Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report supplements our previous report responding to a Congressional request for current information on the representation of minorities and women at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). USPS's program to attract and award contracts to small, minority, and women-owned businesses is referred to as supplier diversity. In recent years, the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) has questioned the reliability of data related to the Supplier Diversity Program, such as the dollar value of contracts awarded to small, minority, and women-owned businesses. In a September 2001 report, the OIG made nine recommendations that it said would improve the reliability of this data. Our objective was to determine the status of USPS efforts to address the recommendations contained in the OIG report. To address our objective, we obtained, reviewed, and analyzed documentation from USPS and interviewed USPS and OIG officials concerning the status of these recommendations."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Under the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS), beneficiaries can be responsible for paying 50 percent or more of the total payment for outpatient services they receive in hospitals. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) introduced a mechanism to gradually decrease beneficiary cost sharing to 20 percent of the payment rate for each hospital outpatient service. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule that implemented, effective with the 2002 payment rates, a methodology for calculating copayment amounts that was designed to ensure that even as certain changes affect the payment rates for hospital outpatient services over time, beneficiary coinsurance for services would eventually be 20 percent of the total payment rate for each service. Under this 2002 methodology, the copayment amount for each outpatient payment group of services, called an ambulatory payment classification (APC) group, could not increase from year to year, and the beneficiary coinsurance percentage would remain the same or decrease, eventually reaching 20 percent for each APC. When CMS published the final rule updating the OPPS payment rates for 2003, the agency stated that it used the methodology …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Higher Education Act of 1965 gives special recognition to some postsecondary schools--called Minority Serving Institutions--that serve a high percentage of minority students. These and other schools face stiff challenges in keeping pace with technology. One rapidly growing area, distance education, has commanded particular attention and an estimated 1.5 million students have enrolled in at least one distance education course. In light of this, GAO was asked to provide information on: (1) the use of distance education by Minority Serving Institutions; (2) the challenges Minority Serving Institutions face in obtaining and using technology; (3) GAO's preliminary finding on the role that accrediting agencies play in ensuring the quality of distance education; and (4) GAO's preliminary findings on whether statutory requirements limit federal aid to students involved in distance education. GAO is currently finalizing the results of its work on (1) the role of accrediting agencies in reviewing distance education programs and (2) federal student financial aid issues related to distance education."

The Durability of Carbon-Fiber Composites Project was established at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop experimentally based, durability-driven design guidelines to assure the long-term (15-year) structural integrity of carbon-fiber-based composite systems for automotive structural applications. The project addressed characterization and modeling the durability of a progression of carbon-reinforced thermoset materials, each of which has the same urethane matrix. The primary purpose of this report is to provide the individual specimen test data. Basic mechanical property testing and results for a reference [{+-}45{sup o}]{sub 3S} crossply composite and a quasi-isotropic, [0/90{sup o}/{+-}45{sup o}]{sub S} version of the reference crossply are provided. The matrix and individual {+-}45{sup o} stitch-bonded mats are the same in both cases. Although the composite utilized aerospace-grade carbon-fiber reinforcement, it was made by a rapid-molding process suitable for high-volume automotive use. Behavioral trends, effects of temperature and environment, and corresponding design knockdown factors are established for both materials. The reference crossply is highly anisotropic with two dominant fiber orientations--0/90{sup o} and {+-}45{sup o}. Therefore properties were developed for both orientations.

Aquifer microcosms were used to determine how ethanol and methyl-tert-butyl ether (MtBE) affect monoaromatic hydrocarbon degradation under different electron-accepting conditions commonly found in contaminated sites experiencing natural attenuation. Response variability was investigated by using aquifer material from four sites with different exposure history. The lag phase prior to BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) and ethanol degradation was typically shorter in microcosms with previously contaminated aquifer material, although previous exposure did not always result in high degradation activity. Toluene was degraded in all aquifer materials and generally under a broader range of electron-accepting conditions compared to benzene, which was degraded only under aerobic conditions. MtBE was not degraded within 100 days under any condition, and it did not affect BTEX or ethanol degradation patterns. Ethanol was often degraded before BTEX compounds, and had a variable effect on BTEX degradation as a function of electron-accepting conditions and aquifer material source. An occasional enhancement of toluene degradation by ethanol occurred in denitrifying microcosms with unlimited nitrate; this may be attributable to the fortuitous growth of toluene-degrading bacteria during ethanol degradation. Nevertheless, experiments with flow-through aquifer columns showed that this beneficial effect could be eclipsed by an ethanol-driven depletion of electron acceptors, which …

