Project Final Report for "100kW Energy Transfer Multiplexer Power Converter Prototype Development Project" prepared under DOE grant number DE-FG36-03GO13138. This project relates to the further development and prototype construction/evaluation for the Energy Transfer Multiplexer (ETM) power converter topology concept. The ETM uses a series resonant link to transfer energy from any phase of a multiphase input to any phase of a multiphase output, converting any input voltage and frequency to any output voltage and frequency. The basic form of the ETM converter consists of an eight (8)-switch matrix (six phase power switches and two ground power switches) and a series L-C resonant circuit. Electronic control of the switches allows energy to be transferred in the proper amount from any phase to any other phase. Depending upon the final circuit application, the switches may be either SCRs or IGBTs. The inherent characteristics of the ETM converter include the following: Power processing in either direction (bidirectional); Large voltage gain without the need of low frequency magnetics; High efficiency independent of output load and frequency; Wide bandwidth with fast transient response and; Operation as a current source. The ETM is able to synthesize true sinusoidal waveforms with low harmonic distortions. For a low …

During the 2005 calendar year, LLNL provided health physics support for the Highly Enriched Uranium Transparency Program (HEU-TP) in external and internal radiation protection and technical expertise into matters related to BDMS radioactive sources and Russian radiation safety regulatory compliance. For the calendar year 2005, there were 161 person-trips that required dose monitoring of the U.S. monitors. Of the 161 person-trips, 149 person-trips were SMVs and 12 person-trips were Transparency Monitoring Office (TMO) trips. Additionally, there were 11 monitoring visits by TMO monitors to facilities other than UEIE and 3 to UEIE itself. There were two monitoring visits (source changes) that were back to back with 16 monitors. Each of these concurring visits were treated as single person-trips for dosimetry purposes. Counted individually, there were 191 individual person-visits in 2005. The LLNL Safety Laboratories Division provided the dosimetry services for the HEU-TP monitors.

Baseline single cylinder engine testing with unit fuel pump system has been completed. This will support subsequent development of high pressure common rail fuel injection. The hybrid battery vendor is preparing an instrumented battery with improved vibration design.

From Summary: "This report addresses one of several approaches to the issue of rising gasoline prices put forward in the 109th Congress."

This report explains what a select committee is in the House of Representatives, and how it is used. The report explains that the recent usage of the select committee has been for fragmented or largely overlapping areas of jurisdiction for multiple committees.

The United States and its allies are helping Afghanistan emerging from more than 22 years of warfare, although substantial risk to Afghan stability remains. Before the U.S. military campaign against the orthodox Islamist Taliban movement began on October 7, 2001, Afghanistan had been mired in conflict since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The defeat of the Taliban has enabled the United States and its coalition partners to send forces throughout Afghanistan to search for Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters and leaders that remain at large, including Osama bin Laden. As the war against remaining Al Qaeda and Taliban elements winds down, the United States is shifting its military focus toward stabilizing the interim government, including training a new Afghan national army, and supporting the international security force (ISAF) that is helping the new government provide security.

This report considers the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). Specifically, the report explores sugar imports, phasing out tariffs and quotas, and how the U.S. can protect the market from an overflow of imported products.

In this the first of a series of ''Letters'', we present a description of the panchromatic data sets that have been acquired in the Extended Groth Strip region of the sky. Our survey, the All-wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (AEGIS), is intended to study the physical properties and evolutionary processes of galaxies at z {approx} 1. It includes the following deep, wide-field imaging data sets: Chandra/ACIS{sup 30} X-ray (0.5-10 keV), GALEX{sup 31} ultraviolet (1200-2500 A), CFHT/MegaCam Legacy Survey{sup 32} optical (3600-9000 {angstrom}), CFHT/CFH12K optical (4500-9000 {angstrom}), Hubble Space Telescope/ACS{sup 33} optical (4400-8500 {angstrom}), Palomar/WIRC{sup 34} near-infrared (1.2-2.2 {micro}m), Spitzer/IRAC{sup 35} mid-infrared (3.6-8.0 {micro}m), Spitzer/MIPS far-infrared (24-70 {micro}m), and VLA{sup 36} radio continuum (6-20 cm). In addition, this region of the sky has been targeted for extensive spectroscopy using the DEIMOS spectrograph on the Keck II 10 m telescope{sup 37}. Our survey is compared to other large multiwavelength surveys in terms of depth and sky coverage.

