Average age at death in infancy and infant mortality level: reconsidering the Coale-Demeny formulas at current levels of low mortality

The longterm historical decline in infant mortality has been accompanied by increasing concentration of infant deaths at the earliest stages of infancy. The influence of prenatal and neonatal conditions has become increasingly dominant relative to postnatal conditions as external causes of death such as infectious disease have been diminished. In the mid-1960s Coale and Demeny developed formulas describing the dependency of the average age of death in infancy on the level of infant mortality. Almost at the same time as Coale and Demeny’s analysis, as shown in this paper, in the more developed countries a steady rise in average age of infant death began. This paper demonstrates this phenomenon with several different data sources, including the linked individual birth and infant death datasets available from the US National Center for Health Statistics and the Human Mortality Database. A possible explanation for the increase in average age of death in infancy is proposed, and modifications of the Coale-Demeny formulas for practical application to contemporary low levels of mortality are offered.

Development of the elevation drive assembly for orbiting solar observatory I (EYE)

The requirements for pointing accuracy, friction, and power for the elevation drive assembly of an orbiting space observatory are discussed briefly. A description of the components making up the assembly is presented. Special features requiring development testing prior to unit fabrication are more fully described together with a review of the test programs conducted and results obtained

Coherent Exclusive Exponentiation for Precision Monte Carlo Calculations of Fermion Pair Production / Precision Predictions for (Un)stable W+W- Pairs

We present the new Coherent Exclusive Exponentiation (CEEX), in comparison to the older Exclusive Exponentiation (EEX) and the semi-analytical Inclusive Exponentiation (IEX), for the process e+e- -> f-bar f + n(gamma), f=mu,tau,d,u,s,c,b, with validity for centre of mass energies from tau lepton threshold to 1 TeV. We analyse 2f numerical results at the Z-peak, 189 GeV and 500 GeV. We also present precision calculations of the signal processes e+e- -> 4f in which the double resonant W+W- intermediate state occurs using our YFSWW3-1.14 MC. Sample 4f Monte Carlo data are explicitly illustrated in comparison to the literature at LEP2 energies. These comparisons show that a TU for the signal process cross section of 0.4 percent is valid for the LEP2 200 GeV energy. LC energy results are also shown.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Presented at ICHEP200

Psychological Issues in Online Adaptive Task Allocation

Adaptive aiding is an idea that offers potential for improvement over many current approaches to aiding in human-computer systems. The expected return of tailoring the system to fit the user could be in the form of improved system performance and/or increased user satisfaction. Issues such as the manner in which information is shared between human and computer, the appropriate division of labor between them, and the level of autonomy of the aid are explored. A simulated visual search task was developed. Subjects are required to identify targets in a moving display while performing a compensatory sub-critical tracking task. By manipulating characteristics of the situation such as imposed task-related workload and effort required to communicate with the computer, it is possible to create conditions in which interaction with the computer would be more or less desirable. The results of preliminary research using this experimental scenario are presented, and future directions for this research effort are discussed

Precision W-pair physics with the YFSWW3 and KoralW Monte Carlos

We present the recent developments in the precision studies of W-pair and single-W processes in e+e- collisions achieved with the help of the KoralW and YFSWW3 Monte Carlo generators. We focus on the theoretical precision of the measurements of M_W and anomalous couplings on the example of lambda coupling. We present the mechanism of running these two independent codes in the form of one Concurrent Monte Carlo code. We describe also the extensions of KoralW necessary to emulate the kinematical region of single-W process.Comment: Talk given by M. Skrzypek at 6th International Symposium on Radiative Corrections, 8-13 September 2002, Kloster Banz, German

W-Pair Production with YFSWW/KoralW

A theoretical description of W-pair production in terms of two complementary Monte Carlo event generators YFSWWand KoralW is presented. The way to combine the results of these two programs in order to get precise predictions for WW physics at LEP2 and LC energies is discussed.Comment: LateX file, 6 pages, conference contributio

First Observations of the Magnetic Field Geometry in Pre-stellar Cores

We present the first published maps of magnetic fields in pre-stellar cores, to test theoretical ideas about the way in which the magnetic field geometry affects the star formation process. The observations are JCMT-SCUBA maps of 850 micron thermal emission from dust. Linear polarizations at typically ten or more independent positions in each of three objects, L1544, L183 and L43 were measured, and the geometries of the magnetic fields in the plane of the sky were mapped from the polarization directions. The observed polarizations in all three objects appear smooth and fairly uniform. In L1544 and L183 the mean magnetic fields are at an angle of around 30 degrees to the minor axes of the cores. The L43 B-field appears to have been influenced in its southern half, such that it is parallel to the wall of a cavity produced by a CO outflow from a nearby T Tauri star, whilst in the northern half the field appears less disturbed and has an angle of 44 degrees to the core minor axis. We briefly compare our results with published models of magnetized cloud cores and conclude that no current model can explain these observations simultaneously with previous ISOCAM data.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figs, to appear in ApJ Letter

Melt-growth dynamics in CdTe crystals

We use a new, quantum-mechanics-based bond-order potential (BOP) to reveal melt-growth dynamics and fine-scale defect formation mechanisms in CdTe crystals. Previous molecular dynamics simulations of semiconductors have shown qualitatively incorrect behavior due to the lack of an interatomic potential capable of predicting both crystalline growth and property trends of many transitional structures encountered during the melt $\rightarrow$ crystal transformation. Here we demonstrate successful molecular dynamics simulations of melt-growth in CdTe using a BOP that significantly improves over other potentials on property trends of different phases. Our simulations result in a detailed understanding of defect formation during the melt-growth process. Equally important, we show that the new BOP enables defect formation mechanisms to be studied at a scale level comparable to empirical molecular dynamics simulation methods with a fidelity level approaching quantum-mechanical method

Exact O(α)O(\alpha) Gauge Invariant YFS Exponentiated Monte Carlo for (Un)Stable for (Un)Stable W+W−W^+W^- Production At and Beyond LEP2 Energies

We realize, by Monte Carlo event generator methods, the exact O}(\alpha)$YFS exponentiated calculation of$e^+e^- \to W^+ W^- (\to f_1\bar f'_1 + \bar f_2 f'_2)$at and beyond LEP2 energies, where the left-handed parts of$f_i$and$f'_i$are the respective upper and lower components of an$SU_{2L}$doublet,$i=1,2$. Our calculation is gauge invariant from the standpoint of its radiative effects and the respective YFS Monte Carlo event generator YFSWW3, wherein both Standard Model and anomalous triple gauge boson couplings are allowed, generates$n(\gamma)$radiation both from the initial state and from the final$W^+ W^-$. Sample Monte Carlo data are illustrated.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 1 Latex file which includes the figure