Generating the sequence of the human genome represents a colossal achievement for science and mankind. The technical use for the human genome project information holds great promise to cure disease, prevent bioterror threats, as well as to learn about human origins. Yet converting the sequence data into biological meaningful information has not been immediately obvious, and we are still in the preliminary stages of understanding how the genome is organized, what are the functional building blocks and how do these sequences mediate complex biological processes. The overarching goal of this program was to develop novel methods and high throughput strategies for determining the functions of ''anonymous'' human genes that are evolutionarily deeply conserved in other vertebrates. We coupled analytical tool development and computational predictions regarding gene function with novel high throughput experimental strategies and tested biological predictions in the laboratory. The tools required for comparative genomic data-mining are fundamentally the same whether they are applied to scientific studies of related microbes or the search for functions of novel human genes. For this reason the tools, conceptual framework and the coupled informatics-experimental biology paradigm we developed in this LDRD has many potential scientific applications relevant to LLNL multidisciplinary research in bio-defense, …

The 222-S Laboratory contains 155 active fume hoods that are used to support analytical work with radioactive and/or toxic materials. The performance of a fume hood was brought into question after employees detected odors in the work area while mixing chemicals within the subject fume hood. Following the event, testing of the fume hood was conducted to assess the performance of the fume hood. Based on observations from the testing, it was deemed appropriate to conduct performance evaluations of other fume hoods within the laboratory.

This report documents the deactivation, decontamination, decommissioning, and demolition of 16 buildings in the 300 Area of the Hanford Site. The D4 of these facilities included characterization, engineering, removal of hazardous and radiologically contaminated materials, equipment removal, utility disconnection, deactivation, decontamination, demolition of the structure, and stabilization or removal of the remaining slab and foundation as appropriate.

The objective of this study was to measure the leaching and adsorption characteristics of uranium in six near-surface sediment samples collected from the 300 Area of the Hanford Site. Scanning electron micrographs of the samples showed that the uranium contamination in the sediments is most likely present as co-precipitates and/or discrete uranium particles. Molecular probe techniques also confirm the presence of crystalline discrete uranium bearing phases. In all cases, the uranium is present as oxidized uranium (uranyl [U(VI)]). Results from the column leach tests showed that uranium leaching did not follow a constant solubility paradigm. Four of the five contaminated sediments showed a large near instantaneous release of a few percent of the total uranium followed by a slower continual release. Steady-state uranium leachate concentrations were never measured and leaching characteristics and trends were not consistent among the samples. Dissolution kinetics were slow, and the measured leach curves most likely represent a slow kinetically controlled desorption or dissolution paradigm. Batch adsorption experiments were performed to investigate the effect of pH and uranium and carbonate solution concentrations on uranium adsorption onto the uncontaminated sediment. Uranium adsorption Kd values ranged from 0 to > 100 ml/g depending on which solution parameter was …

This report compares the tax and election laws relating to political organizations and political committees in an attempt to highlight the differences between them, and discusses some of the proposals in the 106th Congress to require additional reporting by organizations engaging in political activities. This report does not address the taxation of other tax-exempt organizations making political expenditures taxable under IRC § 527. The report will be updated as new proposals are reported.

From Summary: "This report provides an overview of S. 852, the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution (FAIR) Act of 2005. The bill would largely remove asbestos claims from the courts in favor of the administrative process set out in the bill. The bill would establish the Office of Asbestos Disease Compensation to award damages to asbestos claimants on a no-fault basis from the Asbestos Injury Claims Resolution Fund."

This report includes a discussion of the groundwater flow direction and rate, the groundwater analytical results, and the methane monitoring results.

The Gordon Research Conference on Applied and Environmental Microbiology was held at Connecticut College, New London, Connecticut, July 22-27, 2001. The conference was attended by 121 participants. The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field, coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, and included US and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field. There was a conscious effort to stimulate discussion about the key issues in the field today. Session topics included the following: Environmental and applied genomics, Cell-to-cell signaling and multicellular behavior, Emerging technologies and methods, Novel metabolisms and ecosystems, Directed evolution of enzymes and pathways, Symbiotic and trophic relationships, Synthesis and application of novel biopolymers, and Microbes at the oxic-anoxic interface. There was also a special lecture titled ''Under the umbrella of the big tree: microbial biology into the 21st century.''

