bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
REPORT on the Fourth International Workshop on Chromosome 9: held at Williamsburg, Virginia, USA, April 23–25, 1995
Authors: PERICAK‐VANCE M. A. , BALE A. E. , HAINES J. L. , KWIATKOWSKI D. J. , PILZ A. , SLAUGENHAUPT S. , WHITE J. A. , EDWARDS J. H. , MARCHUK D. , OLOPADE O. I. , ATTWOOD J. , POVEY S.
Published: September 2007

The Fourth International Workshop on Chromosome 9 was a highly successful endeavor in terms of the growth of the map, both genetic and physical, the amount of data entered into GDB, and the continued comradeship in the sharing of data and resources that was exemplified. SIGMA remained a stable and valuable part of the chromosome 9 mapping effort. A new subsection outlining the morbid anatomy of chromosome 9 was included. Finally, specific goals were set for the community to aim for over the upcoming months. These included extending the information about the ease of use of genetic markers, and coordinating across numerous groups the meiotic breakpoint mapping of many microsatellite markers. Workshop files are available by anonymous ftp from ftp.gene.ucl.ac.uk (128.40.82.1) in the subdirectory /pub/c9workshop/1995, or by using a World Wide Web browser (such as Mosaic or Netscape) via the Chromosome 9 Home Page (at the URL http:www.gene.ucl.ac.ukchr9home.html).
An extension of the Maximum Lod Score method to X‐linked loci
Authors: CORDELL H. J. , KAWAGUCHI Y. , TODD J. A. , FARRALL M.
Published: September 2007

The Maximum Lod Score method for affected relative‐pair analysis, introduced by Risch, is a powerful method for detecting linkage between an autosomal marker locus and disease. In order to use the method to detect linkage to markers on the X‐chromosome, some modification is necessary. Here we extend the method to be applicable to X‐chromosomal data, and derive genetic restrictions on the haplotype‐sharing probabilities analogous to the ‘possible triangle’ restrictions described by Holmans for the autosomal case. Size criteria are derived using asymptotic theory and simulation, and the power is calculated for a number of possible underlying models. The method is applied to data from 284 type 1 diabetic families and evidence is found for the presence of one or more diabetogenic loci on the X‐chromosome.
Characterization of a dinucleotide repeat in the 92 kDa type IV collagenase gene (CLG4B), localization of CLG4B to chromosome 20 and the role of CLG4B in aortic aneurysmal disease
Authors: JEAN P. L. ST , ZHANG X. C. , HART B. K. , LAMLUM H. , WEBSTER M. W. , STEED D. L. , HENNEY A. M. , FERRELL R. E.
Published: September 2007

Proteolytic imbalance may play a role in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). CLG4B, which encodes the 92‐kDa form of type IV collagenase, is a candidate gene for AAA. We genotyped a polymorphic dinucleotide repeat in the 5′ flanking region of CLG4B in 94 unrelated Caucasian controls and in 127 unrelated Caucasian AAA cases. Eight alleles were detected in 188 control chromosomes with an observed heterozygosity of 0·68. There was no significant difference in allele distribution between cases and controls. We genotyped the dinucleotide repeat in 10 CEPH reference pedigrees and performed pairwise linkage analysis with markers on each of the 22 human autosomes. Lod scores between 10·45 and 20·29 were observed with markers spanning chromosome region 20q11.2‐q13.1. Further support for assignment of CLG4B to chromosome 20 was provided by analysis of human‐rodent somatic cell hybrids. This work describes a highly polymorphic marker in the CLG4B gene and assigns this gene to chromosome 20.
Haplotype comparison in fresh mutation cases of adenomatous polyposis coli due to deletion AAAGA at codon 1309
Authors: DELHANTY J. D. A. , TSIOUPRA K.
Published: September 2007

To determine whether the common 5 base pair deletion (δAAAGA) at codon 1309 of the APC gene occurs preferentially on a particular haplotype background, three intragenic polymorphisms were typed using the polymerase chain reaction in ten patients with this deletion as the disease‐causing mutation. Each case was due to fresh mutation. The data obtained provide no evidence in support of a preferential haplotype predisposing to this mutation.
Nuclear DNA polymorphism in a Mandenka population from Senegal: Comparison with eight other human populations
Authors: POLONI E. S. , EXCOFFIER L. , MOUNTAIN J. L. , LANGANEY A. , CAVALLI‐SFORZA L. L.
Published: September 2007

A large and ethnically well defined Mandenka sample from Senegal is analysed for 80 nuclear DNA RFLPs, and compared with eight previously studied human populations. A high level of genetic diversity is found in this sample, comparable to that observed in two African Pygmy samples, but lower than that of a European sample. High population variation is observed for most markers. A neutrality test reveals that the markers used in this study can be considered as neutral. A high correlation is found between genetic and geographic distances (r= 0·62), suggesting that geography does also affect long range population genetic relationships and is an important factor behind differentiation among human populations.
Human mitochondrial DNA variation and the origin of Basques
Authors: BERTRANPETIT J. , SALA J. , CALAFELL F. , UNDERHILL P. A. , MORAL P. , COMAS D.
Published: September 2007

The hypervariable segment I of the control region of the mtDNA (positions 16024–16383) was PCR‐amplified from mouth scrape and hairs and sequenced in 45 unrelated individuals of pure matrilineal Basque descent. Twenty‐seven different sequences were found, of which 21 are unique to the Basques. The allelic partition observed, together with resampling experiments, suggested that much more variation remained to be discovered.

