A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "While prescription drugs have become an increasingly important part of health care for the elderly, more than one-quarter of all Medicare beneficiaries have no prescription drug coverage. Over the past decade, private companies and not-for-profit organizations have sponsored prescription drug discount cards that offer discounts from the prices the elderly would otherwise have to pay for their prescriptions. These cards are typically administered by pharmacy benefit managers (PBM). Pharmaceutical manufacturers also sponsor and administer their own discount cards. The Administration has been interested in endorsing specific drug cards for Medicare beneficiaries to make the discounts more widely available. Legislative proposals in the Senate and House of Representatives have included drug cards as a means to lower prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. GAO was asked to examine how existing drug discount cards work and the prices available to card holders. Specifically, GAO evaluated the extent to which PBM-administered drug discount cards offer savings off non-card prices at 40 pharmacies in California, North Dakota, and Washington, D.C., and the differences between PBM-administered cards and cards sponsored by pharmaceutical manufacturers."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is based on principles of openness and accountability in government. FOIA establishes that federal agencies must provide the public with access to government information, unless the information falls into one of nine specifically exempted categories (for example, certain information compiled for law enforcement purposes). However, agencies can use their discretion to disclose information even if it falls into one of the nine exempted categories; this is known as a "discretionary disclosure." At the beginning of a new administration, the Attorney General traditionally issues a policy memorandum regarding FOIA, including policy on discretionary disclosure. Attorney General Ashcroft issued such a memorandum on October 12, 2001, replacing Attorney General Reno's 1993 FOIA memorandum. GAO was asked to determine (1) to what extent, if any, Department of Justice guidance for agencies on FOIA implementation has changed as a result of the new policy; (2) the views of FOIA officers at 25 agencies regarding the new policy and its effects, if any; and (3) the views of FOIA officers at 25 agencies regarding available FOIA guidance."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1996, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) undertook a human capital reform effort under one of the most flexible human capital management environments in the federal government, including broad exemptions from title 5 laws governing federal civilian personnel management. GAO was asked (1) to examine the changes FAA initiated in its reform effort, including whether they required an exemption from title 5 and their implementation status; (2) determine the effects of the reform effort according to available data and the views of FAA officials, managers, and employees; and (3) assess the extent to which FAA's reform effort incorporated elements that are important to effective human capital management."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Smart cards--credit-card-like devices that use integrated circuit chips to store and process data--offer a range of potential uses for the federal government, particularly in increasing security for its many physical and information assets. GAO was asked to review the use of smart cards across the federal government (including identifying potential challenges), as well as the effectiveness of the General Services Administration (GSA) in promoting government adoption of smart card technologies."

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) molybdenum has been characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to determine the effects of irradiation on material microstructure. This work describes the results-to-date from TEM characterization of unirradiated and irradiated ODS molybdenum. The general microstructure of the unirradiated material consists of fine molybdenum grains (< 5 {micro}m average grain size) with numerous low angle boundaries and isolated dislocation networks. 'Ribbon'-like lanthanum oxides are aligned along the working direction of the product form and are frequently associated with grain boundaries, serving to inhibit grain boundary and dislocation movement. In addition to the 'ribbons', discrete lanthanum oxide particles have also been detected. After irradiation, the material is characterized by the presence of nonuniformly distributed large ({approx} 20 to 100 nm in diameter), multi-faceted voids, while the molybdenum grain size and oxide morphology appear to be unaffected by irradiation.

The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provides rules for the construction of nuclear power plant components. The Code specifies fatigue design curves for structural materials. However, the effects of light water reactor (LWR) coolant environments are not explicitly addressed by the Code design curves. Existing fatigue strain-vs.-life ({var_epsilon}-N) data illustrate potentially significant effects of LWR coolant environments on the fatigue resistance of pressure vessel and piping steels. This report provides an overview of the existing fatigue {var_epsilon}-N data for carbon and low-alloy steels and wrought and cast austenitic SSs to define the effects of key material, loading, and environmental parameters on the fatigue lives of the steels. Experimental data are presented on the effects of surface roughness on the fatigue life of these steels in air and LWR environments. Statistical models are presented for estimating the fatigue {var_epsilon}-N curves as a function of the material, loading, and environmental parameters. Two methods for incorporating environmental effects into the ASME Code fatigue evaluations are discussed. Data available in the literature have been reviewed to evaluate the conservatism in the existing ASME Code fatigue evaluations. A critical review of the margins for ASME Code fatigue design curves is presented.

Three sets of ten time histories each were developed to represent the ground motions for each of the three return periods. All of the time histories are provided as pairs of fault-normal and fault-parallel components. The ground motion time histories are provided in two forms: unmodified, and spectrally modified to match the probabilistic response spectra. The unmodified time histories can be scaled to match the probabilistic response spectra at a specified period, such as the first mode period of the structure being analyzed, while leaving the shape of the response spectrum unmodified. This approach preserves the particular characteristics of the individual time history, together with the peaks and troughs of its response spectrum. These individual characteristics are modified in the spectrally matched time histories, resulting in a suite of ten time histories (for a given return period) that all have the same response spectrum for a given component (fault normal or fault parallel) that follows the smooth shape of the probabilistic response spectrum.

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.

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.

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.

