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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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CDM analysis

The C Data Manager (CDM) is an advanced tool for creating an object-oriented database and for processing queries related to objects stored in that database. The CDM source code was purchased and will be modified over the course of the Arachnid project. In this report, the modified CDM is referred to as MCDM. Using MCDM, a detailed series of experiments was designed and conducted on a Sun Sparcstation. The primary results and analysis of the CDM experiment are provided in this report. The experiments involved creating the Long-form Faint Source Catalog (LFSC) database and then analyzing it with respect to following: (1) the relationships between the volume of data and the time required to create a database; (2) the storage requirements of the database files; and (3) the properties of query algorithms. The effort focused on defining, implementing, and analyzing seven experimental scenarios: (1) find all sources by right ascension--RA; (2) find all sources by declination--DEC; (3) find all sources in the right ascension interval--RA1, RA2; (4) find all sources in the declination interval--DEC1, DEC2; (5) find all sources in the rectangle defined by--RA1, RA2, DEC1, DEC2; (6) find all sources that meet certain compound conditions; and (7) analyze a variety of query algorithms. Throughout this document, the numerical results obtained from these scenarios are reported; conclusions are presented at the end of the document.

Larson, Robert E.↗

Urban relatives ameliorate survival disparities for genitourinary cancer in rural patients

Patients living in rural areas have worse cancer-specific outcomes. This study examines the effect of family-based social capital on genitourinary cancer survival. We hypothesized that rural patients with urban relatives have improved survival relative to rural patients without urban family. We examined rural and urban based Utah individuals diagnosed with genitourinary cancers between 1968 and 2018. Familial networks were determined using the Utah Population Database. Patients and relatives were classified as rural or urban based on 2010 rural–urban commuting area codes. Overall survival was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. We identified 24,746 patients with genitourinary cancer with a median follow-up of 8.72 years. Rural cancer patients without an urban relative had the worst outcomes with cancer-specific survival hazard ratios (HRs) at 5 and 10 years of 1.33 (95% CI 1.10–1.62) and 1.46 (95% CI 1.24–1.73), respectively relative to urban patients. Rural patients with urban first-degree relatives had improved survival with 5- and 10-year survival HRs of 1.21 (95% CI 1.06–1.40) and 1.16 (95% CI 1.03–1.31), respectively. Our findings suggest rural patients who have been diagnosed with a genitourinary cancer have improved survival when having relatives in urban centers relative to rural patients without urban relatives. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms through which having an urban family member contributes to improved cancer outcomes for rural patients. Better characterization of this affect may help inform policies to reduce urban–rural cancer disparities.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

NEWTS Integrated Dataset (version 1.0)

The National Energy Water Treatment and Speciation (NEWTS) Integrated Dataset v1.0 provides water researchers, community leaders, and regulators with a unified and standardized energy-related wastewater stream database. This resource is derived from 27 state and federal entities, and scientific publications, and contains more than 400,000 sample records, many of which also provide geospatial information. The dataset includes data for several different energy-related wastewater types including produced water, other oil and gas wastewaters, mine drainage, coal ash leachate, and power plant wastewater. The NEWTS Integrated Dataset was built to support environmentally prudent decision-making, explore treatment opportunities, and identify potential critical mineral sources. A subset of this novel resource is also featured on NETL NEWTS State-Level Database Dashboard. Additional data can be found in the NEWTS EDX Group and the NEWTS Federal Database Dashboard.

abandoned mine drainage↗

Requirement Discovery Using Embedded Knowledge Graph with ChatGPT

The field of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is witnessing a transformation with innovations such as electric aircraft and increasingly automated airspace operations. Within AAM, the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) concept focuses on providing air-taxi services in densely populated urban areas. This research introduces the utilization of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as OpenAI's GPT-4, to enhance the UAM Requirement discovery process. This study explores two distinct approaches to leverage LLMs in the context of UAM Requirement discovery. The first approach evaluates the LLM's ability to provide responses without relying on additional outside systems, such as a relational or graph database. Instead, a vector store provides relevant information to the LLM based on the user’s question, a process known as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). The second approach integrates the LLM with a graph database. The LLM acts as an intermediary between the user and the graph database, translating user questions into cypher queries for the database and database responses into human-readable answers for the user. Our team implemented and tested both solutions to analyze requirements within a UAM dataset. This paper will talk about our approaches, implementations, and findings related to both approaches.

