Consistency and asymptotic normality of profilekernel and backfitting estimators in semiparametric reproductive dispersion nonlinear models

Semiparametric reproductive dispersion nonlinear model (SRDNM) is an extension of nonlinear reproductive dispersion models and semiparametric nonlinear regression models, and includes semiparametric nonlinear model and semiparametric generalized linear model as its special cases. Based on the local kernel estimate of nonparametric component, profile-kernel and backfitting estimators of parameters of interest are proposed in SRDNM, and theoretical comparison of both estimators is also investigated in this paper. Under some regularity conditions, strong consistency and asymptotic normality of two estimators are proved. It is shown that the backfitting method produces a larger asymptotic variance than that for the profile-kernel method. A simulation study and a real example are used to illustrate the proposed methodologies. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10561008, 10761011), Natural Science Foundation of Department of Education of Zhejiang Province (Grant No. Y200805073), PhD Special Scientific Research Foundation of Chinese University (Grant No. 20060673002) and Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (Grant No. NCET-07-0737)     

Gaining efficiency via weighted estimators for multivariate failure time data

Multivariate failure time data arise frequently in survival analysis. A commonly used technique is the working independence estimator for marginal hazard models. Two natural questions are how to improve the efficiency of the working independence estimator and how to identify the situations under which such an estimator has high statistical efficiency. In this paper, three weighted estimators are proposed based on three different optimal criteria in terms of the asymptotic covariance of weighted estimators. Simplified close-form solutions are found, which always outperform the working independence estimator. We also prove that the working independence estimator has high statistical efficiency, when asymptotic covariance of derivatives of partial log-likelihood functions is nearly exchangeable or diagonal. Simulations are conducted to compare the performance of the weighted estimator and working independence estimator. A data set from Busselton population health surveys is analyzed using the proposed estimators. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10628104), Fan was also supported by National Institutes of Health (Grant No. R01-GM072611) and Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. DMS-0714554), Zhou was supported by National Natural Science Funds for Distinguisheel Young Scholar (Grant No. 70825004), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10731010, 10628104), the National Basic Research Program (Grant No. 2007CB814902), Creative Research Groups of China (Grant No. 10721101) and Leading Academic Disipline Program, the 10 ^th five year plan of 211 Project for Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (the 3 ^rd phase), Cai was supported by National Institutes of Health (Grant No. R01-HL57444)     

Hierarchically penalized additive hazards model with diverging number of parameters

In many applications,covariates can be naturally grouped.For example,for gene expression data analysis,genes belonging to the same pathway might be viewed as a group.This paper studies variable selection problem for censored survival data in the additive hazards model when covariates are grouped.A hierarchical regularization method is proposed to simultaneously estimate parameters and select important variables at both the group level and the within-group level.For the situations in which the number of parameters tends to∞as the sample size increases,we establish an oracle property and asymptotic normality property of the proposed estimators.Numerical results indicate that the hierarchically penalized method performs better than some existing methods such as lasso,smoothly clipped absolute deviation(SCAD)and adaptive lasso.     

Generalized partially linear mixed-effects models incorporating mismeasured covariates

In this article we consider a semiparametric generalized mixed-effects model, and propose combining local linear regression, and penalized quasilikelihood and local quasilikelihood techniques to estimate both population and individual parameters and nonparametric curves. The proposed estimators take into account the local correlation structure of the longitudinal data. We establish normality for the estimators of the parameter and asymptotic expansion for the estimators of the nonparametric part. For practical implementation, we propose an appropriate algorithm. We also consider the measurement error problem in covariates in our model, and suggest a strategy for adjusting the effects of measurement errors. We apply the proposed models and methods to study the relation between virologic and immunologic responses in AIDS clinical trials, in which virologic response is classified into binary variables. A dataset from an AIDS clinical study is analyzed.     

