Bayesian Approaches to Nonparametric Estimation of Densities on the Unit Interval

This paper investigates nonparametric estimation of density on [0, 1]. The kernel estimator of density on [0, 1] has been found to be sensitive to both bandwidth and kernel. This paper proposes a unified Bayesian framework for choosing both the bandwidth and kernel function. In a simulation study, the Bayesian bandwidth estimator performed better than others, and kernel estimators were sensitive to the choice of the kernel and the shapes of the population densities on [0, 1]. The simulation and empirical results demonstrate that the methods proposed in this paper can improve the way the probability densities on [0, 1] are presently estimated.     

Performance analysis of the retrial queues with finite number of sources and service interruptions

This paper aims at presenting an analytic approach for investigating a single-server retrial queue with finite population of customers where the server is subject to interruptions. A free source may generate a primary call to request service. If the server is free upon arrival, the call starts to be served and the service times are independent, generally distributed random variables. During the service time the source cannot generate a new primary call. After service the source moves into the free state and can generate a new primary call. There is no waiting space in front of the server, and a call who finds the server unavailable upon arrival joins an orbit of unsatisfied customers. The server is subject to interruptions during the service processes. When the server is interrupted, the call being served just before server interruption goes to the retrial orbit and will retry its luck after a random amount of time until it finds the server available. The recovery times of the interrupted server are assumed to be generally distributed. Our analysis extends previous work on this topic and includes the analysis of the arriving customer’s distribution, the busy period, and the waiting time process.     

On the sample breakdown robustness of some nonparametric tests

In this paper, relying on the sample breakdown points, we investigate the sample breakdown properties of some nonparametric tests. It is shown that the sample breakdown points of the sign test asymptotically dominate those of the Wilcoxon test for one–sided hypotheses, However, the different conclusion is derived in the case of testing some shrinking neighborhood hypotheses. The breakdown behaviors of the Kolmogorov test and X²–test are also explored. These studies unify or refine some existing breakdown analyses of tests.     

Semiparametric Smooth Coefficient Stochastic Frontier Model With Panel Data

ABSTRACT

We investigate the semiparametric smooth coefficient stochastic frontier model for panel data in which the distribution of the composite error term is assumed to be of known form but depends on some environmental variables. We propose multi-step estimators for the smooth coefficient functions as well as the parameters of the distribution of the composite error term and obtain their asymptotic properties. The Monte Carlo study demonstrates that the proposed estimators perform well in finite samples. We also consider an application and perform model specification test, construct confidence intervals, and estimate efficiency scores that depend on some environmental variables. The application uses a panel data on 451 large U.S. firms to explore the effects of computerization on productivity. Results show that two popular parametric models used in the stochastic frontier literature are likely to be misspecified. Compared with the parametric estimates, our semiparametric model shows a positive and larger overall effect of computer capital on the productivity. The efficiency levels, however, were not much different among the models. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.     

青岛一套表的实践与经验

 企业统计一套表一直是统计制度方法改革和实践中的焦点问题。本文通过对青岛市统计局企业一套表制度实施情况的案例分析,系统界定了企业一套表的概念和内涵,全面展现了企业一套表的运作过程,客观分析了制约企业一套表实施的主要原因,并提出了在现阶段实施企业统计一套表的条件和要求。     

A Bayesian discovery procedure

Summary.  We discuss a Bayesian discovery procedure for multiple-comparison problems. We show that, under a coherent decision theoretic framework, a loss function combining true positive and false positive counts leads to a decision rule that is based on a threshold of the posterior probability of the alternative. Under a semiparametric model for the data, we show that the Bayes rule can be approximated by the optimal discovery procedure, which was recently introduced by Storey. Improving the approximation leads us to a Bayesian discovery procedure, which exploits the multiple shrinkage in clusters that are implied by the assumed non-parametric model. We compare the Bayesian discovery procedure and the optimal discovery procedure estimates in a simple simulation study and in an assessment of differential gene expression based on microarray data from tumour samples. We extend the setting of the optimal discovery procedure by discussing modifications of the loss function that lead to different single-thresholding statistics. Finally, we provide an application of the previous arguments to dependent (spatial) data.     

巨灾风险对非寿险总产出核算影响的研究

 随着中国保险业的迅猛发展,保险核算在一国经济中变得越来越重要。越来越频繁发生的自然灾害、恐怖袭击等造成的巨大损失对联合国国民账户体系(93SNA)推荐的非寿险服务产出核算产生重大冲击,严格按照93SNA算法计算保险服务价值会导致荒谬的结果。首先本文介绍了国际上几种主要的改进方法,对每种方法的优缺点进行了深入分析。这些方法对我国改善保险核算,尤其是非寿险服务产出核算具有重要的启示意义。其次运用广东省（不含深圳）保险业的数据和期望法对06、07年的总产出进行计算,构建预测模型,并比较分析计算的结果。最后,本文提出对改进我国保险核算的建议。     

中国城市化与生态环境协调发展预警系统研究

本文构建了城市化与生态环境协调发展预警指标体系,并对1991～2010年中国城市化与生态环境的协调度进行了测算及预测,根据协调度建立了预警系统,并对90年代以来中国城市化与生态环境的协调发展进行了分析。结果表明,2007年以来,中国的生态环境不断恶化,城市化与生态环境的协调度不断下降,保护生态环境成为城市化进程中的重要问题。     

Accelerated hazards mixture cure model

We propose a new cure model for survival data with a surviving or cure fraction. The new model is a mixture cure model where the covariate effects on the proportion of cure and the distribution of the failure time of uncured patients are separately modeled. Unlike the existing mixture cure models, the new model allows covariate effects on the failure time distribution of uncured patients to be negligible at time zero and to increase as time goes by. Such a model is particularly useful in some cancer treatments when the treat effect increases gradually from zero, and the existing models usually cannot handle this situation properly. We develop a rank based semiparametric estimation method to obtain the maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters in the model. We compare it with existing models and methods via a simulation study, and apply the model to a breast cancer data set. The numerical studies show that the new model provides a useful addition to the cure model literature.