Stander Symposium Projects

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  Lesion Synthesis Algorithm and Multi-Scale U-Net for Lung and Lesion Segmentation

  Dhaval Dilip Kadia

  Artificial Intelligence (AI) is growing exponentially with novel computational architectures and their cognitive capabilities. AI helps solve complex problems in medical imaging. Lung segmentation is essential since it processes the volumetric information of the lungs, removes the unnecessary areas of the scan, and segments the actual area of the lungs in CT scan. This research focuses on deep learning applications to segment lungs and further develop a novel algorithm to make them robust. Supervised learning requires data to train a deep neural network. The deep learning model, such as U-Net, outperforms other network architectures for biomedical image segmentation. We propose a deep neural network based on U-Net for the lung and lung lesion segmentation tasks. The proposed model integrates convolution into the sophisticated Multiscale Recurrent Residual Neural Network based on U-Net. Both deep neural network (DNN) and availability of diverse annotated data make the given deep learning based solution robust and generalized for practical use. Even if having sophisticated DNN, scarcity of annotated data challenges the expected outcomes. Robust segmentation of COVID-19 infected lungs requires rich labeled data. Accurate pixel-level annotation tasks to generate such data are time-consuming, and that delays data preparation. We propose a novel algorithm to generate lesion-like artificial patterns, and U-Net based deep neural network for robust lung segmentation further helps segment COVID-19 lung infection. The pattern generation algorithm generates 2D and 3D patterns to create an enormous amount of synthetic data. This algorithm and DNN give accurate lung segmentation results for highly infected lungs and provides infection segmentation. This research applies to the preprocessing stages of different applications of deep learning, medical imaging, and data annotation. The proposed work helps the deep neural network to generalize on a given domain to accomplish robust segmentation results in the absence of exact data.

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  Let’s Co-Teach Together!

  Caitlin M. Crews

  Co-teaching is a format that is becoming more common in everyday learning environments. Yet, co-teaching perceptions are often mixed in reviews. These studies discuss the many benefits and change in perceptions amongst teachers after training and implementing co-teaching in their classrooms.

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  Let’s Get Mental! : How Mental Health and Religion Work Together to Support the Common Good

  Caroline Lavin Herling, Gabriel Christopher Janus, Gabrielle N. Wilson

  This study asks how religion addresses mental health, with a focus on how it can provide for the common good. The purpose was to explore how religions or religious contacts have been intermingling with the more common dialogue around mental health within the past 20 years. A literature review of relevant articles in Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology revealed that from India to the United States, religion and mental health are concurrent topics in the lives of those individuals who have mental illnesses and practice spirituality. Some of the key points we found are that being in a community, such as being in a religious community can help the mental health of the people and helps them to form better social skills and mental processes. While there is no one way to approach mental health, if you have a role within religion, those individuals mental health seems to be better than those who do not. In India, the impact of the caste system has an effect on the mental health and religious groups are working to ameliorate those effects. The meaning that people can take away from this presentation on mental health in religion is that participation in religious communities can provide outlets and resources to help people stay mentally positive and happy.

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  Living Through and Dealing with Addiction in Families

  Amelia Grace Vancamp

  Drug Addiction is one of the many leading causes of fatality, mental illness, homelessness, and family tragedy. As much as drug addiction affects an individual, it also affects the family. From being able to see the effects and emotional costs to peers and family members, we can understand drug addiction better and the mental/emotional tolls it inflicts to all involved. The purpose of this study is to educate the public about the hardships families go through when living with someone with addiction. Participants were chosen based on convenience sampling and recommendations from other interviewees. The research explored the accounts of recovering addicts, family members of an addict and those who have known or seen someone’s family go through this family disease. Through an analysis of seven semi-structured interviews, I was able to identify six themes. The six themes seen were different genders instinct approach when trying to help, time and focus not evenly distributed between parents and non-addicted siblings, Families financial strains, lack of trust, and relationships.These findings provide information the community needs to assist families that suffer from this disease.

