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Last Mile, April 18 || DATA ANALYTICS 2014 || August 24 - 28, 2014 - Rome, Italy
by Cristina Pascual April 4, 2014

April 4, 2014

INVITATION: ================= Please consider to contribute to and/or forward to the appropriate groups the following opportunity to submit and publish original scientific results to DATA ANALYTICS 2014. The submission deadline is April 18, 2014. Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended article versions to one of the IARIA Journals: http://www.iariajournals.org ================= ============== DATA ANALYTICS 2014 | Call for Papers =============== CALL FOR PAPERS, TUTORIALS, PANELS DATA ANALYTICS 2014, The Third International Conference on Data Analytics August 24 - 28, 2014 - Rome, Italy General page: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/DATAANALYTICS14.html Call for Papers: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/CfPDATAANALYTICS14.html Submission page: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/SubmitDATAANALYTICS14.html Contributions: - regular papers - short papers (work in progress) - posters - ideas - presentations - demos - doctoral forum submissions Proposals for: - symposia - workshops Submission deadline: April 18, 2014 Sponsored by IARIA, www.iaria.org Extended versions of selected papers will be published in IARIA Journals: http://www.iariajournals.org Print proceedings will be available via Curran Associates, Inc.: http://www.proceedings.com/9769.html Articles will be archived in the free access ThinkMind Digital Library: http://www.thinkmind.org The topics suggested by the conference can be discussed in term of concepts, state of the art, research, standards, implementations, running experiments, applications, and industrial case studies. Authors are invited to submit complete unpublished papers, which are not under review in any other conference or journal in the following, but not limited to, topic areas. All tracks are open to both research and industry contributions, in terms of Regular papers, Posters, Work in progress, Technical/marketing/business presentations, Demos, Tutorials, and Panels. Before submission, please check and conform with the Editorial rules: http://www.iaria.org/editorialrules.html DATA ANALYTICS 2014 Topics (topics and submission details: see CfP on the site) Fundamentals for data analytics Tools, frameworks and mechanisms for data analytics; Open API for data analytics; In-database analytics; Pre-built analytics (pattern, time-series, clustering, graph, statistical analysis, etc.); Analytics visualization; Multi-modal support for data analytics; Google/FaceBook/Twitter/etc. analytics; High-performance data analytics Mechanisms and features Scalable data analytics; Big data analytics; Deep data analytics; Mass data analytics; Storing, dropping and filtering data; Relevant/redundant/obsolete data analytics; Volume vs. semantics analytics; Nomad analytics; Predictive analytics; Trust in data analytics; Legal issues analytics; Failure on data analytics Sentiment/opinion analysis Architectures for generic sentiment analysis systems; Sentiment analysis techniques on social media; Document-level analysis; Sentence-level analysis; Aspect-based analysis; Comparative-sentiment analysis; Sentiment lexicon acquisition; Optimizing sentiment analysis algorithms; Applications of sentiment analysis. Application-oriented analytics Statistical applications; Simulation applications; Crawling web services; Cross-database analytics; Forecast analytics; Financial risk management; ROI analytics Target analytics Business analytics; Malware analytics; Cyber-threats analytics; Mining user logs; Reputation analytics; User choice analytics; Branding analytics; Utility proximity-search analytics; Survey-based online asset analytics; Online employment analytics; Geology analytics; Global climate analytics; Remote learning analytics; Homecare analytics; Population growth and migration analytics; Food-borne illness outbreaks analytics Big Data Foundational models for Big Data; Big Data Analytics and Metrics; Big Data processing and management; Big Data search and mining; Big Data platforms; Big Data persistence and preservation; Big Data and social networks; Big Data economics Huge data Knowledge Discovery from Huge Data; Computational Intelligence for Huge Data; Linked Huge Data; Security Intelligence with Huge Data -------------------- Committee: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/ComDATAANALYTICS14.html DATA ANALYTICS Advisory Chairs Fritz Laux, Reutlingen University, Germany Lina Yao, The University of Adelaide, Australia Eiko Yoneki, University of Cambridge, UK Takuya Yoshihiro, Wakayama University, Japan Felix Heine, University of Applied Sciences & Arts Hannover, Germany Dominik Slezak, University of Warsaw & Infobright Inc., Poland Panos M. Pardalos, University of Florida, USA Michele Melchiori, Universit� degli Studi di Brescia, Italy Rudolf Berrendorf, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University, Germany Kerstin Lemke-Rust, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Germany Sergio Ilarri, University of Zaragoza, Spain Les Sztandera, Philadelphia University, USA Prabhat Mahanti, University of New Brunswick, Canada Dominique Laurent, University of Cergy Pontoise, France Ryan G. Benton, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA Erik Buchmann, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Stratos Idreos, Harvard University, USA Andrew Rau-Chaplin, Dalhousie University, Canada Takuya Yoshihiro, Wakayama University, Japan DATA ANALYTICS Industry/Research Liaison Chairs Qiming Chen, HP Labs - Palo Alto, USA Alain Crolotte, Teradata Corporation - El Segundo, USA Tiziana Guzzo, National Research Council/Institute of Research on Population and Social Policies - Rome, Italy Shlomo Geva, Queensland University of Technology - Brisbane, Australia Farhana Kabir, Intel, USA Prabhanjan Kambadur, IBM TJ Watson Research Center, USA Serge Mankovski, CA Technologies, Spain Sumit Negi, IBM Research, India Vedran Sabol, Know-Center - Graz, Austria George Tambouratzis, Institute for Language and Speech Processing - Athena Research Centre, Greece Yanchang Zhao, RDataMining.com, Australia Masahiro Terabe, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc., Japan Marina Santini, Santa Anna IT Research Institute AB, Sweden Mario Zechner, Know-Center, Austria DATA ANALYTICS Publicity Chairs Johannes Leveling, Dublin City University, Ireland Tim Weninger, University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, USA Roberto Zicari, Johann Wolfgang Goethe - University of Frankfurt, Germany Shandian Zhe, Purdue University, USA Michael Schaidnagel, Reutlingen University, Germany ================================================

