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

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

African American farmers tilling for congressional attention: Exploring the agenda status of agricultural support policy and the hopeful permeations of civil rights (1940--1998)

As with similar studies of agenda setting, this research builds on the work of Baumgartner and Jones (1993), King (1997), Worsham (1997), and Tzoumis (2001). Specifically, the focus of this study is on agricultural support policymaking---as it relates to African American farmers. Three fundamental objectives serve as the blueprint for the analysis. The first is to understand how Congress governs the agenda of agricultural support policy over the post-war period. Second, is to learn whether congressional activity is conducive to the interests of African American farmers and, third, is to assess if and when the agenda of agricultural support policy ever intersected with that of civil rights. Three qualifiers help facilitate and focus the analysis: (1) congressional committees are used as the venue of agenda-setting activity; (2) bill introductions; and (3) congressional hearings are used as the measures of agenda status and governmental attention.;The analysis in this dissertation derives from data collected on agricultural-related bills and hearings in Congress from 1940-1998. Through the utilization of both bill introductions and congressional hearings, general patterns of issue composition, committee competition, policy monopoly, and coalitional activity are fundamentally examined. In part, endogenous and exogenous punctuating events are evaluated according to the variation in these patterns.;The first chapter introduces the purpose and layout of the study. Chapter Two examines the evolution of agricultural policy and the travail it created for African American Farmers. This historical analysis will show that by the time New Deal politics produced new public policies, the direction of favoring large farmers was set and followed by government (Browne, 2003, 145). An important product of this accommodation made to large farming interests was the early arrangement of dominant subsystem politics, which consequently influences the direction of agricultural policy well into the late 1960s. Chapter Three describes the two perspectives of agenda setting. This chapter not only serves as a conduit to the research theory, but it also provides the backdrop for the next two analysis chapters.;Chapters Four and Five illustrate the agenda dynamics of agricultural support policy are influenced by the institutional actions of congressional committees/subsystems, policy entrepreneurs, as well as by endogenous and exogenous punctuating events. Findings will illustrate that although Agricultural Committees may serve as the institutional anchor for subsystem arrangement and policy monopoly, punctuating events tend to alter the policy equilibria maintained by such an arrangement. Moreover, such events can and do alter policy outputs as well.;Chapter Six of the research details how group pressure at the state and local level aided in bringing forth legislative assistance and governmental attention to the problems faced by African American farmers. However, due to the limited success and continued complaints of discrimination, African American farmers change venue and take their issue to the courts. As such, the later segment of this chapter details the current status of the class-action lawsuit brought against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and how judicial action has yet to equate to institutional redress. Chapter Seven concludes the dissertation by examining how the research contributes to the understanding of agenda setting, and notes for further research

The relationship between information technology (IT) investment and firm's financial performance of public listed companies in Malaysia

Significant amounts of resources have been and continue to be invested in information technology (IT). Much of this investment is made on the basis of assumption that returns will occur. Prior studies have shown that IT investment increases firm’s performances and operational efficiency. Although, IT investment by Malaysian public listed companies (PLCs) increases annually, but the investment is still insufficient. Additionally, empirical studies and scientific research on IT and firm’s performance in Malaysian PLCs are still lacking. The objective of this research work is to examine the relationship between IT investment and firm’s financial performance in Malaysian PLCs. Firm performance was measured by revenue, return on investment (ROI) and return on assets (ROA). A panel data analysis was applied to the data observed from 2009 to 2012. Data for three years on IT investment and firm’s performance was collected from a sample of 90 firms via annual reports. The result of regressing return on investment against IT investment indicates that there is a relationship between IT investment and return on investment. However, the result of regressing return on assets and revenue indicates that there is no relationship between IT investment and return on assets, IT investment and revenue respectively. The analysis provides useful implications for managers to better understand the relationship between IT investment and firms’ performance so that they can make wiser decisions to maximize the business value of their investments

Parking and Vehicle Activity Surveys at Large Convenience Foodstores in West Yorkshire: Results and Guidelines for Design

This report sets out the main results and conclusions of a series of vehicular activity,and parking surveys at thirteen convenience food stores in West Yorkshire. The surveys, carried out in the period February - June 1982, were undertaken at stores ranging from a typical high street supermarket to large superstores. Data on vehicular flows and-parking indices were obtained at twelve stores; in addition registration number surveys were completed at three stores to allow customer parking durations to be determined