Annual Illness and Injury Surveillance Program report for 2003 for the Pantex Plant. DOE is commited to assuring the health and safety of its workers. This includes the conduct of epidemiologic surveillance activities that provide an early warning system for health problems among workers. The IISP monitors illnesses and health conditions that result in an absence of workdays, occupational injuries and illnesses, and disabilities and deaths among current workers.

Annual Illness and Injury Surveillance Program report for 2003 for the Savannah River Site. DOE is commitment to assuring the health and safety of its workers includes the conduct of epidemiologic surveillance activities that provide an early warning system for health problems among workers. The report monitors illnesses and health conditions that result in an absence of workdays, occupational injuries and illnesses, and disabilities and deaths among current workers.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) commitment to assuring the health and safety of its workers includes the conduct of epidemiologic surveillance activities that provide an early warning system for health problems among workers. The Illness and Injury Surveillance Program monitors illnesses and health conditions that result in an absence of workdays, occupational injuries and illnesses, and disabilities and deaths among current workers.

Simple models are constructed for ''acceleressence'' dark energy: the latent heat of a phase transition occurring in a hidden sector governed by the seesaw mass scale v{sup 2}/M{sub Pl}, where v is the electroweak scale and M{sub Pl} the gravitational mass scale. In our models, the seesaw scale is stabilized by supersymmetry, implying that the LHC must discover superpartners with a spectrum that reflects a low scale of fundamental supersymmetry breaking. Newtonian gravity may be modified by effects arising from the exchange of fields in the acceleressence sector whose Compton wavelengths are typically of order the millimeter scale. There are two classes of models. In the first class the universe is presently in a metastable vacuum and will continue to inflate until tunneling processes eventually induce a first order transition. In the simplest such model, the range of the new force is bounded to be larger than 25 {micro}m in the absence of fine-tuning of parameters, and for couplings of order unity it is expected to be {approx} 100 {micro}m. In the second class of models thermal effects maintain the present vacuum energy of the universe, but on further cooling, the universe will ''soon'' smoothly relax to a matter dominated …

Two Corning monoliths and a non-carbon-based material have been identified as potential additives for mercury capture in syngas at temperatures above 400°F and pressure of 600 psig. A new Corning monolith formulation, GR-F1-2189, described as an active sample appeared to be the best monolith tested to date. The Corning SR Liquid monolith concept continues to be a strong candidate for mercury capture. Both monolith types allowed mercury reduction to below 5-μg/m{sup 3} (~5 ppb), a current U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) goal for trace metal control. Preparation methods for formulating the SR Liquid monolith impacted the ability of the monolith to capture mercury. The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC)-prepared Noncarbon Sorbents 1 and 2 appeared to offer potential for sustained and significant reduction of mercury concentration in the simulated fuel gas. The Noncarbon Sorbent 1 allowed sustained mercury reduction to below 5-μg/m{sup 3} (~5 ppb). The non-carbon-based sorbent appeared to offer the potential for regeneration, that is, desorption of mercury by temperature swing (using nitrogen and steam at temperatures above where adsorption takes place). A Corning cordierite monolith treated with a Group IB metal offered limited potential as a mercury sorbent. However, a Corning carbon-based monolith containing prereduced metallic …

Catalysis is one of the most valuable contributors to our economy and historically an area where the United States has enjoyed, but is now losing, international leadership. While other countries are stepping up their work in this area, support for advanced catalysis research and development in the U.S. has diminished. Yet, more than ever, innovative and improved catalyst technologies are imperative for new energy production processes to ease our dependence on imported resources, for new energy-efficient and environmentally benign chemical production processes, and for new emission reduction technologies to minimize the environmental impact of an active and growing economy. Addressing growing concerns about the future direction of U.S. catalysis science, experts from the catalysis community met at a workshop to determine and recommend advanced resources needed to address the grand challenges for catalysis research and development. The workshop's primary conclusion: To recapture our position as the leader in catalysis innovation and practice, and promote crucial breakthroughs, the U.S. must establish one or more well-funded and well-equipped National Catalysis Research Institutes competitively selected, centered in the national laboratories and, by charter, networked to other national laboratories, universities, and industry. The Institute(s) will be the center of a national collaboratory that gives …

