Wednesday, July 31, 2019

F. Scott Fitzgerald and New Consumer Culture

What do you think of the view that obsession with money and the new consumer culture of the 1920s dominates human thinking and behavior in ‘The Great Gatsby’? One of the key themes in The Great Gatsby is ‘The morality and importance of Wealth’ in high end New York social circles of the 1920s. Fitzgerald himself lived during this period of significant culture change in America and therefore I feel his own feelings and concerns on obsession with money and the new consumer culture was one reason as to why he wrote this novel. He begins by establishing this theme through Daisy and Tom.Daisy’s voice often has references to wealth: â€Å"Her voice is full of money†. The synecdoche here represents Daisy herself as an object of desirability and high status. Daisy represents perfection to Gatsby because she has the wealth, class, charm and sophistication that Gatsby has wanted all of his life. The life that they lead seems to lack direction and meaning, the couple drift unrestfully to wherever people â€Å"were rich together†. This shows that their behavior is dominated by social conventions of consumerism, it is important for them to be seen with people like themselves.Although Daisy has such a privileged life style her face is â€Å"sad†, here Fitzgerald is commenting that money cannot buy happiness or true fulfillment. In chapter 2 Fitzgerald creates a gothic vision, using bleak descriptions of the waste land that lies between the two eggs. Fitzgerald uses ashes as a way to symbolize the impure, dim and dirty lives that the rich lead: â€Å"ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys† which â€Å"ash grey men† inhibit (if you come to close to them it can become harmful).The desolate waste land is an industrial dumping site and I feel Fitzgerald uses it as a device to contradict the world of beauty glamour that its creators live in. It is a way of showing the darker, less glamorous truth of the new co nsumer culture as the vast amounts of waste create such an unpleasant sight. This introduces one the key themes in the novel which is the morality of wealth. The â€Å"white ashen dust† that covers Wilson and his surroundings is representing the poverty that he lives in due to his lack of money.In comparison to Tom, Wilson is much more passive and shy which could be due to the fact that he is much less wealthy. Tom seems to have automatic dominance over Daisy however Wilson clearly lacks control over Myrtle, suggesting he is respected more. This displays the theme of The Importance of money as their different fortunes influence the way these men behave and the quality of life they have. Myrtle is a key character in the novel in displaying Fitzgerald’s concerns with the new consumer culture and the way it dominates human behavior.As the party in the small apartment develops, her mannerisms completely change: â€Å"with the influence of her dress her behavior had also u ndergone a change†. This shows that the luxurious lifestyle hugely influences people often, like myrtle, badly. In the comfort of her new, fake privileged lifestyle and raised status she becomes more confident and ‘haughty’. This could suggest that myrtle is shallow as the way she conducts herself changes as easily as the colour of her dress, which is often used in The Great Gatsby as a technique to represent social status or class.

Blind Side (Healthy Family Relationships)

Blind Side (healthy family relationships) What makes a healthy family? Well in the movie † The Blinde Side† it depicts the importance of family, and what parents need to do in order to raise a happy, healthy family. Leah Anne Touhy a mother of the memphis family took strong effort in changing Michael Oher, a troublesome kid's life for the better. Leah brought Michael into the family as one of their own. Leah then saw that Michael Oher, was born into a family of 12, was held back 2 years in elementary school and had a horrible education record with a . 6 GPA.Leah knowing these factors decided to adopt Michael and raise him to become the American football player of the Ravens he is today. This was only accomplished by the efforts of commitment and communication which was used throughout the entire movie. Through the entire movie the Tuohy family used efforts of commitment and communication to change not only Michael's life but their own too. It started with the introduction of Leah Tuohy's son, S. J. to Michael who happily greeted himself. S. J. showed confidence in himself to let Michael know that you should smile.Later on Michael was found wandering the streets in the night cold when Leah Anne and her family were driving home from a play that her son was in. Leah Anne being the compassionate person she is stopped the car and got out to confront Michael and offered him a stay at their warm house for the night, Michael had no other place to go so he took it. Leah Anne set up a bed for him and made him comfortable. The next morning Michael was on his way to leave but Leah Anne stopped him in his tracks and brought him back in.This showed Leah Anne's caring for other people. It happened to be thanksgiving that day and the family was huddled around the couch watching tv while Michael was eating off in the dining room. Leah Anne quickly observed this and brought everyone to the dining table so that all of them would celebrate thanksgiving as a family incl uding Michael. During the Thanksgiving dinner Leah Anne offered Michael shopping so that he could feel comfortable in clothes other than his own 2 pairs of shirts and shorts.On the trip there Leah Anne stopped the car to get a eye-to-eye conversation showing that she takes great care in finding out Michaels past and how she can help him for the better. One night Leah Anne asked a simple question to Michael, if he wanted to stay? Michael responded † I don't like anywhere else† and sure enough she turned the guest room into a comfortable place for Michael with a bed, that he had never had before. Michael was improving his grades and now able to play on the football team, in celebration the Tuohy family went to diner.As they arrived Leah Anne had to run a quick errand to the Library and they found an old book that was read to the children when they were younger. After the dinner and went home Leah Anne read that book â€Å"Ferdinand the bold† to both S. J. and Michae l in a heartwarming bond with the daughter over behind the door listening carefully and cherishing and old time story that was told to her. Later Leah Anne was in bed with her husband expressing her happiness and that it was because of Michael.She goes on to talk about how she influenced by the change in michael that she wants to have charities for people in Michael's condition. Slowly they wander off into sexual intercourse showing that as well as Leah Anne's responsibilities she still has time to express her inner feelings with her husband. Michael, never having a photo ID before asks Leah Anne if he could get a driver's license not just for the driving but for an identification of himself. Leah Anne agrees and takes him to the DMV when they run into a problem.Michael has no name registered for himself and Leah Anne comes up with an idea that changes everything. Leah Anne then talks to her husband about the issue of adopting Michael into the family. They communicate with their ide as about this and share their feelings toward it as well. They come to decide together happily that its best if they adopt Michael since he's already a part of the family as it is. Leah Anne goes to an office that deals with legal guardians and finds that she just needs to go before a court and get permission from a judge to adopt.She is startled in that she doesn't need to confront the mother and decides it's the right thing to do. She confronts the mother and she tries to make the situation comfortable as possible letting Michaels mom know that she wants to adopt Michael. Michaels mom slowly takes in the idea and accepts. The family then has a family meeting where they discus what's going on and they finally bring on the idea to Michael that they want to adopt him and he happily accepts saying aren't I already part of the family. From these commitments and communication comes many learning's and values.This shows that a little bit of kindness can go a long way. The efforts from Le ah Anne Tuohy changed Michael Oher's life for the better. It started with a simple stay at their own home to adopting and taking care of Michael himself. Not only that the family came closer together than before and in result a happier healthier family as well. The communication within the family was already strong and with the addition of Michael their communication became one. The family changed the life of Michael Oher, but Michael Oher changed the families lives forever.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

The Garden Party

The Garden Party is written by Katherine Mansfield, a New Zealand prominent modernist writer of short fiction. Set in colonial New Zealand, â€Å"The Garden Party† falls into two clearly differentiated parts. For the major characters, Laura Sheridan, Mrs. Sheridan, Meg Sheridan, Jose Sheridan and Laurie Sheridan are considered by because they appeared in the story quite often. And for the minor characters, they are mostly the workers and helpers in the party, except for Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Scott.From this short story, we have encountered some literary theories. First theory that we have analysed is cultural theory. â€Å"The Garden Party† is a story about the differences between the upper class and the lower class lives. The Sheridan family represents the upper class while the Scotts represent the lower class. Mansfield gives certain importance for many words by repeating them persistently, especially hats, lilies, flowers, all those are symbols of wealth and superiori ty, in connection to the Sheridans.The Sheridan’s life appears more comfortable even when Mansfield is talking about them she uses only positive images, pleasure, flowers, songs, even in the house is highly organized. While talking about the Scotts and their class, only images of dark, ugliness, sorrow, disorder, and chaos came to our minds. Psychoanalysis theory is also one of the theories that we have encountered in this short story. â€Å"The Garden Party† traces the psychological and moral growth of Laura Sheridan.The story presents her adolescent confusion regarding the social values of her family and her awakening to a more mature perception of reality after her exposure to poverty and death at the carter's cottage. The third theory will be likely criticism theory. Most criticism of Katherine Mansfield's short story â€Å"The Garden Party† concentrates on the story as a story of the growth and maturity of a young idealistic character. For example, see Laur a's initiation as a passage from the â€Å"dream world of her parents and social class to the real world of the Sheridan's neighbouring working-class. This also describes the symbolic significance of the garden party, â€Å"The garden party epitomizes the dream world of the Sheridan women, a world whose underlying principle is the editing and rearranging of reality for the comfort. Throughout this short story, we have also analysed a few themes. For the overall theme and sub-themes from this story, â€Å"The Garden Party†, the major theme is growth. Laura’s mother summons Laura to supervise the workmen who come to set up the marquee for the garden party, she intends to leave everything to her children as a way to make them independent.When Laura suggests placing the marquee on the lily lawn, a workman rejects the idea, saying that she should the marquee â€Å"where it’ll give you a bang slap in the eye. † Laura then wonders whether it is respectful of a laborer to speak to a girl of her upbringing in the crude language of the common people. However, Laura ends up approving of the men even though they are the ones who choose the location for the marquee–against the karaka trees. Thus, though failing to supervise the men with authority, Laura learns to overlook class distinctions in dealing with the outside world.The another theme will be the contrast between life and death. The Sheridan's garden is a place of thoughtless pleasure and burgeoning energy, where young people resemble brilliant butterflies and arum lilies bloom with an almost frightening vitality. In contrast, the home of the dead carter is dark and oppressive, guarded by an aged crone and surrounded by a shadowy crowd. Mansfield deliberately exaggerates the difference between these two locations in order to emphasize her theme.That life and death are part of the same continuum is suggested by the temporal structure of the story, which begins at dawn and ends in a gathering dusk. As many critics have noted, Laura's journey to visit the bereaved family has strong mythic overtones and resembles the tale of Proserpina, a goddess who was abducted by Hades into the underworld. Laura's moment of epiphany testifies to a kind of knowledge unavailable in the sunny world of the garden party. In this way, her journey also has the quality of an initiation rite, in which a naive young girl achieves emotional and moral maturity.Last but not least, we realized that this short story is focused on third person point of view. It is because the narrator withholds information in favor of limiting what she says to what Laura thinks and experiences. Besides, she generally does not understand the incident of what she undergoes that day, at least not until the very end, when she says â€Å"isn't life, isn't life? † only for her brother to interrupt her, misinterpret her, and silence the knowledge about death she had just obtained from visiting the cottage o f the man who had died.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 18

