645 research outputs found
Sufficient Covariate, Propensity Variable and Doubly Robust Estimation
Statistical causal inference from observational studies often requires
adjustment for a possibly multi-dimensional variable, where dimension reduction
is crucial. The propensity score, first introduced by Rosenbaum and Rubin, is a
popular approach to such reduction. We address causal inference within Dawid's
decision-theoretic framework, where it is essential to pay attention to
sufficient covariates and their properties. We examine the role of a propensity
variable in a normal linear model. We investigate both population-based and
sample-based linear regressions, with adjustments for a multivariate covariate
and for a propensity variable. In addition, we study the augmented inverse
probability weighted estimator, involving a combination of a response model and
a propensity model. In a linear regression with homoscedasticity, a propensity
variable is proved to provide the same estimated causal effect as multivariate
adjustment. An estimated propensity variable may, but need not, yield better
precision than the true propensity variable. The augmented inverse probability
weighted estimator is doubly robust and can improve precision if the propensity
model is correctly specified
Reinforcement determines the timing dependence of corticostriatal synaptic plasticity in vivo
Plasticity at synapses between the cortex and striatum is considered critical for learning novel actions. However, investigations of spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) at these synapses have been performed largely in brain slice preparations, without consideration of physiological reinforcement signals. This has led to conflicting findings, and hampered the ability to relate neural plasticity to behavior. Using intracellular striatal recordings in intact rats, we show here that pairing presynaptic and postsynaptic activity induces robust Hebbian bidirectional plasticity, dependent on dopamine and adenosine signaling. Such plasticity, however, requires the arrival of a reward-conditioned sensory reinforcement signal within 2 s of the STDP pairing, thus revealing a timing-dependent eligibility trace on which reinforcement operates. These observations are validated with both computational modeling and behavioral testing. Our results indicate that Hebbian corticostriatal plasticity can be induced by classical reinforcement learning mechanisms, and might be central to the acquisition of novel actions
Supernova pointing with low- and high-energy neutrino detectors
A future galactic SN can be located several hours before the optical
explosion through the MeV-neutrino burst, exploiting the directionality of
--scattering in a water Cherenkov detector such as Super-Kamiokande. We
study the statistical efficiency of different methods for extracting the SN
direction and identify a simple approach that is nearly optimal, yet
independent of the exact SN neutrino spectra. We use this method to quantify
the increase in the pointing accuracy by the addition of gadolinium to water,
which tags neutrons from the inverse beta decay background. We also study the
dependence of the pointing accuracy on neutrino mixing scenarios and initial
spectra. We find that in the ``worst case'' scenario the pointing accuracy is
at 95% C.L. in the absence of tagging, which improves to
with a tagging efficiency of 95%. At a megaton detector, this accuracy can be
as good as . A TeV-neutrino burst is also expected to be emitted
contemporaneously with the SN optical explosion, which may locate the SN to
within a few tenths of a degree at a future km high-energy neutrino
telescope. If the SN is not seen in the electromagnetic spectrum, locating it
in the sky through neutrinos is crucial for identifying the Earth matter
effects on SN neutrino oscillations.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, Revtex4 format. The final version to be
published in Phys. Rev. D. A few points in the original text are clarifie
Vortex Lattice Melting into Disentangled Liquid Followed by the 3D-2D Decoupling Transition in YBa_2Cu_4O_8 Single Crystals
A sharp resistance drop associated with vortex lattice melting was observed
in high quality YBa_2Cu_4O_8 single crystals. The melting line is well
described well by the anisotropic GL theory. Two thermally activated flux flow
regions, which were separated by a crossover line B_cr=1406.5(1-T/T_c)/T
(T_c=79.0 K, B_cr in T), were observed in the vortex liquid phase. Activation
energy for each region was obtained and the corresponding dissipation mechanism
was discussed. Our results suggest that the vortex lattice in YBa_2Cu_4O_8
single crystal melts into disentangled liquid, which then undergoes a 3D-2D
decoupling transition.Comment: 5 pages, 4 eps figures, RevTex (Latex2.09
Steiner t-designs for large t
One of the most central and long-standing open questions in combinatorial
design theory concerns the existence of Steiner t-designs for large values of
t. Although in his classical 1987 paper, L. Teirlinck has shown that
non-trivial t-designs exist for all values of t, no non-trivial Steiner
t-design with t > 5 has been constructed until now. Understandingly, the case t
