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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the practice of acupuncture is within the scope of practice of a licensed Texas chiropractor (RQ-988)

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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Use of injectable substances by licensed chiropractors, and related questions (RQ-925)

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Each H-Disk ring assembly is comprised of 24 wedge assemblies. Figures 1-1 and 1-2 show the wedge mechanical layout. Each wedge consists of sets of two single-sided silicon detectors (referred to as inner and outer detectors, corresponding to their radial positioning) as provided by Moscow State University. Since these detectors are single sided, two mated inner/outer sets are arranged back-to-back such that they effectively become a double-sided detector with a 15{sup o} angle between the strips on either side. Six SVX II chips are mounted near the outboard edge of each outer detector since this location provides access to bond pads spanning the entire detector surface. Since the detector and chip bond pads are on significantly different pitches (approximately 80 vs. 48 microns), a pitch adapter is used to transition this jump, thus simplifying wirebonding. With the accompanying electronics required to support detector operation placed adjacent to the chips, the mountirig ring, which also acts as a means of cooling for the wedge, is by necessity located some distance from the chips, which are the primary heat source. The purpose of this report is to document the results of a thermal performance study of a wedge assembly. The methods, assumptions, …

Each H-disk ring assembly is comprised of 24 wedge assemblies that are mounted to a ring that provides both structural support and cooling to the detector wedges. Figure 1-1 shows the general layout of a disk assembly. In order for the H-disks to operate on the same cooling system as the rest of the silicon detectors, the pressure drop must be compatible with that of the overall system design. That is, the pressure drop for which the system is to operate, which will include cooling channels for bulkheads, Fdisks, and H-disks, should yield unthrottled flowrates in each cooling device that result in acceptable fluid temperature rises due to their respective heat loads. Too low a pressure drop in any channel would either rob flow from other portions of the detector or require that a higher total flow rate be supplied by the cooling system. Too high a pressure drop would yield an unacceptably large fluid temperature rise across the H-disk ring. In order to keep the detector temperatures low, thus reducing the effect of radiation damage to the silicon, the channel design should also minimize the difference between the bulk fluid temperature and the temperature of the mounting surfaces to …

This report compares the frequency of diagnostic services and therapeutic services during office visits to physicians who participated in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and those who did not. The report also describes the methods employed by managed care organizations (MCOs) to reduce unnecessary use of health care services, and summarizes the findings of previous research on the effects of managed care on health care utilization and outcomes.

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Privileged business is the legislative business of the House that Members have a right to call up for consideration on the floor when the House is not engaged in considering some other matter. Privileged business consists of various kinds of bills, resolutions, and other matters

General Atomics (GA) leads a team of industrial, academic, and government organizations in the development of the Environmental Systems Management, Analysis and Reporting neTwork (E-SMART) for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), by way of this Technology Reinvestment Project (TRP). E-SMART defines a standard by which networks of smart sensing, sampling, and control devices can interoperate. E-SMART{reg_sign} is intended to be an open standard, available to any equipment manufacturer. The user will be provided a standard platform on which a site-specific monitoring plan can be implemented using sensors and actuators from various manufacturers and upgraded as new monitoring devices become commercially available. This project will further develop and advance the E-SMART standardized network protocol to include new sensors, sampling systems, and graphical user interfaces.

The effect of phosphorus on Mo₂C supported on {gamma}-Al₂O₃ and activated carbon was studied. The catalysts were characterized by CO chemisorption, BET surface area measurements, x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and tested for their reactivity for hydroprocessing reactions, particularly hydrogenation (HYD), hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN), using model liquid compounds. The P-containing catalysts had higher reactivity for HDN than those without P. HDS was higher when the Mo₂ C was synthesized on {gamma}-Al₂ O₃ previously treated with P than when the Mo component and P were added together on {gamma}-Al₂O₃. Post reaction characterization indicates that the catalysts were tolerant of sulfur.

The Alvar engine is an invention by Mr. Alvar Gustafsson of Skarblacka, Sweden. It is a four stroke spark ignition internal combustion engine, having variable compression ratio and variable displacements. The compression ratio can be varied by means of small secondary cylinders and pistons which are communicating with the main combustion chambers. The secondary pistons can be phase shifted with respect to the main pistons. The engine is suitable for multi-fuel operation. Invention rights are held by Alvar Engine AB of Sweden, a company created to handle the development of the Alvar Engine. A project was conceived wherein an optimised experimental engine would be built and tested to verify the advantages claimed for the Alvar engine and also to reveal possible drawbacks, if any. Alvar Engine AB appointed Gunnar Lundholm, professor of Combustion Engines at Lund University, Lund, Sweden as principal investigator. The project could be seen as having three parts: (1) Optimisation of the engine combustion chamber geometry; (2) Design and manufacturing of the necessary engine parts; and (3) Testing of the engine in an engine laboratory NUTEK, The Swedish Board for Industrial and Technical Development granted Gunnar Lundholm, SEK 50000 (about $6700) to travel to the US to …

The purpose of this project is to integrate a variety of geographic information systems capabilities and telecommunication technologies for potential use in geographic network and visualization applications. The specific technical goals of the project were to design, develop, and simulate the components of an audio/visual geographic communications system to aid future real-time monitoring, mapping and managing of transport vehicles. The system components of this feasibility study are collectively referred to as a Geographic Visualization and Communications System (GVCS). State-of-the-art techniques will be used and developed to allow both the vehicle operator and network manager to monitor the location and surrounding environment of a transport vehicle during shipment.

