The primary objective of the project is to examine the relations between the catalytic and magnetic properties of the copper-cobalt higher alcohol synthesis catalysts. We have undertaken to investigate the magnetic character by studying the Nuclear Quadrupole resonance of copper and (Zerofield) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of cobalt in copper cobalt catalysts.

The effect of particle shape on char burnout is investigated in the limit of shrinking core combustion. As a first step, the particle temperature is assumed to proceed in the shrinking core regime and under conditions of negligible Stefan flow. The problem then reduces to calculating the oxygen concentration field around a non-spherical particle with the oxidation reaction taking place on the external surface. This problem has been addressed by an analytical technique and a numerical technique. An analytical technique known as domain perturbation'' was used to examine the change due to reaction in the shape of a slightly nonspherical, but axisymmetric, particle. It was found that the aspect ratio always increases with conversion, i.e., the particle becomes less spherical. A numerical technique, based on the boundary integral'' method was developed to handle the case of an axisymmetric particle with otherwise arbitrary shape. Numerical results are presented which again show the aspect ratio to increase with conversion. 8 refs.

This is the final report of Phase I of the Michigan Regulatory Incentives Study for Electric Utilities, a three-phase review of Michigan's regulatory system and its effects on resource selection by electric utilities. The goal of Phase I is to identify and analyze financial incentive mechanisms that encourage selection of resources in accord with the principles of integrated resource planning (IRP) or least-cost planning (LCP). Subsequent study phases will involve further analysis of options and possibly a collaborative formal effort to propose regulatory changes. The Phase I analysis proceeded in three steps: (1) identification and review of existing regulatory practices that affect utilities; selection of resources, particularly DSM; (2) preliminary analysis of ten financial mechanisms, and selection of three for further study; (3) detailed analysis of the three mechanisms, including consideration of how they could be implemented in Michigan and financial modeling of their likely impacts on utilities and ratepayers.

The objective of proposed research is development of catalysts with enhanced slurry phase activity and better selectivity to fuel range products, through a more detailed understanding and systematic studies of the effects of pretreatment procedures and promoters/binders (silica) on catalyst performance.

To better understand the flotation behavior of coal pyrite, studies have been initiated to characterize the floatability of coal pyrite and mineral pyrite. The hydrophobicity of coal material pyrite was examined over a range of pH and oxidation times. The results indicate that surface oxidation plays an important role in coal and mineral pyrite hydrophobicity. The hydrophobicity of mineral pyrite decreases with increasing oxidation time (20 min. to 5 hr.) and increasing pH (pH 4.6 to 9.2), with maximum depression occurring at pH 9.2. However, coal pyrite exhibited low floatability, even at the lowest oxidation time, over the entire pH range. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results suggest the growth of an oxidized iron layer as being responsible for the deterioration in floatability, while a sulfur-containing species present on the sample surfaces may promote floatability. Preliminary studies of the effect of frother indicate an enhancement in the floatability of both coal and mineral pyrite over the entire pH range.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) information management systems, focusing on: (1) recent initiatives designed to help EPA improve the accuracy, completeness, and compatibility of its data; (2) the impact of data gaps and inconsistencies on EPA's ability to evaluate and report on the results of its programs under the Government Performance and Results Act; and (3) the major management challenges facing EPA's new central information office."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Forest Service's evolving mission, focusing on the: (1) priorities that Congress set in enacting the National Forest Management Act of 1976, which guides the development of plans for managing national forests; (2) Forest Service's mission and funding priorities and how they have evolved over the past 2 decades; and (3) effect of these priorities on the availability of timber and on the costs of and receipts from timber sales."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO studied the peer review and other quality assurance processes that federal agencies use in conducting scientific research and development, focusing on: (1) defining what is meant by peer review; (2) describing the federal government's peer review policy; (3) describing the peer review practices of 12 federal agencies that conduct scientific research; (4) describing other agencies' quality assurance reviews; and (5) identifying which research is not subject to review."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the status of Russian involvement in the International Space Station (ISS) program, focusing on: (1) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) progress in developing contingency plans to mitigate the possibility of Russian nonperformance and the loss or delay of other critical components; (2) NASA's efforts to ensure that Russian quality assurance processes meet the station's safety requirements; and (3) the effectiveness of cost control efforts regarding the prime contract and nonprime activities."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to reduce the size and cost of its headquarters activities, focusing on DOD's: (1) efforts to reduce headquarters positions and associated costs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Washington Headquarters Services, as required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997; (2) efforts to reduce headquarters positions across DOD as required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998; and (3) reporting of personnel on temporary assignment to OSD from other DOD components."