Business Law - Essay Example Invitation to treat has been defined as an expression of willingness of a party to enter into negotiations with another with the hope that a contract would be reached at the end of such negotiations. (Fisher v Bell)1. An offer on the other hand has been defined as an expression of willingness by a party to enter into a contract on stated terms (offeror) and provided that such terms would be accepted by the person to whom the offer is made (offeree) a contract would come into existence(Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co.)2. An offer should be differentiated from a mere statement of price that is an enquiry as to the price. (Harvey v. Facey)3 In the current scenario it can be seen from the facts that Angela has shown her intent of selling the caravan and stated a price. Even though the term ‘offering’ has been used, it is generally not to be held conclusive and the overall facts of the situation are taken into account when deciding whether an offer or an invitation of treat was present. In the case of Angela it can be seen that she Angela has posted a letter and has stated a price of  £2000 for which she would sell the caravan, therefore it can be deduced that an unequivocal willingness on her part was present. The next issue that would be looked into is acceptance which is defined an unequivocal assent to the terms that has been proposed by the offeror. The acceptance of certain terms and conditions which had been stated by the offeror and which tend to introduce new terms would be treated as counter-offer, that is a new offer comes into existence which can either be rejected or accepted by the person who was originally the offeror (and now becomes the offeree). (Hyde v. Wrench)4. Acceptance is generally held to be valid only when it has been validly communicated and the offeror comes to know of such acceptance. (illustration of the fact was made by Denning LJ in Entores v Miles Far East Corporation). However, there are a

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Four forces of evolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Four forces of evolution - Assignment Example This genetic drift resulted in biological variation between species that had to survive. It was as a result of this drift that isolation of species took place; some species moved to new areas where they interbreed allowing the introduction of new alleles to the population. The introduction of new alleles from the nearby populations resulted in new genetic variation in the populations. Survival of the new populations however required the populations to adapt to their environment. This was made possible by the natural selection force; the force assisted the new formed populations to make beneficial adjustments to their environment, and as a result enhanced their survival. In tandem with this assertion, natural selection shaped genetic variation at the population level favoring some individuals over others. The changes in the genetic structure of the population then resulted in speciation (Haviland, McBride, Prins and Walrath 44). Due to variation in environmental conditions, the geneti c codes of the formed species started changing resulting in new variations. The random mutation of the species’ genetic codes led to genetic variation that resulted in the emergence of new populations. In connection with this, it is evident â€Å"mutation was the ultimate source of evolutionary change, responsible for the constant introduction of new genetic variations† (Haviland, McBride, Prins and Walrath 42). In conclusion, evolution process was enhanced by four forces; natural selection, mutation, gene drift, and gene flow. However, the complexity of human beings is as a result of the mutation process that takes place

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Construction contracts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Construction contracts - Research Paper Example Variation Types Variations are not restricted merely to the work specification, the cost specification or other quality aspects. Instead, variation can constitute a number of different aspects a few of which are2: an addition to work specifications; an omission to work specifications; a change of materials; changes to construction sequence; working hours change; corrections in the contract documents; corrections in the Bill of Quantities (BoQs) for descriptions and / or quantities of materials used; changes to third party work schedule and scope; changes in the timeline agreed upon in the original contract; changes required to deal with unforeseen circumstances / force majeure. In addition to describing variations as changes to the work, its scope, its cost, quality and other aspects, another potent method of defining variation is as per the party that initiates the variation. CEBE3 has provided a comprehensive method to describe variation as per the initiating party. The causes for variation as per the initiating party have been used to classify variations in an attempt to cover as many variations as possible. The major classifications of variations provided are owner related, consultant related, contractor related and other variations. The research by CEBE provides that there are approximately 53 discernible types of variations that might occur in any construction contract situation4. The various types of variations are shown in detail in the diagram provided below: Figure 1 - Causes of variation as expounded by CEBE (2006) Impacts of Variation Types on Contract Dimensions It would not be possible to discuss all the different types of variations and to analyze them as per FIDIC’s Red Book (1999) interpretations. A few... It would not be possible to discuss all the different types of variations and to analyze them as per FDIC's Red Book (1999) interpretations. A few major variations, including variations that are controversial as being variations or not, are discussed as per CABE classification presented above. A variation in project scope by the owner is one of the most common causes of variation, especially for construction projects. The owner is not on board in typical construction projects planning and design stages and this leads to changes in planning and scoping later. In such circumstances, since the originating party is the owner, the engineer is required to submit a proposal for variation to the contractor as per sub-clause 13.3 of the FIDIC Red Book (1999). Processing of the variation requested is subject to the contractor’s choosing and the owner would have to convince the contractor to comply. Additionally, the condition of the Red Book’s sub-clause that the contractor cannot stop work as variation proposals are being shuttled seems unreasonable. For example, if the owner requires an extensive change of scope that involves the current work, the contractor still has to keep working in the agreed direction even though he proposes variations simultaneously. The lack of clarification for major scope changes makes subclause 13.3 ambiguous and open to dispute between contracting parties. Another area of contention for variation may arise if the owner’s cash stream is somehow affected.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Globalization - Essay Example Due to globalization, ‘unhealthy’ foods have been promoted in different parts hence encouraging people to consume ‘trendy’ foods. In this regard, I suffered obesity after consuming fast foods for a long time. On the other hand, there are three most important global issues facing the world currently. Firstly, many countries in the world are facing tough economic times due to global inflation. On this basis, there are countries classified as third world because of low economic status while those of high economic status are referred to as first world. Secondly, the world has increasing suffered social problems associated with globalization. For example, due to free movement and improved technology, cases of terrorism have increased in different countries. Lastly another major global issue in the world is the spread of diseases classified as international disasters. For instance, diseases such cancer and HIV have made governments to spent a lot of money in research and purchase of

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Research Paper Example Besides, he played these instruments so well that he would be invited to perform a solo in public. It was at a local travelling, when he first encountered an instrument that resembled a cello that was played a Catalan musician; in fact, this musician played a cello-stung broom handle (Avsharian, 1). Later, he requested his father to build a cello for him to practice playing and his request was granted. When Pablo Casals reached eleven years, he got a chance to heat a real cello performance that was performed by a group of travelling musicians; thus, this led to a decision to be dedicated to this instrument. Pablo Casals was enrolled in the Escola Municipal de Musica, where he was taken by his mother in 1888 and he studies cello and piano theory; later in 1890, he was discovered at age of thirteen where he was performing in second –hand sheet music store in Barcelona (Avsharian, 1). Later, he decided to come up with his version of six suites, thereby leading to an extraordinary progress as a cellist. In fact, this was seen when he got a chance to present a solo performance in February 23 1891 in Barcelona, and five years later, he graduated with honours from Escola Escola Municipal de Musica (Johnston, 1). ... He achieved this by playing through basics and entire controls of his elegant tones along with their interpretations. Casals made several tours around the world, where he had a chance to make foundation such as the Ecole Normale in Paris, and Orquesta Pau Casals in Barcelona (Baldock, 36). He had a chance to present a solo performance in December 17 1899 at Lamoureux during a concert in Paris and this led to significant publicity and crucial acclaim (Avsharian, 1). Casals made numerous tours in Spain and Netherlands; in fact, he made these tours accompanied by a pianist Harold Bauer, and made his initial visit to America in 1901, and later went South America in 1903 (Avsharian, 1). Due to his involvement in politics, he received a threat of execution after the outbreak of the civil war in Spain, whereby he was threatened by Franco regime (Avsharian, 1). However, during the Second World War, ha took a chance to offer numerous concerts that were beneficial to Red Cross and other Catala n exiles (Baldock, 36). After renunciation of the Franco regime, he commenced a self-imposed exile in 1946, later in 1950 be re-emerged and continued to promote peace through his music (Taper, 23). During his time in exile, he went to Catalan village located at Prada de Conflent in France, which was near the border of Spanish and France; in fact, between 1939 and 1942, though he made spontaneous appearances as a cellist (Baldock, 36). However, these performances were conducted in unoccupied regions of southern France and Switzerland. Nonetheless, he expressed severe opposition towards dictatorial regime of Francisco Franco in Spain. In fact, this opposition was portrayed through his refusal to appear or perform in countries that supported the authoritarian Spanish government.

Marketing Mix & Marketing Mix Planning with Nutritional Supplements Assignment

Marketing Mix & Marketing Mix Planning with Nutritional Supplements - Assignment Example All in all, in marketing their products and services, business people should develop marketing strategies that are based on crucial and effective marketing considerations and decisions. 1.) Identify the type of product/service (convenience, shopping, specialty, unsought), and explain in your own words what marketing considerations need to be made for my product/service (Nutritional Supplements) based on this product classification. Based on the criteria of how consumers go about in purchasing them and how they are marketed, consumer products can be classified into four main types. To start with, we have shopping products which involve products that are bought by consumers less frequently (Doole & Lowe, 2005). Secondly, there exist convenience products which entail those that are frequently purchased by customers (Evans & Wurster, 1997). Thirdly, we have specialty products. These include products with unique features or brands and those that catch the attention of a particular class of customers who are willing to make a special buying effort (Taylor, 2009). Finally, we have unsought products which involve products that are not known to the consumer or if known, the consumer has never thought of purchasing them (Evans & Wurster, 1997). Using this classification, nutritional supplements can be said to belong to the category of specialty products. There are four main marketing considerations that can be made by nutritional supplements marketers and marketers of specialty products in general. The first consideration is the customer’s buying behavior. Here, buyers go in for strong and appealing brands. These consumers are normally loyal to specific brands and they are usually less sensitive to prices (Doole & Lowe, 2005). The second consideration is the price. According to Taylor, like in the case of most specialty products, the pricing of nutritional supplements can

