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A sensorimotor map: modulating lateral interactions for anticipation and planning.

Experimental studies of reasoning and planned behavior have provided evidence that nervous systems use internal models to perform predictive motor control, imagery, inference, and planning. Classical (model-free) reinforcement learning approaches omit such a model; standard sensorimotor models account for forward and backward functions of sensorimotor dependencies but do not provide a proper neural representation on which to realize planning. We propose a sensorimotor map to represent such an internal model. The map learns a state representation similar to self-organizing maps but is inherently coupled to sensor and motor signals. Motor activations modulate the lateral connection strengths and thereby induce anticipatory shifts of the activity peak on the sensorimotor map. This mechanism encodes a model of the change of stimuli depending on the current motor activities. The activation dynamics on the map are derived from neural field models. An additional dynamic process on the sensorimotor map (derived from dynamic programming) realizes planning and emits corresponding goal-directed motor sequences, for instance, to navigate through a maze.

Action Potentials↗

Hybrid modeling, HMM/NN architectures, and protein applications.

We describe a hybrid modeling approach where the parameters of a mode are calculated and modulated by another model, typically a neural network (NN), to avoid both overfitting and underfitting. We develop the approach for the case of Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), by deriving a class of hybrid HMM/NN architectures. These architectures can be trained with unified algorithms that blend HMM dynamic programming with NN backpropagation. In the case of complex data, mixtures of HMMs or modulated HMMs must be used. NNs can then be applied both to the parameters of each single HMM, and to the switching or modulatation of the models, as a function of input or context. Hybrid HMM/NN architectures provide a flexible NN parameterization for the control of model structure and complexity. At the same time, they can capture distributions that, in practice, are inaccessible to single HMMs. The HMM/NN hybrid approach is tested, in its simplest form, by constructing a model of the immunoglobulin protein family. A hybrid model is trained, and a multiple alignment derived, with less than a fourth of the number of parameters used with previous single HMMs.

Algorithms↗

3-D correlation-based speckle tracking.

Widely-used 1-D/2-D speckle tracking techniques in elasticity imaging often experience significant speckle decorrelation in applications involving large elevational motion (i.e., out of plane motion). The problem is more pronounced for cardiac strain rate imaging (SRI) since it is very difficult to confine cardiac motion to a single image plane. Here, we present a 3-D correlation-based speckle tracking algorithm. Conceptually, 3-D speckle tracking is just an extension of 2-D phase-sensitive correlation-based speckle tracking. However, due to its high computational cost, optimization schemes, such as dynamic programming, decimation and two-path processing, are introduced to reduce the computational burden. To evaluate the proposed approach, a 3-D bar phantom under uniaxial compression was simulated for benchmark tests. A more sophisticated 3-D simulation of the left ventricle of the heart was also made to test the applicability of 3-D speckle tracking in cardiac SRI. Results from both simulations clearly demonstrated the feasibility of 3-D correlation-based speckle tracking. With the ability to follow 3-D speckle in 3-D space, 3-D speckle tracking outperforms lower-dimensional speckle tracking by minimizing decorrelation caused by pure elevational translation. In other words, 3-D tracking can push toward solely deformation-limited, decorrelation-optimized speckle tracking. Hardware implementation of the proposed 3-D speckle tracking algorithm using field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) is also discussed.

Algorithms↗

Effective ambiguity checking in biosequence analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ambiguity is a problem in biosequence analysis that arises in various analysis tasks solved via dynamic programming, and in particular, in the modeling of families of RNA secondary structures with stochastic context free grammars. Several types of analysis are invalidated by the presence of ambiguity. As this problem inherits undecidability (as we show here) from the namely problem for context free languages, there is no complete algorithmic solution to the problem of ambiguity checking. RESULTS: We explain frequently observed sources of ambiguity, and show how to avoid them. We suggest four testing procedures that may help to detect ambiguity when present, including a just-in-time test that permits to work safely with a potentially ambiguous grammar. We introduce, for the special case of stochastic context free grammars and RNA structure modeling, an automated partial procedure for proving non-ambiguity. It is used to demonstrate non-ambiguity for several relevant grammars. CONCLUSION: Our mechanical proof procedure and our testing methods provide a powerful arsenal of methods to ensure non-ambiguity.

Algorithms↗

Integrating alternative splicing detection into gene prediction.

