Least Excited and Bothered : State of Mind

10:32am

11 is the call time, and here I am, still not prepared with the points of convo. Hmm.

Today's agenda, 

i)  Advantages and disadvantages Experimentation Investigation vs Computer Simulation

ii) Whether Simulink will be an okay software to work with.

Second point depends on his yes or no. I might have a few things to say about the 1st point.

Experimental Investigation:

No substitute for experimentation, because seeing is believing. Having said that, there are limitations to experimental Investigation.

Full scale: 

1) Expensive and often difficult

2) Measurement errors

Scaled Model:

1) Keeping the flow physics the same is difficult. Thus need for compromise.

2) Difficult to extrapolate results

Overall: 

1) Numerous variables involved. Keeping track of all, difficult.

2) Maintaining various boundary conditions is difficult, this gives rise to uncertainties.

3) More of hit-n-miss, So time consuming.

Computer Simulation/Modelling:

1) Cheaper

2) Once a flow is simulated varying variables, recording the result is easy, 

3) Output can be converted into sound in MATLAB.

4) Can handle any degree of difficulty

5) Can repeat any number of times.

6) Will ever be away from the model.

Just received a message from him. "Am driving. We shall talk at 12 noon". Hmmph.. 

ATB!

Finally Understood What He Wants

05:47pm

Alright. I now realise, that his aim of asking me all of these questions is that, he doesn't want to use patient data. And the reason for not using the patient data is that, the interpretation of data is subjective. Cannot validate it, since the interpretation differs from doctor to doctor, and hence, it is difficult to defend thee thesis in front of the ethical committee.

Phew.

So, alright, we can still create a normal fluid flow model using computer simulation! No validation needed for that. Everything becomes even easier. Alright. Mailing doc this.

ATB!

Editing the post.

So, I've realized that he doesn't want to use patient data, means he first wants to try it out on simple pulsatile flow of fluid. Now, I want to avoid going to IIT-B. So I prefer computer simulation of this fluid flow. Found out that the PDE toolbox in MATLAB helps using partial differentiation equation and the pdetool to simulate the fluid flow. But, I need a pulsatile fluid flow! <= Prob No. 1 !

Even if I'm able to find a pulsatile fluid flow code, and create it, I'm going to have to represent the flow in terms of velocity, and then convert the velocity profile of the fluid flow into audio. for further signal processing.<= Prob No. 2 !

All this feels very overwhelming. Because, for computer simulation, I need to know the equations governing the fluid flow, sheer stress, strain.. and lot of physics. It does make me feel that doing it in practice would be better than simulating it. But go to think about it, I will have to know the physics even if I want to do it in practice! Additionally, many factors would be clearly in much better control without any mess if I use computer simulation, rather than practical.

So, things to do:

1) Study pde tool.
2) Find a way to model pulsatile fluid flow.
3) Study the necessary fluidics.

ATB!

And Worst, a Mocked Reply.

10:17am 

Hello Purti,

By validation I mean, if the’ one Dr. says the patient is suffering from X ‘

-          How do we validate this ?

-          J

I'm quite sure, he is frustrated on the other side, because you can clearly see in this mail, that he's mocking me. With the "Hello Purti" , which he'd never written before, and the unnecessary bullets, with the same question, and a smily on the second bullet. It's as if he's telling me "Okay, here, I'll speak in your language, I'll come down to YOUR level, for you to REALLY understand what I'm saying." 

Also, I don't understand if this is a genuine question that he's asking me? Or trying to take me to an answer he already knows? I mean, if this question was asked on the phone, I would've sensed the tone and answered it. I feel it's the latter alternative. If that was asked on the phone, I'm quite sure, I would have kept quiet.

And again, just for the sake of testing if he really goes through my mail, I had asked him when we should have out next telephonic conversation, at the very end of the mail. He hasn't answered the question. That again proves that he doesn't read the mail.

This is the result of the airport telephone conversation. That's all.

If this is true, and I think it is, okay, I need to think this through. 

My priority: No spoiling relations, since project is of prime importance

Realisation: He doesn't WANT to understand me. And believes I don't understand him.

Cure: He needs to understand my side of the project. And realise that it's easier than his. I can't make it clearer in writing. I've tried my best with that in the mail. Now, the only thing is, I get away from this. Give him time. Just let him try doing it his way, and go a little further than what he's thinking right now.

