A mouse model for the autosomal form of Alport syndrome was produced. These mice develop a progressive glomerulonephritis with microhematuria and proteinuria, consistent with the human disease. End-stage renal disease develops at -14 weeks of age. TEM analysis of the glomerular basement membranes (GBM) during development of renal pathology revealed focal multilaminated thickening and thinning beginning in the external capillary loops at 4 weeks and spreading throughout the GBM by 8 weeks. By 14 weeks, half of the glomeruli were fibrotic with collapsed capillaries. Immunofluorescence analysis of the GBM showed the absence of type IV collagen ~-3, e~-4, and c~-5 chains and a persistence of ~-1 and ~-2 chains (these chains normally localize to the mesangial matrix). Northern blot analysis using probes specific for the collagen chains illustrate the absence of COL4A3 in the knockout, whereas mRNAs for the remaining chains are unchanged. An accumulation of fibronectin, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, laminin-1, and entactin was observed in the GBM of the affected animals. The temporal and spatial pattern of accumulation was consistent with that for thickening of the GBM as observed by TEM. Thus, expression of these basement membrane-associated proteins may be involved in the progression of Alport renal disease pathogenesis. The levels of mRNAs encoding the basement membrane-associated proteins at 7 weeks were unchanged.

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Migration models have considered several different categories of determinants, including economic opportunities, amenities, and state and local fiscal factors. Migration has also been shown to depend on the individual's position in the life cycle. This paper represents a first attempt to integrate all three categories of determinants of migration into a life-cycle framework. Empirical findings generated from a countrywide model of white male migration, over the period 1970 to 1980, reveal that all three types of determinants are important. Specifically, economic opportunities are most influential for males during their working years. Amenities are also found to follow a life-cycle pattern with older migrants more attracted to amenable locations than their younger cohorts. Finally, state income and death taxes display life-cycle effects; working males in their peak earning years are detracted by high income taxes while all migrants aged 55 to 69 avoid counties in states with high inheritance and estate taxes.

The deconstruction of lignin to enhance the release of fermentable sugars from plant cell walls presents a challenge for biofuels production from lignocellulosic biomass. The discovery of novel lignin-degrading enzymes from bacteria could provide advantages over fungal enzymes in terms of their production and relative ease of protein engineering. In this study, 140 bacterial strains isolated from soils of a biodiversity-rich rainforest in Peru were screened based on their oxidative activity on ABTS, a laccase substrate. Strain C6 (Bacillus pumilus) and strain B7 (Bacillus atrophaeus) were selected for their high laccase activity and identified by 16S rDNA analysis. Strains B7 and C6 degraded fragments of Kraft lignin and the lignin model dimer guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether, the most abundant linkage in lignin. Finally, LC-MS analysis of incubations of strains B7 and C6 with poplar biomass in rich and minimal media revealed that a higher number of compounds were released in the minimal medium than in the rich one. These findings provide important evidence that bacterial enzymes can degrade and/or modify lignin and contribute to the release of fermentable sugars from lignocellulose.

GiUigan's (1982) hypotheses regarding sex differences m moral reasoning onentation were investigated m two samples of adults In Study 1, adults ages 18 to 75 were interviewed about both hypothetical and personal moral dilemmas Women were more likely than men overall to show Gilligan's care onentation as expected, particularly m personal reasoning However, these sex differences were not as pervasive as Gilhgan argues, and were influenced by subject age, subject stage level on Kohlberg's measure of moral reasoning, and the type of real-life dilemma content recalled by subjects for discussion Study 2 focused on the role of adult parental status as mediator of personal moral onentation differences in mid-life Consistent with the theonzing of Gutmann (1985), adult parents were shown to be sex-role differentiated in both selfconcept and moral onentation, whereas mamed nonparents were not Furthermore, sex differences m reasoning onentations were again found to be linked to differences m the dilemma content presented by men and women These studiesThe authors thank Tom Barrett, Sheree Bradford, Frances Flmn, Chnsta Webster, and Garth Wickens for their help with data collection and analysis, the participants of these studies for their thoughtful reflection and cooperation, and Dan Me Adams and several anonymous reviewers for their advice and comments

Among 486 patients undergoing repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) during a 12-year period, 30 (6.2%) had evidence of "inflammatory" AAA. One patient (3%) had acute rupture, and six patients (20%) had chronic contained rupture. Ureteral obstruction was evident in 20% of the patients. In the early period of the study there were two postoperative deaths and operative time and blood loss were significantly increased. In the last period of the study, no attempt was made to separate the duodenum and the ureters from the aneurysm; there was no operative mortality, and operative time and blood loss were similar to that of patients with atherosclerotic aneurysms. In 23 of 100 specimens of atherosclerotic AAA, microscopic findings resembling inflammatory AAA were found. On the basis of our study we conclude the following: (1) Inflammatory AAAs are simply atherosclerotic aneurysms that show an unusual accentuation of the chronic inflammation observed in relation to atherosclerotic aneurysms. (2) Operative technique should be modified to avoid excessive dissection and lysis of ureters and duodenum. (3) Excellent early and late results can be expected with proper surgical technique. (4) The causes of AAA are multiple, and chronic contained rupture of the aneurysm and reactive lymphatic hyperplasia might play a role of greater significance than previously thought.

No abstract

A Pseudomonas sp. that may be useful in bioremediation projects was isolated from soil. The strain is of potential value because it reduces selenite to elemental red selenium and is unusual in that it was resistant to high concentrations of both selenate and selenite. Exposure of the strain to 50, 100, and 150 mM selenite reduced growth by 28, 57, and 66%, respectively, while no change in growth was observed when the strain was exposed to 64 mM selenate, the highest level tested. Cells of the strain removed 1.7 mM selenite from the culture fluid during a 7-day incubation. A selenite reductase with a molecular weight of ~115 kD was detected in cell-free extracts and a protein with a molecular weight of ~700 kD was detected that reduced both selenate and nitrate. The bacterial isolate is a strict aerobe, reducing selenite to elemental red selenium under aerobic conditions only. Pseudomonas sp. strain CA5 might be useful as an inoculum for bioreactors used to harvest selenium from selenite-containing groundwater. 16S rRNA gene sequence alignment and fatty acid analysis were used to identify the bacterium as a novel species of Pseudomonas related to P. argentinensis, P. flavescens, and P. straminea.