This annual report is a deliverable for fiscal year 2006 (FY06) for Project 2002-077-00, Facilitation of the Estuary/Ocean Subgroup (EOS). The EOS is part of the research, monitoring, and evaluation (RME) effort the Action Agencies (Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation) developed in response to the 2000 and 2004 Biological Opinions on operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System. The goal of the EOS project is to facilitate activities of the estuary/ocean RME subgroup as it coordinates implementation of the Estuary RME Plan. In FY06, EOS project accomplishments included: 1) subgroup meetings; 2) participation in the estuary work group of the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership; 3) project management via the project tracking system, PISCES; 4) quarterly project status reports; and 5) a major revision to the Estuary RME Plan (new version May 2006) based on comments by EOS members, the Independent Scientific Review Panel, and other reviewers. In the context of uncertainty about the direction of the federal RME due to litigation on the FCRPS Biological Opinion, FY06 activities for the EOS project resulted in expanded substantive coordination with other regional RME forums, project tracking infrastructure, and a new version of the …

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The purpose of this report is to document the status of revegetation projects and natural resources mitigation efforts that have been conducted for remediated waste sites and other activities associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act cleanup of National Priorities List waste sites at Hanford. One of the objectives of restoration is the revegetation of remediated waste sites to stabilize the soil and restore the land to native vegetation. The report documents the results of revegetation and mitigation monitoring conducted in 2006 and includes 11 revegetation/restoration projects, one revegetation/mitigation project, and 2 bat habitat mitigation projects.

This Contractor Performance Plan is a detailed execution plan covering fiscal years 2007 and 2008 that implements the Integration Project Baseline in a more aggressive cost and schedule approach.

Monomeric thiosalicylaldiminate complexes of rhodium(I) and iridium(I) were prepared by ligand transfer from the homoleptic zinc(II) species. In the presence of strongly donating ligands, the iridium complexes undergo insertion of the metal into the imine carbon-hydrogen bond. Thiophenoxyketimines were prepared by non-templated reaction of o-mercaptoacetophenone with anilines, and were complexed with rhodium(I), iridium(I), nickel(II) and platinum(II). X-ray crystallographic studies showed that while the thiosalicylaldiminate complexes display planar ligand conformations, those of the thiophenoxyketiminates are strongly distorted. Results of a computational study were consistent with a steric-strain interpretation of the difference in preferred ligand geometries.

Alternatives to the usual picture of advanced tokamak (AT) discharges are those that form when anomalous effects alter the plasma current and pressure profiles and those that achieve stationary characteristics through mechanisms so that a measure of desired AT features is maintained without external current-profile control. Regimes exhibiting these characteristics are those where the safety factor (q) evolves to a stationary profile with the on-axis and minimum q {approx} 1 and those with a deeply hollow current channel and high values of q. Operating scenarios with high fusion performance at low current and where the inductively driven current density achieves a stationary configuration with either small or non-existing sawteeth may enhance the neutron fluence per pulse on ITER and future burning plasmas. Hollow current profile discharges exhibit high confinement and a strong ''box-like'' internal transport barrier (ITB). We present results providing evidence for current profile formation and evolution exhibiting features consistent with anomalous effects or with self-organizing mechanisms. Determination of the underlying physical processes leading to these anomalous effects is important for scaling of current experiments for application in future burning plasmas.

Published gyrokinetic continuum-code simulations indicated levels of the electron thermal conductivity {chi}{sub e} due to electron-temperature-gradient (ETG) turbulence large enough to be significant in some tokamaks, while subsequent global particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations gave significantly lower values. We have carried out an investigation of this discrepancy. We have reproduced the key features of the aforementioned PIC simulations using the flux-tube gyrokinetic PIC code, PG3EQ, thereby eliminating global effects and as the cause of the discrepancy. We show that the late-time low-transport state in both of these sets of PIC simulations is a result of discrete particle noise, which is a numerical artifact. Thus, the low value of {chi}{sub e} along with conclusions about anomalous transport drawn from these particular PIC simulations are unjustified. In our attempts to benchmark PIC and continuum codes for ETG turbulence at the plasma parameters used above, both produce very large intermittent transport. We have therefore undertaken benchmarks at an alternate reference point, magnetic shear s=0.1 instead of s=0.796, and have found that PIC and continuum codes reproduce the same transport levels. Scans in the magnetic shear show an abrupt transition to a high-{chi}{sub e} state as the shear is increased above s=0.4. When nonadiabatic ions are …

This poster, submitted for the CU Energy Initiative/NREL Symposium on October 3, 2006 in Boulder, Colorado, looks at the impacts, emissions, and avoided gasoline due to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

This poster, submitted for the CU Energy Initiative/NREL Symposium on October 3, 2006 held in Boulder, Colorado, discusses best practices for determining the impacts of municipal programs on energy use, air quality, and other costs and benefits.

