Reconciliation report with an ending account balance of $1,622.07 reconciled for the period ending on August 19, 2002.

This report documents tests performed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to verify that the new air monitoring system for the 296-Z-1 ventilation exhaust stack meets the applicable regulatory criteria regarding the placement of the air sampling probe, sample transport, and stack flow measurement accuracy. These criteria ensure that the contaminants in the stack are well mixed with the airflow at the location of the probe so that the collected sample represents the whole. The sequence of tests addresses the acceptability of the flow angle relative to the probe uniformity of air velocity and gaseous and particle tracers in the cross section of the stack delivery of the sample from the sampler nozzle to the collection filter. The tests conducted on the air monitoring system demonstrated that the location for the air-sampling probe meets all performance criteria for air sampling systems at nuclear facilities. The performance criterion for particle transport was also met. All tests were successful, and all acceptance criteria were met.

The LLNL Chemical & Biological National Security Program (CBNP) provides science, technology and integrated systems for chemical and biological security. Our approach is to develop and field advanced strategies that dramatically improve the nation's capabilities to prevent, prepare for, detect, and respond to terrorist use of chemical or biological weapons. Recent events show the importance of civilian defense against terrorism. The 1995 nerve gas attack in Tokyo's subway served to catalyze and focus the early LLNL program on civilian counter terrorism. In the same year, LLNL began CBNP using Laboratory-Directed R&D investments and a focus on biodetection. The Nunn-Lugar-Domenici Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act, passed in 1996, initiated a number of U.S. nonproliferation and counter-terrorism programs including the DOE (now NNSA) Chemical and Biological Nonproliferation Program (also known as CBNP). In 2002, the Department of Homeland Security was formed. The NNSA CBNP and many of the LLNL CBNP activities are being transferred as the new Department becomes operational. LLNL has a long history in national security including nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In biology, LLNL had a key role in starting and implementing the Human Genome Project and, more recently, the Microbial Genome Program. LLNL has over …

A few different approaches exist for computing undecimated wavelet transform. In this work we construct three undecimated schemes and evaluate their performance for image noise reduction. We use standard wavelet based de-noising techniques and compare the performance of our algorithms with the original undecimated wavelet transform, as well as with the decimated wavelet transform. The experiments we have made show that our algorithms have better noise removal/blurring ratio.

Our goal is to develop robust DNA signatures for rapid and specific DNA-based detection platforms that can be employed by CBNP to detect a wide range of potential agents. Our approach has resulted in highly specific DNA signatures for Yersina pestis, Bacillus anthracis and Brucella species. Furthermore, this approach can be applied to any genome (even uncharacterized ones), which facilitates DNA signature development for detection of newly emerging pathogens. We are using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) as a tool to define large DNA regions specific to multiple biothreat pathogens by comparing them to genomes of the most closely related organisms. This approach has become increasingly accurate as we continue to find new, distinctive strains and ever-closer near-neighbors. With the huge costs incurred by whole genome sequencing, it is not possible to sequence each new bacterial genome. However, it is completely practical to identify genome differences in the laboratory using SSH, and becomes especially useful when comparing new strains to previously sequenced genomes.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether changes to Hanford operations, as well as changes in the regulatory environment, will require new approaches to ensure radiation protection of the public and the environment. This document discusses the applicable regulations that govern public radiation protection at DOE facilities, recent radiological assessments for members of the public near the Hanford Site, and possible new approaches that may be needed to assure that the Hanford Site can demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements for radiological protection of the public.

This note presents the technical basis for a proposed strain-rate and temperature independent fatigue design curve for austenitic stainless steels.

Tritium activities decreased in all three SALDS proximal wells during FY 2002, compared with FY 2001. Activities in well 699-48-77A first decreased to less than 3,000 pCi/L in January 2002, but rose to 150,000 in July, probably as a result of tritium discharges to SALDS that resumed in February 2002. Well 699-48-77C, where tritium analysis produced a maximum value of 750,000 pCi/L in January 2002, reflects the result of the delayed penetration of effluent deeper into the aquifer from tritium discharges. SALDS proximal well 699-48-77D produced a maximum result of 240,000 pCi/L in July 2002. Timing between detections of tritium and other constituents in well 699-48-77C suggest a delay of approximately three years from detection in wells 699-48-77A and 699-48-77D. Historically maxima for tritium (790 and 860 pCi/L in successive sample periods) suggest that tritium from SALDS may be reaching the northern edge of the 200 West Area, south of the facility.

