In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act—popularly called the “SAFER Act”—was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire departments for recruitment and retention of volunteers. With the economic turndown adversely affecting budgets of local governments, concerns have arisen that modifications to the SAFER statute may be necessary to enable fire departments to more effectively participate in the program.

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) processes legacy nuclear waste generated at the Savannah River Site (SRS) during production of plutonium and tritium demanded by the Cold War. The nuclear waste is first treated via a complex sequence of controlled chemical reactions and then vitrified into a borosilicate glass form and poured into stainless steel canisters. Converting the nuclear waste into borosilicate glass canisters is a safe, effective way to reduce the volume of the waste and stabilize the radionuclides. Testing was initiated to determine whether the elimination of formic acid from the DWPF's chemical processing flowsheet would eliminate catalytic hydrogen generation. Historically, hydrogen is generated in chemical processing of alkaline High Level Waste sludge in DWPF. In current processing, sludge is combined with nitric and formic acid to neutralize the waste, reduce mercury and manganese, destroy nitrite, and modify (thin) the slurry rheology. The noble metal catalyzed formic acid decomposition produces hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Elimination of formic acid by replacement with glycolic acid has the potential to eliminate the production of catalytic hydrogen. Flowsheet testing was performed to develop the nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet as an alternative to the nitric-formic flowsheet currently being processed at the DWPF. This new …

We report updated branching fraction measurements of the color-suppressed decays {bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}, D*{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}, D{sup 0}{eta}, D*{sup 0}{eta}, D{sup 0}{omega}, D*{sup 0}{omega}, D{sup 0}{eta}', and D*{sup 0}{eta}'. We measure the branching fractions (x10{sup -4}): {Beta}({bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}) = 2.69 {+-} 0.09 {+-} 0.13, {Beta}({bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D*{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}) = 3.05 {+-} 0.14 {+-} 0.28, {Beta}({bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D{sup 0}{eta}) = 2.53 {+-} 0.09 {+-} 0.11, {Beta}({bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D*{sup 0}{eta}) = 2.69 {+-} 0.14 {+-} 0.23, {Beta}({bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D{sup 0}{omega}) = 2.57 {+-} 0.11 {+-} 0.14, {Beta}({bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D*{sup 0}{omega}) = 4.55 {+-} 0.24 {+-} 0.39, {Beta}({bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D{sup 0}{eta}') = 1.48 {+-} 0.13 {+-} 0.07, and {Beta}({bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D*{sup 0}{eta}') = 1.49 {+-} 0.22 {+-} 0.15. We also present the first measurement of the longitudinal polarization fraction of the decay channel D*{sup 0}{omega}, f{sub L} = (66.5 {+-} 4.7 {+-} 1.5)%. In the above, the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The results are based on a sample of (454 {+-} 5) x 10{sup 6} B{bar B} pairs collected at the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance, with …

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The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) utilizes large mass, 3-inch diameter x 1-inch thick target masses as particle detectors. The target is instrumented with both phonon and ionization sensors and comparison of energy in each channel provides event-by-event classification of electron and nuclear recoils. Fiducial volume is determined by the ability to obtain good phonon and ionization signal at a particular location. Due to electronic band structure in germanium, electron mass is described by an anisotropic tensor with heavy mass aligned along the symmetry axis defined by the [111] Miller index (L valley), resulting in large lateral component to the transport. The spatial distribution of electrons varies significantly for detectors which have their longitudinal axis orientations described by either the [100] or [111] Miller indices. Electric fields with large fringing component at high detector radius also affect the spatial distribution of electrons and holes. Both effects are studied in a 3 dimensional Monte Carlo and the impact on fiducial volume is discussed.

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Analogous to nickel-based superalloys, Fe-based superalloys, which are strengthened by coherent B2- type precipitates are proposed for elevated-temperature applications. During the period of this project, a series of ferritic superalloys have been designed and fabricated by methods of vacuum-arc melting and vacuum-induction melting. Nano-scale precipitates were characterized by atom-probe tomography, ultrasmall- angle X-ray scattering, and transmission-electron microscopy. A duplex distribution of precipitates was found. It seems that ferritic superalloys are susceptible to brittle fracture. Systematic endeavors have been devoted to understanding and resolving the problem. Factors, such as hot rolling, precipitate volume fractions, alloy compositions, precipitate sizes and inter-particle spacings, and hyperfine cooling precipitates, have been investigated. In order to understand the underlying relationship between the microstructure and creep behavior of ferric alloys at elevated temperatures, in-situ neutron studies have been carried out. Based on the current result, it seems that the major role of β΄ with a 16%-volume fraction in strengthening ferritic alloys is not load sharing but interactions with dislocations. The oxidation behavior of one ferritic alloy, FBB8 (Fe-6.5Al-10Ni-10Cr-3.4Mo-0.25Zr-0.005B, weight percent), was studied in dry air. It is found that it possesses superior oxidation resistance at 1,023 and 1,123 K, compared with other creep-resistant ferritic steels [T91 (modified …

