Methodology (guide 1000) †Research Design Essay

The current study employs a descriptive-comparative design, with nutrition knowledge, lifestyles, and health behaviours being compared. The scores of the two groups (normal weight and obese groups) were analyzed using the Chi-square to determine if they had a relationship with being obese. Tthe study is descriptive in nature as frequencies, means, and frequency distributions were computed to describe the samples used in the study. Samples and Sampling Plan Hong Kong residents between 18 to 40 years old is the population for this research study. Since the total population for the survey is very large, due to time limitations a sample size of 60 was taken for the survey, with 30 allotted to the normal weight group and the rest to the obese sample. Purposive sampling method is adopted for this research. The selection of employees for the experimental group was made on the basis of their participation in the stress management workshop. To ensure the effectiveness of the study, employees belonging to all levels of management, service time, sex groups and age are selected to participate in the survey. There shall be two samples used in the study, namely, 1) normal weight group and 2) the obese group. Both groups shall be chosen using purposive sampling. Purposive sampling is a popular research recruiting method, as the sample size does not have to be determined at the beginning of the project. It is also an advantage for this study, as the sample size will be constrained by time and available resources (Mack, Woodsong, MacQueen, Guest & Namey, 2005). This study will make use of purposive sample to select respondents. This was based on respondents’ willingness to participate and being available during the period to complete the surveys. Informed consent need to be taken into consideration at the start of any research project. Consent is about participants making a reasonable choice to take part in the study, and, as such, their aspirations need to â€Å"fit† with the goals of the research (Mason, 1997). The researcher will ensure that the participants were fully informed. In addition the researcher discussed the potential consent form with their supervisor and colleagues. This will highlight to the researcher potential ambiguities in meaning, confusing sentences and missing information that are likely to invalidate the measures (Patton, 2000). Informed consent requires the awareness of the researcher that participation is dependant on an individual’s understanding of the goals of the study, and what is expected of the participant. Informed consent will ensure respect for the dignity of the participant (Mack et al. , 2005). Coercion into participation will be avoided at all costs, as the study requires that participation be voluntary (Mack et al, 2005). Thus, informed consent was to ensure the well being of participants as its priority. Additionally, participants would be made aware that their responses would directly contribute to a sharing of knowledge on nutrition knowledge, lifestyles, and health behaviours among Hong Kong residents. In addition, respondents will be reassured that the data collected would be kept confidential. No incentives will be provided for participation in this study. Results collected from the final analyses will be made available to respondents on request. Procedure The respondents who are legible for participation were contacted to ask for their permission in participating in the study. They were sent formal letters or emails indicating this purpose. Calls were made to these individuals to confirm their willingness to participate in the study. This study is meant to research on nutrition knowledge, lifestyles, and health behaviours of normal weight and obese individuals in Hong Kong. The primary source of data is the responses to a questionnaire (see Appendix A). A preliminary study is done on the responses collected from 5 respondents. The questionnaire was then altered based on their suggestions. During pilot testing, wording of some questions is improved to make it more understandable to the respondents. Some questions were eliminated from the questionnaire and new questions were added on the basis of the respondents’ comments. The process was repeated once again to arrive at the final questionnaire to be used on the sample. The data collection period occured over a period of 15 days. The research hypotheses were not divulged rather respondents were only informed that the study aims to determine differences in nutritional knowledge, lifestyles, and health behaviours between normal weight and obese individuals, and so contribute to research on this topic. It is anticipated that respondents are less likely to guess the hypotheses, and so less likely to exhibit socially desirable responses in order to â€Å"please† the investigator. Respondents were called to administer the survey via telephone. Each respondent was told that the completion of the survey will take about 10 minutes and they were asked to email a signed consent form if he is amenable to the terms of participation. In all cases, consent forms were printed and stored separately to consent forms, and each questionnaire booklet was identified only with a respondent number. On completion of the study, respondents were thanked, and were briefly informed of the study’s hypotheses. Respondents were also informed that the results of the study will be made available to them on request following submission of the final thesis. References Adamson, A.J.,  Rugg-Gunn, A.J.,  Butler, T.J.,  & Appleton, D.R. (1996). The contribution of foods from outside the home to the nutrient intake of young adolescents.   Journal of Human nutrition and Dietetics, 9(1), 55-68 Department of Health, Hong Kong. (2006). Obesity. Retrieved on October 20, 2006 from http://www.dh.gov.hk/english/main/main_chp/surveil_pr_dig_kncd_obesity.html.

