Abstract: In an important embodiment, the present invention concerns a method for diagnosing and detecting compulsive disorder susceptibility of an individual. The method comprises initially obtaining a DNA sample of said individual and then determining the presence or absence of particular human D.sub.2 receptor gene alleles in said sample. Detection of said alleles in the sample are indicative of predilection to compulsive disorder. A most preferred embodiment is to detect predisposition to impulsive, addictive, and compulsive disorders such as, but not limited to, alcoholism, obesity, smoking, polysubstance abuse and drug addiction, particularly because said alleles have been found to be present in a majority of individuals clinically diagnosed with these compulsive disorders. The human D.sub.2 receptor gene A1, B1, and .sup.In6-Ex7 haplotype I alleles are most preferably detected in said sample.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 1, 1994
Date of Patent:
August 27, 1996
Assignees:
Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Regents of the University of California
Inventors:
Kenneth Blum, Ernest P. Noble, Peter J. Sheridan
Abstract: A process for making a battery paste includes steps of forming an active material in an aqueous slurry, then dewatering the slurry to form a battery paste. In one described embodiment, a slurry containing one or more basic lead sulfates suitable for use as the active material in lead-acid battery electrodes is formed in a continuously stirred tank reactor (36). The slurry is withdrawn from the reactor (36) and fed to a belt press (67) which reduces the moisture content of the slurry to the desired level. Battery pastes produced according to the invention may be fed continuously to a paster (89) for mass production of positive and negative battery plates from grids (91).
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 6, 1991
Date of Patent:
March 1, 1994
Assignee:
Globe-Union Inc.
Inventors:
Matthew A. Coonen, Ralph A. Petersen, Conrad E. Weinlein