CGAD Intensive Workshop 1: March 2010
Our first group sponsored data analysis workshop: As our kickoff project we will be working on a small but interesting challenge from Xiaonan Lu and Barbara Rasco from the Food Science Department at WSU.
Xiaonan and Barbara are looking for reliable ways of indirect and noninvasive measurement of hormone levels in fish, with applications to other areas. The idea is to infer various hormone concentrations from Infrared spectroscopic data of a blood plasma sample. Any single spectrum is characteristic of the chemical composition of the sample -- in particular the presense of various chemical bonds. However, the particular signal of interest within the spectrum is unknown.
The current method of hormone concentration prediction is an implementation of partial least squares regression (PLS). The results have been marginally satisfactory as predictors both from a standpoint of uncertainty and dependence on sample size. From the initial consultations our focus will *begin* in two directions: (1) careful consideration of PLS based analysis and (2) implementation of support vector regression (SVR).
The workshop will take place Wednesday and Friday March 24 and 26 at the WSU Visitor's Center (the old depot behind the former ?WaMu bank just across from Neill Public Library). We have a nice large conference room reserved all day, both days. We will have more logistical information as the day approaches. Most of the project-specific details will be available at the workshop introduction on the first day.