This report discusses medicare expansion; President Clinton's proposal to allow people ages 62 through 64 to buy into Medicare if they do not have access to employer-sponsored or federal health insurance.

Negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) were completed December 11, 1997, committing the industrialized nations to specified, legally binding reductions in emissions of six "greenhouse gases." This report discusses the major provisions of the Kyoto Protocol.

This paper examines three reasonably distinct starting points from which a U.S. response to the 1992 U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change is being framed.

On June 9, 1998, President Clinton signed into law the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21, P.L. 105-178). The law authorizes a total of $218 billion for federal highway and mass transit programs from FY1998 to FY2003 and sets aside roughly $12.4 billion for several environmental programs. It authorizes a total of $8.1 billion from FY1998 to FY2003

This report provides a synopsis of the budget activity related to AIDS from the discovery of the disease in 1981 through FY1999. Funding for AIDS research, prevention and treatment programs within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) discretionary budget has increased from $200,000 in FY1981 to an estimated $3.85 billion in FY1999.

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 Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents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.

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 the Alcoholic Beverage Code Permits two manufacturer's licensees to alternate control over shared premises(RQ-1036).

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 member of a governmental body who participated in an executive session may copy a tape recording of that executive sessions.(RQ-1037).

The Class 2 Project at West Welch was designed to demonstrate the use of advanced technologies to enhance the economics of improved oil recovery (IOR) projects in lower quality Shallow Shelf Carbonate (SSC) reservoirs, resulting in recovery of additional oil that would otherwise be left in the reservoir at project abandonment. Accurate reservoir description is critical to the effective evaluation and efficient design of IOR projects in the heterogeneous SSC reservoirs. Therefore, the majority of Budget Period 1 was devoted to reservoir characterization. Technologies being demonstrated include: 1.Advanced petrophysics 2.Three-dimensional (3-D) seismic 3.Cross-well bore tomography 4.Advanced reservoir simulation 5.Carbon dioxide (CO2) stimulation treatments 6.Hydraulic fracturing design and monitoring 7.Mobility control agents

We determine details of the adsorption of O{sub 2} or N{sub 2} in Na{sup +} and Li{sup +} exchanged zeolites by way of their effect on coadsorbed H{sub 2} molecules using inelastic neutron scattering (INS) techniques. Adsorption site occupancies are deduced with the aid of MC simulations. The expected stronger binding of N{sub 2} (compared with O{sub 2}) in LiX is evident in coadsorption spectra of N{sub 2} or O{sub 2} with H{sub 2}.

The principal objective of this CO2 Huf-n-Puff (H-n-P) project is to determine the feasibility and practicality of the technology in a waterflooded shallow shelf carbonate environment. The results of parametric simulation of the CO2 H-n-P process, coupled with reservoir characterization components are to be used to determine if this process is technically and economically feasible for field implementation. The technology transfer objective of the project is to disseminate the knowledge gained through an innovative plan of increasing oil production and deferring abandonment of shallow shelf carbonate reservoirs.

'The objective of this project is to provide a means to optimize ligand architecture for f-block metal recognition. The authors strategy builds on an innovative and successful molecular modeling approach in developing polyether ligand design criteria for the alkali and alkaline earth cations. The hypothesis underlying this proposal is that differences in metal ion binding with multidentate ligands bearing the same number and type of donor groups are primarily attributable to intramolecular steric factors. They propose quantifying these steric factors through the application of molecular mechanics models. The research involves close integration of theoretical and experimental chemistry. The experimental work entails synthesizing novel ligands and experimentally determining structures and binding constants for metal ion complexation by series of ligands in which architecture is systematically varied. The theoretical work entails using electronic structure calculations to parameterize a molecular mechanics force field for a range of metal ions and ligand types. The resulting molecular mechanics force field will be used to predict low energy structures for unidentate, bidentate, and multidentate ligands and their metal complexes through conformational searches. Results will be analyzed to assess the relative importance of several steric factors including optimal M-L length, optimal geometry at the metal center, optimal …

