A press release from UNT about their first Mexican-American Studies Conference. It describes the theme and other information about the conference.

The goal of this work was to optimize and evaluate LLNL's in-bed amplification technology to improve the level of detection for suspensions containing trace amounts of anthracis DNA. The binding/cleaning performance of the packed bed is compared to the conventional commercial approach; Qiagen column cleanup and elution, followed by detection through an ex-situ amplification process. Five liquid suspensions were spiked with B.anthracis DNA in concentration series. These suspensions were: (1) water, (2) water with EDTA, (3) dirty water from carpet extraction, (4) dirty carpet extraction with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) plus 0.1% Tween 20 plus 0.1% gelatin, and (5) a subway aerosol collected in water. Each suspension matrix was spiked with DNA and injected (in replicate) into either Qiagen Microcolumns (using the kit processing instructions) or LLNL's packed bed (using the LLNL in-bed purification and amplification protocol). The process output was assayed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR). Table ES-1 shows the level of DNA (pg per 100 uL of input suspension) that resulted in successful amplification for all reactions (X=Y), and the level for which at least one of the reactions was successful (X>0). For each suspension and DNA concentration, there were Y QPCR assays of which X showed …

The purpose of this work is to examine the environmental, safety, health and operational aspects of detonating a confined explosive test apparatus that has been designed to maximize the dynamics of impact on beryllium metal components for Contained Firing Facility (CFF) applications. A combination of experimental collection and evaluation methods were designed and implemented to provide an evaluation of immediately postdetonation by-products reflecting a potential worst-case scenario beryllium aerosolization explosive event. The collective Material Evaluation Test Series (METS) 04 - 06 provided explosive devices designed to scale for the dedicated METS firing tank that would provide a post-detonation internal environment comparable to the CFF. The experimental results provided appropriate information to develop operational parameters to be considered for conducting full-scale beryllium-containing experimental tests with similar designs within CFF and B801A. These operational procedures include the inclusion of chelating agents in pre-shot CFF cardboard containers with a minimum of 600 gallons content, an extended time period post-test before purging the CFF chamber, and an adaptation of approaches toward applications of the scrubber and HEPA systems during the post-shot sequence for an integrated environmental, safety, and health approach. In addition, re-entry and film retrieval procedures will be adapted, in line with abatement …

The 1607-D4 Septic System was a septic tank and tile field that received sanitary sewage from the 115-D/DR Gas Recirculation Facility. This septic system operated from 1944 to 1968. Decommissioning took place in 1985 and 1986 when all above-grade features were demolished and the tank backfilled. The results of verification sampling demonstrated that residual contaminant concentrations do not preclude any future uses and allow for unrestricted use of shallow zone soils. The results also showed that residual contaminant concentrations are protective of groundwater and the Columbia River.

The major objectives of the proposed study are to 1) determine the leaching characteristics of Cr(VI) from contaminated sediments collected from 100 area spill sites, 2) elucidate possible Cr(VI) mineral and/or chemical associations that may be responsible for Cr(VI) retention in the Hanford site 100 areas through the use of i) macroscopic solubility studies and ii) microscale characterization of contaminated sediments, and 3) from these data construct a conceptual model of Cr(VI) geochemistry in the Hanford 100 area vadose zone. These objectives are based on locating and obtaining contaminated sediment with depth and at varying Cr(VI) concentrations as we hypothesize that mineral/chemical-Cr(VI) associations should be related to the total Cr concentration and other master geochemical variables (e.g., pH, counter-cation type and concentration, and water content). In addressing these objectives, additional benefits accrued will be (1) a fuller understanding of Cr(VI) entrained in the vadose zone that will that can be utilized in modeling potential Cr(VI) source terms, and 2) accelerating the Columbia River 100 area corridor cleanup by developing remedial action based on a fundamental understanding of Cr(VI) vadose zone geochemistry.

The 132-F-1 site is the former location of the 141-F Chronic Feeding Sheep Barn that was part of the experimental animal farm at the 100-F Area. It was an L-shaped concrete block building with a concrete floor and concrete animal pens located both inside and outside the building. The 141-F Building was demolished in 1977 following relocation of animal research to the 300 Area. The results of verification sampling demonstrated that residual contaminant concentrations do not preclude any future uses and allow for unrestricted use of shallow zone soils. The results also showed that residual contaminant concentrations are protective of groundwater and the Columbia River.

