An extended Birnbaum–Saunders distribution: Theory,estimation, and applications

Abstract

Birnbaum and Saunders (1969a Birnbaum, Z.W., Saunders, S.C. (1969a). A new family of life distributions. J. Appl. Probab. 6:319–327.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) pioneered a lifetime model which is commonly used in reliability studies. Based on this distribution, a new model called the gamma Birnbaum–Saunders distribution is proposed for describing fatigue life data. Several properties of the new distribution including explicit expressions for the ordinary and incomplete moments, generating and quantile functions, mean deviations, density function of the order statistics, and their moments are derived. We discuss the method of maximum likelihood and a Bayesian approach to estimate the model parameters. The superiority of the new model is illustrated by means of three failure real data sets. We also propose a new extended regression model based on the logarithm of the new distribution. The last model can be very useful to the analysis of real data and provide more realistic fits than other special regression models.     

Mortality,longevity and experiments with the Lee–Carter model

The paper reviews the Lee-Carter modelling framework, illustrated with an application, and then extends the framework through the development of a wider class of generalised, parametric, non-linear models. The choice of error distribution is also generalised. These extensions permit the modelling and extrapolation of age-specific cohort effects as well as the more familiar age-specific period effects: the age-period-cohort version of the model is discussed with a worked example. The paper also provides a comparative study of simulation strategies for assessing risk in mortality rate predictions and the associated forecast estimates of life expectancy and annuity values in both period and cohort perspectives.     

Serials Spoken Here–Reports of Conferences,Institutes and Seminars

ABSTRACT

This quarter's column offers a report from the Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge, held May 14–17, 2016, in Timberline Lodge, Oregon, and also provides coverage of multiple sessions from the Kraemer Copyright Conference, held June 6–7, 2016, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Some reports are collected, as well, from the NASIG Annual Conference, held June 9–12, 2016, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, held June 23–28, 2016, in Orlando, Florida. Lastly, there is a report from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress, held August 13–19, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. Topics covered include open access, linked data, copyright, text mining, e-resource management, and digitization.     

Evolution and decomposition of income inequality in Italy, 1991–2004

The aggregate measures of inequality do not display any significant trend in the concentration of equivalent income among the Italian households in the early 2000s. Yet some sizeable shifts in the income distribution seem to suggest that the relative positions of groups of households have changed on the income scale. Through a decomposition analysis of Gini index by income source we find that in the more recent years the income from self-employment is the main disequalizing factor. The decomposition by social groups provides the evidence that it is the group of self-employed and managers who have gained more ground on the income scale. This work has been debated by the three Authors under the coordination of Claudio Quintano. Rosalia Castellano has written Sect. 1, while Andrea Regoli has written Sects. 2 to 6.     

A Brief History of the American Statistical Association, 1990–2014

The objective of this article is to present a brief chronological record of the American Statistical Association (ASA) from its modest beginnings in Boston in 1839 to its present status as a worldwide professional organization with approximately 19,000 members and a headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. Emphasis is placed on accomplishments over the past 25 years of the ASA from the end of its Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1989 to the end of its 175th Anniversary Celebration in 2014. Its continued growth during this period has been achieved through the work of outstanding leaders, sections, chapters, and committees. This article briefly summarizes its achievements in organizational efficiency, membership services, innovative meetings, and publications. It also describes its work in structural change, education, public relations, and science policy. It ends with a positive look to the future.     

SUB-SAMPLE MANN–WHITNEY–WILCOXON TEST

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a class of sub-sample rank-sum statistics to test the stochastic ordering between two distributions. The proposed class includes as special case the min–max test of Öztürk.[1] Öztürk, Ö. 2001. A Generalization of Ahmad's Class of Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon Statistics. Austrl. and New Zealand J. Statist., 43: 67–74.  [Google Scholar] It is shown that the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic is normal and its Pitman asymptotic efficiency is as good as or higher than the competitors in the class of sub-sample Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon statistics.     

Kolmogorov–Smirnov,Fluctuation, and Z g Tests for Convergence of Markov Chain Monte Carlo Draws

We examine the sizes and powers of three tests of convergence of Markov Chain Monte Carlo draws: the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, fluctuation test, and Geweke's test. We show that the sizes and powers are sensitive to the existence of autocorrelation in the draws. We propose a filtered test that is corrected for autocorrelation. We present a numerical illustration using the Federal funds rate.     

Fifth North Carolina serials conference: “ Serials at the speed of write—Coping,” Burlington,NC, April 4–5, 1996

Abstract

The Pacific Rim Library (PRL) is an initiative of the Pacific Rim Digital Library Association (PRDLA). The project began in 2006 using the OAI-PMH paradigm and now holds over 300,000 records harvested from OAI data provider libraries around the Pacific. PRL's goal is to enable the sharing of digital collections amongst PRDLA members and the world, but greater unexpected benefits have been discovered. Through mirroring their metadata, PRL increases the chance that their data will be discovered in Google and other general search engines. With its many disparate collections, PRL is not a repository for traditional information discovery and retrieval. Initially users will bounce from a Google hit to the PRL metadata record in Hong Kong and then begin an intensive search on the original site which hosts the full digital object, in Vancouver, Honolulu, Wuhan, Singapore, or other PRDLA member location.     

Inverse Circular–Linear/Linear–Circular Regression

We propose two distance-based methods and two likelihood-based methods of inversely regressing a linear predictor on a circular variable, and of inversely regressing a circular predictor on a linear variable. An asymptotic result on least circular distance estimators is provided in the Appendix. We present likelihood-based methods for symmetrical and asymmetrical errors in each situation. The utility of our methodology in each situation is illustrated by applying it to real data sets in engineering and environmental science. We then compare their performances using a cross validation method.