SOJOURN TIMES IN NON-HOMOGENEOUS QBD PROCESSES WITH PROCESSOR SHARING

We study sojourn times of customers in a processor sharing queue with a service rate that varies over time, depending on the number of customers and on the state of a random environment. An explicit expression is derived for the Laplace–Stieltjes transform of the sojourn time conditional on the state upon arrival and the amount of work brought into the system. Particular attention is paid to the conditional mean sojourn time of a customer as a function of his required amount of work, and we establish the existence of an asymptote as the amount of work tends to infinity. The method of random time change is then extended to include the possibility of a varying service rate. By means of this method, we explain the well-established proportionality between the conditional mean sojourn time and required amount of work in processor sharing queues without random environment. Based on numerical experiments, we propose an approximation for the conditional mean sojourn time. Although first presented for exponentially distributed service requirements, the analysis is shown to extend to phase-type services. The service discipline of discriminatory processor sharing is also shown to fall within the framework.     

Uniform asymptotics for random time ruin probability with subexponential claims and constant interest rate

Consider the probability of random time ruin in the renewal risk model with the general nonnegative and non decreasing premium process and constant interest rate. We obtain a uniform asymptotic formula for random time τ and subexponential distribution.     

Failure Time of Non Homogeneous Gamma Process

We consider the non homogeneous gamma process as a degradation model. The hitting time of a deterministic or random level is studied here. We provide its distribution (both cdf and pdf) explicitly in the first case and in the second case when the threshold is exponentially or gamma distributed. The general case for a random threshold can be approximated by considering mixtures of Erlang distributions. Aging properties are also discussed in this article.     

Performance-Related Reliability Analysis Methodology of Computer Networks

Based on the bottlenecks in current performance-related network reliability (PRNR) research, this article selects network time delay as PRNR evaluation foundation, and defines PRNR measure as the probability that the actual network delay is no bigger than the required value during network long-term operating under the specified conditions of resource allocation and network operating environment. To obtain PRNR, a novel threshold-optimization-based network traffic model is proposed to model real network traffic. In this model, the actual network traffic is divided into two different parts—a-traffic with burst characteristic, and b-traffic with steady characteristic—according to the optimized threshold value obtained with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Analysis to PRNR is carried out in two different time levels—macro-time level and micro-time level—to avoid the difficulties resulting from the great difference in reliability and performance dimension. In the macro-time level, the number of the operational network workstations varying with random failures is obtained. In the micro-time level, the packet delay is analyzed with the number of the operational workstations as a parameter. Combing the analysis in these two time levels together, the integrated PRNR model is established, and influences of different parameters are analyzed.     

Signatures in Markov-Modulated Processes

□ In recent years, signatures are widely used for analysis of coherent systems consisting of unreliable components. If component lifetimes are independent and identically distributed, then system lifetime distribution function is a convex combination of distribution functions of order statistics for component lifetimes. Coefficients of this convex combination are called signatures. This article considers the case when a system operates in a so-called random environment, i.e., component failure rates are jointly modulated by a finite-state continuous-time Markov chain. In this model, component lifetimes remain exchangeable. An expression for distribution function of time to system failure is derived. Here, a crucial role is played by an elaborated procedure of deriving a distribution function of order statistics for system component lifetimes. A numerical example illustrates the suggested approach and analyzes the influence of random environment on the distribution function of system lifetime.     

Specification and Identification of Stochastic Demand Models

This paper is concerned with stochastic demand systems for continuous choices that arise from structural random utility models. It examines under which nonparametric conditions on the structural random utility specification the implied reduced form model is nonsingular and invertible. For parametric members within this class of random utility models, the paper provides conditions for local identification from the reduced form under moment assumptions.     

Specification and Identification of Stochastic Demand Models

This paper is concerned with stochastic demand systems for continuous choices that arise from structural random utility models. It examines under which nonparametric conditions on the structural random utility specification the implied reduced form model is nonsingular and invertible. For parametric members within this class of random utility models, the paper provides conditions for local identification from the reduced form under moment assumptions.     

