Prior elicitation in the classification problem

Results are developed concerning the asymptotic behaviour of the Bayes classification rule as the number of unclassified observations grows without bound. It is shown that unclassified observations serve only to estimate the individual population parameters in an unlabeled sense and do not provide information about the labels that are attached to the populations. Prior construction is approached through investigation of prior odds over regions of the joint parameter space (across all populations) deemed likely to contain the true joint parameter vector. It is shown that consideration of these prior odds can lead to more robust a posteriori classification of individual observations.     

企业理财的几大误区

企业在理财观念和理财方法上存在的诸多误区是制约企业发展的瓶颈之一,对这些误区进行分析研究,以帮助企业强化财务管理,从而推动我国企业的改革,促进经济发展.     

The employment disadvantage of being a smoker

Three studies were done to examine the effects of being a tobacco smoker on employment prospects. In Study 1, thirty-two subjects reviewed application forms and rated four applicants as prospective employees. The subjects rated the nonsmoker version of the job applicants significantly more highly for hiring. In Study 2, forty-four subjects stated whether they preferred to hire smokers or nonsmokers and estimated the preference of employers generally. Those who stated a personal preference gave their reasons. Seven personal reasons for preferring a nonsmoker were mentioned by at least two subjects. The reasons ranged from dislike of tobacco smoke to concern about smokers taking more sick leave. In Study 3, which involved forty-six subjects, degree of endorsement of the attitudes underlying four of the seven preference reasons were found to be associated with degree of preference for non-smokers. The results of the three studies provide potentially useful information for job applicants and for individuals who design smoking prevention interventions.     

Reflections on dangerous fieldwork

Latin American fieldwork may involve danger for researcher and subject alike. The researcher must work to minimize his or her own or others’ exposure to violence. Unobtrusive methods such as Q-Methodology, participant observation, and quiet interviewing are recommended so that the researcher can build a sustaining and protecting network of contacts. This article discusses the interpersonal relations, problems of security, and field entry techniques involved in sensitive research situations. Ana Karina Galve de Peritore, his wife and frequent field collaborator, is a former professor of international relations at National Autonomous University of Mexico, and is currently a doctoral candidate in rural sociology at University of Missouri-Columbia.     

ESTIMATING THE ROOT OF A NONPARAMETRIC REGRESSION FUNCTION IN A ROBUST FASHION

For a nonparametric regression model y = m(x)+e with n independent observations, we analyze a robust method of finding the root of m(x) based on an M-estimation first discussed by Härdle & Gasser (1984). It is shown here that the robustness properties (minimaxity and breakdown function) of such an estimate are quite analogous to those of an M -estimator in the simple location model, but the rate of convergence is somewhat limited due to the nonparametric nature of the problem.     

Normal approximation to the hypergeometric distribution in nonstandard cases and a sub-Gaussian Berry–Esseen theorem

In this paper, we consider simple random sampling without replacement from a dichotomous finite population. We investigate accuracy of the Normal approximation to the Hypergeometric probabilities for a wide range of parameter values, including the nonstandard cases where the sampling fraction tends to one and where the proportion of the objects of interest in the population tends to the boundary values, zero and one. We establish a non-uniform Berry–Esseen theorem for the Hypergeometric distribution which shows that in the nonstandard cases, the rate of Normal approximation to the Hypergeometric distribution can be considerably slower than the rate of Normal approximation to the Binomial distribution. We also report results from a moderately large numerical study and provide some guidelines for using the Normal approximation to the Hypergeometric distribution in finite samples.     

西方全球化带来的环境问题

西方发达资本主义国家不断开拓世界市场的同时,也在不断展开西方全球化的图景.西方发达资本主义国家力图按照自己的面貌为自己创造出一个可以任意主宰的世界,便把一切民族性的、地域性的东西都想划归并置于西方国际垄断资本的统治之下.这样,它们就不断地制造不平衡发展状况和"联合发展态势",并利用跨国公司这一栽体来推动西方全球化.随着资本主义生产方式的全球性复制,环境问题自然而然地随之产生且越演越烈,与此同时,资本主义在大肆破坏全球环境的历史过程中也在培养埋葬自己的另一种"全球化"--社会主义全球化.     

Cognitive-Affective Processing System Analysis of Reactions to the O. J. Simpson Criminal Trial Verdict

Reactions to the O. J. Simpson verdict were analyzed using the Cognitive-Affective Processing System (CAPS) model. Content analyses of participants' open-ended reactions to the verdict revealed that differences in the accessibility of cognitive-affective units and their subsequent activation pathways characterized respondents' reactions, but participants' race appeared to have no direct effect. The results were used to construct cognitive-affective domain maps that underlay elated, dismayed, and ambivalent reactions. By promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation of reactions to the verdict, we believe the domain maps facilitate overcoming the widespread tendency to attribute the cause of divergent reactions to an individual's race. The results have implications for the understanding of cultural differences.     

Maximum likelihood estimation of Laplace parameters based on general type-II censored examples

In this paper, we derive the maximum likelihood estimators of the parameters of a Laplace distribution based on general Type-II censored samples. The resulting explicit MLE's turn out to be simple linear functions of the order statistics. We then examine the asymptotic variance of the estimates by calculating the elements of the Fisher information matrix.