A number of issues affecting U.S. agriculture are receiving attention during the 109th Congress. Some are related to new initiatives or to unfinished legislation from the 108th Congress; others have been the focus of ongoing congressional oversight. Although the current (2002) farm bill (P.L. 107-171) generally does not expire until 2007, the agriculture committees could begin hearings on a new measure later this year. Meanwhile, the agriculture committees are required by the adopted FY2006 budget resolution to report legislation that reduces spending on mandatory food and agriculture support programs by $3 billion over the next five years. Other issues of importance to agriculture during the 109th Congress include the possible reauthorization of an expiring dairy support program; multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations; concerns about agroterrorism, food safety, and animal and plant diseases (e.g., “mad cow” disease and Asian soybean rust); high energy costs; environmental issues; and a number of agricultural marketing matters. This report will be updated if significant developments ensue.

In support for the Aggregation option1, researchers performed a series of tests using actual Tank 48H slurries. The tests were designed to examine potential benzene generation issues if the Tank 48H slurry is disposed to Saltstone. Personnel used the archived Tank 48H sample (HTF-E-03-127, collected September 17, 2003) for the experiments. The tests included a series of three experiments (Tests A, B, and F) performed in duplicate, giving a total of six experiments. Test A used Tank 48H slurry mixed with {approx}20:1 with Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Recycle from Tanks 21H and 22H. Test B used Tank 48H slurry mixed with {approx}2.7:1 with DWPF Recycle from Tanks 21H and 22H, while Test F used Tank 48H slurry as-is. Tests A and B occurred at 45 C, while Test F occurred at 55 C. Over a period of 8 weeks, personnel collected samples for analysis, once per week. Each sample was tested with the in-cell gamma counter. The researchers noted a decline in the cesium activity in solution which is attributed to temperature dependence of the complex slurry equilibrium. Selected samples were sent to ADS for potassium, boron, and cesium analysis. The benzene generation rate was inferred from the TPB …

This report provides an overview of U.S. policy concerns and relations with countries in central Asia. The report discusses issues such as Fostering Pro-Western Orientations, Obstacles to Peace and Independence, Democratization and Human Rights, Security and Arms Control, Trade and Investment, and provides an Aid Overview.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was tasked under project number D103401 to acquire computed tomographic (CT) images of selected components supplied by Y-12 National Security Complex personnel. A total of four components were imaged utilizing CT. In addition, LLNL personnel provided a basic review of the CT data acquisition and CT capabilities at LLNL to four Y-12 personnel. This report identifies the equipment used to acquire the CT images on each of the four components. It also provides representative sample CT images from each of the four components. Additional imaging data along with image display software will be forwarded under separate cover.

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Cuba was first added to the State Department's list of states sponsoring international terrorism in 1982. At the time, numerous U.S. government reports and statements under the Reagan Administration alleged Cuba's ties to international terrorism and its support for terrorist groups in Latin America. Cuba remains on the state-sponsored terrorism list with four other countries: Iran, Syria, Sudan, and North Korea. Cuba's retention on the terrorism list has received more attention in recent years in light of increased support for legislative initiatives to lift some U.S. sanctions under the current economic embargo. Supporters of keeping Cuba on the terrorism list argue that there is ample evidence that Cuba supports terrorism. Critics of retaining Cuba on the terrorism list maintain that the policy is a holdover from the Cold War and that Cuba no longer supports terrorism abroad.

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal policy requires that small businesses receive the maximum practicable subcontracting opportunity for providing goods and services to large businesses that contract directly with federal agencies. The Department of Energy (DOE) annually directs almost $20 billion to the 34 "facility management contractors" of which $3.3 billion was redirected to small business subcontractors in fiscal year 2004. DOE negotiates annual small business subcontracting goals with individual contractors and monitors their achievements. GAO was asked to (1) determine the usefulness of the data that DOE uses to monitor subcontracting performance and (2) discuss the actions that DOE has taken to address any problems with the contractors' subcontracting efforts."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Based on limited previous GAO work that identified examples of purchases of new items at the same time identical items in excellent or good condition were excessed, GAO was asked to assess the overall economy and efficiency of the Department of Defense (DOD) program for excess property reutilization (reuse). Specifically, GAO was asked to determine (1) whether and to what extent the program included waste and inefficiency and (2) root causes of any waste and inefficiency. GAO was also asked to provide detailed examples of waste and inefficiency and the related causes. GAO's methodology included an assessment of controls, analysis of DOD excess inventory data, statistical sampling at selected sites, and detailed case studies of many items."

