Many biological processes are carried out through the formation of macromolecular complexes, ranging from the simplest conformational organization to the most sophisticated interactions among complexes themselves. Reversible associations generate specific local conformations, active site configurations, and subunit--subunit interfaces, and encompass larger scale quaternary rearrangements and dissociation events. Assembled complexes exhibit properties different from those of component parts, such that 'the whole is greater than the sum of the parts', resulting in biological functioning of the assembly. This Gordon Research Conference brings together researchers from what may appear to be disparate fields with the common focus of applying quantitative kinetic and thermodynamic analysis to reversible macromolecular interactions. This conference will include the following session topics: (1) Protein design in evolution and recognition; (2) Emerging technologies; (3) Single molecule mechanics; (4) Nucleic acid/protein recognition; (5) Lipid/protein recognition; (6) Protein switches and networks; (7) Advances in classic technologies; (8) Ligand/macromolecule complexes and drug design; and (9) Selected student oral presentations; all from the perspective of reversibly associating systems. A wide array of techniques are typically covered, from single molecule to computational methods, chromatography and analytical ultracentrifugation, spectroscopic dynamics and titration calorimetry. The quantitative analysis of assembled complexes demonstrates that these biologically important functions …

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate relating to recognizing March 20, 2007, as Sulphur Springs/Hopkins County Day at the State Capitol.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate relating to commending The Biscuit Brothers television show for its quality children's programming.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate relating to in memory of John H. "Wimpy" McCoy, former longtime mayor of New Boston.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate relating to honoring the history of the Buffalo Soldiers for their outstanding military service and contributions to the Lone Star State.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate relating to recognizing March 21, 2007, as Wood County Day at the State Capitol.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate relating to commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Governor's Commission for Women.

This report is on Amtrak: Budget and Reauthorization.

Recent mesoscale iron fertilization studies in the Southern Ocean (e.g. SOIREE, EisenEx, SOFeX) have demonstrated the importance of iron as a limiting factor for phytoplankton growth in these high nutrient, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) waters. Results of these experiments have demonstrated that factors which influence the biological availability of the iron supplied to phytoplankton are crucial in bloom development, longevity, and generation of carbon export flux. These findings have important implications for the future development of iron fertilization protocols to enhance carbon sequestration in high-latitude oceans. In particular, processes which lead to the mobilization and retention of iron in dissolved form in the upper ocean are important in promoting continued biological availability of iron. Such processes can include photochemical redox cycling, which leads to the formation of soluble reduced iron, Fe(II), within iron-enriched waters. Creation of effective fertilization schemes will thus require more information about Fe(II) photoproduction in Southern Ocean waters as a means to retain new iron within the euphotic zone. To contribute to our knowledge base in this area, this project was funded by DOE with a goal of characterizing the production and retention of dissolved Fe as Fe(II) in an area of the southern Drake Passage near the Shackleton …

The thermodynamic data for LaNi{sub 4.25}Al{sub 0.75} tritide, reported by Wang et al. (W.-d. Wang et al., J. Alloys Compd. (2006) doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.206.09.122), are in variance with our published data. The plateau pressures for the P-C-T isotherms at all temperatures are significantly lower than published data. As a result, the derived thermodynamic parameters, {Delta}H{sup o} and {Delta}S{sup o}, are questionable. Using the thermodynamic parameters derived from the data reported by Wang et al. will result in under estimating the expected pressures, and therefore not provide the desired performance for storing and processing tritium.

X-ray cluster measurements interpreted with a universal baryon/gas mass fraction can theoretically serve as a cosmological distance probe. We examine issues of cosmological sensitivity for current (e.g., Chandra X-ray Observatory, XMM-Newton) and next generation (e.g., Con-X, XEUS) observations, along with systematic uncertainties and biases. To give competitive next generation constraints on dark energy, we find that systematics will need to be controlled to better than 1percent and any evolution in f_gas (and other cluster gas properties) must be calibrated so the residual uncertainty is weaker than (1+z)0.03.

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Water and chemical transport from a point source withinvadose zone sediments at Hanford were examined with a leak testconsisting of five 3800-liter aliquots of water released at 4.5 m depthevery week over a 4-week period. The third aliquot contained bromide, D2Oand 87Sr. Movement of the tracers was monitored for 9 months by measuringpore water compositions of samples from boreholes drilled 2-8 m from theinjection point. Graded sedimentary layers acting as natural capillarybarriers caused significant lateral spreading of the leak water. D2Oconcentrations>50 percent of the concentration in the tracer aliquotwere detected at 9-11 m depth. However, increased water contents, lowerd18O values, and geophysical monitoring of moisture changes at otherdepths signified high concentrations of leak fluids were added where D2Oconcentrations were<3 percent above background, suggesting limitedmixing between different aliquots of the leak fluids. Initially highbromide concentrations decreased more rapidly over time than D2O,suggesting enhanced transport of bromide due to anion exclusion. Nosignificant increase in 87Sr was detected in the sampled pore water,indicating strong retardation of Sr by the sediments. These resultshighlight some of the processes strongly affecting chemical transport inthe vadose zone and demonstrate the significant separation of contaminantplumes that can occur.

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The first major paradigm shift in electricity generation,delivery, and control is emerging in the developed world, notably Europe,North America, and Japan. This shift will move electricity supply awayfrom the highly centralised universal service quality model with which weare familiar today towards a more dispersed system with heterogeneousqualities of service. One element of dispersed control is the clusteringof sources and sinks into semi-autonomous mu grids (microgrids).Research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RD3) of mu gridsare advancing rapidly on at least three continents, and significantdemonstrations are currently in progress. This paradigm shift will resultin more electricity generation close to end-uses, often involvingcombined heat and power application for building heating and cooling,increased local integration of renewables, and the possible provision ofheterogeneous qualities of electrical service to match the requirementsof various end-uses. In Europe, mu grid RD3 is entering its third majorround under the 7th European Commission Framework Programme; in the U.S.,one specific mu grid concept is undergoing rigorous laboratory testing,and in Japan, where the most activity exists, four major publiclysponsored and two privately sponsored demonstrations are in progress.This evolution poses new challenges to the way buildings are designed,built, and operated. Traditional building energy supply systems willbecome much more complex in at least three ways: …

We describe a statistical reconstruction methodology for the GLAST LAT. The methodology incorporates in detail the statistics of the interactions of photons and charged particles with the tungsten layers in the LAT, and uses the scattering distributions to compute the full probability distribution over the energy and direction of the incident photons. It uses model selection methods to estimate the probabilities of the possible geometrical configurations of the particles produced in the detector, and numerical marginalization over the energy loss and scattering angles at each layer. Preliminary results show that it can improve on the tracker-only energy estimates for muons and electrons incident on the LAT.

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The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act has two basic aims: to regulate intentional ocean disposal of materials, and to authorize related research. Permit and enforcement provisions of the law are often referred to as the Ocean Dumping Act. The basic provisions of the act have remained virtually unchanged since 1972, when it was enacted to establish a comprehensive waste management system to regulate disposal or dumping of all materials into marine waters that are within U.S. jurisdiction, although a number of new authorities have been added. This report presents a summary of the law.

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