Zone control charts with estimated parameters for detecting prespecified changes in linear profiles

ABSTRACT

In profile monitoring, control charts are proposed to detect unanticipated changes, and it is usually assumed that the in-control parameters are known. However, due to the characteristics of a system or process, the prespecified changes would appear in the process. Moreover, in most applications, the in-control parameters are usually unknown. To overcome these issues, we develop the zone control charts with estimated parameters to detect small shifts of these prespecified changes. The effects of estimation error have been investigated on the performance of the proposed charts. To account for the practitioner-to-practitioner variability, the expected average run length (ARL) and the standard deviation of the average run length (SDARL) is used as the performance metrics. Our results show that the estimation error results in the significant variation in the ARL distribution. Furthermore, in order to adequately reduce the variability, more phase I samples are required in terms of the SDARL metric than that in terms of the expected ARL metric. In addition, more observations on each sampled profile are suggested to improve the charts' performance, especially for small phase I sample sizes. Finally, an illustrative example is given to show the performance of the proposed zone control charts.     

Concurrent Design for Process Quality,Statistical Tolerance,and SPC

The rapid response to the requirements of customers and markets promotes the concurrent engineering (CE) technique in product and process design. The decision making for process quality target, SPC method, sampling plan, and control chart parameter design can be done at the stage of process quality plan based on historical data and process knowledge database. Therefore, it is a reasonable trend to introduce the concepts and achievements on process quality evaluation and process capability analysis, CE, and SPC techniques into process plan and tolerance design. A new systematic method for concurrent design of process quality, statistical tolerance (ST), and control chart is presented based on a NSFC research program. A set of standardized process quality indices (PQIs) for variables is introduced for meeting the measurement and evaluation to process yield, process centering, and quality loss. This index system that has relatively strong compatibility and adaptability is based on raisonne grading by using the series of preferred numbers and arithmetical progression. The expected process quality based on this system can be assured by a standardized interface between PQIs and SPC, that is, quality-oriented statistical tolerance zone. A quality-oriented ST and SPC approach that quantitatively specifies what a desired process is and how to assure it will realize the optimal control for a process toward a predetermined quality target.     

On the sample breakdown robustness of some nonparametric tests

In this paper, relying on the sample breakdown points, we investigate the sample breakdown properties of some nonparametric tests. It is shown that the sample breakdown points of the sign test asymptotically dominate those of the Wilcoxon test for one–sided hypotheses, However, the different conclusion is derived in the case of testing some shrinking neighborhood hypotheses. The breakdown behaviors of the Kolmogorov test and X²–test are also explored. These studies unify or refine some existing breakdown analyses of tests.     

Semiparametric Smooth Coefficient Stochastic Frontier Model With Panel Data

ABSTRACT

We investigate the semiparametric smooth coefficient stochastic frontier model for panel data in which the distribution of the composite error term is assumed to be of known form but depends on some environmental variables. We propose multi-step estimators for the smooth coefficient functions as well as the parameters of the distribution of the composite error term and obtain their asymptotic properties. The Monte Carlo study demonstrates that the proposed estimators perform well in finite samples. We also consider an application and perform model specification test, construct confidence intervals, and estimate efficiency scores that depend on some environmental variables. The application uses a panel data on 451 large U.S. firms to explore the effects of computerization on productivity. Results show that two popular parametric models used in the stochastic frontier literature are likely to be misspecified. Compared with the parametric estimates, our semiparametric model shows a positive and larger overall effect of computer capital on the productivity. The efficiency levels, however, were not much different among the models. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.     

Bayesian Approaches to Nonparametric Estimation of Densities on the Unit Interval

This paper investigates nonparametric estimation of density on [0, 1]. The kernel estimator of density on [0, 1] has been found to be sensitive to both bandwidth and kernel. This paper proposes a unified Bayesian framework for choosing both the bandwidth and kernel function. In a simulation study, the Bayesian bandwidth estimator performed better than others, and kernel estimators were sensitive to the choice of the kernel and the shapes of the population densities on [0, 1]. The simulation and empirical results demonstrate that the methods proposed in this paper can improve the way the probability densities on [0, 1] are presently estimated.     

Performance analysis of the retrial queues with finite number of sources and service interruptions

This paper aims at presenting an analytic approach for investigating a single-server retrial queue with finite population of customers where the server is subject to interruptions. A free source may generate a primary call to request service. If the server is free upon arrival, the call starts to be served and the service times are independent, generally distributed random variables. During the service time the source cannot generate a new primary call. After service the source moves into the free state and can generate a new primary call. There is no waiting space in front of the server, and a call who finds the server unavailable upon arrival joins an orbit of unsatisfied customers. The server is subject to interruptions during the service processes. When the server is interrupted, the call being served just before server interruption goes to the retrial orbit and will retry its luck after a random amount of time until it finds the server available. The recovery times of the interrupted server are assumed to be generally distributed. Our analysis extends previous work on this topic and includes the analysis of the arriving customer’s distribution, the busy period, and the waiting time process.     

关于将藏中南地区大开发大开放纳入国家重点开发战略的建议

藏中南地区即西藏“一江三河”是国家西部大开发战略与《全国主体功能区》规划的重点开发区,目前启动大开发大开放不仅是因为其有良好的区位条件,而且具有经济开发的资源条件和环境支撑条件.经过多年的发展,藏中南地区有较好的开发基础,为进一步开发打下了坚实的基础.此外,新疆等边疆少数民族地区重点区域开发实践为藏中南提供了有益的启示.为此,建议启动藏中南地区大开发大开放并加紧列入党和政府的议事日程,加快制定藏中南重点开发区发展规划,明确藏中南重点开发区的发展方向,中央制定藏中南重点开发区的特殊政策.     

西部民族地区承接产业转移能力的分析

本文对西部民族地区承接产业转移的能力进行了SWOT分析,并对产业转移承接能力进行综合评价,从而对西部民族地区承接产业转移的能力进行科学判断。实证分析表明,我国西部民族地区的产业承接能力严重落后于其他地区,但是,这并不意味着西部民族地区没有承接产业转移能力的优势。西部民族地区可以利用自身的资源优势和相对比较特别的地缘优势,来发展特色产业,实现西部民族地区经济跨越式发展。     

股份制改革是增强国营企业活力创造“深圳效益”的重要途径

本文分析了深圳特区前10年经济高速发展和经济效益滞后的矛盾,认为特区国营企业经济效益不高是影响特区经济效益严重滞后的主要原因之一。在此基础上,提出深圳特区要在90年代创造出“深圳效益”,必须在已取得的改革成果的基础上,加快国营企业股份制改革的进程。文章还从股份制改革的理论和实践两个方面阐述了特区国营企业股份制改革的可行性和必要性。     

隆线溞(Daphnia carinata king)的呼吸代谢测定

本文用Winkler法测定隆线溞(Caphnia carinata king)不同龄期个体的耗氧量及二幼龄个体在不同温度下的耗氧量。测得幼龄与成龄两阶段,其耗氧量分别以4.88×10~(-2)与1.695×10~(-1)的速率随体重增加而增大,耗氧率则分别随体重的增加而逐渐降低;在常温下,隆线溞耗氧量Y与温度X呈Y=3.69×10~(-3)×1.07~x的指数函数关系,由此得到,17℃—19℃是隆线搔生长速率快而耗氧量较小的最适人工培养温度。