The mean pairwise difference in number of nucleotides between individuals was 3·15, a very low value. Moreover, the number of steps for the most parsimonious tree is very low compared to the number of different sequences. Both findings suggest that the Basque population was founded by a few lineages that diverged in a short time span. The number of nucleotide differences between individuals was shown not to be influenced by the distance between their birthplaces, thus validating the sampling strategy used a posteriori.

The pairwise difference distribution agreed well with the three‐parameter model proposed by Rogers & Harpending (1992). The parameter estimates found for the Basques implied that a demographic expansion (or perhaps two, given the bimodal shape of the distribution) took place sometime between 14500 and 42000 BP which is in agreement with archaeological data.

Our sample was compared to other populations for which D‐loop sequences were available through the Nei & Miller (1990) distance. In a neighbour‐joining tree, all the Caucasoid samples, including the Basques, appeared tightly clustered, whereas African samples were the most distant to the Caucasoids and also the most heterogeneous. Although classical markers, such as blood groups and protein polymorphisms, clearly separate the Basques (and the Sardinians) from other European populations, this distinctiveness was not found using D‐loop sequences.
The genetic structure of a province as revealed by surnames and HLA genes: potential utility in transplantation policy
Authors: GUGLIELMINO C. R. , DE SILVESTRI A. , MARTINETTI M. , DAIELLI C. , SALVANESCHI L. , CUCCIA M.
Published: September 2007

The combined use of surnames, which simulate selectively neutral genetic markers, and HLA genes may constitute a useful tool for the genetic survey of a small area. We found a coincidence between HLA genetic structure and surname ‘selectively neutral’ pattern, in an Italian province, although HLA genes indicate a more pronounced genetic isolation for one particular subregion of the province. The patchiness of HLA allele distribution that is sometimes created by drift and/or selection can be used as the basis both of anthropological and of epidemiological studies. The creation of genetic maps of relatively small areas may also constitute a tool for the selection of bone marrow donors.
A note on the combination of estimates of a recombination fraction
Authors: LIN S. , SPEED T. P.
Published: September 2007

A number of ways of combining two or more independent estimates of the same recombination fraction can be found in the literature. We revisit this topic in the context of human gene mapping, and explore the value of transforming the recombination fraction to a new parameter whose log‐likelihood function is more nearly quadratic. It is shown that the arcsine of the cube‐root is one such function. These observations lead naturally to a way of summarizing and combining the summarized set of log‐likelihood functions of a common recombination fraction. This idea is illustrated using pedigree data concerning six loci on chromosome 10 from the CEPH consortium. A comparison is also made with the method of summarizing and combining using ‘equivalent numbers’ of recombinants and informative meioses.
Identification of an E689K substitution as the molecular basis of the human acid α‐glucosidase type 4 allozyme (GAA*4)
Authors: HUIE M. L. , MENAKER M. , MCALPINE P. J. , HIRSCHHORN R.
Published: September 2007

We have identified the molecular basis of the GAA*4 allozyme as a G to A transition at nt2065 which predicts the substitution of glutamic acid by lysine at codon 689 (E689K). The conclusion that this change represents the molecular basis of the GAA*4 allozyme is based on 1) presence of the G2065A in homozygosity in a known GAA*4 homozygote, 2) transient expression studies showing normal enzyme activity expressed by cDNA containing the G2065A transition and 3) isoelectric focusing studies showing a more cathodal pattern for the expressed product as compared to the common GAA*1, analogous to the patterns seen in normal and known GAA*4 lymphoid cells.
Dynamic mutation loci: allele distributions in different populations
Authors: RICHARDS R. I. , CRAWFORD J. , NARAHARA K. , MANGELSDORF M. , FRIEND K. , STAPLES A. , DENTON M. , EASTEAL S. , HORI T.‐A. , KONDO I. , JENKINS T. , GOLDMAN A. , PANICH V. , FERAKOVA E. , SUTHERLAND G. R.
Published: September 2007

To assess the relative contributions of trans‐acting factors (replication and repair functions) and cis‐acting elements (repeat and flanking DNA composition) to the mechanism of trinucleotide repeat sequence mutation we have analysed the distribution of copy number polymorphisms at 12 loci associated with dynamic mutations in 15 populations of different ethnic origins. Genome wide instability of repeats in a particular population would be evidence of trans‐acting factor instigation of the mutation process, whereas instability at a particular locus (perhaps even in several populations) would be evidence that the composition of the particular locus was the most significant factor contributing to mutation. The FRA16A locus is highly polymorphic in only the European population. Some other loci exhibit distinct distributions of alleles between different populations. Therefore sequences in the vicinity of the repeat ‐ the cis component of a particular locus ‐ appear(s) to be more important in the mutation mechanism than sporadic genome‐wide instability induced by trans‐acting factors such as the DNA mismatch repair enzymes.
The negative heritability of neonatal jaundice*
Authors: HALDANE J. B. S.
Published: September 2007

