A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) insures the pensions of more than 44 million workers in over 30,000 employer-sponsored defined benefit pension plans. In response to growing workloads, PBGC has come to rely heavily on contractors to conduct its work. GAO was asked to report on (1) the role that contracting plays in PBGC's efforts to accomplish its mission, (2) the steps PBGC has taken to improve its acquisition infrastructure and develop a strategic approach to guide its contracting activities, and (3) the steps PBGC has taken to improve its contract oversight processes to ensure accountability. To address these issues, we interviewed PBGC officials and selected contractors, reviewed data on PBGC's contracting activities; identified changes PBGC is making to contracting procedures; and identified strategies PBGC uses to monitor contracts."

We present a measurement of the branching fractions for the Cabibbo-favored radiative decay, D{sup 0} {yields} {bar K}*{sup 0}{gamma}, and the Cabibbo-suppressed radiative decay, D{sup 0} {yields} {phi}{gamma}. These measurements are based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 387.1 fb{sup -1}, recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e{sup +}e{sup -} asymmetric-energy collider operating at center-of-mass energies 10.58 and 10.54 GeV. We measure the branching fractions relative to the well-studied decay D{sup 0} {yields} K{sup -}{pi}{sup +} and find {Beta}(D{sup 0} {yields} {bar K}*{sup 0}{gamma})/{Beta}(D{sup 0} {yields} K{sup -}{pi}{sup +}) = (8.43 {+-} 0.51 {+-} 0.70) x 10{sup -3} and {Beta}(D{sup 0} {yields} {phi}{gamma})/{Beta}(D{sup 0} {yields} K{sup -}{pi}{sup +}) = (7.15 {+-} 0.78 {+-} 0.69) x 10{sup -4}, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. This is the first measurement of {Beta}(D{sup 0} {yields} {bar K}*{sup 0} {gamma}).

The XRMS experiment on the Gd{sub 5}Ge{sub 4} system has shown that, below the Neel temperature, T{sub N} = 127 K, the magnetic unit cells is the same as the chemical unit cell. From azimuth scans and the Q dependence of the magnetic scattering, all three Gd sites in the structure were determined to be in the same magnetic space group Pnma. The magnetic moments are aligned along the c-axis and the c-components of the magnetic moments at the three different sites are equal. The ferromagnetic slabs are stacked antiferromagnetically along the b-direction. They found an unusual order parameter curve in Gd{sub 5}Ge{sub 4}. A spin-reorientation transition is a possibility in Gd{sub 5}Ge{sub 4}, which is similar to the Tb{sub 5}Ge{sub 4} case. Tb{sub 5}Ge{sub 4} possesses the same Sm{sub 5}Ge{sub 4}-type crystallographic structure and the same magnetic space group as Gd{sub 5}Ge{sub 4} does. The difference in magnetic structure is that Tb{sub 5}Ge{sub 4} has a canted one but Gd{sub 5}Ge{sub 4} has nearly a collinear one in the low temperature antiferromagnetic phase. The competition between the magneto-crystalline anisotropy and the nearest-neighbor magnetic exchange interactions may allow a 3-dimensional canted antiferromagnetic structure in Tb{sub 5}Ge{sub 4}. The spin-reorientation transition …

In this work we use a combination of x-ray magnetic circular and linear dichroism (XMCD and XMLD) techniques to examine the formation of local moments in Heusler alloys of the composition Co{sub 2}MnX (where X=Si or Al). The existence of local moments in a half-metallic system is reliant upon the band gap in the minority-spin states. By utilizing the element-specific nature of x-ray techniques we are able to explore the origin of the minority-spin band gap in the partial density of states (PDOS), via the degree of localization of moments on Co and Mn atoms. We observe a crucial difference in the localization of the Co moment when comparing Co{sub 2}MnSi (CMS) and Co{sub 2}MnAl (CMA) films that is consistent with the predicted larger minority-spin gap in the Co PDOS for CMS. These results provide important evidence for the dominant role of the Co minority-spin states in realizing half-metallic ferromagnetism (HMF) in these Heusler alloys. They also demonstrate a direct method for measuring the degree of interfacial HMF in the raw materials without the need for fabricating spin-transport devices.

