- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Rapid image categorization via edge co-occurrences
by James A. Bednar June 23, 2015

June 23, 2015

We are pleased to announce the publication of an open-access paper demonstrating a novel method for categorizing images using the statistics of their edge co-occurrences. The success of this low-level method in matching both correct and incorrect classifications by humans suggests a reinterpretation of longstanding claims for rapid hierarchical processing in the visual cortex. Laurent U. Perrinet Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone Aix Marseille Universite, CNRS James A. Bednar Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation University of Edinburgh _______________________________________________________________________________ Laurent U. Perrinet and James A. Bednar. Edge co-occurrences can account for rapid categorization of natural versus animal images. Scientific Reports, Nature Publishing Group, 5:11400, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep11400 Abstract: Making a judgment about the semantic category of a visual scene, such as whether it contains an animal, is typically assumed to involve high-level associative brain areas. Previous explanations require progressively analyzing the scene hierarchically at increasing levels of abstraction, from edge extraction to mid-level object recognition and then object categorization. Here we show that the statistics of edge co-occurrences alone are sufficient to perform a rough yet robust (translation, scale, and rotation invariant) scene categorization. We first extracted the edges from images using a scale-space analysis coupled with a sparse coding algorithm. We then computed association for different categories (natural, man-made, or containing an animal) by computing the statistics of edge co-occurrences. These differed strongly, with animal images having more curved configurations. We show that this geometry alone is sufficient for categorization, and that the pattern of errors made by humans is consistent with this procedure. Because these statistics could be measured as early as the primary visual cortex, the results challenge widely held assumptions about the flow of computations in the visual system. The results also suggest new algorithms for image classification and signal processing that exploit correlations between low-level structure and the underlying semantic category. -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN SYSTEMS NEUROSCIENCE
by Santamaria, Cookie June 22, 2015

June 22, 2015

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN SYSTEMS NEUROSCIENCE The BioCircuits Institute (BCI) and Departments of Physics, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Bioengineering, and Psychology and Neurobiology at the University of California, San Diego invite applications for a postdoctoral position in systems neuroscience, for experiments leading to the neuromorphic engineering of cognitive abilities. The ideal candidate will have experience with electrophysiology, with awake behaving animals, with neural modeling, and/or with biologically inspired integrated circuits and systems. Close interaction with other project researchers in computational and theoretical neuroscience, nonlinear dynamical systems, and neuromorphic engineering is involved. We will accept applications immediately. To be considered, please submit your complete application by Friday, 31 July 2015. We will begin making selections from the completed applications on 3 August 2015. The Committee will continue to accept and review completed applications as they are received until the position is filled. Appointments are for two years (in one-year increments) with the possibility of a third. Send your statement of qualifications and interest with curriculum vitae, your two most significant publications and three letters of reference to Tim Gentner, Henry Abarbanel, Gert Cauwenberghs, Katja Lindenberg, Mikhail Rabinovich, and Terrence Sejnowski via email to: <postdoc.muri(a)gmail.com<mailto:postdoc.muri@gmail.com>>. A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree is required prior to the appointment. UCSD is an EO/AA employer.

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Development of model description languages
by Erik De Schutter June 22, 2015

June 22, 2015

Postdoctoral researcher and staff scientist positions are available in the Computational Neuroscience Unit (https://groups.oist.jp/cnu) of Prof. Erik De Schutter at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. We are looking for a postdoc with a computer science or engineering background who is interested in the development of XML-based methods for model description and simulation. You will collaborate with international colleagues on further development of NIneML (http://nineml.net) and deploy it within the research group. Previous experience related to collaborative projects in computational neuroscience or systems biology preferred. You will interact with other researchers and students in the lab who are working on cerebellar modeling projects or analyzing cerebellar recordings. We offer attractive financial and working conditions in an English language graduate university that emphasizes interdisciplinary research, located on the beautiful subtropical island Okinawa. Send curriculum vitae, a summary of research interests and experience, and the names of three referees to Prof. Erik De Schutter at erik(a)oist.jp

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SPIKY and PySpike – Two free software packages for monitoring spike train synchrony
by Thomas Kreuz June 22, 2015

