High-Order Composite Likelihood Inference for Max-Stable Distributions and Processes

In multivariate or spatial extremes, inference for max-stable processes observed at a large collection of points is a very challenging problem and current approaches typically rely on less expensive composite likelihoods constructed from small subsets of data. In this work, we explore the limits of modern state-of-the-art computational facilities to perform full likelihood inference and to efficiently evaluate high-order composite likelihoods. With extensive simulations, we assess the loss of information of composite likelihood estimators with respect to a full likelihood approach for some widely used multivariate or spatial extreme models, we discuss how to choose composite likelihood truncation to improve the efficiency, and we also provide recommendations for practitioners. This article has supplementary material online.     

Rank-based inference tools for copula regression,with property and casualty insurance applications

Rank-based procedures are commonly used for inference in copula models for continuous responses whose behavior does not depend on covariates. This paper describes how these procedures can be adapted to the broader framework in which (possibly non-linear) regression models for the marginal responses are linked by a copula that does not depend on covariates. The validity of many of these techniques can be derived from the asymptotic equivalence between the classical empirical copula process and its analog based on suitable residuals from the marginal models. Moment-based parameter estimation and copula goodness-of-fit tests are shown to remain valid under weak conditions on the marginal error term distributions, even when the residual-based empirical copula process fails to converge weakly. The performance of these procedures is evaluated through simulation in the context of two general insurance applications: micro-level multivariate insurance claims, and dependent loss triangles.     

NHPP models for categorized software defects

We develop NHPP models to characterize categorized event data, with application to modelling the discovery process for categorized software defects. Conditioning on the total number of defects, multivariate models are proposed for modelling the defects by type. A latent vector autoregressive structure is used to characterize dependencies among the different types. We show how Bayesian inference can be achieved via MCMC procedures, with a posterior prediction‐based L‐measure used for model selection. The results are illustrated for defects of different types found during the System Test phase of a large operating system software development project. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficient statistical inference for partially nonlinear errors-in-variables models

In this paper, we consider the partially nonlinear errors-in-variables models when the non- parametric component is measured with additive error. The profile nonlinear least squares estimator of unknown parameter and the estimator of nonparametric component are constructed, and their asymptotic properties are derived under general assumptions. Finite sample performances of the proposed statistical inference procedures are illustrated by Monte Carlo simulation studies.     

The covariance structure and likelihood function for multivariate dyadic data

This paper extends the results in Li and Loken [A unified theory of statistical analysis and inference for variance component models for dyadic data, Statist. Sinica 12 (2002) 519-535] on the statistical analysis of measurements taken on dyads to the situations in which more than one attribute are measured on each dyad. Starting from the covariance structure for the univariate case obtained in Li and Loken (2002), the covariance structure for the multivariate case is derived based on the group symmetry induced by the assumed exchangeability in the units. Our primary objective is to document the Gaussian likelihood and the sufficient statistics for multivariate dyadic data in closed form, so that they can be referenced by researchers as they analyze those data. The derivation carried out can also serve as an example of multivariate extension of univariate models based on exchangeability.     

A Skewed and Heavy-Tailed Latent Random Field Model for Spatial Extremes

This article develops Bayesian inference of spatial models with a flexible skew latent structure. Using the multivariate skew-normal distribution of Sahu et al., a valid random field model with stochastic skewing structure is proposed to take into account non-Gaussian features. The skewed spatial model is further improved via scale mixing to accommodate more extreme observations. Finally, the skewed and heavy-tailed random field model is used to describe the parameters of extreme value distributions. Bayesian prediction is done with a well-known Gibbs sampling algorithm, including slice sampling and adaptive simulation techniques. The model performance—as far as the identifiability of the parameters is concerned—is assessed by a simulation study and an analysis of extreme wind speeds across Iran. We conclude that our model provides more satisfactory results according to Bayesian model selection and predictive-based criteria. R code to implement the methods used is available as online supplementary material.     

Unbiased Recursive Partitioning: A Conditional Inference Framework

Recursive binary partitioning is a popular tool for regression analysis. Two fundamental problems of exhaustive search procedures usually applied to fit such models have been known for a long time: overfitting and a selection bias towards covariates with many possible splits or missing values. While pruning procedures are able to solve the overfitting problem, the variable selection bias still seriously affects the interpretability of tree-structured regression models. For some special cases unbiased procedures have been suggested, however lacking a common theoretical foundation. We propose a unified framework for recursive partitioning which embeds tree-structured regression models into a well defined theory of conditional inference procedures. Stopping criteria based on multiple test procedures are implemented and it is shown that the predictive performance of the resulting trees is as good as the performance of established exhaustive search procedures. It turns out that the partitions and therefore the models induced by both approaches are structurally different, confirming the need for an unbiased variable selection. Moreover, it is shown that the prediction accuracy of trees with early stopping is equivalent to the prediction accuracy of pruned trees with unbiased variable selection. The methodology presented here is applicable to all kinds of regression problems, including nominal, ordinal, numeric, censored as well as multivariate response variables and arbitrary measurement scales of the covariates. Data from studies on glaucoma classification, node positive breast cancer survival and mammography experience are re-analyzed.     