Testing for coefficient stability of AR(1) model when the null is an integrated or a stationary process

In this paper, we propose a new test for coefficient stability of an AR(1) model against the random coefficient autoregressive model of order 1 neither assuming a stationary nor a non-stationary process under the null hypothesis of a constant coefficient. The proposed test is obtained as a modification of the locally best invariant (LBI) test by Lee [(1998). Coefficient constancy test in a random coefficient autoregressive model. J. Statist. Plann. Inference 74, 93–101]. We examine finite sample properties of the proposed test by Monte Carlo experiments comparing with other existing tests, in particular, the LBI test by McCabe and Tremayne [(1995). Testing a time series for difference stationary. Ann. Statist. 23 (3), 1015–1028], which is for the null of a unit root process against the alternative of a stochastic unit root process.     

The Method to Identify a Biomarker and to Evaluate Its Efficiency for Survival by Using the Joint Model of the Accelerate Failure Time and Longitudinal Data

In this article, we discuss how to identify longitudinal biomarkers in survival analysis under the accelerated failure time model and also discuss the effectiveness of biomarkers under the accelerated failure time model. Two methods proposed by Shcemper et al. are deployed to measure the efficacy of biomarkers. We use simulations to explore how the factors can influence the power of a score test to detect the association of a longitudinal biomarker and the survival time. These factors include the functional form of the random effects from the longitudinal biomarkers, in the different number of individuals, and time points per individual. The simulations are used to explore how the number of individuals, the number of time points per individual influence the effectiveness of the biomarker to predict survival at the given endpoint under the accelerated failure time model. We illustrate our methods using a prothrombin index as a predictor of survival in liver cirrhosis patients.     

Optimal preventive policies for imperfect maintenance models with replacement first and last

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes preventive replacement policies for an operating system which may continuously works for N jobs with random working times and is imperfectly maintained upon failure. As a failure occurs, the system suffers one of the two types of failures based on some random mechanism: type-I (repairable or minor) failure is rectified by a minimal repair, or type-II (non repairable or catastrophic) failure is removed by a corrective replacement. A notation of preventive replacement last model is considered in which the system is replaced before any type-II failure at an operating time T or at number N of working times, whichever occurs last. Comparisons between such a preventive replacement last and the conventional replacement first are discussed in detail. For each model, the optimal schedule of preventive replacement that minimizes the mean cost rate is presented theoretically and determined numerically. Because the framework and analysis are general, the proposed models extend several existing results.     

Structural Change Monitoring for Random Coefficient Autoregressive Time Series

A monitoring scheme is proposed to sequentially detect a structural change in random coefficient autoregressive time series of order p (RCA(p)) after a training period of size T. It extends structural change monitoring to RCA(p) time series. The asymptotic properties of our monitoring statistic are established under both the null of no change in parameters and the alternative of a change in coefficient. The finite sample properties are investigated by a simulation study.     

Asymptotic Behavior of Random Time Ruin Probability Under Heavy-Tailed Claim Sizes and Dependence Structure

This article deals with the renewal risk model, in which there exists some asymptotic dependence relation between claim sizes and the inter-arrival times, and claim sizes are subexponential. Under this setting, we investigate the tail behaviour of random time ruin probability as the initial risk reserve x tends to infinity. We obtain the similar asymptotic formula as the previous results.     

Optimal allocation of time points for the random effects model

In this article the problem of the optimal selection and allocation of time points in repeated measures experiments is considered. D‐ optimal designs for linear regression models with a random intercept and first order auto‐regressive serial correlations are computed numerically and compared with designs having equally spaced time points. When the order of the polynomial is known and the serial correlations are not too small, the comparison shows that for any fixed number of repeated measures, a design with equally spaced time points is almost as efficient as the D‐ optimal design. When, however, there is no prior knowledge about the order of the underlying polynomial, the best choice in terms of efficiency is a D‐ optimal design for the highest possible relevant order of the polynomial. A design with equally‐spaced time points is the second best choice     

