Letter from open palms

You are an experience
that shivers away from my outstretched hands.
Dances upon my fingers, teasing me,
“I am something you will never have.”
Pulls on my arteries telling me,
“you are nothing. Nothing at all.”
Bruises the walls of my mind, tormenting me
with its laughter, singing, yelling, crying–
I am left with my blankets in the middle of the night,
looking to the figure past the glass
who says nothing,
nothing at all.

without Shame

In the absence of my cramping hands,
I run like a deer, no worries of headlights,
no Shame in my freedom.
I soak up sunlight like a sponge,
much more than what is necessary,
no Shame in my gluttony.
I let words spill out like tiny waterfalls,
no Shame in my impulsivity.
Whether that be good or bad is not up to me;
whether Shame be good or bad is not up to me.
Still, I am guilt-ridden,
I can only close my eyes and
think of a world without Shame.

The Intersection of Combinatorics and Biological Systems: A Computational and Molecular Analysis

Abstract

This paper explores the fundamental role of discrete mathematics, specifically combinatorics, in understanding biological structures. From the quaternary logic of DNA to the complex folding patterns of proteins, combinatorial optimization provides the necessary framework for modern bioinformatics. We analyze the mathematical constraints of the genetic code, De Bruijn graphs in genome assembly, and the combinatorial explosion in phylogenetics.

1. Introduction: The Digitization of Biology

Modern biology has transitioned from a descriptive science to an information science. The biological cell functions as a complex information processor where discrete units (nucleotides and amino acids) are arranged in specific sequences. Combinatorics, the study of counting, arrangement, and permutation, provides the language to decode this information.

2. Combinatorial Logic of the Genetic Code

The most striking example of combinatorics in nature is the triplet codon system.

2.1. Permutations with Repetitions

The DNA alphabet consists of four bases: \mathcal{A} = \{A, C, G, T\}. To code for 20 essential amino acids, the sequence length n must satisfy the condition 4^n \geq 20.

If n=2, then 4^2 = 16 (Insufficient).

If n=3, then 4^3 = 64 (Sufficient).

This redundancy (64 codons for 20 acids) allows for synonymous mutations, providing a combinatorial buffer against genetic errors.

3. Graph Theory and Genome Assembly

In DNA sequencing (Next-Generation Sequencing), the laboratory can only read short fragments (reads). Reconstructing the full genome is a combinatorial puzzle.

3.1. De Bruijn Graphs

To assemble a genome, bioinformaticians use De Bruijn graphs where:

Nodes represent (k-1)-mers.

Edges represent k-mers.

The problem of finding the original DNA sequence is transformed into finding an Eulerian Path (visiting every edge exactly once) within this massive graph. This reduces the complexity of searching through n! possible permutations of fragments.

4. Combinatorial Explosion in Phylogenetics

Phylogenetics aims to reconstruct the evolutionary tree of life. However, as the number of species (n) increases, the number of possible tree topologies grows factorially.

My name is Shahlo Rustamova, daughter of Ilhkom, a passionate and ambitious student born on June 8, 2007, in Shakhrisabz district, Kashkadarya Region, Uzbekistan! 

I am currently a first year student of Shahrisabz State Pedagogical Institute on the basis of a state grant. I have earned several educational grants and awards, and I am an owner of national Biology certificate.  

With a deep interest in leadership, public speaking, and writing, I continue to work hard toward achieving academic excellence and inspiring others in my community.

NEW YEAR’S RESILIENCE

In the garden of grit, where shadows stretch,

Weary vines climbed through thorns of the past,  

Each task a tempest, each moment a wave,  

But beneath the storms, the roots clenched tighter.    

Wounds like constellations, pain etched in stardust,  

I tread softly on the stars of my battles,  

With a heart forged from fire, I rise,  

A phoenix unfurling wings against the horizon.    

I glance towards the edges of humanity,  

Where houses tremble like leaves in a gale,  

And children cradle hunger like a secret,  

While hope drips like honey from the skies.   

For I carry an ember, a spark of tomorrow,  

In the crucible of compassion, I harden my resolve,  

With the sun as my compass, I stride into dawn,  

Determined to dismantle the darkness with each step.    

Amidst the chaos, I gather the broken shards,  

Crafting a mosaic of dreams yet to bloom,  

The country of compassion calls me forth,  

And I answer with the drumbeat of courage in my chest.    

So let the New Year be a canvas unwritten,  

With colors of resilience, where challenges weave,  

An artist of hope, I paint my destiny,  

Knowing the dawn is only a heartbeat away.   

***

THESE DAYS OF CELEBRATION

I saw many of these festive days at the end of the year.

I saw bags weighing down hands,  

Decorations and lights that sparkled,  

And I saw the city like a bride adorned.  

