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Discussion of language planning focuses on a study that addressed the effects of the introduction of Portuguese as the official language by the newly independent government of Mozambique on a target audience that spoke eight various other languages. Relationships between national language policies and popular language usage are discussed. (37 references) (LRW)

Analysis of survey data describing the demographic characteristics and attitudes of foreign language teachers affiliated with a state professional organization revealed that there are only very limited inservice training opportunities, there is a limited scope of foreign language programs, and a substantial number of teachers may leave the field in the next decade. (one reference) (CB)

Students at two large urban high schools were given questionnaires which sought their opinions on the quality of their school, their teachers, and whether their school was meeting their personal goals. One surprising result was that students at the more affluent school were less satisfied with their schooling. (KH)

Legal decisions from the past 20 years that have been influential on the direction of the competency-based and teacher certification testing movement are described. Suggestions for test developers are made to guide them in developing tests that are fair and that comply with legal precedents. (JL)

A survey of development and information practices in alternative schools in New England revealed that staffs draw heavily from human resources within their local communities to initiate and sustain school operations; as the schools mature, staffs rely more on each other for new information about education. (Author/SJL)

A survey of four-year undergraduate institutions concerning enrollment management looked at program prevalence and form, differences among institutions using and not using them, and obstacles to program development. Results suggest that while many institutions are pro-active, most do not believe projected enrollment declines will affect their institutions seriously. (MSE)

This satire reports an imaginary research study which found three motivations for educational innovation: money, happiness, and garlic. The article facetiously traces the careers of three innovators: the director of an institute, a government official, and a popular writer. (SJL)

Serine proteinases modulate the interaction of tumor cells with extracellular matrix components during extravasation and metastasis. The serine proteinase tissue kallikrein has been previously demonstrated in several human adenocarcinomas, and we presently report the localization of immunoreactive kallikrein and its mRNA in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In addition, a synthetic peptide-based inhibitor specific for tissue kallikrein (FE999024) was used in our studies to explore a possible role for kallikrein in cancer cell invasiveness. Matrigel invasion assays were performed with a human breast-cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, which expresses tissue kallikrein in culture. In the presence of FE999024 invasion through Matrigel was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner to a maximum of 39%. We also developed a novel ex vivo assay in which breast cancer cells are infused into the pulmonary circulation of artificially ventilated explanted rat lungs. At intervals up to 6 hours after infusion pulmonary invasion was quantified by bronchial alveolar lavage to recover human cancer cells from the airspace. Invading cells in the lung interstitium were also quantified after immunohistochemistry with a monoclonal antibody specific for human cytokeratin 18. The synthetic kallikrein inhibitor attenuates breast cancer cell invasion into the airspace by 33% when quantified by lavage recovery and up to 34% as quantified in the lung interstitium by cytokeratin 18 immunostaining. Our results indicate tissue kallikrein may participate in the invasion and metastasis of human adenocarcinomas. The newly developed explanted rodent lung assay should be useful for the study of cancer cells, neutrophils, or other extravasating cells.

Background: Tissue kallikrein cleaves kininogen substrate to produce the potent vasodilating peptide kinin, which plays important roles in cardiovascular and renal function. To explore cardiac and renal potential protective effects of kallikrein gene delivery in chronic renal failure, we delivered adenovirus carrying the human tissue kallikrein cDNA (cHK) into rats with 5/6 reduction of renal mass., Methods: Expression of human tissue kallikrein in rats was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)/Southern blotting. Physiological parameters monitored in rats included systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and urinary excretion of protein, albumin, kinin, cGMP, cAMP, and nitrate/nitrites. Systemic and regional hemodynamics were measured by fluorescent-labeled microspheres. Heart weight and myocyte diameter were used to assess left ventricular hypertrophy. Quantitative and qualitative morphological analyses were used to evaluate histologic changes in kidney and heart sections., Results: Active tissue kallikrein reached a peak serum level of 463 +/- 76 ng/mL following gene delivery and returned to control levels within 21 days. A maximal blood pressure reduction of 37 mm Hg was observed within one week in rats receiving kallikrein gene delivery as compared with control rats receiving adenovirus containing the luciferase gene (159 +/- 5 vs. 196 +/- 6 mm Hg, N = 15, P < 0.001), and a significant blood pressure difference continued for five weeks postgene delivery. Kallikrein gene delivery significantly decreased total urinary protein and albumin excretion and increased levels of urinary kinin, nitrite/nitrate, and cGMP levels. Cardiac output and regional blood flow were also increased, while peripheral vascular resistance decreased. Kallikrein gene transfer reduced glomerular sclerotic lesions, tubular damage, lumenal protein cast accumulation, and interstitial inflammation in the kidney. Myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis were also attenuated in rats receiving kallikrein gene delivery., Conclusions: These findings indicated that kallikrein gene delivery attenuates hypertension and protects against renal injury and cardiac remodeling in the rat remnant kidney model of chronic renal failure.

Tissue kallikrein releases kinins by specific proteolysis, an activity inhibited by kallistatin. In this study, kallikrein and kallistatin were localized to endothelial and smooth muscle cells of large, medium, and small normal blood vessels by immunohistochemical techniques. Immunostaining for both proteins was strong in the endothelium of all sizes of blood vessels and was more intense in medial smooth muscle cells of small and medium-sized blood vessels than in elastic arteries. The sites of synthesis by endothelial and smooth muscle cells were demonstrated in normal blood vessels of all sizes by in situ hybridization histochemistry. Kallikrein and kallistatin levels were measured by immunoassays in homogenates of human aorta, vena cava, and iliac artery and vein. Tissue kallikrein and kallistatin transcripts were identified in human blood vessels by RT-PCR followed by Southern blot analysis with specific oligonucleotide probes. The results demonstrated the expression and co-localization of tissue kallikrein and kallistatin in human vessels and suggest a potential role of kallistatin in regulating tissue kallikrein in blood vessels.