A Bayesian Adjustment for Covariate Misclassification with Correlated Binary Outcome Data

Estimated associations between an outcome variable and misclassified covariates tend to be biased when the methods of estimation that ignore the classification error are applied. Available methods to account for misclassification often require the use of a validation sample (i.e. a gold standard). In practice, however, such a gold standard may be unavailable or impractical. We propose a Bayesian approach to adjust for misclassification in a binary covariate in the random effect logistic model when a gold standard is not available. This Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach uses two imperfect measures of a dichotomous exposure under the assumptions of conditional independence and non-differential misclassification. A simulated numerical example and a real clinical example are given to illustrate the proposed approach. Our results suggest that the estimated log odds of inpatient care and the corresponding standard deviation are much larger in our proposed method compared with the models ignoring misclassification. Ignoring misclassification produces downwardly biased estimates and underestimate uncertainty.     

Testing parameter of the power series distribution of a zero inflated power series model

The Zero Inflated Power Series Distribution (ZIPSD) contains two parameters. The first parameter indicates inflation of zero and the other parameter is that of the Power Series distribution. We provide three asymptotic tests for testing the parameter of Power Series distribution, using an unconditional (standard) likelihood approach, a conditional likelihood approach and a test based on sample mean, respectively. The performance of these three tests has been studied for Zero Inflated Poisson Distribution (ZIPD). Asymptotic Confidence Intervals for the parameter are also provided.     

The athlete as model minority subject: Jose Bautista and Canadian multiculturalism

The discourse of multiculturalism disguises complicated racial dynamics in nations such as Canada. Although white privilege persists, it tends to be mediated through non-white figures who can engender consent from other minority members. These figures have been called model minorities, a role that is well-tailored to celebrated athletes. Athletes who fill the role of model minority represent the ideal immigrant citizen: English-speaking, middle class/bourgeois, disciplined, and hard-working. As such, they serve a disciplinary function for other immigrants by demonstrating how it is they should act and producing a standard against which they are evaluated. The model minority has become a crucial representational figure for multicultural nations like Canada because the political economy of these states requires cheap labour that can be hyper-exploited through the dehumanization of racialization. Drawing on articles in Toronto's most prominent newspapers, I argue that Toronto Blue Jays baseball star Jose Bautista has recently assumed the status of a model minority. I elaborate the functions of the model minority through a reading of Bautista's representation.     

互连网络拓扑优化设计

论述了互连网络拓扑优化设计问题,建立了必要的数学模型,该数学模型是一个非线性组合优化问题,它属于NP—完备类问题。采取拉格朗日松弛法、次梯度迭代算法和启发式算法,得出最优下确界和结论。     

论我国高等教育运行机制的过渡与转换

本文认为,我国现阶段的高教运行机制正处于过渡与转换的初始阶段,机制转换的完成需要经历一个较长的过渡时期.为了顺利平稳地完成机制转换,必须构建相应的过渡性目标模式,以此作为从适应产品经济到适应有计划的商品经济的高教运行机制模式转换的中介。因此,今后—个时期高教改革的基本思路就不应只朝一个方向努力,而应以国家职能转变为契机,在国家、社会和学校三方面同时展开,并辅之于教育市场的不断培育和竞争机制的逐步加强。     

Topics in Microbial Risk Assessment: Dynamic Flow Tree Process

Microbial risk assessment is emerging as a new discipline in risk assessment. A systematic approach to microbial risk assessment is presented that employs data analysis for developing parsimonious models and accounts formally for the variability and uncertainty of model inputs using analysis of variance and Monte Carlo simulation. The purpose of the paper is to raise and examine issues in conducting microbial risk assessments. The enteric pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 was selected as an example for this study due to its significance to public health. The framework for our work is consistent with the risk assessment components described by the National Research Council in 1983 (hazard identification; exposure assessment; dose-response assessment; and risk characterization). Exposure assessment focuses on hamburgers, cooked a range of temperatures from rare to well done, the latter typical for fast food restaurants. Features of the model include predictive microbiology components that account for random stochastic growth and death of organisms in hamburger. For dose-response modeling, Shigella data from human feeding studies were used as a surrogate for E. coli O157:H7. Risks were calculated using a threshold model and an alternative nonthreshold model. The 95% probability intervals for risk of illness for product cooked to a given internal temperature spanned five orders of magnitude for these models. The existence of even a small threshold has a dramatic impact on the estimated risk.     

区域主导产业评价指标与数学模型

以现有研究成果为基础,建立了区域主导产业评价指标体系;基于灰色聚类的思想,提出了评价区域主导产业优度的数学模型-定权聚类评估模型,并对河南省武陟县工业主导产业选择进行了实证研究。     

技术创新中的不确定性

本文从信息不确定性角度运用数理经济学方法,研究中国技术创新近10年发展的规律。首先构造了一个准三方模型,来探讨技术交易买卖双方关于卖方技术质量和买方企业生产开发能力的相对信息不对称对技术交易成交可能性和卖方期望收益的影响。其次,提出了技术交易隐含价格的概念,对技术市场作供需平衡分析,揭示出技术市场失效为“柠檬市场”的悲观前景。最后,探讨了科技实业创业三部曲,指出在科技实业事业社会发展阶段,国家或主管机构与件技实业的关系可作为一种主从关系问题来研究,其垓心是信号当且仅当有信息才有价值,最优利益分享规则要求充分利用可以获取的受托方行为信息,以解决激励和风险分担的双重要求。     

Search for optimal designs in a three stagenested random model

In this paper we define a class of unbalanced designs, denoted by C_k,s,t, for estimating the components of variance in a k-stage nested random effects linear model. This class contains many of the designs proposed in the literature for nested components of variance models. We focus on the three-state model and discuss the determination of locally optimal designs within this class using a systematic computer search. For large sample sizes we show that approximate optimal designs may be obtained using a limit argument combined with numerical optimization. A comparison of our designs with previously published designs suggests that, in many cases, our designs result in substantial gains in efficiency.     

Constructing optimal designs for fitting pharmacokinetic models

We consider some computational issues that arise when searching for optimal designs for pharmacokinetic (PK) studies. Special factors that distinguish these are (i) repeated observations are taken from each subject and the observations are usually described by a nonlinear mixed model (NLMM), (ii) design criteria depend on the model fitting procedure, (iii) in addition to providing efficient parameter estimates, the design must also permit model checking, (iv) in practice there are several design constraints, (v) the design criteria are computationally expensive to evaluate and often numerical integration is needed and finally (vi) local optimisation procedures may fail to converge or get trapped at local optima.We review current optimal design algorithms and explore the possibility of using global optimisation procedures. We use these latter procedures to find some optimal designs.For multi-purpose designs we suggest two surrogate design criteria for model checking and illustrate their use.