A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on TRICARE centralized appointment scheduling, focusing on the: (1) proportion of appointments scheduled by TRICARE contractors for beneficiaries in the four TRICARE regions with centralized systems; and (2) factors that affect the contractors' ability to schedule appointments."

As a result of nuclear weapons testing and accidents, plutonium has been distributed into the environment. The areas close to the sites of these tests and accidental dispersions contain plutonium deposition of such a magnitude that health authorities and responsible officials have mandated that the contaminated areas be protected, generally through isolation or removal of the contaminated areas. In recent years remedial actions have taken place at all these sites. For reasons not entirely clear, the public perceives radiation exposure risk to be much greater than the evidence would suggest [1]. This perception seems to be particularly true for plutonium, which has often been ''demonized'' in various publications as the ''most hazardous substance known to man'' [2]. As the position statement adapted by the Health Physics Society explains, ''Plutonium's demonization is an example of how the public has been misled about radiation's environmental and health threats generally, and in cases like plutonium, how it has developed a warped ''risk perception'' that does not reflect reality'' [3]. As a result of this risk perception and ongoing debate surrounding environmental plutonium contamination, remedial action criteria are difficult to establish. By examining the data available before and after remedial actions taken at the …

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Accurate seismic event location is integral to the effective monitoring of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), as well as being a fundamental component of earthquake source characterization. To account for the effects of crustal and mantle structure on seismic travel times, and to improve seismic event location in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), we are developing a set of radially heterogeneous and azimuthally invariant travel-time models of the crust and upper mantle for each MENA seismic station. We begin by developing an average one-dimensional velocity model that minimizes the P-phase travel-time residuals from regional through teleseismic distance at each station. To do this we (1) generate a suite of 1-D velocity models of the earth, (2) compute travel times through the 1-D models using a tau-p formulation to produce standard travel-time tables, and (3) minimize the root-mean-square (rms) residuals between the P-phase arrivals predicted by each model and a groomed set of ISC P-phase arrival times (Engdahl et al., 1991). Once we have an average one-dimensional velocity model that minimizes the P-phase travel-time residuals for all distances, we repeat steps 1 through 3, systematically perturbing the travel-time model and using a grid search procedure to optimize models within …

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Ground-Based Nuclear Explosion Monitoring (GNEM) R and D program has made significant progress populating a comprehensive Seismic Research knowledge Base (SRKB) and deriving calibration parameters for the Middle East and North Africa (ME/NA) and Former Soviet Union (FSU) regions. The LLNL SRKB provides not only a coherent framework in which to store and organize very large volumes of collected seismic waveforms, associated event parameter information, and spatial contextual data, but also provides an efficient data processing/research environment for deriving location and discrimination correction surfaces. The SRKB is a flexible and extensible framework consisting of a relational database (RDB), Geographical Information System (GIS), and associated product/data visualization and data management tools. This SRKB framework is designed to accommodate large volumes of data (over 2 million waveforms from 20,000 events) in diverse formats from many sources in addition to maintaining detailed quality control and metadata. Using the SRKB framework, they are combining travel-time observations, event characterization studies, and regional tectonic models to assemble a library of ground truth information and phenomenology correction surfaces required for support of the ME/NA and FSU regionalization program. Corrections and parameters distilled from the LLNL SRKB provide needed contributions to the …

This white paper provides an initial assessment of the potential impacts of the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) regulations (and proposed revisions) on the Hanford site cleanup and addresses concerns that MTCA might impose inappropriate or unachievable clean-up levels and drive clean-up costs higher. The white paper and supporting documentation (Appendices A and B) provide DOE with a concise and up-to-date review of potential MTCA impacts to cost and schedule for the Hanford site activities. MTCA, Chapter 70.105D RCW, is the State of Washington's risk based law governing clean-up of contaminated sites and is implemented by The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) under the MTCA Clean-up Regulations, Chapter 173-340 WAC. Hanford cleanup is subject to the MTCA requirements as Applicable, Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (ARARs) for those areas of Hanford being managed under the authority of the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the state Dangerous Waste Regulations. MTCA provides Ecology with authority to implement site clean-up actions under both the federal RCRA and CERCLA regulations as well as the state regulations. Most of the Hanford clean-up actions are being implemented under the CERCLA program, however, there is a trend …

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.