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Hiring and Firing Staff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hiring and Firing Staff - Essay Example Companies need to hire staffs for expansion program or simply to fill vacancies. In line with this activity, employers try to define corporate standards in order to perform successfully and achieve its goals. Hiring qualified applicants to perform the job is one. The applicants in order to perform the task need to pass the standard. It is therefore thought that the search criteria set by employers is the essence of hiring standards (Outtz, 2005, p.201-336). In a very dynamic job like sales, in hiring an agent for instance, it is important to understand the skills, attitudes, interests and motivations of the applicant (Butler, 2004). Applicants with desirable qualities suited to company standard have the chance of getting hired and to sign a contract. Within this contract a certain relationship is developed between employer and employee as further enhanced by obligations and economic aspects (Holland and Burnett, 2007, p. 17-50). There are different ways involved in hiring the best an d qualified employee for the job. Thus, it is important to know the process involved in it. Zoltners et al. (2001, p.160-190) discussed six steps involved in the hiring process especially on a very dynamic group. Hiring process especially on sales force requires the job definition as the first step, then candidates profile, applicant pool, selection, attraction and evaluation and improvement. The whole steps involved in this hiring process according to Zoltners et al. (2001, p.160-190) affect the quality of the hired employees.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Information Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Information Management - Essay Example As the paper declares safety of the patient has become paramount, and it has become very necessary for hospitals to streamline the volume of health information regarding a patient so as to present it in a manner that is efficient for the doctor to carry out an effective diagnosis. To develop an ideal information management, health software would require the integration of data’s ranging from blood reports, CT scans, surgical reports, inputs from nurses, social workers, medicine companies, insurance companies and other administrative data. Improving the information management and its flow from so many different sources would also lead to considerable increase in efficiency for the health care sector and also effectively help in controlling costs and minimize errors. According to the research findings while the IT industry with its portability and efficiency has made rapid entry into other sectors like airline, finance and banking, its foray into the health care sector has been comparatively limited. Part of the reason is that health care organizations are a bit reluctant to invest money in technology to streamline information. An ideal information management should successfully integrate project management, IT management and change management. Electronic patient record as the name suggests is a complete record of a patient’s medical history, the treatments undergone, medications taken, specific kind of allergies if any, details of immunization and other laboratory reports.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Business and Research Project Essay Example for Free

Business and Research Project Essay JC Penny has been running successfully for close to 90 years. Most entrepreneurs and managers face the same dilemmas at times. The choices one makes are the basis for his or her company success. The CEO of JC Penny Ron Johnson was faced with many management dilemmas. The first of many dilemmas that Ron Johnson was faced with was to innovate or conserve JC Penny. Innovation is important, but one should also focus on new applications and new markets as well. However, the revenues of innovations are in the future. One needs also to get the maximum out of one’s current business. According an article published by Forbes â€Å"Ron Johnson did not try and solving the real problem with JC Penny. Sales fell some 25%. The stock dropped 50% He spent lavishly trying to remake the brand. He modernized the logo, upped the TV ad spend, spruced up stores and implemented a more consistent pricing strategy. But that all was designed to help JC Penney competes in traditional brick-and-mortar retail. Against traditional companies like Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Sears, etc† (Hartung, 2014). If the leader or manager does not invest there comes a time when the current business declines without new innovation to take over JC Penny revenues. If a manager invests too much, it may end up endangering the continuity of the current business. According to Joshua Kennon â€Å"J.C. Penney saw sales fall from $19.903 billion in 2007 to $12.985 billion in 2013. This caused the firm to go from a pre-tax profit of $1.792 billion to pre-tax losses of $1.536 billion, a staggering swing of $3.328 billion. Dividends were slashed, book value destroyed. There were rumors the company was surviving by pushing payable bills and hoarding cash† (Kennon, 2013). The purpose of learning team C’s research is to identify the most important factors to customers that are considering shopping at J.C. Penney. This statement speaks to the researcher’s attention and states goal or objective of the research. This statement will evaluate errors that were made J.C.  Penny’s top management, putting the company into a very vulnerable predicament with the core customers. The factors that will be considered are directly associated with management errors such as: †¢Misreading what shoppers want- coupons, sales price/clearance items †¢Not testing the ideas in advance- assuming the culture was the same as other companies †¢Alienated the core customers †¢Misreading the JC Penney brand †¢Not respecting the JC Penney company overall From these errors the team will provide research questions to include in the paper, gather the information the is related to the customer most recent shopping experience with the company to develop a proposed research plan to address the most management dilemmas. Draft of Research Questions Learning team C intends to research the reasons J.C. Penney had a decline in customer core base and sales which almost led to the demise of the company. This research will be conducted via survey with the intent of possibly salvaging the creditability of the company. Our learning will provide surveys to adults that have shopped J.C. Penny either online or in the store within the last two years. The survey questions used would supply management with opportunities to test potential marketing strategies to revive sales and retain the company’s initial core customer base. LTC will provide the following questions to gather data for research in the survey: †¢What is the age group/gender of the participant †¢How far from home will he or she be willing to drive to the store †¢What is the importance of coupons and sales price/clearance items †¢How frequent does the participant shop online or in the store †¢How important is the brand name that is provided by the company †¢How important is the atmosphere of the store (i.e. Arizona, IZOD, Dockers, etc) †¢How important is the culture of store (i.e. is food courts or specialty boutiques important) After compiling a more precise list of question to provide for the survey, we will rank the factors from least to greatest importance to determine the  decision making process for J.C. Penney current dilemma. Conclusion Eventually, JC Penny did fire Ron Johnson and rehired the previous CEO Mike Ullman, who stills faces big challenges. JC Penny has posted sales drops and losses in its first three quarters. As JC Penny attempts to recover from its dilemmas from the period in which it alienated consumers, and infuriated its employees, its new CEO Mike Ullman, is making headway in trying to purge corporate ranks and bring the customers back to shopping at JC Penny. In business leaders or managers all face some challenges that if left unaddressed such as JC Penny dilemma can massively affect the business. The good news is that there is now a solution in place to help JC Penny return to being successful. References Hartung, A. (2014). Two Wrongs Wont Fix JC Penney. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cwe/citation_generator/web_01_01.asp Kennon, J. (2013). The Collapse of J.C. Penney – What Caused It and Can It Be Fixed?. Retrieved from http://www.joshuakennon.com/the-collapse-of-jc-penney-what-caused-it-and-can-it-be-fixed/

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Financial Management Midland Energy Resources Finance Essay

Financial Management Midland Energy Resources Finance Essay In the Midland Energy Resources case study we see that it has its operations divided amongst three separate divisions. All these three divisions have different functions and need a separate discount rate to evaluate its projects. Midland uses its cost of capital for many different ways. In order to discount Midlands cash flows we use the weighted average cost of capital. Here the cost of debt is easier to calculate by taking the bond yield plus risk premium approach. The Capital Asset Pricing Model is used to calculate the cost of equity. In case of CAPM, the calculation of beta requires significant judgment. We use the industry data to calculate the beta. Solution 1 Mortensens estimates are used for the following In case of asset appraisals for capital budgeting and financial accounting In case of MA proposals In case of assessment of performances In case of stock repurchase decisions at different divisions and business unit levels. Solution 2 Calculating rD In this case Mortensen computed the cost of debt for each of the three divisions by adding a premium over the US treasury securities of a similar maturity. In order to find rD, we do not use CAPM but we use the interest rate that we are currently paying on the new loans. Here we see that the consolidated spread to treasury is given as 1.62% Thus, rD = 30 year yields to U.S Treasury bonds + Overall Consolidated Spread to Treasury rD = 4.98% + 1.62% rD = 6.60% Calculating the Tax rate The tax rate is calculated on the basis on the Exhibit 1 as average over the years 2004, 2005 and 2006. Therefore the tax rate come out to be (Midlands Income Taxes / Midlands Income Before Taxes and the Average across 2004, 2005, 2006)= 39% Calculating EMRP Based on the exhibit in this case, we see that the traditional data showed is approximately 6.0% EMRP and the surveys show lower EMRP (2.5% to 4.7%) based on a research over the industry with the help from outsiders who have broader industry knowledge, which would result in a better and up-to-date EMRP. Researches in consultation with its professional advisors, bankers and investors, as well as Wall Street analysts covering the industry agreed on the current estimate of 5.0%. As the analysts on the industry, bankers and investors have broader information from different companies and executives, it can be concluded that the approach of outside consulting and the result of 5.0% estimate is appropriate. Â  Calculating rE Here we use 5.0% as its Equity Market Risk Premium. The corporate ÃŽÂ ² is publicly available, and as it represents corporate level ÃŽÂ ², well use 1.25 as it is for Overall Corporate WACC calculation. rE = rf + ÃŽÂ ²(EMRP) rE = 4.98% + 1.25 (5%) = 11.23% Calculating WACC Given + Calculated information: rE 11.23%, rD 6.60%, tax rate 39%, D/E 59.3%, E= 100units, D =59.3units, V=159.3units, E/V= 0.62774639, D/V=0.37225361 Using the formula we get, WACC =rE(E/V) + rD(D/V) (1-t)= 8.548% Solution 3 The company here, Midland, is a large enterprise and has diverse business units with different risks. In the case here we see that the Equity Beta represents the risk factor of those divisions. (Exhibit 5). We also see here that the risk profiles and different here as per the division and the hurdle rates for those divisions should also be different and calculated based on the ÃŽÂ ² of the division In this case Midland should not use single corporate hurdle rate as this will mislead evaluation of the investments, and will result on Midland invest on risky projects and will become risky a corporate by time But on the other hand if Midland invests on corporate level using the corporate level WACC. Solution 4 Calculating EP rE = rf + ÃŽÂ ²(EMRP) rE = 4.98% + 1.15 (5%) = 10.73% rD = rf + EP Spread to Treasury rD = 4.98% + 1.60% = 6.58% rE =10.73% rD =6.58% tax rate= 39% D/E= 39.8% E=100units D=39.8units V=139.8units E/V =0.715308 D/V= 0.284692 WACC for EP= 8.818% Calculating RM rE = rf + ÃŽÂ ²(EMRP) rE = 4.98% + 1.20 (5%) = 10.98% rD = rf + RM Spread to Treasury rD = 4.98% + 1.80% = 6.78% rE= 10.98% rD= 6.78% Tax rate= 39% D/E= 20.3% E= 100units D= 20.3units V= 120.3units E/V =0.831255 D/V= 0.168745 The value of WACC = 9.825% The business units all these industries of Midland operate on are different and thus they have different risk profiles and ÃŽÂ ²s and also different credit ratings. Also as a result the EP and RM have different WACC values. Solution 5 In order to calculate the cost of capital in case of Petrochemical, we would search for the couple of companies which focus only on Petrochemical industry and then use their fact sheet in order to get an average on their ÃŽÂ ² and D/E ratio. By taking into account the data available to us (exhibit 5) and using the arithmetic averages on D/E ratio and ÃŽÂ ² we can calculate cost of capital for Petrochemical division. Corporate ÃŽÂ ² = Average (EP ÃŽÂ ², RM ÃŽÂ ², Petrochemical ÃŽÂ ²) 1.25 = Average (1.15, 1.20, Petrochemical ÃŽÂ ²) Petrochemical ÃŽÂ ² = 1.40 rE = rf + ÃŽÂ ²(EMRP) rE = 4.98% + 1.40 (5%) = 11.98% rD = rf +Petrochemical Spread to Treasury rD = 4.98% + 1.35% = 6.33% Corporate D/E = Average ( EP D/E, RM D/E, Petrochemical D/E) 59.3% = Average (39.8%, 20.3%, Petrochemical D/E) Petrochemical D/E = 117.8% rE= 11.98% rD= 6.33% Tax rate= 39% D/E= 117.8% E= 100 units D= 117.8 units V= 217.8 units E/V= 0.459137 D/V= 0.540863 The value of WACC = 7.589%

