AMAX Research Development Center (AMAX R D) has been investigating methods for improving the reactivity and durability of the zinc ferrite desulfurization sorbent. Zinc ferrite sorbents are intended for use in desulfurization of hog coal gas in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) or molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) applications. The reactivity of the sorbent may be defined as its sulfur sorption capacity at the breakthrough point in a bench-scale fixed-bed reactor. The durability may be defined as the ability of the sorbent to maintain its reactivity and other important physical characteristics such as size, strength, and specific surface area during 10 cycles of sulfidation and regeneration. Two base case sorbents, spherical pellets and cylindrical extrudes used in related METC sponsored projects, are being used to provide a basis for the comparison of physical characteristics and chemical reactivity.

In a search for bursts of neutrons from Ti in pressurized D{sub 2} gas cells, no statistically significant deviations from the background were observed for events where five or more neutrons are detected over a ten day experiment, including 103 hours of counting with cells on, and 28 hours counting of various backgrounds. Up to four cells were used including some 60 grams of 662-Ti fillings in a pressurized cylinder with 40-60 atmosphere of D{sub 2} gas. Other Ti samples were used too. The samples were cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature and placed in front of the neutron detector while warming up to room temperature. Seven cooling cycles were used, for each sample. The neutron detector system included 12 liquid scintillator neutron detectors, arranged in a close packed geometry, with six detectors in the upper hemisphere and six in the lower hemisphere. A central detector placed 2 cm from the cells was used, in each hemisphere, as a scatterer for a time of flight coincidence measurement, yielding the total coincidence efficiency of {epsilon}=2{plus minus}1%. The system was also used in singles mode to allow for counting with large efficiency. A neutron event is characterized by measuring its pulse heights, pulse …

A conceptual model is developed for the three-dimensional temperature history of a multipass, filled weldment. Property variations with temperature and phase change are included. A mathematical model and finite difference equations are derived from the conceptual model and a solution procedure for the equations is presented.

This report discusses the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), under which members of the uniformed services and U.S. citizens who live abroad are eligible to register and vote absentee in federal elections. The report discusses recent improvements to UOCAVA, necessary as teh result of controversy surrounding ballots received in Florida from absentee voters in the 2000 presidential election. The report also discusses related legislation, such as the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2010, which provided for a major overhaul of UOCAVA.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Recent legislative and regulatory changes have blurred some distinctions between credit unions and other depository institutions such as banks. The 1998 Credit Union Membership Access Act (CUMAA) allowed for an expansion of membership and mandated safety and soundness controls similar to those of other depository institutions. In light of these changes and the evolution of the credit union industry, GAO evaluated (1) the financial condition of the industry and the deposit (share) insurance fund, (2) the impact of CUMAA on the industry, and (3) how the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) had changed its safety and soundness processes."

Supporters of comprehensive immigration reform have urged the President and Congress to pursue reform legislation. While legislative action on comprehensive reform does not appear likely during the remainder of the 111th Congress, there may be an effort to enact a measure, commonly referred to as the "DREAM Act," to enable certain unauthorized alien students to legalize their status. This report discusses the DREAM act and related issues.

The George W. Bush Administration enacted a series of tax cuts through the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. This report examines these tax cuts within the context of the current and long-term economic environment.

