This report discusses the constitutional status of child pornography and summarizes federal statutes banning and regulating child pornography as well as selected court cases that have ruled on their constitutionality or interpreted them.

Evaluation of ion-atom charge-changing cross sections is needed for many accelerator applications. A classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) simulation has been used to calculate ionization and charge exchange cross sections. For benchmarking purposes, an extensive study has been performed for the simple case of hydrogen and helium targets in collisions with various ions. Despite the fact that the simulation only accounts for classical mechanics, the calculations are comparable to experimental results for projectile velocities in the region corresponding to the vicinity of the maximum cross section. Shortcomings of the CTMC method for multielectron target atoms are discussed.

Development and prototyping efforts directed towards construction of a new vertex detector for the STAR experiment at the RHIC accelerator at BNL are presented. This new detector will extend the physics range of STAR by allowing for precision measurements of yields and spectra of particles containing heavy quarks. The innermost central part of the new detector is a high resolution pixel-type detector (PIXEL). PIXEL requirements are discussed as well as a conceptual mechanical design, a sensor development path, and a detector readout architecture. Selected progress with sensor prototypes dedicated to the PIXEL detector is summarized and the approach chosen for the readout system architecture validated in tests of hardware prototypes is discussed.

The research sponsored by this project has greatly expanded the ASSET corrosion prediction software system to produce a world-class technology to assess and predict engineering corrosion of metals and alloys corroding by exposure to hot gases. The effort included corrosion data compilation from numerous industrial sources and data generation at Shell Oak Ridge National Laboratory and several other companies for selected conditions. These data were organized into groupings representing various combinations of commercially available alloys and corrosion by various mechanisms after acceptance via a critical screening process to ensure the data were for alloys and conditions, which were adequately well defined, and of sufficient repeatability. ASSET is the largest and most capable, publicly-available technology in the field of corrosion assessment and prediction for alloys corroding by high temperature processes in chemical plants, hydrogen production, energy conversion processes, petroleum refining, power generation, fuels production and pulp/paper processes. The problems addressed by ASSET are: determination of the likely dominant corrosion mechanism based upon information available to the chemical engineers designing and/or operating various processes and prediction of engineering metal losses and lifetimes of commercial alloys used to build structural components. These assessments consider exposure conditions (metal temperatures, gas compositions and pressures), alloy …

The objective of this program was to understand the interaction of dislocations with a wide range of obstacles commonly produced in materials under irradiation (dislocation loops, voids, helium bubbles, stacking fault tetrahedra and radiation-induced precipitates). The approach employed in this program combined multi-scale modeling and dynamic in-situ and static ex-situ transmission electron microscopy experiments.

This report documents trends in U.S. venture capital investments over the period 1980-2008. Particular attention is given to U.S. venture capital investments for “internet-specific”, biotechnology, and energy / industrial sectors over the period 1980-2007. During the early 1980s, U.S. venture capital investments in the energy / industrial area accounted for more than 20% of all venture capital investments. However subsequent periods of low energy prices and the emergence of fast growing new industries like computers (both hardware and software), biotechnology and the Internet quickly reduced the priority accorded to energy / industrial investments as by 2000 these investments accounted for only 1% of the $119 billion dollars invested that year by the U.S. venture capital community. The significant increase in the real price of oil that began in 2003-2004 correlates with renewed interest and increased investment by the venture capital community in energy / industrial investment opportunities. Venture capital investments in 2007 for the energy / industrial sector accounted for $3 billion or slightly more than 10% of all venture capital invested that year.

The goal of this research was to develop new algorithmic techniques for solving large-scale numerical optimization problems, focusing on problems classes that have proven to be among the most challenging for practitioners: those involving uncertainty and those involving nonconvexity. This research advanced the state-of-the-art in solving mixed integer linear programs containing symmetry, mixed integer nonlinear programs, and stochastic optimization problems.

Large blackouts, such as the August 14-15, 2003 blackout in the northeasternUnited States and Canada, focus attention on the importance of reliable electric service. As public and private efforts are undertaken to improve reliability and prevent power interruptions, it is appropriate to assess their effectiveness. Measures of reliability, such as the frequency and duration of power interruptions, have been reported by electric utilities to state public utility commissions for many years. This study examines current state and utility practices for collecting and reporting electricity reliability information and discusses challenges that arise in assessing reliability because of differences among these practices. The study is based primarily on reliability information for 2006 reported by 123 utilities to 37 state public utility commissions.

New procedures have been developed for synthesizing di- and tri-metallic cluster complexes. The chemical properties of the new complexes have been investigated, particularly toward the activation of molecular hydrogen. These complexes were then converted into bi- and tri-metallic nanoparticles on silica and alumina supports. These nanoparticles were characterized by electron microscopy and were then tested for their ability to produce catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons and for the preferential oxidation of CO in the presence of hydrogen. The bi- and tri-metallic nanoparticles exhibited far superior activity and selectivity as hydrogenation catalysts when compared to the individual metallic components. It was found that the addition of tin greatly improved the selectivity of the catalysts for the hydrogenation of polyolefins. The addition of iron improves the catalysts for the selective oxidation of CO by platinum in the presence of hydrogen. The observations should lead to the development of lower cost routes to molecules that can be used to produce polymers and plastics for use by the general public and for procedures to purify hydrogen for use as an alternative energy in the hydrogen economy of the future.

