A modified Friedman test for randomized complete block designs

The Friedman test is often used for a randomized complete block design when the normality assumption is not satisfied or the data are ordinal. The Friedman test can be viewed as an extension of the sign test for multiple measurements within each subject or block. We propose a modified Friedman test based on the Wilcoxon sign rank approach. Coincidentally, Tukey proposed a test statistic similar to our proposed test, but blocks are ranked by the minimum difference within each block. In the proposed test, we use the variance of block to rank the blocks, with the least variance being ranked the smallest. In both Tukey test and the modified Friedman test, linear ranks are used for blocks and treatments. The Tukey test belongs to the family of weighted-ranking test from Quade (1979 Quade, D. (1979). Using weighted rankings in the analysis of complete blocks with additive block effects. Journal of the American Statistical Association 74(367):680–683. [Google Scholar]).The modified Friedman test, the Friedman test and the Tukey test are compared under various conditions and the results indicate that the proposed test is generally more powerful than the Friedman test and the Tukey test when the number of groups is small.     

Adaptive LASSO for linear regression models with ARMA-GARCH errors

The linear regression models with the autoregressive moving average (ARMA) errors (REGARMA models) are often considered, in order to reflect a serial correlation among observations. In this article, we focus on an adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) (ALASSO) method for the variable selection of the REGARMA models and extend it to the linear regression models with the ARMA-generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARMA-GARCH) errors (REGARMA-GARCH models). This attempt is an extension of the existing ALASSO method for the linear regression models with the AR errors (REGAR models) proposed by Wang et al. in 2007 Wang, H., Li, G., Tsai, C. (2007). Regression coefficient and autoregressive order shrinkage and selection via the lasso. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B 69:63–78. [Google Scholar]. New ALASSO algorithms are proposed to determine important predictors for the REGARMA and REGARMA-GARCH models. Finally, we provide the simulation results and real data analysis to illustrate our findings.     

Comparison of unweighted and weighted rank based tests for an ordered alternative in randomized complete block designs

In randomized complete block designs, a monotonic relationship among treatment groups may already be established from prior information, e.g., a study with different dose levels of a drug. The test statistic developed by Page and another from Jonckheere and Terpstra are two unweighted rank based tests used to detect ordered alternatives when the assumptions in the traditional two-way analysis of variance are not satisfied. We consider a new weighted rank based test by utilizing a weight for each subject based on the sample variance in computing the new test statistic. The new weighted rank based test is compared with the two commonly used unweighted tests with regard to power under various conditions. The weighted test is generally more powerful than the two unweighted tests when the number of treatment groups is small to moderate.     

关于安徽中青年干部知识素质的思考

中青年干部知识素质高低是其自身价值高低的体现,是影响其所属区域的社会经济发展因素.对安徽省中青年干部知识素质现状、存在的问题进行了分析,并在此基础上对如何提高安徽中青年干部知识素质提出对策性意见.     

On the Rank-Based Selection Strategy for the Group Interview Problem*

For the so-called group interview problem in which several groups of choice alternatives are presented sequentially to the decision maker, the optimal selection strategy is derived that minimizes the expected rank of the selected choice or purchased product. For the case in which the sequence of groups can be rearranged by the decision maker, a simple heuristic procedure is proposed for obtaining a near-optimal sequence of groups, and the performance of the heuristic procedure in a Monte Carlo simulation is accessed. According to the heuristic procedure, the consumer is advised to visit smaller stores first and then move to larger stores later to increase the likelihood of finding a better product. Finally, the optimal selection strategy and the heuristic procedure are compared with those proposed by Chun, Moskowitz, and Plante (1993) and the problem of locating a new store in an area where there are several competing stores is discussed. The optimal selection strategy and the heuristic procedure can be applied to many sequential decision problems such as the consumer search and purchase process.     

Optimal Selection Strategy for the Group Interview Problem

We propose a more generalized version of the secretary problem, called the group interview problem, in which each group contains several alternatives and each group of alternatives is presented and evaluated sequentially over time. Using the assumptions corresponding to the classical secretary problem, we derive an optimal selection strategy which maximizes the probability of winning or selecting the single best choice in a given sequence of groups. We further address the problem of choosing at the beginning of the evaluation process a sequence of groups to maximize the winning probability. Because of formidable computational requirements to obtain an optimal solution to this sequencing problem, we then develop a heuristic algorithm based on several properties inherent in an optimal selection strategy. The heuristic procedure is evaluated experimentally using Monte Carlo simulation and is shown to be effective in obtaining near-optimal (within 5 percent) solutions.     

Prevalence of frailty and associated factors in Korean older women: The KLoSA study

The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of frailty in older women and its associated factors using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). The level of frailty was moderate/severe in 20.2% of the women. Age, socioeconomic status, and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with all levels of frailty. Sensory function and grip strength were associated with both mild and moderate/severe frailty. The only factors associated with moderate/severe frailty were marriage status and regular exercise. Understanding the risk factors of frailty may help health care providers to deliver tailored interventions to prevent this condition and its adverse outcomes.     

On Collision Course : The European Central Bank,Monetary Policy,and the Nordic Welfare Model

The question addressed in this paper is whether a particular discursive construction of globalization sets the boundaries for what is politically feasible within the EU. To answer this question, the macroeconomic policies of the European Monetary and Economic Union with its rigid emphasis on price stability are analysed in the context of the Nordic promise to preserve the present level of social programmes. What makes this 'puzzle' so interesting is that for the first time a large section of women voters hold the key to joining EMU. The analysis differs frommanyother feminist approaches to EMUand equal opportunity policy in that it combines a constructivist understanding of EMU with feminist political economy. The paper concludes that the Nordic promise to its female constituency to safeguard the present socialandemployment system cannot be sustained within the context of the restrictive monetary regime institutionalized by EMU. Feminist economists are calling for a 'transformative' approach to macroeconomics arguing that democratizing the process of macroeconomic policy making is a crucial element in changing the fundamental assumptions of the present neo-liberal policies and provides an alternative that would lead to a more gender-democratic Europe.     

The Reorganization of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Its Effects

Public Organization Review - Few studies have assessed the consequences of reorganization on the perceptions of employees. The article examines the effects of the reorganization of the US...