In the case of neonatal jaundice due to the human D antigen, mothers who have been jaundiced cannot bear a jaundiced child, and fathers who have been jaundiced beget fewer jaundiced sons than those who have not. Other characters may have a similar negative heritability.
Distribution of tandem repeat polymorphism within minisatellite MS621 (D5S110)
Authors: ARMOUR J. A. L. , CROSIER M. , JEFFREYS A. J.
Published: September 2007

The minisatellite MS621 (D5S110) is a highly polymorphic tandem repeat locus which maps to the distal region of human chromosome 5p. Major repeat unit variants at D5S110 differ not by base substitutions but by differences in the repetition of an 11 bp sequence motif found within each repeat. The two major classes of repeat unit thus contain two (‘ dimeric ’= D‐type) or three (‘ trimeric ’= T‐type) copies of this short motif. Mapping the distribution of these D‐ and T‐type repeat units within alleles has allowed the analysis of the structural basis of allelic variation and of one de novo mutation. In contrast to previous studies of some other highly polymorphic minisatellites, this analysis provided no clear evidence for polarized variability at D5S110.
Two additional polymorphisms within the hypervariable MUC1 gene: association of alleles either side of the VNTR region
Authors: PRATT W. S. , ISLAM I. , SWALLOW D. M.
Published: September 2007

The gene MUC1 codes for a mucin‐type glycoprotein and like most of the other mucin genes shows variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism within the coding region. A polymorphism due to a G/A substitution in exon 2, responsible for a genetically determined variation in splicing of the MUC1 transcript, has also been reported (Ligtenberg et al. 1990, 1991). Here we describe the detection of this nucleotide substitution polymorphism by single stranded conformational analysis of genomic DNA and we also report a CA repeat polymorphism within intron 6 of the gene. Haplotypes were determined in a series of families and the common alleles of these two polymorphisms were found to be associated. These results support the notion that the VNTR polymorphism in the coding sequence of MUC1 is not caused by unequal reciprocal recombination at meiosis.
Autosomal recessive disorders in Saguenay‐Lac‐Saint‐Jean (Quebec, Canada): a study of inbreeding
Authors: BRAEKELEER M. DE , GAUTHIER S.
Published: September 2007

Saguenay Lac‐Saint‐Jean (SLSJ) is a geographically isolated region of northeastern Quebec in which several autosomal recessive disorders have a high incidence. We calculated the inbreeding coefficients of 567 probands and compared them to 1701 matched control individuals. The mean inbreeding coefficient of the group containing all 567 probands was 2·73 times higher than that of the controls (0·001772 versus 0·00065). Thirteen percent (75/567) of the probands were inbred, but only 5% were born to matings between spouses related as second‐degree cousins or closer. No marriage between uncle and niece and only two marriages between first‐degree cousins were identified in the disorder group. These results strongly suggest that the high incidence of the autosomal recessive disorders in SLSJ is the result of a founder effect.
Isolation and mapping of three new polymorphic markers to chromosomes 3, 20 and 21
Authors: BOUZYK M. , EVANS C. , CULLIN L. , COX S. , WARNE D. , NYBERG K. , BRYANT S. P. , SPURR N. K.
Published: September 2007

Screening of single human chromosome plasmid libraries using a digoxygenin labelled (AAAT)15 oligonucleotide probe led to the identification of several positive clones. DNA sequence analysis of these was carried out and showed the presence of a number of simple DNA repeats. Oligonucleotide primers were designed from the sequences flanking these repeats and tested in PCR amplification reactions of human genomic DNA. Three of the markers tested were shown to be polymorphic with heterozygosities ranging from 40% to 69%. The markers were assigned to chromosomes using a panel of monochromosomal somatic cell hybrids combined with linkage analysis using DNA from the CEPH panel of families. The markers designated (AAAT)11, (AAAT)12 and (CA)19 were thus assigned to chromosomes 3, 21 and 20 respectively.
Mitotic recombination among acrocentric chromosomes' short arms
Authors: GIUSSANI U. , FACCHINETTI B. , CASSINA G. , ZUFFARDI O.
Published: September 2007

Routine Q‐banding chromosome analysis detected the jumping behaviour of bright fluorescent chromosome 22 satellites (22s+) in two unrelated males (case 1 ascertained for recurrent abortions and case 2 for infertility), and in the mother of one of them, all with a normal karyotype. The 22s + was present in more than 90% of the cells. In a minority of the cells the polymorphism was present alternatively on another acrocentric, on one chromosome 22 and on another acrocentric, on both chromosomes 22 or it was absent. We take these findings as evidence of mitotic exchanges between the short arms of the acrocentric chromosomes. The presence of a stable 22s + in the fibroblasts of case 1 and in the lymphocytes of his son indicates that acrocentric short arm exchanges depend both on the type of tissue and on the genetic content of all the other acrocentrics.
A new intronic polymorphism in the C7 gene 36 bp from the common expressed C7 M/N polymorphism
Authors: FERNIE B. A. , WÜRZNER R. , ORREN A. , HOBART M.
Published: September 2007