In FY 1998, the BNL LDBD Program funded 20 projects, 4 of which were new starts, at a total cost of $2,563,681. The small number of new starts was a consequence of severe financial problems that developed between FY 1997 and 1998. Emphasis was given to complete funding for approved multi-year proposals. Following is a table which lists all of the FY 1998 funded projects and gives a history of funding for each by year. Several of these projects have already experienced varying degrees of success as indicated in the individual Project Program Summaries which follow. A total of 17 informal publications (abstracts, presentations, BNL reports and workshop papers) were reported and an additional 13 formal (full length) papers were either published, are in press or being prepared for publication. The investigators on five projects have filed for a patent. Seven of the projects reported that proposals/grants had either been funded or were submitted for funding. In conclusion, a significant measure of success is already attributable to the FY 1998 LDBD Program in the short period of time involved. The Laboratory has experienced a significant scientific gain by these achievements.

Recent microfabrication technologies based on LIGA (German acronym for Li thographe, G alvanoformung, und A bformung) have been applied to build high-aspect-ratio, metallic or dielectric, planar structures suitable for high frequency rf cavity structures. The cavity structures would be used as parts of linear accelerators, microwave undulators, and mm-wave amplifiers. The microfabrication process includes manufacturing of precision x-ray masks, exposure of positive resist by x-rays through the mask, resist development, and electroforming of the final microstructure. Prototypes of a 32-cell, 108-GHz constant impedance cavity and a 66-cell, 94-GHz constant-gradient cavity were fabricated using the synchrotron radiation sources at APS. Preliminary design parameters for a 91- GHz modulator klystron along with an overview of the new technology are discussed.

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) is a 7-GeV full energy storage ring (SR) for generating synchrotron radiation with an injector. The storage ring cavities consist of four groups of four single cells powered by up to four 1-MW klystrons for up to 300-mA operation. A review of the operation of the rf system as well as rf-related beam dynamics is presented. This review includes rf power distribution, low-level feedback, control law, beam loading, beam instabilities, higher-order modes, and beam-induced multipactoring.

The goal of this project is to increase recovery of heavy oils. Towards that goal studies are being conducted in how to assess the influence of temperature and pressure on the absolute and relative permeability to oil and water and on capillary pressure; to evaluate the effect of different reservoir parameters on the in site combustion process; to develop and understand mechanisms of surfactants on for the reduction of gravity override and channeling of steam; and to improve techniques of formation evaluation.

We present results on the inclusive jet cross section at (square root)s = 1800 GeV and 630 GeV, the two-jet cross section, multijet physics and the multijet differential cross section from the CDF experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider.

Infill drilling if wells on a uniform spacing without regard to reservoir performance and characterization foes not optimize reservoir development because it fails to account for the complex nature of reservoir heterogeneities present in many low permeability reservoirs, and carbonate reservoirs in particular. New and emerging technologies, such as geostatistical modeling, rigorous decline curve analysis, reservoir rock typing, and special core analysis can be used to develop a 3-D simulation model for prediction of infill locations.

The authors studied theoretically the c-axis Josephson critical current for bicrystals of high temperature superconductors twisted an angle {phi}{sub 0} about the c-axis with respect to each other. They used the effective Lawrence-Doniach models appropriate for the cases of pure s-wave or d{sub x{sup 2}-y{sup 2}}-wave order parameters, and of a dominant d{sub x{sup 2}-y{sup 2}}-wave order parameter combined with a subdominant one of either s-wave or d{sub xy}-wave form, as a function of the temperature and {phi}{sub 0}. The results demonstrate that this new phase-sensitive experiment can serve as a very useful test of order parameter symmetry. In particular, the recent zero-field experiments in the vicinity of T{sub c} by li et al. on c-axis twist junctions of Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+{delta}} are very difficult to explain with a dominant d{sub x{sup 2}-y{sup 2}}-wave order parameter.