The House passed H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, on April 21, 2005 (249-183). The legislation includes a “safe harbor” provision to protect methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) refiners from product liability suits, which was retained after a close vote on an amendment to drop the language (213-219). In the 108th Congress, there was opposition to this provision in the Senate. It is unclear how its inclusion may affect Senate passage of an energy bill in the 109th Congress. House Republicans have indicated that a compromise will be sought to satisfy the other body. Language in the House-passed bill would also authorize opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to exploration and development. An amendment to delete the ANWR provisions from H.R. 6 was defeated (200-231).

The project had four parts: (1) Modeling and simulation of nonlinear dynamics in forced BWRs using reduced order models; (2) Modeling and simulation of nonlinear dynamics in natural circulation BWRs using reduced order models; (3) Comparison of results with those obtained using large scale system codes; and (4) Experiments to investigate natural circulation flashing phenomenon.

This report provides the information related to the fishery, aquaculture, and marine mammal issues in the 109th Congress

This report covers funding and policy issues related to both Foreign Operations and State Department programs.It presents FY2006 Appropriations related to Foreign Operations (House)/State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (Senate).

This project investigated new techniques for improving seismic event locations derived from regional and local networks. The technqiues include a new approach to empirical travel-time calibration that simultaneously fits data from multiple stations and events, using a generalization of the kriging method, and predicts travel-time corrections for arbitrary event-station paths. We combined this calibration approach with grid-search event location to produce a prototype new multiple-event location method that allows the use of spatially well-distributed events and takes into account correlations between the travel-time corrections from proximate event-station paths. Preliminary tests with a high quality data set from Nevada Test Site explosions indicated that our new calibration/location method offers improvement over the conventional multiple-event location methods now in common use, and is applicable to more general event-station geometries than the conventional methods. The tests were limited, however, and further research is needed to fully evaluate, and improve, the approach. Our project also demonstrated the importance of using a realistic model for observational errors in an event location procedure. We took the initial steps in developing a new error model based on mixture-of-Gaussians probability distributions, which possess the properties necessary to characterize the complex arrival time error processes that can occur when …

This CRS report summarizes and compares the pertinent parts of the two bills. Specifically, the report compares the homeland security assistance distribution formulas in S. 21 and H.R. 1544, presents estimated guaranteed amounts each state would receive under the House and Senate formulas , and a stepby-step process for distribution of federal homeland security assistance (Appendix A and B), as proposed by these two bills.

A chapter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal agencies are facing a set of emerging cybersecurity threats that are the result of increasingly sophisticated methods of attack and the blending of once distinct types of attack into more complex and damaging forms. Examples of these threats include spam (unsolicited commercial e-mail), phishing (fraudulent messages to obtain personal or sensitive data), and spyware (software that monitors user activity without user knowledge or consent). To address these issues, GAO was asked to determine (1) the potential risks to federal systems from these emerging cybersecurity threats, (2) the federal agencies' perceptions of risk and their actions to mitigate them, (3) federal and private-sector actions to address the threats on a national level, and (4) governmentwide challenges to protecting federal systems from these threats."

Tritium retention by co-deposition with carbon on the divertor target plate is predicted to limit ITER's DT burning plasma operations (e.g. to about 100 pulses for the worst conditions) before the in-vessel tritium inventory limit, currently set at 350 g, is reached. At this point, ITER will only be able to continue its burning plasma program if technology is available that is capable of rapidly removing large quantities of tritium from the vessel with over 90% efficiency. The removal rate required is four orders of magnitude faster than that demonstrated in current tokamaks. Eighteen years after the observation of co-deposition on JET and TFTR, such technology is nowhere in sight. The inexorable conclusion is that either a major initiative in tritium removal should be funded or that research priorities for ITER should focus on metal alternatives.

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This second annual report summarizes the research performed from 17 April 2004 through 16 April 2005. Major portions of the research in several of the project's current eight tasks have been completed. We have successfully developed the meteorological inputs using the best possible modeling configurations, resulting in improved representation of atmospheric processes. The development of the variable-grid-resolution emissions model, SMOKE-VGR, is also completed. The development of the MAQSIP-VGR has been completed and a test run was performed to ensure the functionality of this air quality model. Thus, the project is on schedule as planned. During the upcoming reporting period, we expect to perform the first MAQSIP-VGR simulations over the Houston-Galveston region to study the roles of the meteorology, offshore emissions, and chemistry-transport interactions that determine the temporal and spatial evolution of ozone and its precursors.

