A Note on the Role of the Propensity Score for Estimating Average Treatment Effects

Hahn [Hahn, J. (1998). On the role of the propensity score in efficient semiparametric estimation of average treatment effects. Econometrica 66:315-331] derived the semiparametric efficiency bounds for estimating the average treatment effect (ATE) and the average treatment effect on the treated (ATET). The variance of ATET depends on whether the propensity score is known or unknown. Hahn attributes this to “dimension reduction.” In this paper, an alternative explanation is given: Knowledge of the propensity score improves upon the estimation of the distribution of the confounding variables.     

要素匹配与中国投资效率空间差异性——基于双层嵌套型函数的分解研究

本文基于四要素双层嵌套的生产函数,利用1990-2016年全国层面及省际层面数据测算投资效率,并分析其空间结构特征及演变轨迹,检验投资效率匹配效应影响因素。研究发现：①1990-2016年我国整体投资效率呈下降趋势,资本-技能劳动匹配效应与整体投资效率走势趋同,快速累积的资本存量和不断升级的资本质量与短缺的技能劳动之间矛盾突出。②东中西部地区投资效率增长非一致性明显。东部地区资本相对投资效率明显高于中西部,但下降幅度大于中西部,中西部与东部地区之间差距缩小,其中匹配效应是区域间投资效率非平衡的主要成因。③若产业结构升级的技能劳动需求不能满足,将引发要素错配,不利于有效投资。房价与工资提升分别通过影响技能劳动供给和需求抑制要素匹配效率;教育和公路设施会对地区要素匹配产生积极影响,改善地区间投资效率非均衡性;地区投资效率存在显著正向空间相关性,毗邻地区的要素流动和经济发展相近地区的技术溢出均对投资效率产生积极的影响。     

Objective Bayesian inference for the ratio of the scale parameters of two Weibull distributions

The Weibull distribution is widely used due to its versatility and relative simplicity. In our paper, the non informative priors for the ratio of the scale parameters of two Weibull models are provided. The asymptotic matching of coverage probabilities of Bayesian credible intervals is considered, with the corresponding frequentist coverage probabilities. We developed the various priors for the ratio of two scale parameters using the following matching criteria: quantile matching, matching of distribution function, highest posterior density matching, and inversion of test statistics. One particular prior, which meets all the matching criteria, is found. Next, we derive the reference priors for groups of ordering. We see that all the reference priors satisfy a first-order matching criterion and that the one-at-a-time reference prior is a second-order matching prior. A simulation study is performed and an example given.     

信息化条件下流通商主导的供应链动态联盟

供应链动态联盟是信息技术发达、市场需求主导的条件下实现敏捷生产和流通的重要组织形式。是一种基于非正式契约的不完全市场交易方式。在消费者占据主导权、生产企业逐渐归核化（refkusing）的条件下,流通商在联盟中居于重要地位。文章论述了信息网络技术高度发达的条件下流通商主导的供应链动态联盟的运作机制,以期能够为建立和谐高效的产销关系提供理论支持。     

城市化与产业发展的匹配机制研究--基于比较优势的理论视角

城市化与产业发展是相互促进、互为因果螺旋上升的关系,城市是产业发展的载体,城市化的推进引致巨大的消费需求和投资需求,而产业是城市化的动力和支撑。城市化进程可以看成是资源、基础设施、制度和环境等一系列要素禀赋的动态变化,并在此基础上形成比较优势,吸引特定产业的投资和促进产业演进,在一个静态时点上,城市化与产业发展处于一般均衡状态,二者之间存在一种相互匹配关系。因此,在我国新型城镇化建设中要树立大、中、小不同规模城市协同发展的理念,在分析城市要素动态变化基础上,实施科学有效的产业政策。     

Smooth estimation of a monotone density

We investigate the interplay of smoothness and monotonicity assumptions when estimating a density from a sample of observations. The nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator of a decreasing density on the positive half line attains a rate of convergence of [Formula: See Text] at a fixed point t if the density has a negative derivative at t. The same rate is obtained by a kernel estimator of bandwidth [Formula: See Text], but the limit distributions are different. If the density is both differentiable at t and known to be monotone, then a third estimator is obtained by isotonization of a kernel estimator. We show that this again attains the rate of convergence [Formula: See Text], and compare the limit distributions of the three types of estimators. It is shown that both isotonization and smoothing lead to a more concentrated limit distribution and we study the dependence on the proportionality constant in the bandwidth. We also show that isotonization does not change the limit behaviour of a kernel estimator with a bandwidth larger than [Formula: See Text], in the case that the density is known to have more than one derivative.     

Some practical issues in the evaluation of heterogeneous labour market programmes by matching methods

Summary.  Recently several studies have analysed active labour market policies by using a recently proposed matching estimator for multiple programmes. Since there is only very limited practical experience with this estimator, this paper checks its sensitivity with respect to issues that are of practical importance in this kind of evaluation study. The estimator turns out to be fairly robust to several features that concern its implementation. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates that the matching approach per se is no panacea for solving all the problems of evaluation studies, but that its success depends critically on the information that is available in the data. Finally, a comparison with a bootstrap distribution provides some justification for using a simplified approximation of the distribution of the estimator that ignores its sequential nature.     

Optimal estimation of a finite population mean under generalized random permutation models

Employing certain generalized random permutation models and a general class of linear estimators of a finite population mean, it is shown that many of the conventional estimators are “optimal” in the sense of minimum average mean square error. Simple proofs are provided by using a well-known theorem on UMV estimation. The results also cover certain simple response error situations.     

A class of Shrunken estimators for normal mean

This paper presents a class of estimators for the mean of a normal population and determines the conditions on characterizing scalars under which the class of estimators uniformly dominates over the conventional sample mean according to the mean-square-error criterion.     

Estimation of the mean of the exponential distribution using moving extremes ranked set sampling

Moving Extremes Ranked Set Sampling (MERSS) is a useful modification of Ranked Set Sampling (RSS). Unlike RSS, MERSS allows for an increase of set size without introducing too much ranking error. The method is considered parametrically under exponential distribution. Maximum likelihood estimator (MLE), and a modified MLE are considered and their properties are studied. The method is studied under both perfect and imperfect ranking (with error in ranking). It appears that these estimators can be real competitors to the MLE using the usual simple random sampling (SRS).