No abstract

The N‐Viro process for alkaline stabilization of municipal sewage sludge combines dewatered sludge with one or more alkaline industrial byproducts and destroys pathogens by a combination of high pH, heat, and drying. The final product, N‐Viro Soil, is a soil‐like material that is being used as an agricultural lime substitute, soil amendment, and soil substitute. Physical characteristics of 28 N‐Viro Soils were determined and compared to those of mineral soils. The N‐Viro Soils have an average solids content of 62%, particle density of 1.96 Mg/m3, bulk density of 0.59 Mg/m3, and total porosity of 70%. Mean moisture retention was 66, 58, 34, and 31% (v/v) at saturation, 5.9, 33, and 1.5 MPa, respectively. Available water content was 27% by volume (60 cm water tension, 1.5 MPa). Noncompacted and compacted saturated hydraulic conductivities were high, 3 × 10−2 and 9 × 10−4 cm/s, respectively. Mean weight diameter (MWD) of water stable aggregates was 2.0 mm. Fifty‐six percent of the materials were >2 mm in diam., almost all of this (88%) in sizes <16 mm. Of the <2‐mm fraction, 69% was >0.5 mm. The N‐Viro Soils have a shrinkage of 58%, and Atterberg liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of 76, 64, and 18% water (w/w), respectively. The N‐Viro Soils are similar in physical attributes to those of medium to fine textured, porous soils with granular, stable aggregates, and nonplastic consistency. The moisture retention characteristics are those of a fine textured soil dominated by fine pores and low to medium available water holding capacity, and these materials are highly permeable, even when compacted. N‐Viro Soil was applied to the Miamian silt loam (fine, mixed, mesic Typic Hapludalf) in the field at a rate of 500 Mg/ha (dry solids), and changes in physical properties were measured 1 yr after application. All effects of N‐Viro Soil were statistically significant (P = 0.01), except total porosity, 33 KPa moisture holding capacity, 0.5‐ to 0.25‐mm water stable aggregates, and pocket penetrometer measurements, and all of the effects were beneficial.

No abstract

forskalii), whereas in the Gold Coast this strain of the parasite is rare or absent.It is evident that the greatest care must be taken before any bulinid species can be removed from the list of vectors, and at Accra attempts are continuing to be made to infect B. (P.) forskalii with S. haematobium derived from many different districts, including that of Tongu. To date, however, there is no direct evidence that B. (P.) forskalii can transmit the parasites in the Gold Coast.

SUMMARYThe unstable recurrens alleles of nivea and pallida have been compared for sensitivity to temperature during development. Previous work showed that the paltec allele mutates germinally and somatically with a greater frequency at 15° than at 25 C. The j0t allele is less Sensitive to temperature but somatic instability is still inversely correlated with temperature. There is no difference in germinal instability at the two temperatures for fllvtec.The genetic stabiliser controls for paltec and flj0tec are independent.Chemical mutagens and X-rays are ineffective in inducing changes in instability of either allele. Plants doubly homozygous for the two rec alleles and for the aurone producing sulfurea gene show that flj0tec usually mutates prior to paltec; instances of paltec mutating first have possibly been seen but the flush that frequently occurs in plants homozygous for njvt8 prevents a definite conclusion as to whether there is an obligate mutational sequence.An example of paramutation is described. Results vary according to the temperature at the time of the cross and during seed maturation, -and depend on the direction of the cross; paramutagenic female parents induce a higher frequency of paramutants.Lines of varying paramutability and paramutagenicity have been established. Somatic paramutation in homozygous flivtEC regularly occurs and varies with plant development.