The "Lone Star" Belle by SMU Central University Libraries
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Citizen Science: The Zooniverse!!!!
Zooniverse is one of my absolute favorite websites- a citizen scientist's paradise. I don't think I'm so good at analyzing cancer cells, determining the diameter of a cyclone's eye, determining the shape of galaxies imaged by the Hubble Telescope, or spotting solar flares. I also get frustrated categorizing bat and whale vocalizations. I've tried, and I can't even tell what I'm seeing or hearing. More power to those who can.
I'll write soon about four projects that I love involving WWI British Navy weather logs, sea life, pictures of the Serengeti, and ancient Greek papyrus fragments. At the office instead of playing spider solitaire and 3d mah jongg exclusively, I work on these when I need a break from my spreadsheets. I use my brainpower for good while seeing interesting artifacts and amazing animals.
I'll write soon about four projects that I love involving WWI British Navy weather logs, sea life, pictures of the Serengeti, and ancient Greek papyrus fragments. At the office instead of playing spider solitaire and 3d mah jongg exclusively, I work on these when I need a break from my spreadsheets. I use my brainpower for good while seeing interesting artifacts and amazing animals.
Citizen Scientists: BOINC
For a almost a decade now I've had BOINC on my computer, allowing it to analyze data while I'm not using my computer. The program takes care of the download and upload itself. All I have to do is provide parameters for its use of of the internet. From their website:
After a minute and a half of inactivity, BOINC runs data from one of the four projects I've selected. From their websites:
Climateprediction.net runs climate models to forecast changes in climate
SETI@home is a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). You can participate by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data.
The malariacontrol.net project is an application that makes use of network computing for stochastic modelling of the clinical epidemiology and natural history of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Rosetta@home needs your help to determine the 3-dimensional shapes of proteins in research that may ultimately lead to finding cures for some major human diseases. By running the Rosetta program on your computer while you don't need it you will help us speed up and extend our research in ways we couldn't possibly attempt without your help. You will also be helping our efforts at designing new proteins to fight diseases such as HIV, Malaria, Cancer, and Alzheimer's.
There are so many other projects involving quantum physics, astronomy, medical research, ecosystem studies, and mathematics. I'd love to add them all but I'd never be able to get the assignments back on time. This is a great way to use electricity and computing power that would otherwise be wasted to benefit society. It makes me a little warm and fuzzy.
Use the idle time on your computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux) to cure diseases, study global warming, discover pulsars, and do many other types of scientific research. It's safe, secure, and easy.
After a minute and a half of inactivity, BOINC runs data from one of the four projects I've selected. From their websites:
Climateprediction.net runs climate models to forecast changes in climate
SETI@home is a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). You can participate by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data.
The malariacontrol.net project is an application that makes use of network computing for stochastic modelling of the clinical epidemiology and natural history of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Rosetta@home needs your help to determine the 3-dimensional shapes of proteins in research that may ultimately lead to finding cures for some major human diseases. By running the Rosetta program on your computer while you don't need it you will help us speed up and extend our research in ways we couldn't possibly attempt without your help. You will also be helping our efforts at designing new proteins to fight diseases such as HIV, Malaria, Cancer, and Alzheimer's.
There are so many other projects involving quantum physics, astronomy, medical research, ecosystem studies, and mathematics. I'd love to add them all but I'd never be able to get the assignments back on time. This is a great way to use electricity and computing power that would otherwise be wasted to benefit society. It makes me a little warm and fuzzy.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Voluntary Chronic Sleep Deprivation
My mom was up for a visit this week. The week before that was the Week From Hell. My dog had major surgery necessitating a 3 night hospital stay, and my car required two visits to the shop. Coordinating rides from the garage to my office and back was an inconvenience, but nothing I couldn't handle. Likewise with the dog, it was stressful knowing he was there, but he was having surgery not me. I could handle it. Even the two of these things combined like they were was fine. Stressful but not unmanageable.
What made the week so bad was that atop the flame of stressful events, I added the potent fuel of exhaustion. Then it spiraled out of control.
Backstory: I've been living this way for at least 3 years. Burning during the week- staying up too late for no good reason - then crashing on the weekends - sleeping most of Saturday and Sunday to make up for it. I'll stay up to watch something stupid like Grey's Anatomy, a show I could easily get from Netflix and watch on my own schedule. But Netflix isn't some kind of savior. I'll stay up watching 4 episodes of Dexter on a weeknight. Sometimes I'll shower and lay in bed with a magazine in front of me, too tired to make sense of the words I'm reading. Yet I stay up staring at the magazine. During the day I'm not as alert and productive as I could be. Household chores and social occasions are routinely overlooked on the weekends because I just need more fucking sleep. I lose much needed social connection and feel bad about not keeping up my house. It's a big nasty negative vortex.
Why? Oh, there are reasons. Lots of them, but at this point I don't give a shit. It's a lack of willpower and discipline. It stops tonight. The tv is now on a vacation timer so it will shut off every night at 9pm. At 9pm, no matter what I'm doing, it's upstairs to shower and relax before bed. Lights out at 10pm. 10-7 will get me my 9 hours.
That will be the slogan for this effort: 9pm for my 9 hours!
This is the one thing I am going to get right, starting right now. Breaking these habits will be tough. If there is anyone out there reading this, please send me some get-on-a-schedule thoughts of goodwill.
What made the week so bad was that atop the flame of stressful events, I added the potent fuel of exhaustion. Then it spiraled out of control.