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Open position in Theoretical Neuroscience
by David Rotermund April 4, 2014

April 4, 2014

The Computational Neuroscience group of Klaus Pawelzik ( http://www.neuro.uni-bremen.de ) invites applications for an open Ph.D. student position in the project 'I-See The artificial eye: Chronic wireless interface to the visual cortex' (http://www.isee.uni-bremen.de for details about the project) In this project we investigate the possibilities and foundations of injecting visual information into the visual cortex via electrical stimulation for neuro - prosthetic purposes. We are looking for a PhD student with a background in physics and/or computational neuroscience. She/he will work in close cooperation with experimentalists in the group of Andreas Kreiter (www.brain.uni-bremen.de) The student will analyse electro-physiological data with the goal to identify the underlying network structure/model which generates a specific neural response and visual percept to a particular electrical stimulation. She/he will then invert this model in order to determine the spatio-temporal stimulation pattern required for creating a desired visual percept. Basic knowledge in programming and in formal methods/Computational Neuroscience are required. Interested candidates should send their application in German or English language, a letter of motivation, CV, copies of school and university certificates (master/diploma or equivalent) until the 17th of April to: Agnes Janßen Cognium Hochschulring 18 Universität Bremen D-28359 Bremen Germany The documents can be sent in via eMail ( ajanssen(a)neuro.uni-bremen.de ) or in paper form. Severely disabled applicants and women with essentially identical technical and personal suitability will be preferentially selected.

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IWSYP'14: I International Workshop on Synaptic Plasticity, Brazil (call for abstracts)
by Thiago Matos Pinto April 4, 2014