systems engineering↗

Requirement Discovery Using Embedded Knowledge Graph With ChatGPT

The field of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is witnessing a transformation with innovations such as electric aircraft and increasingly automated airspace operations. Within AAM, the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) con-cept focuses on providing air-taxi services in densely populated urban areas. This research introduces the utilization of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as OpenAI's GPT-4, to enhance the UAM Requirement discovery process. This study explores two distinct approaches to leverage LLMs in the context of UAM Requirement discovery. The first approach evaluates the LLM's ability to provide responses without relying on additional outside systems, such as a relational or graph database. Instead, a vector store provides relevant information to the LLM based on the user’s question, a process known as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). The second approach integrates the LLM with a graph database. The LLM acts as an intermediary between the user and the graph database, translating user questions into cypher queries for the database and database responses into human-readable answers for the user. Our team implemented and tested both solutions to analyze require-ments within a UAM dataset. This paper will talk about our approaches, implementations, and findings related to both approaches.

systems engineering↗

Requirement Discovery Using Embedded Knowledge Graph With ChatGPT - Poster

The field of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is witnessing a transformation with innovations such as electric aircraft and increasingly automated airspace operations. Within AAM, the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) con-cept focuses on providing air-taxi services in densely populated urban areas. This research introduces the utilization of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as OpenAI's GPT-4, to enhance the UAM Requirement discovery process. This study explores two distinct approaches to leverage LLMs in the context of UAM Requirement discovery. The first approach evaluates the LLM's ability to provide responses without relying on additional outside systems, such as a relational or graph database. Instead, a vector store provides relevant information to the LLM based on the user’s question, a process known as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). The second approach integrates the LLM with a graph database. The LLM acts as an intermediary between the user and the graph database, translating user questions into cypher queries for the database and database responses into human-readable answers for the user. Our team implemented and tested both solutions to analyze require-ments within a UAM dataset. This paper will talk about our approaches, implementations, and findings related to both approaches.

systems engineering↗

Method for Accessing Distributed Heterogeneous Databases

A scenario of relational, hierarchial, and network data bases is presented and a distributed access view integrated data base system (DAVID) is described for uniformly accessing data bases which are heterogeneous and physically distributed. The DAVID system is based on data base logic so that the relational approach is generalized to the heterogeneous approach. The global data manager is explained as are global data manipulation languages which can operate on all the data bases and can query the data dictionary and the data directory.

Jacobs, B. E.↗

Analysis of TRMM-LIS Lightning and Related Microphysics Using a Cell-Scale Database

Previous studies of tropical lightning activity using Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data performed analyses of lightning behavior over mesoscale "feature" scales or over uniform grids. In order to study lightning and the governing ice microphysics intrinsic to thunderstorms at a more process-specific scale (i.e., the scale over which electrification processes and lightning occur in a "unit" thunderstorm), a new convective cell-scale database was developed by analyzing and refining the University of Utah's Precipitation Features database and retaining precipitation data parameters computed from the TRMM precipitation radar (PR), microwave imager (TMI) and LIS instruments. The resulting data base was to conduct a limited four-year study of tropical continental convection occurring over the Amazon Basin, Congo, Maritime Continent and the western Pacific Ocean. The analysis reveals expected strong correlations between lightning flash counts per cell and ice proxies, such as ice water path, minimum and average 85GHz brightness temperatures, and 18dBz echo top heights above the freezing level in all regimes, as well as regime-specific relationships between lighting flash counts and PR-derived surface rainfall rates. Additionally, radar CFADs were used to partition the 3D structure of cells in each regime at different flash counts. The resulting cell-scale analyses are compared to previous mesoscale feature and gridded studies wherever possible.