Inference for ordered parameters in multinomial distributions

This paper discusses inference for ordered parameters of multinomial distributions. We first show that the asymptotic distributions of their maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) are not always normal and the bootstrap distribution estimators of the MLEs can be inconsistent. Then a class of weighted sum estimators (WSEs) of the ordered parameters is proposed. Properties of the WSEs are studied, including their asymptotic normality. Based on those results, large sample inferences for smooth functions of the ordered parameters can be made. Especially, the confidence intervals of the maximum cell probabilities are constructed. Simulation results indicate that this interval estimation performs much better than the bootstrap approaches in the literature. Finally, the above results for ordered parameters of multinomial distributions are extended to more general distribution models. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10371126)     

A level set method to reconstruct the discontinuity of the conductivity in EIT

In this paper, one level set method is applied to finding the interface of discontinuity of the conductivity in EIT(electrical impedance tomography) problem. By choosing one suitable velocity function, a level set reconstruction algorithm is proposed. The theoretical results for EIT problem and regularization are given. Finally the numerical examples demonstrate that the reconstruction algorithm is efficient and stable. The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10431030, 10771138), the Shanghai Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 07JC14001), the National Basic Research Program (Grant No. 2005CB321701) and Ministry of Education of China and State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of China under an 111 project (Grant No. B08018).     

Likelihood-based imputation inference for mean functionals in the presence of missing responses

This paper considers a semiparametric model which parameterizes only the conditional density of a response given covariates and allows the marginal distribution of the covariates to be completely arbitrary when responses are missing. Different estimators with asymptotic normality for the mean of the response variable are derived, respectively, in the two cases where auxiliary information is available or not. The resulting asymptotic behaviors show that the use of auxiliary information improves inference via empirical likelihood approach. This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Key grant 10231030, Special grant 10241001).     

On the value distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ƒ</Emphasis> + <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">ƒ</Emphasis>′)<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Superscript>

Let ƒ be a transcendental meromorphic function, a a nonzero finite complex number, and n ⩾ 2 a positive integer. Then ƒ + a(ƒ′) ⁿ assumes every complex value infinitely often. This answers a question of Ye for n = 2. A related normality criterion is also given. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10771076), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (Grant No. 07006700) and by the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (Grant No. G-809-234.6/2003)     

Asymptotic Theory for Relative-Risk Models with Missing Time-Dependent Covariates

Relative-risk models are often used to characterize the relationship between survival time and time-dependent covariates. When the covariates are observed, the estimation and asymptotic theory for parameters of interest are available; challenges remain when missingness occurs. A popular approach at hand is to jointly model survival data and longitudinal data. This seems efficient, in making use of more information, but the rigorous theoretical studies have long been ignored. For both additive risk models and relative-risk models, we consider the missing data nonignorable. Under general regularity conditions, we prove asymptotic normality for the nonparametric maximum likelihood estimators.     

Approximation by randomly weighting method in censored regression model

Censored regression (“Tobit”) models have been in common use, and their linear hypothesis testings have been widely studied. However, the critical values of these tests are usually related to quantities of an unknown error distribution and estimators of nuisance parameters. In this paper, we propose a randomly weighting test statistic and take its conditional distribution as an approximation to null distribution of the test statistic. It is shown that, under both the null and local alternative hypotheses, conditionally asymptotic distribution of the randomly weighting test statistic is the same as the null distribution of the test statistic. Therefore, the critical values of the test statistic can be obtained by randomly weighting method without estimating the nuisance parameters. At the same time, we also achieve the weak consistency and asymptotic normality of the randomly weighting least absolute deviation estimate in censored regression model. Simulation studies illustrate that the performance of our proposed resampling test method is better than that of central chi-square distribution under the null hypothesis. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10471136), PhD Program Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China, and Special Foundations of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and University of Science and Technology of China     

固定设计下半参数回归模型核估计的渐近性质

研究一类新的半参数回归模型回归函数的核估计问题,其中误差项为一阶非参数自回归过程.通过重复利用Watson-Nadaraya核估计方法,构造了回归函数及误差回归函数的估计量分别为β,g(·)和ρ(·),在适当的条件下,证明了估计量β,g(·)和ρ(·)的渐近正态性.     

Modeling and prediction of children’s growth data via functional principal component analysis

We use the functional principal component analysis (FPCA) to model and predict the weight growth in children. In particular, we examine how the approach can help discern growth patterns of underweight children relative to their normal counterparts, and whether a commonly used transformation to normality plays any constructive roles in a predictive model based on the FPCA. Our work supplements the conditional growth charts developed by Wei and He (2006) by constructing a predictive growth model based on a small number of principal components scores on individual’s past. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10828102), a Changjiang Visiting Professorship, the Training Fund of Northeast Normal University’s Scientific Innovation Project (Grant No. NENU-STC07002) and the National Institutes of Health Grant of USA (Grant No. R01GM080503-01A1).     

