Do-It-Yourself Ecology (open access)

Do-It-Yourself Ecology

This report deals with how to develop a good environment.
Date: May 25, 1970
Creator: Environmental Action Inc.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Murgatroyd-an Ibm 7090 Program for the Analysis of the Kinetics of the Msre (open access)

Murgatroyd-an Ibm 7090 Program for the Analysis of the Kinetics of the Msre

An addition is presented for the IBM-7090 program MURGATROYD to produce a rough graph of reactor power versus time. A sample of output is included for the case given as an example. (J.R.D.)
Date: May 25, 1962
Creator: Nestor, C. W. Jr.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Survey of decontamination and decommissioning techniques (open access)

Survey of decontamination and decommissioning techniques

Reports and articles on decommissioning have been reviewed to determine the current technology status and also attempt to identify potential decommissioning problem areas. It is concluded that technological road blocks, which limited decommissioning facilities in the past have been removed. In general, techniques developed by maintenance in maintaining the facility have been used to decommission facilities. Some of the more promising development underway which will further simplify decommissioning activities are: electrolytic decontamination which simplifies some decontaminating operations; arc saw and vacuum furnace which reduce the volume of metallic contaminated material by a factor of 10; remotely operated plasma torch which reduces personnel exposure; and shaped charges, water cannon and rock splitters which simplify concrete removal. Areas in which published data are limited are detailed costs identifying various components included in the total cost and also the quantity of waste generated during the decommissioning activities. With the increased awareness of decommissioning requirements as specified by licensing requirements, design criteria for new facilities are taking into consideration final decommissioning of buildings. Specific building design features will evolve as designs are evaluated and implemented.
Date: May 25, 1977
Creator: Kusler, L.E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Flood Safety of the Mixed Spectrum Superheater (open access)

Flood Safety of the Mixed Spectrum Superheater

Calculations are presented which show that the reactivity effect of flooding and unflooding the fast superheating section of the Mixed Spectrum Superheater can be made small by the addition of epithermal poisons to the superheater. The reactivity effects of flooding superheater sections ranging in size from 1.25 to 3.5 ft cubes and containing U/sup 23/5/sup >/oxide or Pu/sup 239/ oxide fuel and various amounts o f the epithermal poison europium were calculated. Reactivity changes during several postulated flooding processes are given. Methods for deterthination of fissile and fertile material and poison cross sections in the resonance- region are discussed. (auth)
Date: May 25, 1961
Creator: Reynolds, A. B.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
[Memorandum of Meeting: Naval Hospital Cherry Point, North Carolina, May 25, 2005] (open access)

[Memorandum of Meeting: Naval Hospital Cherry Point, North Carolina, May 25, 2005]

Memorandum of Meeting with Naval Hospital, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point officers regarding initial introduction/orientation of BRAC staff visit.
Date: May 25, 2005
Creator: United States. Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraq's Transitional Law (open access)

Iraq's Transitional Law

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "On June 30, 2004, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) intends to transfer power in Iraq to a fully sovereign Iraqi interim government. CPA and the Iraq Governing Council took a fundamental step toward this goal in March 2004, when they signed the Law of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period (hereafter referred to as the transitional law). The transitional law is intended to govern the affairs of Iraq until Iraqis approve a permanent constitution and a permanent Iraqi government takes office. GAO has ongoing and completed work reviewing various aspects of the U.S. effort to reconstruct Iraq. Our ongoing work includes reviewing the costs associated with reconstruction; the process used to award reconstruction contracts; efforts to develop Iraq's security forces; the rebuilding of Iraq's oil, electricity, and water infrastructure; and programs to help Iraq develop a unified, democratic government. For this report, we describe the following information as it exists at this time: (1) the time frames and Iraqi governmental structures established by the transitional law; (2) arrangements in the law for the U.S.-led multinational force, Iraqi security forces, and militias; and (3) mechanisms …
Date: May 25, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax Debt: Some Combined Federal Campaign Charities Owe Payroll and Other Federal Taxes (open access)