Leroy, Anita↗

Database on Performance of Neutron Irradiated FeCrAl Alloys

The present report summarizes and discusses the database on radiation tolerance for Generation I, Generation II, and commercial FeCrAl alloys. This database has been built upon mechanical testing and microstructural characterization on selected alloys irradiated within the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) up to doses of 13.8 dpa at temperatures ranging from 200°C to 550°C. The structure and performance of these irradiated alloys were characterized using advanced microstructural characterization techniques and mechanical testing. The primary objective of developing this database is to enhance the rapid development of a mechanistic understanding on the radiation tolerance of FeCrAl alloys, thereby enabling informed decisions on the optimization of composition and microstructure of FeCrAl alloys for application as an accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding. This report is structured to provide a brief summary of critical results related to the database on radiation tolerance of FeCrAl alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tracking materials science data lineage to manage millions of materials experiments and analyses

Abstract In an era of rapid advancement of algorithms that extract knowledge from data, data and metadata management are increasingly critical to research success. In materials science, there are few examples of experimental databases that contain many different types of information, and compared with other disciplines, the database sizes are relatively small. Underlying these issues are the challenges in managing and linking data across disparate synthesis and characterization experiments, which we address with the development of a lightweight data management framework that is generally applicable for experimental science and beyond. Five years of managing experiments with this system has yielded the Materials Experiment and Analysis Database (MEAD) that contains raw data and metadata from millions of materials synthesis and characterization experiments, as well as the analysis and distillation of that data into property and performance metrics via software in an accompanying open source repository. The unprecedented quantity and diversity of experimental data are searchable by experiment and analysis attributes generated by both researchers and data processing software. The search web interface allows users to visualize their search results and download zipped packages of data with full annotations of their lineage. The enormity of the data provides substantial challenges and opportunities for incorporating data science in the physical sciences, and MEAD’s data and algorithm management framework will foster increased incorporation of automation and autonomous discovery in materials and chemistry research.

Soedarmadji, Edwin↗

Energy related Strategic Environmental Assessment applied by Multilateral Development Agencies — An analysis based on good practice criteria

Multilateral Development Agencies (MDAs) have been emerging as responsible for the widespread of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) application in low and middle income countries. However, the effectiveness of SEA, as practiced by MDAs, has received limited attention in literature so far. This paper aims to analyse the use of SEA by MDAs in the context of loan agreements established between these countries. Based on documentation gathered in public databases, six energy related cases were reviewed in relation to the moment that SEA started, the strategic dimensions of proposed actions, compliance with key aspects of SEA, and also to the quality of SEA reports. Results indicate a number of aspects that should be improved in order to increase SEA effectiveness: SEA is starting after relevant decisions, is applied to actions without clear definition of strategic dimensions and lacks a systematic assessment of alternatives. Regarding the quality of SEA reports, the outcomes reveal a poor quality in baseline description, development and assessment of alternatives and public participation. - Highlights: • MDAs are fostering the use of SEA in developing countries. • SEA is applied late by MDAs and needs to enhance its strategic dimensions. • ToRs and SEA reports needs to better comply with key aspects of SEA • We've found no evidences that SEA applied by MDAs is contributing to better decisions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Building an Integrated Environment for Multimedia

Multimedia courseware on the solar system and earth science suitable for use in elementary, middle, and high schools was developed under this grant. The courseware runs on Silicon Graphics, Incorporated (SGI) workstations and personal computers (PCs). There is also a version of the courseware accessible via the World Wide Web. Accompanying multimedia database systems were also developed to enhance the multimedia courseware. The database systems accompanying the PC software are based on the relational model, while the database systems accompanying the SGI software are based on the object-oriented model.

