Core & Peripheries

Economic value will shift to the ends of the networks, as a result of the decoupling of intelligence in a network. Subsequently, companies have realized that they need to change their focus to the core – the back-end intelligence that is farthest away from the user – and the periphery – the front-end intelligence that is closest to the user. This separation of value to the ends has thus created an opportunity for organizations to optimize their business functions around the ends. Common InfrastructureAs in the case of the PC at work, there was a clash between what the users wanted: easy-to-use, portable, and flexible at the front-end; powerful and reliable at the back-end. In trying to provide both requirements some necessary design compromises had to be made previously. However, with the decoupling of intelligence in networks the two ends could be separated and a common infrastructure provided at the back-end, in the form of one server in the IT Department of th e office, while the front-end intelligence could be made without compromise as specialized machines.Similarly, disparate elements within the company can be combined to form shared infrastructures that are more cost-effective in their specialization. Modularity The mobilization of intelligence is another pattern that has resulted in a trend that has shifted economic value in the network. Sawhney and Parikh (2001) have discovered that the importance of plug-and-play has been established by the subsequent modularity of devices, softwares, and processes into self-contained modules that can be assimilated into a new value chain as needed.Sharing of capabilities is more important in this regard, than safeguarding of proprietary assets. Orchestration With increased modularity, it has become more and more economically valuable for there to be companies and managers that are able to coordinate, organize, and connect the different modules into new value chains. HP and Cisco are such examples of companies that are seeking to become the intelligent hubs to coordinate their various stakeholders, and are thus reaping the lion’s share of the value in their respective networks. Conclusion In the words of Sawhney and Parikh (2010, p.79): â€Å"By learning to recognize two simple patterns in the evolution of networks, you may be able to turn chaos into opportunity. † It is the intelligence of the network, more specifically its location and mobility as established by the recent advancements in technology that determines the way that companies organize disparate pieces of information, products, people, and the market, and consequently, how to maximize the inherent value. References Sawhney, M. & Parikh, D. (2001). Where Value Lives in a Networked World. Harvard Business Review, 79, p79-86. Retrieved May 02, 2010, from Harvard Business Review.