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Economic Development Administration (EDA) Reauthorization Act of 2004 (P. L. 108-373) included a requirement that GAO evaluate grants made by EDA for the economic development of brownfield sites. More than 450,000 brownfield sites--properties where redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination--are scattered across the United States. This report discusses specifics of grants made by EDA at brownfields sites, including (1) the types, extent, and amount of EDA funds used for remediation activities; (2) the environmental standards and agencies involved; and (3) the economic development activities, standards, and impact."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense's (DOD) operations in time of war or national emergency depend on sizeable reserve force involvement and DOD expects future use of the reserve force to remain high. Operational readiness depends on healthy and fit personnel. Long-standing problems have been identified with reserve members not being in proper medical or physical condition. Drilling members in the reserve force by law are required to have a medical exam every 5 years and an annual certificate of their medical status. Also, DOD policies require an annual dental exam and an annual evaluation of physical fitness. Compliance with these routine requirements is the first step in determining who is fit for duty. Public Law 108-375 required GAO to study DOD's management of the health status of reserve members activated for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. GAO assessed DOD's (1) ability to determine reserve force compliance with routine exams, and (2) visibility over reserve members' health status after they are called to duty and the care, if any, provided to those deployed with preexisting conditions."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the preparedness of the federal food safety regulatory agencies to respond to acts or threats of deliberate food contamination, including those by terrorists, focusing on the: (1) extent to which food has been deliberately contaminated with a biological agent (bacteria, virus, or toxin) or threatened to be contaminated with such an agent; and (2) plans and procedures that federal food safety regulatory agencies have for responding to threats and acts of deliberate food contamination with a biological agent."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal government has set a goal of providing service to the public that matches or exceeds that of the private sector. Executive Order 12862 (September 11, 1993) and a related 1995 memorandum require agencies to post customer service standards and report results to customers. As requested, this report (1) assesses the extent to which federal agencies are setting customer service standards and measuring related results, (2) assesses the extent to which agencies are reporting standards and results to customers and using the results to improve service, and (3) identifies some customer service management tools and practices used by various governments. The report also examines the steps the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is taking to facilitate agency use of tools and practices. GAO surveyed 13 federal services among those with the most contact with the public, reviewed literature and interviewed agency officials as well as knowledgeable individuals in the area of customer service."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Trade in business, professional, and technical (BPT) services associated with offshoring needs to be accurately tracked, but a gap exists between U.S. and Indian data. The extent of and reasons for this gap are important to understand in order to address questions about the magnitude of offshoring and to analyze its future development. Under the authority of the Comptroller General of the United States, and as part of a body of GAO work on the issue of offshoring of services, this report (1) describes the extent of the gap between U.S. and Indian data, (2) identifies factors that contribute to the difference between the two countries' data, and (3) examines the challenges the United States has faced in collecting services trade data. GAO has addressed this report to the congressional committees of jurisdiction."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1976, the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program has provided education and training to foreign military personnel. The program's objectives include professionalizing military forces and increasing respect for democratic values and human rights. In 2010, Congress appropriated $108 million in IMET funding for more than 120 countries. The Department of State (State) and the Department of Defense (DOD) share responsibility for IMET. In response to a mandate in the conference report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010, this report assesses (1) changes in the program from fiscal years 2000 to 2010, by funding levels, students trained, and recipient countries; (2) the program's provision of and emphasis on human rights training for its students; and (3) the extent to which State and DOD monitor IMET graduates and evaluate program effectiveness. GAO reviewed and analyzed agency funding, planning, and performance management documents, and interviewed U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., and overseas."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Members of Congress periodically have expressed interest in converting the federal budget process from an annual to a biennial cycle. Congress believes that the time spent on these activities has come at the expense of congressional oversight and authorization responsibilities. To better understand states' experiences with the biennial budget cycle, GAO studied three states: Arizona, Ohio, and Connecticut. GAO found that the states' reasons for changing their budget cycles varied. For example, Arizona adopted a biennial cycle to increase legislative oversight and reduce time spent on the budget. Connecticut adopted it as part of a fiscal reform effort. To execute a biennial budget successfully, the states' experiences suggest that the legislative and executive branches must agree on how the off-year budget process will work. Different approaches to managing the off-year budget have been developed by states, including establishing formal guidelines for off-year budget changes and relying on leadership control. Efforts to increase legislative oversight in the off-year by converting to a biennial budget process may be difficult. Ohio and Connecticut officials said they that have not increased legislative oversight in the off-year, and Arizona officials said …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As the steward of taxpayer dollars, the federal government is accountable for how its agencies and grantees spend funds. It is also responsible for safeguardingagainst improper payments, which include payments that should not have been madeor were made for incorrect amounts irrespective of whether the agency had effective controls in place. Reported estimates of improper payments total billions ofdollars annually. With billions of dollars at risk, agencies need to vigilantly safeguard those resources entrusted to them and assign a high priority to reducing fraud, waste, and abuse. In their fiscal year 1999 financial statement, 12federal agencies reported improper payments totalling $20.7 billion. A first step for some agencies will be to assess programs at risk and develope ways to identify, estimate, and report the nature and extent of improper payments annually. Without this fundamental knowledge, agencies will not be fully informed about the magnitude, trends, and types of payment errors occurring within their programs. Furthermore, most agencies will not be able to make informed cost-benefit decisions about strengthening their internal controls to minimize future improper payments or effectively develop goals and strategies to reduce them. In …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Public health experts have raised concerns about the ability of the nation's public health system to detect and respond to emerging infectious disease threats, such as pandemic influenza. Although vaccines are considered the first line of defense to prevent or reduce influenza-related illness and death, GAO found that they may be unavailable, in short supply, or ineffective for some portions of the population during the first wave of a pandemic. Federal and state influenza pandemic plans are in various stages of completion and do not completely or consistently address key issues surrounding the purchase, distribution, and administration of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Inconsistencies in state and federal policies could contribute to public confusion and weaken the effectiveness of the public health response."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1996 and 1999, Congress authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) to strengthen sections of the American River and Natomas Basin levees that provide flood protection for Sacramento, California. In 2002, the Corps reported that the cost of this work, known as the Common Features Project, had increased significantly. GAO was asked to determine why costs increased, the extent to which the Corps analyzed and reported the potential cost increases to Congress in a timely manner, and whether the Corps correctly estimated economic benefits."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) personnel security investigative functions, focusing on; (1) the completeness and timeliness of DOD personnel security investigations; (2) what factors, if any, might be hindering the completeness and timeliness of the investigations; and (3) what actions DOD has taken to address any program weaknesses."

