String Measure Applied to String Self-Organizing Maps and Networks of Evolutionary Processors

* Supported by projects CCG08-UAM TIC-4425-2009 and TEC2007-68065-C03-02This paper shows some ideas about how to incorporate a string learning stage in self-organizing algorithms. T. Kohonen and P. Somervuo have shown that self-organizing maps (SOM) are not restricted to numerical data. This paper proposes a symbolic measure that is used to implement a string self-organizing map based on SOM algorithm. Such measure between two strings is a new string. Computation over strings is performed using a priority relationship among symbols; in this case, symbolic measure is able to generate new symbols. A complementary operation is defined in order to apply such measure to DNA strands. Finally, an algorithm is proposed in order to be able to implement a string self-organizing map

Business Process Optimization in Madrid City Council.

While designing systems and products requires a deep understanding of influences that achieve desirable performance, the need for an efficient and systematic decision-making approach drives the need for optimization strategies. This paper provides the motivation for this topic as well as a description of applications in Computing Center of Madrid city Council. Optimization applications can be found in almost all areas of engineering. Typical problems in process, working with a database, arise in query design, entity model design and concurrent processes. This paper proposes a solution to optimize a night process dealing with millions of records with an overall performance of about eight times in computation time

Surprising migration and population size dynamics in ancient Iberian brown bears (Ursus arctos)

The endangered brown bear populations (Ursus arctos) in Iberia have been suggested to be the last fragments of the brown bear population that served as recolonization stock for large parts of Europe during the Pleistocene. Conservation efforts are intense, and results are closely monitored. However, the efforts are based on the assumption that the Iberian bears are a unique unit that has evolved locally for an extended period. We have sequenced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from ancient Iberian bear remains and analyzed them as a serial dataset, monitoring changes in diversity and occurrence of European haplogroups over time. Using these data, we show that the Iberian bear population has experienced a dynamic, recent evolutionary history. Not only has the population undergone mitochondrial gene flow from other European brown bears, but the effective population size also has fluctuated substantially. We conclude that the Iberian bear population has been a fluid evolutionary unit, developed by gene flow from other populations and population bottlenecks, far from being in genetic equilibrium or isolated from other brown bear populations. Thus, the current situation is highly unusual and the population may in fact be isolated for the first time in its history

Estimating the population size of the endangered Cantabrian brown bear through genetic sampling

Th e Cantabrian brown bear Ursus arctos population can be seen as a paradigm in conservation biology due to its endangerment status and genetic uniqueness. Th erefore, the need to obtain basic demographic data to inform management actions for conservation is imperative. Despite this, empirical data on the size and trends of the Cantabrian bear population are scarce. Here we present the fi rst estimates of population size (N c ) and eff ective population size (N e ) of the whole Cantabrian brown bear population. We genotyped 270 non-invasive samples collected during 2006 throughout the entire range of the population and subsequently identifi ed 130 individuals. Diff erent model estimators of N c based on capture – mark – recapture (CMR) procedures were compared. Th e average for the best three models (Mh Chao, Mh Darroch and CAPWIRE TIRM) yielded a total estimate of N c 223 individuals (CI 95% 183 – 278) and N e 50 (CI 95% 36 – 75) providing an N e / N c ratio of 0.22. Estimates for the two subpopulations commonly recognized in the Cantabrian range were N c 203 (CI 95% 168 – 260) and N e 47 (CI 95% 36 – 70) for the western subpopulation and N c 19 (CI 95% 12 – 40) and N e 9 (CI 95% 8 – 12) for the eastern subpopulation. Th ese data suggest that the Cantabrian brown bear population has increased recently, mainly in the western subpopulation, after a long period of decline and isolation which lead to the split of the population at the beginning of the 20th century. Population sizes in the early 1990s were thought to be only 60 individuals for the western subpopulation and 14 individuals in the eastern one. Th e eff orts to improve conservation policies made since then have probably contributed, to some extent, to the population increase during the last couple of decades.Peer reviewe