A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Congress is considering legislation to authorize IRS to contract with private collection agencies (PCA) and to pay them out of the tax revenue that they collect. Some have expressed concerns that this proposal might be unsuccessful, inefficient, or result in taxpayers being mistreated or having their private tax information compromised. This report discusses (1) the critical success factors for contracting with PCAs for tax debt collection; (2) IRS's actions to address these factors in developing the PCA program and actions left to be done; and (3) whether IRS, if it receives the authority to use PCAs, plans to do a study that will help policy makers judge whether PCAs are the best use of funds to meet IRS's collection objectives."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Clean Water Act regulations generally prohibit boats from discharging untreated sewage but allow the discharge of treated sewage using certified marine sanitation devices. The act allows states to designate "no-discharge zones"--areas in which vessels are prohibited from discharging any sewage--if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finds that adequate facilities exist in such zones for the removal and treatment of sewage from vessels. In some cases, such as for drinking water intake zones, EPA makes the designation. As requested, this report assesses (1) EPA's process for determining the adequacy of facilities to remove and treat sewage in proposed no-discharge zones; (2) the extent to which EPA and the states ensure that adequate facilities remain available after designation; (3) the extent to which the Coast Guard and the states enforce discharge prohibitions; and (4) various effects of no-discharge zones, as identified by EPA, states, and localities."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Success in the war against terrorism requires the United States to effectively research, develop, and deploy technologies to detect and respond to the use of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 gave the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the ability to use laboratories owned by the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct research and development (R&D) of these advanced technologies. GAO was asked to determine (1) whether DHS has completed a strategic R&D plan and coordinated its efforts with other federal agencies, (2) how DHS plans to use DOE's laboratories to carry out its R&D, and (3) what controls DHS is establishing to monitor projects at DOE's laboratories."

Funeral program for George A. Burke, born July 24, 1934 and died May 17, 2004. The funeral was held Monday, May 24, 2004 at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, officiated by Rev. Dr. E. Thurman Walker, Pastor. Funeral arrangements were made through Lewis Funeral Home and he was buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery near San Antonio, Texas.

This report summarizes the history, functionality, and current events of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO). The report's overview includes information on why the administration was founded by examining its origins and the role of it in contemporary court proceedings. Moreover, the report highlights how the AO has taken on roles in emergency management.

The edge-plasma profiles and fluxes to the divertor and walls of a divertor tokamak with a magnetic X-point are simulated by coupling a 2D transport code (UEDGE) and a 3D turbulence code (BOUT). An relaxed iterative coupling scheme is used where each code is run on its characteristic time scale, resulting in a statistical steady state. Plasma variables of density, parallel velocity, and separate ion and electron temperatures are included, together with a fluid neutral model for recycling neutrals at material surfaces. Results for the DIII-D tokamak parameters show that the turbulence is preferentially excited in the outer radial region of the edge where magnetic curvature is destabilizing and that substantial plasma particle flux is transported to the main chamber walls. These results are qualitatively consistent with some experimental observations. The coupled transport/turbulence simulation technique provides a strategy to understanding edge-plasma physics in more detailed than previously available and to significantly enhance the realism of predictions of the performance of future devices.

These notes were prepared for presentation at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA) Hard Target Research and Analysis Center (HTRAC), at the occasion of a short course held on June 14-15, 2004. The material is intended for analysts who must evaluate the geo-mechanical characteristics of sites of interest, in order to provide appropriate input to calculations of ground shock effects on underground facilities in rock masses. These analysts are associated with the Interagency Geotechnical Assessment Team (IGAT). Because geological discontinuities introduce scale effects on the mechanical properties of rock formations, these large-scale properties cannot be estimated on the basis of tests on small cores.

H-mode confinement is observed for many energy confinement times without edge localized modes (ELMs) in QH (quiescent high-confinement)-mode discharges in DIII-D. To find critical differences between ELMing and QH modes we compared electron temperature (T{sub e}), density (n{sub e}), and ion temperature (T{sub i}), in the pedestal and scrape-off layer (SOL) for a group of discharges. We also compared the electron pressures P{sub ped}, and maximum pressure gradients P{sub e,ped,max grad} because of their importance in confinement and stability. Experimental results show that the core line averaged density, median T{sub e} (pedestal), SOL T{sub e}, and T{sub e} pedestal width, and SOL T{sub i} are nearly the same in QH mode as that during ELMs. The n{sub e} (average pedestal), n{sub e} pedestal width, P{sub ped}, and P{sub e,ped,max grad} are similar to corresponding values in QH mode and at various times between ELMs. However, the pedestal T{sub i} is 1.6 times higher in QH mode than during ELMing.

