Cost Behavior and Allocation Essay Example for Free

Cost Behavior and Allocation Essay Analyze the complexity of cost behaviors in health care organizations and describe how costs are classified according to their relationship with volume. Health services managers are vitally interested in how costs are affected by changes in volume. Before costs can be managed, one must have an understanding of how and why costs are being incurred. For, example medications dispensed from the pharmacy are variable costs items since the more often medications are dispensed to the patient, the higher to the total medication costs (Lang, 2012). In this example the cost is driven by the prescription of the medication for the patient, which leads to dispensing the medication and incurring the cost. If the medication is not prescribed the total cost would be zero. The salary of the Director of the Pharmacy is a fixed cost, at least over the short run because that person is paid the same salary regardless of how many, or how few, prescriptions they fill. The text defines the relationship between an organization’s total costs and volume as cost behavior or underlying cost structure, is used by mangers in planning, control, and decision making. The primary reason for defining and organization’s underlying cost structure is to provide healthcare managers with a tool for forecasting cost and profits at different volume levels (Gapenski, 2012). The cost structure of both fixed and variable costs- that is some of the costs are expected to be volume sensitive and some are not- is typical in healthcare organizations. Total variable costs increase or decrease proportionately as volume changes, but variable cost rate remains constant as long as volume remains within the relevant range. Fixed, costs, in contrast to total variable costs, remain unchanged as the volume varies. The Academy of Healthcare Management Journal states, when attempting to improve profitability by decreasing or controlling costs, cost behavior is particularly important. If activities are limited or decreased to lower variable costs without consideration of fixed costs profits may actually decrease. In conclusion, total costs are merely the sum of the two. Because total variable costs are tied to volume, total variable costs increase as the volume increases even though fixed costs remain constant. Discuss the importance of cost allocation and how it may be leveraged by health care organizations. Cost allocation is essentially a pricing process within the organization whereby managers allocate the costs of one department to other departments. Cost allocations within healthcare organizations must establish prices that proxy those that would be set under market conditions. Costs within a health services organization must be allocated. Overhead costs of the business, such as those incurred by administrators, facilities management personnel, financial staffs, and housekeeping and maintenance personnel must be allocated to those departments that generate revenues for the organization (Gapenski, 2012). The goal of cost allocation is to assign all of the costs of an organization to the activities that cause them to be incurred. Health services managers track and assign costs by individual patient, physician, diagnosis, reimbursement contract, and so on. Much of the motivation for more accurate cost allocation systems comes from the recipients of overhead services. Mangers at all levels within health services organizations are under pressure to optimize economic performance, which translates into reducing costs. To assign costs from one activity to another, two important elements must be identified: a cost pool and a cost driver. A cost pool is a grouping of costs that must be allocated, while a cost driver is the criterion upon which the allocation is made. Clearly, the proper allocation of overhead costs is essential to good decision making within health services organizations. In conclusion, revenues must exceed the total of both fixed costs and variable costs combines in order for an organization to be profitable.

