A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The D.C. Family Court Act (P.L. 107-114) mandated that GAO examine the performance of the D.C. Family Court. GAO addressed the following objectives: (1) What procedures were used to make judicial appointments to the Family Court and what effect did qualification requirements have on appointment timeframes? (2) How timely was the Family Court in meeting established timeframes for transferring and resolving abuse and neglect cases, and what impact did magistrate judges have on the workload of judges and other personnel? (3) What progress has the D.C. Courts made in procuring permanent space? And (4) What progress have the Superior Court and District agencies made in sharing data from their computer systems? To address these objectives, GAO analyzed court data on its timeliness in resolving cases, reviewed the Family Court Act, applicable District laws, and reports required by the act; reviewed documents regarding the Family Court's progress in acquiring permanent space and those related to sharing data from the computer systems of the Superior Court and the District; and interviewed relevant District, Superior Court, and Family Court officials. In commenting on this report, the Superior Court agreed …

Monthly report written by the Texas Daily Newspaper Association's (TDNA's) office manager, Darla Thompson, to Phil Berkebile providing a summary of revenues and account balances, programs, meetings, and other activities in the office during the previous month.

This report discusses privilege under the Court Recognition of Fifth Amendment Protection for Acts of Production. The privilege covers an individual’s actions rather than his speech or writing, yet many incriminating actions such as providing a blood sample or a handwriting sample are ordinarily not protected because they are not testimonial.

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This report provides information about the Current Tax Benefits and Legislative Issues on Dependent Care. The dependent care tax credit use the same definition of qualified employment related expenses.

This report analyzes the elections and key issues facing the new government of Croatia in 2003.

The sixth evaluation of the RIKEN BNL Research Center (RBRC) took place on November 20-21, 2003, at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The present members of the Scientific Review Committee are Dr. Jean-Paul Blaizot, Professor Makoto Kobayashi, Dr. Akira Masaike, Professor Charles Young Prescott (absent), Professor Stephen Sharpe, and Professor Jack Sandweiss, Committee Chair. In order to illustrate the breadth and scope of the program, each member of the Center made a presentation on his research efforts. In addition, a special presentation was given jointly by our collaborators, Professors Norman Christ and Robert Mawhinney of Columbia University, on the progress and status of the IRBRC QCDSP/QCDOC Supercomputer program. A demonstration of a 64-node (64 Gflops peak speed) QCDOC machine in action followed. Although the main purpose of this review is a report to RIKEN Management (Dr. Ryoji Noyori, RIKEN President) on the health, scientific value, management and future prospects of the Center, the RBRC management felt that a compendium of the scientific presentations are of sufficient quality and interest that they warrant a wider distribution. Therefore we have made this compilation and present it to the community for its information and enlightenment.

A method and system for making a monolithic intermetallic structure are presented. The structure is made from lamina blanks which comprise multiple layers of metals which are patternable, or intermetallic lamina blanks that are patternable. Lamina blanks are patterned, stacked and registered, and processed to form a monolithic intermetallic structure. The advantages of a patterned monolithic intermetallic structure include physical characteristics such as melting temperature, thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance. Applications are broad, and include among others, use as a microreactor, heat recycling device, and apparatus for producing superheated steam. Monolithic intermetallic structures may contain one or more catalysts within the internal features.

This study involves the investigation of nuclear genetic components that regulate mitochondrial genome behavior in higher plants. The approach utilizes the advanced plant model system of Arabidopsis thaliana to identify and functionally characterize multiple components of the mitochondrial DNA replication, recombination and mismatch repair system and their interaction partners. The rationale for the research stems from the central importance of mitochondria to overall cellular metabolism and the essential nature of the mitochondrial genome to mitochondrial function. Relatively little is understood about mitochondrial DNA maintenance and transmission in higher eukaryotes, and the higher plant mitochondrial genome displays unique properties and behavior. This investigation has revealed at least three important properties of plant mitochondrial DNA metabolism components. (1) Many are dual targeted to mitochondrial and chloroplasts by novel mechanisms, suggesting that the mitochondria a nd chloroplast share their genome maintenance apparatus. (2)The MSH1 gene, originating as a component of mismatch repair, has evolved uniquely in plants to participate in differential replication of the mitochondrial genome. (3) This mitochondrial differential replication process, termed substoichiometric shifting and also involving a RecA-related gene, appears to represent an adaptive mechanism to expand plant reproductive capacity and is likely present throughout the plant kingdom.

The authors are studying the effects of light dynamical quarks on the excitation energies of a flux tube between a static quark and antiquark. They report preliminary results of an analysis of the ground state potential and the {Sigma}{prime}{sub g}{sup +} and II{sub u} potentials. They have measured these potentials on closely matched ensembles of gauge configurations, generated in the quenched approximation and with 2+1 flavors of Asqtad improved staggered quarks.

