This report summarizes the work done during the first quarter of the project. Effort was directed in three areas: (1) The determination of the role of ionic conductor morphology, used in composite cathodes, on the ionic conductivity of the ionic conductor. It was shown that if the particles are not well sintered, the necks formed between particles will be very narrow, and the resulting conductivity will be too low (resistivity will be too high). Specifically, a mathematical equation was derived to demonstrate the singular nature of conductivity. (2) Nanosize powders of Sc-doped CeO{sub 2} were prepared by combustion synthesis. The rationale is that the particle size of the composite electrode must be as small as possible to ensure a high ionic conductivity--and resulting in high performance in fuel cells. Di-gluconic acid (DGA) was used as fuel. The process led to the formation of nanosize Sc-doped CeO{sub 2}. The powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). (3) Samples were sintered to form materials containing various levels of porosity, from {approx}3% to {approx}43%. Conductivity was measured over a range of temperatures by four probe DC method. It was observed that in highly porous samples, the conductivity was …

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

Daily newspaper from Baytown, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Recital presented at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.

This report discusses issues debated in the 107th Congress while is considering various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Major issues in recent years have included changing the role of science in decision-making, changing the role of critical habitat, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others. In addition, many have advocated including significant changes to ESA regulations made during the Clinton Administration in the law itself.

Daily newspaper from Chickasha, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

This report describes the bills introduced in the 108th Congress that would affect participants in either CSRS or FERS. It begins by summarizing laws enacted during the 107th Congress that affected CSRS or FERS.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Between 1979 and 1998, the number of deaths in Libby, Montana from asbestosis--a lung disease that progressively restricts breathing and can be fatal--was 40 to 80 times higher than the average for the United States. Vermiculite ore--containing high concentrations of asbestos--was mined at Libby between 1923 and 1990, and accounted for most of the world's vermiculite. Mining, processing, or any disturbance of the contaminated vermiculite releases asbestos fibers into the air, which can lead to respiratory illnesses, including asbestosis. When processed, the vermiculite is used in insulation, fireproofing materials, garden materials, and other products. GAO reviewed the history of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) involvement in Libby prior to the agency's initiation of cleanup actions in 1999, the status and costs of EPA's cleanup in Libby, and other actions EPA and other federal agencies are taking to address exposure to asbestoss-contaminated materials."

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During the ITER Model Coil Program two large coils and three Insert coils were built and tested. The test campaigns provided very valuable data on the Conductor in Conduit Cable (CICC) properties. The tests showed that the Nb3Sn strands in CICC behave differently than so-called witness strands, which underwent the same heat treatment. The paper describes Volt-temperature characteristics (VTC) and Volt-Ampere characteristics (VAC) measured in the tests, presents comparisons with the witness strands, and interprets the test results.

The KY DOE EPSCoR Program included efforts to impact positively the pipeline of science and engineering students and to establish research, education and business infrastructure, sustainable beyond DOE EPSCoR funding.

A two-page letter from Jeanne Davis to Darris Egger in which Davis shares a few stories about her family as an aid to a book Egger is writing about James W. Hunt.

This report discusses the experimental program conducted at ANL to study the performance of in-situ-formed magnetite for the removal of Sr, Pu, Np, U, Am, and Cs from the Savannah River Site (SRS) tank waste. The boundaries for the experimental work were defined based on the operational envelope developed earlier in collaboration with SRS. In situ formed ''magnetite'' is actually a mixture of Fe(II) and Fe(III) oxides and hydroxides, including magnetite. Decontamination factor (DF) values were measured for both magnetite and monosodium titanate (MST). Magnetite DF values were found to be superior to MST for all isotopes studied. DF values for Pu, Np, and Sr, achieved within 30 minutes of magnetite formation were orders of magnitude larger than the needed values. DF values for U and Am were less than the former three but still acceptable, and greater than MST. DF values for Cs were very low. Conditions were found under which magnetite filtered rapidly and faster than MST. Further tests are needed to make concrete conclusions on the magnetite performance relative to MST in a cross-flow filtration setup.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) estimated the fiscal year (FY) 2004 energy, environmental, and financial benefits (i.e., metrics) of the technologies and practices in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) former Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS) within the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). During the development of the estimates, EERE went through a large-scale reorganization, resulting in the reallocation of the former BTS projects (along with the other former offices) into two new Program Offices: the Office of Building Technologies Program (BT) and the Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program (WIP). The remainder of this document will refer to these projects as BT/WIP for the sake of simplicity. This effort is referred to as GPRA Metrics because it stems from the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, which mandates the reporting of performance goals and measures. The benefits developed for EERE through the GPRA Metrics effort are submitted to EERE's Office of Planning, Budget Formulation, and Analysis (PBFA) as part of EERE's budget request. The GPRA estimates are also used in the formulation of EERE's performance measures. This report includes sections that detail the approach and methodology …