This report provides an overview of the 2002 farm bill and an update status of the farm bill.

The Chemical Engineering Division is one of six divisions within the Engineering Research Directorate at Argonne National Laboratory, one of the U.S. government's oldest and largest research laboratories. The University of Chicago oversees the laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Argonne's mission is to conduct basic scientific research, to operate national scientific facilities, to enhance the nation's energy resources, to promote national security, and to develop better ways to manage environmental problems. Argonne has the further responsibility of strengthening the nation's technology base by developing innovative technology and transferring it to industry. The Division is a diverse early-stage engineering organization, specializing in the treatment of spent nuclear fuel, development of advanced electrochemical power sources, and management of both high- and low-level nuclear wastes. Additionally, the Division operates the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, which provides a broad range of analytical services to Argonne and other organizations. The Division is multidisciplinary. Its people have formal training in chemistry; physics; materials science; and electrical, mechanical, chemical, and nuclear engineering. They are specialists in electrochemistry, ceramics, metallurgy, catalysis, materials characterization, nuclear magnetic resonance, repository science, and the nuclear fuel cycle. Our staff have experience working in and collaborating with university, industry …

The 2003 RIA R&D Workshop was held on August 26-28, 2003 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland. This Workshop was chaired by Satoshi Ozaki of BNL and sponsored by the Nuclear Physics Division of DOE, with the help of Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). The purpose of this workshop was to understand the present status of R&D efforts for RIA, to evaluate the needs for further R&D, and to identify opportunities for international collaborations. The workshop examined and documented the current pre-conceptual design for RIA, identifying areas where decisions on technical options remain. The status of the current RIA R&D program was documented, recognizing areas where efforts were needed in light of what had been learned. The ongoing and planned R&D activities for operating and planned rare-isotope facilities were presented, enabling the workshop to be a venue to develop coordinated R&D efforts of mutual benefit to U.S. and international efforts. The scientific program for the first day (August 26, 2003) consisted mostly of invited talks presented by major research groups involved in RIA and other RI beam facilities. The talks included those covering: Science of RIA and the RIA Facility Performance Requirements; The Reference …

This report provides a summary of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (AJCA), its most important provisions, and brief legislative history.

Since 1995, a state-approved land disposal site (SALDS) has received tritium contaminated effluents from the Hanford Site Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). Tritium in this effluent is mitigated by storage in slow moving groundwater to allow extended time for decay before the water reaches the site boundary. By this method, tritium in the SALDS is isolated from the general environment and human contact until it has decayed to acceptable levels. This report contains the 2009 update evaluation of alternative tritium mitigation techniques to control tritium in liquid effluents and groundwater at the Hanford site. A thorough literature review was completed and updated information is provided on state-of-the-art technologies for control of tritium in wastewaters. This report was prepared to satisfy the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-026-07B (Ecology, EPA, and DOE 2007). Tritium separation and isolation technologies are evaluated periodically to determine their feasibility for implementation to control Hanford site liquid effluents and groundwaters to meet the Us. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 40 CFR 141.16, drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL) for tritium of 20,000 pOll and/or DOE Order 5400.5 as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) policy. Since the 2004 evaluation, there have been …

This report includes a table which provides access to names and contact information for CRS experts on policy concerns relating to swine influenza A virus (H1N1). Policy areas identified include: Identification, diagnosis, and surveillance of the virus; Treatment and prevention: antiviral drugs (Tamiflu, Relenza) and vaccines; Declarations of emergencies; Official plans and organizational responsibilities; and Restrictions on travel and trade.

This report discusses the April 2009 outbreak of the influenza strain known as H1N1, or swine influenza. This report describes the distribution of the virus and the statistics of affected areas, as well as international and U.S. efforts to treat infected persons, respond to outbreaks in various countries, and prepare for a possible influenza pandemic.

