No. 190 November 1998
METADATA Metadata are "standards information" about information. In 1990, the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FDGC) was created to coordinate the use, sharing, and dissemination of geospatial data on a national basis ( http://www.fgdc.gov/fgdc/fgdc.html ). The FDGC Standards Reference Model http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/refmod97.pdf is 26 pages, which explains the types of FDGC data standards which will apply to a topic such as biology. Standards will cover (1) Data classifications, (2) Data content, (3) Data Symbology or Presentation, (4) Data Transfers, and (5) Data Usability. If you read "Federal Geographic Data Committee (FDGC); Public Comment of the Proposal to Develop the 'Biological Nomenclature and Taxonomy Data Standard' as a Federal Geographic Data Committee Standard, Notice; Request for comments" Federal Register v. 63, no 187, September 28, 1988 pages 51586-51588 (AE 2.106:63/187), you will see the beginnings of the new Metadata standards for biological information. The FDGC's METADATA, or "data-about-data" which describe the content, quality, condition, and other characteristics of data are found at ( http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/metadata.html . The FGDC is creating sets of standards identified at that will be available electronically through FDGC Internet-based subject clearinghouses at http://www.fgdc.gov/clearinghouse/background.html . These Metadata standards for biology under consideration are at http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/status/textstatus.html and others completed at http://www.fgdc.gov/publications/documents/standards/standards.html .
INVASIVE PLANTS: THREAT OF THE 1990s Invasive plants are plants that have been introduced into environments in which they did not evolve and thus usually have no natural enemies to limit their reproduction and spread. It seems that weeds may have always been around, but the "1990s have brought us face to face with another serious environmental threat: the invasion of the American landscape by aggressive nonnative plants". Black Locusts trees, English Ivy, and Wild Garlic are three invasive plants from the list of over 200 discussed in Invasive Plants, Changing the Landscape of America: Factbook issued in 1998 by the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds (I 49.2:P69/11). This 109 paged introductory text to America's problem plants states that "invasive plants" is synonymous with "weeds". Kentucky is one of the 10 States (and the Virgin Islands) which do not have noxious weed laws or regulations. Do you know about the seven federal weed laws that date 1939 to 1992? The committee lists over 100 items it cited in the "Literature Cited" and gives some sources for further reading. You will also find J. D. Green the State Weed Scientist for Kentucky and the names of the other States' Weed Scientists. There are even a few pages of poisonous plants found in the house and garden plants and those found in croplands, rangelands, and natural areas.
SPACESUIT TO WALK IN THE SUN & INSULIN GROWN OUT OF THIS WORLD Catchy title? This spacesuit does not enable one to walk in the astronomical entity "the Sun", it is intended for people who lack sweat glands and have hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED). Many people with genetic and light-sensitive disorders such as porphria and cerebral palsy can't take the heat and ultraviolet rays of the sun. "Spacesuit Offers a Walk in the Sun" as found in NASA's Aerospace Technology Innovation, v.6, no. 4, July/August 1998 page 6 presents the newest spacesuit needed for existence on Earth. "Space Crystals Provide Hope for Diabetes" which follows on page 7 shows that the growth of bigger and more uniform insulin crystals in outer space has lead to a new understanding and information about insulin crystals. Space crystals are a major advance in the study of the insulin molecule. These crystals show the insulin molecules hold together in their inactive-stored state and how they release to their active state in the human body. This could mean a more effective form of insulin therapy and fewer injections.
SLEEP, YOUR LITTLE KNOWN ACTIVITY How much do you know about your sleep since you are not awake to observe when this activity is occurring? You do know when you don't get enough sleep. When you work nights (and sleep days) or get jet lag, your internal biological clock tells you something is wrong. Newborn babies need about sixteen hours but some adults get by on about six hours sleep per night. Did you know that the brain's neurons are active when we are sleeping and they shut off the spinal cord and cause a temporary paralysis of the limb muscles? People who sleepwalk or "act out" their dreams have a problem with the brain and neurons not doing their jobs. If you want to find out the brain's activities during sleep and get 10 good tips for getting a good night's sleep, read Understanding Sleep http://www.ninds.nih.gov/HEALINFO/DISORDER/SLEEP/brain-basics-sleep.HTM issued by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in 1998 (HE 20.3502:SL 2). This 15 pages of the how and why of sleep, and sleep disorders are easy reading but should not be read when sleepy. Tamar Nordenberg's "Tossing & Turning No More, How to Get a Good Night's Sleep" FDA Consumer v. 32, no 4 July-August 1998, pages 8-12 (HE 20.4010:32/4) discusses the various psychological, physical, and environmental causes of sleep disorders as well as the value of sleeping pills. She also has some good advice.
