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.

There is renewed interest in the United States (U.S.) to construct new Generation III and III+ reactors within the next decade and Generation IV reactors in the future. Licensing by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is a significant consideration and these new plants may pose new challenges. One such challenge is the advances in human factors engineering (HFE) methods that are used. These methods are used to design and evaluate the HFE aspects of a plant, such as the human-system interface (HSI). These methods are important because NRC HFE reviews are design process oriented, thus, the criteria are mostly technology neutral with regard to reactor design.[1] However, the HFE review criteria are not neutral with respect to the HFE methods that are used as part of the design process This will be important for new reactor reviews because the diversity of reactor types, HSIs, and operational concepts will increase, especially for Generation III+ and IV plants. Thus the NRC is conducting research to identify advances in HFE methods and to develop additional guidance to address their review.

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.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) effort to modernize the nation's air traffic control (ATC) system has been listed by GAO as a high risk program for more than a decade now, due to systemic management and acquisition problems. Two relatively new organizations housed within FAA--the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) and the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO)--have been given the bulk of the responsibility for planning and implementing these modernization efforts. Congress created ATO to be a performance-based organization that would improve the culture, structure, and processes and improve accountability in the ATC modernization program. Congress created JPDO, made up of seven partner agencies, to coordinate the federal and nonfederal stakeholders necessary to plan a transition from the current air transportation system to the "next generation air transportation system" (NGATS). This testimony is based on GAO's recently completed and ongoing studies of the ATC modernization program. GAO provides information on (1) the status of ATO's efforts to implement processes and other initiatives aimed at efficiently managing and modernizing the current ATC system and (2) the status of JPDO's planning efforts and the key challenges that JPDO faces in …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Alaska Native corporations (ANC) were created to settle land claims with Alaska Natives and foster economic development. In 1986, legislation passed that allowed ANCs to participate in the Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8(a) program. Since then, Congress has extended special procurement advantages to 8(a) ANC firms, such as the ability to receive sole-source contracts for any dollar amount and to own multiple subsidiaries in the 8(a) program. We were asked to testify on an earlier report where we identified (1) trends in the government's 8(a) contracting with ANC firms, (2) the reasons agencies have awarded 8(a) solesource contracts to ANC firms and the facts and circumstances behind some of these contracts, and (3) how ANCs are using the 8(a) program. GAO also evaluated SBA's oversight of 8(a) ANC firms. GAO made recommendations aimed at improving SBA's oversight of 8(a) ANC contracting activity and ensuring that procuring agencies properly oversee 8(a) contracts they award to ANC firms. The procuring agencies generally agreed with our recommendation. SBA expressed concern with aspects of the report and disagreed with several of our recommendations. We believe implementation of our recommendations would provide better …

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.

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)--intended to provide aid to developing countries that have demonstrated a commitment to ruling justly, encouraging economic freedom, and investing in people--has received appropriations for fiscal years (FY) 2004-06 totaling more than $4.2 billion. About $3.8 billion of this amount has been set aside for compact assistance. As of January 2006, MCC had signed or approved eight compacts obligating about $1.5 billion, leaving an unobligated balance of about $2.3 billion. To assist in this year's budget deliberations, this letter provides a range of estimates under two scenarios of how quickly MCC could obligate this balance and three possible levels of FY 2007 appropriations at the current pace of compact award. The President has requested an additional $3 billion for MCC for FY 2007. To address this objective, we analyzed MCC's FY 2005 and 2006 budget presentations and other corporation records. We selected two illustrative scenarios for future MCC obligations: (1) a "higher cost" scenario in which the average size of future compacts is consistent with MCC projections and (2) a "lower cost" scenario in which future compacts are consistent with the average compact size …

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.

The collinear expansion technique is generalized to thefactorization of unintegrated parton distributions and other higher twistparton correlations from the corresponding collinear hard parts thatinvolve multiple parton final state interaction. Such a generalizedfactorization provides a consistent approach to the calculation ofinclusive and semi-inclusive cross sections of deep-inelasticlepton-nucleon scattering. As an example, the azimuthal asymmetry iscalculated to the order of 1/Q in semi-inclusive deeply inelasticlepton-nucleon scattering with transversely polarized target. Anon-vanishing single-spin asymmetry in the "triggered inclusive process"is predicted to be 1/Q suppressed with a part of the coefficient relatedto a moment of the Sivers function.

We report on the measurements of B-meson semileptonic decays at BABAR. The studies include precision measurement of |V{sub cb}| by a combined HQE fit to hadronic mass and electron energy spectral moments in inclusive B {yields} X{sub c}{ell}{nu} decays, measurements of |V{sub cb}| in inclusive and exclusive B {yields} X{sub u}{ell}{nu} decays, and measurements of B {yields} ({pi},{rho}){ell}{nu} decay rates.

BaBar has measured with unprecedented accuracy the e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} p{bar p} cross section from the threshold up to Q{sub p{bar p}}{sup 2} {approx} 20 GeV{sup 2}/c{sup 4}, finding out an unexpected cross section, with plateaux and negative steps. Evidence for a ratio |G{sub E}/G{sub M}| > 1 has also been found as well as a sudden variation in |G{sub M}| just above the threshold.