This report discusses selected legal issues that frequently arise in the context of recent legislation to address vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to cyber threats, efforts to protect government networks from cyber threats, and proposals to facilitate and encourage sharing of cyber threat information amongst private sector and government entities. This report also discusses the degree to which federal law may preempt state law.

We generalize the effective field theory of single clock inflation to include dissipative effects. Working in unitary gauge we couple a set of composite operators, {Omicron}{sub {mu}{nu}}..., in the effective action which is constrained solely by invariance under time-dependent spatial diffeomorphisms. We restrict ourselves to situations where the degrees of freedom responsible for dissipation do not contribute to the density perturbations at late time. The dynamics of the perturbations is then modified by the appearance of 'friction' and noise terms, and assuming certain locality properties for the Green's functions of these composite operators, we show that there is a regime characterized by a large friction term {gamma} >> H in which the {zeta}-correlators are dominated by the noise and the power spectrum can be significantly enhanced. We also compute the three point function <{zeta}{zeta}{zeta}> for a wide class of models and discuss under which circumstances large friction leads to an increased level of non-Gaussianities. In particular, under our assumptions, we show that strong dissipation together with the required non-linear realization of the symmetries implies |f{sub NL}| {approx} {gamma}/c{sub s}{sup 2} H >> 1. As a paradigmatic example we work out a variation of the 'trapped inflation' scenario with local response …

We report results from an experimental and theoretical study of the ternary alloy Ti-6Al-4V to 221 GPa. We observe a phase transition to the hexagonal {omega}-phase at approximately 30 GPa, and then a further transition to the cubic {beta}-phase starting at 94-99 GPa. We do not observe the orthorhombic {gamma} and {delta} phases reported previously in pure Ti. Computational studies show that this sequence is possible only if there is significant local atomic ordering during the compression process, yet insufficient atomic diffusion to reach the phase separated thermodynamic equilibrium state.

In this paper we study in detail the effect of our recently proposed model of parity and charge-parity (PCP) violating varying alpha on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photon passing through the intra galaxy-cluster medium (ICM). The ICM is well known to be composed of magnetized plasma. According to our model, the polarization and intensity of the CMB would be affected when traversing through the ICM due to non-trivial scalar photon interactions. We have calculated the evolution of such polarization and intensity collectively, known as the stokes parameters of the CMB photon during its journey through the ICM and tested our results against the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) measurement on Coma galaxy cluster. Our model contains a PCP violating parameter, {beta}, and a scale of alpha variation {omega}. Using the derived constrained on the photon-to-scalar conversion probability, {bar P}{sub {gamma}{yields}{phi}}, for Coma cluster in ref.[34] we found a contour plot in the ({omega},{beta}) parameter plane. The {beta} = 0 line in this parameter space corresponds to well-studied Maxwell-dilaton type models which has lower bound on {omega} {approx}> 6.4 x 10{sup 9} GeV. In general, as the absolute value of {beta} increases, lower bound on {omega} also increases. Our model in general predicts …

The MOGO project was initiated under in 2008 under the DOE Program Announcement for Software Development Tools for Improved Ease-of-Use on Petascale systems (LAB 08-19). The MOGO team consisted of Oak Ridge National Lab, Argonne National Lab, and the University of Oregon. The overall goal of MOGO was to attack petascale performance analysis by developing a general framework where empirical performance data could be efficiently and accurately compared with performance expectations at various levels of abstraction. This information could then be used to automatically identify and remediate performance problems. MOGO was be based on performance models derived from application knowledge, performance experiments, and symbolic analysis. MOGO was able to make reasonable impact on existing DOE applications and systems. New tools and techniques were developed, which, in turn, were used on important DOE applications on DOE LCF systems to show significant performance improvements.