= 6 has received considerable attention. There has been recent progress
concerning the existence of highly symmetric Steiner 6-designs: It is shown in
[M. Huber, J. Algebr. Comb. 26 (2007), pp. 453-476] that no non-trivial
flag-transitive Steiner 6-design can exist. In this paper, we announce that
essentially also no block-transitive Steiner 6-design can exist.Comment: 9 pages; to appear in: Mathematical Methods in Computer Science 2008,
ed. by J.Calmet, W.Geiselmann, J.Mueller-Quade, Springer Lecture Notes in
Computer Scienc
Profiting from Mean-Reverting Yield Curve Trading Strategies
Published in Journal of Fixed Income, 2006, 15 (4), 20-33. https://doi.org/10.3905/jfi.2006.627836</p
Effective Actions and Phase Fluctuations in d-wave Superconductors
We study effective actions for order parameter fluctuations at low
temperature in layered d-wave superconductors such as the cuprates. The order
parameter lives on the bonds of a square lattice and has two amplitude and two
phase modes associated with it. The low frequency spectral weights for
amplitude and relative phase fluctuations is determined and found to be
subdominant to quasiparticle contributions. The Goldstone phase mode and its
coupling to density fluctuations in charged systems is treated in a
gauge-invariant manner. The Gaussian phase action is used to study both the
-axis Josephson plasmon and the more conventional in-plane plasmon in the
cuprates. We go beyond the Gaussian theory by deriving a coarse-grained quantum
XY model, which incorporates important cutoff effects overlooked in previous
studies. A variational analysis of this effective model shows that in the
cuprates, quantum effects of phase fluctuations are important in reducing the
zero temperature superfluid stiffness, but thermal effects are small for .Comment: Some numerical estimates corrected and figures changed. to appear in
PRB, Sept.1 (2000
Atmospheric Methane : Comparison Between Methane's Record in 2006–2022 and During Glacial Terminations
Atmospheric methane's rapid growth from late 2006 is unprecedented in the observational record. Assessment of atmospheric methane data attributes a large fraction of this atmospheric growth to increased natural emissions over the tropics, which appear to be responding to changes in anthropogenic climate forcing. Isotopically lighter measurements of (Figure presented.) are consistent with the recent atmospheric methane growth being mainly driven by an increase in emissions from microbial sources, particularly wetlands. The global methane budget is currently in disequilibrium and new inputs are as yet poorly quantified. Although microbial emissions from agriculture and waste sources have increased between 2006 and 2022 by perhaps 35 Tg/yr, with wide uncertainty, approximately another 35–45 Tg/yr of the recent net growth in methane emissions may have been driven by natural biogenic processes, especially wetland feedbacks to climate change. A model comparison shows that recent changes may be comparable or greater in scale and speed than methane's growth and isotopic shift during past glacial/interglacial termination events. It remains possible that methane's current growth is within the range of Holocene variability, but it is also possible that methane's recent growth and isotopic shift may indicate a large-scale reorganization of the natural climate and biosphere is under way
Unsustainable fuelwood extraction from South African savannas
Wood and charcoal supply the majority of sub-Saharan Africa’s rural energy needs. The
long-term supply of fuelwood is in jeopardy given high consumption rates. Using airborne
light detection and ranging (LiDAR), we mapped and investigated savanna aboveground
biomass across contrasting land uses, ranging from densely populated communal areas to
highly protected areas in the Lowveld savannas of South Africa. We combined the LiDAR
observations with socio-economic data, biomass production rates and fuelwood consumption
rates in a supply–demand model to predict future fuelwood availability. LiDAR-based biomass
maps revealed disturbance gradients around settlements up to 1.5 km, corresponding to the
maximum distance walked to collect fuelwood. At current levels of fuelwood consumption
(67% of households use fuelwood exclusively, with a 2% annual reduction), we calculate that
biomass in the study area will be exhausted within thirteen years. We also show that it will
require a 15% annual reduction in consumption for eight years to a level of 20% of households
using fuelwood before the reduction in biomass appears to stabilize to sustainable levels. The
severity of dwindling fuelwood reserves in African savannas underscores the importance of
providing affordable energy for rural economic development.The CSIR researchers were funded by the CSIR Strategic
Research Panel and the Department of Science and
Technology’s Earth Observation Unit. SUCSES study (Sustainability in Communal Socio-Ecological Systems) which provided data on fuelwood use in
Justicia was funded by the South African National Research
Foundation.
The airborne campaign and analysis was funded by the
Andrew Mellon Foundation.http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326am201
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