Flexible simulation of competing risks data following prespecified subdistribution hazards

In recent years different approaches for the analysis of time-to-event data in the presence of competing risks, i.e. when subjects can fail from one of two or more mutually exclusive types of event, were introduced. Different approaches for the analysis of competing risks data, focusing either on cause-specific or subdistribution hazard rates, were presented in statistical literature. Many new approaches use complicated weighting techniques or resampling methods, not allowing an analytical evaluation of these methods. Simulation studies often replace analytical comparisons, since they can be performed more easily and allow investigation of non-standard scenarios. For adequate simulation studies the generation of appropriate random numbers is essential. We present an approach to generate competing risks data following flexible prespecified subdistribution hazards. Event times and types are simulated using possibly time-dependent cause-specific hazards, chosen in a way that the generated data will follow the desired subdistribution hazards or hazard ratios, respectively.     

Exact inference for a simple step-stress model with competing risks for failure from exponential distribution under Type-II censoring

In reliability analysis, accelerated life-testing allows for gradual increment of stress levels on test units during an experiment. In a special class of accelerated life tests known as step-stress tests, the stress levels increase discretely at pre-fixed time points, and this allows the experimenter to obtain information on the parameters of the lifetime distributions more quickly than under normal operating conditions. Moreover, when a test unit fails, there are often more than one fatal cause for the failure, such as mechanical or electrical. In this article, we consider the simple step-stress model under Type-II censoring when the lifetime distributions of the different risk factors are independently exponentially distributed. Under this setup, we derive the maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) of the unknown mean parameters of the different causes under the assumption of a cumulative exposure model. The exact distributions of the MLEs of the parameters are then derived through the use of conditional moment generating functions. Using these exact distributions as well as the asymptotic distributions and the parametric bootstrap method, we discuss the construction of confidence intervals for the parameters and assess their performance through Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, we illustrate the methods of inference discussed here with an example.     

金融科技、财务风险与公司治理

以沪深A股上市企业2011—2020年数据为研究样本,运用固定效应模型,研究金融科技与公司治理水平的关系以及财务风险在其中的中介作用。结果表明：金融科技能够显著提高公司治理水平,企业财务风险在两者之间发挥部分中介作用;金融科技对会计信息披露质量优秀企业的治理水平影响最大,对会计信息披露质量不合格企业的治理水平没有显著影响;相对于内部控制存在缺陷的企业,金融科技对内部控制不存在缺陷的企业促进作用更大。为此,政府应对金融科技企业给予足够的政策支持,完善金融监管体系;企业应加大运用金融科技的力度,提高会计信息披露质量,减少企业内部控制缺陷,降低企业财务风险,以提高公司治理水平,促进企业高质量发展。     

亲子幼教网创业生态系统动态演化的案例研究——机会识别与利用适配视角

2015年,随着中央“大众创业万众创新”号召的提出,高科技创业再度成为国内各界所共同关注的重要课题。创业的实质是识别与利用创业机会,其成功与否将取决于团队、政府、高校和投资机构等内外部组织间紧密合作的生态系统。以典型性高科技创业的亲子幼教网创始人3次创业过程为案例研究对象,基于机会识别和利用的适配性视角,深入探讨亲子幼教网创业生态系统动态演化的过程机理。通过对案例的研究发现,亲子幼教网创业者3次创业生态系统经历了资本主导型创业、市场主导型创业和创业者主导型创业3个阶段;每个阶段创业者对创业机会的识别与利用方式具有不同的特征;以典型性高科技创业的亲子幼教网创业生态系统中,创业机会识别与利用的不断适配推动创业生态系统的动态演化,而创业者的机会观是推动创业生态系统发展的关键因素。     

The ‘Bakul Gendong’ as a communication strategy to reject the construction of a cement factory in Central Java