Economic and environmental concerns demand that the power-generation industry seek increased efficiency for gas turbines. Higher efficiency requires higher operating temperatures, with the objective temperature for the hottest sections of new systems {approx} 593 C, and increasing to {approx} 650 C. Because of their good thermal properties, Cr-Mo-V cast ferritic steels are currently used for components such as rotors, casings, pipes, etc., but new steels are required for the new operating conditions. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed new wrought Cr-W-V steels with 3-9% Cr, 2-3% W, 0.25% V (compositions are in wt.%), and minor amounts of additional elements. These steels have the strength and toughness required for turbine applications. Since cast alloys are expected to behave differently from wrought material, work was pursued to develop new cast steels based on the ORNL wrought compositions. Nine casting test blocks with 3, 9, and 11% Cr were obtained. Eight were Cr-W-V-Ta-type steels based on the ORNL wrought steels; the ninth was COST CB2, a 9Cr-Mo-Co-V-Nb cast steel, which was the most promising cast steel developed in a European alloy-development program. The COST CB2 was used as a control to which the new compositions were compared, and this also provided …

A two-stage gas release model was examined to determine if it could provide a physically realistic and accurate model for fission gas release under Prometheus conditions. The single-stage Booth model [1], which is often used to calculate fission gas release, is considered to be oversimplified and not representative of the mechanisms that occur during fission gas release. Two-stage gas release models require saturation at the grain boundaries before gas is release, leading to a time delay in release of gases generated in the fuel. Two versions of a two-stage model developed by Forsberg and Massih [2] were implemented using Mathcad [3]. The original Forsbers and Massih model [2] and a modified version of the Forsberg and Massih model that is used in a commercially available fuel performance code (FRAPCON-3) [4] were examined. After an examination of these models, it is apparent that without further development and validation neither of these models should be used to calculate fission gas release under Prometheus-type conditions. There is too much uncertainty in the input parameters used in the models. In addition. the data used to tune the modified Forsberg and Massih model (FRAPCON-3) was collected under commercial reactor conditions, which will have higher fission …

The use of multi-coupled electrode arrays in various corrosion applications is discussed with the main goal of advancing the understanding of various corrosion phenomena. Both close packed and far spaced electrode configurations are discussed. Far spaced electrode arrays are optimized for high throughput experiments capable of elucidating the effects of various variables on corrosion properties. For instance the effects of a statistical distribution of flaws on corrosion properties can be examined. Close packed arrays enable unprecedented spatial and temporal information on the behavior of local anodes and cathodes. Interactions between corrosion sites can trigger or inhibit corrosion phenomena and affect corrosion damage evolution.

In the closed working fluid loop of the proposed Prometheus space nuclear power plant (SNPP), there is the potential for reaction of core and plant structural materials with gas phase impurities and gas phase transport of interstitial elements between superalloy and refractory metal alloy components during service. Primary concerns are surface oxidation, interstitial embrittlement of refractory metals and decarburization of superalloys. In parallel with kinetic investigations, this letter evaluates the ability of potential coatings to prevent or impede communication between reactor and plant components. Key coating requirements are identified and current technology coating materials are reviewed relative to these requirements. Candidate coatings are identified for future evaluation based on current knowledge of design parameters and anticipated environment. Coatings were identified for superalloys and refractory metals to provide diffusion barriers to interstitial transport and act as reactive barriers to potential oxidation. Due to their high stability at low oxygen potential, alumina formers are most promising for oxidation protection given the anticipated coolant gas chemistry. A sublayer of iridium is recommended to provide inherent diffusion resistance to interstitials. Based on specific base metal selection, a thin film substrate--coating interdiffusion barrier layer may be necessary to meet mission life.

