Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Although most of the attention following the September 11 terrorist attacks focused on airport security, an increasing emphasis has since been placed on ports. Ports are inherently vulnerable to terrorist attacks because of their size, generally open accessibility by water and land, metropolitan area location, the amount of material being transported through ports, and the ready transportation links to many locations within the country's borders. Since September 11, federal, state, and local authorities, and private sector stake holders have addressed vulnerabilities in the security of the nation's ports. The Coast Guard has acted as a focal point for assessing and addressing security concerns, anticipating many of the requirements that Congress and the administration are contemplating or have already put into place. Although the proposal to consolidate the federal agencies responsible for border security may offer some long-term benefits, overcoming three challenges will be key to successfully enhancing security at the nation's ports: standards, funding, and collaboration."

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: What constitutes a "recognized member of clergy" for purposes of section 501.004(4) of the Occupations Code, which governs exemptions from the Psychologists Licensing Act (RQ-0503-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a public accounting firm with owners who are not certified public accounts may incorporate under the Texas Business Corporation Act or the general provisions of the Texas Limited Liability Company Act (RQ-0508-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a member of a school district board of trustees may serve as a county or precinct chair of a political party, or may be a candidate for the position of county chair (RQ-0516-JC)

This paper presents a circuit model and an electrostatic field analysis with an approximate model of the SDM170HK MOS turn-off thyristor (MTO) fabricated by Silicon Power Corporation. The circuit model consists of five cells, each containing two bipolar junction transistors and three resistors. The turn-off feature of the MTO was simulated by inserting an array of 21 Fairchild FDS6670A MOSFET importable sub-circuit components between the cathode and the turn-on gate. The model was then used to create a four-terminal sub-circuit component representing the MTO that can be readily imported into computer-aided circuit design programs such as PSPICE and Micro-Cap. The generated static I-V characteristics and simulated switching waveforms are shown. The electrostatic field analysis was done for the maximum operating voltage of 4.5 kV using the Ansoft Maxwell 3D field simulator. Electrostatic field magnitudes that exceed the nominal air breakdown threshold of 30 kV/cm were observed surrounding the simulated turn-off gate wire, the turn-off gate ring contact, and the cathode ring contact. The resulting areas of high fields are a concern, as arc track marks have been found on the inner surface of the ceramic insulator near the internal gate connections of a failed device.

The chamber walls in inertial fusion energy (IFE) reactors are exposed to harsh conditions following each target implosion. Key issues of the cyclic IFE operation include intense photon and ion deposition, wall thermal and hydrodynamic evolution, wall erosion and fatigue lifetime, and chamber clearing and evacuation to ensure desirable conditions prior to target implosion. Several methods for wall protection have been proposed in the past, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. These methods include use of solid bare walls, gas-filled cavities, and liquid walls/jets. Detailed models have been developed for reflected laser light, emitted photons, and target debris deposition and interaction with chamber components and have been implemented in the comprehensive HEIGHTS software package. The hydrodynamic response of gas filled cavities and photon radiation transport of the deposited energy has been calculated by means of new and advanced numerical techniques. Fragmentation models of liquid jets as a result of the deposited energy have also been developed, and the impact on chamber clearing dynamics has been evaluated. The focus of this study is to critically assess the reliability and the dynamic response of chamber walls in various proposed protection methods for IFE systems. Of particular concern is the effect on …

Potential applications of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) diagnostic techniques to tokamak experiments are evaluated. NMR frequencies for hydrogen isotopes and low-Z nuclei in such experiments are in the frequency range approximately equal to 20-200 MHz, so existing RF [radio-frequency] antennas could be used to rotate the spin polarization and to make the NMR measurements. Our tentative conclusion is that such measurements are possible if highly spin polarized H or (superscript)3He gas sources (which exist) are used to fuel these plasmas. In addition, NMR measurements of the surface layers of the first wall (without plasma) may also be possible, e.g., to evaluate the inventory of tritium inside the vessel.

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) is currently providing researchers data on low aspect-ratio toroidal plasmas. NSTX's Plasma Control System adjusts the firing angles of thyristor rectifier power supplies, in real time, to control plasma position, shape and density. A Data Acquisition system comprised of off-the-shelf and custom hardware provides the magnetic diagnostics data required in calculating firing angles. This VERSAmodule Eurocard (VME) bus-based system utilizes Front Panel Data Port (FPDP) for high-speed data transfer. Data coming from physically different locations is referenced to several different ground potentials necessitating the need for a custom FPDP multiplexer. This paper discusses the data acquisition system configuration, the in-house designed 4-to-1 FPDP Input Multiplexing Module (FIMM), and future expansion plans.

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

Funeral program for Mr. Joseph Hill, born March 16, 1920. The funeral was held August 5, 2002 at New Light Baptist Church, officiated by Rev. J. S. Smith. The funeral arrangements were made through Carter-Taylor-Williams Mortuary and he was buried in Meadowlawn Memorial Park in San Antonio, Texas.

Extensive plastic deformation during wire drawing is commonly used to produce steel wires with very high strengths. Typically these steels are eutectoid and hypereutectoid steels and drawing strains up to 4 are used during processing. The resulting materials can have tensile strengths in excess of 4000 MPa. The evolution of microstructure and the strengthening mechanisms resulting from wire drawing have been studied for eutectoid and hypereutectoid steels. Strength has been shown to be a function of pearlite colony size, interlamellar spacing and the size of the stable dislocation cells that are produced during wire drawing. The results have been used to model the evolution of strength during wire drawing. Model predictions for the evolution of tensile strength with drawing strain show excellent agreement with data derived from a number of eutectoid and hyperectectoid steels as a function of drawing strain.

This document describes the Project Plan for the development and manufacture of a Vertical Lift Machine. It is assumed by this project plan that the Vertical Lift Machine will be developed, designed, manufactured, and tested by a qualified vendor. LLNL will retain review and approval authority for each step given in this project plan. The Vertical Lift Machine is a single linear axis positioning device capable of lifting objects vertically at controlled rates and positioning them repeatedly at predetermined heights, in relation to other objects suspended from above, for high neutron multiplication experiments. Operation of the machine during the experiments is done remotely. The lift mechanism shall accommodate various platforms (tables) that support the objects to be raised. A frame will support additional subassemblies from above such that the lower subassembly can be raised close to and/or interface with those above. The structure must be stiff and motion of the table linear such that radial alignment is maintained (e.g. concentricity). The safe position for the Vertical Lift Machine is the lift mechanism fully retracted with the subassemblies fully separated. The machine shall reside in this position when not in use. It must return to this safe condition from any position …

The performance of Fourier transform (FT) reconstructors in large adaptive optics systems with Shack-Hartmann sensors and a deformable mirror is analyzed. FT methods, which are derived for point-based geometries, are adapted for use on the continuous systems. Analysis and simulation show how to compensate for effects such as misalignment of the deformable mirror and wavefront sensor gain. Further filtering methods to reduce noise and improve performance are presented. All these modifications can be implemented at the filtering stage, preserving the speed of FT reconstruction. Simulation of a large system shows how compensated FT methods can have equivalent or better performance to slower vector-matrix-multiply reconstructions.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joe Drastata. Drastata was born in El Campo, Texas on 1 August 1924 and entered the Army Air Forces in March 1943. After receiving initial training at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri he was sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he was assigned to the 65th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403rd Troop Carrier Group. During July 1943 the unit went on board the USAT Maui bound for Australia. Drastata tells of the 28 day trip and describes the King Neptune ceremony when crossing the Equator. He describes the uncomfortable sleeping accommodations coupled with extensive rain and swarms of mosquitoes encountered at Port Moresby, New Guinea. He was assigned to communications assisting in duties that involved flag or light signals, land lines, switchboards and public address systems. The unit moved to various locations including Biak where he recounts an accident that claimed the life of a young officer. On 3 February 1945, the 65th Troop Carrier Squadron dropped paratroopers on the Los Banos prison camp to free the allied captives. Although Drastata was not personally involved in the operation he discusses various facets of this successful operation. He returned to the …

Article discussing metadata approaches to preservation of digital resources and the experiences of the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries.

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

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Joe Drastata. Drastata was born in El Campo, Texas on 1 August 1924 and entered the Army Air Forces in March 1943. After receiving initial training at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri he was sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he was assigned to the 65th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403rd Troop Carrier Group. During July 1943 the unit went on board the USAT Maui bound for Australia. Drastata tells of the 28 day trip and describes the King Neptune ceremony when crossing the Equator. He describes the uncomfortable sleeping accommodations coupled with extensive rain and swarms of mosquitoes encountered at Port Moresby, New Guinea. He was assigned to communications assisting in duties that involved flag or light signals, land lines, switchboards and public address systems. The unit moved to various locations including Biak where he recounts an accident that claimed the life of a young officer. On 3 February 1945, the 65th Troop Carrier Squadron dropped paratroopers on the Los Banos prison camp to free the allied captives. Although Drastata was not personally involved in the operation he discusses various facets of this successful operation. He returned to the …

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

Conventional calculations of heating (and cooling) loads for buildings assume that conduction heat loss (or gain) through walls is independent of air infiltration heat loss (or gain). During passage through the building envelope, infiltrating air substantially exchanges heat wall insulation leading to partial recovery of heat conducted through the wall. The Infiltration Heat Recovery (IHR) factor was introduced to quantify the heat recovery and correct the conventional calculations. In this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics was used to calculate infiltration heat recovery under a range of idealized conditions, specifically to understand factors that influence it, and assess its significance in building heat load calculations. This study shows for the first time the important effect of the external boundary layers on conduction and infiltration heat loads. Results show (under the idealized conditions studied here) that (1) the interior details of the wall encountered in the leakage pa th (i.e., insulated or empty walls) do not greatly influence the IHR, the overall relative location of the cracks (i.e., inlet and outlet locations on the wall) has the largest influence on the IHR magnitude, (2) external boundary layers on the walls substantially contribute to IHR and (3) the relative error in heat load calculations …

In exploring methods to recycle boiler ash (BA) and waste water treatment sludge (WWTS), by-products generated from Keyspan's power plants, into commercially viable materials, we synthesized chemically bonded cements (CBC) offering the following three specific characteristics; (1) immobilization of hazardous heavy metals, such as Pb, Ni, and V, (2) rapid hardening and setting properties, and (3) development of high mechanical strength. The CBCs were prepared through an acid-base reaction between these by-products acting as the solid base reactants and the sodium polyphosphate solution as the cement-forming acid reactant, followed by a hydrating reaction. Furthermore, two additives, the calcium aluminate cements (CAC) and the calcium silicate cements (CSC) were incorporated into the CBC systems to improve their properties. Using a CBC formulation consisting of 53.8 wt% WWTS, 23.1 wt% CSC, and 23.1 wt% [40 wt% -(-NaPO{sub 3}-)-{sub n}]{sub 2} the Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) tests showed that the concentrations of Pb, Ni, and V metals leached out from the specimens were minimal. This formulation originally contained {approx} 28800 mg/kg of Pb, {approx} 6300 mg/kg of Ni, and {approx} 11130 mg/kg of V; the amounts leaching into the acid extraction fluid were only 0.15 mg/L of Pb, 0.15 mg/L of Ni, …

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

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

Successful geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), will require monitoring the CO{sub 2} injection to confirm the performance of the caprock/reservoir system, assess leaks and flow paths, and understand the geophysical and geochemical interactions between the CO{sub 2} and the geologic minerals and fluids. Electrical methods are especially well suited for monitoring processes involving fluids, as electrical properties are sensitive to the presence and nature of the formation fluids. High resolution tomographs of electrical properties are now used for site characterization and to monitor subsurface migration of fluids (i.e., leaking underground tanks, infiltration events, steam floods, contaminant movement, and to assess the integrity of engineered barriers). When electrical resistance tomography (ERT) imaging can be performed using existing well casings as long electrodes, the method is nearly transparent to reservoir operators, and reduces the need for additional drilling. Using numerical simulations and laboratory experiments, we have conducted sensitivity studies to determine the potential of ERT methods to detect and monitor the migration of CO{sub 2} in the subsurface. These studies have in turn been applied to the design and implementation of the first field casing surveys conducted in an oil field undergoing a CO{sub 2} flood.

News release about the appointment of Joyce Foreman to the DART Board of Directors, representing the city of Dallas.