This report examines various aspects of the national debt and explains what would happen if the debt were eliminated. The national debt currently held by the public stands at $3.4 trillion, or about 35% of gross domestic product (GDP).

In this note we derive circuit equations for sustained spheromaks, in the phase after a spheromak is detached from the gun and sustained in a flux conserver. The impedance of the spheromak during the formation and ''bubble burst'' phase has been discussed by Barnes et. al. We assume here that the spheromak is formed and helicity is being delivered to it from the gun, currents are above the threshold current, and the {lambda}-gradients are outward ({lambda} decreasing inward). We follow an open field line that begins and ends at the gun electrodes, encircling the closed flux surfaces of the spheromak, and apply power and helicity balance equations for this gun-driven system. In addition to these equations one will need to know the initial conditions (currents, stored energies) after the ''bubble burst'' in order to project forward in time.

Accurate seismic event location is key to monitoring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and is largely dependent on our understanding of the crust and mantle velocity structure. This is particularly challenging in aseismic regions, devoid of calibration data, which leads us to rely on a priori constraints on the velocities. We investigate our ability to improve seismic event location in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Former Soviet Union (ME/NA/FSU) by using a priori three-dimensional (3-D) velocity models in lieu of more commonly used one dimensional (1-D) models. Event locations based on 1-D models are often biased, as they do not account for significant travel-time variations that result from heterogeneous crust and mantle; it follows that 3-D velocity models have the potential to reduce this bias. Here, we develop a composite 3-D model for the ME/NA/FSU regions. This fully 3-D model is an amalgamation of studies ranging from seismic reflection to geophysical analogy. Our a priori model specifies geographic boundaries and velocity structures based on geology, tectonics, and seismicity and information taken from published literature, namely a global sediment thickness map of 1{sup o} resolution (Laske and Masters, 1997), a regionalized crustal model based on geology and tectonics (Sweeney …

It is known that filtered cathodic-arc-deposited ta-C films have outstanding properties even within the family of diamondlike materials. However, filtering of macroparticles is usually incomplete or accompanied by significant plasma losses. Ongoing research effort is directed towards the following goals: (1) complete elimination of macro- and nanoparticles from the vacuum arc plasma, (2) increase of plasma utilization in the cathodic-arc and macroparticle-filter system, (3) precise control and reproducibility of film deposition, and (4) synthesis of ultrathin films (< 5 nm) that meet requirements of the magnetic storage industry. The development of new filters, in particular the ''Twist Filter'', enables cathodic arc plasma deposition to synthesize ultrathin ta-C films of 3 nm on heads that pass corrosion and other relevant tests. We describe the Twist Filter system and report about recent ta-C tests results. In light of these results, even thinner films seem to be possible.

The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 created new procurement procedures for federal civilian agencies and established the General Services Administration as a central procurement agent.1 Since that time, this enabling law has evolved through amendments to provide GSA with an integrated system of administrative procedures to carry out its federal procurement and supply activities.

Magnesium aryloxides were prepared in a variety of solvents through the reaction of dibutyl magnesium with sterically varied aryl alcohols: 2,6-dimethylphenol (H-DMP), 2,6-diisopropylphenol (H-DIP), and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (H-TCP). Upon using a sufficiently strong Lewis-basic solvent, the monomeric species Mg(DMP){sub 2}(py){sub 3} (1, py = pyridine), Mg(DIP){sub 2}(THF){sub 3}, (2a, THF = tetrahydrofuran) Mg(TCP){sub 2}(THF){sub 3} (3) were isolated. Each of these complexes possesses a five-coordinate magnesium that adopts a trigonal bipyramidal geometry. In the absence of a Lewis base, the reaction with H-DIP yields a soluble trinuclear complex, [Mg(DIP){sub 2}]{sub 3} (2b). The Mg metal centers in 2b adopt a linear arrangement with a four-coordinate central metal while the outer metal centers are reduced to just three-coordinate. Solution spectroscopic methods suggest that while 2b remains intact, the monomeric species (1, 2a, and 3) are involved in equilibria, which facilitate intermolecular ligand transfer.

