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CFP 7th International Joint Conference on Computational Intelligence - IJCCI 2015
by Calendar Sites 10 Mar '15

10 Mar '15

CALL FOR PAPERS 7th International Joint Conference on Computational Intelligence IJCCI 2015 Website: http://www.ijcci.org/ November 12 14, 2015 Lisbon, Portugal Regular Papers Paper Submission: June 2, 2015 Authors Notification: September 1, 2015 Camera Ready and Registration: September 30, 2015 <http://www.ic3k.org/Glossary.aspx#PP> Position Papers Paper Submission: July 14, 2015 Authors Notification: September 16, 2015 Camera Ready and Registration: September 30, 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 Logistics Partner: SCITEVENTS Science and Technology Events In Cooperation with: AI*IA Associazione Italiana per l'Intelligenza Artificiale INNS International Neural Network Society AAAI Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence EUSFLAT European Society for Fuzzy Logic and Technology APPIA Associação Portuguesa Para a Inteligência Artificial 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 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 IJCCI KEYNOTE LECTURES Julian Togelius, New York University, United States Yaochu Jin, University of Surrey, United Kingdom PUBLICATIONS All accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings, under an ISBN reference, on paper and on CD-ROM support. SCITEPRESS is member of CrossRef ( <http://www.crossref.org/> http://www.crossref.org/) All papers presented at the conference venue will be available at the <http://www.scitepress.org/DigitalLibrary/Default.aspx> SCITEPRESS Digital Library. 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. 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 --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. http://www.avast.com

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CoSMo 2015 - application deadline approaching fast
by Gunnar Blohm 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

Just a quick reminder that the application deadline for the summer school on Computational Sensory-Motor Neuroscience (CoSMo 2015) is approaching fast: March 15, 2015!!! http://www.compneurosci.com/CoSMo/ Best Gunnar Blohm, Konrad Körding, Paul Schrater -- ------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Gunnar BLOHM Associate Professor in Computational Neuroscience Association for Canadian Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience (CNCN) Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics, and Psychology, School of Computing, and Canadian Action and Perception Network (CAPnet) Queen’s University 18, Stuart Street Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6 Tel: (613) 533-3385 Fax: (613) 533-6840 Email: Gunnar.Blohm(a)QueensU.ca Web: http://www.compneurosci.com/

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OCCAM 2015 Deadline Extension
by Frank Jäkel 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

Dear Colleague, we would like to invite you to register for the 5th +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Osnabrueck Computational Cognition Alliance Meeting (OCCAM 2015) "From Simple Neurons to Large-Scale Models of Cognition" May 6-7, 2015. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ List of invited speakers: Nicolas Brunel Jochen Braun Gustavo Deco Wolfgang Einhäuser Virginia Flanagin Sonja Grün Marc-Oliver Gewaltig Herbert Jaeger Gordon Pipa Terry Stewart Paul Verschure Kai Vogeley The workshop will take place in Osnabrueck, Germany, and will be hosted by the Institute of Cognitive Science (University of Osnabrueck). Details can be found below and on the following webpage: http://www.occam-os.de The registration deadline has been extended to March 16, 2015. The registration fee is 100,- Euros. There will also be a poster session where conference participants will have the opportunity to present their work. The deadline for submitting an abstract for a poster presentation is also March 16. Best regards, Frank Jäkel, Peter König, Gordon Pipa (Organizing committee)

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ICDL-EpiRob 2015 CFP - deadline extended
by Benjamin Rosman 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

======================================================== NOTE: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 23 MARCH. Call for Papers, Tutorials and Thematic Workshops New Conference Feature: BABYBOT CHALLENGE IEEE ICDL-EPIROB 2015 The Fifth Joint IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning and on Epigenetic Robotics Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA August 13-16, 2015 http://www.icdl-epirob.org/ == Conference description The past decade has seen the emergence of a new scientific field that studies how intelligent biological and artificial systems develop sensorimotor, cognitive, emotional and social abilities, over extended periods of time, through dynamic interactions with their physical and social environments. This field lies at the intersection of a number of scientific and engineering disciplines including Neuroscience, Developmental Psychology, Developmental Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Computational Neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Robotics. Various terms have been associated with this new field such as Autonomous Mental Development, Epigenetic Robotics, Developmental Robotics, etc., and several scientific meetings have been established. The two most prominent conference series of this field, the International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL) and the International Conference on Epigenetic Robotics (EpiRob), are now joining forces for the fifth time and invite submissions for a joint conference in 2015, to explore and extend the interdisciplinary boundaries of this field. == BABYBOT CHALLENGE -- CASH PRIZES FOR THE TOP SUBMISSIONS We are excited to announce a new ICDL-EpiRob conference feature: the BABYBOT CHALLENGE. The goal of the challenge is to use the tools of developmental robotics to replicate and extend the key findings from one of three selected human-infant studies. Please visit www.icdl-epirob.org for the full announcement, including the three target studies, details on the submission process, and a description of how the winning submissions will be judged and selected. == Keynote speakers (confirmed) Prof. Dare Baldwin, Dept. of Psychology, University of Oregon, USA Prof. Kerstin Dautenhahn, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK Prof. Asif Ghazanfar, Department of Psychology, Princeton University, USA == Call for Submissions We invite submissions for this exciting window into the future of developmental sciences. Submissions which establish novel links between brain, behavior and computation are particularly encouraged. == Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): * the development of perceptual, motor, cognitive, emotional, social, and communication skills in biological systems and robots; * embodiment; * general principles of development and learning; * interaction of nature and nurture; * sensitive/critical periods; * developmental stages; * grounding of knowledge and development of representations; * architectures for cognitive development and open-ended learning; * neural plasticity; * statistical learning; * reward and value systems; * intrinsic motivations, exploration and play; * interaction of development and evolution; * use of robots in applied settings such as autism therapy; * epistemological foundations and philosophical issues. Any of the topics above can be simultaneously studied from the neuroscience, psychology or modeling/robotic point of view. == Submissions will be accepted in several formats: 1. Full six-page paper submissions: Accepted papers will be included in the conference proceedings and will be selected for either an oral presentation or a featured poster presentation. Featured posters will have a 1 minute "teaser" presentation as part of the main conference session and will be showcased in the poster sessions. Maximum two-extra pages can be acceptable for a publication fee of $100 per page. 2. Two-page poster abstract submissions: To encourage discussion of late-breaking results or for work that is not sufficiently mature for a full paper, we will accept 2-page abstracts. These submissions will NOT be included in the conference proceedings. Accepted abstracts will be presented during poster sessions. 3. Tutorials and workshops: We invite experts in different areas to organize either a tutorial or a workshop to be held on the first day of the conference. Tutorials are meant to provide insights into specific topics as well as overviews that will inform the interdisciplinary audience about the state-of-the-art in child development, neuroscience, robotics, or any of the other disciplines represented at the conference. A workshop is an opportunity to present a topic cumulatively. Workshops can be half- or full-day in duration including oral presentations as well as posters. Submission format: two pages including title, list of speakers, concept and target audience. 4. Babybot challenge (Deadline June 15, 2015): Special submissions are invited for the Babybot challenge, which is for the first time introduced to this conference. For detailed information please visit www.icdl-epirob.org and navigate to “Babybot Challenge.” All submissions will be peer reviewed. Submission website through paperplaza at: http://ras.papercept.net == Important dates March 23, 2015, paper submission deadline May 15, 2015, author notification July 1, 2015, final version (camera ready) due August 13th-16th, 2015, conference == Program committee General Chairs: Matthew Schlesinger (Southern Illinois Univ.) Dima Amso (Brown University) Bridge Chairs: Jeffrey Krichmar (UC Irvine) Bertram Malle (Brown University) Program Chairs: Anne Warlaumont (UC Merced) Clemént Moulin-Frier (INRIA) Publications Chairs: Lisa Meeden (Swarthmore College) Publicity Chairs: Lola Cañamero (Univ. of Hertfordshire) Matthias Rolf (Osaka University) Benjamin Rosman (CSIR) Local chairs: David Sobel (Brown University) Thomas Serre (Brown University) Finance chairs: Clayton Morrison (University of Arizona) -- This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright terms and conditions, e-mail legal notice, and implemented Open Document Format (ODF) standard. The full disclaimer details can be found at http://www.csir.co.za/disclaimer.html. This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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Spatial computation workshop
by Matthew Nolan 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

[Apologies for cross-posting] Spatial computation: from neural circuits to robot navigation The Informatics Forum, Edinburgh, April 11th, 2015. A workshop focussing on computations underlying navigation from the perspectives of neuroscience and robotics. Confirmed speakers: Kevin Allen (Heidelburg) Neil Burgess (UCL) Margarita Chli (Edinburgh) Michael Hasselmo (Boston) Kate Jeffery (UCL) Jack Mellor (Bristol) Michael Milford (Queensland) Ralph Moeller (Bielefeld) Subramanian (Ram) Ramamoorthy (Edinburgh) Lukas Solanka (Edinburgh) Barbara Webb (Edinburgh) Thomas Wolbers (Magdeburg) Further details and registration here: http://blog.inf.ed.ac.uk/spatialcomputationworkshop/ <http://blog.inf.ed.ac.uk/spatialcomputationworkshop/> --------------- Matt Nolan Professor of Neural Circuits and Computation Centre for Integrative Physiology University of Edinburgh Hugh Robson Building George Square Edinburgh EH8 9XD Telephone: (+44) 131 650 9874 Fax: (+44) 131 650 6527 Web: nolanlab.mvm.ed.ac.uk <http://nolanlab.mvm.ed.ac.uk/> Email: mattnolan(a)ed.ac.uk <mailto:mattnolan@ed.ac.uk> The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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Computational Vision Summer School, July 28 - Aug 4, 2015
by Judith Lam 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

The Bernstein Center Tuebingen invites advanced PhD students and postdocs to apply for the... * ************************************************************************** Computational Vision **Summer **School, **July 28 - Aug 4, 2015* *Freudenstadt-Lauterbad, Black Forest* *Application deadline: April 7, 2015 http://www.bccn-tuebingen.de/training/cvss2015/ ***************************************************************************** The Computational Vision Summer School offers a broad perspective on biological vision with a thorough understanding of the theoretical and computational challenges involved. The school is unique in bringing together people from diverse disciplines who all share a computational view of vision. The faculty consists of renowned senior researchers in the field teaching lectures and providing hands-on tutorials on topics ranging from early vision to image understanding. * Confirmed Speakers: *Jim DiCarlo (MIT, USA) Rob Fergus (Facebook, NY, USA) Andrew Fitzgibbon (Microsoft Research, UK)  Laurence T Maloney (NYU, USA)  Anthony J Movshon (NYU, USA) Aude Oliva (MIT, USA)  Bruno Olshausen (UC Berkeley, USA) Cordelia Schmid (INRIA, France)  Eero Simoncelli (NYU, USA) Garrett Stanley (Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, USA)  Raquel Urtasun (U Toronto, Canada)  Brian A Wandell (Stanford University, USA) Andrew Zisserman (U Oxford, UK) *Program Chairs:* Matthias Bethge, Michael Black, Roland Fleming, Felix Wichmann -- Dr. Judith Lam Executive Coordinator Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Tübingen Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics http://www.bccn-tuebingen.de/about-bccn/contact.html Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen Tel: +49 7071 29 89019 Fax: +49 7071 29 25015

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Increased Impact Factor, Number of Issues & Table of Contents Alert: Cognitive Computation journal (Springer): Vol.7, No.1 / Feb 2015 Issue
by Dr Amir Hussain 08 Mar '15

