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

WWII - Essay Example It was a pill which contains estrogen and progestin. It was introduced (approved for contraceptive use) to the United States market back in 1960 and immediately triggered a huge social change in the way people viewed sex. It had a profound impact on how men and women treat each other as well. Prior to the birth control pill, social roles for men and women were very well defined (Brandon, 2010, p. 69). The adult male was the alpha person in the household and the sole individual who can decide on crucial matters such as employment, schooling of the kids, purchase of a house or car and the other things usually reserved for the head of the house. The adult female was expected to be docile and obedient as the housewife and takes care of the home nest and the children while the man goes off to work and bring food to the table. The pill freed the people from their usual social constraints as women became more assertive of their reproductive rights and also demanded a right to abortion. It a lso led to sexual permissiveness and promiscuity. Civil Rights Movement – the demand by black Americans for equal rights had a big effect on how people today treat each other. Prior to the movement, racial discrimination was an accepted way of life and was the cause of the US civil war which almost split the American nation some centuries earlier. The Civil Rights Movement included their demands for a right to vote, an official end to racial discrimination in various aspects of daily life such as in jobs, housing, education and health care, among many other discriminatory acts and practices. The set of liberal reforms implemented were intended to eliminate poverty due to racial inequality and considered as a political watershed in American life (Milkis & Mileur, 2005, p. 365). Bretton Woods Agreement – this important economic agreement established the world

Analyse the benefits of deploying tablet computers in organisations Essay

Analyse the benefits of deploying tablet computers in organisations and should focus specifically, and at a minimum, on areas su - Essay Example In addition, new technologies in the field of information technology (IT) are creating ethical dilemmas. The effectiveness and speediness related to the electronic information technology systems that consist of limited and international networks, databases and processing programs for information technology. These systems also force consumers to tackle new rights and responsibilities in order to use the data and re-evaluate principles of advent computers. 1.1 The Significance of Ethics Authority, resource and control are the major resources of the information. In fact, the key to success is the right access towards the information. As a result, the social and political relationships are also involved in the development and growth of information systems. It is more important and ethical that how this information is been utilized by the people. For instance, government levels, headquarters and homes include the electronic systems. This involvement is increased so much that the people no t having access to the information systems are exaggerated in a particular way. For this reason, new and modern techniques, innovative ethical and lawful decisions are needed in order to stable the requirements and privileges of every person (Reynolds 2011). 1.2 Legal Gaps Filled by Ethics The legal decision lags lies as in modern technological field behind technical development and growth. These gaps are filled through confronting on the issue and by discussing the facts on how to use the electronic information should be proceed. Furthermore, the above observation delineates the ethical issues in a broad way. On the contrary, the deciding laws include some characteristics related to the issues. These legal issues should be resolved by the Information Systems electronically. 1.3 Electronic Information System Ethics In relation to the entire community, the ethics consists of moral options choose by the individuals. These include acceptable standards associated with behavior along wit h the governing rules of members for an occupation. Moreover, these expand to computer networks, computerized databases and significantly to a Geographic Information Systems. The issues that are present particularly in the three areas require a little different type of ethical decisions. In general, the Electronic Systems, Geographic Information Systems and Networks are being described individually below 1.3.1 Network as Social Places In modern days, network has become a place to share ideas, thoughts and personal information. It is a social place where individuals can discover friendships, discuss on several issues, share some unusual interests, fight, form groups, show sympathy, proselytize and fall in love. With other traditional activities, these activities have also become a part of life. Ray Oldenburg an author delineates network as a new kind of â€Å"third Place† in which anyone can communicate, share ideas and gather for hospitality a part from home and work which is the first and second place. The hypothesis stated that, the networks can replace chances of social interaction that is been vanished in the modern world of fringes. Moreover, other authors are more conscious regarding the social networking and communicating therefore they termed this as: virtualized communities. One of the examples incorporates Google Inc. that introduced its Buzz social network in February 2010

