Robust variable selection in partially varying coefficient single-index model

By combining basis function approximations and smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) penalty, this paper proposes a robust variable selection procedure for a partially varying coefficient single-index model based on modal regression. The proposed procedure simultaneously selects significant variables in the parametric components and the nonparametric components. With appropriate selection of the tuning parameters, we establish the theoretical properties of our procedure, including consistency in variable selection and the oracle property in estimation. Furthermore, we also discuss the bandwidth selection and propose a modified expectation-maximization (EM)-type algorithm for the proposed estimation procedure. The finite sample properties of the proposed estimators are illustrated by some simulation examples.The research of Zhu is partially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC) under Grants 71171075, 71221001 and 71031004. The research of Yu is supported by NNSFC under Grant 11261048

Thermodynamic evidence for pressure-induced bulk superconductivity in the Fe-As pnictide superconductor CaFe2As2

We report specific-heat and resistivity experiments performed in parallel in a Bridgman-type of pressure cell in order to investigate the nature of pressure-induced superconductivity in the iron pnictide compound CaFe2As2. The presence of a pronounced specific-heat anomaly at Tc reveals a bulk nature of the superconducting state. The thermodynamic transition temperature differs dramatically from the onset of the resistive transition. Our data indicates that superconductivity occurs in the vicinity of a crystallographic phase transition. We discuss the discrepancy between the two methods as caused by strain-induced superconducting precursors formed above the bulk thermodynamic transition due to the vicinity of the structural instability