BACKGROUND: Alternative splicing (AS) is now considered as a major actor in transcriptome/proteome diversity and it cannot be neglected in the annotation process of a new genome. Despite considerable progresses in term of accuracy in computational gene prediction, the ability to reliably predict AS variants when there is local experimental evidence of it remains an open challenge for gene finders. RESULTS: We have used a new integrative approach that allows to incorporate AS detection into ab initio gene prediction. This method relies on the analysis of genomically aligned transcript sequences (ESTs and/or cDNAs), and has been implemented in the dynamic programming algorithm of the graph-based gene finder EuGENE. Given a genomic sequence and a set of aligned transcripts, this new version identifies the set of transcripts carrying evidence of alternative splicing events, and provides, in addition to the classical optimal gene prediction, alternative optimal predictions (among those which are consistent with the AS events detected). This allows for multiple annotations of a single gene in a way such that each predicted variant is supported by a transcript evidence (but not necessarily with a full-length coverage). CONCLUSIONS: This automatic combination of experimental data analysis and ab initio gene finding offers an ideal integration of alternatively spliced gene prediction inside a single annotation pipeline.

Algorithms↗

Automated generation of heuristics for biological sequence comparison.

BACKGROUND: Exhaustive methods of sequence alignment are accurate but slow, whereas heuristic approaches run quickly, but their complexity makes them more difficult to implement. We introduce bounded sparse dynamic programming (BSDP) to allow rapid approximation to exhaustive alignment. This is used within a framework whereby the alignment algorithms are described in terms of their underlying model, to allow automated development of efficient heuristic implementations which may be applied to a general set of sequence comparison problems. RESULTS: The speed and accuracy of this approach compares favourably with existing methods. Examples of its use in the context of genome annotation are given. CONCLUSIONS: This system allows rapid implementation of heuristics approximating to many complex alignment models, and has been incorporated into the freely available sequence alignment program, exonerate.

Algorithms↗

Evaluation of methods for predicting the topology of beta-barrel outer membrane proteins and a consensus prediction method.

BACKGROUND: Prediction of the transmembrane strands and topology of beta-barrel outer membrane proteins is of interest in current bioinformatics research. Several methods have been applied so far for this task, utilizing different algorithmic techniques and a number of freely available predictors exist. The methods can be grossly divided to those based on Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), on Neural Networks (NNs) and on Support Vector Machines (SVMs). In this work, we compare the different available methods for topology prediction of beta-barrel outer membrane proteins. We evaluate their performance on a non-redundant dataset of 20 beta-barrel outer membrane proteins of gram-negative bacteria, with structures known at atomic resolution. Also, we describe, for the first time, an effective way to combine the individual predictors, at will, to a single consensus prediction method. RESULTS: We assess the statistical significance of the performance of each prediction scheme and conclude that Hidden Markov Model based methods, HMM-B2TMR, ProfTMB and PRED-TMBB, are currently the best predictors, according to either the per-residue accuracy, the segments overlap measure (SOV) or the total number of proteins with correctly predicted topologies in the test set. Furthermore, we show that the available predictors perform better when only transmembrane beta-barrel domains are used for prediction, rather than the precursor full-length sequences, even though the HMM-based predictors are not influenced significantly. The consensus prediction method performs significantly better than each individual available predictor, since it increases the accuracy up to 4% regarding SOV and up to 15% in correctly predicted topologies. CONCLUSIONS: The consensus prediction method described in this work, optimizes the predicted topology with a dynamic programming algorithm and is implemented in a web-based application freely available to non-commercial users at http://bioinformatics.biol.uoa.gr/ConBBPRED.

Algorithms↗

Optimizing amino acid substitution matrices with a local alignment kernel.

BACKGROUND: Detecting remote homologies by direct comparison of protein sequences remains a challenging task. We had previously developed a similarity score between sequences, called a local alignment kernel, that exhibits good performance for this task in combination with a support vector machine. The local alignment kernel depends on an amino acid substitution matrix. Since commonly used BLOSUM or PAM matrices for scoring amino acid matches have been optimized to be used in combination with the Smith-Waterman algorithm, the matrices optimal for the local alignment kernel can be different. RESULTS: Contrary to the local alignment score computed by the Smith-Waterman algorithm, the local alignment kernel is differentiable with respect to the amino acid substitution and its derivative can be computed efficiently by dynamic programming. We optimized the substitution matrix by classical gradient descent by setting an objective function that measures how well the local alignment kernel discriminates homologs from non-homologs in the COG database. The local alignment kernel exhibits better performance when it uses the matrices and gap parameters optimized by this procedure than when it uses the matrices optimized for the Smith-Waterman algorithm. Furthermore, the matrices and gap parameters optimized for the local alignment kernel can also be used successfully by the Smith-Waterman algorithm. CONCLUSION: This optimization procedure leads to useful substitution matrices, both for the local alignment kernel and the Smith-Waterman algorithm. The best performance for homology detection is obtained by the local alignment kernel.