Tax Debt: Some Combined Federal Campaign Charities Owe Payroll and Other Federal Taxes

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administers the annual Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), which gave more than 22,000 charities access to the federal workplace, helping those in need by collecting more than $250 million in donations during the 2005 campaign. The success of the campaign is predicated on each donor's confidence in a system that ensures donations reach charitable organizations that have met the CFC's specific eligibility requirements and are legitimate charities. For example, to be eligible, each charity must have formally received from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax-exemption designation under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Subcommittee on Oversight is reviewing tax-exempt status entities and asked GAO to determine whether charitable organizations participating in the CFC were remitting their payroll and other taxes to the IRS as required by law. Specifically, GAO was asked to investigate and determine whether and to what extent (1) charities listed in the 2005 CFC have unpaid payroll and other taxes; (2) selected charities, their directors or senior officers are abusing the federal tax system; and (3) OPM screens charities for federal tax problems before allowing them to be listed …
Date: May 25, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue (open access)

Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date: May 25, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Knowledge of Software Suppliers Needed to Manage Risks (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: Knowledge of Software Suppliers Needed to Manage Risks

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) is increasingly reliant on software and information systems for its weapon capabilities, and DOD prime contractors are subcontracting more of their software development. The increased reliance on software and a greater number of suppliers results in more opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities in defense software. In addition, DOD has reported that countries hostile to the United States are focusing resources on information warfare strategies. Therefore, software security, including the need for protection of software code from malicious activity, is an area of concern for many DOD programs. GAO was asked to examine DOD's efforts to (1) identify software development suppliers and (2) manage risks related to foreign involvement in software development on weapon systems."
Date: May 25, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Compacts of Free Association: Micronesia's and the Marshall Islands' Use of Sector Grants (open access)

Compacts of Free Association: Micronesia's and the Marshall Islands' Use of Sector Grants

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Supplementing our December 2006 report entitled Compacts of Free Association: Micronesia and the Marshall Islands Face Challenges in Planning for Sustainability, Measuring Progress, and Ensuring Accountability, this report provides information on the uses of economic assistance provided under the amended U.S. compacts with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) from 2004 through 2006."
Date: May 25, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Drug Control: Customs Can Do More To Prevent Drug-Related Employee Corruption (open access)

Drug Control: Customs Can Do More To Prevent Drug-Related Employee Corruption

A statement of record issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Customs Service's efforts to combat drug-related corruption, focusing on: (1) the extent to which Customs has complied with policies and procedures for ensuring employee integrity; (2) an identification of the types of illegal drug-related activities of which Customs employees on the Southwest Border have been convicted; (3) an identification of the Department of the Treasury's organizational structures, policies, and procedures for handling allegations of drug-related employee misconduct and whether the policies and procedures were followed; and (4) the extent to which lessons learned from corruption cases closed in fiscal years 1992 through 1997 have led to changes in policies and procedures for preventing the drug-related corruption of Customs employees."
Date: May 25, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Student Loans: Patterns in Tuition, Enrollment, and Federal Stafford Loan Borrowing Up to the 2007-08 Loan Limit Increase (open access)

Federal Student Loans: Patterns in Tuition, Enrollment, and Federal Stafford Loan Borrowing Up to the 2007-08 Loan Limit Increase

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Although a postsecondary education is vitally important to many individuals and the nation's ability to compete globally, high college tuition rates are prompting concerns that it may remain an elusive goal for some. To help students finance their education, Congress recently raised the ceiling on the amount individual students can borrow under the federal Stafford Loan program (referred to in legislation as "loan limits"). Congress initially did so for first- and second-year undergraduate students as well as for graduate and professional students in academic year (AY) 2007-08, and subsequently for all qualified undergraduate students receiving unsubsidized Stafford loans in AY 2008-09. The Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 directed GAO to assess the impact of these increases in the loan limits on tuition and other expenses and borrowing. Since information was available only on the first loan limit increase, we focused on the AY 2007-08 loan limit increase, framing our study with three key questions: (1) What are the patterns in prices and undergraduate enrollment at institutions of higher education since the AY 2007-08 loan limit increases took effect? (2) To what extent did undergraduate …
Date: May 25, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: Federal Support for Developing Language and Literacy (open access)

