This report focuses on the creation of the Transatlantic Economic Council; the role of legislatures in the regulatory process; and the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue and its new role as an advisor to transatlantic regulatory efforts.

We are currently developing a component based, parallel visualization and graphical analysis tool for visualizing and analyzing data on two- and three-dimensional (20, 30) meshes. The tool consists of three primary components: a graphical user interface (GUI), a viewer, and a parallel compute engine. The components are designed to be operated in a distributed fashion with the GUI and viewer typically running on a high performance visualization server and the compute engine running on a large parallel platform. The viewer and compute engine are both based on the Visualization Toolkit (VTK), an open source object oriented data manipulation and visualization library. The compute engine will make use of parallel extensions to VTK, based on MPI, developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory in collaboration with the originators of P K . The compute engine will make use of meta-data so that it only operates on the portions of the data necessary to generate the image. The meta-data can either be created as the post-processing data is generated or as a pre-processing step to using VisIt. VisIt will be integrated with the VIEWS' Tera-Scale Browser, which will provide a high performance visual data browsing capability based on multi-resolution techniques.

The recent successful commissioning and operation [1] of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) requires the injection of gold ions of specified energy and intensity with longitudinal and transverse emittances small enough to meet the luminosity requirements of the collider. Ion beams with the desired characteristics are provided by a series of three accelerators, the Tandem, Booster and AGS. The current status and recent performance of these accelerators are reviewed in this paper.

The wave nature of particles is rarely seen in nature. One reason is their very short de Broglie wavelengths in most situations. However, even with wavelengths close to the size of their surroundings, they couple to their environment, e.g. by gravity, Coulomb interaction, or thermal radiation. These couplings shift the phase of the waves, often in an uncontrolled way, hence yielding varying amounts of decoherence i.e. loss of phase integrity. Decoherence is thought to be a main cause of the transition from quantum to classical behavior. How much interaction is necessary and how big an environment is needed to induce the onset of classical behavior? Here we show that a photoelectron and two protons form a minimum particle/slit system, and that a minimum environment can be no more than a single additional electron. We observe interference 'fringes' in the angular distribution of a single electron and the loss of fringe visibility caused by its Coulomb interaction with a second electron. While, at the same time, the correlated momenta of the entangled electron pair continue to exhibit quantum interference.

The present invention provides an edge cladding for a slab laser, the edge cladding comprising a cooling channel system therein.

The PORFLOW software package is a comprehensive mathematical model for simulation of multi-phase fluid flow, heat transfer and mass transport in variably saturated porous and fractured media. PORFLOW can simulate transient or steady-state problems in Cartesian or cylindrical geometry. The porous medium may be anisotropic and heterogeneous and may contain discrete fractures or boreholes with the porous matrix. The theoretical models within the code provide a unified treatment of concepts relevant to fluid flow and transport. The main features of PORFLOW that are relevant to Performance Assessment modeling at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) include variably saturated flow and transport of parent and progeny radionuclides. This document involves testing a relevant sample of problems in PORFLOW and comparing the outcome of the simulations to analytical solutions or other commercial codes. The testing consists of the following four groups. Group 1: Groundwater Flow; Group 2: Contaminant Transport; Group 3: Numerical Dispersion; and Group 4: Keyword Commands.

Excellent progress has been made in the operation of the BNL Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS), which is a prototype for an EBIS that could meet requirements for a RHIC preinjector. We have achieved very stable operation of the electron beam at 10 A through the EBIS trap. At 7 A electron beam current, 2.8 x 10{sup 11} charges have been extracted in short pulses from ionization of residual gas, exceeding our goal for yield for the corresponding trap capacity. The EBIS has been operated very successfully with Xe gas injection, and external injection of Cs and Au ions, where the expected yields and charge-state distributions were measured.

This report discusses laws related to the protection of marine mammals when using mid-frequency active sonar including the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA). The report discusses each of the laws generally, and then reviews the litigation surrounding the Navy's compliance with these laws in the context of using the sonar for training purposes off California's coast.

This report discusses litigation regarding the use of mid-frequency active sonar training exercises and its effects on marine mammals.

This document is the report of a workshop held under NSET auspices in March 2004 aimed at identifying and articulating the relationship of nanoscale science and technology to the Nation's energy future.