The report summarizes work to determine the nature and distribution of carbon on microcracks in crystalline rocks by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy. It also summarizes the results of a workshop devoted to investigating how carbon in rocks influences electrical conductivity and whether carbon on fracture surfaces can account for the electrical conductivity structure of the crust.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located along the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, is the most visited national park in the United States. This rugged, mountainous area presents many transportation challenges. The immense popularity of the Smokies and the fact that the primary mode of transportation within the park is the personal vehicle have resulted in congestion, damage to the environment, impacts on safety, and a degraded visitor experience. Access to some of the Smokies historical, cultural, and recreational attractions via a mass transit system could alleviate many of the transportation issues. Although quite a few organizations are proponents of a mass transit system for the Smokies, there is a lack of coordination among all parties. In addition, many local residents are not completely comfortable with the idea of transit in the Smokies. This document provides a brief overview of the current transportation needs and limitations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, identifies agencies and groups with particular interests in the Smokies, and offers insights into the benefits of using Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies in the Smokies. Recommendations for the use of rural ITS transit to solve two major transportation issues are presented.

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This report provides information on the 33 Asian Pacific Americans who have served in the United States Congress from 1903 to the present, including 13 Resident Commissioners from the Philippine Islands. These Resident Commissioners served from 1907-1946 while the Philippines were a U.S. territory and commonwealth (all were Philippines born). Information on Members and territorial delegates includes party affiliations, length and dates of service, and committee assignments.

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This report discusses the welfare reform law of 1996 that sharply increased federal child care funding for low-income families, with the expectation that new work requirements for welfare parents would increase demand for child care services.

An estimated 14.6% of the U.S. populations lacked health insurance coverage in 2001, up from 14% in 2000. When examined by state, estimates of the percent uninsured ranged from a low of 7.5% in Iowa to a high of 23.5% in Texas. Generally, states in the Midwest and New England have lower rates of uninsured, while states in the Southwestern and Southern portion of the nation have higher shares of their populations without coverage.

This short report identifies FY2002 appropriations for worldwide HIV/AIDS efforts and includes tables comparing these appropriations with appropriations for FY2001.

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High-performance GaInAsSb/AlGaAsSb/GaSb thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices with quantum efficiency and fill factor near theoretical limits and open-circuit voltage within about 15% of the limit can be routinely fabricated. To achieve further improvements in TPV device performance, detailed materials studies of GaInAsSb epitaxial growth, the microstructure, and minority carrier lifetime, along with device structure considerations are reported. This paper discusses the materials and device issues, and their implications on TPV device performance. In addition, improvements in TPV performance with integrated distributed Bragg reflectors and back-surface reflectors are discussed.

The possibility of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in regions of tensile residual stress introduced by weld deposited material has been a concern where environmental effects can reduce component life. Roller burnishing, a form of mechanical cold-working, has been considered as a means of providing for residual stress state improvements. This paper provides a computational evaluation of the roller burnishing process to address the permanent deformation needed to introduce a desirable residual stress state. The analysis uses a series of incrementally applied pressure loadings and finite element methodology to simulate the behavior of a roller burnishing tool. Various magnitudes of applied pressure loadings coupled with different size plates and boundary conditions are examined to assess the degree and depth of the residual compressive stress state after cold working. Both kinematic and isotropic hardening laws are evaluated.

A universal array format has been developed in which all possible n-mers of a particular oligonucleotide sequence can be represented. The ability to determine the sequence of the probes at every position in the array should enable unbiased gene expression as well as arrays for de novo sequencing.

The primary research objective of this effort is to develop a portable, capillary electrophoresis microchip capable of sensitively and rapidly monitoring hazardous waste metal ions critical to the successful deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) of contaminated equipment and structures at various DOE sites. Hazardous waste metal ions to be adapted for sensing on the microchip include UO{sub 2}{sup 2+}, Be{sup 2+}, Cr{sup 6+}, Hg{sup 2+}, Pb{sup 2+}, Co{sup 2+}, Ni{sup 2+}, Cs{sup +}, and Sr{sup 2+}. Particular emphasis will be placed on developing viable, new extraction methods for metal ion sampling from both the air via a microimpinger which is integrated onto the microchip itself, and from contaminated surfaces, both techniques being amenable to on-line introduction onto the microchip. Two different detection methods for monitoring the electrophoretic separations taking place down the microchannel will be exploited in this research, indirect and direct detection. Special emphasis will be placed on maintaining the ultimate portability of the final microchip device through the careful selection of metallochromic dyes and fluorophores which are amenable to use of small, inexpensive light sources (e.g., LED's) and photodetectors.

Investing whether climate change signals can be easily detected from physical processes rather than raw data.

This report documents the information base for the melt-dilute SNF form needed for submittal of a license application for the repository to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The National Spent Fuel Program will use the information in this report to compile the information base for all DOE-SNF and transmit to the DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (DOE-OCRWM or DOE-RW). The DOE-RW is the agency that will actually submit the license application.