Criminal Prosecution of Substance Use During Pregnancy: An Examination of Judicial and Public Perceptions

As substance use disorders continue to impact society, the number of women who misuse substances during pregnancy has increased. The resulting growing prevalence of neonatal withdrawal has medical, legal, and child welfare implications. However, approaches to intervention have been met with a significant lack of consensus among treatment providers, the general public, policymakers, and the legal system. This study examined judges’ and the general public’s opinions on a legal and child welfare approach to prenatal substance use. Participants in the judge sample (N = 175), which consisted of United States judges who preside over state-level court, were randomized to one of three prenatal substance use conditions: 1) alcohol; 2) benzodiazepine; and 3) prescription opioid. Participants in the general public sample (N = 467), which consisted of voting-eligible United States citizens, were randomized to one of four conditions: 1) alcohol; 2) benzodiazepine; 3) prescription opioid; and 4) heroin. Overall, only 37.7% of judges recommended that the mother be criminally prosecuted after giving birth to a child with NAS, whereas the majority of the general public (72.2%) recommended prosecution. General public participants were significantly more likely to recommend ongoing monitoring for a woman who used benzodiazepines and loss of custody for a woman who used heroin. Significant differences in child welfare and criminal prosecution outcomes did not emerge among the judge sample as a function of type of substance use. Implications for research, policy, legal practice, and rehabilitation are discussed.Ph.D., Psychology -- Drexel University, 201

Interweaving Narrative and Gameplay to Cultivate Empathy for Anxiety and Depression

Mono no Aware, a single-player narrative-driven game, was developed to generate empathy for the mental and physical effects of anxiety and depression. Utilizing narrative, aesthetics, and design, the game’s core loop describes the experience of having anxiety and depression, while introducing common process therapy techniques as coping strategies. In this game, we developed a unique game mechanic of rewiring the brain as a way to mesh both narrative and gameplay together.M.S., Digital Media -- Drexel University, 201

