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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
A Computer Based Detection Of Lung Nodules In Chest
A Computer Based Detection Of Lung Nodules In Chest
Stander Symposium Projects
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancerous disease in the United States. Lung cancer usually exhibits its presence with the formation of pulmonary nodules. Nodules are round or oval-shaped growth present in the lung. Chest radiographs are used by radiologists to detect and treat such nodules, but nodules are quite difficult to detect with human eye and are sometimes misinterpreted with lesions present. Thus, automated analysis of such data is very essential and would be of valuable help in lung cancer screening. A new Computer Aided Detection (CAD) system in chest radiography is proposed in this paper. The algorithmic …
A Semi-Empirical Prediction Model For The Discharge Line Temperature Of Hermetic Compressors
A Semi-Empirical Prediction Model For The Discharge Line Temperature Of Hermetic Compressors
Stander Symposium Projects
Predicting the discharge line temperature (DLT) of air conditioning and refrigeration compressors is important to ensure sufficient lubricant properties and proper performance of components that are positioned in the exhaust stream.Numerous comprehensive prediction models have been developed with excellent accuracy, but require many details of a particular compressor. This paper assesses various DLT prediction methods that do not compressor-specific parameters. It presents a semi-empirical model with a accuracy that significantly exceeds the other established methods. The model is applied to both traditional refrigeration and vapor-injected, economizer cycles. Lastly, a study was conducted to determine the relationship between the accuracy of …
An Empirical Analysis Of The Relationship Between S&P Sector Price Movements And Industrial Production
Stander Symposium Projects
In this study I want to extend the empirical research of the Chen, Ross, and Roll in the late 1980’s by reexamining the relationship between industrial activity and the stock market.* My approach differs from theirs in that I will use the 10 S&P 500 sectors rather than the overall market indexes to analyze price movements. My period of analysis will be 2002-2013, with 2013 an out-of-sample period. Within the sample period, there are 3 distinct market phases that can be clearly identified. First, there is the upswing period of 2002-2007. Next, there is the downswing period of 2008-1st quarter …
3d Anomaly Detection Using Structure From Motion
3d Anomaly Detection Using Structure From Motion
Stander Symposium Projects
We present a 3D anomaly detection technique designed to support various applications in changing environmental conditions. The novelty of the work lies in our approach of creating an illumination invariant system tasked with detecting anomalies in a changing environment. Previous efforts have focused on image enhancement techniques that manipulate the intensity values of the image to create a more controlled and unnatural illumination. Since most applications require detecting anomalies in a scene irrespective of the time of day, (lighting conditions or weather conditions present at the time of the frame capture), image enhancement algorithms fail to suppress the illumination differences …
A Room Full Of Rocking Chairs: Urban Appalachian Student Experiences In Community College
A Room Full Of Rocking Chairs: Urban Appalachian Student Experiences In Community College
Stander Symposium Projects
Urban Appalachian college students (UACS) face cultural and institutional barriers that impact their ability to persist and complete college. Designed to explore UACS experiences at a large urban community college, this study provides insight into Appalachian culture and identity as they impact their success in higher education. UACSs are more likely to come from a low-income family, and be the first in their family to attend college. First-generation college students more often lack the social and cultural capital needed to successfully navigate college, further increasing the risk of failure (Bradbury, 2009). Colleges and universities must seek out ways to improve …
A Performance Analysis Of Concentrated Portfolios Of High Quality Stocks Over The Highly Volatile Market Period Of 2007 – 2013
Stander Symposium Projects
A number of investment managers use high quality stocks as a key to their investment strategy. In this study I want to look at the relative performance of concentrated portfolios (25-30 stocks) of high quality stocks compared to the S&P 500 (i.e. the benchmark portfolio). Using the S&P’s quality ratings of A- through A+, I developed the following concentrated portfolios: (1) Mega Large Cap (2) Large Cap and (3) Mid-Cap. Two time periods are evaluated performance wise: (1) 12-31-07 – 12-31-13 and (2) 3-31-09 – 12-31-13. The 07-13 time interval includes the steep down swing period in the market which …
An Interactive Robust Artificial Intelligence-Based Defense Electro Robot (Raider) Using A Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera
Stander Symposium Projects
The Vision Lab’s Robust Artificial Intelligence-based Defense Electro Robot (RAIDER) is an integrated electro-mechanical system equipped with an onboard processor and numerous imaging sensors. The RAIDER is built upon the Clearpath Husky A200 mobile base. In a multidisciplinary effort, the newly constructed robotic body houses the onboard laptop, GPU processor, LAN, IP cameras, and Kinect sensors. In our previous experiments and efforts, we shown the capability of computing a 3D model of the surrounding scene from motion imagery. We have tested autonomous navigation algorithms in which the RAIDER was to follow a particular person in a crowded environment. Algorithmic enhancements …
Advancing Segmentation Techniques For Rigid-Body Shape-Changing Mechanism Design Specific To Variable Geometry Extrusion Dies
Stander Symposium Projects
This research is part of a larger project on designing extrusion dies that create parts with complex variation in cross section. The research presented is on segmentation theory, the realization of a set of rigid bodies and joints that best approximate a set of curves that define a shape change. These curves differ from each other by a combination of planar displacement, shape variation, and notable differences in arc length. Among various shape-changing technologies, rigid-body mechanisms composed of traditional machine elements offer many advantages including carrying large loads while achieving large displacements. Although some of the theory for synthesizing rigid-body …