We report a new polymorphism in the complement C7 gene that results from an A‐C transversion in intron 12, 27 bp upstream of exon 13 (C712.‐27) and 36 bp upstream of the point mutation that underlies the C7 M/N antigenic polymorphism. The C7 12.‐27 polymorphism subdivides C7 M haplotypes, but not C7 N. It also sheds light on the evolution of the various types of deficiency genes at the adjacent C6 locus.
Analysis of allelic structures at the D7S21 (MS31A) locus in the Japanese, using minisatellite variant repeat mapping by PCR (MVR‐PCR)
Authors: HUANG X‐L. , TAMAKI K. , YAMAMOTO T. , SUZUKI K. , NOZAWA H. , UCHIHI R. , KATSUMATA Y. , NEIL D. L.
Published: September 2007

To sample the diversity of allelic structures at the D7S21 (MS31A) locus in the Japanese, allele‐specific minisatellite variant repeat mapping using polymerase chain reaction (MVR‐PCR) was performed on genomic DNA from a number of Japanese individuals. Three polymorphic positions in the MS31A 5′ flanking DNA were typed from 214 un‐related Japanese, and the distribution of haplotypes was analysed. Allele‐specific MVR‐PCR, using primers that discriminate between different alleles at these polymorphic positions in heterozygous individuals, allows single alleles to be mapped from genomic DNA in approximately 80% of Japanese. 149 Japanese alleles have been mapped to date and all of them, except for two pairs of indistinguishable alleles, have different internal structures. More than half of the mapped alleles showed similar regions of internal structure to other alleles and were classified into groups on this basis.
The human complement C8G gene, a member of the lipocalin gene family: polymorphisms and mapping to chromosome 9q34.3
Authors: DEWALD G. , CICHON S. , BRYANT S. P. , HEMMER S. , NÖUTHEN M. M. , SPURR N. K.
Published: September 2007

Complement component C8 is a plasma glycoprotein consisting of three nonidentical polypeptide chains (α, β, γ) which are encoded by three separate genes (C8A, C8B, C8G). The γ chain whose functional role remains undefined is not related to any other complement protein but is a member of the lipocalins, a family of proteins that bind small hydrophobic ligands. The present report describes the first known polymorphisms for the human C8G gene, namely one polymorphic site in exon 1 (207T/G) and two polymorphic sites in intron 1 (213 + 37G → A; 213 + 65del3). Specific typing can be performed using simple polymerase chain reaction‐based assays. C8G genotyping in eight CEPH reference families demonstrated that C8G is closely linked to a series of marker loci located in the most telomeric region of chromosome 9q. Multipoint analysis placed C8G with 1000:1 support distal to D9S207. C8G is thus located at 9q34.3. Remarkably, this chromosomal region contains at least four other lipocalin genes.
Multiple founder haplotypes of mitochondrial DNA in Amerindians revealed by RFLP and sequencing
Authors: SANTOS S. E. B. , RIBEIRO‐DOS‐SANTOS A. K. C. , MEYER D. , ZAGO M. A.
Published: September 2007

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of 139 individuals from eight tribes which belong to four linguistic groups of the Brazilian Amazon Region was studied both by RFLP and by sequencing of the D‐loop region. RFLP analysis showed that 41 haplotypes (29%) belonged to haplogroup A, 39 (28%) to haplogroup B, 38 (27%) to haplogroup C., 19 (14%) to haplogroup D, and 2 (<2%) could not be assigned to any of the four haplogroups. Among the 92 individuals analyzed by direct sequencing of the D‐loop region, we observed 43 different haplotypes defined by 48 polymorphic points, while one haplotype could not be assigned to any of the clusters previously described. Joint analysis of data obtained by RFLP and by sequencing of mtDNA demonstrated that, regardless of the method of analysis, the mtDNA haplotypes of contemporary Amerindians cluster into four groups, similar to those previously described, even though 7% of the total sample or 12% of the haplotypes have discrepancies between results obtained by RFLP and sequencing. In addition to supporting the prevalence of four major haplogroups among contemporary Amerindians, our data are compatible with multiple founder haplotypes in each haplogroup, based on: i) a high prevalence of unusual haplotypes; ii) presence of multiple polymorphic sites shared by different haplogroups; iii) relative differences in nucleotide diversity based on RFLP or sequencing within the different haplogroups.
Alcohol Consumption among Vehicular Occupants Injured in Crashes
Authors: Soderstrom Carl A. , Arias JoAnna D. , Carson Suzanne L. , Cowley R Adams
Published: September 2007

Admission blood alcohol levels (BAL) were obtained in 111 adult passenger/driver pairs injured in vehicular crashes. Drinking patterns were studied, including the influence of the sex of the occupants on alcohol consumption. Alcohol was not a factor in 44 of the crashes. In 48 of 62 crashes (77%), the driver was either the sole drinker or had a higher BAL than the passenger. In five crashes, the passenger was the only drinker. Female drivers were drinking 40% of the time, compared to 60% of male drivers. Overall, 77.4% of the drinking drivers had a BAL of 100 mg/100 ml. When vehicular occupants were of the same sex, as opposed to both sexes, the drivers drank more frequently (62.9% vs. 43.9%). In 13 of 14 cases of a drinking male driver transporting a female passenger, the female passenger had not been drinking or had done so to a lesser degree. The data indicate that educational efforts should be directed at discouraging passengers from riding with drinking drivers.
Drinking by Alcoholic Cirrhotic Patients under Medical Care
Authors: Hermos John A.
Published: September 2007

