In the dissertation, we study the statistical evaluation of treatment comparisons by evaluating the relative comparison of survival experiences between two treatment groups. We construct confidence interval and simultaneous confidence bands for the ratio and odds ratio of two survival functions through both parametric and nonparametric approaches.We first construct empirical likelihood confidence interval and simultaneous confidence bands for the odds ratio of two survival functions to address small sample efficacy and sufficiency. The empirical log-likelihood ratio is developed, and the corresponding asymptotic distribution is derived. Simulation studies show that the proposed empirical likelihood band has outperformed the normal approximation band in small sample size cases in the sense that it yields closer coverage probabilities to chosen nominal levels.Furthermore, in order to incorporate prognostic factors for the adjustment of survival functions in the comparison, we construct simultaneous confidence bands for the ratio and odds ratio of survival functions based on both the Cox model and the additive risk model. We develop simultaneous confidence bands by approximating the limiting distribution of cumulative hazard functions by zero-mean Gaussian processes whose distributions can be generated through Monte Carlo simulations. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the performance for proposed models. Real applications on published clinical trial data sets are also studied for further illustration purposes.In the end, the population attributable fraction function is studied to measure the impact of risk factors on disease incidence in the population. We develop semiparametric estimation of attributable fraction functions for cohort studies with potentially censored event time under the additive risk model.

This thesis studies the Second-order Least Squares (SLS) estimation method in regression models with and without measurement error. Applications of the methodology in general quasi-likelihood and variance function models, censored models, and linear and generalized linear models are examined and strong consistency and asymptotic normality are established. To overcome the numerical difficulties of minimizing an objective function that involves multiple integrals, a simulation-based SLS estimator is used and its asymptotic properties are studied. Finite sample performances of the estimators in all of the studied models are investigated through simulation studies.

The purpose of this study is to thoroughly discuss kernel hazard function estimation, both in the complete sample case as well as in the presence of random right censoring. Most of the focus is on the very important task of automatic bandwidth selection. Two existing selectors, least–squares cross validation as described by Patil (1993a) and Patil (1993b), as well as the bootstrap bandwidth selector of Gonzalez–Manteiga, Cao and Marron (1996) will be discussed. The bandwidth selector of Hall and Robinson (2009), which uses bootstrap aggregation (or 'bagging'), will be extended to and evaluated in the setting of kernel hazard rate estimation. We will also make a simple proposal for a bootstrap bandwidth selector. The performance of these bandwidth selectors will be compared empirically in a simulation study. The findings and conclusions of this study are reported. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Statistics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

In the dissertation, we study the statistical evaluation of treatment comparisons by evaluating the relative comparison of survival experiences between two treatment groups. We construct confidence interval and simultaneous confidence bands for the ratio and odds ratio of two survival functions through both parametric and nonparametric approaches.We first construct empirical likelihood confidence interval and simultaneous confidence bands for the odds ratio of two survival functions to address small sample efficacy and sufficiency. The empirical log-likelihood ratio is developed, and the corresponding asymptotic distribution is derived. Simulation studies show that the proposed empirical likelihood band has outperformed the normal approximation band in small sample size cases in the sense that it yields closer coverage probabilities to chosen nominal levels.Furthermore, in order to incorporate prognostic factors for the adjustment of survival functions in the comparison, we construct simultaneous confidence bands for the ratio and odds ratio of survival functions based on both the Cox model and the additive risk model. We develop simultaneous confidence bands by approximating the limiting distribution of cumulative hazard functions by zero-mean Gaussian processes whose distributions can be generated through Monte Carlo simulations. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the performance for proposed models. Real applications on published clinical trial data sets are also studied for further illustration purposes.In the end, the population attributable fraction function is studied to measure the impact of risk factors on disease incidence in the population. We develop semiparametric estimation of attributable fraction functions for cohort studies with potentially censored event time under the additive risk model.

This thesis studies the Second-order Least Squares (SLS) estimation method in regression models with and without measurement error. Applications of the methodology in general quasi-likelihood and variance function models, censored models, and linear and generalized linear models are examined and strong consistency and asymptotic normality are established. To overcome the numerical difficulties of minimizing an objective function that involves multiple integrals, a simulation-based SLS estimator is used and its asymptotic properties are studied. Finite sample performances of the estimators in all of the studied models are investigated through simulation studies.

The purpose of this study is to thoroughly discuss kernel hazard function estimation, both in the complete sample case as well as in the presence of random right censoring. Most of the focus is on the very important task of automatic bandwidth selection. Two existing selectors, least–squares cross validation as described by Patil (1993a) and Patil (1993b), as well as the bootstrap bandwidth selector of Gonzalez–Manteiga, Cao and Marron (1996) will be discussed. The bandwidth selector of Hall and Robinson (2009), which uses bootstrap aggregation (or 'bagging'), will be extended to and evaluated in the setting of kernel hazard rate estimation. We will also make a simple proposal for a bootstrap bandwidth selector. The performance of these bandwidth selectors will be compared empirically in a simulation study. The findings and conclusions of this study are reported. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Statistics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

[pt] Construímos um algoritmo tipo EM para estimar os parâmetros por máxima verossimilhança. Os valores imputados são calculados pela média condicional sujeito a ser maior (ou menor) do que o valor observado. Como a estimação é por máxima verossimilhança, a matriz de informação permite o cálculo de intervalos de confiança para os parâmetros e para os valores imputados. Fizemos experiência com dados simulados e há também um estudo de dados reais (onde na verdade a hipótese de normalidade não se aplica). / [en] An EM algorithm was developed to parameter estimation of a multivariate truncate normal distribution. The multiple imputation is evaluated by the conditional expectation becoming the estimated values greater or lower than the observed value. The information matrix gives the confident interval to the parameter and values estimations. The proposed algorithm was tested with simulated and real data (where the normality is not followed).

