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Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis is usually caused by infection with an adenovirus, generally type 8 (Hanna, Jawetz, Mitsui, Thygeson, Kimura, and Nicholas, I957). As this is a DNA virus it might be expected to respond to treatment with 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine (IDU) which acts by interfering with the normal synthesis of DNA, thus preventing replication of DNA-containing viruses (Herrmann, I 96 I; Smith, I963). It has now been shown that IDU is effective in the treatment of acute infections of the eye due to the DNA virus herpes simplex (Kaufman, I962; Patterson, Fox, Davies, Maguire, Holmes Sellors, Wright, Rice, Cobb, and Jones, I963). The present study was designed to determine whether IDU applied locally in ointment form to the eyes of out-patients was of value in the treatment of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis associated with adenovirus infection. Patients and methodsThe patients comprised seventy consecutive cases of acute follicular conjunctivitis, with symptoms of less than 4 days' duration, who were referred to the Glasgow Eye Infirmary Out-patient Department during the course of an epidemic affecting the Clydeside area in the winter of 1967-68. At each visit the presence or absence and severity of the following clinical features was noted: foreignbody sensation, tearing, burning sensation, blurring of vision, conjunctival injection, follicles, chemosis, pseudo-membrane, keratitis, corneal opacities, keratic precipitates, lid oedema, and preauricular lymphadenopathy. Visual acuity was also recorded. The patients were treated as outpatients either (a) with o 5 per cent. IDU made up in ointment form or (b) with the ointment base alone. The treatment was allocated in a random fashion, both patient and doctor being unaware which regime was being used. Treatment was carried out for one week, the ointment being used at 3-hrly intervals during the day and 6-hrly at night. Special emphasis was made to the patients of the need to adhere strictly to the regime of treatment. Progress was assessed at regular weekly intervals until symptoms had completely subsided and there were no signs of active keratoconjunctivitis usually from 3 to 6 weeks.For virus isolation, conjunctival scrapings were collected at the initial interview and again one week later and placed in virus transport medium (Grist, Ross, Bell, and Stott, i966). Paired sera were taken for virus serological tests, the first specimen at the initial visit and the second specimen two weeks later. Virological tests were carried out as described by Bell, Martin, and Ross (i969). ResultsThe results of virus isolation from the initial specimens from the seventy patients are shown in Table I (opposite).

The combining ability (abbreviated, CA) effects of five races (KA, CC1, CA2, NB4D2 and NB18) of mulberry silkworm Bombyx morí and their 20 F 1 's, including reciprocals, were analyzed in a 5x5 diallelic crossing system for the following seven silk technological characters: cocoon weight, shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, raw silk percentage, silk filament length, silk reelability and silk neatness. The parental race CA2 did not show the best general CA for any of these seven characters, whereas the other parental races did for different characters as follows: race KA for raw silk percentage, silk filament length, silk reelability and silk neatness; race CCI for cocoon weight, shell weight, and cocoon shell ratio; race NB4D2 for cocoon weight, raw silk percentage; race NB18 for cocoon shell ratio. Values of race CA2 for general CA were negative for cocoon weight, shell weight, cocoon shell ratio and raw silk percentage, and were low for silk filament length, silk reelability and silk neatness. This indicated a poor performance of this race in hybrid combinations with the remaining races. The results of specific CA effects suggested the restricted use of race CA2 as a female parent in hybrid combinations with males of races NB18 or NB4D2. Crosses CA2 x NB4D2 and CA2 x NB18 showed the desired positive specific CA effects for all characters except silk reelability and silk neatness, respectively. Cross CCI x NB4D2 showed desired positive specific CA effects for all characters. Variances of general and specific CA revealed that the non-additive type of gene control plays a predominant role in the inheritance of all the seven characters analyzed. The races and crosses showing best values of general and specific CA effects will be used in future breeding programmes.

Forty-two strains of the silkworm, Bombyx mori (L.), collected from China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Brazil, India, and France were reared in the spring, summer and autumn seasons during 1991–92 at the Regional Station of Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Coonoor, Tamilnadu State, India. Analyses were made on five silk yield-contributing characters, namely pupation rate, cocoon weight, shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, and silk filament length. Results indicated the superiority of the following strains for all the above mentioned characters: 14M and JC2P (in spring); NBJPO and JC2P (in summer); and M2, NBJPO and SPJ2 (in autumn). The importance of rearing a given strain of silkworm in the optimal season for its maximum economic value in terms of silk yield is discussed.

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