1,911 research outputs found
Exact solution of the Bernoulli matching model of sequence alignment
Through a series of exact mappings we reinterpret the Bernoulli model of
sequence alignment in terms of the discrete-time totally asymmetric exclusion
process with backward sequential update and step function initial condition.
Using earlier results from the Bethe ansatz we obtain analytically the exact
distribution of the length of the longest common subsequence of two sequences
of finite lengths . Asymptotic analysis adapted from random matrix theory
allows us to derive the thermodynamic limit directly from the finite-size
result.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure
An O(n^3)-Time Algorithm for Tree Edit Distance
The {\em edit distance} between two ordered trees with vertex labels is the
minimum cost of transforming one tree into the other by a sequence of
elementary operations consisting of deleting and relabeling existing nodes, as
well as inserting new nodes. In this paper, we present a worst-case
-time algorithm for this problem, improving the previous best
-time algorithm~\cite{Klein}. Our result requires a novel
adaptive strategy for deciding how a dynamic program divides into subproblems
(which is interesting in its own right), together with a deeper understanding
of the previous algorithms for the problem. We also prove the optimality of our
algorithm among the family of \emph{decomposition strategy} algorithms--which
also includes the previous fastest algorithms--by tightening the known lower
bound of ~\cite{Touzet} to , matching our
algorithm's running time. Furthermore, we obtain matching upper and lower
bounds of when the two trees have
different sizes and~, where .Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 5 .tex files where TED.tex is the main on
Exact Asymptotic Results for a Model of Sequence Alignment
Finding analytically the statistics of the longest common subsequence (LCS)
of a pair of random sequences drawn from c alphabets is a challenging problem
in computational evolutionary biology. We present exact asymptotic results for
the distribution of the LCS in a simpler, yet nontrivial, variant of the
original model called the Bernoulli matching (BM) model which reduces to the
original model in the large c limit. We show that in the BM model, for all c,
the distribution of the asymptotic length of the LCS, suitably scaled, is
identical to the Tracy-Widom distribution of the largest eigenvalue of a random
matrix whose entries are drawn from a Gaussian unitary ensemble. In particular,
in the large c limit, this provides an exact expression for the asymptotic
length distribution in the original LCS problem.Comment: 4 pages Revtex, 2 .eps figures include
Training peers to treat Ebola centre workers with anxiety and depression in Sierra Leone
Background: Following the 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa, the UK Department for International Development funded South London and Maudsley National Health Service (NHS) to develop a psychological intervention that ex-Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) staff could be trained to deliver to their peers to improve mental health in Sierra Leone. /
Aim: The two key aims were to assess the feasibility of training a national team to deliver a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)–based group intervention, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the overall intervention within this population. /
Methods: UK clinicians travelled to Sierra Leone to train a small team of ex-ETC staff in a three-phased CBT-based intervention. Standardised clinical measures, as well as bespoke measures, were applied with participants through the intervention to assess changes in mental health symptomology, and the effectiveness of the intervention. /
Results: The results found improvements across all factors of mental health in the bespoke measure from phase 1 to phase 3. Additionally, the majority of standardised clinical measures showed improvements between phase 2 and the start of phase 3, and pre- and post-phase 3. /
Conclusion: Overall, the findings suggest that it is possible to train staff from ETCs to deliver effective CBT interventions to peers. The implications of these results are discussed, including suggestions for future research and clinical intervention implementation within this population. The limitations of this research are also addressed
Bethe Ansatz in the Bernoulli Matching Model of Random Sequence Alignment
For the Bernoulli Matching model of sequence alignment problem we apply the
Bethe ansatz technique via an exact mapping to the 5--vertex model on a square
lattice. Considering the terrace--like representation of the sequence alignment
problem, we reproduce by the Bethe ansatz the results for the averaged length
of the Longest Common Subsequence in Bernoulli approximation. In addition, we
compute the average number of nucleation centers of the terraces.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures (some points are clarified
The secret world of shrimps: polarisation vision at its best
Animal vision spans a great range of complexity, with systems evolving to
detect variations in optical intensity, distribution, colour, and polarisation.