This report provides an overview of Title IX in general and of the intercollegiate athletics regulations in particular. It includes a summary of the report issued by the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics and the Department of Education's (ED's) response with a discussion of recent legal challenges to the regulations and to the three-part test.

The authors describe version 3.0 of the COPS set of nonlinearly constrained optimization problems. They have added new problems, as well as streamlined and improved most of the problems. They also provide a comparison of the FILTER, KNITRO, LOQO, MINOS, and SNOPT solvers on these problems.

A brief review of searches for physics beyond the Standard Model with photons using the CDF detector at the Tevatron is given here. These include searches for supersymmetry, extra dimensions, excited electrons and W/Z+{gamma} production, as well as anomalous photon production. Recent results from CDF Run II experiment are presented, but some results from Run I are also reviewed.

Reports in the Argonne National Laboratory Nuclear Data and Measurement Series present results of studies in the field of microscopic nuclear data. The primary objective of the series is the dissemination of information in the comprehensive form required for nuclear technology applications. This Series is devoted to: (a) measured microscopic nuclear parameters, (b) experimental techniques and facilities employed in measurements, (c) the analysis, correlation and interpretation of nuclear data, and (d) the compilation and evaluation of nuclear data. Contributions to this Series are reviewed to assure technical competence and, unless otherwise stated, the contents can be formally referenced. This Series does not supplant formal journal publication, but it does provide the more extensive information required for technological applications (e.g., tabulated numerical data) in a timely manner.

An experimental procedure for measuring {gamma}{sub T} has been developed and tested in two different measurements, with the {gamma}{sub T} quads on and off. The results were compared to MAD calculations. The discrepancy between the measured {gamma}{sub T} and the calculated {gamma}{sub T} is less than 5%.

Flow-acoustic interactions due to fully turbulent inflow past a shallow axisymmetric cavity mounted in a pipe, which give rise to flow tones, are investigated using a technique of high-image-density particle image velocimetry in conjunction with unsteady pressure measurements. This imaging leads to patterns of velocity, vorticity, streamline topology, and hydrodynamic contributions to the acoustic power integral. Global instantaneous images, as well as time-averaged images, are evaluated to provide insight into the flow physics during tone generation. Emphasis is on the manner in which the streamwise length scale of the cavity alters the major features of the flow structure. These image-based approaches allow identification of regions of the unsteady shear layer that contribute to the instantaneous hydrodynamic component of the acoustic power, which is necessary to maintain a flow tone. In addition, combined image analysis and pressure measurements allow categorization of the instantaneous flow patterns that are associated with types of time traces and spectra of the fluctuating pressure. In contrast to consideration based solely on pressure spectra, it is demonstrated that locked-on tones may actually exhibit intermittent, non-phase-locked images, apparently due to low damping of the acoustic resonator. Locked-on flow tones (without modulation or intermittency), locked-on flow tones with modulation, …

The cladoceran, Ceriodaphnia dubia (C. dubia), is required by the State of South Carolina to be used in whole effluent toxicity (WET) compliance tests in order to meet limits contained within National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) experienced WET test failures for no clear reason over a long period of time. Toxicity identification examinations on effluents did not indicate the presence of toxicants; therefore, the WET test itself was brought under suspicion. Research was undertaken with an alternate cladoceran, Daphnia ambigua (D. ambigua). It was determined that this species survives better in soft water, so approval was obtained from regulating authorities to use this ''alternate'' species in WET tests. The result was better test results and elimination of non-compliances. The successful use of D. ambigua allowed WSRC to gain approval from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) to remove WET limits from the NPDES permit.