In order to gain a broader perspective on the natural course of drinking by alcoholic cirrhotic patients receiving medical care, the medical and surgical literature from 1963 through 1982 was surveyed for prospective studies of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis in which follow‐up drinking data were reported. Eleven studies with 1,039 patients were summarized. The patients were mostly urban men, averaging about 50 years old, treated in municipal, Veterans Administration, and university hospitals for either decompensated cirrhosis or for portal hypertension and bleeding varices; follow‐up periods ranged from less than 1 to 10 years. The clinical investigators in the studies used various means to assess drinking and to categorize drinking behaviors, and expressed caution regarding validity. Between series, from 20 to 53% of the patients were reported to be abstinent from alcohol during the clinical follow‐up periods. In five studies (373 patients) where the extent of drinking was determined, from 21 to 35% of the patients were reported to be drinking in a reduced or moderate manner, and from 17 to 42% to have resumed heavier drinking. The rates of improvement in drinking reported for the cirrhotic patients under medical care compare favorably to those for middle‐aged male clients after alcoholism treatment, but the variables that predict course and outcome cannot be fairly compared between “medical” and alcoholism treatment populations. The substantial reduction or cessation of drinking reported in these large series of alcoholic cirrhotic patients over long follow‐up periods may simple represent the natural, terminal course of alcoholism in the presence of severe liver disease; concomitantly, improvement may reflect the favorable impact of an alcohol‐related disease and continued medical care on changing drinking behaviors.
Accumulation of Acetaldehyde in Alcohol‐Sensitive Japanese: Relation to Ethanol and Acetaldehyde Oxidizing Capacity
Authors: Inoue Kazuyoshi , Fukunaga Manabu , Kiriyama Takayuki , Komura Setsuo
Published: September 2007

The metabolism of ethanol and its oxidation product acetaldehyde, was studied in Japanese volunteers. Subjects who responded by facial flushing and tachycardia were found to accumulate acetaldehyde during ethanol intoxication, in contrast to the near absence of blood acetaldehyde in nonfiushing subjects. There were large individual variations in acetaldehyde accumulation observed in the former group, and this accumulation correlated well with the intensity of the physiological responses, but not with rate of ethanol elimination. Oral pretreatment with the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor, 4‐methylpyrazole, reduced ethanol elimination by15–25% and strongly suppressed acetaldehyde accumulation. However, here too there was no relation between individual ethanol elimination rate and acetaldehyde accumulation. Furthermore, the change in the blood | lactate/pyruvate concentration ratio after ethanol intake was apparently unrelated to the degree of acetaldehyde accumulation. These results, combined with our previous observation of a strong negative correlation between increase in heart rate and activity of cytosoiic i aldehyde dehydrogenase in erythrocytes, suggest that in flushing Orientals lacking the low‐Km aldehyde dehydrogenase isozyme, the i alternative cytosolic enzyme is responsible for acetaldehyde oxidation, and its activity probably determines the individual variation of acetaldehyde‐mediated physiological responses.
Treatment Outcome of Left‐Handed versus Right‐Handed Alcoholic Men
Authors: London Wayne P.
Published: September 2007

This study replicates the findings of Smith and Chyatte that left‐handed alcoholic men have a less favorable treatment outcome than right‐handers.
VERY LONG DECAY TIME FOR ELECTRON VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION IN SEMICONDUCTORS, AND CONSEQUENT 1/f NOISE
Authors: CAVALLERI GIANCARLO , TONNI ERNESTO , BOSI LEONARDO , SPAVIERI GIANFRANCO
Published: September 2007

The Boltzmann equation with electron-electron (e − e) interactions has been reduced to a Fokker-Planck equation (e − e FP ) in a previuos paper. In steady-state conditions, its solution q0(v) (where v is the electron speed) depends on the square of the acceleration a = eE/m. If we introduce the nonrenormalized zero-point field (ZPF) of QED, i.e., the one considered in stochastic electrodynamics, so that [Formula: see text], then q0(v) becomes similar to the Fermi-Dirac equation, and the two collision frequencies ν1(v) and ν2(v) appearing in the e − e FP become both proportional to 1/v in a small δv interval. The condition ν1(v) ∝ ν2(v) ∝ 1/v is at the threshold of the runaways. In the same δv range, the time-dependent solution q0(v,τ) of the e − e FP decays no longer exponentially but according to a power law ∝ τ− ɛ where 0.004 < ɛ < 0.006, until τ → ∞. That extremely long memory of a fluctuation implies the same dependence τ − ɛ for the conductance correlation function, hence a corresponding power-spectral noise S(f) ∝ fɛ−1 where f is the frequency. That behaviour is maintained even for a small sample because the back diffusion velocity of the electrons in the effective range δv, where they are in runaway conditions, is much larger than the drift velocity.
DETRENDED FLUCTUATION ANALYSIS OF AUTOREGRESSIVE PROCESSES
Authors: MORARIU VASILE V. , BUIMAGA-IARINCA LUIZA , VAMOŞ CĂLIN , ŞOLTUZ ŞTEFAN M.
Published: September 2007

