A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The centerpiece of the federal government's legal framework for privacy protection, the Privacy Act of 1974, provides safeguards for information maintained by federal agencies. In addition, the E-Government Act of 2002 requires federal agencies to conduct privacy impact assessments for systems or collections containing personal information. GAO was asked to determine whether laws and guidance consistently cover the federal government's collection and use of personal information and incorporate key privacy principles. GAO was also asked, in doing so, to identify options for addressing these issues. To achieve these objectives, GAO analyzed the laws and related guidance, obtained an operational perspective from federal agencies, and consulted an expert panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences."

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) commitment to assuring the health and safety of its workers includes the conduct of illness and injury surveillance activities that provide an early warning system to detect health problems among workers. The Illness and Injury Surveillance Program monitors illnesses and health conditions that result in an absence, occupational injuries and illnesses, and disabilities and deaths among current workers.

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We employ Runs 1-4 off-peak data sample (about 21.5 fb{sup -1}) to produce the current world-best spectra and production rates measurements for three strangely-flavored baryons: the {Lambda} hyperon, the cascade hyperon, and the {Omega} hyperon. These improved measurements shall enable theoretical and phenomelogical workers to generate more realistic models for the hadronization process, currently one of the unresolved problem areas in the standard model of particle physics. This analysis was conducted using codes from release 16 series. We report the production rate at 10.54 GeV for the {Lambda} as 0.0900 {+-} 0.0006(stat.) {+-} 0.0039(sys.) per hadronic event. Our measured production rate at the same energy for the cascade hyperon is 0.00562 {+-} 0.00013(stat.) {+-} 0.00045(sys.) per hadronic event, while that for the {Omega} hyperon is 0.00027 {+-} 0.00004(stat.) {+-} 0.0008(sys.) per hadronic event. The spectral measurements for the respective particles also constitute current world-best measurements.

Using 230 million B{bar B} events recorded with the BABAR detector at the e{sup +}e{sup -} storage rings PEP-II, they reconstruct approximately 4100 B{sup 0} {yields} J/{psi} K{sup +}{pi}{sup -} and 9930 B{sup +} {yields} J/{psi}K{sup +} decays with J/{psi} {yields} {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup -} and e{sup +} e{sup -}. From the measured B-momentum distributions in the e{sup +}e{sup -} rest frame, they determine the mass difference m(B{sup 0}) - m(B{sup +}) = (+0.33 {+-} 0.05 {+-} 0.03) MeV/c{sup 2}.

In light of the discovery of the activated zinc 65 in the TEF process piping, a discussion of potential sources and mechanisms for the production of this species has been initiated. A suspected source is the presence of Cu as a contaminant in many of the alloy components that comprise the TPBARs and the presence of Zn as a contaminant in the aluminide coating. These two sources are expected to produce metallic transmutation products that could be mobile and be extracted from the metallic components of the TPBARs. Another potential source is the presence of ZnO that is present as part of the crud on the external surfaces of the TPBARs. In addition, it is conceivable to have ZnO within the TPBARs from transmutation products and subsequent oxidation reactions with water. This memo does not attempt to address all of the possible sources, nor does it derive the most likely scenarios as to how Zn or ZnO may be present in the TPBARs it merely posits that it is present as a transmutation product and if present, elementally, it may be mobile under high vacuum conditions at high temperatures as indicated by the pressure temperature curve shown in Fig. 1. …

This report describes a project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and implemented by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), from 2000 to 2007 to improve the performance of reflector type (R-lamp) compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and increase their availability throughout the United States by means of a technology development and procurement strategy. In 2000, at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Emerging Technologies Program and its predecessors, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory undertook a technology procurement seeking R-CFLs that were specifically designed for use in ICAT recessed can fixtures and that met other minimum performance criteria including minimum light output and size restrictions (to ensure they fit in standard residential recessed cans). The technology procurement included two phases. In Phase I, requests for proposals (RFPs) were issued in October 2002 and five manufacturers responded with 12 lamp models. Eight of these models met the minimum requirements and passed the 6-hour short-term test in a simulated ICAT environment. These eight models were subjected to long-term tests of 6,000 or more hours in a simulated ICAT environment. Three of these models passed the short- and long-term tests and were promoted through the program website (www.pnl.gov/rlamps), press releases, …

There is a growing interest in Near Infra-Red (NIR) emission originating from organic complexes of Ln{sup III} cations. As a major impetus, biological tissues are considerably more transparent at these low energy wavelengths when compared to visible radiation, which facilitates deeper penetration of incident and emitted light. Furthermore, the long luminescence lifetimes of Ln{sup III} complexes (eg. Yb{sup III}, {tau}{sub rad} {approx} 1 ms) when compared to typical organic molecules can be utilized to vastly improve signal to noise ratios by employing time-gating techniques. While the improved quantum yield of Yb{sub III} complexes when compared to other NIR emitters favors their use for bioimaging applications, there has also been significant interest in the sensitized emission from other 4f metals such as Ln = Nd, Ho, Pr and Er which have well recognized applications as solid state laser materials (eg. Nd {approx} 1.06 {micro}m, Ho {approx} 2.09 {micro}m), and in telecommunications (eg. Er {approx} 1.54 {micro}m) where they can be used for amplification of optical signals. As a result of their weak (Laporte forbidden) f-f absorptions, the direct excitation of Ln{sup III} cations is inefficient, and sensitization of the metal emission is more effectively achieved using the so-called antenna effect. We …