Comparing gene expression profiles over many different conditions has led to insights that were not obvious from single experiments. In the same way, comparing patterns of natural selection across a set of ecologically distinct species may extend what can be learned from individual genome-wide surveys. Toward this end, we show how variation in protein evolutionary rates, after correcting for genome-wide effects such as mutation rate and demographic factors, can be used to estimate the level and types of natural selection acting on genes across different species. We identify unusually rapidly and slowly evolving genes, relative to empirically derived genome-wide and gene family-specific background rates for 744 core protein families in 30 gamma-proteobacterial species. We describe the pattern of fast or slow evolution across species as the 'selective signature' of a gene. Selective signatures represent a profile of selection across species that is predictive of gene function: pairs of genes with correlated selective signatures are more likely to share the same cellular function, and genes in the same pathway can evolve in concert. For example, glycolysis and phenylalanine metabolism genes evolve rapidly in Idiomarina loihiensis, mirroring an ecological shift in carbon source from sugars to amino acids. In a broader context, …

''The Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report'' prescribes an approach to the methodology for performing postclosure criticality analyses within the monitored geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. An essential component of the methodology is the ''Configuration Generator Model for In-Package Criticality'' that provides a tool to evaluate the probabilities of degraded configurations achieving a critical state. The configuration generator model is a risk-informed, performance-based process for evaluating the criticality potential of degraded configurations in the monitored geologic repository. The method uses event tree methods to define configuration classes derived from criticality scenarios and to identify configuration class characteristics (parameters, ranges, etc.). The probabilities of achieving the various configuration classes are derived in part from probability density functions for degradation parameters. The NRC has issued ''Safety Evaluation Report for Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report, Revision 0''. That report contained 28 open items that required resolution through additional documentation. Of the 28 open items, numbers 5, 6, 9, 10, 18, and 19 were concerned with a previously proposed software approach to the configuration generator methodology and, in particular, the k{sub eff} regression analysis associated with the methodology. However, the use of a k{sub eff} regression analysis is not part of the …

We demonstrate the possibility of studying weakly interacting new particles in weak boson fusion, using the example of supersymmetric same-sign charginos. This signal can establish the existence of Majorana neutralinos and give access to their electroweak couplings. It can be observed over (supersymmetric) QCD backgrounds provided the charginos are light and not too close to the squark mass. We finally show how same-sign fermion production can be distinguished from samesign scalars or vectors arising in other models of new physics.

This report describes the evolution of congressional enforcement of congressional rules of conduct and summarizes the disciplinary action taken by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. It also discusses the recommendations of the House Special Task Force on Ethics and related proposals as well as selected other recent changes.

The Senate follows a well-established routine on the opening day of a new Congress. The proceedings include swearing in new members, administrative business, and election of the President pro tempore, the constitutionally mandated officer elected to preside over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. Other first day activities are dependent on specific circumstances and do not occur on the first day of every new Congress. Once these proceedings are completed, the Senate may then turn to routine business. The Senate committee assignment process begins prior to the convening of a new Congress.

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We present a family of ordering algorithms that can be used as a preprocessing step prior to performing sparse LU factorization. The ordering algorithms simultaneously achieve the objectives of selecting numerically good pivots and preserving the sparsity. We describe the algorithmic properties and challenges in their implementation. By mixing the two objectives we show that we can reduce the amount of fill-in in the factors and reduce the number of numerical problems during factorization. On a set of large unsymmetric real problems, we obtained the median reductions of 12% in the factorization time, of 13% in the size of the LU factors, of 20% in the number of operations performed during the factorization phase, and of 11% in the memory needed by the multifrontal solver MA41-UNS. A byproduct of this ordering strategy is an incomplete LU-factored matrix that can be used as a preconditioner in an iterative solver.

The report offers preliminary recommendations for near-term actions to strengthen the U.S. effort to develop and deploy advanced energy technologies. The report comes as the Obama Administration and the 111th U.S. Congress face enormous challenges and opportunities in tackling the pressing security, economic, and environmental problems posed by the energy sector. Improving the technologies of energy supply and end-use is a prerequisite for surmounting these challenges in a timely and cost-effective way, and this report elaborates on how policy can support develop of these important energy technologies.

