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The Edge Coordinating Committee (ECC) was formed in July 14-15, 2004 when OFES Theory Team invited 14 plasma researchers to a two-day meeting in Germantown, MD to discuss the state of edge-plasma research in the U.S. with a focus on theory and modeling (see http://www.mfescience.org/ecc/ ecc/). At that time, OFES tasked the ECC with providing, in about a six month period, a report on the present status of key issues in this area together with a roadmap of what range of activities should be undertaken in the next five years to resolve these issues. This document is a response to that charge. Future edge-plasma research described here is assumed to fit into a budget constraint of a ''flat budget,'' with some additional activities cited for budget increases of as much as 50%. To obtain some measure of the relative fraction of OFES Theory funding presently devoted to edge plasma research, the OFES Theory Team informally surveyed funded work they support in this area at National Labs, Universities, and industry. John Mandrekas reported to us that approximately 10% of the present budget goes to edge-physics areas at 10 institutions, for a total of {approx}$2.5M each year. While not explicitly estimated, we …

Medicaid is a means-tested entitlement program that has been in existence for over 35 years. It provides primary and acute care as well as long-term care to over 50 million Americans at a cost to federal and state governments of approximately $276.1 billion in FY2003. Of all federally supported social programs, only Medicare comes close to this level of spending, and only Social Security costs more.

During the two year period of funding we have focused on the following topics: Guiding of microtubule movement on kinesin-coated, structured surfaces, directed assembly of oriented microtubule networks, and the interaction between synthetic materials and biological components in hybrid devices based on microtubules and kinesin motors. Additional efforts have been made and are still on- going in controlling the motor activity, and loading and unloading of cargo. In all aspects, the collaboration with the team at Sandia has been critical. A constant intellectual and material connection has been maintained by frequent visits, videoconferences, and exchanges of parts and supplies, such as microfabricated structures and motor proteins. The scientific advances made through this collaboration have been documented in seven publications in high- impact journals and an encyclopedia, discussed in invited talks at the annual meetings of MRS and ACS, and publicized by journalists in “The Scientist” and “Nature Materials Nanozone”. One double Ph.D. degree in Bioengineering and Nanotechnology has been completed (John Clemmens).

This article talks about the Assistance to Firefighters Program (FIRE) act and how the program assists local fire deparments by issuing federal grants for equipment, training and other firefighter related needs. It also mentions other firefighter related acts.

This report includes information regarding Lebanon. United States relations, Lebanon's political profile, and foreign presence in Lebanon are among topics discussed in this report.

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The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-62), known as GPRA or the Results Act, sought to promote greater efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability in federal spending by establishing a new framework for performance management and budgeting in federal agencies. GPRA represents the latest in a series of initiatives in the last 55 years attempting to link budget levels with expected results, so that spending decisions can be better aligned with anticipated performance, an approach commonly referred to as “performance budgeting.”

This report discusses the information related to U.S trade with China, and major U.S - China Trade issues.

Spatially Resolved X-Ray Diffraction (SRXRD) experiments have been performed during Gas Tungsten Arc (GTA) welding of AISI 1045 C-Mn steel at input powers ranging from 1000 W to 3750 W. In situ diffraction patterns taken at discreet locations across the width of the heat affected zone (HAZ) near the peak of the heating cycle in each weld show regions containing austenite ({gamma}), ferrite and austenite ({alpha}+{gamma}), and ferrite ({alpha}). Changes in input power have a demonstrated effect on the resulting sizes of these regions. The largest effect is on the {gamma} phase region, which nearly triples in width with increasing input power, while the width of the surrounding two phase {alpha}+{gamma} region remains relatively constant. An analysis of the diffraction patterns obtained across this range of locations allows the formation of austenite from the base metal microstructure to be monitored. After the completion of the {alpha} {yields} {gamma} transformation, a splitting of the austenite peaks is observed at temperatures between approximately 860 C and 1290 C. This splitting in the austenite peaks results from the dissolution of cementite laths originally present in the base metal pearlite, which remain after the completion of the {alpha} {yields} {gamma} transformation, and represents the …

This report provides an overview of industry and federal activities related to LNG security. The report describes U.S. LNG infrastructure, the industry's safety record and security risks, and the industry's security initiatives since September 11, 2001. It summarizes recent changes in federal LNG and maritime security law and related changes in the security roles of federal agencies. The report discusses several policy concerns related to federal LNG security efforts: 1) public costs of marine security, 2) uncertainty regarding LNG terrorism risks, and 3) security implications of promoting U.S.-flagged LNG tankers and U.S. crews.

