On 01-26-98 William Elliot wrote to John Boone... 
 
        Hello William and thanks for writing, 
  
 WE>  WE> I see, since the P-P interval is less than one the  
 WE>  WE> reciprocal transformation exaggerates the spread. 
 
 WE>  JB> Yes and more familar for most physicians. 
 
 WE> Likely chosen for it's ability to magnify. 
   
  If such were the likely driving criteria, I would think 
another -MORE- "magnifing" filter could be used. In keeping 
with the previous f(x) = c*1/x, c = 60, one could substitute 
120 for c thus becoming f(x) = 120/P-P, giving twice the 
magnifing effect.  
  
 WE> WE> Hm, it's doing more than just checking the deviation of 
 WE> WE> distance(HRi'  
 WE> WE> - HRi) i' = i+1.  It's checking meander.  How conceptually does   
 
 WE> JB> You got it. 
   
 WE>  WE> this compare with the deviation of the data set HRi?  
 
 WE>  JB> Not sure what you what you mean by this question. 
 
 WE> Deviation of the data set could be all HRi - HRj for all 
 WE> pairs of i,j (ij) that make the difference non-negative. 
   
  Ah, not sure such (limiting said differences to being 
non-negative unless you allow (i,j) to be transposed to 
arrange for being not negative,  but this could be simply 
arranged by appling absolute value, |60 - 120| = 60. 
  
 WE> JB> Oscillation within a plane (x,y).  The plot (x,y) is the 
 WE> JB> path of the pendulum, the thing at the end of the string.  
 WE> JB> If the pendulum swings with frequency, sf, whose pivot point  
 WE> JB> moves along a line -segment- with frequency, hf, the pendulum's  
 WE> JB> path at certain hf become chaotic.   
 
 WE> This is getting complicated.  The pivotal point moves from 0 to l and 
 WE> back  
 WE> again to 0 and does this in 1/hf.  This is not a free  
 WE> dynamic system in which the pivotal point freely slides  
 WE> back and forth according to the inertial swings of the  
 WE> pendulum. 
   
 WE> Hm, if sf = hf then we'd have zero spread?   
 
  Not sure, I have not written the differential equations. 
However, my initial response would be no.  Reason, hf the 
time, depicts a is linear path, sf the time, is the time 
the pendulum moves in an -ARC-.  
  My source for such an example came from Paul Davies and 
David Gribbons in the "Matter Myth."  Of interesting note, 
Paul Davies and David Gribbons makes the distinction between 
-DETERMINISTIC- and -PREDICTIABILITY-.  Pointing out, such 
a system is -deterministic- but in some cases -NOT- 
predictable.  Interesting, no. 
 
 WE> Intriguing little system.  Are the equations of motion useful? 
   
  IMO, they are; as, they show the so called "butterfly effect" 
often evoked to justify global warming may in fact be bounded. 
Those who use the "butterfly" effect, "small effects" to "hugh 
effects" to justify global warming, -appear- to miss the fact chaos 
is often bounded. 
 
 WE> The plot (x,y) is similar to the HR plotting discussed 
 WE> before?  That we are measuring pendulum pluses, reciprocal  
 WE> of pulse to pulse interval? 
    
 WE>  WE> Is this quiescence during or before a VF attack.  
 
 WE>  JB> Before, hence, the reasoning for wanting to explore it. 
 
 WE> The lull before the storm?  That eerie feeling that things are just 
 WE> too quiet? 
   
  Yep. 
  
        [snip] 
  
 WE> JB> Ah, at least with the pendulum example, the plot (x,y) of 
 WE> JB> the pendulum although chaotic is within certain bounds.  
 
 WE> Now as you vary hf how does the spread change? 
 
  Not, sure, I haven't spent the time to write the differential 
equations. 
  
 WE> Any abrupt changes or discontinuities? 
    
  No, discontinuities, as there are -deterministic- differential 
equations that describe this behavior.
  
        [snip] 
  
 WE> Well let's see.  What's your opinion on alternative medicine? 
 
  Hmmm, not sure. How is that for an answer ?  I will make 
the comment that some "alternative" medicines include compounds 
found in modern medicine, e.g. pseudoephedrine.  In addition, 
not sure -how- one "blinds" such endeavors from the patient 
and provider to determine benefit from a scientific standpoint? 
  
 WE> Any comments about the medical system or delivery of services? 
 
  I think the introduction of insurance and government is wrong. 
IMO, what counts is the relationship between the patient and 
physician without outside influences including pecuniary ones.   
 
Take care, 
John 
___ 
 * OFFLINE 1.54 
--- Maximus 3.01
---------------