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  Living Wage in Dayton: Human Rights for Whom?

  Kinsleigh A. Jones, Ahmi' Moore, Christianna J. Surratt

  The purpose of this HRS200 Project is to explore the way in which advocacy work has been done in Dayton, and its surrounding areas, through the concept of Living Wage. Our group is looking to examine the way that administrative assistants, technical staff, and others advocate for their needs, especially in regard to the concept of living wage. The presentation that our group is doing seeks to highlight the research that we have completed for our HRS200 class. We have found material in the Dayton’s City Commission records and the University of Dayton’s Archive files. This research sheds light on Universal Human Rights issues 23 through 25 as well as the UN Global Goals one (No Poverty), three ( Health and Well-Being ), and eight (Decent Work and Economic Growth) . Furthermore, this research is important to our team, our community, and our course because it showcases the way in which worker and economic rights intersect with human rights. A living wage is the foundation to sustain what’s at the base of the UDHR-- free expression, dignity, and liberties that all humans are entitled to. Per our research we have found many connections between human rights and economic justice that the living wage exemplifies.

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  Long Term Inflation Trends and the 2008 Recession; An Empirical Analysis 2001-2019

  Breanne M. Greene, Mary Ann Tully

  In this study, we look at inflation trends pre and post the 2008 "great" recession to determine if there was a recession effect on inflation. The following measures of inflation are used in the study: (1) CIP-ALL, (2) CPI- Less Food and Energy, (3) Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), (4) Employment Cost Index (ECI). We test several hypothesis; (1) inflation rates post 2008 recession are lower than inflation rates pre 2008 recession, (2) CPI inflation measures trend higher than PCE measures, (3) ECI cost inflation measures post 2008 rend lower than pre 2008 measures, (4) lower demand poll inflation measures (e.g. CPI-ALL) post 2008 recession are partly due to lower cost push inflation measures (ECI) post 2008 recession.

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  Low Cost VR Interaction

  Yagnik Vinodkumar Trivedi

  In the current time, we have VR systems used in varied field for very different kind of application and uses. But the devices (VR headset & controllers) are costly. The aim is to create a VR system which is affordable and gives user the best possible VR experience. This system will let user interact in the VR world with the low-priced head mounted VR device and controllers. Creating a low-cost VR interaction system in which users can do task like rearranging furniture in a room, learn juggling and other task/games like Pong game using cheap and reusable devices like old phones, sensors etc.

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  Making Culture-Centered Music Therapists: Resources for Working with Young Adults in Latinx Communities

  Michaela Ann Miller

  This thesis investigates the lack of music therapy literature related to this topic and identifies considerations music therapists should take when working with Latinx communities. I illustrate how social justice and culture-centeredness can be integrated into music therapy practice with the identified communities. I use interviews collected from Latinx university students to learn about the diverse musical preferences and cultures that different members of Latinx communities hold. I describe necessary changes in the American Music Therapy Association’s Competencies for Music Therapists in order to equip music therapy students to better work with diverse populations. Finally, I provide examples of music experiences and hypothetical case studies to demonstrate what music therapy could look like in a culture-centered context with this young adult population. The purpose of this thesis is to make music therapy a more equitable, accessible, and appropriate treatment option for Latinx communities.

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  Marijuana Decriminalization Policy and its Effect on Drug-Related Arrest Rates in the New England Region

  Maura Hanley, Michael Lawless

  Marijuana decriminalization policy is a rapidly growing legislative trend of policy change in the United States. Our research examines if marijuana decriminalization policy implementation has affected the rates of drug-related arrests in six states in the New England region of the United States. Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Massachusetts were chosen specifically because the New England region was very progressive when it came to marijuana decriminalization and implemented policy in the 2000s and early 2010s. Our research goal was to analyze the arrest rates of marijuana sales and possession per state per year, and examine how the data reflects the relationship of policy implementation and drug arrest rates.