This report is intended to provide guidance on the process for petitioning the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to initiate a rulemaking that could reduce the licensing burden for new products containing depleted uranium (DU), which are being investigated by the DU Uses Research and Development (R&D) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The focus is on requirements of the NRC rulemaking process applicable to establishing new exemptions or general licenses for products and devices containing source material. NRC policies and guidance regarding such requirements are described, including a 1965 policy statement on approval of new exemptions for products containing radionuclides (''Federal Register'', Volume 30, page 3462 [30 FR 3462]; March 16, 1965) and Regulatory Guide 6.7, which addresses the contents of environmental reports that support rulemaking petitions seeking exemptions for radionuclide-containing products. Methodologies for calculating radiological and nonradiological impacts on human health (i.e., risks) associated with distributing, using, and disposing of DU-containing products are presented. Also, methodologies for completing assessments of the potential effects of accidents involving new DU-containing products and of product misuse are described. The report recommends that the U.S. Department of Energy formulate a regulatory plan for deployment of DU-containing products in areas that are …

Pseudofermion methods for extracting all-point quark propagators are reviewed, with special emphasis on techniques for reducing or eliminating autocorrelations induced by low eigenmodes of the quark Dirac operator. Recent applications, including high statistics evaluations of hadronic current correlators and the pion form factor, are also described.

The 8 layer, 720k channel CDF Run II silicon detector is an essential part of the heavy flavor tagging and forward tracking capabilities of the CDF experiment. A summary of the experience in commissioning and operating this double-sided detector during the first 2 years of Run II is presented. The performances of the silicon in term of resolution, efficiency are also described. The results of the studies of radiation damage and the expected operational limits are discussed. A short description of the SVT, the Level 2 Silicon Vertex Trigger, one of the major upgrades related to the new silicon device is also presented. Finally, some of the many physics results achieved by means of the new Silicon+SVT machinery are also reviewed.

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In Life Cycle Assessment and Comparative Risk Assessment potential human exposure to toxic pollutants can be expressed as the human intake fraction (iF), representing the fraction of the quantity emitted that enters the human population. To assess model uncertainty in the human intake fraction, ingestion and inhalation iFs of 367 substances emitted to air and freshwater were calculated with two commonly applied multi-media fate and exposure models, CalTOX and USES-LCA. Comparison of the model outcomes reveal that uncertainty in the ingestion iFs was up to a factor of 70. The uncertainty in the inhalation iFs was up to a factor of 865,000. The comparison showed that relatively few model differences account for the uncertainties found. An optimal model structure in the calculation of human intake fractions can be achieved by including (1) rain and no-rain scenarios, (2) a continental sea water compartment, (3) drinking water purification, (4) pH-correction of chemical properties, and (5) aerosol-associated deposition on plants. Finally, vertical stratification of the soil compartment combined with a chemical-dependent soil depth may be considered in future intake fraction calculations.

A new Time of Flight (TOF) detector based on scintillator bars with fine-mesh photomultipliers at both ends has been in operation since 2001 in the CDF experiment. With a design resolution of 100 ps, the TOF can provide separation between K{sup +-} and {pi}{sup +-} in p{bar p} collisions at the 2{omega} level for low momentum, which enhances b flavor tagging capabilities. Because of its very fast response, the TOF is an excellent triggering device, and it is used to trigger on highly ionizing particles, multiple minimum ionizing particles and cosmic rays. Particle identification is achieved by comparing the time-of-flight of the particle measured by the TOF to the time expected for a given mass hypothesis. In order to obtain the resolution necessary for particle ID, optimal calibrations are critical. This paper describes the TOF detector, its calibration procedure, the achieved resolution, the long term operation performances and some of the first results from data analysis using this detector.

As a test of the chiral properties of the improved Asqtad (staggered fermion) action, we have been measuring the topological susceptibility as a function of quark masses for 2 + 1 dynamical flavors. We report preliminary results, which show reasonable agreement with leading order chiral perturbation theory for lattice spacing less than 0.1 fm. The total topological charge, however, shows strong persistence over Monte Carlo time.

Elementary students are using the internet to experience virtual field trips to learn about areas that they are not able to experience in person. This poster presentation describes a virtual field trip taken by Mendoza Elementary School, Las Vegas, Nevada classes during the summer of 2003. The authors, who are DataStreme Learning Implementation Team members, drove from Las Vegas to Seattle for the annual DataStreme Summer Workshop. During the trip and in Seattle, the authors communicated through the internet with classrooms in Las Vegas. Weather information, pictures, and pertinent information about Seattle or the enroute area were sent to the classes each day. The students then compared the weather in Las Vegas with the weather and clouds from the communication. Fourth grade students were studying about volcanoes and were excited to hear about, and see pictures of, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, Mt. St. Helen and Mt. Rainier during the virtual field trip. Classes were able to track the route taken on a map during the virtual field trip.