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The Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) face common security challenges from crime, corruption, terrorism, and faltering commitments to economic and democratic reforms. This report contains information on Central Asia's external security context, security problems and progress, border tensions, crime and corruption, economic and defense security, implications for U.S. interests, U.S. security assistance, and related issues and figures.

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The present paper reports the results of an attempt aimed at the synthesis of element 118 in the reaction {sup 249}Cf({sup 48}Ca,3n){sup 294}118. The experiment was performed employing the Dubna Gas-filled Recoil Separator and the U400 heavy-ion cyclotron at FLNR, JINR, Dubna. In the course of a 2300-hour irradiation of an enriched {sup 249}Cf target (0.23 mg/cm{sup 2}) with a beam of 245-MeV {sup 48}Ca ions, we accumulated a total beam dose of 2.5 x 10{sup 19} ions. We detected two events that may be attributed to the formation and decay of nuclei with Z=118. For one event, we observed a decay chain of two correlated {alpha}-decays with corresponding energies and correlation times of E{sub {alpha}1} = 11.65 {+-} 0.06 MeV, t{sub {alpha}1} = 2.55 ms and E{sub {alpha}2} = 10.71 {+-} 0.17 MeV, t{sub {alpha}2} = 42.1 ms and, finally, a spontaneous fission with the sum of the kinetic energies of the fission fragments E{sub tot} = 207 MeV (TKE {approx} 230 MeV) and t{sub SF} = 0.52 s. In the second event chain, the recoil nucleus decayed into two fission fragments with E{sub tot} = 223 MeV (TKE {approx} 245 MeV) 3.16 ms later, without intervening {alpha} decays. …

COGEMA Engineering Corporation (COGEMA), under contract from CH2M Hill Hanford Group (CH2M Hill), has performed an ultrasonic examination of selected portions of Double-Shell Tank 241-AN-105. The purpose of this examination was to provide information that could be used to evaluate the integrity of the wall of the primary tank. The requirements for the ultrasonic examination of Tank 241-AN-105 were to detect, characterize, (idetify, size, and locate), and recod measurements made of any wall thinning, pitting, or cracks that might be present in the wall of the primary tank. Any measurements that exceed the requirements set forth in the Engineering Task Plan (ETP), RPP-8867, are reported to CH2M Hill and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for further evaluation. Under the contract with CH2M Hill, all data is to be recorded on disk and paper copies of all measurements are provided to PNNL for third-party evaluation. PNNL is responsible for preparing a reports(s) that describes the results of the COGEMA ultrasonic examinations.

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This report summarizes the Clean Air Act and its major regulatory requirements. It describes the Act's major provisions and provides tables listing all major amendments, with the year of enactment and Public Law number, and crossreferencing sections of the Act with the major U.S. Code sections of the codified statute.

Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stacks respond quickly to changes in load and exhibit high part- and full-load efficiencies due to its rapid electrochemistry. However, this is not true for the thermal, mechanical, and chemical balance-of-plant subsystem (BOPS), where load-following time constants are, typically, several orders of magnitude higher. This dichotomy diminishes the reliability and performance of the electrode with increasing demand of load. Because these unwanted phenomena are not well understood, the manufacturers of SOFC use conservative schemes (such as, delayed load-following to compensate for slow BOPS response or expensive inductor filtering) to control stack responses to load variations. This limits the applicability of SOFC systems for load-varying stationary and transportation applications from a cost standpoint. Thus, a need exists for the synthesis of component- and system-level models of SOFC power-conditioning systems and the development of methodologies for investigating the system-interaction issues (which reduce the lifetime and efficiency of a SOFC) and optimizing the responses of each subsystem, leading to optimal designs of power-conditioning electronics and optimal control strategies, which mitigate the electrical-feedback effects. Equally important are ''multiresolution'' finite-element modeling and simulation studies, which can predict the impact of changes in system-level variables (e.g., current ripple and load-transients) on the …

This manual describes the technical basis for the design of the routine radiobioassay monitoring program and assessments of internal dose. Its purpose is to provide a historical record of the methods, models, and assumptions used for internal dosimetry at Hanford, and serve as a technical reference for radiation protection and dosimetry staff.

The focus of this project is to improve the catalytic performance of zeolite Y for petroleum hydrocracking by synthesizing nanoparticles of the zeolite ({approx}20-25 nm) inside nanoporous silicate or aluminosilicate hosts. The encapsulated zeolite nanoparticles are expected to possess reduced diffusional path lengths, hence hydrocarbon substrates will diffuse in, are converted and the products quickly diffused out. This is expected to prevent over-reaction and the blocking of the zeolite pores and active sites will be minimized. In this phase of the project, procedures for the synthesis of ordered nanoporous silica, such as SBA-15, using block copolymers and nonionic surfactant were successful reproduced. Expansion of the pores sizes of the nanoporous silica using trimethylbenzene is suggested based on shift in the major X-Ray Diffraction peak in the products to lower 2 angles compared with the parent SBA-15 material. The synthesis of ordered nanoporous materials with aluminum incorporated in the predominantly silicate framework was attempted but is not yet successful, and the procedures needs will be repeated and modified as necessary. Nanoparticles of zeolite Y of particle sizes in the range 40 nm to 120 nm were synthesized in the presence of TMAOH as the particle size controlling additive.