International Work-Conference Research Articles

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This article highlights one approach used to solidify social support and bolster mental wellness for newcomer women through community, arts and connection. Core values of the program are presented along with examples of successful programming that has been experienced by hundreds of newcomer women in Southwestern Ontario. By using a trauma informed lens, staff and participants are able to share lessons and create community. Women were able to come together to learn how to connect across linguistic and cultural divides to unearth shared experiences of womanhood. The precursor to this article was presented at the international social work and social development conference, swsd2018 in Dublin, Ireland.

2018 IEEE International Work Conference on Bioinspired Intelligence (IWOBI): Conference Report.

The International Work Conference on Bioinspired Intelligence (IWOBI) is an annual event that comprises both an international peer-reviewed scientific conference and a set of workshops and other activities in order to foster the research abilities and expertise of young researchers in the field of bioinspired intelligence. IWOBI 2018 has been characterized by a strong transdisciplinary component. The main conference themes were at the intersection between classical engineering disciplines and computer science, and the life and health sciences. This was motivated by the scientific environment that defines research that is being conducted in Costa Rica. Even though IWOBI is an international event, it was very important for the local organizing committee to focus on knowledge areas that were considered of special interest to Costa Rican researchers and to students looking to start their scientific careers. With such great expectations, IWOBI 2018 has been the first IWOBI conference in history to have parallel tracks. In addition to a regular track, a biocomputation and related techniques track was developed, as well as another one devoted to high-performance computing (HPC) systems applications for life and health sciences applications. Workshops were another important resource developed within IWOBI 2018. They were considered a very important tool in order to foster and train young researchers within the country and they are a very valuable chance to establish direct networking with elite researchers from different countries and research interests. IWOBI 2018 was the first IWOBI conference that implemented real and effective workshops. There were two workshops, one of them devoted to COPASI software and the other one focused on the use of the message passing interface (MPI) parallel programming library.

Social work leadership: reflections on a student-led conference

ABSTRACTServant leadership encompassing collaborative mentorship, empowerment and a faculty/student partnership approach contributed to the success of an international social work conference led by undergraduate students and supported by faculty members. Using a retrospective case study design, data were collected from social work undergraduate students on the conference planning committee, reflections of faculty, and documentation from conference evaluations. This paper explores the findings of the conference planning experience and considers how social work principles can foster student engagement and build capacity for undergraduate students to practice leadership skills within higher educational settings.

Highlights from the International Work-Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering (IWBBIO) – 2015 and 2016 Editions

The International Work-Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering (IWBBIO) annually joint over 200 world-wide scientists in Granada (Spain) to present and discuss their most recent researches in bioinformatics and computational biology. This special issue collects a selection of the most relevant contributions in the two last editions of this conference (IWBBIO 2015 and IWBBIO 2016).

Main findings and advances in biomedical engineering and bioinformatics from IWBBIO 2015.

Main findings and advances in biomedical engineering and bioinformatics from IWBBIO 2015.

