This report discusses the free trade agreement (FTA) between United States and Morocco. The United States and Morocco reached agreement on March 2, 2004 to create a free trade agreement.

This Annual report summarizes the research performed from 17 April 2005 through 16 April 2006. Major portions of the research in several of the project's current eight tasks have been completed. We have successfully developed the meteorological inputs using the best possible modeling configurations, resulting in improved representation of atmospheric processes. The development of the variable-grid-resolution emissions model, SMOKE-VGR, is also completed. The development of the MAQSIP-VGR has been completed and a test run was performed to ensure the functionality of this air quality model. We have incorporated new emission data base to update the offshore emissions. However, we have faced some bottleneck problems in the testing the integrity of the new database. For this reason, we have asked for a no cost extension of this project to tackle these scientific problems. Thus, the project is on a one-year delay schedule. During the reporting period, we solved all problems related to the new emission database. We are ready to move to developing the final product, implementation and testing of the variable grid technology into the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) to develop the CMAQ-VGR. During the upcoming months we will perform the first CMAQ-VGR simulations over the Houston-Galveston region …

This research project has two primary objectives: (1) to further develop and refine the Multiscale Air Quality Simulation Platform-Variable Grid Resolution (MAQSIP-VGR) model, an advanced variable-grid-resolution air quality model, to provide detailed, accurate representation of the dynamical and chemical processes governing the fate of anthropogenic emissions in coastal environments; and (2) to improve current understanding of the potential impact of onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) emissions on O{sub 3} and particulate matter nonattainment in the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding states.

Quality-assured meteorological and tracer data sets are vital for establishing confidence that indoor and outdoor dispersion models used to simulate dispersal of potential toxic agents in urban atmospheres are giving trustworthy results. The U.S. Department of Defense-Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security joined together to conduct the Joint Urban 2003 atmospheric dispersion study to provide this critically-needed high-resolution dispersion data. This major urban study was conducted from June 28 through July 31, 2003, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with the participation of over 150 scientists and engineers from over 20 U.S. and foreign institutions. The Joint Urban 2003 lead scientist was Jerry Allwine (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) who oversaw study design, logistical arrangements and field operations with the help of Joe Shinn (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), Marty Leach (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), Ray Hosker (Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division), Leo Stockham (Northrop Grumman Information Technology) and Jim Bowers (Dugway Proving Grounds). This report gives a brief overview of the field campaign, describing the scientific objectives, the dates of the intensive observation periods, and the instruments deployed. The data from this field study is available to the scientific community through an on-line database that is managed by …

This report provides an overview of the funding trends on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

We present a simple spreadsheet-based tool for estimating window-related energy consumption in the United States. Using available data on the properties of the installed US window stock, we estimate that windows are responsible for 2.15 quadrillion Btu (Quads) of heating energy consumption and 1.48 Quads of cooling energy consumption annually. We develop estimates of average U-factor and SHGC for current window sales. We estimate that a complete replacement of the installed window stock with these products would result in energy savings of approximately 1.2 quads. We demonstrate that future window technologies offer energy savings potentials of up to 3.9 Quads.

We describe a fast contour descriptor algorithm and its application to a distributed supernova detection system (the Nearby Supernova Factory) that processes 600,000 candidate objects in 80 GB of image data per night. Our shape-detection algorithm reduced the number of false positives generated by the supernova search pipeline by 41% while producing no measurable impact on running time. Fourier descriptors are an established method of numerically describing the shapes of object contours, but transform-based techniques are ordinarily avoided in this type of application due to their computational cost. We devised a fast contour descriptor implementation for supernova candidates that meets the tight processing budget of the application. Using the lowest-order descriptors (F{sub 1} and F{sub -1}) and the total variance in the contour, we obtain one feature representing the eccentricity of the object and another denoting its irregularity. Because the number of Fourier terms to be calculated is fixed and small, the algorithm runs in linear time, rather than the O(n log n) time of an FFT. Constraints on object size allow further optimizations so that the total cost of producing the required contour descriptors is about 4n addition/subtraction operations, where n is the length of the contour.

