490 research outputs found
Bayesian astrostatistics: a backward look to the future
This perspective chapter briefly surveys: (1) past growth in the use of
Bayesian methods in astrophysics; (2) current misconceptions about both
frequentist and Bayesian statistical inference that hinder wider adoption of
Bayesian methods by astronomers; and (3) multilevel (hierarchical) Bayesian
modeling as a major future direction for research in Bayesian astrostatistics,
exemplified in part by presentations at the first ISI invited session on
astrostatistics, commemorated in this volume. It closes with an intentionally
provocative recommendation for astronomical survey data reporting, motivated by
the multilevel Bayesian perspective on modeling cosmic populations: that
astronomers cease producing catalogs of estimated fluxes and other source
properties from surveys. Instead, summaries of likelihood functions (or
marginal likelihood functions) for source properties should be reported (not
posterior probability density functions), including nontrivial summaries (not
simply upper limits) for candidate objects that do not pass traditional
detection thresholds.Comment: 27 pp, 4 figures. A lightly revised version of a chapter in
"Astrostatistical Challenges for the New Astronomy" (Joseph M. Hilbe, ed.,
Springer, New York, forthcoming in 2012), the inaugural volume for the
Springer Series in Astrostatistics. Version 2 has minor clarifications and an
additional referenc
Observation of Entanglement-Dependent Two-Particle Holonomic Phase
Holonomic phases---geometric and topological---have long been an intriguing
aspect of physics. They are ubiquitous, ranging from observations in particle
physics to applications in fault tolerant quantum computing. However, their
exploration in particles sharing genuine quantum correlations lack in
observations. Here we experimentally demonstrate the holonomic phase of two
entangled-photons evolving locally, which nevertheless gives rise to an
entanglement-dependent phase. We observe its transition from geometric to
topological as the entanglement between the particles is tuned from zero to
maximal, and find this phase to behave more resilient to evolution changes with
increasing entanglement. Furthermore, we theoretically show that holonomic
phases can directly quantify the amount of quantum correlations between the two
particles. Our results open up a new avenue for observations of holonomic
phenomena in multi-particle entangled quantum systems.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
A Bayesian Periodogram Finds Evidence for Three Planets in 47 Ursae Majoris
A Bayesian analysis of 47 Ursae Majoris (47 UMa) radial velocity data
confirms and refines the properties of two previously reported planets with
periods of 1079 and 2325 days and finds evidence for an additional long period
planet with a period of approximately 10000 days. The three planet model is
found to be 10^5 times more probable than the next most probable model which is
a two planet model. The nonlinear model fitting is accomplished with a new
hybrid Markov chain Monte Carlo (HMCMC) algorithm which incorporates parallel
tempering, simulated annealing and genetic crossover operations. Each of these
features facilitate the detection of a global minimum in chi-squared. By
combining all three, the HMCMC greatly increases the probability of realizing
this goal. When applied to the Kepler problem it acts as a powerful
multi-planet Kepler periodogram. The measured periods are 1078 \pm 2,
2391{+100}{-87}, and 14002{+4018}{-5095}d, and the corresponding eccentricities
are 0.032 \pm 0.014, 0.098{+.047}{-.096}, and 0.16{+.09}{-.16}. The results
favor low eccentricity orbits for all three. Assuming the three signals (each
one consistent with a Keplerian orbit) are caused by planets, the corresponding
limits on planetary mass (M sin i) and semi-major axis are (2.53{+.07}{-.06}MJ,
2.10\pm0.02au), (0.54\pm0.07MJ, 3.6\pm0.1au), and (1.6{+0.3}{-0.5}MJ,
11.6{+2.1}{-2.9}au), respectively. We have also characterized a noise induced
eccentricity bias and designed a correction filter that can be used as an
alternate prior for eccentricity, to enhance the detection of planetary orbits
of low or moderate eccentricity
Bayesian Analysis of the (Generalized) Chaplygin Gas and Cosmological Constant Models using the 157 gold SNe Ia Data
The generalized Chaplygin gas model (GCGM) contains 5 free parameters, here,
they are constrained through the type Ia supernovae data, i.e., the ``gold
sample'' of 157 supernovae data. Negative and large positive values for
are taken into account. The analysis is made by employing the Bayesian
statistics and the prediction for each parameter is obtained by marginalizing
on the remained ones. This procedure leads to the following predictions:
, , , , , . Through the same
analysis the specific case of the ordinary Chaplygin gas model (CGM), for which
, is studied. In this case, there are now four free parameters and
the predictions for them are: , , , , . To complete the
analysis the CDM, with its three free parameters, is considered. For
all these models, particular cases are considered where one or two parameters
are fixed. The age of the Universe, the deceleration parameter and the moment
the Universe begins to accelerate are also evaluated. The quartessence
scenario, is favoured. A closed (and in some cases a flat) and accelerating
Universe is also preferred. The CGM case is far from been ruled
out, and it is even preferred in some particular cases. In most of the cases
the CDM is disfavoured with respect to GCGM and CGM.Comment: 23 pages, LaTeX 2e, 6 tables, 38 EPS figures, uses graphic
Likelihood Analysis of Repeating in the BATSE Catalogue
I describe a new likelihood technique, based on counts-in-cells statistics,
that I use to analyze repeating in the BATSE 1B and 2B catalogues. Using the 1B
data, I find that repeating is preferred over non-repeating by 4.3:1 odds, with
a well-defined peak at 5-6 repetitions per source. I find that the post-1B data
are consistent with the repeating model inferred from the 1B data, after taking
into account the lower fraction of bursts with well-determined positions.
