Computer Science Sets the Pace for Advancements in the Area of Medicine

It is a fact that computers have caused many changes in every aspect of our lives. In the areas of Life Science and the Health Care industry the utilization of computer applications has created a major impact on the way the work is performed in labs, clinics and hospitals all over the country. Powerful computer applications have played important roles in ongoing research projects such as Genome and Stem Cell. These projects may lead to treatments or even cure of certain health conditions which have challenged the scientific community for years.

Thanks also to computer sciences many innovations in the Health Care Industry have helped to reduce operational costs and increased efficiency on different fronts. [1] The use of computer applications has definitely changed the way professionals look at human biology and health care over the years.

The utilization of software applications has made it possible for scientists to develop new approaches in order to target diseases in a much more aggressive manner. The contribution of computers is vital and it extends from the work performed by technicians at the lab bench, all the way to the medical clinics and emergency rooms. With the use of applications, professionals have been able to identify and address issues in a way that had not been possible decades ago. One effect of all the technological growth in recent years is that life expectancy has increased significantly as people have managed to live longer than ever before.
A great accomplishment in Life Sciences in recent years, which would not have been possible without the use of computers, is the genome project. The benefits that mankind stands to gain as a result of that study are immeasurable. The Human Genome Project’s goal is to elucidate the information that makes up the genetic blueprint of human beings. It consists of sequencing the chemical bases of DNA and subsequently storing that information in a database for future scientific references. The information from this database will be used over time by the scientific community to target diseases which have puzzled scientific minds for decades. In order to compile the genome database, powerful software applications have been used to perform complex mathematical operations in various phases of the process. [2]

Stem Cell Research is still in its preliminary stages. Despite all of the controversies raised over the subject, the scientific community strongly believes that stem cell therapy has great potential to revolutionize the way human diseases are treated in the future. Medical researchers are excited about the prospect of using technologies derived from stem cell research to treat diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and a number of other debilitating illnesses. [3] At this time, there are a number of projects in progress and some cell therapy already exists despite the widespread uncertainty about the social and ethical challenges. Companies like StemSoft Software Inc. have an important role behind the scenes as it provides software solutions and technical support to organizations and physicians in order to meet the clinical and research high standards. [5]

The Stem Cell Studies would be virtually impossible if it was not for the use of computers. According to Mike Wininger, a graduate student from Rutgers University who had been involved in Graduate studies in Asia, “Merging statistical pattern recognition and computer vision to cell imaging, I am addressing the problem of cell sorting with novel quantitative methods. By processing hundreds of cell images and extracting salient parameters of cell size, morphology and structure, I seek to rigorously and objectively determine a stem cell's status…” [4].

I have been working with biopharmaceutical research and development activities for the past sixteen years. The scope of my work encompasses the use of microorganisms as hosts to produce certain proteins which will be used in vaccine formulation. I participate in the preliminary stage of the process where the final product will eventually end up being injected into humans. In order to guarantee the success of the whole operation, people in my group have to work in synergy with other groups and we all rely heavily on computers to make our product. Most of the instruments I use in the lab have a built in computer which perform a specific task during the process. Some examples of such instruments are spectrophotometers, pH and conductivity meters, centrifuges and biochemistry analyzers. Each instrument will help me monitor the culture and build a profile of the cell growth.

The Health Care Industry has also benefited in many ways due to computer availability. Electronic medical record systems allow medical practices to manage all the information collected for their patients electronically, therefore protecting the safety of the information and improving the efficiency of medical practice. [1] [2] Implementation of electronic medical records has contributed to the reduction of organization operational expenses by eliminating in-house and off-site storage costs, as it drastically reduced the amount of paperwork generated for patients. It cut down the cost of buying paper for keeping records and paper for making copies. It also eliminated potential confusion related to interpreting professional’s handwritten instructions and it reduced the amount of people utilized to perform cumbersome tasks.

The internet has been a continuous source of information and diagnostic resources for physicians. It also has helped patients gain a better understanding of his/her health condition as people get more engaged in reading about health issues pertaining to them. Reference databases such as MEDLINE and Stat Ref. as well as drug databases have proven to be great resources for doctors and health professionals. Doctors will refer to these reference databases to make sure they choose the appropriate medication, correct dosage and avoid drug interaction. But despite all of these developments in Health care, there is still a lot that must be accomplished. [7]

President Obama’s stimulus package is putting aside $29 billion for health care technology and the development of electronic healthcare records. It is believed that doctors will be more empowered to make decisions when it comes to diagnosis and subsequent treatment of a given health condition if they have a more centralized system in which they can access every bit of information pertaining to a patient’s health history, according to NextGen, a Health Care Information System company which has offices in different states. [6] It is evident that the new stimulus bill will help every physician in America to burst their IT capabilities and that may translate into providing better care to patients all around the country.

