Empirical Likelihood for the Additive Hazards Model with Current Status Data

We investigate empirical likelihood for the additive hazards model with current status data. An empirical log-likelihood ratio for a vector or subvector of regression parameters is defined and its limiting distribution is shown to be a standard chi-squared distribution. The proposed inference procedure enables us to make empirical likelihood-based inference for the regression parameters. Finite sample performance of the proposed method is assessed in simulation studies to compare with that of a normal approximation method, it shows that the empirical likelihood method provides more accurate inference than the normal approximation method. A real data example is used for illustration.     

A nonparametric hypothesis test for heteroscedasticity

In this paper, a hypothesis test for heteroscedasticity is proposed in a nonparametric regression model. The test statistic, which uses the residuals from a nonparametric fit of the mean function, is based on an adaptation of the well-known Levene's test. Using the recent theory for analysis of variance when the number of factor levels goes to infinity, the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic is established under the null hypothesis of homocedasticity and under local alternatives. Simulations suggest that the proposed test performs well in several situations, especially when the variance is a nonlinear function of the predictor.     

Did State Children’s Health Insurance Program Affect Married Women’s Labor Supply?

While the relationships between health insurance and the labor supply of women have been explored in the literature, little is known about the effects of offering public health insurance on the labor supply decisions of married women. This paper examines how the enactment of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) affected the labor supply decisions of married women. Our empirical analysis showed that certain groups of married women reduced their number of hours worked upon SCHIP implementation. The results imply it is possible that some wives decreased their labor supply in order to make their children eligible for public health insurance.

State transition modeling of complex monitored health data

This article considers the analysis of complex monitored health data, where often one or several signals are reflecting the current health status that can be represented by a finite number of states, in addition to a set of covariates. In particular, we consider a novel application of a non-parametric state intensity regression method in order to study time-dependent effects of covariates on the state transition intensities. The method can handle baseline, time varying as well as dynamic covariates. Because of the non-parametric nature, the method can handle different data types and challenges under minimal assumptions. If the signal that is reflecting the current health status is of continuous nature, we propose the application of a weighted median and a hysteresis filter as data pre-processing steps in order to facilitate robust analysis. In intensity regression, covariates can be aggregated by a suitable functional form over a time history window. We propose to study the estimated cumulative regression parameters for different choices of the time history window in order to investigate short- and long-term effects of the given covariates. The proposed framework is discussed and applied to resuscitation data of newborns collected in Tanzania.     

Bayesian t-tests for correlations and partial correlations

In this paper, we develop Bayes factor based testing procedures for the presence of a correlation or a partial correlation. The proposed Bayesian tests are obtained by restricting the class of the alternative hypotheses to maximize the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when the Bayes factor is larger than a specified threshold. It turns out that they depend simply on the frequentist t-statistics with the associated critical values and can thus be easily calculated by using a spreadsheet in Excel and in fact by just adding one more step after one has performed the frequentist correlation tests. In addition, they are able to yield an identical decision with the frequentist paradigm, provided that the evidence threshold of the Bayesian tests is determined by the significance level of the frequentist paradigm. We illustrate the performance of the proposed procedures through simulated and real-data examples.     

主观感知还是客观责任? ——中国农民工作回报期望影响因素研究

理清农民工作回报期望的影响因素进而精准施策,对于破解城乡发展不平衡和满足农民对美好生活的向往意义重大。利用Multinomial Logistic模型和CGSS2015相关数据的实证研究结论发现:以主观社会经济地位和外出务工经历为代表的主观感知性因素是影响农民工作回报期望的关键,而以养老责任和未成年子女数量为代表的客观责任因素的影响则不显著。同时,受教育程度也是影响农民工作回报期望的重要因素,受教育程度为初中及以下的农民对生理回报和安全回报有更强烈的诉求。     

The nutrition-related information seeking behaviours and attitudes of pregnant women with a high BMI: A qualitative study

BackgroundThe prevalence of high body mass index is increasing amongst women of child bearing age. High maternal body mass index has ramifications for both mother and baby including increased health risks from gestational diabetes mellitus, caesarean section and stillbirth. Despite the increasing prevalence of high maternal body mass index little is known of the experiences of these women regarding nutrition information access and use during the antenatal period.MethodsA qualitative study using individual interviews was undertaken at a tertiary hospital in south-eastern Australia. Twenty-Eight women with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m² participated. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, cross-checked for consistency and entered into a word processing document for further scrutiny. Data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). In any phenomenological study the researcher’s objective is to elicit the participant’s views on their lived experiences.FindingsThree major themes emerged: (1) Nutrition-related information attainment; (2) Nutrition-related information management; (3) Nutrition-related information needs and wants.ConclusionThe findings from this study may assist the future development and dissemination of nutrition-related information for pregnant women with a high body mass index. Women want more individualised support regarding nutritional requirements during pregnancy.     

Reinvigorating the social contract and strengthening social cohesion: Social protection responses to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of those who are inadequately covered by social protection in more and less developed countries alike, and has exacerbated the fragility of a social contract that was already under strain in many countries. A weak social contract in the context of an exceptional crisis poses a very real risk to social cohesion. Nevertheless, many States have reasserted themselves as the guarantor of rights by protecting public health and incomes. By sustaining these measures, economic recovery will be supported which will help minimize risks that may weaken social cohesion. However, this is a fast-moving, inherently unstable and protracted crisis. Social protection stands at a critical juncture. Decisive policy action will be required to strengthen social protection systems, including floors, as one of the cornerstones of a reinvigorated social contract.     

印度对中印跨境河流水关系的认知及战略选择

近年来,印度对中印在跨境河流水关系中的不平衡问题非常重视.其中,水文信息不对称以及收益不平衡是印度对水关系不平衡的两个主要认知.基于中印边境的互动历史,印度在对水关系的认知形成中往往会夸大中国的敌意与威胁.据此,印度试图通过建立制度框架、将中印水争议国际化以及竞争性开发跨境河流水资源的战略思维,平衡中国在雅鲁藏布江—布拉马普特拉河水关系中的优势地位.然而受水外交两面性特征和内政的掣肘,印度平衡战略的影响有限,而且更强化了其对雅鲁藏布江—布拉马普特拉河战略安全收益的重视,并使未来中印双方基于水资源共同利益进行合作的难度加大.