The new data files were prepared in two steps. First, the ENDF/B-V database was translated to an ENDL-format ascii database. The ENDL ascii format is a point-wise tabular storage scheme where intermediate values are extracted via interpolation. Sufficient point-wise information was generated in the translation to insure an extraction tolerance of 0.1% for most of the data. The only exception is along the incident neutron energy axis of the outgoing particle energy probability density function where a 0.5% tolerance was maintained. Second, processed files were generated from the translated database. Since the translated ENDF/B-V data is in ENDL-format, the standard processing codes were used to generate the new processed data files. To the best of our knowledge, these processed data files are accurate representations of the ENDF/B-V database to within the stated tolerances. However, there are several issues that users must be aware of and they are listed in this report.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas Senate and House of Representatives relating to declaring that all state departments and agencies be closed for a half day, emergency services excepted, beginning at noon on Friday, April 18, 2003.

This report summarizes many of the procedures and practices affecting the amending process on the floor of the House of Representatives. The process gives Members an opportunity to change the provisions of the bills and resolutions on which they are going to vote; it can be among the most complex as well as the most important stages of legislative consideration.

The research plan was divided into three tasks: (a) growth of oxide heterostructures for interface engineering using standard thin film deposition techniques, (b) atomic level characterization of oxide heterostructure using such techniques as STEM-2 combined with AFM/STM and conventional high-resolution microscopy (HRTEM), and (c) property measurements of aspects important to oxide heterostructures using standard characterization methods, including dielectric properties and dynamic cathodoluminescence measurements. Each of these topics were further classified on the basis of type of oxide heterostructure. Type I oxide heterostructures consisted of active dielectric layers, including the materials Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1-x}TiO{sub 3} (BST), Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} and ZrO{sub 2}. Type II heterostructures consisted of ferroelectric active layers such as lanthanum manganate and Type III heterostructures consist of phosphor oxide active layers such as Eu-doped Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}.

The Penn State Breazeale Nuclear Reactor is the longest operating licensed research reactor in the nation. The facility has played a key role in educating scientists, engineers and in providing facilities and services to researchers in many different disciplines. In order to remain a viable and effective research and educational institution, a multi-phase modernization project was proposed. Phase I was the replacement of the 25-year old reactor control and safety system along with associated wiring and hardware. This phase was fully funded by non-federal funds. Tasks identified in Phases II-V expand upon and complement the work done in Phase I to strategically implement state-of-the-art technologies focusing on identified national needs and priorities of the future.

In this report several other Clean Water Act issues are likely to receive congressional attention, through oversight hearings and possibly in legislative proposals. Among the topics of interest is whether and how the Administration will revise the current program for restoration of pollution-impaired waters (the Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL program), in view of controversy over regulatory changes made during the Clinton Administration and continuing disagreement among states, cities, industry, and environmental advocates about program effectiveness and efficiency.

During the first session of the 108th Congress, the House and Senate will consider many different budgetary measures. Most measures will pertain to fiscal year (FY) 2004 (which will begin on October 1, 2003) and beyond. Some also will pertain to the budget for FY2003. As the session progresses, this report will describe House and Senate action on major budgetary legislation within the framework of the congressional budget process and other procedural requirements.

The cardiovascular risk factor apolipoprotein(a) (apo(a)) has a puzzling distribution among mammals, its presence being limited to a subset of primates and a member of the insectivore lineage, the hedgehog. To explore the evolutionary history of apo(a), we performed extensive genomic sequence comparisons of multiple species with and without an apo(a) gene product, such as human, baboon, hedgehog, lemurand mouse. This analysis indicated that apo(a) arose independently in a subset of primates, including baboon and human, and an insectivore, the hedgehog, and was not simply lost by species lacking it. The similar structural domains shared by the hedgehog and primate apo(a) indicate that they were formed by a unique molecular mechanism involving the convergent evolution of paralogous genes in these distantspecies.

Cuba under Fidel Castro remains a hard-line communist state with a poor record on human rights that has deteriorated significantly since 2003. With the cutoff of assistance from the former Soviet Union, Cuba experienced severe economic deterioration from 1989 to 1993. While there has been some improvement since 1994, as Cuba has implemented limited reforms, the economy remains in poor shape. This report discusses the most recent development in Cuba, including political and economic conditions and the U.S. policy towards Cuba. It also considers the issues in U.S.-Cuban Relations.

Digital television (DTV) is a new television service representing the most significant development in television technology since the advent of color television in the 1950s. DTV can provide sharper pictures, a wider screen, CD-quality sound, better color rendition, and other new services currently being developed. A successful deployment of DTV requires: the development by content providers of compelling digital programming; the delivery of digital signals to consumers by broadcast television stations, as well as cable and satellite television systems; and the widespread purchase and adoption by consumers of digital television equipment. A key issue in the Congressional debate over the digital transition has been addressing the millions of American over-the-air households whose existing analog televisions will require converter boxes in order to receive digital signals when the analog signal is turned off.

