Since early 1993, North Korea has refused to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This is contrary to North Korea's obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its 1992 safeguards agreement with the Agency. Following North Korean obstruction of an inspection in March 1994, the IAEA referred the issue to the U.N. Security Council. The Clinton Administration is set to propose that the Council act against North Korea, possibly including the imposition of sanctions. However, the opposition of China to sanctions and the ambivalent attitude of Russia has resulted in a decision by the Administration to propose initial action by the Council short of sanctions. Measures short of sanctions could end up as the totality of U.N. action.

While the United States accords most-favored-nation (nondiscriminatory) treatment to many foreign countries on the basis of bilateral trade treaties or agreements, and to many more by virtue of being a signatory of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, MFN treatment is applied mostly as a matter of statutory policy generally to all trading partners except those whose MFN status has been suspended by specific legislation. Virtually all suspensions have been carried out under the mandate of the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1951.

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the county auditor oath of office provision, Local Government Code § 84.007(b) prevails over chapter 171 of the Local Government Code (RQ-572)

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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the members of the City of Dallas Planning and Zoning Commission are “local public officials” under chapter 171 of the Local Government Code and related questions (RQ-689)

Letter opinion 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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification;Clarification of Attorney General Opinion DM-249 (1993):tuition rate for non-resident scholarship students(ID# 24128).

Letter opinion 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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a district attorney's office may accept a contribution from a non profit organization for the purpose of enhancing prosecution programs and related questions (ID# 24908)

Letter opinion 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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a sheriff may collect a fee for researching an individual's criminal history records and certifying the results of the search (ID# 25904)

The application of laser ablation technology to the decontamination of radioactive metals, particularly the surfaces of equipment, is discussed. Included is information related to the design, capital and operating costs, and effectiveness of laser ablation technology, based on commercial excimer and Nd:YAG lasers, for the decontamination of production scale equipment.

The initial work on microwave annealing of dense silicon nitride showed enhanced grain growth and improved creep resistance for materials annealed at temperatures of 1,200--1500 C. In those tests, the anneal times were on the order of 10--20 h to achieve the observed changes. To further study the effectiveness of microwave annealing, a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) was started in the area of microwave processing of silicon nitride with Garrett Ceramic Components/Allied-Signal (GCC/AS). The original plan was for ORNL to microwave anneal specimens of dense silicon nitride with high additive contents (> 5%) provided by GCC/AS at various times and temperatures. There were to be three sample types and 3--4 annealing conditions for a total of 9--12 annealing runs. The materials would then be characterized by both ORNL and GCC/AS to determine any changes in the properties. The objectives were: (1) to determine the effects of microwave crystallization on mechanical properties, and (2) to compare the effectiveness of microwave versus conventional heating. The mechanical properties examined that were fracture toughness, flexural strength and high temperature stress rupture. Delays, organizational changes, and other commercialization priorities resulted in a termination of this CRADA. This report contains a summary of results …

The ZGS people went off in every direction: to universities, to other laboratories, to universities and laboratories in other countries, and to other occupations in the private sector or federal agencies. Some people even cycled around through one or more of the above and eventually would up back to Argonne. As a good pupil of the David Manson school of weasel words. I recognize the need to insert a {open_quotes}to the best of my knowledge{close_quotes} disclaimer statement here. It became clear to me that I couldn`t vouch for the accuracy of all of the information shown below when, to my surprise and delight, I found on the official registration list for this conference the names of people I really, really, never expected to see again!

This document is a plan which serves as the contractual agreement between the Characterization Program, Sampling Operations, WHC 222-S Laboratory, and PNL 325 Analytical Chemistry Laboratory. The scope of this plan is to provide guidance for the sampling and analysis of samples from tank 241-AP-107.

The authors research for the Division of High Energy Physics (HEP) began with studies of both the superconducting and matrix components of multifilamentary composites, viz (1) attempts to increase the flux-pinning strength in NbTi, and (2) a method of suppressing proximity effect coupling in fine-filament strands. The latter was fully successful, and stands ready to be invoked as soon as the need arises to: (a) very closely space the filaments in the interests of quality, or (b) re-introduce fine-filament composites for strand-magnetization reduction or AC-loss minimization. But there were also many spin-offs during the life of the program, as indicated in the complete list of publications (copy available on request). For instance, the various other effects and properties that were studied and published over the period of this association with HEP include: (i) reduction in T{sub c} due to proximity effect between thin {alpha}phase precipitates and the NbTi matrix, (ii) critical field enhancement with reduction of filament diameter in fine-filament composites, (iii) studies and systematics of AC loss in composite strands, (iv) compensation of strand magnetization by means of Ni plating or filament substitution, (v) hysteretic loss due to surface pinning in multifilamentary NbTi, (vi) flux creep in SSC-type strands, …

The authors are conducting a large-scale manipulative field experiments in an upland oak forest on the Walker Branch Watershed in eastern Tennessee USA to identify important ecosystem responses that might result from future precipitation changes. The manipulation of soil moisture is being implemented by a gravity-driven transfer of throughfall precipitation from one treatment plot to another. Throughfall is intercepted in {approx} 2,000 subcanopy troughs (0.3 x 5 m) suspended above the forest floor of the dry plots ({approx} 33% of the ground area is covered) and transferred by gravity flow across an ambient plot for subsequent distribution onto the wet treatment plot. Percent soil water is being monitored with time domain reflectometers at 310 sampling locations across the site. The experimental system is able to produce statistically significant differences in soil water content in years having both extremely dry and extremely wet conditions. Furthermore, comparisons of pre- and post-installation soil temperature measurements have documented the ability of the experimental design to produce these changes without changing the microclimate of the forest understory.

