Bayesian adaptive dose‐escalation designs for simultaneously estimating the optimal and maximum safe dose based on safety and efficacy

The main purpose of dose‐escalation trials is to identify the dose(s) that is/are safe and efficacious for further investigations in later studies. In this paper, we introduce dose‐escalation designs that incorporate both the dose‐limiting events and dose‐limiting toxicities (DLTs) and indicative responses of efficacy into the procedure. A flexible nonparametric model is used for modelling the continuous efficacy responses while a logistic model is used for the binary DLTs. Escalation decisions are based on the combination of the probabilities of DLTs and expected efficacy through a gain function. On the basis of this setup, we then introduce 2 types of Bayesian adaptive dose‐escalation strategies. The first type of procedures, called “single objective,” aims to identify and recommend a single dose, either the maximum tolerated dose, the highest dose that is considered as safe, or the optimal dose, a safe dose that gives optimum benefit risk. The second type, called “dual objective,” aims to jointly estimate both the maximum tolerated dose and the optimal dose accurately. The recommended doses obtained under these dose‐escalation procedures provide information about the safety and efficacy profile of the novel drug to facilitate later studies. We evaluate different strategies via simulations based on an example constructed from a real trial on patients with type 2 diabetes, and the use of stopping rules is assessed. We find that the nonparametric model estimates the efficacy responses well for different underlying true shapes. The dual‐objective designs give better results in terms of identifying the 2 real target doses compared to the single‐objective designs.     

The “Silent Dog” Method: Analyzing the Impact of Self-Generated Rules When Teaching Different Computer Chains to Boys with Autism

The purpose of the study was to extend the literature on verbal self-regulation by using the “silent dog” method to evaluate the role of verbal regulation over nonverbal behavior in 2 individuals with autism. Participants were required to talk-aloud while performing functional computer tasks.Then the effects of distracters with increasing demands on target behavior were evaluated as well as whether self-talk emitted by Participant 1 could be used to alter Participant 2''s performance. Results suggest that participants'' tasks seemed to be under control of self-instructions, and the rules generated from Participants 1''s self-talk were effective in teaching computer skills to Participant 2. The silent dog method was useful in evaluating the possible role of self-generated rules in teaching computer skills to participants with autism.     

Construction of incomplete Sudoku square and partially balanced incomplete block designs

Abstract

The present article deals with the study of association among the elements of a Sudoku square. In this direction, we have defined an association scheme and constructed incomplete Sudoku square designs which are capable of studying four explanatory variables and also happen to be the designs for two-way elimination of heterogeneity. Some series of Partially Balanced Incomplete Block (PBIB) designs have also been obtained.     

基于农村居民需求演变规律的供给侧创新研究

分析了我国农村居民生产资料和生活资料需求侧的演变特点与规律,认为当农民的收入水平和恩格尔系数达到小康水平时,满足最低农业生产所需的生产资料和基本温饱的生活资料,不会因为农民收入水平的提高而同比率提高;而满足高效率、享受型、健康型的生产资料和生活资料需求却大幅度增长,此时“供给侧”对商品种类和服务种类的供给创新与发展,成为刺激和促进农村居民消费增长的主要因素。今后应在科技、高效、享受、智能、健康等范畴和方面,提升供给侧对农村居民所需商品和服务的创新和发展能力。     

市场全球化下的战略性自然资源国家治理

中国在原材料出口限制措施案和稀土等产品出口案中的相继败诉,表明中国在战略性自然资源治理方面离市场经济的要求仍有相当差距.符合世贸组织规则的中国战略性自然资源良好治理机制的构建,必须以承认这一差距为思想动力,深入理解市场规律,辨证认识国家自然资源永久主权同世贸组织规则之间的关系与衔接,通过提高体现战略性自然资源稀缺价值的资源税费、制定和执行旨在保护环境的严格而科学的环保制度、建立战略性自然资源类原材料产品储备制度和跟踪制度的路径而完成.     

