Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Protecting the computer systems that support our critical operations and infrastructures has never been more important because of the concern about attacks from individuals and groups with malicious intent, including terrorism. These concerns are well founded for a number of reasons, including the dramatic increases in reported computer security incidents, the ease of obtaining and using hacking tools, the steady advance in the sophistication and effectiveness of attack technology, and the dire warnings of new and more destructive attacks. As with other large organizations, federal agencies rely extensively on computerized systems and electronic data to support their missions. Accordingly, the security of these systems and data is essential to avoiding disruptions in critical operations, as well as to helping prevent data tampering, fraud, and inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information. At the subcommittee's request, GAO discussed its analysis of recent information security audits and evaluations at 24 major federal departments and agencies."

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a particular community housing development organization is entitled to an exemption from taxation of its real property under section 11.182 of the Tax Code (RQ-0561-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether an adjunct professor employed by a state university is a “schoolteacher” for purposes of article XVI, section 40 of the Texas Constitution (RQ-0564-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a rider tot he appropriation for the Texas Historical Commission authorizes the expenditure of funds for the restoration and preservation of the San Fernando Cathedral (RQ-0565-JC)

We present an algorithm for interactively extracting and rendering isosurfaces of large volume datasets in a view-dependent fashion. A recursive tetrahedral mesh refinement scheme, based on longest edge bisection, is used to hierarchically decompose the data into a multiresolution structure. This data structure allows fast extraction of arbitrary isosurfaces to within user specified view-dependent error bounds. A data layout scheme based on hierarchical space filling curves provides access to the data in a cache coherent manner that follows the data access pattern indicated by the mesh refinement.

The report summarizes work to determine the nature and distribution of carbon on microcracks in crystalline rocks by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy. It also summarizes the results of a workshop devoted to investigating how carbon in rocks influences electrical conductivity and whether carbon on fracture surfaces can account for the electrical conductivity structure of the crust.

Blank parole data survey containing a series of questions related to the parole population in a particular location, with instructions for filling out the survey.

Weekly newspaper from Emory, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Over the past three years we have determined the basic features of our Universe. It is spatially flat; accelerating; comprised of 1/3 a new form of matter, 2/3 a new form of energy, with some ordinary matter and a dash of massive neutrinos; and it apparently began from a great burst of expansion during which quantum noise was stretched to astrophysical size seeding cosmic structure. This ''New Cosmology'' greatly extends the highly successful hot big-bang model. Now we have to make sense of it. What is the dark matter particle? What is the nature of the dark energy? Why this mixture? How did the matter, antimatter asymmetry arise? What is the underlying cause of inflation (if it indeed occurred)?

Transverse e-p instability in proton rings could be damped by increasing the beam density and the rate of secondary particles production above the threshold level, with the corresponding decrease of unstable wavelength {lambda} below the transverse beam size h (increase of beam density n{sub b} and ion density n{sub i} above the threshold level: n{sub b} + n{sub i} > {beta}{sup 2}/(r{sub e} h{sup 2}), where r{sub e} = e{sup 2}/mc{sup 2}). Such island of stability can be reached by a fast charge-exchange injection without painting and enhanced generation of secondary plasma, which was demonstrated in a small scale Proton Storage Ring (PSR) at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Novosibirsk, Russia. With successful damping of e-p instability, the intensity of circulating proton beam, with a space charge neutralization was increased up to 6 times above a space charge limit. Corresponding tune shift without space charge neutralization should be up to {Delta}v=0.85 x 6 (in the ring with v = 0.85). In this paper, they review experimental observations of transverse instability of proton beams in various rings. they also discuss methods which can be used to damp the instability. Such experimental data could be useful for verification of computer simulation tools …

Stars account for only about 0.5% of the content of the Universe; the bulk of the Universe is optically dark. The dark side of the Universe is comprised of: at least 0.1% light neutrinos; 3.5% {+-} 1% baryons; 29% {+-} 4% cold dark matter; and 66% {+-} 6% dark energy. Now that we have characterized the dark side of the Universe, the challenge is to understand it. The critical questions are: (1) What form do the dark baryons take? (2) What is (are) the constituent(s) of the cold dark matter? (3) What is the nature of the mysterious dark energy that is causing the Universe to speed up.

