This report considers the issues the 110th Congress was confronted with in relation to agriculture and the issues inherited from the 109th Congress. The report also includes details about the upcoming farm bill and the usual problems that are examined with the creation of a new farm bill.

The harmonic generation process in a harmonic cascade (HC) FEL is subject to noise degradation which is proportional to the square of the total harmonic order. In this paper, we study the shot noise evolution in the first-stage modulator and radiator of a HC FEL that produces the dominant noise contributions. We derive the effective input noise for a modulator operating in the low-gain regime, and analyze the radiator noise for a density-modulated beam. The significance of these noise sources in different harmonic cascade designs is also discussed.

The principal goal of this project was to assess the molecular nature and stability of radionuclide immobilization during weathering reactions in bulk Hanford sediments and their high surface area clay mineral constitutents.

This report discusses the national security problem of China's role in weapons proliferation and issues related to the U.S. policy response, including legislation, since the mid-1990's.

Concern has grown in Congress and elsewhere about China's military modernization. The topic is an increasing factor in discussions over future required U.S. Navy capabilities. The issue for Congress addressed in this report is: How should China's military modernization be factored into decisions about U.S. Navy programs?

The principal goal of this project was to assess the molecular nature and stability of radionuclide immoblization during weathering reactions in bulk Hanford sediments and their high surface area clay mineral constituents. We focused on the unique aqueous geochemical conditions that are representative of waste-impacted locations in the Hanford site vadose zone; high ionic strength, high pH and high Al concentrations. The specific objectives of the work were to measure the coupling of clay mineral weathering and contaminant uptake kinetics of Cs, Sr and I; determine the molecular structure of contaminant binding sites and their change with weathering time during and after exposure to synthetic tank waste leachate; establish the stability of neoformed weathering products and their sequestered contaminbants upon exposure of the solids to more natural soil solutaions afer remofal of the caustic waste source; and integrate macroscopic, microscopic and spectroscopic data to distinguish labile from non-labile contaminant binding environments, including their dependence on system composition and weathering time.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy are complementary analytical techniques on energy and spatial resolution. These techniques are based on the same fundamental physical process of core excitation with either an incident photon or incident electron. In the proper experimental configuration the electron and photon inelastic scattering amplitudes are comparable and thus the x-ray and electron absorption edges look identical. We have applied these two complementary analytical techniques to investigate the electronic structure of C ion implanted U. Implantation of C{sup +} ions into U{sup 238} has been shown to produce a physically and chemically modified surface layer that passivates the surface preventing further air oxidation and corrosion. Comparison of the resultant spectra reveal that transitions between the initial state and a series of final states yield numerous strong features at the absorption edge that can provide structural information and information on the local chemical environment, including the character of the U 5f state.

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This report provides an abridged look at Capital Punishment Legislation in the 109th Congress regarding the Death Penalty.

This report discusses legislation regarding the death penalty in the 109th Congress. The USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act (Reauthorization Act) contains a number of death penalty related provisions. Some create new federal capital offenses; some add the death penalty as a sentencing option in the case of preexisting federal crimes; some alter the procedural attributes of federal capital cases. Other proposals offered during the 109th Congress would have followed the same pattern: some new crimes; some new penalties for old crimes; and some procedural adjustments. Only one of the other proposals, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, passed, although at least one House approved several others. Three proposals do not fit the pattern; they either would have abolished the death penalty as a federal sentencing alternative or would have imposed a moratorium upon executions.

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This report provides a systematic guide to understanding the use of financial derivative contracts in the energy industry, focusing specifically on the petroleum and natural gas sectors.

This report provides a systematic guide to understanding the use of financial derivative contracts in the energy industry, focusing specifically on the petroleum and natural gas sectors.

This report summarizes the research performed on the LDRD project 02-ERD-071 to develop a quantum-limited microwave amplifier based on a dc Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (dc-SQUID). This project began in June 2002 and concluded in May 2005. This project produced the lowest noise temperature amplifiers ever produced, both in absolute terms and in relation to the Standard Quantum Limit. Being an order of magnitude lower in noise than the best HFET devices available, they are of great interest to a number of groups. Potential applications are numerous, from dark-matter searches to national security applications in Quantum Information Processing. Collaborations started during this project are continuing with the goal of single-spin detection using the rf-SET. Publications are forthcoming covering both the experimental results and the theoretical modeling. The most important publication with the noise temperature results will appear after the low frequency follow-up experiment. The other publications in production cover the input impedance measurements and the resulting transmission line models.

This report provides statutory and Congressional Rules on Emergency Spending which has significance in both procedural and budgetary terms. BEA placed statutory limits on the level of federal spending.