April 4, 2014

*I International Workshop on Synaptic Plasticity - IWSYP'14* * September 8-9, 2014* *Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil* http://iwsyp14.thiagomatospinto.com University of São Paulo The I International Workshop on Synaptic Plasticity - IWSYP'14 will bring together *experimentalists and theoreticians* who have contributed significantly to understanding the biological mechanisms underlying *synaptic plasticity*. The aim of this workshop is to facilitate discussions and interactions in the effort towards increasing our understanding on synaptic plasticity in the brain. The IWSYP'14 will take place in the campus of *Ribeirão Preto* at the University of São Paulo in *Brazil* on September 8 and 9, 2014. You are welcome to join this workshop that focuses on the discussion of fresh ideas, the presentation of work in progress, and the establishment of a scientific network between young researchers. The workshop will be held in English. Participation is *free of charge*! This workshop is a satellite event of the XXXVIII Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society for Neuroscience and Behavior (SBNeC), which will be held on September 10-13 in Búzios, Rio de Janeiro. The SBNeC meeting will also feature big names in Neuroscience, and will be a preparatory event for the 9th World Congress of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), which will take place in Rio de Janeiro in 2015. Organizers: *Thiago Matos Pinto *(University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil) *Antonio Roque *(University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil) Speakers: *Chris De Zeeuw* (Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands & Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) *Freek Hoebeek* (Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) *Reinoud Maex* (École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France) *Ricardo Leão *(University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil) *Thiago Matos Pinto *(University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil) Abstracts: *Submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations are due by May 16, 2014*. We welcome both experimental and theoretical contributions addressing novel findings on topics related to synaptic plasticity. Please see http://iwsyp14.thiagomatospinto.com/abstracts for details. Important dates: *Abstract submission deadline: May 16, 2014* Notification of acceptance: June 13, 2014 Notification of oral/poster selection: June 30, 2014 Workshop dates: September 8-9, 2014 Please visit the IWSYP'14 website for program and further details: http://iwsyp14.thiagomatospinto.com We look forward to seeing you in Ribeirão Preto. With best wishes, Thiago Matos Pinto, IWSYP'14 Organizer

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1 PostDoc + 2 PhD positions in Computational Cognitive NeuroImaging
by Uta Noppeney April 4, 2014

April 4, 2014

*2 PhD and 1 PostDoc positions in Computational Cognitive Neuroimaging; University of Birmingham, UK* In our natural dynamic environment the senses are constantly bombarded with many different signals. How does the human brain integrate information from multiple senses during perception? To study the neural mechanisms of multisensory integration and learning, we combine psychophysics, functional imaging (fMRI, EEG/MEG & interleaved TMS-fMRI) and models of Bayesian Inference and learning. The Computational Cognitive Neuroimaging Group (Prof Uta Noppeney) is seeking 1 enthusiastic PostDoc and 2 PhD candidates. Applicants should have astrong quantitative background and a degree in neuroscience, psychology, computer science, physics, medicine or related areas. Prior experience in functional imaging, MatLab, data analysis and/or machine learning would be an advantage. The lab is part of the Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics Centre and the Department of Psychology of the University of Birmingham, UK. The centre provides an excellent multidisciplinary and collaborative research environment combining expertise in cognitive neuroimaging, psychophysics and computational neuroscience. The psychology department was rated 3rd in the UK research assessment exercise. Applications will be considered until the positions are filled. Starting dates are flexible. For further information, please contact u.noppeney(a)bham.ac.uk <mailto:u.noppeney@bham.ac.uk> and see http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/cncr/index.aspx <http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/index.aspx> http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/index.aspx <http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/people/profile.aspx?Referenc…> http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/people/profile.aspx?Referenc… <mailto:u.noppeney@bham.ac.uk> For application to the PostDoc positions, please send applications to http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AIM528/research-fellow/ For application to the PhD positions, please send application including CV, statement of research interests, and the names and full contact details of two referees to:u.noppeney@bham.ac.uk <mailto:u.noppeney@bham.ac.uk> <http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AIM528/research-fellow/>

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Last Mile, April 18 || ADVCOMP 2014 || August 24 - 28, 2014 - Rome, Italy
by Cristina Pascual April 3, 2014

