Abstract The principle of insufficient reason (PIR) assigns equal probabilities to each alternative of a random experiment whenever there is no reason to prefer one over the other. The maximum entropy principle (MaxEnt) generalizes PIR to the case where statistical information like expectations...

We show that individuals who are in poorer health, independently from smoking, are more likely to start smoking and to smoke more cigarettes than those with better non-smoking health. We present evidence of selection, relying on extensive data on morbidity and mortality. We show that health...

Abstract Mann–Whitney-type causal effects are clinically relevant, easy to interpret, and readily applicable to a wide range of study settings. This article considers estimation of such effects when the outcome variable is a survival time subject to right censoring. We derive and discuss...