The Gathering

For this essay I'll be dicussing about Indian(Frank) and Danny. The Gathering novel is about how five kids whom chose to fight against evil spreading around Cheshunt. These five kids need to win the battle against the Kraken but to do that they need to discover more about themselves. The warning that Lallindra(Lallie) told Indian to heed was,†only a wound brought into light can be healed. That which is hidden will in darkness fester.† In the novel when Indian was seven Indian's mother left him to look after his little sister Jenny. She was five. He was watching her play on some swings when some older kids came and started calling him names. Indian fought with them and won but while fighting he did not notice his sister had climbed to the top of the slide. She slipped and hit her head, she was in coma for a week and when she woke up Jenny wasn't the same, she used to smile and laugh but now she doesn't smile or look at you. Indian felt he killed her but her body was left behind. He never told his Mother about the truth of that day. Indian feels guilty for not taking care of his little sister and not telling his Mother about the truth of what happened, now Indian does not fight back because he feels he deserve to be hurt he feels its his punishment. Indian's guiltiness is a wound and when he brought it to light by telling his mom what happen, Indian's mom forgave him and does not blame him for what happened to Jenny. Danny Odin was a victim of police sodomy many years ago. Later the saying â€Å"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely† is aptly used in reference to the story, which involved police officers letting savage dogs loose on Danny to force him to give them information that was false. For a while after that he felt scared that a police could do anything to him and no one could do anything. He went mad for a while and he had to go to a sanitorium. The only reason he could come out was because he told them he made the whole thing up. After that one of the police officers that had attacked him visit Danny's school for a talk to improve citizen-authority relations, at the end of which the officer gave Danny a wink .Danny then realised nothing was going to make it right. Nothing made sense but survival and justice. Right and wrong, it was all lies that people made up. This quote and the opinion expressed in it is somewhat jarring with the rest of the novel's message, as it flatly denies the existence of both good and evil. The theory is, however, later rebuffed by the very same character that put it forward, as it doesn't make sense in the context of the novel thought by Nathanial, â€Å"You could tell he really believed that but there was something wrong about what he was, saying. Something that didn't jell.† And he thought of Lallie's warning to Danny. She had told him not to let the dark flame of the past consume the future. That's about right winning out over wrong.' Danny told Nathanial. Danny has to forget the past. The Gathering is more than novel triumph of good over evil, it is also a novel about self discovery. All the Chain members in The Gathering had expierienced terrible things that they need to over come to win the battle against the dark because everything that happen in Cheshunt is related to everything else because it come from a sort of core. The place where evil bruised earth. The earth that sorrows.