Solution: "Take out the negativity from your life, lead your life the positive way." My External guide is the negativity I want to stay away from. I'll go ahead with what I'm doing. And just for the sake of formality I'll talk to I thik Shrinivas about how I can contact the authorities from IIT-B so I can access their LAB.

Some kind of burning I can feel in my stomach and chest. Physically! Heart's racing. Ughgh.

Finally a Reply, with a Monotonous Negativity

08:30 pm

My External Guide replied to the Inverse Modelling Computer Simulation suggestion mail that I'd sent him. To this, he replied saying:

"I have been thinking. Let us discuss soon Purti.

My apprehensions:

·         Getting patient data without initially doing lab tests. How do we convince the ethical committee?

·         Interpretation of the data. Can this have any biases ? Who will validate this?"

Well, it seems to me that he still thinks neither have I understood the project, nor him. Can totally notice how vaguely he's mentioned his apprehensions! He's been telling the same thing to me again and again and again. So fed up! How do I explain it to him? Alright, I've gotta be polite, give him the benefit of doubt. May be he's right and I'm not understanding what he's saying. Thus I decide to approach his questions objectively. The only thing I can do now, for him to really understand me, is to compare my way and his way, outright, and then answer his questions. Also, begin the mail with, 'These are my views, correct me if I'm wrong.' Another thing that I have noticed is that, he doesn't read!! So, need to express everything in diagrams, in the form of points, easy and precise language, in short. Well, here we go!

Hello sir, 

Would be happy to discuss the concerns raised. Here are my views:

Getting patient data without initially doing lab tests. How do we convince the ethical committee?

=> As the model suggested is derived from the paper, I suggest using the paper as the "Base Paper" and using the same data that is given in the paper. This way, the ethical committee will approve the results for a correctly duplicated model.

Interpretation of the data. Can this have any biases ? Who will validate this?

=> The original interpretation of the Patient Data has also been mentioned in the paper. Thus validating it.

Also the below is my understanding and concerns. Kindly correct me if I'm wrong.

Block Diagram of the System:

Area of concern: Simulation of Flow

Prime aim of simulation: Validating the signal processing involved. 

Validation: The simulated condition on flow must match output of signal processing system

Primary suggestion: 

i) Emulate the flow in a lab using a setup that it resembles the actual physiological pulsatile flow in an artery. 

ii) Apply various physiological scenarios on the model.

Steps:

1) Formulate a initial rough setup

Discussed: 

a) Pump and fluid with necessary to create a flow, 

b) A pipe to emulate either MCA or UA, 

c) Ultrasound doppler flowmeter

2) Check availability of equipment

Discussed: 

i)  Prof. V. K. Joseph informed that neither GEC-ETC, nor GEC-Mechanical Dept. owns an ultrasound flowmeter; 

ii) Checked IIT-B Mechanical Dept. Laboratory facilities online, http://www.me.iitb.ac.in/me/labs.php , it mentions "Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Power" Lab, which is supervised by, 

       a) Mr. Prakash, Sr.Tech.Superintendent)

       b) Mr.C.V Jakka(Sr.Mechanic)

       c) Mr. Gajendra Kumar(Jr. Tech. Superintendent)

as mentioned on http://www.me.iitb.ac.in/me/staff.php

iii) Must discuss the matter with HOD sir to contact the above mentioned to check for availability and ask for permission to access the equipment if available. 

3) Study of requirements and working of equipment for initial set up

Concerns: 

Doppler Ultrasound Flowmeter:

a) Does it give an audio output? 

b) Does it have an audio output Recording Capability?

Pipe: 

a) Size requirement: According to size of artery (UA or MCA)? or according to availability? 

b) Does the opted alternative correctly represent the artery? i.e. Flowmeters require straight pipes; arteries are almost never straight. Thus, validity of the model? 

Can be ignored for a basic setup.

Fluid Flow:

a) Need Pulsatile flow for Doppler output. No doppler audio output if no pulses.

Variable Scenarios that can be created:

a) Pressure change

b) Velocity change

c) change in the number of particals that reflect sound.

(The above will affect the audio. 

What then, is the objective of signal processing system? 

To detect the changes in velocity, pressure, no. of particals? Or just that it is not the standard audio?)

4) Design setup and experiment according to the availability.

a) Create a simple pulsatile flow, measure with flowmeter, record audio output<== Standard for comparison.

b) Apply various scenarios, record.

The Effing mail is sent! Don't ever want to look at it again!

Breakthrough, My Way!

