Abstract: Methods and compositions for cleaning and maintaining chemical, biological and radiological countermeasure washdown systems are disclosed. Systems are effectively cleaned by the removal of water scale, including deposits, sediment, microbiological scale, micro-invertebrate fouling, and the like, from the inside surfaces of piping in the system. A section of the system is isolated for cleaning and an aqueous acidic cleaning solution is circulated through the fouled pipe section to be cleaned for a sufficient time and at a controlled pH to dissolve and loosen the scale. After cleaning all of the sections, the system is restored to operational readiness.

Abstract: The invention relates to two plant transgene expression systems. The first is comprised of two chromosomally-integrated components that are individually heritable. One component is an inactive replicon, which contains cis-acting viral sequences required for replication and is unable to replicate episomally. The other component is a chimeric transactivating gene comprising a regulated promoter operably-linked to the coding region for a protein that can transactivate replicon replication. Regulated expression of the transactivation protein in plant cells containing the inactive replicon triggers release of free replicon from the integrated inactive replicon and allows episomal replication.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for preparing sites for planting tree seedlings, and more particularly establishing mounds on the ground surface formed of soil scooped from the ground. The apparatus may be of the pull type having a pair of scoops and scoop operators for moving the scoop through a ground penetrating and mound depositing cycle. A control times the cycling of the operations so that the mounds formed during a constant movement in the forward direction are arranged in two lines and wherein the mounds in the two lines may be in a staggered relationship. The apparatus has rear wheels and a front towbar. Actuators are provided for moving the wheels up or down relating to the frame and also moving the towbar so that the height, as well as the fore and aft tilt, of the frame relative to the ground can be varied to control the depth of penetration of the scoops. The wheels also have actuators which allows adjustment of the tread of the wheels.