Computer Information Technology has revolutionized the Biomedicine and Health Care industries and has caused a major impact for human quality of life over the past few decades. Besides being a great ally in the fight against life threatening diseases, computers also have contributed enormously as a diagnostic and prevention tool. With the help of computers, new systems have been implemented to make the work of scientists, doctors and health care professionals more dynamic and efficient.



Works Cited

[1] Illinois Institute of Technology, http://www.iit.edu/~marajos/CS485/project/emr.html
[2] Educational Facilities of the Michael Smith Labs, The University of British Columbia, www.bioteach.ubc.ca/human-genome-project-biology-and-computers-together/
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell#Treatments
[4] Mike Wininger, National Science Foundation, http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111169&org=DGE
[5] http://www.stemsoft.com/.
[6] NEXTGEN, Health Information System, http://www.nextgen.com/stimulus/?_kk=healthcare%20stimulus&_kt=011447d5-3d26-4083-8b55-b1f4a52a043b&gclid=CPf3vuDnk5oCFUpM5Qodn3MnNA
[7] Computer Concepts, June Jamrich Parsons/ Dan Oja, 11th Edition.

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Who's Stealing my Signal?

Wi-Fi technology has made it possible for a growing number of people to gain access to the internet for free as long as a laptop with an 802.11b or Wi-Fi network card is installed and positioned within 300 feet of the broadcast location.

Many hotspots scattered all over the major cities in the US have made it possible for people to access the internet from places like airports, conference rooms, lounges and cafes.

Hotspots have also found their place in suburban areas where many residents are unable to afford the main NSP's (Network Service Providers) charges. Free WLAN’s can be established as long as a computer is set up to transmit the signal to nearby wireless units.

The broadcaster pays for the high speed or DSL signal from a NSP’s and then retransmit it with the help of specific software. This kind of behavior has raised some concern among the main NSP's who do not agree with that approach and refer to such free services as “parasitic networks”. However, the broadcasters claim they do it purely to help people within their communities who can not afford the high service charges.

NYC Wireless, one of the groups who broadcast the internet signal, rebuffs the allegation made by some NSP’s and bristles at the term “parasitic networking”. They point out that the high access rate charges applied by the service providers are the true parasites. NSP’s such as Verizon, AT&T, Time Warner and others feel they have been taken advantage of and sustain that those networking groups are violating service agreements and they have become more forthcoming in cracking down on those networking groups by seeking legal action against them in an effort to try to stop their work.

Besides New York City, there are 20 free internet access points in Seattle and many others scattered all over the country. Coffee retailer Starbucks is one of the groups that has increased its rollout of Wi-Fi hot spots as this appears to be a commodity which helps to attract more customers to the business.

Most free network groups do not see benefits in the work they are providing at the present moment; however there is a potential they will do better in the future as they seek for nonprofit organization status with the government. As a nonprofit organization they can legally establish fundraising programs in order to cover the operation expenses.

According to John Patrick, former IBM vice-president of internet technology, “The advent of Wi-Fi is about to change all of our lives in a major and positive way. I will go further. Wi-Fi is one of those grassroots phenomena that will soon become as ubiquitous as the PC itself. The latest laptops have Wi-Fi antennas built into the lids, while the wireless access points, which send and receive the Wi-Fi signals, now cost less than $100. The issues, which are many including security and privacy, business models the scalability of the infrastructure. Looking back at how the internet evolved from the early years there are many similarities with what is going on at this early Wi-Fi stage. The emergence of the Wi-Fi is a grassroots trend that is irreversible”.

While WLAN’s offers the commodity for people to use the internet for free at specific locations, it also requires that the user takes extra security measures as a result of going wireless. There is always a concern that hackers may be using the signal to gain access to one’s computer and steal confidential information.

It seems that free WLAN’s movement is picking up fast as more people are becoming adept to the idea despite all the controversy with the big network companies. While operators are now working under the radar of most consumers and wireless providers, the trend poses questions for those seeking to charge for a service that these volunteer organizations see as essential as water.

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