On some properties of equilibrium distributions of order n

In the present paper we derive some identities connecting the failure rate functions and moments of residual life of the nth order equilibrium distribution and the baseline distribution. These identities are used to characterize the generalized Pareto model, mixture of exponentials and gamma distribution by relationships between various reliability characteristics. An approach using the characteristic functions is also discussed with illustrations.     

A mixed‐method examination of ego‐resiliency,adjustment problems,and academic engagement in children of Latino migrant farmworkers

Children from Latino migrant farmworker (LMFW) families are one of the most educationally disenfranchised and marginalized populations of students in the United States. These children face similar disadvantages to other low‐income immigrant families, but often experience unique contextual stressors due to high mobility that places them at high risk for mental health problems, risk‐taking behaviors, and poor academic engagement. Despite these high vulnerabilities few researchers have focused their efforts on LMFW children specifically, or addressed resilience factors in particular. Ego‐resiliency is an enduring psychological construct reflecting how individuals overcome day‐to‐day challenges. We used a convergent mixed method cross‐sectional design to examine the effects of LMFW children's (N = 66, ages 6–18, Mage = 12.79) depressive and conduct problems on their academic efficacy/mastery, and whether ego‐resiliency counteracted these relations. Ego‐resiliency was negatively associated with depression and conduct problems, and positively related to academic efficacy/mastery. Conduct problems were negatively related to academic efficacy/mastery, but depression was not. Ego‐resiliency also moderated the relation of depression to academic efficacy/mastery. Qualitative results provided a deeper explanation of contributing factors to LMFW children's adjustment, how adjustment problems affected their academic success, and the coping mechanisms and resilience factors used by LMFW children to overcome difficult experiences.     

3D object recognition: Representation and matching

Three-dimensional object recognition entails a number of fundamental problems in computer vision: representation of a 3D object, identification of the object from its image, estimation of its position and orientation, and registration of multiple views of the object for automatic model construction. This paper surveys three of those topics, namely representation, matching, and pose estimation. It also presents an overview of the free-form surface matching problem, and describes COSMOS, our framework for representing and recognizing free-form objects. The COSMOS system recognizes arbitrarily curved 3D rigid objects from a single view using dense surface data. We present both the theoretical aspects and the experimental results of a prototype recognition system based on COSMOS.     

Modelling lifetimes by quantile functions using Parzen's score function

The present paper introduces methods of constructing quantile functions as models of lifetimes with monotone and nonmonotone hazard functions. This is accomplished on the basis of the relationships the hazard quantile function has with the score function introduced by Parzen in connection with the tail heaviness of probability distributions. Three models illustrated here contain several existing models as particular cases. The appropriateness of the models in real situations is also demonstrated.     

Estimating P[X>Y] from exponential samples containing spurious observations

In this paper we discuss the problem of estimating P[X>Y] when X and Y are independent exponential random variables and the sample from each population contains one spurious observation. The estimates ate derived for exchangeable, identifiable and censored models and their performances are evaluated numerically.     

Bivariate extreme value distributions

Let (X_i, Y_i), i = 1, 2,…, n, be n independent observations from a bivariate population and let X_(n) = max X_i and Y_(n) = max Y_i. This article gives a necessary and sufficient condition for the weak convergence of the distribution function of (X_(n), Y_(n)) to a nondegenerate distribution.     

Interaction Between Autocorrelation and Conditional Heteroscedasticity: A Random-Coefficient Approach

In applied econometrics, we tend to tackle specification problems one at a time rather than considering them jointly. This has serious consequences for statistical inference. One example of this is considering autocorrelation and autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARCH) separately. In this article we consider a linear regression model with random coefficient autoregressive disturbances that provides a convenient framework to analyze autocorrelation and ARCH simultaneously. Our stationarity conditions and testing results reveal the strong interaction between ARCH and autocorrelation. An empirical example of testing the unbiasedness of experts' expectations of inflation demonstrates that neglecting conditional heteroscedasticity or misspecifying the autocorrelation structure might result in unreliable inference.     

Coopetitive Buyer–Supplier Relationship: An Investigation of Bargaining Power,Relational Context,and Investment Strategies

This study proposes an analytical approach combined with a behavioral experiment for a joint examination of the competitive and cooperative (i.e., coopetitive) relationship between a buyer and a supplier. Specifically, the article considers the scenario in which the buyer and the supplier invest in strategic capabilities to increase their relative bargaining power. The article examines how dynamic investments in strategic assets are influenced by the locus of bargaining power and by the underlying context (synergistic vs. adversarial) of the interfirm relationship. The dynamic evolution of bargaining power is also examined. A dynamic game model is considered to examine the evolution of investment strategies in critical resources and to investigate the issues of bargaining power in a buyer–supplier dyad. Equilibrium expressions for the investment strategies of the buyer and the supplier are presented and their implications for buyer–supplier relationships are examined. The behavioral experiment complements the analytical model and examines the correspondence between optimal behavior suggested by the analytical model and the boundedly rational behavior of decision makers in an experimental context. The results from the model and behavioral experiments suggest that the strategies are a function of the risk‐adjusted returns obtained from investments. The experiment shows that, in a synergistic relational context when the buyer maintains bargaining power, the investment shifts of the buyer and the supplier accord well with theoretical predictions. In an adversarial relational context, the results of the experimental study do not correspond well with that predicted by the theoretical model. The implications of the results are discussed and directions for future research are presented.     

Improving Right Party Contact Rates at Outbound Call Centers

Consumer delinquencies are a major problem for banks and other credit card issuers. These firms have collection centers across the country to collect outstanding balances from delinquent accounts. Their main strategy is to first send reminder notices and, if that does not work, to telephone delinquent customers and request payment. The latter often becomes necessary, resulting in high costs of collection. Automated dialers are used to make the calls, and when the call goes through, it is directed to one of several hundred associates manning computer workstations. In this operation, it is important to contact the account holder in order to discuss payment options. Simply getting someone on the line is not sufficient, because such calls would require follow‐up calls. The objective of efficient collections is to maximize dollars collected while minimizing costs, which generally translates to making a “right party contact (RPC)” in the minimum number of attempts. We developed and tested an algorithm that increased the RPC rates by over 10%. This increase translates to annual savings of several million dollars for an average credit card company. Although the focus of our paper is collections, the methodology developed is equally applicable for improving telemarketing efficiency.