June 22, 2015

Dear all, we would like to draw your attention to our two most recent papers and to two new software packages. *1. Two new papers:* This paper provides a detailed description of *SPIKY* (see 2.) and introduces our new measure *SPIKE-synchronization*: • Kreuz T, Mulansky M, Bozanic N: SPIKY: A graphical user interface for monitoring spike train synchrony. JNeurophysiol <http://jn.physiology.org/content/113/9/3432> 113, 3432 (2015) [PDF] <http://www.fi.isc.cnr.it/users/thomas.kreuz/images/Kreuz_JNeurophysiol_2015…>. An overview of all three of our measures (*ISI-distance, SPIKE-distance and SPIKE-synchronization*) and their mathematical properties can be found in • Mulansky M, Bozanic N, Sburlea A, Kreuz T: A guide to time-resolved and parameter-free measures of spike train synchrony. IEEE Proceedings (in press) and arXiv [PDF] <http://arxiv.org/pdf/1502.02027v2.pdf> (2015). *2. SPIKY, graphical user interface (Matlab) for monitoring spike train synchrony* Implementations of ISI-distance, SPIKE-distance, and SPIKE-Synchronization Distances, time profiles, distance matrices, selective averaging, triggered averages, dendrograms, etc. Plotting, movie generation Spike train generator, event detector (for continuous data such as EEG) Matlab with C backend (MEX) Matlab fallback if no MEX-compiler is not available Extensive documentation includes many illustrative movies Matlab source codes and all relevant papers are available on our *SPIKY download page* http://www.fi.isc.cnr.it/users/thomas.kreuz/Source-Code/SPIKY.html For further information about new features and updates please check the *SPIKY Facebook page* https://www.facebook.com/SPIKYgui Here you'll also find a lot of documentation including many images and movies that illustrate how to use SPIKY. All of these movies can also be found on the *SPIKY Youtube channel* https://www.youtube.com/user/SPIKYgui1 *3. PySpike, open source Python library hosted on github* Implementations of ISI-distance, SPIKE-distance, and SPIKE-Synchronization Library of functions to compute distances and profiles (bivariate and multivariate), distance matrices, selective averages, etc. Helper functions for plotting, spike train generation Cython backend for optimal performance (factor 100-200 over plain Python) Python fallback if Cython is not available Extensive unit-tests that cover the API as well as the numerics Automatic build and test runs Documentation The github issues system can be used to file bug reports or request new functionality and features. *PySpike webpage* http://www.pyspike.de *PySpike github page* https://github.com/mariomulansky/PySpike Any feedback on both the papers and the software packages is very welcome. Best wishes, Thomas Kreuz -- Institute for complex systems, CNR Via Madonna del Piano 10 50119 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy) Tel: +39-349-0748506 Email: thomas.kreuz(a)cnr.it Webpage: http://www.fi.isc.cnr.it/users/thomas.kreuz/

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Research Associate Position in Computational Neural Modeling (Duke University)
by Angel V. Peterchev June 21, 2015

June 21, 2015

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE in COMPUTATIONAL NEURAL MODELING DUKE UNIVERSITY Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences An opportunity exists to join a research team working to understand and advance transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS is a non-invasive form of brain stimulation used widely as a neuroscience research tool as well as a treatment for psychiatric and neurological disorders (FDA approved for depression since 2008). We have an ongoing NIH-funded project that combines computational modeling at several scales with single neuron recordings in pre-clinical models. We seek a highly-motivated individual who is interested in developing and applying computational models of TMS. The parallel experimental component of the study provides unique opportunities to validate and calibrate computational models. This is a full-time position with University Benefits and provides exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary research and career development. This position will be jointly mentored by Angel V. Peterchev, PhD<https://sites.google.com/site/dukebrainstimulation/> (Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine) and Warren M. Grill, PhD<http://www.bme.duke.edu/faculty/warren-grill> (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering), providing exposure to both clinical and engineering research settings. A PhD in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, neuroscience, physics, or math is required, as are excellent communication skills. Previous experience in computational neural modeling is required, and previous experience with neural stimulation is desirable. For consideration submit a CV and the names and contact information of three professional references as a .pdf file attachment to: Angel V. Peterchev, PhD Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Electrical & Computer Engineering angel.peterchev(a)duke.edu<mailto:angel.peterchev@duke.edu> Duke University is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer.

