Navy CG(X) Cruiser Program: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress (open access)

Navy CG(X) Cruiser Program: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress

This report explores the reasoning behind the development of the new cruiser called the CG(X), the budgetary actions taking place to enable their development, selected technical specifics of their design, and various other information relating to defense procurement costs.
Date: September 18, 2009
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Funeral Honors and Military Cemeteries: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

Military Funeral Honors and Military Cemeteries: Frequently Asked Questions

This report provides answers to frequently asked questions about military funeral honors and military cemeteries, including information on the eligibility criteria, required components of the honor detail, and the funeral ceremony. It also cites legislation that mandates that the Department of Defense (DOD) make military funeral honors available to every eligible veteran upon request.
Date: February 18, 2009
Creator: Oboroceanu, Mari-Jana
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ultrasonic Examination of Double-Shell Tank 241-AW-101 Examination Completed February 2009. (open access)

Ultrasonic Examination of Double-Shell Tank 241-AW-101 Examination Completed February 2009.

AREVA Federal Services LLC (AFS), under a contract from Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), has performed an ultrasonic examination of selected portions of Double-Shell Tank 241-AW-101. PNNL is responsible for preparing a report(s) that describes the results of the AFS ultrasonic examinations.
Date: March 18, 2009
Creator: Pardini, Allan F.; Weier, Dennis R. & Anderson, Kevin K.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Gamma-Ray Library and Uncertainty Analysis: Passively Emitted Gamma Rays Used in Safeguards Technology (open access)

Gamma-Ray Library and Uncertainty Analysis: Passively Emitted Gamma Rays Used in Safeguards Technology

Non-destructive gamma-ray analysis is a fundamental part of nuclear safeguards, including nuclear energy safeguards technology. Developing safeguards capabilities for nuclear energy will certainly benefit from the advanced use of gamma-ray spectroscopy as well as the ability to model various reactor scenarios. There is currently a wide variety of nuclear data that could be used in computer modeling and gamma-ray spectroscopy analysis. The data can be discrepant (with varying uncertainties), and it may difficult for a modeler or software developer to determine the best nuclear data set for a particular situation. To use gamma-ray spectroscopy to determine the relative isotopic composition of nuclear materials, the gamma-ray energies and the branching ratios or intensities of the gamma-rays emitted from the nuclides in the material must be well known. A variety of computer simulation codes will be used during the development of the nuclear energy safeguards, and, to compare the results of various codes, it will be essential to have all the {gamma}-ray libraries agree. Assessing our nuclear data needs allows us to create a prioritized list of desired measurements, and provides uncertainties for energies and especially for branching intensities. Of interest are actinides, fission products, and activation products, and most particularly mixtures …
Date: September 18, 2009
Creator: Parker, W
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Technical Review of the UNET2D Hydraulic Model (open access)

Technical Review of the UNET2D Hydraulic Model

The Kansas City District of the US Army Corps of Engineers is engaged in a broad range of river management projects that require knowledge of spatially-varied hydraulic conditions such as velocities and water surface elevations. This information is needed to design new structures, improve existing operations, and assess aquatic habitat. Two-dimensional (2D) depth-averaged numerical hydraulic models are a common tool that can be used to provide velocity and depth information. Kansas City District is currently using a specific 2D model, UNET2D, that has been developed to meet the needs of their river engineering applications. This report documents a tech- nical review of UNET2D.
Date: May 18, 2009
Creator: Perkins, William A. & Richmond, Marshall C.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Madagascar's 2009 Political Crisis (open access)

Madagascar's 2009 Political Crisis

This report discusses political tensions on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar between President Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina, the former mayor of the capital city, which escalated in early 2009, culminating in the President's forced removal from office.
Date: May 18, 2009
Creator: Ploch, Lauren
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Laser Wakefield Acceleration at Reduced Density in the Self-Guided Regime (open access)