08 Mar '15

Dear Colleagues: (with advance apologies for any cross-postings) We are delighted to announce the publication of Volume 7, No.1 / Feb 2015 Issue, of Springer's Cognitive Computation journal - www.springer.com/12559 ================================================================ Important News: Increased Impact Factor & Six bi-monthly Journal Issues from 2015! ================================================================ As you will know, Cognitive Computation was selected for coverage in Thomson Reuter’s products and services in 2011. Beginning with V.1 (1) 2009, this publication is now indexed and abstracted in: ♦ Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch®) ♦ Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition ♦ Current Contents®/Engineering Computing and Technology ♦ Neuroscience Citation Index® Cognitive Computation received its first Impact Factor (IF) of 1.0 in 2011. The IF for 2013/2014 increased to 1.1 (with a first 5 year IF of 1.387) (Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports® 2013) Many congratulations to the editors, reviewers and authors of this exciting young journal! Want to be part of the growing success? Visit the journal homepage ( http://springer.com/12559) for instructions on submitting your research. ================================= Quarterly to Bi-monthly Issues, from 2015!! ================================= Due to continuously growing number of high quality submissions, the number of Issues has increased from four (quarterly Issues) to six (bi-monthly Issues) each year, starting Feb 2015! ======================================== The first six papers of the February 2015 Issue comprise a Special Issue on "Neural Signal Processing", Guest Edited by: Jordi Sole´-Casals, Francois-Benoit Vialatte, Justin Dauwels. The Guest Editorial titled: "Alternative Techniques of Neural Signal Processing in Neuroengineering" is available (for free download) here: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-015-9317-0 The 6 Special Issue papers are followed by 8 regular papers. The full listing of 14 published articles (Table of Contents) for this inaugural 2015 Issue can be viewed here (and also at the end of this message, followed by an overview of the previous Issues/Archive listings): http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/7/1/ <http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/3/> You may also be interested in the last Special Issue of 2014 (Vol. 6, No.4 / Dec 2014) on "Modeling emotion, behaviour and context in socially believable robots and ICT interfaces", Guest Edited by: Anna Esposito, Leopoldina Fortunati, and Giuseppe Lugano. The Guest Editorial is available (for free download) here: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-014-9309-5 and the full listing of 24 articles can be found here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/4/page/1 <http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/2/page/1> This exciting Special Issue was the outcome of a strategic trans-disciplinary Workshop organized by EU COST (http://www.cost.eu/) on ‘‘The future concept and reality of social robotics: challenges, perception and applications. Role of social robotics in current and future society,’’ held in Brussels (Belgium). A list of the journal's most downloaded articles (which can always be read for FREE) can be found here: http://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/12559?hideChart=1#realt… Other 'Online First' published articles not yet in a print issue can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/121361/?Content+Status=Accepted All previous Volumes and Issues of the journal can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/volumesAndIssues/12559 ============================================ Reminder: Cognitive Computation "LinkedIn" Group: ============================================ To further strengthen the bonds amongst the interdisciplinary audience of Cognitive Computation, we have set-up a "Cognitive Computation LinkedIn group", which has nearly 800 members already! We warmly invite you to join us at: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3155048 For further information on the journal and to sign up for electronic "Table of Contents alerts" please visit the Cognitive Computation homepage: http://www.springer.com/12559 or follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/CognComput for the latest On-line First Issues. For any questions with regards to LinkedIn and/or Twitter, please contact Springer's Publishing Editor: Marleen Moore: Marleen.Moore(a)springer.com Finally, we would like to invite you to submit short or regular papers describing original research or timely review of important areas - our aim is to peer review all papers within approximately six-eight weeks of receipt. We also welcome relevant high quality proposals for Special Issues - four are already planned for 2015-16 (for CFPs, see: http://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/12559?detailsPage=press ) With our very best wishes to all aspiring readers and authors of Cognitive Computation, Professor Amir Hussain, PhD (Editor-in-Chief: Cognitive Computation) E-mail: ahu(a)cs.stir.ac.uk (University of Stirling, Scotland, UK) Professor Igor Aleksander, PhD (Honorary Editor-in-Chief: Cognitive Computation) (Imperial College, London, UK) http://www.springer.com/12559 Also consider your work for related Book Series: SpringerBriefs on Cognitive Computation: http://www.springer.com/series/10374 NEW: Springer Series on Socio-Affective Computing: http://www.springer.com/series/13199 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Alert -- Cognitive Computation Vol 7 No 1, Feb 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Issue on "Neural Signal Processing" Issue Editors: Jordi Sole´-Casals, Francois-Benoit Vialatte, Justin Dauwels -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternative Techniques of Neural Signal Processing in Neuroengineering Jordi Solé-Casals , François-Benoît Vialatte and Justin Dauwels http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-015-9317-0/fulltext.html Multivariate Synchronization Analysis of Brain Electroencephalography Signals: A Review of Two Methods Mahdi Jalili http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9213-4 EEG Correlates of Voice and Face Emotional Judgments in the Human Brain K. Hiyoshi-Taniguchi, M. Kawasaki, T. Yokota, H. Bakardjian, H. Fukuyama, A. Cichocki and F. B. Vialatte http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9225-0/fulltext.html Biologically Motivated Model for Outdoor Scene Classification Jingjing Zhao, Chun Du, Hao Sun, Xingtong Liu, Jixiang Sun http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9227-y Brain Evoked Potential Latencies Optimization for Spatial Auditory Brain–Computer Interface Zhenyu Cai, Shoji Makino, Tomasz M. Rutkowski http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9228-x On Automatic Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease Based on Spontaneous Speech Analysis and Emotional Temperature K. López-de-Ipiña, J. B. Alonso, J. Solé-Casals, N. Barroso, P. Henriquez, M. Faundez-Zanuy, C. M. Travieso, M. Ecay-Torres, P. Martínez-Lage, H. Eguiraun http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9229-9 Embedded Implementation of Second-Order Blind Identification (SOBI) for Real-Time Applications in Neuroscience Xun Zhang, François-Benoît Vialatte, Chen Chen, Apurva Rathi, Gérard Dreyfus http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-014-9282-z -------REGULAR PAPERS------------------------ Model of the Reticular Formation of the Brainstem Based on Glial–Neuronal Interactions Bernhard J. Mitterauer http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-014-9260-5 A Kernel Clustering-Based Possibilistic Fuzzy Extreme Learning Machine for Class Imbalance Learning Shi-Xiong Xia, Fan-Rong Meng, Bing Liu, Yong Zhou http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-014-9256-1 Improved Jacobian Eigen-Analysis Scheme for Accelerating Learning in Feedforward Neural Networks N. Ampazis, S. J. Perantonis, D. Drivaliaris http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-014-9263-2 A Cognitive Ensemble of Extreme Learning Machines for Steganalysis Based on Risk-Sensitive Hinge Loss Function Vasily Sachnev, Savitha Ramasamy,Suresh Sundaram, Hyoung Joong Kim, Hee Joon Hwang http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-014-9268-x Agent-Based Modeling of Emotion Contagion in Groups Tibor Bosse, Rob Duell, Zulfiqar A. Memon, Jan Treur, C. Natalie van der Wal http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-014-9277-9 Robust and Sparse Linear Programming Twin Support Vector Machines M. Tanveer http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-014-9278-8 Classification of Uncertain Data Streams Based on Extreme Learning Machine Keyan Cao, Guoren Wang, Donghong Han, Jingwei Ning, Xin Zhang http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-014-9279-7 A Cognitively Inspired Approach to Two-Way Cluster Extraction from One-Way Clustered Data Ahsan Abdullah, Amir Hussain http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-014-9281-0 --------------------------------------------------------- Previous Issues/Archive: Overview: --------------------------------------------------------- All previous Volumes and Issues can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/volumesAndIssues/12559 Alternatively, the full listing of the Inaugural Vol. 1, No. 1 / March 2009, can be viewed here (which included invited authoritative reviews by leading researchers in their areas - including keynote papers from London University's John Taylor, Igor Aleksander and Stanford University's James McClelland, and invited papers from Ron Sun, Pentti Haikonen, Geoff Underwood, Kevin Gurney, Claudius Gross, Anil Seth and Tom Ziemke): http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/1/ The full listing of Vol. 1, No. 2 / June 2009, can be viewed here (which included invited reviews and original research contributions from leading researchers, including Rodney Douglas, Giacomo Indiveri, Jurgen Schmidhuber, Thomas Wennekers, Pentti Kanerva and Friedemann Pulvermuller): http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/2/ The full listing of Vol.1, No. 3 / Sep 2009, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/3/ The full listing of Vol. 1, No. 4 / Dec 2009, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/4/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 1 / March 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/1/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 2 / June 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/2/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 3 / Aug 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/3/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 4 / Dec 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/4/ The full listing of Vol.3, No.1 / Mar 2011 (Special Issue on: Saliency, Attention, Active Visual Search and Picture Scanning, edited by John Taylor and Vassilis Cutsuridis), can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/1/ The Guest Editorial can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/hu2245056415633l/ The full listing of Vol.3, No.2 / June 2011 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/2/ The full listing of Vol. 3, No. 3 / Sep 2011 (Special Issue on: Cognitive Behavioural Systems, Guest Edited by: Anna Esposito, Alessandro Vinciarelli, Simon Haykin, Amir Hussain and Marcos Faundez-Zanuy), can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/3/ The Guest Editorial for the special issue can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/h4718567520t2h84/ The full listing of Vol. 3, No. 4 / Dec 2011 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/4/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.1 / Mar 2012 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/1/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.2 / June 2012 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/2/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.3 / Sep 2012 (Special Issue on: Computational Creativity, Intelligence and Autonomy, Edited by: J. Mark Bishop and Yasemin J. Erden) can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/3/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.4 / Dec 2012 (Special Issue titled: "Cognitive & Emotional Information Processing", Edited by: Stefano Squartini, Björn Schuller and Amir Hussain, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/4/4/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.1 / March 2013 Special Issue titled: Computational Intelligence and Applications Guest Editors: Zhigang Zeng & Haibo He, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/1/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.2 / June 2013 Special Issue titled: Advances on Brain Inspired Computing, Guest Editors: Stefano Squartini, Sanqing Hu & Qingshan Liu, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/2/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.3 / Sep 2013 Special Issue titled: In Memory of John G Taylor: A Polymath Scholar, Guest Editors: Vassilis Cutsuridis & Amir Hussain, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/3/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.4 / Dec 2013, which includes regular papers (including an invited paper by Professor Ron Sun, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA, titled: Moral Judgment, Human Motivation, and Neural Networks), and a Special Issue titled: Advanced Cognitive Systems Based on Nonlinear Analysis. Guest Editors: Carlos M. Travieso and Jesús B. Alonso, can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/4/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 6, No.1 / Mar 2014, can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/1/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 6, No.2 / June 2014, can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/2/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 6, No.3 / Sep 2014, can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/3/page/1 <http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/2/page/1> The full listing of Vol. 6, No.4 / Dec 2014 (Special Issue on Modeling emotion, behaviour and context in socially believable robots and ICT interfaces, Guest Editors: Anna Esposito, Leopoldina Fortunati, and Giuseppe Lugano) can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/4/page/1 <http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/2/page/1> -- The University of Stirling has been ranked in the top 12 of UK universities for graduate employment*. 94% of our 2012 graduates were in work and/or further study within six months of graduation. *The Telegraph The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

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Postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience (sensory processing & decision-making)
by Ralf Haefner 05 Mar '15

05 Mar '15

A postdoctoral position is available in the group of Ralf Haefner in the department for Brain & Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester (NY). The focus of our group is on understanding the neural basis of perceptual inference. Based on the assumption that the brain performs probabilistic inference using an internal model of the world, we ask questions such as: What is the nature of the internal model? How is it learnt? How are posterior beliefs represented by spiking responses of populations of neurons and what algorithm does the brain use to compute its beliefs? The position requires strong mathematical and good programming skills. The ideal candidate would also be familiar with (or quick to pick up) machine learning techniques, especially relating to probabilistic graphical models and MCMC sampling. Possible research projects range from purely theoretical to data-driven. Our collaborations with electrophysiology labs allow for the testing of theoretical models using state-of-the-art cortical population recordings in behaving animals and, if desired, the opportunity to record your own data. More information about past work is available here: http://tinyurl.com/rmhaefner and manuscripts indicating the group's research directions here http://arxiv.org/abs/1409.0257 and here: http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/nn.3309 For details on current and possible future projects, and general information, please contact me directly. The successful candidate with join a highly collaborative department with a strong tradition in probabilistic modeling across a wide range from sensory processing to language learning (https://www.bcs.rochester.edu/research/index.html ). The city of Rochester is located on the shore of Lake Ontario in upstate New York and has a high quality of life (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester,_New_York ). Start date and duration are flexible. Please send applications including a CV and names of 2-3 references by email. I'll be at COSYNE for both conference and workshops and available to meet there in person. Ralf Haefner Assistant Professor Brain & Cognitive Sciences University of Rochester (NY) rhaefner(a)bcs.rochester.edu

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Last Mile: DATA ANALYTICS 2015 || July 19 - 24, 2015 - Nice, France
by Cristina Pascual 05 Mar '15

05 Mar '15

INVITATION: ================= The submission deadline is March 18, 2015. 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 2015. Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended article versions to one of the IARIA Journals: http://www.iariajournals.org ================= ============== DATA ANALYTICS 2015 | Call for Papers =============== CALL FOR PAPERS, TUTORIALS, PANELS DATA ANALYTICS 2015, The Fourth International Conference on Data Analytics July 19 - 24, 2015 - Nice, France General page: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2015/DATAANALYTICS15.html Call for Papers: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2015/CfPDATAANALYTICS15.html Submission page: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2015/SubmitDATAANALYTICS15.html Contributions: - regular papers [in the proceedings, digital library] - short papers (work in progress) [in the proceedings, digital library] - ideas: two pages [in the proceedings, digital library] - extended abstracts: two pages [in the proceedings, digital library] - posters: two pages [in the proceedings, digital library] - posters: slide only [slide-deck posted at www.iaria.org] - presentations: slide only [slide-deck posted at www.iaria.org] - demos: two pages [posted at www.iaria.org] - doctoral forum submissions: [in the proceedings, digital library] Proposals for: - mini-symposia: see http://www.iaria.org/symposium.html - workshops: see http://www.iaria.org/workshop.html - tutorials: [slide-deck posed on www.iaria.org] - panels: [slide-deck posed on www.iaria.org] Submission deadline: March 18, 2015 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 comply with the editorial rules: http://www.iaria.org/editorialrules.html DATA ANALYTICS 2015 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/conferences2015/ComDATAANALYTICS15.html ================================================

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IJCAI’15 Workshop on Sensitivity Analysis and Robustness in Probabilistic Graphical Models (2nd CFP)
by Alessandro Antonucci 05 Mar '15

05 Mar '15

IJCAI’15 Workshop on Sensitivity Analysis and Robustness in Probabilistic Graphical Models Buenos Aires, July 25-27, 2015 - http://ipg.idsia.ch/wijcai15/ SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS Probabilistic graphical models are important tools in machine learning and artificial intelligence for reasoning with uncertainty. They provide means to represent large multivariate domains compactly and to perform sophisticated learning and reasoning efficiently. Examples of probabilistic graphical models are Bayesian networks, Markov Random fields, chain and factor graphs, Gaussian graphical models, to name but a few. The quantification of these models usually requires sharp (i.e., precise) assessments of the model local potentials and might be subject to robustness issues. For instance, perturbations of some parameter values may lead to different decisions from those which would be achieved by the unperturbed model, suggesting that decisions are not reliable. Reliability might also be in question because of missing data and assumptions behind the process. The workshop invites submissions of papers on all aspects of sensitivity analysis and robustness in probabilistic graphical models. Contributions may have a theoretical focus and/or an applied focus. A non-exhaustive list of topics follows. - Local and/or global sensitivity analysis. - Parameter-based and/or decision-based sensitivity analysis. - Design of robust learning, inference and/or decision making approaches. - Robust analysis and design of robustness measurements. - Extensions of probabilistic graphical models. - Reliable qualitative learning and reasoning. - Robust treatment of missing data. - Imprecise probability and other theories related to sensitivity analysis. - Computational complexity, exact and approximate algorithms. Each submission will be reviewed by peers using a double-blind process (please use the third person in self citations and take all necessary care not to identify yourselves). Accepted papers will be published electronically in a volume of the JMLR Workshop and Conference Proceedings series. There will be no rebuttal phase, but contributions considered worth publishing and needing substantial revision might be subject to a second round of reviewing/evaluation. All accepted papers will be presented at the workshop. At least one of the paper's authors should register and attend the workshop to present the work. Submissions must be formatted according to style and template files available for the Journal of Machine Learning Research (JMLR) Workshop and Conference Proceedings - two-column version. The files are available at http://ipg.idsia.ch/wijcai15/sarpgm15.tar.gz. Papers (including figures, tables, references, etc) are expected to have between 6 and 10 pages. IMPORTANT DATES Apr 27, 2015 - Deadline for submissions of contributions May 20, 2015 - Workshop paper acceptance notification May 30, 2015 - Deadline for workshop camera-ready copy (in case of minor revision; contributions needing major revision might need additional time - this will be arranged case by case) PC MEMBERS Alessandro Antonucci*, IDSIA, Switzerland. Alessio Benavoli, IDSIA, Switzerland. Cassio P. de Campos*, Queen's University Belfast, UK. Arthur Choi, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. Giorgio Corani*, IDSIA, Switzerland. Fabio Cozman, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Adnan Darwiche, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. Sebastien Destercke, Univ. de Technologie de Compiegne, France. Marek Druzdzel, University of Pittsburgh, USA. Johan Kwisthout, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Agnieszka Onisko, Bialystok University of Technology, Poland. Denis Maua, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Serafin Moral, Universidad de Granada, Spain. Silja Renooij, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands. Matthias Troffaes, University of Durham, UK. (*: Workshop organizers.) More details about the submission procedure are available online. http://ipg.idsia.ch/wijcai15/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (We apologize in case you receive multiple copies of this announcement, but yet we hope to reach the greatest possible number of people. Finding a trade-off is not an easy task.) -- _________________________________ Alessandro Antonucci IDSIA Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence Via Cantonale (Galleria 2) CH-6928, Manno-Lugano, CH mail: alessandro(a)idsia.ch skype: alessandro.antonucci tel: +41 916108515 web: www.idsia.ch/~alessandro _________________________________

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Ph.D. Studentship at the University of Ulster - Data Analytics in Mental Health
by Wong-Lin, Kongfatt 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