Human Resource Management In Industrial Relations Management Essay

Human Resource Management In Industrial Relations Management Essay Introduction The management of industrial relations in Great Britain has changed notably in the last three decades. Industrial relations management has been significantly affected by several factors: economic climate, political change, and social environment. After world war two, British economic condition has gradually fallen down. It has been proved that it is much more complicated to manage industrial relations than before. The causes can be analyzed from many aspects: the increasing competition in product market, globalized trend, restructuring labor force, and reduced unions power. From 1979, the power of trade unions has been greatly restricted by government. Deregulation on the labor market also has been enhanced. At the same time, British economy had to face a severe international competition with high inflation and unemployment in domestic. Then, what are the changes of British industrial relations in the last three decades. What are major factors influencing British industrial relations management. We plan to find out more in the following parts. First, the nature of industrial relations management was the first issue. Then, industrial relations management in the period from 1979-1997 and period from post-1997 has been discussed respectively from two aspects: economic and political factors. Finally, the role and influence of employer, trade union and government have been embedded respectively. Human resource management in industrial relations In the 1980s and 1990s, the attitudes and strategies of industrial relations have been changed. Debates about human resource management practice in industrial relations were hot issues in management field. And individualism and collectivism in industrial relations were focused as well. First, look at the political and economic environment. From 1979 to 1997, The Conservative Government, which was elected during the time, insisted on weakening trade union power, reducing public expenditure. Except the government policies, employers faced a more competitive market. The globalization and recession made the situation worse than they had before. During this time, employers aimed to make great profits and reduce cost, instead of good industrial relations management. The types of corporation, labour market, competition in product market, organisation culture, and tradition were taken into account when employers intended to make industrial relations policies. A very important conception whic h was largely recognized in HRM was that labour is regarded as an asset or resource. Thus, employers need to explore employees potential through motivation, training, and development. Storey (1992) proposed two famous HRM versions: soft HRM and hard HRM. Soft HRM emphasis on employees needs, such as motivation, training and work-life balance while hard HRM more emphasis on economic factors. Many researchers agreed that HRM to some extent was a threat to trade union and was a new development in employee relations (Guest, 1989, Millward, 1994) Turing to industrial relations management style, there are four types of management styles which were classified by Purcell and Sisson (Purcell and Sisson 1983 cited by Kessler, 1998): traditionalists, sophisticated paternalists, sophisticated moderns, and standard moderns. Traditionalists have one belief and are anti-union with forceful management. Sophisticated paternalists spend much time in ensuring that their employees have the right approach. Sophisticated moderns management recognized the union role in certain areas. Finally, in standard modern management Trade unions are recognized and industrial relations are seen as primarily fire-fighting and assumed to be non-problematic unless event prove otherwise. (Sid Kessler, 1998, p.114) The industrial relations management may vary in different organisations or even in different groups in a company. Although the management style may vary according to the situations, one fact was that collective involvement had been shifted to indivi dual involvement. After 1997, the employee relations management further developed. The findings of WERS 2004 show that positive contracts and communication with employees will contribute to high commitment performance and economic outcomes. Moreover, Employee involvement participation is greatly focused by employers, employee voice, teamworking, and work-life balance as well. (WERS, 2004) Industrial relations management in 1979-1997 The economic environment for industrial relations from 1979 to 1997 changed greatly. Firstly, the decline of manufacturing industry was very obvious. Secondly, unemployment problem is dramatically severe. It was reported that the number of unemployment increased from 1.6 million to 3 million from 1987-1992. Although there was a small recovery after 1992, the number of unemployment still kept on 1.5millionn in mid-1997. The high unemployment reflected a severely competitive labour market. Furthermore, the structure of economy and labour force also changed. Manufacturing industry decreased; private service sectors increased; and increasing number of women was engaged in workplace; self-employment became popular; and part-time workers, and temporary workers grew fast in that period. Finally, there was a globalized competition in product market. Interaction of these economic changes influenced industrial relations in Britain. Except the economic changes, the Conservative Governments poli cies and laws had great effects on industrial relations. The government restricted trade union power and weakened joint regulation. A series of legislative program was carried out during the time. The first legislative action was to restrict the closed shop in 1980. The Conservative thus, Governments policies and trade union membership density was directly reduced by governments policies and legislations. Shifting to industrial relations management, a more important change was that employee relations specialists and line managers replaced traditional managers role: they are more likely to be responsible for employee relations issues in 1990s. If people intend to be employee relations specialists, they need to obtain professional qualifications. And such qualification requires long relevant working experience. This change may reflect a higher demand for professional knowledge such as employment law. The management of employee relations became more complicated. The conception of human resource management was widely accepted in the late 1980s. Millward et al (2000) noted that those using the title human resource manger accounted for a third of specialists in 1998.(Millward 2000, p. 225) The employee relations specialists continued to rise in the following years. Millwards findings showed that human resource managers and employee relations specialists responsibilities are similarly. They are both responsible for pay, training, grievance handling, and payroll management. Another change was the shift of employee relations managers major work. In the early 1980s, many employee relations managers spent much time on dealing with collective industrial conflict. WERSs (1998) findings revealed that employee relations mangers pay much attention to individual grievances, particularly related to legal proceedings. Moreover, workplace managers switched more attention to collect and deliver information to employees. They use information to review organisation performance and policies. Another change was happened in industrial relations system. Multi-employer agreements affected one third of the number of workplaces in 1998 that they had in the early 1980s. (Millward , 2000, p. 227) In terms of pay, multi-employer agreements to most extent have been determined by employers themselves than workplace itself. The management became more centralized in an organisation during the 1990s. Higher authorities were more likely to make decisions than workplace managers. This could indicate that industrial relations were regarded as operational issue rather than strategic ones. Trade unions had more chance to be involved in the relationship between employers and employees. Trade unions in Britain represent employees interest. But from 1979 to 1990s, trade unions power gradually declined and lost much union membership. Employees support for trade union declined and support from management reduced as well. Many factors led to the phenomenon. The decline of manufacturing industry where were traditionally organized by trade union reduced the number of union membership. And the increasing number of women workforce and temporary workforce who have less possibility of being union membership also resulted from the decline. Another change was that there was less union recognition at workplaces, particularly in private service sectors, which increased during the time. Thus, fewer employees asked for collective bargaining to improve their pay and working conditions. Moreover, the impact of trade union on pay weakened during 1980s and 1990s. During the 1980s and 1990s, when the collective representation declined, the management in industrial relations transferred to focus on communication with employees. Millwards survey showed that communication channels between senior mangers and employees have changed from joint arrangements to direct forms of communications (Millward, 2000 p.230) Managers held regular meeting with workforce and team briefings to hear their suggestion and questions. And according to Millwards point of view, this management-dominated arrangements can improve employee treatment. Industrial relations management in post-1997 After 1997, industrial relations in Britain continued to change due to the changing external environment. However, there were many employment relations retained: the degree of numerical flexibility, the incidence of varies dispute, grievance and disciplinary procedures, the incidence of industrial actions and etc. (WERS, 2004) A variety of changes could be obtained from workplace employment relations. From WERSs findings (2004), the practice of employment relations varies largely between small and large workplace and it also varies between different sectors of industry, especially between private sectors and public sectors. Private sectors shared more proportion in workplaces from1998 to 2004. The figures from WERS2004 showed that 70 percent of workplaces were operating in private sectors compared with two-thirds in 1998. Look at all workplaces, 49 percent of employees were female and 34 percent of them were in managerial positions. Women have more chance to be managers in public sectors (46 percent) than in private service sectors (30 percent). Trade union also changed considerable and it had great impacts on industrial relations management. There was a considerable decrease in the proportion of union members. In 2004, 64 percent of workplaces didnt have union members compared with 57 percent in 1998). Union density slightly declined from 22 percent to 18 percent. Public sector accounted for more proportion of union membership than that of private sectors. Union membership density had strong relationship with management attitudes. Public sectors were more likely to provide management support for union membership than private sectors. However, the relationship between public sectors and private sectors are similarly strong. Besides that, another change of trade union in British workplaces can be found from WERS 2004 report. The proportion of union recognition in workplaces continued to decline after 1997. Only 18 percent of workplaces recognized trade union in 2004. (28 percent union recognition in1998) Furthermore, compared with 1998, union representative in workplaces spent more time on representative works. And they did more representative works than their non-union colleagues. It was reported that 43 percent of union representatives spent five hours on representative work while 33 percent spent two and four hours. Union representatives pay more attention to working condition and dispute, such as pay level, working hours, holidays. About 76 percent of union representatives attempt to recruit new members in their workplaces. But a clearly change during the period was that employees had a low preference of being a union members. In the period from 1979-1997, workplace managers were more concerned about collecting and delivering information. They continued to adopted direct communication with employees after 1997. Direct communication was further widespread between managers and employees. Figures could be found from WERS2004 report. Table 1 Direct communication and information sharing, by sector of ownership. 1998 and 2004 1998 2004 Private sectors Public sectors All Private sectors Public sectors All Direct communication Meeting with entire workforce or team briefings 82 96 85 90 97 91 Systematic use of management chain 46 75 52 41 63 45 Regular newsletter 35 59 40 72 86 74 Noticeboards 36 48 38 E-mail 36 48 38 Intranet 31 48 34 Suggestion schemes 30 30 30 Employee surveys 37 66 42 Information disclosure over Investment plans 47 59 50 40 50 41 Financial position of workplace 56 82 62 51 76 55 Financial position of organisation 66 67 66 51 53 51 Staffing Plans 55 81 61 61 81 64 (Source from Workplace Employment Relations Report2004) From the table, we can see that there were different forms of direct communication in practice. Regular meetings with entire workforce or team briefings was still popular, accounting for a dominate proportion and slightly increased from 85 percent to 91 percent during the time 1998 to 2004. A new creation of these meeting was that a part of meeting time was left to employees. Employees were allowed to propose suggestions and questions during the meeting. Suggestion scheme, staff attitude surveys and problem-solving groups were adopted by many organisations in managing employment relations during the time. Moreover, In the information disclosure over part, mangers preferred to disclose information though staffing plans (64 percent) than others. Shifting to pay determination, which is a major issue in managing employee relations, the most common pay determination was still by management unilaterally. 70 percent of workplaces used this way to pay. Only 27 percent of workplace asked for collective bargaining with unions to determine pay level. Similar to the situation of 1979 to 1997, the proportion of workplaces through collective bargaining in pay determination has continued to decrease since 1997. But public sectors were more likely to use collective bargaining than private sectors. Among 83 percent of public sectors workplaces, 82 percent of workers have their pay through collective bargaining. On the other hand, in private sectors, 26 percent of worker among 14 percent of workplaces use collective bargaining. From these figures, we can know that pay system was not unmilitary anymore. Different measurements were developed. Managers were more likely to determine pay through systematic performance and appraisal management to motivate employees. Performance-related pay, profit-related bonuses, and employee share schemes were prevalent at this stage. The way manager dealing with workplace conflict was also a change during this period. It is obvious that collective conflicts gradually reduced while individual conflicts grew. Industrial actions were less used to solve workplace conflict. most of conflicts were solved through legal procedures. But there was no big conflict happened during the time. Equal opportunities were concentrated by employers since 1997. A large number of industrial relations law was approved by government to enhance the equality in workplaces. Response to the legislation, managers implemented a range of equality policies. WERSs report (2004) revealed that 73 percent of workplaces had a written policies regarding equal treatment in 2004. 9 percent increased from 1998. These policies are largely concerned about equal opportunities for different gender, race, and disability. When implementing some HRM practice such as recruiting, selection, pay rate system, managers are required to consider these policies in employee relations management. Moreover, there was other legislation introduced to improve employer-employee relations, covering work-life balance, hours of work, flexible working arrangements, employee well-being and job satisfaction etc. All these legislation pushed employers to make some differences in industrial relations management. In the late 1990s, the relationship between employers and employees was firstly defined as partnership. Therefore, partnership practice was expected to be implemented by employers. But does partnership practice really promote the managers-employees relations. Evidence was shown in table 2 below. Table 2 managers and employees perceptions of management-employee relations, 1998 and 2004 manager employee 1998 2004 1998 2004 Very good 41 47 16 19 good 47 46 40 41 Neither 8 6 27 24 Poor 3 1 12 12 Very poor 1 0 6 4 (Source from Workplace Employment Relations Survey) Compared with managers view, employees thought relationship was slightly less improved. Except that, managers hold a relatively positive attitude towards management-employee relations. 47 percent of mangers thought they had very good relations with employees while only 19 percent of employees agreed. Partnership relationship requires mutual trust, but the reality was less satisfactory. To sum up, industrial relations management showed considerable changes. Under the adopt of partnership relations between managers and employees, Less workforce want to be union members; direct commutation was widespread in workplaces; an decreasing number of workplaces recognized unions for bargaining on pay and conditions, and collective bargaining declined as well; an range of policies were implemented in workplaces to promote equal opportunities; and managers had wider responsibilities of caring their employees on flexible working conditions, work-life balance, security, job satisfaction etc. The role and influence of employers The most famous employer association in Britain is the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Like TUC, CBI does not directly participate in collective bargaining. Its major work is to lobby to British government for employers interests. In the last three decades, employers association gradually lost their regulative power. Since 1970s, the decentralized trend was shown in private sectors. A range of operational jobs were distributed to lower departments while head office only had strong control on certain key issues. The employer power and freedom was greatly strengthened in the last few decades. There were many causes contributed to the situation. More competitive globalization in product market and governments policies in weakening union power let employers have more power in labour field. Employers focused on performance improvement, cost reduction in labour filed. Employers play an important role in employment relations management. They formulate the management policies and style. Employers also have the rights to decide whether or not recognize unions. During the period, employers have sought to manage industrial relations with HRM techniques. They became to purse employee commitment, teamworking, and work hard in improving communication with employees. In terms of pay determination, their measures have been extended. Performance-related pay, profit related pay and employee share schemes were adopted in most workplaces. As the maker and performer of these policies, employers decision and behaviors considerably influence industrial relations management. In workplaces, employers choose certain styles of employment relations management. Non-unionism prefers Soft HRM or bleak house management style while unionism prefers partnership at work. The role and influence of government Government plays a key role in industrial relations. Its attitude towards industrial relations can largely change the current situation. It is mostly related to governments role in law. Governments polices and legislation determined employers and trade unions attitudes and conduct of employment relationship. Since 1979, The Conservative Government canceled support for collective bargaining and attempted to decrease collectivism and regulation. The government published laws to regulate equal pay and opportunities at workplaces. When Labour Party took the government, they published National Minimum Wage, and were more concerned about employees rights. These actions made contributions to written equality policies in organisations and influenced pay system. On the other hand, government legislation reduced the power and ability of unions to control on industrial action, closed shop policies directly reduced trade unions membership. The role and influence of trade union In Britain, there was Trade Union Congress (TUC) and many affiliated unions. TUC dont have the rights to make industrial relations laws, their major work is to lobby to government and employers on behalf of employees interest and benefits. For many HR specialists, dealing with trade unions issues was once an important work in their jobs. However, since 1979, the Conservative Government took part the government, a series of anti-union legislation dramatically weakened union power. The cause was not only the political change and economy recession. Metcalf (1991, p.22) noted that the result was interacted by five factors: the economic climate, workforce market, government policies, the attitudes of employers, and union themselves. Studies show that larger organisations have more chance of Trade union presence. 64% union density was shown in public sectors. White-collars are more likely to be union membership. Labour partys return in 1997 has brought some changes, but the union power sti ll towards a falling trend. The Employment Relations Act 1999 aims to promote union recognition. And Labour Government spent more efforts on employees interests. In the last three decades, trade union changed a lot to attract new employees. Except proving legal advice, training for representatives has been developed. And TU try to build a partnership with employers. According to E.D.Ewings study (2005), trade unions have five major functions: a service function; a representation function; a regulatory function; a government function; a public administration function.(Ewing, 2005) A service function means trade unions plays a role of providing service and benefits to members. It takes twos forms. One is more traditional, comprising health and unemployment benefits, and even insurance. The other is more professional. Trade unions provide legal advice and representation to help workers. Trade union needs to recruit new membership for survive, the service functions are usually used as a recruitment toll as they provide a variety of service such as representation to those who has grievances at workplaces, which is much more important than collective bargaining now. Representation function has gained much concern in recent years. A representation function means that trade union is responsible for employees interest and benefits. Different from service function, representation function offer much more professional support to employees. And also trade union can take the form of collective representation to assist employees. Collective representation has two major forms: consultation and bargaining. Regulatory function is the most important role of trade unions. A regulatory function means that trade unions is responsible for making rules for union membership. The role can be achieved by two ways. One is directly performed through multi-employer collective bargaining, such as Joint Industrial Councils. Another way is indirectly performed through legislation. Because decentralized organisations increased in the past few decades, the role of trade union in collective bargaining on pay and conditions has declined. By contrast, regulatory legislation is more prevalent. Government function means that trade union are involved in cooperating with government to ensure they can perform their functions under governments legislation and policies. And public administration function is similar to government function they are all engaged in implementation and delivery of government policies. Trade unions attitude towards management has changed in recent years. Many trade unions now focus much on business. They attempt to develop flexible, motivated workforce and partnership not only equal treatment. Conclusion There have been great changes in UKs industrial relations. During the 1979-1997 periods, Britain suffered a great recession. The proportion of manufacturing industry declined. Unemployment problem is dramatically severe. The competitive labour market worsens the unemployment problem. The structure of economy and labour force also changed as well. Public service sectors grew quickly during this time. and increasing number of women, self-employment, part-time worker and temporary workers grow were engaged in workplace. Besides the economic changes, government restricted trade union power. And a series of legislation was carried out in order to control the activities of organized labour. The interaction of economic and political factors reduced the trade union membership density. In workplaces, employee relations specialists and line managers replaced traditional managers role. They become responsible for handing employee relations issues. Compared with traditional responsibilities, it was reported that employee relations mangers pay much attention to individual grievances, particularly related to legal proceedings. Employees support for trade union and support from management both declined. Finally, when the collective representation decreased, the management in industrial relations transferred to focus on communication with employees. Direct forms of communications were more prevalent at workplaces. In post-1997, Labour Party took the government; they attempted to enhance union recognition despite the gradual decline of union density. But they were increasingly concerned about employees rights, such as National Minimum Wage. Managers were more likely to determine pay level by diverse pay system: performance related pay, profit-related bonuses, and employee share schemes. Managers worked hard on improving employer-employee relations. Direct communications was widespread at the time. Managers actively listen to employees suggestion and questions. Management scheme covered more issues than before, such as work-life balance, flexible working arrangement, and equal opportunities. Due to governments support and the weaken power of trade unions, employers have more freedom and power. Employers can decide whether or not to be union members at workplaces and also can choose management style in industrial relations. Government as a law-maker plays a crucial role in industrial relations management. Trade unions represent the interests of employees, have five major functions: service function; representation function; regulatory function; government function; and public administration function.

Shaping Heian, Japan :: essays research papers

Shaping Heian, Japan Tenth-century Japan is characterized by images of elegance, beauty, and sophistication. Ritual and ceremony shape nearly every aspect of life during this time. Throughout The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon there are several examples of how everyday lifestyles are shaped through these mediums. Politics, religion, self-image, and interpersonal relationships played important roles in shaping life in Heian society, and a form of either ritual or ceremony influenced each of these assets. Government and political forces were a very important part of Heian Japan. The government and its actions affected all aspects of life. Under the emperor, the government was divided into two separate entities, one religious and one secular. One’s rank within the government was closely related to the political position held. Aristocracy and the civil service were combined so that a person was usually given a rank first, then a suitable office to fit that rank. This made it nearly impossible for anyone to enter the rank hierarchy by merit, allowing the Japanese to make their system diverge in fundamental and damaging ways from the Chinese governmental model. Those who held rank were afforded special tax breaks, special rights to have certain clothes, or to send their sons to universities (Morris 64-5). It is only natural to assume that when religion and government are so closely tied that a level of ceremony and ritual would be incorporated into political practices. The detail and precision put into deciding rank and position is just one example of how ceremony plays a role in politics during this period. Religion played a very significant role in tenth-century society, especially as it was tied to the political affairs of the country. During the time that Shonagon wrote, the traditional religion was Buddhism. Ritual and ceremonial practices dominated all aspects, from the practices to the wardrobe. For instance, â€Å"†¦ priests pay their respects to the statue [Buddha]; then, while intoing words of praise, they pour coloured water on the statue’s head. The Court Nobles also pour water over the statue, make obeisance, and withdraw†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Morris 160). Throughout the course of a year, several different ceremonies were held each representing some important face of the Buddhist lifestyle. One ceremony, which took place near the end of the Twelfth Month, was The General Confession. This ceremony was aimed at expunging the sins one had committed during the course of the year with â€Å"†¦painted screens depicting the Horrors of Hell are set up under the eaves as a reminder of the need for penitence† (Morris 165).

Outline for the Good Earth Essay

One Man’s survival and triumph over the land and nature leads to a prosperous life. Thesis: Man’s triumph over the land and nature rewards with wealth and profit and respect from other. II. Introduction- How Wang Lang is connected to the earth and his strong relationship with it and how his good work ethics and moral judgments guide him on becoming one with his land. How Wang Lung tries to establish a connection with the land, the rewards and wealth from having a strong connection with the earth, and the respect from other while leading to a prosperous life. A. Establishing a connection- How Wang Lung attempts to have a strong connection with the earth. 1. Wang Lung starts connecting with the land a. Farms through own physical labor at first but O-Lan help his after they are together. b. He maintains his farm constantly through the changing seasons. 2. Wang Lung respect for nature guides him through his future success, How the nourishing power of the land comforts Wang Lung. b. The Earth producing for Wang Lung for his hard work and dedication B. Disasters for the land- How the nature damages Wang Lung connection with the Earth 1. Wang Lung and his family trying to survive against the elements of nature a. Wang Lung tries to survive from the famine that has struck the village because of the drought and is forced to move away from his land for a while. b. The flood affects Wang Lungs crops but because of his success from farming he is unaffected but becomes severed from his connection with the Earth. Wang Lung is forced to sever his connection with the earth because of nature a. When the famine struck Wang Lung is forced to move away from his land severing his connection and losing his strength to stay upon the land. b. Almost coming to the decision upon selling his daughter to return to the land corrupts Wang Lung moral judgments. C. Triumph over nature and the land- How Wang Lung connection with the land is restored and the wealth he is rewarded with. 1. Wang Lungs connection with the Earth is stronger than before. When returning from the city with money him able to purchase property and profit from his expanding land he has gained because of the Earth providing him with more resources. b. Through hard work he has become more profitable and wealthier than before and is able to provide for his family. 2. Wang Lung leading a prosperous lifestyle with the current wealth he has gained. a. He is able to become wealthier and afford many lavished items in his household and lead a good lavished life while he is now old. b. He becomes well respected within his village and is looked upon as one of the great family’s to the villagers.

