This report discusses the current political conditions in Guinea, as well as the considerable changes to Guinea's political landscape that have taken place over the past two years. The report also discusses U.S. interests and associated policy challenges in Guinea, centering around democratization, counternarcotics issues, regional stability, and socioeconomic development, among other issues.

The MAS was flown aboard the NASA ER-2 for the CLASIC field experiment, and for all data collected, provided calibrated and geolocated (Level-1B) radiance data for it’s 50 spectral bands (ranging in wavelength for 0.47 to 14.3 µm). From the Level-1B data, as directed in the Statement of Work, higher order (Level-2) data products were derived. The Level-2 products include: a) cloud optical thickness, b) cloud effective radius, c) cloud top height (temperature), d) cloud fraction, e) cloud phase products. Preliminary Level-1B and Level-2 products were provided during the field experiment (typically within one or two days of data collection). Final version data products were made available in December 2008 following considerable calibration analysis. Data collection, data processing (to Level-2), and discussion of the calibration work are summarized below.

National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs) are often of considerable interest to many Members of Congress. NIEs address issues of major national security importance which may require congressional action. However, NIEs have occasionally proved unreliable because they were based on insufficient evidence or contained faulty analysis. This report explores this issue and discusses the NIE process and its relevance to congressional policymaking.

We have investigated the effect of incident ir spectral bandwidth and crystal thickness, on uv pulses produced by third harmonic generation (THG) in a crystal pair. Our focus is on the third harmonic generation efficiency and longitudinal uv intensity profile parameters of SNLO predictions that are evaluated for three incident ir spectral bandwidths and a range of crystal thicknesses. These results represent a continuation of earlier work in which the effects of the same selected ir bandwidths and range of crystal thicknesses were investigated using a pair of BBO Type I crystals in a simplistic geometry for which the longitudinal intensity plateau has a zero slope, 'flattop' profile. The current work is distinguished from the previous work by an imposed ripple on the ir intensity longitudinal profile and constitutes a portion of a Part II effort to which we have made reference. As with preceding work, all third harmonic data are net results at the exit of the second BBO crystal. Predictions are obtained with the modified SNLO code developed by Arlee Smith at the Sandia National Laboratories. This modification has allowed us to pursue the 'coupled' case in which the output of the first BBO crystal is used as …

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

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

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

The nation's energy choices embody many tradeoffs. Water use is one of those tradeoffs. The energy choices before Congress represent vastly different demands on domestic freshwater. The energy sector's water consumption is projected to rise 50% from 2005 to 2030. This rising water demand derives from both an increase in the amount of energy demanded and shifts to more water-intense energy sources and technologies. This report discusses this issue as well as related issues that may arise for the 112th Congress.

The existing SLAC linac quadrupole magnets, described as the 'QE' quadrupoles, are designed for excitation currents up to 200 A with length-integrated gradients up to 100 kG needed to focus up to 50-GeV electron or positron beams. The eight 'QE' magnets within a linac sector are powered in series on a single 200-A bulk power supply, and each magnet in sectors 21-29 also includes a 20-A booster supply (adds 0-20 A to each magnet) for gradient tapering within the sector. Sector 30 is different again with individual 200-A power supplies per magnet. The LCLS will use these same quadrupole magnets, mostly in their existing locations and with their present power supplies, but for an electron energy range of 0.25-14 GeV. This much lower beam energy will require good power supply regulation ({le} 0.05% rms for f > 0.5 Hz) [1] and accurate field excitation at much lower currents, as low as a few amperes. The present (pre-2006) gradient-to-current polynomials (IVBU) in the SLC database are based on magnetic measurements at excitation currents above 20 A, and are not accurate in extrapolation below about 10 A. For this reason the IVBU polynomials for all 'QE' quadrupoles in sectors 21-30 will be …

The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) is the leading scientific computing facility for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, providing high-performance computing (HPC) resources to more than 3,000 researchers working on about 400 projects. NERSC provides large-scale computing resources and, crucially, the support and expertise needed for scientists to make effective use of them. In November 2009, NERSC, DOE's Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR), and DOE's Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) held a workshop to characterize the HPC resources needed at NERSC to support HEP research through the next three to five years. The effort is part of NERSC's legacy of anticipating users needs and deploying resources to meet those demands. The workshop revealed several key points, in addition to achieving its goal of collecting and characterizing computing requirements. The chief findings: (1) Science teams need access to a significant increase in computational resources to meet their research goals; (2) Research teams need to be able to read, write, transfer, store online, archive, analyze, and share huge volumes of data; (3) Science teams need guidance and support to implement their codes on future architectures; and (4) Projects need predictable, rapid turnaround of their computational …

Daily newspaper from Baytown, Texas 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.