Gender Identity In Feminist Science Fiction English Literature Essay

Gender Identity In Feminist Science Fiction English Literature Essay By conducting this research I discovered to what extent the topic had been previously covered and what input I could put into the area without repeating others. I found that Carter and Russ have rarely, if at all, been studied solely alongside each other even though both their works have been identified as feminist science fiction. I therefore wish to explore how gender identity is dealt with in their works and the purpose of using the science fiction genre to do so. Baccolini makes the point that contemporary sci-fi texts written by women increasingly foreground the interaction of gender and genre. In particular, the questioning of generic conventions by feminist sci-fi writers appears to have contributed to the creation of a new genre, such as the critical dystopia or works of sci-fi that contain both utopian and dystopian elements with the aim of deconstructing tradition and reconstructing alternatives. Hollinger draws similarities between feminist theory and queer theory in a bid to explore how the variable construction of gender identity is represented in science fiction by women writers. She states the importance of relating theory to fictions as they function to suggest information about each other and de-familiarise each other. She reaffirms that science fiction is a useful discourse within which theoretical concepts on the issues of gender and sexuality can be represented. Cortiel discusses how Russs work transforms genre and plot conventions and disrupts the naturalised alignment of sex, gender, and sexuality. She critically interprets Russs earlier short fiction and how they relate to her later explicitly feminist works. Although Cortiels main focus is on the earlier short stories of Russ, she also makes interesting critiques on gender and sexuality in Russs novels, and to my particular interest The Female Man. 3. In her book Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, Judith Butler argues that traditional feminism is wrong to look to a natural, essential notion of the female, or indeed of sex or gender. She questions the category woman: who does it include, and who decides who it includes? She also questions the terms masculine and feminine, determining that they are not biologically fixed but culturally presupposed. Butler also explores the concept of gender as a reiterated social performance rather than the expression of a prior reality. 4. In To Write like a Woman, Joanna Russ sets a standard of clear, intelligent, and relentless feminist criticism. This collection of her essays includes topics relevant to my research topic such as the aesthetic of science fiction and feminist utopian novels. In her essay What Can a Heroine Do? Or Why Women Cant Write, Russ discusses stories or myths whose genres employ plots that are not limited to one sex. She names science fiction as one such genre that generally involves a plot which explores a new world, human intelligence, and human adaptability. Such plots do not generally involve our culturally contrived gender roles and therefore allow writers to create fascinating characters that deal with current experiences and not inherited literary myths. In the chapter Recent Feminist Utopias, examples from various texts, including The Female Man, are used to explore the features of feminist utopian fiction. A particularly interesting point is made as regards female puberty in feminist utopias, where Russ states that feminist utopias offer an alternative model of female puberty that allows the girl to move into a full and free adulthood. 5. While acknowledging the sophistication and pertinence of Butlers theories on the performativity of gender identity, Trevennas article, entitled Gender as Performance: Questioning the Butlerification of Angela Carters Fiction, argues that there are significant differences between Butlers presentation of gender acquisition and that presented in Carters fiction. Highlighting how dominant theoretical trends can often problematically displace other relevant approaches, this article suggests that Carters presentation of gender acquisition is more in accordance with that promoted by Simone de Beauvoir in The Second Sex rather than the currently more fashionable theories of Judith Butler. It further suggests that Carters work also moves beyond the feminism of de Beauvoir and invites a more contemporary critical debate through its presentation of the pre-gendered subject as unstable and fragmented. 6. In the chapter Ursula Le Guins The Left Hand of Darkness: Androgyny and the Feminist Utopia from Women and Utopia, Jewell Parker Rhodes discusses the purpose of androgyny in the works of feminist writers. Although Ursula Le Guin sees androgyny as a heuristic for determining essential humanity without lifelong cultural conditioning of gender roles, Parker Rhodes argues that that the androgyne is an archetype that claims a woman to be deficient and in need of maleness. I feel this is an interesting argument which can be further explored in the texts, especially in Russs character Joanna in The Female Man. The majority of my research on feminist science fiction explores the questioning of dominant cultural definitions of difference and identity through the works of writers such as Octavia Butler, Vonda McIntyre, Suzy