Applications are invited for the following DEL CAST studentship (Co-operative Awards in Science and Technology): Title: Extraction and modelling of mental health data: big data analytics approach With the increasing volume of datasets in neuroscience and mental health, data analytics and modelling will become indispensable. This project aims to use data analytics, probabilistic modelling, and high-performance computing to integrate and analyse available open but heterogeneous big data to extract patterns and predict Alzheimer’s disease. This timely, exciting and high-impact project is available in the University of Ulster’ Computer Science Research Institute (in collaboration with Asystec Ltd) and is tenable in the Faculty of Computing and Engineering at the Magee Campus. The successful PhD candidate will join an externally funded multidisciplinary research team, and will benefit from the expertise of Ulster’s computational neuroscience and intelligence, and Asystec’s big data management and analytics. The student will also have the opportunity to interact with other biomedical and translational/clinical researchers in the team. The student will gain valuable knowledge in data analytics, high-performance computing, mathematics/statistics and brain sciences, which are all essential in many areas of science, engineering and biology. This training will provide wide opportunities for finding skilled work, especially in the burgeoning field of data analytics. The student will have the opportunity to learn first-hand about advanced software development, knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship with Asystec. Applicants should hold ordinary UK residence to be eligible for both fees and maintenance. Non UK residents who hold ordinary EU residence may also apply but if successful will receive fees only. All applicants should hold a first or upper second class honours (or equivalent) degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering or a related discipline. Applicants must be highly motivated and willing to pursue research and develop skills across disciplines. Successful candidates will enrol on a full-time research programme, of up to three years subject to satisfactory progress, leading to the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The studentship will comprise tuition fees and a maintenance award (subject to UK residence status) of not less than £15,057 per annum, funded by DEL (the Department for Employment & Learning in NI) and Asystec Ltd. The application process for the Ph.D. studentship is opened with a closing date for applications on the 30th April 2015, and interviews will be held in May 2015. The studentship is expected to start in September 2015. Further details can be found at: http://research.ulster.ac.uk/info/researchopp/DEL%20CAST%20Asystec.html If you wish to discuss your proposal or receive advice on the research project please contact: Dr KongFatt Wong-Lin, tel: +44 028 7167 5320, email: k.wong-lin(a)ulster.ac.uk ----------------------------- KongFatt Wong-Lin University of Ulster ________________________________ This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information which is covered by legal, professional or other privilege. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager at postmaster(a)ulster.ac.uk and delete this email immediately. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ulster University. The University's computer systems may be monitored and communications carried out on them may be recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes. Ulster University does not guarantee that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless expressly stated in the body of a separate attachment, the text of email is not intended to form a binding contract. Correspondence to and from the University may be subject to requests for disclosure by 3rd parties under relevant legislation. The University of Ulster was founded by Royal Charter in 1984 and is registered with company number RC000726 and VAT registered number GB672390524.The primary contact address for Ulster University in Northern Ireland is Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry BT52 1SA

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POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE AT BROWN UNIVERSITY
by Wilson Truccolo 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE AT BROWN UNIVERSITY: Applications for NIH-funded post-doctoral positions are invited for the Laboratory of Dr. Wilson Truccolo in the Department of Neuroscience at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. The positions are for the development of data-driven stochastic and biophysical models of multiscale neural dynamics in human epilepsy. Data consist of simultaneous intracortical microelectrode array recordings of ensembles of single neurons and local field potentials, as well as ECoGs, during seizure and non-seizure states in individuals with intractable epilepsy. The project involves a collaboration between the labs of Dr. Truccolo and Dr. Sydney Cash (Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston). The ideal candidate will have a strong background in computational/theoretical neuroscience and modeling of stochastic neural dynamics. Related recent publications can be found on the Truccolo lab website ( http://www.truccololab.com/ <http://dl.dropbox.com/u/983891/Truccolo_home.htm>). Inquiries should be addressed to Dr. Truccolo (wilson_truccolo(a)brown.edu) Applications including a CV, statement of research interests, and the names and full contact details of three referees should be sent to wilson_truccolo(a)brown.edu. -- Wilson Truccolo, Ph.D. Pablo J. Salame '88 Goldman Sachs Assistant Professor of Computational Neuroscience Institute for Brain Science & Department of Neuroscience, Brown University Lab website: http://www.truccololab.com/

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Post-doc at UPenn with Johannes Burge
by Johannes Burge 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

Postdoctoral position: Perception and neural computation with natural stimuli A postdoctoral position is available to study natural scene statistics, computational neuroscience, and behavioral measurements of performance in the laboratory of Johannes Burge at the University of Pennsylvania. In the lab, we use mathematics, computation, and psychophysics to investigate how vision works in natural conditions. We are broadly interested in how normative models of fundamental perceptual tasks and sub-tasks provide insight into behavioral performance and underlying neural mechanisms. Projects will focus on the processing of motion, stereo-disparity, motion-in-depth, defocus blur, and color in images of natural scenes. I am looking for applicants with strong experience in computational modeling, probability theory, numerical optimization, and psychophysical experimentation. The ideal applicant will also have a general interest in natural images, depth perception, and rigorous experimental work. Programming experience in Matlab, C/C++, OpenGL, and Psychtoolbox is strongly desired, as is an inclination to tinker with high-end display equipment. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to work with: i) a recently collected state-of-the-art, stereo-image database with occlusion-free co-registered laser range data, ii) a high-performance computing cluster, iii) a Vpixx ProPixx stereo-projector (1920x1080 resolution at 480Hz; 240Hz per eye). UPenn has a vibrant community of research groups on the leading edge of perception and systems neuroscience research. Additionally, our lab is affiliated with the newly formed Computational Neuroscience Initiative (CNI, http://cni.upenn.edu) so possibilities for collaboration are strong. Philadelphia is a multi-cultural, diverse, affordable city. Applicants should submit a CV, a 1-page research statement, two sample papers (published or in preparation), and the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of three people qualified to recommend you and your work. The position is for one year with a strong possibility of renewal for a second and third year. To apply or ask questions please contact Johannes Burge at the University of Pennsylvania. I will be attending the upcoming COSYNE conference in Salt Lake City, UT from March 5-7. Please contact me, if you would like to set up a meeting. ======================== Johannes Burge, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Psychology Neuroscience Graduate Group University of Pennsylvania http://burgelab.psych.upenn.edu jburge(a)sas.upenn.edu (215) 573 6528

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ECMLPKDD 2015 : Call for Demos
by ECMLPKDD 2015 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

http://www.ecmlpkdd2015.org For ECML PKDD 2015 in Porto, Portugal, we solicit submissions for demos. Submissions must describe working systems and be based on state-of-the-art machine learning and data mining technology. These systems may be innovative prototype implementations or mature systems that use machine learning techniques and knowledge discovery processes in a real setting. Systems that use basic statistics are not acceptable. Commercial software is not acceptable. The accepted papers for demos will be included in the conference proceedings, to be published by Springer Verlag in the "Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence" (LNAI) Series. The demos will be presented in a special demonstration session. At least one of the demo submitters must register for the conference, and perform the demo on site. Submission Guidelines All aspects of the submission and notification process will be handled online via the CMT conference management toolkit accessible from the conference web. Please choose the right track during the submission. Instructions concerning the submission, camera-ready formatting and copyright transfer for conference papers also hold for demo papers, unless otherwise specified. A demonstration submission must be up to 4 pages long. It must provide adequate information on the systems components and the way the system is operated, including e.g. screenshots. Submitters should keep in mind that the description of a demo has inherently different content than a research paper submitted to the main conference. A successful demonstration paper provides satisfactory answers the following questions: - What are the innovative aspects or in what way/area does it represent the state of the art? - Who are the target users and why is the system interesting/useful for them? - If there are similar/related pieces of software, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the presented one? The formatting guidelines of Springer Verlag for the LNAI series apply, and the author instructions and style files under http://www.springer.de/comp/lncs/authors.html must be used. For inquiries concerning submissions please contact the Demo Track Chairs; contact data below. Important Dates - Demo submission deadline: 30 April 2015 - Notification of acceptance: 1 June 2015 - Camera-ready paper due: 15 June 2015 (aligned to the deadline of the main conference) Contacts For further information please contact the Demo Track Chairs: - Francesco Bonchi - Jaime Cardoso, INESC TEC and Univ. Porto - Myra Spiliopoulou, Univ. Magdeburg, http://www.kmd.ovgu.de/Team/Academic+Staff/Myra+Spiliopoulou.html Hope to see you all soon in Porto, Portugal!!! The publicity chairs of the ECMLPKDD 2015, Carlos Abreu Ferreira Ricardo Campos --- Este e-mail foi verificado em termos de vírus pelo software antivírus Avast. http://www.avast.com

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Last Mile: SEMAPRO 2015 || July 19 - 24, 2015 - Nice, France
by Cristina Pascual 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

INVITATION: ================= The submission deadline is March 18, 2015. Please consider to contribute to and/or forward to the appropriate groups the following opportunity to submit and publish original scientific results to SEMAPRO 2015. Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended article versions to one of the IARIA Journals: http://www.iariajournals.org ================= ============== SEMAPRO 2015 | Call for Papers =============== CALL FOR PAPERS, TUTORIALS, PANELS SEMAPRO 2015, The Ninth International Conference on Advances in Semantic Processing July 19 - 24, 2015 - Nice, France General page: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2015/SEMAPRO15.html Call for Papers: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2015/CfPSEMAPRO15.html Submission page: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2015/SubmitSEMAPRO15.html Contributions: - regular papers [in the proceedings, digital library] - short papers (work in progress) [in the proceedings, digital library] - ideas: two pages [in the proceedings, digital library] - extended abstracts: two pages [in the proceedings, digital library] - posters: two pages [in the proceedings, digital library] - posters: slide only [slide-deck posted at www.iaria.org] - presentations: slide only [slide-deck posted at www.iaria.org] - demos: two pages [posted at www.iaria.org] - doctoral forum submissions: [in the proceedings, digital library] Proposals for: - mini-symposia: see http://www.iaria.org/symposium.html - workshops: see http://www.iaria.org/workshop.html - tutorials: [slide-deck posed on www.iaria.org] - panels: [slide-deck posed on www.iaria.org] Submission deadline: March 18, 2015 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 comply with the editorial rules: http://www.iaria.org/editorialrules.html SEMAPRO 2015 Topics (topics and submission details: see CfP on the site) Basics on semantics Fundamental of semantics processing; Semantic-based techniques for feature selection; Semantic-based pruning; Semantic interoperability; Semantics uncertainty; Semantics pre-processing and post-processing; Semantics harmonization; Constraint-based semantics processing; Embedded semantics into the discovery process; Semantics in spatial and spatio-temporal models Ontology fundamentals for semantic processing Ontology learning; Ontology for semantic interoperability; Ontologies and data pre-processing; Ontology-based evaluation and semantic patterns; Global core ontologies; Progressive ontologies; Bridging semantics through ontologies; Ontology mapping and ontology visualization; Ontology in information systems; Ontology-based semantic mediation; Ontology design and maintenance for conceptual model integration; Reverse engineering of ontologies from conceptual model; Ontologies for explanation generation Semantic technologies Basics of Ontology and Semantic Web; Semantic storing, computing, representation, communications; Semantic-driven system design; Syntactic and semantic processing models; Hardware and software support for semantic processing; Microprocessors for semantic processing; Multi-model semantic systems; Semantic annotation of multimedia supports; Semantic multimedia information retrieval; Natural language semantic processing; Context-based semantic processing; Content-based semantic processing; Scalability to the Web level; Performance in semantic processing; Information security in semantic processing; Explaining semantic processing and its results Models and ontology-based design of protocols, architectures and services Fundamentals in theory; Modeling methodologies; Models and Ontology-driven Technologies (for the communications system design); Models and ontology relationships; Multi-models coherence. Models and ontology-based communications services and protocols; Semantics of services and service modeling; Protocol models and semantics; Application and quality of experience semantics; Services and protocols semantics; Models and ontology-based cross-layer services and architectures design; Models and ontology-based software frameworks; Composition of Services and Composability rules; Cross-layering services models, components and implementations Semantic Deep Web Ontology plug-in search; Information extraction from the Deep Web /e-commerce sites/; Semantic Deep Web annotation and indexing; Deep Web-based ontology; Semantic Deep Web crawlers; Semantic browsing and visualization; Semantic Deep Web data fusion; Semiautomatic ontology generation; Metrics for quality of ontology; Similarity measures for ontology alignment; Measurements for quality of search; Tools for semantic Deep Web; Experience extraction from the Web Semantic reasoning Reasoning methods; Reasoning for the Web; Ontology expressiveness; Ontology alignment, mapping and merging; Expressing formal semantics; Languages (RDF, RDF Schema, OWL, etc); Robustness of reasoning on the Web; Patterns on semantic reasoning; Querying and searching; Scalable and tolerant reasoning; Dynamic reasoning for the Semantic Web; Ontologies and problem-solving methods; Computational learning theory; Approximate reasoning/computing; Strategies for abstraction and compression of information; Cognitive semantic reasoning; Attention semantic scoping; Recency-based self-optimizing memory; Cost-benefit trade-off reasoning models; Negotiation in obtaining near-optimal reasoning results under bounded resources; Case-based reasoning Semantic content searching Methodologies for innovative information retrieval technologies; Combinatorial search; Massive search-spaces with heuristics (e.g., based on Monte Carlo simulations); Searching using metadata, semantics, and ontology; Advanced searching in digital libraries; Advanced use of RDF and OWL; Expressiveness of the content ontologies; Inherent inconsistency and incompleteness of data on the Web; Scalability of semantic processing; Specialized search engines (Hakia, Matrixware and seekda) Hypertext and hypermedia semantic Hypertext techniques and semantic applications; Hypertext and ontologies; Hypertext semantic models; Spatial semantic hypertext; Self-organized hypertext; Semantic adaptive hypertext; Web and hypertext link analysis; Hypertexts and semantic Web; Hypertext semantic applications Semantic voice-video-speech (VVS) searching Engines and methods for VVS advanced searching; Patterns in VVS searching; Contextual VVS searching; Rapid VVS searching; Accuracy in VVS searching; Noise in VVS searching; Performance in VVS searching; Metrics for VVS searching; Text and VVS searching; Applications of VVS Semantic multimedia Efficient storage of structured data that scale to a very large size; Automatic generation of multimedia presentations; Advanced process for multimedia information mining; Semantic metadata extraction; Annotation tools and methods for content semantics; Media ontology generation/learning/reasoning; Semantic multimedia streaming; Semantics enabled multimedia applications /annotation/browsing/storage/retrieval/visualization Semantic social media Community detection and evolution in social media; Recommendation and ranking systems; Search in social media; Event detection, trend identification and tracking in social media; Influence, trust and reputation in social media; Opinion/sentiment analysis, polarity identification; Feed distillation and ranking blogs; Mining microblogging and real time data; Folksonomy, tag semantics, clustering and usage; Advertising models for the social web; Indexing social media content, index freshness; Visualizing social network data; Spam detection, social network spam and profile spam Semantics for 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 Semantic networking Semantic-based QoS (Quality of Service) control and scheduling; Semantic QoE (Quality of Experience) evaluation; Semantic-based Internet data streaming and delivery; Semantics enabled networking and middleware; Semantic routing; Semantic interfaces Domain-oriented semantic applications Semantics for managing pharmaceutical data; Semantic processing for biomedical knowledge; Speech, text and picture recognition; Semantic email workflow and content; Semantic blogs and wikis; Semantic email addressing; Semantic web and digital libraries; Semantic processing in e-Health; Semantic-driven tutoring systems Economics and governance of semantics technologies Organizational views; Legal; Business; Regulations; Assessment; Standards; Harmonization; Cross-nation mediation Semantic applications/platforms/tools Market for semantic technologies; Applications, services and systems based on semantic processing; User friendly semantic system integration tools; Ontology-based data transformation and data migration tools; Ontology mapping tools and languages; Ontology-enabled interoperability in e-science, life sciences, e-business, culture; Commercial cost models for semantic applications; Semantic solutions for business intelligence; Semantic processing platforms ; Supporting ontology platforms/tools (Prot�g�, etc); Semantic query languages (SPARQL, etc); Ontology-enabled search engines; Semantic Web search engines; Interoperability of data, systems, and organizations; Experiments and lessons learned; Standard activities ---------------------- Committee: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2015/ComSEMAPRO15.html ================================================

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Final Program of the Columbia Workshop on Brain Circuits, Memory and Computation
by Aurel A. Lazar 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

