Daily newspaper from Altus, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

This report includes information regarding strategic petroleum reserve. Background and analysis, purchases of crude oil, and drawdown of the reserve are among topics discussed in this report.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina reaches beyond the borders of the states directly affected by the wind, rain, and floods. Before the storm reached the coast, thousands of residents of Louisiana and Mississippi evacuated to other states, including Texas and Oklahoma. Many people, for a variety of reasons, chose to disregard the mandatory evacuation orders issued by state and local officials. In general, evacuation policy is set and enforced by state and local officials. Federal policy provides for various aspects of civilian evacuation. As Members of Congress explore the challenges and losses in the states affected directly or indirectly by Hurricane Katrina, they may be called upon to consider federal policy options to more fully integrate federal and state authorities.

This report is one of a series that profiles the emergency management and homeland security statutory authorities of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and three territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each profile identifies the more significant elements of state statutes, generally as codified. This report focuses on the state of Alabama.

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

U.S. animal agriculture is seeking to improve its ability to trace the movement of livestock from their birthplace to slaughter. The livestock and meat industries are working with the U.S. government to develop a national animal identification (ID) plan for livestock disease tracking purposes. This report focuses on animal ID and, to a lesser extent, on meat traceability.

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Daily newspaper from Sapulpa, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Daily newspaper from Perry, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

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Daily newspaper from Chickasha, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Semiweekly newspaper from Boerne, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

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

We have recently implemented polarization smoothing (PS) on one quad of the NIF laser. Specially cut KDP and DKDP crystals at 420 x 420 mm sizes were used to scramble the incident 351 nm laser polarization over the beam aperture. The intensity contrast deduced from the measured focal spot images for one of the NIF beams is in very good agreement with the expected contrast. KDP and DKDP crystals are known to produce considerable amount of transverse stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) when irradiated with large beams at {approx}1-2 GW/cm2. In order to measure the transverse SRS, we attached optical fibers on the side of one of the PS crystals. The KDP PS crystal showed > 1 J/cm2 side scattered SRS at irradiances of 1.2 GW/cm2. The DKDP (70% deuteration level) PS crystal showed significantly less SRS. Detailed analysis of the SRS scattering in the PS crystal is in progress.

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This report describes the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), specifically revenue effects of modifying AMT and Legislative Initiatives.

We have carried out a comprehensive survey of the isotopic compositions (H, B, C, N, O, S) of a suite of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), including both cluster and individual particles. Isotopic imaging with the NanoSIMS shows the presence of numerous discrete hotspots that are strongly enriched in {sup 15}N, including the largest {sup 15}N enrichments ({approx}1300 {per_thousand}) observed in IDPs to date. A number of the IDPs also contain larger regions with more modest enrichments in {sup 15}N, leading to average bulk N isotopic compositions that are {sup 15}N-enriched in these IDPs. Although C isotopic compositions are normal in most of the IDPs, two {sup 15}N-rich N-hotspots have correlated {sup 13}C anomalies. CN{sup -}/C{sup -} ratios suggest that most of the {sup 15}N-rich hotspots are associated with relatively N-poor carbonaceous matter, although specific carriers have not been determined. H isotopic distributions are similar to those of N: D anomalies are present both as distinct very D-rich hotspots and as larger regions with more modest enrichments. Nevertheless, H and N isotopic anomalies are not directly correlated, consistent with results from previous studies. Oxygen isotopic imaging shows the presence of abundant presolar silicate grains in the IDPs. The O isotopic compositions …

Student newspaper of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma that includes national, local, and campus news along with advertising.

This report discusses the accomplishments of the environmental protection program at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) for calendar year 2004. The status of ANL environmental protection activities with respect to compliance with the various laws and regulations is discussed, along with the progress of environmental corrective actions and restoration projects. To evaluate the effects of ANL operations on the environment, samples of environmental media collected on the site, at the site boundary, and off the ANL site were analyzed and compared with applicable guidelines and standards. A variety of radionuclides were measured in air, surface water, on-site groundwater, and bottom sediment samples. In addition, chemical constituents in surface water, groundwater, and ANL effluent water were analyzed. External penetrating radiation doses were measured, and the potential for radiation exposure to off-site population groups was estimated. Results are interpreted in terms of the origin of the radioactive and chemical substances (i.e., natural, fallout, ANL, and other) and are compared with applicable environmental quality standards. A U.S. Department of Energy dose calculation methodology, based on International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's CAP-88 (Clean Air Act Assessment Package-1988) computer code, was used in preparing this report.

Semi-monthly newspaper from Corpus Christi, Texas published by the Diocese of Corpus Christi that includes news of interest to Diocese members along with advertising.

Semiweekly newspaper from Sealy, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

A laser ablation/ionization mass spectrometer system is described for the direct chemical analysis of solids. An Nd:YAG laser is used for ablation and ionization of the sample in a quadrupole ion trap operated in an ion-storage (IS) mode that is coupled with a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). Single pulse experiments have demonstrated simultaneous detection of up to 14 elements present in glasses in the ppm range. However, detection of the components has produced non-stoichiometric results due to difference in ionization potentials and fractionation effects. Time-of-flight secondary ionization mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) was used to spatially map elemental species on the surface and provide further evidence of fractionation effects. Resolution (m/Dm) of 1500 and detection limits of approximately 10 pg have been achieved with a single laser pulse. The system configuration and related operating principles for accurately measuring low concentrations of isotopes are described.

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Recent CP violation results in B decays suggest that Z penguins may have large weak phase. This can be realized by the four generation (standard) model. Concurrently, B {yields} X{sub s}{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} and B{sub s} mixing allow for sizable V*{sub t's}V{sub t'b} only if it is nearly imaginary. Such large effects in b {leftrightarrow} s transitions would affect s {leftrightarrow} d transitions, as kaon constraints would demand V{sub t'd} {ne} 0. Using {Lambda}(Z {yields} b{bar b}) to bound |V{sub t'b}|, they infer sizable |V{sub t's}| {le} |V{sub t'b}| {le} |V{sub us}|. Imposing {var_epsilon}{sub K}, K{sup +} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{nu}{bar {nu}} and {var_epsilon}'/{var_epsilon} constraints, they find V*{sub t'd} V{sub t's} {approx} few x 10{sup -4} with large phase, enhancing K{sub L} {yields} {pi}{sup 0} {nu}{bar {nu}} to 5 x 10{sup -10} or even higher. Interestingly, {Delta}m{sub B{sub d}} and sin 2{Phi}{sub B{sub d}} are not much affected, as |V*{sub t'd} V{sub t'b} << |V*{sub td} V{sub tb}| {approx} 0.01.