McKee Charnas, Pamela Sargent, and Margaret Atwood. For this project I propose to investigate the elements of feminist science fiction through Carter and Russ, in particular The Passion of New Eve and The Female Man. Although Russ is regularly discussed within the genre, her work doesnt seem to be studied alongside Carters. I plan to discuss comparisons and differences between how these two science fiction novels deal with gender identity. Furthermore, I wish to relate notions of gender by theorists such as Butler and de Beauvior to the approach of both writers to gender identity. Section Three: Introduction The introduction shall outline the aim of my study and include brief summaries of the chapters that follow. Chapter 1: The first chapter shall include different criticisms and theories on feminist science fiction and gender that I have found through my research. This section shall investigate what devices the science fiction genre has that attract feminist writers and particularly how they use utopian and dystopian elements to deconstruct tradition and reconstruct alternative societies. I will also include a range of examples from the works of feminist science fiction writers such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Marge Piercy, Margaret Atwood, and Octavia Butler. Chapter 2: This chapter will focus on the settings of the chosen works and examine how gender is treated by the different societies. Chapter 3: This chapter shall deal with how both Carter and Russ play with gender identities in the individual characters of their works. Here their views on the relationship between biological sex and gender identity can be compared to the gender theories of Butler and de Beauvoir. Conclusion The conclusion shall summarise the points made in the previous chapters and highlight any main conflicts or similarities I discover. Section 4: In conclusion, having researched my core bibliography, I plan to continue my research of gender identity in feminist science fiction with particular focus on secondary criticisms of The Passion of New Eve and The Female Man. Once I have done this I shall have a greater insight into the research and criticism that has already been done in the area and therefore be in a better position fine tune the points which I plan to make on this topic. Revised Core Bibliography: Barr, Marleen S.Alien to Femininity: Speculative Fiction and Feminist Theory. New York: Greenwood, 1987. Print. Barr, Marleen S.Future Females: A Critical Anthology. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular, 1981. Print. Butler, Judith.Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge, 1990. Print. Russ, Joanna.To Write like a Woman: Essays in Feminism and Science Fiction. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1995. Print. Trevenna, Joanne. Gender as Performance: Questioning the Butlerification of Angela Carters Fiction.Journal of Gender Studies11.3 (2002): 267-76. Print. Extended bibliography: Annas, Pamela J. New Worlds, New Words: Androgyny in Feminist Science Fiction.Science Fiction Studies5.2 (1978): 143-56.JSTOR. Web. Apr. 2011. Ayres, Susan. The Straight Mind in Russs The Female ManScience Fiction Studies22.1 (1995): 22-34.JSTOR. Web. Apr. 2011. Barr, Marleen S.Lost in Space: Probing Feminist Science Fiction and beyond. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina, 1993. Print. DuPlessis, Rachel Blau. The Feminist Apologues of Lessing, Piercy, and Russ.Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies4.1 (1979): 1-8.JSTOR. Web. Apr. 2011. Gamble, Sarah.Angela Carter: Writing from the Front Line.Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 1997. Print. Gardiner, Judith Kegan. On Female Identity and Writing by Women.Critical Inquiry8.2 (1981): 347-61.JSTOR. Web. Apr. 2011. Kerchy, Anna.Body Texts in the Novels of Angela Carter: Writing from a Corporeagraphic Point of View. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen, 2008. Print. Martins, Susana S. Revising the Future in The Female ManScience Fiction Studies32.3 (2005): 405-22.JSTOR. Web. Apr. 2011. Merrick, Helen. Fantastic Dialogues: Critical Stories About Feminism and Science Fiction.Speaking Science Fiction: Dialogue and Interpretation. By Andy Sawyer and David Seed. Liverpool: Liverpool U.P., 2000. 52-68. Print. Parker Rhodes, Jewell. Androgyny and the Feminist Utopia.Women and Utopia: Critical Interpretations. By Marleen S. Barr and Nicholas D. Smith. Lanham, MD: University of America, 1983. 108-20. Print. Rubinson, Gregory J. On the Beach of Elsewhere: Angela Carters Moral Pornography and the Critique of Gender Archetypes.Womens Studies29.6 (2000): 717-40.Informaworld. Web. Russ, Joanna. Women and SF: Three Letters.Science Fiction Studies7.2 (1980): 232-36.JSTOR. SF-TH Inc. Web. Apr. 2011. . Russo, Mary J.The Female Grotesque: Risk, Excess, and Modernity. New York: Routledge, 1995. Print. Sage, Lorna.Flesh and the Mirror: Essays on the Art of Angela Carter. London: Virago, 1995. Print. Spencer, Kathleen L. Rescuing the Female Child: The Fiction of Joanna Russ.Science Fiction Studies17.2 (1990): 167-87.JSTOR. Web. Apr. 2011. Wyatt, Jean. The Violence of Gendering: Castration Images in Angela Carters The Magic Toyshop, The Passion of New Eve and Peter and The Wolf..Angela Carter: [contemporary Critical Essays]. By Alison Easton. Palgrave Macmillan, 2000. 58-84. Print. FYP Progress Report

