Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Polls taken in Islamic countries after 9/11 suggested that many or most people had a favorable view of the United States and its fight against terrorism. By 2003, opinion research indicated that foreign publics, especially in countries with large Muslim populations, viewed the United States unfavorably. GAO issued two studies in 2003 that examined (1) changes in U.S. public diplomacy resources and programs since September 11, 2001, within the State Department (State) and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG); (2) the U.S. government's strategies for its public diplomacy programs and measures of effectiveness; and (3) the challenges that remain in executing U.S. public diplomacy efforts. GAO made several recommendations to State and the BBG to address planning and performance issues. Both agencies agreed with these recommendations and have made some progress in implementing them. On July 22, 2004, the 9/11 Commission released its report and recommendations. Two of the Commission's recommendations relate to the management of U.S. public diplomacy. For this testimony, GAO was asked to discuss its prior work as it relates to these recommendations."

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The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or “Commission”) adopted an order on June 2, 2003 that modified five of its media ownership rules and retained two others. The new rules have never gone into effect. Congress passed the FY2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 108-199), Sec. 629 of which instructs the FCC to modify one of the rules — the National Television Ownership rule. This report examines these rules and relevant policy issues.

Silica-filled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite systems find a broad range of applications due to their chemical and environmental resilience and the ability to fine tune, through chemical and processing modifications, the chemical and mechanical properties resulting in a precise engineering property for the final component. Thus, requirements for, and life-performance predictions of, these materials require an understanding of the interaction between the silica filler and the polymer network. Because silica surfaces are well known to have a high affinity for water adsorption, and this water is a critical part of the interface between the silica particles and the polymer matrix, water at this interface has important consequences on the nature of the silica-polymer bonding and subsequently the mechanical behaviour. Previous studies have reported on the water speciation and long-term outgassing kinetics of common fumed and precipitated silicas used in silicone elastomers, and of one such copolymer system in particular. Several different water species were observed to be present with a range of desorption activation energies. The amount and type of species present were observed to be dependent on the thermal and chemical history of the filler and the composite. Solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) methods based on quantification of residual …

Cloud and radiation data from two distinctly different Arctic areas are analyzed to study the differences between coastal Alaskan and open Arctic Ocean region clouds and their respective influence on the surface radiation budget. The cloud and radiation datasets were obtained from 1) the DOE North Slope of Alaska (NSA) facility in the coastal town of Barrow, Alaska, and 2) the SHEBA field program, which was conducted from an icebreaker frozen in, and drifting with, the sea-ice for one year in the Western Arctic Ocean. Radar, lidar, radiometer, and sounding measurements from both locations were used to produce annual cycles of cloud occurrence and height, atmospheric temperature and humidity, surface longwave and shortwave broadband fluxes, surface albedo, and cloud radiative forcing. In general, both regions revealed a similar annual trend of cloud occurrence fraction with minimum values in winter (60-75%) and maximum values during spring, summer and fall (80-90%). However, the annual average cloud occurrence fraction for SHEBA (76%) was lower than the 6-year average cloud occurrence at NSA (92%). Both Arctic areas also showed similar annual cycle trends of cloud forcing with clouds warming the surface through most of the year and a period of surface cooling during the …

Current activities (last few years) at different laboratories, towards the development of a laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) are reviewed, followed by a more in depth discussion of results obtained at the L'OASIS laboratory of LBNL. Recent results on laser guiding of relativistically intense beams in preformed plasma channels are discussed. The observation of mono-energetic beams in the 100 MeV energy range, produced by a channel guided LWFA at LBNL, is described and compared to results obtained in the unguided case at LOA, RAL and LBNL. Analysis, aided by particle-in-cell simulations, as well as experiments with various plasma lengths and densities, indicate that tailoring the length of the accelerator has a very beneficial impact on the electron energy distribution. Progress on laser triggered injection is reviewed. Results are presented on measurements of bunch duration and emittance of the accelerated electron beams, that indicate the possibility of generating femtosecond duration electron bunches. Future challenges and plans towards the development of a 1 GeV LWFA module are discussed.

