A Bayesian analysis for the Block and Basu bivariate exponential distribution in the presence of covariates and censored data

In this paper, we introduce a Bayesian Analysis for the Block and Basu bivariate exponential distribution using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods and considering lifetimes in presence of covariates and censored data. Posterior summaries of interest are obtained using the popular WinBUGS software. Numerical illustrations are introduced considering a medical data set related to the recurrence times of infection for kidney patients and a medical data set related to bone marrow transplantation for leukemia.     

Basu–Dhar bivariate geometric distribution in the presence of covariates and censored data: a Bayesian approach

In this paper, we introduce classical and Bayesian approaches for the Basu–Dhar bivariate geometric distribution in the presence of covariates and censored data. This distribution is considered for the analysis of bivariate lifetime as an alternative to some existing bivariate lifetime distributions assuming continuous lifetimes as the Block and Basu or Marshall and Olkin bivariate distributions. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimators are presented. Two examples are considered to illustrate the proposed methodology: an example with simulated data and an example with medical bivariate lifetime data.     

Modeling categorical covariates for lifetime data in the presence of cure fraction by Bayesian partition structures

In this paper, we propose a Bayesian partition modeling for lifetime data in the presence of a cure fraction by considering a local structure generated by a tessellation which depends on covariates. In this modeling we include information of nominal qualitative variables with more than two categories or ordinal qualitative variables. The proposed modeling is based on a promotion time cure model structure but assuming that the number of competing causes follows a geometric distribution. It is an alternative modeling strategy to the conventional survival regression modeling generally used for modeling lifetime data in the presence of a cure fraction, which models the cure fraction through a (generalized) linear model of the covariates. An advantage of our approach is its ability to capture the effects of covariates in a local structure. The flexibility of having a local structure is crucial to capture local effects and features of the data. The modeling is illustrated on two real melanoma data sets.     

A bivariate regression model with cure fraction

The use of bivariate distributions plays a fundamental role in survival and reliability studies. In this paper, we introduce a location-scale model for bivariate survival times based on the copula to model the dependence of bivariate survival data with cure fraction. We create the correlation structure between the failure times using the Clayton family of copulas, which is assumed to have any distribution. It turns out that the model becomes very flexible with respect to the choice of the marginal distributions. For the proposed model, we consider inferential procedures based on constrained parameters under maximum likelihood. We derive the appropriate matrices for assessing local influence under different perturbation schemes and present some ways to perform global influence analysis. The relevance of the approach is illustrated using a real data set and a diagnostic analysis is performed to select an appropriate model.     

A New lifetime model for multivariate survival data with a surviving fraction

In this paper we propose a new lifetime model for multivariate survival data with a surviving fraction. We develop this model assuming that there are m types of unobservable competing risks, where each risk is related to a time of the occurrence of an event of interest. We explore the use of Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to develop a Bayesian analysis for the proposed model. We also perform a simulation study in order to analyse the frequentist coverage probabilities of credible interval derived from posteriors. Our modelling is illustrated through a real data set.     

Discrete and continuous bivariate lifetime models in presence of cure rate: a comparative study under Bayesian approach

The modeling and analysis of lifetime data in which the main endpoints are the times when an event of interest occurs is of great interest in medical studies. In these studies, it is common that two or more lifetimes associated with the same unit such as the times to deterioration levels or the times to reaction to a treatment in pairs of organs like lungs, kidneys, eyes or ears. In medical applications, it is also possible that a cure rate is present and needed to be modeled with lifetime data with long-term survivors. This paper presented a comparative study under a Bayesian approach among some existing continuous and discrete bivariate distributions such as the bivariate exponential distributions and the bivariate geometric distributions in presence of cure rate, censored data and covariates. In presence of lifetimes related to cured patients, it is assumed standard mixture cure rate models in the data analysis. The posterior summaries of interest are obtained using Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. To illustrate the proposed methodology two real medical data sets are considered.     

