A-Optimal Subsampling For Big Data General Estimating Equations

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)A significant hurdle for analyzing big data is the lack of effective technology and statistical inference methods. A popular approach for analyzing data with large sample is subsampling. Many subsampling probabilities have been introduced in literature (Ma, \emph{et al.}, 2015) for linear model. In this dissertation, we focus on generalized estimating equations (GEE) with big data and derive the asymptotic normality for the estimator without resampling and estimator with resampling. We also give the asymptotic representation of the bias of estimator without resampling and estimator with resampling. we show that bias becomes significant when the data is of high-dimensional. We also present a novel subsampling method called A-optimal which is derived by minimizing the trace of some dispersion matrices (Peng and Tan, 2018). We derive the asymptotic normality of the estimator based on A-optimal subsampling methods. We conduct extensive simulations on large sample data with high dimension to evaluate the performance of our proposed methods using MSE as a criterion. High dimensional data are further investigated and we show through simulations that minimizing the asymptotic variance does not imply minimizing the MSE as bias not negligible. We apply our proposed subsampling method to analyze a real data set, gas sensor data which has more than four millions data points. In both simulations and real data analysis, our A-optimal method outperform the traditional uniform subsampling method

Consumer protection in the Hong Kong telecommunications sector : implications for competition policy

Competition policy is meant to ensure a level-playing in the market, but its ultimate goal is to enhance consumer interests. The telecommunications sector is one of the two sectors that have set up a competition policy in Hong Kong. This paper examines the current competition policy framework in the telecommunications sector by analyzing the level of consumer protection using the Structure-Conduct-Performance Paradigm. It examines in detail the consumer related complaint cases received by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority in four markets: fixed line telephone services, mobile phone services, International Direct Dialing services, and Internet services. Regression analysis results reveal that more competition in a market has a positive and significant effect on the frequency of complaints about misleading or deceptive conduct on the part of operators in the period from 1999 to 2006. Also, smaller and newer operators tend to receive more complaints. From the lessons we have drawn from the telecommunications sector, a more comprehensive policy coped with consumer protection regulation is needed in order to better promote consumer interests in Hong Kong

A structural model of future-oriented climate change optimism in science education: PISA evidence from countries with top Environmental Protection Index

The purpose of this study is to examine the predictive effects of epistemological beliefs about science and informal reading of scientific texts on students’ future-oriented optimism on the issue of climate change. Future-oriented climate change optimism is defined as encompassing hope and anticipation about the climate future. To identify the relationships among variables, structural equation modelling was conducted on the PISA dataset on 15-year-old students from Denmark, the UK and Finland which have the top three Environmental Protection Index. Students of all three countries demonstrated a consistently low optimism about the future of climate change. Also, the findings indicated that students’ epistemological beliefs about science had a significantly negative predicting effect on their future-oriented climate change optimism across all three countries, while their informal reading of scientific texts had a significantly positive predictive effect on their future-oriented climate change optimism in Denmark and the UK. Across all three countries, 15-year-old students’ awareness of the issue of climate change plays a significantly negative mediating role between their epistemological beliefs about science and their optimism in the future climate, as well as their informal reading of scientific texts and their optimism in the future climate. This calls for a new curricular environmental-science education model that addresses how students’ informal science reading and epistemological beliefs about science can address future-oriented climate change optimism which might in turn impact young people’s action competence to address the issues of climate change

An Empirical study of the impact of newly consturcted [i.e. constructed] railway lines on nearby residental property prices in Hong Kong

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2004.published_or_final_versio

Toward a Model of Educational Equality: Establishing Social Validity Measures for Inclusion

Inclusion of students with special education needs (SEN) and especially autism spectrum disorder (ASD) into general education curricula is a challenging practice.  In recent years, the practice of inclusion has been expanding within the international school community.  Outside of the United States, the process of inclusion is developing rapidly due to an ever-increasing demand.  The demand is fueled by families and is compounded by the scarcity of international schools with developed programs and inclusive classrooms.  Applied Behavior Analysis provides evidence-based strategies and tactics that support educators and those responsible for inclusion of students SEN and ASD.  The purpose of the present study was to use behavioral observation techniques to determine socially valid performance criterion for attending behaviors in typically developing primary school students during group instruction and independent desk work.  No direct observation data were found on this subject, to date.  Direct observations occurred in situ using whole interval recording procedures across typical students across primary grades one through eight, inclusive.  Data were collected under two types of conditions, lecture style instruction, and independent desk work for boys and girls across all grades.  The performance criterion could then be used to guide decisions by IEP teams to fade out support of those students with SEN in the general education setting. Results show that typical students attend to the teacher during live lectures an average of 93% of the time using a time sampling data collection technique and 96% during independent desk work. 

