Iowa Handgun Permits

ABSTRACT Private gun ownership is fairly common in the United States. Estimates indicate that there are more privately owned guns than people in the U.S. It is estimated that Iowa has more firearms in private hands than all but a few states. Rural county handgun permit to carry rates are two to three times greater than urban rates. This study examines handgun permit to carry rates by Iowa county type. The study asks four questions: (1) Is Iowa handgun carrying explained by a strict rural-urban handgun difference, or is it more complex? (2) If it is more complex than a simple rural-urban split, what measures produce distinction? (3) How did Iowans immediately respond to a more generous, 2011, Iowa, handgun permit law? (4) How did Iowans respond to the same law over time? It is theorized that the eleven most rural, counties in the state, all but one located in south, southwest, and northwest Iowa, have a historical, socio-demographic background that generates a culture positively associated with handgun carrying. In 2011, Iowa became a non-discretionary handgun permit to carry state diminishing the discretionary power of the county sheriff in the handgun permit to carry decision process. Exploratory factor analysis, cross sectional regression analysis, and Scheffe tests, along with slope regression line differential and longitudinal regression analysis, were used. Aggregated county-level permit data from the Iowa Department of Public Safety were used. County types were determined by socio-demographics and the UDSA Rural-Urban Continuum Code. Findings showed that explaining gun permitting by a rural-urban split was inadequate; socio-demographic variable clusters explain more; Iowans responded similarly to handgun permit law change by year and over time; and urbanism decreased handgun permitting by year but not over time

What can naturally occurring mutations tell us about Cav1.x channel function?

AbstractVoltage-gated Ca2+ channels allow for Ca2+-dependent intracellular signaling by directly mediating Ca2+ ion influx, by physical coupling to intracellular Ca2+ release channels or functional coupling to other ion channels such as Ca2+ activated potassium channels. L-type Ca2+ channels that comprise the family of Cav1 channels are expressed in many electrically excitable tissues and are characterized by their unique sensitivity to dihydropyridines. In this issue, we summarize genetic defects in L-type Ca2+ channels and analyze their role in human diseases (Ca2+ channelopathies); e.g. mutations in Cav1.2 α1 cause Timothy and Brugada syndrome, mutations in Cav1.3 α1 are linked to sinoatrial node dysfunction and deafness while mutations in Cav1.4 α1 are associated with X-linked retinal disorders such as an incomplete form of congenital stationary night blindness. Herein, we also put the mutations underlying the channel's dysfunction into the structural context of the pore-forming α1 subunit. This analysis highlights the importance of combining functional data with structural analysis to gain a deeper understanding for the disease pathophysiology as well as for physiological channel function. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Calcium channels

The Economic and Cultural Impacts of Veterans on Rural America: The Case of Iowa

Rural America has long been a crucial supplier of recruits and civilian personnel to the U.S. military. Rural America is also an essential source of cultural and political support for military activity. After their tours of duty have ended, many veterans return to rural communities where they continue to carry the values of their military experiences and extend military traditions into rural culture. Far away from the Pentagon and other corridors of military power live millions of geographically-dispersed rural veterans whose Veterans Administration benefits (cash payments, loans, medical care) and retirement pensions flow into, and become a crucial economic support of, rural communities. Using the state of Iowa as an illustrative case, we map the geographical concentration of veterans in rural communities. We then map the economic impacts of veterans on rural communities, tracing the labyrinth of ongoing financial transactions, medical services, and other benefits so important to the vitality of rural communities. We also map indicators of the cultural importance of veterans to rural communities and the role that veteran service organizations play in the maintenance of a rural culture that honors military service. Linkages between military service and the enduring values of patriotism are continually reinforced through a variety of community celebrations, events, and traditions that serve to make rural places fertile recruiting grounds for the armed services

The Economic and Cultural Impacts of Veterans on Rural America: The Case of Iowa

Rural America has long been a crucial supplier of recruits and civilian personnel to the U.S. military. Rural America is also an essential source of cultural and political support for military activity. After their tours of duty have ended, many veterans return to rural communities where they continue to carry the values of their military experiences and extend military traditions into rural culture. Far away from the Pentagon, and other corridors of military power, live millions of geographically-dispersed rural veterans whose Veterans Administration benefits (cash payments, loans, medical care) and retirement pensions flow into, and become a crucial economic support of, rural communities. Using the state of Iowa as an illustrative case, we map the geographical concentration of veterans in rural communities. We then map the economic impacts of veterans on rural communities, tracing the labyrinth of ongoing financial transactions, medical services, and other benefits so important to the vitality of rural communities. We also map indicators of the cultural importance of veterans to rural communities and the role that veteran service organizations play in the maintenance of a rural culture that honors military service. Linkages between military service and the enduring values of patriotism are continually reinforced through a variety of community celebrations, events, and traditions that serve to make rural places fertile recruiting grounds for the armed services

Neue Lernkultur - neue Prüfungskultur?