This proposal was to support a portion of the costs of Methods in Protein Structure Analysis 2004 (MPSA2004). MPSA2004 was the 15th in the series of MPSA international conferences on protein structure analysis that began in 1974. MPSA2004 was held on the campus of the University of Washington, Seattle, WA August 29 through September 2, 2004. Twenty-four internationally recognized speakers gave invited presentations; additional participants were chosen to present short talks in the 10 topics that were addressed. The aim of MPSA conferences is to communicate the latest, cutting-edge techniques in protein structure analysis and proteomics through science success stories as told by the scientific leaders who developed the technologies. Biotechnology vendors are present to explain currently available commercial technology through workshops and demonstrations booths. The overall aim is to provide a forum for exchanging the latest methods and ideas in protein structure analysis and proteomics to current and future practitioners. The conference supported the missions of the DOE Office of Science and the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) in at least two ways: by enabling the above forum, and by encouraging young researchers who might otherwise not attend to meet leading researchers and to learn about the …

This report is one of two that re-examines the forecasted impact of individual programs currently within the Buildings Technology Program (BT) and the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program (WIP) that appeared in the FY2000 Presidential Budget request. This report develops potential methods for allowing inherent risk to be captured in the program benefits analysis. Note that the FY2000 budget request was originally analyzed under the former Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS), where BT and WIP were previously combined. Throughout the document, reference will be made to the predecessor of the BT and WIP programs, BTS, as FY2000 reflected that organization. A companion report outlines the effects of re-estimating the FY 2000 budget request based on overlaying program data from subsequent years, essentially revised out-year forecasts. That report shows that year-to-year long-term projections of primary energy savings can vary widely as models improve and programs change. Those point estimates are not influenced by uncertainty or risk. This report develops potential methods for allowing inherent risk to affect the benefits analysis via Monte Carlo simulation.

This report presents basic background information on the collapse of the Enron Corporation, identifying public policy issues in financial market oversight. This report briefly summarizes some federal laws carrying criminal penalties which may be implicated in the events surrounding the collapse of the Enron Corp. This report compares the auditing and accounting reform measures passed by the House (H.R. 3763) and reported by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. This report compares the major provisions of three auditor and accounting reform proposals: H.R. 3763, S. 2673, and a rule proposed on June 20, 2002, by the SEC that would create a new auditor oversight board by using the SEC’s existing authority to regulate corporate accounting. The report focuses on Section 404(a) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the federal statute that regulates employer-sponsored pension plans. Section 404(a) is considered the “touchstone for understanding the scope and object of an ERISA fiduciary’s duties.”

The reaction of excess HSiCl{sub 3} with the aforementioned triamines led to the formation of [Si{sub 6}Cl{sub 14}]{sup 2-} containing salts in all instances. The isolated complex salts were characterized using FT-IR and elemental analysis. IR spectra of these compounds showed characteristic Si-H stretching modes around 2100cm{sup -1} due to the hexacoordinate silane cation and Si-Cl active modes near 528cm{sup -1} as a result of the cyclic dianion. Reaction yields and elemental analysis (CHN) of the salts are summarized in a table. The reaction of peralkylated triamines with HSiCl{sub 3} in dry CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} gives ionic compounds based upon the tetradecachlorocyclohexasilane dianion. Several substituted triamines(R{sub 2}NC{sub 2}H{sub 4}NR{prime}C{sub 2}H{sub 4}NR{sub 2}where R = R{prime} = Et, {sup n}Pr; R = Et, R{prime}= {sup n}Bu, {sup n}Hexyl, Benzyl) were examined for this reaction and N,N,N{prime},N{prime}-tetraethyl-N{sup {double_prime}}-benzyl-diethylenetriamine produced the best yields of [Si{sub 6}Cl{sub 14}]{sup 2-} salt at 23% based on the amine reagent. This improvement in yield could be attributed to the decreased nucleophilicity of the central amine through increased steric hindrance of the alkyl substituents. The overall consequence of this substituent variation study has revealed new reagents for the synthesis of [Si{sub 6}Cl{sub 14}]{sup 2-} salts and further demonstrated …

The primary goal since inception of this DOE grant award in 1991 to Wellman Laboratories of Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, has been to support competitive research fellowships aimed at solving important medical problems, contributing significant new knowledge and/or technology. This approach was taken according to the original intent of the DOE program, to foster excellent centers for research and development of lasers and optics in medicine. Laser photomedicine broadly encompasses optical therapy and optical diagnostics, within any organ system. The research supported clearly reflects this breadth and depth.

The core of the MARIA high flux multipurpose research reactor is highly heterogeneous. It consists of beryllium blocks arranged in 6 x 8 matrix, tubular fuel assemblies, control rods and irradiation channels. The reflector is also heterogeneous and consists of graphite blocks clad with aluminum. Its structure is perturbed by the experimental beam tubes. This paper presents methods and codes used to calculate the MARIA reactor neutronics characteristics and experience gained thus far at IAE and ANL. At ANL the methods of MARIA calculations were developed in connection with the RERTR program. At IAE the package of programs was developed to help its operator in optimization of fuel utilization.