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  Marijuana Usage by College Students

  Alec R. Warren

  The usage of marijuana by college students has been a heavily researched topic over the years. In 2017, marijuana usage by college students was at an all time high. Researchers believe that it will continue to rise for a variety of reasons. However, there has been a lack of current up to date research on the topic. The research conducted below offers statistics and answers to a range of questions in regards to college students marijuana usage as well as breaking it down by gender. This quantitative study examines survey responses from 299 undergraduate college students from across the United States. The survey asks questions in regards to marijuana usage and accessibility on their respective campuses. The research findings support the idea that marijuana usage by college students is still at an all time high.

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  Masked Face Analysis via Multitask Learning

  Vatsa Sanjay Patel

  Facial recognition with mask/noise has consistently been a challenging task in computer vision, which involves human wearing a facial mask. Masked Face Analysis via Multi-task learning is a method which will answer to many questions. In this paper, we propose a unifying framework to simultaneously predict human age, gender, and emotions. This method is divided into three major steps; firstly, Creation of the dataset, Secondly, 3 individual classification models used for the system to learn the labelled (Age, Expression and Gender) images, Thirdly, the multi-task learning (MTL) model; which takes the inputs as the data and shares their weight combined and gives the prediction of the person’s (with mask) age, expression and gender. However, this novel framework will give better output then the existing methods.

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  Measured Properties and Possible Applications of Far-From-Equilibrium Systems

  Ryan J. Maguire, Lauren Ashley Stoops

  Self-assembling systems, such as micelles, have a variety of applications in biological organisms. Their unique properties include an ability to achieve a relatively stable, far-from-equilibrium state that in turn yields a number of unique aspects upon an individual system. Distinct properties of a far-from-equilibrium system include unusually low shear-viscosity, a lower degree of packing in the polar head groups, a higher degree of packing in the hydrophilic hydrocarbon chains, and an overall increase in chaos. These properties allow biological systems to conserve heat, especially due to the unique intermolecular interactions demonstrated through the shear-viscosity. These studies provide possible macroscopic uses for micelles and other far-from-equilibrium systems to ultimately reduce the waste heat emitted by humanity and instead utilize this heat as energy, ultimately limiting the impact of human actions on climate change and conserving Earth's ecological systems.

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  Measuring Perceptions of Various Forms of Rehabilitation and Re-entry Programs on Various Types of Offenders and Reducing the Likelihood of Recidivism: A Qualitative Study of Criminal Justice Professionals in Ohio

  Jasmine H. Riechmann

  Research suggests that rehabilitation and reentry programs reduce rates of recidivism for various types of offenders. The study, based on the constructivist paradigm, will use a phenomenological strategy to explain criminal justice professionals’ perceptions of rehabilitation and reentry programs. Participants with experience working with at-risk populations in Ohio were selected for inclusion in the study. Participant experiences and feedback were analyzed to answer the research questions posed in the study. Data collected from each interview and the researcher’s field notes were compared to identify themes.

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  Meredith Grenci: Artist Talk

  Meredith R. Grenci

  I have always had an innate understanding of and love for color. My appreciation of the human figure came after, when I was introduced to a figure drawing class at the University of Dayton. This fascination, along with developmental experiences, has nourished my artistic curiosities, and led me to focus on the versatile nature of color throughout my figurative pieces.Aiming to explore the dynamic human identity, my body of artwork touches on themes of a modern global pandemic. Focusing on the emotional side of human disposition and likeness, my paintings and sculptures demonstrate how figurative imagery is a testimony to cultural change. Through my creative process, the crossover between the human experience and the tactile nature of fine art is brought to light, and beams from within the finalized piece; the method constitutes ‘bringing the figure out of the darkness.’ This is achieved by using a layering technique with mixed media to build the figure up and out of the ground, the canvas. Adopting the concept of ‘painting’ as a philosophy toward two-dimensional media application has enabled me to communicate more effectively through art. The implementation of a step by step creative process results in multi-dimensional imagery, emphasizing visual depth.Ultimately, by exploring culture and figurative imagery, my body of work becomes a sign of the times and an outlet for storytelling. It serves to render society in an interpretive way, and prompts viewers to develop a response from the heart, rooted in ‘pathos.’