The overall objective of this project is the three phase development of an Early Entrance Coproduction Plant (EECP) which produces at least one product from at least two of the following three categories: (1) electric power (or heat), (2) fuels, and (3) chemicals using ChevronTexaco's proprietary gasification technology. The objective of Phase I is to determine the feasibility and define the concept for the EECP located at a specific site; develop a Research, Development, and Testing (RD&T) Plan to mitigate technical risks and barriers; and prepare a Preliminary Project Financing Plan. The objective of Phase II is to implement the work as outlined in the Phase I RD&T Plan to enhance the development and commercial acceptance of coproduction technology. The objective of Phase III is to develop an engineering design package and a financing and testing plan for an EECP located at a specific site. The project's intended result is to provide the necessary technical, economic, and environmental information needed by industry to move the EECP forward to detailed design, construction, and operation. The partners in this project are TES (a subsidiary of ChevronTexaco), General Electric (GE), Praxair, and Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) in addition to the U.S. Department …

The overall objective of this project is the three phase development of an Early Entrance Coproduction Plant (EECP) which produces at least one product from at least two of the following three categories: (1) electric power (or heat), (2) fuels, and (3) chemicals using ChevronTexaco's proprietary gasification technology. The objective of Phase I is to determine the feasibility and define the concept for the EECP located at a specific site; develop a Research, Development, and Testing (RD&T) Plan to mitigate technical risks and barriers; and prepare a Preliminary Project Financing Plan. The objective of Phase II is to implement the work as outlined in the Phase I RD&T Plan to enhance the development and commercial acceptance of coproduction technology. The objective of Phase III is to develop an engineering design package and a financing and testing plan for an EECP located at a specific site. The project's intended result is to provide the necessary technical, economic, and environmental information needed by industry to move the EECP forward to detailed design, construction, and operation. The partners in this project are TES (a subsidiary of ChevronTexaco), General Electric (GE), Praxair, and Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) in addition to the U.S. Department …

As scientific data sets grow exponentially in size, the need for scalable algorithms that heuristically partition the data increases. In this paper, we describe the three-step evolution of a hierarchical partitioning algorithm for large-scale spatio-temporal scientific data sets generated by massive simulations. The first version of our algorithm uses a simple top-down partitioning technique, which divides the data by using a four-way bisection of the spatio-temporal space. The shortcomings of this algorithm lead to the second version of our partitioning algorithm, which uses a bottom-up approach. In this version, a partition hierarchy is constructed by systematically agglomerating the underlying Cartesian grid that is placed on the data. Finally, the third version of our algorithm utilizes the intrinsic topology of the data given in the original scientific problem to build the partition hierarchy in a bottom-up fashion. Specifically, the topology is used to heuristically agglomerate the data at each level of the partition hierarchy. Despite the growing complexity in our algorithms, the third version of our algorithm builds partition hierarchies in less time and is able to build trees for larger size data sets as compared to the previous two versions.

This report contains the information related to the fishery, aquaculture, and marine mammal legislation enacted by the 108th Congress

High chloride content plutonium (HCP) oxides are impure plutonium oxide scrap which contains NaCl, KCl, MgCl2 and/or CaCl2 salts at potentially high concentrations and must be stabilized at 950 C per the DOE Standard, DOE-STD-3013-2000. The chlorides pose challenges to stabilization because volatile chloride salts and decomposition products can corrode furnace heating elements and downstream ventilation components. Thermal stabilization of HCP items at 750 C (without water washing) is being investigated as an alternative method for meeting the intent of DOE STD 3013-2000. This report presents the results from a series of furnace tests conducted to develop material balance and system operability data for supporting the evaluation of lower-temperature thermal stabilization.

The project goal was to investigate the possibility of using predictive real-time information from the Internet as an input to building management system algorithms. The objectives were to identify the types of information most valuable to commercial and residential building owners, managers, and system designers. To comprehensively investigate and document currently available electronic real-time information suitable for use in building management systems. Verify the reliability of the information and recommend accreditation methods for data and providers. Assess methodologies to automatically retrieve and utilize the information. Characterize equipment required to implement automated integration. Demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of using the information in building management systems. Identify evolutionary control strategies.

This report discusses the "oil-for-food" program (OFFP) as the centerpiece of a long-standing U.N. Security Council effort to alleviate human suffering in Iraq while maintaining key elements of the 1991 Gulf war-related sanctions regime. The program, in operation from December 1996 until March 2003, is detailed.

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Lock-in is a non-linear interaction between a flow induced noise source and a resonator when their respective frequencies are near each other. Lock-in has been reported under many different labels and for many different applications. There is a need however for a consistent community wide method to measure the strength of lock-in so that data from different tests and different source/resonator combinations can be compared. This paper discusses three methods for measuring lock-in strength. The first, Resonant Response Method, (RRM) subtracts (in the decibel scale) the linear modal response of the resonator to broadband (BB) flow noise from the resonant response when lock-in occurs. The second, Quality Factor Method (QFM) tracks the change in quality factor of the resonant response. The third defines the strength in terms of the difference between peak response and the local BB levels. The RRM is applied to a fundamental test in water of a weak source from grazing flow over a cavity locking into acoustic resonant modes of a single side branch resonator. The major velocity effects are captured in the resonant response to BB flow and not in lock-in strength. However, Strouhal stage number and modal damping is shown to have a significant …

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The environmental mobility of plutonium (Pu) is profoundly influenced by its oxidation state. Pu(IV) is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude slower moving than Pu(V) or Pu(VI). For performance and risk assessment calculations, Pu waste has been assumed to exist in the less mobile reduced form, Pu(IV). Resent work on the chemistry of Pu02 by Haschke and others (2000) has shown that Pu02 surface is oxidized in the presence of water, forming as much as 27 percent Pu(VI). This has significant implications to existing SRS programs (including the Pu Immobilization, LLW disposal and Remediation of the Old Burial Ground) and future SRS programs (including MOX and pit disassembly). The hypothesis of this Strategic Research and Development study was that even if Pu(VI) is produced in the waste form as suggested by Haschke and others (2000), it will be quickly reduced to Pu(IV) in the SRS subsurface environment. The overall objective of the research was to test this hypothesis through laboratory and computational studies conducted by Savannah River Technology Center and Clemson University scientist.

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