None

The 4-th International Symposium on Ultrafast Surface Dynamics (UDS4) was held at the Telluride Summer Research Center on June 22-27, 2003. The International Organizing Committee consisting of Hrvoje Petek (USA), Xiaoyang Zhu (USA), Pedro Echenique (Spain) and Maki Kawai (Japan) brought together a total of 51 participants 16 of whom were from Europe, 10 from Japan, and 25 from the USA. The focus of the conference was on ultrafast electron or light induced processes at well-defined surfaces. Ultrafast surface dynamics concerns the transfer of charge and energy at solid surfaces on the femtosecond time scale. These processes govern rates of fundamental steps in surface reactions, interfacial electron transfer in molecular electronics, and relaxation in spin transport. Recent developments in femtosecond laser technology make it possible to measure by a variety of nonlinear optical techniques directly in the time domain the microscopic rates underlying these interfacial processes. Parallel progress in scanning probe microscopy makes it possible at a single molecular level to perform the vibrational and electronic spectroscopy measurements, to induce reactions with tunneling electrons, and to observe their outcome. There is no doubt that successful development in the field of ultrafast surface dynamics will contribute to many important disciplines.

None

The primary focus of this issue brief is legislative action with respect to abortion. However, discussion of those legislative proposals necessarily involves a brief discussion of the leading U.S. Supreme Court decisions concerning a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate her pregnancy. For a more detailed discussion of the relevant case law, see CRS Report 95-724, Abortion Law Development: A Brief Overview.

A total-system performance assessment (TSPA) for a potential nuclear-waste repository requires an estimate of the amount of water that might contact waste. This paper describes the model used for part of that estimation in a recent TSPA for the Yucca Mountain site. The discussion is limited to estimation of how much water might enter emplacement drifts; additional considerations related to flow within the drifts, and how much water might actually contact waste, are not addressed here. The unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain is being considered for the potential repository, and a drift opening in unsaturated rock tends to act as a capillary barrier and divert much of the percolating water around it. For TSPA, the important questions regarding seepage are how many waste packages might be subjected to water flow and how much flow those packages might see. Because of heterogeneity of the rock and uncertainty about the future (how the climate will evolve, etc.), it is not possible to predict seepage amounts or locations with certainty. Thus, seepage is treated as a stochastic quantity in TSPA simulations, with the magnitude and spatial distribution of seepage sampled from uncertainty distributions. The distillation of the essential components of process modeling into …

This report summarizes the history of the military relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines. The report connects this to the terrorist actions of Abu Sayyaf and his relationship to Al Qaeda specifically. Finally, the report discusses the military pressure the Philippine government has put on Abu Sayyaf and the challenges these operations face.

This report outlines the rules by which Congress may accept free meals from outside private third parties. The report highlights that the most common exceptions to this rule are of de minimis value (under 50 dollars). Moreover, the report specifies that gifts from foreign agents, lobbyists, and those who have direct interest in congressional legislation are of the most concern.

The goal of this project was to perform simulations of beam transport in linear colliders, with an emphasis on emittance dilution, spin polarization transport, and development and testing of beam based tuning algorithms. Our simulations are based on an existing object-oriented particle-tracking library, Bmad. To facilitate the efficient development of simulations, an accelerator design and analysis program based on Bmad has been developed called Tao (Tool for Accelerator Optics). The three beam-based alignment algorithms, Dispersion Free Steering, Ballistic Alignment (BA), and the Kubo Method have been implemented in Tao. We have studied the effects of magnet misalignments, BPM resolution, beam jitter, stray fields, BPM and steering magnet failure and the effects of various cavity shape wakefields. A parametric study has been conducted in the presence of the above types of errors for all three alignment algorithms. We find that BPM resolution has only modest impact on the effectiveness of beam based alignment. The DFS correction algorithm was found to be very robust in situations where there were BPM and/or steering magnet failures. The wakefields in the main linac are very weak and cause negligible emittance growth. Spin tracking was extended to study all accelerator components between the damping ring and …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) downsized its acquisition workforce by half in the past decade. It now faces serious imbalances in the skills and experience of its remaining workforce and the potential loss of highly specialized knowledge if many of its acquisition specialists retire. DOD created the Acquisition 2005 Task Force to study its civilian acquisition workforce and develop a strategy to replenish personnel losses. In response to a legislative mandate, DOD reported on its plans to implement the task force's recommendations as required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002. DOD's report shows that it has made progress in reshaping its acquisition workforce. For example, DOD is working to remove barriers to its strategic planning initiative; continuing to test various human capital innovations; and has begun making significant changes to its acquisition workforce-training program. DOD's report provides information on implementation of the task force's recommendations and their status. However, for many initiatives, DOD did not clearly describe the actions taken or when they occurred, nor did it identify all planned actions and schedules for completing the initiatives."