Reflective Essay on Personal Strengths

Reflective Essay on Personal Strengths Personal Strengths 2 Introduction StrengthsQuest is a personality assessment tool used by career-oriented companies and schools to help determine what careers a given person might be suitable for. This is a test approximately 150 questions long, that measures ones top five personality strengths, so that those top five may be recognized and utilized in a proficient manner within that persons career. This maximizes ones workable efficiency. This report will analyze my top five personal strengths and make a correlation between them and my future career endeavors. Personal Strengths Themes My top five personal strengths are Belief, Responsibility, Competition, Developer, and Relator. In order to further discuss these strengths, one must have a basic understanding of what goes into each strength theme. Belief   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you possess a strong Belief theme, you have certain core values that are enduring. These values vary from one person to another, but ordinarily your Belief theme causes you to be family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, and to value responsibility and high ethics-both in yourself and others. These core values affect your behavior in many ways. They give your life meaning and satisfaction; in your view, success is more than money and prestige. They provide you with direction, guiding you through the temptations and distractions of life toward a consistent set of priorities. This consistency is the foundation for all your relationships. Your friends call you dependable. â€Å"I know where you stand,† they say. Your Belief makes you easy to trust. It also demands that you find work that meshes with your values. Your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you. And guided by your Belief theme it will matter only if it gives you a chance to live out yo ur values (StrengthsQuest 2010). Personal Strengths 3 Responsibility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your good name depends on it. If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation: utterly dependable. When assigning new responsibilities, people will look to you first because they know it will get done. When people come to you for help-and they soon will-you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should (StrengthsQuest 2010). Competition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Competition is rooted in comparison. When you look at the world, you are instinctively aware of other peoples performance. Their performance is the ultimate yardstick. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how worthy your intentions, if you reached your goal but did not outperform your peers, the achievement feels hollow. Like all competitors, you need other people. You need to compare. If you can compare, you can compete, and if you can compete, you can win. And when you win, there is no feeling quite like it. You like measurement because it facilitates comparisons. You like other competitors because they invigorate you. You like contests because they must produce a winner. You particularly like contests where you know you have the inside track to be the winner. Although you are gracious to your fellow competitors and even stoic in defeat, you dont compete for the fun of competing. You compete to win. Over time you will come to avoid contests where winning seem s unlikely (StrengthsQuest 2010). Developer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth-a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of â€Å"flow† where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments- invisible to some-are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in others are your fuel. They bring you strength and satisfaction. Over time many will seek Personal Strengths 4 you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you (StrengthsQuest 2010). Relator   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know. You do not necessarily shy away from meeting new people-in fact, you may have other themes that cause you to enjoy the thrill of turning strangers into friends-but you do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around your close friends. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. You want to understand their feelings, their goals, their fears, and their dreams; and you want them to understand yours. You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk-you might be taken advantage of-but you are willing to accept that risk. For you a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust yourself to the other person. The more you share with each other, the more you risk t ogether. The more you risk together, the more each of you proves your caring is genuine. These are your steps toward real friendship, and you take them willingly (StrengthsQuest 2010). Career Correlations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physical fitness has always been my passion. I am currently working on getting a Bachelors degree in exercise science. With that being said, I have two routes that I would like to go. I would either like to be an athletic coach of some kind, or a personal trainer. With the strength themes I exhibited, these career fields are somewhat perfect for me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the strength theme, Belief, I want nothing more than to make a difference in peoples lives, through the avenue of physical fitness. By doing this, I can be happy with myself even if I dont make a ton of money. I believe that if you love what you do, the money will fall in to place (Ted Leonsis 2010). I am a big advocate of having a purpose in everything you do, whether large or small. My Belief, is that, I can have a positive influence on someones life, and Personal Strengths 5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  teach them values and help them achieve personal goals they have set for themselves, through sports or working out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Responsibility is my next theme, which gives me accountability to my future â€Å"clients† and â€Å"players.† I am not one to give up in anything when something doesnt go my way. If I commit to something, theres no turning back from it (Rotegà ¥rd,A.,Moore,S.,Fagermoen,M.,Ruland,C. 2010). If I cannot accomplish something or make a mistake, I dont try to make excuses, but rather, learn from it and move on. It is that sense of Responsibilty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Competition is a great strength theme for me, especially given the option of coaching. Competition is a way that I can measure my work ethic and achievement motivation. I have a need to compare and contrast myself with others around me (Vetter,R.,Symonds,M. 2010). Not in the sense that I am better than they are, but constantly trying to better myself, by learning from those who I feel are better competitors. Competition can be a great asset when used right.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Developer is another great strength, because it can be applied, so easy, to both personal training and coaching as well. I think it is necessary for both too. I am good at seeing the â€Å"big picture† in people. I can see how someone may be good at something, but then know how to tweak their skills enough to help make them great at it. Through precision, non-complacency, and attention to details, I can help bring out the potential in others (Mark Helfand 2005). This is a huge driving force for me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally, Relator is the last of my top five strength themes. Relator allows me to connect with those I work with. Empathy is so very important to both athletics and personal training. Personal Strengths 6 When you can see through someone elses eyes, you can share a bond with them that allows you to use a leadership role, by giving advice and making corrections without being questioned. It builds trust between both parties and allows for more efficient goal achievement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These top five strength themes that I exhibit, I believe, are not only perfect for coaching or personal training, but are, absolutely necessary in being successful as well. Personal Strengths References Mark Helfand. (2005). Using Evidence Reports: Progress And Challenges In Evidence-Based Decision Making.Health Affairs,24(1),123-127. Ted Leonsis. (2010,April). How to Build a Happy Company.Newsweek,155(15). Rotegà ¥rd,A.,Moore,S.,Fagermoen,M.,Ruland,C..(2010). Health assets: A concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies,47(4),513. Vetter,R.,Symonds,M..(2010). CORRELATIONS BETWEEN INJURY, TRAINING INTENSITY, AND PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXHAUSTION AMONG COLLEGE ATHLETES.Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,24(3),587-96.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

The Vile Bodies Essay example -- Literary Analysis, Evelyn Waugh

The postwar England of the twenties and thirties was the setting of Evelyn Waugh’s first satirical novels, among which was the Vile Bodies. Waugh, an author mostly known for his highly satirical fiction, published his novel Vile Bodies in 1930 right in the middle of the time-period between the Great Wars. Because of the historical evens that occupied England at that time, much of British Literature of the late 1920’s and early 1930’s was concerned with the Modernist movement, which was occupied with the idea of individualism of the young generation. Through the use of prominent and yet highly satirical characters, Waugh strives to criticize his Modernist generation for its unsuccessful movement into Modernism, both on the individual and political/institutional level. He does so by defining his type-characters as ignorant, self-centered and hypocritical in their disastrous movement toward individualism. Through the use of satire, the issues presented by Waugh in Vile Bodies become greatly influenced by the time period in which the novel was written. Great Britain, in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, was placed on the time line between the Great Wars. Thus, the novel’s placement in the history shifts its focus not only toward the emergence of the World War II but also on the depressed postwar economy of Britain at the time. Some of the most prominent ideas evolving during this period of time were embracive of the idea of change in areas such as religion, science, art, social rules, literature and economic and political conditions—changes that most often led to a feeling of â€Å"loss of community† (Wellman, 327). Because of the nature and the ongoing changes during this period the idea of modernism also played a major role in Britis... ...the importance placed on individualism. For, although he †blinkingly accepts whatever outrageous turn of fortune [he] may encounter† (Twayne, 43) he is still the only character that displays a feeling on emptiness and disillusionment about the constant search of amusement that is seen in all the other characters. Adam questions the generation’s way of living â€Å"do you ever feel that things simply can’t go on much longer† and states that he would â€Å"give anything in the world for something different† (Waugh, 273). Furthermore, he even goes as far as criticizing the never-ending parties and games as â€Å"succession and repetition of massed humanity†¦ those vile bodies†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Waugh, 171). Although Adam seems to have glimpses of understanding the destruction that this generation is causing, nonetheless, he feels stuck in the vicious cycle that is created by this lifestyle.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Accounting Principals :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Memo   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In any business no matter how big or small financial statements are crucial if achieving success is the ultimate goal. There are three main types of financial statements, they are: Income statement, balance sheet and statement of owner’s equity. All three of these financial statements can be looked upon to see where changes can be made in a company to ensure better success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The income statement is important because it presents the revenues and expenses allowing a company to see the net income or net loss. It is prepared by simply subtracting the expenses from the revenues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The balance sheet however is critical in reporting the assets, liabilities and owner’s equity up until a specified date. When preparing this financial statement a company simply takes all of their assets (cash, accounts payable, supplies, equipment etc.) and adds them together to get a total dollar amount for all assets. A company also takes all liabilities and owner's equity and adds them together as well. This enables the company to get a total dollar amount for all liabilities and owner’s equity just as it can with assets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The statement of owner’s equity is a simple statement that summarizes the changes in owner’s equity for a specified period of time. It is calculated by the simple formula of: Beginning owner’s equity + additional investments + net income - drawings = ending owner’s equity This financial statement allows the company to see if they are increasing, maintaining, or losing owner’s equity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All three of these financial statements have an interrelationship with one another because each statement uses the numbers from the preceding statement. For instance the statement of owner’s equity could not be determined without the having the income statement. The reason for this is because one must know the net income/net loss for determining owner’s equity. Also the balance sheet could not be formulated without having the statement of owner’s equity because it to is needed when determining total liabilities and owner’s equity within the balance sheet.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

