Making an estimate of the number of people and households for Output Areas in the 2001 Census

This article describes an investigation into the best way to estimate robust totals for people and households at Output Area level. We show that computing the average of people and household counts across the set of tables in which the same count appears is a good strategy. When we compare the mean or median person and household counts with those produced by summing from the postcode directory, the two sets of numbers are usually very close. Using averages in this way for other population bases in the sets of tables is therefore recommended. This technique can also be applied to larger areas.     

Sequence and domain structure of talin

Talin is a high-molecular-weight cytoskeletal protein concentrated at regions of cell-substratum contact and, in lymphocytes, at cell-cell contacts. Integrin receptors are involved in the attachment of adherent cells to extracellular matrices and of lymphocytes to other cells. In these situations, talin codistributes with concentrations of integrins in the cell surface membrane. Furthermore, in vitro binding studies suggest that integrins bind to talin, although with low affinity. Talin also binds with high affinity to vinculin, another cytoskeletal protein concentrated at points of cell adhesion. Finally, talin is a substrate for the Ca2(+)-activated protease, calpain II, which is also concentrated at points of cell-substratum contact. To learn more about the structure of talin and its involvement in transmembrane connections between extracellular adhesions and the cytoskeleton, we have cloned and sequenced murine talin. We describe a model for the structure of talin based on this sequence and other data. Homologies between talin and other proteins define a novel family of submembranous cytoskeleton-associated proteins all apparently involved in connections to the plasma membrane.     

The nature of pulsar radiation

Pulsar radiation may be due to particles which gyrate while moving in bunches along curved orbits. If emitted by electrons, the pulses should come from near the speed of light circle; if emitted by protons, they should arise within a few stellar radii of the underlying star.     

Haemophilia B caused by a point mutation in a donor splice junction of the human factor IX gene

Haemophilia B (Christmas disease) is an inherited, recessive, sex-linked, haemorrhagic condition caused by a defect in the intrinsic clotting factor IX. This disease occurs in males at a frequency of approximately 1 in 30,000. Patients differ in the severity of their clinical symptoms, and variation in the clotting activity and in the concentration of factor IX antigen in their plasma has been demonstrated. There is probably heterogeneity in the molecular defects of the factor IX gene causing the disease. Here we study a severely affected, antigen-negative patient, and show that the only significant sequence difference from the normal factor IX gene is a point mutation changing the obligatory GT to a TT within the donor splice junction of exon f. We infer that this change is the cause of the disease in this individual. In addition, we have used oligodeoxynucleotide probes specific for this mutation to demonstrate the feasibility of carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis for relatives of the patient.