A source evaluation case study is presented for observations of algae toxicity in an intermittent stream passing through the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory near Livermore, California. A five-step procedure is discussed to determine the cause of water toxicity problems and to determine appropriate environmental management practices. Using this approach, an upstream electrical transfer station was identified as the probable source of herbicides causing the toxicity. In addition, an analytical solution for solute transport in overland flow was used to estimate the application level of 40 Kg/ha. Finally, this source investigation demonstrates that pesticides can impact stream water quality regardless of application within levels suggested on manufacturer labels. Environmental managers need to ensure that pesticides that could harm aquatic organisms (including algae) not be used within close proximity to streams or storm drainages and that application timing should be considered for environmental protection.

FuelCell Energy developed a novel high-temperature proton exchange membrane for PEM fuel cells for building applications. The laboratory PEM fuel cell successfully operated at 100-400{supdegree}C and low relative humidity to improve CO tolerance, mitigate water and thermal management challenges, and reduce membrane cost. The developed high-temperature membrane has successfully completed 500h 120C endurance testing.

The Durability of Lightweight Composite Structures Project was established at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) by the U.S. Department of Energy to provide the experimentally-based, durability-driven design guidelines necessary to assure long-term structural integrity of automotive composite components. The initial focus of the ORNL Durability Project was on composite materials consisting of polyurethane reinforced with E-glass. Current focus of the project is on composite materials reinforced with carbon fibers. The primary purpose of this report is to provide the individual specimen test date. Basic mechanical property testing and results for two chopped-fiber composite materials, one reinforced with glass- and the other with carbon fiber are provided. Both materials use the same polyurethane matrix. Preforms for both materials were produced using the P4 process. Behavioral trends, effects of temperature and environment, and corresponding design knockdown factors are established for both materials. Effects of prior short-time loads and of prior thermal cycling are discussed.

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We review the current status of flavor-changing neutral currents in the charm sector. We focus on the standard-model predictions and identify the main sources of theoretical uncertainties in both charm mixing and rare charm decays. The potential of these observables for constraining short-distance physics in the standard model and its extensions is compromised by the presence of large nonperturbative effects. We examine the possible discovery windows in which short-distance physics can be tested and study the effects of various extensions of the standard model. The current experimental situation and future prospects are reviewed.

Daily newspaper from Baytown, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

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The edge focusing of dogleg magnets in Fermilab Booster has been causing severe distortion to the horizontal linear optics. The doglegs are vertical rectangular bends, therefore the vertical edge focusing is canceled by body focusing and the overall effect is focusing in the horizontal plane. The maximum horizontal beta function is changed from 33.7m to 46.9m and maximum dispersion from 3.19m to 6.14m. Beam size increases accordingly. This is believed to be one of the major reasons of beam loss. In this technote we demonstrate that this effect can be effectively corrected with Booster's quadrupole correctors in short straight sections (QS). There are 24 QS correctors which can alter horizontal linear optics with negligible perturbation to the vertical plane. The currents of correctors are determined by harmonic compensation, i.e., cancellation of dogleg's harmonics that are responsible for the distortion with that of QS correctors. By considering a few leading harmonics, the ideal lattice can be partly restored. For the current dogleg layout, maximum {beta}{sub x} is reduced to 40.6m and maximum D{sub x} is reduced to 4.19m. This scheme can be useful after the dogleg in section No.3 is repositioned. In this case it can bring {beta}{sub x} from 40.9m …