Columbia Workshop on Brain Circuits, Memory and Computation BCMC 2015 Monday and Tuesday, March 16-17, 2015 Center for Neural Engineering and Computation Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 Monday, March 16, 09:00 AM - 05:45 PM 09:00 AM - 09:45 AM Yoshi Aso (HHMI Janelia), Mushroom Body Output Neurons Encode Valence and Guide Memory-based Action Selection 09:45 AM - 10:30 AM Barbara Webb (University of Edinburgh), A Computational Model of the Insect Mushroom Body Applied to Ant Navigation 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Co↵ee Break 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM Wolfgang Maass (Graz University of Technology), A New Perspective of Synaptic Plasticity and Network Rewiring 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM Charles Randy Gallistel (Rutgers University), The Memory Coding Problem 12:30 PM - 02:00 PM Lunch Break 02:00 PM - 02:45 PM Charles D. Gilbert (Rockefeller University), The Dynamic Brain 02:45 PM - 03:30 PM Stefan Mihalas (Allen Institute for Brain Science), Computational Properties of Cortical Columns 03:30 PM - 04:00 PM Afternoon Break 04:00 PM - 04:45 PM Gary F. Marcus (New York University), The Atoms of Neural Computation 04:45 PM - 05:45 PM Panel Discussion: What Would a Good Theory of the Brain Actually Look Like? Tuesday, March 17, 09:00 AM - 05:45 PM 09:00 AM - 09:45 AM Vivek Jayaraman (HHMI Janelia), A Donut that Means the World to the Fly 09:45 AM - 10:30 AM Daniel Coca (University of Sheffield), Fly Photoreceptors Detect Phase Congruency 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Co↵ee Break 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM Damon A. Clark (Yale University), Tuning Neural Nonlinearities for Naturalistic Visual Motion Estimation 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM Aurel A. Lazar (Columbia University), Neurokernel: Building an in Silico Fruit Fly Brain 12:30 PM - 02:00 PM Lunch Break 02:00 PM - 02:45 PM Anthony Leonardo (HHMI Janelia), Neural Circuits Underlying Internal Models in Predictive Motor Control 02:45 PM - 03:30 PM Fabrizio Gabbiani (Baylor College of Medicine), Biophysics and Neural Computations Underlying Visually-Guided Collision Avoidance Behaviors 03:30 PM - 04:00 PM Afternoon Break 04:00 PM - 04:45 PM Dmitri ”Mitya” B. Chklovskii (Simons Foundation), A Biological Neuron as an Online Matrix Factorization Device 04:45 PM - 05:45 PM Panel Discussion: A Neuroscience Esperanto: Building a Better Bridge Between Modeling and Experimental Neurobiology Registration is free but all participants have to register at: https://bcmc15.eventbrite.com/ Workshop Website: http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/workshops/bcmc/2015 Aurel http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu

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First Announcement: International Conference on System Level approaches to Neural Engineering
by Alessandro Barardi 03 Mar '15

03 Mar '15

--------------------------------------- FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT --------------------------------------- International Conference on System Level approaches to Neural Engineering Dates: September 21st – 23rd , 2015 Venue: Barcelona Biomedical Research Park <http://www.prbb.org/>, Barcelona, Spain Website: http://www.neural-engineering.eu/BarcelonaConference2015/index.html The aim of this interdisciplinary conference is to bring together theoretical and experimental neuroscientists and roboticists to discuss the state of the art in the field of Neural Engineering. This three day long event is part of a series of training events organized by the Marie Curie Initial Training Network NETT (Neural Engineering Transformative Technologies). It will also give young researchers an opportunity to present their work. Theme panels are: * Neural Dynamics - mathematical description of neuronal activity * Brain-on-Chip - engineering of neuronal circuits in-vitro with emphasis on microfluidics * Neural Learning and Control - motion planning, controlling and learning neuro-inspired techniques for robotics * Neural Coding - investigation of neuronal strategies for encoding information * Optical Neurotechnology - imaging and engineering techniques that allow recording of neuronal activity --------------------------------------- CONFIRMED SPEAKERS --------------------------------------- Andre Bastos - The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Boston, MA, USA Romain Brette - Institut de la Vision, Paris, France Sophie Deneve - Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, LNC, Paris, France Dario Farina - Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany Albert Folch - Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Amanda Foust - Imperial College London, London, UK Sami Haddadin - Institute of Automatic Control, Hannover, Germany Kenneth Harris - Institute of Neurology and the Department of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, UCL, London, UK Fritjof Helmchen - Brain Research Institute, Zürich, Switzerland Thibault Honegger - Laboratoire des Technologies de la Microelectronique, CNRS-CEA, Grenoble, France Eugene Izhikevich - Brain Corporation, San Diego, CA, USA Viktor Jirsa - Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Marseille, France David Liley - Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia Benjamin Lindner - Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany Nikos Logothetis - Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany Yoonkey Nam - Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Korea Adam Packer - University College London, London, UK Stefano Panzeri - Neural Computation Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy Eftychios Pnevmatikakis - Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Alexandre Pouget - CMU, Geneva, Switzerland Jan Schnupp - Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, Oxford, UK Gregor Schöner - Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany Reza Shadmehr - John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA Patrick van der Smagt - BRML labs, TUM, Germany John Terry - College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, UK International Conference on System Level Approaches to Neural Engineering conference is organised by the Fellows of the Neural Engineering Transformative Technologies <http://www.neural-engineering.eu/> (NETT) consortium. On their behalf we cordially invite you to participate in this meeting that will take place in Barcelona, Spain, on September 21st – 23rd , 2015. The NETT consortium is a Marie Curie Initial Training Network involving neuroscience research laboratories from the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal and industrial partners. The network is coordinated by Professor Stephen Coombes from the University of Nottingham, UK. --------------------------------------- REGISTRATION --------------------------------------- Registration can be done on our registration form <https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/international-conference-on-system-level-app…> . Registration opens: 1st March 2015 Registration deadline: 30th May 2015 Conference fee will be 200 euros plus 50 euros for an optional conference dinner. Details about the payment will be posted on the conference website. --- Call for posters --- Posters will be selected from half-page abstracts, which should be submitted by email to nett.barcelona.2015(a)gmail.com. Please specify in the object to which theme panel you are submitting your abstract. Abstract Submission opens: 1st of March 2015 Abstract Submission closes: 30th May 2015 Abstract Acceptance Notification: 30th June 2015 Best regards, On behalf of the NETT Fellows, Alessandro Barardi, PhD student. Neural Engineering Transformative Technologies <http://www.neural-engineering.eu/> Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Barcelona, Spain.

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postdoctoral position at Rice University/Baylor College of Medicine
by Fabrizio Gabbiani 03 Mar '15

03 Mar '15

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE/BIOPHYSICAL MODELING Computational and Applied Mathematics Rice University and Department of Neuroscience Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas ----- A postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience is available at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine, in the laboratories of Steven Cox (Rice University) and Fabrizio Gabbiani (Baylor College of Medicine). Our research focuses on understanding the biophysical mechanisms underlying the implementation of non-linear operations by neurons and neuronal circuits. The postdoctoral fellow will model the cellular and network mechanisms underlying collision avoidance behaviors using advanced mathematical techniques and computer simulations. Modeling will be supported by a large data set of experimental data gathered using electrophysiology, pharmacology, calcium imaging, high-speed video imaging and telemetry. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a strong background in computational modeling of single neurons and neuronal circuits. Experience with Matlab and NEURON is required. The position is available for one year, with possibility of renewal for a second year, contingent of performance and funding availability. Salary will be commensurate with level of experience, based on an NIH scale. Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2015. Our labs are located at Rice University and in the adjacent Texas Medical Center, close to many of Houston's cultural and outdoor amenities. For further information about Rice University, the Texas Medical Center and Houston please visit http://www.explore.rice.edu/explore/General_Information.asp or https://www.bcm.edu/about-us/life-in-houston For further informal inquiries and to apply, please send CV, the names and full contact information of two to three references, as well as one to two representative publications to cox(a)rice.edu and gabbiani(a)bcm.edu. -- Fabrizio Gabbiani phone: (713) 798 1849 Department of Neuroscience fax: (713) 798 3946 Baylor College of Medicine email: gabbiani(a)bcm.edu One Baylor Plaza, web: glab.bcm.tmc.edu Houston, TX 77030 mail stop: BCM295

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IEEE SMC2015 Special Session: Cognitive Agents and Robotics for Human-Centric Systems: new models and challenges
by Alessandro Di Nuovo 03 Mar '15

03 Mar '15

[Apologies for multiple postings of this announcement] =========================== CALL FOR PAPERS ============================ IEEE SMC2015 Special Session Cognitive Agents and Robotics for Human-Centric Systems: new models and challenges Introduction Cognitive Agents are inspired from the human cognitive capabilities to exhibit effective behavior through perception, action, deliberation, communication, and through either individual or social interaction with the environment. These computational agents have the ability to function effectively in circumstances not explicitly planned when the system was designed. This ability makes it especially suited to control complex systems, such as robotics, which are designed to provide services and proactively interact with people and other artificial agents in composite Human-Centric environments. The special session aims to attract new developments in the area of cognitive systems, such as novel engineering principles, models and applications of cybernetic systems capable to autonomously improve their capabilities when interacting with the environment in an open-ended process. As a follow-up, authors of accepted papers will be invited to submit an extended version to a special issue in the journal IEEE Transaction on Cognitive Systems and Development (new name of IEEE Trans. on Autonomous Mental Development.) Indicative Topics/Areas The special session welcomes all the contributions in the area of Artificial Cognitive Systems applied to human-centric environments, with particular interest (but not limited to) the following topics: - Bio-inspired, developmental and Cognitive Robotics - Ambient Assisted Living via Cognitive Agents - Computational models of human cognition and interaction - Engineering applications of Cognitive Systems - Artificial Agent cognitive development - Natural language understanding - Standard tools for the design of Cognitive Systems - Medical Systems and Diagnosis - Evolutionary Cognitive Robotics - Cognitive Systems for human wellbeing Important Dates March 31, 2015: Deadline for submission of full-length papers to special sessions. June 1, 2015: Acceptance/Rejection Notification. July 31, 2015: Final camera-ready papers due in electronic form. Submission Manuscripts for a Special Session should NOT be submitted in duplication to any other regular or special sessions and should be submitted to SMC 2015 main conference online submission system on SMC 2015 conference website. All submitted papers of Special Sessions have to undergo the same review process (three completed reviews per paper). The technical reviewers for each Special Session paper will be members of the SMC 2015 Program Committee and qualified peer-reviewers to be nominated by the Special Session organizers. Special Session organizers Alessandro Di Nuovo, Plymouth University (UK) & University of Enna Kore (Italy) alessandro.dinuovo(a)plymouth.ac.uk<mailto:alessandro.dinuovo@plymouth.ac.uk> Giovanni Acampora, Nottingham Trent University (UK) giovanni.acampora(a)ntu.ac.uk<mailto:giovanni.acampora@ntu.ac.uk> ________________________________ [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif]<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass> This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.

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INCF Short Course on Information Processing in Neural Systems
by Frank Jäkel 03 Mar '15

03 Mar '15

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INCF Short Course on Information Processing in Neural Systems -- From Single Neurons to Large-Scale Models of Cognition -- May 2-10, 2015 @ Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabrück, Germany +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ One of the big challenges in neuroinformatics is bridging the gap between our biophysical understanding of single cells and of networks of neurons on the one side, and the cognitive functions that are characterized in terms of information processing on the other side. This INCF Short Course will provide lectures and hands-on tutorials ranging from dynamical systems theory to cognitive modeling. Target Audience: PhD candidates and post-docs with backgrounds in neuroinformatics, theoretical neuroscience, complex systems, machine learning, applied mathematics/statistics or cognitive modeling. Topics: Dynamical systems: attractors, bifurcations, etc. (Herbert Jaeger) Single neuron dynamics, networks, and computation (Nicolas Brunel) Mean-field theory, neurodynamics, and decision-making (Gustavo Deco) Reservoir computing in simple cognitive systems (Gordon Pipa) Learning of sensory representations in neural systems (Peter König) Distributed Adaptive Control (Paul Verschure) Neural networks, kernel methods, and categorization (Frank Jäkel) A tutorial on reservoir computing (Pipa & Jaeger) A tutorial on large-scale simulations in Nengo (Terry Stewart) A tutorial on information processing models with NEST (Marc-Oliver Gewaltig) The yearly, two-day OCCAM workshop (www.occam-os.de) is integrated into the INCF course and participants of the INCF course will also take part in the workshop. Applications will be accepted until March 7, 2015. The registration fee is 250 Euros. We can offer a limited number of travel stipends to support students. More information on the course and on application details can be found on the course webpage: http://www.incf.ni.uos.de/ _______________________________________________ Comp-neuro mailing list Comp-neuro(a)neuroinf.org http://www.neuroinf.org/mailman/listinfo/comp-neuro

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Osnabrück Computational Cognition Alliance Meeting (OCCAM 2015)
by Frank Jäkel 03 Mar '15

03 Mar '15

Dear Colleague, we would like to invite you to register for the 5th +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Osnabrück Computational Cognition Alliance Meeting (OCCAM 2015) "From Simple Neurons to Large-Scale Models of Cognition" May 6-7, 2015. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ List of invited speakers: Nicolas Brunel Gustavo Deco Wolfgang Einhäuser Virginia Flanagin Sonja Grün Marc-Oliver Gewaltig Herbert Jaeger Gordon Pipa Paul Verschure Kai Vogeley The workshop will take place in Osnabrück, Germany, and will be hosted by the Institute of Cognitive Science (University of Osnabrück). Details can be found below and on the following webpage: http://www.occam-os.de The registration deadline is March 7, 2015 (first come first served). The registration fee is 100,- Euros. This year the OCCAM workshop is co-located with an INCF Short Course on the same topic (http://www.incf.ni.uos.de/) The OCCAM workshop series aims at understanding the principles of information processing in the brain with a particular focus on 3 major topics: 1. Neural coding and representation in hierarchical systems 2. Self-organization in dynamical systems 3. Mechanisms for probabilistic inference There will also be a poster session where conference participants will have the opportunity to present their work. The deadline for submitting an abstract for a poster presentation is also March 7. Best regards, Frank Jäkel, Peter König, Gordon Pipa (Organizing committee)

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Reminder: Call for Workshops - Bernstein Conference 2015
by Seeger, Simone 03 Mar '15

03 Mar '15

The National Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Satellite Workshops directly preceding the Bernstein Conference 2015 in Heidelberg ********************************************************************************** Call for Workshop proposals: Workshops: September 14, 2015 (Main Bernstein Conference: September 15-17, 2015) Deadline of proposal submission: March 15, 2015 Notification of acceptance: April 20, 2015 Conference Registration starts: April 27, 2015 Early Registration Deadline: July 21, 2015 ********************************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference started out as the annual meeting of the National Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience and has become the largest single-track Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe in recent years. Since 2013, the Bernstein Conference hosts pre-conference workshops, which have developed swiftly into a well-attended event. They supply a stage to debate topical research questions and challenges in Computational Neuroscience and related fields, different points of view and scientific approaches in an informal setting. Workshops addressing controversial issues, open problems, and comparisons of competing approaches are encouraged. SCHEDULE: September 14, 2015, 9:00 - 18:30. You may apply for either half-day or full-day workshops. Workshop costs: The Bernstein Conference does not provide financial support, but workshop organizers and speakers are offered free workshop registration and reduced fees for the main conference. For further information about the conference, please visit the conference website<http://www.bernstein-conference.de>. DETAILS FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS: The Workshop Proposal form can be downloaded here<http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2015/satellite-workshops/worksho…>. Deadline for submission of Workshop Proposals: March 15, 2015 For more information or the submission of workshop proposals, please contact bc15(a)uni-heidelberg.de<mailto:bc15@uni-heidelberg.de> We are looking forward to meeting you in Heidelberg! THE WORKSHOP PROGRAM COMMITTEE Matthias Bethge (Bernstein Center Tübingen) Upinder Bhalla (NCBS, Bangalore) Carlos Brody (Princeton University) Gustavo Deco (University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona) Andreas Draguhn (Bernstein Center Heidelberg-Mannheim) Daniel Durstewitz (Bernstein Center Heidelberg-Mannheim) Gaute Einevoll (Norvegian University of Life Sciences, Aas) Andreas Herz (Bernstein Center Munich) Peter Kirsch (Bernstein Center Heidelberg-Mannheim) Sara Solla (Northwestern University, Evanston) *** Simone Seeger, M.A. Administration Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit Postfach 12 21 20, 68072 Mannheim J5, 68159 Mannheim Telefon: 0621/1703-1326 oder 06221/54-8310 Fax: 0621/1703-2915 E-Mail: Simone.Seeger(a)zi-mannheim.de<mailto:Simone.Seeger@zi-mannheim.de> Internet: http://www.bccn-heidelberg-mannheim.de<http://www.bccn-heidelberg-mannheim.de/>

