Characterizations based on conditional expectations

For given real functionsg andh, first we give necessary and sufficient conditions such that there exists a random variableX satisfying thatE(g(X)|X≥y)=h(y)r _x (y),∀y ∈ C _x , whereC _x andT _X are the support and the failure rate function ofX, respectively. These extend the results of Ruiz and Navarro (1994) and Ghitany et al. (1995). Next we investigate necessary and sufficient conditions such thath(y)=E(g(X)|X≥y), for a given functionh. Support for this research was provided in part by the National Science Council of the Republic of China, Grant No. NSC 86-2115-M-110-014 and NSC 88-2118-M-110-001     

M-quantile models with application to poverty mapping

Over the last decade there has been growing demand for estimates of population characteristics at small area level. Unfortunately, cost constraints in the design of sample surveys lead to small sample sizes within these areas and as a result direct estimation, using only the survey data, is inappropriate since it yields estimates with unacceptable levels of precision. Small area models are designed to tackle the small sample size problem. The most popular class of models for small area estimation is random effects models that include random area effects to account for between area variations. However, such models also depend on strong distributional assumptions, require a formal specification of the random part of the model and do not easily allow for outlier robust inference. An alternative approach to small area estimation that is based on the use of M-quantile models was recently proposed by Chambers and Tzavidis (Biometrika 93(2):255–268, 2006) and Tzavidis and Chambers (Robust prediction of small area means and distributions. Working paper, 2007). Unlike traditional random effects models, M-quantile models do not depend on strong distributional assumption and automatically provide outlier robust inference. In this paper we illustrate for the first time how M-quantile models can be practically employed for deriving small area estimates of poverty and inequality. The methodology we propose improves the traditional poverty mapping methods in the following ways: (a) it enables the estimation of the distribution function of the study variable within the small area of interest both under an M-quantile and a random effects model, (b) it provides analytical, instead of empirical, estimation of the mean squared error of the M-quantile small area mean estimates and (c) it employs a robust to outliers estimation method. The methodology is applied to data from the 2002 Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS) in Albania for estimating (a) district level estimates of the incidence of poverty in Albania, (b) district level inequality measures and (c) the distribution function of household per-capita consumption expenditure in each district. Small area estimates of poverty and inequality show that the poorest Albanian districts are in the mountainous regions (north and north east) with the wealthiest districts, which are also linked with high levels of inequality, in the coastal (south west) and southern part of country. We discuss the practical advantages of our methodology and note the consistency of our results with results from previous studies. We further demonstrate the usefulness of the M-quantile estimation framework through design-based simulations based on two realistic survey data sets containing small area information and show that the M-quantile approach may be preferable when the aim is to estimate the small area distribution function.     

个人教育收益率的估计与比较: 一个半参数方法

 本文运用一种变系数部分线性模型扩展了传统的明瑟人力资本收入函数,并提出了对明瑟函数中“平行性”假设的一种检验方法,以分析个人教育收益率如何受到工龄等因素的影响。通过对1991、2000以及2004等年度国家统计局城镇居民收入调查数据的分析,揭示出近二十年来我国城镇居民中不同工龄的人们的教育收益率存在明显区别,其中人教育收益率最高的始终是在1980年代中后期参加工作的群体。对导致我国教育收益率这种特殊现象的原因作了分析。     

吉林省体育社团发展现状与对策研究

通过对吉林省三种类型体育社团的典型代表进行访问调查,从五个方面探讨了吉林省体育社团发展的现状和存在的问题,并给出了解决对策。     

基于主体功能区划自然保护区生态补偿机制之构建与完善

根据国家主体功能区划,自然保护区被界定为禁止开发区域,必然要对其科学有效地实施生态补偿;自然保护区生态补偿机制应当结合当前主体功能区划的政策导向,进行重新定位与构建。依据公共物品与外部性等理论,为缓解现实矛盾,需积极探索构建多元化融资渠道的保护区生态补偿机制,主要涉及政府与市场两种基本途径或机制范畴,合理安排相应的政策引导与制度创新。制度构建的关键在于加快自然保护区生态补偿的立法调整,无论是政府财政转移支付还是市场经济手段的生态补偿政策,都需要立法确定其方针原则、实施模式及机制。     

Moment‐Independent Sensitivity Analysis Using Copula

In risk assessment, the moment‐independent sensitivity analysis (SA) technique for reducing the model uncertainty has attracted a great deal of attention from analysts and practitioners. It aims at measuring the relative importance of an individual input, or a set of inputs, in determining the uncertainty of model output by looking at the entire distribution range of model output. In this article, along the lines of Plischke et al., we point out that the original moment‐independent SA index (also called delta index) can also be interpreted as the dependence measure between model output and input variables, and introduce another moment‐independent SA index (called extended delta index) based on copula. Then, nonparametric methods for estimating the delta and extended delta indices are proposed. Both methods need only a set of samples to compute all the indices; thus, they conquer the problem of the “curse of dimensionality.” At last, an analytical test example, a risk assessment model, and the levelE model are employed for comparing the delta and the extended delta indices and testing the two calculation methods. Results show that the delta and the extended delta indices produce the same importance ranking in these three test examples. It is also shown that these two proposed calculation methods dramatically reduce the computational burden.     

The empirical Bayes estimators of the parameter of the Poisson distribution with a conjugate gamma prior under Stein's loss function

For the hierarchical Poisson and gamma model, we calculate the Bayes posterior estimator of the parameter of the Poisson distribution under Stein's loss function which penalizes gross overestimation and gross underestimation equally and the corresponding Posterior Expected Stein's Loss (PESL). We also obtain the Bayes posterior estimator of the parameter under the squared error loss and the corresponding PESL. Moreover, we obtain the empirical Bayes estimators of the parameter of the Poisson distribution with a conjugate gamma prior by two methods. In numerical simulations, we have illustrated: The two inequalities of the Bayes posterior estimators and the PESLs; the moment estimators and the Maximum Likelihood Estimators (MLEs) are consistent estimators of the hyperparameters; the goodness-of-fit of the model to the simulated data. The numerical results indicate that the MLEs are better than the moment estimators when estimating the hyperparameters. Finally, we exploit the attendance data on 314 high school juniors from two urban high schools to illustrate our theoretical studies.     

A surplus process involving a compound Poisson counting process and applications

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce a surplus process involving a compound Poisson counting process, which is a generalization of the classical ruin model where the claim-counting process is a homogeneous Poisson process. The incentive is to model batch arrival of claims using a counting process that is based on a compound distribution. This reduces the difficulty of modeling claim amounts and is consistent with industrial data. Recursive formula, some properties and relevant main ruin theory results are provided. Further, we consider applications involving zero-truncated negative binomial and zero-truncated binomial batch arrivals when the claim amounts follow exponential or Erlang distribution.     

法院公共政策形成功能的学理探析

对法院的公共政策功能进行概述,从学理层面就法院公共政策形成功能的原因展开论述,重点探讨了理性主义与经验主义、司法克制与司法能动与法院公共政策功能的关系,并分析了法院公共政策功能在现代社会图景下的必要性,进而得出法院公共政策形成功能对于法治社会的意义。