Babylon Revisited

The question of whether or not Charlie Wales’ request to have his daughter returned to him is reasonable seems fairly clear. The fact that the story begins and ends in a bar, with the alcoholic protagonist struggling with his addiction seems an indication that his demon has not been slain. Ambiguities seen in the story lead a reader to think that perhaps at this point it is not reasonable.Charlie perceives his old haunts as less than glamorous in the cold light of sobriety, but still he feels compelled to go and look once more. Yet, while it seems that Charlie genuinely regrets his past the reader also is told that Charlie has lost his fortune, which could easily be the reason for his new mindset. One of the twin themes of this story is that a person is responsible for his own shortcomings, and must pay his dues, so to speak, being held accountable to others.Charlie says that he never had a problem with alcohol until he began to lose his fortune, appearing to be in classic den ial. Charlie does not accept that his bouts of drunkenness are the reason why people such as Marion behave toward him as they do. He faults Marion’s lack of compassion and her intolerance for their discord. Everyone is out of step but Johnny, so to speak, and Charlie is not willing to accept that is likely his own actions that cause the rift between them.The story ends with Charlie sitting in a bar with drink in hand, which is a dangerous act for a recovering alcoholic. Though he has refused a second one, it is clear that he is not over his addiction. His life is a tragedy, yet he has not demonstrated the ability, by story’s end, to take responsibility for his own inadequacies, so the question of his being able to care for his young daughter seems moot. For the stated reasons, Charlie is not being reasonable in asking for custody of the child. Babylon Revisited Babylon Revisited is an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, penned in 1930 Paris. It was then published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1931. The narrator speaks in third person, and from the point of view of Charlie, the protagonist. During his lifetime Fitzgerald was not recognized as a purely modernist author. It was after his death that this appellation was attached. Still, this short story has many features of the modernist movement, as can be seen in its theme, which is dark and fraught with conflict.The story is also written largely in the vernacular, which caused Fitzgerald to not be taken seriously as a writer early in his career. The protagonist is the character, Charlie Wales. The story opens and closes in a Paris bar. The conflict that Charlie finds is chiefly his struggle with alcoholism. He is in a battle of wills with his sister in law, who has custody of his daughter following the death of his wife. The twin themes of this story are that one must pay the piper if one has called the tune, as well as the idea that change is difficult to effect.The conflict is not resolved in the story and the reader is left to ponder the possibility that Charlie may or may not rise out of his sea of troubles. He is left sitting in a bar, but he has had a drink Still, he does some soul searching, and in the end refuses a second one. If he is to be considered a victim it must be understood that he suffers from a self-inflicted wound. The reader must decide if he feels sympathy toward Charlie. Charlie is the victim of forces outside his control but also a victim of his own weaknesses.My opinion is that the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, and we are known by our good acts and not our words. I have no sympathy for Charlie but I can see forgiving him if he keeps his pledge. Fitzgerald implies that he will. My hunch is that Charlie will find the dream of custody of his daughter stronger than the lure of alcohol. Reference Fitzgerald, F. and Bruccoli, M. (Editor) Bab ylon Revisited: and Other Stories Scribner 1996

Compare and contrast St Johns proposal to Jane with that of Rochesters and the effect they have on Jane Essays

Compare and contrast St Johns proposal to Jane with that of Rochesters and the effect they have on Jane Essays Compare and contrast St Johns proposal to Jane with that of Rochesters and the effect they have on Jane Paper Compare and contrast St Johns proposal to Jane with that of Rochesters and the effect they have on Jane Paper In the novel Jane Eyre the main character Jane gets involved in some bizarre circumstances. Two not so different men propose to her even though the proposals are very different and elite. St Johns proposal can be characterized as unromantic and oppressing since he practically forces Jane to marry him. From the other hand Rochesters proposal is quite romantic and witty. With a clever way and games Rochester manages to propose to Jane and to get the answer he wanted to hear. In St Johns proposal Jane reacts negatively. She refuses and keeps refusing since St John doesnt take no for an answer and he keeps on dragging the proposal. In Rochesters proposal Jane is very passionate. She wants to cry and feels tortured by Rochesters mind games. She also tortures Rochester but at the end she falls in his arms. From the very beginning St Johns proposal seemed oppressing. St John as he starts his proposal he is being presumptuous. He asks Jane what does her heart tells her and when Jane says her heart is mute. St John responds to that by telling her will speak for her heart. That answer is presumptuous and selfish. How can he expect to win a womans heart with that behavior? . Throughout his proposal St John is passionate and talks with great zeal for God, heaven etc. This behavior suffocates Jane bringing her to the point of asking for mercy. St John tells her that God needs her and he is testing her faith to God. St John talks to Jane like she doesnt have a mind of her own. He bases his whole proposal on the fact that Jane is the right person for a missionarys wife. St John is self-interested and pressures Jane. He says he claims her. For every negative answer by Jane, St John seems to have planned what to say next. He is calculative. He logically counterbalances Janes arguments. St John is cunning and persistent. He doesnt give up with Jane. St John supports his answers and points by using the Bible and generally God. He uses God also to test Janes faith and obedience to Him. He is cruel and pushes Jane knowing Janes belief in God. St John has been observing and studying Jane to see if she is right for the job. St John planned everything from the very beginning. As St John keeps going on with his proposal, he is pushing Jane against a wall and she cant escape. Jane feels powerless and weak. She feels she cant fight him. St John is very unromantic. He doesnt have a husbands heart and Jane acknowledges that making her mote not wanting to follow him to India. Jane keeps thinking the whole matter in her head and comes to the decision of going with St John as his sister. But St John refuses and says their union must be concealed by marriage or it cant exist. St John uses emotional blackmail that tortures Jane mentally. He wants to marry Jane so he can influence her life till her death. The whole thing is a matter of control. The more he speaks the more Jane feels his influence on her. She feels like she cant do anything to escape. St John is arrogant. He strongly believes Jane should become a part of him. This is what he wants and this is how he wants it. Jane reacts to all these in a passionate and outspoken way. She is not prepared to be controlled or oppressed by anyone. This incident brings up to the surface the character of Jane. She scorns St Johns idea of love and she scorns St John himself. She is direct and unconventional and opinionated. St John wants to marry Jane not on the idea of love but on the idea that he has to because of obedience to God. Certainly a woman wouldnt want to get married under those ideas and motives. St John uses no logic and he doesnt make sense. Mr. Rochesters proposal was indeed different from St Johns and Janes reactions are different. Rochester is romantic, he proposes to Jane in a romantic environment. He teases and plays with her telling her she must leave soon so he can get married. That was quite a blow for Jane but she didnt let that get to her. She remained calm. Rochester continued his teasing and tells Jane she could go work in Ireland taking care the five daughters of Mrs. Dionysious OGall of Bittermatt Lodge. It is quite humorous for the reader but torturous to Jane. Jane is severely wounded by the teasing. Jane wants to sob but she doesnt. She remains strong. Rochester makes his proposal challenging and provoking for Jane. He deliberately provokes Jane to encourage her to confide in him what she really feels. Rochester is intelligent. He soon changes his attitude and says to Jane if she leaves hell bleed from the inside and die. Jane is passionate and vehement in this proposal. She is honest to Rochester and tells him why she is so sorry to leave Thornfield. She was never undermined in Thornfield and she felt equal there. Also she is frightened to leave Rochester. Jane in a way explodes here after Rochester teases her. Janes passionate character is revealed. She points out to Rochester that she is not an automaton a machine. She has feelings too even if she is poor. Mr. Rochester after he debates with Jane to tell her how much she means to him he finally pops the question. Jane then mocks and tortures Mr. Rochester too by telling him she doesnt trust him at all. Rochesters proposal has passion and lots of romance. This is how a proposal should be but also it is an original one like St Johns. Both proposals have unique and elite characteristics. St John bases his whole proposal not on love but God and Rochester teases painfully Jane. Janes reactions are similar in the two proposals. She is passionate, outspoken and direct in both proposals.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, Father of Microbiology

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, Father of Microbiology Anton van Leeuwenhoek (October 24, 1632–August 30, 1723) invented the first practical microscopes and used them to become the first person to see and describe bacteria, among other microscopic discoveries.  Indeed, van Leeuwenhoeks work effectively refuted the doctrine of spontaneous generation, the theory that living organisms could spontaneously emerge from nonliving matter. His studies also led to the development of the sciences of bacteriology and protozoology. Fast Facts: Anton van Leeuwenhoek Known For:  Improvements to the microscope, discovery of bacteria, discovery of sperm, descriptions of all manner of microscopic cell structures (plant and animal), yeasts, molds, and moreAlso Known As: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, Antony Van LeeuwenhoekBorn:  Oct. 24, 1632 in Delft, HollandDied:  Aug. 30, 1723 in in Delft, HollandEducation:  Only basic educationPublished Works:  Arcana naturÅ“ detecta, 1695, a collection of his letters sent to the Royal Society of London, translated into Latin for the scientific communityAwards:  Member of the Royal Society of LondonSpouse(s): Barbara de Mey (m.1654–1666),  Cornelia Swalmius (m. 1671–1694)Children: MariaNotable Quote:  My work...was not pursued in order to gain the praise I now enjoy, but chiefly from a craving after knowledge. Early Life   Leeuwenhoek was born in Holland on October 24, 1632, and as a teenager he became an apprentice at a linen drapers shop. Although it doesnt seem a likely start to a life of science, from here Leeuwenhoek was set on a path to inventing his microscope. At the shop,  magnifying glasses were used to count the threads and inspect the quality of cloth. He was inspired and taught himself new methods for grinding and polishing tiny lenses of great curvature, which gave magnifications up to 275x (275 times the subjects original size), the finest known at that time. Contemporaneous Microscopes People had been using magnifying lenses since the 12th century and convex and concave lenses for vision correction since the 1200s and 1300s. In 1590, Dutch lens grinders Hans and Zacharias Janssen constructed a microscope with two lenses in a tube; though it may not have been the first microscope, it was a very early model. Also credited with the invention of the microscope about the same time was Hans Lippershey, the inventor of the telescope. Their work led to others research and development on telescopes and the modern compound microscope, such as Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer whose invention was the first given the name microscope. The compound microscopes of Leeuwenhoeks time had issues with blurry figures and distortions and could magnify only up to 30 or 40 times. Leeuwenhoek Microscope Leeuwenhoeks work on his tiny lenses led to the building of his microscopes, considered the first practical ones. They bore little resemblance to todays microscopes, however; they were more like very high-powered magnifying glasses and used only one lens instead of two. Other scientists didnt adopt Leeuwenhoeks versions of microscopes because of the difficulty in learning to use them.  They were small (about 2 inches long) and were used by holding ones eye close to the tiny lens and looking at a sample suspended on a pin. Leeuwenhoek Discoveries With these microscopes, though, he made the microbiological discoveries for which he is famous. Leeuwenhoek was the first to see and describe bacteria (1674), yeast plants, the teeming life in a drop of water (such as algae), and the circulation of blood corpuscles in capillaries. The word bacteria didnt exist yet, so he called these microscopic living organisms animalcules. During his long life, he used his lenses to make pioneer studies on an extraordinary variety of things- living and nonliving- and reported his findings in more than 100 letters to the Royal Society of England and the French Academy. Leeuwenhoeks first report to the Royal Society in 1673 described bee mouthparts, a louse, and a fungus. He studied the structure of plant cells and crystals, and the structure of human cells such as blood, muscle, skin, teeth, and hair. He even scraped the plaque from between his teeth to observe the bacteria there, which, Leeuwenhoek discovered, died after drinking coffee. He was the first to describe sperm and postulated that conception occurred when a sperm joined with an ovum, though his thought was that the ovum just served to feed the sperm. At the time, there were various theories of how babies formed, so Leeuwenhoeks studies of sperm and ovum of various species caused an uproar in the scientific community. It would be around 200 years before scientists would agree on the process. Leeuwenhoeks View on His Work Like his contemporary  Robert Hooke, Leeuwenhoek made some of the most important discoveries of early microscopy. In one letter from 1716, he wrote, My work, which Ive done for a long time, was not pursued in order to gain the praise I now enjoy, but chiefly from a craving after knowledge, which I notice resides in me more than in most other men. And therewithal, whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that all ingenious people might be informed thereof. He did not editorialize on meanings of his observations and acknowledged he was not a scientist but merely an observer. Leeuwenhoek was not an artist either, but he worked with one on the drawings he submitted in his letters. Death Van Leeuwenhoek also contributed to science in one other way. In the final year of his life, he described the disease that took his life. Van Leeuwenhoek suffered from uncontrollable contractions of the diaphram, a condition now known as Van Leeuwenhoek disease. He died of the disease, also called diaphragmatic flutter, on August 30, 1723, in Delft. He is buried at the Oude Kerk (Old Church) in Delft. Legacy Some of Leeuwenhoeks discoveries could be verified at the time by other scientists, but some discoveries could not because his lenses were so superior to others microscopes and equipment. Some people had to come to him to see his work in person. Just 11 of Leeuwenhoeks 500 microscopes exist today. His instruments were made of gold and silver, and most were sold by his family after he died in 1723. Other scientists did not use his microscopes, as they were difficult to learn to use. Some improvements to the device occurred in the 1730s, but big improvements that led to todays compound microscopes didnt happen until the middle of the 19th century. Sources â€Å"Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek.†Ã‚  Famous Biologists Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek Comments, famousbiologists.org.Cobb, M. An Amazing 10 Years: The Discovery of Egg and Sperm in the 17th Century. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 47 (Suppl. 4; 2012), 2–6, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.Lane, Nick. The Unseen World: Reflections on Leeuwenhoek (1677) ‘Concerning Little Animals.’  Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B, Biological Sciences 370 (1666) (April 19, 2015): 20140344.Samardhi, Himabindu Radford, Dorothy M. Fong, Kwun. (2010). Leeuwenhoeks disease: Diaphragmatic flutter in a cardiac patient. Cardiology in the Young. Cardiology in the Young. 20. 334 - 336.Van Leeuwenhoek, Anton. Letter of June 12, 1716, to the Royal Society, quoted by the University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley.Vision Engineering. Later Developments.

