Radioligand binding and cDNA homology studies have suggested the existence of opiate receptors distinct from the recently-cloned p, S and K receptors. XORlS, a rat brain cDNA whose predicted translation product displays 67-72% homology with those encoded by ~1, 61 and ~1 opiate receptor cDNAs, was constructed from two partial cDNAs identified through cDNA homology approaches. A longer XORlL variant of this cDNA was also identified by polymerase chain reaction studies using genomic DNA and cDNA from brain and peripheral tissues. XORl mRNA is most highly expressed in hypothalamus. COS cell expression of both clones confers neither robust binding of opiate hgands nor reproducible opiate inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase. These studies identify an orphan clone that helps to define features of the opiate receptor gene family, including apparent differential splicing and expression in peripheral tissues.

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A quadruplex reaction has been developed which amplifies the short tandem repeat (STR) loci HUM-VWA31/A, HUMTHO1, HUMF13A1 and HUMFES/FPS. Detection of the PCR products employs denaturing polyacrylamide gels coupled with fluorescent-based technology. This system has been evaluated for use in routine forensic casework and has been shown to be both robust and reproducible. The quadruplex reaction is as sensitive as the commercially available HLA DQ alpha Amplitype typing system and can be used on both degraded and aged material. The problems of environmental contamination have been shown to be limited provided strict procedural practices are followed-i.e. physical separation of sample extraction and amplified products; the use of dedicated equipment such as pipettes; the separation of amplification preparation area. The ability of the system to detect mixtures and the successful analysis of case stains has shown that this system is well suited as a tool for forensic investigation.

JOHNSON P. and PARKER S. (1996) Spatial variations in the determinants and effects of firm births and deaths, Reg. Studies 30, 679-688. This paper models the interdependence between firm births, firm deaths and economic variables, using county level data for the UK. It examines the determinants of births and deaths, as well as outlining a modelling process which incorporates two other features that have not been considered to any great extent elsewhere: firstly, a systematic approach to birth/death interdependence; and secondly, treatment of the economic variables as endogenous, i.e. subject to influence by births and deaths. Since the data relate to the UK counties, the paper is clearly relevant to the analysis of regional development and to the role of flows into and out of the business sector in that development. JOHNSON P. et PARKER S. (1996) Les variations geographiques des determinants et des effets des naissances et des deces d'entreprises, Reg. Studies 30, 679-688. A partir des donnees pour le Royaume-Uni etablies au niveau des comtes, cet article cherche a modeler l'interdependance des naissances d'entreprises, des deces d'entreprises et des variables economiques. Il examine les determinants des naissances et des deces, ainsi qu'esquisser une facon de modeler qui comprend deux autres caracteristiques qui n'ont pas attire beaucoup d'attention: en premier une facon systematique d'aborder l'interdependance des naissances et des deces, et en deuxieme la facon de traiter des variables economiques comme endogenes, c'est a dire sujettes a l'influence des naissances et des deces. Etant donne que les donnees se rapportent aux comtes situes au Royaume-Uni, il va sans dire que l'article est pertinent a l'analyse du developpement regional et, dans le contexte de ce developpement, au role des flux a destination et en provenance du secteur commercial. JOHNSON P. und PARKER S. (1996) Raumliche Abweichungen in den bestimmenden Faktoren und Auswirkungen von Firmengrundungen und -schliessungen, Reg. Studies 30, 679-688. Dieser Aufsatz stellt ein Modell der gegenseitigen Abhangigkeit von Firmengrundungen, Firmenschliessungen und wirtschaftlichen Veranderlichen dar, wobei auf Grafschaftsebene erhobene Daten fur das Vereinigte Konigreich benutzt werden. Er untersucht die bestimmenden Faktoren in Grundungen und Schliessungen und skizziert einen Modellbauprozess, der zwei weitere Merkmale einbezieht, welche sonst nirgendwo in hohem Masse in Betracht gezogen worden sind: erstens das systematische Angehen der gegenseitigen Abhangigkeit von Grundung und Schliessungen, und zweitens die Behandlung der wirtschaftlichen Veranderlichen als endogene Faktoren, d.h. dem Einfluss von Grundung und Schliessung unterworfene Faktoren. Da die Daten sich auf Grafschaften Englands beziehen, ist der Aufsatz offensichtlich sowohl von Bedeutung fur die Analyse regionaler Entwicklung als auch fur die Rolle der Stromungen in und aus dem Geschaftssektor in eben dieser Entwicklung.Grundung, Schliessung, Firma, Grafschaft,