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Drug Control: Aviation Program Safety Concerns in Colombia Are Being Addressed, but State's Planning and Budgeting Process Can Be Improved (open access)

Drug Control: Aviation Program Safety Concerns in Colombia Are Being Addressed, but State's Planning and Budgeting Process Can Be Improved

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of State supports foreign governments' efforts to eradicate illicit drug crops. In recent years, State's Office of Aviation has maintained aircraft and provided support for the aerial eradication program of the Colombian National Police. However, eradication aircraft are often shot at from the ground requiring helicopter gunships and a search and rescue helicopter to accompany each mission. In 2003, the Office of Aviation fumigated more than 132,000 hectares of coca, a record amount. GAO examined (1) how the threat to the spray planes has changed since 2001, (2) what actions State has taken to address any operational safety concerns, and (3) what resources State provided for the expanding program during fiscal years 2001-04 and how it planned and budgeted for the program's growth."
Date: July 29, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Risks Posed by DOD's New Space Systems Acquisition Policy (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: Risks Posed by DOD's New Space Systems Acquisition Policy

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "On November 18, 2003, we testified before Congress on the Department of Defense's (DOD) new acquisition policy for space systems. The new acquisition policy, issued in October 2003, sets the stage for decision making for DOD's investment in space systems, which currently stands at more than $18 billion annually and is expected to grow considerably over the next decade. Congress requested that we provide additional comments on several issues relating to the new policy and other space acquisition issues."
Date: January 29, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Depot Maintenance: DOD Needs Plan to Ensure Compliance with Public- and Private-Sector Funding Allocation (open access)

Depot Maintenance: DOD Needs Plan to Ensure Compliance with Public- and Private-Sector Funding Allocation

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under 10 U.S.C. 2466, the military departments and defense agencies can use no more than 50 percent of annual depot maintenance funding for work performed by private-sector contractors. DOD also must submit two reports to the Congress annually on the division of depot maintenance funding between the public and private sectors--one about the percentage of funds spent in the previous 2 fiscal years (prior-years report) and one about the current and 4 succeeding fiscal years (future-years report). As required, GAO reviewed the two DOD reports submitted in early 2004 and is, with this report, submitting its views to the Congress on whether (1) the military services met the so-called "50-50 requirement" for fiscal years 2002-3 and (2) the projections for fiscal years 2004-8 are reasonable estimates. GAO also identified key limitations in the 50-50 process that affect the department's ability to comply with the 50-50 requirement."
Date: September 29, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. International Broadcasting: Challenges Facing the Broadcasting Board of Governors (open access)

U.S. International Broadcasting: Challenges Facing the Broadcasting Board of Governors

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were a dramatic reminder of the importance of cultivating a better understanding of the United States and its policies with overseas audiences. U.S. public diplomacy activities include the efforts of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees all nonmilitary U.S. international broadcasting by the Voice of America (VOA) and several other broadcast entities. Such broadcasting helps promote a better understanding of the United States and serves U.S. interests by providing overseas audiences with accurate and objective news about the United States and the world. GAO has issued three reports over the past 4 years examining the organizational, marketing, resource, and performance reporting challenges faced by the Board. Our recommendations to the Board have included the need to address the long-standing issue of overlapping language services (i.e., where two services broadcast in the same language to the same audience) and to strengthen the Board's strategic planning and performance by placing a greater emphasis on results. The Board has taken significant steps to respond to these and other recommendations."
Date: April 29, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Personnel: DOD Needs to Strengthen the Annual Review and Certification of Military Personnel Obligations (open access)

Military Personnel: DOD Needs to Strengthen the Annual Review and Certification of Military Personnel Obligations

