Relations between Russia and Japan are seriously strained. At the heart of the impasse is a territorial dispute over a group of islands seized by the Soviet Union in 1945 and claimed by both countries. The Japanese Government maintains that there can be no normalization of relations between the two countries until Russia agrees to return the islands. Japan may refuse to participate in large-scale economic assistance to Russia until it is satisfied on the territorial question.

As a result of an initiative by Australia in 1989, the United States joined with eleven other Asia/Pacific nations in creating APEC, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation organization. This report discusses the annual Ministerial Meeting of APEC in Seattle, held from November 17 - 19, 1993.

This report details the information related to Global Climate Change. The contents include the Greenhouse effect and Global warming, Greenhouse gases, international action, and Congressional interest and activities.

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 Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents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 Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents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 Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents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

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: Which health care services the Karnes County Hospital District is responsible for providing to indigent residents incarcerated in the Karnes County Jail.

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, under section 11.11 of the Tax Code, the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Jesse H. Jones Rotary House International is exempt from ad valorem taxation and related question (RQ-593)

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 Chambers County Commissioners Court has the authority to create a civil process department, separate and apart from the control of the sheriff (RQ-505)

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, in accordance with section 2 of the Public Funds Investment Act, V.T.C.S. article 842-a2, a public funds investment pool may "purchase, sell, or invest its funds or funds under its control" in covered call contracts or covered put contracts (RQ-605)

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 court may assess fees and court costs in a proceeding under V.T.C.S article 6701d, section 143A,subsection(a)(1) (RQ-475).

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;Concerning the establishment of a "wildlife hotline" n Harris county and related questions(ID# 16575).

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; Reconsideration of Attorney General Opinions JM-417 (1985) and JM-497 (1986) (ID# 18978, ID# 18979)

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, under particular circumstances, a member of the Judicial Retirement System Plan One is entitled to recieve the ten percent annuity increase described in section 834.102(b) of the Government Code (ID# 18361)

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 attorney general may delegate the function of contracting with "eligible volunteer advocate programs" under section 34.602, Family Code, to the "statewide organization" selected by the attorney general for overall administration of the program pursuant to section 34.603, Family Code (ID# 22032)

Under the US Department of Energy (DOE), the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System Management and Operating Contractor (CRWMS M&O) has the responsibility to review, evaluate, and document existing computer ground-water flow models; to conduct performance assessments; and to develop performance assessment models, where necessary. In the area of scientific modeling, the M&O CRWMS has the following responsibilities: To provide overall management and integration of modeling activities. To provide a framework for focusing modeling and model development. To identify areas that require increased or decreased emphasis. To ensure that the tools necessary to conduct performance assessment are available. These responsibilities are being initiated through a three-step process. It consists of a thorough review of existing models, testing of models which best fit the established requirements, and making recommendations for future development that should be conducted. Future model enhancement will then focus on the models selected during this activity. Furthermore, in order to manage future model development, particularly in those areas requiring substantial enhancement, the three-step process will be updated and reported periodically in the future.

Achievements are reported for the following 4 areas: {pi}/{sigma} equillibria in aldehyde and ketone complexes; thermodynamic ligand binding affinities ({alpha},{beta} unsaturated organic carbonyl compounds); (a new form of coordinated carbon) an unsupported C{sub 3} chain that spans two different transition metals; and (a new form of coordinated carbon) an C{sub 3} chain that is anchored by a metal on each end and spanned by a third.

The effect of exposing coal sample no. 31 which was pretreated in steam to air was tested this month. Significant differences from yields obtained with the previously used sample is observed. Consequently, averaging yields from the two samples is not appropriate and the pattern of behavior of each set must be determined separately. Further work will be done using new Illinois No.6 coal sample. Analysis of the products of aquathermolysis of {beta}benzylnaphthyl ether in presence of liquid water were completed. Major product is naphthol. Minor fraction was determined to be unreacted starting material. The purity check of the sample of a-naphthylmethyl phenyl ether was completed. Studies of this model compound will be performed next month.

Rapid heating liquefaction of steam pretreated Illinois No.6 coal mixed with 13X zeolite was carried out this month. The pores of this zeolite retain pyridine during drying, but not enough to account for the low apparent yield of pyridine extract. Soxhlet extraction analysis of the product showed a significantly lower oil yield compared with 5A zeolite. This might be caused by retention of tetralin in 13x zeolite pores. Tetralin retention will be determined subsequently. A test of 4A zeolite is planned for next month. Aquathermolysis of model compound {beta}-benzylnaphthyl ether was carried out this month at high pressure (liquid water conditions). Analysis of the recovered products are now in progress.

Two slow heating liquefaction runs of steam pretreated coal were carried out using the new sample (No.31) of Illinois No.6 coal to check consistency with previous samples. Good agreement was obtained between the runs made with new sample. There were, however, significant differences from yields obtained with the previously used sample. Consequently, averaging yields from the two samples is not appropriate. Further work on this new Illinois No.6 coal sample will be continued next month. Purification of {alpha}-naphthylmethyl phenyl ether, and {alpha}-benzylnaphthyl ether was continued.

Rapid heating liquefaction of steam pretreated Illinois No.6 coal mixed with 4A zeolite was carried out this month. Liquefaction yields are close to those obtained with 5A zeolite at the same coal/zeolite ration. Aquathermolysis of model compound 9-phenoxyphenanthrene was carried out this month under conditions similar to employed by Katritzky but for shorter time. Analysis of recovered products showed incomplete cleavage of the ether. This demonstrates the importance of longer reaction time even at high pressure. It will be of interest to determine if high conversions can be achieved at long reaction times and low pressure. Additional amounts of model compounds 2-naphthyl methyl phenyl ether and 2-naphthyl benzyl ether were synthesized. Purification of these compounds are now in progress.

High energy electron beams (HEEBs) with megavolt energies represent a new generation of charged particle beams that rapidly deposit up to several hundred joules/pulse over areas on the order of a few square millimeters to 100s of square centimeters. These pulsed beams have energies in the 1 to 10 MeV range, which enables the electrons to deposit large amounts of energy deeply into the material being processed, and these beams have short pulse durations (50 ns) that can heat materials at rates as high as 10{sup 10} {degrees}C/s for a 1000 {degree}C temperature rise in the material. Lower heating rates, on the order of 10{sup 4} {degrees}C/s, can be produced by reducing the energy per pulse and distributing the total required energy over a series of sub-ms pulses, at pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs) up to several kHz. This paper presents results from materials processing experiments performed on steel with a 6 MeV electron beam, analyzes these results using a Monte Carlo transport code, and presents a first-order predictive method for estimating the peak energy deposition, temperature, and heating rate for HEEB processed steel.

This paper outlines an experimental plan to test the thermohydraulic concept of the proposed Oak Ridge National Laboratory Cold Neutron Moderator. The goals, approach, description of the experimental apparatus, and proposed budget and duration are presented.

To determine the feasibility of using the CO{sub 2} laser at LAL as an alternative heat source for x-ray optics tests, we have studied the absorption of the 10.6-micron laser light in silicon for two different dopant concentrations, using the resistivity as a predictor for the absorption length. We describe the results from these tests in this report.