I saw the sun and the moon descending to Earth,

Eyes and hearts of people igniting a rainbow,  

I saw embraces and kisses full of longing,  

Endless wishes that cannot be counted.  

I also saw the beggar’s hands like a cancer metastasis,

His statue frozen by the roadside of a noisy city,   

Eyes that remained a mist of rain of sadness,  

And his look of pain – a frost that freezes you.  

I hope that the coming New Year will see it,

And change the statue for a more beautiful one,  

To see also the indifferent, cold soul of people, 

And I wish to grant them a warmer heart.

THE TURNING OF THE PAGE

The year now fades, a closing book,

Of rushing streams and quiet corners.

We turn our heads to look behind,

At all the moments, sharp and kind.

So gather up the laughter’s chime,

The silent tears, the borrowed time.

Each thread is woven, dark and bright,

Into the fabric of the light.

We stand upon the threshold’s gleam,

And step into the newborn dream.

With lessons held and spirit worn,

We greet the coming, hopeful morn.

We Were Not Taught How to Hold the Future

They taught us dates

before they taught us consequences.

How empires fell,

but not how to catch ourselves

when hope slips on wet floors.

I grew up learning that history is past tense,

as if it doesn’t knock on our doors every morning

wearing our faces.

My country wakes up tired.

Even the sun hesitates before rising

as if asking,

are they ready today?

We are a generation fluent in survival.

We know how to laugh during blackouts,

how to fold dreams small enough

to fit into pockets with holes.

We know the price of bread

and the cost of silence.

Nobody warned us

that growing up would feel like translating pain

into productivity,

that resilience would become a compliment

used when repair is too expensive.

I write because talking fails me.

Because some truths are too heavy

for ordinary sentences.

Because poetry is the only place

I am allowed to be unsure

without being called weak.

They say the future belongs to us,

but they forgot to leave instructions.

So we improvise!

with borrowed courage,

with borrowed time,

with faith stitched together

by hands that are still shaking.

If this poem sounds unfinished,

it’s because we are.

Still becoming.

Still choosing softness

in a world that profits from our hardness.

We were not taught how to hold the future,

so we are learning

with open palms,

and hope that refuses to sit down.

EVERY LIVING BEING!

This is the law of birth:

Anyone with common sense will quickly understand.

Speak the truth to those who disagree.

Every living being will complete a life.

All living beings on earth and in heaven,

Unknown and famous,

Shy and passionate,

Every living being will complete a life.

If people could live with humanity,

If they could read and understand the Quran,

If they could understand the blessings of Paradise,

Every living being will complete a life.

Some suffer accidents, others have deadlines to meet.

Some are hardened, others are simple.

If death comes, it is permitted.

Every living being will complete a life.

Zeki is a soldier, one of them.

His hair is falling out, his skin is gray.

The Muslim also salutes.

Every living being will complete a life.

My published books are, respectively: Fairy Tales of Şerif Ali, Poems of Isparta, New Children’s Poems, Women, The Ocean of Love, Poems of Atatürk, Fairy Tales of Zekice, Exemplary Emotions, If We Don’t Beat Cancer, It Will Beat Us, Different Poems, Sweet Comments, Goodbye, Cancer, Don’t Forget, Logical Questions, Pearls in My Corner. THIS HOMELAND IS OURS, I WOULD DIE FOR IT, MY TURKEY, PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT, DIVINE WORDS AND THOUGHTS, GOOD HEALTH, STORIES OF PINK DREAMS, STORIES OF MY LIVED MEMORIES. I have around 70 published books. My works are featured in more than 100 anthologies, both in Turkey and internationally. I have many more works ready for publication. God willing, this will continue as long as I live. I am the Provincial Representative of the Türkiye ilesam (Turkey and Isparta) Association in Isparta and Burdur. I am a columnist for the Haber newspaper, president of the Tüm San Association in Isparta and Burdur, and founder of the Zekice House of Culture and Art. God willing, I will continue writing and serving the culture of the Turkic world for as long as I live. Greetings to all writers and readers.

That Hawaiian Staycation

The good ‘ol U.S. Army brought me here

The Chinese girls and various aloha purveyors bade me stay

So here sits I, on a balcony green with plants, envy and Green Edition Red Bull

I can see the pink Royal Hawaiian where my sister stayed, just across from where she rocked like Gin Blossoms and counted koi

Now I am a more mundane working-class guy, portrayed as teacher and coach

My staycation has stretched out to 29 years on this island

I’ve taken trips to Arizona, China, Georgia, Seattle, and California, but always leave my heart (sacrificed?), on Oahu and sometimes hide it in our small Chinatown.

Been to Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii, but my heart and soul are on Oahu.

Robert Allen Beckvall   12-25