Counseling: Cognitive-behavioral Therapists Essay

Despite the general acknowledgement that it is important for counseling and psychotherapy practice to be informed by research, it is clear that in recent years a widening gap has emerged between research and practice. This paper briefly reviews some of the factors responsible for the current crisis in therapy research and offers a number of reasons why a healthy relationship between research and practice is necessary. It is suggested that, at present, there exists within psychology and social science a level of acceptance of pluralistic and innovative approaches to research, which may facilitate the emergence of a new genre of practitioner-oriented inquiry in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. Some of the ways in which Counseling and Psychotherapy Research intends to contribute to this movement are described, for example the promotion of new forms of writing, use of information technology, and the creation of knowledge communities. While it might seem to be the case, evidence-based psychotherapy is not new. The term â€Å"evidence-based† can be defined two ways: an approach to therapy emphasizes the pursuit of evidence on which to base its theory and techniques, as well as encourages its patients or clients to consider evidence before taking action; or an approach to therapy is supported by research findings, and those findings provide evidence that it is effective. Each approach to psychotherapy is based on the assumption that it is correct in terms of its explanation of human behavior. Therefore, practitioners of each approach believe that they have â€Å"evidence† that their approach is correct, or they would not waste their time practicing that approach. However, cognitive-behavioral therapists seek to acquire evidence to determine the accuracy of their theories and effectiveness of their techniques. For example, cognitive-behavioral therapists believe that their explanation of human behavior (that â€Å"learned† behaviors and emotions are caused by one’s thoughts) is correct. Rather than assuming that their theory is correct, they base this assumption on psychosomatic research that in fact proves that the assumption is indeed correct. Cognitive-behavioral therapists take into the therapy session this interest in gathering evidence and assessing it. Cognitive-behavioral therapists ask questions to obtain a clear, accurate picture of the client’s experience. Cognitive-behavioral therapists also look for evidence in relation to their clients’ thoughts, and encourage clients to base thinking on the FACTS (the evidence). Therefore, cognitive-behavioral therapy has always been â€Å"evidence-based† and will continue to be so whether or not there is an emphasis by managed-care or governmental agencies to be so. Many approaches to psychotherapy do not lend themselves well to being researched and proven effective because they either utilize techniques that are vague and difficult to repeat with consistency, or the approach attracts practitioners that are not very interested in testing the effectiveness of it. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most researched psychotherapeutic approach because each cognitive-behavioral approach has specific techniques that can be tested for effectiveness; Cognitive-behavioral therapy encourages the development of specific goals that are measurable, and, therefore, can be researched; cognitive-behavioral therapists (to varying degrees) are interested in the research and research process; cognitive-behavioral therapists are not interested in techniques that â€Å"feel right† or â€Å"seem correct†, but techniques that are effective (Pucci, 2005). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an action-oriented form of psychosocial therapy that assumes that maladaptive, or faulty, thinking patterns cause maladaptive behavior and â€Å"negative† emotions. (Maladaptive behavior is behavior that is counter-productive or interferes with everyday living. ) The treatment focuses on changing an individual’s thoughts (cognitive patterns) in order to change his or her behavior and emotional state. Theoretically, cognitive-behavioral therapy can be employed in any situation in which there is a pattern of unwanted behavior accompanied by distress and impairment. It is a recommended treatment option for a number of mental disorders, including affective (mood) disorders, personality disorders, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, substance abuse, anxiety or panic disorder, agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is also frequently used as a tool to deal with chronic pain for patients with illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, back problems, and cancer. Patients with sleep disorders may also find cognitive-behavioral therapy a useful treatment for insomnia. Cognitive-behavioral therapy combines the individual goals of cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. Pioneered by psychologists Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis in the 1960s, cognitive therapy assumes that maladaptive behaviors and disturbed mood or emotions are the result of inappropriate or irrational thinking patterns, called automatic thoughts. Instead of reacting to the reality of a situation, an individual reacts to his or her own distorted viewpoint of the situation. For example, a person may conclude that he is â€Å"worthless† simply because he failed an exam or did not get a date. Cognitive therapists attempt to make their patients aware of these distorted thinking patterns, or cognitive distortions, and change them (a process termed cognitive restructuring). Behavioral therapy, or behavior modification, trains individuals to replace undesirable behaviors with healthier behavioral patterns. Unlike psychodynamic therapies, it does not focus on uncovering or understanding the unconscious motivations that may be behind the maladaptive behavior. In other words, strictly behavioral therapists do not try to find out why their patients behave the way they do, they just teach them to change the behavior. Cognitive-behavioral therapy integrates the cognitive restructuring approach of cognitive therapy with the behavioral modification techniques of behavioral therapy. The therapist works with the patient to identify both the thoughts and the behaviors that are causing distress, and to change those thoughts in order to readjust the behavior. In some cases, the patient may have certain fundamental core beliefs, called schemas, which are flawed and require modification. For example, a patient suffering from depression may be avoiding social contact with others, and suffering considerable emotional distress because of his isolation. When questioned why, the patient reveals to his therapist that he is afraid of rejection, of what others may do or say to him. Upon further exploration with his therapist, they discover that his real fear is not rejection, but the belief that he is hopelessly uninteresting and unlovable. His therapist then tests the reality of that assertion by having the patient name friends and family who love him and enjoy his company. By showing the patient that others value him, the therapist both exposes the irrationality of the patient’s belief and provides him with a new model of thought to change his old behavior pattern. In this case, the person learns to think, â€Å"I am an interesting and lovable person; therefore I should not have difficulty making new friends in social situations. † If enough â€Å"irrational cognitions† are changed, this patient may experience considerable relief from his depression (Ellis, 2008) A Cautionary Statement About Psychotherapy Outcome Research Most psychotherapy outcome research is focused on short-term reduction of symptoms, and this is the reason why many â€Å"studies† find that cognitive-behavioral therapy is as effective as antidepressants in the treatment of depression. This has been a pretty consistent finding. However, cognitive-behavioral therapy is focused on â€Å"getting better† rather than â€Å"feeling better†. So while we are encouraged that clients improve their symptoms with cognitive-behavioral therapy, we are more interested in helping them with the underlying thoughts and core beliefs that caused their emotional distress, helping them rid themselves of problematic, inaccurate thoughts, and replacing them with thoughts that are healthy and accurate. This emphasis on â€Å"getting better† helps clients to do well long-term. Today, many treatment centers and facilities are very interested in having their staff trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy (Pucci, 2005). Christian Faith in Clinical Practice Use of Religious and Spiritual Resources in Therapy (e. g. , prayer, inner healing prayer, use of Scripture in therapy, referral to religious groups, etc. ); Dealing with Spiritual Issues in Therapy; Fostering Intrapersonal Integration and the Development of Spirituality in the Therapist and Client (Use of Spiritual Disciplines and Role of Authentic Disciplines or  Circumstantial Spiritual Disciplines); Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) that combines mindfulness training with CBT for the treatment of depression and its recurrence; Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with four major components: regulating affect, tolerating distress, improving interpersonal relationships, and training in mindfulness; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with six major components: acceptance, cognitive diffusion, being present, self as context with a transcendent sense of self, values, and committed action; Ethical Guidelines.

