Non-rejective implementations of the Sampford sampling design

Sampford sampling is a method for unequal probability sampling. There exist several implementations of the Sampford sampling design which all are rejective methods, i.e. the sample is not always accepted. Thus the existing methods can be time consuming or even infeasible in some situations. In this paper, a fast and non-rejective list-sequential method, which works in all situations, is presented. The method is a modification of a previously existing rejective list-sequential method. Another list-sequential implementation of Sampford sampling is also presented.     

Consistency of the GMLE with Mixed Case Interval-Censored Data

In this paper we consider an interval censorship model in which the endpoints of the censoring intervals are determined by a two stage experiment. In the first stage the value k of a random integer is selected; in the second stage the endpoints are determined by a case k interval censorship model. We prove the strong consistency in the L ₁( μ )-topology of the non-parametric maximum likelihood estimate of the underlying survival function for a measure μ which is derived from the distributions of the endpoints. This consistency result yields strong consistency for the topologies of weak convergence, pointwise convergence and uniform convergence under additional assumptions. These results improve and generalize existing ones in the literature.     

Entropy of unequal probability sampling designs

There exist many designs for unequal probability sampling. In this paper entropy, which is a measure of randomness, is used to compare eight designs. Both old and commonly used designs and more recent designs are included. Several different and general estimates of entropy are presented. In the quest of finding entropy, expressions for the probability function are derived for different designs. One of them is a recent general design called correlated Poisson sampling. Several designs are close to having maximum entropy, which means that the designs are robust. A few designs yield low entropy and should therefore in general be avoided.     

Modelling of a thermomechanically coupled forming process based on functional outputs from a finite element analysis and from experimental measurements

In this paper, measurements from experiments and results of a finite element analysis (FEA) are combined in order to compute accurate empirical models for the temperature distribution before a thermomechanically coupled forming process. To accomplish this, Design and Analysis of Computer Experiments (DACE) is used to separately compute models for the measurements and the functional output of the FEA. Based on a hierarchical approach, a combined model of the process is computed. In this combined modelling approach, the model for the FEA is corrected by taking into account the systematic deviations from the experimental measurements. The large number of observations based on the functional output hinders the direct computation of the DACE models due to the internal inversion of the correlation matrix. Thus, different techniques for identifying a relevant subset of the observations are proposed. The application of the resulting procedure is presented, and a statistical validation of the empirical models is performed.     

Medical care and regional mortality differences within the countries of the European community

This paper addresses the question whether regional mortality differences within developed countries reflect differences in characteristics of medical care service. It adds two new elements to previous studies on this subject: it concentrates on selected ‘avoidable’ causes of death, and it makes parallel analyses for ten EC countries. The results show that levels of medical care supply contribute little to the explanation of regional differences in mortality from the selected conditions. It is concluded that if regional mortality differences are related to health care, factors other than the level of supply are probably involved.     

Nurses' Pay Formation in Swedish Health Call Centres

This article analyses the pay formation process for nurses in the new organizational form of health call centres (HCCs) in Sweden. It finds that HCC tele‐nurses have gained a better labour market position than both the average call centre employees in other sectors and some other nurses. This specialization of the nursing occupation may thus have importance for gendered pay formation in public healthcare. In evaluating pay formation, the article draws on case studies carried out by the author. It analyses the shift from centralized bargaining towards more decentralized and individualized pay formation and the importance of union organization, economic and professional factors that have contributed to relatively higher pay for these workers. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of this process for the gender pay gap in the state sector and limitations to future gains.     

Comparison of breastfeeding in rural areas of Sweden and Australia – a cohort study

BackgroundBreastfeeding rates in Sweden and Australia appears to be decreasing in both countries. National statistics shows that 87% of infants in Sweden and 73% in Australia receive any breastfeeding two months of age.AimTo compare women's experiences of breastfeeding in Sweden and Australia and to identify factors associated with breastfeeding two months after birth.MethodsA cohort study in two rural hospitals in mid Sweden (n = 300) and north-eastern Victoria in Australia (n = 91) during 2007–2009. Participants responded to questionnaires in mid pregnancy and two months after birth. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval were used to detect differences between women in both cohorts.FindingsWomen in Sweden (88.3%) were more likely to report any breastfeeding of the baby two months after birth (OR 2.41; 95% CI: 1.33–4.38) compared to women in Australia (75.8%) but were less satisfied with breastfeeding support and information. The most important factor associated with breastfeeding at two months postpartum for the Swedish women was to have received sufficient information about breastfeeding on the postnatal ward (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.41–4.76) while for the Australian women receiving the best possible help when breastfeeding for the first time was most important (OR 4.3; 95% CI 1.50–12.46).ConclusionThe results indicate that Swedish women were more likely than their Australian counterparts to breastfeed the baby two months after birth. The findings demonstrated the importance of sufficient information and help when breastfeeding is initiated.     

Origins and Destinations,but How Much and When? Educational Disparities in Smoking and Drinking Across Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Educational inequalities in health behaviors change dynamically across the life course. Yet, how parental and personal education interactively shape age-specific behavioral inequalities across the transition to adulthood has yet to be understood. Drawing on national Add Health data (N?=?12,605; 6,675 women and 5,930 men), we analyze age- and gender-specific trajectories of current smoking and binge drinking from adolescence to young adulthood. In line with previous work, we find that parental education associates with smoking and drinking disparities even after respondents’ own education is completed. Reciprocally, we also find that disparities by eventual educational attainment appear early. During the college years, higher parental education predicts higher—not lower—rates of binge drinking. We find that attaining higher education “against the odds” of an educationally disadvantaged family background circumscribes the lowest rates of smoking and drinking for men and women alike, and especially during the college years, while “falling from grace” by not attaining higher education at levels matching one’s parents predicts the highest levels of smoking and drinking for both genders during or after college. These results shed new light on the interactive socioeconomic processes that help to explain behavioral health gradients across adolescence and adulthood.