Documented Safety Analysis for the Waste Storage Facilities March 2010 (open access)

Documented Safety Analysis for the Waste Storage Facilities March 2010

This Documented Safety Analysis (DSA) for the Waste Storage Facilities was developed in accordance with 10 CFR 830, Subpart B, 'Safety Basis Requirements,' and utilizes the methodology outlined in DOE-STD-3009-94, Change Notice 3. The Waste Storage Facilities consist of Area 625 (A625) and the Decontamination and Waste Treatment Facility (DWTF) Storage Area portion of the DWTF complex. These two areas are combined into a single DSA, as their functions as storage for radioactive and hazardous waste are essentially identical. The B695 Segment of DWTF is addressed under a separate DSA. This DSA provides a description of the Waste Storage Facilities and the operations conducted therein; identification of hazards; analyses of the hazards, including inventories, bounding releases, consequences, and conclusions; and programmatic elements that describe the current capacity for safe operations. The mission of the Waste Storage Facilities is to safely handle, store, and treat hazardous waste, transuranic (TRU) waste, low-level waste (LLW), mixed waste, combined waste, nonhazardous industrial waste, and conditionally accepted waste generated at LLNL (as well as small amounts from other DOE facilities).
Date: March 5, 2010
Creator: Laycak, D T
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Quantitative Visualization of ChIP-chip Data by Using Linked Views (open access)

Quantitative Visualization of ChIP-chip Data by Using Linked Views

Most analyses of ChIP-chip in vivo DNA binding have focused on qualitative descriptions of whether genomic regions are bound or not. There is increasing evidence, however, that factors bind in a highly overlapping manner to the same genomic regions and that it is quantitative differences in occupancy on these commonly bound regions that are the critical determinants of the different biological specificity of factors. As a result, it is critical to have a tool to facilitate the quantitative visualization of differences between transcription factors and the genomic regions they bind to understand each factor's unique roles in the network. We have developed a framework which combines several visualizations via brushing-and-linking to allow the user to interactively analyze and explore in vivo DNA binding data of multiple transcription factors. We describe these visualization types and also provide a discussion of biological examples in this paper.
Date: November 5, 2010
Creator: Huang, Min-Yu; Weber, Gunther; Li, Xiao-Yong; Biggin, Mark & Hamann, Bernd
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Molecular Basis for Enhancement of the Meiotic DMCI Recombinase by RAD51AP1 (open access)

Molecular Basis for Enhancement of the Meiotic DMCI Recombinase by RAD51AP1

Homologous recombination is needed for meiotic chromosome segregation, genome maintenance, and tumor suppression. RAD51AP1 (RAD51 Associated Protein 1) has been shown to interact with and enhance the recombinase activity of RAD51. Accordingly, genetic ablation of RAD51AP1 leads to enhanced sensitivity to and also chromosome aberrations upon DNA damage, demonstrating a role for RAD51AP1 in mitotic homologous recombination. Here we show physical association of RAD51AP1 with the meiosis-specific recombinase DMC1 and a stimulatory effect of RAD51AP1 on the DMC1-mediated D-loop reaction. Mechanistic studies have revealed that RAD51AP1 enhances the ability of the DMC1 presynaptic filament to capture the duplex DNA partner and to assemble the synaptic complex, in which the recombining DNA strands are homologously aligned. We also provide evidence that functional co-operation is dependent on complex formation between DMC1 and RAD51AP1, and that distinct epitopes in RAD51AP1 mediate interactions with RAD51 and DMC1. Finally, we show that RAD51AP1 is expressed in mouse testes, and that RAD51AP1 foci co-localize with a subset of DMC1 foci in spermatocytes. These results suggest that RAD51AP1 also serves an important role in meiotic homologous recombination.
Date: November 5, 2010
Creator: Dray, Eloise; Dunlop, Myun Hwa; Kauppi, Liisa; San Filippo, Joseph; Wiese, Claudia; Tsai, Miaw-Sheue et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Full multiple scattering analysis of XANES at the Cd L3 and O K edges in CdO films combined with a soft-x-ray emission investigation (open access)

Full multiple scattering analysis of XANES at the Cd L3 and O K edges in CdO films combined with a soft-x-ray emission investigation