The stability and NO{sub x} sensing performance of electrochemical cells of the structure Sr-doped LaCrO{sub 3-{delta}} (LSC)/yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/Pt are being investigated for use in NO{sub x} aftertreatment systems in diesel vehicles. Among the requirements for NO{sub x} sensor materials in these systems are stability and long lifetime (up to ten years) in the exhaust environment. In this study, cell aging effects were explored following extended exposure to a test environment of 10% O{sub 2} at operating temperatures of 600-700 C. The data show that aging results in changes in particle morphology, chemical composition and interfacial structure, Impedance spectroscopy indicated an initial increase in the cell resistance during the early stages of aging, which is correlated to densification of the Pt electrode. Also, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated formation of SrZrO{sub 2} solid state reaction product in the LSC, a process which is of finite duration. Subsequently, the overall cell resistance decreases with aging time due, in part, to roughening of YSZ-LSC interface, which improves interface adherence and enhances charge transfer kinetics at the O{sub 2}/YSZ/LSC triple phase boundary. This study constitutes a first step in the development of a basic understanding of aging phenomena in solid state electrochemical systems with …

This report talks about the AGS Machine Studies

Many common scrap substitutes such as direct reduced iron pellets (DRI), hot briquetted iron (HBI), iron carbide, etc., contain significantly higher levels of phosphorus steelmaking for the production of higher quality steels, control of phosphorus levels in the metal will become a concern. This study has developed a more complete understanding of the behavior of phosphorus in DRI during EAF steelmaking, through a thorough investigation of the kinetics and thermodynamics of phosphorus transfer in the EAF based upon laboratory and plant experiments and trials. Laboratory experiments have shown that phosphorus mass transfer between oxide and metallic phases within commercial direct reduced iron pellets occurs rapidly upon melting according to the local equilibrium for these phases. Laboratory kinetic experiments indicate that under certain conditions, phosphorus mass transfer between slag and metal is influenced by dynamic phenomena, which affect the mass transfer coefficient for the reaction and/or the slag metal interfacial area. Plant trials were conducted to directly evaluate the conditions of mass transfer in the electric furnace and to determine the effects of different scrap substitute materials upon the slag chemistry, the behavior of phosphorus in the steel, and upon furnace yield. The data from these trials were also used to …

Algorithms for the treatment of special positions in 3-dimensional crystallographic space groups are presented. These include an algorithm for the determination of the site-symmetry group given the coordinates of a point, an algorithm for the determination of the exact location of the nearest special position, an algorithm for the assignment of a Wyckoff letter given the site-symmetry group, and an alternative algorithm for the assignment of a Wyckoff letter given the coordinates of a point directly. All algorithms are implemented in ISO C++ and are integrated into the Computational Crystallography Toolbox. The source code is freely available.

Almost 4,000 water-level measurements in 216 wells in the Yucca Flat area from 1951 to 2003 were quality assured and analyzed. An interpretative database was developed that describes water-level conditions for each water level measured in Yucca Flat. Multiple attributes were assigned to each water-level measurement in the database to describe the hydrologic conditions at the time of measurement. General quality, temporal variability, regional significance, and hydrologic conditions are attributed for each water-level measurement. The database also includes narratives that discuss the water-level history of each well. Water levels in 34 wells were analyzed for variability and for statistically significant trends. An attempt was made to identify the cause of many of the water-level fluctuations or trends. Potential causes include equilibration following well construction or development, pumping in the monitoring well, withdrawals from a nearby supply well, recharge from precipitation, earthquakes, underground nuclear tests, land subsidence, barometric pressure, and Earth tides. Some of the naturally occurring fluctuations in water levels may result from variations in recharge. The magnitude of the overall water-level change for these fluctuations generally is less than 2 feet. Long-term steady-state hydrographs for most of the wells open to carbonate rock have a very similar pattern. Carbonate-rock …

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) commitment to assuring the health and safety of its workers includes the conduct of illness and injury surveillance activities that provide an early warning system to detect health problems among workers. The Illness and Injury Surveillance Program monitors illnesses and health conditions that result in an absence, occupational injuries and illnesses, and disabilities and deaths among current workers.

We discuss two approaches to obtain detectors of very high temporal resolution. In the first approach, uranium-coated cathode is used in a streak tube configuration. Secondary electrons accompanying the fission fragments from a neutron-uranium reaction are accelerated, focussed and energy analyzed through a pinhole and streaked. Calculations show that 20 ps time-resolution can be obtained. In the second approach, a uranium-coated cathode is integrated into a transmission line. State-of-the-art technology indicates that time resolution of 20 ps can be obtained by gating the cathode with a fast electric pulse.