More Than and Less Than in Spanish

More Than and Less Than in Spanish Spanish has two common ways of saying more than and two corresponding ways of saying less than - but they dont mean the same thing to a native Spanish speaker and arent interchangeable. Tip for Remembering the Rule on More Than and Less Than Both ms que and ms de are usually translated as more than, while menos que and menos de typically are translated as less than. Menos de is also frequently translated as fewer than. Fortunately, the basic rule for remembering which to use is simple: Ms de and menos de normally are used before numbers. (If you like mnemonic devices, think D for digit.) Ms que and menos que are used in making comparisons. (Think K for comparison.) Some examples of ms de and menos de: Pronto vamos a ver el aceite a ms de cinco euros por litro. (Soon were going to see oilat more than 5 euros per liter.)El estudio dice que las mujeres necesitan ms de un hombre para ser felices. (The study says women need more than one man in order to be happy.) ¿Es posible sentir amor por ms de una persona? (Is it possible to feel love toward more than one person? Note that while una can mean a, it also is the feminine form of the number one.)Las temperaturas mà ­nimas descendieron a menos de cero grados. (The low temperatures fell to less than zero degrees.)Hay muchos alimentos con menos de 100 calorà ­as. (There are many foods with fewer than 100 calories.)Adquirir una vivienda de menos de un millà ³n de pesos en la Ciudad de Mà ©xico es complicado, pero no imposible. (Purchasing a home for less on than a million pesos in Mexico City is complicated but not impossible.) Here are some examples of comparisons using que: Nadie te ama ms que yo. (Nobody loves you more than I do.)Eres mucho ms que tus sentimientos. (You are much more than your feelings.)Gano menos que ella. (I earn less than she does.)Yo estaba ms feliz que un nià ±o con juguete nuevo. (I was happier than a boy with a new toy.)Me duele ms que antes. (This hurts me more than before.)Soy blogger y sà ©Ã‚  mucho ms que si fuera polà ­tica. (Im a blogger and I know much more  than if I were a politician.)Se necesitan ms manos que trabajen y menos gente que critique. (Needed are more hands that work and fewer people who criticize.) Note that a comparison takes the following form: Subject verb more/less than subject verbSujeto verbo ms/menos que sujeto verbo More Examples of More Than and Less Than However, in both Spanish and English, the noun and/or verb in the second part of the sentence can be implied rather than stated explicitly. In the final sentences given, for example, both the noun and verb are omitted in the second half. This hurts me more than before (Me duele ms que antes) has the same meaning as This hurts me more than it hurt me before (Me duele ms que me dolà ­a antes). If you cant readily expand a sentence to such a form, then there is no comparison being made. Here are some more examples using ms de and menos de. Note how these sentences cant be restructured the same way a comparison can: La Wikipedia tiene ms de 100.000 artà ­culos. (The Wikipedia has more than 100,000 articles.)El estudiante promedio necesita ms de cuatro aà ±os para obtener su tà ­tulo. (The average student needs more than four years to earn his or her degree.)Son menos de las cinco de la tarde. (It is not yet 5 p.m.)Menos de uno de cada tres espaà ±oles con derecho a voto apoya el tratado. (Fewer than one out of three Spaniards with the right to vote support the treaty.) In those rare cases where ms de or menos de isnt followed by a number, de usually can be translated as of or about, never than. Le deseo muchos aà ±os ms de felicidad. (I wish you many more years of happiness.)Quiero saber ms de los dinosaurios. (I want to know more about dinosaurs.)Nike Air: un poco menos de dolor. (eslogan publicitario) (Nike Air: A little less hurt. (advertising slogan) An Exception to the Number Rule Where a comparison is being made, ms que can be followed by a number. Example: Tiene ms dinero que diez reyes, he has more money than 10 kings. To use de in the just-given example would be nonsensical (unless rey were a unit of money). There are a very few cases, however, where the distinction between ms de and ms que can eliminate an ambiguity thats present in the English more than. Take, for example, a sentence such as he can eat more than a horse. The sentence could be translated to Spanish in two ways, depending on what is meant in English: Puede comer ms que un caballo. (He can eat more than a horse can eat.)Puede comer ms de un caballo. (He can eat a greater amount of food than eating a horse.) The first example above is a comparison, while the second is not.

Philosophy Theroy- Conclusion and Premises Essay

Philosophy Theroy- Conclusion and Premises - Essay Example l of prevalent societal attitudes at the time of the film’s making, but could as easily be transferred to more modern times, forcing the viewer to focus on the psychological action occurring rather than the latest high-dollar computer graphic imagery or fast-moving car chase scene. The film opens as the judge in a courtroom informs the jury of its duties before releasing them into the jury room. As the judge speaks, the camera pans across the different faces of the men who comprise the jury as well as the big-eared wide-eyed boy defendant. As the judge gives his directions, he makes it clear that this is a capital murder case and, should the jury return with a guilty verdict, the sentence will be death. With this harsh task on their minds, the jury files quietly into the jury room, none of them looking at the defendant as they do so but with the defendant watching each one of them in turn. As the case is presented, it is made clear that the boy, just turned 18, is on trial for his life accused of having killed his own father in an angry knife attack and then callously removing himself from the home to go watch a film. It is up to the jury to decide, by a vote of guilty or innocent, whether this boy lives or dies. Either they let him go free or they condemn him to death. As the jury files into the room, it is obvious some of them are deeply affected by the weight of their decision while others are clearly convinced their conclusions are obvious. As none of the jurymen are identified by name for most of the movie, only two of them exchanging names at the very end of the film, the only way to refer to them is by their jury number, which is made easier as they sit at the table in this order. Casual chatter before they all convene officially indicates that most of the jury members feel the case is fairly solid, the boy is undeniably guilty of the crime. As the film moves forward, the reasons for this assurance are revealed. First, the boy was known to have

Unfair terms in contracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unfair terms in contracts - Essay Example For example, if the supplier has the rights to alter the terms of the contract, it is considered to be unfair terms. Often, the obligation on the part of the supplier is very less or negligible as stated by the contract reflecting unfair terms again. Also, if terms of a contract put excess trouble to the consumers, then such contracts are said to contain unfair terms. Such terms tend to affect the faith of the customers2. In cases of mobile phones, credit cards, or tickets for airline or concerts, customers often rely on the suppliers too much to understand the unfair terms involved in the contracts that they enter into with the suppliers. For example, credit card companies often change their rules and policies if they are in need for the return of the money from the customer. Fine print in relation to a contract refers to the minute details of the contract rules that are presented in small print and might not be visible always. It might even possess the right of the suppliers to alter the terms of the contract. In case such a print is completely hidden, then it might not be considered as part of the contract at all and hence the supplier cannot take advantage of that3. Thus it can be understood in this context that if such fine prints are not hidden, then it becomes the responsibility of the customers to read the details without which several terms of the contract might remain unknown to the customers. From the study, thus, it can be concluded that the unfair terms are those terms in the contracts where the supplier has more advantages than the consumers. Moreover fine prints if hidden might not be considered as part of the agreement, but in other cases, they prove to be the customers’ duty to read them to avoid lack of knowledge of the unknown terms in cases of mobile phones, credit cards, airline tickets or concert

Corporate social responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Corporate social responsibility - Essay Example to emerging social priorities such as the need for eradication of pollution and conservation of fuel in order to ensure higher standards of living and sustainable development in the immediate society (Carroll and Shabana, pp 86). The integration of CSR policy and disclosure of CSR activities contribute to brand loyalty and good reputation in the industry (Du, Bhattacharya and Sen. p 240). This paper will analyze the Rolls-Royce Group’s level of disclosure of CSR activities in its financial statements. The paper will also analyze Rolls-Royce Group disclosure of its economic responsibility, legal responsibility, ethical and philanthropic responsibility of the company in and make a comparison of the CSR approach with that of other companies. Rolls-Royce Group provides its customers with the most technologically advanced power systems in marine, energy, civil and defense aerospace markets. According to management oral comments, the company is constantly looking for new methods of minimising the environmental impact of its business activities and transforming utilization of energy. Rolls-Royce business model aims at attaining long-term growth, profitability and sustainability. The company has diversified in numerous markets such as Asia and has maintained zero debt. From 2007 to 2011, the company has maintained a growth in revenues thus this can be attributed to customer loyalty and aggressive efforts in cutting down operating costs. Rolls-Royce Group plc revenues grew at a higher rate when compared with the GE Aviation which is the leading competitor in the industry. For instance, in 2008, Rolls-Royce revenues increased at the rate of 22.2 percent compared with a rate of 5.8 percent for GE Aviation. Although GE Aviation experienced a decline a 14.1 percent decline in revenues due adverse impact of the financial and economic crisis in 2009, Rolls-Royce managed to increase its revenues by 14.1 percent. Rolls-Royce is committed to ensuring manufacturing efficiency

Resume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 26

Resume - Essay Example 1. I actively participated in all kinds of volunteering activities in arranging event during my stay in Alsabah wa Al Setoon Secondary School, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 2006. 2. I served as a volunteer worker in the â€Å"Orphan’s Day† in 2008 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 3. I attended and energetically participated in â€Å"Compass Cycle Thinking† Workshop in 2008 at King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Education for Girls Scientific Department, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 4. Partook as a volunteer in â€Å"Happy Leaders† activity arranged by Self- development Center from 30.12. 2009 – 08.01.2010 (29 hours). 5. Participated in the formation the largest Human Awareness Pink Ribbon Oct 2010. 6. Significantly contributed in the first Geometrics Symposium in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia GTC in 2011. 7. I attended the first forum of the Architectural Heritage 2011. 8. I attended a training course approved by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties under the title understand the different personal styles (understanding of the characters) 2013.

