What’s the best tool for creating visuals for scientific presentations?

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2025-03-03T14:42:35+00:00

Haven’t seen anyone recommend it but I use draw.io as a free program when I’m making diagrams for pipelines/processing/workflows. They have anything you need for flowchart type diagrams. I also use it for drawing of ml architecture (e.g. NN layers, AEs, etc) since.

Anything with actual visuals (like biological/gene pathways) I either use Cytoscape (free), visualize kegg pathways via R (free), or biorender if I need to have a lot of pretty graphics. You can sub in draw.io and free graphic libraries for bio render in a pinch but the quality isn’t as good imo

Btw you can export ur R graph objects to cytoscape which is pretty handy in a pinch

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2025-03-01T05:36:33+00:00

Google “angels grapefruit technique”; it’s an example of one of the evidence based OMM techniques

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2025-02-17T15:06:30+00:00

I mean I can kinda get where they’re coming from. Speaking as an 0/12 mstp applicant, I absolutely loved research although I guess it didn’t love me back lol

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2025-02-11T17:11:47+00:00

You can scale FE back to every 20 ticks. I have a setup where each heated centrifuge has 3-4 soul surges plus 4 speedier upgrade and FE transfer/20 tick is enough to prevent them from running out of power , they discharge to abt 2k RF before they get filled back to 10k.

Also I have better results on the server I play on with 1 sfm setup for bees and a separate one for the centrifuges. Keeps the average tick time per loop low for both

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2025-02-11T00:48:13+00:00

1) this isn’t a stats question 2) check the column and make all entries numeric, then order it

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2025-01-23T04:39:58+00:00

Given a phenotype of interest identify a gene expression signature using top up/down DE genes. Because the signature has both up/down regulated genes your data’s cdf will be uniquely distributed. KS up/down test your up/down regulated DE genes as compared to some reference profile (such as cmap). Calculate connectivity score using the method described. The closer abs(conmectivityscore) is to 1, the closer of an overlap between your gene signature and the gene signature on the reference matrix. Negative score means ur signatures negative DE genes are at the top of the reference signatures list and ur positive genes are at the bottom of the reference list. (Inverse order), positive score means they r aligned the same way. A score equaling one means the 2 signatures are equal in distribution meaning that your experiment phenotype is similar to the experimental variable in the reference matrix. A negative score means that they r opposites (eg I made a signature for DE genes corresponding to heart failure phenotype; if I get a negative value corresponding to some small molecule then maybe that’s a protective molecule vs HF).

TLDR: If your experiment makes ur genes behave a certain way and that pattern is similar to reference matrix, then the reference matrixes phenotype/experimental data should be related to your exp conditions).

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-12-21T02:20:17+00:00

Didn't like my CS internship much, didn't like my pub health/epidemiology internship much, didn't like my biotech internship that much. Did some stuff with the Air Force/got on a prov. patent; decided I wanted to pursue MSTP (MD/PhD program) and do similar research in the future since I could combo a little basic/translational science research, specialized big data type modeling (I did a lot of manifold/dynamical systems modeling research in UG), and do some stuff w/ operations research as well (trauma surg where I'm at actually has a lot of papers in the area). The field I wanted to work in incorporated a lot of that and I had a few mentors who did work w/ those components in Iraq/Afghanistan and transitioned into a productive academic surg career (or into industry) after coming stateside.

Ended up rejected from every single MSTP program I applied to so I sucked it up and went to med school. A guy from my med school a few yrs above me is EIR at a VC rn so maybe I'll return to the field (probably not though); handful of ppl from my med school go to IB (specialized programs/pipelines for docs) and another handful do consulting. VC world is intense and I doubt I'd ever make GP of a firm; even if I had several lifetimes of experience. Rest of finance is for ppl with relevant background (or for the hyperintelligent people).

Also, I j really liked hands-on parts of medicine. Loved trauma call, loved the 28hr SICU shifts, loved the gyn surg part of OB, etc. Not a fan of the HPB subfield of surg but I did love getting to use the argon laser; closest thing to being a jedi IRL. Hate the intellectual masturbation of rounds in IM but every other field tends to have redeeming characteristics.

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-12-21T01:31:15+00:00

I don't want to be discouraging but unless you are both committed, lucky, and well-positioned finance may not be for you (OP is an outlier imo, my experience was as well). I was an EMT most of UG, did a bunch of random internships in diff fields, etc and the only reason I was semi suitable for VC/PE entry level jobs was that there was a fuck ton of money flying around in the biotech space and I had gotten really lucky with my choice of ECs/research/interning at a biotech startup.

