Data selection and natural sampling: Probabilities do matter

Importance Sampling for Failure Probabilities in Computing and Data Transmission

In this paper we study efficient simulation algorithms for estimating P(X > x), whereX is the total time of a job with ideal time T that needs to be restarted after a failure. The main tool is importance sampling, where a good importance distribution is identified via an asymptotic description of the conditional distribution of T given X > x. If T ≡ t is constant, the problem reduces to the eff...

Dark Chocolate and Metabolic Syndrome; Do Polyphenols All that Matter?

Nullomers: Really a Matter of Natural Selection?

BACKGROUND Nullomers are short DNA sequences that are absent from the genomes of humans and other species. Assuming that nullomers are the signatures of natural selection against deleterious sequences in humans, the use of nullomers in drug target identification, pesticide development, environmental monitoring, and forensic applications has been envisioned. RESULTS Here, we show that the hype...

Entropic Sampling and Natural Selection in Biological Evolution

With a view to connecting random mutation on the molecular level to punctuated equilibrium behaviour on the phenotype level, we propose a new model for biological evolution, which incorporates random mutation and natural selection. In this scheme the system evolves continuously into new configurations, yielding non-stationary behaviour of the total fitness. Furthermore, both the waiting time di...

Information Sampling for Optimal Image Data Selection

This paper presents a statistical method termed Information Sampling for selecting the most relevant data from an a priori set of images. These data could be a single pixel or a number scattered throughout an image. The main problem addressed is how to determine which image data points contain the most relevant information. As distinct from other techniques, we utilize the inherent information ...