Transactions on Signal and Information Processing Over Networks: now accepting papers

I’m an Associate Editor for the new IEEE Transactions on Signal and Information Processing Over Networks, and we are accepting submissions now. The Editor-In-Chief is Petar M. Djurić.

The new IEEE Transactions on Signal and Information Processing over Networks publishes high-quality papers that extend the classical notions of processing of signals defined over vector spaces (e.g. time and space) to processing of signals and information (data) defined over networks, potentially dynamically varying. In signal processing over networks, the topology of the network may define structural relationships in the data, or may constrain processing of the data.

To submit a paper, go to Manuscript Central.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following:

• Distributed detection and estimation
• Distributed learning over networks
• Distributed target tracking
• Bayesian learning; Bayesian signal processing
• Sequential learning over networks
• Decision making over networks
• Distributed dictionary learning
• Distributed game theoretic strategies
• Distributed information processing
• Graphical and kernel methods
• Consensus over network systems
• Optimization over network systems

Communications, Networking, and Sensing

• Distributed monitoring and sensing
• Signal processing for distributed communications and networking
• Signal processing for cooperative networking
• Signal processing for network security
• Optimal network signal processing and resource allocation

Modeling and Analysis

• Performance and bounds of methods
• Robustness and vulnerability
• Network modeling and identification
• Simulations of networked information processing systems
• Social learning
• Bio-inspired network signal processing
• Epidemics and diffusion in populations

Imaging and Media Applications

• Image and video processing over networks
• Media cloud computing and communication
• Multimedia streaming and transport
• Social media computing and networking
• Signal processing for cyber-physicalsystems
• Wireless/mobile multimedia

Data Analysis

• Processing, analysis, and visualization of big data
• Signal and information processing for crowd computing
• Signal and information processing for the Internet of Things
• Emergence of behavior

Emerging topics and applications

• Emerging topics
• Applications in life sciences, ecology, energy, social networks, economic networks, finance, social sciences, smart grids, wireless health, robotics, transportation, and other areas of science and engineering

Rutgers ECE is hiring!

Faculty Search, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers University.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rutgers University anticipates multiple faculty openings in the following areas: (i) High-performance distributed computing, including cloud computing and data-intensive computing, (ii) Electronics, advanced sensors and renewable energy, including solar cells and detectors (bio, optical, RF) and, (iii) Bioelectrical engineering.

We are interested in candidates who can combine expertise in these areas with cyber-security, software engineering, devices, embedded systems, signal processing and or communications. In addition, we particularly welcome candidates who can contribute to broader application initiatives such as biomedical and health sciences, smart cities, or sustainable energy.

Outstanding applicants in all areas and at all ranks are encouraged to apply. Suitable candidates may be eligible to be considered for Henry Rutgers University Professorships in Big Data as part of a University Initiative.

Excellent facilities are available for collaborative research opportunities with various university centers such as the Wireless Information Network Laboratory (WINLAB), Microelectronics Research Laboratory (MERL), Institute for Advanced Materials, Devices and Nanotechnology (IAMDN), Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT), Rutgers Energy Institute (REI), and the Center for Integrative Proteomics Research, as well as with local industry.

A Ph.D. in a related field is required. Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses and establishing independent research programs. Qualified candidates should submit a CV, statements on teaching and research, and contacts of three references to this website. The review process will start immediately. For full consideration applications must be received by January 15, 2015.

Questions may be directed to:

Athina P. Petropulu
Professor and Chair
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Rutgers University
athinap @ rutgers.edu.

EEO/AA Policy:
Rutgers is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Rutgers is also an ADVANCE institution, one of a limited number of universities in receipt of NSF funds in support of our commitment to increase diversity and the participation and advancement of women in the STEM disciplines.

Embargoes and the process of science

Last week I attended the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative (NAKFI) Conference on Collective Behavior, which was really a huge amount of fun. I learned a ton of science (and that I basically know nothing about science — or rather, there is soooo much science to know), and had some very interesting discussion about… stuff. Why am I so cagey? Because the details of discussions at the conference are officially embargoed until the report is issued by the National Academies in spring.

This embargo concept is not entirely new to me, but coming as I do from a tribe that tries to post things on ArXiV as fast as possible, the idea that one should keep mum for a few months feels a bit strange. It makes a lot of sense — people presented posters on work in progress or partial results that they were still working on, and without an embargo there is a potential danger of getting scooped, which could inhibit the free and open sharing of ideas. I certainly felt more comfortable talking about (possibly half-baked) future research ideas, although that was primarily because I didn’t think the ecologist I was conversing with would care as much about stochastic gradient methods.

Embargoes seem to be the norm in Science because of… Science… and Nature… and PNAS. If you have a high-profile article to appear in one of those fancy journals, they want the credit for having chosen it/are the venue in which it appeared. Slapping up your preprint on ArXiV is not on, since it bursts the balloon (although Nature says “[n]either conference presentations nor posting on recognized preprint servers constitute prior publication”). This is newsworthy science, and there’s a relationship between the press, the academic press, and the research community that has been discussed at length.

I came across a blog called Embargo Watch that looks to see how the media/reporters breach the embargoes imposed by the publisher. Indeed, if you look at various embargo policies (even PLoS has one!) show that the embargo thing is really about controlling the news media’s description of the article prior to publication. There’s been a longstanding (un?)healthy debate about the value of embargoes. Personally, I’d prefer to see a someone who studies communication and science studies (like Marisa) do a more critical evaluation of the role of embargoes in enforcing particular constructions and interpretations of the scientific process, the role of power and control, and how researchers propagate and resist the tensions inherent in publishing in high-impact journals.

Regardless, I am following the embargo and keeping quiet while trying to process everything I learned last week. I guess I am glad the ArXiV is there for me — it’s a little more my speed. Actually, it may be a bit too speedy, but it works for now. I think people working in engineering, computer science, and mathematics might find the notion of an embargo somewhat puzzling, as I did. Does this concept even make sense in those fields?

Tracks: Nothing Gets Done

1. I Thought About You (The Four Freshmen)
2. Tenere (Bombino)
3. We Only Come Out At Night (Sugar Stems)
5. Crueler Kind (San Fermin)
6. One By One (Deep Sea Diver)
7. Everything (FM Belfast)
8. I Wish You (CAPSULE)
9. The Natural World (CYMBALS)
10. One Second Of Love (Nite Jewel)
11. Diamond Days (HABITATS)
12. Turn It Around (Lucius)
13. Bucolismo (Garota Suecas)
14. Mercy Mercy Me (Marvin Gaye)
15. Dark Comedy Morning Show (Open Mike Eagle feat. Toy Light)
16. A Ho A Hand (FAMY)
17. I’ll See You In My Dreams (Django Reinhardt Trio)

In their effort to discredit differential privacy, the authors ignore both the way in which scientific and academic research works as well as contemporary work that seeks to address the very problems they raise: context-awareness via propose-test-release, methods for setting $\epsilon$ in practical scenarios, and dealing with multiple disclosures via stronger composition rules. They further ignore real technical hurdles in realizing “pure” differential privacy in favor of “illustrations” with the goal of painting proponents of differential privacy as ideologues and hucksters. Of course context and judgement are important in designing query mechanisms and privacy-preserving analysis systems. Furthermore, in many cases microdata have to be released for legal reasons. I think few people believe that differential privacy is a panacea, but it at least provides a real quantifiable approach to thinking about these privacy problems that one can build theories and algorithms around. The key is to figure out how to make those work on real data, and there’s a lot more research to be done on that front.