Unit 3 Seminar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 3 Seminar - Research Paper Example In the political arena, these sayings are tailored towards convincing the voters and the entire political allies that they simply expect the best. These phrases, slogans and sayings are representation of both truth and lie. Some of the users of these statements mean exactly what the statement outlines, while others take advantage of the audience by using convincing terms to make the audience fall prey. As much as they are used, care should be taken in order to differentiate deception from the truth. The communication characteristic of the above statements, slogans or expressions portrays a culture that is both true to type and a lie at the same time. Depending on the context within which these expressions are used, it is simple to differentiate the truth from the lies. Stereotypes are referred to as public beliefs about individuals or social groups (Bennett, 2009). These beliefs are not necessarily true. In the American community, examples of stereotypes include the belief that the African-Americans do well in sports. Another one is the belief that Mexicans went to America illegally. These stereotypes can be disputed on the ground that critical consideration of the issues they raise are vague. Although I held the first stereotype as true over a long period of time, my interaction with the African-Americans has proved otherwise. This happened out if the fact that there are many African-Americans in America who do not take part in any sport at all, and those who do are not always

Cities have the right to ban smoking in public Essay

Cities have the right to ban smoking in public - Essay Example John Britton (2004) in his brief analysis on the â€Å"ABC’s of Smoking† highlights the numerous health risks related to both active and passive smoking. For starters, smoking is addictive owing to the massive amount of nicotine. Health specialists also report that Nicotine subsequently increases the levels of cholesterol in the body. Secondly there are other more serious risks such as lung cancer associated with tar, a major component of tobacco cigarettes. There are also numerous cardiovascular conditions that may arise such as Coronary thrombosis and cerebral thrombosis (Britton, 2004). The government postulates that putting a ban on public smoking will reduce the chances of these diseases claiming more lives than they already have. A national survey in America, for instance, indicates that tobacco related deaths supersede those related to AIDS, Murder and car crushes combined. Seeing as these deaths are preventable it would be against the public interest if the gove rnment did not take appropriate actions. This ban may also be beneficial to the smoker. Boyle et al (2010), postulate that the ban encourages the smokers to quit because they will smoke in only restricted areas. Reduced smoking will reduce the above mentioned diseases significantly and even mitigate the spiraling health care costs. In the year 2009, in light of the public smoking ban in Colorado, reports indicate that there was a 41% drop in heart attacks (Haber, 2010). However, other findings indicate that an individual under pressure such as the smoking ban is more likely to smoke more when they get the chance to do so (Britton, 2004). On the other hand, social behaviorists hope that reduced public smoking will reduce the chances of other people especially young people from adapting the habit. Nonetheless, there is something this ban overlooks in regard to the youth. First, youths derive pleasure from engaging in illegal activities more than legal ones. Secondly, other social medi a such television (movies in particular) makes smoking seem acceptable to the youth (Boyle et al, 2010). The most controversial stand both the pro smoking ban and those against it take is the constitutional approach. Persons who smoke claim the ban is against their personal liberties while non-smokers claim to smoke in public undermines their personal liberties (Brandt, 2009). The Fifth and fourteenth amendment dictate that personal liberties should not be deprived without due process. The Supreme Court agrees that the term â€Å"liberty† as described in Section One of the 14th Amendment is subject to ambiguity. John Locke in his writings on the Second Treatise on Government maintains that there are entities that are above individual rights (Brandt, 2009). These entities include the government and society. In view of this, for as long as personal liberties infringe on these two entities, the government can strike down the individual liberties. Stewart Mill is of the same opin ion and voices this fact in his text â€Å"On Liberty†. In summary, societal rights take precedence over the rights of an individual in instances where the actions of an individual infringe on those of the public. With this argument coupled with the numerous health factors associated with smoking, banning public smoking is logical and imperative (Brandt, 2009). Much as, there is no â€Å"Right to smoke†, â€Å"due process on this matter according to critics is lacking in

Unit 3 Seminar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 3 Seminar - Research Paper Example In the political arena, these sayings are tailored towards convincing the voters and the entire political allies that they simply expect the best. These phrases, slogans and sayings are representation of both truth and lie. Some of the users of these statements mean exactly what the statement outlines, while others take advantage of the audience by using convincing terms to make the audience fall prey. As much as they are used, care should be taken in order to differentiate deception from the truth. The communication characteristic of the above statements, slogans or expressions portrays a culture that is both true to type and a lie at the same time. Depending on the context within which these expressions are used, it is simple to differentiate the truth from the lies. Stereotypes are referred to as public beliefs about individuals or social groups (Bennett, 2009). These beliefs are not necessarily true. In the American community, examples of stereotypes include the belief that the African-Americans do well in sports. Another one is the belief that Mexicans went to America illegally. These stereotypes can be disputed on the ground that critical consideration of the issues they raise are vague. Although I held the first stereotype as true over a long period of time, my interaction with the African-Americans has proved otherwise. This happened out if the fact that there are many African-Americans in America who do not take part in any sport at all, and those who do are not always

Women were second-class citizens in the year 1900 Essay Example for Free

Women were second-class citizens in the year 1900 Essay Women were second-class citizens in the year 1900. How far is this a true assessment of women at the beginning of the Twentieth century? This is difficult to answer as it is hard to determine whether all women had the same problem or whether some were better treated than others. There are many views as to whether women were second-class citizens and it is a widely speculated point as many different people have many different answers. There is much evidence that women were second-class citizens in the year 1900, but there is also evidence that they were not treated too badly and some even liked the way things were. In spite of this, some campaigned for more equality in many areas such as political rights and marriage. This is shown in many ways. There were limited job opportunities and women were only allowed to do domestic service, nursing, teaching, factory work, shop work or living at home and working there. Despite this, women seemed happy with most of the jobs available to them and did not really want new jobs. Women also had limited education opportunities. Women, like men, had a compulsory primary education and occasional secondary education, and a few even went on to study at Cambridge. However, few were allowed to do degrees in university and the quality of the education women got was lower than that of the boys. Also girls were generally taught things that only women do such as needlework and housework as well as letters and arithmetic etc but the boys were taught how to do farming and office work instead. This meant that women had few job opportunities due to the limit in their knowledge and education. The women in 1900 had quite good right when it came to marriage, due to campaigns in the late 1800s. Even though the church saw women as subordinates, they managed to get many new rights for themselves due to hard work and campaigning. There was a Custody of Infants Act passed which meant that women who were divorced were able to keep their children. The Married Womens Property Acts in 1870 and 1882 meant that they were able to keep any land they owned before they got married as their own and not their husbands. The Guardianship of Infants Act and Married Womens Act in 1886 allowed women even more freedom when it came to marriage and divorce. This shows that in 1900 women were not too badly treated when it came to marriage. Working-class and Middle-class women had life very differently. Working-class women generally worked all day and came home to housework, cooking, cleaning etc. In contrast to this, most middle-class women did not have to work as their husband supported the family. Despite this it meant that the middle-class women had very little freedom and although they were not tied down to working life it gave them very little to do and therefore they were probably treated more like second-class citizens than the working-class because of their limited opportunities. Women had very little freedom when it came to the vote. They were almost certainly classed as second-class citizens when it came to political rights. This is evident because, although women were allowed to vote in all kinds of local council elections, they were not allowed to vote in parliamentary elections. This meant that they were classed with criminals and the infirm of mind. Some women objected very strongly to this. Women in 1900 had very little political power, if any at all and this is an indication that they were viewed as second-class citizens. In conclusion I think that women in 1900 were not completely viewed as second-class citizens in many respects because, as is shown above, they had previously gained a lot of rights not open to them before the 1850s. This meant that, although in some areas such as the vote, political rights and many job respects they were treated as less than the men, they were not completely treated as second-class citizens. The fact that they were viewed as second-class citizens in some respects shows, in my opinion, nothing but human nature as every being looks down on something, in this case, the men looked down on the women and the women looked down on the children who had even less rights than they. This is still true nowadays as humans, even though we are now largely equal, look down on people of different nationalities, race, religion, colour etc and also humans look down on animals which in turn look down on each other for example; the lion is the king of the jungle so it probably looks down on the tigers etc. This is just the nature of living creatures so in my opinion, women were not treated too badly in 1900 and have come a long way since then.