Coupled modeling of subsurface multiphase fluid and heat flow, solute transport and chemical reactions can be used for the assessment of mineral alteration in hydrothermal systems, waste disposal sites, acid mine drainage remediation, contaminant transport, and groundwater quality. A comprehensive non-isothermal multi-component reactive fluid flow and geochemical transport simulator, TOUGHREACT, has been developed. A wide range of subsurface thermo-physical-chemical processes is considered under various thermohydrological and geochemical conditions of pressure, temperature, water saturation, and ionic strength. The program can be applied to one-, two- or three-dimensional porous and fractured media with physical and chemical heterogeneity. The model can accommodate any number of chemical species present in liquid, gas and solid phases. A variety of equilibrium chemical reactions are considered, such as aqueous complexation, gas dissolution/exsolution, and cation exchange. Mineral dissolution/precipitation can proceed either subject to local equilibrium or kinetic conditions. Changes in porosity and permeability due to mineral dissolution and precipitation can be considered. Linear adsorption and decay can be included. For the purpose of future extensions, surface complexation by double layer model is coded in the program. Xu and Pruess (1998) developed a first version of a non-isothermal reactive geochemical transport model, TOUGHREACT, by introducing reactive geochemistry into the …

In Kitakyushu Science and Research Park, a new district energy system has been introduced. In this study, we chose this system as a case study and have carried out an analysis on the efficiency of the power generation and heat release utilization of the fuel cell and gas engine in summer by using the recorded data. The results can be summarized as follows; (1) Although the power generation efficiencies of the gas engine and fuel cell are a little bit lower than the standard designated value, they are almost running at stable condition. (2) The collected heat energy is lower than the designated value. The heat release utilization, which is used for cooling and hot water, is fairly low. Considering the efficient use of energy, it is a key to have a good use of heat release when we introduce a district energy system. (3) The discarded heat energy of the system is very big in this investigation when evaluating the system as a whole. It is fundamental to the future of energy conservation to use primary energy more efficiently.

Reactive radionuclides, such as the thorium isotopes, show measurable deficiencies in the oceanic water column because of their removal by chemical scavenging due to the particle flux. Measurement of the deficiency, coupled with measurement of the radionuclide concentration in particles, allows a determination of the effective particle sinking velocity. Results to date suggest that the effective particle sinking velocity is remarkably invariant with depth. This leads to the tentative suggestion that POC concentration profiles may, to a good approximation, be used directly to determine length scales for the remineralization of sinking organic matter. Further measurements are in progress to test this idea and to evaluate its limitations. Knowledge of the remineralization length scale is essential to an evaluation of the efficiency of the biological pump as a means for deep sequestering of carbon in the ocean.

Established by Executive Order 13328 and signed by President George W. Bush on February 6, 2004, the Commission was charged with assessing whether the Intelligence Community is sufficiently authorized, organized, equipped, trained, and resourced to identify and warn in a timely manner of, and to support United States Government efforts to respond to, the development and transfer of knowledge, expertise, technologies, materials, and resources associated with the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, related means of delivery, and other related threats of the 21st Century and their employment by foreign powers (including terrorists, terrorist organizations, and private networks). T he Commission examined the capabilities and challenges of the Intelligence Community to collect, process, analyze, produce, and disseminate information concerning the capabilities, intentions, and activities of such foreign powers relating to the design, development, manufacture, acquisition, possession, proliferation, transfer, testing, potential or threatened use, or use of Weapons of Mass Destruction, related means of delivery, and other related threats of the 21st Century.

Interview with Air Force veteran General Russell E. Dougherty, former commander-in-chief of Strategic Air Command. The interview includes Dougherty's personal experiences with General Curtis LeMay. Dougherty speaks about LeMay's uncanny judgment, organizational talents, and penchant for discipline, as well as his handling of people in his command, and the Soviet military's assessment of LeMay. The interview includes an appendix with "A General's Perspective: Leadership in the Cold War," written by General Russell E. Dougherty.

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

Retirement annuities for civilian federal employees are provided mainly through two programs: the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). These annuities are financed through a combination of employee contributions and payments made by the federal government to the civil service retirement trust fund. This report discusses the two programs, how they work, and how they are financed.

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The edge-plasma profiles and fluxes to the divertor and walls of a divertor tokamak with a magnetic X-point are simulated by coupling a 2D transport code (UEDGE) and a 3D turbulence code (BOUT). An relaxed iterative coupling scheme is used where each code is run on its characteristic time scale, resulting in a statistical steady state. Plasma variables of density, parallel velocity, and separate ion and electron temperatures are included, together with a fluid neutral model for recycling neutrals at material surfaces. Results for the DIII-D tokamak parameters show that the turbulence is preferentially excited in the outer radial region of the edge where magnetic curvature is destabilizing and that substantial plasma particle flux is transported to the main chamber walls. These results are qualitatively consistent with some experimental observations. The coupled transport/turbulence simulation technique provides a strategy to understanding edge-plasma physics in more detailed than previously available and to significantly enhance the realism of predictions of the performance of future devices