Periglacial Features From Morfee Mountain, North-Central British Columbia

Six periglacial features (sorted polygons, sorted steps, sorted nets, sorted stripes, sorted circles, felsenmeer and a possible altiplanation terrace) are described from a new location in Central British Columbia (locally known as Morfee Mountain, 55 deg. 26 sec. N, 123 deg. 02 sec. W) between 1300-1650 m elevation. These features are local in distribution over an area of several square km. Observations on specific features indicate a continuum of intermediate forms between sorted nets, sorted polygons and sorted stripes. The elevation of these features supports the suggestion of Brown and Pewe (1973) that the lower elevation of permafrost and periglacial features should rise progressively southward along a north-south transect through the Western Cordillera

A Rare Form of Silene acaulis L. (moss Campion) from British Columbia

While conducting an Ecological Reserves survey of Morfee Mountain in North Central British Columbia (55° 26' N, 123° 04' W) during mid-July 1971, the author noted an interesting variation of flower colour in Silene acaulis L. subsp. subacaulescens (F.N. Williams) Hult. The flower colours of Silene acaulis are usually purple, pink or lavender throughout its range. The majority of the individuals of this species on Morfee Mountain conformed to the usual flower colour. However, one individual plant with pure white petals was observed .... The specimen was collected near the British Columbia Telephone Company microwave relay station on Morfee Mountain at an elevation of about 1700 m. ... Although the white-flowered form of Silene acaulis is not unknown, Hultén (1968) notes that this form is rare, thus making the find an interesting observation for both the amateur botanist and the more serious student of intraspecific variation in plants

Northern Canadian Gardening: Compost Piles as a Means of Extending the Growing Range of Northern Crops

... The use of compost piles for growing frost-sensitive crops with long growing seasons holds considerable promise as a technique for northern domestic gardening, incorporating the benefits of direct garden seeding with those of conventional hot beds. The owners of most of the 50 gardens examined in Dawson in 1980 (McCracken and Revel, 1982) composted organic wastes, though none of them used compost piles for crop production. The abundance of compost piles and the successful growth of the volunteer cucumbers we observed suggests that this technique could be widely used throughout the north by those who wish to grow warmer-climate crops without a greenhouse, and without the need for bedding-out plants

Interferon Beta 2/Interleukin-6 and Interleukin-3 Synergize in Stimulating Proliferation of Human Early Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells.

Early 4-hydroxyperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) resistant hematopoietic progenitor cells (pre-colony-forming units, pre-CFU) were evaluated by a two-step liquid culture system, (earlier progenitors), pre-CFU, as well as by the conventional semi-solid mixed colony assay (later progenitors) for their growth response to interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-3 (IL-3), and a combination of both factors. The effect of the IL-6/IL-3 combination was compared to that of IL-1/IL-3. IL-3 alone proved less effective in supporting earlier pre-CFU cells than later progenitor cells. In a previous work IL-6 promoted the growth of early multipotential progenitor cells circulating in hairy cell leukemia (HCL) patients. IL-6 alone did not stimulate growth of either early or later normal progenitor cells. However, a significant synergistic effect was obtained when IL-6 and IL-3 were added together (p \u3c0.05). IL-6/IL-3 synergism was more potent than IL-1/IL-3 in promoting growth of colonies. The previously described synergistic effect of IL-1/IL-3 seems to be independent of IL-6. Thus, our results suggest that the multifunctional cytokine IL-6, may be of use in shortening the engraftment time in bone marrow transplantation

Agronomic and environmental impacts of a single application of heat-dried sludge on an Alfisol

A field experiment was conducted on Alfisols in South-West France to assess the agronomic and environmental impacts of a single application of heat-dried sludge pellets at 11.1 Mg dry matter ha-1. The sludge pellets, with a moisture level of 9.5%, were spread on an irrigated crop of maize (Zea mays L.). This treatment was compared with inorganic fertilization (urea and diammonium phosphate mixed with KCl). Soil properties, yield and the composition of maize and the quality of drained water were monitored over 1 year to detect any changes resulting from sludge application. Amongst several determined soil properties, only two were significantly modified by the sludge application: The nitric nitrogen stock of the soil was higher in the inorganic fertilized plot, whereas Olsen-P soil content was higher in the sludge-amended plot. Agronomic recovery rates of N and P added by sludge were high: For the first crop following application, total amounts of N and P supplied by the sludge had the same efficiency as approximately 45% of the N and P amounts supplied by inorganic fertilizer. This ratio was 7% for the N uptake by the second maize crop. The quality and quantity of maize were equally good with both types of fertilization. During the 2 years following sludge spreading, N leaching remained as low in the sludged plot as in the inorganically fertilized one. The Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni composition of the drainage water was affected by neither of the types of amendment. From the heavy-metal contents of the soil, water and maize monitored over 1 year in the field experiment and from literature data for cow manure and atmospheric emissions, a theoretical balance between crop soil heavy-metal input and output over one century was drawn up. The long-term impact of cow manure on Zn, Ni and Cr in soil is higher than that of the studied heat-dried sludge. Obviously, sludge tended to cause a strong increase in soil Cu storage, valued for these soils, which are otherwise very Cu deficient