Schemes for intense sources of high-energy muons require collection, rf capture, and transport of particle beams with unprecedented emittances, both longitudinally and transversely. These large emittances must be reduced or ''cooled'' both in size and in energy spread before the muons can be efficiently accelerated. Therefore, formation of muon beams sufficiently intense to drive a Neutrino Factory or Muon Collider requires multi-stage preparation. Further, because of the large beam phase space which must be successfully controlled, accelerated, and transported, the major stages that comprise such a facility: proton driver, production, capture, phase rotation, cooling, acceleration, and storage are complex and strongly interlinked. Each of the stages must be consecutively matched and simultaneously optimized with upstream and downstream systems, meeting challenges not only technically in the optics and component design, but also in the modeling of both new and extended components. One design for transverse cooling, for example, employs meter-diameter solenoids to maintain strong focusing--300-500 mr beam divergences--across ultra-large momentum ranges, {ge} {+-}20% {delta}p/p, defying conventional approximations to the dynamics and field representation. To now, the interplay of the different systems and staging strategies has not been formally addressed. This work discusses two basic, but different approaches to a Neutrino Factory …

Reviewed here is the history of the participation in the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, with particular emphasis on research performed between 1999 and 2002, before the PI moved from the University of Utah to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. The research results are divided into the following areas: IOP research, remote sensing algorithm development using datasets and models, cirrus cloud and SCM/GCM parameterizations, student training, and publications.

Alloy 22 (N06022) is a nickel-based alloy highly resistant to corrosion. In some aggressive conditions of high chloride concentration, temperature and applied potential, Alloy 22 may suffer crevice corrosion, a form of localized corrosion. There are several electrochemical methods that can be used to determine localized corrosion in metallic alloys. One of the most popular for rapid screening is the cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP). This work compares the repassivation potentials obtained using CPP to related repassivation potential values obtained using the Tsujikawa-Hisamatsu Electrochemical (THE) method and the potentiostatic (POT) method. Studied variables included temperature and chloride concentration. The temperature was varied from 30 C and 120 C and the chloride concentration was varied between 0.0005 M to 4 M. Results show that similar repassivation potentials were obtained for Alloy 22 using CPP and THE methods. Generally, under more aggressive conditions, the repassivation potentials were more conservative using the CPP method. POT tests confirmed the validity of the repassivation potential as a threshold below which localized corrosion does not nucleate. The mode of attack in the tested specimens varied depending if the test method was CPP or THE; however, the repassivation potential remained the same.

Insight into microturbulence and transport in tokamak plasmas is being sought using linear simulations of drift waves near the onset time of an internal transport barrier (ITB) on Alcator C-Mod. Microturbulence is likely generated by instabilities of drift waves and causes transport of heat and particles. This transport is studied because the containment of heat and particles is important for the achievement of practical nuclear fusion. We investigate nearness to marginal stability of ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) modes for conditions in the ITB region at the trigger time for ITB formation. Data from C-Mod, analyzed by TRANSP (a time-dependent transport analysis code), is read by the code TRXPL and made into input files for the parallel gyrokinetic model code GS2. Temperature and density gradients in these input files are modified to produce new input files. Results from these simulations show a weak ITG instability in the barrier region at the time of onset, above marginal stability; the normalized critical temperature gradient is 80% of the experimental temperature gradient. The growth rate increases linearly above the critical value, with the spectrum of ITG modes remaining parabolic up to a multiplicative factor of 2. The effect of varying density gradients is found to be …

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Funeral program for Warick Abram, Jr., born December 17, 1923 and died August 2004. The funeral was held August 23, 2004 at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, officiated by Dr. E. Thurman Walker. The funeral arrangements were made through Sutton-Sutton Mortuary, Inc. and he was buried in Meadowlawn Memorial Park in San Antonio, Texas.

Microstructural characterization of soft-captured fragments of explosive-driven AerMet 100 alloy hollow cylinders is performed to understand dynamic deformation and localization phenomena. Examination of the fragments reveals the deformation is characterized by bands of localized shear strain and cracking. Fracture surface morphologies for the cylinders are ductile dimples, indicative of tensile or shear failure. Although both annealed and maraged AerMet 100 exhibit similar phenomenon, the width of the shear band in the annealed material is wider than in the maraged material, suggesting the former is more resistant to shear banding.

A new modeling system has been developed to provide a non-meteorologist with tools to predict air pollution transport in regions of complex terrain. This system couples the Penn State/NCAR Mesoscale Model 5 (MM5) with Earth Tech’s CALMET-CALPUFF system using a unique Graphical User Interface (GUI) developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. This system is most useful in data-sparse regions, where there are limited observations to initialize the CALMET model. The user is able to define the domain of interest, provide details about the source term, and enter a surface weather observation through the GUI. The system then generates initial conditions and time constant boundary conditions for use by MM5. MM5 is run and the results are piped to CALPUFF for the dispersion calculations. Contour plots of pollutant concentration are prepared for the user. The primary advantages of the system are the streamlined application of MM5 and CALMET, limited data requirements, and the ability to run the coupled system on a desktop or laptop computer. In comparison with data collected as part of a field campaign, the new modeling system shows promise that a full-physics mesoscale model can be used in an applied modeling system to effectively simulate locally thermally-driven winds …

Propagating filaments of enhanced plasma density, or blobs, observed in 3D numerical simulations of a diverted, neutral-fueled tokamak are studied. Fluctuations of vorticity, electrical potential {phi}, temperature T{sub e} and current density J{sub {parallel}} associated with the blobs have a dipole structure perpendicular to the magnetic field and propagate radially with large E {center_dot} B drift velocities (> 1 km/s). The simulation results are consistent with a 3D blob dynamics model that incorporates increased parallel plasma resistivity (from neutral cooling of the X-point region), blob disconnection from the divertor sheath, X-point closure of the current loops, and collisional physics to sustain the {phi}, T{sub e}, J{sub {parallel}} dipoles.