Effect of School Based Obesity Interventions

Effect of School Based Obesity Interventions ABSTRACT Introduction Background Obesity in both adult and children is fast becoming one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century in developed and developing countries alike. It is estimated that approximately 10% of school age children. The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is ever on the increase in the UK as in the rest of the world. It is estimated that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 2 10 year old children in the UK rose from 22.7%-27.7% and 9.9%-13.7% respectively between 1995 and 2003; these figures are set to increase unless something is done. School-based interventions offer a possible solution in halting obesity prevalence, because the school setting provides an avenue for reaching out to a high percentage of children (especially in the western world), opportunity for constant monitoring of children and the resources for anti-obesity interventions. Objectives To systematically review the evidence of the impact of school-based interventions to prevent childhood obesity on: Adiposity (primary objective) Knowledge, physical activity levels and diet (secondary objectives) Methods The review was done following the Cochrane collaboration guidelines. In addition to searching electronic databases, first authors of all included studies were contacted. A recognised critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of included studies. Results Three RCTs and one CCT met the inclusion criteria for the review. All four studies had a control and intervention group; with various study limitations. While none of the studies found statistically significant BMI changes in intervention groups when compared with control group post-intervention, all of them recorded either a significant change in diet, or an increase in physical activity levels. INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND Obesity is generally understood as abnormal accumulation of fat to the extent that presents health risk (Kiess, Marcus et al. 2004), and was added to the international classification of diseases for the first time in 1948 (Kipping, Jago et al. 2008). The worldwide clinical definition of adult obesity by the WHO is body mass index (BMI) ≠¥ 30kg/m2 (WHO 2006). In children however, because of the significant changes in their BMI with age (Cole, Bellizzi et al. 2000), there is no universally accepted definition of obesity (Parizkova and Hills 2004; Bessesen 2008) and it therefore varies from country-to-country. The most commonly used definition of childhood obesity is the US definition which measures overweight and obesity in a reference population using the cut off points of 85th and 95th centiles of BMI for age (Ogden, Yanovski et al. 2007). In the UK, overweight and obesity are diagnosed using a national reference data from a 1990 BMI survey of British children (Stamatakis, Prima testa et al. 2005). Children whose weights are above the 85th centile are classed as overweight and over the 95th centile are considered obese (Reilly, Wilson et al. 2002). Recent estimates suggest that obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally with about 400 million adults being clinically obese, a figure projected to rise to about 700 million by 2015 (WHO 2006). In children, the current WHO estimates are that about 22 million children globally under age 5 are overweight (WHO 2008). In the UK, evidence suggests that obesity is set to be the number one preventable cause of disease in a matter of time (Simon, Everitt et al. 2005). In the last three decades, the scale as well as the prevalence of obesity have grown rapidly amongst all age, social and ethnic groups in the UK, as well as globally (Table 1)(Kipping, Jago et al. 2008). Estimates suggest that in the UK, between 1984 and 2002/2003, the prevalence of obesity in boys aged 5-10 rose by 4.16%, and by 4.8% in girls (Stamatakis, Primatesta et al. 2005). There is therefore there is an urgent need for the development and implementation of effective intervention strategies to halt the ever increasing obesity prevalence (Summerbell Carolyn, Waters et al. 2005). OBESITY CAUSATION The primary risk factors associated with the increase in prevalence of childhood obesity are ever increasing involvement in sedentary lifestyles and an increase also in the consumption of high energy dense food and drink (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002; Sekine, Yamagami et al. 2002; Speiser, Rudolf et al. 2005; Topp, Jacks et al. 2009). The underlying mechanism of obesity formation is an imbalance between energy input and expenditure (Moran 1999; Kipping, Jago et al. 2008) Genetic and environmental factors greatly influence the bodys energy balance. Nevertheless, genetic conditions which either cause production of excessive fat in the body or reduce the rate at which it is broken down, of which Prader-Willi syndrome is an example account for less than 5% of obese individuals (Speiser, Rudolf et al. 2005), with environmental factors accounting for a very high percentage (French, Story et al. 2001). The major cause of the rising obesity problem is arguably changes in physical and social environments (French, Story et al. 2001). In recent times, there has been a remarkable shift towards activities that do not promote energy expenditure, for example, most children would travel to school in cars rather walk, in contrast to what obtained in the 1970s (Popkin, Duffey et al. 2005; Anderson and Butcher 2006). There is evidence to suggest that obese children are less active than their non-obese counterparts, hence promoting physical activity such as walking or exercising will help prevent obesity in children (Hughes, Henderson et al. 2006). Media time (television viewing, playing video games and using the computer) has been identified as one of the significant environmental changes responsible for the surge in childhood obesity. Besides promoting physical inactivity, it encourages energy input via excessive snacking and inappropriate food choices as a result of television advertisements (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002; Speiser, Rudolf et al. 2005). Robinson in his study reveals that â€Å"between ages 2 and 17, children spend an average of 3 years of their waking lifetime watching television alone† (Robinson 1998). Parents play a significant role in where, what and how much their children eat and to an extent, how physically active their children are. In most homes, children make their food choices based on the options they are presented with by their parents, and they characteristically would go for wrong option, more so if they have an obese parent (Strauss and Knight 1999). Other changes within the family such as physical inactivity and working patterns of parents have contributed somewhat to the obesity epidemic. In a family where the parents work full-time, there tends to be very little time for them to prepare wholesome home-made meals and this could possibly explain the increasing demand for eating out (Anderson and Butcher 2006) thereby increasing intake of high energy dense food. Childrens attitude to and participation in physical activities depends largely on how physically active their parents are. Thus children of sporty parents embrace exercise heartily and are therefore less prone to becoming obese.(Sallis, Prochaska et al. 2000). In addition to these family factors, societal factors such as high crime rate, access to safe sports/recreational facilities, transportation and fewer physical education programs in schools significantly impact on energy balance (Koplan, Liverman et al. 2005; Popkin, Duffey et al. 2005; Topp, Jacks et al. 2009). French summarizes the environmental influence on obesity by opining that â€Å"The current epidemic of obesity is caused largely by an environment that promotes excessive food intake and discourages physical activity† (French, Story et al. 2001) CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY Evidence suggests that childhood obesity and/or overweight has a great impact on both physical and psychological health; causing effects such as behavioral problems and low self esteem, with a higher risk in girls than in boys (Reilly, Methven et al. 2003). Although most of the serious consequences do not become evident until adulthood, research has shown childhood obesity to be linked to metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart attacks, sleep apnea, nonalchoholic fatty liver disease, higher incidence of cancers, depression, dyslipidaemia, increased blood clotting tendency, etc (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002; Reilly, Methven et al. 2003; Kiess, Marcus et al. 2004; D. A. Lawlor, C. J. Riddoch et al. 2005; Daniels 2006; WHO 2006). One of the long-term serious consequences of childhood obesity is that obese children are twice more likely to grow into obese adults than their non-obese counterparts (Moran 1999); however, this largely depends on factors such as age of onset, severity of the disease and the presence of the disease in one parent (Moran 1999; Campbell, Waters et al. 2001; Kiess, Marcus et al. 2004; WHO 2006). Other long term consequences include early death and adverse socio-economic consequences such as poor educational attainment and low/no income in adulthood (Reilly, Methven et al. 2003; Fowler-Brown and Kahwati 2004; Kiess, Marcus et al. 2004). Obesity-related morbidity places a huge and growing financial demand on governments. In the UK alone, the Department of Health has reported that obesity costs the NHS and the UK economy as a whole about  £1b and between  £2.3b  £2.6b annually respectively, with the cost to the NHS projected to rise to  £3.6b by 2010 (DH 2007). TREATMENT AND PREVENTION The treatment of obesity requires a multidisciplinary approach due to the multi-faceted nature of the condition (Parizkova and Hills 2004). This is aimed at reducing caloric intake and increasing energy expenditure through physical activity (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002). These interventions are more likely to be successful if the patients family is involved and the treatment tailored to individual needs and circumstances (Fowler-Brown and Kahwati 2004). In extreme cases, options such as surgical and pharmacological treatments could be exploited. These options are very unpopular and usually not recommended because the associated health risks outweigh the benefits by far (Epstein, Myers et al. 1998; Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002). Considering the huge costs and high levels of treatment failure associated with obesity treatment (Stewart, Chapple et al. 2008), the axiom by Benjamin Franklin cannot describe any other condition better than it describes obesity management. â€Å"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure† Dietz et al confirm this by saying that prevention remains the best and most effective management of obesity (Dietz and Gortmaker 2001). Obesity prevention interventions are usually set either in the home or at school with an objective of eliminating peer pressure and, by so doing effect behavioral change (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002). Literature suggests that the school has so far remained the choice setting for these preventive interventions despite the very limited evidence on its effectiveness (Birch and Ventura 2009). Why is the school setting a good focus of intervention? Approximately 90% of children are enrolled in schools in developed countries (Baranowsk, Cullen et al. 2002) Children spend a substantial amount of time in school and therefore consume a considerable proportion of their daily calories at school (Katz, OConnell et al. 2005) School related activities present an opportunity to educate children on the concept of energy balance, healthy living and how to make appropriate food choices (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002; Koplan, Liverman et al. 2005) It offers opportunity for continuity and constant monitoring via frequent contact (Baranowski T 2002) Schools have an availability of existing manpower and facilities needed for anti-obesity interventions (Kropski, Keckley et al. 2008) In a nut shell, â€Å"Schools offer many other opportunities for learning and practicing healthful eating and physical activity behaviors. Coordinated changes in the curriculum, the in-school advertising environment, school health services, and after-school programs all offer the potential to advance obesity prevention† (Koplan, Liverman et al. 2005). PREVIOUS SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS Systematic reviews have been conducted on the effectiveness of school-based interventions in the prevention of childhood obesity. Campbell et al (2001), conducted a systematic review of 7 randomised control trials (RCTs) (6 were school-based, varying in length of time, target population, quality of study and intervention approach). The review found that dietary and physical education interventions have an effect on childhood obesity prevalence. However, success varied with different interventions amongst different age groups. Two of the three long term studies that focused on a combination of dietary education and physical activity, and dietary education respectively reported an effect on obesity prevalence reduction. Similarly, 1 out of the 3 school based short-term interventions that focused only on reducing sedentary activity also found an effect on obesity prevalence. While this review shows that dietary and physical activity interventions based at school are effective against th e risk factors of obesity, the question of generalisability and reproducibility arises as the review reports the majority of the included primary studies were carried out in the US. Most of the studies used BMI as a measure of adiposity, and BMI as has been documented varies across ethnic and racial groups (Rush, Goedecke et al. 2007), thus, it will be inappropriate to apply the findings of US-based obesity prevention interventions to children in middle and low income countries where conditions are different. There are also concerns about the methodology and study design. For example the school-based study by Gotmaker et al (1999) had limitations such as low participation rate (65%) and the researchers were unable to adjust for maturity in boys and there was also poor assessment of dietary intake. All these limitations could have been responsible for a high percentage of the reported intervention effect thus affecting the validity of the results of the study (Gortmaker, Peterson et al. 1999). The authors of the review however concluded that there is currently very limited high quality evidence on which to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of anti-obesity programmes. A Cochrane review which is an update of the Campbell et al (2001) study by Summerbell et al (2005) has examined the impact of diet, physical activity and/or lifestyle and social support on childhood obesity prevention. Their review examined the effectiveness of childhood obesity prevention interventions which included school based interventions. Their study included 10 long-term (a minimum duration of 12 months) and 12 short-term (12weeks 12 months) clinical trials (randomised and controlled). 19 out of the 22 studies that met their inclusion criteria were school/pre-school based. The study chose the appropriate study type; more than one reviewer was involved in the entire process of data collection, extraction and selection of included studies. In general, the study found that most of the school-based interventions (dietary and/or physical activity) reported some positive changes in targeted behaviours, but however had very little or no statistically significant impact on BMI. The reviewers stated that none of the 22 studies fulfilled the quality criteria because of some form of methodological weakness which includes measurement errors. For instance, the study by Jenner et al (1989) had no valid method of measuring food intake. The studies by Crawford et al (1994), Lannotti et al (1994) and Sallis et al (2000) had similar measurement errors. Reporting error was identified in studies by Little et al (1999) and Macdiarmid et al (1998). There were also reliability concerns about the secondary outcomes measurement in some of the included studies. The reviewers therefore expressed the need for further high quality research on effectiveness. Kropski et al (2008) reviewed 14 school-based studies that were designed to effect a life style change, a change in BMI, decrease overweight prevalence through a change in nutrition, physical activity or a combination of both. Of the 14 studies, three were done in the UK, one in Germany and 10 in the US. The right type of studies were chosen for this review and the whole process was done by more than one reviewer, however they were unable to draw strong conclusions on the efficacy of school-based interventions because of the limited number of primary studies available and methodological or design concerns which include: small sample size (Luepker, Perry et al. 1996; Mo-suwan, Pongprapai et al. 1998; Nader, Stone et al. 1999; Warren, Henry et al. 2003), no intention-to treat analysis (Danielzik, Pust et al.; Sallis, McKenzie et al. 1993; Sahota, Rudolf et al. 2001; Warren, Henry et al. 2003), possibility of type I (Coleman, Tiller et al. 2005) and type II errors (Warren, Henry et al. 2003), unit of analysis errors (Sallis, McKenzie et al. 1993) and inconsistent results (Mo-suwan, Pongprapai et al. 1998; Caballero, Clay et al. 2003; Coleman, Tiller et al. 2005). Despite their inability to draw a conclusion on effectiveness, overall, the review found that a combination of nutritional and physical activity interventions had the most effect on BMI and prevalence of overweight, with the result largely varying from community-to-community. The nutrition only and physical activity only interventions appeared to have had a change on lifestyles of participants but either had no significant effect on the measures of overweight or no BMI outcomes were measured. Another systematic review on the effectiveness of school-based interventions among Chinese school children was carried out by M.Li et al (2008). The authors included 22 primary studies in their review. The review reported that the primary studies showed that there are some beneficial effects of school-based interventions for obesity prevention; the reviewers however expressed their concerns that most of the studies included in the review had what they considered to be serious to moderate methodological weaknesses. Sixteen of the 22 studies included studies were cluster control trials, and there was no mention by any of the researchers that cluster analysis was applied to any of the 16 studies. In addition to lack of cluster analysis, no process evaluation was conducted in any of the studies. Only one study performed an intention to treat analysis. Twelve studies experienced dropouts, but there was incomplete information on the study population at the end of the trial and the reason f or the dropouts. Additionally, none of the studies explained the theory upon which they based their intervention. There was also potential recruitment and selection bias in all the primary studies as identified by the reviewers. They stated that none of the studies reported the number of subjects that were approached for recruitment into the study. As none of the RCTs included described the method they used in randomization, neither did they state if the studies were blinded or not. The methodological flaws in a high percentage of the included primary studies could impact on the validity of the findings of the review. Again, the authors failed to reach a conclusion on the effectiveness of the interventions because of the intrinsic weaknesses found in the primary studies, and as a result state the need for more primary studies that would address the methodological weaknesses that is highly present in nearly all existing primary studies conducted on this topic so far. The study of the efficacy of school-based interventions aimed at preventing childhood obesity or reducing the risk factors is a rather complex one. Pertinent issues on effectiveness of school-based interventions to prevent the risk factors of obesity remain that there is very limited/weak evidence on which to base policies on. Heterogeneity of primary research (in terms if age of study population, duration of intervention, measurement of outcomes and outcomes measured) makes further statistical analysis nearly impossible. BMI is currently the most widely used measure of overweight and obesity in children. However, BMI has no way of