April 3, 2014

INVITATION: ================= Please consider to contribute to and/or forward to the appropriate groups the following opportunity to submit and publish original scientific results to ADVCOMP 2014. The submission deadline is April 18, 2014. Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended article versions to one of the IARIA Journals: http://www.iariajournals.org ================= ============== ADVCOMP 2014 | Call for Papers =============== CALL FOR PAPERS, TUTORIALS, PANELS ADVCOMP 2014, The Eighth International Conference on Advanced Engineering Computing and Applications in Sciences August 24 - 28, 2014 - Rome, Italy Submission page: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/SubmitADVCOMP14.html General page: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/ADVCOMP14.html Call for Papers: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/CfPADVCOMP14.html Contributions: - regular papers - short papers (work in progress) - posters - ideas - presentations - demos - doctoral forum submissions Proposals for: - symposia - workshops Submission deadline: April 18, 2014 Sponsored by IARIA, www.iaria.org Extended versions of selected papers will be published in IARIA Journals: http://www.iariajournals.org Print proceedings will be available via Curran Associates, Inc.: http://www.proceedings.com/9769.html Articles will be archived in the free access ThinkMind Digital Library: http://www.thinkmind.org The topics suggested by the conference can be discussed in term of concepts, state of the art, research, standards, implementations, running experiments, applications, and industrial case studies. Authors are invited to submit complete unpublished papers, which are not under review in any other conference or journal in the following, but not limited to, topic areas. All tracks are open to both research and industry contributions, in terms of Regular papers, Posters, Work in progress, Technical/marketing/business presentations, Demos, Tutorials, and Panels. Before submission, please check and conform with the Editorial rules: http://www.iaria.org/editorialrules.html ADVCOMP 2014 Topics (topics and submission details: see CfP on the site) Advances on computing theories Finite-state machines; Petri nets /stochastic/colored/probabilistic/etc; Genetic algorithms; Machine learning theory; Prediction theory; Bayesian theory /statistics/filtering/estimation/reasoning/rating/etc; Markov chains/process/model/etc; Graphs theories Advances in computation methods Hybrid computational methods; Advanced numerical algorithms; Differential calculus; Matrix perturbation theory; Rare matrices; Fractals & super-fractal algorithms; Random graph dynamics; Multi-dimensional harmonic estimation Computational logics Knowledge-based systems and automated reasoning; Logical issues in knowledge representation /non-monotonic reasoning/belief; Specification and verification of programs and systems; Applications of logic in hardware and VLSI; Natural language, concurrent computation, planning; Deduction and reasoning; Logic of computation; Dempster-Shafer theory; Fuzzy theory/computation/logic/etc Advances on computing mechanisms Clustering large and high dimensional data; Data fusion and aggregation; Biological sequence analysis; Biomecatronics mechanisms; Biologically inspired mechanisms; System theory and control mechanisms; Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms; Constraint-based algorithms; Ontology-based reasoning; Topology and structure patterns; Geometrical pattern similarity; Strong and weak symmetry; Distortion in coordination mechanisms Computing techniques Distributed computing; Parallel computing; Grid computing; Autonomic computing; Cloud computing; Development of numerical and scientific software-based systems; Pattern-based computing; Finite-element method computation; Elastic models; Optimization techniques; Simulation techniques; Stream-based computing Resource intensive applications and services (RIAS) Fundamentals on RIAS; Basic algorithms for RIAS; Communications intensive; Process intensive; Data-intensive computing; Operational intensive; Cloud-computing intensiveness; User intensive; Technology intensive; Control intensive; Complex RIAS; Bioinformatics computation; Large scale ehealth systems; Pharmaceutical/drug computation; Weather forecast computation; Earthquake simulations; Geo-spatial simulations; Spatial programs; Real-time manufacturing systems; Transportation systems; Avionic systems; Economic/financial systems; Electric-power systems Computational geometry Theoretical computational geometry; Applied computational geometry; Design and analysis of geometric algorithms; Design and analysis of geometric algorithms and data structures; Discrete and combinatorial geometry and topology; Data structures (Voronoi Diagrams, Delaunay triangulations, etc.); Experimental evaluation of geometric algorithms and heuristics; Numerical performance of geometric algorithms; Geometric computations in parallel and distributed environments; Geometric data structures for mesh generation; Geometric methods in computer graphics; Solid modeling; Space Partitioning; Special applications (animation of geometric algorithms, manufacturing, computer graphics and image processing, computer-aided geometry design, solid geometry) Interdisciplinary computing Computational /physics, chemistry, biology/ algorithms; Graph-based modeling and algorithms; Computational methods for /crystal, protein/ structure prediction; Computation for multi-material structure; Modeling and simulation of large deformations and strong shock waves; Computation in solid mechanics; Remote geo-sensing; Interdisciplinary computing in music and arts Cloud computing Hardware-as-a-service; Software-as-a-service [SaaS applicaitions]; Platform-as-service; On-demand computing models; Cloud Computing programming and application development; Scalability, discovery of services and data in Cloud computing