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  MGI International LLC

  Erin Marie Cavrak, Jack Mcguire, Jack William Purcell, Ashley M. Shaffer

  CRM Development & Launch New York, NY

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  Micronutrient Interactions and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

  Cara Nicole Confer, Kathleen Maireid Curran, Haley Marie Stewart

  Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by insulin resistance, and thus disruption blood glucose homeostasis. Obesity is one of its main risk factors. Type 2 diabetes requires lifestyle change and weight loss to help improve insulin sensitivity. Research suggests many possible interactions between micronutrients and diabetes, displaying how they play a role in prevention and treatment. The goal of this presentation is to discuss and explain these interactions between diabetes and various related micronutrients. A concept map will be used to present the interactions between the nutrients and their relationship to diabetes.

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  Mid Century Androgyny

  Jessica Nicole Williams

  The constant availability of modern technology encourages society to resist moments of meditation. In hopes of creating a shift in this interaction, I am focusing on functional pottery and giving them glory. I am exploring various ways of incorporating my androgyny, searching for a balance of hard and soft, geometric and organic. The journey of finding this balance is a reflection of my struggles with gender and self-image, embodying masculine and feminine energy searching for existence of both without abundance of one. I find the linear quality of mid-century modern aesthetic to be a compliment to the organic, feminine energy I'm channeling. The childhood memories attached to this aesthetic are something I treasure, reminding me of times where we were together and so present. I am looking to encourage this presence through my functional work, to invite community and conversation into a home space.

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  mir-277 Targets Hid to Ameliorate Aβ42-mediated Neurodegeneration in Drosophila Eye Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

  Prajakta D. Deshpande

  Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an age-related progressive neurodegenerative disorder, exhibits reduced cognitive functions with no cure to date. One of the reasons for AD is the extracellular accumulation of Amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) plaques. Misexpression of human Aβ42 in the developing retina of Drosophila exhibits AD-like neuropathology. Accumulation of Aβ42 plaque(s) triggers aberrant signaling resulting in neuronal cell death by unknown mechanism(s). We screened for microRNAs which post-transcriptionally regulate expression of genes by degrading mRNA of the target genes. In a forward genetic screen using miRNAs, we identified mir-277 as a genetic modifier of Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration. Gain-of-function of mir-277 rescues Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration whereas loss-of-function of mir-277 enhances Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration. Moreover, misexpression of higher levels of mir-277 in the GMR>Aβ42 background restores the retinal axonal targeting indicating functional rescue. Furthermore, we have identified head involution defective (hid) as one of the targets of mir-277 by Fly TargetScan and validated by luciferase assay and qPCR. The hid transcript levels are decreased by one third when mir-277 is misexpressed in the GMR>Aβ42 background in comparison to the GMR>Aβ42 fly model. Here we provide a mechanism of how mir-277 modulates Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration by regulating hid transcript levels and demonstrate its neuroprotective role in Aβ42-mediated neuropathology.

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  Modeling and Visualization of Brownian Motion with Python

  Jiahe Song

  Brownian motion is widely used in the field of physics, mathematics, and economics, refers to the random motion of particles in a fluid, such as smoke particles in a gas. This study models and visualizes the Brownian motion in two dimensions by using random walk process and python visual package respectively. The final program performs a million steps of random walk process in a finite size lattice.

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  Modeling the Oscillation of a Belousov–Zhabotinsky Reaction

  Wyatt Norman Lee

  In the late 20th Century, physicist Ilya Prigogine formulated a mathematical model of chemical oscillators, also known as autocatalytic reactions. He named this model the ‘Brusselator’ after his home town of Brussels. The two equations of the Brusselator model of a Belousov–Zhabotinsky Reaction consist of two constants, a and b, and two variables, denoted x and y in this project, which represent the concentrations of the two chemicals in the reaction. The ordinary differential equations of this model will be solved using numerical methods in the Python programming language, specifically utilizing the Bulirsch–Stoer algorithm to do so. A plot of the solutions will be provided to gain a more intuitive understanding of the reaction taking place.