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Each year, Congress appropriates billions of dollars to pay and support U.S. military personnel at home and overseas. In fiscal year 2003, military personnel (MILPERS) appropriations amounted to more than $109 billion. Once the funds are appropriated, the military services are responsible for ensuring that the funds are properly obligated and disbursed. Their end-of-the-fiscal-year review is critical to the next year's budget formulation process because the services use the obligations for the most recent fiscal year completed as a point of reference in developing their new budgets, and Congress uses this information as a point of comparison in its review of the new budget requests. In our prior work for the House and Senate appropriation and authorization committees, reviewing the services' budget justifications, we found that although the services were conducting annual reviews and certifications, the services did not review transactions by matching obligations to individual disbursements in all of the years that disbursements can occur, as required by the Department of Defense (DOD) Financial Management Regulation. We also found that the services disbursed some obligations for purposes other than those reported in their budget submission, but their …
Date: November 29, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dairy Industry: Information on Milk Prices, Factors Affecting Prices, and Dairy Policy Options (open access)

Dairy Industry: Information on Milk Prices, Factors Affecting Prices, and Dairy Policy Options

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2003, U.S. dairy farmers marketed nearly 19.7 billion gallons of raw milk, one-third of which were used in fluid milk products. Farmers, cooperatives, processors, and retailers receive a portion of the retail price of milk for their part in providing milk to consumers. During 2002 and 2003, farm prices fell while retail prices did not similarly decline. This pattern raised concerns about a growing spread between farm and retail prices. Farm prices have since increased, reaching record highs in April 2004. As requested, GAO examined (1) the portion of retail milk prices received by farmers, cooperatives, processors, and retailers, how this changed over time, and the relationship between price changes at these levels; (2) how various factors influence prices and affect the transmission of price changes among levels; and (3) how federal dairy program changes and alternative policy options have affected or might affect farm income and federal costs, among other considerations."
Date: December 29, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Better Information Sharing Among Financial Services Regulators Could Improve Protections for Consumers (open access)

Better Information Sharing Among Financial Services Regulators Could Improve Protections for Consumers

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO has long held the position that financial regulators can benefit from improved information sharing. As regulators are faced with the challenges of overseeing a myriad of financial products, along with the individuals and organizations that develop and sell them, information sharing among regulators serves as a key defense against fraud and market abuses. However, our system of financial regulation is fragmented and, in many cases, isolated among numerous federal and state financial regulators overseeing the securities, insurance, and banking industries. While there has been a greater effort to improve communication in recent years, the routine sharing of information between the regulators of the three major financial industries--securities, insurance, and banking--continues to be a source of concern. At Congress' request, we have issued reports and testimonies in recent years discussing the benefits of improved sharing of criminal and regulatory information and the consequences of failing to adequately share such information. This report focuses on three areas where greater attention is needed to improve information-sharing capabilities among financial services regulators. First, we highlight the need for insurance regulators to have more consistent access to the Federal Bureau of Investigation …
Date: June 29, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Disability: Commissioner Proposes Strategy to Improve the Claims Process, but Faces Implementation Challenges (open access)

Social Security Disability: Commissioner Proposes Strategy to Improve the Claims Process, but Faces Implementation Challenges

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Delivering high-quality service to the public in the form of fair, timely, and consistent eligibility decisions for disability benefits is one of SSA's most pressing challenges. This testimony discusses (1) the difficulties SSA faces managing disability claims processing; (2) the outmoded concepts of SSA's disability program; and (3) the Commissioner's strategy for improving the disability process and the challenges it faces."
Date: March 29, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Reserve Forces: Observations on Recent National Guard Use in Overseas and Homeland Missions and Future Challenges (open access)

Reserve Forces: Observations on Recent National Guard Use in Overseas and Homeland Missions and Future Challenges

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and launch of the Global War on Terrorism, the National Guard has experienced the largest activation of its forces since World War II. The Guard consists of 350,000 Army Guard soldiers and 107,000 Air Guard members. With its unique dual status, it performs state missions under the governor and federal missions at home and overseas under the President. Since September 11, the Guard's missions have expanded, raising concerns about its ability to simultaneously perform all of these functions. The Department of Defense (DOD) funds the Army Guard for partial readiness to accomplish mission requirements assuming that there will be time to supply additional personnel and equipment in an extended conflict. In contrast, the Air Guard is funded to be an operational reserve ready on short notice. Today's testimony addresses GAO's observations on (1) the extent and purpose of the National Guard's use since September 11, (2) the effects of that use on Guard forces' readiness for future missions, and (3) the challenges that DOD, the states, and Congress face in organizing and equipping the Guard to support both …
Date: April 29, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Alaska Native Villages: Villages Affected by Flooding and Erosion Have Difficulty Qualifying for Federal Assistance (open access)