With the proposed use of permanent magnets for both the NLC and the VLHC the issue flux loss due to radiation damage needs to be fully understood. There exist many papers on the subject. There are many difficulties in drawing conclusions from all of these data. First there is the difference methods of dosimetry, second different types of magnets and magnetic arrangements, and third different manufacturers of magnet material. This paper provides a summary of the existing literature on the subject.

A universal array format has been developed in which all possible n-mers of a particular oligonucleotide sequence can be represented. The ability to determine the sequence of the probes at every position in the array should enable unbiased gene expression as well as arrays for de novo sequencing.

Four units of the Topopah Springs formation (volcanic tuff) are considered for the proposed repository: the upper lithophysal, the middle non-lithophysal, the lower lithophysal, and the lower non-lithophysal. Yucca Mountain was recently designated the site for a proposed repository to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Work is proceeding to advance the design of subsurface facilities to accommodate emplacing waste packages in the proposed repository. This paper summarized recent progress in the design of subsurface layout of the proposed repository. The original Site Recommendation (SR) concept for the subsurface design located the repository largely within the lower lithophysal zone (approximately 73%) of the Topopah The Site Recommendation characterized area suitable for emplacement consisted of the primary upper block, the lower block and the southern upper block extension. The primary upper block accommodated the mandated 70,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) at a 1.45 kW/m hear heat load. Based on further study of the Site Recommendation concept, the proposed repository siting area footprint was modified to make maximum use of available site characterization data, and thus, reduce uncertainties associated with performance assessment. As a result of this study, a modified repository footprint has been proposed and is …

Over the past three years we have determined the basic features of the Universe--spatially flat; accelerating; comprised of 1/3 a new form of matter, 2/3 a new form of energy, with some ordinary matter and a dash of massive neutrinos; and apparently born from a burst of rapid expansion during which quantum noise was stretched to astrophysical size seeding cosmic structure. The New Cosmology greatly extends the highly successful hot big-bang model. Now we have to make sense of all this: What is the dark matter particle? What is the nature of the dark energy? Why this mixture? How did the matter, antimatter asymmetry arise? What is the underlying cause of inflation (if it indeed occurred)?

The costing algorithm used here was started at the time of the SSC proposal, was updated and presented at the Port Jefferson VLHC meeting in october 2000, and has been slightly modified again for this study. The method starts from a specified central field and aperture, and uses approximate formulae to design the dipole magnet cross sections. The required masses of superconductor, stabilizing copper, support stainless steel, and yoke are calculated, and the surface area of the cold mass determined. Costs per unit weight, or area/temperature, are assigned for each item and a linear cost added to cover the tunnel, supports, magnet ends, correctors, quadrupoles, survey etc. The unit costs were originally extracted from the SSC estimates, but have been inflated and modified since. They have no Intersection Point magnets, detectors, detector halls, EDIA, contingency, R and D or escalation. The assumed linear cost, including magnet ends, with the inflation factor, is 22 k$/m. If the aperture is small, as in the pipeatron, the magnets can be long, end costs reduced, and the packing factor improved. This expectation is confirmed by the recent Fermilab VLHC study. Using the total estimate from this study, the algorithm has been modified to include …

Magnetic islands in free-boundary stellarator equilibria are suppressed using a procedure that iterates the plasma equilibrium equations and, at each iteration, adjusts the coil geometry to cancel resonant fields produced by the plasma. The coils are constrained to satisfy certain measures of engineering acceptability and the plasma is constrained to ensure kink stability. As the iterations continue, the coil geometry and the plasma simultaneously converge to an equilibrium in which the island content is negligible. The method is applied with success to a candidate plasma and coil design for the National Compact Stellarator eXperiment [Physics of Plasma, 7 (2000) 1911].