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(Firm Deadline: March, 9) VISUM Summer School :: Call for Participation
by Ricardo Gamelas Sousa 03 Mar '15

03 Mar '15

Apologies for cross-posting. In order to allow candidates to finish their application, we have decided to extend the deadline for visum 2015 applications. More information bellow. --- Call for Participation 3^rd VISion Understanding and Machine intelligence summer school, Porto, Portugal First Computer Vision Summer School with an industrial track 2-9 July, 2015 http://www.fe.up.pt/visum/|Facebook: http://goo.gl/FbVNtq Application Information: http://www.fe.up.pt/visum/visumschool *Important Dates* Application Deadline *March 9, 2015* Decision March 8, 2015 Early Registration April 10, 2015 Late Registration May 8, 2015 Summer School July 2-9, 2015 *Topics* Randomised Decision Forests and Tree-structured Algorithms in Computer Vision Tae-Kyun Kim, Imperial College London, UK Local Features Extraction and Description Jiri Matas, Czech Technical University, CZ Document Image Analysis Alicia Fornes, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, ES Scene Understanding Martial Hebert, CMU, USA Automatic Facial Expression Recognition Michel Valstar, University of Nottingham, UK RGB-D Cameras Thomas Whelan, Imperial College London, UK *Applications* Point Clouds 3D* João P. Costeira, IST, PT ** *Tentative titles *Industry Track* http://asap54.com/ Daniel Heesch www.enermeter.pt/en Manuel João Ferreira www.philips.com Jacek Kustra *Venue* visum will take place in Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city, European Best Destination 2012 and Lonely Planet’s top 10 for 2013. Here, you can find famous baroque style monuments, the worldwide known Port Wine cellars, always having the World Heritage Douro River as the background of this youthful, active and charming city. visum’s program includes social activities. *Accommodation*** *Tattva Design Hostel* Students will have 10% of discount. The prices include: Buffet breakfast, Wi-Fi all over the building, 4 computers in Lounge area, free linen, free locks, free City Maps, free Luggage Storage, free Portuguese Lessons, free Walking Tours, Happy Hour (exclusive prices for TattvaBar for guests). *Hotel da Música* All accepted participants will have a special price included in visum’s fees. Hotel da Música is a luxurious 4-star property set in a prime location in the centre of Porto. Local tourist attractions such as Rotunda da Boavista, Casa da Musica and Hospital Militar are not far from the hotel. Hotel da Música is equipped with free wifi. For more details please follow the link: http://www.hoteldamusica.com/and do not forget to check the special conditions at http://www.fe.up.pt/visum/ Please visit our webpage for up to date information: http://www.fe.up.pt/visum/. We are looking forward for your participation! visum organising committee Tiago Esteves, INEB, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Kelwin Fernandes, INESC TEC, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Eduardo Marques, INESC TEC, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Ana Rebelo, INESC TEC, Universidade do Porto Ricardo Sousa, INEB, Universidade do Porto Luís Teixeira, INESC TEC, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Follow us on: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/visum/402527539813446 Google+: https://plus.google.com/104076275960053201744/posts Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/visumschool

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Multi-timescale Modeling of Activity-Dependent Metabolic Coupling in the Neuron-Glia-Vasculature Ensemble
by Jolivet, Renaud 03 Mar '15

03 Mar '15

Dear colleagues, You might be interested by our recent paper: "Multi-timescale Modeling of Activity-Dependent Metabolic Coupling in the Neuron-Glia-Vasculature Ensemble”, recently published in PLOS Computational Biology (http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004036) From the abstract: Glucose is the main energy substrate in the adult brain under normal conditions. Accumulating evidence, however, indicates that lactate produced in astrocytes (a type of glial cell) can also fuel neuronal activity. The quantitative aspects of this so-called astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS) are still debated. To address this question, we developed a detailed biophysical model of the brain’s metabolic interactions. Our model integrates three modeling approaches, the Buxton-Wang model of vascular dynamics, the Hodgkin-Huxley formulation of neuronal membrane excitability and a biophysical model of metabolic pathways. This approach provides a template for large-scale simulations of the neuron-glia-vasculature (NGV) ensemble, and for the first time integrates the respective timescales at which energy metabolism and neuronal excitability occur. The model is constrained by relative neuronal and astrocytic oxygen and glucose utilization, by the concentration of metabolites at rest and by the temporal dynamics of NADH upon activation. These constraints produced four observations. First, a transfer of lactate from astrocytes to neurons emerged in response to activity. Second, constrained by activity-dependent NADH transients, neuronal oxidative metabolism increased first upon activation with a subsequent delayed astrocytic glycolysis increase. Third, the model correctly predicted the dynamics of extracellular lactate and oxygen as observed in vivo in rats. Fourth, the model correctly predicted the temporal dynamics of tissue lactate, of tissue glucose and oxygen consumption, and of the BOLD signal as reported in human studies. These findings not only support the ANLS hypothesis but also provide a quantitative mathematical description of the metabolic activation in neurons and glial cells, as well as of the macroscopic measurements obtained during brain imaging. Best regards, Renaud -- Renaud Jolivet, PhD Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology University College London r.jolivet(a)ucl.ac.uk<mailto:r.jolivet@ucl.ac.uk> https://sites.google.com/site/renaudjolivet/ +44 20 7679 3243

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INNS (International Neural Network Society) BigData 2015 San Francisco, Aug. 8-10, 2015 - $2000 Best Paper Award - Papers submission deadline is March 22nd.
by Asim Roy 02 Mar '15

02 Mar '15

[Apologies for cross-postings] ########################################### The inaugural INNS Big Data conference 2015 August 8-10, 2015, San Francisco, USA CALL FOR PAPERS ########################################### Homepage: http://www.innsbigdata.org ########################################### The aim of the INNS BigData conference is to promote new advances and research directions in efficient and innovative algorithmic approaches to analyzing big data (e.g. deep networks, nature-inspired and brain-inspired algorithms), implementations on different computing platforms (e.g. neuromorphic, GPUs, clouds, clusters) and applications of Big Data Analytics to solve real-world problems (e.g. weather prediction, transportation, energy management). Please refer to our website for a more detailed list of topics. Being INNS' inaugural conference on the theme of big data, we are especially motivated to synthesize ideas, promote activities and generate broad interest in areas where neural networks have many unique advantages. We also have Twitter, Facebook and Google+ pages! Elsevier Best Paper Award ########################################################### * Recognizes the best paper presented at the INNS Big Data conference. Both application and theoretical papers will be considered. * It will be awarded by the Big Data Analytics Section of the International Neural Network Society and is sponsored by Elsevier. * The Award consists of a plaque and a $2000 honorarium ########################################################### Dr. Fen Zhao Talk ########################################################### * Dr. Fen Zhao is a Staff Associate at the Office of the Assistant Director (OAD) for Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) at the National Science Foundation. * She will give a talk on national big data R&D initiative and on building public-private partnerships around CISE's Big Data, next generation internet, and cybersecurity R&D portfolios. ########################################################### Plenary Speakers ########################################################### * Bin Yu, Chancellor's Professor, University of California , Berkeley * Raghu Ramakrishnan, Head of Cloud and Information Services Lab (CISL) and big data team, Microsoft * Brenda Dietrich, IBM Fellow and VP, Leads the Emerging Technologies Team for IBM Watson, IBM * Juergen Schmidhuber, Scientific Director, IDSIA ########################################################### Tutorials ########################################################### * Deep Learning - Profs. Juergen Schmidhuber (University of Lugano, and the Swiss AI Lab IDSIA) and Dong Yu (Microsoft Research) * Introduction to How Brain Deals with Big Data - Juyang Weng (Michigan State University) * Platforms and Algorithms for Big Data Analytics - Prof. Chandan K. Reddy (Wayne State University) * Big Data Analytics, Machine Learning Cognitive Algorithms and the Mind - Prof. Leonid I. Perlovsky (Northeastern University) * Spiking Neural Networks and Neuromorphic Spatio-Temporal Data Machines - Prof. Nikola Kasabov (Auckland University of Technology) * Online Learning for Big Data Analytics - Prof. Irwin King (Chinese University of Hong Kong) ########################################################### Workshops ########################################################### * Deep Learning - Profs. Juergen Schmidhuber and Dong Yu * Neuromorphic Spatio-Temporal Big Data Machines - Prof. Nikola Kasabov * Neural networks and wearable devices - Prof. Danilo Mandic * Big Data and Power Systems - Profs. Dejan Sobajic and Kumar Venayagamoorthy * Crowd Behaviour and Big Data - Profs. Chrisina Jayne and Mehmed Kantardzic ########################################################### Important Dates ########################################################### * Paper Submission March 22, 2015 * Paper Decision Notification May 22, 2015 * Camera Ready Submission of papers June 8, 2015 ########################################################### Paper Submission and Publication ########################################################### * Prospective authors should submit a full-length draft manuscript (8 pages), including figures, tables and references using the Elsevier Standard template without page numbers. * The full papers should be submitted to the INNS-BigData'2015 EasyChair online submission website: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=innsbigdata2015 * Conference proceedings will be published by Elsevier as a separate issue of Procedia Computer Science, which is an open access publication and is part of Science Direct electronic service. ########################################################### Topics and Areas include, but not limited to: * Autonomous, online, incremental learning - theory, algorithms and applications in big data * High dimensional data, feature selection, feature transformation - theory, algorithms and applications for big data * Scalable algorithms for big data * Learning algorithms for high-velocity streaming data * Kernel methods and statistical learning theory * Big data streams analytics * Deep neural network learning * Machine vision and big data * Brain-machine interfaces and big data * Cognitive modeling and big data * Embodied robotics and big data * Fuzzy systems and big data * Evolutionary systems and big data * Evolving systems for big data analytics * Neuromorphic hardware for scalable machine learning * Parallel and distributed computing for big data analytics (cloud, map-reduce, etc.) * Big data and collective intelligence/collaborative learning * Big data and hybrid systems * Big data and self-aware systems * Big Data and infrastructure * Big data analytics and healthcare/medical applications * Big data analytics and energy systems/smart grids * Big data analytics and transportation systems * Big data analytics in large sensor networks * Big data and machine learning in computational biology, bioinformatics * Recommendation systems/collaborative filtering for big data * Big data visualization * Online multimedia/ stream/ text analytics * Link and graph mining * Big data and cloud computing, large scale stream processing on the cloud Big Data Analytics Section @ INNS ########################################################### Considering the growing interest to process and analyse big data, the International Neural Network Society (INNS) has a new Section on Big Data Analytics (BDA) to help the neural network field position itself as a leading technology contributor to big data analytics. By actively promoting the use of neural networks for big data analytics, the INNS-BDA section is dedicated towards bringing the neural network field to greater heights. Anyone who is interested to know more is encouraged to visit the homepage of the INNS-BDA Section at http://www.inns.org/big-data-section. ACCOMMODATION RESERVATION ########################################################### * A dedicated website is now available for attendees to book their hotel rooms online. * Reservations can be made starting 31-Oct-2014 at this web address: https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=12490679 ########################################################### Co-Sponsors * International Neural Network Society (INNS) * Elsevier Advisory Board * Walter Freeman, University of California, Berkeley, USA * Ali Minai, University of Cincinnati, USA * Danil Prokhorov, Toyota Tech Center * Bernard Widrow, Stanford University, USA * Bart Kosko, University of Southern California, USA General Chairs * Plamen Angelov, Lancaster University, UK * Asim Roy, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA PC Chairs * Adel M. Alimi, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia * Theodore Trafalis, University of Oklahoma, USA * Kumar Venayagamoorthy, Clemson University, USA Plenary Chairs * Nikola Kasabov, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand * Irwin King, Chinese University of Hongkong, China Special Sessions Chairs * Bonny Banerjee, University of Memphis, USA * Alessandro Ghio, University of Genoa, Italy Tutorials/Workshops Chair * Marley Vellasco, PUC-Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * Trevor Martin, Univ. of Bristol, UK. Poster Session Chairs * Yi Lu Murphy, University of Michigan-Dearborn, USA * Bernardete Ribeiro, University of Coimbra, Portugal Sponsors/Exhibit Chairs * James Dankert, BAE Systems, USA * Rosemary Paradis, Lockheed Martin, USA Publication Chairs * Danilo Mandic, Imperial College, London, UK * John Weng, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA * Mariette Awad, American University of Beirut, Lebanon * Amir Hussain, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK

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Community Session on reproducibility in the neurosciences - 11th Göttingen meeting of the NWG
by Andrea Huber Brösamle 02 Mar '15

02 Mar '15

----------------------------------------------------------- Community Session Reproducibility in the neurosciences Novel tools and links to the Human Brain Project (HBP) platforms and the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF) ----------------------------------------------------------- We invite you to attend a Community Session on Reproducibility in the neurosciences taking place during the 11th Göttingen Meeting of the German Neuroscience Society. Date and Time: March 19th, 2015, 14:30-16:30h Location: University of Göttingen, Main Lecture Building, Room 1.141 Snacks and beverages will be served Recently, experiments gathering neuronal data in behaving animals as well as the corresponding data analysis workflows have dramatically gained in complexity. At present, this creates a lack of reproducibility impairing the reliability and efficiency of research. In this community session, the status and approaches to address this challenge will be reviewed and discussed. *Speakers:* Sonja Grün (Jülich Researach Centre & RWTH Aachen) Thomas Wachtler (G-Node, LMU Munich) Jeff Muller (EPFL, Lausanne) We are looking forward to seeing you in Göttingen. Community Session organizer: Sonja Grün (Jülich Researach Centre & RWTH Aachen)

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3rd CFP: EXTENDED DEADLINE Special Session on Quantifying Embodiment, ECAL'15
by Keyan Ghazi-Zahedi 02 Mar '15

02 Mar '15

3rd CALL FOR PAPERS *** EXTENDED DEADLINE *** 13th European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL 2015) Special Session on Quantifying Embodiment Session paper submission deadline: Monday, 16 March 2015 Notification of acceptance of papers: Friday, 24 April 2015 Paper Camera-Ready-Copy deadline: Monday, 18 May 2015 Conference convenes: 20-24 July 2015, York, United Kingdom Conference website: http://ecal2015.alife.org <http://ecal2015.alife.org/> Special Session website: http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/nature/ecal2015/embodiment.html <http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/nature/ecal2015/embodiment.html> There is a growing acknowledgement in the artificial life and artificial intelligence community that embodiment is a key for the understanding of cognitive systems. Despite the consensus about the importance of embodiment, there is no clear definition of what the agent’s embodiment actually is. We believe that a quantitative approach can help to answer this open question. This is inspired by Einstein’s answer to the question ”What is time?”, to which he replied ”Time is what clocks measure”. Although this seems to be a trivial answer, it reveals that what we mean by time depends on the way we measure it. We are interested in quantifications of embodiment from various view points and different fields. A non-exclusive list of examples is: • Quantifications of the embodiment’s effect on sensing • Quantifications of the embodiment’s effect on cognitive processes • Quantifications of the embodiment’s effect on acting • Quantifications of brain-body-environment separation We are open to quantifications from any formal approach. Examples are information theory and dynamical systems, but others are highly welcome too. The ideal outcome of the special session would be a good overview of different concepts and quantifications of embodiment and an understanding how they overlap and differ, thereby leading to a better understanding and a clearer picture of what embodiment actually is. Papers are submitted via the ECAL paper submission form and published in the conference proceedings. You need to select “Quantifying Embodiment” when you are submitting your paper. Special Session Chairs: Keyan Ghazi-Zahedi, Christoph Salge, Georg Martius, Daniel Polani