Alaska Native Villages: Villages Affected by Flooding and Erosion Have Difficulty Qualifying for Federal Assistance

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Approximately 6,600 miles of Alaska's coastline and many of the low-lying areas along the state's rivers are subject to severe flooding and erosion. Most of Alaska's Native villages are located on the coast or on riverbanks. In addition to the many federal and Alaska state agencies that respond to flooding and erosion, Congress established the Denali Commission in 1998 to, among other things, provide economic development services and meet infrastructure needs in rural Alaska communities. This testimony is based on GAO's report, Alaska Native Villages: Most Are Affected by Flooding and Erosion, but Few Qualify for Federal Assistance (GAO-04-142, December 12, 2003). Specifically, GAO identified (1) the number of Alaska Native villages affected by flooding and erosion, (2) the extent to which federal assistance has been provided to those villages, (3) the efforts of nine villages to respond to flooding and erosion, and (4) alternatives that Congress may wish to consider when providing assistance for flooding and erosion."
Date: June 29, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Independent Counsel: Breakdown of Expenditures for David M. Barrett (open access)

Independent Counsel: Breakdown of Expenditures for David M. Barrett

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In a letter dated April 15, 2004, the Ranking Minority Member, House Committee on Government Reform, requested a monthly breakdown of all expenditures from October 2002 through September 2003 by Independent Counsel David M. Barrett. Under 28 U.S.C 596(c)(1) and (2) (2000), independent counsels are required to report on their expenditures from the permanent, indefinite appropriation established to fund independent counsel activities semiannually. We are required to audit these expenditures and report our findings to appropriate congressional committees. The request letter cited our two most recent semiannual reports, which covered the period in question on independent counsel expenditures."
Date: April 29, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Education's Federal Direct Loan Program: Status of Recommendations to Improve Cost Estimates and Presentation of Updated Cash Flow Information (open access)

Department of Education's Federal Direct Loan Program: Status of Recommendations to Improve Cost Estimates and Presentation of Updated Cash Flow Information

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Under the Department of Education's Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP), students or their parents borrow money directly from the federal government through the vocational, undergraduate, or graduate schools that students attend. FDLP offers four loan types, including consolidation loans, which allow borrowers to combine multiple loans, possibly from different federal student loan programs, into a single loan with one monthly payment and a fixed borrower interest rate. The other three FDLP loan types provide variable borrower interest rates. The reported outstanding gross balance of FDLP loans to borrowers was $84.5 billion as of September 30, 2003, and the related allowance for subsidy--or the cost Education expected to incur on the outstanding loans--was $657 million. The key driver of the FDLP cost to the government is the difference between the borrower interest rate and Education's financing cost or borrowing rate from Treasury. Because of concerns about Education's reliance on estimates to project FDLP costs and a lack of historical information on which to base those estimates, the House Committee on the Budget previously asked us to review key aspects of Education's cost estimates for FDLP. Our January 2001 report …
Date: March 29, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
[Minutes: Intelligence Joint Cross-Service Group, July 29, 2004] (open access)

[Minutes: Intelligence Joint Cross-Service Group, July 29, 2004]

BRAC 2005 Intelligence Joint Cross-Service Group Meeting Minutes of July 29, 2004. The document is redacted and includes the BRAC 05 IJCSG Principals Meeting brief (PowerPoint slides).
Date: July 29, 2004
Creator: United States. Department of Defense.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
[Minutes: Intelligence Joint Cross-Service Group, September 29, 2004] (open access)

[Minutes: Intelligence Joint Cross-Service Group, September 29, 2004]

