La performance des entreprises publiques. Une question de propriété ou de concurrence?

in Bouin, Olivier; Morrisson, Christian (Eds.) Les prvatisations: Un état des lieux (1996)

« Les Aveugles », lecture du sonnet de Charles Baudelaire

in Voir. Périodique du centre d'étude des aspects culturels de la vision (1996), 12/13

Lessons to be learned from varicella-zoster virus

in Veterinary Microbiology (1996), 53(1-2), 55-66

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is an alphaherpesvirus responsible for two human diseases: chicken pox and shingles. The virus has a respiratory port of entry. After two successive viremias, it reaches the ... [more ▼]

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is an alphaherpesvirus responsible for two human diseases: chicken pox and shingles. The virus has a respiratory port of entry. After two successive viremias, it reaches the skin where it causes typical lesions. There, it penetrates the peripheral nervous system and it remains latent in dorsal root ganglia. It is still debatable whether VZV persists in neurons or in satellite cells. During latency, VZV expresses a limited set of transcripts of its immediate early (IE) and early (E) genes but no protein has been detected. Mechanisms of reactivation from ganglia have not been identified. However, dysfunction of the cellular immune system appears to be involved in this process. The cell-associated nature of VZV has made it difficult to identify a temporal order of gene expression, but there appears to be a cascade mechanism as for HSV-1. The lack of high titre cell-free virions or recombination mutants has hindered so far the understanding of VZV gene functions. Five genes, ORFs 4, 10, 61, 62, and 63 that encode regulatory proteins could be involved in VZV latency. ORF4p activates gene promoters with basal activities. ORF10p seems to activate the ORF 62 promoter. ORF61p has trans-activating and trans-repressing activities. The major IE protein ORF62p, a virion component, has DNA-binding and regulatory functions, transactivates many VZV promoters and even regulates its own expression. ORF63p is a nuclear IE protein of yet unclear regulatory functions, abundantly expressed very early in infection. We have established an animal model of VZV latency in the rat nervous system, enabling us to study the expression of viral mRNA and protein expression during latency, and yielding results similar to those found in humans. This model is beginning to shed light on the molecular events in VZV persistent infection and on the regulatory mechanisms that maintain the virus in a latent stage in nerve cells. [less ▲]

‘Bourgeoisie’, ‘massa’ en ‘volk’. Een kader voor de (re)constructie van Van Ostaijens ontwikkeling

in Ons Erfdeel (1996), 39(5), 663-672

This article attempts to reframe the literary work of the modernist writer Paul van Ostaijen by focusing on his construction of his supposedly 'avant-gardist' position in society: anti-establishment and ... [more ▼]

This article attempts to reframe the literary work of the modernist writer Paul van Ostaijen by focusing on his construction of his supposedly 'avant-gardist' position in society: anti-establishment and anti-elitist, but also aloof of the 'ignorant' and gullible masses. [less ▲]

Influence of Several Peptidase Inhibitors on the Pro-Inflammatory Effects of Substance P, Capsaicin and Collagenase

in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology (1996), 354(5), 662-9

Injection of substance P (SP) in a rat hindpaw induced extravasation of 125I-labelled albumin in both hindpaws and salivation. Intravenous injection of SP dose-dependently increased vascular permeability ... [more ▼]

Injection of substance P (SP) in a rat hindpaw induced extravasation of 125I-labelled albumin in both hindpaws and salivation. Intravenous injection of SP dose-dependently increased vascular permeability. This latter effect was increased in rat paws by captopril, an inhibitor of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), administered locally in combination with diprotin A, an inhibitor of an dipeptidyl(amino)peptidase IV (DAP IV) or phosphoramidon, an inhibitor of neutral endopeptidase (NEP). The increase in permeability induced by SP was inhibited by RP 67580, a NK-1-receptor antagonist. Intravenous injection of capsaicin induced labelled albumin extravasation in rat paws. This effect was increased by combination of captopril with diprotin A or phosphoramidon, but not by captopril associated with amastatin, an inhibitor of aminopeptidase M (AmM). It was suppressed by RP 67580. Injection of collagenase in rat paws triggered a swelling and a local plasma exudation. These responses were reduced by RP 67580 but not by RP 68651, its inactive enantiomer. They were increased by combination of captopril with diprotin A or phosphoramidon in normal rats. The potentiating effects of captopril and diprotin A were suppressed by RP 67580 in normal rats but did not develop in kininogen-deficient rats. The oedema induced by collagenase was also increased by lisinopril, another ACE inhibitor, administered locally in combination with apstatin, an inhibitor of aminopeptidase P (AmP). In rats pretreated by methysergide, collagenase-induced oedema was reduced and can be increased by captopril, by lisinopril, administered alone or by lisinopril associated with apstatin. It is concluded that SP is mainly inactivated in rat paws by ACE, DAP IV and NEP. In collagenase-induced oedema, a low amount of SP would be released from afferent nerve terminals by bradykinin formed in low amounts. Bradykinin is inactivated in rat paws by ACE and AmP. In collagenase-oedema, the pro-inflammatory effects of bradykinin are concealed by the effects of the other mediators. [less ▲]

Sollicitations musculaires excentriques: Intérêts - Précautions - Modalités d'application

in Cours de la Commission Médicale du Comité International Olympique («Le Muscle et l'Entraînement de la Force Musculaire») (1996, November)

The role of thymic neuroendocrine self-antigens in T cell life and death: implications in autoimmunity

in Neuroimmunomodulation (1996, November), 3

Cardiac Performance in Conscious Healthy Dogs During Dobutamine Infusion

in Research in Veterinary Science (1996), 61(3), 234-9

The aim of this study was to determine the cardiac performance of conscious healthy dogs during stimulation with dobutamine. Eight healthy unsedated beagle dogs were used. Cardiac output was measured by ... [more ▼]

The aim of this study was to determine the cardiac performance of conscious healthy dogs during stimulation with dobutamine. Eight healthy unsedated beagle dogs were used. Cardiac output was measured by the thermodilution technique and blood pressures by extravascular pressure transducers. Dobutamine challenge at a dosage ranging from 27.5 to 50 micrograms kg-1 min-1 induced a significant rise in cardiac power index (CPI), cardiac index (CI), stroke index (SI) and heart rate (HR) and a significant decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR). The highest CPI was 2.05 times greater than its basal resting value. The CI was primarily responsible for this increase in CPI. The SI and HR contributed approximately 55 per cent and 45 per cent respectively of the maximal increase in CI. [less ▲]

Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of the electronic structure of new conjugated polymers from dithienylene vinylene derivatives

in Synthetic Metals (1996), 83(2), 103-109

Highly conjugated thiophene derivatives, based on thienylene vinylene and thienylene vinylene phenylene units, have been synthesized in order to examine: (i) the effect of such regular conjugated monomer ... [more ▼]

Highly conjugated thiophene derivatives, based on thienylene vinylene and thienylene vinylene phenylene units, have been synthesized in order to examine: (i) the effect of such regular conjugated monomer structures on polymer formation; and (ii) the optical and electrochemical properties of the corresponding macromolecules. The all-trans monomers have been prepared by a Wittig reaction. The polymers have then been synthesized electrochemically. The polymers are electrochromic and can be reversibly doped both oxidatively and reductively. Their electrochemical behavior and optical properties have been analyzed on the basis of a series of quantum-chemical calculations. [less ▲]

FORUM : un système d'animation et d'évaluation de grands groupes universitaires

in Colloque de l'Association Internationale de Pédagogie Universitaire (AIPU) (1996, November)