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PhD and Postdoc positions (eye-movements, stereo) at QMUL
by Miles Hansard 02 Mar '15

02 Mar '15

PhD Studentship: Computational Analysis of Eye-Movements. School of EECS, Queen Mary, University of London. Applications are invited for a fully-funded PhD studentship, to conduct research into human eye-movements. The project will develop new computational models of visual behaviour, based on recent ideas from computer vision, spatial statistics and time-series analysis. The models will be tested in psychophysical experiments, and implemented in an open-source tool-kit. Supervised by Miles Hansard (computer vision, http://www.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/~milesh/) and Isabelle Mareschal (experimental psychology). All nationalities are eligible to apply, for details see: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AKO352/phd-studentship-in-eye-movement-analysis/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Research Assistant: Geometric Evaluation of Stereoscopic Video. School of EECS, Queen Mary, University of London. This new project will develop a new approach to the evaluation of 3D content, based on computational models of human binocular vision. Disparity statistics will be computed from stereoscopic video, by a prototype system, for use in depth-grading and other post-production tasks. To work with Miles Hansard (http://www.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/~milesh/) in conjunction with a high-profile graphics and visual effects company. All nationalities are eligible to apply, for details see: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ATT437/research-assistant/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- http://www.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/~milesh/

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INCF Nodes Workshop in Warsaw, April 16-17
by Daniel Wójcik 02 Mar '15

02 Mar '15

Dear Colleagues, Each Spring, the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF; http://www.incf.org) holds the INCF Nodes Workshop. This is the main event bringing representatives from each Node country together to present their activities, begin and continue collaborations, and inspire the future directions of INCF: http://incf.org/activities/workshops/node-workshops/node-workshops The next workshop will be organized by the Polish Node of INCF, and will spotlight Polish neuroinformatics research in areas from molecular neuroscience to brain-computer interfaces and supercomputing. It will be held at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (http://en.nencki.gov.pl/) in Warsaw, 16-17 April 2015, and will be the first Nodes Workshop open to the wider scientific community. Registration is free. Deadline for registration: * March 16* Workshop details: http://bit.ly/incf2015spring Looking forward to welcoming you in Warsaw, Daniel Wojcik On behalf of the Polish Node of INCF -- Daniel K. Wojcik, PhD, DSc Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Head PhD Studies, Head Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology 3 Pasteur St, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland tel: (+48 22) 5892348 fax: (+48 22) 8225342 skype: danek8317 http://dwojcik.pl/ http://neuroinflab.wordpress.com/ http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0812-9872

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Systems and Computational Neuroscience Down Under (SCiNDU)
by Geoffrey Goodhill 01 Mar '15

01 Mar '15

SCiNDU: SYSTEMS AND COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE DOWN UNDER qbi.uq.edu.au/scindu<http://qbi.uq.edu.au/scindu> December 15-17th, 2015, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia This conference will bring together international leaders in understanding the computational principles underlying how neural circuits decode sensory information, make decisions, and learn from experience. Abstract submissions for poster presentation are welcome. Deadline for abstracts and early registration is Oct 16th 2015. Some abstracts will be selected for short talks. Confirmed invited speakers include: Ehsan Arabzadeh (ANU) Mark Bear (MIT) Michael Breakspear (QIMR) Allen Cheung (QBI) Yang Dan (UC Berkeley) Peter Dayan (UCL) Geoffrey Goodhill (QBI) Zach Mainen (Champalimaud) Jason Mattingley (QBI) Linda Richards (QBI) Peter Robinson (Sydney) Marcello Rosa (Monash) Pankaj Sah (QBI) Mandyam Srinivasan (QBI) Greg Stuart (ANU) Stephen Williams (QBI) Li Zhaoping (UCL) On December 15th the conference will be preceded by tutorials including: Mark Bear: Experience-dependent synaptic plasticity Peter Dayan: Neural reinforcement learning Jason Mattingley: Brain stimulation, attention and plasticity Li Zhaoping: Vision, efficient coding and salience We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Queensland Brain Institute and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function. Professor Geoffrey J Goodhill Queensland Brain Institute and School of Mathematics & Physics University of Queensland St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia Email: g.goodhill(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:g.goodhill@uq.edu.au> http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/professor-geoffrey-goodhill

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Reminder: MBL Methods in Computational Neuroscience Course 2015: applications due March 5
by Mark Goldman 28 Feb '15

28 Feb '15

Applications are open for the Methods in Computational Neuroscience course at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. The course will run from July 29 to August 26, 2014, and the online application form can be found at: http://ws2.mbl.edu/studentapp/studentapp.asp?CourseID=MCN. The course application deadline is March 5. The course covers a range of topics in computational neuroscience including neuronal biophysics, neural coding & information processing, circuit dynamics, learning & memory, motor control, and cognitive processing & disease. In addition, numerous tutorials and problem sets will cover a broad range of computational and mathematical modeling methods. The course strongly emphasizes the collaboration between theory and experiment in solving neuroscience problems, and lectures will be given by a mixture of theorists and experimentalists. The final weeks of the course are primarily reserved for development and work on projects that students design in collaboration with the resident faculty. Further information can be found on the MCN website: http://www.mbl.edu/mcn/ 2015 Course Directors: Michale Fee, MIT Mark Goldman, UC Davis 2015 Confirmed Faculty: Larry Abbott, Columbia University Steve Baccus, Stanford University Jeff Beck, Duke University William Bialek, Princeton University Dmitri Chklovskii, HHMI Janelia Farm Peter Dayan, University College London Bard Ermentrout, University of Pittsburgh Adrienne Fairhall, University of Washington Ila Fiete, UT Austin Loren Frank, UCSF Michael Frank, Brown University Surya Ganguli, Stanford University John Huguenard, Stanford University David Kleinfeld, UC San Diego Nancy Kopell, Boston University John Lisman, Brandeis University Eve Marder, Brandeis University Bartlett Mel, University of Southern California Jonathan Pillow, Princeton University Maneesh Sahani, University College London Terry Sejnowski, Salk Institute Michael Shadlen, Columbia University Josh Shaevitz, Princeton University Sara Solla, Northwestern University Haim Sompolinsky, Hebrew University David Tank, Princeton University Josh Tenenbaum, MIT Srini Turaga, Janelia Farm Xiao-Jing Wang, NYU Daniel Wolpert, Cambridge University Ryohei Yasuda, Duke University

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a neural architecture for autonomous spatial and object attention, invariant object category learning and recognition, and Where’s Waldo search with freely moving eyes
by Stephen Grossberg 27 Feb '15

27 Feb '15

The following series of articles progressively develop a neural architecture for autonomous spatial and object attention, invariant object category learning and recognition, and Where’s Waldo search with freely moving eyes: ARTSCAN View-invariant object category learning and recognition with freely moving eyes in a 2D scene Fazl, A., Grossberg, S., and Mingolla, E. (2009). View-invariant object category learning, recognition, and search: How spatial and object attention are coordinated using surface-based attentional shrouds. Cognitive Psychology, 58, 1-48. http://cns.bu.edu/~steve/FazGroMin2008.pdf pARTSCAN View-, position-, and size-invariant object category learning and recognition with freely moving eyes in a 2D scene Cao, Y., Grossberg, S., and Markowitz, J. (2011). How does the brain rapidly learn and reorganize view- and positionally-invariant object representations in inferior temporal cortex? Neural Networks, 24, 1050-1061. http://cns.bu.edu/~steve/NN2853.pdf dARTSCAN ARTSCAN with transient and sustained distributed attention and prefrontal priming in a 2D scene Foley, N.C., Grossberg, S. and Mingolla, E. (2012). Neural dynamics of object-based multifocal visual spatial attention and priming: Object cueing, useful-field-of-view, and crowding. Cognitive Psychology, 65, 77-117. http://cns.bu.edu/~steve/FolGroMin2012.pdf ARTSCAN SEARCH Solution of Where’s Waldo Problem: finding a valued object in a 2D scene Chang, H.-C., Grossberg, S., and Cao, Y. (2014) Where's Waldo? How perceptual cognitive, and emotional brain processes cooperate during learning to categorize and find desired objects in a cluttered scene. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, doi: 10.3389/fnint.2014.0043. http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnint.2014.00043/full 3D ARTSCAN ARTSCAN of a 3D scene whose 3D perceptual representations remain stable as the eyes move Grossberg, S., Srinivasan, K., and Yazdanbakhsh, A. (2014). Binocular fusion and invariant category learning due to predictive remapping during scanning of a depthful scene with eye movements. Frontiers in Psychology: Perception Science, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01457. http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01457/full Stephen Grossberg Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems Professor of Mathematics, Psychology, and Biomedical Engineering Director, Center for Adaptive Systems http://www.cns.bu.edu/about/cas.html http://cns.bu.edu/~steve steve(a)bu.edu

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ECMLPKDD 2015 : Call for Papers, Tutorials and Workshops
by ECMLPKDD 2015 27 Feb '15

27 Feb '15

The European Conference on Machine Learning and Principles and Practice of Knowledge Discovery in Databases (ECMLPKDD) will take place in Porto, Portugal, from September 7th to 11th, 2015 (http://www.ecmlpkdd2015.org) This event is the leading European scientific event on machine learning and data mining and builds upon a very successful series of 25 ECML and 18 PKDD conferences, which have been jointly organized for the past 14 years. ECMLPKDD 2015 will host three tracks, tutorials and a set of workshops. Therefore, we invite all researchers and practitioners from different communities to submit papers and/or present tutorial and workshop proposals. ************************* CALL FOR PAPERS ************************* JOURNAL TRACK ********************* Articles for this track are submitted all year long directly to either Machine Learning or Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, and are reviewed like regular journal articles. Accepted articles appear in full in the journal and the authors are given a presentation slot at the conference. Articles deemed insufficiently mature for journal publication may be accepted for inclusion in the proceedings. Submissions to the journal track will be managed by the Guest Editorial Board. Paper Submission: Cut-off dates for the bi-weekly batches are 18 Jan, 1 Feb, 15 Fev, 1 Mar, 15 Mar, 29 Mar, 12 Apr, 26 Apr of 2015 Web Page: http://www.ecmlpkdd2015.org/submission/journal-track RESEARCH PROCEEDINGS TRACK ******************************************* The research proceedings track, which is organized in the traditional way. Accepted papers will be published in the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNCS/LNAI) of Springer, after reviewing by the programme committee. Abstract Submission Deadline: March 26, 2015 Paper Submission Deadline: April 2, 2015 Paper Acceptance Notification: June 1, 2015 Paper Camera Ready Submission: June 15, 2015 Web Page: http://www.ecmlpkdd2015.org/submission/research-proceedings-track INDUSTRIAL, GOVERNMENTAL & NON-GOVERNMENTAL PROCEEDINGS TRACK **************************************************************************** ************************** The NEW industrial, governmental & non-governmental (NGO) proceedings track is independent and distinct from the Research Track. Submissions to this track should solve real-world problems and focus on engineering systems, applications, and challenges. Accepted papers will be published in the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNCS/LNAI) of Springer, after reviewing by the programme committee. Abstract Submission Deadline: March 26, 2015 Paper Submission Deadline: April 2, 2015 Paper Acceptance Notification: June 1, 2015 Paper Camera Ready Submission: June 15, 2015 Web Page: http://www.ecmlpkdd2015.org/submission/industrial-proceedings-track ***************************************************************** CALL FOR TUTORIAL AND WORKSHOP PROPOSALS ***************************************************************** TUTORIALS ************** The tutorials are intended to provide a comprehensive introduction to established or emerging research topics of interest for the machine learning and the data mining community. These topics include related research fields or applications. The ideal tutorial should attract a wide audience. It should be broad enough to provide a basic introduction to the chosen research area, but it should also cover the most important topics in depth. We welcome half day workshop proposals. Proposal Deadline: March 2, 2015 Proposal Acceptance Notification: March 23, 2015 Web Page: http://www.ecmlpkdd2015.org/submission/call-for-tutorials WORKSHOPS **************** The workshops will be on relevant and current topics in Machine Learning and Data Mining. The scope of the proposal should be consistent with the conference themes as described in the ECMLPKDD 2015 Call for Papers (http://www.ecmlpkdd2015.org/submission) Interdisciplinary workshops that bring together researchers and practitioners from different communities are especially welcome. We encourage workshops that bridge the gap between theoretical advances and important and/or innovative applications of machine learning and data mining. We welcome both full and half day workshop proposals. Proposal Deadline: March 2, 2015 Proposal Acceptance Notification: March 23, 2015 Workshop Websites and Call for Papers Online: March 27, 2015 Workshop Proceedings (Camera-ready): August 3, 2015 Web Page: http://www.ecmlpkdd2015.org/submission/call-for-workshop-proposals Hope to see you all soon in Porto, Portugal!!! The publicity chairs of the ECMLPKDD 2015, Carlos Abreu Ferreira Ricardo Campos --- Este e-mail foi verificado em termos de vírus pelo software antivírus Avast. http://www.avast.com

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Postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience at IUPUI
by Yaroslav Molkov 27 Feb '15

27 Feb '15

A postdoctoral/research associate position in computational neuroscience is available immediately in the NIH funded project focusing on multiscale computational modeling of interactions between respiratory central pattern generator and sympathetic nervous system as it relates to neurogenic hypertension. This collaborative project is performed by the groups of Yaroslav Molkov (Dept. of Mathematical Science, Indiana University – Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA), Ana Abdala (University of Bristol, UK) and Daniel Zoccal (Sao Paulo State University, Brazil). Excessive sympathetic activity plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of hypertension. Such autonomic dysfunction is observed in hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Chronic exposure to intermittent hypoxia (CIH) that occurs in OSA is the main factor leading to sympathetic overactivity and hypertension. A CIH-driven increase in sympathetic output is largely dependent on the emergence of active expiratory pattern. The respiratory central pattern generator (rCPG) is composed of two interacting oscillators. The first occupies Bötzinger/pre-Bötzinger complexes and generates self-sustained respiratory rhythm controlling the diaphragm to provide inspiration. The second oscillator, the parafacial respiratory group (pFRG), resides in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN). The RTN/pFRG oscillations emerge in hypoxic and hypercapnic conditions, and drive motor output to abdominal muscles for active (forced) expiration. Interactions of these respiratory circuits with the sympathetic neurons of the rostral and caudal ventrolateral medulla evoke respiratory-related oscillations in sympathetic efferent drive. Exposure to CIH leads to alterations in excitability of RTN/pFRG neuronal population and/or modifications in synaptic connections between respiratory oscillators and sympathetic neurons which ultimately results in the elevated baseline sympathetic activity and arterial pressure. This interdisciplinary project aims to reveal the mechanisms that couple breathing and control of blood pressure in the brain in health and disease, and for the first time translate them into a realistic computational model. Such a model will have the unprecedented potential for generating effective non-pharmacological means of controlling blood pressure and breathing via implantable biofeedback devices (e.g. vagus nerve stimulation) and non-invasive devices for guided control of autonomic function (e.g. device-guided paced respiration). Furthermore, it will provide a robust scientific substrate for evaluating the usefulness and safety of alternative medicine interventions, such as controlled breathing practices, for lowering blood pressure and improving heart rate variability. Applicants must have a PhD degree in Neuroscience, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a related discipline and have excellent programming skills (C++, Matlab, UNIX). Previous experience in computational neuronal modeling is a plus. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Molkov ( ymolkov(a)iupui.edu) by email. To apply, please send an email along with (1) curriculum vitae; (2) a cover letter describing previous research experience and interests; (3) the names and contact information of three references. Application processing will begin immediately and the search will remain open until the position is filled. Best Regards, Yaroslav Molkov, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis Department of Mathematical Sciences 402 N. Blackford St, LD 270, Indianapolis, IN 46202 Office: LD 224U Phone: (317) 274-6934 Fax: (317) 274-3460 Email: ymolkov(a)iupui.edu