电子证据概念与审查认定规则的构建研究

电子证据在中国被确立为一种独立证据类型,具有在范畴以及审查认定标准与规则等方面加以特殊研究的必要性。电子证据就其范畴而言,应定义为“以电子形式存储或传输的、用于证明案件事实的数据或信息”,包含“数据、电子、证据”三个要素;就其独立性及其范围而言,区别于书证和物证,但是与证明案件事实的视听资料证据存在交叉,现有立法将交叉部分纳入到电子证据的规制框架之下,这意味着其取证、保存、出示、审查及认定都将适用电子证据的相关规定。电子证据在物理形式与采集技术上的独特性,导致对传统证据相关规则的极大挑战,在真实性审查和认定规则特殊构建方面要求尤为突出。目前国际上对于电子证据真实性审查的规则呈现出两种发展态势：形式审查的门槛在不断降低;这种降低依赖于证据调查活动规范程度的不断提升,即实质审查层面真实性的提升。中国可以借鉴国际经验,确立和完善关于电子证据实质审查和形式审查两个方面的规则。     

组织特点、外部约束与行业协会能力

构建行业协会制度能力和服务能力测度指标,实证研究表明:协会组织特点、外部约束对于制度能力以及制度能力对于服务能力具有影响。组织特点中,协会兼职或离退休官员的存在不利于协会制度能力提高,尤其是离退休官员。收入虽然对制度能力没影响,但显著影响了服务能力。外部约束中,行业竞争不利于协会制度能力,也没有影响服务能力,反而容易诱发协会寻租活动。协会间竞争对于制度能力、服务能力都没有影响,但对寻租活动抑制效果显著。政策只对协会促进会员遵守规则的制度能力具有正向作用,对协会服务能力提升没有产生效果,仅减少了协会寻租可能。制度能力对于协会总体服务能力和正向服务能力都具有积极作用,而对于负向能力没有影响。     

中国货币政策的利率规则——基于金融状况指数的分析

为检验中国中央银行是否已将金融市场状况纳入货币政策的框架,采用HTVPVAR模型的脉冲响应构建中国金融市场状况指数,检验结果显示:以金融市场状况指数为转换变量的STR模型形式的利率规则能较好地拟合实际数据,政策利率对通货膨胀缺口的变动存在非线性调整,且金融市场的景气（不景气）将增强（减弱）货币政策对通货膨胀缺口的反应程度。     

Some maximum-indifference estimators for the slope of a univariate linear model

As known, the least-squares estimator of the slope of a univariate linear model sets to zero the covariance between the regression residuals and the values of the explanatory variable. To prevent the estimation process from being influenced by outliers, which can be theoretically modelled by a heavy-tailed distribution for the error term, one can substitute covariance with some robust measures of association, for example Kendall's tau in the popular Theil–Sen estimator. In a scarcely known Italian paper, Cifarelli [(1978), ‘La Stima del Coefficiente di Regressione Mediante l'Indice di Cograduazione di Gini’, Rivista di matematica per le scienze economiche e sociali, 1, 7–38. A translation into English is available at http://arxiv.org/abs/1411.4809 and will appear in Decisions in Economics and Finance] shows that a gain of efficiency can be obtained by using Gini's cograduation index instead of Kendall's tau. This paper introduces a new estimator, derived from another association measure recently proposed. Such a measure is strongly related to Gini's cograduation index, as they are both built to vanish in the general framework of indifference. The newly proposed estimator is shown to be unbiased and asymptotically normally distributed. Moreover, all considered estimators are compared via their asymptotic relative efficiency and a small simulation study. Finally, some indications about the performance of the considered estimators in the presence of contaminated normal data are provided.     

行业协会对行政权力制约的缺乏及对策

任何公权力都需要监督和制约,行政权力尤为如此.行业协会不同于一般的社会组织,它的出现是对传统国家管理的修正,是社会发展的必然,是对行政权力进行制约的有效武器.但是,我国行业协会的发展却不尽如人意.文章从我国行业协会的历史和现状两方面分析了我国目前行业协会对行政权力缺乏制约的原因,并提出了相关解决的对策.