Uranium-(VI) phases are the primary alteration products of the UO{sub 2} in spent nuclear fuel and the UO{sub 2+x}, in natural uranium deposits. The U(VI)-phases generally form sheet structures of edge-sharing UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} polyhedra. The complexity of these structures offers numerous possibilities for coupled-substitutions of trace metals and radionuclides. The incorporation of radionuclides into U(VI)-structures provides a potential barrier to their release and transport in a geologic repository that experiences oxidizing conditions. In this study, we have used natural samples of UO{sub 2+x}, to study the U(VI)-phases that form during alteration and to determine the fate of the associated trace elements.

As a reaction to the spread of the Avian Influenza virus, this report details recommendations for priorities for medical resources for certain categories of individuals, including recommendations in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Influenza Plan, in light of the nondiscrimination provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Americans with Disabilities Act provides broad nondiscrimination protection for individuals with disabilities in employment, public services, and public accommodation and services operated by private entities. Although the ADA does not include provisions specifically discussing its application to disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, its nondiscrimination provisions are applicable to emergency preparedness and responses to disasters. For example, this would mean that emergency planning should include individuals with disabilities and that emergency shelters should be accessible to individuals with disabilities. In order to further the goals of the ADA, President Bush issues an Executive Order on Jluy 22nd, 2004relating to emergency preparedness for individuals with disabilities and establishing the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities. The Department of Homeland Security issued a Nationwide Plan Review Phase 2 Report, which includes a discussion of people with disabilities and emergency planning and readiness. The National Council on Disability has also issued a recommendation on emergency preparation and disaster relief relating to individuals with disabilities. Legislation has also been introduced to address the needs of individuals with disabilities in emergency planning and relief.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the release of waste from animal feedlots to surface water, groundwater, soil, and the air is associated with a range of human health and ecological impacts and contributes to the degradation of the nation's surface waters. This report describes the revised environmental rules, the background of the previous Clean Water Act rules and the Clinton Administration proposal, and perspectives of key interest groups on the proposal and final regulations. It also identifies several issues likely to be of congressional interest as implementing the rules, research needs, oversight of the implementation of the rules, and possible need for legislation.

The objectives of the Annual Report are to: 1) describe changes in the volume of liquid seen in each lysimeter, 2) describe concentrations and changes or trends in the concentrations of leachate-indicator constituents in any liquids accumulated in each lysimeter, 3) summarize the finding in regard to the presence or absence of leachate in each lysimeter, 4) make recommendations, if any, limited to vadose-zone study-related variables. The data and analyses contained in this report reflect the initial characterization of construction and consolidation water in Cells 5 and 6 lysimeters.

This report includes Arctic National Wildlife Refuge(ANWR) Leasing Revenue Estimates.

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is responsible for the maintenance, renovation, and new construction of the Capitol Hill complex, which comprises more than three dozen facilities and consists of nine jurisdictions, such as the U.S. Capitol and the Senate and House Office Buildings. In 2003, at the request of Congress, GAO issued a management review of AOC that contained recommendations in seven areas to help AOC become more strategic and accountable. GAO reported on AOC's progress in implementing those recommendations in January and August 2004. In 2005 and 2006, GAO briefed Congress on AOC's recent progress in implementing GAO's recommendations and on issues related to AOC's project and facilities management. This report summarizes GAO's (1) assessment of AOC's progress in implementing previous GAO recommendations and in improving project and facilities management and (2) delineation of remaining management challenges."

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) established an area monitoring dosimeter program in accordance with Article 514 of the Department of Energy (DOE) Radiological Control Manual (RCM) in January 1993. This program is to minimize the number of areas requiring issuance of personnel dosimeters and to demonstrate that doses outside Radiological Buffer Areas are negligible. In accordance with 10 CFR Part 835.402 (a)(1)-(4) and Article 511.1 of the PNNL Radiological Control Program Description, personnel dosimetry shall be provided to (1) radiological workers who are likely to receive at least 100 mrem annually, and (2) declared pregnant workers, minors, and members of the public who are likely to receive at least 50 mrem annually. Program results for calendar years 1993-2005 confirm that personnel dosimetry is not needed for individuals located in areas monitored by the program