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Postdoctoral positions available in Sophie Deneve's team, Group for Neural Theory, Ecole Normale supérieure, Paris
by Sophie Deneve 26 Feb '15

26 Feb '15

Two postdoctoral positions are available in the group of Sophie Deneve, Ecole Normale supérieure Paris. Positions are for one year, renewable one year, and comes with competitive salary and generous equipment and travel funds. The team is part of the “Group for neural theory” ( http://iec-lnc.ens.fr/group-for-neural-theory/) and surrounded by top-level theoretical and experimental labs. Candidates are expected to have a solid training in the field of computational neuroscience, proven quantitative and programming skills and a strong interest in integrative/cognitive neuroscience. Starting dates are flexible, but should preferentially occur before September 2015. Possible projects include: Starting from the hypothesis that biological networks are optimally tuned to maximize coding efficiency and robustness, we will design new tools to analyze their dynamics and function. We will identify functionally relevant, low-dimensional structures in large neural datasets (spontaneous and stimulus-driven multi-unit activity in retina, visual cortex, and/or in Zebrafish whole brain recordings). Sensory neurons are often described in terms by their receptive fields. On the other hand, “generative models” (and more generally, efficient coding) assume that neurons collectively try to predict their stimuli. In such scenarios, prior assumptions, metabolic constrains and context deeply reshape neural selectivity. We will consider implications for learning, attentional modulation and/or hierarchical neural processing. Candidates should send their application to sophie.deneve(a)ens.fr by *March 31, 2015*. Please mention “postdoctoral candidate” in the subject of the email. Application should take the form of a single PDF file, containing a CV, motivation letter, names and email addresses of 2 to 3 referees. No official letter of recommendations are required, as the referee will be contacted directly. Best wishes, -- Dr Sophie Deneve Group for Neural Theory Laboratoire de Neurosciences cognitives ENS-INSERM 29, rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France Tel. (+33) (0)1 44 32 26 35

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New Paper on Network Dynamics of the Human Brain
by Xerxes D. Arsiwalla 26 Feb '15

26 Feb '15

Dear Colleagues, For your interest, our paper on dynamics of the human connectome is now available open access. http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fninf.2015.00002/abstract Network Dynamics with BrainX3: A Large-Scale Simulation of the Human Brain Network with Real-Time Interaction Arsiwalla XD, Zucca R, Betella A, Martinez E, Dalmazzo D, Omedas P, Deco G and Verschure PFMJ (2015) Front. Neuroinform. 9:02. doi: 10.3389/fninf.2015.00002 Abstract BrainX3 is a large-scale simulation of human brain activity with real-time interaction, rendered in 3D in a virtual reality environment, which combines computational power with human intuition for the exploration and analysis of complex dynamical networks. We ground this simulation on structural connectivity obtained from diffusion spectrum imaging data and model it on neuronal population dynamics. Users can interact with BrainX3 in real-time by perturbing brain regions with transient stimulations to observe reverberating network activity, simulate lesion dynamics or implement network analysis functions from a library of graph theoretic measures. BrainX3 can thus be used as a novel immersive platform for exploration and analysis of dynamical activity patterns in brain networks, both at rest or in a task-related state, for discovery of signaling pathways associated to brain function and/or dysfunction and as a tool for virtual neurosurgery. Our results demonstrate these functionalities and shed insight on the dynamics of the resting-state attractor. Specifically, we found that a noisy network seems to favor a low firing attractor state. We also found that the dynamics of a noisy network is less resilient to lesions. Our simulations on TMS perturbations show that even though TMS inhibits most of the network, it also sparsely excites a few regions. This is presumably due to anti-correlations in the dynamics and suggests that even a lesioned network can show sparsely distributed increased activity compared to healthy resting-state, over specific brain areas.

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Workshop announcement: HBP Hippocamp CA1
by Szabolcs Káli 26 Feb '15

26 Feb '15

Dear Colleagues, Registration is now open for the workshop "HBP Hippocamp CA1: Collaborative and Integrative Modeling of Hippocampal Area CA1", to be held March 31st - April 1st, 2015 at UCL School of Pharmacy in London, supported by the Human Brain Project (www.humanbrainproject.eu) In short, the aims of the workshop are two-fold. First, to engage the larger community of experimentalists and modelers working on hippocampus, and highlight existing modeling efforts and strategic datasets for modeling hippocampal area CA1. Second, to define and bootstrap an inclusive community-driven model and data-integration process to achieve open pre-competitive reference models of area CA1 (and, ultimately, the rest of the hippocampus), which are well documented, validated, and released at regular intervals (supported in part by IT infrastructure funded by HBP). Involvement from the community interested in characterization and modeling of the hippocampus is highly encouraged. To keep the meeting focused on the task, participation will be limited to ~30 people, so registration is required. Please consult the meeting website at http://neuralensemble.org/meetings/HippocampCA1/ for registration and further details. Organizing committee: Jo Falck (UCL), Szabolcs Káli (Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Sigrun Lange (UCL), Audrey Mercer (UCL), Eilif Muller (EPFL), Armando Romani (EPFL) and Alex Thomson (UCL). Best regards, Szabolcs Káli Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research Institute of Experimental Medicine Hungarian Academy of Sciences H-1083 Budapest Szigony utca 43. Phone: +36-1-2109413 Fax: +36-1-2109412 E-mail: kali.szabolcs(a)koki.mta.hu www.koki.mta.hu

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Tenth Advanced Statistics and Data Mining Summer School (Madrid, June 29th - July 10th, 2015)
by asdm＠fi.upm.es 26 Feb '15

26 Feb '15

Dear colleagues, The Technical University of Madrid (UPM) will once more organize the 'Advanced Statistics and Data Mining' summer school. The summer school will be held in Boadilla del Monte, near Madrid, from June 29th to July 10th. This year's edition comprises 12 week-long courses (15 lecture hours each), given during two weeks (six courses each week). Attendees may register in each course independently. No restrictions, besides those imposed by timetables, apply on the number or choice of courses. Early registration is now *OPEN*. Extended information on course programmes, price, venue, accommodation and transport is available at the school's website: http://www.dia.fi.upm.es/ASDM Please, forward this information to your colleagues, students, and whoever you think may find it interesting. Best regards, Pedro Larranaga, Concha Bielza, Bojan Mihaljevic and Laura Anton-Sanchez. -- School coordinators. *** List of courses and brief description *** * Week 1 (June 29th - July 3rd, 2015) * 1st session: 9:45-12:45 Course 1: Bayesian Networks (15 h) Basics of Bayesian networks. Inference in Bayesian networks. Learning Bayesian networks from data. Real applications. Practical demonstration: GeNIe, Weka, Bayesia, R. Course 2: Time Series(15 h) Basic concepts in time series. Descriptive methods for time series. Linear models for time series. Extensions. Practical demonstration: R. 2nd session: 13:45-16:45 Course 3: Supervised Pattern Recognition (15 h) Introduction. Assessing the performance of supervised classification algorithms. Preprocessing. Classification techniques. Combining multiple classifiers. Comparing supervised classification algorithms. Course 4: Bayesian Inference (15 h) Introduction: Bayesian basics. Conjugate models. MCMC and other simulation methods. Regression and Hierarchical models. Model selection. Practical demonstration: R and WinBugs. 3rd session: 17:00 - 20:00 Course 5: Neural Networks and Deep Learning (15 h) Introduction. Training algorithms. Learning and Optimization. MLPs in practice. Deep Networks. Course 6: Unsupervised Pattern Recognition (15 h) Introduction to clustering. Data exploration and preparation. Prototype-based clustering. Density-based clustering. Graph-based clustering. Cluster evaluation. Miscellanea. Conclusions and final advise. Practical session: R. * Week 2 (July 6th - July 10th, 2015) * 1st session: 9:45-12:45 Course 7: Statistical Inference(15 h) Introduction. Some basic statistical test. Multiple testing. Introduction to bootstrap methods. Introduction to Robust Statistics. Practical demonstration: R. Course 8: Bayesian Classifiers (15 h) Discrete predictors. Gaussian Bayesian networks-based classifiers. Other Bayesian classifiers. Bayesian classifiers for: positive and unlabeled data, semi-supervised learning, data streams, temporal data. Practical session: R. 2nd session: 13:45-16:45 Course 9: Text Mining (15 h) Introduction. Fundamentals. Language Modeling. String Processing. Text Classification. Information Extraction. Practical session: GATE (optionally, python). Course 10: Feature Subset Selection (15 h) Introduction. Filter approaches. Embedded methods. Wrapper methods. Advanced topics. Practical session: R and Weka. 3rd session: 17:00-20:00 Course 11: Support Vector Machines and Convex Optimization (15 h) Introduction. SVM models. SVM learning algorithms. Convex non differentiable optimization. Course 12: Hidden Markov Models (15 h) Introduction. Discrete Hidden Markov Models. Basic algorithms for Hidden Markov Models. Semicontinuous Hidden Markov Models. Continuous Hidden Markov Models. Unit selection and clustering. Speaker and Environment Adaptation for HMMs. Other applications of HMMs. Practical session: HTK.

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Call for Papers ( Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience): Special Issue on Neuropsychology through the lenses of Computational Modelling
by Eirini Mavritsaki 26 Feb '15

26 Feb '15

Call for Papers Special Issue in Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience 'Neuropsychology through the lenses of Computational Modelling' Extended Deadline for Abstract Submission 16th of March Computational modelling may provide an increasingly important tool for furthering neuropsychology and understanding brain impairments – but there remain many issues: how can different types of lesion be best modelled? What are the differences between damage to grey matter and to fibre tracts? What the effects of learning within damaged systems or systems where there is an imbalance in neurotransmitters? For this reason a special issue that brings together state-of-the-art papers on the computational modelling of neuropsychological disorders, with papers covering different levels of modelling (from spiking neurons to higher-level connectionist modelling), using imaging as well as behavioural data, and addressing a number of different disorders (attention, language, memory etc.) is expended to contribute significantly to the field of Neuropsychology and Computational Neuroscience. In collaboration with Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, we are organizing a Research Topic titled "Neuropsychology through the lenses of computational modelling”, hosted by Eirini Mavritsaki, Glyn Humphreys. As host editor, I would like to encourage you to contribute to this topic. Frontiers, a Swiss open-access publisher, recently partnered with Nature Publishing Group to expand its researcher-driven Open Science platform. Frontiers articles are rigorously peer-reviewed, can be disseminated freely and are widely read by your colleagues and by the broader scientific and medical research communities. The idea behind a research topic is to create an organized, comprehensive collection of several contributions, as well as a forum for discussion and debate. Contributions can be articles describing original research, methods, hypothesis & theory, opinions, etc. We have created a homepage on the Frontiers website (Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience) where all articles will appear after peer-review and where participants in the topic will be able to hold relevant discussions: http://www.frontiersin.org/Computational_Neuroscience/researchtopics/Neurop…. Frontiers will also compile an e-book, as soon as all contributing articles are published, that can be used in classes, be sent to foundations that fund your research, to journalists and press agencies, or to any number of other organizations. As such, a manuscript accepted for publication incurs a publishing fee, which varies depending on the article type. Research Topic manuscripts receive a significant discount on publishing fees. Please take a look at this fee table: http://www.frontiersin.org/about/PublishingFees. Once published, your articles will remain free to access for all readers, and will be indexed in PubMed and other academic archives. As an author in Frontiers, you retain the copyright to your own papers and figures. I would be delighted if you considered participating in this Research Topic. Should you choose to participate, please confirm by sending me a quick email and then your abstract no later than Feb 16, 2015 using the following link: http://www.frontiersin.org/Computational_Neuroscience/researchtopics/Neurop… Please note that the deadline for manuscript submission is on: Jun 30, 2015 Since I am using the Frontiers system to manage this topic, I would really appreciate if you could also please indicate your decision by clicking on one of the links below. <<Variable for accept/decline links – do not edit!>> With best regards, Eirini Mavritsaki Guest Associate Editor, Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience www.frontiersin.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eirini Mavritsaki, Ph.D., CPsychol Co-Director of the Centre for Applied Psychological Research (CAP Research) Business Development Coordinator for Social Sciences Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology Faculty of Business Law and Social Sciences Birmingham City University D 3.17 Dawson Building City North Campus Perry Bar, Birmingham B42 2SU eirini.mavritsaki(a)bcu.ac.uk<mailto:eirini.mavritsaki@bcu.ac.uk> 0121 331 6361 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Master's program Cognitive sciences and technologies: from neuron to cognition
by Alex Ossadtchi 25 Feb '15

25 Feb '15

National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow invites applications for a 2-year Master's program Cognitive sciences and technologies: from neuron to cognition” The 2-year Master’s Program “Cognitive sciences and technologies: from neuron to cognition” invites highly-motivated students to apply. The English-speaking Master's Program is designed for students interested in connecting cognition, neuroscience and computer science. The earliest applications have the higher chances to get the total tuition fee exemption. Scholarships are also available. Leading European and Russian scientists form the HSE research center of excellence teach cognitive science, neuroimaging and modeling. Program’s Web site http://psy.hse.ru/cogito Application period for non-residents: January 1, 2015 - July 15, 2015. Early applications (before March 30) are encouraged. Location: The Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia. Additional info: http://www.hse.ru/ma/cogito/announcement Email: cogito(a)hse.ru

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Job opportunity
by jose luis perez velazquez 25 Feb '15

25 Feb '15

Please, post this job opportunity. Thanks Our group at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University Health Network in Toronto is offering a full-time research position for 2 years to work on the neurophysiological bases of hypnosis, starting around May 2015, with a stipend of $40,000/year. In this project we will investigate the neurophysical alterations that accompany hypnotic stages and simple memory tasks using intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) in individuals undergoing standard clinical assessment for their epilepsy. While several studies have advanced the view that hypnosis results in the dissociation, or “disconnection”, between frontal cortices and other brain areas, this evidence has been mainly obtained with non-invasive recordings such as functional neuroimaging. iEEG provides an exceptional opportunity to investigate with high spatial and temporal resolution changes in activity associated with alterations in cognitive states, thus overcoming typical problems that arise during source reconstruction from non-invasive recordings. The experimental procedures that the incumbent will carry out include the preparation and coding of the tasks to be presented to patients during control and mental imagery relaxation states. The incumbent will thus be taught how to administer mental imagery relaxation techniques and associated technicalities involved in such activities. Data analysis will require experience with typical digital signal processing for brain recordings such as power spectra and coherence, among others. Some scripts are already available in MATLAB and FieldTrip for signal processing, and the incumbent will have the chance, and would be encouraged to create his/her own codes, with the assistance of the members of the team. There are two *absolute requirements* for the incumbent: first, an excellent knowledge of coding in MATLAB and willingness to implement experimental tasks using Presentation, PsychoPy, or Psychtoolbox and, second, the ability to learn how to put patients at ease and coach them through the mental imagery relaxation technique that will be taught by one of the members of our team who practices this in his clinic. Specific knowledge of neurophysiology is not required but it will facilitate the project. Nevertheless, the incumbent will have plenty of opportunities to become familiar with neurophysiological techniques, concepts and analysis. The combined expertise of our team, that includes electrophysiological recordings, brain coordination dynamics and psychology, plus the several activities in our institutions, offer an excellent environment for a motivated student of the brain and behaviour. We think that this is a very interesting and innovative project and thus we are seeking a person who is not afraid of facing advanced brain recording methods and analysis of the psychophysics of altered states of consciousness. Those interested should contact and submit a CV to Jose Luis Perez Velazquez, jlpv(a)sickkids.ca, or jose-luis.perez-velazquez(a)sickkids.ca. A couple of potential references may be added to the CV.

