Optimal block sequences for blocked fractional factorial split-plot designs

It is known that for blocked 2^n-k$2^{n-k}$ designs a judicious sequencing of blocks may allow one to obtain early and insightful results regarding influential parameters in the experiment. Such findings may justify the early termination of the experiment thereby producing cost and time savings. This paper introduces an approach for selecting the optimal sequence of blocks for regular two-level blocked fractional factorial split-plot screening experiments. An optimality criterion is developed so as to give priority to the early estimation of low-order factorial effects. This criterion is then applied to the minimum aberration blocked fractional factorial split-plot designs tabled in McLeod and Brewster [2004. The design of blocked fractional factorial split-plot experiments. Technometrics 46, 135–146]. We provide a catalog of optimal block sequences for 16 and 32-run minimum aberration blocked fractional factorial split-plot designs run in either 4 or 8 blocks.     

最低工资制度与初次分配中的公正问题

在“效率优先、兼顾公平”分配理念功能发生异化的情况下,着力解决初次分配中的公平问题尤为迫切,在现阶段主要是提高劳动报酬在初次分配中所占的比重,使以往GDP分配中劳动者收入偏低、资本所有者的回报偏高的畸形格局得到矫正,逐步完善最低工资制度,提高最低工资标准。     

A New Family of BAN Estimators for Polytomous Logistic Regression Models based on ϕ- Divergence Measures

In this paper we study polytomous logistic regression model and the asymptotic properties of the minimum ϕ-divergence estimators for this model. A simulation study is conducted to analyze the behavior of these estimators as function of the power-divergence measure ϕ_(λ) Research partially done when was visiting the Bowling Green State University as the Distinguished Lukacs Professor     

Estimating the probability of winning (losing) in a gambler's ruin problem with applications

In a classical gambler's ruin problem, the distribution of the number of games lost till ruin is considered, which we call the lost game distribution (LGD). Some applications of LGD in the theory of queues, in the theory of epidemic and in certain clustering and branching models are mentioned. The maximum likelihood estimation of LGD in the framework of modified power series distribution (MPSD), introduced by the author (1974), is studied. The variance and bias of the MLE are given and the actual mean of the MLE is obtained by discussing the negative moments of the MPSD in general. The minimum variance unbiased estimator of θ^k (k≥1) is obtained employing the technique developed by the author (1977) for the class of MPSD.     

Designing fractional factorial split-plot experiments with few whole-plot factors

Summary.  When it is impractical to perform the experimental runs of a fractional factorial design in a completely random order, restrictions on the randomization can be imposed. The resulting design is said to have a split-plot, or nested, error structure. Similarly to fractional factorials, fractional factorial split-plot designs can be ranked by using the aberration criterion. Techniques that generate the required designs systematically presuppose unreplicated settings of the whole-plot factors. We use a cheese-making experiment to demonstrate the practical relevance of designs with replicated settings of these factors. We create such designs by splitting the whole plots according to one or more subplot effects. We develop a systematic method to generate the required designs and we use the method to create a table of designs that is likely to be useful in practice.     

Psychosocial Care in Nursing Homes in the Era of the MDS 3.0: Perspectives of the Experts

Meeting psychosocial needs of nursing home residents is increasingly regarded as a critical component of care, and the nationally-mandated nursing home care screening instrument— the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0—was modified and implemented in 2010 to promote better assessment of psychosocial needs and health. Recognizing the importance of psychosocial well-being among nursing home residents, and the promise of MDS 3.0 for improving psychosocial care, this article reports recommendations derived from a conference of stakeholders representing diverse disciplines and organizations regarding next steps following MDS 3.0 screening. Results relate to seven areas of psychosocial care and address cross-cutting recommendations to improve psychosocial care.     

China's social assistance policy: experiences and future directions

The Minimum Living Standard Guarantee System (MLSGS) forms the core of China's current social assistance policy, and special assistance programmes are used to supplement this policy. This paper scrutinizes the evolution and achievements of the social assistance policy, and analyses the challenges and problems that the policy faces. In this paper, we argue that the international trend of social assistance reforms, institutional background changes and the problems of social assistance in China require a developmental model to guide the future development of the social assistance policy. Therefore, social assistance policy should not only fulfil the basic living requirements of the underprivileged and enable underprivileged people to share the outcomes of economic and social development, but also should enable the underprivileged to develop human capital and participate in the labour market. To move towards developmental social assistance, this article proposes several relevant policy suggestions.     

A Note on the Frequency Polygon Based on the Weighted Sums of Binned Data

We revisit the generalized midpoint frequency polygons of Scott (1985), and the edge frequency polygons of Jones et al. (1998 Jones, M.C., Samiuddin, M., Al-Harbey, A.H., Maatouk, T. A.H. (1998). The edge frequency polygon. Biometrika 85:235–239.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and Dong and Zheng (2001 Dong, J.P., Zheng, C. (2001). Generalized edge frequency polygon for density estimation. Statist. Probab. Lett. 55:137–145.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Their estimators are linear interpolants of the appropriate values above the bin centers or edges, those values being weighted averages of the heights of r, r ∈ N, neighboring histogram bins. We propose a simple kernel evaluation method to generate weights for binned values. The proposed kernel method can provide near-optimal weights in the sense of minimizing asymptotic mean integrated square error. In addition, we prove that the discrete uniform weights minimize the variance of the generalized frequency polygon under some mild conditions. Analogous results are obtained for the generalized frequency polygon based on linearly prebinned data. Finally, we use two examples and a simulation study to compare the generalized midpoint and edge frequency polygons.