Transcript of a public hearing held by the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq & Afghanistan held July 26,2010 in Washington, D.C. This hearing includes testimony from three panels of witnesses representing government agencies, contractors and subcontractors on transparency and accountability challenges associated with subcontracting.

Local microscale stresses play a crucial role in inhomogeneous mechanical processes from cell motility to material failure. However, it remains difficult to spatially resolve stress at these small length scales. While contact-probe and non-contact based techniques have been used to quantify local mechanical behavior in specific systems with high stiffness or stress and spatial resolution, these methods cannot be used to study a majority of micromechanical systems due to spectroscopic and geometrical constraints. We present here the design and implementation of a luminescent nanocrystal strain gauge, the CdSe/CdS core/shell tetrapod. The tetrapod can be incorporated into many materials, yielding a local stress measurement through optical fluorescence spectroscopy of the electronically confined CdSe core states. The stress response of the tetrapod is calibrated and utilized to study mechanical behavior in single polymer fibers. We expect that tetrapods can be used to investigate local stresses in many other mechanical systems.

This report provides background information and analysis of the U.S.-EU economic relationship for Members of the 111th Congress as they contemplate the costs and benefits of closer U.S. economic ties with the EU. It examines the economic and political framework of the relationship and the scope and magnitude of the ties based on data from various sources. In addition, the report analyzes the implications these factors have for U.S. economic policy toward the EU. The report will be revised as events warrant.

The animal sector of agriculture has undergone major changes in the last several decades: organizational changes within the industry to enhance economic efficiency have resulted in larger confined production facilities that often are geographically concentrated. These changes, in turn, have given rise to concerns over the management of animal wastes and potential impact on environmental quality.

Conclusions of this presentation are: (1) energy and water are interconnected; (2) new energy sources will place increased demands on water supplies; (3) existing energy sources will be subjected to increasing restrictions on their water use; and (4) integrated decision support tools will need to be developed to help policy makers decide which policies and advanced technologies can address these issues.

This report presents information on federal programs targeted to unemployed workers specifically, but does not attempt to discuss means-tested programs (such as Medicaid or SSI) that are available regardless of employment status.

Recording of Ruqayya Bano reciting a recipe for Burus S̩apik in the Nagar dialect of Burushaski.

Recording of Naseema Ali translating Ruqayya's recipes for čʰap-šuro, diram-phiṭi, and mulo-šuro from Burushaski into Urdu.

Recording of Piar Karim and Naseema Ali explaining recipes for suančale hoi, garma, and mul given by Ruqayya from Nagar Burushaski into Urdu.

Recording of Piar Karim translating Surung Thuko from Burushaski into Urdu.

The vertical transport of heat and trace chemicals for a night in April has been studied with a wavelet analysis and conventional one-hour averages. It was found that for the night of April 20, 2009, turbulent kinetic energy, heat and trace chemicals were transported directed downward from the jet core. The most significant periods for this transport were less than 5 minutes and greater than one hour with intermittent transport taking place in the 5 min to 1 hour time frame. The nocturnal boundary layer is characterized by turbulent intermittency, long period oscillations, and a slow approach to equilibrium, (Mahrt, 1999). Although turbulence is usually maintained by surface friction, downward transport from low-level jets can also play an important role in turbulence maintenance and in the transport of scalars, Mahrt (1999), Banta et al. (2006). The eddy covariance flux measurement technique assumes continuous turbulence which is unusual in the stable boundary because significant flux transport occurs via turbulent eddies whose periods are long compared with the averaging time (Goulden et al., 1996). Systematic error in eddy flux measurements is attributed mainly to the neglect of long period eddies. Banta et al. (2006) noted that observations of turbulence below the low …

A new method for the determination of {sup 237}Np and Pu isotopes in large soil samples has been developed that provides enhanced uranium removal to facilitate assay by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This method allows rapid preconcentration and separation of plutonium and neptunium in large soil samples for the measurement of {sup 237}Np and Pu isotopes by ICP-MS. {sup 238}U can interfere with {sup 239}Pu measurement by ICP-MS as {sup 238}UH{sup +} mass overlap and {sup 237}Np via {sup 238}U peak tailing. The method provides enhanced removal of uranium by separating Pu and Np initially on TEVA Resin, then transferring Pu to DGA resin for additional purification. The decontamination factor for removal of uranium from plutonium for this method is greater than 1 x 10{sup 6}. Alpha spectrometry can also be applied so that the shorter-lived {sup 238}Pu isotope can be measured successfully. {sup 239}Pu, {sup 242}Pu and {sup 237}Np were measured by ICP-MS, while {sup 236}Pu and {sup 238}Pu were measured by alpha spectrometry.

A new rapid method for the determination of {sup 237}Np and Pu isotopes in soil and sediment samples has been developed at the Savannah River Site Environmental Lab (Aiken, SC, USA) that can be used for large soil samples. The new soil method utilizes an acid leaching method, iron/titanium hydroxide precipitation, a lanthanum fluoride soil matrix removal step, and a rapid column separation process with TEVA Resin. The large soil matrix is removed easily and rapidly using this two simple precipitations with high chemical recoveries and effective removal of interferences. Vacuum box technology and rapid flow rates are used to reduce analytical time.

Recording of Bulbul Murad discussing Burusho culture in the Yasin dialect of Burushaski.

Recording of Dr. Faiz Aman doing semantic analysis of some Burushaski words in the Yasin dialect of Burushaski.

Recording of Ruqayya sharing a recipe for “Chap Shuro”, or a meat pizza, in the Nagar dialect. Minced meat is spiced and placed between two flat-rolled doughs, and baked.

Recording of Ruqayya Bano sharing a recipe for “Diram Phiti”, or a sweet bread cake, in the Nagar dialect. Grain is germinated, then ground into flour and fermented. This flour is made into dough, and cooked on an iron pan in individual patties.

Recording of Ruqayya reciting a recipe for Garmamuc in the Nagar dialect. Garmamuch is a type of bread that is leavened, then fried and baked to become crispy, and eaten with vegetables.

Recording of Ruqayya sharing a recipe for “Ghulmaldi”, a yoghurt dip made for covering thin bread and butter. This is told in the Nagar dialect.

Recording of Ruqayya Bano sharing a recipe of “Mul” in the Nagar dialect. Mul is a flour porridge that is mixed and boiled slowly and set outside to cool.

Recording of Ruqayya sharing a recipe for “Mulo SHuro” in the Nagar dialect. Mulo Shuro is a turnip pizza, where minced turnip is mixed with minced meat, and they are fried and baked into patties.

Recording of Ruqayya sharing a recipe for “Nagere Sharbat” in the Nagar dialect. The Nagar-style wheat porridge is made by adding flour bit-by-bit to buttered water.

Recording of Ruqayya sharing a recipe for “Shuwanchale Hoi”, or a Vegetables, in the Nagar dialect. The leafy green is blanched, then drained, and cooked in oil with green onion, coriander, and green peppers.

Recording of Piar Karim translating the recipes for nagere šarbat, ɣumaldi, and burus ṣapik given by Ruqayya from Nagar Burushaski to Urdu.