Since 2006, one of Indonesia’s biggest corporations operating in the cement industry has been trying to build a factory at Sukolilo village in Central Java, Indonesia. The potential for of environmental damage caused by mining and the construction of this new factory is the main source of conflict between the public and the giant corporation.The focus of this research was the communication strategy adopted by women in the community to reject the construction of the cement factory in Pati, Central Java, Indonesia. This research used a qualitative method through a case study approach. Interviews, observations, and literature studies were used as data collection techniques for in this research.We found that the practices of the “Bakul Gendong” communication strategy were effective in developing women’s awareness of environmental issues based on the values they believe in. Through the women peddlers, women’s awareness of the risk of environmental damage caused by the cement factories was successfully developed. They also created female farmers’ group named “Simbar Wareh” to strengthen cooperation between them and to better-organize their resistance. The women’s movement to resist the cement factory was also conducted by building a network, meeting authorities, demonstrating, displaying traditional symbols during celebrations such as the “Agustusan” (independence day celebration) and Kartinian (women’s day) as their sites of resistance. The local government and PT. Semen Gresik tended to use technical and economical communicative approaches, while the people mainly refer to local know how PT. Semen Gresik did not use the right communication strategy to understand the conflict that arose and how to handle it, until after 10 years of trying to build a factory in Sukolilo.     

论国有银行贷款风险防御和规避机制的重新构造

针对当前贷款风险的现实情况,国有银行应该树立正确的现代的贷款风险观。建立起以安全性为核心的内部贷款风险约束机制;同时,国有银行应该为自身创造一个宽松的外部环境,加快商业化改革进程。     

Negotiating Gendered Subjectivity in the Enterprise Culture: Metaphor and Entrepreneurial Discourses

An enterprise culture is one in which ‘certain enterprising qualities — such as self reliance, personal responsibility, boldness and a willingness to take risks in the pursuit of goals — are regarded as human virtues and promoted as such’. Work is not seen as a constraint upon the individual but rather as an opportunity for self‐fulfilment. The pervasiveness of enterprise culture has led to observations that it influences aspects of social life beyond the workplace. However, the kind of self that is imagined in enterprise culture is also a male self, with female entrepreneurship measured against a male norm. In this article, then, we present evidence of metaphor as a strategy for coping with the gendered expectations embodied by life in enterprise culture. We show how metaphor is simultaneously an index of and a resource for understanding gendered subjectivities in enterprise culture.     

Development and validation of the Protective Gambling Beliefs Scale (PGBS)

This article aimed to develop and validate a measure of protective beliefs – distinct from the absence of erroneous beliefs – that may be associated with resistance to gambling problems. Study 1 was designed to determine the reliability and content validity of a preliminary set of protective belief items. Participants (N = 1479, 813 males) also completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Most items were associated with reduced risk of problems; however, items relating to an awareness of gambling harm, and preparedness to lose money were positively correlated with gambling problems and were therefore not demonstrably protective. Study 2 sought to reduce scale size and assess the scale’s ability to predict risk of gambling problems. Participants (N = 1168, 625 males) completed belief items, the PGSI, and measures of gambling consumption and cognitive distortions. Results showed that endorsement of protective beliefs was negatively correlated with PGSI, gambling consumption and cognitive distortions, and predicted PGSI above that of cognitive distortions. Findings suggest that the Protective Gambling Beliefs Scale (PGBS) offers a unique tool for understanding resistance to the development of gambling problems. Future research should focus on exploring whether protective beliefs can diminish the likelihood of the onset of problem gambling.     

Community Wise: The Development of an Anti-Oppression Model to Promote Individual and Community Health

Communities with histories of oppression have shown great resilience, yet few health interventions focus on structural oppression as a contributor to health problems in these communities. This article describes the development and active ingredients of Community Wise, a unique behavioral health intervention designed to reduce substance use frequency, related health risk behaviors, and recidivism among individuals with a history of incarceration and substance abuse residing in distressed and predominantly African American communities. Community Wise, developed through the collaborative efforts of a board of service providers, researchers, consumers, and government officials, is a 12-week group intervention that aims to address behavioral health problems by raising critical consciousness in distressed communities.     

Inference for Weibull distribution under adaptive Type-I progressive hybrid censored competing risks data

In this paper, a competing risks model is considered under adaptive type-I progressive hybrid censoring scheme (AT-I PHCS). The lifetimes of the latent failure times have Weibull distributions with the same shape parameter. We investigate the maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters. Bayes estimates of the parameters are obtained based on squared error and LINEX loss functions under the assumption of independent gamma priors. We propose to apply Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques to carry out a Bayesian estimation procedure and in turn calculate the credible intervals. To evaluate the performance of the estimators, a simulation study is carried out.