Source record↗

Case Study Analyses of the SUCCESS DC-8 Scanning Lidar Database

Under project SUCCESS (Subsonic Aircraft Contrail and Cloud Effects Special Study) funded by the Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Program, SRI International (SRI) developed an angular scanning backscatter lidar for operation on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft and deployed the scanning lidar during the SUCCESS field campaign. The primary purpose of the lidar was to generate real-time video displays of clouds and contrails above, ahead of, and below the DC-8 as a means to help position the aircraft for optimum cloud and contrail sampling by onboard in situ sensors, and to help extend the geometrical domain of the in situ sampling records. A large, relatively complex lidar database was collected and several data examples were processed to illustrate the value of the lidar data for interpreting the other data records collected during SUCCESS. These data examples were used to develop a journal publication for the special SUCCESS Geophysical Research Letters issue. The data examples justified data analyses of a larger part of the DC-8 lidar database and is the objective of the current study. Efficient processing of the SUCCESS DC-8 scanning lidar database required substantial effort to enhance hardware and software components of the data system that was used for the initial analyses. MATLAB instructions are used to generate altitude and distance color-coded lidar displays corrected for effects introduced by aircraft pitch and forward movement during an angular scan time interval. Onboard in situ sensor atmospheric measurements are propagated to distances ahead of the DC-8 using recorded aircraft velocity so that they can be plotted on the lidar displays for comparison with lidar remotely observed aerosol distributions. Resulting lidar and in situ sensor polar scan displays over extended sampling intervals are integrated into a time series movie format for 36 case studies. Contrails and clouds were detected to ranges of 15 km by the forward-viewing angular scanning lidar and were progressively mapped as the aircraft approached and penetrated them. Near aircraft lidar observations were much better correlated with in situ sensor observations than lidar observations at greater distances ahead of the aircraft. The major cause of this difference was thought to be the about 2 deg. offset of the lidar viewing direction from the flight direction. Contrail spatial distributions were not of the quality obtainable from ground-based lidar observations. This results because contrails tend to become horizontally stratified, vertical distance between angular lidar observations increases with increased distance from the aircraft, and erratic aircraft motions during an angular scan. The most useful lidar observations were made with lidar viewing directions of vertically upward or vertically downward. These provided real-time information on aircraft altitudes to achieve optimum in situ cloud and contrail sampling. At sampling altitudes, the forward viewing angular scanning observations were useful for fine-tuning the aircraft altitude for cloud and contrail penetration. Best information on cloud and contrail properties were obtained from vertically directed lidar observations as the aircraft performed a series of upward and downward penetrations of contrails. This operational mode was especially well suited for lidar and radiometric evaluation of cloud and contrail optical and radiative properties. The vertical viewing lidar detected ice crystals thought to be precipitating from an aircraft contrail and their scavenging by a cirrus cloud layer. The lidar display indicates that the crystals are effective for increasing cirrus cloud density. Vertical angular scanning observations can evaluate the sharp decrease in lidar backscatter for small off-vertical viewing directions that result from horizontally aligned ice crystals and perhaps can provide additional information on crystal shapes. The about 2 deg. offset of the lidar viewing direction from the flight direction is thought to have greatly degraded the forward-viewing angular scanning observations and this mode of operation was not fully evaluated. However, the reasoning for this capability remains valid and the angular scan presentations collected during this program justifies modification of the lidar pod for true forward direction lidar viewing during future cloud and contrail studies.

Uthe, Edward E.↗

Case Study Analyses of the Success DC-8 Scanning Lidar Database

Under project SUCCESS (Subsonic Aircraft Contrail and Cloud Effects Special Study) funded by the Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Program, SRI International (SRI) developed an angular scanning back'scatter lidar for operation on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft and deployed the scanning lidar during the SUCCESS field campaign. The primary purpose of the lidar was to generate real-time video displays of clouds and contrails above, ahead of, and below the DC-8 as a means to help position the aircraft for optimum cloud and contrail sampling by onboard in situ sensors, and to help extend the geometrical domain of the in situ sampling records. A large, relatively complex lidar database was collected and several data examples were processed to illustrate the value of the lidar data for interpreting the other data records collected during SUCCESS. These data examples were used to develop a journal publication for the special SUCCESS Geophysical Research Letters issue (reprint presented as Appendix A). The data examples justified data analyses of a larger part of the DC-8 lidar database and is the objective of the current study.