distinguishing between fat mass and muscle mass in the body and might therefore misdiagnose children with bigger muscles as obese. Another disadvantage of using BMI in overweight measurement is its inability of depicting the body fat composition (Committee on Nutrition 2003), other surrogate indicators of adiposity may be needed. Most authors that have carried out a review on this topic so far have expressed the need for further research on this topic to add to the existing body of evidence. RATIONALE FOR THIS STUDY All the systematic reviews on this subject so far have focused mainly on the United States. Lifestyle differences such as eating habits between American and British children possibly affect generalisability and reproducibility of US findings to the UK. For example, in the US, research has shown that 0.5% of all television advertisements promote food, and that about 72% of these food advertisements promote unhealthy food such as candy and fast food (Darwin 2009). In the UK paradoxically, the government in 2007 enforced regulations banning television advertisement of unhealthy foods (foods with high fat, salt, and sugar content) during television programmes aimed at children below 16 years of age (Darwin 2009). Thus US children are at a higher risk of becoming obese than their UK counterparts as a result of higher rate of exposure to TV junk food advertisements. Another lifestyle difference between American and British children is physical activity. In the UK, a high percentage of children aged 2 to 15 achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily (about 70% of males and 60% of females) (DoH 2004), as opposed to the US where only about 34% of school pupils achieve the daily recommended levels of physical activity daily (CDC 2008). These differences highlight the importance of public health policies being based on the local population characteristics rather than on imported overseas figures. There is therefore need to review the evidence of UK school-based obesity interventions to inform policy relevant to the UK population. To the best of my knowledge following an extensive literature search, no systematic review has been conducted on the effectiveness of school-based intervention in preventing childhood obesity in the UK, despite the high prevalence of the condition and its public health significance in this country. This research aims to bridge this gap in knowledge by focusing on UK based studies to evaluate the efficacy of school-based interventions in the UK population. This study therefore stands out insofar as it will be assessing the effectiveness of school-based interventions in the reducing the risk factors of obesity in the UK, with a hope of providing specific local recommendations based on UK evidence. This type of review is long overdue in the UK, considering that the governments target to reduce childhood obesity to its pre-2000 levels by the year 2020 (DoH 2007) will require local evidence of effective interventions to succeed. The next stage of this review will describe in detail the research methodology to be used to conduct the proposed systematic review. Also included will be research strategy details to be adopted, study selection criteria, data collection and analysis. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this research is to: Systematically review school-based intervention studies in the UK aimed at reducing the risk factors of childhood obesity among school children. Objectives are: To assess the efficacy of school-based anti-obesity interventions in the UK. To identify the most effective form of school-based interventions in the prevention of childhood obesity amongst school children in the UK. CRITERIA FOR INCLUDING STUDIES IN THIS REVIEW METHODS This review was performed as a Cochrane review. The Cochrane guidance on systematic reviews and reporting format were as far as possible adhered to by the author (Green, Higgins et al. 2008). The entire review process was guided by a tool for assessing the quality of systematic reviews, alongside the accompanying guidance (health-evidence.ca 2007a; health-evidence.ca 2007b). TYPES OF STUDY In the search for the effectiveness of an intervention, well conducted randomised control trials (which are the best and most credible sources of evidence) will be the preferred source of studies for this review. However, because of the limited number of RCTs conducted on this topic so far, this study will include controlled clinical trials if there is insufficient availability of RCTs. TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS School children under 18 years of age TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS Interventions being evaluated are those that aim to: Reduce sedentary lifestyle Effect nutritional change Combine the two outcomes above Reduce obesity prevalence Effect an attitude change towards physical activity and diet Studies that present a baseline and post intervention measure of primary outcome. Interventions not included in this study are: Those with no specified weight-related outcomes Those that involved school-age children but were delivered outside of the school setting, as our focus is based on school-based interventions aimed at obesity prevention. Studies done outside the UK Studies with no specified interventions Non-RCTs or CCTs For each intervention, the control group will be school children not receiving the intervention(s). TYPES OF OUTCOMES MEASURED Primary outcomes Change in adiposity measured as BMI and/or skin fold thickness Secondary outcomes Knowledge Physical activity levels Diet SEARCH METHODS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF STUDIES Electronic searches The electronic databases OVID MEDLINE ® (1950-2009), PsycINFO (1982-2009), EMBASE (1980-2009) and the British Nursing Index (1994-2009) were all searched using the OVID SP interface. The Wiley Interscience interface was used to search the following databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects. There was also a general search of internet using Google search engine, in an attempt to identify any ongoing studies or unpublished reports before proceeding to search grey literature sources. Grey literature For references to childhood obesity prevention in schools, the following grey literature sources were searched: British Library Integrated Catalogue (http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/?func=filefile_name=login-bl-list) ISI index of Conference Proceedings (http://wok.mimas.ac.uk/) SCIRUS (http://www.scirus.com/) System for Information on Grey Literature (http://opensigle.inist.fr/) ZETOC (http://zetoc.mimas.ac.uk) Additionally, current control trials database at http://www.controlled-trials.com/ was searched for any ongoing research. The UK national research register was also searched at https://portal.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/NRRArchive.aspx. All the links to the grey literature databases were tested at the time of this review and found to be working. Hand searches It was not possible to conduct a hand search of journals due to pragmatic reasons. Reference lists Reference lists of retrieved studies were searched for other potential relevant studies that might have been omitted in the earlier search. Correspondence First author of all included studies were contacted with a view to seeking more references. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Selection of studies The abstracts and titles of the hits from the electronic databases searched were screened for relevance by a single assessor. Those that were thought to be potentially relevant were retrieved and downloaded unto EndnoteTM to make the results manageable and also avoid loss of data. At the end of the search, all databases were merged into one single database and duplicated records of the same study were removed. Subsequently, the assessor then sought and obtained the full text of, and reviewed the relevant studies that were considered eligible for inclusion. Multiple reports of same study were linked together. No further data were sought for studies not included in the review. Data extraction Data extraction from included studies was done by a single reviewer and the data recorded on a data extraction form. A summary of each included study was described according to these characteristics: Participants (age, ethnicity etc.), study design, description of school-based interventions, study quality and details such as follow-ups and date, location, outcomes measured, theoretical framework, baseline comparability and results Assessment of methodological quality of included studies A number of researchers (Jackson, Waters et al. 2005) and the Cochrane guidelines for systematic reviews of health promotion and public health interventions (Rebecca Armstrong, Waters et al. 2007) strongly advise using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies (2008a) developed by the Effective Public Health Practice Project in Canada and the accompanying dictionary (to act as a guideline) (2008b) in assessing methodological quality. Based on criteria such as selection bias, study design, blinding, cofounders, data collection methods, withdrawals and drop-outs and intervention integrity, the tool which is designed to cover any quantitative study employs the use of a scale (strong, moderate or weak) to assess the quality of each study included in the review. Analysis Considering the small number of studies included in the review and heterogeneity in terms of interventions, delivery methods, intensity of interventions, age of participants, duration of intervention and outcomes measured, it was not statistically appropriate to undertake a Meta analysis, which admittedly would have been the preferred method of analysing and summarising the results of the studies. A narrative synthesis of the results was done instead. RESULT DESCRIPTION OF STUDIES Results of the search The search of electronic sources identified 811 citations out of which 97 potential studies were retrieved. A reference management software EndnoteTM was used to search for and remove duplicate citations. Further screening of title and abstract reduced the number of citations to 17 potential studies. Full texts of the 17 studies were sought, 13 were excluded, and four met the inclusion criteria and were therefore included in the review. Authors of the four studies were then conta Effect of School Based Obesity Interventions Effect of School Based Obesity Interventions ABSTRACT Introduction Background Obesity in both adult and children is fast becoming one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century in developed and developing countries alike. It is estimated that approximately 10% of school age children. The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is ever on the increase in the UK as in the rest of the world. It is estimated that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 2 10 year old children in the UK rose from 22.7%-27.7% and 9.9%-13.7% respectively between 1995 and 2003; these figures are set to increase unless something is done. School-based interventions offer a possible solution in halting obesity prevalence, because the school setting provides an avenue for reaching out to a high percentage of children (especially in the western world), opportunity for constant monitoring of children and the resources for anti-obesity interventions. Objectives To systematically review the evidence of the impact of school-based interventions to prevent childhood obesity on: Adiposity (primary objective) Knowledge, physical activity levels and diet (secondary objectives) Methods The review was done following the Cochrane collaboration guidelines. In addition to searching electronic databases, first authors of all included studies were contacted. A recognised critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of included studies. Results Three RCTs and one CCT met the inclusion criteria for the review. All four studies had a control and intervention group; with various study limitations. While none of the studies found statistically significant BMI changes in intervention groups when compared with control group post-intervention, all of them recorded either a significant change in diet, or an increase in physical activity levels. INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND Obesity is generally understood as abnormal accumulation of fat to the extent that presents health risk (Kiess, Marcus et al. 2004), and was added to the international classification of diseases for the first time in 1948 (Kipping, Jago et al. 2008). The worldwide clinical definition of adult obesity by the WHO is body mass index (BMI) ≠¥ 30kg/m2 (WHO 2006). In children however, because of the significant changes in their BMI with age (Cole, Bellizzi et al. 2000), there is no universally accepted definition of obesity (Parizkova and Hills 2004; Bessesen 2008) and it therefore varies from country-to-country. The most commonly used definition of childhood obesity is the US definition which measures overweight and obesity in a reference population using the cut off points of 85th and 95th centiles of BMI for age (Ogden, Yanovski et al. 2007). In the UK, overweight and obesity are diagnosed using a national reference data from a 1990 BMI survey of British children (Stamatakis, Prima testa et al. 2005). Children whose weights are above the 85th centile are classed as overweight and over the 95th centile are considered obese (Reilly, Wilson et al. 2002). Recent estimates suggest that obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally with about 400 million adults being clinically obese, a figure projected to rise to about 700 million by 2015 (WHO 2006). In children, the current WHO estimates are that about 22 million children globally under age 5 are overweight (WHO 2008). In the UK, evidence suggests that obesity is set to be the number one preventable cause of disease in a matter of time (Simon, Everitt et al. 2005). In the last three decades, the scale as well as the prevalence of obesity have grown rapidly amongst all age, social and ethnic groups in the UK, as well as globally (Table 1)(Kipping, Jago et al. 2008). Estimates suggest that in the UK, between 1984 and 2002/2003, the prevalence of obesity in boys aged 5-10 rose by 4.16%, and by 4.8% in girls (Stamatakis, Primatesta et al. 2005). There is therefore there is an urgent need for the development and implementation of effective intervention strategies to halt the ever increasing obesity prevalence (Summerbell Carolyn, Waters et al. 2005). OBESITY CAUSATION The primary risk factors associated with the increase in prevalence of childhood obesity are ever increasing involvement in sedentary lifestyles and an increase also in the consumption of high energy dense food and drink (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002; Sekine, Yamagami et al. 2002; Speiser, Rudolf et al. 2005; Topp, Jacks et al. 2009). The underlying mechanism of obesity formation is an imbalance between energy input and expenditure (Moran 1999; Kipping, Jago et al. 2008) Genetic and environmental factors greatly influence the bodys energy balance. Nevertheless, genetic conditions which either cause production of excessive fat in the body or reduce the rate at which it is broken down, of which Prader-Willi syndrome is an example account for less than 5% of obese individuals (Speiser, Rudolf et al. 2005), with environmental factors accounting for a very high percentage (French, Story et al. 2001). The major cause of the rising obesity problem is arguably changes in physical and social environments (French, Story et al. 2001). In recent times, there has been a remarkable shift towards activities that do not promote energy expenditure, for example, most children would travel to school in cars rather walk, in contrast to what obtained in the 1970s (Popkin, Duffey et al. 2005; Anderson and Butcher 2006). There is evidence to suggest that obese children are less active than their non-obese counterparts, hence promoting physical activity such as walking or exercising will help prevent obesity in children (Hughes, Henderson et al. 2006). Media time (television viewing, playing video games and using the computer) has been identified as one of the significant environmental changes responsible for the surge in childhood obesity. Besides promoting physical inactivity, it encourages energy input via excessive snacking and inappropriate food choices as a result of television advertisements (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002; Speiser, Rudolf et al. 2005). Robinson in his study reveals that â€Å"between ages 2 and 17, children spend an average of 3 years of their waking lifetime watching television alone† (Robinson 1998). Parents play a significant role in where, what and how much their children eat and to an extent, how physically active their children are. In most homes, children make their food choices based on the options they are presented with by their parents, and they characteristically would go for wrong option, more so if they have an obese parent (Strauss and Knight 1999). Other changes within the family such as physical inactivity and working patterns of parents have contributed somewhat to the obesity epidemic. In a family where the parents work full-time, there tends to be very little time for them to prepare wholesome home-made meals and this could possibly explain the increasing demand for eating out (Anderson and Butcher 2006) thereby increasing intake of high energy dense food. Childrens attitude to and participation in physical activities depends largely on how physically active their parents are. Thus children of sporty parents embrace exercise heartily and are therefore less prone to becoming obese.