Despite backing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), capital flight from Brazil in 1998 prompted the government to jettison its pegged currency stabilization program and float the real on January 15, 1999, becoming another casualty of the volatile international capital markets. Brazil adjusted to its financial crisis faster than expected, which is considered over. This report provides a final summary of Brazil's financial crisis and related IMF assistance in support of Congressional interest in various aspects of the 1990s global financial turmoil. It will not be updated.

This data documentation discusses the procedures and methods used to measure total carbon dioxide (TCO{sub 2}), total alkalinity (TALK), and pH at hydrographic stations during the R/V Hesperides oceanographic cruise in the Atlantic Ocean (Section A5). Conducted as part of the Work Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), the cruise began in Cadiz, Spain, on July 14, 1992, and ended in Miami, Florida, on August 15, 1992. Measurements made along WOCE Section A5 included CTD pressure, temperature, salinity, and oxygen; and bottle salinity, oxygen, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, silicate, TCO{sub 2}, TALK, and pH. The TALK, TCO{sub 2}, and pH were determined from titrations of seawater collected at 33 stations. The titration systems for measuring TALK and TCO{sub 2} were calibrated in the laboratory with certified reference materials (CRMs) before the cruise to ensure traceable results. Standard reference seawater provided by Andrew Dickson of Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) was used at sea to monitor the performance of the titration systems. The results agree with the laboratory results to {+-} 2 {micro}mol/kg for TALK and {+-} 1 {micro}mol/kg for TCO{sub 2}. The titration systems used to measure pH were calibrated with TRIS seawater buffers prepared in the laboratory and measured with an H{sub …

Approximately 1,400 g of wet Hanford Tank C-104 Sludge was evaluated by Battelle for the high-level waste (HLW) pretreatment processes of ultrafiltration, dilute caustic washing, and elevated-temperature caustic leaching. The filterability of diluted C-104 sludge was measured with a 0.1-{micro}m sintered metal Mott filter using a 24-inch-long, single-element, crossflow filtration system (cells unit filter [CUF]). While the filtrate was being recirculated prior to washing and leaching, a 6.9 wt% solids slurry was evaluated with a matrix of seven 1-hour conditions of varying trans-membrane pressure (30 to 70 psid) and axial velocity (9 to 15 ft/s). The filtrate flux and backpulse efficiency were determined for each condition. The slurry was concentrated to 23 wt% solids, a second matrix of six 1-hour conditions was performed, and data analogous to that recorded in the first matrix were obtained. The low-solids-concentration matrix produced filtrate flux rates that ranged from 0.038 to 0.083 gpm/ft{sup 2}. The high-solids-concentration matrix produced filtrate flux rates that ranged from 0.0095 to 0.0172 gpm/ft{sup 2}. In both cases, the optimum filtrate flux was at the highest axial velocity (15 ft/s) and transmembrane pressure had little effect. Nearly all of the measured filtrate fluxes were more than an order of magnitude …

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the city of Philadelphia's efforts to relocate and compensate Logan Triangle Area residents whose homes are sinking into a landfill, focusing on the: (1) status of relocations of property owners and tenants; and (2) management challenges the Logan Assistance Corporation faces in completing the remaining relocations."

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of compositional uncertainties on the primary processing and product performance criteria for potential glasses to stabilize the Tank 17.1 Am-Cm solution and to identify the AGCR in which glasses simultaneously meet both process and product performance criteria as defined for Phase 2.

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) contains the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office's approach to collect the data necessary to evaluate corrective action alternatives appropriate for the closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 490 under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. Corrective Active Unit 490 consists of four Corrective Action Sites (CASs): 03-56-001-03BA, Fire Training Area (FTA); RG-56-001-RGBA, Station 44 Burn Area; 03-58-001-03FN, Sandia Service Yard; and 09-54-001-09L2, Gun Propellant Burn Area. These CASs are located at the Tonopah Test Range near Areas 3 and 9. Historically, the FTA was used for training exercises where tires and wood were ignited with diesel fuel. Records indicate that water and carbon dioxide were the only extinguishing agents used during these training exercises. The Station 44 Burn Area was used for fire training exercises and consisted of two wooden structures. The two burn areas (ignition of tires, wood, and wooden structures with diesel fuel and water) were limited to the building footprints (10 ft by 10 ft each). The Sandia Service Yard was used for storage (i.e., wood, tires, metal, electronic and office equipment, construction debris, and drums of oil/grease) from approximately 1979 to 1993. The Gun Propellant Burn Area …

Pore water data associated with Data Tracking Number (DTN) No.LL990702804244.100 are referenced in the Analysis and Model Reports (AMRs) prepared to support the Site Recommendation in determining the suitability of the Yucca Mountain, Nevada as a repository for high-level nuclear waste. It has been determined, in accordance with procedure AP-3.15Q Rev. 1, ICN 1, ''Managing Technical Product Inputs'', Attachment 6 , that the DTN-referenced data are used in AMRs that provide a direct calculation of ''Principal Factors'' for the Post-closure Safety Case or Potentially Disruptive Processes or Events. Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of procedure AP-SIII.2Q, Rev 0, ICN 2, ''Qualification of Unqualified Data and the Documentation of Rationale for Accepted Data'', Section 5.3.1 .a, a Data Qualification Report has been prepared for submittal to the Assistant Manager, Office of Project Execution for concurrence. This report summarizes the findings of the Data Qualification Team assembled to evaluate unqualified ''pore water data'' represented by DTN No. LL990702804244.100. This DTN is currently used in the following AMRs: Drift-Scale Coupled Processes (DST and THC Seepage) Models (CRWMS M&O 2000a), Environment of the Surfaces of the Drip Shield and Waste Package Outer Barrier (CRWMS M&O 2000b), and Engineered Barrier System: Physical and Chemical …

