Guidance issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO published a guide to help federal agencies develop a Day One strategy to be executed during the last days of 1999 and the first days of 2000. The guide addresses four phases supported by executive oversight: (1) initiation; (2) rollover risk assessment, planning, and preparation; (3) rehearsal; and (4) execution, monitoring, responding, and reporting."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) new rule on FCC's regulations governing attribution ownership rule. GAO noted that: (1) the rule would amend FCC's broadcast, broadcast cable cross-ownership, and cable/Multipoint Distribution Service cross-ownership attribution rules; (2) according to FCC, the final rule improves the precision of the attribution rules, avoids disruption in the flow of capital to broadcasting, affords clarity and certainty to regulatees and markets, and facilitates application processing; and (3) FCC complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This is the German-language version of the journal of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). This journal contains articles regarding (1) the transformation in the South Africa Audit Office, (2) efforts to encourage regional cooperation in the auditing field, (3) establishment of national audit offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, (4) the supreme audit office of the Czech Republic, and (5) activities within INTOSAI."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This French-language edition of the journal of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) contains articles regarding: (1) the transformation in the South African Audit Office; (2) efforts to encourage regional cooperation in the auditing field; (3) establishment of national audit offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina; (4) the supreme audit office of the Czech Republic; and (5) activities within INTOSAI."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on efforts to protect the nation's critical infrastructures, focusing on: (1) GAO's recent findings on computer security and critical infrastructure protection; and (2) preliminary lessons learned from the year 2000 date conversion experience that can benefit critical infrastructure protection efforts."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the effects of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) on the Medicare program, focusing on the effects on three providers of post-acute care services--home health agencies (HHA), skilled nursing facilities (SNF), and providers of outpatient rehabilitation therapy--and on the health plans participating in the Medicare Choice program."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO provided information on establishing core competencies for financial managers in the federal government. This document highlights the knowledge, skills, and abilities that financial managers should develop in order to perform their functions effectively."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed federal agencies' efforts to implement the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act (FFMIA), focusing on: (1) compliance of chief financial officer (CFO) agencies' financial systems with FFMIA's requirements; (2) whether CFO agencies' financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards; and (3) agencies' plans to ensure that their systems comply with FFMIA requirements."

A staff study issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) experiences with budgeting for inflation, focusing on whether it is feasible for civilian agencies to also budget for inflation."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on whether the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) Office of Indian Gaming has a complete list of parcels acquired in trust for Indian gaming after the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was enacted."

This report summarizes work performed by Argonne National Laboratory on fatigue and environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) in light water reactors from July 1998 to December 1998. Topics that have been investigated include (a) environmental effects on fatigue S-N behavior of primary pressure boundary materials, (b) irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels (SSs), and (c) EAC of Alloys 600 and 690. Fatigue tests have been conducted to determine the crack initiation and crack growth characteristics of austenitic SSs in LWR environments. Procedures are presented for incorporating the effects of reactor coolant environments on the fatigue life of pressure vessel and piping steels. Slow-strain-rate tensile tests and posttest fractographic analyses were conducted on several model SS alloys irradiated to {approx}0.3 and 0.9 x 10{sup 21} n {center_dot} cm{sup -2} (E > 1 MeV) in helium at 289 C in the Halden reactor. The results have been used to determine the influence of alloying and impurity elements on the susceptibility of these steels to irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking. Fracture toughness J-R curve tests were also conducted on two heats of Type 304 SS that were irradiated to {approx}0.3 x 10{sup 21} n {center_dot} cm{sup -2} in the Halden reactor. Crack-growth-rate tests …

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We propose a partial differential equation (PDE) for filtering and segmentation of echocardiographic images based on a geometric-driven scheme. The method allows edge-preserving image smoothing and a semi-automatic segmentation of the heart chambers, that regularizes the shapes and improves edge fidelity especially in presence of distinct gaps in the edge map as is common in ultrasound imagery. A numerical scheme for solving the proposed PDE is borrowed from level set methods. Results on human in vivo acquired 2D, 2D+time,3D, 3D+time echocardiographic images are shown.

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The deuteron elastic structure functions, A(Q{sup 2}) and B(Q{sup 2}), have been extracted from cross section measurements of elastic electron-deuteron scattering in coincidence using the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator and Hall A Facilities of Jefferson Laboratory. Incident electrons were scattered off a high-power cryogenic deuterium target. Scattered electrons and recoil deuterons were detected in the two High Resolution Spectrometers of Hall A. A(Q{sup 2}) was extracted from forward angle cross section measurements in the squared four-momentum transfer range 0.684 ≤ Q{sup 2} ≤ 5.90 (GeV/c){sup 2}. B(Q{sup 2}) was determined by means of a Rosenbluth separation in the range 0.684 ≤ Q{sup 2} ≤ 1.325 (GeV/c){sup 2}. The data are compared to theoretical models based on the impulse approximation with the inclusion of meson-exchange currents and to predictions of quark dimensional scaling and perturbative quantum chromodynamics. The results are expected to provide insights into the transition from meson-nucleon to quark-gluon descriptions of the nuclear two-body system.

