Power analysis for clustered non-continuous responses in multicenter trials

Power analysis for multi-center randomized control trials is quite difficult to perform for non-continuous responses when site differences are modeled by random effects using the generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMM). First, it is not possible to construct power functions analytically, because of the extreme complexity of the sampling distribution of parameter estimates. Second, Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, a popular option for estimating power for complex models, does not work within the current context because of a lack of methods and software packages that would provide reliable estimates for fitting such GLMMs. For example, even statistical packages from software giants like SAS do not provide reliable estimates at the time of writing. Another major limitation of MC simulation is the lengthy running time, especially for complex models such as GLMM, especially when estimating power for multiple scenarios of interest. We present a new approach to address such limitations. The proposed approach defines a marginal model to approximate the GLMM and estimates power without relying on MC simulation. The approach is illustrated with both real and simulated data, with the simulation study demonstrating good performance of the method.     

购物中心的商户关系研究

本文基于共生理论尝试性的对购物中心内商户间的相互关系进行了研究,论文选取了竞争、寄生与互惠这三种主要关系进行分析,提出以服饰类和珠宝类商户为代表的同质商户存在着同业聚集的经济效应,这时的同业竞争相对经济效应而言属于次要地位;主力店的选择和自身所处的位置决定了寄生关系的存在与作用大小,一部分非主力店能够凭借自身的吸引力获得客流;在异质商户之间,消耗性生活便利品与超市具有高度互补性,另外百货店与衣服鞋类专卖店也具有高互补性;但是消耗性生活用品与百货店,专卖店与超市的互补性都较低。     

Binary probability maps using a hidden conditional autoregressive Gaussian process with an application to Finnish common toad data

The Finnish common toad data of Heikkinen and Hogmander are reanalysed using an alternative fully Bayesian model that does not require a pseudolikelihood approximation and an alternative prior distribution for the true presence or absence status of toads in each 10 km×10 km square. Markov chain Monte Carlo methods are used to obtain posterior probability estimates of the square-specific presences of the common toad and these are presented as a map. The results are different from those of Heikkinen and Hogmander and we offer an explanation in terms of the prior used for square-specific presence of the toads. We suggest that our approach is more faithful to the data and avoids unnecessary confounding of effects. We demonstrate how to extend our model efficiently with square-specific covariates and illustrate this by introducing deterministic spatial changes.     

Correlation in a Bayesian framework

The authors consider the correlation between two arbitrary functions of the data and a parameter when the parameter is regarded as a random variable with given prior distribution. They show how to compute such a correlation and use closed form expressions to assess the dependence between parameters and various classical or robust estimators thereof, as well as between p‐values and posterior probabilities of the null hypothesis in the one‐sided testing problem. Other applications involve the Dirichlet process and stationary Gaussian processes. Using this approach, the authors also derive a general nonparametric upper bound on Bayes risks.     

Macro-Economic Factors in Credit Risk Calculations: Including Time-Varying Covariates in Mixture Cure Models

The prediction of the time of default in a credit risk setting via survival analysis needs to take a high censoring rate into account. This rate is because default does not occur for the majority of debtors. Mixture cure models allow the part of the loan population that is unsusceptible to default to be modeled, distinct from time of default for the susceptible population. In this article, we extend the mixture cure model to include time-varying covariates. We illustrate the method via simulations and by incorporating macro-economic factors as predictors for an actual bank dataset.     

The covariance of the backward and forward recurrence times in a renewal process: the stationary case and asymptotics for the ordinary case

In a Poisson process, it is well-known that the forward and backward recurrence times at a given time point t are independent random variables. In a renewal process, although the joint distribution of these quantities is known (asymptotically), it seems that very few results regarding their covariance function exist. In the present paper, we study this covariance and, in particular, we state both necessary and sufficient conditions for it to be positive, zero or negative in terms of reliability classifications and the coefficient of variation of the underlying inter-renewal and the associated equilibrium distribution. Our results apply either for an ordinary renewal process in the steady state or for a stationary process.     

商业信用风险管理绩效影响因素的实证分析

近年来,Jianmin Jia等学者对"我国信用风险管理现状"及其相关问题进行研究,取得一定的研究成果,但相应研究中存在着"简单使用线性回归,未能消除变量间的相互影响"等局限。基于对已有相关研究成果的评析,并运用因子分析和Pearson相关分析方法,对我国商业信用风险管理绩效的影响因素进行实证研究。研究表明:商业信用风险管理绩效的关键影响因素为"信用管理职能设置"、"客户资信评估"和"信用政策制定",我国企业应从"完善信用风险管理职能"、"改善信息不对称状况"和"提高信用政策制定水平"三方面提高风险管理绩效。     

基于共同持有资产的银行间接关联网络研究

金融市场是一个复杂系统,银行之间不仅有直接的拆借关系,还能够通过投资市场建立间接关联。本文分析了资产内生相关性、资产降价出售以及银行投资行为等因素对银行间接关联程度的影响,基于这些因素通过持有共同资产构建银行系统的间接关联,并以此为基础通过平面极大过滤图方法生成银行间接关联网络,论证了该网络中的系统重要性银行,并通过对该网络结构特征的分析,发现间接关联网络具有小世界和无标度等特征,这些特征与银行通过直接拆借形成的网络相似。本文对于银行间接关联网络的研究不仅能够更加清晰地了解银行之间的关系,也为银行系统性风险的监管提供了新的视角。     

医学教育中隐性课程的相关性研究

近年来,隐性课程的研究成为一个热点问题,特别是在高等教育领域备受关注。从教育界对隐性课程的研究角度（隐性课程的概念、特征、功能、建设与管理几个方面）切入,对实践中存在的一些问题进行分析,以期对以后的研究有所帮助。     

A copula-based Markov chain model for the analysis of binary longitudinal data

A fully parametric first-order autoregressive (AR(1)) model is proposed to analyse binary longitudinal data. By using a discretized version of a copula, the modelling approach allows one to construct separate models for the marginal response and for the dependence between adjacent responses. In particular, the transition model that is focused on discretizes the Gaussian copula in such a way that the marginal is a Bernoulli distribution. A probit link is used to take into account concomitant information in the behaviour of the underlying marginal distribution. Fixed and time-varying covariates can be included in the model. The method is simple and is a natural extension of the AR(1) model for Gaussian series. Since the approach put forward is likelihood-based, it allows interpretations and inferences to be made that are not possible with semi-parametric approaches such as those based on generalized estimating equations. Data from a study designed to reduce the exposure of children to the sun are used to illustrate the methods.