Autoregressive processes (AR) have typical short-range memory. Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) was basically designed to reveal long-range correlations in non stationary processes. However DFA can also be regarded as a suitable method to investigate both long-range and short-range correlations in non stationary and stationary systems. Applying DFA to AR processes can help understanding the non-uniform correlation structure of such processes. We systematically investigated a first order autoregressive model AR(1) by DFA and established the relationship between the interaction constant of AR(1) and the DFA correlation exponent. The higher the interaction constant the higher is the short-range correlation exponent. They are exponentially related. The investigation was extended to AR(2) processes. The presence of an interaction between distant terms with characteristic time constant in the series, in addition to a near by interaction will increase the correlation exponent and the range of correlation while the effect of a distant negative interaction will significantly decrease the range of interaction, only. This analysis demonstrate the possibility to identify an AR(1) model in an unknown DFA plot or to distinguish between AR(1) and AR(2) models.
RESONANCE-BASED VIBRATION SIGNAL DENOISING USING WAVELET PACKET DECOMPOSITION
Authors: SHAGHAGHI M. , KAHAEI M. H. , POSHTAN J.
Published: September 2007

This paper presents a new on-line technique for denoising impulsive vibration signals in noisy environments using Wavelet Packets. The proposed algorithm is based on localizing the frequency subbands of the resonances embedded in impulsive vibration signals. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated in denoising real vibration signals measured from faulty bearings. The results compared to the theoretical values and those obtained by the HFD algorithm show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm while the computational cost reduces to half.
Engineering Geology—1970
Authors: Dearman W. R.
Published: September 2007

The Engineering Group of the Geological Society of London has provided, since its inception in June 1964, a specialist forum for the discussion of topics within the field of engineering geology.

The highlight of the year's activities of the Group is a long regional meeting which usually has a unifying theme and such themes have often been related to the geological setting of the meeting place. In the past, typical subjects have been ‘Engineering Geology Problems in the Upper Carboniferous Rocks’ for a meeting in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1966, and ‘Engineering Geology of Glacial Deposits’ when we met in Glasgow last year.

When we were invited to hold our next meeting here in Dublin we were most delighted to accept the invitation which went hand in hand with a general indication that we could, if we so wished, select our own topic, or topics, for discussion at the meeting.

This most generous gesture from our Irish colleagues, coming as it did at the end of a decade which had witnessed the acceptance and rapid growth and development of engineering geology as an academic discipline in the United Kingdom—and its increased application in industry—prompted the suggestion that here was an opportunity, not to be missed, to review the present status of engineering geology. The reviews would be prepared and delivered by those active in both the academic and the industrial fields, so demonstrating the STATE OF THE ART today and clearly defining the past and present scope of engineering geology.
P. W. McDowell: The advantages and limitations of geoelectrical methods in the foundation investigation of the tracked hovercraft experimental site in Cambridgeshire.
Authors: Holmes S. C. A.
Published: September 2007

From S. C. A. Holmes:

A glance at the Geological Survey “Ten Miles to One Inch” map of Great Britain (Sheet 2) will show that the basic solid geology of the area is Ampthill Clay (different from Kimmeridge Clay in lithological and mechanical properties), but the special interest of the resistivity traverse results lies in their relationship to the very variable Pleistocene and Holocene deposits that overlie the Corallian and other Jurassic formations and that are not readily investigated by isolated boreholes. Details of the south-western part relating to the One Inch New Series Sheets 187 (Huntingdon) and 188 (Cambridge) an published in the respective memoirs: Huntingdon and Biggleswade (1965), Cambridge (1969). More particularly, however, the Quaternary deposits are shown on the Six-Inch Library Copies TL 37, TL 47 deposited for public reference at the Institute of Geo logical Sciences in Exhibition Road, South Kensington. Something of the complex history and distribution of the Holocene is outlined in the Royal Geographical Society's Research Series No. 5 memoir on the Fenland in Roman Times, published in 1970.

It is not surprising that the foundation conditions were found to be more complicated than indicated by the preliminary borehole information described by McDowell. There is: no sand and gravel layer as such, but discrete spreads of 1st Terrace River Gravel: variably covered or encompassed by Peat, Shell Marl and Alluvium of different strati-graphical position. The ancient course of the River Ouse crosses the Bedford Rivers and the Washes at about a mile from
Routine interpretation of the Lugeon water-test
Authors: Houlsby A. C.
Published: September 2007

A relatively simple routine method of calculating and interpreting the “modified” Lugeon water test is described. The method is used for assessing the need for foundation grouting at dam sites; it comprises calculations of lugeon values for each of five test runs at increasing and then decreasing pressures, followed by interpretation of the pattern of results, and hence selection of an appropriate representative permeability.

The relative frequency of different behaviour patterns is indicated by reference to 811 actual tests.
A field test for identification of gypsum in soils and sediments
Authors: Shearman D. J.
Published: September 2007

It is well known that gypsum, CaSO
4
2H
2
O, dehydrates at temperatures above 80°C. It first loses 1½ molecules of water to form the substance hemihydrate, CaSO
4
½H
2
O (plaster of Paris) and then with further heating at higher temperature it dehydrates virtually to completion to form ‘dead-burnt gypsum’.* Where pure, gypsum crystals are generally colourless, but hemihydrate and ‘dead-burnt gypsum’ are both chalky white.

