Neural Cells as Harmony Detectors :: Neurology Brain Essays

Neural Cells as Harmony Detectors The issues of harmony have notably low profile in the current AI research. Meanwhile, when it comes to brain architecture, harmony plays the central role. As we hope to demonstrate in this essay, neural cells act primarily as local harmony detectors. On a less local scale, the consensus is that perceptions correspond to certain stable periodic patterns of neuron firing. A harmony-based architecture would probably be more successful than current AI paradigms. It would help here to recall the basics of neuron firing theory. In the rest state neuron membrane typically has electrochemical polarization potential of 70 millivolts. When the firing impulse comes to the neuron from another neuron via the corresponding synapse (the site of their connection), this polarization potential changes, typically by 1-2 millivolts or less. If the polarization potential decreases beyond the threshold of approximately 60 or 55 millivolts, the neuron fires, otherwise the polarization potential tends to rapidly relax to the original rest level of 70 millivolts. Hence, when the reception of an impulse via a synapse decreases the membrane polarization potential of the receiving neuron, we call this synaptic connection excitatory, because the decrease of the polarization potential makes it easier to fire for our neuron. Otherwise, the synaptic connection is called inhibitory. Because the reception of an impulse changes the polarization potential by at most 2 millivolts and because the polarization potential tends to rapidly relax back to 70 millivolts, the neuron can fire only if it receives several (from 4 to more than a dozen) impulses via excitatory connections simultaneously or in a very quick succession. Hence the neuron works as a detector of several excitatory impulses coming almost simultaneously. So we can say that the neuron detects the harmony between its incoming impulses. Now we shall turn to learning mechanisms in the brain, and observe that the local learning (on the level of one neuron) is directed towards detecting this harmony even better. As we have noted, the reception of an impulse changes the polarization potential usually by 2 millivolts or less. The actual value of this change is usually called synaptic strength. This value is not constant, but changes with time. This ability of synaptic strength to change is the key mechanism of neural learning and is called synaptic plasticity. The most typical rule of synaptic plasticity for excitatory connection works approximately as follows. If a neuron fires shortly after receiving an excitatory impulse (i.

