Este trabajo presenta dos líneas de investigación desarrolladas en los últimos años en torno a la etapa de evaluación en datos de recuento. Los campos de estudio han sido: los datos de recuento, concretamente el estudio del modelo de regresión de Poisson y sus extensiones y la etapa de evaluación como punto de inflexión en el proceso de modelado estadístico. Los resultados obtenidos ponen de manifiesto la importancia de aplicar el modelo adecuado a las características de los datos así como de evaluar el ajuste del mismo. Por otra parte la comparación de pruebas, índices, estimadores y modelos intentan señalar la adecuación o la preferencia de unos sobre otros en determinadas circunstancias y en función de los objetivos del investigador. / This paper presents two lines of research that have been developed in recent years on the evaluation stage in count data. The areas of study have been both count data, specifically the study of Poisson regression modelling and its extension, and the evaluation stage as a point of reflection in the statistical modelling process. The results obtained demonstrate the importance of applying appropriate models to the characteristics of data as well as evaluating their fit. On the other hand, comparisons of trials, indices, estimators and models attempt to indicate the suitability or preference for one over the others in certain circumstances and according to research objectives.

This dissertation examines the ways international research collaboration affects the ability of Colombian research teams to produce bibliographic outputs, and to contribute to local knowledge. Research hypotheses are tested using Zero Inflated Negative Binomial Regression models to account for the effects of international research collaboration on team output while controlling for team characteristics, partner characteristics, scientific discipline, sector, the characteristics of the teams' home institution, and team location. The study uses control groups and the Propensity Score Matching approach to assess the overall impact of international research collaboration on research team performance while controlling for the effects of endogeneity and selection bias. Results show that international research collaboration is positively associated with both team output and teams' ability to contribute to local knowledge. The study shows that such effects depend on the type of collaboration chosen and the type of partner involved. Particularly, it shows that while co-authoring with colleagues located overseas or receiving foreign funding positively affects team performance, hosting foreign researchers does not seem to affect a team's productivity or its ability to contribute to local knowledge once all other variables are held constant. It also finds that collaborating with partners from the South yields greater productivity counts than collaborating with partners from the North, but that collaboration with partners from northern countries is strongly associated with a team's ability to contribute to local knowledge, while collaboration with partners from southern countries is not. Theoretical and policy implications of these and other counterintuitive findings are discussed.

Malaria is a devastating global health problem that affected 219 million people and caused 660,000 deaths in 2010. Inaccurate estimation of the level of infection may have adverse clinical and therapeutic implications for patients, and for epidemiological endpoint measurements. The level of infection, expressed as the parasite density (PD), is classically defined as the number of asexual parasites relative to a microliter of blood. Microscopy of Giemsa-stained thick blood smears (TBSs) is the gold standard for parasite enumeration. Parasites are counted in a predetermined number of high-power fields (HPFs) or against a fixed number of leukocytes. PD estimation methods usually involve threshold values; either the number of leukocytes counted or the number of HPFs read. Most of these methods assume that (1) the distribution of the thickness of the TBS, and hence the distribution of parasites and leukocytes within the TBS, is homogeneous; and that (2) parasites and leukocytes are evenly distributed in TBSs, and thus can be modeled through a Poisson-distribution. The violation of these assumptions commonly results in overdispersion. Firstly, we studied the statistical properties (mean error, coefficient of variation, false negative rates) of PD estimators of commonly used threshold-based counting techniques and assessed the influence of the thresholds on the cost-effectiveness of these methods. Secondly, we constituted and published the first dataset on parasite and leukocyte counts per HPF. Two sources of overdispersion in data were investigated: latent heterogeneity and spatial dependence. We accounted for unobserved heterogeneity in data by considering more flexible models that allow for overdispersion. Of particular interest were the negative binomial model (NB) and mixture models. The dependent structure in data was modeled with hidden Markov models (HMMs). We found evidence that assumptions (1) and (2) are inconsistent with parasite and leukocyte distributions. The NB-HMM is the closest model to the unknown distribution that generates the data. Finally, we devised a reduced reading procedure of the PD that aims to a better operational optimization and a practical assessing of the heterogeneity in the distribution of parasites and leukocytes in TBSs. A patent application process has been launched and a prototype development of the counter is in process.