Argonne National Laboratory is developing an electrometallurgical treatment for spent nuclear fuels. The initial demonstration of this process is being conducted on U-Zr and U-Pu-Zr alloy fuel elements irradiated in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II). The electrometallurgical treatment process extracts usable uranium from irradiated fuel elements and places residual fission products, actinides, process Zr, and cladding hulls (small segments of tubing) into two waste forms--a ceramic and a metal alloy. The metal waste form will contain the cladding hulls, Zr, and noble metal fission products, and it will be disposed of in a geologic repository. As a result, the expected composition of the waste form will need to be well understood. This report deals with the condition of the cladding, which will make up a large fraction of the metal waste form, after irradiation in EBR-II and before insertion into the electrorefiner. Specifically, it looks at layers that can be found on the inner surface of the cladding due to in-reactor interactions between the alloy fuel and the stainless steel cladding that occurs after the fuel has swelled and contacted the cladding. Many detailed examinations of fuel elements irradiated in EBR-II have been completed and are discussed in the context …

The United States Air Force Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratories (PMEL) calibrate over 1,000 anemometer probes per year. To facilitate a more efficient calibration process for probe-style anemometers, the Air Force Metrology and Calibration Program underwent an effort to modernize the existing PMEL bench top wind tunnels. Through a joint effort with the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the performance of PMEL wind tunnels was improved. The improvement consisted of new high accuracy sensors, automatic data acquisition, and a software-driven calibration process. As part of the wind tunnel upgrades, an uncertainty analysis was completed, laser Doppler velocimeter profiling was conducted to characterize the velocities at probe locations in the wind tunnel, and pitot tube calibrations of the wind tunnel were verified. The bench top wind tunnel accuracy and repeatability has been measured for nine prototype wind tunnel systems and valuable field experience has been gained with these wind tunnels at the PMELs. This report describes the requirements for the wind tunnel improvements along with actual implementation strategies and details. Lessons-learned from the automation, the velocity profiling, and the software-driven calibration process will also be discussed.

FY2004 progress summary and FY2005 program plan statement of work and deliverables for development of high average power diode-pumped solid state lasers, and complementary technologies for applications in energy and defense.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) stands among the keystone technologies for analysis of biological sequence data. PCR is used to amplify DNA, to generate many copies from as little as a single template. This is essential, for example, in processing forensic DNA samples, pathogen detection in clinical or biothreat surveillance applications, and medical genotyping for diagnosis and treatment of disease. It is used in virtually every laboratory doing molecular, cellular, genetic, ecologic, forensic, or medical research. Despite its ubiquity, we lack the precise predictive capability that would enable detailed optimization of PCR reaction dynamics. In this LDRD, we proposed to develop Virtual PCR (VPCR) software, a computational method to model the kinetic, thermodynamic, and biological processes of PCR reactions. Given a successful completion, these tools will allow us to predict both the sequences and concentrations of all species that are amplified during PCR. The ability to answer the following questions will allow us both to optimize the PCR process and interpret the PCR results: What products are amplified when sequence mixtures are present, containing multiple, closely related targets and multiplexed primers, which may hybridize with sequence mismatches? What are the effects of time, temperature, and DNA concentrations on the concentrations …

FY2006 annual report of research conducted by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, a research unit of the University of Georgia operating on the Savannah River Site in Aiken, County, SC.

Progress Report Date: 01/23/06 (report delayed due to Hurricane Katrina) Report of results to date: The goals of this 3-year project are to: (1) update and successfully deploy our present immunosensors at DOE sites; (2) devise immunosensor-based assays for Pb(II), Hg(II), chelators, and/or Cr(III) in surface and groundwater; and (3) develop new technologies in antibody engineering that will enhance this immunosensor program. Note: Work on this project was temporarily disrupted when Hurricane Katrina shut down the University on August 29, 2005. While most of the reagents stored in our refrigerators and freezers were destroyed, all of our hybridoma cell lines were saved because they had been stored in liquid nitrogen. We set up new tissue culture reactors with the hybridomas that synthesize the anti-uranium antibodies, and are purifying new monoclonal antibodies from these culture supernatants. Both the in-line and the field-portable sensor were rescued from our labs in New Orleans in early October, and we continued experiments with these sensors in the temporary laboratory we set up in Hammond, LA at Southeastern Louisiana University.