Latent scale linear models for multivariate ordinal responses and analysis by the method of weighted least squares

Summary A multivariate latent scale linear model is defined for multivariate ordered categorical responses and inference procedures based on the weighted least squares method are developed. Several applications of the model are suggested and illustrated through an analysis of real data. Asymptotic properties of the weighted least squares method are examined and some consequences of misspecification of the model are also discussed.     

copCAR: A Flexible Regression Model for Areal Data

Non-Gaussian spatial data are common in many fields. When fitting regressions for such data, one needs to account for spatial dependence to ensure reliable inference for the regression coefficients. The two most commonly used regression models for spatially aggregated data are the automodel and the areal generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). These models induce spatial dependence in different ways but share the smoothing approach, which is intuitive but problematic. This article develops a new regression model for areal data. The new model is called copCAR because it is copula-based and employs the areal GLMM’s conditional autoregression (CAR). copCAR overcomes many of the drawbacks of the automodel and the areal GLMM. Specifically, copCAR (1) is flexible and intuitive, (2) permits positive spatial dependence for all types of data, (3) permits efficient computation, and (4) provides reliable spatial regression inference and information about dependence strength. An implementation is provided by R package copCAR, which is available from the Comprehensive R Archive Network, and supplementary materials are available online.     

Semiparametric two-component mixture model with a known component: An asymptotically normal estimator

In this paper we consider a two-component mixture model, one component of which has a known distribution while the other is only known to be symmetric. The mixture proportion is also an unknown parameter of the model. This mixture model class has proved to be useful to analyze gene expression data coming from microarray analysis. In this paper a general estimation method is proposed leading to a joint central limit result for all the estimators. Applications to basic testing problems related to this class of models are proposed, and the corresponding inference procedures are illustrated through some simulation studies.     

A general transformation class of semiparametric cure rate frailty models

We consider a class of cure rate frailty models for multivariate failure time data with a survival fraction. This class is formulated through a transformation on the unknown population survival function. It incorporates random effects to account for the underlying correlation, and includes the mixture cure model and the proportional hazards cure model as two special cases. We develop efficient likelihood-based estimation and inference procedures. We show that the nonparametric maximum likelihood estimators for the parameters of these models are consistent and asymptotically normal, and that the limiting variances achieve the semiparametric efficiency bounds. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed methods perform well in finite samples. We provide an application of the proposed methods to the data of the age at onset of alcohol dependence, from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism.     

Multivariate generalized S-estimators

In this paper we introduce generalized S-estimators for the multivariate regression model. This class of estimators combines high robustness and high efficiency. They are defined by minimizing the determinant of a robust estimator of the scatter matrix of differences of residuals. In the special case of a multivariate location model, the generalized S-estimator has the important independence property, and can be used for high breakdown estimation in independent component analysis. Robustness properties of the estimators are investigated by deriving their breakdown point and the influence function. We also study the efficiency of the estimators, both asymptotically and at finite samples. To obtain inference for the regression parameters, we discuss the fast and robust bootstrap for multivariate generalized S-estimators. The method is illustrated on a real data example.     

Properties of spatial cross-periodograms using fixed-domain asymptotics

Cross-periodograms can be used to study a multivariate spatial process observed on a lattice. For spatial data, it is often appropriate to study asymptotic properties of statistical procedures under fixed-domain asymptotics in which the number of observations increases in a fixed region while shrinking distances between neighboring observations. Using fixed-domain asymptotics, we prove relative asymptotic unbiasedness and relative consistency of a smoothed cross-periodogram after appropriate filtering of the data. In addition, we show that smoothed cross-periodograms are asymptotically normal when the process is stationary multivariate Gaussian with appropriate assumptions on high-frequency behavior of the spectral density.     

Label Switching in Bayesian Mixture Models: Deterministic Relabeling Strategies

Label switching is a well-known problem in the Bayesian analysis of mixture models. On the one hand, it complicates inference, and on the other hand, it has been perceived as a prerequisite to justify Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) convergence. As a result, nonstandard MCMC algorithms that traverse the symmetric copies of the posterior distribution, and possibly genuine modes, have been proposed. To perform component-specific inference, methods to undo the label switching and to recover the interpretation of the components need to be applied. If latent allocations for the design of the MCMC strategy are included, and the sampler has converged, then labels assigned to each component may change from iteration to iteration. However, observations being allocated together must remain similar, and we use this fundamental fact to derive an easy and efficient solution to the label switching problem. We compare our strategy with other relabeling algorithms on univariate and multivariate data examples and demonstrate improvements over alternative strategies. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.     