Laser Wakefield Acceleration at Reduced Density in the Self-Guided Regime

Experiments conducted using a 200TW 60 fs laser have demonstrated up to 720 MeV electrons in the self-guided laser wakefield regime using pure Helium gas jet targets. Charge and energy of the accelerated electrons was measured using an electron spectrometer with a 0.5T magnet and charge callibrated image plates. The self-trapped charge in a helium plasma was shown to fall off with decreasing electron density with a threshold at 2.5 x 10{sup 18} (cm{sup -3}) below which no charge is trapped. Self-guiding however is shown to continue below this density limitation over distances of 14 mm with an exit spot size of 25{micro}m. Simulations show that injection of electrons at these densities can be assisted through ionization induced trapping in a mix of Helium with 3% Oxygen.
Date: November 18, 2009
Creator: Ralph, J. E.; Albert, F.; Glenzer, S. H.; Palastro, J. P.; Pollock, B. B.; Shaw, J. L. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program: Potential Benefits and Concerns (open access)

The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program: Potential Benefits and Concerns

This report discusses offsets in relation to a greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-trade program. The first section of this report provides an overview of offsets by discussing different types of offset projects and describing how the offsets would likely be used in an emission reduction program. The next section discusses the supply of offsets that might be available in an emission trading program. The subsequent sections examine the potential offset benefits and the potential concerns associated with offsets.
Date: May 18, 2009
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
EM-21 HIGHER WASTE LOADING GLASSES FOR ENHANCED DOE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE MELTER THROUGHPUT STUDIES - 10194 (open access)

EM-21 HIGHER WASTE LOADING GLASSES FOR ENHANCED DOE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE MELTER THROUGHPUT STUDIES - 10194

Supplemental validation data has been generated that will be used to determine the applicability of the current Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) liquidus temperature (T{sub L}) model to expanded DWPF glass regions of interest based on higher waste loadings. For those study glasses which had very close compositional overlap with the model development and/or model validation ranges (except TiO{sub 2} and MgO concentrations), there was very little difference in the predicted and measured TL values, even though the TiO{sub 2} contents were above the 2 wt% upper limit. The results indicate that the current T{sub L} model is applicable in these compositional regions. As the compositional overlap between the model validation ranges diverged from the target glass compositions, the T{sub L} data suggest that the model under-predicted the measured values. These discrepancies imply that there are individual oxides or their combinations that were outside of the model development and/or validation range over which the model was previously assessed. These oxides include B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, SiO{sub 2}, MnO, TiO{sub 2} and/or their combinations. More data is required to fill in these anticipated DWPF compositional regions so that the model coefficients could be refit to account for these differences.
Date: November 18, 2009
Creator: Raszewski, F.; Peeler, D. & Edwards, T.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Landstreamer/Gimbaled Geophone Acquisition of High Resolution Seismic Reflection Data North of the 200 Areas Hanford Site (open access)

Landstreamer/Gimbaled Geophone Acquisition of High Resolution Seismic Reflection Data North of the 200 Areas Hanford Site

Landstreamer Seismic Reflection Vender Report by Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Montana Tech of the University of Montana, collected in FY2009 under CHPRC Contract 35789.
Date: November 18, 2009
Creator: Repasky, T. E.; Hyde, E. R.; Link, C. A. & Speece, M. A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Theoretical study of asymmetric molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions for C 1s photoejection from CO2 (open access)

Theoretical study of asymmetric molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions for C 1s photoejection from CO2

We report the results of ab initio calculations of cross sections and molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions for C 1s ionization of CO2, and propose a mechanism for the recently observed asymmetry of those angular distributions with respect to the CO^+and O^+ions produced by subsequent Auger decay. The fixed-nuclei, photoionization amplitudes were constructed using variationally obtained electron-molecular ion scattering wave functions. We have also carried out electronic structure calculations which identify a dissociative state of the CO2^++ dication that is likely populated following Auger decay and which leads to O^+ + CO^+ fragment ions. We show that a proper accounting of vibrational motion in the computation of the photoelectron angular distributions, along with reasonable assumptions about the nuclear dissociation dynamics, gives results in good agreement with recent experimental observations. We also demonstrate that destructive interference between different partial waves accounts for sudden changes with photon energy in the observed angular distributions.
Date: February 18, 2009
Creator: Rescigno, Thomas N; Miyabe, S.; McCurdy, C.W. & Orel, A.E.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation of Avian Predation on Salmonid Smolts in the Lower and Mid-Columbia River, 2006 Final Season Summary. (open access)

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation of Avian Predation on Salmonid Smolts in the Lower and Mid-Columbia River, 2006 Final Season Summary.

