A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1994, the United States and other countries intervened militarily in Haiti to restore the democratically elected government that had been overthrown by the Haitian military several years earlier. During the last 6 years, the United States provided assistance to help Haiti establish its first civilian-controlled police and improve its judicial system. About $70 million in U.S. assistance helped Haiti recruit, train, organize, and equip a basic police force, including specialized units. However, despite these achievements, the police and judicial sector have displayed several weaknesses. The Haitian government's lack of a clear commitment to addressing the major problems of its police and judicial institutions has been the key factor affecting the success of the U.S. assistance provided to these institutions. The United States is reassessing several aspects of its relationship with Haiti because of concerns about how votes were counted in Haiti's May 2000 elections. The United States and Haiti have been unable to negotiate an agreement for continuing this assistance. At this time, any further aid to the Haitian Justice System should be linked to performance-related conditions."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report focuses on the default rate for student loans. Two major federal student loan programs, the Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) and the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), together provided student borrowers with about 9 million loans totaling about $42.9 billion in fiscal year 1999. The most recent student loan default rate statistics for schools showed that, overall, the direct and guaranteed student loan programs had similar default rates: at 6.6 percent for FDLP and 6.7 percent for FFELP. The two programs had similar default rates when the comparisons focused on the type of school. FDLP has two types of loans, consolidated and nonconsolidated. Generally, borrowers with consolidated loans who used the standard payment plan had a lower default rate than did borrowers with nonconsolidated loans. However, when income contingent repayment plans were used, borrowers with consolidated loans had a higher default rate than did those with nonconsolidated loans. The Department of Education uses various procedures to ensure that loans are properly serviced and collected, including independent monitoring and external assessments of monitoring results."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The United States has been providing assistance to Colombia since the early 1970s to help the Colombian National Police and other law enforcement agencies, the military, and civilian agencies reduce illegal drug production and trafficking. Recognizing that illegal drug activities are a serious problem, the Colombian government announced a counternarcotics plan known as Plan Colombia. This report reviews the U.S. counternarcotics efforts in Colombia. Although U.S.-provided assistance has enhanced Colombian counternarcotics capabilities, its usefulness has sometimes been limited because of long-standing problems in planning and implementation. For example, little progress has been made in launching a plan to have Colombia's National Police assume a larger role in managing the aerial eradication program, which requires costly U.S. contractor assistance. The governments of the United States and Colombia face continuing and new financial and management challenges in implementing Plan Colombia. The costs and activities needed to implement the plan are unknown at this time, and it will take years before any significant reduction in the drug trade is seen. Colombia must resolve problems with its political and economic stability and improve its management of counternarcotics funding in order …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The accuracy of the 2000 decennial census depends in part on the proper functioning of 10 interrelated information systems, one of which is the Census Bureau's headquarters (HQ) processing system. The HQ processing system consists of 48 applications, all developed internally by the Bureau, that support various census operations, such as updating address files, creating a file of census responses, and preparing data for tabulation and dissemination. GAO found that the Bureau lacks effective, mature software and system development processes to control development of its HQ processing system applications."

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a city council may pay attorney's fees incurred to defend certain of its members in prosecution for Open Meetings Act violations, and related questions (RQ-0228-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Authority of a special district with powers and duties of a road district under article III, section 52 of the Texas Constitution to incur indebtedness for a period of more than one year (RQ-0234-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a manufacturer of bingo equipment and a distributor of bingo equipment may agree to the price at which the distributor will sell or lease bingo equipment to a charity (RQ-0238-JC)

Battelle received five samples from Hanford waste tank 241-AP-101, taken at five different depths within the tank. No visible solids or organic layer were observed in the individual samples. Individual sample densities were measured, then the five samples were mixed together to provide a single composite. The composite was homogenized and representative sub-samples taken for inorganic, radioisotopic, and organic analysis. All analyses were performed on triplicate sub-samples of the composite material. The sample composite did not contain visible solids or an organic layer. A subsample held at 10?C for seven days formed no visible solids.