This dissertation examines the ways international research collaboration affects the ability of Colombian research teams to produce bibliographic outputs, and to contribute to local knowledge. Research hypotheses are tested using Zero Inflated Negative Binomial Regression models to account for the effects of international research collaboration on team output while controlling for team characteristics, partner characteristics, scientific discipline, sector, the characteristics of the teams' home institution, and team location. The study uses control groups and the Propensity Score Matching approach to assess the overall impact of international research collaboration on research team performance while controlling for the effects of endogeneity and selection bias. Results show that international research collaboration is positively associated with both team output and teams' ability to contribute to local knowledge. The study shows that such effects depend on the type of collaboration chosen and the type of partner involved. Particularly, it shows that while co-authoring with colleagues located overseas or receiving foreign funding positively affects team performance, hosting foreign researchers does not seem to affect a team's productivity or its ability to contribute to local knowledge once all other variables are held constant. It also finds that collaborating with partners from the South yields greater productivity counts than collaborating with partners from the North, but that collaboration with partners from northern countries is strongly associated with a team's ability to contribute to local knowledge, while collaboration with partners from southern countries is not. Theoretical and policy implications of these and other counterintuitive findings are discussed.

This thesis is divided into three main parts. In the first, we discuss that, although permutation tests can provide exact control of false positives under the reasonable assumption of exchangeability, there are common examples in which global exchangeability does not hold, such as in experiments with repeated measurements or tests in which subjects are related to each other. To allow permutation inference in such cases, we propose an extension of the well known concept of exchangeability blocks, allowing these to be nested in a hierarchical, multi-level definition. This definition allows permutations that retain the original joint distribution unaltered, thus preserving exchangeability. The null hypothesis is tested using only a subset of all otherwise possible permutations. We do not need to explicitly model the degree of dependence between observations; rather the use of such permutation scheme leaves any dependence intact. The strategy is compatible with heteroscedasticity and can be used with permutations, sign flippings, or both combined. In the second part, we exploit properties of test statistics to obtain accelerations irrespective of generic software or hardware improvements. We compare six different approaches using synthetic and real data, assessing the methods in terms of their error rates, power, agreement with a reference result, and the risk of taking a different decision regarding the rejection of the null hypotheses (known as the resampling risk). In the third part, we investigate and compare the different methods for assessment of cortical volume and area from magnetic resonance images using surface-based methods. Using data from young adults born with very low birth weight and coetaneous controls, we show that instead of volume, the permutation-based non-parametric combination (NPC) of thickness and area is a more sensitive option for studying joint effects on these two quantities, giving equal weight to variation in both, and allowing a better characterisation of biological processes that can affect brain morphology.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:06:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5190.pdf: 1093269 bytes, checksum: 0d9bf9c7a3855887a0f66859b3a9cc22 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-06 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / In this work, it was estudied the models INGARCH , GLARMA and GARMA to model count time series data with Poisson and Negative Binomial discrete conditional distributions. The main goal was analyze in classic and bayesian approach, the adequability and goodness of fit of these models, also the contruction of credibility intervals about each parameter. To the Bayesian study, was cosiderated a joint prior distribuition that satisfied the conditions of each model and got a posterior distribution. This aproach presents too some criterion selection like (EBIC), (DIC) and ordenaded predictive conditional density (CPO) for Bayesian cases and (BIC) for classic cases. A simulation study was done to check the maximum likelihood estimator consistency in classic approach and has used criterion selection classic and Bayesian to choose the order of each model. An Analysis has made in a real data set realized as final stage as, these data consist the number of financial transactions in 30 minutes. These results have made in a classical and Bayesian approach , and discribed the data caracteristic. / Nesta dissertação estudou-se os modelos INGARCH, GLARMA e GARMA para modelar séries temporais de dados de contagem com as distribuições condicionais de Poisson e Binomial Negativa. A principal finalidade foi analisar no contexto clássico e bayesiano, a adequabilidade e qualidade de ajuste dos modelos em questão, assim como a construção de intervalos de credibilidade dos parâmetros para cada modelo testado. Para a abordagem Bayesiana foram consideradas priori conjugada, satisfazendo as condições de cada modelo em questão, obtendo assim uma distribuição a posteriori. A abordagem proposta apresenta também o cálculo de critérios de seleção de modelos como o (EBIC), (DIC) e densidade condicional preditiva ordenada (CPO) para o caso Bayesiano e (BIC) para a abordagem clássica. Com um estudo de simulação foi possível verificar a consistência dos estimadores de máxima verossimilhança (clássicos) além disso, foi usado critérios de seleção clássicos e Bayesianos para a seleção da ordem de cada um dos modelos. Uma análise de um conjunto de dados reais foi realizada, sendo uma série do número de transações financeiras realizadas em 30 minutos respectiva os mês de novembro de 2011. Estes resultados apresentam que tanto o estudo clássico, quanto o bayesiano, são capazes de descrever bem o comportamento da série e foram eficientes na escolha da ordem do mesmo.