This study investigates predation by piscivorous waterbirds on juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) from throughout the Columbia River Basin. During 2006, study objectives in the Columbia River estuary, work funded by the Bonneville Power Administration, were to (1) monitor and evaluate previous management initiatives to reduce Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) predation on juvenile salmonids (smolts); (2) measure the impact of double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) predation on smolt survival, and assess potential management options to reduce cormorant predation; and (3) monitor large colonies of other piscivorous waterbirds in the estuary (i.e., glaucous-winged/western gulls [Larus glaucescens/occidentalis]) to determine the potential impacts on smolt survival. Study objectives on the mid-Columbia River, work funded by the Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, were to (1) measure the impact of predation by Caspian terns and double-crested cormorants on smolt survival; and (2) monitor large nesting colonies of other piscivorous waterbirds (i.e., California gulls [L. californicus], ring-billed gulls [L. delawarensis], American white pelicans [Pelecanus erythrorhynchos]) on the mid-Columbia River to determine the potential for significant impacts on smolt survival. Our efforts to evaluate system-wide losses of juvenile salmonids to avian predation indicated that Caspian terns and double-crested cormorants were responsible for the vast …
Date: June 18, 2009
Creator: Roby, Daniel D.; Collis, Ken & Lyons, Donald E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cooperative Agreement with DOE/OIT on Energy Efficiency and Best Practices - Final Report (open access)

Cooperative Agreement with DOE/OIT on Energy Efficiency and Best Practices - Final Report

This Cooperative Agreement was focuse on the development and dissemination of technologies, best-practices, energy-efficiency assessment programs, etc., that could support industry's drive to become more competitive in a rapidly chaning and highly competitive global marketplace. The Agreement covered a rane of collaborative activities between AIChE and DOE/ITP's various Industries of the Future ("IOF") Teams such as: 1. Help with technology evaluation adn support by providing industry experts to: a) Review solicitation proposals b) Review technology portfolios as deeped appropriate by DOE/ITP c) Market IOF Best Practices through outreach and technical assistance at the plant-level adn via meetings with operations staff. 2) Help establish various programs with industry, academia and National Laboratories to develop tools, methodologies and benchmarks that entities served by IOF would find valuable in establishing goals for improving energy consumption in specific processes. 3) Support IOF with Technology Vision 2020 programs.
Date: March 18, 2009
Creator: Rogers, Joseph E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Administration: Administrative Budget Issues (open access)

Social Security Administration: Administrative Budget Issues

The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers the Social Security program (Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, or OASDI) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, and provides administrative support to Medicare and several other federal programs. Total SSA spending in FY2008 was about $658 billion, about 99% of which was mandatory spending on benefit payments. This report focuses on SSA’s administrative spending, which is discretionary and amounts to about 1% of SSA’s total spending. This funding is provided in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
Date: May 18, 2009
Creator: Romig, Kathleen
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
FY09 PROGRESS: MULTI-ISOTOPE PROCESS (MIP) MONITOR (open access)

FY09 PROGRESS: MULTI-ISOTOPE PROCESS (MIP) MONITOR

Model and experimental estimates of the Multi-Isotope Process Monitor performance for determining burnup after dissolution and acid concentration during solvent extraction steps during reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel are presented.
Date: October 18, 2009
Creator: Schwantes, Jon M.; Orton, Christopher R.; Fraga, Carlos G.; Christensen, Richard; Laspe, Amy R. & Ward, Rebecca M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
El Salvador: Political, Economic, and Social Conditions and U.S. Relations (open access)

El Salvador: Political, Economic, and Social Conditions and U.S. Relations

This report discusses the state of the El Salvadoran government and recently elected President Mauricio Funes. This report also discusses the relationship between El Salvador and the United States, notably U.S. efforts to restore democracy and initiate economic reform in El Salvador. This report also briefly addresses the effects of the current financial crisis on El Salvador's economy, poverty levels, and crime rates.
Date: March 18, 2009
Creator: Seelke, Clare Ribando & Meyer, Peter J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Implications of Reactivating the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) (open access)

Implications of Reactivating the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP)