RICH AND FAMOUS Some of the rich are famous: Bill Gates, Sam Walton, Aristotle Onasis, and J. Paul Getty. Yet there were in 1992 about 3.7million rich American wealthholders who are not famous, and in 1995 there were about 4.1 million men and women representing just over 2 percent of the population. In 1992 there were 2.4 million males and 1.3 million females who reported gross assets of $600,000 or more in their Federal estate tax returns. Barry W. Johnson "Personal Wealth, 1992-1995" in the Internal Revenue Service SOI Bulletin v. 17, no. 3 winter 1997-1998 pages 70-95 (T 22.35/4:17/3) is a PDF file (95PERWEL.EXE) http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/prod/tax_stats/soi/est_pw.html is a view of America's wealth and wealthy. Johnson applied the "estate multiplier technique" to his statistical sample of the 1992 and 1995 tax data to estimate and present a statistical portrait of America's rich but not famous and lists the states with the most millionaires. The charts, tables, and graphs also identify the age, sex, and marital status of the wealthy for those looking for rich (prospective) spouses. The portfolio composition, assets, and debt charts for the top male and female wealthholders are also quite interesting. Because of the confidentiality of tax information, this statistical profile is the closest we will get to knowing America's rich people. For names, look at the 1998 edition of Forbes 400 Special issue, v. 162, no. 8 October 12, 1998 (444 pages), or you will miss about 400 pages of detailed information about America's 400 richest people. The 400 are a start on the 4 million.
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS: ...TOO MANY?/TOO FEW? ...WHERE? "TOO MANY?" is exemplified by the provider directory of any health insurance company or the local yellow pages. The PacifiCare Provider Directory Fall 1998 exemplifies a health insurance physician directory of over 1500 doctors who serve the people of the Cincinnati Ohio metropolitan area. Also, there are over 70 pages under "Physicians" in the Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company's yellow pages. If you go about 40 miles out from the center of Cincinnati, you find Grant, Gallatin, and Pendleton (Kentucky) counties, Ohio and Switzerland (Indiana) counties, and Brown and Butler (Ohio) counties don't have enough doctors. These counties are found in the nationwide State(s) 141 page listing of medically underserved areas that qualified for inclusion in the H&HS, Health Resources and Service Administration "Lists of Designated Primary Medical Care, Mental Health, and Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, Notice" which is found in the Federal Register v. 62, no. 104, May 30, 1997 pages 29396-29537 and at http://158.72.105.163/databases/hpsa/hpsa.cfm . This URL is for the website which has HPSA data current as of September 30, 1998. A HPSA is a Health Professional Shortage Area which is underserved as defined in the health service concept being revised and updated in "42 CFR Parts 5 and 51c, Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas, Proposed Rules" Federal Register v. 63, no. 169, September 1, 1998 pages 46538-46555 (AE 2.106:63/169). Did you know there were too few health professionals and the line between the too few and too many? This HPSA shortage list notice will tell you all.
INFANTS' PRINTS When infants are on the move, they leave all the handprints you don't want everywhere, but neat little footprints are the important prints for infants. For over thirty years the "FBI has advocated using footprints for the identification of infants and in 1966 provided guidelines, procedures, and recommendations concerning why and how hospital personnel should obtain the footprints of newborns." "Footprinting of Infants" in FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, v. 35, No.10, October 1966, pages 8-11 provides the first guidelines and Michael E. Stapleton's "Best Foot Forward, Infant Footprints for Personal Identification" FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, v. 63, No. 11, November 1994 pages 14-17 provides detail about the value of footprints. Footprints like fingerprints remain unchanged in a person's life and adult footprints can provide a fast and accessible form of identification when fingerprint and DNA identification take time and are more expensive. The role of hospital personnel in footprinting newborns is part of the fifth edition of For Healthcare Professionals: Guidelines on Prevention of and Response to Infant Abductions, by John B. Rabun. Published in June 1998 by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, ( http://www.missingKids.com/ ) this 124-page volume that costs $5.00 can be downloaded as a Microsoft Word "infantabductions.doc" file at http://www.missingKids.com/download/ . Paper copies can be ordered at the Missing Kids website. Footprints are important for infant identification and as an abduction prevention measure.
AMERICA'S WARS America's Wars is an annual press release with rather unique statistics and information. The United States has fought in 12 wars, involving 41,902,000 participants of which 1,089,200 died. Through July 1, 1998 there were 41,790,000 war participants, of which 1,090,200 died in service to their country. There are 19,300,000 living war veterans, 25,188,000 living ex-servicemembers, and 575,653 surviving spouses as of July 1, 1998. Included in each issue is the Name, death date, and age of the Last Veteran, Last Widow, and Last Dependent of each as applicable to each war since the Revolutionary war. The last part of this annual also includes a Table: "Veterans and Dependents on the Compensation and Pension Rolls as of July 1, 1998" which presents statistics for the veterans, children, parents, and surviving spouse for the Civil through Persian Gulf Wars. Coincidentally, there is an August 28, 1998 Department of Veterans Affairs press release VA Assists French Effort to Bestow Legion of Honor on WWI vets, august 20, 1998 ( http://www.va.gov/pressrel/fregleg.htm ) about the VA's cooperation with the French government's wish to identify and award a medal to all the surviving American WWI "doughboys". This August 20, VA press release says there are about 3,200 Living WWI veterans, and about 900 WWI veterans receiving VA benefits. According to America's Wars...as of July 1, 1998 ( http://www.va.gov/pressrel/AmWars98.htm ) shows 4,800 Living WWI veterans (who served only in 1917-1918), with only 779 on the VA Compensation and Pension Rolls. I think contacting the VA offices would be the only way to resolve these number conflicts, but the sources are quite interesting.
December 21, 1998
http://www.nku.edu/~yannarella/news9811.html