Forward Rates,Monetary Policy and the Economic Cycle

The short end of the yield curve incorporates essential information to forecast central banks' decisions, but in a biased manner. This article proposes a new method to forecast the Fed and the European Central Bank's decision rate by correcting the swap rates for their cyclical economic premium, using an affine term structure model. The corrected yields offer a higher out‐of‐sample forecasting power than the yields themselves. They also deliver forecasts that are either comparable or better than those obtained with a factor‐augmented vector autoregressive model, underlining the fact that yields are likely to contain at least as much information regarding monetary policy as a dataset composed of economic data series. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Making the abstract concrete: The role of norms and values in experimental modeling

Experimental modeling is the construction of theoretical models hand in hand with experimental activity. As explained in Section 1, experimental modeling starts with claims about phenomena that use abstract concepts, concepts whose conditions of realization are not yet specified; and it ends with a concrete model of the phenomenon, a model that can be tested against data. This paper argues that this process from abstract concepts to concrete models involves judgments of relevance, which are irreducibly normative. In Section 2, we show, on the basis of several case studies, how these judgments contribute to the determination of the conditions of realization of the abstract concepts and, at the same time, of the quantities that characterize the phenomenon under study. Then, in Section 3, we compare this view on modeling with other approaches that also have acknowledged the role of relevance judgments in science. To conclude, in Section 4, we discuss the possibility of a plurality of relevance judgments and introduce a distinction between locally and generally relevant factors.     

Forecasting VaR models under Different Volatility Processes and Distributions of Return Innovations

This paper provides clear‐cut evidence that the out‐of‐sample VaR (value‐at‐risk) forecasting performance of alternative parametric volatility models, like EGARCH (exponential general autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity) or GARCH, and Markov regime‐switching models, can be considerably improved if they are combined with skewed distributions of asset return innovations. The performance of these models is found to be similar to that of the EVT (extreme value theory) approach. The performance of the latter approach can also be improved if asset return innovations are assumed to be skewed distributed. The performance of the Markov regime‐switching model is considerably improved if this model allows for EGARCH effects, for all different volatility regimes considered. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Forecasting Death Rates Using Exogenous Determinants

Mortality models used for forecasting are predominantly based on the statistical properties of time series and do not generally incorporate an understanding of the forces driving secular trends. This paper addresses three research questions: Can the factors found in stochastic mortality‐forecasting models be associated with real‐world trends in health‐related variables? Does inclusion of health‐related factors in models improve forecasts? Do resulting models give better forecasts than existing stochastic mortality models? We consider whether the space spanned by the latent factor structure in mortality data can be adequately described by developments in gross domestic product, health expenditure and lifestyle‐related risk factors using statistical techniques developed in macroeconomics and finance. These covariates are then shown to improve forecasts when incorporated into a Bayesian hierarchical model. Results are comparable or better than benchmark stochastic mortality models. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploring Survey‐Based Inflation Forecasts

This paper first shows that survey‐based expectations (SBE) outperform standard time series models in US quarterly inflation out‐of‐sample prediction and that the term structure of survey‐based inflation forecasts has predictive power over the path of future inflation changes. It then proposes some empirical explanations for the forecasting success of survey‐based inflation expectations. We show that SBE pool a large amount of heterogeneous information on inflation expectations and react more flexibly and accurately to macro conditions both contemporaneously and dynamically. We illustrate the flexibility of SBE forecasts in the context of the 2008 financial crisis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Forecasting regional house price inflation: a comparison between dynamic factor models and vector autoregressive models

This paper uses the dynamic factor model framework, which accommodates a large cross‐section of macroeconomic time series, for forecasting regional house price inflation. In this study, we forecast house price inflation for five metropolitan areas of South Africa using principal components obtained from 282 quarterly macroeconomic time series in the period 1980:1 to 2006:4. The results, based on the root mean square errors of one to four quarters ahead out‐of‐sample forecasts over the period 2001:1 to 2006:4 indicate that, in the majority of the cases, the Dynamic Factor Model statistically outperforms the vector autoregressive models, using both the classical and the Bayesian treatments. We also consider spatial and non‐spatial specifications. Our results indicate that macroeconomic fundamentals in forecasting house price inflation are important. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

What do numerical (climate) models really represent?

The translation of a mathematical model into a numerical one employs various modifications in order to make the model accessible for computation. Such modifications include discretizations, approximations, heuristic assumptions, and other methods. The paper investigates the divergent styles of mathematical and numerical models in the case of a specific piece of code in a current atmospheric model. Cognizance of these modifications means that the question of the role and function of scientific models has to be reworked. Neither are numerical models pure intermediaries between theory and data, nor are they autonomous tools of inquiry. Instead, theory and data are transformed into a new symbolic form of research due to the fact that computation has become an essential requirement for every scientific practice. Therefore the question is posed: What do numerical (climate) models really represent?     

几个导出模型的BLU估计间的关系的研究

首先给出分块奇异模型的一种新的导出模型,得出其M2X1β的BLU估计;讨论分块模型与几个导出模型的BLU估计之间的关系,给出这几个分块导出模型的M2X1β的BLU估计相等的充要条件.     

基于有序Logistic回归模型的北京高校男生有氧能力

为探索北京高校男生有氧能力的影响因素,通过随机抽样法抽取134名18~25岁北京高校男生,空腹抽静脉血测血液指标,用德国MetaMax 3B系统实时监测气体代谢,通过线性递增方案测得VO2max相对值。基于Spearman相关、有序Logistic回归等分析方法进行分析处理。结果表明：北京高校男生有序Logistic回归方程：Ln{P(Y≤1|x)/1-P(Y≤1|x)}=-2.757-0.067*X1-0.025*X2+0.066*X3+0.018*X4-0.009*X5;Ln{P(Y≤2|x)/1-P(Y≤2|x)}=-0.771-0.067*X1-0.025*X2+0.066*X3+0.018*X4-0.009*X5（X1=体重、X2=心率(heart rate, HR)、X3=每搏输出量(stroke volume, SVI)、X4=心室射血时间(ventricular ejection time, VET)、X5=血红蛋白(hemoglobin, HGB)）。回归方程模型系数综合检验步(step)、块(block)、模型(model)检验的P值均小于0.01;拟合优度检验的-2对数似然值(-2LL)为159.374,Cox&SnellR2为0.331,NagelkerkeR2为0.373;预测等级1准确率为45.5%,等级2准确率为100%,等级3准确率为100%,综合为81.8%,说明Logistic回归模型性能良好。Hosmer和Lemeshow检验预测值与观望值无显著性差异（P>0.05）。可见北京高校男生定量负荷心功能、血液指标与有氧能力的多元Logistic回归模型拟合度较好,且HR、SVI、VET、HGB是有氧运动能力的重要预测因素。     

阀控非对称缸液压系统建模研究

考虑了阀控非对称缸液压系统中阀与缸之间采用软管连接的情况,构建了系统方程,推导了活塞杆在两个方向,活塞杆伸出和活塞杆缩回时的两个传递函数,分析了两个方向的增益与固有频率,采用了SimHydraulics实物仿真,仿真结果验证了对传递函数的理论分析.