Statistical Methodology Commons^™

Parametric Estimation In Competing Risks And Multi-State Models, Yushun Lin

Theses and Dissertations--Statistics

The typical research of Alzheimer's disease includes a series of cognitive states. Multi-state models are often used to describe the history of disease evolvement. Competing risks models are a sub-category of multi-state models with one starting state and several absorbing states.

Analyses for competing risks data in medical papers frequently assume independent risks and evaluate covariate effects on these events by modeling distinct proportional hazards regression models for each event. Jeong and Fine (2007) proposed a parametric proportional sub-distribution hazard (SH) model for cumulative incidence functions (CIF) without assumptions about the dependence among the risks. We modified their model to …

Bayesian Semiparametric Generalizations Of Linear Models Using Polya Trees, Angela Schoergendorfer

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In a Bayesian framework, prior distributions on a space of nonparametric continuous distributions may be defined using Polya trees. This dissertation addresses statistical problems for which the Polya tree idea can be utilized to provide efficient and practical methodological solutions.

One problem considered is the estimation of risks, odds ratios, or other similar measures that are derived by specifying a threshold for an observed continuous variable. It has been previously shown that fitting a linear model to the continuous outcome under the assumption of a logistic error distribution leads to more efficient odds ratio estimates. We will show that deviations …

Oracle And Multiple Robustness Properties Of Survey Calibration Estimator In Missing Response Problem, Kwun Chuen Gary Chan

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

In the presence of missing response, reweighting the complete case subsample by the inverse of nonmissing probability is both intuitive and easy to implement. However, inverse probability weighting is not efficient in general and is not robust against misspecification of the missing probability model. Calibration was developed by survey statisticians for improving efficiency of inverse probability weighting estimators when population totals of auxiliary variables are known and when inclusion probability is known by design. In missing data problem we can calibrate auxiliary variables in the complete case subsample to the full sample. However, the inclusion probability is unknown in general …

Modification And Improvement Of Empirical Likelihood For Missing Response Problem, Kwun Chuen Gary Chan

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

An empirical likelihood (EL) estimator was proposed by Qin and Zhang (2007) for a missing response problem under a missing at random assumption. They showed by simulation studies that the finite sample performance of EL estimator is better than some existing estimators. However, the empirical likelihood estimator does not have a uniformly smaller asymptotic variance than other estimators in general. We consider several modifications to the empirical likelihood estimator and show that the proposed estimator dominates the empirical likelihood estimator and several other existing estimators in terms of asymptotic efficiencies. The proposed estimator also attains the minimum asymptotic variance among …

Modification And Improvement Of Empirical Liklihood For Missing Response Problem, Gary Chan

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

An empirical likelihood (EL) estimator was proposed by Qin and Zhang (2007) for a missing response problem under a missing at random assumption. They showed by simulation studies that the finite sample performance of EL estimator is better than some existing estimators. However, the empirical likelihood estimator does not have a uniformly smaller asymptotic variance than other estimators in general. We consider several modifications to the empirical likelihood estimator and show that the proposed estimator dominates the empirical likelihood estimator and several other existing estimators in terms of asymptotic efficiencies. The proposed estimator also attains the minimum asymptotic variance among …

Minimum Description Length Measures Of Evidence For Enrichment, Zhenyu Yang, David R. Bickel

COBRA Preprint Series

In order to functionally interpret differentially expressed genes or other discovered features, researchers seek to detect enrichment in the form of overrepresentation of discovered features associated with a biological process. Most enrichment methods treat the p-value as the measure of evidence using a statistical test such as the binomial test, Fisher's exact test or the hypergeometric test. However, the p-value is not interpretable as a measure of evidence apart from adjustments in light of the sample size. As a measure of evidence supporting one hypothesis over the other, the Bayes factor (BF) overcomes this drawback of the p-value but lacks …

Efficient Measurement Error Correction With Spatially Misaligned Data, Adam A. Szpiro, Lianne Sheppard, Thomas Lumley

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Association studies in environmental statistics often involve exposure and outcome data that are misaligned in space. A common strategy is to employ a spatial model such as universal kriging to predict exposures at locations with outcome data and then estimate a regression parameter of interest using the predicted exposures. This results in measurement error because the predicted exposures do not correspond exactly to the true values. We characterize the measurement error by decomposing it into Berkson-like and classical-like components. One correction approach is the parametric bootstrap, which is effective but computationally intensive since it requires solving a nonlinear optimization problem …

Minimum Description Length And Empirical Bayes Methods Of Identifying Snps Associated With Disease, Ye Yang, David R. Bickel

COBRA Preprint Series

The goal of determining which of hundreds of thousands of SNPs are associated with disease poses one of the most challenging multiple testing problems. Using the empirical Bayes approach, the local false discovery rate (LFDR) estimated using popular semiparametric models has enjoyed success in simultaneous inference. However, the estimated LFDR can be biased because the semiparametric approach tends to overestimate the proportion of the non-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). One of the negative consequences is that, like conventional p-values, such LFDR estimates cannot quantify the amount of information in the data that favors the null hypothesis of no disease-association.

We …

Improving The Power Of Chronic Disease Surveillance By Incorporating Residential History, Justin Manjourides, Marcello Pagano

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Geographic Factors Of Residential Burglaries - A Case Study In Nashville, Tennessee, Jonathan A. Hall

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examines geographic patterns and geographic factors of residential burglary at the Nashville, TN area for a twenty year period at five year interval starting in 1988. The purpose of this study is to identify what geographic factors have impacted on residential burglary rates, and if there were changes in the geographic patterns of residential burglary over the study period. Several criminological theories guide this study, with the most prominent being Social Disorganization Theory and Routine Activities Theory. Both of these theories focus on the relationships of place and crime. A number of spatial analysis methods are hence adopted …

Multilevel Functional Principal Component Analysis For High-Dimensional Data, Vadim Zipunnikov, Brian Caffo, Ciprian Crainiceanu, David M. Yousem, Christos Davatzikos, Brian S. Schwartz

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

We propose fast and scalable statistical methods for the analysis of hundreds or thousands of high dimensional vectors observed at multiple visits. The proposed inferential methods avoid the difficult task of loading the entire data set at once in the computer memory and use sequential access to data. This allows deployment of our methodology on low-resource computers where computations can be done in minutes on extremely large data sets. Our methods are motivated by and applied to a study where hundreds of subjects were scanned using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at two visits roughly five years apart. The original data …

Landmark Prediction Of Survival, Layla Parast, Tianxi Cai

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Longitudinal Penalized Functional Regression, Jeff Goldsmith, Ciprian M. Crainiceanu, Brian Caffo, Daniel Reich

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

We propose a new regression model and inferential tools for the case when both the outcome and the functional exposures are observed at multiple visits. This data structure is new but increasingly present in applications where functions or images are recorded at multiple times. This raises new inferential challenges that cannot be addressed with current methods and software. Our proposed model generalizes the Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Model (GLMM) by adding functional predictors. Smoothness of the functional coefficients is ensured using roughness penalties estimated by Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) in a corresponding mixed effects model. This method is computationally feasible …

On Two-Stage Hypothesis Testing Procedures Via Asymptotically Independent Statistics, James Dai, Charles Kooperberg, Michael L. Leblanc, Ross Prentice

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Kooperberg and LeBlanc (2008) proposed a two-stage testing procedure to screen for significant interactions in genome-wide association (GWA) studies by a soft threshold on marginal associations (MA), though its theoretical properties and generalization have not been elaborated. In this article, we discuss conditions that are required to achieve strong control of the Family-Wise Error Rate (FWER) by such procedures for low or high-dimensional hypothesis testing. We provide proof of asymptotic independence of marginal association statistics and interaction statistics in linear regression, logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazard models in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) with a rare event. In case-control …

Stratifying Subjects For Treatment Selection With Censored Event Time Data From A Comparative Study, Lihui Zhao, Tianxi Cai, Lu Tian, Hajime Uno, Scott D. Solomon, L. J. Wei

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Non-Surgical And Surgical Endodontic Retreatment: A Systematic Review, Robert Corr

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Primary root canal therapy has been shown to be a predictable procedure with a high degree of success ^1-4, however failures can occur after treatment. Treatment options for the preservation of teeth that have had previous endodontic treatment but demonstrate persistent disease include non-surgical (orthograde) or surgical (retrograde) endodontic retreatment, assuming the tooth is restorable, periodontally sound, and the patient desires to retain the tooth. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the current available evidence to compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of nonsurgical with those of surgical endodontic retreatment. Methodology began with …

On Two-Stage Hypothesis Testing Procedures Via Asymptotically Independent Statistics, James Y. Dai, Charles Kooperberg, Michael Leblanc, Ross L. Prentice

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Kooperberg08 proposed a two-stage testing procedure to screen for significant interactions in genome-wide association (GWA) studies by a soft threshold on marginal associations (MA), though its theoretical properties and generalization have not been elaborated. In this article, we discuss conditions that are required to achieve strong control of the Family-Wise Error Rate (FWER) by such procedures for low or high-dimensional hypothesis testing. We provide proof of asymptotic independence of marginal association statistics and interaction statistics in linear regression, logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazard models in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) with a rare event. In case-control studies nested within …

A Perturbation Method For Inference On Regularized Regression Estimates, Jessica Minnier, Lu Tian, Tianxi Cai

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Principled Sure Independence Screening For Cox Models With Ultra-High-Dimensional Covariates, Sihai Dave Zhao, Yi Li

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Data Mining As Applied To The Socialsciences, Walter Morris

Cornerstone 3 Reports : Interdisciplinary Informatics

No abstract provided.