International and national regulations are requiring testing and calibration laboratories to provide estimates of uncertainty with their measurements. Many balance users are having questions about determining weight measurement uncertainty, especially if their quality control programs have provided estimates of measurement system ``bias and precision''. Part of the problem is the terminology used to describe the quality of weight and mass measurements. Manufacturer's specifications list several performance criteria, but do not provide estimates of the ``uncertainty'' of measurements made using an electronic balance. Several methods for estimating the uncertainty of weight and mass measurements have been described in various publications and regulations in recent years. This paper will discuss the terminology used to describe measurement quality, i.e. accuracy, precision, linearity, hysteresis, measurement uncertainty (MU) and the various contributors to MU and will discuss the advantages and limitations of various methods for estimating MU.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) approval of the Social Security Act's title IV-E reimbursements for foster care placements, focusing on: (1) the number of title IV-E foster care placements made by juvenile justice agencies in fiscal year (FY) 1998 and the amount of federal care funding expended for these placements; (2) how selected states ensure that title IV-E funds are not used for placements in detention facilities and ensure that procedural requirements to protect the welfare of children in title IV-E funded juvenile cases are met; and (3) HHS' processes for ensuring the appropriate use of funds and compliance with these procedural requirements in title IV-E funded juvenile justice placements."

This report outlines Greece's election of 2000 and the odd circumstances surrounding it. It also discusses the aftermath of the unusual election.

The purpose of this conceptual model analysis is to assist Performance Assessment Operations (PA) in modeling the volume of in-package water available for contact with the wasteform. The conceptual model developed in this analysis model report (AMR) represents an enhancement of the in-package water volume model that was abstracted into TSPA-VA performance assessment modeling. This enhanced conceptual model will allow PA to provide a more detailed and complete representation of the volume of in-package water available for contact with the wasteform as a function of time. The conceptual model is presented as a methodology appropriate for use in the total system performance model.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the security of the Department of Energy's (DOE) unclassified information systems that support its civilian research programs, focusing on: (1) whether DOE's unclassified systems for civilian research are vulnerable to unauthorized access; (2) whether DOE is effectively managing information systems security; and (3) what DOE is doing to address the risk of unauthorized access to unclassified systems for civilian research."

This report provides an analysis of selected issues involving the application of information technology to elementary and secondary education, and federal policymaking in this area.

CRS Report for Congress entailing information about the current status and federal report of information technology and elementary and secondary education. Topics include, recent action, major issues, federal policy questions etc..

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This report analyzes the proposed budget of the fiscal year of 2001 and the requests of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Updated June 9, 2000.

We have examined the interaction of deuterium clusters with high intensity, ultrafast laser radiation. Upon irradiation a hot plasma is created with a sufficient temperature to produce nuclear fusion. We have seen that larger clusters produce more fusion neutrons than smaller clusters, consistent with a Coulomb explosion model. Fusion yield is currently limited by propagation effects. Using inter ferometric imaging we have examined the laser propagation and found that the laser energy is absorbed before it penetrates to the center (highest density region) of the gas jet.

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The study of the exocrine pancreatic acinar cell has been central to the development of models of many cellular processes, especially of protein transport and secretion. Traditional methods used to examine this system have provided a wealth of qualitative information from which mechanistic models have been inferred. However they have lacked the ability to make quantitative measurements, particularly of the distribution of protein in the cell, information critical for grounding of models in terms of magnitude and relative significance. This dissertation describes the development and application of new tools that were used to measure the protein content of the major intracellular compartments in the acinar cell, particularly the zymogen granule. Soft x-ray microscopy permits image formation with high resolution and contrast determined by the underlying protein content of tissue rather than staining avidity. A sample preparation method compatible with x-ray microscopy was developed and its properties evaluated. Automatic computerized methods were developed to acquire, calibrate, and analyze large volumes of x-ray microscopic images of exocrine pancreatic tissue sections. Statistics were compiled on the protein density of several organelles, and on the protein density, size, and spatial distribution of tens of thousands of zymogen granules. The results of these measurements, and …

A new fecal analysis method that dissolves plutonium oxide was developed at the Westinghouse Savannah River Site. Diphonix Resin (Eichrom Industries), is used to pre-concentrate the actinides from digested fecal samples. A rapid microwave digestion technique is used to remove the actinides from the Diphonix Resin, which effectively extracts plutonium and americium from acidic solutions containing hydrofluoric acid. After resin digestion, the plutonium and americium are recovered in a small volume of nitric acid that is loaded onto small extraction chromatography columns, TEVA Resin and TRU Resin (Eichrom Industries). The method enables complete dissolution of plutonium oxide and provides high recovery of plutonium and americium with good removal of thorium isotopes such as thorium-228.

This report illustrates the potential accumulations of personal savings accounts intended for retirement savings, given a range of possible contribution amounts and interest rates. It is intended to provide information about how to evaluate the possible role of personal accounts in the debate on Social Security reform.

The objective of this calculation is to generate source terms for each type of Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) canister that may be disposed of at the potential repository at Yucca Mountain. The scope of this calculation is limited to generating source terms for average DOE SNF canisters, and is not intended to be used for subsequent calculations requiring bounding source terms. This calculation is to be used in future Performance Assessment calculations, or other shielding or thermal calculations requiring average source terms.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO estimated the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) sugar program's: (1) costs to domestic sweetener users; (2) benefits to domestic sugar and high-fructose corn syrup producers; and (3) net effects on the U.S. economy--the differences between the costs to users and the benefits to producers that result from artificially high sweetener prices."

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.