Abstract We propose a variational inference-based framework for training Gaussian process regression model subject to censored observational data. Data censoring is typical problem encountered during the data gathering procedure and requires specialized techniques perform inference since resulting probabilistic models are typically analytically intractable. In this article we exploit sparse ind...

Studies investigating crash rates by roadway classification are few and far between and even more so if extended to focus on heavy vehicles. This study explores and compares two advanced econometric methods, random-parameter Tobit regression and latent class Tobit regression, to determine contributing factors for heavy vehicle crashes per million-vehicle-miles-traveled while accounting for the ...

During the last years, there was rapid development in the world port industry which is considered to have resulted from the increase of universal trade. The key to the development of each port is its adaptability to the earliest developments and its resistance to the increasing competition. The influence zones of each port are characterised by instability, while each port authority aims at the ...

Understanding mechanisms underlie the individual’s daily time allocations is very important to understand the variability of individual’s time-space constraints and to forecast his/her daily activity participation. At most of previous studies, activity time allocation was viewed as allocating a continuous quantity (daily time budget) into multiple discrete alternatives (i.e. various activities ...

INTRODUCTION To better understand the documented link between mindfulness and longevity, we examine the association between mindfulness and conscious avoidance of secondhand smoke (SHS), as well as the association between mindfulness and physical activity. METHOD In Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) we surveyed a convenience sample of 1516 college freshmen. We measured mindf...

The rapid development and widespread application of Internet has provided a platform for people to participate and discuss social hotspot events. In the meantime, emergency events have attained more attention and have been spread more quickly than they did ever before by this way. However, the public opinion on Internet usually exerts a heavy impact on the development of emergency events as wel...

This paper develops semiparametric Bayesian methods for inference of dynamic Tobit panel data models. Our approach only requires to specify the conditional mean dependence of the unobserved heterogeneity on the initial conditions and the strictly exogenous variables; no further distributional assumption on the unobserved heterogeneity is needed. Important quantities of economic interest such as...

Personal interviews were conducted with beef cattle producers in Louisiana to determine their preferences and purchase decisions for livestock price insurance. Conjoint analysis was utilized to determine the importance of selected attributes of insurance policies for these producers. The characteristics of producers who prefer given attributes were also identified. Producers rated products give...

In this paper we use 2001-2002 urban survey data we collected to analyze demographics, cultural factors, and purchasing behaviors influencing the consumption of fresh milk, yogurt, ice cream, and powered milk in urban areas of China. The data include frequency of consumption by product, location of consumption and purchase, exposure to advertising and foreign culture, and school milk programs. ...