01:15 pm

A productive, constructive morning today, must say! After the taking decision the hard way yesterday, I decided to plunge into the concept of Genetic Algorithm. My brain works this way: I first need to know the framework, i.e. the structure of the project, then I can dive into its details. So decided on trying to understand what is Genetic Algorithm, what are its inputs and outputs, how it can be applied in my case, how can I perform it using MATLAB. Get the material, study, try out, if successful, implement.

After surfing through a lot of online material, understood the necessary concepts of Genetic Algorithm. Then, applied it to my case. Until my external guide tells me anything, I'm thinking of taking the same database that is used in this paper. At this stage I'd like to specify the picture that my brain has created of my case scenario, before I forget it, else it'll have to waste time doing it again another day. 

The aim is to replicate the fetal-placental blood flow using three variables:

1)The Placental Resistance

2)The Brain Resistance

3)The Fetal Heart Rate

The database consists of 8 readings ranging from the normal stage to the stage when subject goes into compensatory, i.e. abnormal, detectable, phase. Each of this reading is a result of linear combinations of the three variables, multiplied to different coefficients. Bu using Genetic Algorithm, we have to find the value of these variables that represents the basic value of these three variables, which gets multiplied by coefficients, to create different readings.

The fact that should be considered is that, it is normal for these conditions to vary over time. Thus, the variables also change over time, and it is normal! The Genetic Algorithm doesn't know that! It'll think the value of variables has to remain constant the entire time, which is not true! So, we make a change in the perception of the variables. We make them constant so that the Genetic Algorithm can function properly. How do we do it? We find the normal values of the reading at those particular gestational ages, and divide our readings with the normal values. As a result, our readings now change to some absolute values, whose variables should remain constant over the time! 

After this I moved onto understanding if I have the necessary toolbox to execute the algorithm. Was pleasantly surprised to see, that there exists a software tool.. readily available in MATLAB R2010a in which I only need to select the operation that I need to perform from drop-down box, enter the the data that should be modeled .. And that's it!! I DO need to look through it still, but I'm so happy right now! Had a fruitful morning!! Yeay! Now for lunch!

ATB!

Finding a Way, and Taking a Stand

08:00 pm

A delay.. In fact it's been a very very long delay since I last blogged. I Apologize(to myself). 

What kept me away is a certain kind of repulsion,.. a kind of detachment that I developed from my project. The reason was my external guide. The 2nd Sunday conversation with him was horrible. As I had written down on the blog, I had decided I was going to ask him certain questions so that I was sure of the basics, .. the framework fundamentals of the project. But as I realized that he was busy that day, and would call for 'project discussion' from the airport, I realized I didn't have enough time. Didn't want to take the risk of not having the answers to the questions, so decided to ask the questions right away, as soon as the conversation started.

Did that. To my surprise, he took it as me not knowing anything about the project!!! He asked me if I knew what 'Ultrasound' was; for crying out loud! He said 'I can't go to such a low level'. That hurt me big time.

Not going to talk much about that incident, because it only brings back bad memories. But as the conversation went on, I hope he realized that I knew something as we discussed about the simulation part. What I got as answers from that phone conversation was only that, I had to send him the papers, he'll look through it, and call me in 1 or 2 days to tell me if it was okay to continue with computer simulations. 

Needless to say, firstly from his thinking that 'I do not know anything', and secondly from his not calling on Monday or Tuesday after the 2nd Sunday call, means that he hasn't gone through the progress mails or the attachment mails that I've sent him so far. Disappointed in him. really! 

Anyway,.. since I got no response from him and had to find out about the mechanical simulation facility availability, went and met up with my internal guide. After a good 15 minutes discussion, we came to a conclusion that, computer simulation was much more controllable, and trustworthy, and moreover, easier, and time-saving compared to the method as suggested by my external guide. Same is the feeling here. As the 3rd Sunday approached, I decided to enroll myself into the Image and video processing workshop in GEC, to get a hang of MATLAB, which I did. For this, I had to miss the 3rd Sunday discussion. I intimated my external guide about it. He didn't reply with the rescheduling date. Thought it might be too nagging of me to reply again asking for a phone discussion appointment. So didn't, hoping he would call me sometime next day or so. Well, no surprises here, he didn't. So, messaged him today this :" Sir, hope you had a look at the paper I mailed you. Should I proceed with the computer simulation work?" To which he replied, "Let us discuss first :)"

I disagree on waiting for his decision to come, I decide on continuing. 

ATB!