Survival in The Bean Trees Essay -- Barbara Kingsolver The Bean Trees

Survival in The Bean Trees In 1859, Charles Darwin published his most famous work, On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection (Encarta 96). This book explained Darwin's theory of natural selection, a process not unlike separating the wheat from the chaff, where the least fit are eliminated, and only the fittest survive. An extension of this theory known as Social Darwinism emerged in the late 19th century. "Social Darwinists believed that people, like animals and plants, compete for survival and, by extension, success in life" (Encarta 96). Under this theory, the individuals who acquire the power and wealth are deemed the fittest, while those of lower economic and social levels are considered the least fit (Griffin Lecture). This appears to be a theory that Barbara Kingsolver sets out to disprove in her novel The Bean Trees. In a review in The Women's Review of Books, Margaret Randall observes that this is a novel not about "middle-class America, but real middle America, the unemployed and unde remployed, the people working fast-food joints or patching tires, Oklahoma Indians, young mothers left by wandering husbands or mothers who never had husbands" (Randall 1). Ultimately, it is about survivors -- women such as Taylor Greer who sets out from Kentucky to find a better life and finds responsibility for another life; Mattie whose survival is wrapped up in her role as savior to all in need who enter Jesus Is Lord Used Tires; Lou Ann Ruiz who is afraid of life and in need of finding her strength; and Esperanza whose child was taken from her in a political struggle and who needs to find the will to live -- who pool their resources, both financial and emotional. These women have courage, humor and each other, resou... ...nd in strength, and they do survive. Works Cited Butler, Jack. "She Hung the Moon and Plugged in All the Stars." The New York Times Book Review. April 10, 1988: 15. FitzGerald, Karen. "A Major New Talent." Ms. XVI.10 (1988): 28. Griffin, Joan. Lecture. English 3230. Metropolitan State College, Denver. 7 Oct.1999. Gale Literary Databases: Contemporary Authors. "Barbara Kingsolver." 11 November 1999: 3. http://www.galenet.com/servlet/GLD..&n=10&1 =d&NA=Kingsolver%2C+barbara Kingsolver, Barbara. The Bean Trees. New York: HarperPerennial, 1992. Kingsolver, Barbara. Letter. Contemporary Literary Criticism Yearbook. Vol. 55. (1988): 68. Randall, Margaret. "Human Comedy." The Women's Review of Books. V.8 (1988): 1. "Social Darwinism." Microsoft Encarta96 Encyclopedia. CD ROM. Microsoft Corporation. 1995.