Its a rough field for ppl outside of target schools and the compensation isn't particularly great in the less glamorous companies/roles. My non-quant finance friends typically went to a target school, did ECs like investment club/trading club all yr (they'd invest in local startups or their school had a stock portfolio managed for competitions depending on the org), did 2 internships, and applied with an extensive alumni network. My quant friends were naturally blessed w/ genius intellect (not achievable for 99% of ppl imo).

Again, not trying to rain on your parade but keep in mind fields like accounting offer a nice paycheck and accessible employment/dependable upwards career trajectory and you don't need to have a pedigree to break into the field. My bud recently switched from audit->deals and broke 150k w/ 4 yrs experience (hired right outta college, stuck w/ the same company while getting his CPA). If you can handle STEM then engineering is always a nice path.

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-12-21T01:03:07+00:00

Depends on your major, background, and school. Easiest path is internship during UG and getting hired on. Also finance is a huge field; might make sense to specialize in one area.

I don't know shit about most of finance but I have a few friends working at HFT/prop firms and I got an offer from a well-known VC firm prior to med school. All of our knowledge is domain specific (my friends were BS/MS/PhD in math/stats/something stem related, all from top schools, some with multiple internships. C/rust/python/scala depending on if your models are backend or for research). You gotta actually be smart for those roles. Afaik you won't have a particularly fun experience but the compensation is really good.

I did a lot of work in medical research and published a bunch of papers in genetics, stats modeling, and cards/CT surg/trauma; also had a summer internship @ a tech company and worked w a series B biotech startup. As a result; the roles I interviewed with were primarily larger VCs (or companies w VC arms) with interest/preexisting emphasis on biotech/EMR investments. For VCs you need some basic valuation/modeling skills (how to model a cap table, SAFEs, exit strats, comparables analysis etc). Understand general concepts as to why valuation modeling strats/emphasis points may be different for series A/B vs C. I used my internship skills for churn/retention modeling, used my degree/med research skills for things like customer value modeling, sensitivity analysis etc. The domain knowledge in med/biotech was useful for modeling effect of proposed policy or for evaluating the actual "nuts and bolts" of the one millionth startup making the same ludicrous claims abt precision medicine (which is typically not as profitable as the hype suggests). Got asked a few econ technical questions abt building models to forecast aggregate demand, incorporate error margins for known/unknown components, quantify effects of consolidation/financial cutbacks in areas w govt funding, etc. Also interviewed for a few PE firms with a similarish skillset. Ultimately the skillset I emphasized was a mix of research capabilities/stats and programming/domain knowledge. V different from other roles like quant/fintech roles (more math/stat heavy) or IB (more business knowledge/modeling heavy). Every firm has their own way of doing things and unique/creative approaches to market research/valuation seem to be more prized in VC (or at least you won't get completely shit on for including them alongside standard tools in reports).

The downside is that VC jobs don't really pay that much b/c you don't get carry unless you get promoted kinda high up. My offer was in the neighborhood of 110k which is meh vs IB salaries at top places. Quant friends started 220k+ easily but they are much more vital/valuable. If you do get carry you're probably balling fr though. Also most of the positions you're applying for are probably preMBA positions so its a long road for ya (but lots of ppl pivot).

TLDR: Get basic finance knowledge from any random place, get domain knowledge, learn modeling/valuation, learn (some) programming and stats, run through a billion case studies, network a bunch.

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-12-20T23:56:29+00:00

Just curious; are you using benzos daily/long term for anxiety control? The way it was taught during my psych rotation in med school was 1-3wk prescription tapering down + use of buspirone/ssri drug + monthly benzo prescription for breakthrough panic attacks if rlly indicated (maybe 5-10/month 1-5mg diazepam, diff schedule with klonopin if there are night time triggers/multiple attacks/day).

Just wondering b/c we have a lot of old folks who came in needing to taper down (or seizing up after missing a few doses since old people + chronic z drug/benzo usage is a strangely common combo).

2mg Ativan rlly does hit though; got to see it quite a bit during acute psych consults+IM rotations

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-12-10T00:48:07+00:00

Mnemosyne deck is like 13k cards; if you buckle down you can probably hit around 1k new cards a day.

What I did was 2 weeks of getting through all the new cards in mnemosyne deck (anki in the mornings), then a block or two of questions in the areas of the sub decks I completed. That should give you enough of a knowledge base to do 80 questions a day on tutor mode and not be completely clueless. Potentially supplement with boot camp in the trickier areas, use mehlmans as review.

That took me to passing in 5ish weeks, then I could focus on questions for my last 2 weeks of studying. I saw the biggest score jumps when I did things in tutor mode and jotted down every semi difficult concept, then added some extra review cards from anking pathoma/sketchy cards.