The syntheses, crystal structures and some properties of {alpha}- and {beta}-ZnHPO{sub 3}{center_dot}N{sub 4}C{sub 2}H{sub 4} are reported. These two polymorphs are the first organically-templated hydrogen phosphites. They are built up from vertex-sharing HPO{sub 3} pseudo pyramids and ZnO{sub 3}N tetrahedra, where the Zn-N bond represents a direct link between zinc and the neutral 2-cyanoguanidine template. {alpha}-ZnHPO{sub 3}{center_dot}N{sub 4}C{sub 2}H{sub 4} is built up from infinite layers of vertex-sharing ZnO{sub 3}N and HPO{sub 3} groups forming 4-rings and 8-rings. {beta}-ZnHPO{sub 3}{center_dot}N{sub 4}C{sub 2}H{sub 4} has strong one-dimensional character, with the polyhedral building units forming 4-ring ladders. Similarities and differences to related zinc phosphates are discussed. Crystal data: {alpha}-ZnHPO{sub 3}{center_dot}N{sub 4}C{sub 2}H{sub 4}, M{sub r} = 229.44, monoclinic, P2{sub 1}/c, a = 9.7718 (5) {angstrom}, b = 8.2503 (4) {angstrom}, c = 9.2491 (5) {angstrom}, {beta} = 104.146 (1){sup 0}, V = 723.1 (1) {angstrom}{sup 3}, R(F) = 2.33%, wR(F) = 2.52%. {beta}-ZnHPO{sub 3}{center_dot}N{sub 4}C{sub 2}H{sub 4}, M{sub r} = 229.44, monoclinic, C2/c, a = 14.5092 (9) {angstrom}, b = 10.5464 (6) {angstrom}, c = 10.3342 (6) {angstrom}, {beta} = 114.290 (1){sup 0}, V = 1441.4 (3) {angstrom}{sup 3}, R(F) = 3.01%, wR(F) = 3.40%.

This paper describes the evolution of the process for assessing the hazards of a geologic disposal system for radioactive waste and, similarly, nuclear power reactors, and the relationship of this process with other assessments of risk, particularly assessments of hazards from manufactured carcinogenic chemicals during use and disposal. This perspective reviews the common history of scientific concepts for risk assessment developed to the 1950s. Computational tools and techniques developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s to analyze the reliability of nuclear weapon delivery systems were adopted in the early 1970s for probabilistic risk assessment of nuclear power reactors, a technology for which behavior was unknown. In turn, these analyses became an important foundation for performance assessment of nuclear waste disposal in the late 1970s. The evaluation of risk to human health and the environment from chemical hazards is built upon methods for assessing the dose response of radionuclides in the 1950s. Despite a shared background, however, societal events, often in the form of legislation, have affected the development path for risk assessment for human health, producing dissimilarities between these risk assessments and those for nuclear facilities. An important difference is the regulator's interest in accounting for uncertainty and the …

A key uncertainty in models of the global carbonate-silicate cycle and long-term climate is the way that silicates weather under different climatologic conditions, and in the presence or absence of organic activity. Digital imaging of basalts in Hawaii resolves the coupling between temperature, rainfall, and weathering in the presence and absence of lichens. Activation energies for abiotic dissolution of plagioclase (23.1{+-} 2.5 kcal/mol) and olivine (21.3 {+-} 2.7 kcal/mol) are similar to those measured in the laboratory, and are roughly double those measured from samples taken underneath lichen. Abiotic weathering rates appear to be proportional to rainfall. Dissolution of plagioclase and olivine underneath lichen is far more sensitive to rainfall.

The structures of the high and low-density amorphous phases of ice are studied using several techniques. The diffraction patterns of high and low density amorphous ice are analyzed using reverse Monte Carlo methods and compared with molecular dynamics simulations of these phases. The spectra of crystalline and amorphous phases of ice obtained by Raman and incoherent inelastic neutron scattering are analyzed to yield structural features for comparison with the results of molecular dynamics and Reverse Monte Carlo analysis. The structural details obtained indicate that there are significant differences between the structure of liquid water and the amorphous phases of ice.

