A case study of the relationship between rhetoric and practice in a locked institution for children

This is essentially a study of social control processes as they relate to juveniles. It takes the form of a case study which focuses on one institution for children under the age of 16 years. The institution in question is part of a wider system which defines itself as welfare oriented and seeking to act only in `the best interests of the child'. It is distinguished from the majority of other institutions in the system in that its remit is to hold children securely, and to that end it has a prison-like physical design. But within the official rhetoric which describes and rationalises the juvenile justice system, the prison aspects of this particular institution are denied; deprivation of liberty is defined as part of an overall caring process and is justified in terms of the child's need for treatment. This particular use of incarceration and its construction in treatment terms provide a stark example of what is seen in this study as a central conflict within the juvenlile justice system. In the course of the study the conflict emerges at an empirical level as a gap between the system's rhetoric and its practice. The sudy is set within a particular historical and conceptual framework which forms the wider theoretical background to describing and understanding the role of official rhetoric which does not describe or reflect practice within the system. Committal and treatment practices associated with the institution are examined using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The resultant demonstrable gap between rhetoric and practice is considered in the light of relevant historical, conceptual and empirical studies

Asylum Doctor: James Woods Babcock and the Red Plague of Pellagra

Review of the book Asylum Doctor: James Woods Babcock and the Red Plague of Pellagra by Charles S. Bryan. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2014. ISBN 978-1-61117-490-8

Who Killed Betty Gail Brown? Murder, Mistrial, and Mystery

Who Killed Betty Gail Brown? Murder, Mistrial, and Mystery. Robert G. Lawson. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2017. ISBN 978-0-8131-7462-4 (cloth); 978-0-8131-7464-8 (epub); 978-0-8131-7463-1 (epub). $34.95. 216 p

A Questionnaire Survey of Why, How, and What Literature is Being Taught in the Eleventh and Twelfth Grades in the State of Washington

It was the purpose of this study (1) to obtain a cross-section analysis of the eleventh and twelfth grade teachers of literature in the state of Washington; (2) to discover the attitudes of these teaches as to why and how literature should be taught in grades eleven and twelve; (3) to learn how it is actually taught at theses grade levels; (4) to present and analyze these finding; (5) to ascertain which college courses these teachers felt had helped them the most in preparing to teach literature; and (6) to make suggestions that might help the prospective teachers of literature

Perceptions of Female Hiring in Educational Administration in Rural Pennsylvania Public-School Districts as Perceived by School-Board Members

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the selection practices and requirements for administrators in rural Pennsylvania public-school systems. This study examined aspects of the administrative hiring process in order to explain the significant lack of women in the pool of administrators drawn from the rural Pennsylvania school districts. The research question intended to discern whether school-board members perceived gender bias of female applicants as a deterrent in their hiring or whether there was a paucity of female applicants. Method A review of the literature traced the history of education as it pertained to the hiring of women from the 1800s to the present day, including the Federal Glass Ceiling Initiative and the Title IX Act. An author-generated, large-group survey was presented to 45 school-board members on the boards of five different school districts in north-central Pennsylvania. The boards each consisted of nine members. Follow-up interviews consisted of one-to- one personal interviews of a randomly selected group of two members from each of the five school boards. This research was divided into two parts. The survey covered questions regarding the school boards’ hiring policies and perceived gender bias. The follow-up interviews provided a more in-depth questioning of the hiring process and gender issues. Data were triangulated with frequency tables, interview responses, and member checks. Two outside readers read and documented like responses in the follow-up interview. Results Findings of the survey indicated that there are no perceived gender-bias issues in the hiring process of the selected school boards in the rural districts studied. However, responses from females in the follow-up interviews suggest that there have been instances of gender-bias. The common themes that emerged from the study suggest that the disproportionately greater number of male hirings was perceived to be based on the best fit for the job, the rural relocation, and the paucity of female candidates. Conclusion The following conclusions can be drawn from the results of my study. The majority of respondents from the school boards of north-central Pennsylvania do not perceive gender-bias to be an issue in the hiring of female applicants for administrative positions. Most school-board members who participated believed that the rural location and the relocation to rural Pennsylvania may be a factor in how many female applicants apply. The school-board members surveyed felt that there was not adequate in-house candidacy to fill administrative positions. Further studies could address comparing business and educational hiring, the “queen-bee syndrome” of females not hiring other females, the relevance of educational levels and school-board membership’s knowledge of hiring procedures, and a comparison of male vs. female gender issues immediately after their hire in the school district

The analysis of biological fluids for acylcarnitines

This thesis outlines the development and evolution of a method for the analysis of biological fluids for acylcamitines. These compounds are of interest due to their role in the metabolism of fatty acids and their use as indicators of metabolic defects, which have been associated with SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). These compounds are zwitterionic and thermally labile in nature and would not traditionally lend themselves to gas chromatographic - mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis. Described in this thesis is a method whereby lactonisation of the acylcamitine facilitates the volatility required for GC analysis while retaining the side chain identifier to the original acylcamitine for mass spectrometric identification. Using this method it has been possible to characterize acylcamitines which are metabolic indicators, distinguish isomeric acylcamitines chromatographically and show diagnosis of a number of diseases from clinical samples. Sample analysis has been demonstrated for both blood and urine. In the case of urine samples an example has been provided to illustrate the advances in analytical techniques available for these analyses, to show the stability of these compounds in the matrix and the wealth of diagnostic information which can be obtained for an individual sample. The development of a method for the analysis of acylcamitines from blood spots has been detailed. The application of this methodology to a number of disorders of fatty acid metabolism has been illustrated. The extension of the technique to the analysis of dicarboxylic acylcamitines has also been investigated. Finally with advances in modem technology the area of eléctrospray mass spectrometry has been evaluated for the analysis of samples without lactonisation. Results from this investigation are presented

Small food stores and availability of nutritious foods: a comparison of database and in-store measures, Northern California, 2009.

IntroductionSmall food stores are prevalent in urban neighborhoods, but the availability of nutritious food at such stores is not well known. The objective of this study was to determine whether data from 3 sources would yield a single, homogenous, healthful food store category that can be used to accurately characterize community nutrition environments for public health research.MethodsWe conducted in-store surveys in 2009 on store type and the availability of nutritious food in a sample of nonchain food stores (n = 102) in 6 predominantly urban counties in Northern California (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Santa Clara). We compared survey results with commercial database information and neighborhood sociodemographic data by using independent sample t tests and classification and regression trees.ResultsSampled small food stores yielded a heterogeneous group of stores in terms of store type and nutritious food options. Most stores were identified as convenience (54%) or specialty stores (22%); others were small grocery stores (19%) and large grocery stores (5%). Convenience and specialty stores were smaller and carried fewer nutritious and fresh food items. The availability of nutritious food and produce was better in stores in neighborhoods that had a higher percentage of white residents and a lower population density but did not differ significantly by neighborhood income.ConclusionCommercial databases alone may not adequately categorize small food stores and the availability of nutritious foods. Alternative measures are needed to more accurately inform research and policies that seek to address disparities in diet-related health conditions

Rigor Demystified, Now What?: Applying & Aligning Webb’s Depth of Knowledge to Literacy & Math Instruction.

After exploring the four levels of cognitive rigor in Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) and the alignment to the Common Core. Participants will further engage in hands-on activities designed to model the application of DOK in the content areas of literacy and mathematics to improve instructional alignment, increase student engagement, and ensure appropriate rigor in classroom activities and assessment