Advanced Image Processing For Automatic Pipeline Right-Of-Way Threat Detection
Advanced Image Processing For Automatic Pipeline Right-Of-Way Threat Detection
Stander Symposium Projects
Rapid advances made in the area of camera and sensor technology has enabled the use of video acquisition systems to monitor the right-of-way of pipelines. Huge amount of data is thus made available for analysis. However, it would be very expensive to employ analysts to scan through the data and identify threats to the right-of-way in the vast amount of wide area imagery. This warrants the deployment of an automated mechanism that is able to detect threats to the right-of-way and send out warnings in the event of detection of a threat. A novel algorithmic framework for the robust detection …
Research Exercise: Analyzing Shield Law Cases In The Midwest
Research Exercise: Analyzing Shield Law Cases In The Midwest
Stander Symposium Projects
Most states have enacted shield laws that allow journalists to protect the identities of confidential sources. The federal government has considered a federal shield law several times over the years but has yet to enact such legislation. These papers analyze how state courts determine who is and who is not a journalist under states’ shield laws. Also considered is whether the press can legally refuse to identify anonymous commentators on news organizations’ websites.
Research Exercise: Analyzing The Actual Malice Standard In New York And Virginia Defamation Cases
Research Exercise: Analyzing The Actual Malice Standard In New York And Virginia Defamation Cases
Stander Symposium Projects
Public figures suing the press for defamation must show that the journalist acted with knowledge that the material was false or recklessly disregarded evidence of the truth. This is what is known as actual malice. These papers analyze the actual malice standard as applied in defamation cases against the press in New York and Virginia state courts. Also considered are the circumstances under which actual malice would be required in a defamation case brought against a blogger.
But It's A Party School: The Impact Of Alcohol Culture On Student Initial College Choice
But It's A Party School: The Impact Of Alcohol Culture On Student Initial College Choice
Stander Symposium Projects
While many aspects can affect a student’s decision to attend a specific institution, a college’s alcohol culture can have a positive or negative effect on student choice. Research explains one of the biggest aspects to aid in a students’ decision to attend a university is the perception of alcohol culture on campus (Parker, 2009). Lifestyle choices can also affect this decision. Therefore, there is a need for an examination of why students select a college based on perceived drinking culture of that institution. This study will offer an insight into why first-year students in the fall of 2013 decided to …
An Empirical Study Of The Relationship Between Stock Market Price Movements And Macro Financial Conditions, 2001-2013
Stander Symposium Projects
Since the early 90's, a number of financial condition indexes have been developed to determine future movementsin the non-financial sectors of the economy. In this study, I use the Kansas City Federal Reserve's index of financial Stress (KCFSI) to study the relationship between market and sector price movements and macro financial conditions. The periods of analysis are :(1)2001-2012), (2) 2003-2007,(3) 2009-2012). The long run period includes two recessions and two sustained periods of economic growth. The two short run periods represent economic rebound periods after the recessions. Using uni-variate regression models regress KCFSI on Spy, the S&P 500 ETF, as …
All The Single Ladies: Romantic Partnering And Its Influence On The Self-Esteem Of Female College Students
Stander Symposium Projects
As college students understand and vocalize their needs, supports, and decisions, they begin to believe in their own choices and build confidence and self-esteem. Early on in their undergraduate years, many female students define themselves by their social relationships and cannot separate themselves from whom they are associated with. Thus, those in a committed romantic relationship may have more validation and support for fostering self-esteem than those who are not romantically involved. The current study seeks to understand the relationship between 250undergraduate female students’ levels of self-esteem and romantic partnerships, and projected changes if the relationship status were to change. …
Community Despite Contingency: Working Together, Achieving Together
Community Despite Contingency: Working Together, Achieving Together
Stander Symposium Projects
In the changing context of higher education, many faculty members are experiencing an increased workload, more accountability, fewer resources, and a changing student demographic (Eddy & Garza-Mitchell, 2012), which can result in a faculty who feels overworked and disconnected. Learning Communities have been used as a way to meet the needs of faculty members by developing a sense of community and reinvigorating their scholarship of teaching (Cox, 2004). While learning communities can work well for faculty, the largest growing subset of the professoriate, adjunct faculty, often do not have this support. Adjunct faculty are generally not satisfied with the support …
Research Exercise: Google/Multi-National Corporations, International Surveillance, And Human Rights
Research Exercise: Google/Multi-National Corporations, International Surveillance, And Human Rights
Stander Symposium Projects
The many news reports on cyber security, identity theft, Wikileaks, and NSA intelligence gathering programs over the past few years have shown the international community that the World Wide Web is anything but a safe place to store sensitive information, or any information for that matter. This study will examine how closely multi-national corporations in the information technology sector, such as Google, are involved with national governments on these issues. The study will analyze events in the U.S. and China and attempt to uncover whether or not these have directly infringed upon peoples’ basic human rights.