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In an effort to reduce the risk of wildland fires, many federal land managers--including the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)--are placing greater emphasis on thinning forests and rangelands to help reduce the buildup of potentially hazardous fuels. These thinning efforts generate considerable quantities of woody material, including many smaller trees, limbs, and brush--referred to as woody biomass--that currently have little or no commercial value. GAO was asked to determine (1) which federal agencies are involved in efforts to promote the use of woody biomass, and actions they are undertaking; (2) how these agencies are coordinating their activities; and (3) what agencies see as obstacles to increasing the use of woody biomass, and the extent to which they are addressing these obstacles."

An intense neutron source facility with radiochemical processing capability is necessary at the Rare Isotope Accelerator to fully realize its potential benefit to stockpile stewardship and astrophysics. While many of the important physics missions of RIA can be addressed with radioactive ion beams, direct neutron cross-section measurements of interest to stockpile stewardship and astrophysics cannot because one cannot make a neutron target. Thus, one must collect a sufficient amount of the appropriate short-lived isotope, quickly chemically process the material into a target, and promptly radiate the sample with an intense ''beam'' of neutrons. The unprecedented production rates expected at RIA enables many of these direct neutron cross-section measurements, but only if the proper infrastructure is in place. This document not only describes the major piece of this required infrastructure, a neutron source facility with radiochemical processing capabilities, but also the motivation for measuring such direct neutron cross-sections.

High Harmonic Fast Wave (HHFW) heating experiments on NSTX have been observed to be accompanied by significant edge ion heating (T{sub i} >> T{sub e}). This heating is found to be anisotropic with T{sub perp} > T{sub par}. Simultaneously, coherent oscillations have been detected with an edge Langmuir probe. The oscillations are consistent with parametric decay of the incident fast wave ({omega} > 13{omega}{sub ci}) into ion Bernstein waves and an unobserved ion-cyclotron quasi-mode. The observation of anisotropic heating is consistent with Bernstein wave damping, and the Bernstein waves should completely damp in the plasma periphery as they propagate toward a cyclotron harmonic resonance. The number of daughter waves is found to increase with rf power, and to increase as the incident wave's toroidal wavelength increases. The frequencies of the daughter wave are separated by the edge ion cyclotron frequency. Theoretical calculations of the threshold for this decay in uniform plasma indicate an extremely small value of incident power should be required to drive the instability. While such decays are commonly observed at lower harmonics in conventional ICRF heating scenarios, they usually do not involve the loss of significant wave power from the pump wave. On NSTX an estimate of …

Various reducing agents were used and their additions were varied to (1) increase glass quality through eliminating defects from silica scum, (2) decrease SOx emissions through changing the kind and quantity of reducing agents, and (3) improve production efficiency through increased flexibility of glass redox control during continuous processing. The work included measuring silica sand dissolution and sulfate decomposition in melts from glass batches. Glass batches were heated at a temperature-increase rate deemed similar to that experienced in the melting furnace. The sulfate decomposition kinetics was investigated with thermogravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis and evolved gas analysis. Sulfur concentrations in glasses quenched at different temperatures were determined using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The distribution of residual sand (that which was not dissolved during the initial batch reactions) in the glass was obtained as a function of temperature with optical microscopy in thin-sections of melts. The fraction of undissolved sand was measured with X-ray diffraction. The results of the present study helped Visteon Inc. reduce the energy consumption and establish the batch containing 0.118 mass% of graphite as the best candidate for Visteon glass production. The improved glass batch has a lower potential for silica scum formation and for brown fault occurrence in …

The surface of single crystal, cold-wall CVD-grown germanium nanowires was studied by synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy (SR-PES) and also by conventional XPS. The as-grown germanium nanowires seem to be hydrogen terminated. Exposure to laboratory atmosphere leads to germanium oxide growth with oxidation states of Ge{sup 1+}, Ge{sup 2+}, Ge{sup 3+}, while exposure to UV light leads to a predominance of the Ge{sup 4+} oxidation state. Most of the surface oxide could be removed readily by aqueous HF treatment which putatively leaves the nanowire surface hydrogen terminated with limited stability in air. Alternatively, chlorine termination could be achieved by aq. HCl treatment of the native oxide-coated nanowires. Chlorine termination was found to be relatively more stable than the HF-last hydrogen termination.