A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Medicare appeals process has been the subject of widespread concern in recent years because of the time it takes to resolve appeals of denied claims. Two federal agencies play a role in deciding appeals--the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Currently, neither agency manages and oversees the entire multilevel process. In the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), Congress mandated that SSA transfer its responsibility for adjudicating Medicare appeals to HHS between July 1, 2005, and October 1, 2005. In addition, it directed the two agencies to develop a transfer plan addressing 13 specific elements related to the transfer. GAO's objective was to determine whether the plan is sufficient to ensure a smooth and timely transition."

Paper presents an intelectual framework for viewing how the theoretical, technological, economic and market potentials of carbon dioxide capture and storage are related to each other.

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We have developed and tested a fully autonomous pathogen detection system (APDS) capable of continuously monitoring the environment for airborne biological threat agents. The system was developed to provide early warning to civilians in the event of a bioterrorism incident and can be used at high profile events for short-term, intensive monitoring or in major public buildings or transportation nodes for long-term monitoring. The APDS is completely automated, offering continuous aerosol sampling, in-line sample preparation fluidics, multiplexed detection and identification immunoassays, and nucleic-acid based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and detection. Highly multiplexed antibody-based and duplex nucleic acid-based assays are combined to reduce false positives to a very low level, lower reagent costs, and significantly expand the detection capabilities of this biosensor. This article provides an overview of the current design and operation of the APDS. Certain sub-components of the ADPS are described in detail, including the aerosol collector, the automated sample preparation module that performs multiplexed immunoassays with confirmatory PCR, and the data monitoring and communications system. Data obtained from an APDS that operated continuously for seven days in a major U.S. transportation hub is reported.

Boiling temperature measurements have been made for saturated ternary solutions of NaCl + KNO{sub 3} + H{sub 2}O and NaNO{sub 3} + KNO{sub 3} + H{sub 2}O over the full solute mole fraction range, along with the limiting binary solutions NaCl + H{sub 2}O, NaNO{sub 3} + H{sub 2}O, and KNO{sub 3} + H{sub 2}O. Boiling temperatures have also been measured for the quaternary NaCl + NaNO{sub 3} + KNO{sub 3} + H{sub 2}O mixtures with KNO{sub 3}:NaNO{sub 3} mole ratios of 1.01 and 1.19, which corresponding to the eutectic ratio and a near-eutectic ratio for the NaNO{sub 3} + KNO{sub 3} + H{sub 2}O subsystem. The maximum boiling temperature found for the NaCl + KNO{sub 3} + H{sub 2}O system is 134 C and for the NaNO{sub 3} + KNO{sub 3} + H{sub 2}O system is 160 C, but boiling temperatures as high as 196 C were measured the NaCl + NaNO{sub 3} + KNO{sub 3} + H{sub 2}O system. These mixture compositions correspond to the major mineral assemblages that are predicted to control the deliquescence relative humidity of salts found by leaching dust samples from the proposed nuclear repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

For this study, an extensive suite of mineral particles analogous to components of cosmic dust were tested to determine if their Raman signatures can be recognized after hypervelocity capture in aerogel. The mineral particles were mainly of greater than 20 micrometers in size and were accelerated onto the silica aerogel by light gas gun shots. It was found that all the individual minerals captured in aerogel could be subsequently identified using Raman (or fluorescent) spectra. The beam spot size used for the laser illumination was of the order of 5 micrometers, and in some cases the captured particles were of a similar small size. In some samples fired into aerogel there was observed a shift in the wavenumbers of some of the Raman bands, a result of the trapped particles being at quite high temperatures due to heating by the laser. Temperatures of samples under laser illumination were estimated from the relative intensities of Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman bands, or, in the case of ruby particles, from the wavenumber of fluorescence bands excited by the laser. It was found that the temperature of particles in aerogel varied greatly, dependent upon laser power and the nature of the particle. In the …

Letter from Philip A. Berkebile, Executive Vice President at TDNA to Bob Carlquist to Executive VP and General Manager at the Houston Chronicle, on October 4, 2004. The letter is in regards to Carlquist being elected TDNA's treasurer for TDNA at the beginning of January 1, 2005 and on becoming the association's president in 2007.

Letter from Philip A. Berkebile to Bill Cornwell, on October 4, 2004 with the subject Nominating Committee. The letter is in regard to Cornwell accepting President Donnis Baggett's request to serve on this year's Board of Directors Nomination Committee. Those serving with Cornwell are Baggett, Dan Savage, Aubrey Webb and the committee chairman Wesley Turner.

