Aggregate Consumer Behavior and Household Equivalence Scales

This article presents estimates of household equivalence scales, broken down by demographic characteristics, of U.S. households. Separate estimates are given by family size, age of head, region, race, and urban versus rural residence. Commodity-specific scales are presented for five separate commodity groups—energy, food, consumer goods, capital services, and other services. The estimates are obtained from an econometric model of aggregate consumer behavior. The parameters of this model are estimated by combining aggregate time series and individual cross-section data.     

R-Symmetry and the Power Functions of the Tests for Inverse Gaussian Means

The two-parameter Inverse Gaussian (IG) distribution is often appropriate for modeling non negative right-skewed data due to the striking similarities with the Gaussian distribution in its basic properties and inference methods. There are about 40 such G-IG analogies developed in literature and were most recently tabulated by Mudholkar and Wang. Of these, the earliest and most commonly noted similarities are the significance tests based on student's t and F distribution for the homogeneity of one, two or several means of the IG populations. However, unlike the corresponding tests in Gaussian theory, little is known about the power function of the basic tests. In this article, we employ the IG-related root-reciprocal IG distribution and a notion of Reciprocal Symmetry to establish the monotonicity of the power function of the test of significance for the IG mean.     

Testing a Theory of Exact Aggregation

This article analyzes the importance of exact aggregation restrictions and the modeling of demographic effects in Jorgenson, Lau, and Stoker's (1982) model of aggregate consumer behavior. These issues are examined at the household level, using Canadian cross-sectional microdata. Exact aggregation restrictions and some implicit restrictions on household demographic effects are strongly rejected by our data. These results do not preclude pooling aggregate time series data with cross-sectional microdata to estimate a model of aggregate consumer behavior. They do suggest, however, an alternative basis for the aggregate model.     

Quadratic estimators of covariance components in a multivariate mixed linear model

It is known that the Henderson Method III (Biometrics 9:226–252, 1953) is of special interest for the mixed linear models because the estimators of the variance components are unaffected by the parameters of the fixed factor (or factors). This article deals with generalizations and minor extensions of the results obtained for the univariate linear models. A MANOVA mixed model is presented in a convenient form and the covariance components estimators are given on finite dimensional linear spaces. The results use both the usual parametric representations and the coordinate-free approach of Kruskal (Ann Math Statist 39:70–75, 1968) and Eaton (Ann Math Statist 41:528–538, 1970). The normal equations are generalized and it is given a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of quadratic unbiased estimators for covariance components in the considered model.     

消费者信心指数与消费需求关系研究——以南京市居民消费需求为例

传统消费理论主要是注重对消费者收入与消费支出的关系研究,而新的西方消费者信心指数理论指出,消费者信心指数对消费支出有重要影响,特别是在当前国内消费需求增长缓慢的情况下,如何提高居民消费信心对刺激居民消费支出的增长有着重要的现实意义。运用计量经济模型,并结合南京市居民消费支出增长与消费者信心指数的数量关系,通过实证研究印证了两者间存在紧密相关性,从而建立南京市居民消费函数的主观因素拓展模型,并进而提出提高居民消费需求的政策建议,即在注重对影响消费的客观因素——收入的研究外,还要注重对影响消费的主观因素——消费者信心指数的研究。     

MRL and MPL Functions of Parallel Systems with INID Components under Double Monitoring

This article investigates parallel systems with n independent but not identically distributed (INID) components. Under the condition that, at time t ₁ (t ₁ > 0) the total number of failures of the components is r (r < n), and at time t ₂ (t ₂ ≥ t ₁) the sys-tem is still working or it has failed, the mean residual life (MRL) function of the parallel system and the mean past lifetime (MPL) function of the components are conducted. Some representations and corresponding properties of the MRL function and the MPL function under several specific conditions are obtained.     

Bayesian Estimation of Bivariate Exponential Distributions Based on Linex and Quadratic Loss Functions: A Survival Approach with Censored Samples

In this article, four bivariate exponential (BVE) distributions with subject to right censoring samples are presented. Bayesian estimates of the parameters of BVE are obtained through Linex and quadratic loss functions. Gamma prior distribution has been suggested to reforming the posterior function. The estimations and standard errors of parameters have also been obtained through simulation method. Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method is employed for the case of Block-Buse bivariate distribution because there was no closed form for estimator criteria. Simulation studies have been conducted to show that the computation parts can be implemented easily and comparing the estimated values due to two methods and with the true values as well.     

On the Closed Form of Optimal Invariant Quadratic Predictors in Finite Populations

For a finite population and its linear model Y  =  X β +  e , the problem of deriving optimal invariant quadratic predictors including optimal invariant quadratic unbiased predictor (OIQUP) and optimal invariant quadratic (potentially) biased predictor (OIQBP) for the population quadratic quantities, Y ′ HY , is of interest and has been previously considered by Liu and Rong (2007 Liu , X. , Rong , J. ( 2007 ). Quadratic prediction problems in finite populations . Statist. Probab. Lett. 77 : 483 – 489 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). In this note, we mainly aim at motivating the problems of OIQUP and OIQBP by showing that the unique closed form of OIQUP and OIQBP is just the one given by Liu and Rong through permutation matrix techniques.     

On the Choice of Functional Forms: Summary of a Monte Carlo Experiment

The use of flexible functional forms is a standard practice in applied econometrics. Many flexible forms have been proposed. In this study, we investigate the behavior of three of them—the translog, the symmetric McFadden, and the symmetric generalized Barnett. Based on Monte Carlo experiments, we assess the ability of these forms to test theoretical properties and to measure technological characteristics.