Blue Brain Essay Example for Free

Blue Brain Essay Today scientists are in research to create an arti? cial brain that can think,respond, take decision, and keep anything in memory. The main aim is to uploadhuman brain into machine. So that man can think, take decision without any effort. After the death of the body, the virtual brain will act as the man. So, even after thedeath of a person we will not loose the knowledge, intelligence, personalities, feelingsand memories of that man, that can be used for the development of the human society. Technology is growing faster than every thing. IBM is now in research to create avirtual brain, called â€Å"Blue brain†. If possible, this would be the ? rst virtual brainof the world. IBM, in partnership with scientists at Switzerland’s Ecole Polytech-nique Federale de Lausanne’s (EPFL) Brain and Mind Institute will begin simulatingthe brain’s biological systems and output the data as a working 3-dimensional modelthat will recreate the high-speed electro-chemical interactions that take place withinthe brain’s interior. These include cognitive functions such as language, learning,perception and memory in addition to brain malfunction such as psychiatric disorderslike depression and autism. From there, the modeling will expand to other regions of the brain and, if successful, shed light on the relationships between genetic, molecularand cognitive functions of the brain. The human brain has 100 billion neurons, nerve cells that enable us to adapt quickly to an immense array of stimuli. We use them to understand and respond to bright sunlight, a honking horn, the smell of chicken frying and anything else our sensors detect. To better understand some of those responses, researchers in Lausanne, Switzerland, recently launched an ambitious project called Blue Brain, which uses IBMs eServer Blue Gene, a supercomputer capable of processing 22. 8 trillion floating point operations per second (TFLOPS). Blue Brain is modeling the behavior of 10,000 highly complex neurons in rats neocortical columns (NCC), which are very similar to the NCCs in a human brain. The NCCs run throughout the brains gray matter and perform advanced computing. They are 0. 5mm in diameter and 2mm to 5mm in height and are arranged like the cells of a honeycomb. The first objective of Blue Brain is to build an accurate software replica, or template, of an NCC within two to three years, says Henry Markram, the principal researcher on Blue Brain and a professor at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL). That first template will be modified for NCCs found in different brain regions and species, and then all the NCCs will be replicated to build a model of the neocortices of different species, he says. Such models will shed light on how memories are stored and retrieved, Markram says. This could reveal many exciting aspects of the [brain] circuits, such as the form of memories, memory capacity and how memories are lost. The modeling can help find vulnerabilities in the neocortex, which is useful because thats where brain disorders often originate. We may also be able to work out the best way to compensate and repair circuit errors, Markram says. The model could be used to develop and test treatment strategies for neurological and psychiatric diseases, such as autism, schizophrenia and depression, he adds. Having an accurate computer-based model of the brain would mean that some major brain experiments could be done in silicon rather than in a wet lab. A simulation that might take seconds on the supercomputer could replace a full days worth of lab research, Markram estimates. Ultimately, simulated results of brain activity could be matched with recorded brain activity in a person with a disease in order to reverse-engineer the circuit changes in diseases, he says. The real value of a simulation is that researchers can have access to data for every single neuron, adds IBMs Charles Peck, head of the Blue Brain project for IBM Research.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Veterans :: Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD

As with many other diseases, early detection and treatment of mental disorders are key components to rehabilitation and a cure. The prognosis for a better quality of life for veterans suffering with PTSD is increased through early intervention. The VA has developed the Seamless Transition program for the target group of soldiers that served in Iraq and Afghanistan (Currey, 2007). The focus of the program is to deliver the highest level of care in a timely manner, according to Dr. Roswell, M.D. (Currey, 2007). A holistic approach is taken by social workers to treat the whole person and not just the symptoms. Social work practice often requires advocating and navigating for clients within bureaucratic systems. New soldiers entering the war are at risk of being exposed to trauma, which increases the chance of being diagnosed with PTSD. Other target groups at heightened risk for PTSD are those required to serve multiple deployments and female service members. According to the NADCP (2007) 1 in 5 veterans report symptoms of a mental disorder. These figures can be utilized to predict and implement future treatment needs and funding requirements. Streamlining the application process, by allowing timely access to benefits, can result in reduced benefit necessities. A policy which improves access to benefits for veterans is supported by veteran’s organizations everywhere. A recent change in the policy removes the requirement for veterans to submit written documentation of a stressful event during military service. The most critical support for this change is that of U.S. politicians who make policy decisions. President Obama, in his speech on July 10, 2011, expressed his support for veterans, specifically those suffering with PTSD. He understands the plight of soldiers of war, whether in combat or non-combat, being affected by the war’s trauma. President Obama understood the necessity for new policy as the old policy prevented many of those with PTSD from receiving the care they needed. As stated by the President â€Å"I don’t think our troops on the battlefield should have to take notes to keep for claims applications† (The White House, 2010). The Texas Veteran Commission, realizing the growing number of vete rans with PTSD, is optimistic in its view that the new policies will allow this vulnerable group easier access to benefits (Cervantes, 2010). B. Christopher Frueh, a professor of psychology and director of the Division of Social Sciences at the University of Hawaii, is not a supporter of the rule change.

