A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1992, the United States and other parties, including both developed and developing nations, agreed to try to limit dangerous human interference with the climate by participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The parties agreed, among other things, to report on their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other gases whose buildup in the atmosphere is believed to affect the climate. The parties developed standards for these reports and processes for periodically evaluating the reports. Expert teams selected by the parties review the developed nations' reports; staff of the Framework Convention's administrative arm (the Secretariat) assess developing nations' reports. GAO agreed to describe the results of the most recent reviews and assessments of reports from selected economically developed and developing nations, as well as the parties' plans to improve the reports. For the developed nations, GAO agreed to study four geographically dispersed nations with high levels of emissions--Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For the developing nations, GAO studied China, India, and Mexico, which also have high emissions levels and are geographically dispersed. These nations are not representative of …

This report contains a brief overview and practices of the continuing appropriations acts.

Permanganate is a simple and common chemical, which has proven useful in oxidizing common chlorinated solvents. Due to the nature of oxidation, the byproducts and products are much less harmful than those from reduction-type remedial schemes, and the degradation process is rapid. The main goal of this project is to understand oxidative destruction of chlorinated solvents using potassium permanganate. The study has provided a theoretical basis for evaluating the feasibility of in-situ applications, to couple kinetic reaction with transport models, and to develop an appropriate field test for further assessing the approach.

The purpose of this scientific analysis is to document the results and interpretations of field experiments that have been conducted to test and validate conceptual flow and radionuclide transport models in the saturated zone (SZ) near Yucca Mountain. The test interpretations provide estimates of flow and transport parameters that are used in the development of parameter distributions for Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) calculations. These parameter distributions are documented in the revisions to the SZ flow model report (BSC 2003 [ 162649]), the SZ transport model report (BSC 2003 [ 162419]), the SZ colloid transport report (BSC 2003 [162729]), and the SZ transport model abstraction report (BSC 2003 [1648701]). Specifically, this scientific analysis report provides the following information that contributes to the assessment of the capability of the SZ to serve as a barrier for waste isolation for the Yucca Mountain repository system: (1) The bases for selection of conceptual flow and transport models in the saturated volcanics and the saturated alluvium located near Yucca Mountain. (2) Results and interpretations of hydraulic and tracer tests conducted in saturated fractured volcanics at the C-wells complex near Yucca Mountain. The test interpretations include estimates of hydraulic conductivities, anisotropy in hydraulic conductivity, storativities, …

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A report of a pedestrian survey for a proposed wastewater treatment plant and two outflow pipeline right-of-ways conducted southeast of Lake Ray Hubbard and in the floodplain of Trinity River.

This documentation describes the procedures and methods used to measure total carbon dioxide (TCO{sub 2}) total alkalinity (TALK), and partial pressure of CO{sub 2} (pCO{sub 2}) at hydrographic stations on the North Atlantic Ocean sections AR24, A24, A20, and A22 during the R/V Knorr Cruises 147-2, 151-2, 151-3, and 151-4 in 1996 and 1997. Conducted as part of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), the expeditions began at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, on October 24, 1996, and ended at Woods Hole on September 3, 1997. Instructions for accessing the data are provided. A total of 5,614 water samples were analyzed for discrete TCO{sub 2} using two single-operator multiparameter metabolic analyzers (SOMMAs) coupled to a coulometer for extracting and detecting CO{sub 2}. The overall accuracy of the TCO{sub 2} determination was {+-} 1.59 {micro}mol/kg. The TALK was determined in a total of 6,088 discrete samples on all sections by potentiometric titration using an automated titration system developed at the University of Miami. The accuracy of the TALK determination was {+-} 3 {micro}mol/kg. A total of 2,465 discrete water samples were collected for determination of pCO{sub 2} in seawater on sections A24, A20, and A22. The pCO{sub 2} was measured by means of …

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Rafinesque's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii), an insectivorous mammal indigenous to the southern United States, has long been referred to as one of the least known bats in North America. Although there has been a moderate increase in the number of peer-reviewed articles published on this species in the past 6 years, the basic ecology and status of Rafinesque's big-eared bat remains largely obscure. Prior to 1996, when the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) discontinued the list of Candidate Species, Rafinesque's big-eared bat was listed as a Federal Category 2 Candidate species. Currently, Rafinesque's big-eared bat is recognized as a ''species of special concern'' across most of its range but receives no legal protection. Nonetheless, the USFWS and numerous state agencies remain concerned about this species. Further biological research and field study are needed to resolve the conservation status of this taxona. In response to the paucity of information regarding the status and distribution of Rafinesque's big-eared bat, statewide survey of highway bridges used as roost sites was conducted.

This report summarizes the general provisions of the District of Columbia Appropriations Act for FY2003 and the District of Columbia Appropriations Act for FY2004. This report only briefly summarizes proposed FY2004 funding recommendations for the District.

this report provides information about The Economics of the Federal Budget Deficit where measuring fiscal policy is done using structural or standardized-employment, budget.