Modified likelihood ratio test for homogeneity in bivariate normal mixtures with presence of a structural parameter

This paper investigates the asymptotic properties of the modified likelihood ratio statistic for testing homogeneity in bivariate normal mixture models with an unknown structural parameter. It is shown that the modified likelihood ratio statistic has χ22 null limiting distribution.     

一类线性回归模型中核估计的渐近性质

考虑固定设计下具有一阶非参数自回归误差的线性模型,构造了参数和非参数函数的N-W核估计,在适当的条件下,证明了参数估计的强相合性,同时给出了非参数函数估计的渐近正态性.     

Parameter estimation of hidden periodic model in random fields

Two-dimensional hidden periodic model is an important model in random fields. The model is used in the field of two-dimensional signal processing, prediction and spectral analysis. A method of estimating the parameters for the model is designed. The strong consistency of the estimators is proved. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 19571002).     

Generalized partially linear models with missing covariates

In this article we study a semiparametric generalized partially linear model when the covariates are missing at random. We propose combining local linear regression with the local quasilikelihood technique and weighted estimating equation to estimate the parameters and nonparameters when the missing probability is known or unknown. We establish normality of the estimators of the parameter and asymptotic expansion for the estimators of the nonparametric part. We apply the proposed models and methods to a study of the relation between virologic and immunologic responses in AIDS clinical trials, in which virologic response is classified into binary variables. We also give simulation results to illustrate our approach.     

Functional-coefficient partially linear regression model

In this paper, the functional-coefficient partially linear regression (FCPLR) model is proposed by combining nonparametric and functional-coefficient regression (FCR) model. It includes the FCR model and the nonparametric regression (NPR) model as its special cases. It is also a generalization of the partially linear regression (PLR) model obtained by replacing the parameters in the PLR model with some functions of the covariates. The local linear technique and the integrated method are employed to give initial estimators of all functions in the FCPLR model. These initial estimators are asymptotically normal. The initial estimator of the constant part function shares the same bias as the local linear estimator of this function in the univariate nonparametric model, but the variance of the former is bigger than that of the latter. Similarly, initial estimators of every coefficient function share the same bias as the local linear estimates in the univariate FCR model, but the variance of the former is bigger than that of the latter. To decrease the variance of the initial estimates, a one-step back-fitting technique is used to obtain the improved estimators of all functions. The improved estimator of the constant part function has the same asymptotic normality property as the local linear nonparametric regression for univariate data. The improved estimators of the coefficient functions have the same asymptotic normality properties as the local linear estimates in FCR model. The bandwidths and the smoothing variables are selected by a data-driven method. Both simulated and real data examples related to nonlinear time series modeling are used to illustrate the applications of the FCPLR model.     

Joint modeling for mixed-effects quantile regression of longitudinal data with detection limits and covariates measured with error,with application to AIDS studies

It is very common in AIDS studies that response variable (e.g., HIV viral load) may be subject to censoring due to detection limits while covariates (e.g., CD4 cell count) may be measured with error. Failure to take censoring in response variable and measurement errors in covariates into account may introduce substantial bias in estimation and thus lead to unreliable inference. Moreover, with non-normal and/or heteroskedastic data, traditional mean regression models are not robust to tail reactions. In this case, one may find it attractive to estimate extreme causal relationship of covariates to a dependent variable, which can be suitably studied in quantile regression framework. In this paper, we consider joint inference of mixed-effects quantile regression model with right-censored responses and errors in covariates. The inverse censoring probability weighted method and the orthogonal regression method are combined to reduce the biases of estimation caused by censored data and measurement errors. Under some regularity conditions, the consistence and asymptotic normality of estimators are derived. Finally, some simulation studies are implemented and a HIV/AIDS clinical data set is analyzed to to illustrate the proposed procedure.     

The Gaussian approximation for multi-color generalized Friedman’s urn model

The generalized Friedman’s urn model is a popular urn model which is widely used in many disciplines.In particular,it is extensively used in treatment allocation schemes in clinical trials.In this paper,we show that both the urn composition process and the allocation proportion process can be approximated by a multi-dimensional Gaussian process almost surely for a multi-color generalized Friedman’s urn model with both homogeneous and non-homogeneous generating matrices.The Gaussian process is a solution of ...     

Asymptotic expansions for the distribution functions of Pickands-type estimators

The asymptotic expansions for the distribution functions of Pickands-type estimators in extreme statistics are obtained. In addition, several useful results on regular variation and intermediate order statistics are presented. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 19601007) and Doctoral Program Foundation of Higher Education of China.