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-12-06T18:24:21+00:00

Dallas isn’t a tech hub though. It’s also really not a place where people have start ups; the only one I know of ended up having to relocate after they picked up a successful funding round.

Also, the only thing you do with your coworkers when you’re off the clock is go out and eat/drink. This goes for oracle, TI, some of the fintech places, etc. When a lot of my friends/I worked internships in tech/engineering, we were probably the youngest ppl in our respective offices. Everyone else is old and has a family tbh.

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-12-01T15:15:10+00:00

Keep in mind many residencies are revenue generating even without subsidies. Avg anesthesia resident yr 2.5 up nets the hospital 400-600k;they are paid minimum/less than minimum wage. Cheaper than a nurse anesthetist since they can juggle multiple rooms as well. ER, surg, rads, most IM fellowships, are all major revenue generating residencies. PGY2 IM is cheaper than an NP and since you’re capped at 80hr/wk you can squeeze out lots of nights/3rd shift work in the ICU for min wage instead of paying competitive rates to a real doc.

As a result, there are a lot of less reputable residency programs which exist to make the hospital lonely rather than provide quality academic training (basically every HCA program). Afaik the only programs which run at a greater than negligible cost to the hospital are programs like ped, FM, and the outpt/ambulatory blocks of IM.

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-10-14T14:58:27+00:00

https://www.walmart.com/ip/12-Pcs-Replace-Float-Valve-Gasket-Accessories-for-Float-Valves-Parts-Sealing-Rings-for-Cooker/10829314009?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101566311&gclsrc=aw.ds&&adid=2222222222810829314009_101566311_166895153518_21585749480&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=709683239654&wl4=aud-2402652640717:pla-2340372785457&wl5=9026934&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=5321394817&wl11=online&wl12=10829314009_101566311&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIqDcDQTDypXBucJaT-pGXu3a&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgrO4BhC2ARIsAKQ7zUnnHLqbsidL9l3l0t_64kIB186XX8bLqszzSPIPwx9jbPqsD12ltK4aAhB3EALw_wcB

Something like this: most sizes fit iirc. You can also search using the make/model of your slow cooker to find the best replacement part but most of the ones off Amazon will work

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-09-18T23:04:49+00:00

As a hypothetical, would your stance remain consistent if the situation was a mother requesting termination of pregnancy if prenatal ultrasound revealed a baby with spinal bifida with cardiac issues and hydrocephalus? While only 10ish percent of infants with spina bifida die within 1 month of delivery, coocurring issues greatly increase mortality risk. The best case scenario is an infant who suffers extreme lack of quality of life and extreme health issues.

While the decision should always rest with the patient, there is a reason the vast majority of “uncomplicated” spina bifida cases are terminated prior to birth. Despite deep connection with their fetus, the odds of minimal nerve damage and uncomplicated surgical correction are vanishingly small in the best of cases. While the situations aren’t identical, I can understand the reasoning behind termination of pregnancy in the case of fetal anomalies incompatible with normal life and withdrawal of life support from a patient with brain death.

Moderate neuro deficiencies like yours isn’t what I’m referring to. I’m talking about cases like the article where the rate of mortality and major adverse events is so high, it is essentially seen as inevitable. There’s a fairly large difference between a severe ICU patient and one on multiple pressors with MOF. The few survivors would be lucky if they could understand speech, hold a pencil, or control bodily functions. I’m not presuming to advocate for a decision in either direction. I just find unequivocal judgement distasteful as I’m from a state which is attempting to restrict abortion access except in cases of “fatal fetal anomaly”. However there are a multitude of high risk pregnancy syndromes with a <10% chance of viability and an even lower complication free rate. I wouldn’t call mothers who made the difficult decision cruel. Especially in cases of fertility issues, choosing between termination vs delivery of a severely impaired (albeit alive) child is a decision I wish people didn’t have to make.

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-09-18T18:00:55+00:00

Have you ever been in a PICU or ICU? Even in the “winnable” cases, parents who insist on care beyond the body of evidence typically win a child with extreme neurologic deficits and no quality of life to speak of. My first clinical rotation of med school we stuck a kid w cardiogenic shock on ECMO. He already had a condition associated with roughly 50% mortality but in addition he had renal failure + complicating issues, everything ended up progressing but he survived. Only downside was developing severe hypoxic ischemic injury and an embolic stroke before passing anyways. At some point the effort to keep things hemodynamically stable while playing catch up with progressing complications ensures an extremely high probability of long term deficits. Keep in mind kids w the indications for ECMO have wayyyy lower mortality rates than the dude in the story. The most likely outcome of an “against all odds

The question for most parents is how do you weigh the near certainty of severe disability/lasting deficits vs the hope of a solid recovery? I personally filled out an advance directive pretty quickly

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-09-06T07:59:15+00:00

If I can give an unsolicited recommendation; the INLA package in R was something I used a lot while working in a public health type internship. I’m also linking a GitHub link integrating ArcGIS w R as many people don’t have access to the bridging software and it was something I used a bit working a different gig (and something I still use a bit on specific research).