The Big Switch

The president of our company has brought to our attention that he would appreciate it if our department could create a new information system for our company. The current information system that we use is Microsoft Excel and we need to create a way to transfer and implement the new office system of Microsoft Access. We need to explain the current downsides to using Microsoft Excel and explain the positive ways by using Microsoft Access that will help our company grow, expand, and be more efficient to our company. We also need to come up with software that is compatible to Microsoft Access just to have a contingency plan, in case the president is not pleased with the results we research and to help improve the internal communications along with help make the workflow of the sales department improve. We do know that the current plan is not working for our company and we need to all work diligently to improve our current system and make the transition easy. Microsoft office is a great tool and Excel, when used properly, is a valuable asset. The problem with Microsoft Excel is that there are various manual inputs that can go wrong. Other common problems that can cause an error involve not using a colon to indicate a range of cells, forgetting to close your parentheses, and adding common formats as part of the formula (Murray, 2013). The formulas that Excel uses would be complicated to track everything. (Murray, 2013) It is also very difficult to track the history of changes that our company uses has it moves forward. This would not only hinder the company but could possibly cause miscommunication of the data inputted. (Murray, 2013) These reasons stated above are why the company should not use the Excel program to move forward in the progression of the company. With Access, it is a relational database association that exists between the tables, which stores the data. These help to maintain the integrity of the data contained within. Access can store tons of data in different forms and yet still intertwine for easy referencing and analyzing. (Microsoft, 2013) Access is also great for the business since it has the ability to manage contacts, track inventory, track orders, and events. (Microsoft, 2013) One great feature about Access is that multiple users can have it opened working on the same database and only what the other person is working on is locked. Microsoft, 2013) This allows several people to input their data at the same time and it is secure. Conclusion As one can see there are far more advantages using Microsoft Access verses using Microsoft Excel. Access is more suited for our company’s needs now. Using Access will cut down on our company’s mistakes. This will utilize and maximize our company’s growth. This will increase the employee production. In the long run, Access will make the company’s bottom line profit grow, which at the end of the day is the most important thing.

The American Dream and Charity Carnegie and Emersons...

The American Dream and charity: Carnegie and Emersons different but complementary conceptions Individualism has always been an integral part of American, capitalist culture. Early on in its history, America was conceptualized as a land where it was it was possible for people to reinvent themselves. Even a poor immigrant like the Scot Andrew Carnegie could pull himself up by his own bootstraps, according to the logic of the American Dream. Carnegie believed that making money was a proof of ones moral fitness, and the ability of a great individual to make money in America produced a better society for all. Carnegie acknowledged that capitalism created inequities, but he believed that society as a whole was better off with ruthless, cutthroat American capitalism than without it. Charity was offered up as a remedy to these inequalities, based upon the compassion of the capitalist, but only from a position of power, according to Carnegies philosophy. The Transcendentalist author Ralph Waldo Emerson, although less directly celebratory of capitalism than Carnegie, likewise thought t he needs of the self must be honored before the needs of the many. Like Carnegie, Emerson also celebrated individualism, but not in terms of the material wealth it could generate, but its potential to yield spiritual and artistic wealth for America. In his famous essay The Gospel of Wealth, Andrew Carnegie suggests that the extreme wealth of some is ultimately good for all of society. In