Advanced Solver Development for Large-Scale Dynamic Building System Simulation

Efficiently, robustly and accurately solving large and sparse nonlinear algebraic and differential equation system for dynamic building simulation is becoming more and more essential due to increasing demands to simulate large-scale problems for multiple buildings coupled with various levels of strength either through the smart grid or other means, such as district heating/cooling and shared distributed energy resources. This study is interested in advancing solving techniques that either improve the quality and efficiency of a dynamic building simulation model generically or improve the performance of the underlying equation solver. Nowadays, many commonly used tools for dynamic building system simulation still employ direct Newton methods. These methods are not only lack of convergence for stiff problems or cold starts, but also fail to meet the increased memory requirements associated with large-scale problems or more specific issues that arise in problems where the nonlinear equations resulted from the discretization of an underlying engineering differential equation. Therefore, a Newton-Krylov method that satisfies the computational need for large-scale dynamic building system simulation is investigated. An ideal preconditioner and an automatic update scheme are employed to ensure fast and robust simulation by way of the Newton-Krylov method. In addition to the comparison study focuses on the numerical solution methods, a generic function smoothing technique for the rare occasion that discontinuous functions are encountered is also investigated. Four testbeds, namely, 4Z5B, 4Z1B, 12Z5B, and 40Z5B, are developed in an HVACSIM+ environment to evaluate the advancement techniques. All testbeds simulate the airflow and thermal behaviour of building zones (from four zones, 4Z, to forty zones, 40Z) that are served by air handling unit (AHU) and variable air volume (VAV) systems. 4Z5B and 4Z1B testbeds simulate the same building system with the same number of equations but with different equation groupings while 4Z5B. 12Z5B and 40Z5B testbeds have the same equation grouping but are corresponding to very different building system sizes (four, twelve, and forty zones, respectively) and therefore different numbers of equations to be solved. The following tasks are completed and summarized in this report: (1) Develop numerical testbeds to evaluate solution methods and techniques. (2) Investigate potential numerical issues in a typical dynamic building system simulation model and seek generic techniques to improve the quality of the model. (3) Examine the performance of a Newton-Krylov method on solving dynamic building system simulation equations. (4) Improve the performance of the Newton-Krylov method by developing and employing proper preconditioning techniques. (5) Investigate potential strategies to construct physics-based preconditioners. (6) Investigate the impact of finite difference step size in Jacobian approximation on the performance of dynamic building system simulation. The major numerical issue found in the testbeds mentioned above is the discontinuity of the simple coil component model. A generic smoothing technique is employed to improve the performance of the discontinuous simple coil component model, and the smoothed model results in a more stable and more accurate solution. A Newton-Krylov method is employed to increase the computational speed of a large-scale simulation. However, the direct implementation of the Newton-Krylov method results in stability issues. Therefore, a preconditioned Newton-Krylov method that employs the ideal preconditioner and an automatic update scheme is developed in this study, referred to as INB-PSGMRES(m). This method performs as robust as the default Powell's Hybrid (PH) method in HVACSIM+ while saving a significant amount of computational time. Its computational time saving against the PH method is at least 49.7%, 91.8%, 88.7%, and 97.1% for 4Z5B, 4Z1B, 12Z5B, and 40Z5B testbeds, respectively. It is found that because of the employment of preconditioning, two important parameters of the INB-PSGMRES(m) method, i.e., the forcing term and the restarting parameter, have little impact on the simulation performance. A few potential partitioning strategies for developing a physics-based preconditioner are investigated. Due to the strong coupling of mass flow rates and pressures between each nodal point of the airflow network system, it is difficult to construct an effective physics-based preconditioner for the airflow network of an AHU-VAV system. On the other hand, the thermal network can be effectively exploited. A preconditioner that targets the coil related equations is found effective at reducing the condition number of the Jacobian (which typically leads to fast linear convergence in a Krylov method) due to the high nonlinearity of the coil component model and its strong impact on the temperature and humidity in the HVAC system. Four finite difference step sizes for the Jacobian approximation and four finite difference step sizes for the Jacobian-vector approximation are investigated. For the Jacobian approximation, the current finite difference step size employed by HVACSIM+ is effective for the operating period. Its performance can be improved for the nonoperating period by adding a lower bound to the finite difference step size.Ph.D., Architectural Engineering -- Drexel University, 201

Developing the High-Resolution Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) 3D Jet Printing System for Thermoplastic Materials

Three-Dimensional Printing (3DP) is a versatile method that has been quickly developed within the past few decades to become a robust tool widely applied in many fields such as prototyping, constructions, food industry, electronic industry, biomedical applications and modeling for casting. 3DP simplifies the manufacturing process allowing production of complex shaped parts. Several types of 3DP methods exist one of which is electrohydrodynamic (EHD) 3DP. This method can have applications in both the electronic and biomedical industry as it can meet the needs of these industries due to its high-resolution printing capabilities. The high voltage applied in EHD 3DP results in sub 10 μm printing for each printed line allowing for overall high resolution in the final printed product. In EHD 3DP either pneumatic or mechanic pressure can be applied to the syringe to deposit a continuous flow of droplets out from the nozzle. In this work, using the EHD 3DP method, we do not apply any back pressure to our material tube where the only force applied is an electric field force originating from the applied high voltage. In this thesis, the mechanical properties and axial movement capabilities of the High Resolution EHD 3D Jet Printer were developed and improved. Furthermore, the relationship between printing parameters (velocity of the moving platform, temperature of the heating control unit and applied high voltage causing the electric field) and resolution of printing were analyzed in order to define the ideal printing parameters for the desired printing model of a polycaprolactone (PCL) thermoplastic. Finally, results of the tests are given within their corresponding tables and graphs along with a conclusion of the effect of printing parameters.M.S., Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics -- Drexel University, 201

Environmental Music Performance, Music Medicine, and Environmental Music Therapy: Contributions to Aesthetics in the Hospital Environment