The study of a homologous series of silsesquioxane monomers has uncovered striking discontinuities in gelation behavior. An investigation of the chemistry during the early stages of the polymerization has provided a molecular basis for these observations. Monomers containing from one to four carbon atoms exhibit a pronounced tendency to undergo inter or intramolecular cyclization. The cyclic intermediates have been characterized by {sup 29}Si NMR, chemical ionization mass spectrometry and isolation from the reaction solution. These carbosiloxanes are local thermodynamic sinks that produce kinetic bottlenecks in the production of high molecular weight silsesquioxanes. The formation of cyclics results in slowing down or in some cases completely shutting down gelation. An additional finding is that the cyclic structures are incorporated intact into the final xerogel. Since cyclization alters the structure of the building block that eventually makes up the xerogel network, it is expected that this will contribute importantly to the bulk properties of the xerogel as well.

To confirm conversion of soil Pb to pyromorphite [Pb{sub 5}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}Cl], a Pb contaminated soil collected adjacent to a historical smelter was reacted with hydroxyapatite in slurries of soil and hydroxyapatite separated by a dialysis membrane and incubated. A crystalline precipitate formed on the dialysis membrane in the slurry systems was identified as chloropyromorphite. Soluble species measured in the soil slurry indicated that dissolution of solid-phase soil Pb was the rate-limiting step for pyromorphite formation. Additionally samples reacted with hydroxyapatite were incubated at field-capacity moisture content. The sequential chemical extraction used to identify species in the field-moist soil incubation experiment showed that hydroxyapatite treatment reduced the first four fractions of extractable Pb and correspondingly increased the recalcitrant extraction residue fraction by 35% of total Pb at 0 d incubation and by 45% after 240 d incubation. the increase in the extraction residue fraction in the 240 d incubation as compared to the 0 d incubation implies that the reaction occurs in the soil but the increase in the hydroxyapatite amended 0 d incubated soil as compared to the control soil illustrates the chemical extraction procedure caused changes in the extractability. Thus, the chemical extraction procedure cannot easily be utilized …

A study of zeolite crystallization from sol-gel precursors using the vapor phase transport synthesis method has been performed. Zeolites (ZSM-5, ZSM-48, Zeolite P, and Sodalite) were crystallized by contacting vapor phase organic or organic-water mixtures with dried sodium silicate and dried sodium alumino-silicate gels. For each precursor gel, a ternary phase system of vapor phase organic reactant molecules was explored. The vapor phase reactant mixtures ranged from pure ethylene diamene, triethylamine, or water, to an equimolar mixture of each. In addition, a series of gels with varied physical and chemical properties were crystallized using the same vapor phase solvent mixture for each gel. The precursor gels and the crystalline products were analyzed via Scanning Electron Microscopy, Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy, X-ray mapping, X-ray powder diffraction, nitrogen surface area, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and thermal analyses. The product phase and purity as a function of the solvent mixture, precursor gel structure, and precursor gel chemistry is discussed.

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The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) started plasma operations i n February 1999. In the first extended period of experiments, NSTX achieved high current, inner wall limited, double null, and single null plasma discharges, initial Coaxial Helicity Injection, and High Harmonic Fast Wave results. As expected, discharge reproducibility and performance were strongly affected by wall conditions. In this paper, the authors describe the internal geometry, and initial plasma discharge, impurity control, wall conditioning, erosion, and deposition results.

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Trialkoxysilyl-containing monomers of the type (RO){sub 3}Si(CH{sub 2}){sub 3}C(O)OtBu (R = Me, Et) were prepared by hydrosilation of the corresponding vinylic tert-butyl esters CH{sub 3}CHCH{sub 2}C(O)OtBu. Acid- or base-catalyzed polymerization of the monomers leads to very high molecular weight polymers with relatively narrow polydispersities. The polymerization results in complete condensation of the alkoxy groups while the tert-butyl ester functionality remains fully intact. Partial or full deprotection of the tert-butyl group can easily be achieved to yield the corresponding carboxylic acid polymers. The ester and carboxylic acid functionalities of these new materials allow for their potential use in a variety of applications such as scavenging of heavy metals.