ROC Curves in Non‐Parametric Location‐Scale Regression Models

Abstract. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is a tool of extensive use to analyse the discrimination capability of a diagnostic variable in medical studies. In certain situations, the presence of a covariate related to the diagnostic variable can increase the discriminating power of the ROC curve. In this article, we model the effect of the covariate over the diagnostic variable by means of non‐parametric location‐scale regression models. We propose a new non‐parametric estimator of the conditional ROC curve and study its asymptotic properties. We also present some simulations and an illustration to a data set concerning diagnosis of diabetes.     

医疗费用保险适用损失补偿原则之研究——兼评新《保险法》第46条的理解与适用

商业医疗费用保险是否适用损失补偿原则,是一个理论上争议不大但因现行立法的规定而争论不休的问题。同类案件不同的判决结果不仅影响到司法的公正,而且带来了保险市场的混乱。《保险法》的相关规定和保险监督管理机构的规定与保险原理相背。2009年2月28日我国《保险法》作了新的修订,但关于保险的分类及保险代位权等方面仍延续以前的规定,并没有从立法层面对实践中存在的问题作出实质回应。在医疗费用保险中是否适用损失补偿原则需要立法和司法层面的进一步明确,这不仅有利于确保司法机关裁判的统一性和权威性,而且对保险业的经营与发展有指引作用。     

Adolescent Sibling Relationship Quality and Adjustment: Sibling Trustworthiness and Modeling,as Factors Directly and Indirectly Influencing These Associations

The main goal of this study was to examine the direct and moderating effects of trustworthiness and modeling on adolescent siblings' adjustment. Data were collected from 438 families including a mother, a younger sibling in fifth, sixth, or seventh grade (M = 11.6 years), and an older sibling (M = 14.3 years). Respondents completed Web‐based surveys describing sibling conflict and warmth. Siblings reported on trustworthiness and modeling, and mothers described adjustment. Sibling conflict was directly associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors for both siblings. The older siblings' reports of trustworthiness were directly associated with the outcome measures. The younger siblings' reports of trustworthiness were less directly associated, but a possible salutary effect was most evident under the highest levels of sibling conflict or warmth. Higher sibling modeling was a risk factor for adjustment problems in relations characterized by high conflict. Results support exploring trustworthiness as a key dimension of sibling relations.     

不确定的现实，不可靠的记忆——对《终结的感觉》精神创伤的解读

“精神创伤”指在经历了创伤性事件后所产生的破坏性情感效应，具有普遍存在性，可以用来界定和解释人和社会的性质。回忆和创伤是朱利安·巴恩斯《终结的感觉》中相互关联的元素。主人公在回忆中重新审视自我、发现自我，意识到自己对他人所造成的伤害，并进行深刻反思。“精神创伤”贯穿了作者的历史、时间和人生架构，为处于危机中的当代人提供了探寻生存意义的范式。     

从《伯夷列传》看司马迁列传的三重意蕴

《伯夷列传》位列司马迁七十列传之首,此篇不同于其他列传体例,议论多于叙述,以议为主,它不仅是伯夷叔齐的传记,也是七十列传的绪论。作者司马迁发微阐幽,精审的史料选择展现了其作为史学家卓越的史识和史德,援诗入史和以议代叙的表现手法也凸显了其不同于其他史学家的悲情情怀,大量的议论叙述中彰显了他对至善的追寻。     

A quasi-Newton acceleration for high-dimensional optimization algorithms

In many statistical problems, maximum likelihood estimation by an EM or MM algorithm suffers from excruciatingly slow convergence. This tendency limits the application of these algorithms to modern high-dimensional problems in data mining, genomics, and imaging. Unfortunately, most existing acceleration techniques are ill-suited to complicated models involving large numbers of parameters. The squared iterative methods (SQUAREM) recently proposed by Varadhan and Roland constitute one notable exception. This paper presents a new quasi-Newton acceleration scheme that requires only modest increments in computation per iteration and overall storage and rivals or surpasses the performance of SQUAREM on several representative test problems.     

Relationships between Economics,Welfare, Social Network Factors,and Net Migration in the United States

By using economics, welfare and social network factors as frames of reference, this study aims to explore the relationship between these three factors and net migration to various US states. Adopting related variables collected from official aggregate data, this study first utilizes Logit Regression analysis to draw out seven variables that best explain net migration to the various states, then employs these variables in LISREL analyses to build a model explaining the factors influencing net migration to the various US states. Concretely, this research obtained the following findings: (1) the seven variables ‐‐ the average rate of net migrants of 2002–2005, Medicaid, federal aid, employment rate, non‐poverty population rate, and SSI subsidy ‐‐ all significantly affected (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05) net migration in 2006; (2) the main influences on net migration for the various states are, from highest to lowest, social network, economic, and welfare factors. More specifically, a better explanation is that, through the social network factor, economic and welfare factors exert an increased influence on the net number of migrants; and (3) as for the influence of social network factors on the number of net migrants, the social network factor for the previous year was found to best explain domestic migration flows, while the social network factor for the previous three‐to‐four years best explained international migration flows.     

Review of Chinese sex attitudes & applicability of sex therapy for Chinese couples with sexual dysfunction

Although sex therapy techniques have widely been used to help Western couples with sexual dysfunction, there has been little research on the applicability of these techniques among Chinese couples. This article discusses the Chinese views and concepts of sex and sexual dysfunction in the past and present, culturally bound sexual problems, and gender role stereotypes. We suggest that with careful integration of the therapeutic techniques with Chinese sex concepts, sex therapy can be applied to Chinese couples experiencing problems in sexual functioning.     

An examination of sexual strategies used by urban southern and rural Midwestern university women

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine whether women's use of persuasion, non‐physical coercion, and physical force strategies to obtain sex from a man varied between U.S. women from an urban Southern and rural Midwestern university and (b) to determine if sexual behavior history and early courtship behavior affected the use of these strategies (or not using any strategy). Women from the Midwest and the South did not differ in their use of sexual strategies. There were, however, other variables that accounted for differences in women's use of sexual strategies. Women who used persuasion strategies had fewer lifetime sexual partners than women who used any other strategy. Women who used physical force strategies reported a lower age at first intercourse and more early courtship behaviors than all others. Overall, the results indicated that sexual strategies are related to sexual behavior history and early courtship behaviors rather than cultural setting or demographics.