In dieser Diplomarbeit mit dem Titel ‚Neue Lernkultur – neue Prüfungskultur?’ sollen Wege eines reflektierten Leistungsverständnisses und einer förderlichen Leistungsbewertung im GW-Unterricht analysiert und diskutiert werden. Dabei soll die Bedeutung eines fundierten Leistungsverständnisses vor dem Hintergrund einer veränderten Lernkultur unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Bewertung von SchülerInnenleistungen im Rahmen des Geographie und Wirtschaftskundeunterrichts im speziellen beleuchtet werden. Kern der Arbeit ist die Annahme, dass die Art, wie Lehrende Unterricht gestalten, und die Form, in der Leistungsbewertung vollzogen wird, ganz stark vom Leistungsbegriff der LehrerInnen abhängig sind. Darum soll im ersten Kapitel dieser Diplomarbeit der Begriff Leistung definiert und erörtert werden, wobei speziell auf das Leistungsprinzip und das pädagogische Leistungsverständnis eingegangen wird. Im zweiten Kapitel erfolgt einerseits eine Auseinandersetzung mit den Motiven, die LehrerInnen dazu veranlassen und verpflichten, Leistungsbeurteilung zu betreiben, und andererseits mit den Quellen, aus denen Lehrende ihr Wissen über Leistungsfeststellung und Leistungsbewertung schöpfen (können). Das dritte Kapitel beschäftigt sich mit den Verfahren der Leistungsmessung. Dabei wird auch besonders auf die Problemfelder der Leistungsfeststellung und -beurteilung eingegangen. Kapitel vier setzt sich mit der Definition von ‚Leistung’ und eines erweiterten Leistungsverständnisses im Unterrichtsfach Geographie und Wirtschaftskunde auseinander. Weiters sollen in diesem Kapitel noch mögliche Formen der Lernsicherung und Leistungsfeststellung speziell für die Anforderungen dieses Faches vorgestellt werden. Kapitel fünf wirft abschließend einen Blick auf die Unterrichtspraxis. Interviews mit LehrerInnen unterstreichen die Annahme, dass ein reflektiertes, erweitertes Leistungsverständnis die Basis für einen mehrperspektivischen Unterricht und eine förderliche Leistungsbewertung ist

Influence of Lck abundance on thymic selection, peripheral T cell activation and the formation of T cell memory

Selection of the T cell repertoire in the thymus is governed by the need to create a repertoire of peripheral T cells that can respond to any foreign antigen in the context of self-major histocompatibility complex (MHC), while enforcing central tolerance to self-antigens. Perturbations in signalling molecules, that reduce the affinity of thymic selection, can lead to the production of a peripheral repertoire with increased autoimmunity, as has been shown for mutations in the Zap-70 kinase. Upstream of Zap-70 is Lck, the most proximal tyrosine kinase required for T cell receptor (TCR) triggering upon TCR engagement by peptide:MHC. In order to study how Lck influences T cell activation, a transgenic mouse model (LckVA), in which Lck is expressed constitutively from a T cell specific transgene and mice have very low expression of Lck (~5% of WT) in both the thymus and periphery, was used. It has been shown that Lck is critical for successful T cell development, yet the results of this thesis show that even 5% of WT levels of Lck are sufficient for selection of thymic T cells on both polyclonal and F5 TCR transgenic backgrounds. Previous studies utilising mice expressing an inducible Lck transgene, which also had reduced Lck expression in the periphery, showed Lck to be critical in determining the activation threshold of T cells. In contrast, peripheral T cells in LckVA mice had similar activation thresholds to wild type T cells, as measured by in vitro upregulation of early activation markers. Further analysis of LckVA peripheral T cells revealed differential influences of low expression of Lck on downstream signalling pathways upon TCR engagement. For example, ERK signalling was impaired, while calcium flux and proliferation were enhanced in LckVA T cells. Finally, LckVA T cells were altered in their ability to differentiate, showing enhanced production of cytokines and retaining the capacity to form memory cells

Classification of the LHC BLM Ionization Chamber

The LHC beam loss monitoring (BLM) system must prevent the super conducting magnets from quenching and protect the machine components from damage. The main monitor type is an ionization chamber. About 4000 of them will be installed around the ring. The lost beam particles initiate hadronic showers through the magnets and other machine components. These shower particles are measured by the monitors installed on the outside of the accelerator equipment. For the calibration of the BLM system the signal response of the ionization chamber is simulated in GEANT4 for all relevant particle types and energies (keV to TeV range). For validation, the simulations are compared to measurements using protons, neutrons, photons and mixed radiation fields at various energies and intensities. This paper will focus on the signal response of the ionization chamber to various particle types and energies including space charge effects at high ionization densities