The change in appearance which gypsum undergoes on heating provides a useful means of detecting it and assessing its abundance when it is present as small grains in soils and sediments, providing the grains are visible to the naked eye. The test can be carried out in the field by simply heating small samples of the soil or sediment on a metal plate. Grains of gypsum will turn white in a matter of a few minutes, whereas most other mineral grains remain unaltered. With the use of a hand lens the test can be applied to particles down to very fine sand-grade size. It is of course often necessary to remove silt and clay-grade materials from the sample and concentrate the sand grains by simple decantation before heating.

The test is usually easy to apply to siliciclastic sediments, because few of the other mineral grains are normally white in colour. It sometimes can be a little more difficult in the case of gypsum in carbonate sediments because of the inherent white colour of the most carbonate grains. However, the white colour of ‘dead-burnt gypsum’ is usually much more intense
Delineation of saline intrusion in the Dungeness shingle aquifer using surface geophysics
Authors: Oteri Akomeno Ulaya-Egbe
Published: September 2007

Salt water intrusion into a coastal water table (shingle) aquifer has occured in Dungeness, England. Chloride ion concentrations as high as 3000 mg/l have been measured. These compare with background values of 40 mg/l. 29 Vertical electrical resistivity soundings using the Wenner array were undertaken to determine the applicability of direct current resistivity as a method for delineating the saline intrusion. Interpretation of the resistivity data show not only a saline zone near the coast resulting from sea water intrusion, but also the presence of a low resistivity layer beneath fresh water bearing shingle throughout the study area. This low resistivity is interpreted as being mainly due to saline waterbearing sands.

A borehole drilled a year after the survey confirmed the presence of saline water beneath a fresh water lens.
Probabilistic slope stability analysis using a microcomputer
Authors: Rosenbaum M. S. , Jarvis J.
Published: September 2007

A probabilistic slope stability analysis has been adapted for use on a microcomputer. The analysis uses the Janbu method of slices with geological input provided in the form of the Hoek-Brown rock mass strength criteria. A Monte Carlo simulation allows the results of this analysis to be presented as a probability that the factor of safety for the slope will fall below a critical level. The demonstration program is described for a slope in a Carboniferous limestone quarry at Chipping Sodbury.
The use of a microcomputer for recording and analysis of borehole logging data in hydrogeological investigations
Authors: Walters M. , Lloyd J. W.
Published: September 2007

A system is described that uses a microcomputer for on-site recording and analysis of borehole logging data. To indicate the potential of this system for data handling and quantitative hydrogeological assessment, the outputs from four simple processing packages are given. In each example the digitally recorded data from a number of borehole logs are combined and parameters such as fluid flow rate, porosity and formation density, cement or acid requirement, and differential temperature and conductivity are calculated.
Dubai Dry Dock: engineering significance of dock floor geology
Authors: Warren C. D.
Published: September 2007

The stratigraphy, geomorphological evolution and physical and chemical properties of the various geological units forming the foundations to the £232 million Dubai Dry Dock are presented. The investigations confirm the existence of weaker, silty gypsiferous palaeosabkha and lagoonal deposits within the more typical Miliolite Sandstone, a cemented aeolian carbonate sandstone of Pleistocene age. The distribution and engineering significance of the weaker, gypsiferous layers are described in relation to the construction of the dock floor and settlement of a few caissons adjacent to the sea.
Data management with microcomputers in geotechnical engineering practice
Authors: Finn P. S. , Eldred P. J. L.
Published: September 2007

The art and science of Geotechnical Engineering involves the assimilation of large quantities of data from different sources and the exercise of judgment to achieve appropriate engineering solutions. The availability of low cost portable microcomputers affords an opportunity to improve the efficiency and quality of data assimilation, allowing the geotechnical specialists to concentrate on applying their skills and judgment to the engineering problem in hand. This paper describes the advantages and difficulties of that approach in commercial practice with particular reference to software for the preparation of borehole logs.
A rising water table in central Liverpool
Authors: Brassington F. C. , Rushton K. R.
Published: September 2007

Changes in groundwater abstraction patterns in the city centre and dockside area of Liverpool have caused a slow rise in the water table. The history and causes of this phenomenon are examined in the context of regional groundwater resources and changes in groundwater quality. Also, a prediction of future developments is presented.
Relationships between the geological and selected geomechanical properties of the Purbeck-Weald Facies in Cantabria (North Spain)
Authors: Tomillo C. , Foyo A.
Published: September 2007

The present study introduces some of the relationships that exist between the geomechanical and geological characteristics of the materials within the paleogeographical ambit of the Purbeck-Weald Facies, and takes into account the geological history recorded in the composition and structure of the formations that contain them.
Shape of the failure envelope for a jointed rock specimen
Authors: West G.
Published: September 2007

The purpose of this Technical note is to draw attention to an important result that is the consequence of testing specimens of rock large enough to approach the rock mass properties rather than the rock material properties usually determined on smaller specimens; it is based on some recent work carried out at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory.

The designer of an underground excavation needs to know the stress-strain characteristics of the rock in which the excavation is to be made if he is to be able to predict the loads and displacements in the rock around the opening (
Hoek & Brown 1980
). Using the apparatus shown in Fig. 1., the stress-strain behaviour of large (165 mm diameter, 270 mm length) specimens of mudstone has been studied in the triaxial compression test. The specimens were prepared from vertical and inclined ZF cores obtained from close to the Kielder Experimental Tunnel in County Durham, England.