Nous établissons des conditions nécessaires et suffisantes d’existence et d’infinie divisibilité pour des processus ponctuels alpha-déterminantaux et, lorsque alpha est positif, pour leur intensité sous-jacente (en tant que processus de Cox). Dans le cas où l’espace est fini, ces distributions correspondent à des lois binomiales, négatives binomiales et gamma multidimensionnelles. Nous étudions de façon approfondie ces deux derniers cas avec un noyau non nécessairement symétrique. / We establish necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence and infinite divisibility of alpha-determinantal processes and, when alpha is positive, of their underlying intensity (as Cox process). When the space is finite, these distributions correspond to multidimensional binomial, negative binomial and gamma distributions. We make an in-depth study of these last two cases with a non necessarily symmetric kernel.

Klasická lineární regrese a z ní odvozené testy hypotéz jsou založeny na předpokladu normálního rozdělení a shodnosti rozptylu závislých proměnných. V případě že jsou předpoklady normality porušeny, obvykle se užívá transformací závisle proměnných. První část této práce se zabývá transformacemi stabilizujícími rozptyl. Značná pozornost je udělena náhodným veličinám s Poissonovým a negativně binomickým rozdělením, pro které jsou studovány zobecněné transformace stabilizující rozptyl obsahující parametry v argumentu navíc. Pro tyto parametry jsou stanoveny jejich optimální hodnoty. Cílem druhé části práce je provést srovnání transformací uvedených v první části a dalších často užívaných transformací. Srovnání je provedeno v rámci analýzy rozptylu testováním hypotézy shodnosti středních hodnot p nezávislých náhodných výběrů s pomocí F testu. V této části jsou nejprve studovány vlastnosti F testu za předpokladu shodných a neshodných rozptylů napříč výběry. Následně je provedeno srovnání silofunkcí F testu aplikovaného pro p výběrů z Poissonova rozdělení transformovanými odmocninovou, logaritmickou a Yeo Johnsnovou transformací a z negativně binomického rozdělení transformovaného argumentem hyperbolického sinu, logaritmickou a Yeo-Johnsnovou transformací.

Network screening and countermeasure selection are two crucial steps in the highway improvement process. In network screening, potential improvement locations are ranked and prioritized based on a specific method with a set of criteria. The most common practice by transportation agencies has been to use a simple scoring method, which, in general, weighs and scores each criterion and then ranks the locations based on their relative overall scoring. The method does not deal well with criteria that are qualitative in nature, nor does it account for the impacts of correlation among the criteria. The introduction of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) provides agencies with a method to include both quantitative and qualitative criteria. However, it does not address the issue on correlation. This dissertation explores the use of both Analytic Network Process (ANP) and Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) for their potential capabilities to address both issues. Using urban four-lane divided highways in Florida for bicycle safety improvements, both ANP and FANP were shown to provide more reasonable rankings than AHP, with FANP providing the best results among the methods. After the locations are ranked and prioritized for improvements, the next step is to evaluate the potential countermeasures for improvements at the selected top-ranked locations. In this step, the standard practice has been to use Crash Modification Factors (CMFs) to quantify the potential impacts from implementing specific countermeasures. In this research, CMFs for bicycle crashes on urban facilities in Florida were developed using the Generalized Linear Model approach with a Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) distribution. The CMFs were tested for their spatial and temporal transferability and the results show only limited transferability both spatially and temporally. The CMFs show that, in general, wider lanes, lower speed limits, and presence of vegetation in the median reduce bicycle crashes, while presence of sidewalk and sidewalk barrier increase bicycle crashes. The research further considered bicycle exposure using the bicycle activity data from the Strava smartphone application. It was found that increased bicycle activity reduces bicycle crash probabilities on segments but increases bicycle crash probabilities at signalized intersections. Also, presence of bus stops and use of permissive signal phasing at intersections were found to increase bicycle crash probabilities.

The determinants of health care use among rural, low-income mothers and their children were assessed using a multi-state, longitudinal data set, Rural Families Speak. The results indicate that rural mothers’ decisions regarding health care utilization for themselves and for their child can be best modeled using a simultaneous systems approach to negative binomial regression. Mothers’ visits to a health care provider increased with higher self-assessed depression scores, increased number of child’s doctor visits, greater numbers of total children in the household, greater numbers of chronic conditions, need for prenatal or post-partum care, development of a new medical condition, and having health insurance (Medicaid/equivalent and HMO/private). Child’s visits to a health care provider, on the other hand, increased with greater numbers of chronic conditions, development of a new medical condition, and increased mothers’ visits to a doctor. Child’s utilization of pediatric health care services decreased with higher levels of maternal depression, greater numbers of total children in the household, if the mother had HMO/private health care coverage, if the mother was pregnant, and if the mother was Latina/African American. Mother’s use of health care services decreased with her age, increased number of child’s chronic conditions, income as a percent of the federal poverty line, and if child had HMO/private health care insurance. The study expands the econometric techniques available for assessing maternal and pediatric health care use and the results contribute to an understanding of how rural, low-income mothers choose the level of health care services use for themselves and for their child. Additionally, the results would assist in formulating policies to reorient the type of health care services provided to this vulnerable population.