Abundance estimation with a categorical covariate subject to missing in continuous-time capture-recapture studies

Abstract

In continuous-time capture-recapture experiments, individual heterogeneity has a large effect on the capture probability. To account for the heterogeneity, we consider an individual covariate, which is categorical and subject to missing. In this article, we develop a general model to summarize three kinds of missing mechanisms, and propose a maximum likelihood estimator of the abundance. A likelihood ratio confidence interval of the abundance is also proposed. We illustrate the proposed methods by simulation studies and a real data example of a bird species prinia subflava in Hong Kong.     

英国扩大留学生规模背景下的质量问题及反思

20世纪80年代以来,英国政府将扩大留学生规模作为高等教育国际化发展的重要战略政策。通过对近20年来英国留学生人数、留学生入学标准、优质学位授予比例、生师比、教育生均经费等数据变化趋势的分析,提出在这一经济利益驱动留学生规模扩张的过程中,英国留学生质量要求和标准正在放宽。如何使学生增长速度与优质资源生长速度相匹配、如何在获取短期经济效益的同时寻求高等教育长期可持续性发展的途径,是需要思考和解决的问题。     

中国粮食生产潜能分析：一个基于“俱乐部 收敛”的视点

我国的粮食单产存在显著的地区差异,不同地区粮食单产的收敛分析有助于预测粮食生产潜能。对1980年至2012年全国30个省区市稻谷、玉米、小麦三种主粮单产数据的收敛分析发现,传统收敛β收敛与σ收敛的分析结果相互冲突,并且与现实不符。而俱乐部收敛分析发现,稻谷单产全国范围内趋于收敛;玉米单产同样在全国范围内收敛;但小麦单产则不存在总体收敛趋势,而是收敛于三个不同的俱乐部。进一步以“俱乐部”内最高单产为参照测算三种主粮历年的生产潜能,预测结果显示,实际产量与潜在产量的差距在不断缩小;三种主粮在2012年的潜在总产量为6.6万亿吨,仍比实际产量高26%;初步估计,未来10—20年之内,三种主粮的增产潜能会保持在10%以上。     

Inference in Semi‐Parametric Dynamic Models for Repeated Count Data

This paper deals with a longitudinal semi‐parametric regression model in a generalised linear model setup for repeated count data collected from a large number of independent individuals. To accommodate the longitudinal correlations, we consider a dynamic model for repeated counts which has decaying auto‐correlations as the time lag increases between the repeated responses. The semi‐parametric regression function involved in the model contains a specified regression function in some suitable time‐dependent covariates and a non‐parametric function in some other time‐dependent covariates. As far as the inference is concerned, because the non‐parametric function is of secondary interest, we estimate this function consistently using the independence assumption‐based well‐known quasi‐likelihood approach. Next, the proposed longitudinal correlation structure and the estimate of the non‐parametric function are used to develop a semi‐parametric generalised quasi‐likelihood approach for consistent and efficient estimation of the regression effects in the parametric regression function. The finite sample performance of the proposed estimation approach is examined through an intensive simulation study based on both large and small samples. Both balanced and unbalanced cluster sizes are incorporated in the simulation study. The asymptotic performances of the estimators are given. The estimation methodology is illustrated by reanalysing the well‐known health care utilisation data consisting of counts of yearly visits to a physician by 180 individuals for four years and several important primary and secondary covariates.     

Empirical likelihood based detection procedure for change point in mean residual life functions under random censorship

The mean residual life (MRL) function is one of the basic parameters of interest in survival analysis that describes the expected remaining time of an individual after a certain age. The study of changes in the MRL function is practical and interesting because it may help us to identify some factors such as age and gender that may influence the remaining lifetimes of patients after receiving a certain surgery. In this paper, we propose a detection procedure based on the empirical likelihood for the changes in MRL functions with right censored data. Two real examples are also given: Veterans' administration lung cancer study and Stanford heart transplant to illustrate the detecting procedure. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A win ratio approach to comparing continuous non‐normal outcomes in clinical trials