Algorithms↗

Statistical inference of chromosomal homology based on gene colinearity and applications to Arabidopsis and rice.

BACKGROUND: The identification of chromosomal homology will shed light on such mysteries of genome evolution as DNA duplication, rearrangement and loss. Several approaches have been developed to detect chromosomal homology based on gene synteny or colinearity. However, the previously reported implementations lack statistical inferences which are essential to reveal actual homologies. RESULTS: In this study, we present a statistical approach to detect homologous chromosomal segments based on gene colinearity. We implement this approach in a software package ColinearScan to detect putative colinear regions using a dynamic programming algorithm. Statistical models are proposed to estimate proper parameter values and evaluate the significance of putative homologous regions. Statistical inference, high computational efficiency and flexibility of input data type are three key features of our approach. CONCLUSION: We apply ColinearScan to the Arabidopsis and rice genomes to detect duplicated regions within each species and homologous fragments between these two species. We find many more homologous chromosomal segments in the rice genome than previously reported. We also find many small colinear segments between rice and Arabidopsis genomes.

Algorithms↗

Representing and comparing protein structures as paths in three-dimensional space.

BACKGROUND: Most existing formulations of protein structure comparison are based on detailed atomic level descriptions of protein structures and bypass potential insights that arise from a higher-level abstraction. RESULTS: We propose a structure comparison approach based on a simplified representation of proteins that describes its three-dimensional path by local curvature along the generalized backbone of the polypeptide. We have implemented a dynamic programming procedure that aligns curvatures of proteins by optimizing a defined sum turning angle deviation measure. CONCLUSION: Although our procedure does not directly optimize global structural similarity as measured by RMSD, our benchmarking results indicate that it can surprisingly well recover the structural similarity defined by structure classification databases and traditional structure alignment programs. In addition, our program can recognize similarities between structures with extensive conformation changes that are beyond the ability of traditional structure alignment programs. We demonstrate the applications of procedure to several contexts of structure comparison. An implementation of our procedure, CURVE, is available as a public webserver.

Algorithms↗

A method for rapid similarity analysis of RNA secondary structures.

BACKGROUND: Owing to the rapid expansion of RNA structure databases in recent years, efficient methods for structure comparison are in demand for function prediction and evolutionary analysis. Usually, the similarity of RNA secondary structures is evaluated based on tree models and dynamic programming algorithms. We present here a new method for the similarity analysis of RNA secondary structures. RESULTS: Three sets of real data have been used as input for the example applications. Set I includes the structures from 5S rRNAs. Set II includes the secondary structures from RNase P and RNase MRP. Set III includes the structures from 16S rRNAs. Reasonable phylogenetic trees are derived for these three sets of data by using our method. Moreover, our program runs faster as compared to some existing ones. CONCLUSION: The famous Lempel-Ziv algorithm can efficiently extract the information on repeated patterns encoded in RNA secondary structures and makes our method an alternative to analyze the similarity of RNA secondary structures. This method will also be useful to researchers who are interested in evolutionary analysis.

Algorithms↗

MathDAMP: a package for differential analysis of metabolite profiles.

BACKGROUND: With the advent of metabolomics as a powerful tool for both functional and biomarker discovery, the identification of specific differences between complex metabolite profiles is becoming a major challenge in the data analysis pipeline. The task remains difficult, given the datasets' size, complexity, and common shifts in migration (elution/retention) times between samples analyzed by hyphenated mass spectrometry methods. RESULTS: We present a Mathematica (Wolfram Research, Inc.) package MathDAMP (Mathematica package for Differential Analysis of Metabolite Profiles), which highlights differences between raw datasets acquired by hyphenated mass spectrometry methods by applying arithmetic operations to all corresponding signal intensities on a datapoint-by-datapoint basis. Peak identification and integration is thus bypassed and the results are displayed graphically. To facilitate direct comparisons, the raw datasets are automatically preprocessed and normalized in terms of both migration times and signal intensities. A combination of dynamic programming and global optimization is used for the alignment of the datasets along the migration time dimension. The processed datasets and the results of direct comparisons between them are visualized using density plots (axes represent migration time and m/z values while peaks appear as color-coded spots) providing an intuitive overall view. Various forms of comparisons and statistical tests can be applied to highlight subtle differences. Overlaid electropherograms (chromatograms) corresponding to the vicinities of the candidate differences from any result may be generated in a descending order of significance for visual confirmation. Additionally, a standard library table (a list of m/z values and migration times for known compounds) may be aligned and overlaid on the plots to allow easier identification of metabolites. CONCLUSION: Our tool facilitates the visualization and identification of differences between complex metabolite profiles according to various criteria in an automated fashion and is useful for data-driven discovery of biomarkers and functional genomics.