The LOFT primary system motor generator sets are located in Room B-239 and are connected to the primary coolant pumps by means of a power cable. The calculated average impedance of this cable is 0.005323 ohms per unit resistance and 0.006025 ohms per unit reactance based on 369.6 kVA and 480 volts. The report was written to show the development of power cable parameters that are to be used in the SICLOPS (Simulation of LOFT Reactor Coolant Loop Pumping System) digital computer program as written in LTR 1142-16 and also used in the pump coastdowns for the FSAR Analysis.

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To document the interactions of aliens with the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and other government entities, USCIS creates alien files, or A-files. While deemed critical, especially in making citizenship decisions, A-files are sometimes missing during adjudications. In 2002, naturalization was granted to an alien whose A-file was missing and who was later found to be associated with a terrorist organization. GAO focused its review on (1) how often USCIS adjudicates naturalization applications without an A-file and why, (2) the effect that missing A-files can have on the adjudication process, and (3) steps taken to help mitigate the risk of missing A-files. To address these questions, GAO interviewed officials and staff from USCIS and reviewed relevant data, policies, and procedures related to processing naturalization applications and the automated file-tracking system DHS established to track the movement of A-files."

This report explores the current political conditions of Indonesia, as well as its relationship with surrounding nations and its relationship with the United States, including a focus on U.S. policy regarding Indonesia. The report also focuses on how the election of President Barack Obama increased Indonesian expectations of an improved relationship with the U.S., as President Obama spent part of his childhood in Indonesia.

This report focuses on relations between the United States and India, a relationship deepened in the Clinton and G. W. Bush Administrations. The Obama Administrations seeks to continue developing this relationship. Continuing U.S. interest in South Asia focuses on ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, the proliferation of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, human rights issues, caste-based discrimination, and India's economic expansion.

The original software package TRLan, [TRLan User Guide], page 24, implements the thick restart Lanczos method, [Wu and Simon 2001], page 24, for computing eigenvalues {lambda} and their corresponding eigenvectors v of a symmetric matrix A: Av = {lambda}v. Its effectiveness in computing the exterior eigenvalues of a large matrix has been demonstrated, [LBNL-42982], page 24. However, its performance strongly depends on the user-specified dimension of a projection subspace. If the dimension is too small, TRLan suffers from slow convergence. If it is too large, the computational and memory costs become expensive. Therefore, to balance the solution convergence and costs, users must select an appropriate subspace dimension for each eigenvalue problem at hand. To free users from this difficult task, nu-TRLan, [LNBL-1059E], page 23, adjusts the subspace dimension at every restart such that optimal performance in solving the eigenvalue problem is automatically obtained. This document provides a user guide to the nu-TRLan software package. The original TRLan software package was implemented in Fortran 90 to solve symmetric eigenvalue problems using static projection subspace dimensions. nu-TRLan was developed in C and extended to solve Hermitian eigenvalue problems. It can be invoked using either a static or an adaptive subspace dimension. In …

The purpose of this document is to describe in both programmatic and technical terms the methodology that the US Department of Energy will use to commercialize a molten carbonate fuel cell power plant. Responsibility for the planning and management of the program resides in the molten carbonate fuel cell program office at the Argonne National Laboratory which reports to the Assistant Director for Fuel Cells in the Division of Fossil Fuel utilization of DOE/FE. The actual development of technology is carried out by selected contractors. The technology development phase of the program will culminate with the construction and operation of two demonstration power plants. The first power plant will be an industrial cogeneration plant which will be completed in 1987. The other power plant will be a baseload electric power plant to be completed in 1989.