Letter from Philip A. Berkebile to Dan Savage, October 4, 2004 with the subject Nomination Committee. The letter is in regards to Savage accepting President Donnis Baggett's request to serve on the 2005 Board of Directors Nominating Committee. Serving with Savage are Baggett, Bill Cornwell, Aubrey Webb and the committee chairman Wesley Turner. The purpose of the nominating committee is to fill four openings within the board members.

Letter from Philip A. Berkebile to Aubrey Webb on October 4, 2004 with the subject Nominating Committee. Berkebile thanks Webb for accepting TDNA's President Donnis Bagget's request to serve on the 2005 board of directors nomination committee. Serving with Webb will be Baggett, Bill Cornwell, Dan Savage and the committee chairman Wesley Turner.

We have directly probed the plasma conditions in which the Ni-like Pd transient collisional x-ray laser is generated and propagates by measuring the near-field image and by utilizing picosecond resolution soft x-ray laser interferometry of the preformed Pd plasma gain medium. The electron density and gain region of the plasma have been determined experimentally and are found to be in good agreement with simulations. We observe a strong dependence of the laser pump-gain medium coupling on the laser pump parameters. The most efficient coupling of laser pump energy into the gain region occurs with the formation of lower density gradients in the pre-formed plasma and when the duration of the main heating pulse is comparable to the gain lifetime ({approx}10ps for mid-Z Ni-like schemes). This increases the output intensity by more than an order of magnitude relative to the commonly utilized case where the same pumping energy is delivered within a shorter heating pulse duration (< 3ps). In contrast, the higher intensity heating pulses are observed to be absorbed at higher electron densities and in regions where steep density gradients limit the effective length of the gain medium.

This analysis report describes the methods used to determine hydrologic properties based on the available field data from the unsaturated zone (UZ) at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The technical scope, content, and management of this analysis report are described in the planning document ''Technical Work Plan for: Unsaturated Zone Flow Analysis and Model Report Integration'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169654], Sections 2, 4, and 8). Fracture and matrix properties are developed by analyzing available survey data from the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF), the Enhanced Characterization of Repository Block (ECRB) Cross-Drift, and/or boreholes; air-injection testing data from surface boreholes and from boreholes in the ESF; and data from laboratory testing of core samples. In addition, the report ''Geologic Framework Model'' (GFM2000) (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170029]) also serves as a source report by providing the geological framework model of the site. This report is a revision of the model report under the same title (BSC 2003 [DIRS 161773]), which in turn superceded the analysis report under the same title. The principal purpose of this work is to provide representative uncalibrated estimates of fracture and matrix properties for use in the model report Calibrated Properties Model. The term ''uncalibrated'' is used to distinguish the properties …

The Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) with OH radicals are the most efficient to mineralize organic compounds, and there are various methods to generate OH radicals as the use of ozone, hydrogen peroxide and ultra-violet radiation and ionizing radiation. The irradiation of aqueous solutions with high-energy electrons results in the excitation and ionizing of the molecules and rapid (10{sup -14} - 10{sup -9} s) formation of reactive intermediates. These reactive species will react with organic compounds present in industrial effluent inducing their decomposition. Titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) catalyzed photoreaction is used to remove a wide range of pollutants in air and water media, combined to UV/VIS light, FeO{sub 2}, and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, but as far as known there is no report on the combination with ionizing radiation. In some recent studies, the removal of organic pollutants in industrial effluent, such as Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene from petroleum production using ionizing radiation was investigated. It has been ob served that none of the methods can be used individually in wastewater treatment applications with good economics and high degree of energy efficiency. In the present work, the efficiency of ionizing radiation in presence of TiO{sub 2} to treat industrial effluent was evaluated. …

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The purpose of this scientific analysis report, ''Characterize Eruptive Processes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada'', is to present information about natural volcanic systems and the parameters that can be used to model their behavior. This information is used to develop parameter-value distributions appropriate for analysis of the consequences of volcanic eruptions through a repository at Yucca Mountain. This scientific analysis report provides information to four other reports: ''Number of Waste Packages Hit by Igneous Intrusion'', (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170001]); ''Atmospheric Dispersal and Deposition of Tephra from Potential Volcanic Eruption at Yucca Mountain, Nevada'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170026]); ''Dike/Drift Interactions'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170028]); ''Development of Earthquake Ground Motion Input for Preclosure Seismic Design and Postclosure Performance Assessment of a Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, NV'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170027], Section 6.5). This report is organized into seven major sections. This section addresses the purpose of this document. Section 2 addresses quality assurance, Section 3 the use of software, Section 4 identifies the requirements that constrain this work, and Section 5 lists assumptions and their rationale. Section 6 presents the details of the scientific analysis and Section 7 summarizes the conclusions reached.