Polarisation vision systems studied to date detect one to four channels of
linear polarisation, combining them in opponent pairs to provide
intensity-independent operation. Circular polarisation vision has never been
seen, and is widely believed to play no part in animal vision. Polarisation is
fully measured via Stokes' parameters--obtained by combined linear and circular
polarisation measurements. Optimal polarisation vision is the ability to see
Stokes' parameters: here we show that the crustacean \emph{Gonodactylus
smithii} measures the exact components required. This vision provides optimal
contrast-enhancement, and precise determination of polarisation with no
confusion-states or neutral-points--significant advantages. We emphasise that
linear and circular polarisation vision are not different modalities--both are
necessary for optimal polarisation vision, regardless of the presence of
strongly linear or circularly polarised features in the animal's environment.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 table
Global unions: chasing the dream or building the reality?
This article takes as its theme the global restructuring of capital and its impact on worker organization. It argues for a reassertion of class in any analysis of global solidarity, and assesses the opportunities and barriers to effective global unionization. Rooted in the UK experience, the article analyzes the impact of the European social dimension on trade unions, before taking the discussion into a global dimension. It concludes by suggesting that there are reasons for cautious optimism in terms of solidarity building, despite difficult historical legacies and the common replacement of action with rhetoric
RNA secondary structure formation: a solvable model of heteropolymer folding
The statistical mechanics of heteropolymer structure formation is studied in
the context of RNA secondary structures. A designed RNA sequence biased
energetically towards a particular native structure (a hairpin) is used to
study the transition between the native and molten phase of the RNA as a
function of temperature. The transition is driven by a competition between the
energy gained from the polymer's overlap with the native structure and the
entropic gain of forming random contacts. A simplified Go-like model is
proposed and solved exactly. The predicted critical behavior is verified via
exact numerical enumeration of a large ensemble of similarly designed
sequences.Comment: 4 pages including 2 figure
Modeling long-range memory with stationary Markovian processes
In this paper we give explicit examples of power-law correlated stationary
Markovian processes y(t) where the stationary pdf shows tails which are
gaussian or exponential. These processes are obtained by simply performing a
coordinate transformation of a specific power-law correlated additive process
x(t), already known in the literature, whose pdf shows power-law tails 1/x^a.
We give analytical and numerical evidence that although the new processes (i)
are Markovian and (ii) have gaussian or exponential tails their autocorrelation
function still shows a power-law decay =1/T^b where b grows with a
with a law which is compatible with b=a/2-c, where c is a numerical constant.
When a<2(1+c) the process y(t), although Markovian, is long-range correlated.
Our results help in clarifying that even in the context of Markovian processes
long-range dependencies are not necessarily associated to the occurrence of
extreme events. Moreover, our results can be relevant in the modeling of
complex systems with long memory. In fact, we provide simple processes
associated to Langevin equations thus showing that long-memory effects can be
modeled in the context of continuous time stationary Markovian processes.Comment: 5 figure
Evolution Equation of Phenotype Distribution: General Formulation and Application to Error Catastrophe
An equation describing the evolution of phenotypic distribution is derived
using methods developed in statistical physics. The equation is solved by using
the singular perturbation method, and assuming that the number of bases in the
genetic sequence is large. Applying the equation to the mutation-selection
model by Eigen provides the critical mutation rate for the error catastrophe.
Phenotypic fluctuation of clones (individuals sharing the same gene) is
introduced into this evolution equation. With this formalism, it is found that
the critical mutation rate is sometimes increased by the phenotypic
fluctuations, i.e., noise can enhance robustness of a fitted state to mutation.
Our formalism is systematic and general, while approximations to derive more
tractable evolution equations are also discussed.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figure
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