BRAC 2005 Intelligence Joint Cross-Service Group Meeting Minutes of September 29, 2004. The document is redacted and includes the IJCSG Principals Meeting brief (PowerPoint slides).
Date: September 29, 2004
Creator: United States. Department of Defense.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
REMOVAL OF TECHNETIUM 99 FROM THE EFFLUENT TREATMENT FACILITY (ETF) BASIN 44 USING PUROLITE A-530E & REILLEX HPQ & SYBRON IONAC SR-7 ION EXCHANGE RESINS (open access)

REMOVAL OF TECHNETIUM 99 FROM THE EFFLUENT TREATMENT FACILITY (ETF) BASIN 44 USING PUROLITE A-530E & REILLEX HPQ & SYBRON IONAC SR-7 ION EXCHANGE RESINS

This report documents the laboratory testing and analyses as directed under the test plan, RPP-20407. The overall goal of this task was to evaluate and compare candidate anion exchange resins for their capacity to remove Technetium-99 from Basin 44 Reverse Osmosis reject stream. The candidate resins evaluated were Purolite A-530E, Reillex HPQ, and Sybron IONAC SR-7.
Date: October 29, 2004
Creator: JB, DUNCAN
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
LIQUID EFFLUENT RETENTION FACILITY (LERF) BASIN 42 STUDIES (open access)

LIQUID EFFLUENT RETENTION FACILITY (LERF) BASIN 42 STUDIES

This report documents laboratory results obtained under test plan RPP-21533 for samples submitted by the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) from the Liquid Effluent Retention Facility (LERF) Basin 42 (Reference 1). The LERF Basin 42 contains process condensate (PC) from the 242-A Evaporator and landfill leachate. The ETF processes one PC campaign approximately every 12 to 18 months. A typical PC campaign volume can range from 1.5 to 2.5 million gallons. During the September 2003 ETF Basin 42 processing campaign, a recurring problem with 'gelatinous buildup' on the outlet filters from 60A-TK-I (surge tank) was observed (Figure 1). This buildup appeared on the filters after the contents of the surge tank were adjusted to a pH of between 5 and 6 using sulfuric acid. Biological activity in the PC feed was suspected to be the cause of the gelatinous material. Due to this buildup, the filters (10 {micro}m CUNO) required daily change out to maintain process throughput.
Date: October 29, 2004
Creator: JB, DUNCAN
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
POST-PROCESSING ANALYSIS FOR THC SEEPAGE (open access)

POST-PROCESSING ANALYSIS FOR THC SEEPAGE

This report describes the selection of water compositions for the total system performance assessment (TSPA) model of results from the thermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) seepage model documented in ''Drift-Scale THC Seepage Model'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169856]). The selection has been conducted in accordance with ''Technical Work Plan for: Near-Field Environment and Transport: Coupled Processes (Mountain-Scale TH/THC/THM, Drift-Scale THC Seepage, and Post-Processing Analysis for THC Seepage) Report Integration'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 171334]). This technical work plan (TWP) was prepared in accordance with AP-2.27Q, ''Planning for Science Activities''. Section 1.2.3 of the TWP describes planning information pertaining to the technical scope, content, and management of this report. The post-processing analysis for THC seepage (THC-PPA) documented in this report provides a methodology for evaluating the near-field compositions of water and gas around a typical waste emplacement drift as these relate to the chemistry of seepage, if any, into the drift. The THC-PPA inherits the conceptual basis of the THC seepage model, but is an independently developed process. The relationship between the post-processing analysis and other closely related models, together with their main functions in providing seepage chemistry information for the Total System Performance Assessment for the License Application (TSPA-LA), are illustrated in Figure 1-1. The …
Date: September 29, 2004
Creator: SUN, Y.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Application of NMR Methods to Identify Detection Reagents for Use in the Development of Robust Nanosensors (open access)

Application of NMR Methods to Identify Detection Reagents for Use in the Development of Robust Nanosensors