Noise has negative effects on a person’s physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing, especially for patients in medical settings. Woodward’s (2004) survey of hospitalized patients indicated perceptions of a lack of beauty and aesthetics in the inpatient setting. The most common negative aspect that has been found is noise in hospitals (O'Neill & Moss, 2014). Evidence shows that music structured intentionally can promote psychological movement, activate brain reward systems and promote pleasant emotions (Nolan, 2013; Lumley et al., 2011). Using live music can meet safety concerns and best promote emotional and physical responses of patients (Loewy, 2009). Music also serves to move patients’ attention away from negative stimuli to something more joyful and comfortable (Thoma et al., 2015). This capstone review thesis focuses on music-related methods to improve beauty and aesthetics in inpatient settings, including Environmental Music Performance, Music Medicine, and Environmental Music Therapy (EMT) techniques. It also includes a program proposal for incorporating music and music therapy interventions to improve the aesthetic experience in the inpatient medical setting.M.A., Music Therapy and Counseling -- Drexel University, 201

The creation of a tool to aid in health material selection for interior designers

There has been an increasing number of humans diagnosed with medical conditions such as asthma, obesity, depression, and attention disorders and many of these conditions can be attributed to exposure to materials installed in interior environments that contain ingredients harmful to humans. Despite designers having general knowledge about a products dangerous tendencies, these products are still being specified in projects such as hospitals, schools, and offices. These spaces are often intended to help humans heal, while the materials that surround them are making them sick. After initially focusing my studies on biophilic design, I began to focus on the materials being used in interior spaces before continuing onto nature-based design. These spaces cannot be biophilic if they contain copious amounts of chemicals to achieve the biophilic “aesthetic”. I plan to investigate interior materials further to understand their core ingredients and what effects they have, as well as find suitable replacements for them.M.S., Design Research -- Drexel University, 201

Designing Physical Spaces for Digital Objects: Creating a Display for Augmented Reality, Centered Around the Interpretation of Paleolithic Art

In this paper we explore a multi-disciplined approach in designing and building a diorama optimized for the displaying digital objects via augmented reality. We explore the design choices, materials and programs used with the end goal of creating an engaging display which manipulates viewer movement. The current state of museum dioramas and augmented reality is discussed, as well as Prehistoric art’s influence on the design.M.S., Digital Media -- Drexel University, 201

Disaster Preparedness and Recovery: How Arts Organizations Can Re-Engage the Community Through Arts-Driven Initiatives After a Natural or Human-Made Disaster

This thesis explores the impact of large-scale natural and human-made disasters primarily on communities across the United States, and how arts organizations can use arts-driven initiatives as a tool for disaster relief. Included in this analysis, is the look at some current relationship between arts leaders and administrators within nonprofit arts organizations and their communities, strategies for resilience, interviews with arts leaders who responded to disasters within their community by using the arts, and survey results with arts leaders and emergency personnel across the United States. These sources provide evidence to show that arts organizations and those living in the surrounding area(s), often experience multiple layers of loss because of large-scale natural and human-made disasters, including emotional loss. The research shows that arts organizations, through collaborative relationships across different sectors, can provide additional help by leveraging the power of the arts through comprehensive creative placemaking and proactive emergency disaster planning. This thesis discusses areas where arts-driven initiatives can be used as a relief tool to aid in the recovery of impacted communities. I have detailed key takeaways from arts leaders, nonprofits, and emergency relief personnel who have experienced and responded to disaster.M.S., Arts Administration -- Drexel University, 201

Designing a novel immunomodulatory surface modification to promote biomaterial-tissue integration