X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) at the cadmium L3 and oxygen K edges for CdO thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition method, is interpreted within the real-space multiple scattering formalism, FEFF code. The features in the experimental spectra are well reproduced by calculations for a cluster of about six and ten coordination shells around the absorber for L3 edge of Cd and K edge of O, respectively. The calculated projected electronic density of states is found to be in good agreement with unoccupied electronic states in experimental data and allows to conclude that the orbital character of the lowest energy of the conductive band is Cd-5s-O-2p. The charge transfer has been quantified and not purely ionic bonding has been found. Combined XANES and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering measurements allow us to determine the direct and indirect band gap of investigated CdO films to be {approx}2.4-eV and {approx}0.9-eV, respectively.
Date: July 5, 2010
Creator: Demchenko, I. N.; Denlinger, J. D.; Chernyshova, M.; Yu, K. M.; Speaks, D. T.; Olalde-Velasco, P. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Preliminary Evaluation of the Section 1603 Treasury Grant Program for Renewable Power Projects in the United States (open access)

Preliminary Evaluation of the Section 1603 Treasury Grant Program for Renewable Power Projects in the United States

This article evaluates the first year of the Section 1603 Treasury cash grant program, which enables renewable power projects in the U.S. to elect cash grants in lieu of the federal tax credits that are otherwise available. To date, the program has been heavily subscribed, particularly by wind power projects, which had received 86% of the nearly $2.6 billion in grants that had been disbursed as of March 1, 2010. As of that date, 6.2 GW of the 10 GW of new wind capacity installed in the U.S. in 2009 had applied for grants in lieu of production tax credits. Roughly 2.4 GW of this wind capacity may not have otherwise been built in 2009 absent the grant program; this 2.4 GW may have supported approximately 51,600 short-term full-time-equivalent (FTE) gross job-years in the U.S. during the construction phase of these wind projects, and 3,860 longterm FTE gross jobs during the operational phase. The program’s popularity stems from the significant economic value that it provides to renewable power projects, relative to the otherwise available tax credits. Although grants reward investment rather than efficient performance, this evaluation finds no evidence at this time of either widespread “gold-plating” or performance problems.
Date: May 5, 2010
Creator: Bolinger, Mark; Wiser, Ryan & Darghouth, Naim
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
2009 International Conference on Neutron Scattering (ICNS 2009) (open access)

2009 International Conference on Neutron Scattering (ICNS 2009)

The ICNS provides a focal point for the worldwide neutron user community to strengthen ties within this diverse group, while at the same time promoting neutron research among colleagues in related disciplines identified as “would-be” neutron users. The International Conference on Neutron Scattering thus serves a dual role as an international user meeting and a scientific meeting. As a venue for scientific exchange, the ICNS showcases recent results and provides forums for scientific discussion of neutron research in diverse fields such as hard and soft condensed matter, liquids, biology, magnetism, engineering materials, chemical spectroscopy, crystal structure, and elementary excitations, fundamental physics and development of neutron instrumentation through a combination of invited talks, contributed talks and poster sessions. Each of the major national neutron facilities (NIST, LANSCE, ANL, HFIR and SNS), along with their international counterparts, has an opportunity to exchange information with each other and to update users, and potential users, of their facility. This is also an appropriate forum for users to raise issues that relate to the facilities.
Date: August 5, 2010
Creator: Rao, Gopal & Gillespie, Donna
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Multi-Dimensional Classification Model for Scientific Workflow Characteristics (open access)

A Multi-Dimensional Classification Model for Scientific Workflow Characteristics

Workflows have been used to model repeatable tasks or operations in manufacturing, business process, and software. In recent years, workflows are increasingly used for orchestration of science discovery tasks that use distributed resources and web services environments through resource models such as grid and cloud computing. Workflows have disparate re uirements and constraints that affects how they might be managed in distributed environments. In this paper, we present a multi-dimensional classification model illustrated by workflow examples obtained through a survey of scientists from different domains including bioinformatics and biomedical, weather and ocean modeling, astronomy detailing their data and computational requirements. The survey results and classification model contribute to the high level understandingof scientific workflows.
Date: April 5, 2010
Creator: Ramakrishnan, Lavanya & Plale, Beth
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Infrared birefringence imaging of residual stress and bulk defects in multicrystalline silicon (open access)