We present an independent calculation of that part of the O({alpha}{sub s}{sup 2}) contribution to dipole operator {Omicron}{sub 7}. Using a different method, we find complete agreement mass ambiguity appearing at NLL accuracy. the complete NNLL prediction of {Lambda}({bar B} {yields} X{sub s}{gamma}) which will resolve the charm quark the decay width {Lambda}({bar B} {yields} X{sub s}{gamma}) which arises from the self-interference term of the electromagnetic with a previous calculation. This NNLL contribution is an important ingredient for

The authors report a study of the processes e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} {eta}{gamma} and e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} {eta}'{gamma} at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV, using a 232 fb{sup -1} data sample collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II collider at SLAC.

The authors report observations of the b {yields} d penguin-dominated decays B{sup +} {yields} {bar K}{sup 0}K{sup +} and B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup 0}{bar K}{sup 0} in approximately 350 million {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B} decays collected with the BABAR detector. They measure the branching fractions {Beta}(B{sup +} {yields} {bar K}{sup 0}K{sup +}) = (1.61 {+-} 0.44 {+-} 0.09) x 10{sup -6} and {Beta}(B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup 0}{bar K}{sup 0}) = (1.08 {+-} 0.28 {+-} 0.11) x 10{sup -6}, and the CP-violating charge asymmetry {Alpha}{sub CP} ({bar K}{sup 0} K{sup +}) = 0.10 {+-} 0.26 {+-} 0.03. Using a vertexing technique previously employed in several analyses of all-neutral final states containing kaons, they report the first measurement of time-dependent CP-violating asymmetries in B{sup 0} {yields} K{sub S}{sup 0}K{sub S}{sup 0}, obtaining S = -1.28{sub -0.73 -0.16}{sup +0.80 +0.11} and C = -0.40 {+-} 0.41 {+-} 0.06. They also report improved measurements of the branching fraction {Beta}(B{sup +} {yields} K{sup 0} {pi}{sup +}) = (23.9 {+-} 1.1 {+-} 1.0) x 10{sup -6} and CP-violating charge asymmetry {Alpha}{sub CP} (K{sup 0} {pi}{sup +}) = -0.029 {+-} 0.039 {+-} 0.010.

We present branching fraction measurements of twelve B meson decays of the form B {yields} D{sup (*)} D{sub s(J)}{sup (*)}. The results are based on {Upsilon}(4S) decays in B{bar B} pairs. One of the B mesons is fully reconstructed and the other decays to two charm mesons, of which one is reconstructed, and the mass and momentum of the other is inferred by kinematics. Combining these results with previous exclusive branching fraction measurements, we determine {Beta}(D{sub s}{sup -} {yields} {phi}{pi}{sup -}) = (4.62 {+-} 0.36{sub stat.} {+-} 0.51{sub syst.})%, {Beta}(D{sub sJ}(2460){sup -} {yields} D*{sub s}{sup -} {pi}{sup 0}) = (56 {+-} 13{sub stat.} {+-} 9{sub syst.})% and {Beta}(D{sub sJ}(2460){sup -} {yields} D{sub s}{sup -}{gamma}) = (16 {+-} 4{sub stat.} {+-} 3{sub syst.})%.

In earlier work, planar graphs of massless {phi}{sup 3} theory were summed with the help of the light cone world sheet picture and the mean field approximation. In the present article, the same methods are applied to the problem of summing planar bosonic open strings. They find that in the ground state of the system, string boundaries form a condensate on the world sheet, and a new string emerges from this summation. Its slope is always greater than the initial slope, and it remains non-zero even when the initial slope is set equal to zero. If they assume the initial string tends to a field a theory in the zero slope limit, this result provides evidence for string formation in field theory.

In research as well as in clinical applications, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has gained increasing popularity as a highly sensitive technique to study cytogenetic changes. Today, hundreds of commercially available DNA probes serve the basic needs of the biomedical research community. Widespread applications, however, are often limited by the lack of appropriately labeled, specific nucleic acid probes. We describe two approaches for an expeditious preparation of chromosome-specific DNAs and the subsequent probe labeling with reporter molecules of choice. The described techniques allow the preparation of highly specific DNA repeat probes suitable for enumeration of chromosomes in interphase cell nuclei or tissue sections. In addition, there is no need for chromosome enrichment by flow cytometry and sorting or molecular cloning. Our PCR-based method uses either bacterial artificial chromosomes or human genomic DNA as templates with {alpha}-satellite-specific primers. Here we demonstrate the production of fluorochrome-labeled DNA repeat probes specific for human chromosomes 17 and 18 in just a few days without the need for highly specialized equipment and without the limitation to only a few fluorochrome labels.

