Three-level main-effects designs exploiting prior information about model uncertainty

To explore the projection efficiency of a design, Tsai, et al [2000. Projective three-level main effects designs robust to model uncertainty. Biometrika 87, 467–475] introduced the Q criterion to compare three-level main-effects designs for quantitative factors that allow the consideration of interactions in addition to main effects. In this paper, we extend their method and focus on the case in which experimenters have some prior knowledge, in advance of running the experiment, about the probabilities of effects being non-negligible. A criterion which incorporates experimenters’ prior beliefs about the importance of each effect is introduced to compare orthogonal, or nearly orthogonal, main effects designs with robustness to interactions as a secondary consideration. We show that this criterion, exploiting prior information about model uncertainty, can lead to more appropriate designs reflecting experimenters’ prior beliefs.     

Probabilistic population projections for countries with generalized HIV/AIDS epidemics

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) issued probabilistic population projections for all countries up to 2100, by simulating future levels of total fertility and life expectancy and combining the results using a standard cohort component projection method. For the 40 countries with generalized HIV/AIDS epidemics, the mortality projections used the Spectrum/Estimation and Projection Package (EPP) model, a complex, multistate model designed for short-term projections of policy-relevant quantities for the epidemic. We propose a simpler approach that is more compatible with existing UN projection methods for other countries. Changes in life expectancy are projected probabilistically using a simple time series regression and then converted to age- and sex-specific mortality rates using model life tables designed for countries with HIV/AIDS epidemics. These are then input to the cohort component method, as for other countries. The method performed well in an out-of-sample cross-validation experiment. It gives similar short-run projections to Spectrum/EPP, while being simpler and avoiding multistate modelling.     

大都市服务经济发展的劳动力因素——基于从业人口数据模型的分析

本文在对比分析纽约、东京两个国外大都市服务经济发展的一般规律和劳动力变动特征基础上,以服务业从业人口结构和规模的历史数据作为切入点,对比分析上海服务业的发展状况,指出上海与纽约、东京服务经济发展的差距及存在的主要问题。并进一步构建了基于从业人口数据回归分析的服务经济发展预测模型,运用该模型对上海市未来服务经济从业人口的比重进行预测．分析表明上海的服务业发展正处于加速增长期,并仍将保持快速发展的势头,按此速度到2020年其从业人数比重可达80％;要实现上海服务经济的健康、快速发展应采取积极的人才引进战略和人口政策。     

On the stability of the risk hull method for projection estimators

We consider in this paper the regularization by projection of a linear inverse problem Y=Af+εξ$Y=\mathit{Af}+\epsilon \xi$ where ξ$\xi$ denotes a Gaussian white noise, A   a compact operator and ε>0$\epsilon >0$ a noise level. Compared to the standard unbiased risk estimation (URE) method, the risk hull minimization (RHM) procedure presents a very interesting numerical behavior. However, the regularization in the singular value decomposition setting requires the knowledge of the eigenvalues of A$A$. Here, we deal with noisy eigenvalues: only observations on this sequence are available. We study the efficiency of the RHM method in this situation. More generally, we shed light on some properties usually related to the regularization with a noisy operator.     

Invariant co-ordinate selection

Summary.  A general method for exploring multivariate data by comparing different estimates of multivariate scatter is presented. The method is based on the eigenvalue–eigenvector decomposition of one scatter matrix relative to another. In particular, it is shown that the eigenvectors can be used to generate an affine invariant co-ordinate system for the multivariate data. Consequently, we view this method as a method for invariant co-ordinate selection . By plotting the data with respect to this new invariant co-ordinate system, various data structures can be revealed. For example, under certain independent components models, it is shown that the invariant co- ordinates correspond to the independent components. Another example pertains to mixtures of elliptical distributions. In this case, it is shown that a subset of the invariant co-ordinates corresponds to Fisher's linear discriminant subspace, even though the class identifications of the data points are unknown. Some illustrative examples are given.     

A correlation type procedure for assessing multivariate normality

A correlation-type statistic for assessing multivariate normality is described. Its estimated finite sample distribution is tabulated, and its performance against certain alternatives is compared with that of a competing Cramer-von Mises type statistic in a Monte Carlo power study. A set of quadrivariate data is examined as illustration of the procedure.     

Robust estimation for ordinal regression

Ordinal regression is used for modelling an ordinal response variable as a function of some explanatory variables. The classical technique for estimating the unknown parameters of this model is Maximum Likelihood (ML). The lack of robustness of this estimator is formally shown by deriving its breakdown point and its influence function. To robustify the procedure, a weighting step is added to the Maximum Likelihood estimator, yielding an estimator with bounded influence function. We also show that the loss in efficiency due to the weighting step remains limited. A diagnostic plot based on the Weighted Maximum Likelihood estimator allows to detect outliers of different types in a single plot.     

Long-range correlation analysis of the Wichmann-Hill random number generator

The distribution of points (r _n,r _n+s), n = 0, 1, 2,...whose coordinates are terms at distance s of the pseudorandom sequence generated by the Wichmann and Hill method is studied. It is known that for many congruential generators critical values of the distance s exist such that these points, far from being uniformly distributed, are concentrated on very few lines. An algorithm is described for computing the critical distances within the Wichmann-Hill sequence and the results obtained are compared with those of other linear congruential generators.     

长株潭城市群水资源承载力的实证研究

在界定水资源承载力概念的基础上,构建了长株潭城市群水资源承载能力的指标体系,采用基于遗传算法的投影寻踪聚类模型对长株潭城市群水资源承载能力进行了实证分析,提出了提高长株潭城市群水资源承载能力水平的几点应对措施。