We have investigated field-emission devices for applications in sensors, diagnostics, and micro-electronics. Field-emission devices micromachined from silicon and molybdenum have been fabricated and tested. Experimental results have shown that the presence of nitrogen gas molecules for pressures up to 1 mtorr has only a moderate impact on device emission performance, and has no long term effect on device operation. These results demonstrate that field-emission cathodes can potentially be used in sensors applications where gas ionization by election impact is desirable, or other applications in which the field-emission device is exposed to less than ideal vacuum conditions.

A key design challenge for the National Ignition Facility (NIF), being constructed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), [Hibbard, R L , 1998], is the frequency converter consisting of two KDP crystals and a focusing lens Frequency conversion is a critical performance factor for NIF and the optical mount design for this plays a key role in meeting design specifications The frequency converter is a monolithic cell that mounts the optics and is the point on the beamline where the frequency conversion crystals are optimally aligned and the cell is focused on target The lasing medium is neodymium in phosphate glass with a fundamental frequency (1{omega}) of 1 053 {micro}m Sum frequency generation in a pair of conversion crystals (KDP/KD*P) produces 1 8 MJ of the third harmonic light (3{omega} or {lambda}=O 35 pm). The phase-matching scheme on NIF is type I second harmonic generation followed by type II sum-frequency-mixing of the residual fundamental and the second harmonic light This laser unlike previous laser system designs, must achieve high conversion efficiency, 85%, which is close to the 90 8% theoretical maximum As a result, this design is very sensitive to angular variations in beam propagation and in the crystal axes …

A device has been developed to measure the frequency conversion performance of large aperture potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystals. Third harmonic generation using ICDP is critical to the function of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser. The crystals in the converter can be angularly or thermally tuned but are subject to larger aperture inhomogeneities that are functions of growth manufacturing and - mounting. The CAVE (Crystal Alignment Verification Equipment) instrument scans the crystals in a thermally and mechanically controlled environment to determine the local peak tuning angles. The CAVE can then estimate the optimum tuning angle and conversion efficiency over the entire aperture. Coupled with other metrology techniques, the CAVE will help determine which crystal life-cycle components most affect harmonic conversion.

DOE O 440.1, Worker Protection Management for DOE Federal and Contractor Employees, establishes the framework for an effective worker protection program that will reduce or prevent accidental injuries and illnesses. One element of the worker protection program in DOE O 440.1 is Exposure Assessment (EA). This Guide provides acceptable methodologies for conducting EA for workers. Exposure assessment should be included in the DOE and contractor written worker protection program, as required by DOE O 440.1. EA documentation should describe the methods and rationale a site uses to characterize and monitor workers` potential and actual exposures to hazardous agents. DOE O 440.1 applies to all activities (including design, construction, operation, maintenance, decontamination and decommissioning, research and development, and environmental restoration activities) performed by DOE and its contractors (and their subcontractors).

The objective of this research was to investigate the acclimation phenomena involved in plants as they adjust to a CO{sub 2} enriched atmosphere. Plants were grown under various CO{sub 2} concentrations in the controlled chambers of the Duke University Phytotron. Soil nutrients, irradiance, temperature, soil water, and atmospheric relative humidity were controlled. Photosynthesis, leaf structure, leaf biomass of photosynthetic leaves or leaflets and of growth points that are not assimilating CO{sub 2} were measured to determine contributions of carbon source tissues to sink tissues. Export and import rates following movement of plants into atmospheres of higher carbon dioxide concentration were specifically examined.

The Building 211 Cyclotron Characterization Survey includes an assessment of the radioactive and chemical inventory of materials stored within the facility; an evaluation of the relative distribution of accelerator-produced activation products within various cyclotron components and adjacent structures; measurement of the radiation fields throughout the facility; measurement and assessment of internal and external radioactive surface contamination on various equipment, facility structures, and air-handling systems; and an assessment of lead (Pb) paint and asbestos hazards within the facility.

The strain-stress behavior of a wet granular media was measured using a split Parfitt tensile tester. In all cases the stress increases linearly with distance until the maximum uniaxial tensile stress is reached. The stress then decreases exponentially with distance after this maximum is reached. The linear region indicates that wet solids behave elastically for stresses below the tensile stresses and can store significant elastic energy. The elastic deformation cannot be explained by analyzing the behavior of individual capillary bridges and may require accounting for the deformation of the solids particles. The elastic modulus of the wet granular material remains unexplained.

The overall electrolyte concentration in the NFE environment is expected to be somewhere between 1X and saturated J-13 well water. This covers more than three orders-of-magnitude in chloride anion concentration. The pH of this solution is expected to be somewhere between 5 and 1O. Exposed patches of the CRM could see this environment.