Nonparametric inference based on panel count data

Panel count data usually refer to data arising from studies on recurrent events in which the subjects under study are followed or observed only periodically rather than continuously. In such situations, an objective of interest is about the occurrence of some events that can occur multiple times or repeatedly and the studies resulting in this type of information are often referred to as event history studies. There are many fields such as medical studies, reliability experiments and social sciences wherein panel count data are encountered commonly. This article reviews basic concepts about panel count data, some common issues and questions of interest regarding them as well as the corresponding statistical procedures that are suitable for their analysis. In particular, we will discuss an estimation of the mean function of the underlying counting process characterizing the occurrence of the events, comparison of several processes and analysis of multiple state panel count data. Some discussion is also presented of situations involving dependent or informative observation processes.     

Approximate MLEs for the location and scale parameters of thehalf-logistic distribution with type-II right-censoring

For the half-logistic distribution the maximum likelihood method does not provide an explicit estimator for the scale parameter based on either complete or right-censored samples. The authors provide a simple method of deriving an explicit estimator by approximating the likelihood function. The bias and variance of this estimator are studied, and it is shown that this estimator is as efficient as the best linear unbiased estimator. An example to illustrate the method is presented     

Some more sensitive measures of sensitivity and response bias.

In this article, the author proposes a new pair of sensitivity and response bias indices and compares them to other measures currently available, including d′ and β of signal detection theory. Unlike d′ and β, these new performance measures do not depend on specific distributional assumptions or assumptions about the transformation from stimulus information to a discrimination judgment. With simulated and empirical data, the new sensitivity index is shown to be more accurate than d′ and 16 other indices when these measures are used to compare the sensitivity levels of 2 experimental conditions. Results from a perceptual discrimination experiment demonstrate the feasibility of the new distribution-free bias index and suggest that biases of the type defined within the signal detection theory framework (i.e., the placement of a decision criterion) do not exist, even under an asymmetric payoff manipulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparation and characterization of poly(ethylene/tetramethylene terephthalate) copolyesters

Random copolyesters were prepared from dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), ethylene glycol (EG) and butane 1,4-diol (BD) by melt-polycondensation techniques, using varying amounts of EG and BD. Compositions have been established by ¹H n.m.r. spectroscopy. Intrinsic viscosity and number average molecular weight ($\text{M}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{n}}$) were measured. Thermal properties have been studied by differential thermal analysis. Melting and crystallization temperatures and thermodynamic parameters are discussed in terms of structural differences, particularly the effect of composition and chain flexibility. The degree of crystallinity from differential thermal analysis, i.r. and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) are discussed.     

Optimum difference mode excitations for monopulse arrays

A technique has been developed to obtain optimum difference mode excitations for monopulse arrays. In addition, a direct interpolation scheme has been devised for situations where near-optimum results would suffice. A parameter designated asu_{0}is identified with every optimum difference pattern. The choice of this parameteru_{0}determines the sidelobe level of the optimum pattern. The problem of obtaining the optimum excitations has been shown to be reducible to one of finding out the best approximation that minimizes the maximum deviation (minimax) from the real line (u = betad cos varpaxis), over a range determined byu_{0}. This latter problem has been solved using a modified Remez exchange algorithm. An extensive set of design curves has also been presented.     

A Mixed Integer Stochastic Optimization Model for Settlement Risk in Retail Electric Power Markets

Recent changes in the U.S. electric power markets have contributed to volatility in hourly prices and loads. In this paper we consider the position of the electric power retailer who typically contracts with suppliers and end-users and must provide future load requirements to the suppliers. As part of this energy supply chain, the retailer is faced with great uncertainty in both market prices as well as end-user loads. Based on actual data for the PJM market covering Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, we develop a probabilistic optimization model to optimize the net profits for the retailer for a forecast time horizon (typically one or more hours) given the cumulative performance in previous time periods (hours). The resulting model is formulated as a mixed integer linear program with binary variables due to the disjunctive nature of certain forward load estimation bandwidth tolerance constraints. In addition, we also provide an existence result to this optimization model. Lastly, we present a numerical example of the optimization model to validate its workings and provide some insight into model sensitivities.     

An Acknowledgment-Based Approach for the Detection of Routing Misbehavior in MANETs

We study routing misbehavior in MANETs (mobile ad hoc networks) in this paper. In general, routing protocols for MANETs are designed based on the assumption that all participating nodes are fully cooperative. However, due to the open structure and scarcely available battery-based energy, node misbehaviors may exist. One such routing misbehavior is that some selfish nodes will participate in the route discovery and maintenance processes but refuse to forward data packets. In this paper, we propose the 2ACK scheme that serves as an add-on technique for routing schemes to detect routing misbehavior and to mitigate their adverse effect. The main idea of the 2ACK scheme is to send two-hop acknowledgment packets in the opposite direction of the routing path. In order to reduce additional routing overhead, only a fraction of the received data packets are acknowledged in the 2ACK scheme. Analytical and simulation results are presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme     

T-Ray Sensing and Imaging

T-ray wavelengths are long enough to pass through dry, nonpolar objects opaque at visible wavelengths, but short enough to be manipulated by optical components to form an image. Sensing in this band potentially provides advantages in a number of areas of interest to security and defense such as screening of personnel for hidden objects and the retection of chemical and biological agents. Several private companies are developing smaller, reliable cheaper systems allowing for commercialization and this motivates us to review a number of promising applications within this paper. While there are a number of challenges to be overcome there is little doubt that T-ray technology will play a significant role in the near future for advancement of security, public health, and defense.     

Mechanical properties of MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 glass-infiltrated Al2O3–ZrO2 composite

This work attempts to improve the mechanical properties of alumina-10 wt% zirconia (3 mol% yttria stabilized) composite by infiltrating a glass (magnesium aluminum silicate glass) of lower thermal expansion on the surface at high temperature. The glass improved the strength of the composite at room temperature as well as at higher temperatures. There was a significant improvement in the Weibull modulus after the glass infiltration. Glass-infiltrated samples showed better thermal shock resistance. The magnitude of strength increment was found to be in the order of the surface residual stress generated by thermo-elastic properties mismatch between the composite and the infiltrated glass.     

A bisection method for computing the H∞ norm of a transfer matrix and related problems

We establish a correspondence between the singular values of a transfer matrix evaluated along the imaginary axis and the imaginary eigenvalues of a related Hamiltonian matrix. We give a simple linear algebraic proof, and also a more intuitive explanation based on a certain indefinite quadratic optimal control problem. This result yields a simple bisection algorithm to compute the H_∞ norm of a transfer matrix. The bisection method is far more efficient than algorithms which involve a search over frequencies, and the usual problems associated with such methods (such as determining how fine the search should be) do not arise. The method is readily extended to compute other quantities of system-theoretic interest, for instance, the minimum dissipation of a transfer matrix. A variation of the method can be used to solve the H_∞ Armijo line-search problem with no more computation than is required to compute a single H_∞ norm. Research supported in part by NSF under Grant ECS-85-52465, ONR under Grant N00014-86-K-0112, an IBM faculty development award, and Bell Communications Research.