Modelling directionality for paleoclimatic time series

The ice core time series from Vostok Station in Antarctica and the North Greenland Ice Core Project have seasonal variation corresponding to the Milankovitch cycles. After removing these cycles, and interpolating to equal time intervals, stationary time series models are fitted. The series show clear directionality and this feature is modelled by either non-Gaussian errors or non-linear time series models. Threshold autoregressive models are fitted by penalized least squares and compared with non-threshold autoregressive models. Since both ice core time series are reasonably modelled as first order autoregressive series with parameters close to one, directionality will arise from non-symmetric error distributions. However, two regime threshold autoregressive models, of order one and two for Greenland and Vostok, respectively, give an improved match to the observed directionality and a reduced sum of squared residuals. Realizations from the threshold autoregressive models are noticeably different from the non-threshold models. Since the non-threshold models are a restricted case of the threshold models, and the threshold models are a better fit to the observed time series, threshold models should provide more realistic realizations. References C. Chatfield. The Analysis of Time Series: An Introduction . CRC Press, 2004. https://www.crcpress.com/The-Analysis-of-Time-Series-An-Introduction-Sixth-Edition/Chatfield/p/book/9781584883173 A. J. Lawrance. Directionality and reversibility in time series. Int. Stat. Rev. 59(1):67–79, 1991. doi:10.2307/1403575 M. M. Mansor, M. E. Glonek, D. A. Green and A. V. Metcalfe. Threshold autoregressive models for directional time series. In I. Rojas and H. Pomares (Eds.), Time Series Analysis and Forecasting Selected Contributions from the ITISE Conference (ITISE 2015) . pp. 13–25, 2016. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28725-6 M. M. Mansor, M. E. Glonek, D. A. Green and A. V. Metcalfe. Modelling directionality in stationary geophysical time series. International work-conference on Time Series (ITISE 2015) . http://www.researchgate.net/publication/281835075 M. M. Mansor, D. A. Green and A. V. Metcalfe. Modelling and simulation of directional financial time series. Proceedings of the 21st International Congress on Modelling and Simulation (MODSIM 2015) , pp. 1022–1028, 2015. http://www.mssanz.org.au/modsim2015/E4/mansor.pdf M. M. Mansor, D. A. Green and A. V. Metcalfe. Directionality and volatility in electroencephalogram time series. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Mathematical Sciences and Statistics (ICMSS 2016), AIP Conf. Proc. 1739:020080, 2016. doi:10.1063/1.4952560 North Greenland Ice Core Project members. High-resolution record of Northern Hemisphere climate extending into the last interglacial period. Nature , 431:147–151, 2004. doi:10.1038/nature02805 J. R. Petit, J. Jouzel, D. Raynaud, N. I. Barkov, J.-M. Barnola, I. Basile, M. Bender, J. Chappellaz, M. Davis, G. Delaygue, M. Delmotte, V. M. Kotlyakov, M. Legrand, V. Y. Lipenkov, C. Lorius, L. Pepin, C. Ritz, E. Saltzman and M. Stievenard. Climate and atmospheric history of the past 420,000 years from the Vostok ice core, Antarctica. Nature , 399:429–436, 1999. doi:10.1038/20859 S. Soubeyrand, C. E. Morris and E. K. Bigg. Analysis of fragmented time directionality in time series to elucidate feedbacks in climate data. Environ. Modell. Softw. 61:78–86, 2014. doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2014.07.003

Advances in Artificial Neural Networks and Computational Intelligence

IWANN is a biennial conference that seeks to provide a discussion forum for scientists, engineers, educators and students about the latest ideas and realizations in the foundations, theory, models and applications of hybrid systems inspired on nature (neural networks, fuzzy logic and evolutionary systems) as well as in emerging areas related to the above items. As in previous editions of IWANN, it also aims to create a friendly environment that could lead to the establishment of scientific collaborations and exchanges among attendees. Since the first edition in Granada (LNCS 540, 1991), the conference has evolved and matured, and most of the topics involved have achieved a maturity and reinforced consolidation. The twelveth edition of the IWANN conference “International Work-Conference on Artificial Neural Networks” was held in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, (Spain) during June 12–14, 2013. The list of topics in the successive Call for Papers has also evolved, resulting in the following list for the present edition:

New trends in biomedical engineering and bioinformatics applied to biomedicine - special issue of IWBBIO 2014.

New trends in biomedical engineering and bioinformatics applied to biomedicine - special issue of IWBBIO 2014.

Advances in bioinformatics and biomedical engineering--special issue of IWBBIO 2013.

In the present issue of Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling (TBioMed), it is a pleasure to present you a selection of 8 extended versions of selected papers from the International Work-Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering (IWBBIO 2013) held in Granada (Spain) during March 18-20, 2013. IWBBIO 2013 seeks to provide a discussion forum for scientists, engineers, educators and students about the latest ideas and realizations in the foundations, theory, models and applications for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research encompassing disciplines of computer science, mathematics, statistics, biology, bioinformatics, and biomedicine. The aims of IWBBIO 2013 is to create a friendly environment that could lead to the establishment or strengthening of scientific collaborations and exchanges among attendees, and therefore, IWBBIO 2013 solicited high-quality original research papers (including significant work-in-progress) on any aspect of Bioinformatics, Biomedicine and Biomedical Engineering. New computational techniques and methods in machine learning, data mining, text analysis, pattern recognition, data integration, genomics and evolution, next generation sequencing data, protein and RNA structure, protein function and proteomics, medical informatics and translational bioinformatics, computational systems biology, modelling and simulation and their application in the life science domain, biomedicine and biomedical engineering were especially encouraged. At the end of the submission process of IWBBIO 2013, and after a careful peer review and evaluation process (each submission was reviewed by at least 2 program committee members or additional reviewer), 122 papers were accepted for oral or poster presentation, according to the recommendations of reviewers and the authors’ preferences. A number of authors were invited to submit an extended version of their conference paper to be considered for special publication in this issue of Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling (TBioMed). These authors were selected after the recommendation of the reviewers of the conference papers, the opinion of the chairs of the different sessions and the guest editors. The extended versions were again carefully reviewed by at least two independent and anonymous experts and the accepted papers, after this new review process, are presented in this issue.