Executive Compensation Schemes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Executive Compensation Schemes - Essay Example A promising action to address this problem is to develop frameworks for employee stock options valuation that will enhance the quality of compensation disclosure. This lack of information also does not help shareholders determine the company's long term prospects. The debate on executive compensation continues to acquire a national scope with the string of investment bank failures. Many business analysts put forward corporate reforms that try to construct payment schemes that will really induce CEOs to pursue the shareholder interest. When Nike paid William Perez US $18.2 million dollars in 2006, it made him the highest-paid chief executive. However, it was during Perez' one-year tenure that Nike's stock price dropped by more than $7 per share and the Swoosh lost US $2 billion dollars in market value. Nike's board asked the underperforming Perez to leave the following year. A US government official acknowledged the exorbitant executive pay in large American companies. Christopher Cox, chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission had admitted that executive compensation had changed but the SEC's disclosure rules have not been able to keep up with the pace. Company disclosure obfuscates rather than provides the clarity regarding executive compensation. (Seattle Times, July 9, 2006) US President Barack Obama had implemented restrictions on pay for executives at investment banks bailed out by taxpayers so as to curb Wall Street excesses and reign in public anger before the White House requests for federal funds to bail out the financial sector. Obama described Wall Street bonuses as "shameful" and expressed "disgust" at executives who reward themselves for failure (Financial Times, February 4, 2009). Obama further said that America does not disparage wealth but what gets people upset are executives who reward themselves for failure, particularly when those rewards are subsidized by US taxpayers. He pegged the compensation of executives of companies that receive assistance from the government at US $500,000 ('345,000) a year. Executives can obtain restricted stock, which could not be sold before the government had been repaid. (Financial Times, February 4, 2009). A Chief Executive Officer of a Standard & Poor's 500 company received US $14.2 million dollars in total compensation annually in 2007, according to the Corporate Library, a corporate governance research firm. The median compensation package that executives had earned was US $8.8 million dollars. In addition, the AFL-CIO labor union recognized that a fair compensation system for executives and workers is essential to the establishment of a long-term corporate value. The chief executive officers of large U.S. companies averaged US $10.8 million dollars in total compensation in 2006, more than 364 times the pay of the average U.S. worker. (Financial Week, 2007) Options constitute an important portion of executive compensation. An aspect of these programs is the discreteness of vesting dates and option exercise dates. The option grants occur infrequently. Investment banks and executive compensation The business of an investment bank is doing huge deals. This deal making usually involves raising capital either debt or equity for clients and advising on merger and aquisition transactions. In addition, investment banks sell securities to institutional investors. They also trade for their own account. Investment banks

Key Issues Analysis When MRMC Ethical efficiencies in valuing and Essay

Key Issues Analysis When MRMC Ethical efficiencies in valuing and pricing - Essay Example The opportunity costs are the goods and services that consumers want and value. Incorrect pricing has ethical implications. To charge too small a price for a product in relation to its production costs will affect revenue negatively, upset the delicate balances required for profit maximization, and lead to disastrous repercussions, perhaps even to the demise of the company. On the other hand, to charge too much for the product, more than people are willing to pay, will result in the same kinds of consequences. Incorrect payments to the factors of productions is unethical because it would also result in opportunity costs for the company. The opportunity costs include the foregone profits of producing goods and services that consumers want and also the opportunity costs arising from the greater community in which the firm exists - from the immediacy of geographical location to philosophical, religious, legal, sociological, and cultural implications of the greater world. Paid less than the value of his/her marginal product, the employee, a scarce human resource, would leave the company. Paid more, the company's opportunity costs would result in fewer resources from which to produce the goods and services the community wants. One disposition is to put aside individual ethics and adopt only corporate ethics, that is, profit maximization or opportunity costs minimization, producing goods and services that consumers want and value. Price is a measure of how much do consumers want and value the goods and services produced. The payment to all of the factors of production will be equal to the total revenues from the price. The total dollars from the production of goods and services is apportioned among the various factors of production according to the contribution of that factor of production's contribution, called its marginal physical product (MPP) in economics terms. The sum of the MPP of the factors of production equals what is produced. With respect to value, the MPP of each factor of production is sold in the market place for that price the consumer is willing to pay for it. When that price is multiplied by the MPP of each factor of production, the dollars we receive are called the value of the marginal physical product (VMP). Another disposition is to attempt to influence the value that consumers place on goods and services produced by the firm. This could be achieved through advertisements. Value could be added to the factors of production so that their VMP could be increased. For example, labor could be trained and creativity could be encouraged. Also, cheaper factors of production could be used. For example, rather than producing steel in the USA, the firms in the steel industry could have based their production in Venezuela, Canada, and Australia where the cost of production is lower. Nike is a good example of an organization that has adopted this disposition. Its operation is based in China, where the cost of production is low. It tries to influence consumer demand for its goods through advertisements. The value of entrepreneurship is increased by outsourcing all functions in which it has no competitive advantage and focusing instead on marketing. The first disposition is recommended. This is because it essentially means production at the level where marginal cost (MC) is equal to marginal revenue (MR) when profit is maximized.