How Low Self-esteem Effects Anorexia Essay -- essays research papers

How Low Self-Esteem affects Anorexia Outline I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anorexia has no certain causes, but it has been determined that psychological, enviromental, and physiological factors play a role. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Self-esteem is both a psychological and physiological factor of low self-esteem. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Girls and young women are most commonly associated with low self-esteem and anorexia. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “Self-Esteem is how you think and feel about yourself.';(McWilliams and Roger, 361) People can reach low self-esteem levels in a variety of ways. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People with low self-esteem don’t think they’re worth taking care of. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Young people’s self-esteem can be effected by parents and peers. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With low self-esteem, a young girl wants to have the confidence that it seems everyone else has. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They may develop anorexia because they are dissatisfied with themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An anorexia will take drastic measures to change   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  her body image in an attempt to fit in. An Conclusion:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has not yet been pin-pointed what the exact cause of anorexia is. Many factors play a role, including self-esteem. Children need to be showed love and caring in order to gain the appropriate levels of self-esteem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anorexia is a big issue in society today. Girls and boys are developing anorexic symptoms as young as age five. While anorexia can be detected in boys, girls, men, and/or women of all ages, “the most common ages of onset [remains] between thirteen and twenty-two.';(Levenkron,1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder. People who develop anorexia are usually “afraid of becoming obese and [have] such a distorted image of [their] body, that [they] steadfastly [refuse] to eat even when...hungry.';(Mathews, 29) The “[eating] disorder [becomes] a disease...when problems of the mind create problems for the body.'; (Levenkron,5)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientists have been studying and researching the causes of anorexia sin... ...tory Approach, written by Gail E. Myers and Michele Tolela Myers, it is said that positive self-esteem is often developed in adolescents who have attitude of acceptance by parents, clearly defined and enforced limits and respect and latitude for individual action with the defined limits. (65) If children can maintain a healthy self-esteem level, they may not feel the need to turn to anorexia for comfort. While things like genes can be a cause of anorexia, it can be helpful for a parent to show that a child is accepted, which can raise self-esteem levels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Johnson, Carol A. Self-Esteem Comes in All Sizes: How to be Happy and Healthy at your Natural Weight. New York: Bantam, 1995 Levenkron, Steven. Treating and Overcoming Anorexia Nervosa. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1982. Mathews, John R. Eating Disorders. New York: Facts on File Inc., 1991. McWilliams, Peter and Roger, John. Life 101: Everything we Wish we had Learned about in School--but didn’t. California: Prelude Press, 1990. Myers, Gail E. and Myers, Michele The T. Dynamics of Human Communication: A Laboratory Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1973.

