No abstract

Three nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs), of different geographical origins, were biochemically characterized and compared. Two that were isolated from Spodoptera exigua (Se‐UZB and Se‐SP3) in Uzbekistan and Spain were SeMNPV type, and the third which was isolated from Mamestra brassicae (Mb‐PL) in Poland was MbMNPV type. The Spanish isolate Se‐SP3 showed restriction endonuclease (REN) profiles that were closely related to two previously described Spanish strains Se‐SP1 and Se‐SP2, but had some unique and characteristic REN fragments. On the other hand, comparison between the Uzbekian (Se‐UZB) and the Spanish (Se‐SP1, Se‐SP2, and Se‐SP3) isolates from S. exigua showed unrelated REN profiles. However, the PstI and BglII profiles of Se‐UZB and Mb‐PL were identical, and very similar to the REN profiles of the MbMNPV strain, which constitutes the active component of Mamestrin® (NPP, Nagueres, France), a commercial bioinsecticide. It is therefore very likely that the Se‐UZB samples were cross‐infected by the Polish strain (Mb‐PL). This work presents two new strains of SeMNPV and MbMNPV, called Se‐SP3 and Mb‐PL, respectively, which were surveyed in two distant areas.

Summary.We evaluated the effect of r-hirudin and/or tissueplasminogen activator (t-PA) in a model of DIC in rabbits induced by i.v. infusion of 100 mg/kg/h/6 h endotoxin. Rabbits were treated with saline (endotoxin control group), r-hirudin at 0·3 mg/kg/h/6 h, t-PA at 0·3 mg/kg for 90 min and r-hirudin plus t-PA at the doses described above. The best results were achieved when r-hirudin and t-PA were infused together. This treatment reduced the consumption of platelets and protein C and attenuated the increase of PAI-1 more efficiently than r-hirudin or t-PA alone. r-Hirudin plus t-PA also resulted in the lowest formation of fibrin deposits in the kidneys. Finally, mortality at 24 h dropped from 70% in the endotoxin control group to 40%, 10% and 0% in the t-PA, r-hirudin and rhirudin plus t-PA groups respectively. None of the t-PA-infused rabbits which had died by 24 h showed macroscopic signs of haemorrhage. r-Hirudin alone was better than t-PA alone, as was shown by fibrin deposits and mortality. We conclude that r-hirudin and t-PA given simultaneously were more efficient than either given alone in this model of DIC. Effective thrombin inhibition, which could influence other pathophysiological mechanisms apart from coagulation, together with the improvement in fibrinolysis, would explain these results.

No abstract

We have experimentally demonstrated a new optical signal processor based on the use of Arrayed Waveguide Gratings (AWG). The structure exploits the concept of spectra slicing combined with the use of dispersive optical components