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on Department of Defense (DOD) efforts to improve joint operations, focusing on: (1) the U.S. Atlantic Command's (USACOM) actions to establish itself as the joint force trainer, provider, and integrator of most continental U.S.-based forces; (2) views on the value of the Command's contributions to joint military capabilities; and (3) recent expansion of the Command's responsibilities and its possible effects on the command."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the: (1) overall effectiveness of federal agencies' reconciliation processes for Fund Balances with Treasury accounts; and (2) Department of the Treasury's actions to improve its assistance to agencies in their reconciliaiton efforts."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on Border Patrol hiring, focusing on: (1) the Immigration and Naturalization Service's (INS) ability to meet its 5-year goal to increase the Border Patrol's onboard strength by 1,000 agents each year from fiscal years (FY) 1997 through 2001; (2) INS' efforts to improve its recruiting efforts and hiring process; (3) changes in the years of experience and level of supervision of Border Patrol agents during INS' increased hiring; and (4) the ability of INS' basic training program to support the pace at which Border Patrol agents have been hired, including whether the Border Patrol Academy anticipates having the capacity to meet future growth."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the training provided to active Army units at the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin, California, the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in Fort Polk, Louisiana, and the Combat Maneuver Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany, focusing on: (1) whether units training at the centers are adequately prepared for the exercises; (2) whether training exercises are realistic in terms of expected battlefield conditions; (3) whether pre-positioned equipment adequately supports the training mission; (4) how units use lessons learned at the centers; and (5) how the Army uses the results of the exercises to help revise training and improve the Army's training doctrine."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the District of Columbia's management of the development of the Comprehensive Automated Personnel and Payroll System (CAPPS), focusing on whether the District has effectively planned and managed CAPPS."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) expanded programs concerning recovery auditing."

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the status of the management and disposal of commercially generated low-level radioactive wastes, including the progress of states and compacts of states in developing new disposal facilities."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on how states design and monitor Medicaid mental health programs, and how, at the federal level, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) exercises its oversight of the Medicaid program, focusing on: (1) the extent of beneficiary choice in capitated mental health carveouts, the range of covered mental health services, and access to these services; (2) the states' approaches to monitoring the quality of care in their Medicaid mental health carveouts; and (3) HCFA's oversight of states' mental health carveouts."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the export sales of five Department of Defense (DOD) weapon systems--the Hellfire missile, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), Black Hawk Helicopter, and Aegis Weapon System, focusing on whether: (1) export sales reduced the price of the five weapon systems; (2) DOD waived the requirement to recover nonrecurring research and development and production costs associated with the sales; and (3) DOD included this information when notifying Congress about the sales or requesting budgetary authority to purchase weapon systems."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) study on whether to set a flammability standard for sofas, chairs, and other upholstered furniture, focusing on the: (1) methodology CPSC used to estimate the magnitude of the fire hazard that the standard would address; and (2) reliability of this methodology for producing sound estimates of the hazard that the standard would address."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the conduct and findings of the Air Force's Ranch Hand study on the long-term health effects of exposure to herbicides, such as Agent Orange, in Vietnam, and assessed the study's impact on determinations of veterans' compensation, focusing on: (1) whether the study's findings and data have been properly and promptly reported and disseminated; (2) the statistical limitations of the study and whether they have been adequately reported and communicated; (3) the measures established to monitor the study's conduct and to prevent improper influence, particularly those involving the Ranch Hand Study's Advisory Committee; and (4) the impact of the study on determinations of diseases for which Vietnam veterans are eligible to receive compensation benefits."

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) management of its multipurpose tributary projects, focusing on: (1) the purposes served by TVA's multipurpose tributary projects and how TVA operates these projects within its integrated system; (2) the operational changes TVA made to these projects as a result of its December 1990 review of its project operations and the major factors influencing these changes; (3) the actions TVA has taken since the 1990 review to address requests for changes in the way it operates these projects; and (4) TVA's plans for any future changes in the way it operates these projects. GAO is also providing information on a selected update by TVA of its analysis performed in the 1990 review."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO: (1) reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) progress in integrating and improving its satellite control capabilities and in fostering integrated and interoperable satellite control within the government, as directed by the 1996 national space policy; and (2) determined whether opportunities exist for DOD to standardize its satellite control capabilities by using commercial products and practices."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on interagency coordination on satellite exports."