Remember the Titans: an Analysis of Different Leadership Styles

Remember the Titans: an analysis of different leadership styles This paper shows the different leadership styles and how it can affect the team results. both the leaders try to motivate the team, one tries to motivate them extrinsically and the other one intrinsically. The paper says there is no right or wrong style of leadership, but a true leader motivates others to develop those leadership qualities in them and do better. This paper gives a description of the coaches and the team players who showed leadership qualities even in the most difficult situations because they knew that their team needs them. It also describes the contribution on these players in their victory. They forgot their difference and played as a team. There were no black and whites in the team. They played as a team and came out with flying colors. It signifies the qualities of a true leader, as right before the final match they lost their captain and the coach gave his players to play even in those difficult times. | * Remember the titans Herman Boone Leadership concerns with implementing a strategy. Boone believed that cooperative working of the team is very crucial to win. He also believed that it was important for the members of a team to know and understand each other. He had a clear vision, he wanted to have a strong team and win. For a successful team he had to ensure that all the team members work together and respect each other. To achieve his it was important for the team to work hard and be committed. His strategy of being a transactional lead and punishing the players when they were wrong or did not meet his standard, helped him control the team through power. His bureaucratic nature was a part of his strategy to manage people. He knew that the players had love towards the game and they all wanted to be in the team. His used their love towards the game as a motivator to make sure they cooperated. When he was announced the head coach, he approached Bill Yoast and offered him assistant coaches position. He was aware that Yoast was a good coach, more than that he knew that the white players were loyal to Yoast and would never join the team without him. The presence of Yoast as assistant coach would also help him deal with the with players and community. His leadership qualities come from who is as a person and who he is as a person comes from his experiences. Hatred had destroyed his family, he believed that if the team did not come together it will be destroyed as well. He identifies the most important factor without which there would be no team. A part of his leadership was to involve the people to do things which they won’t do in ordinary situation. Leadership involves resolving dispute between groups and settling conflicts. Boone used threat initial to get things moving. He was focused and worked towards achieving his goals. His steadiness, firmness and consistency helped members of the team to not stray away from their objective. Slowly it is seen that he is actually a transformational leaders using punishment as means to get the team members to cooperate and trust each other, which they would have in an ordinary situation. This is first seen when he pushes the team members bond by having them share rooms and later when he wants them to learn about each other. He also uses inspiration as a motivation strategy when he talks about his family and how because of hatred he had lost them. He also uses the self-concept model and pushes the players to be like their ideal self. His ability to think long term and plan strategies are qualities that a good leader has. Boone’s leadership effectiveness is seen at various stages, it has been demonstrated through team performance, the team won various games and became a strong team. The teams ability to deal during crises, when the team got back from the camp, due to external pressure (community) they were falling apart, however the teams came together as the could that their union as a team was worthwhile. He was honest and believed in the message. His honestly is displayed when he talking to Dr. Dave and is offered the position of head coach, he tells him that Yoast is a good coach and he didn’t want to take his place. His believe in message has been displayed through his strategies and his consistency in his actions to reach his goal. Bill Yoast Yoast was dedicated to football and had gained loyalty from his team and white community. He was respected and had demonstrated his effective leadership through several wins. He was also nominated for hall of fame for his exceptional leadership. He cared for the people in his team. When he had he opportunity to leave and take up a position for head coach he did not because he was worried about the players in his team. He considered them like his own kids and was concerned for them and did not want to abandon them. He takes the offer of the assistant coach to ensure that his team members are a part of the new team. His initial objective was to ensure that his boys are a part of the team and are well taken care off. He at first does not agree with the rigid behavior of Boone. Yoast thinks that Boone was crossing the fine line that is between tough and crazy. He influenced his team through inspirational appeals. He spoke to Julius about his friend that was killed and sympathized to him and connected with him by saying that he knows that friends don’t come easy. On the other hand he also used if then reward and threats to get what he wants. He did not tolerate disobedience and punished whenever needed. Boone did effect Yoast’s way of doing things. As time passed by and Yoast saw what Boone was uniting the team and Boone bought into the plan. He at one point undermined Boone’s decision and asked Pete play for the offence side. He later learnt that by doing this he was not helping but might be weakening Pete. Yoast learnt about leadership from watching Boone. Yoast then works towards achieving the same goals and vision set by Boone, which was to have a strong team and could only be achieved through unity among the team. He at the end of the final game unites the whole team by working with coach Boone. The offence and the defense team that worked independently with Yoast and Boone respectively were then treated as a whole team and coached by both the coaches. Gerry Bertier Gerry the captain of the football team Titans was very influential and had credibility and power to sway the decision of the white players. When Gerry sees the benefits of being united and working together, he starts to believe in the message and works towards it. When Gerry gets mad at Julius for his attitude, Julius tells him that attitudes reflects leadership. His first initiative to be an effective captain is witnessed when he gets mad at Ray for not blocking. When back from the camp Gerry still tries to interact with the blacks and keep his team united. He leaves his girlfriend to be with his new friends, this commitment towards his team helps build trust among them. Cutting off Ray from his team helps him ensure that the team stays united as even one wrong person in the team can weaken the team as a whole. Julius Cambell Julius had a very strong personality, he influenced the blacks through power. Initially Julius is in the team for his own benefits. Later when Gerry took the initiative to bond with him, Julius responded in a positively. Julius once saw the importance of a cooperative team he also started to believe in the vision which was created by Boone. Julius uses rational persuasion to influence Gerry to take up the role of an effective leader. He teaches Gerry about the blacks culture and the way they joke. In the locker room when the boys were joking, Gerry found it offending but Julius intervenes and helped Gerry understand that it’s a part of their culture. He along with Gerry tries to sought fights between blacks and white. He also along with Gerry motivates the entire team. Julius and Gerry’s friendship inspires other to bond and work together as a team. In the final game when Boone tells them that whether win or lose they are all winners, Julius motivates the entire team by reminding their objective, which was to be perfect and nothing less as a team. This clarity of vision helps the team to try harder to win. Lewis Lastik Lewis had a charismatic personality. He did not see any difference between the blacks and the whites. His attitude was what made him different from everyone. He was a blessed child in gods family, according to (Rave) Jerry. He was on no one’s side, he was with everybody. This different thinking made him likable, especially with the blacks. He stood out in the crowd and did not care about what others think. He was nice to everyone and did relate with the blacks through music. He used subtle ingratiation when he talked about people. When coach Bonne asked him to talk about his black friends he said that Jerry was called Rave because he prayed a lot, he also acknowledge Jerry as a brainy guy. These gestures made him a likeable person. He also along with Blue made a personnel appeal to his team mates to stay united and not let the external forces such as the community break them. When the black guys were joking about Gerry’s mom which is part of their culture, Lewis joins in which shows that he is aware of the think of culture blacks have and this also his him bond with his black team mates better. He attracted people who shared the same view because he had qualities of a charismatic leader. Ronnie Bass â€Å"Sunshine† One of the characteristic of a leader is to getting people involved in do something that they won’t do in an ordinary situation. Ronnie when first meets the members of his team calls one of the black team member bro, which resonated well among the blacks and helped Ronnie be the part of the team quickly. Ronnie takes the united vision of the team a step up, he takes his friends to a restaurant where blacks are not allowed. This was probably not a planned strategy but when he and his friends are not allowed to dine in the restaurant. His black friends are hurt because of this humiliation and upset. They blame him partially for putting them through this. Ronnie later jets his dad along with his black friends and threats the owner of the restaurant to charge with a number of civil law violations. He ensures that this time he has a backup when he went to the restaurant to dine with his friends in form of a threat. His initiation action is a characteristic of leader.