Bayes estimation for the Block and Basu bivariate and multivariate Weibull distributions

Block and Basu bivariate exponential distribution is one of the most popular absolute continuous bivariate distributions. Recently, Kundu and Gupta [A class of absolute continuous bivariate distributions. Statist Methodol. 2010;7:464–477] introduced Block and Basu bivariate Weibull (BBBW) distribution, which is a generalization of the Block and Basu bivariate exponential distribution, and provided the maximum likelihood estimators using EM algorithm. In this paper, we consider the Bayesian inference of the unknown parameters of the BBBW distribution. The Bayes estimators are obtained with respect to the squared error loss function, and the prior distributions allow for prior dependence among the unknown parameters. Prior independence also can be obtained as a special case. It is observed that the Bayes estimators of the unknown parameters cannot be obtained in explicit forms. We propose to use the importance sampling technique to compute the Bayes estimates and also to construct the associated highest posterior density credible intervals. The analysis of two data sets has been performed for illustrative purposes. The performances of the proposed estimators are quite satisfactory. Finally, we generalize the results for the multivariate case.     

A general hazard model for lifetime data in the presence of cure rate

Historically, the cure rate model has been used for modeling time-to-event data within which a significant proportion of patients are assumed to be cured of illnesses, including breast cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, prostate cancer, melanoma, and head and neck cancer. Perhaps the most popular type of cure rate model is the mixture model introduced by Berkson and Gage [1]. In this model, it is assumed that a certain proportion of the patients are cured, in the sense that they do not present the event of interest during a long period of time and can found to be immune to the cause of failure under study. In this paper, we propose a general hazard model which accommodates comprehensive families of cure rate models as particular cases, including the model proposed by Berkson and Gage. The maximum-likelihood-estimation procedure is discussed. A simulation study analyzes the coverage probabilities of the asymptotic confidence intervals for the parameters. A real data set on children exposed to HIV by vertical transmission illustrates the methodology.     

A weighted Poisson distribution and its application to cure rate models

The family of weighted Poisson distributions offers great flexibility in modeling discrete data due to its potential to capture over/under-dispersion by an appropriate selection of the weight function. In this paper, we introduce a flexible weighted Poisson distribution and further study its properties by using it in the context of cure rate modeling under a competing cause scenario. A special case of the new distribution is the COM-Poisson distribution which in turn encompasses the Bernoulli, Poisson, and geometric distributions; hence, many of the well-studied cure rate models may be seen as special cases of the proposed model. We focus on the estimation, through the maximum likelihood method, of the cured proportion and the properties of the failure time of the susceptibles/non cured individuals; a profile likelihood approach is also adopted for estimating the parameters of the weighted Poisson distribution. A Monte Carlo simulation study demonstrates the accuracy of the proposed inferential method. Finally, as an illustration, we fit the proposed model to a cutaneous melanoma data set.     

Frailty models power variance function with cure fraction and latent risk factors negative binomial

In this article, we propose a flexible cure rate model, which is an extension of Cancho et al. (2011 Cancho, V.G., Rodrigues, J., de Castro, M. (2011). A flexible model for survival data with a cure rate: A Bayesian approach. J. Appl. Stat. 38:57–70.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) model, by incorporating a power variance function (PVF) frailty term in latent risk. The model is more flexible in terms of dispersion and it also quantifies the unobservable heterogeneity. The parameter estimation is reached by maximum likelihood estimation procedure and Monte Carlo simulation studies are considered to evaluate the proposed model performance. The practical relevance of the model is illustrated in a real data set of preventing cancer recurrence.     

Bivariate beta regression models: joint modeling of the mean,dispersion and association parameters

In this paper a bivariate beta regression model with joint modeling of the mean and dispersion parameters is proposed, defining the bivariate beta distribution from Farlie–Gumbel–Morgenstern (FGM) copulas. This model, that can be generalized using other copulas, is a good alternative to analyze non-independent pairs of proportions and can be fitted applying standard Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. Results of two applications of the proposed model in the analysis of structural and real data set are included.     

Accounting for informative non‐compliance with a bivariate exponential model in the design of endpoint trials

Failure to adjust for informative non‐compliance, a common phenomenon in endpoint trials, can lead to a considerably underpowered study. However, standard methods for sample size calculation assume that non‐compliance is non‐informative. One existing method to account for informative non‐compliance, based on a two‐subpopulation model, is limited with respect to the degree of association between the risk of non‐compliance and the risk of a study endpoint that can be modelled, and with respect to the maximum allowable rates of non‐compliance and endpoints. In this paper, we introduce a new method that largely overcomes these limitations. This method is based on a model in which time to non‐compliance and time to endpoint are assumed to follow a bivariate exponential distribution. Parameters of the distribution are obtained by equating them with the study design parameters. The impact of informative non‐compliance is investigated across a wide range of conditions, and the method is illustrated by recalculating the sample size of a published clinical trial. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the estimation of reliabilty function in a Weibull lifetime distribution