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  Montessori School Structures: Benefits for Student Development and Learning

  Sarah W. Stuckert

  This presentation explores the structure of Montessori schools where students guide their own learning. This method of teaching guided by Marie Montessori’s philosophy is believed to instill greater independence and executive functioning in students and is associated with higher standardized test scores and in class exam performance. The Montessori method is utilized for all grade levels, ranging from preschool to high school. For the preschool and elementary ages, it is believed to increase brain development. For middle school ages, it is believed to increase a drive for learning. Finally for high school ages, it is believed to increase self-esteem. With the structure of student-guided learning, these developments are likely to result. However, in-depth investigation of different studies determined that there is a discrepancy amongst the benefit outcomes.

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  Motivation Behind Over Involvement at Small Private Institutions

  Mathew Perry

  Students are encouraged to pursue professional and social opportunities during their undergraduate career but some students have the tendency to over commit themselves to these opportunities. This research seeks to understand the motivation behind these students when it comes to these students’ over involvement by asking: 1.)What are the motivations behind over involvement in students at small private institutions? 2.) How would students define over involvement? Utilizing a phenomenological qualitative approach, the researcher conducted interviews with undergraduate students from two small private institutions. The results indicate that students' motivation behind over involvement varies between each student and that there is a similarity between the two small private institutions. Most of the students’ motivation is driven by external influences. This study can be further utilized to understand over involvement at other institution types as well as helping student affairs practitioners understand how to help students that they would consider over involved.

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  Multi Vehicle Recognition, Tracking and Counting

  Avinash Beerelli

  Traffic congestion has become a major problem in the cities which are expanding at a rapid rate, making it way for looking at intelligent traffic systems. It is also rising and contributing to issues like wasted fuel, increased cost of transportation, greenhouse gas emissions, and safety as well. There are a number of solutions available which focus on reducing traffic congestion and improve traffic flow by vehicle detection, tracking and counting. In the proposed project we adopt artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to automatically analyze ongoing traffic condition in real time, detect the vehicles and their classification, such as cars, trucks, buses, or motorbikes. In addition, we are tracking the vehicles along multiple cameras in the city.

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  Music Therapy Approaches and Methods with Children Ages 8-12 Who Have Had Adverse Childhood Experiences

  Stephanie Elaine Kozol

  There is research stating that children who have had Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), as described by Felitti et al. (1998), can develop significant relationships with music (Fairchild & Mraz, 2018; Stuart, 2018; Zanders, 2012). For children who have experienced ACEs, music can provide a medium for self-expression, an escape from reality, a way to process challenging events, and other coping mechanisms. Although music therapy clinical resources for this age group are scarce, it seems that music therapy has potential to increase quality of life for children ages 8-12 affected by ACEs. Through interviews with three music therapists, considerations for best music therapy practices with this clientele are described with particular consideration given to salient treatment themes. This study provides resources that can improve the quality of music therapy as trauma treatment for children who have had ACEs, as well as equip current and future clinicians with insights and perspectives to advocate for expanded music therapy services for children with ACEs.

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  Neuromorphic Adaptive Resonance Theory for One-Shot Online Learning and Network Security

  Md Shahanur Alam

  In this work, we present an one shot learning system capable of online learning for network intrusion detection. Adaptive resonance theory is implemented in custom low power memristor-based neuromorphic hardware. The system is capable of discriminating with existing knowledge to learn incrementally. To determine the winning neuron, the winner takes all circuit is implemented with CMOS and a capacitor. The timing of charging the winning capacitor was found in nanosecond range. The performance of the system was evaluated on both previously known and zero-day datasets. The detection accuracy using zero-day packets is 99.97%, and 99.99% for the known attacks. Furthermore, the system was tested using various vigilance parameters and learning rates. The variation of threshold voltage across the capacitor was also investigated to observe the effect on learning and detection accuracy.