infrastructures; Privacy, security, ownership and reliability issues; Performance and QoS; Dynamic resource provisioning; Power-efficiency and Cloud computing; Load balancing; Application streaming; Cloud SLAs, business models and pricing policies; Custom platforms; Large-scale compute infrastructures; Managing applications in the clouds; Data centers; Process in the clouds; Content and service distribution in Cloud computing infrastructures; Multiple applications can run on one computer (virtualization a la VMWare); Grid computing (multiple computers can be used to run one application); Cloud-computing vendor governance and regulatory compliance Grid Networks, Services and Applications GRID theory, frameworks, methodologies, architecture, ontology; GRID infrastructure and technologies; GRID middleware; GRID protocols and networking; GRID computing, utility computing, autonomic computing, metacomputing; Programmable GRID; Data GRID; Context ontology and management in GRIDs; Distributed decisions in GRID networks; GRID services and applications; Virtualization, modeling, and metadata in GRID; Resource management, scheduling, and scalability in GRID; GRID monitoring, control, and management; Traffic and load balancing in GRID; User profiles and priorities in GRID; Performance and security in GRID systems; Fault tolerance, resilience, survivability, robustness in GRID; QoS/SLA in GRID networks; GRID fora, standards, development, evolution; GRID case studies, validation testbeds, prototypes, and lessons learned Computing in Virtualization-based environments Principles of virtualization; Virtualization platforms; Thick and thin clients; Data centers and nano-centers; Open virtualization format; Orchestration of virtualization across data centers; Dynamic federation of compute capacity; Dynamic geo-balancing; Instant workload migration; Virtualization-aware storage; Virtualization-aware networking; Virtualization embedded-software-based smart mobile phones; Trusted platforms and embedded supervisors for security; Virtualization management operations /discovery, configuration, provisioning, performance, etc.; Energy optimization and saving for green datacenters; Virtualization supporting cloud computing; Applications as pre-packaged virtual machines; Licencing and support policies Development of computing support Computing platforms; Advanced scientific computing; Support for scientific problem-solving; Support for distributed decisions; Agent-assisted workflow support; Middleware computation support; High performance computing; Problem solving environments; Computational science and education; Neuronal networks Computing applications in science Advanced computing in civil engineering; Advanced computing in physics science; Advanced computing in chemistry science; Advanced computing in mathematics; Advanced computing in operation research; Advanced computing in economics; Advanced computing in electronics and electrical science; Advanced computing on Earth science, geosciences and meteorology Complex computing in application domains Computation genomic; Management of scientific data and knowledge; Advanced computing in bioinformatics and biophysics; Advanced computing in molecular systems and biological systems; Application of engineering methods to genetics; Medical computation and graphics; Advanced computing in simulation systems; Advanced computing for statistics and optimization; Advanced computing in mechanics and quantum mechanics; Advanced computing for geosciences and meteorology; Maps and geo-images building; Curve and surface reconstruction; Financial computing and forecasting; Advanced computing in robotics and manufacturing; Advanced computing in power systems; Environmental advanced computing --------------------------------- Committee: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/ComADVCOMP14.html ADVCOMP Advisory Chairs Chih-Cheng Hung, Southern Polytechnic State University, USA Juha R�ning, Oulu University, Finland Sigeru Omatu, Osaka Institute of Technology, Japan Erich Schweighofer, University of Vienna, Austria Paul Humphreys, University of Ulster, UK Danny Krizanc, Wesleyan University, USA Ivan Rodero, Rutgers University - Piscataway, USA Ali Shawkat, CQ University of Australia - North Rockhampton, Australia George Spanoudakis, City University London, UK Vladimir Vlassov, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden Jerry Trahan, Louisiana State University, USA Dean Vucinic, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium Rudolf Berrendorf, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University, Germany Wenbing Zhao, Cleveland State University, USA Camelia Mu�oz-Caro, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain Laurent R�veill�re, Bordeaux Institute of Technology, France Ewa Grabska, Jagiellonian University - Krakow, Poland ADVCOMP Industry/Research Chairs Jorge Ejarque Artigas, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Spain Helmut Reiser, Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ)-Garching, Germany H. Metin Aktulga, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, USA Sameh Elnikety, Microsoft Research, USA Umar Farooq, Amazon.com - Seattle, USA Dmitry Fedosov, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Germany Alice Koniges, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory/NERSC, USA Markus Kunde, German Aerospace Center & Helmholtz Association - Cologne, Germany Peter M�ller, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory- R�schlikon, Switzerland Simon Tsang, Applied Communication Sciences - Piscataway, USA Anna Schwanengel, Siemens AG, Germany Christoph Fuenfzig, Fraunhofer ITWM, Germany ADVCOMP Publicity Chairs Marie Lluberes, University of Puerto Rico at Mayag�ez, USA Sascha Opletal, University of Stuttgart, Germany �lvaro Navas, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain Iwona Ryszka, Jagiellonian University - Krakow, Poland ================================================

