Joint modelling of location and scale parameters of the skew-normal distribution

Joint location and scale models of the skew-normal distribution provide useful ex- tension for joint mean and variance models of the normal distribution when the data set under consideration involves asymmetric outcomes. This paper focuses on the maximum likelihood estimation of joint location and scale models of the skew-normal distribution. The proposed procedure can simultaneously estimate parameters in the location model and the scale model. Simulation studies and a real example are used to illustrate the proposed methodologies.

Variable selection for skew-normal mixture of joint location and scale models

Although there are many papers on variable selection methods based on mean model in the nite mixture of regression models,little work has been done on how to select signi cant explanatory variables in the modeling of the variance parameter.In this paper,we propose and study a novel class of models:a skew-normal mixture of joint location and scale models to analyze the heteroscedastic skew-normal data coming from a heterogeneous population.The problem of variable selection for the proposed models is considered.In particular,a modi ed Expectation-Maximization(EM)algorithm for estimating the model parameters is developed.The consistency and the oracle property of the penalized estimators is established.Simulation studies are conducted to investigate the nite sample performance of the proposed methodolo-gies.An example is illustrated by the proposed methodologies.

A high-precision heuristic model to detect home and work locations from smart card data

Smart card-automated fare collection systems now routinely record large volumes of data comprising the origins and destinations of travelers.Processing and analyzing these data open new opportunities in urban modeling and travel behavior research.This study seeks to develop an accurate framework for the study of urban mobility from smart card data by developing a heuristic primary location model to identify the home and work locations.The model uses journey counts as an indicator of usage regularity,visit-frequency to identify activity locations for regular commuters,and stay-time for the classification of work and home locations and activities.London is taken as a case study,and the model results were validated against survey data from the London Travel Demand Survey and volunteer survey.Results demonstrate that the proposed model is able to detect meaningful home and work places with high precision.This study offers a new and cost-effective approach to travel behavior and demand research.

Development and implementation of a dynamic and 4D GIS based on semantic location model

In the big data era,robust solutions are obliged to be proposed to integrate and represent data from different formats and with different contents to assist the decision-making.Current cartographic and geographic information systems have limited capabilities for solving these problems.This paper describes an automatic and comprehensive system that conducts data fusion from all potentially related sources.In this system,a new Semantic Location Model(SemLM)is established to present the semantic concepts and location feature and demonstrate how locations are interrelated.In the SemLM,various types of location descriptors in different application scenarios can be analyzed and understood.Additionally,considering the challenges involved in data-intensive computation and visualization,this paper implements a Place-based Pan-Information System(P2S)as an innovative 4D system that dynamically associates and visualizes place-based information,using public security as the case study.

Passive location using CDMA mobile communication system based on repeater equipment

To overcome the drawback of a short operation range and low-resolution of a passive location system using a civil communication signal, the new idea that utilizes code division multiple access （CDMA） signal and repeater is disposed off. First, the CDMA passive location model and observation function are given, and the error source and error range are analyzed. Subsequently, the CDMA passive location algorithm in a repeater environment is described and simulated. The simulation result shows that the algorithm can provide the location value with high accuracy.

Degradation modeling of degradable copolymers for biomimetic scaffolds

Biomimetic scaffolds provide a suitable growth environment for tissue engineering and demonstrate good potential for application in biomedical fields.Different-sized copolymerized biomimetic scaffolds degrade differently,and the degradation rate is affected by the copolymerization ratio.The study of the degradation property is the foundational research necessary for realizing individualized biomimetic scaffold design.The degradation performance of polyesters with different copolymerization ratios has been widely reported;however,the modeling of this performance has been rarely reported.In this research,the degradation of copolymers was studied with multi-scale modeling,in which the copolymers were dispersed in a cellular manner,the chain break time was simulated,and the chain selection was based on the Monte Carlo(MC)algorithm.The probability model of the copolymer's chain break position was established as a//roulette,/model,whose probability values were estimated by the calculation of the potential energy difference at different chain break positions by molecular dynamics that determined the position of chain shear,thereby fully realizing the simulation of the chain micro-break process.The diffusion of the oligomers was then calculated using the macro diffusion equation,and the degradation process of the copolymer was simulated by three-scale coupling calculations.The calculation results were in good agreement with the experimental data,demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Investigation of adsorption behaviors of paraffin waxes on iron, iron oxide, and iron Ⅲ oxide pipeline's internal surfaces using adsorption locator model

Wax deposition in pipelines leads to pressure drop,reduced effective cross-sectional area,and blockages.Although mathematical models and experimental loops were used to model wax precipitation on pipeline surfaces,its prediction at molecular levels is not fully recognized.Molecular dynamics is another powerful approach that can predict wax precipitation at the molecular level.This paper uses molecular dynamics simulations with the adsorption locator model found in Material Studio Software to investigate the adsorption behaviors of Icosane-C20H42,Docosane-C22H46,and Tetracosane-C24H50 paraffin waxes on the Fe,FeO,and Fe2O3 pipeline internal surfaces.Modeling is performed by varying temperature values and validated with experimental data.It was found that as the temperature altered,the adsorption energies,probability energy distribution and adsorption density field on the surfaces also changed;on the other hand,the energetic analysis results showed adsorption energies increase with carbon numbers increase due to its larger surface contacting areas and lower aspect ratio,which resulted in stronger interaction with the surfaces.Further,paraffin waxes showed to adsorb easily on Fe surfaces than oxide surfaces.At temperatures below Wax Appearance Temperature(WAT)on both simulations and experiments showed wax deposition.The lower adsorption energy capacity observed on the Fe2O3 pipeline surface confirms it's vitality and suitability for crude oil transportation pipelines surface lining material.

Male external genitalia growth curves and charts for children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years in Chongqing, China

Genital size is a crucial index for the assessment of male sexual development, as abnormal penile or testicular size may be the earliest visible clinical manifestation of some diseases. However, there is a lack of data regarding penile and testicular size measurements for Chinese boys at all stages of childhood and puberty. This cross-sectional study aimed to develop appropriate growth curves and charts for male external genitalia among children and adolescents aged 0-17 years in Chongqing, China. A total of 2974 boys were enrolled in the present study. Penile length was measured using a rigid ruler, penile diameter was measured using a pachymeter, and testicular volume was determined using a Prader orchidometer. Age-specific percentile curves for penile length, penile diameter, and testicular volume were drawn using the generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape. Very similar growth curves were found for both penile length and penile diameter. Both of them gradually rose to 10 years of age and then sharply increased from 11 to 15 years of age. However, testicular volume changed little before the age of 10 years. This study contributes to the literature covering age-specific growth curve and charts about male external genitalia in Chinese children and adolescents. These age-related values are valuable in evaluating the growth and development status of male external genitalia and could be helpful in diagnosing genital disorders.