lake activities, etc.). We hope to see you there. Regards, The Scientific Committee [cid:image003.jpg@01DA37E3.2F598230]Roberto Araya (U. Montreal, Canada) Christopher Pack (McGill University, Canada) Pedro Maldonado (Universidad de Chile, Chile) Markus Diesmann (Jülich Research Center, Germany) For any questions, please contact us by email: plena(a)cenia.cl<mailto:plena@cenia.cl>

Dec. 26, 2023