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Research Fellow position University of Leeds/HBP
by Marc de Kamps April 3, 2014

April 3, 2014

A postdoctoral Research Fellow position is available for immediate start at the University of Leeds, UK. The position is funded as part of the Human Brain Project. This project focuses on modelling of neural populations using population density techniques. Population density methods are a powerful statistical methods that capture and evolve dynamics at the population level directly, rather than through a large number of neuron point model instances. More details about this research can be found in recent publications (see below). In this project, you will investigate the theoretical foundations of population density techniques, and apply them in the creation of efficient numerical algorithms. The resulting software should be usable by non-experts in large-scale network models. We are looking for outstanding candidates with a PhD in Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science or related disciplines. They are expected to have good mathematical analytic skills, as well as substantial experience in scientific computation in languages such as C/C++ or Fortran. A background in computational neuroscience is highly desirable. An interest in other activities in the Human Brain project is expected, and the application of the techniques in large-scale network models is actively encouraged. You will be expected to interact with other researchers at the European Institute of Theoretical Neuroscience in Paris through regular visits. You will be based in the School of Computing at the University of Leeds. The School has as research themes 'Applied Computing in Biology, Medicine and Health' as well as 'Computational Science and Engineering'. Informal enquiries about this position can be made directly to Marc de Kamps (m.dekamps(a)leeds.ac.uk) The complete advert and application instructions can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/oxzfqho The closing date for applications is 30 April 2014. Relevant publications: http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/089976603322297322 http://arxiv.org/abs/1309.1654) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neunet.2008.07.006 Dr Marc de Kamps Institute of Aritificial Intelligence and Biological Systems School of Computing University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

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Article on data sharing/analysis of multielectrode array
by Stephen Eglen April 3, 2014

April 3, 2014

I'd like to highlight the following article from our group that I hope will be of use to the community. Code and data are available via the project site: http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/sje30/waverepo Best wishes, Stephen ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Eglen SJ, Weeks M, Jessop M, Simonotto J, Jackson T, Sernagor E (2014) A data repository and analysis framework for spontaneous neural activity recordings in developing retina. Gigascience 3:3. Paper: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2047-217X-3-3 Background During early development, neural circuits fire spontaneously, generating activity episodes with complex spatiotemporal patterns. Recordings of spontaneous activity have been made in many parts of the nervous system over the last 25 years, reporting developmental changes in activity patterns and the effects of various genetic perturbations. Results We present a curated repository of multielectrode array recordings of spontaneous activity in developing mouse and ferret retina. The data have been annotated with minimal metadata and converted into HDF5. This paper describes the structure of the data, along with examples of reproducible research using these data files. We also demonstrate how these data can be analysed in the CARMEN workflow system. This article is written as a literate programming document; all programs and data described here are freely available. Conclusions 1. We hope this repository will lead to novel analysis of spontaneous activity recorded in different laboratories. 2. We encourage published data to be added to the repository. 3. This repository serves as an example of how multielectrode array recordings can be stored for long-term reuse. Keywords: Retinal waves; Spontaneous activity; Electrophysiology; HDF5; Multielectrode arrays

