Crack mothers, crack babies, and black male dope dealers productions of deviance during america\u27s crack cocaine panic in the 1980s

A moral panic erupted during the 1980s among the American public when stories about crack cocaine saturated the media. In this thesis I analyze how discursive productions of deviancy operated in the CBS news documentary: 48 Hours on Crack Street (1986) and other print news sources at that time. Three salient characters that appear in news media discourse during the panic are crack mothers, crack babies, and Black male dope dealers. The news media frightened the public with such representations (among others) and the public urged politicians to get tough on drug crime to control the so-called crack cocaine plague. Politicians responded with omnibus drug reforms that established mandatory minimum sentences and the controversial 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. The enforcement of the draconian drug laws that were passed in response to the crack cocaine panic continues to be a contributing factor to America\u27s current prison crisis. Moreover, the laws are enforced in ways that disproportionately punish the poor and African-Americans. I conclude that the criminal disenfranchisement of millions of people since the 1980s relates to the media\u27s representation of the crack cocaine epidemic and the legislation that was passed to control illicit drugs such as crack cocaine

Unsupervised skin lesion classification and matching

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), since 1973, the mortality rate for melanoma has increased by 44%. The number of serious skin cancers diagnosed has also more than doubled in that same period. Even though serious skin cancers (melanoma) account for only 4% of skin cancer diagnoses (and skin cancer is the most common cancer) it is responsible for almost all (79%) cancer deaths. The ACS reports about 7,300 people in the United States are expected to die of melanomas in 2002, other sources put the number as high as 7,800. There are about 130,000 cases of melanoma worldwide, and about 37,000 related deaths. Many physicians think the increase in melanoma diagnoses represents an epidemic. Currently, there is work to improve diagnostics once a lesion comes under suspicion, and there are also systems to do whole body images of skin lesions. Where there seems to be a gap is in tracking and classifying the lesions in image histories. The critical problem is not so much how to treat the lesion once its discovered, but to detect it in the first place. In addition, in the classification systems encountered, there didn\u27t seem to be any using all combinations of color, texture, and shape, any or all of which can help detect a malignant growth. Since almost all lesions are slow-growing, and very often on the back, it can be difficult for both patient and doctor to detect when a lesion has begun to change, which is one of the first warning signs of skin cancer. This work is comprised of an analysis system written in Matlab, which pre-processes the image, removing background artifacts via morphological operations to segment the lesion. The lesion is then processed for shape, color content, and texture. This occurred for a small database of images comprising melanomas, dysplastic nevi, and moles, and 10 feature vectors were captured for each image along with the filename and matching diagnosis. Additional images were procured from the web, and also from photographs of individuals using a Cannon EOS Rebel G, which were scanned in using an Acer ScanPrisa 640U. These images were then processed with the same software used for the database images. The results were classified based on these feature vectors and assigned a FWL (Feature Warning Level). Lastly, the input results were compared to the database for matches within a range for similarity. The closest match (if within a reasonable range) is reported. This system could be attached to existing tracking systems (like MoleMap) or used as a stand alone tracking tool for dermatologists. Any change in one of the feature vectors, or in a group of features could trigger a closer look by the physician. According to literature, and a dialog with a dermatologist, history is the one of the most critical factors in early detection, when the cancer can be completely cured

Improving Pedagogy through Brain Based Learning

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of brain functionality as it correlates to learning, in order to improve pedagogical practices. Research indicated a correlation between the two and an action research plan was developed replicating many of the strategies detailed in the literature review. The study took place over a two month period and findings were positive, but inconclusive. There was a reported increase in lesson planning focus, which enabled the educator to create student centered activities that were tailored to the sample; however, little variation in the learning style prohibited the educator to conclude whether the ease of lesson planning, implementation, and student engagement would exist among a classroom with varying learning styles. Also, many of the activities suggested were difficult to implement creating the need for further research on these strategies on an individual basis