Particle size effects and elemental fractionation in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) are investigated with nanosecond and femtosecond laser ablation, differential mobility analysis, and magnetic sector ICP-MS. Laser pulse width was found to have a significant influence on the LA particle size distribution and the elemental composition of the aerosol and thus fractionation. Emission from individual particles from solution nebulization, glass, and a pressed powder pellet are observed with high speed digital photography. The presence of intact particles in an ICP is shown to be a likely source of fractionation. A technique for the online detection of stimulated elemental release from neural tissue using magnetic sector ICP-MS is described. Detection limits of 1 {micro}g L{sup -1} or better were found for P, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn in a 60 {micro}L injection in a physiological saline matrix.

The methods which can be employed to determine the properties of new neutral resonant states that may be observed in the Drell-Yan channel at the LHC are reviewed. If these states are sufficiently light we discuss how polarized ep scattering at the LHeC can assist in the determination of their couplings to the Standard Model (SM) fermions.

The proposed straw separation system developed in the research project harvests the large internode sections of the straw which has the greater potential as a feedstock for lignocellulosic ethanol production while leaving the chaff and nodes in the field. This strategy ensures sustainable agriculture by preventing the depletion of soil minerals, and it restores organic matter to the soil in amounts and particle sizes that accommodate farmers’ needs to keep tillage and fertilizer costs low. A ton of these nutrient-rich plant tissues contains as much as $10.55 worth of fertilizer (economic and energy benefits), in terms of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients provided to the soil when incorporated by tillage instead of being burned. Biomass conversion to fermentable sugars for the purpose of producing fuels, chemicals, and other industrial products is well understood. Most bioenergy strategies rely on low-cost fermentable sugars for sustainability and economic viability in the marketplace. Exploitation of the “whole crop”—specifically, wheat straw or other plant material currently regarded as residue or waste—is a practical approach for obtaining a reliable and low-cost source of sugars. However, industrial-scale production of sugars from wheat straw, while technically feasible, is plagued by obstacles related to capital costs, energy consumption, …

Department of Energy EPSCoR The University of Mississippi Award: DE-FG02-04ER46121 Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy Studies of Complex Transition Metal Oxides The central thrust of this DOE funded research program has been to apply resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS), an elegant and efficient method for determining the elastic stiffness constants of a crystal, to the complex and poorly understood class of materials known as transition metal oxides (TMOs). Perhaps the most interesting and challenging feature of TMOs is their strongly correlated behavior in which spin, lattice, and charge degrees of freedom are strongly coupled. Elastic constants are a measure of the interatomic potentials in a crystal and are thus sensitive probes into the atomic environment. This sensitivity makes RUS an ideal tool to study the coupling of phase transition order parameters to lattice strains. The most significant result of the project has been the construction of a high temperature RUS apparatus capable of making elastic constant measurements at temperatures as high as 1000 degrees Celsius. We have designed and built novel acoustic transducers which can operate as high as 600 degrees Celsius based on lithium niobate piezoelectric elements. For measurement between 600 to 1000 C, a buffer rod system is used in which …

Polymeric materials have been prevalent in our everyday lives for quite a long time. Most of today's polymeric materials are derived from nonrenewable petroleum-based feedstocks. Instabilities in the regions where petroleum is drilled, along with an increased demand in petroleum, have driven the price of crude oil to record high prices. This, in effect, increases the price of petroleum-based polymeric materials, which has caused a heightened awareness of renewable alternatives for polymeric feedstocks. Cellulose, starch, proteins and natural oils have all been examined as possible polymeric feedstocks. Natural oils are commercially available on a large scale and are relatively cheap. It is projected that the U.S. alone will produce 21 billion pounds of soybean oil in the period 2008/2009. Natural oils also have the advantages of inherent biodegradability, low toxicity, high purity and ready availability. Most natural oils possess a triglyceride structure as shown in Figure 1. Most natural oils have a unique distribution of fatty acid side chains, along with varying degrees of unsaturation per triglyceride. Common fatty acid side chains in naturally occurring oils are palmitic acid (C16:0), a 16 carbon fatty acid with no unsaturation; stearic acid (C18:0), an 18 carbon fatty acid with no unsaturation; oleic …

Self-assembly is a powerful tool in forming structures with nanoscale dimensions. Self-assembly of macromolecules provides an efficient and rapid pathway for the formation of structures from the nanometer to micrometer range that are difficult, if not impossible to obtain by conventional lithographic techniques [1]. Depending on the morphologies obtained (size, shape, periodicity, etc.) these self-assembled systems have already been applied or shown to be useful for a number of applications in nanotechnology [2], biomineralization [3, 4], drug delivery [5, 6] and gene therapy [7]. In this respect, amphiphilic block copolymers that self-organize in solution have been found to be very versatile [1]. In recent years, polymer-micellar systems have been designed that are adaptable to their environment and able to respond in a controlled manner to external stimuli. In short, synthesis of 'nanoscale objects' that exhibit 'stimulus-responsive' properties is a topic gathering momentum, because their behavior is reminiscent of that exhibited by proteins [8]. By integrating environmentally sensitive homopolymers into amphiphilic block copolymers, smart block copolymers with self assembled supramolecular structures that exhibit stimuli or environmentally responsive properties can be obtained [1]. Several synthetic polymers are known to have environmentally responsive properties. Changes in the physical, chemical or biochemical environment of …

In recent years the study of stem and progenitor cells has moved to the forefront of research. Since the isolation of human hematopoietic stem cells in 1988 and the subsequent discovery of a self renewing population of multipotent cells in many tissues, many researchers have envisioned a better understanding of development and potential clinical usage in intractable diseases. Both these goals, however, depend on a solid understanding of the intracellular and extracellular forces that cause stem cells to differentiate to a specific cell fate. Many diseases of large scale cell loss have been suggested as candidates for stem cell based treatments. It is proposed that replacing the function of the damaged or defective cells by specific differentiation of stem or progenitor cells could treat the disease. Before cells can be directed to specific lineages, the mechanisms of differentiation must be better understood. Differentiation in vivo is an intensively complex system that is difficult to study. The goal of this research is to develop further understanding of the effects of soluble and extracellular matrix (ECM) cues on the differentiation of neural progenitor cells with the use of a simplified in vitro culture system. Specific research objectives are to study the differentiation …

The ongoing deregulation of electricity industries worldwide is providing incentives for microgrids to use small-scale distributed generation (DG) and combined heat and power (CHP) applications via heat exchangers (HXs) to meet local energy loads. Although the electric-only efficiency of DG is lower than that of central-station production, relatively high tariff rates and the potential for CHP applications increase the attraction of on-site generation. Nevertheless, a microgrid contemplatingthe installation of gas-fired DG has to be aware of the uncertainty in the natural gas price. Treatment of uncertainty via real options increases the value of the investment opportunity, which then delays the adoption decision as the opportunity cost of exercising the investment option increases as well. In this paper, we take the perspective of a microgrid that can proceed in a sequential manner with DG capacity and HX investment in order to reduce its exposure to risk from natural gas price volatility. In particular, with the availability of the HX, the microgrid faces a tradeoff between reducing its exposure to the natural gas price and maximising its cost savings. By varying the volatility parameter, we find that the microgrid prefers a direct investment strategy for low levels of volatility and a sequential …

A capillary electrophoresis (CE) method is developed to determine both NAD{sup +} and NADH levels in a single cell, based on an enzymatic cycling reaction. The detection limit can reach down to 0.2 amol NAD{sup +} and 1 amol NADH on a home-made CE-LIF setup. The method showed good reproducibility and specificity. After an intact cell was injected into the inlet of a capillary and lysed using a Tesla coil, intracellular NAD{sup +} and NADH were separated, incubated with the cycling buffer, and quantified by the amount of fluorescent product generated. NADH and NAD{sup +} levels of single cells of three cell lines and primary astrocyte culture were determined using this method. Comparing cellular NAD{sup +} and NADH levels with and without exposure to oxidative stress induced by H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, it was found that H9c2 cells respond to the stress by reducing both cellular NAD{sup +} and NADH levels, while astrocytes respond by increasing cellular NADH/NAD{sup +} ratio.

In solid state chemistry, numerous investigations have been attempted to address the relationships between chemical structure and physical properties. Such questions include: (1) How can we understand the driving forces of the atomic arrangements in complex solids that exhibit interesting chemical and physical properties? (2) How do different elements distribute themselves in a solid-state structure? (3) Can we develop a chemical understanding to predict the effects of valence electron concentration on the structures and magnetic ordering of systems by both experimental and theoretical means? Although these issues are relevant to various compound classes, intermetallic compounds are especially interesting and well suited for a joint experimental and theoretical effort. For intermetallic compounds, the questions listed above are difficult to answer since many of the constituent atoms simply do not crystallize in the same manner as in their separate, elemental structures. Also, theoretical studies suggest that the energy differences between various structural alternatives are small. For example, Al and Ga both belong in the same group on the Periodic Table of Elements and share many similar chemical properties. Al crystallizes in the fcc lattice with 4 atoms per unit cell and Ga crystallizes in an orthorhombic unit cell lattice with 8 atoms …