Gestational Diabetes Essay example -- Health, Diseases

Along with all the worries and complications a woman might face while pregnant, one of the more serious conditions is gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs in 4% of all pregnancies (Seibel, 2009). Many women are not informed about the disease, some may not know that they need to be tested, and others may have heard about it, but want more information on what may cause it and/or how to prevent and treat it. Either way this disease needs to be taken seriously by every pregnant woman or woman planning to get pregnant to protect not only herself but the unborn child. Gestational diabetes is a disorder characterized by impaired ability to metabolize carbohydrates, usually caused by a deficiency of insulin resistance, occurring in pregnancy (Seibel, 2009). After the baby is delivered the disorder disappears but in few cases it has returned as type 2 diabetes. There are many factors that increase the risk in women to acquire the disorder, being overweight prior to becoming pregnant, a family history of diabetes, having too much amniotic fluid, and having sugar in your urine are just some of them (Namak, 2010). During a normal pregnancy tissue resistance to insulin is present, and weight gain and presence of placental hormones can contribute to this insulin resistance ( Gutierrez, 2007). Pregnant women require two to three times more insulin than a woman who is not pregnant, and the insulin production and increased tissue resistance causes this glucose intolerance or increased blood sugar levels or gestational diabetes ( Gutierrez, 2007). â€Å"Almost all women have some type of impaired glucose in tolerance resulting from hormonal changes they go through during pregnancy. This means that their blood sugar levels may be higher... ...st twice the risk of developing diabetes compared to those who had breastfed (Doheny, 2010). Overall the study showed to be successful, but only for those women who breastfed all of their children for a month or longer. So with these studies it encourages women to take part in the well being of themselves and their unborn child by getting tested for gestational diabetes earlier than later. Gestational diabetes may only be a disease that last throughout a pregnancy, but it is very harmful to not only the mother but also can be for the unborn baby. It is important that gestational diabetes is widely known and understood because the earlier in the pregnancy the patient knows the better. Gestational diabetes can be extremely harmful so it is nothing to take lightly; patients have to know that they must follow the instructions given to prevent the disease to worsen.

Internal Controls and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Essay examples --

In order to be successful in business, a company must be able to track their assets. This tracking system is typically done by a bookkeeper and must be reliable in order to be effective. The way a company ensures their financial records are reliable is by setting up a system of internal controls. Internal controls allow a company to protect its assets from fraud and theft as well as ensuring records are kept accurately by reducing errors and irregularities (Keisco, Kimmel and Weygandt, 2008). Internal controls work by assigning responsibility, separating duties to provide checks and balances, hiring an independent verification agent and through the use of technology and physical controls. In many instances, internal controls are required and overseen by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Assignment of responsibility for certain functions of the bookkeeping and accounting process ensures that when a problem occurs a specific person is accountable. This, in turn, provides an incentive to that person to do their job correctly because any issue or problem will be their sole responsibility. Splitting duties has a similar impact on employees. By providing a system of checks and balances, i.e. one person keeps the records while another keeps the assets, the chance for fraud is greatly decrease and honest mistakes are easily caught. There are many physical, mechanical and electronic controls that provide further safety for a company’s assets. These include passwords, safes, alarms, security cameras, time clocks and locks (Kiesco et.al, 2008). The use of an auditor or other third party to independently verify the bookkeeping and accounting procedures performed by employees adds another layer of safeguarding to a company’s inter... ... track the error to the fraudulent employee. In conclusion, internal controls include separation of duties, assignment of responsibilities, third-party verification and the use of mechanical and physical controls. In and of themselves, these tactics stop and prevent much abuse of the bookkeeping and accounting systems. The addition of Sarbanes-Oxley requirements in 2002 require that a company enact internal controls and assign responsibility of the control system to executives and directors, further providing insurance that financial reporting is accurate. Without this insurance that reports are accurate, company stock will fall and investors will be lost. Even with intrinsic limitations, the positive aspects of good internal controls far outweigh the negative implications. Good internal controls equal accurate financial records and future company success.