Secondary electron emission in Hall thrusters is predicted to lead to space charge saturated wall sheaths resulting in enhanced power losses in the thruster channel. Analysis of experimentally obtained electron-wall collision frequency suggests that the electron temperature saturation, which occurs at high discharge voltages, appears to be caused by a decrease of the Joule heating rather than by the enhancement of the electron energy loss at the walls due to a strong secondary electron emission.

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The objective of this research is to widen the application of foam to enhanced oil recovery (EOR) by investigating fundamental mechanisms of foams in porous media. This research is to lay the groundwork for more-applied research on foams for improved sweep efficiency in miscible gas, steam and surfactant-based EOR. Task 1 investigates the pore-scale interactions between foam bubbles and polymer molecules. Task 2 examines the mechanisms of gas trapping, and interaction between gas trapping and foam effectiveness. Task 3 investigates mechanisms of foam generation in porous media.

Lengthwise compression of space-charge-dominated beams is needed to obtain the high input power required for heavy-ion fusion. The ''drift-compression'' scenario studied here first applies a head-to-tail velocity variation with the beam tail moving faster than the head. As the beam drifts, the longitudinal space-charge field slows compression, leaving the beam nearly monoenergetic as it enters the final-focus magnets. This paper presents initial work to model this compression scenario. Fluid and particle simulations are compared, and several strategies for setting up the compression schedule are discussed.

Concern is growing about identity theft — where one person assumes the identity of another by stealing personally identifiable information (PII), such as credit card or Social Security numbers. High profile incidents disclosed in early 2005 involving ChoicePoint, Bank of America, and LexisNexis, where the PII of more than a million Americans may have been compromised, have refocused congressional attention on this issue. Many associate the rise in identity theft cases with the Internet, but surveys indicate that comparatively few victims cite the Internet as the source of their stolen PII. Still, the Internet may play a role, particularly through a practice known as “phishing.” Congress already has passed several laws to address identity theft, and continues to debate whether additional action is needed. This report will not be updated; for information on pending bills and current legislative action,

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This report discusses the budget of the fiscal year of 2006 and the requests of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Updated March 16, 2005.

BRAC 2005 Intelligence Joint Cross-Service Group Meeting Minutes of March 16, 2005. The document is redacted.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony outlines (1) the impact of the recent increased operational tempo on the process used to reimburse Army Guard soldiers for travel expenses and the effect that travel reimbursement problems have had on soldiers and their families; (2) the adequacy of the overall design of controls over the processes, human capital, and automated systems relied on for Army Guard travel reimbursements; (3) whether the Department of Defense's (DOD) current efforts to automate its travel reimbursement process will resolve the problems identified; and (4) other DOD actions to improve the accuracy and timeliness of Army Guard travel reimbursements."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report responds to a mandate in the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) of 2003 requiring GAO to assess consumers' understanding of credit reporting. The FACT Act, among other things, extended provisions governing the credit reporting system and addressed ongoing concerns about inaccuracies in credit reports. For example, the act expanded access to credit information by entitling consumers to one free credit report each year. It also established the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) to improve consumers' understanding of credit issues. This report examines consumers' understanding and use of credit reports and scores and the dispute process and looks at factors that may influence their understanding of credit reporting."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "FCS is the core of Army efforts to create a lighter, more agile, capable force: a $108 billion investment to provide a new generation of 18 manned and unmanned ground vehicles, air vehicles, sensors, and munitions linked by an information network. Although system development and demonstration began in May 2003, the program was restructured in July 2004, including processes to make FCS capabilities available to current forces. GAO has been asked to assess (1) FCS technical and managerial challenges; (2) prospects for delivering FCS within cost and scheduled objectives; and (3) options for proceeding."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) represents one of the largest reorganizations of government agencies and operations in recent history. Significant management challenges exist for DHS as it merges the multiple management systems and processes from its 22 originating agencies in functional areas such as human capital and information technology. GAO was asked to identify opportunities for DHS to improve its management integration."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Modularity is a major restructuring of the entire Army, involving the creation of brigade combat teams that will have a common design and will increase the pool of available units for deployment. The Army is undertaking this initiative at the same time it is supporting the Global War on Terrorism, and developing transformational capabilities such as the Army Future Combat Systems. To achieve modularity, the Army currently estimates it will need $48 billion. The Department of Defense's (DOD) request for fiscal year 2005 supplemental funds includes $5 billion for modularity. The Army plans for another $5 billion to be funded from fiscal year 2006 supplemental funds and the remaining $38 billion from DOD's annual appropriation from fiscal years 2006 through 2011. Our testimony addresses: (1) the Army's goals and plans for modularity, (2) challenges the Army faces in staffing and equipping its modular combat brigades, (3) key decisions that could affect requirements, and (4) the Army's cost estimates and funding plans. This testimony is based on ongoing GAO work examining Army modularity plans and costs. Our work has been primarily focused on the Army's active forces."