The estimation of the reliability function of the Weibull lifetime model is considered in the presence of uncertain prior information (not in the form of prior distribution) on the parameter of interest. This information is assumed to be available in some sort of a realistic conjecture. In this article, we focus on how to combine sample and non-sample information together in order to achieve improved estimation performance. Three classes of point estimatiors, namely, the unrestricted estimator, the shrinkage estimator and shrinkage preliminary test estimator (SPTE) are proposed. Their asymptotic biases and mean-squared errors are derived and compared. The relative dominance picture of the estimators is presented. Interestingly, the proposed SPTE dominates the unrestricted estimator in a range that is wider than that of the usual preliminary test estimator. A small-scale simulation experiment is used to examine the small sample properties of the proposed estimators. Our simulation investigations have provided strong evidence that corroborates with asymptotic theory. The suggested estimation methods are applied to a published data set to illustrate the performance of the estimators in a real-life situation.     

Estimation of the bivariate cause-specific distribution function with doubly censored competing risks data

In this article, we consider estimating the bivariate cause-specific distribution function when both components are subject to double censoring. We propose two types of estimators as generalizations of the Dabrowska and Campbell and Földes estimators. The asymptotical properties of the proposed estimators are established. A simulation study is conducted to investigate the performance of the proposed estimators.     

EM algorithm-based likelihood estimation for a generalized Gompertz regression model in presence of survival data with long-term survivors: an application to uterine cervical cancer data

In this paper we develop a regression model for survival data in the presence of long-term survivors based on the generalized Gompertz distribution introduced by El-Gohary et al. [The generalized Gompertz distribution. Appl Math Model. 2013;37:13–24] in a defective version. This model includes as special case the Gompertz cure rate model proposed by Gieser et al. [Modelling cure rates using the Gompertz model with covariate information. Stat Med. 1998;17:831–839]. Next, an expectation maximization algorithm is then developed for determining the maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) of the parameters of the model. In addition, we discuss the construction of confidence intervals for the parameters using the asymptotic distributions of the MLEs and the parametric bootstrap method, and assess their performance through a Monte Carlo simulation study. Finally, the proposed methodology was applied to a database on uterine cervical cancer.     

Variable selection in joint location and scale models of the skew-normal distribution

A regression model with skew-normal errors provides a useful extension for ordinary normal regression models when the data set under consideration involves asymmetric outcomes. Variable selection is an important issue in all regression analyses, and in this paper, we investigate the simultaneously variable selection in joint location and scale models of the skew-normal distribution. We propose a unified penalized likelihood method which can simultaneously select significant variables in the location and scale models. Furthermore, the proposed variable selection method can simultaneously perform parameter estimation and variable selection in the location and scale models. With appropriate selection of the tuning parameters, we establish the consistency and the oracle property of the regularized estimators. Simulation studies and a real example are used to illustrate the proposed methodologies.     

Bayesian multiple change-point estimation for exponential distribution with truncated and censored data

This paper considers the multiple change-point estimation for exponential distribution with truncated and censored data by Gibbs sampling. After all the missing data of interest is filled in by some sampling methods such as rejection sampling method, the complete-data likelihood function is obtained. The full conditional distributions of all parameters are discussed. The means of Gibbs samples are taken as Bayesian estimations of the parameters. The implementation steps of Gibbs sampling are introduced in detail. Finally random simulation test is developed, and the results show that Bayesian estimations are fairly accurate.     

Analysis of incomplete data in the presence of dependent competing risks from Marshall–Olkin bivariate Weibull distribution under progressive hybrid censoring

This article considers the statistical analysis of dependent competing risks model with incomplete data under Type-I progressive hybrid censored condition using a Marshall–Olkin bivariate Weibull distribution. Based on the expectation maximum algorithm, maximum likelihood estimators for the unknown parameters are obtained, and the missing information principle is used to obtain the observed information matrix. As the maximum likelihood approach may fail when the available information is insufficient, Bayesian approach incorporated with auxiliary variables is developed for estimating the parameters of the model, and Monte Carlo method is employed to construct the highest posterior density credible intervals. The proposed method is illustrated through a numerical example under different progressive censoring schemes and masking probabilities. Finally, a real data set is analyzed for illustrative purposes.