Rapid advances in computer software offer may opportunities for increasing efficiency and productivity; however, choosing the right software package and achieving its full potential can be a challenging task. Lubrication engineers faced with the selection and implementation of a computer system will find that they can increase their chance of success when they follow the nine steps outlined in this paper. These steps provide a solid framework for managing the project through its full life-cycle from initial conception until final retirement of the system. Lubrication Departments that already have computer systems in place can also benefit from these steps by picking up at the corresponding point in the system's life and following the remaining steps.

The High Energy Transport Code, HETC, was obtained from the Radiation Shielding Information Center (RSIC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and altered as necessary to run on a CDC 7600 using the LTSS software in use at LLNL. HETC was then used to obtain calculated estimates of energy deposited, for comparison with a series of benchmark experiments done by LLNL. These experiments used proton beams of various energies incident on well-defined composite targets in good geometry. In this report, two aspects of the comparison between calculated and experimental energy depositions from an 800 MeV proton beam are discussed. Both aspects involve the fact that workers at SAI had previously used their version of HETC to calculate this experiment and reported their comparison with the measured data. The first aspect addressed is that their calculated data and LLNL calculations do not agree, suggesting an error in the conversion process from the RSIC code. The second aspect is not independent of the first, but is of sufficient importance to merit separate emphasis. It is that the SAI calculations agree well with experiments at the detector plate located some distance from the shower plate, whereas the LLNL calculations show a clearcut discrepancy there …

In the program of development of a water treatment for the 5 MW Raft River power plants' carbon steel heat rejection system, four carbon steel tubes were analyzed in this batch. The results of visual and scanning electron microscope examination of the tubes are presented. (MHR)

Beam fractions lost by collimation in a neutralizer duct are computed in x-x' phase space by using three examples of slab beam distributions under a broad range of duct dimensions, beam half-widths, and beam divergences. The results can be used to design compact neutralizers and to specify beam requirements. The computer code ILOST can be used under a broad range of beam conditions to compute the fraction lost by collimation.

This report provides references to analytical reports on cybersecurity from CRS, other government agencies, trade associations, and interest groups. The reports and related websites are grouped under the following cybersecurity topics: policy overview; National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC); cloud computing and FedRAMP; critical infrastructure; cybercrime, data breaches and data security; national security, cyber espionage, and cyberwar (including Stuxnet); international efforts; education/training/workforce; and research and development (R&D).