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Congratulations to the Winners of the 2015 Best Illusion of the Year Contest!
by Susana Martinez-Conde June 19, 2015

June 19, 2015

Congratulations to the winners of the 11th annual Best Illusion of the Year Contest <http://illusionoftheyear.com/> ! Online voters around the world chose the best illusions of the year from Thursday, June 11th 7pm EST to Friday, June 12th 7PM EST. First Place and an award of $3,000 USD went to "Splitting Colors <http://illusionoftheyear.com/2015/splitting-colors/> ," a color illusion by Mark Vergeer from KU Leuven, Belgium. Second Place and an award of $2,000 USD went to "Ambiguous Garage Roof <http://illusionoftheyear.com/2015/ambiguous-garage-roof/> ," a perspective illusion by Kokichi Sugihara from Meiji University, Japan. Third Place and an award of $1,000 USD went to "The Day it Rained on Lowry <http://illusionoftheyear.com/2015/the-day-it-rained-on-lowry/> ," a motion illusion by Michael Pickard from VisuallyDirectedDesign.com in the UK. Enjoy the winning illusions and all Top 10 Finalists <http://illusionoftheyear.com/cat/top-10-finalists/2015/> at http://illusionoftheyear.com Illusion submissions <http://illusionoftheyear.com/about-the-contest/submission-instructions/> are now accepted for the 12th edition of the Best Illusion of the Year Contest, to be held in 2016. On behalf of the Executive Board of the Neural Correlate Society: Jose-Manuel Alonso, Stephen Macknik, Susana Martinez-Conde, Luis Martinez, Xoana Troncoso, Peter Tse The Neural Correlate Society is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 non-profit organization, whose mission is to promote the public awareness of neuroscience research. ----------------------------------- Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Physiology & Pharmacology Director, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience Scholar, Empire Innovator Program State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203, USA Email: <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> smart(a)neuralcorrelate.com Phone: +1 718-270-4520 <http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com/> http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com

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CFP 7th International Joint Conference on Computational Intelligence - IJCCI 2015
by Calendar Sites June 19, 2015

