It is popular to use multiresolution systems for image coding and compression. However, general-purpose techniques such as filter banks and wavelets are linear. While these systems are rigorous, nonlinear features in the signals cannot be utilized in a single entity for compression. Linear filters are known to blur the edges. Thus, the low-resolution images are typically blurred, carrying little information. We propose and demonstrate that edge-preserving filters such as median filters can be used in generating a multiresolution system using the Laplacian pyramid. The signals in the detail images are small and localized to the edge areas. Principal component vector quantization (PCVQ) is used to encode the detail images. PCVQ is a tree-structured VQ which allows fast codebook design and encoding/decoding. In encoding, the quantization error at each level is fed back through the pyramid to the previous level so that ultimately all the error is confined to the first level. With simple coding methods, we demonstrate that images with PSNR 33 dB can be obtained at 0.66 bpp without the use of entropy coding. When the rate is decreased to 0.25 bpp, the PSNR of 30 dB can still be achieved. Combined with an earlier result, our work demonstrate …

The US DOD, through an Interagency Agreement with the US DOE, has initiated a three-phase program with the Consortium for Coal-Water Slurry Fuel Technology, with the aim of decreasing DOD`s reliance on imported oil by increasing its use of coal. The program is being conducted as a cooperative agreement between the Consortium and DOE and the first phase of the program is underway. A team of researchers has been assembled from Penn State, ABB Combustion Engineering Systems (CE), AMAX Research and Development Center (AMAX), and Energy and Environmental Research Corporation (EER). These four organizations are the current members of the Consortium. Phase 1 activities are focused on developing clean, coal-based combustion technologies for the utilization of both micronized coal-water slurry fuels (MCWSFs) and dry, micronized coal (DMC) in fuel oil-designed industrial boilers. Phase 2 research and development activities will continue to focus on industrial boiler retrofit technologies by addressing emissions control and pre-combustion strategies for the utilization of high ash, high sulfur coals. Phase 3 activities will examine coal-based fuel combustion systems that cofire wastes. Each phase includes an engineering cost analysis and technology assessment. The activities and status of Phase 1 are described in this report. The objective of …

The experimental efforts over the past 5 years have been aimed at carrying out ICF shots with spin-polarized D fuel. The authors successfully prepared polarized D in HD, and solved the problems of loading target shells with their carefully prepared isotopic mixtures, polarizing them so that the D polarization remains metastably frozen-in for about half a day, and carrying out the various cold transfer requirements at Syracuse, where the target is prepared, and at Rochester, where the cold target is inserted into the OMEGA fusion chamber. A principal concern during this past year was overcoming difficulties encountered in maintaining the integrity of the fragile cold target during the multitude of cold-transfers required for the experiment. These difficulties arose from insufficient rigidity of the cold transfer systems, which were constrained to be of small diameter by the narrow central access bore of the dilution refrigerator, and were exacerbated by the multitude of required target shell manipulations between different environments, each with different coupling geometry, including target shell permeation, polarization, storage, transport, retrieval and insertion into OMEGA. The authors did solve all of these problems, and were able to position a cold, high density but unpolarized target with required precision in OMEGA. …

Our experimental efforts over the past 5 years have been aimed at cazrying out ICF shots with spin-polarized 0 fuel. We successfully prepared polarized 0 in HD, and solved the problems of loading target shells with our carefully prepared isotopic -rnixt.l.l?-es, polarizing them so that the 0 polarization remains metastably frozen-in for about half a day, and carrying out the various cold transfer requirements at Syracuse, where the target is prepared, and at Rochester, where the cold target is inserted fusion chamber. Upon shooting the accurately positioned unpolarized high density cold target, no neutron yield was observed. Inspection inside the OMEGA tank after the shot indicated the absence of neutron yield was dus to mal-timing or insufficient retraction rate of OMEGA`S fast shroud mechanism, resulting in interception of at least 20 of the 24 laser beams by the faulty shroud. In spits of this, all alements of the complex experiment we originally undertook have been successfully demonstrated, and the cold retrieval concepts and methods we developed are being utilized on the ICF upgrades at Rochester and at Livermore. In addition to the solution of the interface problems, we obtained novel results on polymer shell characteristics at low temperatures, and continuation …

The Pulse Waveform Standard is designed to be operated in a laboratory environment in which the temperature is controlled and maintained at 22 C. The temperature controller of the Pulse Waveform Standard must be set to operate at 30 C. This report gives information for calibrating and maintaining the temperature control electronics. Temperature controller circuit diagrams and temperature controller circuit board layouts are included.