Combining the two data sets, I find that the odds favoring repeating over
non-repeating are almost unaffected at 4:1, with a narrower peak at 5
repetitions per source. I conclude that the data sets are consistent both with
each other and with repeating, and that for these data sets the odds favor
repeating.Comment: 5 pages including 3 encapsulated figures, as a uuencoded, gzipped,
Postscript file. To appear in Proc. of the 1995 La Jolla workshop ``High
Velocity Neutron Stars and Gamma-Ray Bursts'' eds. Rothschild, R. et al.,
AIP, New Yor
Measuring Entanglement in a Photonic Embedding Quantum Simulator
Measuring entanglement is a demanding task that usually requires full
tomography of a quantum system, involving a number of observables that grows
exponentially with the number of parties. Recently, it was suggested that
adding a single ancillary qubit would allow for the efficient measurement of
concurrence, and indeed any entanglement monotone associated to antilinear
operations. Here, we report on the experimental implementation of such a
device---an embedding quantum simulator---in photonics, encoding the entangling
dynamics of a bipartite system into a tripartite one. We show that bipartite
concurrence can be efficiently extracted from the measurement of merely two
observables, instead of fifteen, without full tomographic information.Comment: Updated versio
Sex differences in comorbidity between substance use and mental health in adolescents: Two sides of the same coin
Background: This study aims to evaluate sex differences in alcohol and cannabis use and mental health disorders (MHD) in adolescents, and to evaluate the predictive role of mental health disorders for alcohol and cannabis use disorders (AUD and CUD respectively).
Method: A sample of 863 adolescents from the general population (53.7% girls, Mage = 16.62, SD = 0.85) completed a computerized battery including questions on substance use frequency, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Cannabis Problems Questionnaire for Adolescents - Short version, the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index and the DSM-IV-TR criteria for AUD and CUD. Bivariate analyses and binary logistic regressions were performed.
Results: Girls presented significantly more mental health problems and a higher prevalence of comorbidity between SUD and MHD. Obsessivecompulsive symptoms and phobic anxiety indicated a higher risk of AUD, whereas depression and interaction between hostility and obsessivecompulsive disorder indicated a higher risk of CUD.
Conclusions: Comorbidity between SUD and MHD is high among adolescents, and significantly higher among girls.
Antecedentes: el objetivo de esta investigación es evaluar las diferencias de sexo en el uso de cannabis y alcohol y en trastornos de salud mental TSM en adolescentes, y el rol predictivo de los TSM sobre los trastornos por uso de alcohol y cannabis (TUA y TUC, respectivamente).
Método: una muestra de 863 adolescentes de la población general (53, 7% chicas, edad media = 16.62, DT = 0, 85) completaron una batería informatizada sobre la frecuencia de uso de sustancias, el Inventario Breve de Síntomas, el Cuestionario de Problemas por Consumo de Cannabis - versión breve, el Índice de Rutgers de Problemas con el Alcohol y los criterios DSM-IV-TR para el TUA y TUC. Se realizaron análisis bivariados y de regresión logística binaria.
Resultados: las chicas presentaron significativamente más problemas de salud mental y mayor prevalencia de comorbilidad entre TUS y TSM. El trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo (TOC) y la ansiedad fóbica indicaron un mayor riesgo de TUA, mientras que la depresión y la interacción entre hostilidad y TOC indicaron mayor riesgo de TUC.
Conclusiones: la comorbilidad entre TUS y TSM es alta entre los adolescentes, y significativamente mayor entre las chicas
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