June 19, 2015

Please note that the dates of the UPCOMING DEADLINES have been slightly changed. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____ CALL FOR PAPERS 7th International Joint Conference on Computational Intelligence IJCCI 2015 Website: http://www.ijcci.org/ November 12 14, 2015 Lisbon, Portugal <http://www.ijcci.org/Glossary.aspx#11> <http://www.ijcci.org/Glossary.aspx#11> Regular Papers Paper Submission: July 14, 2015 (extended) Authors Notification: September 18, 2015 Camera Ready and Registration: October 2, 2015 <http://www.ijcci.org/Glossary.aspx#12> <http://www.ijcci.org/Glossary.aspx#12> Position Papers Paper Submission: July 14, 2015 Authors Notification: September 21, 2015 Camera Ready and Registration: October 5, 2015 <http://www.ijcci.org/Glossary.aspx#46> Doctoral Consortium Paper Submission: September 3, 2015 Authors Notification: September 17, 2015 Camera Ready and Registration: September 29, 2015 <http://www.ijcci.org/Glossary.aspx#42> Special Sessions Special Session Proposal: June 26, 2015 Paper Submission: September 2, 2015 Authors Notification: September 17, 2015 Camera Ready and Registration: September 25, 2015 Tutorials, Demos and panels Proposals: July 27, 2015 Sponsored by: INSTICC-Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Control and Communication INSTICC is Member of: WfMC Workflow Management Coalition OMG Object Management Group FIPA Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents Technically Co-sponsored by: IFAC International Federation of Automatic Control IEEE SMC - Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society In Cooperation with: AI*IA Associazione Italiana per l'Intelligenza Artificiale INNS - The International Neural Network Society AAAI Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence EUSFLAT European Society for Fuzzy Logic and Technology APPIA Portuguese Association for Artificial Intelligence International Fuzzy Systems Association Logistics Partner: SCITEVENTS Science and Technology Events The purpose of IJCCI is to bring together researchers, engineers and practitioners on the areas of Fuzzy Computation, Evolutionary Computation and Neural Computation. IJCCI is composed of three co-located conferences, each specialized in at least one of the aforementioned main knowledge areas. ECTA 2015 - 7th International Conference on Evolutionary Computation Theory and Applications PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS Agostinho Rosa, IST, Portugal Juan Julian Merelo, University of Granada, Spain CONFERENCE TOPICS * Genetic Algorithms * Machine Learning * Cognitive Systems * Artificial Life * Representation Techniques * Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization * Game Theory and Applications * Evolution Strategies * Evolutionary Robotics and Intelligent Agents * Society and Cultural Aspects of Evolution * Concurrent Co-operation * Co-evolution and Collective Behavior * Biocomputing and Complex Adaptive Systems * Bio-inspired Hardware and Networks * Swarm/Collective Intelligence * Evolutionary Art and Design * Hybrid Systems * Memetic Algorithms FCTA 2015 - 7th International Conference on Fuzzy Computation Theory and Applications PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS António Dourado, University of Coimbra, Portugal José M. Cadenas, University of Murcia, Spain CONFERENCE TOPICS * Fuzzy Hardware, Fuzzy Architectures * Soft Computing and Intelligent Agents * Mathematical Foundations: Fuzzy Set Theory and Fuzzy Logic * Approximate Reasoning and Fuzzy Inference * System Identification and Fault Detection * Fuzzy Information Retrieval and Data Mining * Fuzzy Information Processing, Fusion, Text Mining * Learning and Adaptive Fuzzy Systems * Complex Fuzzy Systems * Pattern Recognition: Fuzzy Clustering and Classifiers * Fuzzy Image, Speech and Signal Processing, Vision and Multimedia * Industrial, Financial and Medical Applications * Type-2 Fuzzy Logic * Neuro-fuzzy Systems * Fuzzy Systems Design, Modeling and Control * Real-time Learning of Fuzzy and Neuro-fuzzy Systems * Fuzzy Control * Fuzzy Systems in Robotics: Sensors, Navigation and Coordination * Software for Fuzzy Systems and Control NCTA 2015 - 7th International Conference on Neural Computation Theory and Applications PROGRAM CHAIR Kurosh Madani, University of Paris-EST Créteil (UPEC), France António Ruano, University of Algarve, Portugal CONFERENCE TOPICS * Pattern Recognition * Industrial, Financial and Medical Applications * Computational Neuroscience * Neural Network Software and Applications * Neuroinformatics and Bioinformatics * Learning Paradigms and Algorithms * Supervised and Unsupervised Learning * Adaptive Architectures and Mechanisms * Support Vector Machines and Applications * Complex Artificial Neural Network Based Systems and Dynamics * Higher Level Artificial Neural Network Based Intelligent Systems * Bio-inspired and Humanoid Robotics * Image Processing and Artificial Vision Applications * Intelligent Artificial Perception and Neural Sensors * Modular Implementation of Artificial Neural Networks * Neural based Data Mining and Complex Information Processing * Neural Multi-agent Intelligent Systems and Applications * Self-organization and Emergence * Stability and Instability in Artificial Neural Networks * Neural Network Hardware Implementation and Applications * Neural Computation issues in Social Behaviour Emergence PUBLICATIONS All accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings, under an ISBN reference, on paper and on CD-ROM support. SCITEPRESS is a member of CrossRef ( <http://www.crossref.org/> http://www.crossref.org/) and every paper is given a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). All papers presented at the conference venue will be available at the <http://www.scitepress.org/DigitalLibrary/Default.aspx> SCITEPRESS Digital Library . A short list of presented papers will be selected so that revised and extended versions of these papers will be published by Springer in a <http://www.springer.com/series/7092> SCI Series book. The proceedings will be submitted for indexation by Thomson Reuters Conference Proceedings Citation Index (ISI), INSPEC, DBLP, EI (Elsevier Index) and Scopus. AWARDS The awards will be announced and bestowed at the conference closing session. Please check the websites for further information: http://www.ecta.ijcci.org/BestPaperAward.aspx <http://www.fcta.ijcci.org/BestPaperAward.aspx> http://www.fcta.ijcci.org/BestPaperAward.aspx <http://www.ncta.ijcci.org/BestPaperAward.aspx> http://www.ncta.ijcci.org/BestPaperAward.aspx IJCCI KEYNOTE LECTURES <http://www.ijcci.org/KeynoteSpeakers.aspx#1> Julian Togelius, New York University, United States <http://www.ijcci.org/KeynoteSpeakers.aspx#2> Yaochu Jin, University of Surrey, United Kingdom <http://www.ijcci.org/KeynoteSpeakers.aspx#3> Anna Esparcia-Alcázar, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain <http://www.ijcci.org/KeynoteSpeakers.aspx#4> Edwin Lughofer, Johannes Kepler University, Austria IJCCI CONFERENCE CHAIR Joaquim Filipe, Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal / INSTICC, Portugal Please check further details at the conference website ( <http://www.ijcci.org/> http://www.ijcci.org/) IJCCI SECRETARIAT Address: Av. D. Manuel I, 27A, 2º esq. 2910-595 Setúbal - Portugal Tel.: +351 265 100 033 Fax: +44 203 014 8813 e-mail: ijcci.secretariat(a)insticc.org

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BCF/NWG Course "Analysis and Models in Neurophysiology" 2015 at the Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany
by Birgit Ahrens June 19, 2015