Behaviour of axially loaded piles

This project may be described in three parts. The first part mainly involves the evaluation of existing soil models under undrained conditions. The second part of the project is to evaluate the currently used methods for representation of the pile installation process. The third part of the work involves the study of the axially loaded pile problem, and particular interest is paid to the investigation of pile load displacement, shear transfer and load diffusion along the pile. Three different soil model have been used to represent the soil for this problem. Theoretical solutions have been compared with field test results. The modified Cam-clay model and the more advanced bounding surface model developed from classical plasticity theories, and the rate-type model founded upon hypoelasticity theory have been studied. Model predictions of these three models were compared and evaluated base on results of triaxial tests and direct simple shear tests under undrained conditions. Both the modified Cam-clay model and the rate-type model are closely related by the similarity of. their yield surfaces, but the rate type model requires only three soil parameters and provided reasonable agreement with test results on normally to heavily overconsolidated clay. The modified Cam-clay model is relatively restricted to the lightly overconsolidated clay. The sophisticated bounding surface model provides remarkable model prediction power to fit the test results, but numerous model parameters are required. The cylindrical cavity expansion approach and the simple pile method, both of which may be used to simulate the pile installation process have been investigated. The rate-type model has been choosen to represent the soil. The simple pile method attempts to include the tip effect due to pile advancement which has been ignored in the cylindrical cavity expansion approach. The simple pile method approximates the strain field around the pile by an ideal fluid, but it is found that this method results in unrealistic pile-soil interaction. The predicted excess pore pressures from both methods were compared with field test results. This indicated that the simple pile method provided better agreement with test results than did the cylindrical cavity expansion approach. An idealized one-dimensional pile model has been proposed. The modified Cam-clay model, bounding surface model and the rate-type model have all been used to simulated the soil response due to axial pile loading. Theoretical solutions were compared with three well documented pile test results. The pile tests were carried out in lightly to heavily overconsolidated clay deposits. The pile model predicted good agreement with test results, especially in regard to the pile load displacement response, shear transfer and load diffusion along the pile at low stress level

Cyril Scott's Piano Sonata, Op. 66: A Study of His Innovative Musical Language, With Three Recitals of Selected Works by Mozart, Schumann, Scriabin, Debussy, Ravel and Others

The objective of the dissertation is to examine Cyril Scott's musical language as exhibited in his Piano Sonata, Op. 66. Subjects of discussion include Scott's use of form, rhythm, melody, tonality, and harmony. Also included are a biographical sketch of the composer and his philosophical view of modernism. A comparison of the original version and the revised edition of this sonata, as well as references to Cyril Scott's two other piano sonatas are also included during the examination of his harmonic and rhythmic style

《紅樓夢》中「通靈寶玉」與「欲」之關係

《紅樓夢》的開首是無法補天的頑石對紅塵生出欲念，想要見識榮華富貴。頑石苦求僧道後，終於獲得到紅塵走一遭的機會，幻化成通靈寶玉，與賈寶玉一同降生在賈府。通靈寶玉具一般的人欲，亦具通靈之情欲，這些特性在賈寶玉身上都有所顯現。賈寶玉對眾姐妹情深義重，可惜他的通靈之情欲為世難容。「欲」在《紅樓夢》中多有披露，可二分作淫欲與情欲，二者從金陵十二釵與賈府的富家子弟身上皆能看出。在封建禮教下，女子更淪為男性滿足生理欲望的工具。但《紅樓夢》並沒有貶斥情欲，因為所有「欲」都是人的天性，都有合理的一面。賈寶玉與通靈寶玉的靈性不被世人所理解，這種情欲也必然無法滿足，成為了全文悲劇的主軸。 作為幻境來到人間之物，通靈寶玉的作用歷來有很多爭議。然而，各家之言，皆少有聯繫通靈寶玉與欲望。故本文以通靈寶玉與「欲」的關係為題，從頑石的前生與神瑛侍者的欲望開始，看賈寶玉的通靈之性和情欲，說明通靈寶玉的通靈性與世俗性，繼而分析《紅樓夢》成為悲劇的必然，窺探通靈寶玉與「欲」密不可分的聯繫