We report combined Raman, infrared (IR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, along with ab initio calculations on formic acid under pressure up to 50 GPa. Contrary to the report of Allan and Clark (PRL 82, 3464 (1999)), we find an infinite chain low-temperature Pna2{sub 1} structure consisting of trans molecules to be a high-pressure phase at room temperature. Our data indicate the symmetrization and a partially covalent character of the intra-chain hydrogen bonds above approximately 20 GPa. Raman spectra and XRD patterns indicate a loss of the long-range order at pressures above 40 GPa with a large hysteresis at decompression. We attribute this behavior to a three-dimensional polymerization of formic acid.

The NanoSIMS 50 represents the state -of-the-art for in situ microanalysis for secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), combining unprecedented spatial resolution (as good as 50 nm) with ultra-high sensitivity (MDL of 200 atoms). The NanoSIMS incorporates an array of detectors, enabling simultaneous collection of 5 elements or isotopes originating from the same sputtered volume of a sample. The primary ion beam (Cs{sup +} or O{sup -}) can be scanned across the sample to produce quantitative secondary ion images. This capability for multiple isotope imaging with high spatial resolution is unique to the NanoSIMS and provides a novel new approach to the study of the distribution of elements in biological materials. We have applied this technique extensively to mammalian cells and bacterial spores. Results from these studies and critical analytical issues such as sample preparation, instrument tuning, and data processing will be discussed.

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

Due to the need for additional HLW storage, successful disposition of the material in Tank 48H and return of the tank to routine service are two critically needed activities. As an initial step in the process, SRNL compositionally characterized the components of the Tank 48H slurry. A nominal Tank 48H Tank 48H slurry sample was collected on August 23, 2004 (HTF-E-04-049 and HTF-E-04-050). The August 23, 2004 sample contained approximately 2 Liters of Tank 48H slurry. This document provides the chemical and radiological properties of a Tank 48H slurry sample. A Technical Task Request defines the required analyses. A Task Plan summarized the analyses required and the methods for completing these analyses. The Tank 48H volume was 239,000 gallons (68.2 inches) at the time of the sampling.

The Meeting consisted of 9 Symposia, 4 Keynote Lectures, 3 Platform Sessions and 4 Poster Sessions. In addition there were Breakfast Meetings for Special Interest Groups designed to inform attendees about the latest advances in environmental mutagenesis research. Several of the topics to be covered at this broad meeting will be of interest to the Department of Energy, Office of Science. The relevance of this meeting to the DOE derives from the fact that low dose radiation may represent one of the most significant sources of human mutations that are attributable to the environment. The EMS membership, and those who attended the EMS Annual Meeting were interested in both chemical and radiation induced biological effects, such as cell death, mutation, teratogenesis, carcinogenesis and aging. These topics thate were presented at the 2004 EMS Annual meeting that were of clear interest to DOE include: human variation in cancer susceptibility, unusual mechanisms of mutation, germ and stem cell mutagenesis, recombination and the maintenance of genomic stability, multiple roles for DNA mismatch repair, DNA helicases, mutation, cancer and aging, Genome-wide transcriptional responses to environmental change, Telomeres and genomic stability: when ends don?t meet, systems biology approach to cell phenotypic decision processes, and the …

Diesel and hybrid technologies each have the potential to increase light-duty vehicle fuel economy by a third or more without loss of performance, yet these technologies have typically been excluded from technical assessments of fuel economy potential on the grounds that hybrids are too expensive and diesels cannot meet Tier 2 emissions standards. Recently, hybrid costs have come down and the few hybrid makes available are selling well. Diesels have made great strides in reducing particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions, and are likely though not certain to meet future standards. In light of these developments, this study takes a detailed look at the market potential of these two powertrain technologies and their possible impacts on light-duty vehicle fuel economy. A nested multinomial logit model of vehicle choice was calibrated to 2002 model year sales of 930 makes, models and engine-transmission configurations. Based on an assessment of the status and outlook for the two technologies, market shares were predicted for 2008, 2012 and beyond, assuming no additional increase in fuel economy standards or other new policy initiatives. Current tax incentives for hybrids are assumed to be phased out by 2008. Given announced and likely introductions by 2008, hybrids could capture 4-7% …