Thought-sorting
Apr. 2nd, 2007 10:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tarigwaemirLowell House, on the Feast of St. Francis of Paola
Okay, I really shouldn't be posting because the amount of revisions that my P.I. dumped on me today means that I must still be a-thesis-ing. Most of the work to be done involves sorting through and organizing the results of the mapping, which means me frantically trying to learn how to use statistical software like JMP and QTL Cartographer at the last minute. I spent an insane amount of time last night trying to figure out how to convert the likelihood ratio test statistic (H1/H0) into a LOD score. Also, embarrassingly enough, I didn't recognize which column in the output file had the map positions because they were in units of Morgans instead of the standard centiMorgans. -_-
Finished compiling the table this morning (it was not so trivial as one would assume, given that I had to make calculations on the output file data in Excel for 19 traits), and was told promptly by my P.I. that it looked great and I should do the same for all the output files with erecta taken out of the analysis. Yes, at this point, I know that probably not even the seasoned biologists among you understand what the heck I'm saying (unless you happen to be a plant geneticist), but let it suffice to say that it means I have to do roughly the same amount of work all over again. Oh well, now that I've figured out how to do it, I suppose it shouldn't take that long.
(One of the labs I'm interested in at Berkeley is studying QTL in yeast. At times like these, I can't quite believe that I'm seriously considering involving myself in yet another quantitative genetics project. On the other hand, I can certainly say now that I'll be able to handle whatever computational work gets thrown at me, even if I still have no background in biostatistics. I've gotten so used to large datasets that I blink and find myself at a loss for words when people talk about results that don't involve huge amounts of manipulation in Excel.)
I walked back from lab at 4:30 in the morning after I caught myself falling asleep at the computer. It was drizzling, and I had no umbrella. I was also dressed only in a T-shirt and sweatshirt, which to my dismay meant I was completely at the mercy of the cold spring winds. -_- Usually I like walking back from lab after midnight because the streets are usually quiet and empty, which paradoxically relieves the constant loneliness. But not when I'm cold and wet.
Today, I finally felt enthusiastic about writing my thesis again. As in, I felt willing to invest all the time and effort it takes to make it as perfect as I could. I haven't really felt like that about an academic project since high school. Anyway, I am now resorting to Red Bull tonight. (P.I. is leaving tomorrow, and post-doc is leaving on Wednesday. I suspect though that in the end I'll end up having to talk over revisions by phone or email.)
Sign-up is open for the next issue of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
imaginarybeasts! The theme is cyberpunk. (Hurrah!)
Also, the round robin fics onkifu_archive are turning out to be rather interesting. ^_^ Go read and join in on the fun.
Here, have some sijo (translations by Richard Rutt):
I wish our book also had the original Korean because then I could appreciate the rhythm better. More poems to come later. Must get back to thesis-ing.
Yours &c.
Okay, I really shouldn't be posting because the amount of revisions that my P.I. dumped on me today means that I must still be a-thesis-ing. Most of the work to be done involves sorting through and organizing the results of the mapping, which means me frantically trying to learn how to use statistical software like JMP and QTL Cartographer at the last minute. I spent an insane amount of time last night trying to figure out how to convert the likelihood ratio test statistic (H1/H0) into a LOD score. Also, embarrassingly enough, I didn't recognize which column in the output file had the map positions because they were in units of Morgans instead of the standard centiMorgans. -_-
Finished compiling the table this morning (it was not so trivial as one would assume, given that I had to make calculations on the output file data in Excel for 19 traits), and was told promptly by my P.I. that it looked great and I should do the same for all the output files with erecta taken out of the analysis. Yes, at this point, I know that probably not even the seasoned biologists among you understand what the heck I'm saying (unless you happen to be a plant geneticist), but let it suffice to say that it means I have to do roughly the same amount of work all over again. Oh well, now that I've figured out how to do it, I suppose it shouldn't take that long.
(One of the labs I'm interested in at Berkeley is studying QTL in yeast. At times like these, I can't quite believe that I'm seriously considering involving myself in yet another quantitative genetics project. On the other hand, I can certainly say now that I'll be able to handle whatever computational work gets thrown at me, even if I still have no background in biostatistics. I've gotten so used to large datasets that I blink and find myself at a loss for words when people talk about results that don't involve huge amounts of manipulation in Excel.)
I walked back from lab at 4:30 in the morning after I caught myself falling asleep at the computer. It was drizzling, and I had no umbrella. I was also dressed only in a T-shirt and sweatshirt, which to my dismay meant I was completely at the mercy of the cold spring winds. -_- Usually I like walking back from lab after midnight because the streets are usually quiet and empty, which paradoxically relieves the constant loneliness. But not when I'm cold and wet.
Today, I finally felt enthusiastic about writing my thesis again. As in, I felt willing to invest all the time and effort it takes to make it as perfect as I could. I haven't really felt like that about an academic project since high school. Anyway, I am now resorting to Red Bull tonight. (P.I. is leaving tomorrow, and post-doc is leaving on Wednesday. I suspect though that in the end I'll end up having to talk over revisions by phone or email.)
Sign-up is open for the next issue of
imaginarybeasts! The theme is cyberpunk. (Hurrah!)Also, the round robin fics on
kifu_archive are turning out to be rather interesting. ^_^ Go read and join in on the fun.Here, have some sijo (translations by Richard Rutt):
Huge beams and rooftree timbersReminded me a bit of Guo Jia's little speech to Cao Cao on tearing the shack down and building anew.
are rejected and thrown away;
While house is falling down
they argue with one another.
Carpenters, when will you stop
running around with your ink-cups and rules?
-- Jeong Cheol (정철)
I was bent by the wind.The first line, for some reason, really appeals to me.
Do not deride a twisted pine:
Can the flowers of spring
always keep their prettiness?
Howling winds and swirling snow will come,
and then you will envy me.
-- Prince Inpyeong (인평왕자)
I wish our book also had the original Korean because then I could appreciate the rhythm better. More poems to come later. Must get back to thesis-ing.
Yours &c.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-04-03 03:21 am (UTC)PS: Is it okay to ask you about the friend who didn't have permanent residence? I'm sorry, I know you're busy; you can put it off 'til later if you want to, because bugging Tari while she's writing her thesis is the last thing I want to do. But um, I was wondering how she managed because my situation might turn out for the worse (from legal resident to International) depending on what happens by September.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-04-03 03:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-04-03 03:28 am (UTC)Thank you so much, Tari.