aster:Aster Models
Aster models (Geyer, Wagenius, and Shaw, 2007, <doi:10.1093/biomet/asm030>; Shaw, Geyer, Wagenius,
Hangelbroek, and Etterson, 2008, <doi:10.1086/588063>; Geyer,
Ridley, Latta, Etterson, and Shaw, 2013,
<doi:10.1214/13-AOAS653>) are exponential family regression
models for life history analysis. They are like generalized
linear models except that elements of the response vector can
have different families (e. g., some Bernoulli, some Poisson,
some zero-truncated Poisson, some normal) and can be dependent,
the dependence indicated by a graphical structure. Discrete
time survival analysis, life table analysis, zero-inflated
Poisson regression, and generalized linear models that are
exponential family (e. g., logistic regression and Poisson
regression with log link) are special cases. Main use is for
data in which there is survival over discrete time periods and
there is additional data about what happens conditional on
survival (e. g., number of offspring). Uses the exponential
family canonical parameterization (aster transform of usual
parameterization). There are also random effects versions of
these models.
