Spring Hippocampal Research Conference And Beyond

In this 2nd edition, the following article has been added: Fricker D, Beraneck M, Tagliabue M and Jeffery KJ (2020) Editorial: Coding for Spatial Orientation in Humans and Animals: Behavior, Circuits and Neurons. Front. Neural Circuits 14:619073. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2020.619073

There are currently two major theories about the role of the hippocampus, a distinctive structure in the back of the temporal lobe. One says that it stores a cognitive map, the other that it is a key locus for the temporary storage of episodic memories. A. David Redish takes the approach that understanding the role of the hippocampus in space will make it possible to address its role in less easily quantifiable areas such as memory. Basing his investigation on the study of rodent navigation--one of the primary domains for understanding information processing in the brain--he places the hippocampus in its anatomical context as part of a greater functional system. Redish draws on the extensive experimental and theoretical work of the last 100 years to paint a coherent picture of rodent navigation. His presentation encompasses multiple levels of analysis, from single-unit recording results to behavioral tasks to computational modeling. From this foundation, he proposes a novel understanding of the role of the hippocampus in rodents that can shed light on the role of the hippocampus in primates, explaining data from primate studies and human neurology. The book will be of interest not only to neuroscientists and psychologists, but also to researchers in computer science, robotics, artificial intelligence, and artificial life.

Smart systems when connected to artificial intelligence (AI) are still closely associated with some popular misconceptions that cause the general public to either have unrealistic fears about AI or to expect too much about how it will change our workplace and life in general. It is important to show that such fears are unfounded, and that new trends, technologies, and smart systems will be able to improve the way we live, benefiting society without replacing humans in their core activities. Smart Systems Design, Applications, and Challenges provides emerging research that presents state-of-the-art technologies and available systems in the domains of smart systems and AI and explains solutions from an augmented intelligence perspective, showing that these technologies can be used to benefit, instead of replace, humans by augmenting the information and actions of their daily lives. The book addresses all smart systems that incorporate functions of sensing, actuation, and control in order to describe and analyze a situation and make decisions based on the available data in a predictive or adaptive manner. Highlighting a broad range of topics such as business intelligence, cloud computing, and autonomous vehicles, this book is ideally designed for engineers, investigators, IT professionals, researchers, developers, data analysts, professors, and students.

From Athens to America calls for the reversal of the withdrawal of the character-forming function from the political domain, arguing for public sector--federal, state, and local--involvement in character formation. Solomon focuses on four specific virtues to serve as a guide to public policy formation: self-esteem, joy and optimism, equanimity, and personal responsibility. He calls for the public sector to move beyond the efforts of families, faith communities, and civic organizations, and take a vital role in fostering character development and promoting these virtues. Combining political science with philosophy, the Judeo-Christian tradition, and medical research, this book illustrates how we formulate public policies that enable people to grow and develop into healthy humans, what each of us is fully capable of becoming.

explores the profound ethical and social consequences of today's biotechnical revolution. Almost every week brings news of novel methods for screening genes and testing embryos, choosing the sex and modifying the behavior of children, enhancing athletic performance, slowing aging, blunting painful memories, brightening mood, and altering basic temperaments. But we must not neglect the fundamental question: Should we be turning to biotechnology to fulfill our deepest human desires? We want better children -- but not by turning procreation into manufacture or by altering their brains to gain them an edge over their peers. We want to perform better in the activities of life -- but not by becoming mere creatures of chemistry. We want longer lives -- but not at the cost of becoming so obsessed with our own longevity that we care little about future generations. We want to be happy --

The 72nd Meeting of the Italian Society of Physiology (SIF) gathers scientists from universities and institutes across Europe and offers a platform for discussing the most exciting developments in the areas of basic and translational physiology. This Frontiers Research Topic will collect varied contributions from original research to review articles from SIF participants covering key achievements and latest advancements in the field of physiology. This collection is led by Guest Editors Prof. Giovanna Valenti, Prof. Andrea Gerbino and Prof. Grazia Tamma from Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro and Prof. Fiorenzo Conti from Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.