The Urban Heat Island and Its Impact on Heat Waves in Shanghai

Int J Biometeorol (2010) 54:75–84 DOI 10. 1007/s00484-009-0256-x ORIGINAL PAPER The urban heat island and its impact on heat waves and human health in Shanghai Jianguo Tan & Youfei Zheng & Xu Tang & Changyi Guo & Liping Li & Guixiang Song & Xinrong Zhen & Dong Yuan & Adam J. Kalkstein & Furong Li & Heng Chen Received: 17 December 2008 / Revised: 29 July 2009 / Accepted: 3 August 2009 / Published online: 1 September 2009 # ISB 2009 Abstract With global warming forecast to continue into the foreseeable future, heat waves are very likely to increase in both frequency and intensity. In urban regions, hese future heat waves will be exacerbated by the urban heat island effect, and will have the potential to negatively influence the health and welfare of urban residents. In order to investigate the health effects of the urban heat island (UHI) in Shanghai, China, 30 years of meteorological J. Tan (*) : X. Zhen Shanghai Urban Environmental Meteorology Center, 951 Jinxiu Road, Pudong, Shanghai 200135, China e-mail: [email  protected] com Y. Zheng Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science &Technology, Nanjing 210044, China X. TangShanghai Meteorological Bureau, 166 Puxi Road, Shanghai 200030, China C. Guo : G. Song : D. Yuan Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 1380 ZhongShan West Road, Shanghai 200336, China L. Li : F. Li : H. Chen Injury Prevention Research Centre, Medical College of Shantou University, 22 Xinling Road, Shantou City 515041, Guangdong Province, China A. J. Kalkstein Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA records (1975–2004) were examined for 11 first- and second-order weather stations in and around Shanghai.Additionally, automatic weather observation data recorded in recent years as well as daily all-cause summer mortality counts in 11 urban, suburban, and exurban regions (1998â₠¬â€œ 2004) in Shanghai have been used. The results show that different sites (city center or surroundings) have experienced different degrees of warming as a result of increasing urbanization. In turn, this has resulted in a more extensive urban heat island effect, causing additional hot days and heat waves in urban regions compared to rural locales. An examination of summer mortality rates in and aroundShanghai yields heightened heat-related mortality in urban regions, and we conclude that the UHI is directly responsible, acting to worsen the adverse health effects from exposure to extreme thermal conditions. Keywords Global warming . Urban heat island . Heat wave . Human health Introduction In recent years, the impact of weather on human health has become an issue of increased significance, especially considering the potential impacts of global warming and an increased urban heat island effect due to urbanization (Kunst et al. 1993; Kalkstein and Greene 1997; Guest et al. 1999; Sm oyer et al. 2000).Warming of the climate system is unequivocal. The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) clearly indicates that the updated 100-year linear trend (1906–2005) of global surface temperature is 0. 74 K. The warming trend over the last 50 years has averaged 0. 13 K per decade and 11 of the last 12 years (1995–2006) rank among the 12 warmest years since 1850 (IPCC 2007). A Int J Biometeorol (2010) 54:75–84 76 warming climate will likely result in an increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves (McMichael et al. 1996; Meehl et al. 2001; Patz and Khaliq 2002). The urban heat island (UHI) has become one of the largest roblems associated with the urbanization and industrialization of human civilization, as the increased temperatures associated with the UHI tend to exacerbate the threats to human health posed by thermal stress. As a result, the UHI has been a central theme among climatologists, and it is well documented in many metropolitan areas a round the world (Oke 1973; Katsoulis and Theoharatos 1985; Balling and Cerveny 1987; Lee 1992; Saitoh et al. 1996; Yamashita 1996; Bohm 1998; Figuerola and Mazzeo 1998; Klysik and Fortuniak 1999; Kim and Baik 2002; Wilby 2003). The UHI experienced by many cities is larger at night than uring the day, more pronounced in winter than in summer, and is most apparent when winds are weak. For example, in Beijing, the difference in mean air temperature between the city center and surrounding fields can be as much as 4. 6 K (Zhang et al. 2002; Song and Zhang 2003). This results in additional hot days in urban locales, which can directly influence the health and welfare of city residents. As UHIs are characterized by increased temperature, they can potentially increase the magnitude and duration of heat waves within cities. Scientists have also discovered that the impacts of heat waves on humans vary among ifferent regions within a city. As early as 1972, Buechley et al. (1972) investigated the relationship between the heat island and â€Å"death island† and found that the mortality rate during a heat wave increases exponentially with the maximum temperature, an effect that is enhanced by the UHI. Clarke (1972) revealed that the nighttime effect of UHIs can be particularly harmful during a heat wave, as it deprives urban residents of the cool relief found in rural areas during the night. Thus, during heat waves, death rates are often much higher in cities than in outlying environs (Henschel et al. 1969; Buechley et al. 972; Clarke 1972; Jones et al. 1982; Smoyer 1998). An epidemiologic study of mortality during the summer 2003 heat wave in Italy also illustrated that those living in urban regions have an elevated risk of death compared to those living in suburban or rural areas as a result of heightened urban temperatures (Conti et al. 2005). Unlike purely tropical regions that remain warm all year round, Shanghai experiences a subtropical climate with cold, dry winters and wet, hot summers, as well as a pronounced UHI (Ding et al. 2002; Zhou et al. 2002). Shanghai has been found to be prone to heat-related ortality (Tan et al. 2004, 2007), although few studies have quantitatively or qualitatively examined the impact of the UHI on the frequency or the intensity of heat waves along with its corresponding impact on heat-related mortality among the urban and suburban populations. Thus, the goal of this paper is to determine the influence of the Shanghai UHI on heat waves and human health within both urban and rural locales. Materials and methods The study was carried out over the region of Shanghai, China, which encompasses approximately 6,300 km2, and contains a population listed as slightly over 18 million in 006. In order to capture the effects of urban areas on local climate, 30 years (1975–2004) of daily maximum temperature were compiled covering only the summer months, defined here as May through October. These data were examined for 11 first- and second-order weather stations (Fig. 1) and were obtained from the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau. The specific sites in this study are: the urban site (XuHui-58367), suburban sites (MingHang-58361, BaoShan58362, PuDong-58470, JiaDing-58365), and exurban sites (ChongMing-58366, NanHui-58369, JinShan-58460, QinPu58461, SongJiang-58462, FengXian-58463).For each year throughout the 30-year research period, we first examined the yearly extreme maximum temperature (the single hottest day in each year), the mean daily maximum temperature in midsummer (defined as July through August), and the number of hot days (defined as days exceeding 35 °C in Tmax) for each of the 11 stations. Simple linear regression was used to discern overall trends in the data, and the statistical significance of these trends was assessed (Table 1). The number of hot days, as well as heat wave duration at urban, suburban, and exurban sites, are listed in Table 2.The UHI intensity is typically de fined as the temperature difference (? T) between the urban (u), suburban (s), and exurban (e) locations. This is described in terms of the difference in daily maximum temperature between the urban center and suburban sites (? Tu-s), and that between urban center and the exurban stations (? Tu-e). The observed values of urban, suburban, and exurban sites were represented by the temperature from the urban site (XuHui station), the average of four suburban stations (MinHang, BaoShan, PuDong, JiaDing), and the average temperature from the exurban stations (ChongMing,NanHui, JinShan, QingPu, SongJiang and FengXian), respectively. The UHI intensity of each site (? Ti) is calculated by the temperature difference between the urban site (XuHui station) and each suburban or exurban site as follows: $Ti ? Tmax0 A Tmaxi While Tmax0 is the daily maximum temperature at the urban site, Tmaxi is the daily maximum temperature at the suburban or exurban site. In order to investigate the diurnal Int J Biometeorol (2010) 54:75–84 77 Fig. 1 Shanghai within China and the spatial distribution of 11 weather stations across Shanghai variation of the UHI intensity, the temperature difference etween the urban (XuHui), suburban (JiaDing), and exurban (ChongMing, FengXian, JinShan, SongJiang) sites are calculated from automatic weather stations from June through August, 2005–2007. The observed variations in the urban heat island effect have been plotted in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Here, a â€Å"hot day† is defined as a day with a daily maximum temperature exceeding 35 °C in at least 1 of the 11 sites in Shanghai. Days below this threshold were categorized as â€Å"non-heat days. † Additionally, a heat wave is defined as a period with at least three consecutive hot days. Although this definition is somewhat arbitrary, it was hosen to correspond with the Chinese Meteorological Administration heat warnings, which are issued when maximum temperatures are forecast to e xceed 35 °C. Furthermore, with the assumption that each meteorological Table 1 The rates of increase and linear regression results by year for annual extreme maximum temperature, mean maximum temperature in mid-summer (Jul–Aug), and hot days at urban, suburban, and exurban sites Sites Yearly extreme maximum temperature Mean maximum temperature in mid-summer (Jul–Aug) Hot days Rate of increase (K / year) Urban Suburban Exurban XuHui MinHang BaoShan PuDong JiaDing QingPuChongMing NanHui JinShan SongJiang FengXian R2 p Rate of increase (K / year) R2 p Rate of increase (days / year) R2 p 0. 085 0. 049 0. 066 0. 067 0. 062 0. 051 0. 035 0. 029 0. 013 0. 034 0. 009 0. 389 0. 172 0. 271 0. 204 0. 241 0. 158 0. 090 0. 053 0. 013 0. 076 0. 004 0. 0001 0. 0181 0. 0022 0. 0095 0. 0043 0. 0244 0. 0918 0. 2053 0. 5409 0. 1276 0. 7196 0. 073 0. 051 0. 054 0. 054 0. 049 0. 045 0. 038 0. 028 0. 024 0. 034 0. 020 0. 240 0. 150 0. 136 0. 158 0. 128 0. 112 0. 082 0. 064 0. 042 0. 070 0 . 030 0. 0044 0. 0282 0. 0376 0. 0240 0. 0448 0. 0609 0. 1138 0. 1623 0. 2603 0. 1442 0. 3408 0. 64 0. 29 0. 40 . 34 0. 41 0. 28 0. 10 0. 09 0. 07 0. 20 0. 08 0. 388 0. 168 0. 278 0. 279 0. 272 0. 161 0. 070 0. 074 0. 026 0. 090 0. 036 0. 0001 0. 0197 0. 0019 0. 0018 0. 0021 0. 0229 0. 1427 0. 1305 0. 3817 0. 0952 0. 2950 Statistically significant slopes at 95% confidence level (p ? 0. 05) are in bold Int J Biometeorol (2010) 54:75–84 78 Table 2 The average number of hot days and the occurrence of different heat wave durations at urban, suburban, and exurban sites in Shanghai (1975–2004) Sites Hot days (days / year) Heat wave duration ?3 days XuHui MinHang BaoShan PuDong JiaDing QingPu ChongMing NanHui JinShan SongJiangFengXian Exurban observation site represents its entire area or district, we classify days in which more than eight of the sites experienced maximum temperatures above 35 °C as â€Å"largescale hot days†, thus covering 59. 6–82. 6% of the total area of Shanghai. The consistency of hot day occurrence among the 11 sites has been plotted in Fig. 5. All deaths recorded between 1998 and 2004 for all regions of Shanghai were obtained from the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. These data consist of the daily mortality totals of each district for all causes of death and cover the summer study period.Excess deaths are calculated by subtracting a baseline death rate from the observed daily mortality value. Numerous methods have been identified in the literature for calculating the baseline mortality (Gosling et al. 2009), and here, we adopt a 30-day moving average for the same year (Rooney et al. 1998; Dessai 2002, 2003; Gosling et al. 2007). >10 days 18 12 11 8 9 9 5 2 6 8 2 9 4 8 1 5 4 2 1 3 4 2 5 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Results Warming trends at the urban, suburban and exurban sites As demonstrated in Table 1, there are different linear arming trends in the different areas (city center, suburban, an d exurban areas) of Shanghai over the last 30 years (1975–2004), covering the yearly extreme maximum temperature, the average maximum temperature from July through August, and the number of hot days during the 2 Tu-s 1. 5 1 0. 5 0 May Tu-s ?7 days 39 25 22 18 27 26 9 7 14 21 8 11. 2 7. 4 7. 5 5. 2 7. 6 7. 7 3. 1 2. 7 5. 2 6. 4 3. 7 Heat Island Intensity ( K ) Urban Suburban ?5 days Tu-e June July 1. 4 Tu-e 1. 2 1 0. 8 0. 6 0. 4 y = -0. 001x 2 + 0. 0523x + 0. 1132 R2 = 0. 6951 0. 2 0 1975 October 2. 00 y = 2E-05x 2 + 0. 0411x + 0. 147 R2 = 0. 7704 1979 1983 987 1991 Year 1995 1999 2003 Fig. 2 The variation of urban heat island intensity [in terms of the difference of daily maximum temperature between the urban center and suburban sites (? Tu-s), and that between urban and exurban (? Tu-e) sites] from 1975 to 2004 Heat Island Intensity ( K ) Heat Island Intensity (K) 1. 6 September Month 2 1. 8 August -0. 5 1. 50 1. 00 0. 50 0. 00 May June July August September October -0. 50 M onth Fig. 3 The mean heat island intensity [in terms of the difference of daily maximum temperature between the urban center and suburban sites (? Tu-s), and that between urban and exurban stations (?Tu-e)] by month from 1975 through 2004. Error bars indicate  ±1 SD Int J Biometeorol (2010) 54:75–84 79 Fig. 4 The diurnal variation of the temperature difference between the city center (XuHui) and suburban(JiaDing), and various exurban sites (ChongMing, FengXian, JinShan, SongJiang) over 24 h in summer (June–August, 2005–2007) summer. Significant trends, using a 95% confidence level (p 35 °C) and the proportion of largescale hot days (>35 °C at eight or more stations) during the five hottest years on record the urban center and the suburban sites (? Tu-s), and that between the urban center and the exurban sites (? Tu-e) Fig. 2). From the 1970s to the mid-1980s, the UHI was much less pronounced, with an average difference in daily maximum summer temperature o f 0. 2–0. 4 K between the city center and its surroundings. However, these temperature differences increased during the period of study, particularly between the city center and the exurban locations. In fact, beginning in the mid-1980s, there is a distinct deviation between the UHI intensities of the exurban and the suburban sites. While the temperature difference of urban-exurban areas rose further to 1. 6 K, differences between the urban and suburban sites remained at approximately 0. K. This disparity is likely due to the rapid expansion of Shanghai into the suburban regions beginning in the mid-1980s. The UHI intensity was strongest in July during the summer months, where the average UHI intensity reached 0. 9 K between urban and exurban areas (? Tu-e), and 0. 6 K between urban and suburban areas (? Tu-s) (Fig. 3). Furthermore, the diurnal variation of the heat island intensity derived from the six automatic weather stations located in the urban (XuHui), suburban (JiaDin g), and exurban sites (ChongMing, FengXian, JinShan, SongJiang) in summer (June through August), 2005–2007, shows that he heat island intensity is more pronounced in the daytime than that in the night (Fig. 4). The highest value in the region of 0. 5–2. 0 K occurs at noon or in the afternoon, corresponding approximately to the time in which the daily maximum temperature is reached. The urban heat island and heat waves As a result of increased temperatures within the urban locales, the UHI may affect the number of hot days as well as the duration of heat waves, potentially increasing the risk of mortality from heat stress. The yearly average number of hot days and the total number of heat waves with different urations over the research period (1975–2004) at different locations in Shanghai are listed in Table 2. Not surprisingly, the largest average value of annual hot days is 11. 2 days per year in the urban site (XuHui), while fewer hot days occur in the exurban sites such as ChongMing, NanHui, or FengXian. Similarly, heat wave duration is also impacted by the UHI, so that the longest duration heat waves (for example, a heat wave with at least 10 consecutive hot days) usually occurred in the urban area. There were five such events at the urban location (XuHui) with only one event recorded t the suburban stations (MinXing, BaoShan, JiaDing). In order to discern whether increasing numbers of hot days are attributable to a regional climate warming or to an expanding UHI, we examined the five hottest years (1978, 1983, 1988, 1998, and 2003) and analyzed the consistency of hot day occurrence among the 11 sites. This was done to 80 determine the frequency of â€Å"large-scale hot days† in the investigation area during these years. Figure 5 illustrates a decreasing trend of the proportion of the large-scale hot days corresponding with an increasing number of hot days. For example, at least 1 of the 11 stations in Shanghai eported a hot day 16 times in 1983, and among these there were 13 large-scale hot days, accounting for 81. 3%. In 2003, however, there were 45 hot days reported but only 29. 