The increasing importance of Prompt Gamma-ray ActivationAnalysis (PGAA) in a broad range of applications is evident, and has beenemphasized at many meetings related to this topic (e.g., TechnicalConsultants' Meeting, Use of neutron beams for low- andmedium-fluxresearch reactors: radiography and materialscharacterizations, IAEA Vienna, 4-7 May 1993, IAEA-TECDOC-837, 1993).Furthermore, an Advisory Group Meeting (AGM) for the Coordination of theNuclear Structure and Decay Data Evaluators Network has stated that thereis a need for a complete and consistent library of cold- and thermalneutron capture gammaray and cross-section data (AGM held at Budapest,14-18 October 1996, INDC(NDS)-363); this AGM also recommended theorganization of an IAEA CRP on the subject. The International NuclearData Committee (INDC) is the primary advisory body to the IAEA NuclearData Section on their nuclear data programmes. At a biennial meeting in1997, the INDC strongly recommended that the Nuclear Data Section supportnew measurements andupdate the database on Neutron-induced PromptGamma-ray Activation Analysis (21st INDC meeting, INDC/P(97)-20). As aconsequence of the various recommendations, a CRP on "Development of aDatabase for Prompt Gamma-ray Neutron Activation Analysis (PGAA)" wasinitiated in 1999. Prior to this project, several consultants had definedthe scope, objectives and tasks, as approved subsequently by the IAEA.Each CRP participant assumed responsibility for the execution of specifictasks. …

Description. Individual raw data streams from instrumentation at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Climate Research Facility (ACRF) fixed and mobile sites are collected and sent to the Data Management Facility (DMF) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for processing in near real time. Raw and processed data are then sent daily to the ACRF Archive, where they are made available to users. For each instrument, we calculate the ratio of the actual number of data records received daily at the Archive to the expected number of data records. The results are tabulated by (1) individual data stream, site, and month for the current year and (2) site and fiscal year dating back to 1998. The United States Department of Energy requires national user facilities to report time-based operating data. The requirements concern the actual hours of operation (ACTUAL); the estimated maximum operation or uptime goal (OPSMAX), which accounts for planned downtime; and the VARIANCE [1 – (ACTUAL/OPSMAX)], which accounts for unplanned downtime. The annual OPSMAX time for the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site is 8,322 hours per year (0.95 × 8,760, the number hours in a year, not including leap year). The annual OPSMAX for the North Slope Alaska (NSA) …

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

Weekly newspaper from Dallas, Texas that includes local, state, and national news and advertising of interest to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community.

Research is being conducted under United States Department of Energy (DOE) Contract DEFC26-03NT41865 to develop a new technology to achieve very low levels of NOx emissions from pulverized coal fired boiler systems by employing a novel system level integration between the PC combustion process and the catalytic NOx reduction with CO present in the combustion flue gas. The combustor design and operating conditions will be optimized to achieve atypical flue gas conditions. This approach will not only suppress NOx generation during combustion but also further reduce NOx over a downstream catalytic reactor that does not require addition of an external reductant, such as ammonia. This report describes the work performed during the October 1 to December 30, 2004 time period.

This report was prepared to fulfill the Phase I deliverable for HLW/DWPF/TTR-98-0018, Rev. 2, ''Hydrogen Generation in the DWPF Chemical Processing Cell'', 6/4/2001. The primary objective for the preliminary phase of the hydrogen generation study was to complete a review of past data on hydrogen generation and to prepare a summary of the findings. The understanding was that the focus should be on catalytic hydrogen generation, not on hydrogen generation by radiolysis. The secondary objective was to develop scope for follow-up experimental and analytical work. The majority of this report provides a summary of past hydrogen generation work with radioactive and simulated Savannah River Site (SRS) waste sludges. The report also includes some work done with Hanford waste sludges and simulants. The review extends to idealized systems containing no sludge, such as solutions of sodium formate and formic acid doped with a noble metal catalyst. This includes general information from the literature, as well as the focused study done by the University of Georgia for the SRS. The various studies had a number of points of universal agreement. For example, noble metals, such as Pd, Rh, and Ru, catalyze hydrogen generation from formic acid and formate ions, and more acid …