Biomarkers↗

In search of functional association from time-series microarray data based on the change trend and level of gene expression.

BACKGROUND: The increasing availability of time-series expression data opens up new possibilities to study functional linkages of genes. Present methods used to infer functional linkages between genes from expression data are mainly based on a point-to-point comparison. Change trends between consecutive time points in time-series data have been so far not well explored. RESULTS: In this work we present a new method based on extracting main features of the change trend and level of gene expression between consecutive time points. The method, termed as trend correlation (TC), includes two major steps: 1, calculating a maximal local alignment of change trend score by dynamic programming and a change trend correlation coefficient between the maximal matched change levels of each gene pair; 2, inferring relationships of gene pairs based on two statistical extraction procedures. The new method considers time shifts and inverted relationships in a similar way as the local clustering (LC) method but the latter is merely based on a point-to-point comparison. The TC method is demonstrated with data from yeast cell cycle and compared with the LC method and the widely used Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) based clustering method. The biological significance of the gene pairs is examined with several large-scale yeast databases. Although the TC method predicts an overall lower number of gene pairs than the other two methods at a same p-value threshold, the additional number of gene pairs inferred by the TC method is considerable: e.g. 20.5% compared with the LC method and 49.6% with the PCC method for a p-value threshold of 2.7E-3. Moreover, the percentage of the inferred gene pairs consistent with databases by our method is generally higher than the LC method and similar to the PCC method. A significant number of the gene pairs only inferred by the TC method are process-identity or function-similarity pairs or have well-documented biological interactions, including 443 known protein interactions and some known cell cycle related regulatory interactions. It should be emphasized that the overlapping of gene pairs detected by the three methods is normally not very high, indicating a necessity of combining the different methods in search of functional association of genes from time-series data. For a p-value threshold of 1E-5 the percentage of process-identity and function-similarity gene pairs among the shared part of the three methods reaches 60.2% and 55.6% respectively, building a good basis for further experimental and functional study. Furthermore, the combined use of methods is important to infer more complete regulatory circuits and network as exemplified in this study. CONCLUSION: The TC method can significantly augment the current major methods to infer functional linkages and biological network and is well suitable for exploring temporal relationships of gene expression in time-series data.

Algorithms↗

PHOG-BLAST--a new generation tool for fast similarity search of protein families.

BACKGROUND: The need to compare protein profiles frequently arises in various protein research areas: comparison of protein families, domain searches, resolution of orthology and paralogy. The existing fast algorithms can only compare a protein sequence with a protein sequence and a profile with a sequence. Algorithms to compare profiles use dynamic programming and complex scoring functions. RESULTS: We developed a new algorithm called PHOG-BLAST for fast similarity search of profiles. This algorithm uses profile discretization to convert a profile to a finite alphabet and utilizes hashing for fast search. To determine the optimal alphabet, we analyzed columns in reliable multiple alignments and obtained column clusters in the 20-dimensional profile space by applying a special clustering procedure. We show that the clustering procedure works best if its parameters are chosen so that 20 profile clusters are obtained which can be interpreted as ancestral amino acid residues. With these clusters, only less than 2% of columns in multiple alignments are out of clusters. We tested the performance of PHOG-BLAST vs. PSI-BLAST on three well-known databases of multiple alignments: COG, PFAM and BALIBASE. On the COG database both algorithms showed the same performance, on PFAM and BALIBASE PHOG-BLAST was much superior to PSI-BLAST. PHOG-BLAST required 10-20 times less computer memory and computation time than PSI-BLAST. CONCLUSION: Since PHOG-BLAST can compare multiple alignments of protein families, it can be used in different areas of comparative proteomics and protein evolution. For example, PHOG-BLAST helped to build the PHOG database of phylogenetic orthologous groups. An essential step in building this database was comparing protein complements of different species and orthologous groups of different taxons on a personal computer in reasonable time. When it is applied to detect weak similarity between protein families, PHOG-BLAST is less precise than rigorous profile-profile comparison method, though it runs much faster and can be used as a hit pre-selecting tool.

