Monday, December 12, 2016

Smooth Like Cocoa Butter

Hey readers!

This week, we turned in our methods proposals for IRB approval to the sweet smell of cocoa butter (If you don't smell like success, how can you be successful??).

This blog is, in fact, special cloth talk.
I was able to write out the research design for my experiment, which is a mixed (quantitative and qualitative elements), prospective study. As I wrote about controls, confounding variables, and ethical precautions, I felt like a real researcher (which is, I guess, the point of this class). It's pretty cool stuff!

Wish me luck for getting approval!

Now, I have a plan for how to conduct my research, and by next week, I will even have my methods section done. I'm on top of the world!
I am Roy Williams.
But, wait. The hard part is coming up soon -- implementing the research. You know what they say: don't count your data before they hatch!

Congratulations... you played yourself.
Since I am employing mixed methods for a lot of sample combinations, I am going to start data collection in the lab before the 3rd trimester, so I'll start on December 26th (Happy Holidays?). Since I have to finish obtaining results by the middle of February, I will finish by February 20th. After that, I will need to finish analyzing my results and write up the results/discussion section and the conclusion. After all, final presentations are May 17th!

As DJ Khaled would say, "they" don't want us to plan our implementation out, so we got to plan our implementation out!

Here's my detailed plan for implementing my methods:


Week Tasks
1 (Dec 26 - Jan 1)
  • prepare substrates and coatings (all compositions and dilutions), 
  • apply coatings to samples to make 12 pairs of identical samples (1a - 12b), 
  • label the samples and create master spreadsheet, 
  • obtain consent from participant (and his parents), 
  • preparing 3LCAA apparatus
2 (Jan 2 - Jan 8)
  • perform 3LCAA on samples 1a - 12a, 
  • finish data analysis of 1a - 6a for 3LCAA images using Inkscape
3 (Jan 9 - Jan 15)
  • finish data analysis for 7a - 12a for 3LCAA images using Inkscape, 
  • extract blood and apply it to samples 1b - 3b, 
  • perform RBS on samples 1b -3b, 
  • finish code sheets for samples 1b-3b
4 (Jan 16 - Jan 22)
  • input final surface energy values into the master spreadsheet, 
  • analyze RBS results for 1b -3b, 
  • extract blood and apply it to samples 4b - 6b, 
  • perform RBS on 4b - 6b, 
  • finish code sheets for 4b -6b
5 (Jan 23 - Jan 29)
  • analyze RBS results for 4b -6b, 
  • extract blood and apply it to samples 7b - 9b, 
  •  perform RBS on 7b - 9b, 
  • finish code sheets for 7b -9b
6 (Jan 30 - Feb 5)
  • analyze RBS results for 7b -9b, 
  • extract blood and apply it to samples 10b - 12b, 
  •  perform RBS on 10b - 12b, 
  • finish code sheets for 10b -12b
7 (Feb 6 - Feb 12)
  • analyze RBS results for 10b -12b, 
  • compile quantitative measurements of uniformity for each sample, 
  • review qualitative coding sheets to establish gradation and create the scale
8 (Feb 13 - Feb 19)
  • TBD -- room in implementation for unforeseen delays or obstacles. 
  • or I finish implementation 1 week earlier, and can start writing up my results.

My implementation will be very iterative, since I want to treat all my samples identically. One benefit of this approach is that if I am ever running behind, I can make up time by simply spending more time in the lab to run more samples. The analysis of my data will involve finding the average difference in composition for elements like C, N, O, Ca, K, and Fe for 2 different spots on a sample (using absolute value of course to prevent cancelations). This will be the quantitative measure of uniformity. I will put this in a table with sample type, surface energy, and the quantitative measure of uniformity shown. Additionally, the qualitative data will rank each sample relatively compared to other samples in terms of cracking, cratering, phase separation, and moisture. The combination of quantitative and qualitative will let me characterize each sample. Additionally, example RBS spectra can be shown for individual samples in order to demonstrate that elemental composition can be found with HemaDrop analysis.

In mid-February, I will start writing up my results and discussion. In this way, I can have a final draft of my results by March 4 and edit tirelessly for a final research paper by March 20. By the end of April, I can have a polished presentation!

Sorry for the slightly late post...

Let's secure the bag this week in research, and keep wearing that cocoa butter, so everything goes smooth!

Cheers,

YP

(772)

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for making your blog really interesting! Weird and like irrelevant in a relevant way? I’m talking about your references to fabric and cocoa butter and hatching data???

    Anyways, I think your plan for implementing your methods is solid (like cocoa) and very smooth (like butter), just be careful for your first week because it’s around Christmas/New Year’s/Hannukah so people might be busy or you might be busy or other stuff might get in the way because HOLIDAYS!!! So ya. Also don’t draw too much blood from yourself because your methods literally sounds like “stab myself a couple of times every week to obtain blood”, but just be careful. DON’T DIE is what I’m trying to say.

    I think you know exactly what you’re doing, and I think your plan of action is really clear and detailed and you will definitely be able to stick to the plan all the way to March. I BELIEVE IN YOU!!! Also good luck on getting approval!!!!! (don’t worry about it fam) :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. I see you yash with the gifs.
    
At first I was like…really? You’re doing all that work during winter break? But then I realized you already got into Stanford so you don't have to finish 2587349872345 college applications. 

    Your plan is VERYYYYYY detailed. I don't even know what it means. But I DO know that it means you have a lot of your stuff figured out. I guess the hard part would be sticking to your plan during winter break. Enjoy your break !!! But stick to the plan if thats what you need to do to finish my mid-february.

    But other than that - good job!

    ReplyDelete