This paper describes numerical prediction of the coupled thermal-hydrological processes (TH) in the vicinity of waste emplacement drifts during the heating phase of the proposed geologic repository for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Heating of rock water to above-boiling conditions induces water saturation changes and perturbed water fluxes that affect the potential of water seepage into drifts. In addition to the capillary barrier at the rock-drift interface--independent of the thermal conditions--a second barrier exists to downward percolation at above-boiling conditions. This barrier is caused by vaporization of water in the fractured rock overlying the repository. A TOUGH2 simulation model was developed to analyze the combined effect of these two barriers; it accounts for all relevant TH processes in response to heating, while incorporating the capillary barrier condition at the drift wall. Model results are presented for a variety of simulation cases.

Student newspaper of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma that includes national, local, and campus news along with advertising.

Interview with Bill Snead, a communications specialist in the US Air Force during WWII. He answers questions about his experiences during the war.

NASCSP has been providing The Orientation for New Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) State Directors and Staff yearly for the past four years. This report is a general description of the trainings and supporting documentation from the most recent event. The Orientation and Training provides attendees with a comprehensive overview of the WAP from the federal, state, and local perspectives. A variety of presenters make information available on a wide range of subjects deemed necessary to effectively operate the Program. During the first day of training, staff from the Department of Energy WAP office, NASCSP, the National Energy Assistance Director's Association, Economic Opportunity Studies, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory present materials and participate in open discussion with the attendees about the federal program requirements. Some of the day's subjects include: History of the WAP; Funding, Rules, Regulations, and Program Guidance Documents; WAP State Plan Application Process and Submission; Training and Technical Assistance Activity; Administration and Federal/State Monitoring Requirements; and National Significance of WAP and the Political Process. The second day focuses on implementation strategies for the Program. Presenters from state offices and local management provide their perspective on the following subjects: Utility Restructuring Integration Strategies; Program Expansion Issues; Integration of New …

Daily newspaper from Perry, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

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The ternary alloy, In{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}Sb, is a compound semiconductor of tunable bandgap in the range of 0.18-0.72 eV, making it useful for infrared range optoelectronic devices. Utilizing a unique system based upon vertical Bridgman technique, large diameter (50 millimeter) In{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}Sb polycrystals of composition ranging in x from 0.015 to 0.988 were grown. Methods of mixing the melt during solidification, including the accelerated crucible rotation technique (ACRT), have been used in conjunction with optimization of the furnace temperature gradient profile to significantly reduce micro-cracking in the crystal boules while accelerating the growth rate from less than a millimeter per hour to three millimeters per hour. In this paper, the experimental system and crystal growth parameters for a set of ternary experiments will be detailed. Scanning probe microscopy (SEM) images of vertical cross-sections of In{sub 0.15}Ga{sub 0.85}Sb samples show a 95.8 percent reduction in micro-cracking resulting from specific melt mixing schemes. The mechanism for micro-crack removal during bulk alloy growth will be discussed briefly.

Renewable energy is derived from resources that are generally not depleted by human use, such as the sun, wind, and water movement. This report discusses various aspects of policy regarding renewable energy including tax credits and budget legislation.