Propagation of an intense charged particle beam pulse through a background plasma is a common problem in astrophysics and plasma applications. The plasma can effectively neutralize the charge and current of the beam pulse, and thus provides a convenient medium for beam transport. The application of a small solenoidal magnetic field can drastically change the self-magnetic and self- electric fields of the beam pulse, thus allowing effective control of the beam transport through the background plasma. An analytic model is developed to describe the self-magnetic field of a finite- length ion beam pulse propagating in a cold background plasma in a solenoidal magnetic field. The analytic studies show that the solenoidal magnetic field starts to infuence the self-electric and self-magnetic fields when ωce > ωpeβb, where ωce = eβ/mec is the electron gyrofrequency, ωpe is the electron plasma frequency, and βb = Vb/c is the ion beam velocity relative to the speed of light. This condition typically holds for relatively small magnetic fields (about 100G). Analytical formulas are derived for the effective radial force acting on the beam ions, which can be used to minimize beam pinching. The results of analytic theory have been verified by comparison with the simulation …

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.

Bi-weekly student newspaper from Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas that includes local, state and campus news along with advertising.

Weekly student newspaper from San Antonio College in San Antonio, Texas that includes campus news along with advertising.

Weekly magazine edition of the daily student newspaper from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas that includes local, state and campus news along with advertising.

Weekly newspaper from Dallas, Texas that includes local, state, and national news and advertising of interest to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community.

Advertising linage report that details ad revenue from the Abilene Reporter-News, a Texas Daily Newspaper Association member, for September 2008.

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.

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Aqueous extract test is a laboratory technique commonly used to measure the amount of soluble salts of a soil sample after adding a known mass of distilled water. Measured aqueous extract data have to be re-interpreted in order to infer porewater chemical composition of the sample because porewater chemistry changes significantly due to dilution and chemical reactions which take place during extraction. Here we present an inverse hydrochemical model to estimate porewater chemical composition from measured water content, aqueous extract, and mineralogical data. The model accounts for acid-base, redox, aqueous complexation, mineral dissolution/precipitation, gas dissolution/ex-solution, cation exchange and surface complexation reactions, of which are assumed to take place at local equilibrium. It has been solved with INVERSE-CORE{sup 2D} and been tested with bentonite samples taken from FEBEX (Full-scale Engineered Barrier EXperiment) in situ test. The inverse model reproduces most of the measured aqueous data except bicarbonate and provides an effective, flexible and comprehensive method to estimate porewater chemical composition of clays. Main uncertainties are related to kinetic calcite dissolution and variations in CO2(g) pressure.

We have developed a borehole methodology to estimate formation thermal conductivity in situ with a spatial resolution of one meter. In parallel with a fiber-optic distributed temperature sensor (DTS), a resistance heater is deployed to create a controlled thermal perturbation. The transient thermal data is inverted to estimate the formation's thermal conductivity. We refer to this instrumentation as a Distributed Thermal Perturbation Sensor (DTPS), given the distributed nature of the DTS measurement technology. The DTPS was deployed in permafrost at the High Lake Project Site (67 degrees 22 minutes N, 110 degrees 50 minutes W), Nunavut, Canada. Based on DTPS data, a thermal conductivity profile was estimated along the length of a wellbore. Using the thermal conductivity profile, the baseline geothermal profile was then inverted to estimate a ground surface temperature history (GSTH) for the High Lake region. The GSTH exhibits a 100-year long warming trend, with a present-day ground surface temperature increase of 3.0 {+-} 0.8 C over the long-term average.

This Advanced Design and Production Technologies (ADAPT) project funded production process and tooling improvements to meet and sustain rate production for the program mechanism assemblies. Techniques were developed to allow evaluation and rework of sealed mechanisms that will result in prevention of the scrapping of future mechanisms. Future system mechanisms will likely be smaller with tighter tolerance parts that will require improved inspection equipment and techniques. During the latter phase of this project, the ISL (Intent Stronglink) PRT (Product Realization Team) developed designs and manufacturing processes at Sandia and at multiple KCP (Kansas City Plant) vendors, to produce glass ceramic headers to replace the brazed ceramic headers in the ISL. This achievement will result in significant production costs savings (unit cost and product scrap due to leaking headers).

The results of this study show that a high YY1 gene signature (characterized by coordinate elevated expression of transcription factor YY1 and putative YY1 target genes) within serous epithelial ovarian cancers is associated with enhanced response to taxane-based chemotherapy and improved survival. If confirmed in a prospective study, these results have important implications for the potential future use of individualized therapy in treating patients with ovarian cancer. Identification of the YY1 gene signature profile within a tumor prior to initiation of chemotherapy may provide valuable information about the anticipated response of these tumors to taxane-based drugs, leading to better informed decisions regarding chemotherapeutic choice. Survival of ovarian cancer patients is largely dictated by their response to chemotherapy, which depends on underlying molecular features of the malignancy. We previously identified YIN YANG 1 (YY1) as a gene whose expression is positively correlated with ovarian cancer survival. Herein we investigated the mechanistic basis of this association. Epigenetic and genetic characteristics of YY1 in serous epithelial ovarian cancer (SEOC) were analyzed along with YY1 mRNA and protein. Patterns of gene expression in primary SEOC and in the NCI60 database were investigated using computational methods. YY1 function and modulation of chemotherapeutic response in vitro …

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