Discuss the discovery of the structure of Benzene

Benzene is a chemical compound of the hydro-carbon group. It is a colorless liquid with a characteristic odor and burning taste, formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is a closed ring of six carbon atoms connected by bonds that resonate between single and double bonds; each carbon atom is also bound to a single hydrogen atom. It is insoluble in water, but miscible in all proportions with organic solvents. Benzene itself is an excellent solvent for certain elements, such as sulphur, phosphorus, and iodine; for gums, fats, waxes, and resins; and for most simple organic chemicals.It is one of the most commonly used solvents in the organic chemical laboratory. Benzene melts at 5. 5 ° C (41. 9 ° F), boils at 80. 1 ° C (176. 2 ° F), and has a relative density of 0. 88 at 20 ° C (68 ° F). It is widely regarded as carcinogenic and, if inhaled in large quantities, is poisonous. The vapors are explosive, and the liquid violently flammable. Many compounds, such as nitrobenzene, are obt ained from benzene. Benzene is also used in the manufacture of drugs and in the production of important derivatives, such as aniline and phenol (see Hogben, Lancelot.Science for the Citizen: A Self-Educator Based on the Social Background of Scientific Discovery, 1999). Benzene and its derivatives are included in the important chemical group known as aromatic compounds. II. Discussion Benzene is only slightly soluble in water, but can be mixed in all proportions with acetone, alcohol, ether, or glacial acetic acid. It burns with a smoky flame. The vapor forms an explosive mixture with air, and has been used in parts of the world as a motor fuel.At one time, most benzene was obtained from tars and gases produced during the making of coke for the iron and steel industry. Now, however, much of the world’s supply of benzene is obtained by the refining of petroleum. Moreover, the benzene molecule is believed to be shaped like a ring, rather than like a cube or a chain as are other hydrocarbon molecules. The theory of the benzene ring is an important principle in organic chemistry. The aromatic series of hydrocarbons are compounds containing benzene ring.The theory of the structure of the benzene molecule was first stated by the German chemist August Kekuke in 1865. He suggested that the six carbon atoms of benzene were arranged in a hexagonal ring, with each of the six hydrogen atoms attached to one of the carbon atoms. Since each carbon atom has a valence of 4, alternate carbon atoms share two valence bonds in the benzene ring (see Aftalion, Fred and Benfey,Otto Theodor. A History of the International Chemical Industry, 2000).Pure benzene burns with a smoky flame because of its high carbon content. When mixed with a large proportion of petrol it makes a satisfactory fuel. In Europe benzene mixed with some methylbenzene and other related compounds has long been added to motor fuels. The wisdom of this in the face of benzene's carcinogenic qualities has only r ecently been addressed as a concern. Benzene was discovered in 1825 by the English scientist Michael Faraday, and in 1842 it was made available in large quantities after it was found that coal tar contains benzene.A ton of coal, if coked in a by-product oven, yields about 7. 6 liters (2 gallons) of benzene (see Audrieth, Ludwig Frederick. Salts, Acids, and Bases: Electrolytes Stereochemistry, 2001). Large quantities of benzene are now obtained from petroleum, either by direct extraction from certain types of crude oils or by chemical treatment of petroleum (hydroforming and cyclization). III. Conclusion The structure of the benzene molecule is of the utmost importance to the theory of organic chemistry.The first to formulate the resonating ring structure described above was the German chemist Friedrich August Kekulà © von Stradonitz, in 1865. For various reasons, 20th-century theorists found difficulties with this picture and instead developed a â€Å"molecular orbital† pict ure of electrons orbiting the entire molecule rather than particular carbon atoms. In the 1980s, however, more advanced studies returned to Kekulà ©'s picture, but with the electrons in deformed orbits around their particular atoms.

The Background and Methodology of Childhood Obesity

Over the years childhood obesity has grown by more than 9 million, and this number is expected to grow by even more. Parents are not always heard, and often schools are not run the way they would prefer. In this article parents are given a voice and a chance to be heard on what they feel is important for their children’s health. In this article the researchers survey the parents and get their opinions on what they feel needs to be done to help the fight against childhood obesity. Problem to solve: Childhood obesity is the main focus in this article.This paper helps to give the parents their view of how schools are dealing with childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has been on a steady rise over the past few years. Approximately over 9 million children are obese and that number continues to rise (Murphy & Polivka, 2007). Schools play a very important role in children’s lives. There are many health issues that can arise due to obesity if it is not treated. Treating this di sease can be as easy as more physical activity and a healthier diet. Unfortunately, children are eating more unhealthy foods and are engaged in less physical activities.Myers and Vargas decided to survey 200 people to get their views on childhood obesity (Murphy & Polivka, 2007). In this article there is discussion on how the parents feel and what they think can be done to try and help fix this issue. Health Care Administrators: With all the money that is spent helping to treat childhood obesity, it is very important that health care administrators study this issue. There was $127 million spent for hospital cost in 1999 alone, and this number is still on the rise.By 2025 it is estimated that the cost will raise $100 billion (Murphy & Polivka, 2007). Schools can help and play a huge role in the way children choose to live their lives. Children spend a huge part of their day at school, and by providing healthier lunches and more exercise we can help to decrease the amount of children that are going to the doctor because of issues from obesity. Health care administrators can come up with plans for the doctors to suggest to parents who bring their children in for check-ups.Making suggestions for healthier lifestyles should be a priority in many physicians’ offices and health care administrators can help to make that happen. Purpose: It seems as though the purpose of this study is to inform or let the reader know about the statistics behind childhood obesity. They wanted the reader to be aware of the risks of childhood obesity and what parents think schools can do to help their children by offering programs to teach about healthier lifestyles and more physical activities.Many students feel as though gym and physical activities can cause embarrassing moments from their peers, and they also stated that the school lunches were low quality, so the vending machines were more convenient (Murphy & Polivka, 2007). School nurses are responsible for creating these cha nges and this paper tells ways that these changes can be made. Research Question: A research question is basically the first step the researcher must conduct before starting their research.It is known as the methodological point and any questions that are asked should be answered during the research (Colorado State University, 2012). It should be defined clearly as well as accurately. It can be used for quantitative research. This step allows the researcher to figure out what he or she wants to know the most (Colorado State University, 2012). This article did not clearly state a question, but if there were to be a question it would probably be, do parents view schools as having a big impact on their child’s health and if so what can be done to provide a healthier environment?Hypothesis: A research hypothesis is a statement that is created by the researcher and it is a speculation of what they believe the outcome will be. This article does not have a hypothesis directly stated ; the authors only provide statistics within each paragraph. If there were to be a hypothesis it would probably state that the parents who will partake in the survey will mostly all agree that schools play a big role in their child’s life and providing healthier foods and more exercise would be a positive change.Independent and Dependent Variables: An independent and dependent variable are two different variables. An independent variable is a variable that can be wielded by the researcher. It is basically a hypothesized in order to influence or affect the dependent variable. The independent variable is measured from the researcher. The researcher assigns an experimental or a controlled condition to the participants. The independent variables would be the surveys and what they say prior to the participants taking the survey (Murphy & Polivka, 2007).The dependent variables would be the participants that partake in the survey (Murphy & Polivka, 2007). Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework is used in research to give details or to create an outline of what the possible actions may be. It is used to try and connect the aspects of the topic. The theoretical framework that was conducted in this article was what the relationship between a parent’s perception of their child’s BMI and obesity and what the schools role is in preventing as well as treating the children’s obesity issues (Murphy & Polivka, 2007).Literature Review: Literature review is important because it allows the researcher to find out what has already been discovered and what has not. It gives them a chance to create a research strategy that works best for them. It gives them a chance to avoid other researcher’s mistakes. Instead of surveying the school nurses or random people, the researchers in this article asked the parents how they feel and what they feel is important to keep their children on a healthy track so that they do not become obese (Murphy & Po livka, 2007).Study Design: There are many research designs that can be used. Descriptive design, correlation studies, semi-experimental designs, experimental designs, reviewing other research, and test study before conducting full-scale study (Experiment-Resources. com, 2012). This article is more of a descriptive design because it was based off of surveys. There was one subject studied which was childhood obesity and how schools affect children’s health (Murphy & Polivka, 2007). It was not clearly stated how long the study took.Childhood obesity is a growing issue and there are many contributions to this problem. Children spend most of their lives at school, so changing the ways that schools handle health issues is important. By removing vending machines, providing healthy programs, and allowing more physical activities can be a positive change. When the school nurses, parents, and children are all on the same page healthier changes might start to show and the level of child hood obesity may start to decrease.