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The principal goal of this project was to assess the molecular nature and stability of radionuclide (137-Cs, 90-Sr, and 129-I) immobilization during weathering reactions in bulk Hanford sediments and their high surface area clay mineral constituents. We focused on the unique aqueous geochemical conditions that are representative of waste-impacted locations in the Hanford site vadose zone: high ionic strength, high pH and high Al concentrations. The specific objectives of the work were to (i) measure the coupling of clay mineral weathering and contaminant uptake kinetics of Cs+, Sr2+ and I-; (ii) determine the molecular structure of contaminant binding sites and their change with weathering time during and after exposure to synthetic tank waste leachate (STWL); (iii) establish the stability of neoformed weathering products and their sequestered contaminants upon exposure of the solids to more “natural” soil solutions (i.e., after removal of the caustic waste source); and (iv) integrate macroscopic, microscopic and spectroscopic data to distinguish labile from non-labile contaminant binding environments, including their dependence on system composition and weathering time. During this funding period, we completed a large set of bench-scale collaborative experiments and product characterization aimed at elucidating the coupling between mineral transformation reactions and contaminant sequestration/stabilization. Our experiments …

A magnetically coupled microbalance system has been used to measure adsorption and desorption isotherms and rates of desorption for carbon tetrachloride on dry prepared porous silica particles with narrow pore size distributions in the mesoporous range. Pore size distributions estimated from the carbon tetrachloride isotherms were found to be in close agreement with those determined using standard low temperature nitrogen adsorption. Three different types of particles were studied, with average pore diameters of 2.7 nm, 4.6 nm, and 5.9 nm. Prior to desorption rate studies, evacuated particulate samples were charged with volatile organic vapor at pressures sufficient to fill all mesopores with condensed fluid. Desorption rates into dry flowing helium were determined at 25 °C and atmospheric pressure, using the microbalance system combined with chromatographic analysis of the exit helium stream. Initial rates were found to decrease significantly, as mass adsorbed decreased. This residual mass was desorbing at such a low rate, that it can be considered a migration resistant fraction of the original mass adsorbed. Attempts to remove this residual mass at higher temperatures were partially successful; however, differences between the microbalance and gas chromatograph responses leave open uncertainty about whether the residual mass was pure carbon tetrachloride. To …

Fractional crystallization is being considered as a pretreatment method to support supplemental treatment of retrieved single-shell tank (SST) saltcake waste at the Hanford Site. The goal of the fractional crystallization process is to optimize the separation of the radioactivity (radionuclides) from the saltcake waste and send it to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant and send the bulk of the saltcake to the supplemental treatment plant (bulk vitrification). The primary factors that influence the separation efficiency are (1) solid/liquid separation efficiency, (2) contaminant inclusions, and (3) co-precipitation. This is a report of testing for factors (2) and (3) with actual tank waste samples. For the purposes of this report, contaminant inclusions are defined as the inclusion of supernatant, containing contaminating radionuclides, in a pocket within the precipitating saltcake crystals. Co-precipitation is defined as the simultaneous precipitation of a saltcake crystal with a contaminating radionuclide. These two factors were tested for various potential fractional crystallization product salts by spiking the composite tank waste samples (SST Early or SST Late, external letter CH2M-0600248, ''Preparation of Composite Tank Waste Samples for ME-21 Project'') with the desired target salt and then evaporating to precipitate that salt. SST Early represents the typical composition of dissolved …

This document provides requirements, design, data-file specifications, test plan, and Quality Assurance/Quality Control protocol for the linkage between the statistical package R and the Framework for Risk Analysis in Multimedia Environmental Systems (FRAMES) Versions 1.x and 2.0. The requirements identify the attributes of the system. The design describes how the system will be structured to meet those requirements. The specification presents the specific modifications to FRAMES to meet the requirements and design. The test plan confirms that the basic functionality listed in the requirements (black box testing) actually functions as designed, and QA/QC confirms that the software meets the client’s needs.

This report provides the policy considerations related to guest worker programs on immigration.

Although significant progress has been achieved in understanding the genetic and biochemical bases of the spore germination process, the structural basis for breaking the dormant spore state remains poorly understood. We have used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to probe the high-resolution structural dynamics of single Bacillus atrophaeus spores germinating under native conditions. Here we show that AFM can reveal previously unrecognized germination-induced alterations in spore coat architecture and topology as well as the disassembly of outer spore coat rodlet structures. These results and previous studies in other microorganisms suggest that the spore coat rodlets are structurally similar to amyloid fibrils. AFM analysis of the nascent surface of the emerging germ cell revealed a porous network of peptidoglycan fibers. The results are consistent with a honeycomb model structure for synthetic peptidoglycan oligomers determined by nuclear magnetic resonance. AFM is a promising experimental tool for investigating the morphogenesis of spore germination and cell wall peptidoglycan structure.

This report includes a historical background of the Sunni-Shiite split and discusses the differences in religious beliefs and practices between and within each Islamic sect as well as their similarities.