The generation, motion, and interaction of dislocations play key roles during the plastic deformation process of crystalline solids. 3D Dislocation Dynamics has been employed as a mesoscale simulation algorithm to investigate the collective and cooperative behavior of dislocations. Most current research on 3D Dislocation Dynamics is based on the solutions available in the framework of classical isotropic elasticity. However, due to some degree of elastic anisotropy in almost all crystalline solids, it is very necessary to extend 3D Dislocation Dynamics into anisotropic elasticity. In this study, first, the details of efficient and accurate incorporation of the fully anisotropic elasticity into 3D discrete Dislocation Dynamics by numerically evaluating the derivatives of Green's functions are described. Then the intrinsic properties of perfect dislocations, including their stability, their core properties and disassociation characteristics, in newly discovered rare earth-based intermetallics and in conventional intermetallics are investigated, within the framework of fully anisotropic elasticity supplemented with the atomistic information obtained from the ab initio calculations. Moreover, the evolution and interaction of dislocations in these intermetallics as well as the role of solute segregation are presented by utilizing fully anisotropic 3D dislocation dynamics. The results from this work clearly indicate the role and the importance of …

The overall goal of the program is to advance the current state of crystalline silicon solar cell technology to make photovoltaics more competitive with conventional energy sources. This program emphasizes fundamental and applied research that results in low-cost, high-efficiency cells on commercial silicon substrates with strong involvement of the PV industry, and support a very strong photovoltaics education program in the US based on classroom education and hands-on training in the laboratory.

Bayesian networks (BN) are an excellent tool for modeling uncertainties in systems with several interdependent variables. A BN is a directed acyclic graph, and consists of a structure, or the set of directional links between variables that depend on other variables, and conditional probabilities (CP) for each variable. In this project, we apply BN's to understand uncertainties in NIF ignition experiments. One can represent various physical properties of National Ignition Facility (NIF) capsule implosions as variables in a BN. A dataset containing simulations of NIF capsule implosions was provided. The dataset was generated from a radiation hydrodynamics code, and it contained 120 simulations of 16 variables. Relevant knowledge about the physics of NIF capsule implosions and greedy search algorithms were used to search for hypothetical structures for a BN. Our preliminary results found 6 links between variables in the dataset. However, we thought there should have been more links between the dataset variables based on the physics of NIF capsule implosions. Important reasons for the paucity of links are the relatively small size of the dataset, and the sampling of the values for dataset variables. Another factor that might have caused the paucity of links is the fact that in …

We have probed the nature of magnetism at the surface of (001), (110) and (111)-oriented La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} thin films. The spin polarization of La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} thin films is not intrinsically suppressed at all surfaces and interfaces but is highly sensitive to both the epitaxial strain state as well as the substrate orientation. Through the use of soft x-ray spectroscopy, the magnetic properties of (001), (110) and (111)-oriented La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interfaces have been investigated and compared to bulk magnetometry and resistivity measurements. The magnetization of (110) and (111)-oriented La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interfaces are more bulk-like as a function of thickness whereas the magnetization at the (001)-oriented La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interface is suppressed significantly below a layer thickness of 20 nm. Such findings are correlated with the biaxial strain state of the La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} films; for a given film thickness it is the tetragonal distortion of (001) La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} that severely impacts the magnetization, whereas the trigonal distortion for (111)-oriented films and monoclinic distortion for (110)-oriented films have less of an impact. These observations provide evidence that surface magnetization and thus spin polarization depends strongly on the …

Phase 1 of the Tank-Farm Vadose Zone Program (TFVZP) developed information on the nature and extent of vadose zone contamination in the tank farms through field studies, laboratory analyses and experiments, and historical data searches; assembled data and performed tank-farm risk analysis; and initiated interim corrective actions to lessen the impacts of tank leak contaminants. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientists and external collaborators at universities and U.S. Department of Energy user facilities sampled and analyzed contaminant plumes. These types of activities will continue during Phase 2 of the TFVZP to refine and expand scientific understanding of the subsurface beneath tank farms, especially of water movement, residual waste leaching, and contaminant transport.

This report examines selected proposed priorities in light of the nondiscrimination provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

This report gives an overview of the collection of fees to support U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pesticide program activities. Authority to collect fees in addition to appropriated funds has been provided over the years in part to accelerate the agency's review efforts and to fund its increasing statutory responsibilities.

Photograph of the entrance to the Oklahoma National Stockyard.

Photograph of a scene in the cattle barn during a cattle auction at the Oklahoma National Stockyard.

Photograph of a scene in the cattle barn during a cattle auction at the Oklahoma National Stockyard.