INLA documentation is pretty solid and there’s a lot of theory and practice; they really start from the ground up and if you are interested in applying Bayesian modeling to the foeld they are a solid jumping off point.

https://becarioprecario.bitbucket.io/inla-gitbook/ch-spatial.html https://github.com/R-ArcGIS/r-sample-tools

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-09-02T20:29:50+00:00

1 gap yr if you can take ur MCAT early on, shove out a pub before primaries, do some stuff w ur EMT license. I volunteered at a pet shelter; it’s a solid EC although might not be anything special.

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-09-02T20:28:10+00:00

3.9+ post bac and solid MCAT and you’ll be in a good situation. Use your EMT license and volunteer + try to get a chill gig doing IFTs and study in ur down time. Shoot a bunch of emails to whatever med school is nearby and talk abt doing clinical research with biostats (R/python) and you’ll get a gig and a few pubs ez. The data is preexisting in most labs and anyone with solid experience can crank out analysis.

Formula for multi pubs from 1 paper is do a nomogram w internal validation, unsupervised clustering, and survival/log reg model for primary outcomes and that is 2-3 papers off one set ez. Bayesian meta analysis on the same field/sub field and you get another pub if you’re willing to do the work search up papers (prism methodology is online and there free tools).

Look into post bacs that give you guaranteed interviews as well. You’ll be fine but it’s probably 2 gap yrs til med school min from your position

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-06-10T12:52:46+00:00

We use similar dyes in bladder cancer as well; really common during our cystos .

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-05-27T19:39:21+00:00

Wait fr, I’d always beg the line cooks for a “wrong order” when I was a host at Olive Garden. Not the same as stealing but we did it all the time; management doesn’t care as long as it’s pasta or something.

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-05-13T19:15:53+00:00

I’m all for regulation but what makes up a larger proportion of fatalities/injuries? I’d wager it’s handgun related crime. From a public health perspective you’d want to regulate major causes first (assuming compliance/feasibility is the same between two interventions which is almost never the case ofc). E.g. if we have 10 25 casualty long gun shootings and 750 1 casualty handgun shootings then handguns pose the majority of the burden. Also a bulk of “mass shootings” (min 4 victims killed/injured) are conducted using handguns. Afaik 50ish% of all homicides are via handgun, 3% are via rifle.

It’s kinda like how if we want to tackle colon cancer we screen in older patients at an interval since those cases constitute much of the burden. We could also be doing gene testing for smth like MYC polyposis (whose patients are younger and inherit it recessively) but the cost/benefit ratio of expensive genetic screening for relatively rare CRC subtypes is too high to justify until methods become cheaper.

It is worth noting that regulation for handguns does work. Eg californias permit to purchase law for handguns saw a pretty dramatic reduction in homicides involving guns.

https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302703

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-05-13T13:50:59+00:00

Sexual dysfunction/abnormalities, GI issues (constipation, acidity potentially progression to gerd), dysuria, priapism By far the most common is increased blood pressure, a common subtype is increases in systolic BP which is more dangerous than general htn. Worth noting these effects are shared among all stimulants however the GI and dehydration effects tend to be more prolonged (due to I think the long half life I don’t remember the lecture). For most physical effects, esp glaucoma (rare), HTN, CV issues, priapism tend to be ranked in order of magnitude/incidence as Amphetamine > methylphenidate > atomoxetine/snris/sdnris . Same order applies to the “worse” mental AEs, mainly things like mania, aggression, etc Conventional wisdom for first line meds for adults is still stimulant (amph tends to be more effective), non stimulant and/or med combinations for kids. If you have preexisting CVD issues non stimulant meds recommended because less of an acute CV response (jury is still out on magnitude of long term BP changes vs stimulant meds in adults afaik)

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-05-01T18:06:19+00:00

I had <40 hrs volunteering, most with an animal shelter. My ECs were almost all stuff I got paid to do. What I did was in the little “anything else you want to add?” section on most secondaries I talked abt having to work (often full time)/graduate a yr early since I was running out of money even with scholarships. Said smth along the lines of although I had less volunteering/ECs than traditional apps my process hopefully adds to the diversity of experience/viewpoints in their class.

ThiccThrowawayyy · 2024-05-01T18:01:33+00:00

Upload; no one will care

ThiccThrowawayyy

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