Clinical trials are often designed to compare continuous non‐normal outcomes. The conventional statistical method for such a comparison is a non‐parametric Mann–Whitney test, which provides a P‐value for testing the hypothesis that the distributions of both treatment groups are identical, but does not provide a simple and straightforward estimate of treatment effect. For that, Hodges and Lehmann proposed estimating the shift parameter between two populations and its confidence interval (CI). However, such a shift parameter does not have a straightforward interpretation, and its CI contains zero in some cases when Mann–Whitney test produces a significant result. To overcome the aforementioned problems, we introduce the use of the win ratio for analysing such data. Patients in the new and control treatment are formed into all possible pairs. For each pair, the new treatment patient is labelled a ‘winner’ or a ‘loser’ if it is known who had the more favourable outcome. The win ratio is the total number of winners divided by the total numbers of losers. A 95% CI for the win ratio can be obtained using the bootstrap method. Statistical properties of the win ratio statistic are investigated using two real trial data sets and six simulation studies. Results show that the win ratio method has about the same power as the Mann–Whitney method. We recommend the use of the win ratio method for estimating the treatment effect (and CI) and the Mann–Whitney method for calculating the P‐value for comparing continuous non‐Normal outcomes when the amount of tied pairs is small. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Group sequential monitoring based on the weighted log‐rank test statistic with the Fleming–Harrington class of weights in cancer vaccine studies

In recent years, immunological science has evolved, and cancer vaccines are now approved and available for treating existing cancers. Because cancer vaccines require time to elicit an immune response, a delayed treatment effect is expected and is actually observed in drug approval studies. Accordingly, we propose the evaluation of survival endpoints by weighted log‐rank tests with the Fleming–Harrington class of weights. We consider group sequential monitoring, which allows early efficacy stopping, and determine a semiparametric information fraction for the Fleming–Harrington family of weights, which is necessary for the error spending function. Moreover, we give a flexible survival model in cancer vaccine studies that considers not only the delayed treatment effect but also the long‐term survivors. In a Monte Carlo simulation study, we illustrate that when the primary analysis is a weighted log‐rank test emphasizing the late differences, the proposed information fraction can be a useful alternative to the surrogate information fraction, which is proportional to the number of events. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A股上市公司变相财务操纵对行业估值的影响

关于上市公司利润操控的相关研究主要是将净利润作为一个事关操控的敏感指标,但在监管与被监管双方努力的博弈下,其可被操纵的潜力已被充分挖掘。从实证角度关注上市公司财务操纵的其他可操作途径,其中就包括一些看似合理的变相财务操纵手段。按照2001年中国证监会公布的《上市公司行业分类指引》,把我国上市企业分为13个行业,对不同行业内企业2003—2013年部分主观可操控的财务指标与其所在行业的平均市盈率进行格兰杰因果检验和回归分析,结果表明,一些行业内企业的部分财务指标与其所在行业的平均市盈率存在领先与滞后关系,并且影响作用显著。     

平稳性检验方法的有效性研究

平稳性检验是时间序列分析的重要研究内容,现有检验方法的性能缺乏系统的比较分析。文章从样本长度的视角研究平稳性检验方法的性能,采用ADF检验、PP检验、KPSS检验和LMC检验四种方法展开实证研究。仿真实验结果表明:时间序列数据长度会对检验方法的准确率产生明显的影响,数据长度较小时检验准确率偏低;数据长度增大时可以提升检验方法的准确率,但仍未能达到100%的上限值。当样本长度较小时,这些方法的检验统计量的渐进分布难以满足,因此其实际检验效果值得探究。样本长度是有限的,因此渐进分布检验方式的改进空间有限,新的检验方式值得探究。     

基于正交试验的长条薄壁板件注塑工艺参数优化与定量分析

针对塑件成型过程中体积收缩率对成型塑件尺寸精度的影响,文章选取长条薄壁板件作为研究对象,利用AMI有限元分析软件对长条薄壁板注塑成型过程进行数值模拟,采用多因素交互正交试验的方法获得常用ABS塑料在不同的工艺参数下成型薄壁件的体积收缩率。以体积收缩率为研究目标,对试验结果进行定量分析,对比分析每一个工艺参数对研究目标的贡献率,并计算得到最优的工艺参数组合,依据实验结果优化塑件成型工艺。该方法的应用为注塑成型工艺参数优化提供了定量的数据参考,是一种快速而实用的方法。