The goal of the FACETS project (Framework Application for Core-Edge Transport Simulations) was to provide a multiphysics, parallel framework application (FACETS) that will enable whole-device modeling for the U.S. fusion program, to provide the modeling infrastructure needed for ITER, the next step fusion confinement device. Through use of modern computational methods, including component technology and object oriented design, FACETS is able to switch from one model to another for a given aspect of the physics in a flexible manner. This enables use of simplified models for rapid turnaround or high-fidelity models that can take advantage of the largest supercomputer hardware. FACETS does so in a heterogeneous parallel context, where different parts of the application execute in parallel by utilizing task farming, domain decomposition, and/or pipelining as needed and applicable. ParaTools, Inc. was tasked with supporting the performance analysis and tuning of the FACETS components and framework in order to achieve the parallel scaling goals of the project. The TAU Performance System® was used for instrumentation, measurement, archiving, and profile / tracing analysis. ParaTools, Inc. also assisted in FACETS performance engineering efforts. Through the use of the TAU Performance System, ParaTools provided instrumentation, measurement, analysis and archival support for the FACETS …

We develop a novel method to separate the components of a diffuse emission process based on an association with the energy spectra. Most of the existing methods use some information about the spatial distribution of components, e.g., closeness to an external template, independence of components etc., in order to separate them. In this paper we propose a method where one puts conditions on the spectra only. The advantages of our method are: 1) it is internal: the maps of the components are constructed as combinations of data in different energy bins, 2) the components may be correlated among each other, 3) the method is semi-blind: in many cases, it is sufficient to assume a functional form of the spectra and determine the parameters from a maximization of a likelihood function. As an example, we derive the CMB map and the foreground maps for seven yeas of WMAP data. In an Appendix, we present a generalization of the method, where one can also add a number of external templates.

This report presents a profile of the membership of the 112th Congress (2011-2012). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.

Examines the velocity distribution function (VDF) in dark matter halos from milky way to cluster mass scales.

This document presents the technical assistance provided to the Alaska Home Financing Corporation on behalf of PNNL regarding the assessment of attitudes toward energy codes within the building community in Alaska. It includes a summary of the existing situation and specific assistance requested by AHFC, the results of a questionnaire designed for builders surveyed in a suburban area of Anchorage, interviews with a lender, a building official, and a research specialist, and recommendations for future action by AHFC.

This report briefly discusses economic stimulus considerations related to temporary payroll tax reductions. In addition, as the Social Security trust fund is made whole through a transfer from the general fund, select options to offset this increase in the deficit will be examined to illustrate how the choice offsets can affect the net amount of economic stimulus provided.

This presentation reported on the technology choices and progress manufacturing and testing the injector and accelerator of the 250 MeV ultra-compact Compton Scattering gamma-ray Source under development at LLNL for homeland security applications. This paper summarizes the status of various facets of current accelerator activities at LLNL. The major components for the X-band test station have been designed, fabricated, and await installation. The XL-4 klystron has been delivered, and will shortly be dressed and installed in the ScandiNova modulator. High power testing of the klystron into RF loads will follow, including adjustment of the modulator for the klystron load as necessary. Assembly of RF transport, test station supports, and accelerator components will follow. Commissioning will focus on processing the RF gun to full operating power, which corresponds to 200 MV/m peak electric field on the cathode surface. Single bunch benchmarking of the Mark 1 design will provide confidence that this first structure operates as designed, and will serve as a solid starting point for subsequent changes, such as a removable photocathode, and the use of various cathode materials for enhanced quantum efficiency. Charge scaling experiments will follow, partly to confirm predictions, as well as to identify important causes of emittance …

This report looks at the state of Hong Kong politics after the 2012 elections. It covers three key reasons why Congress may consider appropriating funds to foster the development of civil society and democratic practices in Hong Kong: [1] it is U.S. policy to support democracy in Hong Kong, [2] the conduct of the 2012 elections may be indicators of support for democratic reforms, and [3] there is a possibility that democracy in Hong Kong could lead to democratic reforms in Mainland China.

I report the recent searches for CP violation in {tau} and D decays including a K{sub s}{sup 0} in the final state. The analyses herein shown are based on data samples recorded by BABAR and Belle experiments. A brief introduction on CP violation is followed by the summary of the experimental techniques and the results obtained for {tau} and D decays, respectively. Finally, an outlook on future development is provided.

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Recent high profile military-related cases involving U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan, including the deadly attack on Afghan civilians allegedly by a service member, the accidental burning of the Quran, and service members allegedly urinating on Afghan corpses, have resulted in increased public and congressional interest in military discipline and the military justice system. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) authorizes three types of courts-martial: (1) summary court-martial; (2) special court martial; and (3) general court-martial. Depending on the severity of the alleged offense, the accused's commanding officer enjoys great discretion with respect to the type of court-martial to convene. This report discusses the court martial procedure in further detail.