INNS Special Interest Groups
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Mental Function and Dysfunction SIG (Dan Levine and John Taylor)
This SIG has been in existence for over 10 years, and is becoming increasingly relevant to understanding the wealth of neuroscience data on the proper functioning of the brain and how it may break down. The SIG is especially concerned with understanding, especially through neural models, how the fragile neural networks supporting mental processes can break down, as for example leading to depression. The recent new data on alleviating depression by deep brain stimulation, and the increasing understanding of the sensitive balance between the brain's dorsal cognitive processors and the ventral limbic ones brings new vistas and possibilities into view to be explored by the SIG. Future activities include a workshop to be held at IJCNN05 and the planning of a similar workshop at IJCNN06.
Neurodynamics & Intentionality SIG (Robert Kozma, Péter Érdi, Peter Andras, Ricardo Gutierrez)
Neurodynamics and Chaos SIG has been formed in late 90's by Ali Minai and later on continued by Robert Kozma. This SIG focuses on the dynamical aspects of neural networks, including nonconvergent dynamics and chaos, and its relevance to cognitive functions, like intentionality and decision making. Since the late 90's, special sessions and tutorials in the field of the SIG are regularly held at IJCNN's. Neurodynamics Workshops are held at Computational Neuroscience conferences every year since 2001, organized by our sister organization on Computational Neurosciences. This year we organize a Neurodynamics and Intentionality WS at IJCNN, jointly with the Mental Function and Dysfunction SIG.
Bioinformatics SIG (Francesco Masulli, Roberto Tagliaferri)
The Bioinformatics SIG will host a Post-Conference Workshop on Computational Intelligence Approaches for the Analysis of Bioinformatics Data Ci-Bio. The workshop will include Bioinformatics SIG inaugural meeting, invited and regular talks; see http://ci-bio.disi.unige.it/. In IJCNN'05 there is a special session (organized by the Bioinformatics SIG) and one regular session in the field. Furthermore, CIBB 2005, the Second International Meeting on Computational Intelligence Methods for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics is organized in Crema, Italy on September 15-17 during WILF 05, with the co-sponsorship of INNS SIG, Biopattern Network of Excellence and SIREN (NN Italian Society). The CIBB 2005 addresses a cutting edge area of application of Neural Networks such as Fuzzy Logic and Evolutionary Computation methods. Technical areas include, but are not limited to: i) Data and methods for prognosis; ii) Data and methods for diagnosis; iii) Integration of clinical and genetic data; iii) Proteomics; and iv) Pharmacogenetics. Masulli and Tagliaferri are organizing a web site for the members of the SIG following the way are made other sites of working groups (see for example the SCIP Working Group - Soft Computing in Image Processing). Furthermore the co-chairs are preparing the proceedings of the two workshops and a special issue on an international journal. Another interesting initiative could be that of editing annals of the SIG members published by an international Publisher. Finally two other activities may be considered in future. These are i) the sponsorship of events organized by members of the SIG and ii) the organization of Summer schools on NNs and bioinformatics.
Bioinformatics and Intelligence SIG (Nik Kasabov)
In the last three years, the Bioinformatics and Intelligence SIG had three successful Bioinformatics Postgraduate Schools, one held in Auckland, NZ and the other two are organized at UC Berkeley.
Intelligent Devices SIG - in progress (Soo-Young Lee)
A Post-IJCNN2005 workshop will be held on the Bio-Inspired Models and Hardware, which may initiate a potential SIG in this area. This workshop aims to bring together researchers from the cognitive neuroscience and engineering communities for biologically inspired models and system implementations with human-like intelligent functions. In this workshop we will discuss what engineers want to learn from the science and how the scientists may be able to provide the knowledge. Then, mathematical models will be presented with more biological plausibility. The hardware and system implementation will also be reported with the performance comparison with conventional methods for real-world complex applications. A panel will be organized for the future research directions at the end.
Bio-inspired Vision SIG - in progress (Khan Iftekharuddin)
We plan forming a formal SIG on Bio-inspired Vision during IJCNN'05. At this time, we are in the process of contacting possible participants and selecting a suitable meeting time during/after the IJCNN'05. As a first step, we have organized a special session on Biologically Inspired Computational Vision at IJCNN'05.