Controlling hydrogen generation below the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) safety basis constrains the range of allowable acid additions in the DWPF Chemical Processing Cell. This range is evaluated in simulant tests at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). A minimum range of allowable acid additions is needed to provide operational flexibility and to handle typical uncertainties in process and analytical measurements used to set acid additions during processing. The range of allowable acid additions is a function of the composition of the feed to DWPF. Feed changes that lead to a smaller range of allowable acid additions have the potential to impact decisions related to wash endpoint control of DWPF feed composition and to the introduction of secondary waste streams into DWPF. A limited program was initiated in SRNL in 2001 to study the issue of hydrogen generation. The program was reinitiated at the end of fiscal year 2004. The primary motivation for the study is that a real potential exists to reduce the conservatism in the range of allowable acid additions in DWPF. Increasing the allowable range of acid additions can allow decisions on the sludge wash endpoint or the introduction of secondary waste streams to DWPF to …

The Department of Energy (DOE) is sponsoring an initiative to facilitate efficient, effective and responsible use of Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) and Enhanced Attenuation (EA) for chlorinated solvents. This Office of Environmental Management (EM) ''Alternative Project,'' focuses on providing scientific and policy support for MNA/EA. A broadly representative working group of scientists supports the project along with partnerships with regulatory organizations such as the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The initial product of the technical working group was a summary report that articulated the conceptual approach and central scientific tenants of the project, and that identified a prioritized listing of technical targets for field research. This report documented the process in which: (1) scientific ground rules were developed, (2) lines of inquiry were identified and then critically evaluated, (3) promising applied research topics were highlighted in the various lines of inquiry, and (4) these were discussed and prioritized. The summary report will serve as a resource to guide management and decision making throughout the period of the subject MNA/EA Alternative Project. To support and more fully document the information presented in the summary report, the DOE is publishing a series of supplemental …

The Tillamook Digester is a fully operational demonstration project that will identify the components necessary to bring the concept to a financially viable alternative for handling waste manure from dairy operations in Tillamook County.

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Preparations for conducting large-scale combustion tests with caking bituminous coal continued during the start of this quarter. Major project accomplishments related to bituminous coal testing included: a CFD preheat model and evaluation, an update of the process flow diagram and a detailed preheat burner mechanical design (suitable for construction) for firing bituminous coal. Installation and testing of the 85 MMBtu/h bituminous coal preheating system was planned to take place before the end of December. Based on the inability to conduct testing in Riley's Commercial Burner Test Facility (CBTF) during freezing weather, a schedule review indicated required site work for testing bituminous coal at the CBTF could not be completed before freezing weather set in at the site. Further bituminous preheat modification work was put on hold and efforts turned to securing the test facility over the winter season. Bituminous coal tests are therefore delayed; April-May 2005 is earliest estimate of when testing can resume. A request for a time extension was submitted to DOE to extend the project through September 2005 to allow time to secure additional funding and complete the bituminous coal testing. Removal of the PRB PC Preheater from the CBTF burner deck was completed. Decommissioning of the …

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The purpose of this project was to complete the architectural and engineering design, program planning, and other preliminary work necessary to construct the new Nevada Cancer Institute facility. These goals were accomplished with the construction of a new building of approximately 119,000 gross square feet. The facility houses the diagnostic and radio therapeutic treatment laboratories, radiation oncology treatment facility, physician offices, and clinical research areas.