United Nations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

United Nations - Essay Example and Social Council (ECOSOC), the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice (Banerjee and Sharma 2007 p.35). The UN fulfils its role of peace keeping by sending its troops to keep peace in areas of antagonism. ECOSOC is responsible for ensuring social and economic development among UN’s member states. In a bid to fulfil its objectives, ECOSOC has formed several agencies such as UN Development Program (UNDP) the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). UNDP’s functions include publishing the UN Human Development Index and offering grant based technical assistance. Through the UN Human Development Index, much has been done in eradicating poverty, illiteracy and improving development in some of the badly hit countries. One of FAO’s tasks is promoting agriculture and in doing so, some of the food problems in developing countries have been solved. UN has also played an important role in preventing child abuse and fighting for children’s rights across the globe through UNICEF. UN has other agencies such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Through the World Bank many countries have accessed development loans thereby reducing the levels of under development especially in the developing countries. In times of disaster and emergencies the UN has been on the forefront of resolving the crisis by offering funds via the IMF. WHO is responsible for eradicating diseases and offering solutions for international health problems. For instance, WHO was responsible for eradication of smallpox, polio, leprosy and just recently almost came up with a cure for the Ebola pandemic. WHO is also responsible for distributing vaccines across the world such as the tetanus vaccine. UN is on the forefront of fighting the AIDS epidemic through the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). In addition, UN’s WFP provides 26 % of

Cicero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cicero - Essay Example On his part, Erucius contends that in the event that he had murdered his father, he could have asserted his legacy. The Cicero listened to both sides of the contentions so as to relate new data and thoughts which could empower him settle on a balanced choice. The main story or casing that Erucius tells was not convincing however the second one was more feasible. The portrayal uncovers that ranchers like Roscius were quiet, unselfish, were given to their family and couldnt control their fate. Cicero copartners Roscius with this character and assaults Erucius for belligerence that anyone might not seek on the area in light of the fact that in country life, qualities are not goals. Cicero affirmed that he saw unmistakably the qualities of the Romans. Consequently, it was sound to accept that nation life was more unadulterated than the city life where Erucius had moved with his late father. In his decision or talk, Cicero contended that there was sufficient data to connection Erucius to the homicide of his father. Cicero argued that it was prudent to use refutation because it allowed him to reflect o n the case in the sense he was able to side line facts that were not useful. In the case of Roscius, Cicero followed all aspects of oration as discussed above. Cicero prompted speakers that it was balanced for them to first make what he called stasis. Hence, stasis implies they need to call attention to the principle issue and evaluate whether the case is solid enough or not. Moreover, they need to create the fundamental perspectives concerning the issue so they contend in court to impact the choice or discipline (Cicero 89). Further, they need to name the principle wrongdoing or issue, for example, first degree homicide or murder. Cicero states that a great and immaculate speaker may have demolished both law and rationale (checking trademark sanity)

Reading assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Reading - Assignment Example However it is also a clear fact that there are factors which anteceded the triggering factor described herein. The antecedent factor to the police shooting had its underpinnings in the ideological persuasions which sovereign citizens believe in. Sovereign citizens believe that being under the control of the government is wrong and for this reason, they believe that they are not under the control of the government. Members of sovereign citizens eschew being under government control because they believe that local, federal and state governments are operating illegally, since they (members of the group) exist outside these governments’ jurisdiction. Because of this, members of sovereign citizens believe that they are free from government control and therefore have their own code of law which they follow (Pierce, 1). As is provided for by the FBI, the beliefs above as held by sovereign citizens in turn have their underpinnings in the Redemption Theory. This theory holds that the U S government in 1993 when it abandoned its gold standard basis for currency and instead began to use its citizens as collateral in international trade agreements (FBI, 1). As a side note and from a common sense point of view, it is clear that any state which uses its citizens as collateral in any engagement is unjust and illegitimate, though this accusation which sovereign citizens level against the US government is not true. However, because of this false charge against the government, sovereign citizens see the supposed dereliction on gold standard as the basis for currency in 1993 as a gateway for illegal and criminal activities since the US federal, state and local governments have hitherto not been acting in the interests of Americans. The culmination of the immediate foregoing has thus been a catalogue of criminal and illegal activities which stem from one superordinate crime: personal abnegation from the responsibilities and duties of being an American citizen. Because of thi s, sovereign citizens do not pay taxes, do not drive on a state driver’s license and do not obey the law. Other criminal activities which sovereign citizens engage in because of their belief in the Redemption Theory are defrauding of banks, the US government, fraud (mail, mortgage, bank and wire), the selling and purchase of contraband such as firearms and money laundering. It is important to note that the perpetuation of sovereign citizens’ Redemption Theory and belonging to sovereign citizens heavily rely on the aforementioned criminal activities. In fact, the exaction of these crimes is the Redemption Scheme. Without crime as the Redemption Scheme, Redemption Theory crumbles. Against this backdrop, sovereign citizens illegally possess firearms and other weapons to eliminate the law enforcers and to thwart the arrest of their members. The same group uses crime to disintegrate and emasculate the government which they believe is illegitimate. Conclusion All the above u nderscores the fact that sovereign citizens have always come to view all law enforcement agencies and their officers as propagators and facilitators of an illegality, since they work for and defend an illegal government. With this twisted logic, sovereign citizens on one hand and law enforcement officers and law abiding on the other hand have lived in parallel systems: the police seek to ensure adherence to traffic rules while sovereign citizens

