In this paper we propose a bimodal gamma distribution using a quadratic transformation based on the alpha-skew-normal model. We discuss several properties of this distribution such as mean, variance, moments, hazard rate and entropy measures. Further, we propose a new regression model with censored data based on the bimodal gamma distribution. This regression model can be very useful to the analysis of real data and could give more realistic fits than other special regression models. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to check the bias in the maximum likelihood estimation. The proposed models are applied to two real data sets found in literature.
In this paper we consider the nonparametric estimation of density and regression functions with non-negative support using a gamma kernel procedure introduced by Chen (2000). Strong uniform consistency and asymptotic normality of the corresponding estimators are established under a general ergodic assumption on the data generation process. Our results generalize those of Shi and Song (2016), obtained in the classic i.i.d. framework, and the works of Bouezmarni and Rombouts (2008, 2010b) and Gospodinov and Hirukawa (2007) for mixing time series.
The length-biased Birnbaum-Saunders distribution is both useful and practical for environmental sciences. In this paper, we initially derive some new properties for the length-biased Birnbaum-Saunders distribution, showing that one of its parameters is the mode and that it is bimodal. We then introduce a new regression model based on this distribution. We implement use the maximum likelihood method for parameter estimation, approach interval estimation and consider three types of residuals. An elaborate Monte Carlo study is carried out for evaluating the performance of the likelihood-based est…
In this paper, we consider the situation in which the observations follow an isotonic generalized partly linear model. Under this model, the mean of the responses is modelled, through a link function, linearly on some covariates and nonparametrically on an univariate regressor in such a way that the nonparametric component is assumed to be a monotone function. A class of robust estimates for the monotone nonparametric component and for the regression parameter, related to the linear one, is defined. The robust estimators are based on a spline approach combined with a score function which bound…
Catastrophic loss data are known to be heavy-tailed. Practitioners then need models that are able to capture both tail and modal parts of claim data. To this purpose, a new parametric family of loss distributions is proposed as a gamma mixture of the generalized log-Moyal distribution from Bhati and Ravi (2018), termed the generalized log-Moyal gamma distribution (GLMGA). We discuss the probabilistic characteristics of the GLMGA, and statistical estimation of the parameters through maximum likelihood. While the GLMGA distribution is a special case of the GB2 distribution, we show that this sim…
Event counts are response variables with non-negative integer values representing the number of times that an event occurs within a fixed domain such as a time interval, a geographical area or a cell of a contingency table. Analysis of counts by Gaussian regression models ignores the discreteness, asymmetry and heterocedasticity and is inefficient, providing unrealistic standard errors or possibily negative predictions of the expected number of events. The Poisson regression is the standard model for count data with underlying assumptions on the generating process which may be implausible in m…
Several regularization methods have been considered over the last decade for sparse high-dimensional linear regression models, but the most common ones use the least square (quadratic) or likelihood loss and hence are not robust against data contamination. Some authors have overcome the problem of non-robustness by considering suitable loss function based on divergence measures (e.g., density power divergence, gamma-divergence, etc.) instead of the quadratic loss. In this paper we shall consider a loss function based on the Rényi's pseudodistance jointly with non-concave penalties in order to …
The beta model is the most important distribution for fitting data with the unit interval. However, the beta distribution is not suitable to model bimodal unit interval data. In this paper, we propose a bimodal beta distribution constructed by using an approach based on the alpha-skew-normal model. We discuss several properties of this distribution such as bimodality, real moments, entropy measures and identifiability. Furthermore, we propose a new regression model based on the proposed model and discuss residuals. Estimation is performed by maximum likelihood. A Monte Carlo experiment is cond…
This letter proposes a regression model for nonnegative signals. The proposed regression estimates the mean of Rayleigh distributed signals by a structure which includes a set of regressors and a link function. For the proposed model, we present: (i)~parameter estimation; (ii)~large data record results; and (iii)~a detection technique. In this letter, we present closed-form expressions for the score vector and Fisher information matrix. The proposed model is submitted to extensive Monte Carlo simulations and to measured data. The Monte Carlo simulations are used to evaluate the performance of …
In this paper, we extend to generalized linear models (including logistic and other binary regression models, Poisson regression and gamma regression models) the robust model selection methodology developed by Mueller and Welsh (2005; JASA) for linear regression models. As in Mueller and Welsh (2005), we combine a robust penalized measure of fit to the sample with a robust measure of out of sample predictive ability which is estimated using a post-stratified m-out-of-n bootstrap. A key idea is that the method can be used to compare different estimators (robust and nonrobust) as well as differe…
In this article, we present some specific aspects of symmetric Gamma process mixtures for use in regression models. We propose a new Gibbs sampler for simulating the posterior and we establish adaptive posterior rates of convergence related to the Gaussian mean regression problem.
A common assumption regarding the standard tobit model is the normality of the error distribution. However, asymmetry and bimodality may be present and alternative tobit models must be used. In this paper, we propose a tobit model based on the class of log-symmetric distributions, which includes as special cases heavy and light tailed distributions and bimodal distributions. We implement a likelihood-based approach for parameter estimation and derive a type of residual. We then discuss the problem of performing testing inference in the proposed class by using the likelihood ratio and gradient …
Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence（穆罕默德·本·扎耶德人工智能大学）；Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur（印度理工学院坎普尔分校）
This paper presents SVAM (Sequential Variance-Altered MLE), a unified framework for learning generalized linear models under adversarial label corruption in training data. SVAM extends to tasks such as least squares regression, logistic regression, and gamma regression, whereas many existing works on learning with label corruptions focus only on least squares regression. SVAM is based on a novel variance reduction technique that may be of independent interest and works by iteratively solving weighted MLEs over variance-altered versions of the GLM objective. SVAM offers provable model recovery …
Heavy-tailed continuous shrinkage priors, such as the horseshoe prior, are widely used for sparse estimation problems. However, there is limited work extending these priors to predictors with grouping structures. Of particular interest in this article, is regression coefficient estimation where pockets of high collinearity in the covariate space are contained within known covariate groupings. To assuage variance inflation due to multicollinearity we propose the group inverse-gamma gamma (GIGG) prior, a heavy-tailed prior that can trade-off between local and group shrinkage in a data adaptive f…
In this paper, we consider the multicollinearity problem in the gamma regression model when model parameters are linearly restricted. The linear restrictions are available from prior information to ensure the validity of scientific theories or structural consistency based on physical phenomena. In order to make relevant statistical inference for a model any available knowledge and prior information on the model parameters should be taken into account. This paper proposes therefore an algorithm to acquire Bayesian estimator for the parameters of a gamma regression model subjected to some linear…
In this paper we introduce a novel Bayesian data augmentation approach for estimating the parameters of the generalised logistic regression model. We propose a Pólya-Gamma sampler algorithm that allows us to sample from the exact posterior distribution, rather than relying on approximations. A simulation study illustrates the flexibility and accuracy of the proposed approach to capture heavy and light tails in binary response data of different dimensions. The methodology is applied to two different real datasets, where we demonstrate that the Pólya-Gamma sampler provides more precise estimates…
Beta-binomial/Poisson models have been used by many authors to model multivariate count data. Lora and Singer (Statistics in Medicine, 2008) extended such models to accommodate repeated multivariate count data with overdipersion in the binomial component. To overcome some of the limitations of that model, we consider a beta-binomial/gamma-Poisson alternative that also allows for both overdispersion and different covariances between the Poisson counts. We obtain maximum likelihood estimates for the parameters using a Newton-Raphson algorithm and compare both models in a practical example.
In regression analysis of counts, a lack of simple and efficient algorithms for posterior computation has made Bayesian approaches appear unattractive and thus underdeveloped. We propose a lognormal and gamma mixed negative binomial (NB) regression model for counts, and present efficient closed-form Bayesian inference; unlike conventional Poisson models, the proposed approach has two free parameters to include two different kinds of random effects, and allows the incorporation of prior information, such as sparsity in the regression coefficients. By placing a gamma distribution prior on the NB…
The generalized log-gamma (GLG) model is a very flexible family of distributions to analyze datasets in many different areas of science and technology. In this paper, we propose estimators which are simultaneously highly robust and highly efficient for the parameters of a GLG distribution in the presence of censoring. We also introduced estimators with the same properties for accelerated failure time models with censored observations and error distribution belonging to the GLG family. We prove that the proposed estimators are asymptotically fully efficient and examine the maximum mean square e…
Scale-mixture shrinkage priors have recently been shown to possess robust empirical performance and excellent theoretical properties such as model selection consistency and (near) minimax posterior contraction rates. In this paper, the normal-compound gamma prior (NCG) resulting from compounding on the respective inverse-scale parameters with gamma distribution is used as a prior for the scale parameter. Attractiveness of this model becomes apparent due to its relationship to various useful models. The tuning of the hyperparameters gives the same shrinkage properties exhibited by some other mo…
To construct flexible nonlinear predictive distributions, the paper introduces a family of softplus function based regression models that convolve, stack, or combine both operations by convolving countably infinite stacked gamma distributions, whose scales depend on the covariates. Generalizing logistic regression that uses a single hyperplane to partition the covariate space into two halves, softplus regressions employ multiple hyperplanes to construct a confined space, related to a single convex polytope defined by the intersection of multiple half-spaces or a union of multiple convex polyto…
We use the theory of normal variance-mean mixtures to derive a data augmentation scheme for models that include gamma functions. Our methodology applies to many situations in statistics and machine learning, including Multinomial-Dirichlet distributions, Negative binomial regression, Poisson-Gamma hierarchical models, Extreme value models, to name but a few. All of those models include a gamma function which does not admit a natural conjugate prior distribution providing a significant challenge to inference and prediction. To provide a data augmentation strategy, we construct and develop the t…
We use the theory of normal variance-mean mixtures to derive a data augmentation scheme for models that include gamma functions. Our methodology applies to many situations in statistics and machine learning, including Multinomial-Dirichlet distributions, Negative binomial regression, Poisson-Gamma hierarchical models, Extreme value models, to name but a few. All of those models include a gamma function which does not admit a natural conjugate prior distribution providing a significant challenge to inference and prediction. To provide a data augmentation strategy, we construct and develop the t…
A new class of copulas, termed the MGL copula class, is introduced. The new copula originates from extracting the dependence function of the multivariate generalized log-Moyal-gamma distribution whose marginals follow the univariate generalized log-Moyal-gamma (GLMGA) distribution as introduced in \citet{li2019jan}. The MGL copula can capture nonelliptical, exchangeable, and asymmetric dependencies among marginal coordinates and provides a simple formulation for regression applications. We discuss the probabilistic characteristics of MGL copula and obtain the corresponding extreme-value copula…
We propose a new data-augmentation strategy for fully Bayesian inference in models with binomial likelihoods. The approach appeals to a new class of Polya-Gamma distributions, which are constructed in detail. A variety of examples are presented to show the versatility of the method, including logistic regression, negative binomial regression, nonlinear mixed-effects models, and spatial models for count data. In each case, our data-augmentation strategy leads to simple, effective methods for posterior inference that: (1) circumvent the need for analytic approximations, numerical integration, or…
This article is concerned with the fitting of multinomial regression models using the so-called "Poisson Trick". The work is motivated by Chen & Kuo (2001) and Malchow-Møller & Svarer (2003) which have been criticized for being computationally inefficient and sometimes producing nonsense results. We first discuss the case of independent data and offer a parsimonious fitting strategy when all covariates are categorical. We then propose a new approach for modelling correlated responses based on an extension of the Gamma-Poisson model, where the likelihood can be expressed in closed-form. The par…
We develop flexible multi-parameter regression survival models for interval censored survival data arising in longitudinal prospective studies and longitudinal randomised controlled clinical trials. A multi-parameter Weibull regression survival model, which is wholly parametric, and has non-proportional hazards, is the main focus of the paper. We describe the basic model, develop the interval-censored likelihood and extend the model to include gamma frailty and a dispersion model. We evaluate the models by means of a simulation study and a detailed re-analysis of data from the Signal Tandmobie…
We consider two-state Non-Homogeneous Hidden Markov Models (NHHMMs) for forecasting univariate time series. Given a set of predictors, the time series are modeled via predictive regressions with state dependent coefficients and time-varying transition probabilities that depend on the predictors via a logistic function. In a hidden Markov setting, inference for logistic regression coefficients becomes complicated and in some cases impossible due to convergence issues. In this paper, we aim to address this problem using a new latent variable scheme that utilizes the Pólya-Gamma class of distribu…
This paper introduces a cure rate survival model by assuming that the time to the event of interest follows a beta prime distribution and that the number of competing causes of the event of interest follows a negative binomial distribution. This model provides a novel alternative to the existing cure rate regression models due to its flexibility, as the beta prime model can exhibit greater levels of skewness and kurtosis than those of the gamma and inverse Gaussian distributions. Moreover, the hazard rate of this model can have an upside-down bathtub or an increasing shape. We approach both pa…
We propose a novel spike and slab prior specification with scaled beta prime marginals for the importance parameters of regression coefficients to allow for general effect selection within the class of structured additive distributional regression. This enables us to model effects on all distributional parameters for arbitrary parametric distributions, and to consider various effect types such as non-linear or spatial effects as well as hierarchical regression structures. Our spike and slab prior relies on a parameter expansion that separates blocks of regression coefficients into overall scal…
This paper studies Cox's regression hazard model with an unobservable random frailty where no specific distribution is postulated for the frailty variable, and the marginal lifetime distribution allows both parametric and non-parametric models. Laplace's approximation method and gradient search on smooth manifolds embedded in Euclidean space are applied, and a non-iterative profile likelihood optimization method is proposed for estimating the regression coefficients. The proposed method is compared with the Expected-Maximization method developed based on a gamma frailty assumption, and also in…
Positive continuous outcomes with a point mass at zero are prevalent in biomedical research. To model the point mass at zero and to provide marginalized covariate effect estimates, marginalized two part models (MTP) have been developed for outcomes with lognormal and log skew normal distributions. In this paper, we propose MTP models for outcomes from a generalized gamma (GG) family of distributions. In the proposed MTP-GG model, the conditional mean from a two-part model with a three-parameter GG distribution is parameterized to provide regression coefficients that have marginal interpretatio…
