An Investigation of Portland Cement Concrete Utilizing 70% Class V Aggregate and 30% Calcareous Coarse Aggregate, R-255, 1973

The main sources of coarse aggregate for secondary slip form paving in Southwest Iowa exhibit undesirable "D" cracking. "D" cracking is a discoloration of the concrete caused by fine, hairline cracks. These cracks are caused by the freezing and thawing of moisture inside the coarse aggregate. The cracks are often hour glass shaped, are parallel to each other, and occur along saw joints. The B-4, a typical secondary mix, utilizes 50% fine aggregate and 50% coarse aggregate. It has been proposed that a concrete mix with less coarse aggregate and more fine aggregate might impede this type of deterioration. The Nebraska Standard 47B Mix, a 70% fine aggregate, and 30% coarse aggregate mix, as used by Nebraska Department of Roads produces concrete with ultimate strengths in excess of 4500 psi but because of the higher cost of cement (it is a six bag per cubic yard mix) is not competitive with our present secondary mixes. The sands of Southwest Iowa generally have poorer mortar strengths than the average Iowa Sand. Class V Aggregate also found in Southwest Iowa has a coarser sand fraction, therefore it has a better mortar strength, but exhibits an acidic reaction and therefore must be·used with limestone. This illustrates the need to find a mix for use in Southwest Iowa that possesses adequate strength and satisfactory durability at a low cost. The purpose of this study is to determine a concrete mix with an acceptable cement content which will produce physical properties similar to that of our present secondary paving mixes.

Evolution of the P-type II ATPase gene family in the fungi and presence of structural genomic changes among isolates of Glomus intraradices.

BACKGROUND: The P-type II ATPase gene family encodes proteins with an important role in adaptation of the cell to variation in external K+, Ca2+ and Na2+ concentrations. The presence of P-type II gene subfamilies that are specific for certain kingdoms has been reported but was sometimes contradicted by discovery of previously unknown homologous sequences in newly sequenced genomes. Members of this gene family have been sampled in all of the fungal phyla except the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF; phylum Glomeromycota), which are known to play a key-role in terrestrial ecosystems and to be genetically highly variable within populations. Here we used highly degenerate primers on AMF genomic DNA to increase the sampling of fungal P-Type II ATPases and to test previous predictions about their evolution. In parallel, homologous sequences of the P-type II ATPases have been used to determine the nature and amount of polymorphism that is present at these loci among isolates of Glomus intraradices harvested from the same field. RESULTS: In this study, four P-type II ATPase sub-families have been isolated from three AMF species. We show that, contrary to previous predictions, P-type IIC ATPases are present in all basal fungal taxa. Additionally, P-Type IIE ATPases should no longer be considered as exclusive to the Ascomycota and the Basidiomycota, since we also demonstrate their presence in the Zygomycota. Finally, a comparison of homologous sequences encoding P-type IID ATPases showed unexpectedly that indel mutations among coding regions, as well as specific gene duplications occur among AMF individuals within the same field. CONCLUSION: On the basis of these results we suggest that the diversification of P-Type IIC and E ATPases followed the diversification of the extant fungal phyla with independent events of gene gains and losses. Consistent with recent findings on the human genome, but at a much smaller geographic scale, we provided evidence that structural genomic changes, such as exonic indel mutations and gene duplications are less rare than previously thought and that these also occur within fungal populations.

Aportaciones al conocimiento taxonomico de Verbascum blattaria L. y V. virgatum Stok.

Se estudia la variabilidad de los caracteres utilizados tradicionalmente en la taxonomía de los afínes Verbascum blattaria L. y V. virgatum Stokes, sobre la base de materiales procedentes de la Península Ibérica. El estudio comparado de ambas entidades ha comportado la creación de un nuevo taxon: V. virgatum Stokes subsp. dertosense Benedí and Rovira, restringido por ahora a las montañas tarraconenses de los Ports de Beseit (Horta de Sant Joan, Tarragona).

Bioatividade de ácidos húmicos: efeitos sobre o desenvolvimento radicular e sobre a bomba de prótons da membrana plasmática

A bioatividade de ácidos húmicos (AH) isolados de lodo da estação de tratamento de esgoto (AHL) e de vermicomposto (AHV) foi avaliada pela ação dessas substâncias sobre o transporte de prótons através da membrana plasmática de células de raízes de café e milho e sua relação com o desenvolvimento dessas espécies. Houve estímulo da área superficial radicular em ambas as espécies cultivadas com ambos AH, mostrando uma concentração ótima em torno de 40 mg L-1. Nessa condição, os tratamentos com AHL e AHV estimularam a H+-ATPase de membrana plasmática em plântulas de café e milho. Os AHL foram mais efetivos na promoção desses efeitos do que os AHV. A modificação do perfil cromatográfico dos AH em solução antes e após o cultivo das plântulas revelou que a interação planta-AH promoveu uma redistribuição das massas moleculares dessas substâncias, sugerindo uma dinâmica de mobilização de subunidades funcionais dos AH por exsudatos das raízes. A análise estrutural dos AH detectou a presença de grupamentos de auxina. A análise comparativa da ação desses dois AH sobre as espécies representantes de plantas monocotiledôneas (milho) e dicotiledôneas (café) apontam para a ativação da H+-ATPase de plasmalema como possível marcador metabólico de bioatividade dos ácidos húmicos.