The p53 tumor suppressor is a tetrameric transcription factor that is posttranslational modified at >20 different sites by phosphorylation, acetylation, or sumoylation in response to various cellular stress conditions. Specific posttranslational modifications, or groups of modifications, that result from the activation of different stress-induced signaling pathways are thought to modulate p53 activity to regulate cell fate by inducing cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, or cellular senescence. Here we review recent progress in characterizing the upstream signaling pathways whose activation in response to various genotoxic and non-genotoxic stresses result in p53 posttranslational modifications.

The chemistry to manufacture high purity GeF{sub 4} and WF{sub 6} for use in the semiconductor industry using Starmet's new fluorine extraction technology has been developed. Production of GeF{sub 4} was established using a tube-style reactor system where conversion yields as high as 98.1% were attained for the reaction between and GeO{sub 2}. Collection of the fluoride gas improved to 97.7% when the reactor sweep gas contained a small fraction of dry air (10-12 vol%) along with helium. The lab-synthesized product was shown to contain the least amount of infrared active and elemental impurities when compared with a reference material certified at 99.99% purity. Analysis of the ''as-produced'' gas using ICP-MS showed that uranium could not be detected at a detection limit of 0.019ppm-wt. A process to make WF{sub 6} from WO{sub 2}, and UF{sub 4}, produced a WOF{sub 4} intermediate, which proved difficult to convert to tungsten hexafluoride using titanium fluoride as a fluorinating agent.

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This project was designed to characterize the available multidentate ligand species and metal ion complexes of iron, strontium and manganese formed with the parent chelators, complexing agents and their fragment products. Complex identification was applied to AN-102 and AN-107 filtrate simulants for Hanford waste after an oxidation reaction with sodium permanganate to create a freshly precipitated manganese dioxide solid for adsorption of transuranic elements. Separation efficiency of different ligands was investigated based on the exchange capability of different ion exchange and ion exclusion analytical columns including Dionex IonPac AS-5A, AS-10, AS-11 and AS-6. The elution programs developed with different mobile phase concentrations were based on the change in the effective charge of the anionic species and therefore the retention on the stationary phase. In the present work, qualitative and quantitative assessments of multidentate ligands were investigated. Identification methods for the metal ion complexes responsible for solubilizing Fe, Mn and Sr were applied to aged and fresh simulant waste filtrates. Although concentration measurements of both fresh and 3-week aged filtrates showed that the degradation process occurs mainly due to the harsh chemical environment, it was found that the concentration of iron and manganese did not increase, within the error of the …

Under the federal system in the United States, the states and localities traditionally have held the major responsibility for prevention and control of crime and maintenance of order. For most of the Republic’s history, “police powers” in the broad sense were reserved to the states under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution. Many still hold that view, but others see a string of court decisions in recent decades as providing the basis for a far more active federal role. Several bills are discussed in this report that address issues related to crime, juvenile justice, and Congress’ evolving role in crime legislation.

This issue brief views reorganization and management as involving the alteration of the program administrative structure and operations of the executive branch for reasons of efficiency, economy, and direction. The underlying issue is who reorganizes or sets management policy—Congress or the President— and by what authority and, also, for what purpose?

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Over the past decade, a series of devastating and deadly wildland fires has burned millions of acres of federal forests, grasslands, and deserts each year, requiring federal land management agencies to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fight them. GAO was asked to assess opportunities to improve the way agencies manage fires through the use of geospatial information technologies, specifically, to (1) identify key geospatial information technologies for addressing different aspects of managing wildland fires, (2) summarize key challenges to the effective use of geospatial technologies in managing wildland fires, and (3) identify national opportunities to improve the effective use of geospatial technologies."

This report discusses the funding authorizations for programs in the Higher Education Act (HEA). This legislation, administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), authorizes the federal government’s major student aid programs, as well as other significant initiatives.

Silica membranes were prepared using a novel technique of catalyzed-atomic layer deposition of silica within a mesoporous matrix. Pyridine was used to catalyze the silicon chloride attachment to the hydroxylated silica surface at room temperature. This half-reaction was followed by the hydration of the surface with water regenerating surface hydroxyls and completing one reaction cycle. The technique resulted in the self-limited pore size reduction of the mesoporous matrix to pore sizes near 1 nm. The self-limited reaction was presumed to be the exclusion of the large catalyst molecule from the pore entrance. In addition to pore size reduction, viscous flow defects were repaired without significantly reducing overall porosity of the membrane. In addition, we investigated the ability of amine-functionalization to enhance the CO{sub 2} transport in silica membranes. Specifically, we examined three synthesis techniques for functionalizing silica membranes with amino groups that resulted in different surface chemistries of the silica membranes. These differences were correlated with changes in the CO{sub 2} facilitation characteristics. It was found that high loadings of amino groups where interaction with the silica surface was minimized promoted the highest CO{sub 2} transport.

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