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DENDRITES 2014, July 1-4, Crete: LAST CALL & LOWER REGISTRATION
by Yiota Poirazi April 3, 2014

April 3, 2014

Apologies for cross-posting! Please distribute to interested parties. many thanks! Yiota Poirazi ------------------------------------------------------- DENDRITES 2014 4^th NAMASEN Training Workshop Heraklion, Crete, Greece. July 1-4, 2014 http://dendrites2014.gr/ info(a)dendrites2014.gr <mailto:info@dendrites2014.gr> * * * * * FINAL DEADLINE EXTENSION* * * * * Abstract submission for poster and oral presentation has been extended to *April 14th, 2014. This is the final submission date.* * * * * * *REGISTRATION WAIVERS FOR STUDENTS/POSTDOCS** * * * * Several registration waivers are still available!! Waivers are provided by IBRO PERC funding for Symposia, Workshops & Meetings. Students and postdocs presenting an abstract are eligible. To request a waiver, please send an email to info(a)dendrites2014.org <mailto:info@dendrites2014.org>including information about your submitted abstract. Travel funds might also become available and will be announced on the web site. * * * * **LOWER REGISTRATION FEES if registering by April 30th, 2014** * * * * We are happy to announce that, given the availability of new sponsorships, we can provide lower registration fees (-40 Euro) for attendants registering by April 30th, 2014. People who registered already will get reimbursed. * * * * * EMBO KEYNOTE LECTURE* * * * * We are happy to announce that Prof. Tonegawa's lecture will be supported by EMBO, as the "EMBO Keynote Lecture". This award, given to EMBO members presenting in major international scientific meeting, highlights the international standing of DENDRITES 2014. ---------------------------------------- Dendrites 2014 aims to bring together scientists from around the world to present their research on dendrites, ranging from the molecular to the anatomical and biophysical levels. The Workshop will take place in the beautiful island of Crete, just after the AREADNE meeting (areadne.org) which takes place in the nearby island of Santorini. Note that Santorini is just a 2 hour boat ride from Crete. One could combine two meetings in a single trip to Greece! FORMAT AND SPEAKERS The meeting consists of the Main Event (July 1-3) and the Soft Skills Day (July 4). Invited speakers for the Main Event include: * Susumu Tonegawa (Nobel Laureate), * Angus Silver, * Tiago Branco, * Alcino J. Silva, * Michael Häusser, * Julietta U. Frey, * Stefan Remy, and * Kristen Harris. For the Soft Skills Day, Kerri Smith, Nature podcast editor, is going to present on communication and dissemination of scientific results. Alcino J. Silva (UCLA) will present his recent work on developing tools for integrating and planning research in Neuroscience. There will be a hands on session on tools used to model neural cells/networks and a talk about the advantages of publishing under the Creative Commons License. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations are due by *14 April 2014*. We welcome both experimental and theoretical contributions addressing novel findings related to dendrites. For details, please see http://dendrites2014.gr/call/. Electronic abstract submission is hosted on the Frontiers platform, where extended abstracts will be published as an online, open access special issue (in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, Impact factor 4.5). One of the authors has to register for the main event as a presenting author. In case an abstract is not accepted for presentation, the registration fee will be refunded. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Please see the conference web site (http://dendrites2014.gr/) subscribe to our twitter (https://twitter.com/dendrites2014) or RSS feeds (http://dendrites2014.gr/rss_feed/news.xml) or send an email to info(a)dendrites2014.org <mailto:info@dendrites2014.org>. -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385 GR 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail:poirazi@imbb.forth.gr http://www.dendrites.gr

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models of structural plasticity
by Ooijen, A. van April 3, 2014