One of the principal objectives of this demonstration project is to test surface geochemical techniques for detecting trace amounts of light hydrocarbons in pore gases as a means of reducing risk in hydrocarbon exploration and production. During this reporting period, microbial samples were collected from the Springdale prospect area in Manistee County, Michigan. The samples were taken along the trace of the proposed horizontal wells. The samples are presently being analyzed and the results will be reported in the next quarterly report. The main news this reporting period is that the Springdale prospect area in Manistee County, Michigan, continues to see drilling activity. Our industry partner, Jordan Development Company, LLC, is permitting additional horizontal wells following their success in the prospect area.

This is the third quarterly report under DOE Cooperative Agreement No.: DE-FC26-03NT41730. Due a number of circumstances, mostly associated with subcontractor agreements, the actual beginning of the project was delayed from its original award date of March 5, 2003. DOE's Project Manager was kept informed (verbally) by PPL's Project Manager throughout this period. Because of this delay, this is the third quarterly report and it refers to the time period from October to December 2004. As the project is in its ''pre-deployment'' stage, no results are available. This report summarizes the ongoing activities and provides an updated schedule. No significant issues or concerns are identified.

This topical report summarizes work accomplished for the Program from January 1, 2003 through December 31,2004 in the following task areas: Task 1--Materials Development; Task 2--Composite Development; Task 4--Reactor Design and Process Optimization; Task 8--Fuels and Engine Testing; 8.1 International Diesel Engine Program; and Task IO: Program Management. Most of the key technical objectives for this budget period were achieved. Only partial success was achieved relative to cycle testing under pressure Major improvements in material performance and element reliability have been achieved. A breakthrough material system has driven the development of a compact planar reactor design capable of producing either hydrogen or syngas. The planar reactor shows significant advantages in thermal efficiency and costs compared to either steam methane reforming with CO{sub 2} recovery or autothermal reforming. The fuel and engine testing program is complete The single cylinder test engine evaluation of UCTF fuels begun in Budget Period 2 was finished this budget period. In addition, a study to evaluate new fuel formulations for an HCCl engine was completed.

This is the eighteenth Quarterly Technical Report for DOE Cooperative Agreement No: DEFC26-00NT40753. The goal of the project is to develop cost effective analysis tools and techniques for demonstrating and evaluating low NOx control strategies and their possible impact on boiler performance for boilers firing US coals. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is providing co-funding for this program. Safety equipment for ammonia for the SCR slipstream reactor at Plant Gadsden was installed. The slipstream reactor was started and operated for about 1400 hours during the last performance period. Laboratory analysis of exposed catalyst and investigations of the sulfation of fresh catalyst continued at BYU. Thicker end-caps for the ECN probes were designed and fabricated to prevent the warpage and failure that occurred at Gavin with the previous design. A refurbished ECN probe was successfully tested at the University of Utah combustion laboratory. Improvements were implemented to the software that controls the flow of cooling air to the ECN probes.

A project to demonstrate a near-zero NOx, catalytic combustion technology for natural gas-fired, industrial gas turbines is described. In a cooperative effort between Solar Turbines Incorporated and Precision Combustion Incorporated (PCI), proof-of-concept rig testing of PCI's fuel-rich catalytic combustion technology has been completed successfully. The primary technical goal of the project was to demonstrate NOx and CO emissions below 5ppm and 10 ppm, respectively, (corrected to 15% O{sub 2}) at realistic gas turbine operating conditions. The program consisted of two tasks. In the first task, a single prototype RCL{trademark} (Rich Catalytic Lean Burn) module was demonstrated at Taurus 70 (7.5 Mw) operating conditions (1.6 MPa, 16 atm) in a test rig. For a Taurus 70 engine, eight to twelve RCL modules will be required, depending on the final system design. In the second task, four modules of a similar design were adapted to a Saturn engine (1 Mw) test rig (600 kPa, 6 atm) to demonstrate gas turbine light-off and operation with an RCL combustion system. This project was initially focused on combustion technology for the Mercury 50 engine. However, early in the program, the Taurus 70 replaced the Mercury. This substitution was motivated by the larger commercial market for …