In response to the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, the 109th Congress enacted two FY2005 emergency supplemental appropriations bills, which together provide $62.3 billion for emergency response and recovery needs. However, the funding streams of these appropriated funds and amounts for disaster recovery have changed and appear likely to undergo further changes, largely at the request of the Administration. This report summarizes federal disaster assistance funding legislation in the 109th Congress and presents some information on federal expenditures and obligations for disaster recovery activities.

This CRS report summarizes federal disaster assistance funding legislation in the 109th Congress and presents some information on federal expenditures and obligations for disaster recovery activities.

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This report is a guide for executing numerical simulations with the transient ground-water flow model of the Death Valley regional ground-water flow system, Nevada and California using the U.S. Geological Survey modular finite-difference ground-water flow model, MODFLOW-2000. Model inputs, including observations of hydraulic head, discharge, and boundary flows, are summarized. Modification of the DVRFS transient ground-water model is discussed for two common uses of the Death Valley regional ground-water flow system model: predictive pumping scenarios that extend beyond the end of the model simulation period (1998), and model simulations with only steady-state conditions.

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Recent events have focused attention on the threat that terrorists with shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), referred to as Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS), pose to commercial airliners. This report discusses SAMs and examines options for mitigating missile threats.

We present a measurement of the B{sup 0} {center_dot} {bar {Lambda}}p{pi}{sup -} branching fraction performed using the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric energy e{sup +}e{sup -} collider. Based on a 232 million B{bar B} pairs data sample we measure: {center_dot} (B{sup 0} {center_dot} {bar {Lambda}}p{pi}{sup -}) = [3.30 {center_dot} 0.53(stat.) {center_dot} 0.31 (syst.)] {center_dot} 10{sup -6}. A measurement of the differential spectrum as a function of the di-baryon invariant mass m({Lambda}p) is also presented; this shows a near-threshold enhancement similar to that observed in other baryonic B decays.

This report

This report provides an overview of the evolving roles and missions for United States Northern command on Homeland Security.

Current safeguards approaches used by the IAEA at gas centrifuge enrichment plants (GCEPs) need enhancement in order to detect undeclared LEU production with adequate detection probability. ''Mailbox'' declarations have been used in the last two decades to verify receipts, production, and shipments at some bulk-handling facilities (e.g., fuel-fabrication plants). The operator declares the status of his plant to the IAEA on a daily basis using a secure ''Mailbox'' system such as a secure tamper-resistant computer. The operator agrees to hold receipts and shipments for a specified period of time, along with a specified number of annual inspections, to enable inspector access to a statistically large enough population of UF{sub 6} cylinders and fuel assemblies to achieve the desired detection probability. The inspectors can access the ''Mailbox'' during randomly timed inspections and then verify the operator's declarations for that day. Previously, this type of inspection regime was considered mainly for verifying the material balance at fuel-fabrication, enrichment, and conversion plants. Brookhaven National Laboratory has expanded the ''Mailbox'' concept with short-notice random inspections (SNRIs), coupled with enhanced video surveillance, to include declaration and verification of UF{sub 6} cylinder operational data to detect activities associated with undeclared LEU production at GCEPs. Since the …

We show that the Fourier transform of the Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS) amplitude with respect to the skewness variable {zeta} provides a unique way to visualize the light-front wavefunctions (LFWFs) of the target state in the boost-invariant longitudinal coordinate space variable ({sigma} = P{sup +}y{sup -}/2). The results are analogous to the diffractive scattering of a wave in optics in which the dependence of the amplitude on {sigma} measures the physical size of the scattering center of a one-dimensional system. If one combines this longitudinal transform with the Fourier transform of the DVCS amplitude with respect to the transverse momentum transfer {Delta}{sup {perpendicular}}, one can obtain a complete three-dimensional description of hadron optics at fixed light-front time {tau} = t + z/c. As a specific example, we utilize the quantum fluctuations of a fermion state at one loop in QED to obtain the behavior of the DVCS amplitude for electron-photon scattering. We then simulate the wavefunctions for a hadron by differentiating the above LFWFs with respect to M{sup 2} and study the corresponding DVCS amplitudes in {sigma} space.