Bayes and empirical-Bayes multiplicity adjustment in the variable-selection problem

This paper studies the multiplicity-correction effect of standard Bayesian variable-selection priors in linear regression. Our first goal is to clarify when, and how, multiplicity correction happens automatically in Bayesian analysis, and to distinguish this correction from the Bayesian Ockham's-razor effect. Our second goal is to contrast empirical-Bayes and fully Bayesian approaches to variable selection through examples, theoretical results and simulations. Considerable differences between the two approaches are found. In particular, we prove a theorem that characterizes a surprising aymptotic discrepancy between fully Bayes and empirical Bayes. This discrepancy arises from a different source than the failure to account for hyperparameter uncertainty in the empirical-Bayes estimate. Indeed, even at the extreme, when the empirical-Bayes estimate converges asymptotically to the true variable-inclusion probability, the potential for a serious difference remains.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/10-AOS792 the Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Observing the Odderon: Tensor Meson Photoproduction

We calculate high-energy photoproduction of the tensor meson $f_2(1270)$ by odderon and photon exchange in the reaction $\gamma + {\rm{p}} \to f_2(1270) + {\rm{X}}$, where X is either the nucleon or the sum of the N(1520) and N(1535) baryon resonances. Odderon exchange dominates except at very small transverse momentum, and we find a cross section of about 20 nb at a centre-of-mass energy of 20 GeV. This result is compared with what is currently known experimentally about $f_2$ photoproduction. We conclude that odderon exchange is not ruled out by present data. On the contrary, an odderon-induced cross section of the above magnitude may help to explain a puzzling result observed by the E687 experiment.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figure

Criteria for Bayesian model choice with application to variable selection

In objective Bayesian model selection, no single criterion has emerged as dominant in defining objective prior distributions. Indeed, many criteria have been separately proposed and utilized to propose differing prior choices. We first formalize the most general and compelling of the various criteria that have been suggested, together with a new criterion. We then illustrate the potential of these criteria in determining objective model selection priors by considering their application to the problem of variable selection in normal linear models. This results in a new model selection objective prior with a number of compelling properties.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/12-AOS1013 the Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Towards Uniform Gene Bank Documentation In Europe – The Experience From The EFABISnet Project

In the EFABISnet project, a collaborative effort of EAAP, FAO and partners from 14 European countries, in cooperation with the European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources (ERFP), national information systems for monitoring the animal genetic resources on breed level were established in Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. The network was soon extended beyond the project plans, with the establishment of EFABIS databases in Finland, Greece, and Hungary. The network was then complemented by a set of inventories of national gene bank collections to strengthen the documentation of ex situ conservation programmes. These documentation systems were established by the National Focal Points for management of farm animal genetic resources. Here we present the experience gained in establishment of these national inventories of gene banks and their relevance to the Strategic Priority Areas of the Global Plan of Action which could be useful for other areas in the world

Isolated Prompt Photon Production in Hadronic Final States of e+e−e^+e^- Annihilation

We provide complete analytic expressions for the isolated prompt photon production cross section in $e^+e^-$ annihilation reactions through one-loop order in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) perturbation theory. Functional dependences on the isolation cone size $\delta$ and isolation energy parameter $\epsilon$ are derived. The energy dependence as well as the full angular dependence of the cross section on $\theta_\gamma$ are displayed, where $\theta_\gamma$ specifies the direction of the photon with respect to the $e^+e^-$ collision axis. We point out that conventional perturbative QCD factorization breaks down for isolated photon production in $e^+e^-$ annihilation reactions in a specific region of phase space. We discuss the implications of this breakdown for the extraction of fragmentation functions from $e^+e^-$ annihilation data and for computations of prompt photon production in hadron-hadron reactions.Comment: 54 pages RevTeX plus 19 postscript figures submitted together in one compressed fil

Atomic and Electronic Structure of a Rashba pp-nn Junction at the BiTeI Surface

The non-centrosymmetric semiconductor BiTeI exhibits two distinct surface terminations that support spin-split Rashba surface states. Their ambipolarity can be exploited for creating spin-polarized $p$-$n$ junctions at the boundaries between domains with different surface terminations. We use scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) to locate such junctions and investigate their atomic and electronic properties. The Te- and I-terminated surfaces are identified owing to their distinct chemical reactivity, and an apparent height mismatch of electronic origin. The Rashba surface states are revealed in the STS spectra by the onset of a van Hove singularity at the band edge. Eventually, an electronic depletion is found on interfacial Te atoms, consistent with the formation of a space charge area in typical $p$-$n$ junctions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Southern Massive Stars at High Angular Resolution: Observational Campaign and Companion Detection

Multiplicity is one of the most fundamental observable properties of massive O-type stars and offers a promising way to discriminate between massive star formation theories. Nevertheless, companions at separations between 1 and 100 mas remain mostly unknown due to intrinsic observational limitations. [...] The Southern MAssive Stars at High angular resolution survey (SMASH+) was designed to fill this gap by providing the first systematic interferometric survey of Galactic massive stars. We observed 117 O-type stars with VLTI/PIONIER and 162 O-type stars with NACO/SAM, respectively probing the separation ranges 1-45 and 30-250mas and brightness contrasts of Delta H < 4 and Delta H < 5. Taking advantage of NACO's field-of-view, we further uniformly searched for visual companions in an 8''-radius down to Delta H = 8. This paper describes the observations and data analysis, reports the discovery of almost 200 new companions in the separation range from 1mas to 8'' and presents the catalog of detections, including the first resolved measurements of over a dozen known long-period spectroscopic binaries. Excluding known runaway stars for which no companions are detected, 96 objects in our main sample (DEC < 0 deg; H<7.5) were observed both with PIONIER and NACO/SAM. The fraction of these stars with at least one resolved companion within 200mas is 0.53. Accounting for known but unresolved spectroscopic or eclipsing companions, the multiplicity fraction at separation < 8'' increases to f_m = 0.91 +/- 0.03. The fraction of luminosity class V stars that have a bound companion reaches 100% at 30mas while their average number of physically connected companions within 8'' is f_c = 2.2 +/- 0.3. This demonstrates that massive stars form nearly exclusively in multiple systems. Additionally, the nine non-thermal (NT) radio emitters observed by SMASH+ are all resolved [...]Comment: 57 pages, 20 figures, 7 tables; accepted for publication in ApJ

Survey for Emission-Line Galaxies: Universidad Complutense de Madrid List 3

A new low-dispersion objective-prism search for low-redshift (z<0.045) emission-line galaxies (ELG) has been carried out by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid with the Schmidt Telescope at the Calar-Alto Observatory. This is a continuation of the UCM Survey, which was performed by visual selection of candidates in photographic plates via the presence of the Halpha+[NII]6584 blend in emission. In this new list we have applied an automatic procedure, fully developed by us, for selecting and analyzing the ELG candidates on the digitized images obtained with the MAMA machine. The analyzed region of the sky covers 189 square degrees in nine fields near R.A.=14h & 17h, Dec=25 deg. The final sample contains 113 candidates. Special effort has been made to obtain a large amount of information directly from our uncalibrated plates by using several external calibrations. The parameters obtained for the ELG candidates allow for the study of the statistical properties for the sample.Comment: 13 pages, 18 PostScript figures, 6 JPEG figures, Table 2 corrected. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Supplements, also available at http://www.ucm.es/info/Astrof/opera/LIST3_ApJS99