Infrared birefringence imaging of residual stress and bulk defects in multicrystalline silicon

This manuscript concerns the application of infrared birefringence imaging (IBI) to quantify macroscopic and microscopic internal stresses in multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cell materials. We review progress to date, and advance four closely related topics. (1) We present a method to decouple macroscopic thermally-induced residual stresses and microscopic bulk defect related stresses. In contrast to previous reports, thermally-induced residual stresses in wafer-sized samples are generally found to be less than 5 MPa, while defect-related stresses can be several times larger. (2) We describe the unique IR birefringence signatures, including stress magnitudes and directions, of common microdefects in mc-Si solar cell materials including: {beta}-SiC and {beta}-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} microdefects, twin bands, nontwin grain boundaries, and dislocation bands. In certain defects, local stresses up to 40 MPa can be present. (3) We relate observed stresses to other topics of interest in solar cell manufacturing, including transition metal precipitation, wafer mechanical strength, and minority carrier lifetime. (4) We discuss the potential of IBI as a quality-control technique in industrial solar cell manufacturing.
Date: May 5, 2010
Creator: Ganapati, Vidya; Schoenfelder, Stephan; Castellanos, Sergio; Oener, Sebastian; Koepge, Ringo; Sampson, Aaron et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multiple Syntrophic Interactions in a Terephthalate-Degrading Methanogenic Consortium (open access)

Multiple Syntrophic Interactions in a Terephthalate-Degrading Methanogenic Consortium

Terephthalate (TA) is one of the top 50 chemicals produced worldwide. Its production results in a TA-containing wastewater that is treated by anaerobic processes through a poorly understood methanogenic syntrophy. Using metagenomics, we characterized the methanogenic consortium tinside a hyper-mesophilic (i.e., between mesophilic and thermophilic), TA-degrading bioreactor. We identified genes belonging to dominant Pelotomaculum species presumably involved in TA degradation through decarboxylation, dearomatization, and modified ?-oxidation to H{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} and acetate. These intermediates are converted to CH{sub 4}/CO{sub 2} by three novel hyper-mesophilic methanogens. Additional secondary syntrophic interactions were predicted in Thermotogae, Syntrophus and candidate phyla OP5 and WWE1 populations. The OP5 encodes genes capable of anaerobic autotrophic butyrate production and Thermotogae, Syntrophus and WWE1 have the genetic potential to oxidize butyrate to COsub 2}/H{sub 2} and acetate. These observations suggest that the TA-degrading consortium consists of additional syntrophic interactions beyond the standard H{sub 2}-producing syntroph ? methanogen partnership that may serve to improve community stability.
Date: August 5, 2010
Creator: Lykidis, Athanasios; Chen, Chia-Lung; Tringe, Susannah G.; McHardy, Alice C.; Copeland, Alex 5; Kyrpides, Nikos C. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
LANL Virtual Center for Chemical Hydrogen Storage: Chemical Hydrogen Storage Using Ultra-high Surface Area Main Group Materials (open access)

LANL Virtual Center for Chemical Hydrogen Storage: Chemical Hydrogen Storage Using Ultra-high Surface Area Main Group Materials

The focus of the project was to design and synthesize light element compounds and nanomaterials that will reversibly store molecular hydrogen for hydrogen storage materials. The primary targets investigated during the last year were amine and hydrogen terminated silicon (Si) nanoparticles, Si alloyed with lighter elements (carbon (C) and boron (B)) and boron nanoparticles. The large surface area of nanoparticles should facilitate a favorable weight to volume ratio, while the low molecular weight elements such as B, nitrogen (N), and Si exist in a variety of inexpensive and readily available precursors. Furthermore, small NPs of Si are nontoxic and non-corrosive. Insights gained from these studies will be applied toward the design and synthesis of hydrogen storage materials that meet the DOE 2010 hydrogen storage targets: cost, hydrogen capacity and reversibility. Two primary routes were explored for the production of nanoparticles smaller than 10 nm in diameter. The first was the reduction of the elemental halides to achieve nanomaterials with chloride surface termination that could subsequently be replaced with amine or hydrogen. The second was the reaction of alkali metal Si or Si alloys with ammonium halides to produce hydrogen capped nanomaterials. These materials were characterized via X-ray powder diffraction, TEM, …
Date: September 5, 2010
Creator: Kauzlarich, Susan M.; Power, Phillip P.; Neiner, Doinita; Pickering, Alex; Rivard, Eric; Bobby Ellis, T. M. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Unemployment Insurance: Available Unemployment Benefits and Legislative Activity (open access)