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) tax filing season performance is a key indicator of how well IRS serves taxpayers. This year's filing season was expected to be risky because of tax system changes, including the telephone excise tax refund (TETR). IRS's fiscal year (FY) 2008 budget request shows its spending proposal for taxpayer service, enforcement, and Business Systems Modernization (BSM). The request includes initiatives to reduce the tax gap, the difference between what taxpayers owe and what they voluntarily pay on time. IRS recently estimated the net tax gap to be $290 billion in 2001. GAO was asked to (1) describe IRS's 2007 filing season performance, (2) determine how IRS's proposed FY 2008 budget compares to prior years', provides information on how proposals may impact the tax gap, justifies new spending, and whether there are opportunities to reduce or reallocate resources, and (3) evaluate the status of IRS's efforts to develop and implement BSM."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Census Bureau (Bureau) has made progress in researching and testing information technology (IT) options for the 2020 Decennial Census, but several of the supporting projects lack schedules and plans, and it is uncertain whether they will be completed in time to inform the decision on the operational design for the 2020 census, planned for September 2015. Specifically, it has begun research on six IT-related projects, such as using the Internet for survey response and using employees' personal smartphones to collect census data. However, four of the projects lacked finalized schedules, and three lacked plans for gauging progress. Moreover, the two projects with completed schedules are not estimated to be completed until after the September 2015 design decision date (see figure)."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Interstate compacts are legal agreements between states that are designed to resolve concerns that transcend state lines, such as allocating interstate waters. While some compacts assign their administration to existing state agencies, compacts requiring greater coordination among states may establish an interstate agency, typically called a commission, to administer their provisions. Congress must give its consent to compacts that affect the balance of power between the states and the federal government. An example of a congressionally approved environment and natural resource compact is the Tahoe Regional Planning Compact, which created the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) to administer its provisions. For such compacts, GAO determined (1) the organizational structures, powers and authorities, and dispute resolution and public accountability mechanisms; (2) the extent to which concerns have been raised about the structure and governance of compacts that have commissions; and (3) how the structure and governance of TRPA compares to those of other similar compact commissions. GAO reviewed 59 congressionally approved compacts and surveyed those 45 that had commissions."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO found examples of improper payments and indicators of potential fraud in the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) program, which could be attributed, in part, to oversight and data-access issues. GAO found examples of claimants' receiving overlapping FECA and unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, which may be allowable under certain circumstances, but could also be erroneous. GAO also found that FECA program requirements allow claimants to receive earnings, and earnings increases, without necessarily resulting in adjustment of FECA compensation. For example, of the 32 FECA case files reviewed, GAO found five instances where an individual's wage-earning capacity (WEC), which is used to determine FECA benefits, was not adjusted even though the individual earned substantially more than the wage that was originally used to calculate the WEC. In addition, two FECA claimants continued to receive privateemployment salaries that were not subject to their WEC calculation. This is because, as currently written, program procedures allow claimants to receive increases in earnings, in certain circumstances, without adjustments to FECA compensation, and current law allows for claimants' earnings from dissimilar concurrent private employment at the time of injury to be exempt …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States has played an active role in helping to reform financial regulations to address weaknesses revealed by the 2007-2009 financial crisis. According to Treasury officials, during the acute phase of the crisis, the United States proposed elevating the Group of Twenty (G20) forum—representing 19 countries (including the United States) and the European Union—from the level of finance ministers and central banks to the level of heads of state or government. In 2008, the U.S. President and other G20 leaders held their first summit in Washington, D.C., in part to establish a framework to help prevent financial crises. The G20 leaders established principles for financial regulatory reform and agreed on a series of financial reforms, which they have revised or expanded at subsequent summits. To implement their reforms, the G20 leaders generally have called on their national authorities—finance ministries, central banks, and regulators—and international bodies, including the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and standard setting bodies, such as the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. In 2009, the G20 leaders established FSB to coordinate and promote implementation of the financial reforms, which typically involves standard setting bodies …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, increased security requirements and a significant number of active duty and reserve personnel sent overseas to support the war on terror left the Department of Defense (DOD) with fewer military personnel to rely on to protect domestic installations. To correct this shortage, Congress is temporarily allowing DOD to use contract security guards to fulfill roles previously performed by military employees. The U.S. Army has awarded contracts worth nearly $733 million to acquire contract guards at 57 Army installations, an investment far greater than those made by other DOD services so far. The requesters asked GAO to assess how the Army has been managing and overseeing its acquisition of security guard services, particularly with regard to the Army's (1) acquisition strategy, (2) employment screening, (3) training of contract guards, and (4) award fee process. This report also discusses DOD's mandated November 2005 report to Congress on the contract guard program."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "While the primary responsibility for protecting the nation's communications networks belongs to private-sector owners and operators, federal agencies also play a role in support of their security, as well as that of critical components supporting the Internet. Specifically, private-sector entities are responsible for the operational security of the networks they own, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Defense, and Commerce have regulatory and support roles, as established in federal law and policy, and have taken a variety of related actions. For example, FCC has developed and maintained a system for reporting network outage information; DHS has multiple components focused on assessing risk and sharing threat information; Defense and DHS serve as co-chairs for a committee on national security and emergency preparedness for telecommunications functions; and Commerce has studied cyber risks facing the communications infrastructure and participates in standards development. However, DHS and its partners have not yet initiated the process for developing outcome-based performance measures related to the cyber protection of key parts of the communications infrastructure. Outcome-based metrics related to communications networks and critical components supporting the Internet …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Army has a standard process to manage litigation costs of its Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) projects that are not accounted for in the annual budget process. Army officials indicated that there is one case between four Army MHPI projects and Pinnacle Property Management (Pinnacle) that met the dollar threshold criteria and that would have been approved through this process. However, Army officials did not use the standard process because the Army determined that it needed to limit access to Pinnacle litigation information to avoid disclosing any information material to the litigation strategy. As a result, the Army used an alternative process to review and approve litigation costs for Pinnacle that is consistent with MHPI operating agreements. Had the standard process been followed, litigation and litigation cost information would have been shared with the MHPI projects construction company, Clark Realty Capital (Clark), and four different offices within the Army. Army and Clark officials decided to use the alternative process allowed by the MHPI’s operating agreements so that fewer personnel would be aware of ongoing litigation information involving Pinnacle. The alternative process allows the Army and …

This report answers some frequently asked questions about streetcars and federal involvement in their construction and operation. It concludes by laying out policy options for Congress in dealing with streetcars.

This report discusses the earned income tax credit (EITC), established in the tax code in 1975, which offers cash aid to working parents with relatively low incomes who care for dependent children.

The report provides basic consumer sources, including broad overviews of the Affordable Care Act. The next sections focus on health coverage, as well as public health care programs. The report then lists sources on employer-sponsored coverage. Sources on ACA's provisions on mental health, public health, workforce, quality, and taxes are also provided. Finally, the report lists sources on ACA costs and appropriations, and sources for obtaining the law's full-text.

This Geotechnical Analysis Report (GAR) presents and interprets the geotechnical data from the underground excavations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The data, which are obtained as part of a regular monitoring program, are used to characterize conditions, to compare actual performance to the design assumptions, and to evaluate and forecast the performance of the underground excavations. GARs have been available to the public since 1983. During the Site and Preliminary Design Validation (SPDV) Program, the architect/engineer for the project produced these reports quarterly to document the geomechanical performance during and immediately after early excavations of the underground facility. Since the completion of the construction phase of the project in 1987, the management and operating contractor for the facility has prepared these reports annually. This report describes the performance and condition of selected areas from July 1, 2004, to June 30, 2005. It is divided into nine chapters. Chapter 1 provides background information on WIPP, its mission, and the purpose and scope of the Geomechanical Monitoring Program. Chapter 2 describes the local and regional geology of the WIPP site. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the geomechanical instrumentation in the shafts and shaft stations, present the data collected by that …

The U.S. fusion energy program is focused on research with the potential for studying plasmas at thermonuclear temperatures, currently epitomized by the tokamak-based International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) but also continuing exploratory work on other plasma confinement concepts. Among the latter is the spheromak pursued on the SSPX facility at LLNL. Experiments in SSPX using electrostatic current drive by coaxial guns have now demonstrated stable spheromaks with good heat confinement, if the plasma is maintained near a Taylor state, but the anticipated high current amplification by gun injection has not yet been achieved. In future experiments and reactors, creating and maintaining a stable spheromak configuration at high magnetic field strength may require auxiliary current drive using neutral beams or RF power. Here we show that neutral beam current drive soon to be explored on SSPX could yield a compact spheromak reactor with current drive efficiency comparable to that of steady state tokamaks. Thus, while more will be learned about electrostatic current drive in coming months, results already achieved in SSPX could point to a productive parallel development path pursuing auxiliary current drive, consistent with plans to install neutral beams on SSPX in the near future. Among possible outcomes, spheromak research …

This 7th quarterly Technical Progress Report for the Lignite Fuel Enhancement Project summarizes activities from January 1st through March 31st of 2006. It also summarizes the subsequent purchasing activity, dryer/process construction, and testing. The Design Team began conferencing again as construction completed and the testing program began. Primary focus this quarter was construction/installation completion. Phase 1 extension recommendation, and subsequent new project estimate, Forms 424 and 4600 were accepted by DOE headquarters. DOE will complete the application and amended contract. All major mechanical equipment was run, checked out, and tested this quarter. All water, air, and coal flow loops were run and tested. The system was run on January 30th, shut down to adjust equipment timing in the control system on the 31st, and run to 75 ton//hour on February 1st. It ran for seven to eight hours per day until March 20th when ''pairs'' testing ( 24 hour running) began. ''Pairs'' involves comparative testing of unit performance with seven ''wet'' pulverizers versus six ''wet'' and one ''dry''. During the interim, more operators were brought up to speed on system operation and control was shifted to the main Unit No.2 Control Room. The system is run now from the Unit …

This report is a compilation of work done over the past ten years in support of phase stability studies of Alloy 22 for the Yucca Mountain Project and contains information previously published, reported, and referenced. Most sections are paraphrased here for the convenience of readers. Evaluation of the fabrication processes involved in the manufacture of waste containers is important as these processes can have an effect on the metallurgical structure of an alloy. Because material properties such as strength, toughness, aging kinetics and corrosion resistance are all dependent on the microstructure, it is important that prototypes be built and evaluated for processing effects on the performance of the material. Of particular importance are welds, which have an as-cast microstructure with chemical segregation and precipitation of complex phases resulting from the welding process. The work summarized in this report contains information on the effects of fabrication processes such as solution annealing, stress mitigation, heat-to-heat variability, and welding on the kinetics of precipitation, mechanical, and corrosion properties. For a waste package lifetime of thousands of years, it is impossible to test directly in the laboratory the behavior of Alloy 22 under expected repository conditions. The changes that may occur in these materials …

This Geotechnical Analysis Report (GAR) presents and interprets geotechnical data from the underground excavations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The data, which are obtained as part of a regular monitoring program, are used to characterize conditions, to compare actual performance to the design assumptions, and to evaluate and forecast the performance of the underground excavations. GARs have been available to the public since 1983. During the Site and Preliminary Design Validation (SPDV) Program, the architect/engineer for the project produced these reports quarterly to document the geomechanical performance during and immediately after early excavations of the underground facility. Since completion of the construction phase of the project in 1987, the management and operating contractor for the facility has prepared these reports annually. This report describes the performance and condition of selected areas from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006. It is divided into nine chapters. Chapter 1 provides background information on WIPP, its mission, and the purpose and scope of the geomechanical monitoring program. Chapter 2 describes the local and regional geology of the WIPP site. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the geomechanical instrumentation in the shafts and shaft stations, present the data collected by that instrumentation, and …

It has been known for a hundred years that formaldehyde polymerizes to carbohydrate substances in alkaline media. Although the reaction has long attracted much attention, only recently has a detailed qualitative analysis of the products been carried out by chromatographic methods. We have started to re-examine this reaction by combining chromatography with radioactive tracer techniques in the hope of refining the quantitative aspects of the analysis. Our particular interest has been to develop methods for determining the relative proportions of ribose and ribulose in the mixtures of sugars formed in basic media, as well as under other polymerizing conditions. The finding of large amounts of these sugars might help to explain the occurrence of ribose as the only basic sugar in the fundamental replicating molecules--the nucleic acids. Formaldehyde is thought to have been present in the primitive reducing atmosphere which existed before life first appeared. The ribonucleic acids must have appeared in the constitution of reproducing systems at a very early stage in the development of living organisms. In this study, the polymerizations of formaldehyde were carried out in calcium hydroxide suspensions at 40{sup o}. Aliquots of the reaction mixtures were withdrawn at after various time intervals and the alkali …

The United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) has recently implemented a series of strategic initiatives to address long-term radiological surveillance needs at former U.S. nuclear test sites in the Marshall Islands (https://eed.llnl.gov/mi/). Local atoll governments have been actively engaged in developing shared responsibilities for protecting the health and safety of resettled and resettling population at risk from exposure to elevated levels of residual fallout contamination in the environment. Under the program, whole body counting facilities have been established at three locations in the Marshall Islands. These facilities are operated and maintained by Marshallese technicians with scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) providing technical support services including data quality assurance and performance testing. We have also established a mirror whole body counting facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a technician training center. The LLNL facility also allows program managers to develop quality assurance and operational procedures, and test equipment and corrective actions prior to deployment at remote stations in the Marshall Islands. This document summarizes the results of external performance evaluation exercises conducted at each of the facilities (2002-2005) under the umbrella of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Intercomparison Studies Program (ISP). The ISP was specifically …

The major accomplishments of our initial research period (August 1, 1987, to March 1, 1990) are as follows; we completed construction of the experimental facility. Originally, it had been our intent to modify an existing facility in our laboratory. When this became impractical we constructed a new stand-alone facility. Modified an existing three-dimensional numerical code developed in our laboratory, SEAFLOS1, by incorporating a salinity transport equation. Developed experimental and analytical techniques, and performed both physical and numerical experiments for a wide range of initial and boundary conditions. Focused our overall research effort to answer the following four questions pertaining to the formation of convective intrusions due to lateral temperature gradients established by sidewall heating. (1) What is the internal structure of the convective intrusions as a function of the initial stratification and sidewall heating rates (2) What is the correct scaling for the initial vertical dimension of the intrusions (3) How does the merging process vary as a function of initial stratification and sidewall heating rate (4) Is the sidewall heating critical for continued propagation of the intrusions, or is it merely a trigger which releases the internal instability in the fluid