Uthe, Edward E.↗

Collaborative Data Publication Utilizing the Open Data Repository's (ODR) Data Publisher

Introduction: For small communities in diverse fields such as astrobiology, publishing and sharing data can be a difficult challenge. While large, homogenous fields often have repositories and existing data standards, small groups of independent researchers have few options for publishing standards and data that can be utilized within their community. In conjunction with teams at NASA Ames and the University of Arizona, the Open Data Repository's (ODR) Data Publisher has been conducting ongoing pilots to assess the needs of diverse research groups and to develop software to allow them to publish and share their data collaboratively. Objectives: The ODR's Data Publisher aims to provide an easy-to-use and implement software tool that will allow researchers to create and publish database templates and related data. The end product will facilitate both human-readable interfaces (web-based with embedded images, files, and charts) and machine-readable interfaces utilizing semantic standards. Characteristics: The Data Publisher software runs on the standard LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack to provide the widest server base available. The software is based on Symfony (www.symfony.com) which provides a robust framework for creating extensible, object-oriented software in PHP. The software interface consists of a template designer where individual or master database templates can be created. A master database template can be shared by many researchers to provide a common metadata standard that will set a compatibility standard for all derivative databases. Individual researchers can then extend their instance of the template with custom fields, file storage, or visualizations that may be unique to their studies. This allows groups to create compatible databases for data discovery and sharing purposes while still providing the flexibility needed to meet the needs of scientists in rapidly evolving areas of research. Research: As part of this effort, a number of ongoing pilot and test projects are currently in progress. The Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database Working Group is developing a shared database standard using the ODR's Data Publisher and has a number of example databases where astrobiology data are shared. Soon these databases will be integrated via the template-based standard. Work with this group helps determine what data researchers in these diverse fields need to share and archive. Additionally, this pilot helps determine what standards are viable for sharing these types of data from internally developed standards to existing open standards such as the Dublin Core (http://dublincore.org) and Darwin Core (http://rs.twdg.org) metadata standards. Further studies are ongoing with the University of Arizona Department of Geosciences where a number of mineralogy databases are being constructed within the ODR Data Publisher system. Conclusions: Through the ongoing pilots and discussions with individual researchers and small research teams, a definition of the tools desired by these groups is coming into focus. As the software development moves forward, the goal is to meet the publication and collaboration needs of these scientists in an unobtrusive and functional way.

easy to use and implement software tool↗

Creep and Fatigue Characterization of High Strength Alloy Thin Sections in Advanced CO2 Heat Exchangers

The objective of this work was to characterize and model elevated temperature creep and fatigue behavior for thin sheet and foil forms of gamma-prime strengthened alloys in wrought form and as-processed folded and brazed constructions. This work was motivated by the demanding temperature and pressure service conditions of the GEN3 Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycle working fluid. More specifically, the possibility of leveraging the superior creep strength of gamma-prime alloys in folded-fin and brazed-plate heat exchanger constructions. Gamma-prime alloys represent a step-change in raw-material strength over solid-solution strengthened alloys. And the folded-fin and brazed-plate heat exchanger architecture is lightweight and leverages cost-effective material stock forms. The investigation contained two parallel paths. (1) The first is referred to as a fundamental investigation where Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducts uniaxial creep testing on thin sheet and foil in wrought form. This effort aimed to serve as a benchmark against a relatively sparse existing database and a baseline comparison for path number 2. (2) The second path is referred to as the practical investigation where Brayton Energy manufactures plate-fin heat exchangers and performs pressurized creep and fatigue testing. This effort aimed to de-risk heat exchanger manufacturing process for service under sCO2 CSP conditions. A total of 14 uniaxial creep tests were completed using Haynes 282 thin sheet and foil. A variety of heat treatments were specified to coincide with path number 2. Baseline metallography of test samples and creep strength performance are contained. Benchmarks relatively to existing thick-form Haynes 282 are made, as well as to other thin-form Nickel-based superalloys. Description of a wrought-form modeling approach for thin gamma-prime alloys is also discussed. A total of 11 pressurized creep and fatigue tests were completed successfully with Haynes 282 heat exchanger prototypes. Manufacturing processing details, testing details, testing results, and failure analysis are discussed. Additionally, creep modeling techniques to predict failure are discussed, and modeling to support technological-to-market. In conclusion, Haynes 282 foils were demonstrated to yield rupture two-to-three orders of magnitude higher than Haynes 230 foils under similar conditions. And the manufactured heat exchanger prototypes demonstrated strength similar to the wrought constituents. Both of which contribute to elevated performance potential or cost savings in practice. Discussion is included.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