(Sallis, Prochaska et al. 2000). In addition to these family factors, societal factors such as high crime rate, access to safe sports/recreational facilities, transportation and fewer physical education programs in schools significantly impact on energy balance (Koplan, Liverman et al. 2005; Popkin, Duffey et al. 2005; Topp, Jacks et al. 2009). French summarizes the environmental influence on obesity by opining that â€Å"The current epidemic of obesity is caused largely by an environment that promotes excessive food intake and discourages physical activity† (French, Story et al. 2001) CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY Evidence suggests that childhood obesity and/or overweight has a great impact on both physical and psychological health; causing effects such as behavioral problems and low self esteem, with a higher risk in girls than in boys (Reilly, Methven et al. 2003). Although most of the serious consequences do not become evident until adulthood, research has shown childhood obesity to be linked to metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart attacks, sleep apnea, nonalchoholic fatty liver disease, higher incidence of cancers, depression, dyslipidaemia, increased blood clotting tendency, etc (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002; Reilly, Methven et al. 2003; Kiess, Marcus et al. 2004; D. A. Lawlor, C. J. Riddoch et al. 2005; Daniels 2006; WHO 2006). One of the long-term serious consequences of childhood obesity is that obese children are twice more likely to grow into obese adults than their non-obese counterparts (Moran 1999); however, this largely depends on factors such as age of onset, severity of the disease and the presence of the disease in one parent (Moran 1999; Campbell, Waters et al. 2001; Kiess, Marcus et al. 2004; WHO 2006). Other long term consequences include early death and adverse socio-economic consequences such as poor educational attainment and low/no income in adulthood (Reilly, Methven et al. 2003; Fowler-Brown and Kahwati 2004; Kiess, Marcus et al. 2004). Obesity-related morbidity places a huge and growing financial demand on governments. In the UK alone, the Department of Health has reported that obesity costs the NHS and the UK economy as a whole about  £1b and between  £2.3b  £2.6b annually respectively, with the cost to the NHS projected to rise to  £3.6b by 2010 (DH 2007). TREATMENT AND PREVENTION The treatment of obesity requires a multidisciplinary approach due to the multi-faceted nature of the condition (Parizkova and Hills 2004). This is aimed at reducing caloric intake and increasing energy expenditure through physical activity (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002). These interventions are more likely to be successful if the patients family is involved and the treatment tailored to individual needs and circumstances (Fowler-Brown and Kahwati 2004). In extreme cases, options such as surgical and pharmacological treatments could be exploited. These options are very unpopular and usually not recommended because the associated health risks outweigh the benefits by far (Epstein, Myers et al. 1998; Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002). Considering the huge costs and high levels of treatment failure associated with obesity treatment (Stewart, Chapple et al. 2008), the axiom by Benjamin Franklin cannot describe any other condition better than it describes obesity management. â€Å"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure† Dietz et al confirm this by saying that prevention remains the best and most effective management of obesity (Dietz and Gortmaker 2001). Obesity prevention interventions are usually set either in the home or at school with an objective of eliminating peer pressure and, by so doing effect behavioral change (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002). Literature suggests that the school has so far remained the choice setting for these preventive interventions despite the very limited evidence on its effectiveness (Birch and Ventura 2009). Why is the school setting a good focus of intervention? Approximately 90% of children are enrolled in schools in developed countries (Baranowsk, Cullen et al. 2002) Children spend a substantial amount of time in school and therefore consume a considerable proportion of their daily calories at school (Katz, OConnell et al. 2005) School related activities present an opportunity to educate children on the concept of energy balance, healthy living and how to make appropriate food choices (Ebbeling, Pawlak et al. 2002; Koplan, Liverman et al. 2005) It offers opportunity for continuity and constant monitoring via frequent contact (Baranowski T 2002) Schools have an availability of existing manpower and facilities needed for anti-obesity interventions (Kropski, Keckley et al. 2008) In a nut shell, â€Å"Schools offer many other opportunities for learning and practicing healthful eating and physical activity behaviors. Coordinated changes in the curriculum, the in-school advertising environment, school health services, and after-school programs all offer the potential to advance obesity prevention† (Koplan, Liverman et al. 2005). PREVIOUS SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS Systematic reviews have been conducted on the effectiveness of school-based interventions in the prevention of childhood obesity. Campbell et al (2001), conducted a systematic review of 7 randomised control trials (RCTs) (6 were school-based, varying in length of time, target population, quality of study and intervention approach). The review found that dietary and physical education interventions have an effect on childhood obesity prevalence. However, success varied with different interventions amongst different age groups. Two of the three long term studies that focused on a combination of dietary education and physical activity, and dietary education respectively reported an effect on obesity prevalence reduction. Similarly, 1 out of the 3 school based short-term interventions that focused only on reducing sedentary activity also found an effect on obesity prevalence. While this review shows that dietary and physical activity interventions based at school are effective against th e risk factors of obesity, the question of generalisability and reproducibility arises as the review reports the majority of the included primary studies were carried out in the US. Most of the studies used BMI as a measure of adiposity, and BMI as has been documented varies across ethnic and racial groups (Rush, Goedecke et al. 2007), thus, it will be inappropriate to apply the findings of US-based obesity prevention interventions to children in middle and low income countries where conditions are different. There are also concerns about the methodology and study design. For example the school-based study by Gotmaker et al (1999) had limitations such as low participation rate (65%) and the researchers were unable to adjust for maturity in boys and there was also poor assessment of dietary intake. All these limitations could have been responsible for a high percentage of the reported intervention effect thus affecting the validity of the results of the study (Gortmaker, Peterson et al. 1999). The authors of the review however concluded that there is currently very limited high quality evidence on which to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of anti-obesity programmes. A Cochrane review which is an update of the Campbell et al (2001) study by Summerbell et al (2005) has examined the impact of diet, physical activity and/or lifestyle and social support on childhood obesity prevention. Their review examined the effectiveness of childhood obesity prevention interventions which included school based interventions. Their study included 10 long-term (a minimum duration of 12 months) and 12 short-term (12weeks 12 months) clinical trials (randomised and controlled). 19 out of the 22 studies that met their inclusion criteria were school/pre-school based. The study chose the appropriate study type; more than one reviewer was involved in the entire process of data collection, extraction and selection of included studies. In general, the study found that most of the school-based interventions (dietary and/or physical activity) reported some positive changes in targeted behaviours, but however had very little or no statistically significant impact on BMI. The reviewers stated that none of the 22 studies fulfilled the quality criteria because of some form of methodological weakness which includes measurement errors. For instance, the study by Jenner et al (1989) had no valid method of measuring food intake. The studies by Crawford et al (1994), Lannotti et al (1994) and Sallis et al (2000) had similar measurement errors. Reporting error was identified in studies by Little et al (1999) and Macdiarmid et al (1998). There were also reliability concerns about the secondary outcomes measurement in some of the included studies. The reviewers therefore expressed the need for further high quality research on effectiveness. Kropski et al (2008) reviewed 14 school-based studies that were designed to effect a life style change, a change in BMI, decrease overweight prevalence through a change in nutrition, physical activity or a combination of both. Of the 14 studies, three were done in the UK, one in Germany and 10 in the US. The right type of studies were chosen for this review and the whole process was done by more than one reviewer, however they were unable to draw strong conclusions on the efficacy of school-based interventions because of the limited number of primary studies available and methodological or design concerns which include: small sample size (Luepker, Perry et al. 1996; Mo-suwan, Pongprapai et al. 1998; Nader, Stone et al. 1999; Warren, Henry et al. 2003), no intention-to treat analysis (Danielzik, Pust et al.; Sallis, McKenzie et al. 1993; Sahota, Rudolf et al. 2001; Warren, Henry et al. 2003), possibility of type I (Coleman, Tiller et al. 2005) and type II errors (Warren, Henry et al. 2003), unit of analysis errors (Sallis, McKenzie et al. 1993) and inconsistent results (Mo-suwan, Pongprapai et al. 1998; Caballero, Clay et al. 2003; Coleman, Tiller et al. 2005). Despite their inability to draw a conclusion on effectiveness, overall, the review found that a combination of nutritional and physical activity interventions had the most effect on BMI and prevalence of overweight, with the result largely varying from community-to-community. The nutrition only and physical activity only interventions appeared to have had a change on lifestyles of participants but either had no significant effect on the measures of overweight or no BMI outcomes were measured. Another systematic review on the effectiveness of school-based interventions among Chinese school children was carried out by M.Li et al (2008). The authors included 22 primary studies in their review. The review reported that the primary studies showed that there are some beneficial effects of school-based interventions for obesity prevention; the reviewers however expressed their concerns that most of the studies included in the review had what they considered to be serious to moderate methodological weaknesses. Sixteen of the 22 studies included studies were cluster control trials, and there was no mention by any of the researchers that cluster analysis was applied to any of the 16 studies. In addition to lack of cluster analysis, no process evaluation was conducted in any of the studies. Only one study performed an intention to treat analysis. Twelve studies experienced dropouts, but there was incomplete information on the study population at the end of the trial and the reason f or the dropouts. Additionally, none of the studies explained the theory upon which they based their intervention. There was also potential recruitment and selection bias in all the primary studies as identified by the reviewers. They stated that none of the studies reported the number of subjects that were approached for recruitment into the study. As none of the RCTs included described the method they used in randomization, neither did they state if the studies were blinded or not. The methodological flaws in a high percentage of the included primary studies could impact on the validity of the findings of the review. Again, the authors failed to reach a conclusion on the effectiveness of the interventions because of the intrinsic weaknesses found in the primary studies, and as a result state the need for more primary studies that would address the methodological weaknesses that is highly present in nearly all existing primary studies conducted on this topic so far. The study of the efficacy of school-based interventions aimed at preventing childhood obesity or reducing the risk factors is a rather complex one. Pertinent issues on effectiveness of school-based interventions to prevent the risk factors of obesity remain that there is very limited/weak evidence on which to base policies on. Heterogeneity of primary research (in terms if age of study population, duration of intervention, measurement of outcomes and outcomes measured) makes further statistical analysis nearly impossible. BMI is currently the most widely used measure of overweight and obesity in children. However, BMI has no way of distinguishing between fat mass and muscle mass in the body and might therefore misdiagnose children with bigger muscles as obese. Another disadvantage of using BMI in overweight measurement is its inability of depicting the body fat composition (Committee on Nutrition 2003), other surrogate indicators of adiposity may be needed. Most authors that have carried out a review on this topic so far have expressed the need for further research on this topic to add to the existing body of evidence. RATIONALE FOR THIS STUDY All the systematic reviews on this subject so far have focused mainly on the United States. Lifestyle differences such as eating habits between American and British children possibly affect generalisability and reproducibility of US findings to the UK. For example, in the US, research has shown that 0.5% of all television advertisements promote food, and that about 72% of these food advertisements promote unhealthy food such as candy and fast food (Darwin 2009). In the UK paradoxically, the government in 2007 enforced regulations banning television advertisement of unhealthy foods (foods with high fat, salt, and sugar content) during television programmes aimed at children below 16 years of age (Darwin 2009). Thus US children are at a higher risk of becoming obese than their UK counterparts as a result of higher rate of exposure to TV junk food advertisements. Another lifestyle difference between American and British children is physical activity. In the UK, a high percentage of children aged 2 to 15 achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily (about 70% of males and 60% of females) (DoH 2004), as opposed to the US where only about 34% of school pupils achieve the daily recommended levels of physical activity daily (CDC 2008). These differences highlight the importance of public health policies being based on the local population characteristics rather than on imported overseas figures. There is therefore need to review the evidence of UK school-based obesity interventions to inform policy relevant to the UK population. To the best of my knowledge following an extensive literature search, no systematic review has been conducted on the effectiveness of school-based intervention in preventing childhood obesity in the UK, despite the high prevalence of the condition and its public health significance in this country. This research aims to bridge this gap in knowledge by focusing on UK based studies to evaluate the efficacy of school-based interventions in the UK population. This study therefore stands out insofar as it will be assessing the effectiveness of school-based interventions in the reducing the risk factors of obesity in the UK, with a hope of providing specific local recommendations based on UK evidence. This type of review is long overdue in the UK, considering that the governments target to reduce childhood obesity to its pre-2000 levels by the year 2020 (DoH 2007) will require local evidence of effective interventions to succeed. The next stage of this review will describe in detail the research methodology to be used to conduct the proposed systematic review. Also included will be research strategy details to be adopted, study selection criteria, data collection and analysis. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this research is to: Systematically review school-based intervention studies in the UK aimed at reducing the risk factors of childhood obesity among school children. Objectives are: To assess the efficacy of school-based anti-obesity interventions in the UK. To identify the most effective form of school-based interventions in the prevention of childhood obesity amongst school children in the UK. CRITERIA FOR INCLUDING STUDIES IN THIS REVIEW METHODS This review was performed as a Cochrane review. The Cochrane guidance on systematic reviews and reporting format were as far as possible adhered to by the author (Green, Higgins et al. 2008). The entire review process was guided by a tool for assessing the quality of systematic reviews, alongside the accompanying guidance (health-evidence.ca 2007a; health-evidence.ca 2007b). TYPES OF STUDY In the search for the effectiveness of an intervention, well conducted randomised control trials (which are the best and most credible sources of evidence) will be the preferred source of studies for this review. However, because of the limited number of RCTs conducted on this topic so far, this study will include controlled clinical trials if there is insufficient availability of RCTs. TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS School children under 18 years of age TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS Interventions being evaluated are those that aim to: Reduce sedentary lifestyle Effect nutritional change Combine the two outcomes above Reduce obesity prevalence Effect an attitude change towards physical activity and diet Studies that present a baseline and post intervention measure of primary outcome. Interventions not included in this study are: Those with no specified weight-related outcomes Those that involved school-age children but were delivered outside of the school setting, as our focus is based on school-based interventions aimed at obesity prevention. Studies done outside the UK Studies with no specified interventions Non-RCTs or CCTs For each intervention, the control group will be school children not receiving the intervention(s). TYPES OF OUTCOMES MEASURED Primary outcomes Change in adiposity measured as BMI and/or skin fold thickness Secondary outcomes Knowledge Physical activity levels Diet SEARCH METHODS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF STUDIES Electronic searches The electronic databases OVID MEDLINE ® (1950-2009), PsycINFO (1982-2009), EMBASE (1980-2009) and the British Nursing Index (1994-2009) were all searched using the OVID SP interface. The Wiley Interscience interface was used to search the following databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects. There was also a general search of internet using Google search engine, in an attempt to identify any ongoing studies or unpublished reports before proceeding to search grey literature sources. Grey literature For references to childhood obesity prevention in schools, the following grey literature sources were searched: British Library Integrated Catalogue (http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/?func=filefile_name=login-bl-list) ISI index of Conference Proceedings (http://wok.mimas.ac.uk/) SCIRUS (http://www.scirus.com/) System for Information on Grey Literature (http://opensigle.inist.fr/) ZETOC (http://zetoc.mimas.ac.uk) Additionally, current control trials database at http://www.controlled-trials.com/ was searched for any ongoing research. The UK national research register was also searched at https://portal.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/NRRArchive.aspx. All the links to the grey literature databases were tested at the time of this review and found to be working. Hand searches It was not possible to conduct a hand search of journals due to pragmatic reasons. Reference lists Reference lists of retrieved studies were searched for other potential relevant studies that might have been omitted in the earlier search. Correspondence First author of all included studies were contacted with a view to seeking more references. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Selection of studies The abstracts and titles of the hits from the electronic databases searched were screened for relevance by a single assessor. Those that were thought to be potentially relevant were retrieved and downloaded unto EndnoteTM to make the results manageable and also avoid loss of data. At the end of the search, all databases were merged into one single database and duplicated records of the same study were removed. Subsequently, the assessor then sought and obtained the full text of, and reviewed the relevant studies that were considered eligible for inclusion. Multiple reports of same study were linked together. No further data were sought for studies not included in the review. Data extraction Data extraction from included studies was done by a single reviewer and the data recorded on a data extraction form. A summary of each included study was described according to these characteristics: Participants (age, ethnicity etc.), study design, description of school-based interventions, study quality and details such as follow-ups and date, location, outcomes measured, theoretical framework, baseline comparability and results Assessment of methodological quality of included studies A number of researchers (Jackson, Waters et al. 2005) and the Cochrane guidelines for systematic reviews of health promotion and public health interventions (Rebecca Armstrong, Waters et al. 2007) strongly advise using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies (2008a) developed by the Effective Public Health Practice Project in Canada and the accompanying dictionary (to act as a guideline) (2008b) in assessing methodological quality. Based on criteria such as selection bias, study design, blinding, cofounders, data collection methods, withdrawals and drop-outs and intervention integrity, the tool which is designed to cover any quantitative study employs the use of a scale (strong, moderate or weak) to assess the quality of each study included in the review. Analysis Considering the small number of studies included in the review and heterogeneity in terms of interventions, delivery methods, intensity of interventions, age of participants, duration of intervention and outcomes measured, it was not statistically appropriate to undertake a Meta analysis, which admittedly would have been the preferred method of analysing and summarising the results of the studies. A narrative synthesis of the results was done instead. RESULT DESCRIPTION OF STUDIES Results of the search The search of electronic sources identified 811 citations out of which 97 potential studies were retrieved. A reference management software EndnoteTM was used to search for and remove duplicate citations. Further screening of title and abstract reduced the number of citations to 17 potential studies. Full texts of the 17 studies were sought, 13 were excluded, and four met the inclusion criteria and were therefore included in the review. Authors of the four studies were then conta