The dose equivalent rate in the radiation field outside of the polydoor at the Neutron Therapy Facility has been measured, using a Chipmunk, assuming a quality factor (QF) of 5, to be 25 mrem/hr. This kind of dose rate if true introduced occupancy restrictions and NTF is operating under an exemption. Based on the previous CR-39 studies of the neutron field around NTF,and the amount of shielding around the NTF, it was difficult to believe that a significant neutron field exists in this area, and contributes to the measured dose rate. If the field was mostly due to gamma rays the QF setting on the Chipmunk could be reliably set to a value of one. One method of obtaining a qualitative understanding of the relative abundance of neutron and gamma contribution to the absorbed doses, is to measure the quality factor for the field. This was determined using a recombination chamber. The recombination chamber is a gas filled ion chamber that can measure the average quality factor of a radiation field of unknown composition and energy spectrum. To use the recombination chamber in an unknown field, one needs to measured a calibration curve using radiation fields of known quality factor. …

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 a county’s single-employer, self-funded medical benefit plan is subject to certain provisions of the Insurance Code, and related questions (RQ-508)

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; Appointment of a fire department head under Government Code section 419.032, appointment of and temporary fil-in workof a part-time fire protection employee under Government Code section419.0321, and rule-making authority to define duties related to fire suppression as used in Government Code section 419.0321 (ID# 22316)

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.

Trade and trade-related issues are prominent parts of the agenda of the 103rd Congress. The Congress has already acted on some issues, in particular the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It will have to consider legislation to implement the trade agreements reached during the Uruguay Round of the GATT, which was completed on Dec. 15,1993.

The US Department of Energy Integrated Resource Planning Program supports many activities and projects that enhance the process by which utilities assess demand and supply options and, subsequently, evaluate and select resources. The US Department of Energy program coordinates integrated resource planning in risk and regulatory analysis; utility and regional planning; evaluation and verification; information transfer/technological assistance; and demand-side management. Professional staff from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest Laboratories collaborate with peers and stakeholders, in particular, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and conduct research and activities for the US Department of Energy. Twelve integrated resource planning activities and projects are summarized in this report. The summaries reflect the diversity of planning and research activities supported by the Department. The summaries also reflect the high levels of collaboration and teaming that are required by the Program and practiced by the researchers. It is concluded that the Program is achieving its objectives by encouraging innovation and improving planning and decision making. Furthermore, as the Department continues to implement planned improvements in the Program, the Department is effectively positioned to attain its ambitious goals.

This manual defines the Hanford Site radioactive, hazardous, and sanitary solid waste acceptance criteria. Criteria in the manual represent a guide for meeting state and federal regulations; DOE Orders; Hanford Site requirements; and other rules, regulations, guidelines, and standards as they apply to acceptance of radioactive and hazardous solid waste at the Hanford Site. It is not the intent of this manual to be all inclusive of the regulations; rather, it is intended that the manual provide the waste generator with only the requirements that waste must meet in order to be accepted at Hanford Site TSD facilities.

The High Energy Physics Division at Argonne National Laboratory and Westinghouse Science and Technology Center, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania have worked jointly on a scintillating tile/fiber calorimeter with the SDC collaboration since it`s inception in 1989. During the design and prototyping phase of the last three years, we have particularly worked on the development of an innovative cast lead approach to the absorber and the associated design of tile/fiber packaging for the barrel electromagnetic calorimeter (EMC). A full scale prototype program was initiated in 1992 to construct four EMC castings to be mated to respective steel hadronic wedges fabricated in China and presently at Fermilab. This proposal we outline in detail both the tasks that we have completed and those that we propose to complete in order to make the extensive investment in this technology useful to others in the field.

The goal of this work was to show the utility of using finite-element simulations to ascertain the quality of superconducting tape, created by the repeated rolling of an initially round wire. Steady-state simulations of the rolling reductions of a two, material superconducting wire were performed using ISAIAH, a three-dimensional nonlinear finite-element code. The simulations were done in conjunction with Dave Korzekwa at Los Alamos National Laboratory to produce results that could be compared with experimental findings. Results indicate that ISAIAH is capable of producing potentially useful data, but further work is necessary to obtain meaningful quantitative comparisons between simulations and experiments. This report describes the simulations that have been conducted to date and also indicates several directions for the future development of this research.

The two-dimensional (R - Z) electromagnetic code FMRZ has been written to model inductive sources self-consistently in time. The code models an argon plasma with momentum-transfer, excitation and ionization as electron-neutral reactions and scattering and charge-exchange for the ion-neutral reactions. The electrons and ions are treated as Maxwellian fluid species and a reduced set of Maxwell`s equations is used to advance the electromagnetic fields. The set of equations used in FMRZ is not subject to typical numerical constraints present in many time dynamic codes allowing one to choose appropriate the and space scales to resolve only the frequencies and scale lengths of interest. The model retains nonlinear driving terms which give rise to a pondermotive force that distorts the density profile. Density and power profiles will be used to illustrate the physical effects of various terms in the equations. Trends in average density and temperature compare well with an analytic model.

