This report discusses the railway systems in China, United States and Canada. A number of Chinese PRC railroad officers, engineers, transportation specialists, and planning experts studied in the USA.

The debate over the existence of a new particle postulated to explain the narrow positron spectra seen in heavy ion collisions has focused attention on a region of mass/lifetime where such a particle may exist and yet would not have been seen. To obtain the best possible sensitivity to elementary particles coupling to the electron in this unexplored region, we propose an electron beam dump experiment which will make parasitic use of the newly constructed wide band electron beam.

Today's satellite remote sensing systems rely heavily on spectral signatures for scene identification from nadir observations. We propose to use angular signatures as complementary scene identifiers when off-nadir sensing is possible. Specifically, the hot spot (Heiligenschein) of plant canopies is recognized as an atmosphere-invariant angular reflectance signature that carries information about the plant stand architecture which may be useful for instant crop identification from off-nadir satellite measurements.

A standard method for calculating the total capital cost and the cost of electricity for a typical inertial confinement fusion electric power plant has been developed. A standard code of accounts at the two-digit level is given for the factors making up the total capital cost of the power plant. Equations are given for calculating the indirect capital costs, the project contingency, and the time-related costs. Expressions for calculating the fixed charge rate, which is necessary to determine the cost of electricity, are also described. Default parameters are given to define a reference case for comparative economic analyses.

Current plans propose placing subsurface markers within protective barriers to deter potential human intrusion into disposed radioactive wastes. The subsurface markers would provide warning to the digging intruder should surface markers be removed, destroyed, or ignored. This plan sets forth procedures for testing the survivability of the subsurface markers during construction of the barrier. After the tests described herein are concluded, a decision can be made as to whether subsurface markers will require protection during barrier construction. If protection is required, additional tests will be needed to test the effectiveness of various protective approaches.

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.

Project planning in the area of x-ray lithography is discussed. Three technologies that are emphasized are the light source, the lithographic technology, and masking technology. The needs of the semiconductor industry in the lithography area during the next decade are discussed, particularly as regards large scale production of high density dynamic random access memory devices. Storage ring parameters and an overall exposure tool for x-ray lithography are addressed. Competition in this area of technology from Germany and Japan is discussed briefly. The design of a storage ring is considered, including lattice design, magnets, and beam injection systems. (LEW)