Non conventional computing and constraint optimization

The International Work-Conference on the Interplay between Natural and Artificial Computation (IWINAC) is a bi-annual multidisciplinary meeting which was led by Professor Jose Mira until 2008, when he passed away. Since then, each meeting is a new homage to his memory. The IWINAC meeting, with focus on the interplay between Nature and Computation, expands the scope of neural computation at the physical level to cope with symbols and knowledge level models of cognitive and social processes. The global purpose is to offer a forum for discussions and exchange of ideas between scientists and engineers from fields such as Electronic Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computation, Artificial Vision, Situated Robotics, Neurophysiology, Cognitive Science, Linguistics and Philosophy, who try to contribute to the answer to two basic questions:

Solving problems with natural computing

The International Work-Conference on the Interplay between Natural and Artificial Computation (IWINAC) is a bi-annual and multidisciplinary meeting, now in its fifth edition. The meeting adapts the more biological and natural motivations of previous IWANN meetings (Lanzarote, Alicante, Granada y Menorca), led by Professor Mira, the General Chairman of IWINAC meetings until 2008, when he unfortunately passed away. The IWINAC meeting covers not only computational neuroscience, and bioinspired systems, but also other areas of natural and emergent computation, such as cellular computing, membrane as well as DNA computation and other concepts, methods, paradigms and tools adapted from living systems. Since 2005 IWINAC is focusing on neuroinformatics (cognitive systems, neurosimulators, neural databases analysis), bio-inspired systems (reactive, collective, autoorganizative, evolutive, etc.), natural systems (computation with membranes, computation with biomolecules, cellular computation, quantum computation, etc.), robotics (social robotics, cooperative robotics, evolutionary robotics), biomedical applications (neuroprosthetics, AI applied to medical systems, neuroimaging, etc.) and unconventional computation (computation with neural cultures, optogenetics, neuro-processors). The international conference IWINAC is an open forum to junior and senior researchers from different and complementary fields like electronics, computer architecture, artificial intelligence (AI), knowledge engineering (KE), physics, mathematics, computation, artificial vision, situated robotics, neurophysiology, cognitive science, linguistics and philosophy, who individually and in collaboration try to contribute to the answers of the following two basic questions:

Learning to collaborate in distributed environments by means of an awareness-based artificial neural network

This paper is an extension of a previous work presented in International Work Conference on Artificial Neural Network 2009 (IWANN 2009). The paper contains more details and results of the strategy known as Collaborative Distributed Environment by means of an Awareness & Artificial Neural Network strategy (CAwANN). CAwANN is part of the structure of Awareness-based learning Model for distriButed collAborative enviRonment (AMBAR) which is an awareness-based learning model, developed for distributed environments, that allows nodes to accomplish an effective collaboration by means of a multi-agent architecture in which agents are aware of its surroundings by means of a parametrical and flexible use of this information. CAwANN is an ANN-based strategy used to include learning abilities into AMBAR aiming to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of collaboration process by learning three different processes: (1) to collaborate based on levels of awareness; (2) to select a potential candidate to negotiate on saturated conditions; and (3) to decide whether or not a node must change the information that describes its current conditions related with collaboration. Based on the definitions of efficiency and effectiveness presented in this paper and the results obtained from simulated conditions CAwANN has an average efficiency of 100% and an average effectiveness of 86%.

Non-conventional computing paradigms

The conventional computing paradigms are usually two: the symbolic representational one and the connectionist (or mechanistic) approach. The first one is dominant since the Christening of Artificial Intelligence in the Summer of 1956. This paradigm assumes that everything that has to be computed needs previously to be represented in terms of data structures and inferential schemes, including algorithms and implementation programs. So, all the information needs to be explicit from the beginning in a declarative manner. The second paradigm, usually known as connectionist, includes the field of Artificial Neural Networks, and other biologically inspired approaches. In essence the first paradigm is related to General Purpose von Neumann Architecture, while the second one is related to Special Purpose Machines in which the control is explicit in the specific electronic circuit that embodies each information processing machine. In addition to these two dominants paradigms, there are other new approaches to the task of computation, not so well established, but in the brainstorming frontier of the science and engineering. These new approaches include Quantum Computation, Membrane Computation, Evolutionary Algorithms and many other Conceptual Proposals still far away from feasible and competitive implementations. This special issue of Natural Computing deals with some of these new paradigms. The articles are extended versions of papers selected from the second International Work Conference on the Interplay between Natural and Artificial Computation (IWINAC) held in La Manga del Mar Menor (Spain) during June 2007.