None
Date: May 18, 2009
Creator: Shields, Dennis A. & Hanrahan, Charles E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
APPLICATION OF POLYURETHANE FOAM FOR IMPACT ABSORPTION AND THERMAL INSULATION FOR GENERAL PURPOSE RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS PACKAGINGS (open access)

APPLICATION OF POLYURETHANE FOAM FOR IMPACT ABSORPTION AND THERMAL INSULATION FOR GENERAL PURPOSE RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS PACKAGINGS

Polyurethane foam has been employed in impact limiters for large radioactive materials packagings since the early 1980's. Its consistent crush response, controllable structural properties and excellent thermal insulating characteristics have made it attractive as replacement for the widely used cane fiberboard for smaller, drum size packagings. Accordingly, polyurethane foam was chosen for the overpack material for the 9977 and 9978 packagings. The study reported here was undertaken to provide data to support the analyses performed as part of the development of the 9977 and 9978, and compared property values reported in the literature with published property values and test results for foam specimens taken from a prototype 9977 packaging. The study confirmed that, polyurethane foam behaves in a predictable and consistent manner and fully satisfies the functional requirements for impact absorption and thermal insulation.
Date: February 18, 2009
Creator: Smith, A; Glenn Abramczyk, G; Paul Blanton, P; Steve Bellamy, S; William Daugherty, W & Sharon Williamson, S
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Chapter 27 -- Breast Cancer Genomics, Section VI, Pathology and Biological Markers of Invasive Breast Cancer (open access)

Chapter 27 -- Breast Cancer Genomics, Section VI, Pathology and Biological Markers of Invasive Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is predominantly a disease of the genome with cancers arising and progressing through accumulation of aberrations that alter the genome - by changing DNA sequence, copy number, and structure in ways that that contribute to diverse aspects of cancer pathophysiology. Classic examples of genomic events that contribute to breast cancer pathophysiology include inherited mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, TP53, and CHK2 that contribute to the initiation of breast cancer, amplification of ERBB2 (formerly HER2) and mutations of elements of the PI3-kinase pathway that activate aspects of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and deletion of CDKN2A/B that contributes to cell cycle deregulation and genome instability. It is now apparent that accumulation of these aberrations is a time-dependent process that accelerates with age. Although American women living to an age of 85 have a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer, the incidence of cancer in women younger than 30 years is uncommon. This is consistent with a multistep cancer progression model whereby mutation and selection drive the tumor's development, analogous to traditional Darwinian evolution. In the case of cancer, the driving events are changes in sequence, copy number, and structure of DNA and alterations in chromatin structure or …
Date: June 18, 2009
Creator: Spellman, Paul T.; Heiser, Laura & Gray, Joe W.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
House and Senate Procedural Rules Concerning Earmark Disclosure (open access)

House and Senate Procedural Rules Concerning Earmark Disclosure

None
Date: November 18, 2009
Creator: Streeter, Sandy
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
New Materials for NGNP/Gen IV (open access)

New Materials for NGNP/Gen IV

The bounding conditions were briefly summarized for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) that is the leading candidate in the Department of Energy Generation IV reactor program. Metallic materials essential to the successful development and proof of concept for the NGNP were identified. The literature bearing on the materials technology for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors was reviewed with emphasis on the needs identified for the NGNP. Several materials were identified for a more thorough study of their databases and behavioral features relative to the requirements ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 1, Subsection NH.
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Swindeman, Robert W. & Marriott, Douglas L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Presidential Advisers' Testimony Before Congressional Committees: An Overview (open access)

Presidential Advisers' Testimony Before Congressional Committees: An Overview

This report discusses the executive office of the President, presidential adviser growth, and presidential advisers' testimony.
Date: November 18, 2009
Creator: Tatelman, Todd B. & Hogue, Henry B.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Texas Lottery Commission Annual Financial Report: 2009, with Auditor's Report (open access)

Texas Lottery Commission Annual Financial Report: 2009, with Auditor's Report

Annual financial report of the Texas Lottery Commission for fiscal year 2009, providing statements of assets, expenditures, revenues, and other relevant data as well as the report of an independent auditor.
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Texas Lottery Commission
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0750 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0750

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Authority of a city to reacquire extraterritorial jurisdiction that it previously relinquished pursuant to chapter 42 of the Local Government Code (RQ-0798-GA)
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History