We point out that neutrino events observed at Kamiokande andIMB from SN1987A disfavor the neutrino oscillation parameters preferredby the LSND experiment. For Delta m2>0 (the light side), theelectron neutrinos from the neutronization burst would be lost, while thefirst event at Kamiokande is quite likely to be due to an electronneutrino. For Delta m2<0 (the dark side), the average energy of thedominantly bar nu e events is already lower than the theoreticalexpectations, which would get aggravated by a complete conversion frombar nu mu to bar nu e. If taken seriously, the LSND data are disfavoredindependent of the existence of a sterile neutrino. A possible remedy isCPT violation, which allows different mass spectra for neutrinos andanti-neutrinos and hence can accommodate atmospheric, solar and LSND datawithout a sterile neutrino. If this is the case, Mini-BooNE must run inbar nu rather than the planned nu mode to test the LSND signal. Wespeculate on a possible origin of CPT violation.

The energetic and kinetic properties of surfaces play a critical role in defining the microstructural changes that occur during sintering and high-temperature use of ceramics. Characterization of surface diffusion in ceramics is particularly difficult, and significant variations in reported values of surface diffusivities arise even in well-studied systems. Effects of impurities, surface energy anisotropy, and the onset of surface attachment limited kinetics (SALK) are believed to contribute to this variability. An overview of the use of Rayleigh instabilities as a means of characterizing surface diffusivities is presented. The development of models of morphological evolution that account for effects of surface energy anisotropy is reviewed, and the potential interplay between impurities and surface energy anisotropy is addressed. The status of experimental studies of Rayleigh instabilities in sapphire utilizing lithographically introduced pore channels of controlled geometry and crystallography is summarized. Results of model studies indicate that impurities can significantly influence both the spatial and temporal characteristics of Rayleigh instabilities; this is attributed at least in part to impurity effects on the surface energy anisotropy. Related model experiments indicate that the onset of SALK may also contribute significantly to apparent variations in surface diffusion coefficients.

This system design description (SDD) addresses the Cold Vacuum Drying (CVD) Facility fire protection system (FPS). The primary features of the FPS for the CVD are a fire alarm and detection system, automatic sprinklers, and fire hydrants. The FPS also includes fire extinguishers located throughout the facility and fire hydrants to assist in manual firefighting efforts. In addition, a fire barrier separates the operations support (administrative) area from the process bays and process bay support areas. Administrative controls to limit combustible materials have been established and are a part of the overall fire protection program. The FPS is augmented by assistance from the Hanford Fire Department (HED) and by interface systems including service water, electrical power, drains, instrumentation and controls. This SDD, when used in conjunction with the other elements of the definitive design package, provides a complete picture of the FPS for the CVD Facility.

The purpose of this acceptance test procedure (ATP) is to demonstrate that the newly installed Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) computer system functions as intended by the design.

RESOLVE! Version 2 .5 is designed to quantify the risk and uncertainty of combustion accidents in double-shell tanks (DSTs) and single-shell tanks (SSTs). The purpose of the acceptance testing is to ensure that all of the options and features of the computer code run; to verify that the calculated results are consistent with each other; and to evaluate the effects of the changes to the parameter values on the frequency and consequence trends associated with flammable gas deflagrations or detonations.

This Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) will document the satisfactory operation of the corrosion probe tree assembly. This ATP will be performed by the manufacturer prior to delivery to the site. The objective of this procedure is to demonstrate and document the acceptance of the corrosion probe tree assembly. The test will consist of a pressure test to verify leak tightness of the probe tree body, a continuity test of the probe tree wiring, a test of the high level detector wiring, and a test of the operation of the Type K thermocouples.