This research program examined the heterogeneous reaction kinetics and reaction dynamics of surface chemical processes which are of direct relevance to efficient energy production, condensed phase reactions, and mateials growth including nanoscience objectives. We have had several notable scientific and technical successes. Illustrative highlights include: (1) a thorough study of how one can efficiently produce synthesis gas (SynGas) at relatively low Rh(111) catalyst temperatures via the reaction CH{sub4}+1/2 O{sub2} {r_arrow} CO+2H{sub2}. In these studies methane activation is accomplished utilizing high-kinetic energy reagents generated via supersonic molecular beams, (2) experiments which have incisively probed the partial oxidation chemistry of adsorbed 1- and 2- butene on Rh and ice, as well as partial oxidation of propene on Au; (3) investigation of structural changes which occur to the reconstructed (23x{radical}3)-Au(111) surface upon exposure to atomic oxygen, (4) a combined experimental and theoretical examination of the fundamental atomic-level rules which govern defect minimization during the formation of self-organizing stepped nanostructures, (5) the use of these relatively defect-free nanotemplates for growing silicon nanowires having atomically-dimensioned widths, (6) a combined scanning probe and atomic beam scattering study of how the presence of self-assembling organic overlayers interact with metallic supports substrates - this work hs led to …

The goal of this project is to implement and study various techniques for the construction of Algebraic Multigrid Methods (AMG) for the solution of positive definite linear systems arising from the discretizations of elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs). Both theoretical as well as practical implementation of the methods that we have developed are based on compatible relaxation and energy minimization.

This month's issue has the following articles: (1) The Power of Partnership--Livermore researchers forge strategic collaborations with colleagues from other University of California campuses to further science and better protect the nation; (2) Collaborative Research Prepares Our Next-Generation Scientists and Engineers--Commentary by Laura R. Gilliom; (3) Next-Generation Scientists and Engineers Tap Lab's Resources--University of California Ph.D. candidates work with Livermore scientists and engineers to conduct fundamental research as part of their theses; (4) The Best and the Brightest Come to Livermore--The Lawrence Fellowship Program attracts the most sought-after postdoctoral researchers to the Laboratory; and (5) Faculty on Sabbatical Find a Good Home at Livermore--Faculty members from around the world come to the Laboratory as sabbatical scholars.

The final report describes the study aimed at exploring the variable-resolution stretched-grid (SG) approach to decadal regional climate modeling using advanced numerical techniques. The obtained results have shown that variable-resolution SG-GCMs using stretched grids with fine resolution over the area(s) of interest, is a viable established approach to regional climate modeling. The developed SG-GCMs have been extensively used for regional climate experimentation. The SG-GCM simulations are aimed at studying the U.S. regional climate variability with an emphasis on studying anomalous summer climate events, the U.S. droughts and floods.

Close packed coupled multi-electrodes arrays (MEA) simulating a planar electrode were used to measure the current evolution as a function of position during initiation and propagation of crevice corrosion of AISI 316 stainless steel. Scaling laws derived from polarization data enabled the use of rescaled crevices providing spatial resolution. Crevice corrosion of AISI 316 stainless steel in 0.6 M NaCl at 50 C was found to initiate close to the crevice mouth and to spread inwards with time. The local crevice current density increased dramatically over a short period to reach a limiting value.

Recent testing has identified the presence of hydrogen and oxygen in MIS Item 011589A. This isolated observation has effectuated concern regarding the potential for flammable gas mixtures in containers in the storage inventory. This study examines the known physicochemical characteristics of MIS Item 011589A and queries the ISP Database for items that are most similar or potentially similar. Items identified as most similar are believed to have the highest probability of being chemically and structurally identical to MIS Item 011589A. Items identified as potentially like MIS Item 011589A have some attributes in common, have the potential to generate gases, but have a lower probability of having similar gas generating characteristics. MIS Item 011589A is an oxide that was generated prior to 1990 at Rocky Flats in Building 707. It was associated with foundry processing and had an actinide assay of approximately 77%. Prompt gamma analysis of MIS Item 011589A indicated the presence of chloride, fluorine, magnesium, sodium, and aluminum. Queries based on MIS representation classification and process of origin were applied to the ISP Database. Evaluation criteria included binning classification (i.e., innocuous, pressure, or pressure and corrosion), availability of prompt gamma analyses, presence of chlorine and magnesium, percentage of chlorine …

This thirteenth quarterly status report for the Hybrid Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) project, DOE Award DE-FC04-02AL68080 presents the project status at the end of December 2005, and covers activities in the thirteenth project quarter, October 2005 ? December 2005.

Our work for this DOE funded project includes: (1) measurements of the kinetics and mechanism of the gas-phase oxidation reactions of the aromatic hydrocarbons initiated by OH; (2) measurements of aerosol formation from the aromatic hydrocarbons; and (3) theoretical studies to elucidate the OH-toluene reaction mechanism using quantum-chemical and rate theories.