Semi-parametric hybrid empirical likelihood inference for two-sample comparison with censored data

Two-sample comparison problems are often encountered in practical projects and have widely been studied in literature. Owing to practical demands, the research for this topic under special settings such as a semiparametric framework have also attracted great attentions. Zhou and Liang (Biometrika 92:271–282, 2005) proposed an empirical likelihood-based semi-parametric inference for the comparison of treatment effects in a two-sample problem with censored data. However, their approach is actually a pseudo-empirical likelihood and the method may not be fully efficient. In this study, we develop a new empirical likelihood-based inference under more general framework by using the hazard formulation of censored data for two sample semi-parametric hybrid models. We demonstrate that our empirical likelihood statistic converges to a standard chi-squared distribution under the null hypothesis. We further illustrate the use of the proposed test by testing the ROC curve with censored data, among others. Numerical performance of the proposed method is also examined.     

近十年西部少数民族民间美术研究的发展态势与思考——基于2010-2019年国家社科基金艺术学项目的统计分析

从国家社科基金艺术学立项项目研究角度切入,将2010-2019年间有关西部少数民族民间美术研究的立项项目作为研究对象,对项目类型、项目负责人及其所在单位,以及项目名称的高频词等内容进行统计分析。研究表明,近十年来西部少数民族民间美术立项总体呈持续增长态势,不但注重基础理论研究,而且与时俱进,项目研究紧密与国家政策导向关联。西部少数民族民间美术研究的未来发展,应继续加强基础理论研究,注重实践应用研究,关注艺术学新兴边缘学科研究。     

A sequential conditional probability ratio test procedure for comparing diagnostic tests

In this paper, we derive sequential conditional probability ratio tests to compare diagnostic tests without distributional assumptions on test results. The test statistics in our method are nonparametric weighted areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves. By using the new method, the decision of stopping the diagnostic trial early is unlikely to be reversed should the trials continue to the planned end. The conservatism reflected in this approach to have more conservative stopping boundaries during the course of the trial is especially appealing for diagnostic trials since the end point is not death. In addition, the maximum sample size of our method is not greater than a fixed sample test with similar power functions. Simulation studies are performed to evaluate the properties of the proposed sequential procedure. We illustrate the method using data from a thoracic aorta imaging study.     

Combining least-squares and quantile regressions

Least-squares and quantile regressions are method of moments techniques that are typically used in isolation. A leading example where efficiency may be gained by combining least-squares and quantile regressions is one where some information on the error quantiles is available but the error distribution cannot be fully specified. This estimation problem may be cast in terms of solving an over-determined estimating equation (EE) system for which the generalized method of moments (GMM) and empirical likelihood (EL) are approaches of recognized importance. The major difficulty with implementing these techniques here is that the EEs associated with the quantiles are non-differentiable. In this paper, we develop a kernel-based smoothing technique for non-smooth EEs, and derive the asymptotic properties of the GMM and maximum smoothed EL (MSEL) estimators based on the smoothed EEs. Via a simulation study, we investigate the finite sample properties of the GMM and MSEL estimators that combine least-squares and quantile moment relationships. Applications to real datasets are also considered.     

A conceptual approach to the creation of public–private partnerships in social welfare

All societies are confronted with complex, often difficult to overcome, challenges associated with changing population demographics. These challenges have placed increasing demands on society for social protection. Individual citizens, politicians, and scholars alike all are searching for the ideal configuration of the welfare mix, that is, a combination of various institutions that can offer the best possible combination of essential goods and services for everyone in every society. Key Practitioner Message: ● The organization of the public–private welfare partnership as viewed from a conceptual perspective; ● The unique contextual and contemporary social forces that shape public–private partnerships in modern welfare state practice; ● Contrasts in the origins and nature of public–private partnerships between two of the world's most populous countries whose histories, traditions, values, and norms differ fundamentally from one another. Even so, considerable learning regarding welfare state formation in different societies is possible through the application of the Public–Private Development Mix to the analysis of welfare state formation in these two contrasting societies.     

Child Poverty in Rural China: Multidimensional Perspective

This paper describes a pilot study on child multidimensional poverty in rural China by introducing the Alkire–Foster method based on survey data collected from five provinces/autonomous regions. Results showed that the headcount ratio of child multidimensional poverty was 14.29%. On average, multidimensionally poor children were deprived in 37.62% of all the dimensions, and their adjusted headcount ratio (multidimensional poverty) index was 0.054. Health was the most deprived dimension, followed by the subsistence and participation dimensions. Disabled children, children influenced by HIV/AIDS, and ethnic minority children were severely deprived. This study not only adds to the current literature on child poverty in China, but also provides policy suggestions for future action plans.     

海洋油污损害的“补救环境”法律责任探析

"补救环境"是对受损环境的直接救济,污染环境的责任人应当承担"补救环境"的法律责任。目前我国的海洋油污损害法律责任制度尚未明确规定"补救环境"责任的形式,且在责任限制与免除情况下可能导致"补救环境"责任的缺位,亦欠缺"补救环境"责任履行的监督机制。应当在海洋环境保护法中具体规定海洋油污损害责任人的"补救环境"责任形式;推进海洋油污损害责任的社会化填补制度以增强"补救环境"的可行性;政府在"补救环境"方面居于"最终"责任主体的地位,应明确政府对"补救环境"法律责任履行过程的监督职责。     

Semiparametric Regression Analysis of Longitudinal Skewed Data

In this paper, we develop a semiparametric regression model for longitudinal skewed data. In the new model, we allow the transformation function and the baseline function to be unknown. The proposed model can provide a much broader class of models than the existing additive and multiplicative models. Our estimators for regression parameters, transformation function and baseline function are asymptotically normal. Particularly, the estimator for the transformation function converges to its true value at the rate n ^{? 1 ∕ 2}, the convergence rate that one could expect for a parametric model. In simulation studies, we demonstrate that the proposed semiparametric method is robust with little loss of efficiency. Finally, we apply the new method to a study on longitudinal health care costs.     

基于CDM模型的信息服务业和制造业创新过程比较

海淀科技园是全国高技术产业和技术创新的中心,是中央政府追求建设的技术创新资源转化成产业创新能力的全国示范区,其中信息服务业是其龙头产业。本文在CDM的分析框架下,基于海淀科技园企业年报的微观数据,对信息服务业创新过程与制造业进行比较研究, 挖掘促进两个产业创新的关键要素,总结制造业和信息服务业内在的创新机理,并为两个产业的创新政策制定提供有效参考。研究发现：在信息服务业中新产品产出倾向与企业规模呈倒U型关系,而制造业中创新规模效益显著;信息服务业的知识密集特征显著,而制造业并不显著;信息服务业中国有企业从创新投入到创新产出的转化效率低下,而制造业中国有企业在创新投入阶段就表现出创新动力不足的问题。