Improved Transferability of Data‐Driven Damage Models Through Sample Selection Bias Correction

Damage models for natural hazards are used for decision making on reducing and transferring risk. The damage estimates from these models depend on many variables and their complex sometimes nonlinear relationships with the damage. In recent years, data‐driven modeling techniques have been used to capture those relationships. The available data to build such models are often limited. Therefore, in practice it is usually necessary to transfer models to a different context. In this article, we show that this implies the samples used to build the model are often not fully representative for the situation where they need to be applied on, which leads to a “sample selection bias.” In this article, we enhance data‐driven damage models by applying methods, not previously applied to damage modeling, to correct for this bias before the machine learning (ML) models are trained. We demonstrate this with case studies on flooding in Europe, and typhoon wind damage in the Philippines. Two sample selection bias correction methods from the ML literature are applied and one of these methods is also adjusted to our problem. These three methods are combined with stochastic generation of synthetic damage data. We demonstrate that for both case studies, the sample selection bias correction techniques reduce model errors, especially for the mean bias error this reduction can be larger than 30%. The novel combination with stochastic data generation seems to enhance these techniques. This shows that sample selection bias correction methods are beneficial for damage model transfer.     

A new generalized Weibull distribution in income economic inequality curves

Researchers have been developing various extensions and modified forms of the Weibull distribution to enhance its capability for modeling and fitting different data sets. In this note, we investigate the potential usefulness of the new modification to the standard Weibull distribution called odd Weibull distribution in income economic inequality studies. Some mathematical and statistical properties of this model are proposed. We obtain explicit expressions for the first incomplete moment, quantile function, Lorenz and Zenga curves and related inequality indices. In addition to the well-known stochastic order based on Lorenz curve, the stochastic order based on Zenga curve is considered. Since the new generalized Weibull distribution seems to be suitable to model wealth, financial, actuarial and especially income distributions, these findings are fundamental in the understanding of how parameter values are related to inequality. Also, the estimation of parameters by maximum likelihood and moment methods is discussed. Finally, this distribution has been fitted to United States and Austrian income data sets and has been found to fit remarkably well in compare with the other widely used income models.     

伸展构造背景下倾角资料的构造解释

系统总结了在伸展构造背景下，导致反映构造特征的地层倾角模式复杂化的多种因素。沉积相的不同、岩性变化、井眼状况和测井作业时间等多种因素都可能使地层倾角资料复杂化。进一步指出在拉张盆地中，进行倾角资料的构造解释，必须了解其构造样式的多样性和复杂性，解释存在的多解性。重点解剖了铲式断层在横剖面情况下，对于不同构造位置下的倾角模式。详细分析了一个倾角模式对应多种构造样式的倾角构造解释实例。倾角资料的构造解释应是综合解释，既要综合井筒的相关地质资料，又要综合测井与地质知识，还必须考虑综合地震资料。     

The context of employment discrimination: interpreting the findings of a field experiment

Although field experiments have documented the contemporary relevance of discrimination in employment, theories developed to explain the dynamics of differential treatment cannot account for differences across organizational and institutional contexts. In this article, I address this shortcoming by presenting the main empirical findings from a multi‐method research project, in which a field experiment of ethnic discrimination in the Norwegian labour market was complemented with forty‐two in‐depth interviews with employers who were observed in the first stage of the study. While the experimental data support earlier findings in documenting that ethnic discrimination indeed takes place, the qualitative material suggests that theorizing in the field experiment literature have been too concerned with individual and intra‐psychic explanations. Discriminatory outcomes in employment processes seems to be more dependent on contextual factors such as the number of applications received, whether requirements are specified, and the degree to which recruitment procedures are formalized. I argue that different contexts of employment provide different opportunity structures for discrimination, a finding with important theoretical and methodological implications.     

Modifications of sequential designs in bioequivalence trials

Bioequivalence (BE) studies are designed to show that two formulations of one drug are equivalent and they play an important role in drug development. When in a design stage, it is possible that there is a high degree of uncertainty on variability of the formulations and the actual performance of the test versus reference formulation. Therefore, an interim look may be desirable to stop the study if there is no chance of claiming BE at the end (futility), or claim BE if evidence is sufficient (efficacy), or adjust the sample size. Sequential design approaches specially for BE studies have been proposed previously in publications. We applied modification to the existing methods focusing on simplified multiplicity adjustment and futility stopping. We name our method modified sequential design for BE studies (MSDBE). Simulation results demonstrate comparable performance between MSDBE and the original published methods while MSDBE offers more transparency and better applicability. The R package MSDBE is available at https://sites.google.com/site/modsdbe/ . Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

如何促进产业集群发展?——美国亚利桑那州产业集群发展模式分析

1980年代末至1990年代初,美国亚利桑那州经济遭遇严重衰退,地区经济发展面临转型压力。1992年,亚利桑那州实施了产业集群战略,成功推动了地区经济的复苏和转型,并使其成为之后十余年美国经济增长最快的地区之一。通过对亚利桑那州产业集群战略的制定、调整和集群发展特征的深入分析发现,亚利桑那州产业集群的发展得益于科学的战略设计和以"技术密集型中小企业+企业网络组织"为双驱动的发展模式,而政府在这一过程中只扮演着"组织者"和"协调者"的角色。这对中国产业集群的发展具有重要的借鉴意义。     

学习国外经验搞好土地规划

土地是财富之母,是人类社会赖以生存和发展的基础.随着我国经济建设的飞速发展和城市化进程的加快,城市建设用地与农业用地之间的矛盾日益尖锐,城市土地利用结构和布局不合理的问题也相当突出,这些都迫切要求进行科学合理的城市土地利用总体规划.城市土地利用总体规划是在一定时期内对城市范围内全部土地的综合利用所做的统筹安排和长远规划.它包括对城市建设用地与城市非建设用地的规划,当然同一级的农业区划也包括对这部分农业用地的规划.搞好城市土地利用总体规划意义重大,它能有效调节城市建设用地与农业用地之间的矛盾;有利于调整城市土地的结构和布局;也能加强城市土地供给的宏观调控,促进城市房地产业的健康发展.