SPECIAL SESIONS

SS01: Neural inspired architectures for nanoelectronics
Organizers: Ulrich Rückert, Ralf Eickhoff (Heiz Nixdorf Institute, University of Paderborn, D)

SS02: Kernel methods
Organizers: Andreu Català, Cecilio Angulo (Tech. Univ. Catalunya, E )

Kernel methods and related Support Vector Machines are state-of-the-art research areas in neural computation and machine learning. Motivated by statistical learning theory they have been successfully applied to numerous tasks. The concept of kernel substitution makes the task of learning more tractable by exploiting an implicit mapping into a high dimensional space.
The aim of the special session is to present new perspectives in kernel methods: theory, implementations, new methodologies, and applications.
More information on: http://www.epsevg.upc.edu/cecilio/iwann2007/iwann_kernels.html

SS03: Complex data analysis
Organizers: Michel Verleysen (Univ. Cath. de Louvain-la-Neuve, Be), Marie Cottrell (University Paris I, F)

More and more data analysis problems involve data that are not in a standard tabular (instances x features) form.  Complex data may include symbolic data, graphs, structures, regularly or irregularly sampled functions, vectors with different lengths, etc.  This session will present new methods able to deal with this kind of complex data.  Such methods include neural network algorithms, machine learning tools, and related computational intelligence techniques.

SS04: Neural networks and other Machine Learning methods in cancer research
Organizers: Alfredo Vellido (Tech. Univ. Catalunya, E), Paulo J.G. Lisboa (Liverpool John Moores University, UK)

Computer-assisted decision support in medicine has the baseline role of enhancing the consistency of care. Such consistency requires the management of uncertainty, which is an important goal for the use of any intelligent technology in support of medical diagnostic and prognostic decision-making. Neural Networks and Machine Learning methods in general can be applied to a wide range of data types and problems in cancer research. In this special session, we aim to put together a collection of diverse and up-to-date Neural Network and Machine Learning approaches to different problems in the field of oncology.
Further information at:
http://www.lsi.upc.edu/~avellido/research/IWANN2007-special-session.html

SS05: Emergent behaviors and cognition in embodied systems
Organizers: Cecilio Angulo, Ricardo Téllez (Tech. Univ. Catalunya, E)

Emergent behavior-based and cognitive systems are both research paradigms aiming to provide knowledge-based control architectures to embodied, particularly robotics, systems. Many interdisciplinary research areas such as social robotics, artificial cognitive systems or neuro-evolved emergent architectures can benefit to/by the advances on the topics of the proposed session. From the perspective of the IWANN's topics, this session complements the regular program with emergent topics emphasizing multy-disciplinary and transversal aspects.
More information on: http://www.epsevg.upc.edu/cecilio/iwann2007/iwann_cognition.html

SS06: Nature-inspired intelligent methods and applications
Organizers: Emilio Corchado (University of Burgos, E), Bogdan Gabrys (Bournemouth University, UK)

Characteristic for man-designed computing inspired by nature is the metaphorical use of concepts, principles and mechanisms underlying natural systems. This type of computing includes among others, fields as evolutionary algorithms, neural networks, molecular computing and quantum computing. The special session is soliciting papers on all aspects of Nature-inspired Intelligent Methods and Applications. Because of the interdisciplinary character of the conference a special effort will be made to solicit survey, review, and tutorial papers which would make research trends in a given subarea more accessible to the broad audience of the conference.  
Applications are solicited, but not limited to fields as security, knowledge management, bio-informatics, geographic information systems, artificial societies, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, prediction, control, robotics, image and speech signal processing, food industry, biology and medicine, business and management, materials and environment engineering and so on.
Further information at: http://www.ubu.es/investig/grupos/ing_const/lsi-1/iwann_2007.htm

SS07: Synaptic modifications across complexity levels
Organizers: Alessandro E.P. Villa (University Joseph Fourier, F)

SS08: Emerging hardware technologies: an opportunity for hardware neural network implementations
Organizer: Christian Gamrat (CEA-LIST LCEI -Advanced Computer Technologies & Architectures, F)

SS09: Assistive Technologies and e-Health
Organizers: Ulises Cortes (Tech. Univ. Catalunya), Roberta Annicchiarico (Santa Lucia Foundation Scientific Institute for Research, Italy), Cristina Urdiales (Univ. Málaga, E)

More information on: http://iwann2007.dte.uma.es/SS09/SpecialSesionSS09.htm

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF ACCEPTED SPECIAL SESSIONS FOR IWANN2007 

You must take into account the following points for the organization of Special sessions and/or the submission of papers to a Special session:

1. As you know, the aim of Special Sessions is to cover specific fields within the scope of IWANN2007, and they would be composed typically of 5-6 papers, plus an additional tutorial or introductory paper to the Special session topic, done by the organizer(s). This tutorial is optional, and must be written according to the regular instructions for authors. The tutorial will not be submitted to the IWANN review process.
2. The procedure for the submission of the final papers is the same for all contributions, and it will be made through the IWANN2007 web section. The authors are asked to indicate the Special Session title to which their paper is submitted.
3. The organizers are invited to submit, besides the optional tutorial, no more than one regular paper to their own Special Session. This paper will be included in the review process.
4. The review process for papers submitted to a specific Special Session will be the following:
    
• Three reviewers will be assigned (like any regular paper submitted to IWANN).
• One reviewer will be the Special Session organizer (s).
• A second reviewer will be proposed by the Special Session organizer (s)
• A third one will be assigned among the IWANN2007 Program Committee.
   
5. The review process for each Special Session will be organized by the IWANN board, together with the organizer(s) of the Special Session. They will take into consideration all the papers submitted to the specific Session, according to the established procedure.
6. A minimum number of 3 accepted regular papers (tutorial done by the organizer(s) is not considered) will be necessary for the development of a Special Session.
7. Contributors to Special Sessions will be treated as every participant in IWANN2007, what means that they are expected to pay the corresponding regular fee.
8. Organizer (s) (with a maximum of two) of Special Sessions will benefit of a reduction of 30% on the regular fee.