Algorithms↗

Partition function and base pairing probabilities of RNA heterodimers.

BACKGROUND: RNA has been recognized as a key player in cellular regulation in recent years. In many cases, non-coding RNAs exert their function by binding to other nucleic acids, as in the case of microRNAs and snoRNAs. The specificity of these interactions derives from the stability of inter-molecular base pairing. The accurate computational treatment of RNA-RNA binding therefore lies at the heart of target prediction algorithms. METHODS: The standard dynamic programming algorithms for computing secondary structures of linear single-stranded RNA molecules are extended to the co-folding of two interacting RNAs. RESULTS: We present a program, RNAcofold, that computes the hybridization energy and base pairing pattern of a pair of interacting RNA molecules. In contrast to earlier approaches, complex internal structures in both RNAs are fully taken into account. RNAcofold supports the calculation of the minimum energy structure and of a complete set of suboptimal structures in an energy band above the ground state. Furthermore, it provides an extension of McCaskill's partition function algorithm to compute base pairing probabilities, realistic interaction energies, and equilibrium concentrations of duplex structures.

Journal Article↗

Morphological differences in Xenopus embryonic mesodermal cells are specified as an early response to distinct threshold concentrations of activin.

The involution of presumptive mesoderm that occurs during amphibian gastrulation is a complex process requiring the coordinated action of a diverse range of cells. We show that cells with distinct morphologies, resembling each of those normally found in the involuting tissue of the Xenopus embryo, are induced in dispersed animal pole cells by different doses of the potent mesoderm-inducing factor activin. Each cell type is induced within a restricted dose range of activin concentrations, the boundaries of which are well demarcated shortly after activin treatment. In contrast, Brachyury and goosecoid, two genes thought to pattern the presumptive mesoderm, and the gene encoding platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha, which is expressed in the mesoderm of gastrula stage embryos, are induced by broad, overlapping ranges of high activin concentrations at such early times. Similarly, the response of the gene encoding platelet-derived growth factor A, which is expressed normally in ectoderm of gastrula stage embryos, diminishes gradually as the activin concentration increases. Dose windows for the expression of these four genes narrow and become distinct from one another in cell aggregates after several hours in culture, suggesting that activin prompts a dynamic program of gene expression in induced mesoderm.

Activins↗

Conformational study of the cembranoid sarcophytol A, a potent anti-tumor-promoter.

Conformational analysis of the marine cembranoid sarcophytol A (1a), a potent anti-tumor promoter, was carried out using a newly introduced molecular mechanic and molecular dynamic program Discover. Four minimum-energy conformations were derived, in accordance with a previous results of the epoxidation of 1a, which afforded 7R,8R/7S,8S- and 11R,12R/11S,12S-epoxide pairs. The most stable conformation was the one having C-19 and C-20 directed opposite to C-18, with respect to the average plane of the fourteen-membered ring. X-Ray crystallography of sarcophytol A alpha-methoxy-alpha-trifluoromethylphenylacetate (1c) was carried out simultaneously. This confirmed the 14S absolute configuration of 1a but the conformation of crystalline 1c did not correspond to any of the four minimum-energy conformers of 1a.

Crystallization↗

HotKnots: heuristic prediction of RNA secondary structures including pseudoknots.

We present HotKnots, a new heuristic algorithm for the prediction of RNA secondary structures including pseudoknots. Based on the simple idea of iteratively forming stable stems, our algorithm explores many alternative secondary structures, using a free energy minimization algorithm for pseudoknot free secondary structures to identify promising candidate stems. In an empirical evaluation of the algorithm with 43 sequences taken from the Pseudobase database and from the literature on pseudoknotted structures, we found that overall, in terms of the sensitivity and specificity of predictions, HotKnots outperforms the well-known Pseudoknots algorithm of Rivas and Eddy and the NUPACK algorithm of Dirks and Pierce, both based on dynamic programming approaches for limited classes of pseudoknotted structures. It also outperforms the heuristic Iterated Loop Matching algorithm of Ruan and colleagues, and in many cases gives better results than the genetic algorithm from the STAR package of van Batenburg and colleagues and the recent pknotsRG-mfe algorithm of Reeder and Giegerich. The HotKnots algorithm has been implemented in C/C++ and is available from http://www.cs.ubc.ca/labs/beta/Software/HotKnots.

Algorithms↗