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: Federal Support for Developing Language and Literacy

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Deaf and hard of hearing children can face significant challenges developing the language and literacy skills needed to succeed in school and become self-sufficient adults. The federal government supports these children through the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program, which awards grants to states to develop systems to screen and diagnose newborns and infants for hearing loss and refer them for appropriate interventions. Also, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) supports and funds early intervention and special education services for children with disabilities, including deafness and hearing loss. To better understand how federal programs support deaf and hard of hearing children, GAO was asked to examine the: (1) extent of hearing loss among children, (2) settings in which these children are educated, (3) factors that help deaf and hard of hearing children acquire language and literacy skills, and (4) challenges to providing appropriate interventions for these children. GAO analyzed data on hearing loss; reviewed research literature; interviewed educators, national organizations, parents, and state and federal officials; and examined relevant federal laws and regulations. A draft of this report was provided to the Departments of …
Date: May 25, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
VA Health Care: Steps Taken to Improve Practitioner Screening, but Facility Compliance with Screening Requirements Is Poor (open access)

VA Health Care: Steps Taken to Improve Practitioner Screening, but Facility Compliance with Screening Requirements Is Poor

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In March 2004, GAO reported on gaps in VA's requirements for screening the professional credentials and personal backgrounds of health care practitioners (GAO-04-566). GAO found that VA's requirements did not ensure thorough screening of VA practitioners. VA concurred with four recommendations GAO made to improve practitioner screening. GAO was asked to determine the extent to which (1) VA has taken steps to improve practitioner screening by implementing GAO's recommendations and (2) VA facilities are in compliance with VA's practitioner screening requirements. GAO reviewed VA's current practitioner screening policies to determine if gaps remain, interviewed VA officials, and sampled about 60 practitioner files at each of seven VA facilities selected based on size and geographic location."
Date: May 25, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Management: Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee Program (open access)

Financial Management: Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee Program

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report discusses the Emergency Steel Loan Program, which provides loan guarantees to qualified steel producing companies. GAO found that there has been only one guaranteed loan disbursed by a private lender for $110 million. With an 85 percent guarantee, the federal government's potential loss is $93.5 million, assuming no repayments and no recovery from property pledged as collateral. The financial condition of program applicants is not strong, and repayments of loans depend upon many future factors. Economic analysis indicates a flat demand for steel, moderate prices, and static imports of foreign steel forecasted for 2002 and 2003. Because of the low loan amount, the program has had a minimal overall effect on the U.S. steel industry through March 2001."
Date: May 25, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Taxes and Identity Theft: Status of IRS Initiatives to Help Victimized Taxpayers (open access)

Taxes and Identity Theft: Status of IRS Initiatives to Help Victimized Taxpayers

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Identity theft is a serious and growing problem in the United States. Taxpayers are harmed when identity thieves file fraudulent tax documents using stolen names and Social Security numbers. In 2010 alone, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) identified over 245,000 identity theft incidents that affected the tax system. The hundreds of thousands of taxpayers with tax problems caused by identity theft represent a small percentage of the expected 140 million individual returns filed, but for those affected, the problems can be quite serious. GAO was asked to describe, among other things, (1) when IRS detects identity theft based refund and employment fraud, (2) the steps IRS has taken to resolve, detect, and prevent innocent taxpayers' identity theft related problems, and (3) constraints that hinder IRS's ability to address these issues. GAO's testimony is based on its previous work on identity theft. GAO updated its analysis by examining data on identity theft cases and interviewing IRS officials. GAO makes no new recommendations but reports on IRS's efforts to address GAO's earlier recommendation that IRS develop performance measures and collect data suitable for assessing the effectiveness of its identity theft …
Date: May 25, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Combating Terrorism: Law Enforcement Agencies Lack Directives to Assist Foreign Nations to Identify, Disrupt, and Prosecute Terrorists (open access)