Measurements of magnetic susceptibility {chi}(T), specific heat C(T), Hall coefficient R{sub H}(T), and Yb valence {nu} = 2 + n{sub f} [f-occupation number n{sub f} (T) determined from Yb L{sub 3} x-ray absorption measurements] were carried out on single crystals of Yb{sub 1-x}Lu{sub x}Al{sub 3}. The low temperature anomalies observed in {chi}(T) and C(T) corresponding to an energy scale T{sub coh} {approx} 40 K in the intermediate valence, Kondo lattice compound YbAl{sub 3} are suppressed by Lu concentrations as small as 5% suggesting these low-T anomalies are extremely sensitive to disorder and, therefore, are a true coherence effect. By comparing the temperature dependence of various physical quantities to the predictions of the Anderson Impurity Model, the slow crossover behavior observed in YbAl{sub 3}, in which the data evolve from a low-temperature coherent, Fermi-liquid regime to a high temperature local moment regime more gradually than predicted by the Anderson Impurity Model, appears to evolve to fast crossover behavior at x {approx} 0.7 where the evolution is more rapid than predicted. These two phenomena found in Yb{sub 1-x}Lu{sub x}Al{sub 3}, i.e., the low-T anomalies and the slow/fast crossover behavior are discussed in relation to recent theories of the Anderson lattice.

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This report discusses Congressional Concerns and Issues for Policy, Security Concerns, Administration and Congressional Action and Chronological of Major Events Since 1988.

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Raymond Strohmeyer. Strohmeyer enlisted in the Marine Corps in October, 1942. He trained in San Diego. Once he was shipped to New Caledonia as a replacement, he volunteered for the Marine Raiders and was attached to the 2nd Raider Battalion. He was with them when they went to Bougainville in November, 1943. He left after ten weeks in combat. His unit went to Saipan, but was never called ashore from the floating reserve. They went to Guam, instead. Strohmeyer describes taking the airfield on Guam and other combat actions. He also participated in the invasion of Okinawa. He carried a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) in his squad. He was eventually wounded on 19 May and evacuated to an Army hospital, from which he was flown to Guam two days later. He rejoined his outfit in time to go to Japan after the surrender. Strohmeyer was discharged in November, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Williams. Williams joined the Navy at 15 years old after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He joined the crew of the USS Cushing (DD-376). Williams describes picking up downed airmen after the Hornet was sunk at the Battle of Santa Cruz. He also discusses being blown over the side of his ship when it was critically hit during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Williams mentions seeing the Japanese shell Henderson Field and catching malaria while he was on Guadalcanal. He describes what happened when the Navy learned that he was under age and how he was assigned to shore duty. Williams was discharged when he had enough points in May 1945.

Transverse mass and rapidity distributions for charged pions, charged kaons, protons and antiprotons are reported for {radical}sNN = 200 GeV pp and Au+Au collisions at RHIC. The transverse mass distributions are rapidity independent within |y| < 0.5, consistent with a boost-invariant system in this rapidity interval. Spectral shapes and relative particle yields are similar in pp and peripheral Au+Au collisions and change smoothly to central Au+Au collisions. No centrality dependence was observed in the kaon and antiproton production rates relative to the pion production rate from medium-central to central collisions. Chemical and kinetic equilibrium model fits to our data reveal strong radial flow and relatively long duration from chemical to kinetic freeze-out in central Au+Au collisions. The chemical freeze-out temperature appears to be independent of initial conditions at RHIC energies.

A photograph of two people standing on either side of a UNT "North Texas" flag. It has a green background with a star with a circle over it. The words "University of North Texas" are around the ring and "NORTH TEXAS" is in the center of it.

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

The National Museum of the pacific War presents an oral interview with Raymond Strohmeyer. Strohmeyer enlisted in the Marine Corps in October, 1942. He trained in San Diego. Once he was shipped to New Caledonia as a replacement, he volunteered for the Marine Raiders and was attached to the 2nd Raider Battalion. He was with them when they went to Bougainville in November, 1943. He left after ten weeks in combat. His unit went to Saipan, but was never called ashore from the floating reserve. They went to Guam, instead. Strohmeyer describes taking the airfield on Guam and other combat actions. He also participated in the invasion of Okinawa. He carried a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) in his squad. He was eventually wounded on 19 May and evacuated to an Army hospital, from which he was flown to Guam two days later. He rejoined his outfit in time to go to Japan after the surrender. Strohmeyer was discharged in November, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Williams. Williams joined the Navy at 15 years old after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He joined the crew of the USS Cushing (DD-376). Williams describes picking up downed airmen after the Hornet was sunk at the Battle of Santa Cruz. He also discusses being blown over the side of his ship when it was critically hit during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Williams mentions seeing the Japanese shell Henderson Field and catching malaria while he was on Guadalcanal. He describes what happened when the Navy learned that he was under age and how he was assigned to shore duty. Williams was discharged when he had enough points in May 1945.

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