Daily newspaper from Baytown, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

The DNA in eukaryotic cells is tightly packaged as chromatin through interactions with histone proteins to form nucleosomes. These nucleosomes are themselves packed together through interactions with linker histone and non-histone proteins. In order for processes such as DNA replication, DNA repair, and transcription to occur, the chromatin fiber must be remodeled such that the necessary enzymes can access the DNA. The structure of the chromatin fiber beyond the level of the single nucleosome and the structural changes which accompany the remodeling process are poorly understood. We are studying the structures and forces behind the remodeling process through the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM). This allows both high-resolution imaging of the chromatin, and manipulation of individual fibers. Pulling a single chromatin fiber apart using the AFM tip yields information on the forces which hold the structure together. We have isolated chromatin fibers from chicken erythrocytes and Chinese hamster ovary cell lines. AFM images of these fibers will be presented, along with preliminary data from the manipulation of these fibers using the AFM tip. The implications of these data for the structure of chromatin undergoing the remodeling process are discussed.

The MultiScale ThermoHydrologic Model is used to predict thermal-hydrologic conditions in emplacement drifts and the adjoining host-rock throughout a proposed nuclear waste repository. The presented modeling effort simulates a lower temperature operation mode with a different panel loading than the repository currently being considered for the Yucca Mountain license application. Simulations address the influence of repository-scale thermal-conductivity heterogeneity and the influence of pre-closure operational factors on thermal-loading conditions. MSTHM can accommodate a complex repository layout, a development that, along with other improvements, enables more rigorous analyses of preclosure operational factors. Differences in MSTHM output occurring with these new capabilities are noted for a new sequential waste-package loading technique compared to a standard simultaneous loading technique. Alternative approaches to modeling repository-scale thermal-conductivity heterogeneity in the host-rock units are investigated, and study incorporating geostatistically-varied host-rock thermal conductivity is discussed.

In the discrete ordinates, or SN, numerical solution of the transport equation, both the spatial ({und r}) and angular ({und {Omega}}) dependences on the angular flux {psi}{und r},{und {Omega}}are modeled discretely. While significant effort has been devoted toward improving the spatial discretization of the angular flux, we focus on improving the angular discretization of {psi}{und r},{und {Omega}}. Specifically, we employ a Petrov-Galerkin quadratic finite element approximation for the differencing of the angular variable ({mu}) in developing the one-dimensional (1D) spherical geometry S{sub N} equations. We develop an algorithm that shows faster convergence with angular resolution than conventional S{sub N} algorithms.

The purpose of this report is to provide an approach for the development of a simplified unclassified hydrologic source term (HST) for the ten underground nuclear tests conducted in the Frenchman Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU) at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). It is being prepared in an analytic form for incorporation into a GOLDSIM (Golder Associates, 2000) model of radionuclide release and migration in the Frenchman Flat CAU. This model will be used to explore, in an approximate and probabilistic fashion, sensitivities of the 1,000-year radionuclide contaminant boundary (FFACO, 1996; 2000) to hydrologic and other related parameters. The total inventory (or quantity) of radionuclides associated with each individual test, regardless of its form and distribution, is referred to as the radiologic source term (RST) of that test. The subsequent release of these radionuclides over time into groundwater is referred to as the hydrologic source term (HST) of that test (Tompson, et al., 2002). The basic elements of the simplified hydrologic source term model include: (1) Estimation of the volumes of geologic material physically affected by the tests. (2) Identification, quantification, and distribution of the radionuclides of importance. (3) Development of simplified release and retardation models for these radionuclides in …

In response to concerns expressed by the California Legislature and the citizenry of the State of California, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), implemented a program to assess groundwater quality, and provide a predictive capability for identifying areas that are vulnerable to contamination. The program was initiated in response to concern over public supply well closures due to contamination by chemicals such as MtBE from gasoline, and solvents from industrial operations. As a result of this increased awareness regarding groundwater quality, the Supplemental Report of the 1999 Budget Act mandated the SWRCB to develop a comprehensive ambient groundwater-monitoring plan, and led to the initiation of the Ambient Groundwater Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The primary objective of the GAMA Program is to assess the water quality and to predict the relative susceptibility to contamination of groundwater resources throughout the state of California. Under the GAMA program, scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) collaborate with the SWRCB, the U.S. Geological Survey, the California Department of Health Services (DHS), and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to implement this groundwater assessment program. In 2001 and 2002, LLNL carried out this vulnerability study in the groundwater basins of Santa Clara …