April 3, 2014

Dear colleagues, We would like to draw your attention to a series of recent papers dedicated to models of structural plasticity. Developing as well as mature brains are much less hard-wired than traditionally thought. Formation of new connections and breaking of existing connections (structural plasticity) by dendritic spine and axonal bouton turnover, as well as re-routing of axonal branches, can cause a dramatic rewiring of brain connectivity, which so far has largely been disregarded in neuronal network models. The following papers describe novel models of structural plasticity: Homeostatic structural plasticity increases the efficiency of small-world networks Markus Butz, Ines D. Steenbuck and Arjen van Ooyen Front. Synaptic Neurosci., 01 April 2014. DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00007 (Open access) http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00007/abstract A simple rule for dendritic spine and axonal bouton formation can account for cortical reorganization after focal retinal lesions Markus Butz and Arjen van Ooyen PloS Computational Biology, 10 October 2013. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003259 (Open access) http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.100… Further reading: Van Ooyen, A. (2011). Using theoretical models to analyse neural development. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 12: 311-326. Butz, M., Worgotter, F., and Van Ooyen, A. (2009). Activity-dependent structural plasticity. Brain Research Reviews 60: 287-305. Kind regards, Markus Butz Arjen van Ooyen

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Bernstein Workshop "Characterizing Natural Scenes": Call for Abstracts/Contributed Talks
by Jian Liu April 2, 2014

April 2, 2014

Bernstein workshop: Characterizing Natural Scenes: Retinal Coding and Statistical Theory Call for Abstracts/Contributed Talks You are invited to participate in the pre-conference Bernstein workshop "Characterizing Natural Scenes: Retinal Coding and Statistical Theory", taking place in in Göttingen, Germany, on September 2-3, 2014. Please find the preliminary schedule on workshop URL: https://sites.google.com/site/jiankliu/Meetings/2014bccn_workshop The workshop chairs will select a couple of abstracts for short oral presentation at the workshop. All the abstracts will be presented as posters during the Bernstein conference on September 3-4. However, the workshop could hold a separate poster session based on the number and quality of abstracts that we receive. To participate in the workshop please submit the abstract (the extended version is preferred) as a PDF attachment via email to Jian Liu ( jian.liu(a)med.uni-goettingen.de) or Arno Onken (arno.onken(a)iit.it) The deadline for submission is August 1. REGISTRATION: Please refer to the Bernstein Conference 2014 for registration and venue information. http://www.bernstein-conference.de/ WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: How does the retina process natural visual inputs? What role do the many types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) play in this? Experiments with specific artificial stimuli have suggested that individual types of RGCs may have specific functional roles in visual processing, yet it is not clear how these simplified functional investigations relate to the processing of natural images and movies. An important ingredient for future analysis will be a better understanding of the complex statistical properties of natural scenes, as revealed by theoreticians. The relationship between natural visual statistics and retinal coding provides a promising direction for improving our understanding of the visual system. But we still lack a systematic framework for understanding the underlying mechanisms of how relevant features of natural scenes are encoded by the retina. In this workshop, we expect mutual benefits for both natural scene statistics and retinal coding. We will bring together experimentalists and theoreticians in order to highlight recent progress, encourage exchange of insights, and stimulate new ideas for future work with the following core questions: 1) How can we develop useful descriptions of the statistics of natural scenes that are relevant for retinal coding? 2) How can we characterize the functional roles of different RGC types in processing natural scenes? 3) Which coding strategies are present at the level of RGC populations? 4) How can we unify the acquired knowledge of natural scenes and neural data to develop better tools for analysis? CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: * Vijay Balasubramanian (University of Pennsylvania) * Philipp Berens (BCCN, Tübingen) * Thomas Euler (University of Tübingen) * Felix Franke (ETH Zurich) * Olivier Marre (Vision Institute, Paris) * Aman Saleem (University College London) * Maneesh Sahani (University College London) * Rava A. da Silveira (ENS, Paris) We are looking forward to seeing you in Göttingen. Workshop organizers: Jian Liu (University Medical Center Göttingen and BCCN Göttingen) Arno Onken (Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Rovereto) ************************************************************************** Jian K. Liu, Ph.D. Mathematics Department of Ophthalmology University Medical Center Goettingen Waldweg 33, 37073 Goettingen Phone: +49 (0)551 39-91248 Fax: +49 (0)551 39-13541 email: jian.liu(a)med.uni-goettingen.de Webpage: https://sites.google.com/site/jiankliu **************************************************************************

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