Parametric Families of Multivariate Distributions with Given Margins

Parametric families of continuous bivariate distributions with given margins that include independence and perfect positive dependence are compared on the basis on some important properties. Since many such families exist, the comparisons are helpful for deciding on suitable models for multivariate data. The study of the properties has motivation from applications in extreme value inference. One property considered for bivariate families is whether they extend to multivariate families, and extensions are given when possible. Several new bivariate and multivariate families are included and some open research problems in the area of multivariate families are mentioned.     

Bayesian multivariate spatial models for roadway traffic crash mapping

We consider several Bayesian multivariate spatial models for estimating the crash rates from different kinds of crashes. Multivariate conditional autoregressive (CAR) models are considered to account for the spatial effect. The models considered are fully Bayesian. A general theorem for each case is proved to ensure posterior propriety under noninformative priors. The different models are compared according to some Bayesian criterion. Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is used for computation. We illustrate these methods with Texas Crash Data.     

Nonparametric Bayesian Modeling for Multivariate Ordinal Data

This article proposes a probability model for k-dimensional ordinal outcomes, that is, it considers inference for data recorded in k-dimensional contingency tables with ordinal factors. The proposed approach is based on full posterior inference, assuming a flexible underlying prior probability model for the contingency table cell probabilities. We use a variation of the traditional multivariate probit model, with latent scores that determine the observed data. In our model, a mixture of normals prior replaces the usual single multivariate normal model for the latent variables. By augmenting the prior model to a mixture of normals we generalize inference in two important ways. First, we allow for varying local dependence structure across the contingency table. Second, inference in ordinal multivariate probit models is plagued by problems related to the choice and resampling of cutoffs defined for these latent variables. We show how the proposed mixture model approach entirely removes these problems. We illustrate the methodology with two examples, one simulated dataset and one dataset of interrater agreement.     

Efficient Bayesian Inference for Multivariate Probit Models With Sparse Inverse Correlation Matrices

We propose a Bayesian approach for inference in the multivariate probit model, taking into account the association structure between binary observations. We model the association through the correlation matrix of the latent Gaussian variables. Conditional independence is imposed by setting some off-diagonal elements of the inverse correlation matrix to zero and this sparsity structure is modeled using a decomposable graphical model. We propose an efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm relying on a parameter expansion scheme to sample from the resulting posterior distribution. This algorithm updates the correlation matrix within a simple Gibbs sampling framework and allows us to infer the correlation structure from the data, generalizing methods used for inference in decomposable Gaussian graphical models to multivariate binary observations. We demonstrate the performance of this model and of the Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm on simulated and real datasets. This article has online supplementary materials.     

A Comparison of Two Sequential Metropolis-Hastings Algorithms with Standard Simulation Techniques in Bayesian Inference in Reliability Models Involving a Generalized Gamma Distribution

In this paper we consider the generalized gamma distribution as introduced in Gåsemyr and Natvig (1998). This distribution enters naturally in Bayesian inference in exponential survival models with left censoring. In the paper mentioned above it is shown that the weighted sum of products of generalized gamma distributions is a conjugate prior for the parameters of component lifetimes, having autopsy data in a Marshall-Olkin shock model. A corresponding result is shown in Gåsemyr and Natvig (1999) for independent, exponentially distributed component lifetimes in a model with partial monitoring of components with applications to preventive system maintenance. A discussion in the present paper strongly indicates that expressing the posterior distribution in terms of the generalized gamma distribution is computationally efficient compared to using the ordinary gamma distribution in such models. Furthermore, we present two types of sequential Metropolis-Hastings algorithms that may be used in Bayesian inference in situations where exact methods are intractable. Finally these types of algorithms are compared with standard simulation techniques and analytical results in arriving at the posterior distribution of the parameters of component lifetimes in special cases of the mentioned models. It seems that one of these types of algorithms may be very favorable when prior assessments are updated by several data sets and when there are significant discrepancies between the prior assessments and the data.     

基于生存数据的半参数变换的删失回归估计

生存数据经过未知的单调变换后等于协变量的线性函数加上随机误差, 随机误差的分布函数已知或是带未知参数的已知函数\bd 本文先给出未知单调变换的一个相合估计, 再对删失数据做变换, 在此基础上给出了协变量系数的最小二乘估计, 并讨论它的大样本性质.