The foreign body response (FBR) to implanted biomaterials provides a major challenge for successful biomaterial-tissue integration in the body. During the FBR, biomaterials are encapsulated in a collagenous, scar-like capsule that prevents the material from interacting with the surrounding tissue. Ultimately, the biomaterial will fail due to degradation and encapsulation, resulting in the removal and replacement of the implant. The primary culprit of the FBR is macrophages, the primary cell type of the inflammatory response. Macrophages exist on a spectrum of behaviors, typically transitioning from an "M1" pro-inflammatory to "M2" pro-healing phenotype in healthy wound healing. The M2 phenotype can be further broken down into interleukin-4 (IL4) stimulated "M2a" and IL10 stimulated "M2c" macrophages, although the differences between these phenotypes in biomaterial-tissue integration have not been fully elucidated. During the FBR, this phenotypic transition is halted, and macrophages exhibit chronic M1 behavior leading to fibrous capsule formation. While many biomaterial strategies to inhibit chronic M1 behavior and promote the natural M1-to-M2 phenotype switch have been investigated, there is currently no method to inhibit the FBR. Furthermore, methods to temporally control macrophage behavior to prevent chronic responses in either direction have not been successfully implemented. Therefore, the overarching goals of this work were to (1) design an affinity-based cytokine release system to modulate macrophage phenotype over time and (2) test the ability of the drug delivery system using biotin-avidin to temporally modulate macrophage phenotype both in vitro and in vivo. First, an investigation into the M2c phenotype revealed that this phenotype may act at early stages of wound healing, primarily contributing to matrix remodeling. M2c macrophages were found to secrete high quantities of matrix degrading enzymes suggesting that this phenotype may not be beneficial in biomaterial-tissue integration. Comparatively, M2a macrophages have been previously shown to inhibit fibrous capsule formation and promote angiogenesis in the context of biomaterial-tissue integration. Therefore, the M2a polarizing cytokine IL4 was bound to Gelfoam scaffolds, used as a model biomaterial throughout, via the biotin-avidin affinity conjugation system. The biotin avidin system has been previously shown to release proteins over time and has the potential for creating a loadable protein drug delivery system in vitro. However, the ability to modulate macrophage activation by controlling the parameters of the system over time have not been thoroughly investigated. The effects of modulating both the fold molar excess of biotin on the scaffold surface and altering the avidin variants were investigated. Increasing the fold molar excess (FME) of biotin on the scaffold conjugated with CaptAvidin, and not Streptavidin, was shown to decrease IL4 release over time. Additionally, in a similar manner, increasing the FME of biotin on the scaffold with CaptAvidin and IL4 decreased M2a activation in vitro. Scaffolds with low levels of biotinylation in vivo were shown to have the highest reduction in fibrous capsule formation compared to groups with no IL4, adsorbed IL4 or a high degree of biotinylation. However, differences in gene expression signatures of explants were minimal. A more thorough investigation is required to determine the in vivo effects of modified scaffolds on fibrosis and angiogenesis. Overall, modifying scaffolds with biotin-avidin shows great potential in designing immunomodulatory drug delivery systems to control macrophage activation over time. Future studies should focus on utilizing the biotin-avidin system as a loadable cytokine release system to control the M1-to-M2 phenotypic transition which would have significant impact on treating pathologies where this transition is halted, like fibrosis and chronic wounds.Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering -- Drexel University, 201

Urbanization, Climate Change and Food Security in the East Kolkata Wetlands

The East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW), located on the peripheries of the city of Kolkata, is a unique ecosystem that provides several services to the city like food, sanitation, water and livelihood. But as urbanization expands into the EKW, it puts pressure on the ecosystem and its ability to provide these services. The city, home to millions of people, is fighting another battle as well, against climate change, and is considered to be one of the most vulnerable cities in the world in terms of population exposure. This thesis combines the themes of climate change, urbanization and food security of fisherfolk communities in the EKW to create a better understanding of the vulnerabilities faced by the people that rely on the EKW, as well as the risk to the living system itself. Through oral narratives, interviews and visuals of the EKW, this paper highlights how urbanization is affecting the food security of the people who depend on the EKW as well as the potential for climate change to exacerbate the situation. The EKW is a study in contrasts. It is on the forefront of development and urbanization that highlights the differences between what is sustainable and what isn’t, the people who have economic resources and those who don’t, the people who have access to services, infrastructure and resources and those who don’t and the political and social power that often times comes with these resources. Urbanization is a primary threat to the EKW and as climate change puts more pressure on Kolkata’s resources and people, the city lacks a concrete plan to improve the resilience either by utilizing the EKW, protecting it, or developing other resources. In addition to the city’s inability to implement a climate action plan and protect valuable ecosystems, the fisheries of the EKW are seeing differing production levels over the years. The food security and livelihood generation of the vulnerable fisherfolk communities is intricately linked to the existence of this ecosystem and without some amount of government support, community action and resilience building isn’t enough.M.S., Urban Strategy -- Drexel University, 201