Combating Terrorism: Law Enforcement Agencies Lack Directives to Assist Foreign Nations to Identify, Disrupt, and Prosecute Terrorists

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Three U.S. national strategies, developed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, directed U.S. law enforcement agencies (LEA) to focus on the prevention of terrorist attacks. The strategies called for LEAs to intensify their efforts to help foreign nations identify, disrupt, and prosecute terrorists. GAO was asked to assess (1) the guidance for LEAs to assist foreign nations to identify, disrupt, and prosecute terrorists and (2) the extent to which LEAs have implemented this guidance."
Date: May 25, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Unified Motor Carrier Fee System: Progress Made but Challenges to Implementing New System Remain (open access)

Unified Motor Carrier Fee System: Progress Made but Challenges to Implementing New System Remain

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The congressionally established unified carrier fee system was not implemented before its predecessor, the Single State Registration System, expired thereby preventing states from collecting fees from for-hire motor carriers and other related entities. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) mandated that a new unified carrier fee system replace the Single State Registration System, which expired on January 1, 2007. The Single State Registration System annually provided 38 states with about $100 million in total fees collected from for-hire interstate motor carriers. States used revenue collected from this system to supplement general funds and conduct safety-related services. Unlike the Single State Registration System, the new system broadened the base of those expected to pay fees to include exempt for-hire motor carriers, private motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies. To develop and administer this new fee system, Congress established a Board of Directors. This board is also tasked with administering a federal-interstate Unified Carrier Registration Agreement (UCRA), and issuing rules and regulations to govern this agreement. GAO was asked to examine the progress that the board and the Department of Transportation …
Date: May 25, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
File Sharing Programs: The Use of Peer-to-Peer Networks to Access Pornography (open access)

File Sharing Programs: The Use of Peer-to-Peer Networks to Access Pornography

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing programs represent a major change in the way Internet users find and exchange information. The increasingly popular P2P programs allow direct communication between computer users who can access and share digital music, images, and video files. These programs are known for having the functionality to share copyrighted digital music and movies, and they are also a conduit for sharing pornographic images and videos. Regarding these uses of P2P programs, GAO was asked to, among other things, determine how many P2P programs are available to the public and which are the most popular P2P programs; determine the ease of access to pornographic files on popular P2P programs and the risk of inadvertent exposure; describe how P2P program filters operate and determine their effectiveness; and determine how the effectiveness of filters offered by P2P programs compares to filters provided by leading Internet search engines. In commenting on a draft of this report, DHS officials agreed that that our report accurately represented the work performed by the Cyber Crimes Center."
Date: May 25, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Disability Employment: Further Action Needed to Oversee Efforts to Meet Federal Government Hiring Goals (open access)

Disability Employment: Further Action Needed to Oversee Efforts to Meet Federal Government Hiring Goals

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Department of Labor (Labor) have taken steps to implement the executive order and help agencies recruit, hire, and retain more employees with disabilities. OPM provided guidance to help agencies develop disability hiring plans and reviewed the 66 plans submitted. OPM identified deficiencies in most of the plans. For example, though 40 of 66 agencies included a process for increasing the use of a special hiring authority to increase the hiring of people with disabilities, 59 agencies did not meet all of OPM’s review criteria, and 32 agencies had not addressed plan deficiencies as of April 2012. In response to executive order reporting requirements, OPM officials said they had briefed the White House on issues related to implementation, but they did not provide information on deficiencies in all plans. While the order does not specify what information these reports should include beyond addressing progress, providing information on deficiencies would enable the White House to hold agencies accountable. OPM is still developing the mandatory training programs for officials on the employment of individuals with disabilities, as required by the executive …
Date: May 25, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Disaster Assistance Workforce: FEMA Could Enhance Human Capital Management and Training (open access)