Computational Intelligence in Earth and Environmental Sciences SIG (Vladimir Cherkassky - Chairman, Vladimir Krasnopolsky, Dimitri Solomatine, Julio Valdes)
At IJCNN05, we are involved in the Special Session on Earth Sciences and Climate Modeling Applications. This has been very successful in terms of the number of submissions and their quality. So there is a clear potential of another topical SIG and discussions are in progress on formation of SIG in this application area.
Parabiotics SIG (Richard Siderits)
Parabiotics SIG is the youngest Special Interest Group. A Parabiotic neural construct is a functional model of the neuro-synaptic junction. It involves the virtual neuron which begins to query remotely sensed data streams, for example real time temperature readings obtained from a thermistor probe, locally or through IP address. When the cumulative amount of independent real time sensed data reaches a threshold the neuron simulates a depolarization event or Action Potential (AP). When the pre-synaptic membrane depolarizes the model generates a variable number of threads, each of which represent neurotransmitter molecules. The method develops a neural array(committee of neural constructs) in this environment where objects are script containers and/or sensors by its very nature a uniquely _dimensional_ process. Potential applications include: Servo motor control; Para-Neural Cybernetic systems; Flexinol muscle wire hand for remote surgical systems; Autonomous Exploration systems with parabiotic neural constructs; Stimulus-response models; Heuristic models. For details see http://parabiotics.org .
Geographical SIGs
New Zealand SIG (Nik Kasabov)
In the last three years, the NZ SIG had three international conferences on Neurocomputing and Evolving Intelligence NCEI'03, '04 and '05, held in Auckland, NZ, with more than 300 participants all together.
Italy SIG (Francesco Morabito)
The SIG Italy of INNS was founded in September 1997, by the INNS SIG Chair, Prof. Harold Szu. The official site is in the Faculty of Engineering of the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria. Website: neurolab.ing.unirc.it. The formal structure of the SIG is as follows: Chair: Francesco Carlo Morabito, University of Reggio Calabria. Vice-Chair: Roberto Tagliaferri, University of Salerno, and 6 Steering Committee members. Italy SIG promoted the relationships with industry through an industrial liaisons. The INNS SIG Italy organized or co-sponsored many cultural activities in Italy and in the world since its inception. In what follows, we report about the main activities. Co-sponsorship and co-organization of the Italian workshop on Neural Networks, WIRN, with SIREN, Italy, Vietri S/M, 1998-2005. Co-sponsorship and co-organization of the Italian workshop on Fuzzy logic, WILF, 2000-2004. Co-organization of the conferences: Intl. Symp. On Intelligent Systems, ISIS 1997, Electromagnetic Non Destructive Evaluation Workshop, E'NDE 1997, National Conference of Electrical Engineers, ET1998, Conference on New Frontiers in New Economy, AEDEM 2001, Mediterranean Conference on Modeling and Simulation, MCMS 2003, Intl. Conf. on Fuzzy Economy, SIGEF 2004. Co-sponsorship CD-book of tutorials IJCNN conferences 1999, 2001, 2005. Organizer of scientific meetings and events at the University of Reggio C., Italy, in the field of Neural Networks and Neuroscience: Symposium "Human Brain Diagnoses", 2000; Conferences "Emergence of Significance in the Brain", 2003; "Brain Based Devices"; "Bacterial Vaccines", 2003; "Biomedical Signal Analysis of the Brain", 2005. The events were given public info through the Neural Networks newsletter of INNS. The INNS SIG Italy founded and chaired the Intl. Memorial Award "E.R. Caianiello" for the excellence in Neural Network researches. Awardees: Prof. Shun-Ichi Amari, 1997; Prof. Harold Szu, 1999; Prof. Teuvo Kohonen, 2000; Prof. Torsten Wiesel, 2001; Prof. Gerald Edelman, 2003. The INNS SIG Italy also promoted NN researches in Italy through the cooperation of various University and industrial centers.
Peru SIG (Ernesto Cuadros-Vargas)
The Peru SIG is just forming at this time. The SIG works on increasing participation and membership as well as organizing conferences in Peru. Peru is potential future conference organizer.
Apparently inactive SIGs:
The following SIGs have been active in previous years, but presently we could not identify apparent activities: Singapore SIG (Chua), Belarus SIG (Golovko/Sadykhov), Africa SIG (Engelbrecht), Egypt SIG (Asraf Abdelbar), Korea SIG, Chile SIG.
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