On shrinkage r-estimation in a multiple regression model

For a multiple regression model, bearing the plausibility of a subset of the regression parameters being close to a pivot, for the complementary subset, based on the usual James-Stein rule, a general formulation of shrinkage R-estimation is considered. In the light of asymptotic distributional risks of estimators, performance characteristics ( under local alternatives) of the classical R-est-imator and its preliminary test and shrinkage versions (all based on the common score function ) are studied. These shed light on the relative dominance picture in a meaningful asymptotic setup.     

Boundary and Bias Correction in Kernel Hazard Estimation

A new class of local linear hazard estimators based on weighted least square kernel estimation is considered. The class includes the kernel hazard estimator of Ramlau-Hansen (1983), which has the same boundary correction property as the local linear regression estimator (see Fan & Gijbels, 1996). It is shown that all the local linear estimators in the class have the same pointwise asymptotic properties. We derive the multiplicative bias correction of the local linear estimator. In addition we propose a new bias correction technique based on bootstrap estimation of additive bias. This latter method has excellent theoretical properties. Based on an extensive simulation study where we compare the performance of competing estimators, we also recommend the use of the additive bias correction in applied work.     

ASYMPTOTIC PROPERTIES OF RESTRICTED MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD (REML) ESTIMATES FOR HIERARCHICAL MIXED LINEAR MODELS

This paper explores the asymptotic distribution of the restricted maximum likelihood estimator of the variance components in a general mixed model. Restricting attention to hierarchical models, central limit theorems are obtained using elementary arguments with only mild conditions on the covariates in the fixed part of the model and without having to assume that the data are either normally or spherically symmetrically distributed. Further, the REML and maximum likelihood estimators are shown to be asymptotically equivalent in this general framework, and the asymptotic distribution of the weighted least squares estimator (based on the REML estimator) of the fixed effect parameters is derived.     

The Finite Sample Performance of Inference Methods for Propensity Score Matching and Weighting Estimators

ABSTRACT

This article investigates the finite sample properties of a range of inference methods for propensity score-based matching and weighting estimators frequently applied to evaluate the average treatment effect on the treated. We analyze both asymptotic approximations and bootstrap methods for computing variances and confidence intervals in our simulation designs, which are based on German register data and U.S. survey data. We vary the design w.r.t. treatment selectivity, effect heterogeneity, share of treated, and sample size. The results suggest that in general, theoretically justified bootstrap procedures (i.e., wild bootstrapping for pair matching and standard bootstrapping for “smoother” treatment effect estimators) dominate the asymptotic approximations in terms of coverage rates for both matching and weighting estimators. Most findings are robust across simulation designs and estimators.     

On shrinkage least squares estimation in a parallelism problem

In a multi-sample simple regression model, generally, homogeneity of the regression slopes leads to improved estimation of the intercepts. Analogous to the preliminary test estimators, (smooth) shrinkage least squares estimators of Intercepts based on the James-Stein rule on regression slopes are considered. Relative pictures on the (asymptotic) risk of the classical, preliminary test and the shrinkage least squares estimators are also presented. None of the preliminary test and shrinkage least squares estimators may dominate over the other, though each of them fares well relative to the other estimators.     

Maximum likelihood estimation for reflected Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes

In this paper, we investigate the maximum likelihood estimation for the reflected Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (ROU) processes based on continuous observations. Both the cases with one-sided barrier and two-sided barriers are considered. We derive the explicit formulas for the estimators, and then prove their strong consistency and asymptotic normality. Moreover, the bias and mean square errors are represented in terms of the solutions to some PDEs with homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions. We also illustrate the asymptotic behavior of the estimators through a simulation study.     

Estimation and prediction for the generalized inverted exponential distribution based on progressively first-failure-censored data with application

In this paper, the estimation of parameters for a generalized inverted exponential distribution based on the progressively first-failure type-II right-censored sample is studied. An expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm is developed to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of unknown parameters as well as reliability and hazard functions. Using the missing value principle, the Fisher information matrix has been obtained for constructing asymptotic confidence intervals. An exact interval and an exact confidence region for the parameters are also constructed. Bayesian procedures based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods have been developed to approximate the posterior distribution of the parameters of interest and in addition to deduce the corresponding credible intervals. The performances of the maximum likelihood and Bayes estimators are compared in terms of their mean-squared errors through the simulation study. Furthermore, Bayes two-sample point and interval predictors are obtained when the future sample is ordinary order statistics. The squared error, linear-exponential and general entropy loss functions have been considered for obtaining the Bayes estimators and predictors. To illustrate the discussed procedures, a set of real data is analyzed.     

