Simulating the effect of demographic events on the household composition

The aim of this paper is to measure the effects on household composition of changes in demographic events, e.g. mortality, fertility, marriage, divorce. British household data are taken from the General Household Survey and aged by simulation to 2001 using a ‘Most Likely’ model. Subsequently different assumptions of each demographic event are taken from 1991 so that the effects of perturbations within each event can be studied. Special features of the simulation model are the differentiations between cohabitation and marriage and separation and divorce, and the detailed breakdowns of household types such as lone parents into single and previously married women and men with children aged 0–4, 5–15 and 16 and over.     

Polynomial approximations of multivariate smooth functions from quasi-random data

We improve a Monte Carlo algorithm which computes accurate approximations of smooth functions on multidimensional Tchebychef polynomials by using quasi-random sequences. We first show that the convergence of the previous algorithm is twice faster using these sequences. Then, we slightly modify this algorithm to make it work from a single set of random or quasi-random points. This especially leads to a Quasi-Monte Carlo method with an increased rate of convergence for numerical integration.     

Informed sub-sampling MCMC: approximate Bayesian inference for large datasets

Statistics and Computing - This paper introduces a framework for speeding up Bayesian inference conducted in presence of large datasets. We design a Markov chain whose transition kernel uses an...     

What is Important to Young Children Who Have Cancer While in Hospital?

This paper reports on a participatory research project exploring children’s experiences and views of cancer care services. It focusses on findings from interviews conducted with 10 children aged four and five years old. Play and puppets were used to help children express their views. The themes elicited reveal important aspects of hospital care for young children, such as having ‘lots of toys’ available and that ‘mummy and daddy are near’. The use of play and puppets as a data‐collection method is discussed, along with the implications of findings for the care and support of young children who have cancer.