Low frequency Raman data for {kappa}-(ET){sub 2}Cu(NCS){sub 2}(T{sub c} = 10.4 K) are reported. Measurements have been performed in a wide range of temperatures (1.5-100 K) and frequency hardening related to the superconducting transition has been observed for all the low-lying coupled phonons. The measured relative frequency shifts are lower than those previously reported for {kappa}-(ET){sub 2}Cu[N(CN){sub 2}]Br (T{sub c} = 11.67 K), but the behavior of the two systems is similar and indicates a significant strength of the intermolecular electron-photon coupling. The effects of isotopic substitutions ({sup 13}C{sub 4} {sup 34}S{sub 8} and {sup 2}H{sub 8}) in ET molecules on the low frequency Raman active phonons of {kappa}-(ET{sub 2}Cu(NCS){sub 2}) are also reported. They give the first direct experimental confirmation to the suggested lattice softening induced by deuteration.

The Low Energy Demonstration Accelerator (LEDA) [1, 2] is being developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) project. One of the diagnostics being developed to commission LEDA [3] is a slow wire scanner beam profile measurement. Initial profile measurements will be made at 6.7 MeV beam energy and 100 mA beam current. The wire scanner is an interceptive device that will move two silicon carbide coated graphite mono-filament fibers (wires) through the beam, in order to obtain the profile. Some of the design considerations discussed are; Mechanical design, wire temperature analysis, secondary electron detection, signal processing, and system control.

Electrocrystallization of ET in the presence of aromatic and aliphatic sulfonate anions has led to many new ET salts. These new ET based sulfonate complexes are characterized with use of x-ray diffraction, four-probe conductivity measurements, ESR and Raman spectroscopes. A new {kappa}(4x4) donor packing motif was observed in (ET){sub 2}(C{sub 6}H{sub 5}CH{sub 2}SO{sub 3})H{sub 2}O. Strong hydrogen bonding between the sulfonate anion S-O and the donor ethylene C-H provides the driving force for the ET salt formation. Many of these new sulfonate salts are highly conductive with some remaining metallic to {approximately}4 K.

BPF developed the concept of a mobile, on-site NORM remediation and disposal process in late 1993. Working with Conoco and receiving encouragement born the Department of Energy, Metarie Office, and the Texas Railroad Commission the corporation conducted extensive feasibility studies on an on-site disposal concept. In May 1994, the Department of Energy issued a solicitation for cooperative agreement proposal for, "Development and Testing of a Method for Treatment and Underground Disposal of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM)". BPF submitted a proposal to the solicitation in July 1994, and was awarded a cooperative agreement in September 1995. BPF proposed and believed that proven equipment and technology could be incorporated in to a mobile system. The system would allow BPF to demonstrate an environmentally sound and commercially affordable method for treatment and underground disposal of NORM. The key stop in the BPF process incorporates injection of the dissolved radioactive materials into a water injection or disposal well. Disposal costs in the BPF proposal of July 1995 were projected to range from $1000 to $5000 per cubic yard. The process included four separate steps. (1) De-oiling (2) Volume Reduction (3) Chemical Dissolution of the Radium (4) Injection

The objective of this Class 3 project is to demonstrate that detailed reservoir characterization of slope and basin clastic reservoirs in sandstones of the Delaware Mountain Group in the Delaware Basin of West Texas and New Mexico is a cost effective way to recover a higher percentage of the original oil in place through strategic placement of infill wells and geologically based field development. Project objectives are divided into two main phases. The original objectives of the reservoir-characterization phase of the project were (1) to provide a detailed understanding of the architecture and heterogeneity of two representative fields of the Delaware Mountain Group, Geraldine Ford and Ford West, which produce from the Bell Canyon and Cherry Canyon Formations, respectively, (2) to chose a demonstration area in one of the fields, and (3) to simulate a CO 2 flood in the demonstration area. The Bureau's industry partner for the initial Phase 1 of the project was Conoco, Inc.. After the reservoir characterization and simulation of an area at the northern end of the Ford Geraldine unit were completed, Conoco decided not to proceed to Phase 2, installation of a CO 2 flood in the demonstration area. This decision by Conoco provides …