Research Exercise: Biopsy Report Turnaround Time Analysis
Research Exercise: Biopsy Report Turnaround Time Analysis
Stander Symposium Projects
The purpose of this proposal is to present the University of Dayton project management group’s plan of optimization methods. The optimization methods are to improve efficiency of the lab reporting techniques and retrieval at the University of Cincinnati's Dermatology Lab. Currently, the time from the date the biopsy is completed to the date the report is posted and available to the client and physician is too long. While the average time the results are reported is around six days, it is not uncommon for the results not to be posted for over a week or more. The program management group …
Research Exercise: Dimensions Of Support In Schools
Research Exercise: Dimensions Of Support In Schools
Stander Symposium Projects
Standards for the teaching profession emphasize the importance of awareness, understanding, and integration into practice of current research in education. The goal of EDT 110 H1 class project was to present synthesis of related literature on pertinent topics to P-12 education, specifically dimensions of support in schools.
Dmso And Temperature Contributions To Synthesis Of Silver Nano-Particles By The Bacterium Shewanella Oneidensis
Stander Symposium Projects
Nanomaterial are widely used in different areas such as optical device, drug delivery, chemicals, mechanics, magnetics, catalysis, energy science, Nano therapeutics and space industries depend on the special physical properties. However, most methods to produce nanoparticles are expensive or environmental unfriendly which can involve in toxic chemical. Another reason is that the nanoparticles from bio-based protocols are hydrophilic which is compatible with biological materials. In this project, we chose Shewanella oneidensis which is Gram-negative bacterium as the organism to produce sliver nanoparticles from sliver nitrate solution. The mechanism of bacterial of ion metal ion reduction to stable metal nanoparticles is …
Research Exercise: Ethos Earthen Stoves In Rural Africa
Research Exercise: Ethos Earthen Stoves In Rural Africa
Stander Symposium Projects
This will explain the unique application of earthen stoves in varying rural communities. Presenting the challenges of available resources, balance of efficiency, and the trade offs in comparison to the traditional 3-stone fire. This poster is the pre-work for the upcoming ETHOS summer immersions in Malawi and Uganda.
Research Exercise: Ethos A Translation Of Bio-Digestion Of Human Waste Across Continents
Research Exercise: Ethos A Translation Of Bio-Digestion Of Human Waste Across Continents
Stander Symposium Projects
Taking an existing technology in one region and transplanting it successfully in another region. The is pre-work to an upcoming ETHOS immersion in Managua, Nicaragua.
Embodied Cognition: A Study Of Social Loneliness Compensation By Physical Warmth
Embodied Cognition: A Study Of Social Loneliness Compensation By Physical Warmth
Stander Symposium Projects
The following study investigated embodied cognition and its effect on social loneliness compensation with physical warmth. Bargh and Shalev (2012) were able to support the notion of embodied cognition—our thoughts depend on our bodies and vice versa—suggesting that a socially lonely person will compensate for their loneliness with physical warmth, specifically warmer, more frequent and longer showers or baths. This also suggests an unconscious self-mechanism for the body and mind to self-regulate. This study also investigates embodied cognition in regard to social loneliness compensation with physical warmth, and also a further proposal that a person with higher sensitivity to their …
Research Exercise: Fund Allocation Strategies For Etfs: A Contrarian Approach
Research Exercise: Fund Allocation Strategies For Etfs: A Contrarian Approach
Stander Symposium Projects
In this study, I evaluate a portfolio weighting strategy called inverse relative price strength (IRPS). This weighting strategy gives higher weights to ETFs with lower prices relative to some benchmark price. The benchmark price is the Russell 3000 Index. IRPS is dynamic in that the weights change as relative prices change. The six ETFs evaluated in this study are large cap growth, mid cap growth, small cap growth, large cap value, mid cap value, and small cap value. As mentioned above, all of these ETFs trade on the market like individual stocks but are constructed in such a way that …
Exercise And Birth Outcomes In Lower Socioeconomic Groups
Exercise And Birth Outcomes In Lower Socioeconomic Groups
Stander Symposium Projects
Using the National Maternal and Infant Health Survey, this study will examine the impact of exercise on birth outcomes, specifically infant weight and infant death before one year. Results of this study will then be extended to pregnant women in lower socioeconomic groups and how programs could further improve birth outcomes and quality of life for women and children in this demographic.