5% of these were large-scale hot days. Thus, it seems that the growing UHI increases the number of hot days around the city center, but large-scale hot days are not increasing. This provides strong evidence that the warming is local in nature, caused almost entirely by the UHI, and not as a result of a larger, regional warming pattern. The urban heat island and excess death The relationships between heat and human health are ummarized in Table 3, which illustrates the excess mortality rate, the number of heat waves, and the average maximum temperature for each heat wave from 1998 to 2004 in each region. Population-adjusted excess mortality in each region, along with UHI intensity, has been plotted for each year in Fig. 6. The excess deaths in the central urban region are higher than those in the suburban and exurban sites, which coincide well with heat island intensity, especially in the two severe heat waves in 1998 and 2003 (Tan et al. 2004, 2007). For example, with the 1998 heat wave, the excess mortality rate in the urban area is about 27. /100,000, compared to only 7/100,000 in the exurban districts. Furthermore, a comparison between excess deaths and the spatial coverage of the two heat waves in 1998 and 2003 (Fig. 7) shows that the extent of high temperatures played an important role in the number of excess deaths. In general, the more stations that reported hot days, the higher the number of excess deaths. In 1998, Shanghai experienced long duration, large-scale hot days with more than nine districts experiencing temperatures above 35 °C for nine consecutive days from August 8 to 16. As a result, excess deaths increased sharply with a maximum value of 53 deaths observed on August 16. On the other hand, in 2003, there were frequent hot days, often with a large number of consecutive days, but these heat waves were not often experienced by a large number of stations. Thus, the spatial coverage of the 2003 event was much smaller than that observed in 1998, resulting in fewer deaths. Discussion The urban heat island effect is among the most welldocumented impacts of human activity on local climate. As Int J Biometeorol (2010) 54:75–84 large-scale climate change continues, the UHI is very likely to exacerbate the warming, resulting in more frequent and ore intense heat waves (Wilby 2003). Research on the UHI has typically focused on tropical or mid-latitude cities for the dual purposes of understanding the dynamics of the energy balance in the urban boundary layer and its application to issues related to urban pollution, energy conservation, and the prevention of heat-related health problems or deaths (Buechley et al. 1972; Smoyer 1998). Here, the comparison between meteorological monitoring stations both inside and around the city of Shanghai revealed the large impact of the urban heat island effect on temperature, heat waves, and human health.The results demonstrate that the meteorological sites (city center and its surroundings) have experienced different degrees of warming over the period of record as a direct result of increasing urbanization and a more pronounced heat island. Additionally, we find that the hottest days (above 35 °C), as well as prolonged heat waves, are more likely to occur in urban locales. The UHI is often referred to as a nighttime phenomenon with the highest values of the UHI intensity occurring between midnight and early morning, especially in winter. This has been documented in the United States, Italy, and eyond (Basu and Samet 2002; de’Donato et al. 2008), highlighting that the major differences between urban and rural areas were measured during the night. However, for Shanghai, our results show that the heat island is often more pronounced in the daytime during the summer, with the highest urban–rural d ifferences ranging from 0. 5 to 2. 0 K at noon or in the afternoon, coinciding with the timing of maximum daily temperature. The increased thermal loads found in urban areas may be a direct factor for heightened levels of human mortality (Clarke and Bach 1971; Jones et al. 1982; Conti et al. 2005).Additionally, previous studies note that virtually all causes of mortality increase during extreme heat waves, including respiratory failure and circulatory system failure from heart attack or stroke. The results of this study demonstrate that heat-related mortality (all-cause deaths above the baseline) is often much higher in the inner city than in outlying environs during heat waves, coinciding with heat island intensity. Inhabitants of urban areas may experience sustained thermal stress both day and night as city surfaces often heat up quickly during the day but are slow to cool at night (Sheridan and Dolney 2003).There is emerging evidence that the urban population shows greater sensit ivity to heat compared to those in rural regions. For example, analyses of the 1995 Chicago heat wave have shown that the relative risk for a heat-related hospital admission in the city was nearly two times higher compared to the suburbs (Rydman et al. 1999). Similar results were found in 2003, where heat wave mortality was greater in 2 20/7– 24/7 36. 1 ?2. 51 2 19/7– 31/7 36. 5 0. 93 4 22/8– 26/8 36. 1 2. 57 4 19/7– 6/8 36. 6 4. 32 2 16/7– 31/7 36. 2 3. 33 Heat waves Longest duration Tmax( °C) Excess mortality rate (1/100,000)Heat waves Longest duration Tmax( °C) Excess mortality rate (1/100,000) Heat waves Longest duration Tmax( °C) Excess mortality rate (1/100,000) Heat waves Longest duration Tmax( °C) Excess mortality rate (1/100,000) Heat waves Longest duration Tmax( °C) Excess mortality rate (1/100,000) 2000 2004 2003 2002 2001 1999 3 7/8–17/8 36. 8 27. 30 0 Heat waves Longest duration Tmax( °C) Excess mortality rate (1/100 ,000) Heat waves Longest duration Tmax( °C) Excess mortality rate (1/100,000) 1998 Urban Item Year 36 5. 60 36. 1 6. 39 2 19/7– 31/7 4 28/7– 3/8 2 20/7– 24/7 35. 3 2. 29 3 25/7– 29/7 35. 7 ?0. 89 0 2 8/8– 17/8 6. 9 18. 20 0 MinHang 35. 8 ?0. 23 36. 9 5. 85 3 17/7– 7/30 2 21/7– 29/7 1 20/7– 23/7 36. 8 ?0. 25 1 28/6– 2/7 36. 1 2. 29 0 2 7/8– 15/8 36. 4 18. 99 1 9/9– 11/9 35. 3 0. 40 BaoShan 35. 9 1. 00 36 1. 64 3 20/7– 25/7 2 20/7– 24/7 35. 7 0. 91 2 28/6– 2/7 36. 1 0. 95 1 14/7– 16/7 36. 4 0. 41 4 19/7– 25/7 1 8/8– 16/8 37 15. 82 0 PuDong 36. 2 2. 89 36. 3 17. 39 3 17/7– 1/8 4 19/7– 4/8 1 20/7 – 23/7 36 0. 41 3 28/6– 2/7 36. 2 4. 82 0 1 8/8– 16/8 36. 4 13. 08 0 JiaDing 35. 8 ?0. 57 35. 7 1. 42 2 20/7– 25/7 1 25/7– 29/7 0 0 0 1 8/8– 15/8 35. 9 9. 21 0 ChongMing 0 0 0 0 0 2 10/8– 16/8 36. 2 12. 81 0 NanHu iTable 3 Summary statistics of excess mortality rate and mean maximum temperature in heat waves, broken down by region and year 36. 2 3. 41 0 2 28/7– 30/7 1 21/7– 24/7 35. 4 0. 94 1 29/6– 2/7 36. 1 1. 89 0 1 8/8– 17/8 36. 3 8. 01 0 JinShan 36 0. 22 36. 6 5. 89 2 17/7– 31/7 4 28/7– 3/8 1 21/7– 23/7 35. 9 1. 09 2 28/6– 3/7 36. 4 2. 85 0 2 7/8– 16/8 36. 5 12. 51 0 QingPu 36. 5 ?0. 39 27/8– 30/8 35. 9 0. 00 1 23/7– 25/7 36. 2 1. 56 1 28/7– 4/8 36. 2 3. 16 2 17/7– 31/7 0 0 0 2 9/8– 16/8 35. 8 7. 00 0 FengXian 3 1 21/7– 24/7 35. 8 0. 20 1 29/6– 1/7 36. 1 3. 82 0 1 8/8– 17/8 36. 4 18. 15 0 SongJiang Int J Biometeorol (2010) 54:75–84 1 Int J Biometeorol (2010) 54:75–84 82 30 exposure to heat in the city center, resulting in elevated levels of heat-related mortality in urban regions. This study was subject to several limitations. First, many approaches such as absolute threshold temperature (Huynen et al. 2001), relative threshold temperature (Hajat et al. 2002), and synoptic climatological approaches (Sheridan 2002; Sheridan and Kalkstein 2004) can also be used to define heat waves. Although our definition is somewhat arbitrary, it was chosen to correspond with the Chinese Meteorological Administration’s heat warnings, which are ssued when maximum temperatures are forecast to exceed 35 °C. Thus, Chinese residents are more familiar with the definition used here. Second, the effects of the UHI on heat-related mortality are multifaceted, and we did not examine data measuring air pollution, other meteorological factors such as cloud cover or humidity, or the potential impacts of socioeconomic status or other social variables. Therefore, no confounding effects were evaluated. Previous research indicates that human mortality is impacted by both ambient meteorological conditions and atmospheric pollutant levels.The stagnant atmospheric conditions common during heat waves can trap pollutants in urban areas, exacerbating the negative impacts of the heat wave 1998 2000 2001 20 2003 15 2004 10 5 0 -5 3. 5 4 4. 5 Fig. 6 The excess mortality rate and the heat island intensity for heat waves in Shanghai urban regions compared to suburban areas in Switzerland (Grize et al. 2005). Our previous investigation revealed that observed differences in heat-related mortality between two severe heat waves in 1998 and 2003 could be traced to the longevity of the heat; prolonged exposure to heat is more stressful to human health than isolated hot days (Tan et al. 007). Here, we confirm that the UHI serves to enhance the prolonged (a) 1998 20 500 The number of the sites with Tmax? 35 °C The number of the sites with Tmax? 35 °C 16 400 excess deaths 300 8 200 4 100 0 0 9-8 9-12 9-4 8-31 8-27 8-23 8-19 8-15 8-7 8-11 8-3 7-30 7-26 7-22 7-18 7-14 6-28 -200 6-24 -8 6-20 -100 6-16 -4 excess deaths 12 Date (b) 2003 500 20 The number of t he sites with Tmax? 35 °C 16 The number of the sites with Tmax? 35 °C 400 excess deaths 300 8 200 4 100 0 0 Date 9-12 9-8 9-4 8-31 8-27 8-23 8-19 8-15 8-11 8-7 8-3 7-30 7-26 7-22 -200 6-28 -8 6-24 -100 6-20 -4 excess deaths 12 6-16 Fig. 7 The number of excess eaths versus the number of stations reporting hot days during the summers of 1998 (a) and 2003 (b) 7-18 3 7-14 2. 5 7-6 2 7-10 1. 5 Urban Heat Island Intensity(K) 7-10 1 7-2 0. 5 7-6 0 7-2 excess mortality(1/100000) 25 Int J Biometeorol (2010) 54:75–84 (Anderson et al. 1996; Piver et al. 1999; Johnson et al. 2005). Air pollution such as ozone and PM10 compound the heat–mortality relationship, and previous research suggests that between 21 and 38% of the excess deaths observed during the summer 2003 European heat wave were attributable to these pollutants (Stedman 2004). However, it remains difficult to separate the impacts of eat and pollution on human health, and it is possible that some of the heightened urb an mortality totals in this study were partially a result of elevated concentrations of airborne pollutants found in the city center. Conclusion There is no doubt that the urban heat island (UHI) has a profound impact on human health. The UHI serves to enhance the intensity of heat waves, which in turn adversely affects human health due to an increased exposure to extreme thermal conditions. As a result, heatrelated mortality is found to be higher in the city center compared to suburban locales. This research provides vidence that Shanghai local officials should be cognizant of the increased thermal loads experienced in urban regions and take appropriate action to help reduce the impact of heat on the population. Acknowledgements This material is based upon work supported by The Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30771846), Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster (No. KLME05005), National Scientific and Technical supporting Programs, Ministry of Science and Technolog y of China (No. 2006BAK13B06), and the Gong-Yi Program of China Meteorological Administration (No. GY200706019). Two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their omments on an earlier version of the manuscript. References Anderson HR, Ponce de Leon A, Bland MJ et al (1996) Air pollution and daily mortality in London: 1987–92. Br Med J 312:665–669 Balling RC, Cerveny RS (1987) Long-term associations between wind speeds and urban heat island of Phoenix, Arizona. J Climatol Appl Meteorol 26:712–716 Basu R, Samet JM (2002) An exposure assessment study of ambient heat exposure in an elderly population in Baltimore, Maryland. Environ Health Perspect 110:1219–1224 Bohm R (1998) Urban bias in temperature time series – a case study for the city Vienna, Austria. Clim Change 38:113–128Buechley RW, Van Bruggen J, Truppi LE (1972) Heat island equals death island? Environ Res 5(1):85–92 Clarke JF (1972) Some effects of the urban structure on heat mort ality. Environ Res 5:93–104 Clarke JF, Bach W (1971) Comparison of the comfort conditions in different urban and suburban microenvironments. Int J Biometeorol 15(1):41–54 83 Conti S, Meli P, Minelli G et al (2005) Epidemiologic study of mortality during the Summer 2003 heat wave in Italy. Environ Res 98(3):390–399 de’Donato F, Stafoggia M, Rognoni M et al (2008) Airport and citycentre temperatures in the evaluation of the association between heat and mortality.Int J Biometeorol 52(4):301–310 Dessai S (2002) Heat stress and mortality in Lisbon part I. Model construction and validation. Int J Biometeorol 47:6–12 Dessai S (2003) Heat stress and mortality in Lisbon part II. An assessment of the potential impacts of climate change. Int J Biometeorol 48:37–44 Ding JC, Zhang ZK, Xi H et al (2002) A study of the high temperature distribution and the heat island effect in the summer of the Shanghai Area. Chin J Atmos Sci 26(3):412–420 ( in Chinese) Figuerola PI, Mazzeo N (1998) Urban-rural temperature differences in Buenos Aires. Int J Climatol 18:1709–1723Gosling SN, McGregor GR, Paldy A (2007) Climate change and heatrelated mortality in six cities part1: model construction and validation. Int J Biometeorol 51:525–540 Gosling SN, Lowe JA, McGregor GR (2009) Associations between elevated atmospheric temperature and human mortality: a critical review of the literature. Clim Change 92:299–341 Grize L, Huss A, Thommen O et al (2005) Heat wave 2003 and mortality in Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly 135:200–205 Guest CS, Willson K, Woodward AJ et al (1999) Climate and mortality in Australia: retrospective study, 1979–1990, and predicted impacts in five major cities in 2030.Clim Res 13:1–15 Hajat S, Kovats RS, Atkinson RW et al (2002) Impact of hot temperatures on death in London: a time series approach. J Epidemiol Community Health 56:367–372 Henschel A, Burton LL, Margolies L et al (1969) An analysis of the heat deaths in St. Louis during July, 1966. Am J Public Health Nations Health 59:2232–2242 Huynen MMTE, Martens P, Schram D et al (2001) The impact of heat waves and cold spells on mortality rates in the Dutch population. Environ Health Perspect 109:463–470 IPCC (2007) Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. In: Alley R et al (eds) Fourth assessment report of working group I.Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Johnson H, Kovats RS, McGregor G et al (2005) The impact of the 2003 heat wave on daily mortality in England and Wales and the use of rapid weekly mortality estimates. Eurosurveillance 10:168–171 Jones TS, Liang AP, Kilbourne EM et al (1982) Morbidity and mortality associated with the July 1980 heat wave in St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo. J Am Med Assoc 247:3327–3331 Kalkstein LS, Greene JS (1997) An evaluation of climate/mortality relationships in large U. S. cities and the possible impacts of a climate cha nge. Environ Health Perspect 105:84–93Katsoulis BD, Theoharatos GA (1985) Indications of the urban heat island in Athens, Greece. J Clim Appl Meteorol 24:1296–1302 Kim YH, Baik JJ (2002) Maximum urban heat island intensity in Seoul. J Appl Meteorol 41:651–659 Klysik K, Fortuniak K (1999) Temporal and spatial characteristics of the urban heat island of Lodz, Poland. Atmos Environ 33:3885– 3895 Kunst AE, Looman CWN, Mackenbach JP (1993) Outdoor air temperature and mortality in the Netherlands: a time-series analysis. Am J Epidemiol 137:331–341 Lee D (1992) Urban warming? An analysis of recent trends in London’s heat island. Weather 47:50–60McMichael A, Haines A, Slooff R et al (1996) Climate change and human health. WHO, Geneva Meehl GA, Zwiers F, Evans J et al (2001) Trends in extreme weather and climate events: issues related to modeling extremes in projections of future climate change. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 81:427–436 84 Oke TR (1973) City size and the urban heat island. Atmos Environ 7:769–779 Patz JA, Khaliq M (2002) Global climate change and health: challenges for future practitioners. J Am Med Assoc 287:2283– 2284 Piver WT, Ando M, Ye F et al (1999) Temperature and air pollution as risk factors for heat stroke in Tokyo, July and August 1980– 1995.Environ Health Perspect 107:911–916 Rooney C, McMichael AJ, Kovats RS (1998) Excess mortality in England and Wales, and in Greater London, during the 1995 heatwave. J Epidemiol Community Health 52:482–486 Rydman RJ, Rumoro DP, Silva JC et al (1999) The rate and risk of heat-related illness in hospital emergency departments during the 1995 Chicago heat disaster. J Med Syst 23:41–56 Saitoh TS, Shimada T, Hoshi H (1996) Modelling and simulation of the Tokyo urban heat island. Atmos Environ 30:3431–3442 Sheridan SC (2002) The redevelopment of a weather-type classification scheme for North America.Int J Climatol 22: 51–68 Sheridan SC, Dolney TJ (2003) Heat, mortality, and level of urbanization: measuring vulnerability across Ohio, US. Clim Res 24:255–266 Sheridan SC, Kalkstein LS (2004) Progress in heat watch-warning system technology. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 85:1931–1941 Smoyer KE (1998) Putting risk in its place: methodological considerations for investigating extreme event health risk. Soc Sci Med 47:1809–1824 Int J Biometeorol (2010) 54:75–84 Smoyer KE, Rainham DGC, Hewko JN (2000) Heat-stress-related mortality in five cities in Southern Ontario:1980–1996. Int J Biometeorol 44:190–197Song YL, Zhang SY (2003) The study on heat island effect in Beijing during last 40 years. Chin J Eco-Agric 11(4):126–129 (in Chinese) Stedman JR (2004) The predicted number of air pollution related deaths in the UK during the August 2003 heatwave. Atmos Environ 38:1087–1090 Tan J, Kalkstein LS, Huang J et al (2004) An operational heat/health warning sy stem in Shanghai. Int J Biometeorol 48:157–162 Tan J, Zheng Y, Song G et al (2007) Heat wave impacts on mortality in Shanghai, 1998 and 2003. Int J Biometeorol 51(3):193–200 Wilby RL (2003) Past and projected trends in London’s urban island.Weather 58:251–260 Yamashita S (1996) Detailed structure of heat island phenomena from moving observations from electric tram-cars in metropolitan Tokyo. Atmos Environ 30:429–435 Zhang GZ, Xu XD, Wang JZ et al (2002) A study of characteristics and evolution of urban heat island over Beijing and its surrounding area. J Appl Meteorol Sci 13:43–49 (in Chinese) Zhou HM, Ding JC, Xu YM et al (2002) The monitoring and evaluation of relation between heat island effect and greenbelt distribution in Shanghai urban area. Acta Agric Shanghai 18:83– 88 (in Chinese)