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:06:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3023.pdf: 2559668 bytes, checksum: 9cf8ca3c2627a6f2d69856b231e8a0a4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-04-23 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / In this dissertation we describe and implement procedures for nonparametric estimation of copulas and Sibuya function, and also procedures for bivariate analysis of dependence based on the behavior of their contours plot. Besisdes, we describe and implement the chiplot procedure and as well as a procedure for analising bivariate dependence in presence of censoring in the sample. Particularly, we propose a way to use it in a local correlation analysis. The performance of the proposed procedures are illustrated and evaluated in cases of very simple correlation, but also in a more complex correlation schemes. / Nesta dissertação descrevemos e implementamos procedimentos para estimação paramétrica da cópula e da função de Sibuya, e também procedimentos para análise de dependência bivariada, baseados no comportamento das suas curvas de nível. Também, descrevemos e implementamos o procedimento chi-plot e um procedimento para a análise de dependência bivariada com presença de censura na amostra. Particularmente, propomos formas de usá-los em análise de correlação local. O desempenho dos procedimentos propostos são ilustrados e avaliados em casos de estruturas de correlação simples, mas também em esquemas de correlação mais complexa.

Neste trabalho são reunidos diferentes modelos e técnicas para representar situações experimentais ou observacionais de análise de sobrevivência. Para modelar respostas bivariadas e covariáveis foi proposto o modelo de regressão Kumaraswamy-Weibull bivariado. A presen»ca de indivíduos curados foi considerada sob duas diferentes abordagens, originando o modelo de regressão com fração de cura para dados bivariados por meio de cópulas e o modelo de regressão log-linear bivariado com fração de cura. Os parâmetros dos modelos foram esti- mados pelo método de máxima verossimilhança sujeito a restriçãoo nos parâmetros por meio da função barreira adaptada. Adaptou-se uma análise de sensibilidade de forma a considerar as metodologias de Influência Global, Influência Local e Influência Local Total para verificar vários aspectos que envolvem a formulação e ajuste dos modelos propostos. Utilizou-se um conjunto de dados de insuficiência renal e retinopatia diabética são utilizados para exemplificar a aplicação dos modelos propostos. / This work brought together di®erent models and techniques to represent expe- rimental or observational situations in survival analysis. To model bivariate responses and covariates was proposed Kumaraswamy Weibull bivariate regression model. The presence of cured individuals was considered under two di®erent approaches originating the regression model with a cured fraction for bivariate data through copulas and the log-linear bivariate regression model with cured fraction. The parameters of the models were estimated by ma- ximum likelihood method subject to the restriction on the parameters through the adapted barrier function. A sensitivity analysis was adapted considering the methodologies of Global In°uence, Local In°uence and Total Local In°uence to check various aspects of the formulation and adjustment of the models proposed. Data set of renal failure and diabetic retinopathy are used to exemplify the application of the proposed models.

Diversos modelos têm sido propostos na literatura com o objetivo de analisar dados de sobrevivência em que a população sob estudo é assumida ser uma mistura de indivíduos suscetíveis (em risco) e não suscetíveis a um específico evento de interesse. Tais modelos são usualmente denominados modelos com sobreviventes de longa duração ou modelos com fração de cura. Neste trabalho, diversos desses modelos (nos contextos paramétrico e semi-paramétrico) foram considerados para analisar os dados de um ensaio clínico aleatorizado conduzido com o objetivo de comparar três estratégias terapêuticas (cirurgia, angioplastia e medicamentoso) utilizadas no tratamento de pacientes com doença coronariana multiarterial. Em todos os modelos, as funções de ligação logito e complemento log-log foram utilizadas para modelar a proporção de sobreviventes de longa duração (indivíduos não suscetíveis). Quanto à função de sobrevivência dos indivíduos suscetíveis, foram utilizados os modelos de Weibull e de Cox. Covariáveis foram consideradas tanto na proporção de sobreviventes de longa duração quanto na função de sobrevivência dos indivíduos suscetíveis. De modo geral, os modelos considerados se mostraram adequados para analisar os dados do ensaio clínico aleatorizado, indicando a cirurgia como a estratégia terapêutica mais eficiente. Indicaram também, que as covariáveis idade, hipertensão e diabetes mellitus exercem influência na ocorrência do óbito cardíaco, mas não no tempo até a ocorrência deste óbito nos pacientes suscetíveis. / Several models have been proposed in the literature with the aim of analyzing survival data when the population under study is assumed to be a mixture of susceptible (at risk) and not susceptible individuals to a specific event of interest. Such models are usually called long-term survivors models or cure rate models. In this work, several of these models (under both parametric and semi-parametric approaches) were considered to analyze the data from a randomized clinical trial conducted in order to compare three therapeutic strategies (surgery, angioplasty and medicine) used in the treatment of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. For all models the logit and complementary log-log link functions were used to model the proportion of long-term survivors (not susceptible individuals). In regards to the survival function of the susceptible individuals, the Weibull and Cox models were used. Covariates were considered both in the proportion of longterm survivors and in the survival function of the susceptible individuals. Overall, the models considered were suitable for analyzing the data from the randomized clinical trial indicating surgery as the most effective therapeutic strategy. They also indicated that the covariates age, hypertension and diabetes mellitus exhibit influence on the occurrence of cardiac death, but not on the time to the occurrence of this death in susceptible patients.