Essay on The Epicenter of an Earthquake - 970 Words

Earthquakes can devastate a city. They are a force of nature that can destroy any structure. The earth is made up of moving tectonic plates. Earthquakes occur along or near tectonic plate boundaries where two plates meet. These plates are solid rock and sit on the mantle which is a layer of molten rock. This molten rock is constantly moving in a convection current. The earth’s core is what generates the heat. The hotter rock rises away from the core and pushes up against the crust. Here it cools and then moves away on both sides. The now cooled rock sinks back to take the place of the hotter rock that has risen as shown in the diagram on the right. When the rock pushes against the crust it moves sideways. This moves the tectonic plates†¦show more content†¦As shown in the diagram on the right, the fault runs straight through San Francisco and right along the coast. When the two plates slide along they create huge quakes that shake the ground. There have been many eart hquakes generated from this fault line but the worst one was in 1906. At 5:12 am on the 18th of April 1906 in San Francisco the foreshock hit the slumbering city. The force of the earthquake was so great that the tremors were felt right throughout the San Francisco and it reached as far inland as Nevada (500km away). Along the San Andreas fault the plate slipped up to 21 feet. 20 seconds after the initial foreshock the main earthquake hit, lasting for about 1 minute. Although it lasted for merely a minute it wrecked mass destruction. After the quake people walked the streets confused. Some people had no idea how much damage had been done. Some people walked to work as per usual only to find the buildings on a lean or fallen. Not only was there structural damage to the city but there was a significant loss of life. Many people were trapped under building and cries of help could be heard coming from the piles of rubble. Those that survived could not be taken to the hospitals as they had sustained major damage. The injured were taken to the dance hall. What no one realised that the worst was yet to come. The greatest tragedy had not yet unfolded. The earthquake had severed gas mains andShow MoreRelatedEarthquakes Are Natural Disasters That Can Have Devastating Consequences867 Words   |  4 PagesIt is no secret that earthquakes are natural disasters that can have devastating consequences. Earthquakes are defined as â€Å"vibration of Earth produced by the rapid release of energy† (Lutgens and Tarbuck, 2014, p. 548). These vibrations are the result of seismic waves, which are emitted from the epicenter during an earthquake (Lutgens and Tarbuck, 2014, p. 191). 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The Pacific Plate (on the west) slides horizontally northwestward relative to the North American Plate (on the east), causing earthquakes along the San Andreas and associated faultsRead MoreTsunami And Its Effects On The Ocean1203 Words   |  5 Pagesare waves caused by sudden movement of the ocean due to earthquakes, landslides on the floor of the sea, land falling into the ocean, volcanic eruptions, or large meteorite impacts. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes of large magnitude at the seafloor. When large slabs of rock are forced to slide along each other suddenly causing the water to move. The wave that is formed from this moves outwards and away from the earthquake epicenter. Landslides can cause tsunamis and so can land which falls