We study the problem of minimizing the expected cost of binary searching for data where the access cost is not xed and depends on the last accessed element, such as data stored in magnetic or optical disk. We present an optimal algorithm for this problem that nds the optimal search strategy in O(n 3) time, which is the same time complexity of the simpler classical problem of xed costs. Next, we...

This is a survey of the main methods in non-uniform random variate generation, and highlights recent research on the subject. Classical paradigms such as inversion, rejection, guide tables, and transformations are reviewed. We provide information on the expected time complexity of various algorithms, before addressing modern topics such as indirectly specified distributions, random processes, a...

Certain black branes are unstable toward fluctuations that lead to non-uniform mass distributions. We study static, non-uniform solutions that differ only perturbatively from uniform ones. For uncharged black strings in five dimensions, we find evidence of a first order transition from uniform to non-uniform solutions.

Podosomes are self-organized, dynamic, actin-containing structures that adhere to the extracellular matrix via integrins [1-5]. Yet, it is not clear what regulates podosome dynamics and whether podosomes can function as direct mechanosensors, like focal adhesions [6-9]. We show here that myosin-II proteins form circular structures outside and at the podosome actin ring to regulate podosome dyna...

Maintaining undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) culture has been a major challenge as mESCs cultured in Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) conditions exhibit spontaneous differentiation, fluctuating expression of pluripotency genes, and genes of specialized cells. Here we show that, in sharp contrast to the mESCs seeded on the conventional rigid substrates, the mESCs cultured on the...

In the context of global/goal-oriented error estimation applied to computational mechanics, the need to obtain reliable and guaranteed bounds on the discretization error has motivated the use of residual error estimators. These estimators require the construction of admissible stress fields verifying the equilibrium exactly. This article focuses on a recent method, based on a flux-equilibration...

It is shown that, under two additional assumptions, uniformly weakly persistent semiflows are also uniformly strongly persistent even if they are non-autonomous. This result is applied to a time-heterogeneous model of S-I-R-S type for the spread of infectious childhood diseases. If some of the parameter functions are almost periodic, an almost sharp threshold result is obtained for uniform stro...

The aim of this research is to investigate source coding, the representation of information source output by finite R bits/symbol. The performance of optimum quantisers subject to an entropy constraint has been studied. The definitive work in this area is best summarised by Shannon’s source coding theorem, that is, a source with entropy H can be encoded with arbitrarily small error probability ...

We strengthen the nondeterministic hierarchy theorem for non-deterministic polynomial time to show that the lower bound holds against sub-linear advice. More formally, we show that for any constants d and d′ such that 1 6 d < d′, and for any time-constructible bound t = o(n), there is a language in NTIME(n) which is not in NTIME(t)/n1/d . The best known earlier separation of Fortnow, Santhanam ...

It is widely believed that gamma-ray bursts are produced by a jet-like outflows directed towards the observer, and the jet opening angle(θj) is often inferred from the time at which there is a break in the afterglow light curves. Here we calculate the GRB afterglow light curves from a relativistic jet as seen by observers at a wide range of viewing angles (θv) from the jet axis, and the jet is ...