Partially Linear Additive Hazards Regression for Bivariate Interval-Censored Data.

In this paper, we discuss regression analysis of bivariate interval-censored failure time data that often occur in biomedical and epidemiological studies. To solve this problem, we propose a kind of general and flexible copula-based semiparametric partly linear additive hazards models that can allow for both time-dependent covariates and possible nonlinear effects. For inference, a sieve maximum likelihood estimation approach based on Bernstein polynomials is proposed to estimate the baseline hazard functions and nonlinear covariate effects. The resulting estimators of regression parameters are shown to be consistent, asymptotically efficient and normal. A simulation study is conducted to assess the finite-sample performance of this method and the results show that it is effective in practice. Moreover, an illustration is provided.