Unemployment Insurance: Available Unemployment Benefits and Legislative Activity

None
Date: May 5, 2010
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program (open access)

Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program

This report discusses the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program, which provides three different types of benefits to public safety officers and their survivors: a death, a disability, and an education benefit.
Date: January 5, 2010
Creator: James, Nathan
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Chinese Tire Imports: Section 421 Safeguards and the World Trade Organization (WTO) (open access)

Chinese Tire Imports: Section 421 Safeguards and the World Trade Organization (WTO)

This report discusses GATT Article XIX and the WTO Agreement on Safeguards, Paragraph 16 of China's WTO Accession Protocol, Section 421 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 421 Investigation.
Date: January 5, 2010
Creator: Grimmett, Jeanne J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security: Revisiting Benefits for Spouses and Survivors (open access)

Social Security: Revisiting Benefits for Spouses and Survivors

This report describes the current-law structure of auxiliary benefits for spouses, divorced spouses and surviving spouses. It also discusses some of the issues concerning the adequacy and equity of the current-law structure of auxiliary benefits, and presents some recent proposals.
Date: November 5, 2010
Creator: Shelton, Alison M. & Nuschler, Dawn
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Same-Sex Adoptions (open access)

Same-Sex Adoptions

This report summarizes states laws concerning non-relative adoption by homosexual individuals and couples.
Date: October 5, 2010
Creator: Smith, Alison M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Continuing Resolutions: Latest Action and Brief Overview of Recent Practices (open access)

Continuing Resolutions: Latest Action and Brief Overview of Recent Practices

This report provides information about the Latest Action and Brief Overview of Recent Practices on Continuing Resolutions.
Date: January 5, 2010
Creator: Streeter, Sandy
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Summary of Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credit Under PPACA (P.L. 111-148) (open access)

Summary of Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credit Under PPACA (P.L. 111-148)

None
Date: April 5, 2010
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sentencing Levels for Crack and Powder Cocaine: Kimbrough v. United States and the Impact of United States v. Booker (open access)

Sentencing Levels for Crack and Powder Cocaine: Kimbrough v. United States and the Impact of United States v. Booker

None
Date: April 5, 2010
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Vulnerable Youth: Federal Mentoring Programs and Issues (open access)

Vulnerable Youth: Federal Mentoring Programs and Issues

None
Date: February 5, 2010
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
China-U.S. Poultry Dispute (open access)

China-U.S. Poultry Dispute

This report is categorized into five categories: (I) Background, (II) US.-China Agricultural Trade, (III) U.S. Regulation of Poultry Safety, (IV) China Poultry Rule and (V) Trade Implication and Outlook.
Date: April 5, 2010
Creator: Johnson, Renée
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Species Conservation Funds (open access)

International Species Conservation Funds

This report provides a brief overview of Multinational Species Conservation Fund (MSCF) and Neotraopical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund (NMBCF) and their funding and possible changes to appropriations.
Date: March 5, 2010
Creator: Sheikh, Pervaze A. & Corn, Lynne M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Greenhouse Gas Emission Drivers: Population, Economic Development and Growth, and Energy Use (open access)

Greenhouse Gas Emission Drivers: Population, Economic Development and Growth, and Energy Use

The interactions of three variables underlie debates on the issue of climate change and what responses might be justified: the magnitude and rates of change of (1) population growth, (2) incomes, and (3) intensity of greenhouse gas emissions relative to economic activities. This report examines the interrelationships of the variables to explore their implications for policies that address climate change.
Date: March 5, 2010
Creator: Blodgett, John & Parker, Larry
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Summary of Potential Employer Penalties Under PPACA (P.L. 111-148) (open access)

Summary of Potential Employer Penalties Under PPACA (P.L. 111-148)

None
Date: April 5, 2010
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ownership of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and Policy Options for Congress (open access)

Ownership of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and Policy Options for Congress

None
Date: November 5, 2010
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library