Crisis cycles in the slightly unstable block random model

ABSTRACT

The paper proposes a new approach for studying the time to time appearing breakdowns in economy. Block random model can describe stability of large complicated systems with variable number of participants. Theoretical background of the model is given by a theorem about the eigenvalues of block random matrices [Juhász F. On the characteristic values of non-symmetric block random matrices. J Theoret Probab. 1990;67:199–205; On the structural eigenvalues of block random matrices. Linear Algebra Appl. 1996;246:225–231]. The model takes into account not only effects of participants but of groups formed from them as well. Slight instability means group level stability and participant level instability [Juhász F. On the turbulence of slightly unstable block random systems. In: Taylor C, et al., editors. Numerical methods for laminar and turbulent flow. Atlanta; 1995. p. 113–121]. Lability index of block random systems is introduced for measuring instability. It is showed that lability index of a slightly unstable block random model is growing while number of participants increases. Alteration in the number of participants makes it possible to describe crisis cycles.     

The repair alert models with fixed and random effects

This article extends a random preventive maintenance scheme, called repair alert model, when there exist environmental variables that effect on system lifetimes. It can be used for implementing age-dependent maintenance policies on engineering devices. In other words, consider a device that works for a job and is subject to failure at a random time X, and the maintenance crew can avoid the failure by a possible replacement at some random time Z. The new model is flexible to including covariates with both fixed and random effects. The problem of estimating parameters is also investigated in details. Here, the observations are in the form of random signs censoring data (RSCD) with covariates. Therefore, this article generalizes derived statistical inferences on the basis of RSCD albeit without covariates in past literature. To do this, it is assumed that the system lifetime distribution belongs to the log-location-scale family of distributions. A real dataset is also analyzed on basis of the results obtained.     

Bayes Estimation Based on Random Censored Data for Some Life Time Models Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Loss Functions

Censored data arise naturally in a number of fields, particularly in problems of reliability and survival analysis. There are several types of censoring; in this article, we shall confine ourselves to the right randomly censoring type. Under the Bayesian framework, we study the estimation of parameters in a general framework based on the random censored observations under Linear-Exponential (LINEX) and squared error loss (SEL) functions. As a special case, Weibull model is discussed and the admissibility of estimators of parameters verified. Finally, a simulation study is conducted based on Monte Carlo (MC) method for comparing estimated risks of the estimators obtained.     

Random search algorithm for optimal mixture experimental design

It is well known that it is difficult to obtain an accurate optimal design for a mixture experimental design with complex constraints. In this article, we construct a random search algorithm which can be used to find the optimal design for mixture model with complex constraints. First, we generate an initial set by the Monte-Carlo method, and then run the random search algorithm to get the optimal set of points. After that, we explain the effectiveness of this method by using two examples.     

On the analysis of long-term experiments

Summary.  Long-term experiments are commonly used tools in agronomy, soil science and other disciplines for comparing the effects of different treatment regimes over an extended length of time. Periodic measurements, typically annual, are taken on experimental units and are often analysed by using customary tools and models for repeated measures. These models contain nothing that accounts for the random environmental variations that typically affect all experimental units simultaneously and can alter treatment effects. This added variability can dominate that from all other sources and can adversely influence the results of a statistical analysis and interfere with its interpretation. The effect that this has on the standard repeated measures analysis is quantified by using an alternative model that allows for random variations over time. This model, however, is not useful for analysis because the random effects are confounded with fixed effects that are already in the repeated measures model. Possible solutions are reviewed and recommendations are made for improving statistical analysis and interpretation in the presence of these extra random variations.     

SURVIVAL ANALYSIS WITH TIME DEPENDENT FRAILTY USING A LONGITUDINAL MODEL

A method of estimation for generalised mixed models is applied to the estimation of regression parameters in a proportional hazards model with time dependent frailty. A parameter representing change over time is introduced and is modelled in turn into a fixed effect, a normally distributed random effect and a longitudinal effect in which the random component relates to the patient characteristics. Both maximum likelihood and residual maximum likelihood estimators are given.