This article is concerned with free boundary problems for the differential equations u{double_prime} + (2{nu} + 1)/r u{prime} + u - u{sup q} = 0, r > 0, where 0 {le} q < 1 and {nu} {ge} 0. As was shown by Kaper and Kwong, there exists a unique R > 0, such that the equation admits a classical solution u that is positive and monotone on (0,R) and that satisfies the boundary conditions u{prime}(0) = 0, u(R) = u{prime}(R) = 0. This article is concerned with the behavior of R and u(0) as q {yields} 1.

A cost effective, highly efficient, and automatic method of intercomparing standard cells has been sought after and implemented, utilizing computer control and a commercially available scanner. This system reduces intercomparison time from 4 hours to 30 minutes using the standard National Bureau of Standard (NBS) 4 x 4 design. 7 figs., 1 tab.

An automated system for the performance of ion-exchange chromatography with corrosive solvents has been built. It is LSI-II microcomputer controlled and is capable of selecting six sample/solvents and collecting six separate fractions. Preliminary results on the separation of plutonium from 8M HNO/sub 3/ solutions indicate that the system can achieve chemical yields, analytical accuracy, and precision fully comparable to manual column operation at a considerable savings of operator time.

This document identifies administrative controls that are established for the operating contractor of the B Plant facility during the B Plant surveillance and maintenance phase. When approved by the DOE-RL, this document is part of the B Plant safety authorization basis. Look for the associated B Plant Surveillance and Maintenance Phase Safety Analysis Report, HNF-3358.

Laser technology has advanced dramatically and is an integral part of today's healthcare delivery system. Lasers are used in the laboratory analysis of human blood samples and serve as surgical tools that kill, burn or cut tissue. Recent semiconductor microtechnology has reduced the size o f a laser to the size of a biological cell or even a virus particle. By integrating these ultra small lasers with biological systems, it is possible to create micro-electrical mechanical systems that may revolutionize health care delivery.

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This presentation discusses bone-localizing electron-emitting therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.

The authors have directly measured the stress evolution during metal organic chemical vapor deposition of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures on sapphire. In situ stress measurements were correlated with ex situ microstructural analysis to directly determine a critical thickness for cracking and the subsequent relaxation kinetics of tensile-strained Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1{minus}x}N on GaN. Cracks appear to initiate the formation of misfit dislocations at the AlGaN/GaN interface, which account for the majority of the strain relaxation.

This report summarizes the activities and findings from a field experiment devised to estimate the rates and mechanisms of transport of carbon across the continental shelves. The specific site chosen for the experiment was the mid-Atlantic Bight, a region off the North Carolina coast. The experiment involved a large contingent of scientists from many institutions. The specific component of the program was the transport of carbon in the bottom boundary layer. The postulate mechanisms of transport of carbon in the bottom boundary layer are: resuspension and advection, downward deposition, and accumulation. The high turbulence levels in the bottom boundary layer require the understanding of the coupling between turbulence and bottom sediments. The specific issues addressed in the work reported here were: (a) What is the sediment response to forcing by currents and waves? (b) What is the turbulence climate in the bottom boundary layer at this site? and (c) What is the rate at which settling leads to carbon sequestering in bottom sediments at offshore sites?

Early X-ray afterglows recently detected by Swift frequently show a phase of very shallow flux decay lasting from a few hundred seconds up to {approx} 10{sup 4} s, followed by a steeper, more familiar decay. We suggest that the flat early part of the light curve may be a combination of the decaying tail of the prompt emission and the delayed onset of the afterglow emission observed from viewing angles slightly outside the edge of the jet, as predicted previously. This would imply that a significant fraction of viewers have a very small external shock energy along their line of sight and a very high {gamma}-ray to kinetic energy ratio. The early flat phase in the afterglow light curve implies, according to this or other interpretations, a very large {gamma}-ray efficiency, typically {approx}&gt; 90%, which is very difficult to produce by internal shocks.

The status of the following studies is given: calorimetry and thermodynamics of nuclear materials; americium recovery and purification; optimization of the cation exchange process for recovering americium and plutonium from molten net extraction residues; evaluation and comparison of bidentate extractants and methods for actinide recovery; a combined anion exchange-bidontate organophosphorus extraction process for molten salt extraction residues; a combined anion exchange-extraction chromatography technique for secondary recovery; plutonium recovery in the Advanced Size Reduction Facility; decontamination of Rocky Flats soil; separating lead and calcium from americium by chromate and oxalate precipitation; demonstration of the pyroredox process in the induction-heated, tilt-pour furnace; process development for recovery of americium from vacuum melt furnace crucibles; plutonium peroxide precipitation process; and a comparative study of annular and Raschig ring-filled tanks.