Since 1963, all United States nuclear tests have been conducted underground. A consequence of this testing has been the deposition of large amounts of radioactive material in the subsurface, sometimes in direct contact with groundwater. The majority of this testing occurred on the Nevada Test Site (NTS), but a limited number of experiments were conducted in other locations. One of these locations, Amchitka Island, Alaska is the subject of this report. Three underground nuclear tests were conducted on Amchitka Island. Long Shot was an 80-kiloton-yield test conducted at a depth of 700 meters (m) on October 29, 1965 (DOE, 2000). Milrow had an announced yield of about 1,000 kilotons, and was detonated at a depth of 1,220 m on October 2, 1969. Cannikin had an announced yield less than 5,000 kilotons, and was conducted at a depth of 1,790 m on November 6, 1971. The purpose of this work is to provide a portion of the information needed to conduct a human-health risk assessment of the potential hazard posed by the three underground nuclear tests on Amchitka Island. Specifically, the focus of this work is the subsurface transport portion, including the release of radionuclides from the underground cavities and their …

In support of an erosion evaluation for the misaligned mating surfaces of the U2 nozzle and its connector block in the 3H evaporator lift-separator jumper, the Engineering Modeling and Simulation Group (EMSG) has developed computational models to identify potential sites of high erosion. Two mechanisms were considered to evaluate high erosion locations representative of the actual flow process in the misaligned U2 nozzle, abrasive erosion which occurs by high wall shear of viscous liquid film, and chip-off erosion which is mainly governed by particle impingement. The results show that primary locations of the highest erosion due to particle impingement are at the occurrence of sudden change of flow direction, sudden contraction, and flow obstruction as expected. Potential damage sites due to the abrasive wall erosion are at the upstream and downstream regions of sudden changes of flow direction.

We summarize some of the work done by the P3 subgroup on Alternative Models and New Ideas. The working group covered a broad range of topics including a constrained Standard Model from an extra dimension, a discussion of recent ideas addressing the strong CP problem, searches for doubly charged higgs bosons in e{gamma} collisions, and an update on discovery limits for extra neutral gauge bosons at hadron colliders. The breadth of topics rejects the many ideas and approaches to physics beyond the Standard Model.

The control of coherence is a critical issue for the high-power lasers used in inertial confinement fusion (ICF). The level of coherence is an important parameter for the control of the light intensity distribution as well as the growth rate of parametric instabilities. Over the past few years, experimental and theoretical studies have evidenced the ability of an underdense plasma to reduce the spatial and temporal coherence of an intense laser beam propagating through it. As any process affecting laser propagation, plasma-induced incoherence appears fundamental for ICF for it can impact on wave-coupling conditions. We present results obtained with the six-beam LULI laser facility, in the nanosecond regime, showing direct evidences of the reduction of spatial and temporal coherence of an initially RPP-smoothed laser beam after propagation through a preformed plasma. Plasma induced incoherence (PII) proceeds from several mechanisms which include self-focusing and filament instabilities and non-linear coupling between self-focusing and forward stimulated Brillouin scattering (FSBS). Part of these experiments was dedicated to the understanding of the physical mechanisms involved in PII, as the break up of a single hot spot and the existence of ion acoustic waves having small wave vectors transverse to the interaction beam which are produced …

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

A few different approaches exist for computing undecimated wavelet transform. In this work we construct three undecimated schemes and evaluate their performance for image noise reduction. We use standard wavelet based de-noising techniques and compare the performance of our algorithms with the original undecimated wavelet transform, as well as with the decimated wavelet transform. The experiments we have made show that our algorithms have better noise removal/blurring ratio.

An estimated 14.6% of the U.S. populations lacked health insurance coverage in 2001, up from 14% in 2000. When examined by state, estimates of the percent uninsured ranged from a low of 7.5% in Iowa to a high of 23.5% in Texas. Generally, states in the Midwest and New England have lower rates of uninsured, while states in the Southwestern and Southern portion of the nation have higher shares of their populations without coverage.