The Next Linear Collider (NLC) is conceived as the world’s most powerful electron-positron particle accelerator. Throughout the NLC, the beam itself will be used to measure errors in the positions of the lattice elements. This beam-based alignment strategy is an essential element of the NLC’s design and precision adjustment systems have been identified as a critical enabling technology. Square One proposes a new type of precision manipulator that could be adapted for applications throughout the accelerator. As envisioned, this “Tri-Sphere” Adjustment System will possess up to six, non-redundant degrees of freedom, be capable of sub-micron resolutions and have ultimate load capacities in excess of 10,000 kg. The system will accommodate thermal expansions and contractions of the objects being supported and can be either motorized or manually actuated. Phase I development tasks will include detailed manipulator design, solution of the associated kinematic equations of motion and evaluation of actuators, gear reducers and transmission systems. The Phase I effort will culminate in the fabrication and full evaluation of a system prototype. A successfully developed Tri-Sphere manipulator could also be used to actively position critical fusion optics, adjust communication dishes or perform parts handling tasks in harsh manufacturing environments.

This report provides the basic information needed to understand the issues surrounding the proposed implementation of Basel II and the pending proposed modifications of Basel I in the United States. First, it gives a basic background on capital standards and how capital assessments were made before these accords. Second, it briefly explains how Basel I works. Third, it addresses the major problem with Basel I and the modifications being considered. Fourth, it describes the Basel II framework the United States may implement and the framework the EU is already implementing. The report concludes with a section on Congress and the Basel Accords.

Sample matching is a fundamental capability that can have high probative value in a forensic context if proper validation studies are performed. In this report we discuss the potential utility of using the elemental composition of two bioagent samples to decide if they were produced in the same batch, or by the same process. Using guidance from the recent NRC study of bullet lead analysis and other sources, we develop a basic likelihood ratio framework for evaluating the evidentiary weight of elemental analysis data for sample matching. We define an objective metric for comparing two samples, and propose a method for constructing an unbiased population of test samples. We illustrate the basic methodology with some existing data on dry Bacillus thuringiensis preparations, and outline a comprehensive plan for experimental validation of this approach.

We construct black hole attractor solutions for a wide class of N = 2 compactifications. The analysis is carried out in ten dimensions and makes crucial use of pure spinor techniques. This formalism can accommodate non-Kaehler manifolds as well as compactifications with flux, in addition to the usual Calabi-Yau case. At the attractor point, the charges fix the moduli according to {Sigma}f{sub k} = Im(C{Phi}), where {Phi} is a pure spinor of odd (even) chirality in IIB (A). For IIB on a Calabi-Yau, {Phi} = {Omega} and the equation reduces to the usual one. Methods in generalized complex geometry can be used to study solutions to the attractor equation.

Congress has been considering expanding the barriers currently deployed along the U.S. international land border. Currently, the United States Border Patrol (USBP) deploys fencing, which aims to impede the illegal entry of individuals, and vehicle barriers, which aim to impede the illegal entry of vehicles (but not individuals) along the border. A number of policy issues concerning border barriers generally and fencing specifically may be of interest to Congress, including, but not limited to: their effectiveness; their costs versus their benefits; their location; their design; and their potential diplomatic ramifications. Prominent bills include House-passed H.R. 4437 and H.R. 6061, and Senate-passed S. 2611, and H.R. 5631.

This report provides background on appearance of BSE(bovine spongiform encephalopathy or "mad cow disease") in North America.

The President’s fiscal year (FY) 2007 budget released in early February 2006 included proposals to make the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent; slow the growth of Medicare spending; hold funding for non-defense, non-homeland security funding to little if any increase; and introduce, in FY2010, private accounts for Social Security. The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO’s) January 2006 budget report provided baseline estimates and projections through FY2016. CBO also estimated the cost of alternative policies that some would say are more likely to occur than some of the policies assumed in the baseline.

The Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP) program has been the most controversial nuclear weapon program in Congress for the last several years. Supporters argue that it is needed to attack hard and deeply buried targets (such as leadership bunkers) in countries of concern, thereby deterring or defeating challenges from such nations; critics assert that RNEP would lower the threshold for use of nuclear weapons and prompt other nations to develop nuclear weapons to deter U.S. attack. This report presents a brief technical background on RNEP, then discusses the history of RNEP in Congress and the Administration for the FY2005 and FY2006 budget cycles.