Nonparametric smooth estimation of the expected inactivity time function

The expected inactivity time (EIT) function (also known as the mean past lifetime function) is a well known reliability function which has application in many disciplines such as survival analysis, actuarial studies and forensic science, to name but a few. In this paper, we use a fixed design local polynomial fitting technique to obtain estimators for the EIT function when the lifetime random variable has an unknown distribution. It will be shown that the proposed estimators are asymptotically unbiased, consistent and also, when standardized, has an asymptotic normal distribution. An optimal bandwidth, which minimizes the AMISE (asymptotic mean integrated squared error) of the estimator, is derived. Numerical examples based on simulated samples from various lifetime distributions common in reliability studies will be presented to evaluate the performances of these estimators. Finally, three real life applications will also be presented to further illustrate the wide applicability of these estimators.     

Estimation of entropy-type integral functionals

ABSTRACT

Entropy-type integral functionals of densities are widely used in mathematical statistics, information theory, and computer science. Examples include measures of closeness between distributions (e.g., density power divergence) and uncertainty characteristics for a random variable (e.g., Rényi entropy). In this paper, we study U-statistic estimators for a class of such functionals. The estimators are based on ε-close vector observations in the corresponding independent and identically distributed samples. We prove asymptotic properties of the estimators (consistency and asymptotic normality) under mild integrability and smoothness conditions for the densities. The results can be applied in diverse problems in mathematical statistics and computer science (e.g., distribution identification problems, approximate matching for random databases, two-sample problems).     

Asymptotic Normality of Extreme Quantile Estimators Based on the Peaks-Over-Threshold Approach

The POT (Peaks-Over-Threshold) approach consists of using the generalized Pareto distribution (GPD) to approximate the distribution of excesses over thresholds. In this article, we establish the asymptotic normality of the well-known extreme quantile estimators based on this POT method, under very general assumptions. As an illustration, from this result, we deduce the asymptotic normality of the POT extreme quantile estimators in the case where the maximum likelihood (ML) or the generalized probability-weighted moments (GPWM) methods are used. Simulations are provided in order to compare the efficiency of these estimators based on ML or GPWM methods with classical ones proposed in the literature.     

Statistical inference for two exponential populations under joint progressive type-I censored scheme

In this article, we introduce a new scheme called joint progressive type-I (JPC-I) censored and as a special case, joint type-I censored scheme. Bayesian and non Bayesian estimators have been obtained for two exponential populations under both JPC-I censored scheme and joint type-I censored. The maximum likelihood estimators of the parameters, the asymptotic variance covariance matrix, have been obtained. Bayes estimators have been developed under squared error loss function using independent gamma prior distributions. Moreover, approximate confidence region based on the asymptotic normality of the maximum likelihood estimators and credible confidence region from a Bayesian viewpoint are also discussed and compared with two Bootstrap confidence regions. A numerical illustration for these new results is given.     

Robust estimation in growth curve models

The growth curve model introduced by potthoff and Roy 1964 is a general statistical model which includes as special cases regression models and both univariate and multivariate analysis of variance models. The methods currently available for estimating the parameters of this model assume an underlying multivariate normal distribution of errors. In this paper, we discuss tw robst estimators of the growth curve loction and scatter parameters based upon M-estimation techniques and the work done by maronna 1976. The asymptotic distribution of these robust estimators are discussed and a numerical example given.     

Reliability inference for a general lower-truncated family of distributions under records

Based on record values, point and interval estimators are proposed in this paper for the parameters of a general lower-truncated family of distributions. Maximum likelihood and bias-corrected estimators are obtained for unknown model parameters. Based on a sufficient and complete statistic, the bias-corrected estimator is also shown to be uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimator. Different exact confidence intervals and exact confidence regions are constructed for the both model and truncated parameters, and other confidence interval estimates based on asymptotic distribution theory and bootstrap approaches are obtained as well. Finally, two real-life examples and a numerical study are presented to illustrate the performance of our methods.     