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

A new chemical detection technology has been realized through EMSP Projects 60231 and 73844 that addresses DOE environmental management needs. The new technology is based on a variant of the sensitive optical absorption technique, cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS). Termed evanescent-wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (EW-CRDS), the technology employs a miniature solid-state optical resonator having an extremely high Q-factor as the sensing element, where the high-Q is achieved by using ultra-low-attenuation optical materials, ultra-smooth surfaces, and ultra-high reflectivity coatings, as well as low-diffraction-loss designs. At least one total-internal reflection (TIR) mirror is integral to the resonator permitting the concomitant evanescent wave to probe the ambient environment. Several prototypes have been designed, fabricated, characterized, and applied to chemical detection. Moreover, extensions of the sensing concept have been explored to enhance selectivity, sensitivity, and range of application. Operating primarily in the visible and near IR regions, the technology inherently enables remote detection by optical fiber. Producing 11 archival publications, 4 conference proceedings, 5 patents, 19 invited talks, a CRADA, and a patent-license agreement, Projects 60231 and 73844 realized a new chemical detection technology providing >100 times more sensitivity than comparable technologies, while also providing practical advantages.

The M-011 thermal neutron beam has been reconstituted and upgraded to provide a high intensity and high quality facility for preclinical and certain clinical studies. Intensities of thermal neutrons in the beam range from 5.0-8.5 x 109 n cm-2 s-1. Beam contamination is at a low level where it has no practical influence on beam performance. New computer controlled dose and beam monitoring systems have been implemented which assure precise dose delivery and redundant safety interlocks. An additional beam shutter and massive shielding in the back of the medical room have been added which significantly reduce room background and now permit staff entry without the necessity for lowering the reactor power. This system is needed for BNCT research by the MIT group as well as other US groups. This need became acute with the closure of the BMRR which previously had the only high quality thermal neutron irradiation facility for BNCT in the USA.

Edwards, John W.; Costa, Ralph. 2004. Range-wide success of red-cockaded woodpecker translocations. In: Red-cockaded woodpecker; Road to Recovery. Proceedings of the 4th Red-cockaded woodpecker Symposium. Ralph Costa and Susan J. Daniels, eds. Savannah, Georgia. January, 2003. Chapter 6. Translocation. Pp 307-311. Abstract: Red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) have declined range-wide during the past century, suffering from habitat loss and the effects of fire exclusion in older southern pine forests. Red-cockaded woodpecker translocations are a potentially important tool in conservation efforts to reestablish red-cockaded woodpeckers in areas from which they have been extirpated. Currently, translocations are critical in ongoing efforts to save and restore the many existing small populations. We examined the effects of demographic and environmental factors on the range-wide success of translocations between 1989 and 1995.

For stabilization of heavy metals at contaminated sites, the three way interaction among soil organic matter (OM)-microbes-plants, and their effect on heavy metal binding is critically important for long-term sustainability, a factor that is poorly understood at the molecular level. Using a soil aging system, the humification of plant matter such as wheat straw was probed along with the effect on microbial community on soil from the former McClellan Air Force Base.

Red-cockaded woodpecker; Road to Recovery. Proceedings of the 4th Red-cockaded woodpecker Symposium. Ralph Costa and Susan J. Daniels, eds. Savannah, Georgia. January, 2003. Chapter 11. Prey, Fire, and Community Ecology. Pp 633-645. Abstract: Over a 10-year period we investigated red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) prey use, sources of prey, prey distribution within trees and stands, and how forest management decisions affect prey abundance in South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Cameras were operated at 31 nest cavities to record nest visits with prey in 4 locations that ranged in foraging habitat from pine stands established in old fields to an old-growth stand in South Georgia. Examination of nearly 12,000 photographs recorded over 5 years revealed that, although red-cockaded woodpeckers used over 40 arthropods for food, the majority of the nestling diet is comprised of a relatively small number of common arthropods.