The purpose of the design compliance matrix (DCM) is to provide a single-source document of all design requirements associated with the fifteen subsystems that make up the rotary mode core sampling (RMCS) system. It is intended to be the baseline requirement document for the RMCS system and to be used in governing all future design and design verification activities associated with it. This document is the DCM for the RMCS system used on Hanford single-shell radioactive waste storage tanks. This includes the Exhauster System, Rotary Mode Core Sample Trucks, Universal Sampling System, Diesel Generator System, Distribution Trailer, X-Ray Cart System, Breathing Air Compressor, Nitrogen Supply Trailer, Casks and Cask Truck, Service Trailer, Core Sampling Riser Equipment, Core Sampling Support Trucks, Foot Clamp, Ramps and Platforms and Purged Camera System. Excluded items are tools such as light plants and light stands. Other items such as the breather inlet filter are covered by a different design baseline. In this case, the inlet breather filter is covered by the Tank Farms Design Compliance Matrix.

These valves are 1/2-inch ball valves fabricated of 316 stainless steel. Packing is TFE (standard). They are used as isolation valves for pressure instrumentation in the Vacuum Pumping and Helium System.

The purpose of Process Validation is to confirm that nominal process operations are consistent with the expected process envelope. The Process Validation activities described in this document are not part of the safety basis, but are expected to demonstrate that the process operates well within the safety basis. Some adjustments to the process may be made as a result of information gathered in Process Validation.

Two thermal convection loops (TCLs) fabricated from 316L stainless steel and containing mercury and a variety of 316L coupons representing variable surface conditions and heat treatments have been operated continuously for 2000 h. Surface conditions included surface ground, polished, gold-coated, chemically etched, bombarded with Fe to simulate radiation damage, and oxidized. Heat treatments included solution treated, welded, and sensitized. In addition, a nitrogen doped 316L material, termed 316LN, was also examined in the solution treated condition. Duplicate TCLs were operated in this experiment--both were operated with a 305 C peak temperature, a 65 C temperature gradient, and mercury velocity of 1.2 m/min--but only one included a 36 h soak in Hg at 310 C just prior to operation to encourage wetting. Results indicate that the soak in Hg at 310 C had no lasting effect on wetting or compatibility with Hg. Further, based on examination of post-test wetting and coupon weight loss, only the gold-coated surfaces revealed significant interaction with Hg. In areas wetted significantly by Hg, the extreme surface of the stainless steel (ca 10 {micro}m) was depleted in Ni and Cr compared to the bulk composition.

The purpose of this acceptance test procedure (ATP) is to demonstrate that the newly installed Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) computer system functions as intended by the design.

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the Farm Credit Administration's (FCA) National Charter Initiative to determine whether the charter is a rule under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). FCA contends that its initiative is not a rule because it does not set out any rules or requirements for FCA institutions, but merely states how FCA will proceed with future chartering actions. FCA further contends that its accompanying booklet is exempt from CRA and APA regulations because the guidelines it outlines for national charter applications does not bind the agency nor is it enforceable against FCA institutions. A review of the actions of FCA and the contents of its booklet finds that FCA's booklet meets the requirements of a legislative rule and should be published for comment and submitted to Congress and GAO for review."

The Galerkin Finite Element Method was used to predict a natural convection flow in an enclosed cavity. The problem considered was a differentially heated, tall (8:1), rectangular cavity with a Rayleigh number of 3.4 x 10{sup 5} and Prandtl number of 0.71. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations were solved using a Boussinesq approximation for the buoyancy force. The algorithm was developed for efficient use on massively parallel computer systems. Emphasis was on time-accurate simulations. It was found that the average temperature and velocity values can be captured with a relatively coarse grid, while the oscillation amplitude and period appear to be grid sensitive and require a refined computation.

Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story.

Funeral program for Mrs. Joyce Moransee Gipson, born March 28, 1917 and died October 11, 2000. The funeral was held October 17, 2000 at West End Baptist Church, officiated by Dr. A. B. Devers, I. The funeral arrangements were made through Lewis Funeral Home and she was buried in Meadowlawn Memorial Park in San Antonio, Texas.

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