Backstory: I've been living this way for at least 3 years. Burning during the week- staying up too late for no good reason - then crashing on the weekends - sleeping most of Saturday and Sunday to make up for it. I'll stay up to watch something stupid like Grey's Anatomy, a show I could easily get from Netflix and watch on my own schedule. But Netflix isn't some kind of savior. I'll stay up watching 4 episodes of Dexter on a weeknight. Sometimes I'll shower and lay in bed with a magazine in front of me, too tired to make sense of the words I'm reading. Yet I stay up staring at the magazine. During the day I'm not as alert and productive as I could be. Household chores and social occasions are routinely overlooked on the weekends because I just need more fucking sleep. I lose much needed social connection and feel bad about not keeping up my house. It's a big nasty negative vortex.
Why? Oh, there are reasons. Lots of them, but at this point I don't give a shit. It's a lack of willpower and discipline. It stops tonight. The tv is now on a vacation timer so it will shut off every night at 9pm. At 9pm, no matter what I'm doing, it's upstairs to shower and relax before bed. Lights out at 10pm. 10-7 will get me my 9 hours.
That will be the slogan for this effort: 9pm for my 9 hours!
This is the one thing I am going to get right, starting right now. Breaking these habits will be tough. If there is anyone out there reading this, please send me some get-on-a-schedule thoughts of goodwill.
Mr. H Surgery #2
Mr. H's second surgery for re-excision of the scar and reconstruction
is scheduled for the 27th. His surgeon taught small animal surgery at
Purdue University for 5 years before coming to the animal hospital. I
was impressed with her and the way she described the operation to me; I
trust Mr. H will be in good hands.
During surgery, Dr. A will remove the scar tissue and get better margins on the sides. For the lower portion that did not have a clean margin, she will go in much deeper and take out what she thinks is abnormal tissue. (She explained that most of her work is done through palpitation not sight. The tendrils of the tumor are microscopic. She relayed that studies prove the hands and limbic systems of surgeons can determine if something is abnormal before the conscious mind. In other words is tissue doesn't feel right, she's taking it, whether or not it looks weird. Another example of how we don't know all that we know.) She will call the pathologist to see what sarcoma's origin tissue was- . She will take more of that type of tissue, unless it is a nerve sheath sarcoma. If she takes the nerve, his leg would have to come off. He'll be in the hospital for 3 days. Since the incision is so deep they'll use a negative pressure wound vac on him. I suspect they'll keep him pretty drugged up so he doesn't bite it off. Also, as much as I hate that he will be away and in pain, I'm glad he is staying there so they can manage his pain hour to hour, and as a bonus (!) and much as I love and want to take care of him, I don't have to see the incision immediately after surgery.
I asked for something that could increase the cost of the surgery by over a third: reconstruction so that he will lose no range of motion and maintain his ability to run and have fun. For me, a dog's whole point in life is mobility. While a human can make do and even thrive confined to a bed or wheelchair, a dog would not have a fulfilling life. At least in my opinion.
The sarcoma is a skin cancer, so they took of a good bit of skin in the first surgery and sewed it back together. Mr. H has no problem with running now. In fact he acted like he never had surgery. He and his sister made a jail break about 2 weeks after his surgery and he was as fast as ever. The second surgery will take more skin to increase the margins on the sides so there is less to pull together without too much tightness. She offered a couple of options, and I told her to do what she needed to do:
1) there may be enough skin to simply close the wound normally
2) make a flap out of some skin lower on the leg and fold it over, she drew a picture but I don't understand. Add four days more to hospitalization
3) take skin from somewhere else on the body. Also add four more days.
Good news through- a study of dogs with soft tissue sarcomas who had the second surgery showed that there is only a 9% chance of recurrence.
The surgery estimate minus the $$ is below the fold. I'm embarrassed to say how much this will cost - approximately 6 mortgage payments.
During surgery, Dr. A will remove the scar tissue and get better margins on the sides. For the lower portion that did not have a clean margin, she will go in much deeper and take out what she thinks is abnormal tissue. (She explained that most of her work is done through palpitation not sight. The tendrils of the tumor are microscopic. She relayed that studies prove the hands and limbic systems of surgeons can determine if something is abnormal before the conscious mind. In other words is tissue doesn't feel right, she's taking it, whether or not it looks weird. Another example of how we don't know all that we know.) She will call the pathologist to see what sarcoma's origin tissue was- . She will take more of that type of tissue, unless it is a nerve sheath sarcoma. If she takes the nerve, his leg would have to come off. He'll be in the hospital for 3 days. Since the incision is so deep they'll use a negative pressure wound vac on him. I suspect they'll keep him pretty drugged up so he doesn't bite it off. Also, as much as I hate that he will be away and in pain, I'm glad he is staying there so they can manage his pain hour to hour, and as a bonus (!) and much as I love and want to take care of him, I don't have to see the incision immediately after surgery.
I asked for something that could increase the cost of the surgery by over a third: reconstruction so that he will lose no range of motion and maintain his ability to run and have fun. For me, a dog's whole point in life is mobility. While a human can make do and even thrive confined to a bed or wheelchair, a dog would not have a fulfilling life. At least in my opinion.
The sarcoma is a skin cancer, so they took of a good bit of skin in the first surgery and sewed it back together. Mr. H has no problem with running now. In fact he acted like he never had surgery. He and his sister made a jail break about 2 weeks after his surgery and he was as fast as ever. The second surgery will take more skin to increase the margins on the sides so there is less to pull together without too much tightness. She offered a couple of options, and I told her to do what she needed to do:
1) there may be enough skin to simply close the wound normally
2) make a flap out of some skin lower on the leg and fold it over, she drew a picture but I don't understand. Add four days more to hospitalization
3) take skin from somewhere else on the body. Also add four more days.
Good news through- a study of dogs with soft tissue sarcomas who had the second surgery showed that there is only a 9% chance of recurrence.
The surgery estimate minus the $$ is below the fold. I'm embarrassed to say how much this will cost - approximately 6 mortgage payments.
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