Statistical testing strategies for assessing treatment efficacy and marker accuracy in phase III trials

When a candidate predictive marker is available, but evidence on its predictive ability is not sufficiently reliable, all‐comers trials with marker stratification are frequently conducted. We propose a framework for planning and evaluating prospective testing strategies in confirmatory, phase III marker‐stratified clinical trials based on a natural assumption on heterogeneity of treatment effects across marker‐defined subpopulations, where weak rather than strong control is permitted for multiple population tests. For phase III marker‐stratified trials, it is expected that treatment efficacy is established in a particular patient population, possibly in a marker‐defined subpopulation, and that the marker accuracy is assessed when the marker is used to restrict the indication or labelling of the treatment to a marker‐based subpopulation, ie, assessment of the clinical validity of the marker. In this paper, we develop statistical testing strategies based on criteria that are explicitly designated to the marker assessment, including those examining treatment effects in marker‐negative patients. As existing and developed statistical testing strategies can assert treatment efficacy for either the overall patient population or the marker‐positive subpopulation, we also develop criteria for evaluating the operating characteristics of the statistical testing strategies based on the probabilities of asserting treatment efficacy across marker subpopulations. Numerical evaluations to compare the statistical testing strategies based on the developed criteria are provided.     

小波分析在管理数据处理中的应用

提出了一种基于小波变换的管理数据处理方法，把公司管理上的数据看成一个非平稳的时间序列，利用小渡函数将该时间序列分解到不同的频率通道上，然后将分解后的信号当作近似的平稳时间序列，用一些传统的统计方法进行预测，同时对中国足球彩票若干期的销售量数据进行了处理和预测，并将结果与实际销量以及用传统的AR模型的预测值进行了比较。     

非统计专业统计学教育刍议

针对非统计专业统计学教育目前存在的问题,阐述了提高对统计学重要性的认识是保证统计教学效果的前提;统计学教学环节的改革是提高教学效果的重要保证;统计教师的业务素质是提高统计教学效果的关键。     

Statistical Distributions of Daily Breathing Rates for Narrow Age Groups of Infants and Children

Children may be more susceptible to toxicity from some environmental chemicals than adults. This susceptibility may occur during narrow age periods (windows), which can last from days to years depending on the toxicant. Breathing rates specific to narrow age periods are useful to assess inhalation dose during suspected windows of susceptibility. Because existing breathing rates used in risk assessment are typically for broad age ranges or are based on data not representative of the population, we derived daily breathing rates for narrow age ranges of children designed to be more representative of the current U.S. children's population. These rates were derived using the metabolic conversion method of Layton (1993) and energy intake data adjusted to represent the U.S. population from a relatively recent dietary survey (CSFII 1994–1996, 1998). We calculated conversion factors more specific to children than those previously used. Both nonnormalized (L/day) and normalized (L/kg-day) breathing rates were derived and found comparable to rates derived using energy estimates that are accurate for the individuals sampled but not representative of the population. Estimates of breathing rate variability within a population can be used with stochastic techniques to characterize the range of risk in the population from inhalation exposures. For each age and age-gender group, we present the mean, standard error of the mean, percentiles (50th, 90th, and 95th), geometric mean, standard deviation, 95th percentile, and best-fit parametric models of the breathing rate distributions. The standard errors characterize uncertainty in the parameter estimate, while the percentiles describe the combined interindividual and intra-individual variability of the sampled population. These breathing rates can be used for risk assessment of subchronic and chronic inhalation exposures of narrow age groups of children.     

ASSESSING CONGRUENCEAMONG DISTANCE MATRICES: SINGLE-MALT SCOTCH WHISKIES REVISITED

A test of congruence among distance matrices is described. It tests the hypothesis that several matrices, containing different types of variables about the same objects, are congruent with one another, so they can be used jointly in statistical analysis. Raw data tables are turned into similarity or distance matrices prior to testing; they can then be compared to data that naturally come in the form of distance matrices. The proposed test can be seen as a generalization of the Mantel test of matrix correspondence to any number of distance matrices. This paper shows that the new test has the correct rate of Type I error and good power. Power increases as the number of objects and the number of congruent data matrices increase; power is higher when the total number of matrices in the study is smaller. To illustrate the method, the proposed test is used to test the hypothesis that matrices representing different types of organoleptic variables (colour, nose, body, palate and finish) in single‐malt Scotch whiskies are congruent.     

统计执法的博弈分析

针对目前中国统计数据失真相当严重并引起社会各界普遍关注的现象，运用博弈论作为分析工具，引入重复博弈研究了统计执法中数据报方与查方的利益冲突关系，从统计执法的角度揭示了统计数据失真的主要原因，并提出了相应的五项对策。     

A theoretical basis for perturbation methods

In this paper we discuss a new theoretical basis for perturbation methods. In developing this new theoretical basis, we define the ideal measures of data utility and disclosure risk. Maximum data utility is achieved when the statistical characteristics of the perturbed data are the same as that of the original data. Disclosure risk is minimized if providing users with microdata access does not result in any additional information. We show that when the perturbed values of the confidential variables are generated as independent realizations from the distribution of the confidential variables conditioned on the non-confidential variables, they satisfy the data utility and disclosure risk requirements. We also discuss the relationship between the theoretical basis and some commonly used methods for generating perturbed values of confidential numerical variables.     

Weak disintegrability as a form of preservation of coherence

Summary Weak disintegrations are investigated from various points of view. Kolmogorov's definition of conditional probability is critically analysed, and it is noted how the notion of disintegrability plays some role in connecting Kolmogorov's definition with the one given in line with de Finetti's coherence principle. Conditions are given, on the domain of a prevision, implying the equivalence between weak disintegrability and conglomerability. Moreover, weak sintegrations are characterized in terms of coherence, in de Finetti's sense, of, a suitable function. This fact enables us to give, an interpretation of weak disintegrability as a form of “preservation of coherence”. The previous results are also applied to a hypothetical inferential problem. In particular, an inference is shown to be coherent, in the sense of Heath and Sudderth, if and only if a suitable function is coherent, in de Finetti's sense. Research partially supported by: M.U.R.S.T. 40% “Problemi di inferenza pura”.     

海上救助公约的发展及其主要影响

1989年通过的国际救助公约对传统的“无效果无报酬”原则所作的例外规定,引起了海运界和贸易界的极大关注,从而导致某些国际规则和国内法的修订。本文运用比较的方法对海上救助公约的发展及其对英国劳氏标准救助契约、国际共同海损理算规则和我国海商法的影响作了论述,并且提出了我国当前海商法应作修改补充的几点建议。