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*** ICCM 2015 – Call for Participation ***
by ICCM 2015 25 Feb '15

25 Feb '15

Dear all, We would like to invite you to the 13th International Conference on Cognitive Modeling: the premier conference for research on computational models and computation-based theories of human cognition. ICCM 2015 will take place from April 9-11 in Groningen, the Netherlands, with tutorials on April 8. We are pleased to announce three world-class invited speakers: Pieter Roelfsema (Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience), Mark Steyvers (University of California, Irvine), and John Anderson (Carnegie Mellon University). In addition to these keynotes, we will have three symposia, 27 research talks, and two poster sessions. A preliminary schedule is available on www.iccm2015.org/schedule, and registration is open. More information can be found on http://www.iccm2015.org. We hope to see you in Groningen! Niels Taatgen Marieke van Vugt Jelmer Borst Katja Mehlhorn

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Masterclass, rTMS and Neurofeedback training courses
by Martijn Arns 25 Feb '15

25 Feb '15

Masterclass Neuromodulation, Neurofeedback and rTMS View this email in your browser<http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3bac2a7f26a60f0ffa7edd46d&id=c068f6a6e8…> [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/3bac2a7f26a60f0ffa7edd46d/images/663f9d66-cd0…] * 2nd Masterclass Neuromodulation<http://brainclinics.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3bac2a7f26a60f0ffa7e…> * 4-day Neurofeedback Training<http://brainclinics.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=3bac2a7f26a60f0ffa7e…> * 2-day rTMS course<http://brainclinics.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bac2a7f26a60f0ffa7ed…> Dear colleague, Due to a successful sold out Masterclass Neuromodulation and Personalized Medicine<http://brainclinics.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bac2a7f26a60f0ffa7ed…> last January, we have just planned a second edition of this Masterclass on September 25-26, 2015. So when interested in getting a full update on neuromodulation techniques such as rTMSand neurofeedback and imaging updates on QEEG, ERP's, Personalized medicine in ADHD and Depression and the default mode network: Sign-up now<http://brainclinics.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=3bac2a7f26a60f0ffa7e…>, there are only a limited number of places! Furthermore, there are still some places for the upcoming 4-day Neurofeedback in ADHD and Insomnia training course on April 21-24 and 2-day rTMS in Depression and OCD training course on June 11-12, also see our website<http://brainclinics.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bac2a7f26a60f0ffa7ed…>. These courses are intended for academics, researchers and clinicians who want to learn to apply these techniques in clinical practice and research settings, or who want to further specialize in these techniques or disorders. Kind regards, Martijn Arns, PhD Twitter: @Brainclinics Research Institute Brainclinics Brainclinics Education URL: www.brainclinics.com<http://brainclinics.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bac2a7f26a60f0ffa7ed…> [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/3bac2a7f26a60f0ffa7edd46d/images/9014488f-a41…]

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Brains, Minds and Machines Summer Course 2015 -- Deadline March 5, 2015
by Kreiman, Gabriel 23 Feb '15

23 Feb '15

Brains, Minds and Machines Summer Course 2015 http://www.mbl.edu/education/special-topics-courses/brains-minds-and-machin… When: August 13 – September 3, 2015 Where: Woods Hole, Massachusetts (MBL) Directors: Gabriel Kreiman, Tomaso Poggio (L. Mahadevan, honorary director) Application deadline: March 5, 2015 This intensive three-week course will give advanced students a “deep end” introduction to the problem of intelligence – how the brain produces intelligent behavior and how we may be able to replicate intelligence in machines. Today’s AI technologies, such as Watson and Siri and Deep Learning, are impressive, but their domain specificity and reliance on vast numbers of labeled examples are obvious limitations; few view this as brain-like or human intelligence. The synergistic combination of cognitive science, neurobiology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science holds the promise to build much more robust and sophisticated algorithms implemented in intelligent machines *and* to begin understanding how the brain produces the mind. The goal of this course is to help produce a community of leaders that is equally knowledgeable in neuroscience, cognitive science, and computer science. The first half of the course will focus on the intersection between biological and computational aspects of learning and vision. The second half will focus on high-level social cognition and artificial intelligence, as well as audition, speech and language processing. Throughout the course, students will participate in tutorials to gain hands on experience with these topics. The course will include presentations by world leaders in the field, discussions with relevant industrial companies interested in AI, hands-on tutorials, evening debates and discussions. Additionally, students will be working on cutting-edge research projects directly guided and mentored by the faculty. This course is organized by the Center for Minds, Brains and Machines: https://cbmm.mit.edu/ Course instructors will include: Tomaso Poggio Gabriel Kreiman Nancy Kanwisher Winrich Freiwald Matt Wilson Josh Tenenbaum Liz Spelke Boris Katz L Mahadevan Jim DiCarlo Aude Oliva Josh McDermott Gabriel Kreiman klab.tch.harvard.edu Use "9265358979" anywhere in the message body to ensure that your message navigates through anti spam filters

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Junior faculty position in Computational Neuroscience at GSU
by Andrey Shilnikov 23 Feb '15

23 Feb '15

Hello, please post this information on the forum. Thank you. Junior faculty position in Computational Neuroscience at GSU The Neuroscience Institute at Georgia State University (GSU) invites applications for a tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor pending budgetary approval. The ideal candidate will establish a research program that synergizes with existing key strengths in the Neuroscience Institute in behavioral neuroscience, computational neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, and neuroplasticity. Preference will be given to researchers with expertise and a publication record using state-of-the art methodologies. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. or M.D. in a discipline related to neuroscience and should demonstrate the ability to establish a vigorous, externally funded research program and to mentor Ph.D. graduate students. Excellence in teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels is also expected. Candidates should have an outstanding record of accomplishment and a strong desire for research collaboration. The successful candidate would become a core member of the Neuroscience Institute, which is a thriving department housed in the Petit Science Center that provides world-class facilities and an interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment (see http://neuroscience.gsu.edu) A highly competitive salary, start-up funds and laboratory space will be provided. Applications should include a full curriculum vita, names and contact information for three references, and statements of research interests and teaching philosophy. Applications can be submitted either electronically in PDF format to ni-selection-committee(a)gsu.edu<mailto:ni-selection-committee@gsu.edu> or in hard copy to: Chair of the Neuroscience Institute Faculty Search Committee, Neuroscience Institute, PO Box 5030, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302-50310. Application processing will begin immediately and the search will remain open until the positions are filled. Georgia State University, a Research University of the University System of Georgia, is an EEO/AA employer and encourages applications from women and under-represented minority groups. Offers of employment will be conditional upon background verification. With best regards, Andrey Andrey Shilnikov, PhD Professor Neuroscience Institute Department of Mathematics & Statistics Georgia State University 100 Piedmont Ave Atlanta GA 30303 tel 404.413.6423 e-mail: ashilnikov(a)gsu.edu<mailto:ashilnikov@gsu.edu> http://www.ni.gsu.edu/~ashilnikov

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2nd CFP: Special Session on Quantifying Embodiment, ECAL 2015
by Keyan Ghazi-Zahedi 22 Feb '15

22 Feb '15

*** 2nd CALL FOR PAPERS *** 13th European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL 2015) Special Session on Quantifying Embodiment Session paper submission deadline: 2 March 2015 Notification of acceptance of papers: 17 April 2015 Paper Camera-Ready-Copy deadline: 18 May 2015 Conference convenes: 20-24 July 2015, York, United Kingdom Conference website: http://ecal2015.alife.org <http://ecal2015.alife.org/> Special Session website: http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/nature/ecal2015/embodiment.html <http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/nature/ecal2015/embodiment.html> There is a growing acknowledgement in the artificial life and artificial intelligence community that embodiment is a key for the understanding of cognitive systems. Despite the consensus about the importance of embodiment, there is no clear definition of what the agent’s embodiment actually is. We believe that a quantitative approach can help to answer this open question. This is inspired by Einstein’s answer to the question ”What is time?”, to which he replied ”Time is what clocks measure”. Although this seems to be a trivial answer, it reveals that what we mean by time depends on the way we measure it. We are interested in quantifications of embodiment from various view points and different fields. A non-exclusive list of examples is: • Quantifications of the embodiment’s effect on sensing • Quantifications of the embodiment’s effect on cognitive processes • Quantifications of the embodiment’s effect on acting • Quantifications of brain-body-environment separation We are open to quantifications from any formal approach. Examples are information theory and dynamical systems, but others are highly welcome too. The ideal outcome of the special session would be a good overview of different concepts and quantifications of embodiment and an understanding how they overlap and differ, thereby leading to a better understanding and a clearer picture of what embodiment actually is. Papers are submitted via the ECAL paper submission form and published in the conference proceedings. Special Session Chairs: Keyan Ghazi-Zahedi, Christoph Salge, Georg Martius, Daniel Polani

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[Call for applications] *Graduate Programs ín Computational Neuroscience* in Berlin; MSc and PhD; 7 PhD scholarships; *Three weeks until deadline*
by Robert Martin 22 Feb '15

22 Feb '15

[Apologies for cross-posting] *Doctoral* and *Master Program* "Computational Neuroscience" at the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin in Berlin, Germany Application deadline: *March 15, 2015* *THREE WEEKS TO GO* Begin of courses: October 2015 Internet: www.computational-neuroscience-berlin.de _Doctoral Program_ The Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and the TU Berlin invite applications for *7 fellowships* of the Research Training Group "Sensory Computation in Neural Systems" (GRK 1589/2, https://www.eecs.tu-berlin.de/grk_15891/menue/sensory_computation_in_neural…) The *scientific program* of the research training group combines techniques and concepts from machine learning, computational neuroscience, and systems neurobiology in order to specifically address sensory computation. Doctoral candidates will work on interdisciplinary projects investigating the mechanisms of neural computation, address the processes underlying perception on different scales and different levels of abstraction, and develop new theories of computation hand in hand with well-controlled experiments in order to put functional hypotheses to the test. The training group offers structured supervision complemented by a teaching and training program. Each student will be supervised by two investigators with complementary expertise and will be associated with the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin (https://www.bccn-berlin.de/) a leading research center dedicated to the theoretical study of neural processing. Candidates are expected to hold a Masters degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject (e.g., neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, physics, mathematics, etc.) and have the required advanced mathematical background. Candidates selected in the first application step will be invited for lab visits and an interview, expected to take place in June 2015. The *fellowships of 1468 €/month* - with additional children allowances if applicable---will be granted for up to three years. _Master's Program_ The tuition-free Master program in Computational Neuroscience offers *15 places* per year, has a duration of 2 years and is fully taught in English. The *curriculum* is subdivided into ten modules, whose content includes theoretical neuroscience, programming, machine learning, cognitive neuroscience, acquisition, modelling, and computational analysis of neural data, with a strong focus on a complementary theoretical and experimental training. Three lab rotations and a Master's thesis are accomplished in the second year. The aim of the program is to provide the students with an interdisciplinary education and an early contact to the neurocomputational research environment. *Requirements* BSc or equivalent degree in a relevant subject (typically in the natural sciences, in an engineering discipline, in cognitive science, or in mathematics), certificate of English proficiency, proof of sufficient mathematical knowledge (at least 24 ECTS credit points). ~~~ _For more information_ ... ... see: www.computational-neuroscience-berlin.de ... or e-mail: graduateprograms(a)bccn-berlin.de . Best regards, Robert Martin -- Robert Martin, PhD Teaching Coordinator Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin Philippstr. 13 House 6; 10115 Berlin; Germany Phone/Fax +49 (0)30 2093 6773/6771 http://www.computational-neuroscience-berlin.de GRK 1589/1, Sensory Computation in Neural Systems Technische Universitaet Berlin Sekretariat MAR 5-6; Marchstr. 23; 10587 Berlin Phone/Fax +49 (0)30 314 72006/73121 http://www.eecs.tu-berlin.de/grk_15891/

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CNS 2015 Abstract submission deadline extended to March 1, 2015
by Tam, Nicoladie 22 Feb '15

22 Feb '15

CNS 2015 Abstract Submission Deadline extended to March 1, 2015. Organization for Computational Neurosciences (OCNS) 24th Annual Meeting Prague, Czech Republic July 18-23, 2015 The main meeting (July 19-21) will be preceded by a day of tutorials (July 18) and followed by two days of workshops (July 22-23). Invited Keynote Speakers: Jack Cowan, University of Chicago, USA Gustavo Deco, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain Adrienne Fairhall, University of Washington, USA Wulfram Gerstner, EPFL, Switzerland Registration will open on January 14, 2015. Abstract submission will open on January 15, 2015 and close on extended deadline on March 1, 2015. (This will be the last extension of deadline.) Workshop proposals are now being accepted. Note that one of the authors has to register as sponsoring author for the main meeting before abstract submission is possible. In case the abstract is not accepted for presentation, the registration fee will be refunded. For up-to-date conference information, please visit http://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2015-prague

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Phd Neural robots
by Mark Elshaw 22 Feb '15

22 Feb '15

Dear all Please see the PhD Studentship at Coventry University in the area of neural robots. http://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/research-students/research-studentships/… If you would like to discuss this PhD. Do not hesitate to contact me at mark.elshaw(a)coventry.ac.uk<mailto:mark.elshaw@coventry.ac.uk>. Best regards Mark ------------------------- Dr Mark Elshaw Lecturer in Computer Science Coventry University

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RA position – Computer vision and automated behavioral analysis – Brown University (Providence, RI)
by Thomas Serre 21 Feb '15

21 Feb '15

RA position – Computer vision and automated behavioral analysis – Brown University (Providence, RI) Computational (Thomas Serre) and developmental (Dima Amso) labs in the Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, & Psychological Sciences at Brown university are seeking an NIH-funded research assistant to work on the development of machine learning and computer vision tools, appropriate to examining naturalistic interactions in typical and atypical development. Candidates are expected to have some knowledge of computer vision and/or machine learning methods. The initial appointment is for 12 months, renewable for another year, and potentially longer depending on funding. The start date is negotiable though an early start is strongly preferred. Salary is commensurate with experience and is competitive. Research groups: Our research groups are located within the Department of Cognitive Linguistic & Psychological sciences at Brown University. We maintain strong ties with the computer science, engineering and applied math departments as part of the Brain Institute. Through Brown’s Center for Computation and Visualization (https://www.ccv.brown.edu) our groups have access to a state-of-the-art computing facility with includes over 300K GPU cores and over 500 Teraflops of GPU computing power. Information about Dr. Serre and his research group can be found at http://serre-lab.clps.brown.edu. Information about Dr. Amso and her research group can be found at http://research.clps.brown.edu/dcnl. Requirements: Applicants are expected to have finished, or be about to finish a BS or MSc in computer science or related discipline. They must have some background in computer vision and/or machine learning. Excellent programming skills are required (C/C++/Matlab/Python). Application: Please send your applications by email to dima_amso(a)correct_university_name.edu where correct_university_name should be replaced by ‘brown'. Please include a brief statement of interests, a curriculum vita and contact details for 2-3 letters of reference (no letters required at this stage). There is no deadline for the application but applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant is found.

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