Using a mixture model for multiple imputation in the presence of outliers: the 'Healthy for life' project

Summary.  We consider the problem of obtaining population-based inference in the presence of missing data and outliers in the context of estimating the prevalence of obesity and body mass index measures from the 'Healthy for life' study. Identifying multiple outliers in a multivariate setting is problematic because of problems such as masking, in which groups of outliers inflate the covariance matrix in a fashion that prevents their identification when included, and swamping, in which outliers skew covariances in a fashion that makes non-outlying observations appear to be outliers. We develop a latent class model that assumes that each observation belongs to one of K unobserved latent classes, with each latent class having a distinct covariance matrix. We consider the latent class covariance matrix with the largest determinant to form an 'outlier class'. By separating the covariance matrix for the outliers from the covariance matrices for the remainder of the data, we avoid the problems of masking and swamping. As did Ghosh-Dastidar and Schafer, we use a multiple-imputation approach, which allows us simultaneously to conduct inference after removing cases that appear to be outliers and to promulgate uncertainty in the outlier status through the model inference. We extend the work of Ghosh-Dastidar and Schafer by embedding the outlier class in a larger mixture model, consider penalized likelihood and posterior predictive distributions to assess model choice and model fit, and develop the model in a fashion to account for the complex sample design. We also consider the repeated sampling properties of the multiple imputation removal of outliers.     

An application of cartographic area interpolation to German administrative data

In many situations the applied researcher wishes to combine different data sources without knowing the exact link and merging rule. This paper considers different cartographic interpolation methods for interpolating attributes from German employment office districts to German counties and vice versa. In particular, we apply dasymetric weighting as an alternative to simple area weighting, both of which are based on estimated intersection areas. We also present conditions under which the choice of interpolation method does not matter and confirm the theoretical results with a simulation study. Our application to German administrative data suggests robustness of estimation results of interpolated attributes with respect to the choice of interpolation method. We provide weighting matrices for regional data sources of the two largest German data producers.     

Comparison of different estimation techniques for portfolio selection

The main problem in applying the mean-variance portfolio selection consists of the fact that the first two moments of the asset returns are unknown. In practice the optimal portfolio weights have to be estimated. This is usually done by replacing the moments by the classical unbiased sample estimators. We provide a comparison of the exact and the asymptotic distributions of the estimated portfolio weights as well as a sensitivity analysis to shifts in the moments of the asset returns. Furthermore we consider several types of shrinkage estimators for the moments. The corresponding estimators of the portfolio weights are compared with each other and with the portfolio weights based on the sample estimators of the moments. We show how the uncertainty about the portfolio weights can be introduced into the performance measurement of trading strategies. The methodology explains the bad out-of-sample performance of the classical Markowitz procedures.     

Tests for assessment of agreement using probability criteria

For the assessment of agreement using probability criteria, we obtain an exact test, and for sample sizes exceeding 30, we give a bootstrap-t$t$ test that is remarkably accurate. We show that for assessing agreement, the total deviation index approach of Lin [2000. Total deviation index for measuring individual agreement with applications in laboratory performance and bioequivalence. Statist. Med. 19, 255–270] is not consistent and may not preserve its asymptotic nominal level, and that the coverage probability approach of Lin et al. [2002. Statistical methods in assessing agreement: models, issues and tools. J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 97, 257–270] is overly conservative for moderate sample sizes. We also show that the nearly unbiased test of Wang and Hwang [2001. A nearly unbiased test for individual bioequivalence problems using probability criteria. J. Statist. Plann. Inference 99, 41–58] may be liberal for large sample sizes, and suggest a minor modification that gives numerically equivalent approximation to the exact test for sample sizes 30 or less. We present a simple and accurate sample size formula for planning studies on assessing agreement, and illustrate our methodology with a real data set from the literature.     

Easy-to-construct confidence bands for comparing two simple linear regression lines

This paper shows how to construct confidence bands for the difference between two simple linear regression lines. These confidence bands provide directly the information on the magnitude of the difference between the regression lines over an interval of interest and, as a by-product, can be used as a formal test of the difference between the two regression lines. Various different shapes of confidence bands are illustrated, and particular attention is paid towards confidence bands whose construction only involves critical points from standard distributions so that they are consequently easy to construct.     

Maximum log-likelihood ratio test for a change in three parameter Weibull distribution

Asymptotic behavior of a log-likelihood ratio statistic for testing a change in a three parameter Weibull distribution is studied. It is shown that if a shape parameter α>2$\alpha >2$ the law of iterated logarithm for maximum-likelihood estimators is still valid and the log-likelihood testing statistic is asymptotically distributed (after an appropriate normalization) according to a Gumbel distribution.     

Alternative posterior consistency results in nonparametric binary regression using Gaussian process priors

We establish consistency of posterior distribution when a Gaussian process prior is used as a prior distribution for the unknown binary regression function. Specifically, we take the work of Ghosal and Roy [2006. Posterior consistency of Gaussian process prior for nonparametric binary regression. Ann. Statist. 34, 2413–2429] as our starting point, and then weaken their assumptions on the smoothness of the Gaussian process kernel while retaining a stronger yet applicable condition about design points. Furthermore, we extend their results to multi-dimensional covariates under a weaker smoothness condition on the Gaussian process. Finally, we study the extent to which posterior consistency can be achieved under a general model where, when additional hyperparameters in the covariance function of a Gaussian process are involved.     

局部平稳过程、稳定过程及GARCH模型的比较研究

本文在Granger（2005）[1]研究成果的基础上对局部平稳过程的大样本性质进行了深入探讨,发现了一些颇具实际价值的理论结果,弥补了Granger（2005）仅利用预测效果标准得到金融数据生成过程的不足,进一步给出了适合于实证分析的判断金融数据生成过程的标准,并在此基础上详细讨论了局部平稳过程、稳定过程及GARCH模型在大样本情况下的区别。本文运用研究得到的结果,在非平稳框架下对中国股票市场上证180指数进行了分析,发现上证180指数收益率具有明显的非平稳特性,并在此基础上进一步讨论了中国股票市场的市场有效性问题。     

中国产业结构变动与就业水平的实证研究

文章运用时间序列和计量模型研究了中国产业结构与就业水平之间的发展关系.首先运用格兰杰因果检验分析了第一、二、三次产业的产值与其就业之间的因果影响关系,继而从产值与就业两个角度定量分析了第一、二、三次产业各自对总就业水平的贡献,得出结论:第一产业和第三产业是劳动力就业的决定因素,而第二产业不是就业的决定因素;从产值角度来看,第三产业对劳动力就业的贡献最大,从就业角度来看,第一产业的就业对总体就业水平的贡献最高,其次是第三产业,而第二产业的就业对总体就业水平的贡献最小.最后根据研究结论提出相应的建议措施.