Examination Of Host Range Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Phages Ut1, Sn-T, And Pev@ For Treatment Of Bacterial Biofilms In Fuels
Stander Symposium Projects
Biofilms are slimy substances made up of bacteria that attach to surfaces. Biofilms can be found in natural settings (rocks in streams) and man-made environments (hospital catheters, pipelines). Biofilms are also found in aviation fuel tanks, causing physical issues such as clogging in fuel lines and changing the chemical makeup of the fuel via bacterial metabolism. Bacterial viruses, known as phage, show potential for reducing biofilms through phage therapy. The goal is to find a phage or combination of phage with a broad host range that would be most effective in reducing the biofilms of bacteria isolated from fuel tanks. …
Heat Transfer Coefficient Correlations For Pumparound Sections Of Petroleum Fractionation Towers
Heat Transfer Coefficient Correlations For Pumparound Sections Of Petroleum Fractionation Towers
Stander Symposium Projects
The accuracy of several empirical correlations for estimating heat transfer coefficients within pumparound sections of atmospheric and vacuum petroleum fractionation towers was investigated. The heat transfer coefficients were estimated according to the C.F. Braun correlation for trayed pumparounds and the atmospheric and vacuum Glitsch correlations for packed pumparounds. From these correlations, heat transfer coefficients were estimated for 43 different petroleum fractionator pumparounds based on operating data gathered from nine refineries around the globe. The accuracy of the correlations was evaluated by comparing the estimated heat transfer coefficients to actual values calculated from operating data. Results showed that while the C.F. …
Research Exercise: Human Trafficking Within The International Community And Modern Society
Research Exercise: Human Trafficking Within The International Community And Modern Society
Stander Symposium Projects
This research project will examine the issue of human trafficking, its impact on global society, and the international responses to the crime. It will provide an overview of the scope and scale of human trafficking and examine its impact on the world of international crime. Current national level and international preventative measures will be assessed. US State Department data on human trafficking in countries in various regions of the world will be used for this analysis.
Its Snowing: A New Outlook On Motion-Induced Blindness
Its Snowing: A New Outlook On Motion-Induced Blindness
Stander Symposium Projects
Motion-induced blindness occurs when an unchanging part of the visual field that is stationary relative to the fovea perceptually disappears when, in fact, the stimulus is still present. It was originally thought to be related to the fact that a target stimulus is stationary while other objects in the visual field are uniformly moving, hence the name of the phenomenon. However, it has since been established that motion, per se, is not necessary for motion-induced blindness to occur and that motion-induced blindness can occur in the presence of any type of uniform change, such as a collection of lights getting …
Improving Female Science Scores Through Stem Curriculum
Improving Female Science Scores Through Stem Curriculum
Stander Symposium Projects
Currently in education there is a stress on career readiness. Specifically in science education, teachers are expected to educate their students not only on science concepts but also careers that involve Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). According to the United States Department of Education (2013), the United States is falling behind on mathematics and science education, ranking 25th and 17th in the world. These numbers must increase in order to prepare students for success in STEM fields as they graduate. One approach teachers use to ensure that students are well versed in the STEM fields is STEM education. In …
Party Building: Factors To Encourage Third Party Support Among 18-24 Year Olds
Party Building: Factors To Encourage Third Party Support Among 18-24 Year Olds
Stander Symposium Projects
Third parties have always existed within American politics, yet have never claimed the ultimate political victory: the Presidency. Third parties often enjoy support from single issue voters, a strong, concentrated group of serious devotees, but they often fail to attract more consistent backing similar to that enjoyed by the two major parties. A major source of third party patronage is also found on the university campus, yet this support often fades shortly after college. Using survey data, this thesis analyzes the potential impact party building and media campaign strategies would have on third parties in gaining the lasting support of …