Bootstrap approach to test the homogeneity of order restricted mean vectors when the covariance matrices are unknown

Testing homogeneity of multivariate normal mean vectors under an order restriction when the covariance matrices are unknown, arbitrary positive definite and unequal are considered. This problem of testing has been studied to some extent, for example, by Kulatunga and Sasabuchi (1984 Kulatunga, D. D. S., Sasabuchi, S. (1984). A test of homogeneity of mean vectors against multivariate isotonic alternatives. Mem Fac Sci, Kyushu Univ Ser A Mathemat 38:151–161. [Google Scholar]) when the covariance matrices are known and also Sasabuchi et al. (2003 Sasabuchi, S., Tanaka, K., Tsukamodo, T. (2003). Testing homogeneity of multivariate normal mean vectors under an order restriction when the covariance matrices are common but unknown. Annals of Statistics. 31(5):1517–1536.[Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and Sasabuchi (2007 Sasabuchi, S. (2007). More powerful tests for homogeneity of multivariate normal mean vectors under an order restriction. Sankhya 69(4):700–716. [Google Scholar]) when the covariance matrices are unknown but common. In this paper, a test statistic is proposed and because of the main advantage of the bootstrap test is that it avoids the derivation of the complex null distribution analytically, a bootstrap test statistic is derived and since the proposed test statistic is location invariance the bootstrap p-value defined logical and some steps are presented to estimate it. Our numerical studies via Monte Carlo simulation show that the proposed bootstrap test can correctly control the type I error rates. The power of the test for some of the p-dimensional normal distributions is computed by Monte Carlo simulation. Also, the null distribution of test statistic is estimated using kernel density. Finally, the bootstrap test is illustrated using a real data.     

Spell incidence, spell duration and the measurement of unemployment

The proportion of the population out of work is an unsatisfactory measure of unemployment because it is indifferent to the way in which a given amount of unemployment time is distributed across the population. This paper offers a new way of measuring unemployment which takes account of both the frequency and duration of unemployment spells. The proposed unemployment index may be interpreted as the ‘welfare equivalent’ period of unemployment, and decomposes into the product of three components: a spell incidence factor, a duration factor, and the average unemployment rate.     

Maximal inequalities for partial sums of independent random vectors with multi dimensional time parameters

We obtain upper and lower bounds on the distribution of the partial sums constructed from a multi-dimensional array of independent random vectors. These bounds include, among others, generalizations of some of the well known classical inequalities such as the converse Kolmogorov and the Skorokhod-Ottaviani maximal inequalities.     

On the incidence–prevalence relation and length‐biased sampling

For many diseases, logistic constraints render large incidence studies difficult to carry out. This becomes a drawback, particularly when a new study is needed each time the incidence rate is investigated in a new population. By carrying out a prevalent cohort study with follow‐up it is possible to estimate the incidence rate if it is constant. The authors derive the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of the overall incidence rate, λ, as well as age‐specific incidence rates, by exploiting the epidemiologic relationship, (prevalence odds) = (incidence rate) × (mean duration) (P/[1 ? P] = λ × µ). The authors establish the asymptotic distributions of the MLEs and provide approximate confidence intervals for the parameters. Moreover, the MLE of λ is asymptotically most efficient and is the natural estimator obtained by substituting the marginal maximum likelihood estimators for P and µ into P/[1 ? P] = λ × µ. Following‐up the subjects allows the authors to develop these widely applicable procedures. The authors apply their methods to data collected as part of the Canadian Study of Health and Ageing to estimate the incidence rate of dementia amongst elderly Canadians. The Canadian Journal of Statistics © 2009 Statistical Society of Canada     

643例老干部健康体检患病情况分析

目的探讨影响老干部健康的主要疾病及预防策略。方法采用常规健康体检方法对我区643例老(≥60岁)干部进行全面体检及心电图、血液生化指标的检查,并以同时进行体检的1147例老年前期(50～59岁)干部作为对照。结果高脂血症、脂肪肝、高血糖、肾结石、高血压和前列腺增生为这些人群中患病率较高的前六位疾病。老年组中脂肪肝、高血压、高血糖和前列腺增生的患病率均高于老年前期组(P<0．05-0．005),高脂血症和肾结石的患病率在两组间均无显著性差异(P>0．05)。老年组心电图和超声心动图检查出现心肌缺血的改变均多于老年前期组(均P<0．005)。结论诸如高血压、高血糖等动脉硬化的高危因素在老年人中常见,定期健康体检是早期防治心血管疾病的有效方法。     

On the block structure of proper block designs

In this paper we consider proper block designs and derive an upper bound for the number of blocks which can have a fixed number of symbols common with a given block of the design. To arrive at the desired bound, a generalization of an integer programming theorem due to Bush (1976) is first obtained. The integer programming theorem is then used to derive the main result of this paper. The bound given here is then compared with a similar bound obtained by Kageyama and Tsuji (1977).     

Distribution of multivariate quadratic forms under certain covariance structures

Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the covariance structure of all the observations in a multivariate factorial experiment under which certain multivariate quadratic forms are independent and distributed as a constant times a Wishart. It is also shown that exact multivariate test statistics can be formed for certain covariance structures of the observations when the assumption of equal covariance matrices for each normal population is relaxed. A characterization is given for the dependency structure between random vectors in which the sample mean and sample covariance matrix have certain properties.     

A New Goodness-of-Fit Test Based on the Empirical Characteristic Function

In this article, we present a goodness-of-fit test for a distribution based on some comparisons between the empirical characteristic function c_n(t) and the characteristic function of a random variable under the simple null hypothesis, c₀(t). We do this by introducing a suitable distance measure. Empirical critical values for the new test statistic for testing normality are computed. In addition, the new test is compared via simulation to other omnibus tests for normality and it is shown that this new test is more powerful than others.     

Pseudo New Modified Latin Square (NML m (m)) Type PBIB Designs

A New Modified Latin square [NML _i (m)] association scheme with i constraints for v = m ² treatments was introduced by Garg (2008 Garg , D. K. ( 2008 ). New modified Latin square (NMLi) type PBIB designs . J. Math. Syst. Sci. 1 ( 4 ): 83 – 89 . [Google Scholar]). In this article, a new association scheme known as Pseudo New Modified Latin square [Pseudo NML _m (m)] type association scheme is defined. The parameters of Pseudo NML _m (m) association scheme turned out to be parameters of NML _i (m) association scheme by taking i = m in NML _i (m) association scheme. The Pseudo NML _m (m) association scheme will be the usual NML _m (m) association scheme when m is a prime or a prime power. The PBIB designs following Pseudo NML _m (m) association scheme will be called the Pseudo NML _m (m) type PBIB designs. Analysis of Pseudo NML _m (m) designs along with a construction method of these designs is also given in this article.     

Constructions of efficiency-balanced designs

We present a number of methods of constructing efficiency-balanced binary block designs which are design patterns for simplification of statistical analysis. Furthermore, a method of construction of an efficiency-balanced block design with v+1 treatments from one with v treatments is generally characterized.