Past lead ore processing conducted in the Southeast Missouri Old Lead Belt since the 1700s has left numerous large areas of lead contamination in elevated piles of fine gravel waste called “chat” and dried-out tailings ponds. Wind suspension and atmospheric dispersion are known to transport these materials to the surrounding communities where the lead could pose a human health threat through inhalation or ingestion of the deposited contamination. The purpose of this study was to estimate potential wind suspension rates, perform dispersion modeling of the tailings and chat sources, and determine ground surface deposition rates and potential soil concentrations of lead in the surrounding areas. The results can be used to prioritize soil sampling locations, site air monitors, help identify the source of soil lead contamination, and to help develop remediation plans. Numerous, large complex sources in the region were parameterized into 33 area sources with the aid of digital aerial photos, digitized typographic maps, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, and site inspections. An AP-42 particulate emission model was used to estimate lower- and upper-bound hourly emission rates using six years of hourly wind speed data obtained from the St. Louis Airport. The emissions model accounted for wind speed, precipitation, …

A model is described for the movement of melted metallic material through a ceramic porous debris bed. The model is designed for the analysis of severe accidents in LWRs, wherein melted core plate material may slump onto the top of a porous bed of relocated core material supported by the lower head. The permeation of the melted core plate material into the porous debris bed influences the heatup of the debris bed and the heatup of the lower head supporting the debris. A model for mass transport of melted metallic material is applied that includes terms for viscosity and turbulence but neglects inertial and capillary terms because of their small value relative to gravity and viscous terms in the momentum equation. The relative permeability and passability of the porous debris are calculated as functions of debris porosity, particle size, and effective saturation. An iterative numerical solution is used to solve the set of nonlinear equations for mass transport. The effective thermal conductivity of the debris is calculated as a function of porosity, particle size, and saturation. The model integrates the equations for mass transport with a model for the two-dimensional conduction of heat through porous debris. The integrated model has …

The excellent high temperature strength and thermal conductivity of molybdenum-base alloys provide attractive features for components in advanced magnetic and inertial fusion devices. Refractory metal base alloys react readily with oxygen and other gases, and molybdenum alloys are susceptible to losses from highly volatile molybdenum trioxide (MoOsub3) species. Transport of radioactivity by the volatilization, migration, and re-deposition of MoO3 during a potential accident involving a loss of vacuum or inert environment represents a safety issue. We have experimentally measured the oxidation, volatilization and re-deposition of molybdenum from TZM in flowing air between 400 and 800°C. Calculations using chemical thermodynamic data for vapor pressures over pure MoOsub3 and a vaporization mass transfer model correlate well with experimental data between 600 and 800°C. Partial saturation of (MoOsub3) gas species account for influences of flow rate at 700°C. Some anomalies in oxidation rate below 650°C, suggesting that other phases, e.g., MoOsub2 or other non-stoichiometric oxides may influence oxidation and volatilization processes under some limited conditions.

Pure copper and Alloy 5083 aluminum were processed by equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE); their microstructural evolution and corresponding mechanical properties were investigated. Work also began on the possible use of ECAE to synthesize advanced materials or to consolidate metal powders or powder mixtures. The die tooling used for ECAE is described and selected microstructural and mechanical property results for ECAE-processed copper and cold-rolled (conventionally-processed) copper in the as-processed and annealed condition are compared. Results thus far show that the “pure” metal is prone to low temperature recrystallization after large strain hardening—more beneficial effects are expected in the dispersion-strengthened and precipitation-hardening alloys. The large range of tensile properties and grain sizes from the copper allowed a flow stress analysis to be performed. From this analysis, a new model for flow stress behavior is proposed. An evaluation of ECAE processing of material for spot welding electrodes began. Results to date include electrodes of ECAE-processed commercially pure copper (Alloy 101). Future work involving Glidcop® (Al2O3 oxide dispersionstrengthened copper) and CuCrZr (Cr-Zr precipitation dispersion) materials will be required to fully investigate the benefits of ECAE for electrode life extension. Initial work on Aluminum Alloy 5083 showed that ECAE led to grain refinement as …

The SCDAP/RELAP5 computer code is a best-estimate analysis tool for performing nuclear reactor severe accident simulations. This report describes the justification, theory, implementation, and testing of a new modeling capability which will refine the analysis of the movement of molten material from the core region to the vessel lower head. As molten material moves from the core region through the core support structures it may encounter conditions which will cause it to freeze in the region of the lower core plate, delaying its arrival to the vessel head. The timing of this arrival is significant to reactor safety, because during the time span for material relocation to the lower head, the core may be experiencing steam-limited oxidation. The time at which hot material arrives in a coolant-filled lower vessel head, thereby significantly increasing the steam flow rate through the core region, becomes significant to the progression and timing of a severe accident. This report is a revision of a report INEEL/EXT-00707, entitled "Preliminary Design Report for SCDAP/RELAP5 Lower Core Plate Model".

The Low-Activity Waste Process Technology Program at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) anticipates that large volumes of low-level/low-activity wastes will need to be grouted prior to near-surface disposal. During fiscal year 1999, grout formulations were studied for transuranic waste derived from INTEC liquid sodium-bearing waste and for projected newly generated low-level liquid waste. Additional studies were completed on radionuclide leaching, microbial degradation, waste neutralization, and a small mockup for grouting the INTEC underground storage tank residual heels.

Emission of “greenhouse gases” into the environment has become an increasing concern. Deregulation of the electrical market will allow consumers to select power suppliers that utilize “green power.” Geothermal power is classed as “green power” and has power emissions of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour of electricity than even the cleanest of fossil fuels, natural gas. However, previously published estimates of carbon dioxide emissions are relatively old and need revision. This study estimates that the average carbon dioxide emissions from geothermal and fossil fuel power plants are: geothermal 0.18 , coal 2.13, petroleum 1.56 , and natural gas 1.03 pounds of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour respectively.