ASYMPTOTIC PROPERTIES OF RESTRICTED MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD (REML) ESTIMATES FOR HIERARCHICAL MIXED LINEAR MODELS

This paper explores the asymptotic distribution of the restricted maximum likelihood estimator of the variance components in a general mixed model. Restricting attention to hierarchical models, central limit theorems are obtained using elementary arguments with only mild conditions on the covariates in the fixed part of the model and without having to assume that the data are either normally or spherically symmetrically distributed. Further, the REML and maximum likelihood estimators are shown to be asymptotically equivalent in this general framework, and the asymptotic distribution of the weighted least squares estimator (based on the REML estimator) of the fixed effect parameters is derived.     

Sampling properties of estimators of the log-logistic distribution with application to Canadian precipitation data

We consider the probability-weighted moment and the maximum-likelihood estimators of two parameters in the log-logistic distribution. Quantile estimators are obtained using both methods. The distributional properties of these estimators are studied in large samples, via asymptotic theory, and in small and moderate samples, via Monte Carlo simulation. The distribution is shown to be appropriate for a wide variety of meteorological data.     

A Note on Ergodic Processes Prediction via Estimation of the Conditional Mode Function

We establish the uniform almost-sure convergence of a kernel estimate of the conditional density for an ergodic process. A useful application to the prediction of the ergodic process via the conditional mode function is also given.     

On a class of bivariate mixed Sarmanov distributions

Multivariate distributions are more and more used to model the dependence encountered in many fields. However, classical multivariate distributions can be restrictive by their nature, while Sarmanov's multivariate distribution, by joining different marginals in a flexible and tractable dependence structure, often provides a valuable alternative. In this paper, we introduce some bivariate mixed Sarmanov distributions with the purpose to extend the class of bivariate Sarmanov distributions and to obtain new dependency structures. Special attention is paid to the bivariate mixed Sarmanov distribution with Poisson marginals and, in particular, to the resulting bivariate Sarmanov distributions with negative binomial and with Poisson‐inverse Gaussian marginals; these particular types of mixed distributions have possible applications in, for example modelling bivariate count data. The extension to higher dimensions is also discussed. Moreover, concerning the dependency structure, we also present some correlation formulas.     

Maximum likelihood estimation in the proportional hazards model of random censorship

The maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) for the survival function S_Tunder the proportional hazards model of censorship is derived and shown to differ from the Abdushukurov-Cheng-Lin estimator when the class of allowable distributions includes all continuous and discrete distributions. The estimators are compared via an example. The MLE is calculated using a Newton-Raphson iterative procedure and implemented via a FORTRAN algorithm.     

Estimation of Seemingly Unrelated Tobit Regressions via the EM Algorithm

An expectation-maximum (EM) likelihood algorithm is used to estimate two seemingly unrelated Tobit regressions in which the dependent variables are truncated normal. An illustrative example on the determination of the life-health insurance and pension benefits is also given.     

Conditional inference in finite population sampling under a calibration model

Several estimators, including the classical and the regression estimators of finite population mean, are compared, both theoretically and empirically, under a calibration model, where the dependent variable(y), and not the independent variable(x), can be observed for all units of the finite population. It is shown asymptotically that when conditioned on x, the bias of the classical estimator may be much smaller than that of the regression estimators; whereas when conditioned on y, the regression estimator may have much smaller conditional bias than the classical estimator. Since all the y's(not x's) can be observed, it seems appropriate to make comparison under the conditional distribution of each estimator with y fixed. In this case, the regression estimator has smaller variance, smaller conditional bias, and the conditional coverage probability closer to its nominal level     

The Identification of Multiple Outliers in ARIMA Models

Abstract

There are three main problems in the existing procedures for detecting outliers in ARIMA models. The first one is the biased estimation of the initial parameter values that may strongly affect the power to detect outliers. The second problem is the confusion between level shifts and innovative outliers when the series has a level shift. The third problem is masking. We propose a procedure that keeps the powerful features of previous methods but improves the initial parameter estimate, avoids the confusion between innovative outliers and level shifts and includes joint tests for sequences of additive outliers in order to solve the masking problem. A Monte Carlo study and one example of the performance of the proposed procedure are presented.     

Nonparametric Bayes and empirical Bayes estimation of the population median,with application in finite-population sampling

ABSTRACT

Nonparametric Bayes and empirical Bayes estimators of the population median are provided under Dirichlet process priors. The finite-population sampling is used to estimate the finite-population median under Dirichlet process priors. The asymptotic properties of the estimators are obtained from a frequentist perspective.     

Partitioned cross-validation

Partitioned cross-validation is proposed as a method for overcoming the large amounts of across sample variability to which ordinary cross-validation is subject. The price for cutting down on the sample noise is that a type of bias is intriduced. A theory is presented for optimal trade-off of this variance and bias. Comparison with other bandwidth selection methods is given.