This presentation discusses enhancing the safety and security of radioactive sources.

The flowing fluid electric conductivity (FEC) logging method, wellbore fluid is replaced with de-ionized water, following which FEC profiles in the wellbore are measured at a series of times while the well is pumped at a constant rate. Locations were fluid enters the wellbore show peaks in the FEC logs, which may be analyzed to infer inflow strengths and salinities of permeable features intersected by the wellbore. In multi-rate flowing FEC logging, the flowing FEC logging method is repeated using two or more pumping rates, which enables the transmissivities and inherent pressure heads of these features to be estimated as well. We perform multi-rate FEC logging on a deep borehole in fractured granitic rock, using three different pumping rates. Results identify 19 hydraulically conducting fractures and indicate that transmissivity, pressure head, and salinity vary significantly among them. By using three pumping rates rather than the minimum number of two, we obtain an internal consistency check on the analysis that provides a measure of the uncertainty of the results. Good comparisons against static FEC profiles and against independent chemical, geological, and hydrogeological data have further enhanced confidence in the results of the multi-rate flowing FEC logging method.

The purpose of this model report is to document the calibrated properties model that provides calibrated property sets for unsaturated zone (UZ) flow and transport process models (UZ models). The calibration of the property sets is performed through inverse modeling. This work followed, and was planned in, ''Technical Work Plan (TWP) for: Unsaturated Zone Flow Analysis and Model Report Integration'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169654], Sections 1.2.6 and 2.1.1.6). Direct inputs to this model report were derived from the following upstream analysis and model reports: ''Analysis of Hydrologic Properties Data'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170038]); ''Development of Numerical Grids for UZ Flow and Transport Modeling'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169855]); ''Simulation of Net Infiltration for Present-Day and Potential Future Climates'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170007]); ''Geologic Framework Model'' (GFM2000) (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170029]). Additionally, this model report incorporates errata of the previous version and closure of the Key Technical Issue agreement TSPAI 3.26 (Section 6.2.2 and Appendix B), and it is revised for improved transparency.

This presentation discusses isotope production in the Advanced Test Reactor.

Initial physical dosimetry measurements have been completed using activation spectrometry and thermoluminiscent dosimeters to characterize the BNCT irradiation facility developed at the RA-1 research reactor operated by the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission in Buenos Aires. Some biological scoping irradiations have also been completed using a small-animal (hamster) oral mucosa tumor model. Results indicate that the RA-1 neutron source produces useful dose rates but that some improvements in the initial configuration will be needed to optimize the spectrum for thermal-neutron BNCT research applications.

Research at the world's accelerator- (storage-ring and linac) based light sources is one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing fields of science. It frequently results in direct benefits to society, thereby demonstrating the value of the research with very concrete examples, but this is not widely understood or appreciated outside of the immediate user community. Our growing group of light source communicators from facilities in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, inspired by the Interactions.org Web site created by high-energy (elementary-particle)physics communicators, concluded that a light source community Web site (lightsources.org) would be the best tool for establishing effective collaboration between the communications offices of the world's light sources and to maximize the impact of our efforts. We envision lightsources.org to serve as a one-stop-shopping site for information about all aspects of light sources and the research they make possible. Audiences to be served include science communicators, the press, policymakers, the light source community, the wider scientific community, the science-interested public, and students and educators. Our proposal has been sent to the world's light source facility directors by J. Murray Gibson (APS) and William G. Stirling (ESRF). As a result,light sources.org is now being supported by a growing list of …

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

Funeral program for Mrs. Joyce K. Hurst, born April 24, 1932 and died September 28, 2004. The funeral was held Monday, October 4, 2004 at St. Paul United Methodist Church, officiated by Reverend Terrance Hayes, Pastor. Funeral arrangements were made through Sutton-Sutton Mortuary, Inc. and she was buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery near San Antonio, Texas.