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Eymp 2 1.1

Explain from each one of the ranges of learning and development and how these are dependent Area of Development How it is interdependent PSED This area ensures children net positive relationships conference and style for e. g. aking relationships as often with other children and that children reserve awareness of their communication can be the foundation of building relationships body and acquire self- agency, children will also be adequate to manage their feelings and their behaviour. fleshly Development- moving and handling, wellness and self-care, PSED- need self confidence to fall in in physical activity with regard how important Physical development is. friends. ego confidence for self care irrefut commensurate relationships with someone to teach self-care. Communication and diction PSED- may non stimulate confidence to speak Listening and attention Literacy-may not be able to get wind something by to speak Understanding Speaking Litera cy Physical Development If the child doesnt do fine motor skills Reading indeed they will struggle to hold a pencil to write their name write Communication- Have trouble discovering forth loud PSED no confidence to read aloud, dont have anyone to read with so its hard to make progress. Mathematics Literacy- Cant read, wont understand numbers. Numbers, Shape, space and measure PSED- enumeration together- self-confidence cant turn of events games wont be able to communicate properly. Understanding of the world PSED- Begins to have their own friends- needs this to progress race and communities knowledge The world E. A. D wish pretend play to imitate all day actions Technology P.D-need fine motor skills to make noises and explore the environment expressive arts and Design PD- If you dont have fine motor skills past you cant develop Exploring Media and materials your brief skills e. g. cant hold a pencil Being Imaginative Communication not underst anding colours for practice session literacy will be difficult to mathematical function media. U. O. T. W, Cant be imaginative as nothing to base it on.