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for studying bi-molecular interactions at the atomic scale. Our NMR lab is involved in the identification of small molecules, or ligands that bind to target protein receptors, such as tetanus (TeNT) and botulinum (BoNT) neurotoxins, anthrax proteins and HLA-DR10 receptors on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer cells. Once low affinity binders are identified, they can be linked together to produce multidentate synthetic high affinity ligands (SHALs) that have very high specificity for their target protein receptors. An important nanotechnology application for SHALs is their use in the development of robust chemical sensors or biochips for the detection of pathogen proteins in environmental samples or body fluids. Here, we describe a recently developed NMR competition assay based on transferred nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (trNOESY) that enables the identification of sets of ligands that bind to the same site, or a different site, on the surface of TeNT fragment C (TetC) than a known ''marker'' ligand, doxorubicin. Using this assay, we can identify the optimal pairs of ligands to be linked together for creating detection reagents, as well as estimate the relative binding constants for ligands competing for the same site.
Date: April 29, 2004
Creator: Cosman, M; Krishnan, V V & Balhorn, R
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
RP-5 Renewable Energy Efficiency Project (open access)

RP-5 Renewable Energy Efficiency Project

This is the sixth quarterly technical report for the RP-5 Renewable Energy Efficiency Project. The report summarizes the work progress, effort and activities that took place during the period from October 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003. The report has been prepared in accordance with the Department of Energy (DOE) Guidelines. In coordination with the DOE, IEUA has revised the original Cooperative Agreement to reflect the actual and current project scope of work. The original Agreement statement of work (SOW) included conceptual and preliminary equipment and systems, which were further evaluated for feasibility and suitability for the project. As a result, some of the equipment was taken out of the project scope. In response to questions from the DOE, IEUA has submitted a summary report on the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) secondary power generation units for availability and suitability for this project and associated safety concerns pointed out by the DOE. IEUA has awarded the consulting engineering contract to Parsons Water and Infrastructure, Inc. to provide the project's design and construction services. The project's pre-design kickoff meeting was held at IEUA's headquarters on December 11, 2003. IEUA has submitted a proposal for a grant offered by California Energy Commission (CEC) …
Date: January 29, 2004
Creator: Clifton, Neil; Whitman, Eliza Jane & Zughbi, Jamal A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Smoothing of Military Mirrors by Novel Surface Alloying and Melting Technique (open access)

Smoothing of Military Mirrors by Novel Surface Alloying and Melting Technique

None
Date: July 29, 2004
Creator: Williams, J.M. (BronteK Delta Corp.)
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Assessment of Future Demands for and Benefits of Public Transit Srevices in Tennessee (open access)

An Assessment of Future Demands for and Benefits of Public Transit Srevices in Tennessee

This report documents results from a study carried out by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for the Office of Public Transportation, Tennessee Department of Transportation. The study team was tasked with developing a process and a supporting methodology for estimating the benefits accruing to the State from the operation of state supported public transit services. The team was also tasked with developing forecasts of the future demands for these State supported transit services at five year intervals through the year 2020, broken down where possible to the local transit system level. Separate ridership benefits and forecasts were also requested for the State's urban and rural transit operations. Tennessee's public transit systems are subsidized to a degree by taxpayers. It is therefore in the public interest that assessments of the benefits of such systems be carried out at intervals, to determine how they are contributing to the well-being of the state's population. For some population groups within the State of Tennessee these transit services have become essential as a means of gaining access to workplaces and job training centers, to educational and health care facilities, as well as to shops, social functions and recreational sites.
Date: April 29, 2004
Creator: Southworth, F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 7, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 29, 2004 (open access)

University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 7, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Semiweekly newspaper from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas that includes local, national, and campus news along with advertising.
Date: September 29, 2004
Creator: Show, Mark
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, October 29, 2004 (open access)

University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, October 29, 2004

Semiweekly newspaper from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas that includes local, national, and campus news along with advertising.
Date: October 29, 2004
Creator: Show, Mark
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mannford Eagle (Mannford, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 22, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 29, 2004 (open access)

Mannford Eagle (Mannford, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 22, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Weekly newspaper from Mannford, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.
Date: September 29, 2004
Creator: Retherford, Bill R.
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History