Weekly newspaper from Mannford, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

This report provides brief summaries of those provisions that create new SEC authority, that were controversial during the legislative process, or that appear likely to have far-reaching consequences.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently completed a rulemaking process in which it amended the existing energy efficiency standards for residential water heaters. A key factor in DOE?s consideration of new standards is the economic impacts on consumers. Determining such impacts requires a comparison of the additional first cost of energy efficiency design options with the savings in operating costs. This paper describes the method used to conduct the life-cycle cost (LCC) and payback period analysis for gas and electric storage water heaters. It presents the estimated change in LCC associated with more energy-efficient equipment, including heat pump electric water heaters and condensing gas water heaters, for a representative sample of U.S. homes. The study included a detailed accounting of installation costs for the considered design options, with a focus on approaches for accommodating the larger dimensions of more efficient water heaters. For heat pump water heaters, the study also considered airflow requirements, venting issues, and the impact of these products on the indoor environment. The results indicate that efficiency improvement relative to the baseline design reduces the LCC in the majority of homes for both gas and electric storage water heaters, and heat pump electric water heaters and …

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

This report discusses the implications of North Korea's May 25, 2009, underground nuclear test, related issues such as the the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), containment of radioactive materials, and other concerns for Congress, such as improving nuclear monitoring capability.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Minick. Minick joined the Navy in 1942 and was trained as an electrician. He was assigned to the USS Thorn (DD-647) and worked in the E division. Minick became a searchlight operator and a member of a repair party. He describes the electrical systems aboard the Thorn. Minick was aboard the destroyer as it served as an escort for Task Force 38 and fired star shells during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He describes the ship searching for several days for survivors of the USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95), but finding none. Minick was aboard when the Thorn went through a typhoon and experienced 72-degree rolls. He visited Tokyo after the surrender and describes the burned city and the civilians he encountered. Minick also boarded HIJMS Nagato and mentions the engine room and souvenir hunting. He left the service after he returned to the States.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with George Minick. Minick joined the Navy in 1942 and was trained as an electrician. He was assigned to the USS Thorn (DD-647) and worked in the E division. Minick became a searchlight operator and a member of a repair party. He describes the electrical systems aboard the Thorn. Minick was aboard the destroyer as it served as an escort for Task Force 38 and fired star shells during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He describes the ship searching for several days for survivors of the USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95), but finding none. Minick was aboard when the Thorn went through a typhoon and experienced 72-degree rolls. He visited Tokyo after the surrender and describes the burned city and the civilians he encountered. Minick also boarded HIJMS Nagato and mentions the engine room and souvenir hunting. He left the service after he returned to the States.

National Security Technologies, LLC, initiated an evaluation of treatment technologies that they would manage and operate as part of the mixed low-level waste (MLLW) disposal facilities at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The NNSS Disposal Facility has been receiving radioactive waste from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex since the 1960s, and since 2005 the NNSS Disposal Facility has been receiving radioactive and MLLW for disposal only. In accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), all mixed waste must meet land disposal restrictions (LDRs) prior to disposal. Compliance with LDRs is attained through treatment of the waste to mitigate the characteristics of the listed waste hazard. Presently, most generators utilize commercial capacity for waste treatment prior to shipment to the NNSS Disposal Facility. The objectives of this evaluation are to provide a conceptual study of waste treatment needs (i.e., demand), identify potential waste treatment technologies to meet demand, and analyze implementation considerations for initiating MLLW treatment capacity at the NNSS Disposal Facility. A review of DOE complex waste generation forecast data indicates that current and future Departmental demand for mixed waste treatment capacity will remain steady and strong. Analysis and screening of over 30 treatment technologies …

This report briefly discusses the procedure for introducing a bill or resolution in the House of Representatives.

This report briefly discusses non-legislative debate in the House of Representatives, specifically special order speeches, one-minute speeches, and morning hour debate. The purpose of these practices is to permit Members to address the House for specified durations and at specified times of their own choosing, outside the consideration of legislative business.

This report briefly discusses the processes of sponsoring, cosponsoring, and gaining cosponsors for bills in the House of Representatives.

This report discuses the 2010 expansion of reporting requirements listed in IRC (Internal Revenue Code) 6041. The controversy in these expansions lies in the burden the expansion imposes on small businesses. The report also describes the pieces of legislation that have amended IRC 6041, and the implications of that legislation along with the consequences of IRC 6041.