Goal attainability and performance: Evidence from Boston marathon qualifying standards

In this paper we test if performance improves once goals become more attainable. Goal-setting literature suggests that workers respond to challenging but achievable goals with increased performance. Empirical evidence supports the notion of goals increasing performance; however the evidence on how attainability of goals affects performance is mixed. This paper tests whether efforts increase, improving performance as the goals become more attainable. We are employing a unique set of publicly available marathon data from 1970 to 2015 to directly analyze the effect of goal attainability on performance. With the probable goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, we test if runners increase their effort, and consequently improve their performance if they enter a new age group and as a result have a more attainable goal. We find that runners who enter a new age group perform better than the runners whose qualifying time did not change. This effect is seen with runners in younger age groups, but not found in the results of runners in more advanced years.     

Estimation and goodness-of-fit procedures for Farlie–Gumbel–Morgenstern bivariate copula of order statistics

In this study, we provide the Farlie–Gumbel–Morgenstern bivariate copula of rth and sth order statistics. The main emphasis in this study is on the inference procedure which is based on the maximum pseudo-likelihood estimate for the copula parameter. As for the methodology, goodness-of-fit test statistic for copulas which is based on a Cramér–von Mises functional of the empirical copula process is applied for selecting an appropriate model by bootstrapping. An application of the methodology to simulated data set is also presented.     

论九色鹿本生的图文传播

《九色鹿》是著名的佛本生故事，其在中土的图文传播有同有异。从传播内容言，二者所关注的人物形象都集中在九色鹿、国王、告密者以及国王夫人身上，但文学的传播内容，总体上较图像传播更丰富些。从传播途径言，图像传播线路较为明确，可归纳为“印度→犍罗陀→中土”，而文学传播似有断层。从传播时间之先后言，图像的叙事传播略早于文学传播，但文学传播持续时间更长，一直持续到宋元以后。无论图、文叙事，都受到了中土固有文化的影响。     

Least squares estimation of varying‐coefficient hazard regression with application to breast cancer dose‐intensity data

To enhance modeling flexibility, the authors propose a nonparametric hazard regression model, for which the ordinary and weighted least squares estimation and inference procedures are studied. The proposed model does not assume any parametric specifications on the covariate effects, which is suitable for exploring the nonlinear interactions between covariates, time and some exposure variable. The authors propose the local ordinary and weighted least squares estimators for the varying‐coefficient functions and establish the corresponding asymptotic normality properties. Simulation studies are conducted to empirically examine the finite‐sample performance of the new methods, and a real data example from a recent breast cancer study is used as an illustration. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 37: 659–674; 2009 © 2009 Statistical Society of Canada     

Percentile Related Bounds and Estimator for the Mean of the Negative Binomial Distribution

Upper and lower bounds are obtained for the mean of the negative binomial distribution. These bounds are simple functions of a percentile determined by the shape parameter. The result is then used to obtain a robust estimate of the mean when the shape parameter is known.     

Second-Order Approximations to Two Classes of Sequential Estimation Procedures

For the model considered by Chaturvedi, Pandey and Gupta (1991), two classes of sequential procedures are developed to construct confidence regions (which may be interval, ellipsoidal or spherical) of ‘pre-assigned width and coverage probability’ for the parameters of interest and for the minimum risk point estimation (taking loss to be quadratic plus linear cost of sampling) of the nuisance parameter. Second-Order approximations are derived for the expected sample size, coverage probability and ‘regret’ associated with the two classes of sequential procedures. A simple and direct method of obtaining the asymptotic distribution of the stopping time is provided. By means of examples, it is illustrated that several estimation problems can be tackled with the help of proposed classes of sequential procedures.     

麦克仑南论一妻多夫制

古典进化论学派学者麦克伦南（John· Fergus· McLennan）曾在其著作《原始婚姻》中对一妻多夫这种婚姻家庭形态进行了论述。麦克仑南对一妻多夫的基本看法是,这种婚姻家庭形态并不是一种例外和反常形态,而认为一妻多夫是人类社会发展的一个重要和普遍阶段。麦克仑南的这个论点是基于他对人类早期社会基本图景的推论和分析。本文试图在说明麦克伦南关于人类早期社会与婚姻发展脉络的基础上,来讨论一妻多夫制在其中的序列与价值。     

A Level Playing Field: An Optimal Weighting Scheme of Dismissal Protection Characteristics

In collective redundancies, employers are forced to regard certain characteristics when deciding who to dismiss. This paper develops a procedure to derive an empirical‐based weighting scheme between protection characteristics in Germany (age, disability, dependencies, and tenure). Up to now, an objective weighting scheme is missing, and employers bargain with employee's representatives about the weighting of the characteristics. In the suggested procedure, the relationships of the four characteristics with reemployment probabilities and the quality of the new job are estimated. Then, the relevant outcome variable is chosen applying life satisfaction analysis. Finally, based on the empirical results, a weighting scheme for the characteristics is proposed, which serves as a guideline in the process of collective redundancies.