A survey on multivariate chi-square distributions and their applications in testing multiple hypotheses

We are concerned with three different types of multivariate chi-square distributions. Their members play important roles as limiting distributions of vectors of test statistics in several applications of multiple hypotheses testing. We explain these applications and consider the computation of multiplicity-adjusted p-values under the respective global hypothesis. By means of numerical examples, we demonstrate how much gain in level exhaustion or, equivalently, power can be achieved with corresponding multivariate multiple tests compared with approaches which are only based on univariate marginal distributions and do not take the dependence structure among the test statistics into account. As a further contribution of independent value, we provide an overview of essentially all analytic formulas for computing multivariate chi-square probabilities of the considered types which are available up to present. These formulas were scattered in the previous literature and are presented here in a unified manner.     

Explaining inconsistencies between patients and collaterals: validity in outcome studies of coercive alcoholism treatment

This study aims to assess the consistency of replies to questionnaires mailed to patients and two kinds of collaterals, i.e., social workers and significant others, at a public treatment center with socially unstable and compulsory committed patients. It compares the quantity and kind of discrepancies between replies by patients and collaterals on outcome data concerning social situation and drinking habits. It aims to measure the amount of systematic bias among factors that may explain inconsistencies between reports, especially the factors compulsory commitment, worse outcome, frequency of contact and type of collateral. The responders generally agreed. Variables in which there was less agreement were explored in logistic regressions using ten explanatory variables. Significant relations did not exceed those expected by chance. Discrepancies were not systematic in size and kind. On a six-rank ordinal scale of alcohol use or abuse, however, patients tended to underestimate the extent of their abuse. Inconsistencies here concerned the degree but not the presence of abuse. No difference in consistency due to type of collateral was found. In conclusion, the consistency of the questionnaires was high and independent of the social situation of the patient, of compulsory commitment and of other background or treatment factors, as well as of treatment outcome and type of collateral.     

Detecting structural breaks in multivariate financial time series: evidence from hedge fund investment strategies

This paper extends the class of asset-based style factor models with multiple structural breaks to the multivariate setting. We propose a model that allows for the presence of common breaks in a system of factor models for individual hedge fund investment strategies, which share common investment characteristics. We develop a Bayesian approach to inference for the unknown number and positions of the structural breaks, based on a set of filtering recursions similar to those of the forward–backward algorithm. Furthermore, we identify relevant risk factors, common among the series of hedge funds, using a Bayesian model comparison approach. We apply our method to a set of correlated hedge fund strategies, which are mainly characterized by equity related bets. Multiple common breaks are identified, consistent with well-known market events, which reveal evidence for structural changes in the risk exposures as well as in the correlation structure of the analysed series.     

Group sequential x2 statistic for testing the difference of two mean vectors in clinical trials

In this study we discuss the group sequential procedures for comparing two treatments based on multivariate observations in clinical trials. Also we suppose that a response vector on each of two treatments has a multivariate normal distribution with unknown covariance matrix. Then we propose a group sequential x² statistic in order to carry out repeated significance test for hypothesis of no difference between two population mean vectors. In order to realize the group sequential test where average sample number is reduced, we propose another modified group sequential x² statistic by extension of Jennison and Turnbull ( 1991 ). After construction of repeated confidence boundaries for making the repeated significance test, we compare two group sequential procedures based on two statistics regarding the average sample number and the power of the test in the simulations.     

Multivariate regression analysis of panel data with binary outcomes applied to unemployment data

Summary  In panel studies binary outcome measures together with time stationary and time varying explanatory variables are collected over time on the same individual. Therefore, a regression analysis for this type of data must allow for the correlation among the outcomes of an individual. The multivariate probit model of Ashford and Sowden (1970) was the first regression model for multivariate binary responses. However, a likelihood analysis of the multivariate probit model with general correlation structure for higher dimensions is intractable due to the maximization over high dimensional integrals thus severely restricting ist applicability so far. Czado (1996) developed a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm to overcome this difficulty. In this paper we present an application of this algorithm to unemployment data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics involving 11 waves of the panel study. In addition we adapt Bayesian model checking techniques based on the posterior predictive distribution (see for example Gelman et al. (1996)) for the multivariate probit model. These help to identify mean and correlation specification which fit the data well. C. Czado was supported by research grant OGP0089858 of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.     

The exact noncentral distribution of the generalized multiple correlation matrix

Given p×n X N(βY, ∑?I), β, ∑ unknown, the noncentral multivariate beta density of the matrix L = [(YY′)^-1/2Y X′ (XX′)^-1XY′ (YY′)^-1/2] is desired. Khatri (1964) finds this density when β is of rank unity. The present paper derives the noncentral density of L and the density of the roots matrix of L for full rank β. The dual case density of L is also obtained. The derivations are based on generalized Sverdrup's lemma, Kabe (1965), and the relationship between primal and dual density of L is explicitly established.     

Influence analysis in multivariate linear general models

In this paper we obtain several influence measures for the multivariate linear general model through the approach proposed by Muñoz-Pichardo et al. (1995), which is based on the concept of conditional bias. An interesting charasteristic of this approach is that it does not require any distributional hypothesis. Appling the obtained results to the multivariate regression model, we obtain some measures proposed by other authors. Nevertheless, on the results obtained in this paper, we emphasize two aspects. First, they provide a theoretical foundation for measures proposed by other authors for the mul¬tivariate regression model. Second, they can be applied to any linear model that can be formulated as a particular case of the multivariate linear general model. In particular, we carry out an application to the multivariate analysis of covariance.     

A multivariate solution of the multivariate ranking and selection problem

The problem of selection of the best multivariate population is given a new formulation which does not involve reducing the populations to univariate quantities. This formulation's solution is developed for known, and (using the Heteroscedastic Method) also for unknown, variance-covariance matrices. Preference reversals and arbitrary nonlinear preference functions are explicitly allowed in this new theory     

Univaiuate anu multivariate categorical data analysis for block designs

Analysis for univariate and multivariate categorical data in block designs is given and illustrated through examples. The univariate analysis compares the treatments on the basis of their pooled frequency distributions (pooled over blocks). The test statistic used is called Q after Cochran (1950). The large sample null distribution of Q is a chi-square. Analysis of p-variate categorical data (kth variable having ck classes, K=1,...,p) can be done by treating it as a univariate categorical problem with [d] classes. Very often [d] is large in relation to the size of the experiment. This makes the expected frequencies for some of the cells very small, making the univariate method inapplicable. In these circumstances it may be reasonable to compare the treatments on the basis of marginal distributions up to the mth dimension, 1[d] , which is given in this paper. This method is also illustrated for missing observations     

Robust m-estimators

This paper provides a summary of the influence function approach to robust estimation of parametric models. Hampel's optimality results for M-estimators with a bounded influence function is generalized to allow for arbitrary choices of the asymptotic efficiency criterion and the norm of the influence function. Further extensions to other cases of practical interest are also considered.