Disaster Assistance Workforce: FEMA Could Enhance Human Capital Management and Training

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has taken steps to enhance its management of the Disaster Assistance Employee (DAE) program, such as through the establishment of a credentialing program, the FEMA Qualification System (FQS); however, management controls and training could be strengthened. For example, FEMA does not monitor how the regions implement DAE policies and how DAEs implement disaster policies across regions to ensure consistency. FEMA’s Administrator noted that due to differences in how regions operate, it is problematic to deploy someone based in one region to another during a disaster. Establishing a mechanism to monitor both the regional implementation of DAE policies and procedures and DAE’s implementation of disaster policies could help provide FEMA with reasonable assurance that disaster assistance is conducted in accordance with policy and implemented consistently."
Date: May 25, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
GAO Findings and Recommendations Regarding DOD and VA Disability Systems (open access)

GAO Findings and Recommendations Regarding DOD and VA Disability Systems

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As of April 2007, about 26,000 service members had been injured as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), according to the Department of Defense (DOD). Those service members injured in the line of duty are eligible for military disability compensation. When they leave the military, they may also be eligible for compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In fiscal year 2005 alone, the Army, Navy, and Air Force evaluated over 23,000 military disability retirement cases and, in fiscal year 2004, over $1 billion in permanent and temporary military disability retirement benefits were paid to over 90,000 service members. Through the VA disability compensation and pension claims programs, about $34.5 billion in VA cash disability benefits went to more than 3.5 million veterans and their survivors in fiscal year 2006. On April 23, 2007, we briefed the Commission on the results of our recent studies of DOD and VA disability systems. This report presents the information we provided during that briefing."
Date: May 25, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Infrastructure: Documentation Lacking to Fully Support How DOD Determined Specifications for the Landstuhl Replacement Medical Center (open access)

Defense Infrastructure: Documentation Lacking to Fully Support How DOD Determined Specifications for the Landstuhl Replacement Medical Center

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Department of Defense (DOD) officials considered current beneficiary population data, contingency operations, and most of the expected changes in troop strength when planning for the replacement medical center. However, recently announced posture changes in January 2012 have yet to be assessed for their impact on the facility. DOD estimates that the replacement medical center will provide health care for nearly 250,000 beneficiaries. A majority of those who are expected to receive health care from the center come from within a 55-mile radius of the facility. DOD officials told us that because the replacement medical center was designed for peacetime operations—with the capacity to expand to meet the needs of contingency operations—reductions in ongoing contingency operations in Afghanistan would not have an impact on facility requirements. At the time of this review, DOD officials said they were in the process of assessing proposed changes in posture to better understand their possible impact on the sizing of the replacement medical center."
Date: May 25, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Smithsonian Institution: Much Work Still Needed to Identify and Repatriate Indian Human Remains and Objects (open access)

Smithsonian Institution: Much Work Still Needed to Identify and Repatriate Indian Human Remains and Objects

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Museum of the American Indian Act of 1989 (NMAI Act), as amended in 1996, generally requires the Smithsonian Institution to inventory and identify the origins of its Indian human remains and objects placed with them (funerary objects) and repatriate them to culturally affiliated Indian tribes upon request. It also creates a special committee to oversee this process. According to the Smithsonian, two of its museums--the American Indian and the Natural History Museums-- have items that are subject to the act. GAO was asked to determine (1) the extent to which the Smithsonian has fulfilled its repatriation requirements, (2) how the special committee provisions have been implemented, and (3) the number of human remains and objects that have been repatriated and reasons for any that have not. GAO reviewed museum records, including 171 repatriation case reports, and interviewed Smithsonian, Repatriation Review Committee, and tribal officials."
Date: May 25, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library