We were asked at the previous Atlas collaboration meeting to confirm our proposal that the Argonne design option could maintain the tie straps in a prestressed condition after welding. This was deemed necessary to maintain compression loading of the steel plate stack. The compression load requirement was set at a load equivalent to that necessary to maintain continuity of the stack using friction. We will attempt to prove that through the strap testing and the ultimate construction of the 25 cm prototype stack that we have in fact met these requirements.

The purpose of this procedure is to gather visual and depth information and monitor underwater activities in the 105-KW SFBWP and transfer channel. Profile lighting (the use of lighting and shadows to show the surface contour) will be used to assess the contour of the sludge surface. Select measurements will also be taken to determine the actual sludge depth. The control/video station will be setup outside the radiation area or in lowest possible exposure area to reduce personnel exposure (ALARA). This procedure is to provide a mechanism to assist in fully characterizing the volume and surface topology of the sludge currently deposited in the sandfilter backwash pit (SFBWP). Surveillance Systems Engineering (SSE) personnel will gather visual information utilizing a closed circuit television (CCTV) color camera, mounted to stainless steel extension poles. Connections allow the camera to be connected with a pan and tilt to allow better positioning capabilities and to get good landscape profiling of the sediment surface. The information will be videotaped to a one-half inch NTSC or Y/C format. Underwater lighting will be accomplished by means of 500 watt underwater lamps.

Previous work on isosynthesis (conversion of synthesis gas to isobutane and isobutylene) was performed at very low conversions or extreme process conditions. The objectives of this research were (1) determine the optimum process conditions for isosynthesis; (2) determine the optimum catalyst preparation method and catalyst composition/properties for isosynthesis; (3) determine the kinetics for the best catalyst; (4) develop reactor models for trickle bed, slurry, and fixed bed reactors; and (5) simulate the performance of fixed bed trickle flow reactors, slurry flow reactors, and fixed bed gas phase reactors for isosynthesis. More improvement in catalyst activity and selectivity is needed before isosynthesis can become a commercially feasible (stand-alone) process. Catalysts prepared by the precipitation method show the most promise for future development as compared with those prepared hydrothermally, by calcining zirconyl nitrate, or by a modified sol-gel method. For current catalysts the high temperatures (>673 K) required for activity also cause the production of methane (because of thermodynamics). A catalyst with higher activity at lower temperatures would magnify the unique selectivity of zirconia for isobutylene. Perhaps with a more active catalyst and acidification, oxygenate production could be limited at lower temperatures. Pressures above 50 atm cause an undesirable shift in product …

Factors influencing the rate and extent of benzoate degradation by the anaerobic syntrophic consortia were studied. Nonlinear regression analysis showed that the cause of the benzoate threshold was not a diminished benzoate degradation capacity. Analysis of cocultures with hydrogen users that differed in their hydrogen utilization capacities showed that the threshold did not depend on the kinetic properties of the syntrophic partner. These data support a thermodynamic explanation for the threshold, and exclude the possibility that a change in the affinity of the enzyme system due to acetate inhibition caused the threshold. Modeling studies showed that the threshold value could be predicted from the concentrations of the end products, assuming a critical Gibb`s free energy value. This work shows that interspecies acetate transfer is important in controlling the extent of metabolism by syntrophic organisms.

Thermal methods, and particularly steam injection, are currently recognized as the most promising for the efficient recovery of heavy oil. Despite significant progress, however, important technical issues remain open. Specifically, still inadequate is our knowledge of the complex interaction between porous media and the various fluids of thermal recovery (steam, water, heavy oil, gases, and chemicals). While, the interplay of heat transfer and fluid flow with pore- and macro-scale heterogeneity is largely unexplored. The objectives of this contract are to continue previous work and to carry out new fundamental studies in the following areas of interest to thermal recovery: displacement and flow properties of fluids involving phase change (condensation-evaporation) in porous media; flow properties of mobility control fluids (such as foam); and the effect of reservoir heterogeneity on thermal recovery. The specific projects are motivated by and address the need to improve heavy oil recovery from typical reservoirs as well as less conventional fractured reservoirs producing from vertical or horizontal wells. This quarterly report covers work accomplished for studies in: vapor-liquid flow; recovery processes in heterogeneous reservoirs; and chemical additives.

None

The Electric Power Annual presents a summary of electric utility statistics at national, regional and State levels. The objective of the publication is to provide industry decisionmakers, government policymakers, analysts and the general public with historical data that may be used in understanding US electricity markets. The Electric Power Annual is prepared by the Survey Management Division; Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels; Energy Information Administration (EIA); US Department of Energy. ``The US Electric Power Industry at a Glance`` section presents a profile of the electric power industry ownership and performance, and a review of key statistics for the year. Subsequent sections present data on generating capability, including proposed capability additions; net generation; fossil-fuel statistics; retail sales; revenue; financial statistics; environmental statistics; electric power transactions; demand-side management; and nonutility power producers. In addition, the appendices provide supplemental data on major disturbances and unusual occurrences in US electricity power systems. Each section contains related text and tables and refers the reader to the appropriate publication that contains more detailed data on the subject matter. Monetary values in this publication are expressed in nominal terms.

A new experimental technique has been devised to measure residual stresses in ductile materials with a combination of laser speckle pattern interferometry and spot heating. The speckle pattern interferometer measures in-plane deformations while the heating provides for very localized stress relief. The residual stresses are determined by the amount of strain that is measured subsequent to the heating and cool-down of the region being interrogated. A simple lumped parameter model is presented to provide a description of the method. This description is followed by presentations of the results of finite element analyses and experimental results with uniaxial test specimens. Excellent agreement between the experiments and the computer analyses were obtained.