This poster, submitted for the CU Energy Initiative/NREL Symposium on October 3, 2006 in Boulder, Colorado, discusses the interaction between carbon markets and renewable energy markets.

This poster, submitted for the CU Energy Initiative/NREL Symposium on October 3, 2006 in Boulder, Colorado, discusses the modeling, performance, cost, and financing of concentrating solar, photovoltaic, and solar heat systems.

The Plus Operator thus provides a mechanism to group modules of similar output so that the output can be combined and supplied to downstream modules. This document provides requirements, the design, data-file specifications, the test plan, and the quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) protocol for the Plus Operator.

We discuss uncertainties and possible sources of errors associated with the determination of the diffuse Galactic {gamma}-ray emission using the EGRET data. Most of the issues will be relevant also in the GLAST era. The focus here is on issues that impact evaluation of dark matter annihilation signals against the diffuse {gamma}-ray emission of the Milky Way.

Transforming growth factor-{alpha} (TGF{alpha}) and fibroblast growth factor-7 (FGF7) exhibit distinct expression patterns in the mammary gland. Both factors signal through mitogen-activated kinase/extracellular regulated kinase-1,2 (MAPK{sup ERK1,2}); however, their unique and/or combined contributions to mammary morphogenesis have not been examined. In ex vivo mammary explants, we show that a sustained activation of MAPK{sup ERK1,2} for 1 h, induced by TGF{alpha}, was necessary and sufficient to initiate branching morphogenesis, whereas a transient activation (15 min) of MAPK{sup ERK1,2}, induced by FGF7, led to growth without branching. Unlike TGF{alpha}, FGF7 promoted sustained proliferation as well as ectopic localization of, and increase in, keratin-6 expressing cells. The response of the explants to FGF10 was similar to that to FGF7. Simultaneous stimulation by FGF7 and TGF{alpha} indicated that the FGF7-induced MAPK{sup ERK1,2} signaling and associated phenotypes were dominant: FGF7 may prevent branching by suppression of two necessary TGF{alpha}-induced morphogenetic effectors, matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3/stromelysin-1), and fibronectin. Our findings indicate that expression of morphogenetic effectors, proliferation, and cell-type decisions during mammary organoid morphogenesis are intimately dependent on the duration of activation of MAPK{sup ERK1,2} activation.

Dielectric, adhesion-promoting, moisture barriers comprised of silicon oxynitride thin film materials (SiOxNy with various material stoichiometric compositions x,y) were applied to: 1) bare and pre-coated soda-lime silicate glass (coated with transparent conductive oxide SnO2:F and/or aluminum), and polymer substrates (polyethylene terephthalate, PET, or polyethylene napthalate, PEN); plus 2) pre- deposited photovoltaic (PV) cells and mini-modules consisting of amorphous silicon (a-Si) and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film PV technologies. We used plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process with dilute silane, nitrogen, and nitrous oxide/oxygen gas mixtures in a low-power (< or = 10 milliW per cm2) RF discharge at ~ 0.2 Torr pressure, and low substrate temperatures < or = 100(degrees)C, over deposition areas ~ 1000 cm2. Barrier properties of the resulting PV cells and coated-glass packaging structures were studied with subsequent stressing in damp-heat exposure at 85(degrees)C/85% RH. Preliminary results on PV cells and coated glass indicate the palpable benefits of the barriers in mitigating moisture intrusion and degradation of the underlying structures using SiOxNy coatings with thicknesses in the range of 100-200 nm.

This report presents the results of Jones & Stokes special-status plant surveys and vegetation mapping for the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Special-status plant surveys were conducted at Site 300 in April to May 1997 and in March to April 2002. Eight special-status plants were identified at Site 300: large-flowered fiddleneck, big tarplant, diamond-petaled poppy, round-leaved filaree, gypsum-loving larkspur, California androsace, stinkbells, and hogwallow starfish. Maps identifying the locations of these species, a discussion of the occurrence of these species at Site 300, and a checklist of the flora of Site 300 are presented. A reconnaissance survey of the LLNL Livermore Site was conducted in June 2002. This survey concluded that no special-status plants occur at the Livermore Site. Vegetation mapping was conducted in 2001 at Site 300 to update a previous vegetation study done in 1986. The purpose of the vegetation mapping was to update and to delineate more precisely the boundaries between vegetation types and to map vegetation types that previously were not mapped. The vegetation map is presented with a discussion of the vegetation classification used.

This document describes concepts associated with transferring temporal and spatial boundary conditions between modules in FRAMES and how FRAMES might consider dynamic feedback.

This poster, submitted for the CU Energy Initiative/NREL Symposium on October 3, discusses the impacts of renewable fuel and electricity standards on state economies.

The study shall assess the feasibility of a commercial wind facility on lands selected and owned by the Salish and Kootenai Tribes and shall examine the potential for the development of solar and biomass resources located on Tribal Lands.