Computer Studies Made Simple : Applications & Uses Of Computers

Applications & Uses Of Computers

Computers have beneficial uses in every walk of life.

They have transformed the way of our dealings.

They have numerous applications in various spheres of life and have simplified and helped our lives to get better and helped us in solving our problems pertaining to health care,business,banking shopping ,travelling ,office management and what not.

Offices and Businesses:

Business offices keep records of their transactions and customers on computers.

It can be accessed easily and has thus saved a lot of time

Banking:

Banks use computers for facilities such as online banking.

Customers can transfer money abroad or to other banks using online internet facilities.

These transactions are fairly quick and easy and synchronized via online software linking banks such that amount can be transferred with in seconds accurately.

Customers can in addition order cheque books and debit or credit cards to their registered address using online internet banking.

Bills can be paid online as well.

Financial planners and Travel Planners

Numerous intelligent softwares now available online have enabled customers to plan their budget adequately

There are also nice online websites that help to plan travelling between different cities using trains or other means of transport such as airplanes.

They also allow to make payment online and delivery of tickets for travelling online as well within matters of minutes making travelling arrangements easier than they ever were.

Computer Studies Made Simple : Types Of Modems

Types Of Modems

The following are different types of modems:

External Modem

They are connected to the computer externally.

They are more expensive than internal modems.

They are easy to setup and need external power supply.










Internal modems

These are inserted into the main mother board.

They derive their power supply from the main computer.

They are cheaper than external modems.

They are difficult to set up than external modems

Wireless Modems:

They transmit the data signals through air with out the need of a cable.

They are also called as radio-frequency modems.

They are part of wireless local area networks

Endocrinology Made Simple : Medications used for improving BMD : Bone Mineral Density

The following are major risk factors for fragility factors :

Low bone density

History of fragility fractures

Family history of osteoporosis

Smoking

Body weight less than 127 pounds

Medications used for improving BMD : Bone Mineral Density

Following medications are used to improve BMD and hence to reduce risk of fragility fractures.

Calcium and Vitamin D supplementation

Adequate vitamin D supplementation and Calcium is the single most important intervention for prevention of osteoporosis.

Anti-resorptive medications/Alendronate :

These are indicated to prevent risk of fragility fractures.

This is a bisphosphonate.

It improves BMD by reducing bone resorption.

It specifically increases BMD at the hip and lumbar spine.

Another example of bisphosphonates is risedronate which is also used for treatment of osteoporosis but it has more GI side effects.

Calcitonin

This also inhibits bone resorption

It causes improvement in vertebral BMD and hence reduces the incidence of vertebral fractures.

It has slight analgesic effect as well and hence can reduce pain from vertebral fracture.

PTH subcutaneous injections/Parathyroid hormone:

This is very effective in increasing BMD at the lumbar spine and in significantly reducing the incidence of vertebral fractures.

It is an expensive treatment and is used only if a failure by bisphosphonates to improve BMD occurs.

HRT is no longer used for treatment of post menopausal osteoporosis due to it causing increased risk of the following :

Stroke

DVT and Pulmonary embolism

Myocardial infarction

Ca breast

Endocrinology Made Simple : Bone mineral density, T score and Z scores

Bone mineral density, T  score and Z scores

T score is the Bone mineral density BMD of a patient in comparison to young healthy adults around 25 – 30 years of age.

The Z score is the BMD  score of a patient in comparison to age matched normal controls.

The BMD is categorized according to T score as below according to WHO CRITERIA FOR

POSTMENOPAUSAL CAUCASIAM WOMEN :

Normal T score > 1

Osteopenic  T score between – 1.0 and 2.5

Osteoporosis T score of less than – 2.5

As T score decreases,the risk of fracture increases without any threshold effect.

The diagnosis of osteoporosis in men and young premenopausal females by bone densitometry is not clear.

Apart from measuring BMD,some basic workup is needed to rule out secondary causes of osteoporosis.

This includes :

Full / complete blood count.

Routine chemistry profile : Serum calcium and phosphorus levels.

Urinary calcium

Serum protein electrophoresis

PTH

TSH

Bone turnover markers such as N tekopeptide for bone resorption and alkaline phosphatase for bone

formation.

Computer Studies Made Simple : Modems

Modems

Modem is a device that converts digital signals into analogue signals and analog signals into digital signals.

They send and receive data from one computer to another using telephone lines.

In order for the data to be received and sent, both computers should have modems

The term modem stands for Modulation and Demodulation.

Modulation:

The process of converting digital signal into analogue signal is called modulation.

The computer stores data in digital form.

It is converted into analog form by the modem in order to be transmitted via telephone lines to another computer.

Demodulation:

The process of converting analogue signal into digital signal is called as demodulation.

The modem of the receiving computer receives data in analogue form and then converts it into digital form to be received by the computer.

Characteristics of modem:

Speed

This is the rate at which modem can send data in bypes per second.

The speed of modems varies from 300 bps to 56 kbps.

Testing

The modems can test the digital connection with a computer and they can also test analog connection with

remote modem.

Voice over Data

Modems can provide the facility of voice conversation while the data is being transmitted.

Error control:

Modems use different methos of controlling errors for transmitted data.

Computer Studies Made Simple : Types of communication Media used in computer Networks:

Types of communication Media used in  computer Networks

The path along which data is transmitted from one place to another  is called as communication medium or communication channel.

Following are the types of communication media:

Guided Media:

In this method,the communication devices are directly connected to one another by some form of physical media such as wires.

It is also called as bounded media.

Some examples of this type of medium include:

Twisted pair

Co-axial cable

Fiber optics

Unguided Media:

In this type of medium,communication devices communicate with each other using air or space via broadcast signals.

Some examples of these broad cast signals include:

Radio signals

Microwave signals

Infrared signals.

This type of medium is used in places where it is not possible to install cables.

Some examples of unbounded media are as follows:

Microwave

Communication satellite

Mobile communications. 

Endocrinology Made Simple : Amiodarone Induced Thyroid Dysfunction

Amiodarone Induced Thyroid Dysfunction

Amiodarone causes thyroid dysfunction through its high iodine content.

Hypothyroidism is more common and is seen in 85 % cases.

Thyrotoxicosis occurs in 10 – 15 % cases.

Amiodarone induced thyrotoxicosis occurs by one of the following two ways:

1.Activation of Grave”s disease : Type 1 thyrotoxicosos

2.Destructive Thyroiditis : Type 2 Thyrotoxicosis

Grave”s disease induced by Amiodarone is generally treated with high dose thionamides: Methimazole and 

Propylthiouracil.

Perchlorate can be used to reduce further uptake by Thyroid gland.

Steroids are given for treatment of Type 2 Thyrotoxicosis.

Thyroid functions are monitored every 6 months in euthyroid patients on Amiodarone.

In patients with significant coronary artery disease or those who are elderly,a lower dose should be started.

Amiodarone induced Hypothroidism can cause fatigue as  a side effect.

Patients with Amiodarone induced Hypothyroidism should  be treated with levothyroxine to bring their TSH with in a normal range.

Other side effects of Amiodarone include:

Corneal deposits

Skin discoloration

Hepatotoxicity and

Pulmonary Fibrosis