Superpave Binder Specifications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Superpave Binder Specifications - Essay Example The distresses include fatigue, thermal cracking, and rutting. Tests related to performance were essentially applied to address the three distresses. The distresses are attributed to climate changes. Another specification is grade selection. The grade selection specification entails the determination of temperature extremes for the performance of the pavement. Typically, pavement performs under a certain range of temperatures (Texas Department of Transportation). The grade can be established by indicating the low or high temperatures for pavement performance. Distress and tests form another specification in which the binder and pavement life become predictable when the pavement lasts long enough. Testing for compliance is important to establish the PG binder grade. This is done through classification and verification for unknown and known PG grade respectively (Texas Department of Transportation). The proper binder grade for Bowling Green, Kentucky area is selected based on the Super pave aggregate requirements. The pavements have to satisfy the compaction requirements, which are unusual. The binder grade needs to have at least 92 percent of solid density (The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials). This would be due to the unusual compaction requirements that would be applied (The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials). Segregation may be used to describe various phenomena, but it is typically short of homogeneity in the constituents of hot mix asphalt for the in-place mat. It has such a magnitude to an extent that there is an expectation of pavement distresses that are highly accelerated. The segregation of HMA pavements is a major problem because it results in poor performances in many pavements (Cross and Brown, 1).

America's Foreign Policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

America's Foreign Policies - Essay Example Both the army and navy were less than 30,000 troops separately, and being situated in the midst of weak or friendly nations, no thought was given to building up an armed force for any reason (Mintz). Americans also felt badly towards expanding any holdings abroad, as the popular sentiment was that it went against the democracy that the country held dear to its heart, even more than a hundred years after winning it (Mintz). That changed, however, when European powers towards the end of the century started acquiring overseas holdings themselves, eventually becoming rulers of a fifth of the world between 1870 and 1900 (Mintz). Fearing that the United States would one day be left with nothing but the country that it had already started, sentiment changed to allow overseas diplomacy and dealings, which were brought to the forefront by the foreign policies of President Theodore Roosevelt, President William Howard Taft, and President Woodrow Wilson. Though these three had sometimes radicall y different views on how to handle different situations with respect to countries around the world, it cannot be denied that all had a hand in shaping the United States as a world power by the early 1920s. Theodore Roosevelt came into the presidency believing, in a way, that America was not enough for America. He believed that the United States should expand its presence in foreign countries and territories, and had a strongly â€Å"imperialistic philosophy† about where the nation stood, and should stand, in the world (â€Å"American Experience†). Despite being a diplomat who was more than capable of brokering any negotiation through words, Roosevelt believed that the nation should be ready to fight to protect its own interests above everyone else, and supported war in order to make his point to other countries about the greatness of America (â€Å"American Experience†). This can be seen in his main ambition while in office, which was to build a canal