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The Senate has responsibilities under both Article I (outlining legislative prerogatives) and Article II of the Constitution. As a result, the upper body handles legislative and executive business differently. This report discusses the Senate’s lawmaking responsibilities under Article I; executive business, which consists of treaties and nominations.

This report provides information about the Cloture: Its Effect on Senate Proceedings.The senate in most circumstances allows its members to debate issues for as long as they want.

The Superconducting Magnet Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has developed the 1 m long Nb{sub 3}Sn dipole magnet HD2. With tilted (flared) ends to avoid obstructing a 36 mm clear bore, HD2 represents a step towards the use of block-type coils in high-field accelerator magnets. The coil design has been optimized to minimize geometric harmonics and reduce the conductor peak field in the end region, resulting in an expected short sample dipole field of 15 T. The support structure is composed by an external aluminum shell pre-tensioned with pressurized bladders and interference keys, and by two stainless steel end plates compressing the coil ends through four aluminum axial rods. We report on magnet design, assembly, and test results, including training performance, quench locations, and strain gauge measurements.

In preparation for the LHC luminosity upgrades, high field and large aperture Nb{sub 3}Sn quadrupoles are being studied. This development has to incorporate all the relevant features for an accelerator magnet like alignment and cooling channels. The LARP HQ model is a high field and large bore quadrupole that will meet these requirements. The 2-layer coils are surrounded by a structure based on key and bladder technology with supporting iron yoke and aluminum shell. This structure is aimed at pre-stress control, alignment and field quality. We present here the magnetic and mechanical design of HQ, along with recent progress on the development of the first 1-meter model.

We suggest and describe the use of a binary pseudo-random grating as a standard test surface for calibration of the modulation transfer function of microscopes. Results from calibration of a MicromapTM-570 interferometric microscope are presented.

Nb{sub 3}Sn wires with non-Cu critical current densities (J{sub c}) that surpass 3 kAmm{sup -2} at 12 T and 4.2 K are commercially available in piece lengths longer than 10 km. Accelerator-type magnets that utilize these conductors have achieved record magnetic fields. This article summarizes key developments in the last decade that have led to these significant improvements in the performance of Nb{sub 3}Sn wires.

Shell-based support structures are being fabricated and tested as part of the development of large-aperture Nb{sub 3}Sn superconducting quadrupoles for future upgrades of the LHC Interaction Regions. These structures utilize water pressurized bladders for room-temperature pre-load control, and rely on a pre-tensioned aluminum shell to deliver a substantial part of the coil pre-stress during cool-down. The coil final pre-load is therefore monotonically approached from below, without overstressing the strain-sensitive conductor. This method has been adopted by the US LARP collaboration to test subscale racetrack coils (SQ series), 1 m long cos-theta coils (TQS series), and 4 m long magnets (LRS and LQS series). We present recent progress in the development of shell-based support structures, with a description of the principles of operations and the future plans.

This report outlines current progress towards establishment of the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), presents current and projected funding levels and timelines, and describes policy issues of potential interest to Congress, such as agency coordination, possession of viruses, construction timelines, disposition of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC), and community safety concerns.

This report provides information on the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA), the federal government's major initiative to prevent drug abuse and violence in and around schools, and its support for two major grant programs: one for states and one for National Activities. The report also discusses issues of reauthorization for the SDFSCA following the Virginia Tech tragedy, and issues of potential concern to Members of Congress. It includes the Administration's proposal, the recommendations of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Advisory Board, the recommendations of the Secretaries of the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), following the Virginia Tech tragedy, and issues of potential concern to Members of Congress. (Summay).

This report examines the importance to the U.S. economy of China's investment in U.S. securities, as well as U.S. concerns over the possibility that China might unload a large share of those holdings, the likelihood that this would occur, and the potential implications such action could have for the U.S. economy. The report concludes that a large sell-off of Chinese Treasury securities holdings could negatively affect the U.S. economy, at least in the short-run. As a result, such a move could diminish U.S. demand for Chinese products and thus could lower China's economic growth as well.

This report addresses illegal wildlife trade through several national and international venues and how this trade presents several potential environmental and national security threats to the United States. It also focuses on the international trade in terrestrial fauna, largely excluding trade in illegal plants, including timber, and fish.

This report provides an overview of the forms and requirements on voting in the Senate.

This report discusses the idea of "unanimous consent" in the Senate. Without its tradition of unanimous consent, the Senate would find it harder to process its complex workload.

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