Asymptotics of cross-validated risk estimation in estimator selection and performance assessment

Risk estimation is an important statistical question for the purposes of selecting a good estimator (i.e., model selection) and assessing its performance (i.e., estimating generalization error). This article introduces a general framework for cross-validation and derives distributional properties of cross-validated risk estimators in the context of estimator selection and performance assessment. Arbitrary classes of estimators are considered, including density estimators and predictors for both continuous and polychotomous outcomes. Results are provided for general full data loss functions (e.g., absolute and squared error, indicator, negative log density). A broad definition of cross-validation is used in order to cover leave-one-out cross-validation, V-fold cross-validation, Monte Carlo cross-validation, and bootstrap procedures. For estimator selection, finite sample risk bounds are derived and applied to establish the asymptotic optimality of cross-validation, in the sense that a selector based on a cross-validated risk estimator performs asymptotically as well as an optimal oracle selector based on the risk under the true, unknown data generating distribution. The asymptotic results are derived under the assumption that the size of the validation sets converges to infinity and hence do not cover leave-one-out cross-validation. For performance assessment, cross-validated risk estimators are shown to be consistent and asymptotically linear for the risk under the true data generating distribution and confidence intervals are derived for this unknown risk. Unlike previously published results, the theorems derived in this and our related articles apply to general data generating distributions, loss functions (i.e., parameters), estimators, and cross-validation procedures.     

Estimation of the linear-linear segmented regression model in the presence of measurement error

A simple segmented regression model in which the independent variable is measured with error is considered. The method of moments is used to obtain parameter estimates and the joint asymptotic distribution of the estimators is presented. The small sample properties of the inference procedures based on the asymptotic distribution of the estimators are studied numerically.     

A comparative study of some bias correction techniques for kernel- based density estimators

Methods for obtaining kernel-based density estimators with lower bias and mean integrated squared error than an estimator based on a standard Normal kernel function are described and discussed. Three main approaches are considered which are: firstly by using 'optimal' polynomial kernels as described, for example, by Gasser er a1 (1985); secondly by employing generalised jackknifing as proposed by Jones nd Foster (1993) and thirdly by subtracting an estimator of the principal asymptotic bias term from the original estimator. The emphasis in this initial discussion is on their asymptotic properties. The finite sample performance of those that have the best asymptotic properties are compared with two adaptive estimators, as well as the fixed Normal kernel estimator, in a simulation study.     

Estimation in a truncated bivariate poisson distribution

Moment estimators for parameters in a truncated bivariate Poisson distribution are derived in Hamdan (1972) for the special case of λ₁ = λ₂, Where λ₁, λ₂ are the marginal means. Here we derive the maximum likelihood estimators for this special case. The information matrix is also obtained which provides asymptotic covariance matrix of the maximum likelihood estimators. The asymptotic covariance matrix of moment estimators is also derived. The asymptotic efficiency of moment estimators is computed and found to be very low.     

Two-Stage Estimation in Copula Models Used in Family Studies

In this paper register based family studies provide the motivation for studying a two-stage estimation procedure in copula models for multivariate failure time data. The asymptotic properties of the estimators in both parametric and semi-parametric models are derived, generalising the approach by Shih and Louis (Biometrics vol. 51, pp. 1384–1399, 1995b) and Glidden (Lifetime Data Analysis vol. 6, pp. 141–156, 2000). Because register based family studies often involve very large cohorts a method for analysing a sampled cohort is also derived together with the asymptotic properties of the estimators. The proposed methods are studied in simulations and the estimators are found to be highly efficient. Finally, the methods are applied to a study of mortality in twins.     

General purpose multiply robust data integration procedures for handling nonprobability samples

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in combining probability and nonprobability samples. Nonprobability sample are cheaper and quicker to conduct but the resulting estimators are vulnerable to bias as the participation probabilities are unknown. To adjust for the potential bias, estimation procedures based on parametric or nonparametric models have been discussed in the literature. However, the validity of the resulting estimators relies heavily on the validity of the underlying models. Also, nonparametric approaches may suffer from the curse of dimensionality and poor efficiency. We propose a data integration approach by combining multiple outcome regression models and propensity score models. The proposed approach can be used for estimating general parameters including totals, means, distribution functions, and percentiles. The resulting estimators are multiply robust in the sense that they remain consistent if all but one model are misspecified. The asymptotic properties of point and variance estimators are established. The results from a simulation study show the benefits of the proposed method in terms of bias and efficiency. Finally, we apply the proposed method using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and data from the National Health Insurance Sharing Services.     

Estimation in Epidemics with Incomplete Observations

The construction of estimating equations by martingale methods is generalized to yield estimators with explicit expressions for the parameters of the birth-and-death and the general epidemic processes when only partial observations are available. (For the birth-and-death process the death process is observed but the number of births is observed only at the end and for the general epidemic process only the removal process is observed.) For large populations, the use of the martingale central limit theorem yields asymptotic confidence regions for the parameters. Explicit expressions are derived for estimators of the variances of the large sample distributions. The range of validity and usefulness of the new estimators is determined by simulation.