All specimens were tested under effective stress conditions; some multi-stage and some single-stage tests were carried out; and the cell pressures (up to 1300 kN/m
2
total pressure) used were consistent with the stress conditions developed around underground excavations. In addition to axial strain, volumetric strain was measured. It is considered that the large specimen size in relation to the spacing of bedding plane partings and joints in the rock means that the properties of the rock mass that are important from the engineering point of view, rather than the properties of the rock material
Episodic alkaline igneous activity across Africa: implications for the causes of continental break-up
Authors: Bailey D. K.
Published: September 2007

Except for the northwestern and southern extremities, the African plate has been anorogenic throughout the Phanerozoic, yet the interior has been subject to spectacular episodes of uplift, rifting and magmatism from Mesozoic to present. Interior Africa thus offers an excellent test of intraplate dynamics as prototypes for the initiation of continental break-up. Crucial to the test are the spatial and temporal controls on the activity. Spatially, there is unequivocal evidence that the disposition of the activity is controlled by pre-existing lithosphere structures. From Cretaceous to Recent times, alkaline magmatism (including carbonatites and kimberlites) has been the norm, typically in uplifted and rifted areas. Four major periods of activity emerge in the igneous record. The classic Early Cretaceous rifting and magmatism of central and southern Africa (135–110 Ma) is only one part of an igneous episode widely recorded across the continent. A Late Cretaceous episode (90–80 Ma), best known for kimberlite activity in the old cratons, is also widely registered elsewhere. Two major Tertiary episodes characterize the modern East African Rift zone, an initial Eocene-Oligocene (
c.
40 Ma) and a Miocene-Recent episode (starting around 23 Ma), and corresponding peaks are recorded in many other areas, especially in the northern part of the continent. In most areas there is evidence for more than one episode, indicating that since the Cretaceous the same sites have been subject to repeated alkaline magmatism. Contemporaneous plate-wide activity, repetition at individual sites, and localization by existing anisotropies in the plate, are all indicative of responses to external events capable of affecting the whole plate. Such events would include continental collision, stages in Gondwana break-up, and marked changes in global plate motions. Spatial and temporal relations thus show that rifting and alkaline magmatism are permissive, and may themselves be symptoms of more fundamental processes that cause the break-up of continents. If so, pre-Cretaceous episodes of intra-plate alkaline magmatism may offer valuable time-markers, recording similar events earlier in the Earth’s history. One possible example may be the global episode of kimberlite activity recorded around 1200 Ma.
Contrasts in composition and evolution of Tertiary CFBs between West and East Greenland and their relations to the establishment of the Icelandic mantle plume
Authors: Holm Paul Martin , Hald Niels , Nielsen Troels F. D.
Published: September 2007

In the West Greenland CFB Province, the early lava compositions were dominated by tholeiitic picrites more depleted in terms of isotopic and trace element characteristics than CFBs from any other province, and comparable to those of present-day Icelandic lavas. Later basalts have similar isotopic and incompatible element ratios. Generally, the West Greenland CFBs show no significant interaction with the lithosphere. In East Greenland, the early picrites and basalts from the Kangerlussuaq area have a very wide range of compositions, which strongly indicate lithospheric interaction. The Scoresby Sund basalts, as well as later basalts in the Kangerlussuaq area, have much less variable compositions, and are similar to the most enriched modern Icelandic picrites. The difference between the early West and East Greenland volcanic rocks is probably related to differences in tectonic setting. In West Greenland continental rifting started before volcanism on the continental margin. The arrival of the proto-Icelandic plume material made primitive picritic magma rise quickly through the already rifted lithosphere. In East Greenland no rifting took place until
c.
4 Ma after the arrival of plume material under West Greenland. This allowed small amounts of plume-derived melts to enter and react with the lithosphere and subsequently be incorporated into the CFB magmas at the rifting stage. No thermal doming took place in East Greenland before or during continental break-up, and the East Greenland rifting is considered to have been passive. Very high temperatures and high degrees of melting during picrite generation in East Greenland is a strong indication that the plume was centred under Kangerlugssuaq at the time of rifting. The vigorous interaction between early magmas and lithosphere makes it likely that the plume was centred here also for the 4 Ma prior to rifting.
The palynological record across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in differing palaeogeographical settings from the southern Pyrenees, Spain
Authors: Fernández-Marrón M. T. , López-Martínez N. , Fonollá-Ocete J. F. , Valle-Hernández M. F.
Published: September 2007

North American and Pacific spore-pollen records show a major extinction event at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary, and abrupt changes are similarly found in many marine organisms world-wide. In contrast, records from the Old World reveal little evidence of terrestrial vegetational change across the boundary. In order to improve the characterization of changes across the K-T boundary, palynological assemblages from two sections in the southern Pyrenees have been evaluated. The abundance and diversity of trilete fern spores are high in Maastrichtian samples and show a statistically significant decrease during the Danian. The ‘fern spike’ of low-diversity spores found elsewhere is not recorded in the Pyrenean region. Minor replacements of taxa across the K-T boundary are also noted, as well as an increase in inaperturate gymnosperm pollen in the Danian. Comparing our two examined sections with one another reveals important differences in angiosperm pollen composition.