SNF Data Visualization on the Centralized Used Fuel Resource for Information Exchange (CURIE) Website

To better inform stakeholders regarding the nature of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at utility sites, an online data visualization system has been created for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy (DOENE). The data visualization system is part of the Centralized Used Fuel Resource for Information Exchange (CURIE) website, hosted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for DOE-NE. The visualization employs a database that is part of an analysis tool known as the Used Nuclear Fuel Storage, Transportation and Disposal Analysis Resource and Data System (UNF-ST[and]DARDS). Because many of the previous document management and sharing tools related to SNF have been terminated (or are inaccessible), a new tool, the CURIE, was developed for DOE-NE and launched on March 1, 2013 at http://curie.ornl.gov. In addition to supporting DOE SNF programs, CURIE is a national resource that is accessible to industry, vendor, federal, and laboratory partners, as well as other stakeholders. CURIE's architecture was initially based on previous work that supported DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office on the Bioenergy Knowledge Discovery Framework (KDF). The site uses an open-source search engine, Apache Solr, which provides intuitive search results based on a faceted search method similar to that used by Amazon.com{sup R}. This algorithm helps to ensure that finding documents and data is straightforward. SNF data visualization capability was added to the CURIE website which provides a capability to post and access documents and data related to the management of SNF. CURIE currently maintains over 4,100 documents and the Siting Experience Database (SED), which was developed in response to a near-term recommendation by the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future (BRC). The SED is a database of the experience that has been gained and relevant documentation that has been produced in efforts to site nuclear waste facilities, both in the US and abroad. Most of these documents are publicly accessible. In addition, CURIE maintains a current calendar of related events, an SNF image gallery, featured documents, and external links to related databases and websites. CURIE also maintains private groups (or communities) to facilitate collaborative development through sharing and editing documents that are not publicly available. There are more than 250 registered users in 23 different communities within CURIE.ORNL has also been developing UNF-ST[and]DARDS to provide a controlled source of technical data for various waste management system analysis/evaluation tools, access to key technical data, and analysis capabilities for characterizing the SNF inventory. UNF-ST[and]DARDS also provides enhanced capabilities to assess safety, risk, and uncertainty throughout the integrated waste management system. This paper describes the UNF-ST[and]DARDS data available for visualization and the associated visualization techniques used by CURIE to display this data.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Information Technology Support in the 8000 Directorate

My summer internship was spent supporting various projects within the Environmental Management Office and Glenn Safety Office. Mentored by Eli Abumeri, I was trained in areas of Information Technology such as: Servers, printers, scanners, CAD systems, Web, Programming, and Database Management, ODIN (networking, computers, and phones). I worked closely with the Chemical Sampling and Analysis Team (CSAT) to redesign a database to more efficiently manage and maintain data collected for the Drinking Water Program. This Program has been established for over fifteen years here at the Glenn Research Center. It involves the continued testing and retesting of all drinking water dispensers. The quality of the drinking water is of great importance and is determined by comparing the concentration of contaminants in the water with specifications set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and its 1986 and 1991 amendments. The Drinking Water Program consists of periodic testing of all drinking water fountains and sinks. Each is tested at least once every 2 years for contaminants and naturally occurring species. The EPA's protocol is to collect an initial and a 5 minute draw from each dispenser. The 5 minute draw is what is used for the maximum contaminant level. However, the CS&AT has added a 30 second draw since most individuals do not run the water 5 minutes prior to drinking. This data is then entered into a relational Microsoft Access database. The database allows for the quick retrieval of any test@) done on any dispenser. The data can be queried by building number, date or test type, and test results are documented in an analytical report for employees to read. To aid with the tracking of recycled materials within the lab, my help was enlisted to create a database that could make this process less cumbersome and more efficient. The date of pickup, type of material, weight received, and unit cost per recyclable. This information could then calculate the dollar amount generated by the recycling of certain materials. This database will ultimately prove useful in determining the amounts of materials consumed by the lab and will help serve as an indicator potential overuse.

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