Treatment for unicameral bone cysts in long bones: an evidence based review

The purpose of this paper is to perform an evidence based review for treatment of unicameral bone cysts. A search of MEDLINE (1966 to 2009) was conducted and the studies were classified according to levels of evidence. This review includes only comparative Level I-III studies. The systematic review identified 16 studies. There is one level I study, one level II study and the remaining 14 studies are level III. Seven of the sixteen studies had statistically different results: three studies indicated that steroid injection was superior to bone marrow injection or curettage and bone grafting; one study indicated that cannulated screws were superior to steroid injections; one study indicated resection and myoplasty was superior to steroid injection; one study indicated a combination of steroid, demineralized bone matrix and bone marrow aspirate, and curettage and bone grafting were superior to steroid injection; and one study indicated that curettage and bone grafting was superior to non-operative immobilization. Based on one Level I study, including a limited number of individuals, steroid injection seems to be superior to bone marrow injection. As steroid injections have already demonstrated superiority over bone marrow injections in a randomized clinical trial, the next step would be a prospective trial comparing steroid injections with other treatments

Patient-focused measures of functional health status and health-related quality of life in pediatric orthopedics: A case study in measurement selection

The objectives of this report are to review the assessment of patient-focused outcomes in pediatric orthopedic surgery, to describe a framework for identifying appropriate sets of measures, and to illustrate an application of the framework to a challenging orthopedic problem. A detailed framework of study design and measurement factors is described. The factors are important for selecting appropriate instruments to measure health status and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a particular context. A study to evaluate treatment alternatives for patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 and congenital tibial dysplasia (NF1-CTD) provides a rich illustration of the application of the framework. The application involves great variability in the instrument selection factors. Furthermore, these patients and their supportive caregivers face numerous complex health challenges with long-term implications for HRQL. Detailed summaries of important generic preference-based multi-attribute measurement systems, pediatric health profile instruments, and pediatric orthopedic-specific instruments are presented. Age-appropriate generic and specific measures are identified for study of NF1-CTD patients. Selected measures include the Activities Scale for Children, Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire Walking Scale, Health Utilities Index, and Pediatric Inventory of Quality of Life. Reliable and valid measures for application to pediatric orthopedics are available. There are important differences among measures. The selected measures complement each other. The framework in this report provides a guide for selecting appropriate measures. Application of appropriate sets of measures will enhance the ability to describe the morbidity of pediatric orthopedic patients and to assess the effectiveness of alternative clinical interventions. The framework for measurement of health status and HRQL from a patient perspective has relevance to many other areas of orthopedic practice

Mass Measurement of 27^{27}P for Improved Type-I X-ray Burst Modeling

Light curves are the primary observable of type-I x-ray bursts. Computational x-ray burst models must match simulations to observed light curves. Most of the error in simulated curves comes from uncertainties in $rp$ process reaction rates, which can be reduced via precision mass measurements of neutron-deficient isotopes in the $rp$ process path. We perform a precise atomic mass measurement of $^{27}$P and use this new measurement to update existing type-I x-ray burst models to produce an improved light curve. High-precision Penning trap mass spectrometry was used to determine the atomic mass of $^{27}$P. Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) was then used to simulate x-ray bursts using a 1D multi-zone model to produce updated light curves. The mass excess of $^{27}$P was measured to be -670.7$\pm$ 0.6 keV, a fourteen-fold precision increase over the mass reported in AME2020. The $^{26}$Si($p, \gamma$)$^{27}$P and reverse photodisintegration reaction rates have been determined to a higher precision based on the new, high precision mass measurement of $^{27}$P, and MESA light curves generated using these rates. Changes in the mass of $^{27}$P seem to have minimal effect on XRB light curves, even in burster systems tailored to maximize impact. The mass of $^{27}$P does not play a significant role in x-ray burst light curves. It is important to understand that more advanced models don't just provide more precise results, but often qualitatively different ones. This result brings us a step closer to being able to extract stellar parameters from individual x-ray burst observations. In addition, the Isobaric Multiplet Mass Equation (IMME) has been validated for the $A=27, T=3/2$ quartet, but only after including a small, theoretically predicted cubic term and utilizing an updated excitation energy for the $T=3/2$ isobaric analogue state of $^{27}$Si.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure