May 6, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and the Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in the following case: Lois Bartsch, Ph.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center: Based on the report of an investigation conducted by the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and additional analysis conducted by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) during its oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that Lois Bartsch, Ph.D., former postdoctoral research trainee, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, UNMC, engaged in scientific misconduct in research supported by National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants P30 CA36727 and R01 CA77876 and National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), NIH, grant P20 RR016469. Specifically, PHS found that Dr. Bartsch: Falsified DNA sequence files by deleting a nucleotide and changing nucleotide designations and reported the altered file as the ACI rat p16Cdkn2a sequence with a CpG dinucleotide polymorphism in the upstream region to GenBank, in grant application CA118151, and in the poster presented to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL); Fabricated the claim in grant application CA118151 that GenBank entries for the human p16Cdkn2a gene had a CpG polymorphism near the transcription start site; Falsified the differential methylation of CpG dinucleotides near the transcription start site of p16Cdkn2a DNA and reported that tumor tissue was more methylated than normal tissue in ACI rats treated with estrogen and that the ACI allele was more methylated than the BN allele in tumor tissue from (BN x ACI)F1 animals treated with estrogen in grant application CA118151. Dr. Bartsch has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement (Agreement) in which she neither admits nor denies ORI's finding of scientific misconduct; the settlement is not an admission of liability on the part of the respondent. In accordance with the terms of the Agreement, she has voluntarily agreed, beginning on April 15, 2008: (1) To exclude herself from any contracting or subcontracting with any agency of the United States Government and from eligibility or involvement in nonprocurement programs of the United States Government referred to as ``covered transactions'' pursuant to HHS' Implementation (2 CFR Part 376 et seq.) of OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Government- wide Debarment and Suspension (2 CFR Part 180) for a period of two (2) years; and (2) To exclude herself permanently from serving in any advisory capacity to PHS, including but not limited to service on any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer review committee, or as a consultant or contractor to PHS for a period of three (3) years.

This is a notice of an Administrative declaration of a disaster for the State of Colorado dated 04/28/2008. Incident: Ordway Fire. Incident Period: 04/14/2008 through 04/15/2008. Effective Date: 04/28/2008. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 06/27/2008. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 01/28/2009.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the San Francisco Bay-Delta population of the longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) (longfin smelt) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the longfin smelt may be warranted. We, therefore, are initiating a status review to determine if listing this species under the Act is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this species. We will make a determination on critical habitat for this species if, and when, we initiate a listing action.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the initiation of a status review for the white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus) throughout its range in the United States. The status review will include analysis of whether the white-tailed prairie dog warrants listing as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Through this action, we encourage all interested parties to provide us information regarding the status of, and any potential threats to, the white-tailed prairie dog throughout its range, or any significant portion of its range.

The Coast Guard is revising the drawbridge operations for the Baring Cross Railroad Drawbridge across the Arkansas Waterway at Mile 119.6 at Little Rock, Arkansas, to reflect the actual procedures currently being followed. The revised regulation accurately depicts where the drawbridge operator is located and that the bridge, which is remotely operated, is equipped with a Photoelectric Boat Detection System.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Bell Helicopter Textron (Bell) model helicopters. This action requires certain checks and inspections of each tail rotor blade assembly (T/R blade) at specified intervals and repairing or replacing, as applicable, any unairworthy T/R blade. This amendment is prompted by three failures of a T/R blade occurring during flight and a recent incident of a cracked T/R blade discovered during a scheduled visual inspection. The actions specified in this AD are intended to detect damage to a T/R blade that could lead to cracking of a T/R blade and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for the Louisiana black bear under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Concurrently, we withdraw our December 2, 1993, proposal for Louisiana black bear critical habitat (58 FR 63560). In total, approximately 1,330,000 acres (538,894 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of this proposed critical habitat designation. The proposed critical habitat is located in Avoyelles, East Carroll, Catahoula, Concordia, Franklin, Iberia, Iberville, Madison, Pointe Coupee, Richland, St. Martin, St. Mary, Tensas, West Carroll, and West Feliciana Parishes, Louisiana.

Interested parties are invited to comment on an application by the Electronic Industries Alliance for an administrative determination as to whether Federal hazardous material transportation law preempts requirements of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on the transportation of cathode ray tubes and glass removed from cathode ray tubes.

This rule establishes an industry-funded promotion, research, and information program for sorghum, which includes but is not limited to, grain sorghum, sorghum forage, sorghum hay, sorghum haylage, sorghum billets, and sorghum silage. For the purpose of clarity, the term sorghum means all the above mentioned types of sorghum unless specifically identified otherwise. The Sorghum Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order) is implemented under the authority of the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 (Act). The Order will establish a national Sorghum Promotion, Research, and Information Board (Board) comprised initially of 13 sorghum producers. Producers and importers will pay assessments based on the value of the sorghum they produce or import. A referendum will be conducted 3 years after assessments begin to determine if sorghum producers and importers favor the program.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issues this notice of the dates for the beginning of the initial enrollment for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) for the Ports of Houma, LA; Morgan City, LA; Calcite, MI; San Francisco, CA; and Kansas City, MO.

The Coast Guard proposes establishment of a safety zone for a fireworks event in the Captain of the Port Buffalo zone. This proposed rule is intended to restrict vessels from portions of water and shore areas during events that pose a hazard to public safety. The safety zone established by this proposed rule is necessary to protect spectators, participants, and vessels from the hazards associated with fireworks displays.

This Notice sets forth the policies and procedures for the administration of tenant-based Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance under the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program administered by local public housing agencies (PHAs) that have partnered with local Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers.

This interim final rule with comment period implements certain provisions of section 114 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 relating to long term care hospitals (LTCHs). These provisions include a 3-year delay in the application of certain provisions of the payment adjustment for short-stay outliers and revisions to the RY 2008 standard Federal rate.