On Bayesian optimum allocation in some two phase sampling problems

Summary For estimating certain parametric functions, we consider the problem of allocatingN _i, the size of the sample from theith population,i=1,2,...,k, at the second phase of sampling of a two phase sampling procedure, given that we taken _i observations from the population at the first phase. We consider that the observations from theith population follow the exponential distribution with mean _i,i=1,2,...,k, and the functions to be estimated are (i) (d_i/_i) and (ii) (d_ii). When the total cost of sampling at the second phase is c _iN_i and is fixed, allocations using the Bayes approach are obtained so that the estimation is as precise as is possible.     

A proposed method for the analysis of public health policy in less developed countries

The study of public health policy in the less developed countries (LDCs) is handicapped by both lack of adequate data and gaps in conceptual apparatus. A new conceptual model is proposed that would be used for future policy analyses to assess what changes in health status of population in LDCs can be expected as direct functions of increased health service resources, and of improved environmental and econosociocultural conditions.While direct policy analysis is ill-advised at this time due to data inadequacy, the model is illustrated using data presently available for twenty-five relatively homogeneous sub-Sahara African countries. Within the limitations of available data, the findings suggest that reductions in mortality in the region might best be achieved by making appropriate health resources available to the populations. Study findings also suggest that physicians contributed more during the study period to the variance in physical health status than did medical assistants.     

Het wetsvoorstel tot afschaffing der Jachtwet

Sneek, December 1873     

An empirical investigation of citizens' preferences among four energy scenarios

Within the context of the Jülich Compatibility Study on Energy Supply Systems the model of the planning cell was used to incorporate participation into the process of policy formulation and evaluation and to gain information about intuitive preferences concerning the four basic energy scenarios constructed by the Enquete Commission of the German Federal Parliament. Planning Cells consist of groups of citizens who are selected by random process and are given paid leave from their workday obligations for a limited period of time to work out solutions for social problems. A total of 24 planning cells were organized throughout Germany to evaluate the four energy scenarios and to formulate recommendations for the policy maker. As a result most citizens favored the more moderate scenarios [1, 5], but were almost equally divided in their preference distribution with respect to the pronuclear (option 2) and non-nuclear scenario (option 3). Using a simplified MAU-model to determine the preferences of each citizen, the surprising result was achieved that more than 40% of the participants reached the highest positive score for the most antinuclear, soft energy scenario. This result could be partly explained by cognitive factors and by preference group influence.