Fuzzy prior information and minimax estimation in the linear regression model

We consider the linear regression modely=Xβ+u with prior information on the unknown parameter vector β. The additional information on β is given by a fuzzy set. Using the mean squared error criterion we derive linear estimators that optimally combine the data with the fuzzy prior information. Our approach generalizes the classical minimax procedure firstly proposed by Kuks and Olman.     

Differences in mortality by marital status in Finland from 1976 to 2000: analyses of changes in marital-status distributions, socio-demographic and household composition, and cause of death

Being currently not married is more common today than 25 years ago. Over this period relative differences in mortality by marital status have increased in several countries, mainly as a result of a sharp decline in mortality among the married. Using Finnish census data linked with death certificates, we show that these increases are not explained by the non-married population becoming more marginalized in socio-economic status or household composition. However, the increases in marital-status differences in mortality from accidental, violent, and alcohol-related causes of death in the 30-64 age group indicate that changes in the health-related behaviour of the non-married population may play a role. The public-health burden associated with not being married has also grown. At the end of the 1990s about 15 per cent of all deaths above the age of 30 would not have occurred if the non-married population had had the same age-specific mortality rates as the married population.     

Rereading The Intellectuals on the Road to Class Power

These essays were originally presented at a symposium of the same title that took place at the annual meeting of the American Association of the Advancement of Slavic Studies in Toronto on November 20, 2003. The charge to the participants was to to reread the book and make short presentations on it, its significance, the validity of its analysis in hindsight, its historical contribution to our understanding of late communism, its influence on others. The symposium was timed to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of writing of the book in 1973–1974 as well as the twenty-fifth anniversary of its publication in English in 1979.     

Post-data evaluation of prior assessment

In this paper we present methods to verify whether a prior distribution coincides with a sample or not within Bayes statistics. We present methods to generalize well known classical tests to this problem and construct a new test. An additional method is based on comparison between prior and posterior distribution. We illustrate the theory with applications to the Exponential distribution.     

The impossibility of a paretian loyalist

Amartya Sen has argued the impossibility of the Paretian liberal. While his abstract argument is compelling, the concrete significance of the conclusion is in some doubt. This is because it is not clear how important liberalism in his sense is; in particular it is not clear that the sort of liberalism required for the impossibility result is a compelling variety. We show that even if the argument cannot be used to establish the inconsistency of Paretianism and common-or-garden liberalism, it can be adapted to prove a parallel impossibility. This is the impossibility of combining the Pareto criterion with a loyalty constraint involving certain claim-rights rather than liberty-rights. The impossibility of the Paretian loyalist is of interest in itself but it is also interesting for the light it throws on the source of Sen-style impossibilities.     

Negotiating Control: From Recognizing a Need to Making a Decision to Apply for a Housing Adaptation

ABSTRACT

A housing adaptation (HA) can enable independent living in one's own home, but deciding to change the home environment can be a thought-provoking matter. The aim of this study was to explore the applicant's perspective and decision-making process when applying for an HA grant. Seventeen persons were interviewed about their application for such a grant, and the data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. The findings illustrated how the participants negotiated control in their everyday lives as they went from recognizing a need to then deciding to apply for an HA grant. Before coming to a decision, alternative solutions were considered and their expectations on the effect of having an HA were explored. This knowledge is useful for professionals and caregivers to help support people during the HA decision-making process.