June 19, 2015

-- APPLICATION DEADLINE APPROACHING ON JUNE 30 -- BCF/NWG Course "Analysis and Models in Neurophysiology" Sunday, October 4 - Friday, October 9, 2015 Bernstein Center Freiburg, Hansastraße 9a, 79104 Freiburg, Germany Aim of the course: The course is intended to provide advanced Diploma/Masters and PhD students, as well as young researchers from the neurosciences with approaches for the analysis of electrophysiological data and the theoretical concepts behind them. The course includes various topics such as: - Neuron Models and Point Processes (Prof. Stefan Rotter) - Local field potentials (Prof. Ulrich Egert) - Neural Coding (Dr. Robert Schmidt) - Neural Decoding (Prof. Carsten Mehring) The course will consist of lectures in the morning and matching exercises using Matlab and Mathematica in the afternoon. The participants should have a basic understanding of scientific programming. This course is designated especially for advanced diploma/master students and PhD students (preferentially in their first year). Application: Please apply by sending one pdf document containing your CV and a meaningful letter of motivation to nwg-course(a)bcf.uni-freiburg.de. The letter of motivation should refer to the following points: - Reasons for wanting to take this course - Background in mathematics - Background in scientific programming - Experience in using Matlab and Mathematica - Background in neuroscience The course is limited to 20 participants. Course fees: NWG members - 50€, others - 125€ Application deadline: June 30, 2015 More information: http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/events/conferences-workshops/20151004-nwgcou… -- Dr. Birgit Ahrens Teaching & Training Coordinator Bernstein Center Freiburg University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9a D - 79104 Freiburg Germany Phone: +49 (0) 761 203-9575 Fax: +49 (0) 761 203-9559

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NEST, The Neural Simulation Tool, now available on GitHub
by Hans Ekkehard Plesser June 19, 2015

June 19, 2015

Dear Colleagues! Development of the widely used Neural Simulation Tool NEST for large-scale spiking neuronal network models has now moved to GitHub at https://github.com/nest/nest-simulator The code on GitHub is based on the code base for the coming NEST 2.6.1 bugfix release and is available under GNU Public License version 2 or later. By cloning NEST from our GitHub repository, you will have immediate access to all improvements in the NEST master repository. We would also like to encourage community development contributions to NEST. If you would like to contribute to NEST, you should fork NEST on GitHub and submit your contributions via pull requests. More information: - About the NEST Simulator: http://www.nest-simulator.org - About contributing to NEST: https://nest.github.io/nest-simulator/ - About the NEST Initiative: http://www.nest-initiative.org - User mailing list: http://mail.nest-initiative.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nest_user - Video about NEST: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0YEiren7D0 About NEST: NEST is a simulator for spiking neural network models that focuses on the dynamics, size and structure of neural systems rather than on the exact morphology of individual neurons. The development of NEST is coordinated by the NEST Initiative. NEST is ideal for networks of spiking neurons of any size, for example: • Models of information processing e.g. in the visual or auditory cortex of mammals, • Models of network activity dynamics, e.g. laminar cortical networks or balanced random networks, • Models of learning and plasticity. Best regards, Hans Ekkehard Plesser President, The NEST Initiative -- Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser, Associate Professor Section Head Dept. of Mathematical Sciences and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no Home http://arken.umb.no/~plesser

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Post-doc position at QMUL in 3D vision
by Miles Hansard June 18, 2015

June 18, 2015

Post-doc position at Queen Mary, University of London: Geometric Evaluation of Stereoscopic Video. A research assistant is sought for this EPSRC project, which will develop a new approach to the evaluation of 3D content, based on computational models of visual perception. Ideas from computer vision will be used to model the geometry of binocular viewing, including the role of eye-movements. A prototype computer vision system will be developed, for the automatic analysis of disparity statistics in stereoscopic video. The output of this system will be targeted at depth-grading and other post-production tasks. The project is in conjunction with a high-profile graphics and visual effects company. There will also be opportunities to work on stereoscopic VR HMD applications. Expertise in scientific programming, including C++ and Matlab, is essential (OpenCV, R, and GPU programming would be useful). Previous work in augmented reality, 3D reconstruction, or psychophysical methods would be an advantage. Please contact Miles Hansard at Queen Mary, University of London (http://www.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/~milesh/) for further information. All nationalities are eligible to apply. For details and procedure see: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ATW277/research-assistant/ -- http://www.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/~milesh/

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