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Engineering Directorate is in the third year of a diversity process that has changed the culture of the organization in many ways. This work outlines progress toward realizing the LLNL Engineering Diversity Model. Currently recommendations are being implemented that have been formulated through a problem resolution process, described in this work, in which employees helped identify problems, recommend solutions, and work with managers in focus groups. The process of arriving at the recommendations and the lessons learned through the problem resolution process are discussed. Ongoing actions, short-term goals, and long-term goals of the program are described.

The Multi-user Tandem Laboratory at LLNL was designed to be a versatile facility which could be configured to develop new capabilities as determined by the requirements of sponsoring agencies and experimental programs. The initial design made some compromises, driven by both the usual budgetary constraints and uncertainties in program needs and support. We were recently funded by the Office of Arms Control in the US DOE to develop an {sup 129}I AMS capability. The first {sup 129}I measurements were performed this year after upgrades and modifications to the initially installed components were completed. The configuration of the present spectrometer and performance achieved to date will be described. Planned improvements to the injector and high energy spectrometer will be outlined.

Exhaustive characterization of a contaminated site is a physical and practical impossibility. Descriptions of the nature, extent, and level of contamination, as well as decisions regarding proposed remediation activities, must be made in a state of uncertainty based upon limited physical sampling. Geostatistical simulation provides powerful tools for investigating contaminant levels, and in particular, for identifying and using the spatial interrelationships among a set of isolated sample values. This additional information can be used to assess the likelihood of encountering contamination at unsampled locations and to evaluate the risk associated with decisions to remediate or not to remediate specific regions within a site. Past operation of the DOE Feed Materials Production Center has contaminated a site near Fernald, Ohio, with natural uranium. Soil geochemical data have been collected as part of the Uranium-in-Soils Integrated Demonstration Project. These data have been used to construct a number of stochastic images of potential contamination for parcels approximately the size of a selective remediation unit. Each such image accurately reflects the actual measured sample values, and reproduces the univariate statistics and spatial character of the extant data. Post-processing of a large number of these equally likely, statistically similar images produces maps directly showing the …

The Electric Power Monthly (EPM) presents monthly electricity statistics. The purpose of this publication is to provide energy decisionmakers with accurate and timely information that may be used in forming various perspectives on electric issues that lie ahead. The EPM is prepared by the Survey Management Division; Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels, Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy. This publication provides monthly statistics at the US, Census division, and State levels for net generation, fossil fuel consumption and stocks, quantity and quality of fossil fuels, cost of fossil fuels, electricity sales, revenue, and average revenue per kilowatthour of electricity sold. Data on net generation, fuel consumption, fuel stocks, quantity and cost of fossil fuels are also displayed for the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) regions.

On August 27, 1993, Israel and the Palestinians announced that Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) official Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) had initialed a landmark agreement on August 19 in Oslo, Norway on a Declaration of Principles on interim self-government for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. On September 9, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin exchanged letters unprecedented mutual recognition. On September 10, President Clinton welcomed the agreement, thanked Congress for its support, and announced that the United States would resume its dialog with the PLO. The Declaration was signed at the White House on September 13. This report provides summaries of the Declaration and the letters.

The authors report on the design and fabrication of continuous contour (kinoform) phase plates for homogenizing the focal plane irradiance of high-power, inertial confinement fusion laser systems. These kinoform phase plates are designed using an iterative algorithm. They offer the flexibility of controlling the overall shape of the far-field irradiance profile and the ability to concentrate the energy within a central region of the focal profile. These properties make kinoforms superior to the conventional, binary random phase plates for many applications. Potential methods for fabrication of such kinoform phase plates are discussed.

In this model I seek to provide a simplified approach to solving permeation problems addressed by TMAP4. I will assume that there are m one-dimensional segments with thickness L{sub i}, i = 1, 2, {hor_ellipsis}, m, joined in series with an implantation flux, J{sub i}, implanting at the single depth, {delta}, in the first segment. From material properties and heat transfer considerations, I calculate temperatures at each face of each segment, and from those temperatures I find local diffusivities and solubilities. I assume recombination coefficients K{sub r}{sub 1} and K{sub r}{sub 2} are known at the upstream and downstream faces, respectively, but the model will generate Baskes recombination coefficient values on demand. Here I first develop the steady-state concentration equations and then show how trapping considerations can lead to good estimates of permeation transient times.