Announcement: 10th International Work-Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (IWANN 2009)

Announcement: 10th International Work-Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (IWANN 2009)

New theoretical results in synchrotron radiation

One of the remarkable features of the relativistic electron synchrotron radiation is its concentration in small angle Δ≈1/γ (here γ-relativistic factor: γ=E/mc2, E – energy, m – electron rest mass, c – light velocity) near rotation orbit plane [V.G. Bagrov, V.A. Bordovitsyn, V.G. Bulenok, V. Ya. Epp, Kinematical projection of pulsar synchrotron radiation profiles, in: Proceedings of IV ISTC Scientific Advisory Commitee Seminar on Basic Science in ISTC Aktivities, Akademgorodok, Novosibirsk, April 23–27, 2001, p. 293–300]. This theoretically predicted and experimentally confirmed feature is peculiar to total (spectrum summarized) radiating intensity. This angular distribution property has been supposed to be (at least qualitatively) conserved and for separate spectrum synchrotron radiation components.In the work of V.G. Bagrov, V.A. Bordovitsyn, V. Ch. Zhukovskii, Development of the theory of synchrotron radiation and related processes. Synchrotron source of JINR: the perspective of research, in: The Materials of the Second International Work Conference, Dubna, April 2–6, 2001, pp. 15–30 and in Angular dependence of synchrotron radiation intensity. http://lanl.arXiv.org/abs/physics/0209097, it is shown that the angular distribution of separate synchrotron radiation spectrum components demonstrates directly inverse tendency – the angular distribution deconcentration relatively the orbit plane takes place with electron energy growth.The present work is devoted to detailed investigation of this situation. For exact quantitative estimation of angular concentration degree of synchrotron radiation the definition of radiation effective angle and deviation angle is proposed. For different polarization components of radiation the dependence of introduced characteristics was investigated as a functions of electron energy and number of spectrum component.

Analysis of a neural network algorithm for vector quantization of speech parameters: [formula omitted] ITT Defense Communications Division, 10060 Carroll Canyon Road, San Diego, CA 92131, (619) 578-3080

This paper is an extension of a previous work presented in International Work Conference on Artificial Neural Network 2009 (IWANN 2009). The paper contains more details and results of the strategy known as Collaborative Distributed Environment by means of an Awareness & Artificial Neural Network strategy (CAwANN). CAwANN is part of the structure of Awareness-based learning Model for distriButed collAborative enviRonment (AMBAR) which is an awareness-based learning model, developed for distributed environments, that allows nodes to accomplish an effective collaboration by means of a multi-agent architecture in which agents are aware of its surroundings by means of a parametrical and flexible use of this information. CAwANN is an ANN-based strategy used to include learning abilities into AMBAR aiming to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of collaboration process by learning three different processes: (1) to collaborate based on levels of awareness; (2) to select a potential candidate to negotiate on saturated conditions; and (3) to decide whether or not a node must change the information that describes its current conditions related with collaboration. Based on the definitions of efficiency and effectiveness presented in this paper and the results obtained from simulated conditions CAwANN has an average efficiency of 100% and an average effectiveness of 86%.

Introduction to the 5th EFPS/EAPM International Work and Pay Conference

In September 1980 the European Federation of Productivity Services and the European Association for Personnel Management held their fifth triennial joint international conference on work and pay in Amsterdam. The conference attracted 450 participants from 20 different European countries and Canada. The opening address was given by the Minister of Social Affairs of the Netherlands, Dr W. Albada, and during the three days of the conference 40 different papers on various aspects of work, performance and pay in these various countries were presented and discussed. This special issue of Management Decision contains a selection of these papers, restricted to those which were presented in English. Some of the papers which were presented in other languages have been translated and it is hoped to publish them in later editions of Management Decision.

International Work Conference of the American Psychopathological Association

International Work Conference of the American Psychopathological Association