The Clash Of Civilization In The Arab World Research Paper

The Clash Of Civilization In The Arab World - Research Paper Example Chiozza attempts to test the truth in clash of civilization by forming various hypotheses (714). Furthermore, Wei (p.40) prevents confusion between culture and civilization, two words used interchangeable with different meanings; while Crittenden provides a deeper analysis of the causes of the struggle in Syria and gives a different view from (Manfreda). Al-Radhan (1) analyses the ways differing civilizations can interact, and how the western civilizations should attribute is origin to Arab culture and civilization. This study seeks to analyze, examine and cross-examine clash of civilization in the contemporary culture to determine relevance of such a theory. Ruan provides a historical context between civilization and culture and states that the two words are often used interchangeably. This outlines a comparison between a long service definition of civilization and culture alongside a geographical locus. Through this statement, civilizations are likely to arise in a given geographic al location, where they share similar cultural values. Culture emerged at earlier stages of human interactions and laid the foundation for civilization to take place. Civilization is based on a number of relationships including history, religion, language and tradition, and all these relationships are from a cultural background of a given society in specific geographical locations. The western civilization is incorporated in areas like Eastern Europe, Latin America whose cultures closely resemble each other, while Middle East cultures also resemble. States create strong relationships with others that seem to sympathize with their cultural ideologies, values and interest. With two civilizations contrasting, the western modern civilization will have to accommodate nonwestern modern civilizations, whose cultures differ in many ways. There is conflict between civilizations because of the misconceptions values, and achievement of different cultures especially the West and Middle East (Al -Rodhan 3). This implies that cultural transmission is the key to the development of modern civilizations. Cultural differences have played an important role in the transmission of ideas, and development of key institutions such as science, philosophy, finance and commerce. Civilizations have borrowed ideologies from different cultures, as Al-Rodhan continues to state that the Arab world played an important role in the western civilization (3). The western civilization can attribute the role of the Arab culture in the Renaissance, Reformation and Enlightenment period in Europe and America. Civilization is the highest form of cultural grouping and broadest level of culture that distinguishes two people, and provides some major classifications of civilizations in the contemporary world. In addition, he provides these classifications according to a geographical grouping, and according to differing cultural ideologies. According to the geographical groups, there are eight major civiliza tions that arise in the contemporary world including; western, Confucius, Japanese, Islamic, Hinduism, Slavic, orthodox, Latin America, and African civilizations. A greater classification is by differing cultural ideologies which give rise to two major civilizations, which Huntington feels conflict in the contemporary society. These are the western civil

Working with Budgets Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Working with Budgets - Assignment Example For an organization to perform to its best, it therefore must have well prepared budgets that will facilitate all the plans. The initial budget in an organization is the master budget, which encompasses all the other budgets. The master budget gives all the revenues and expenses that are expected for the period in time. This is followed by the revenue budget, which is considered to be the sales budget. The sales budget explains the forecasted sales and how they are to be achieved (Dugdale and Lyne, 2010). The proceeds are therefore considered to be the revenue of the organization. Therefore, the sales budget is considered to be the primary budget, as it is an input to the organization. The organization has to succinctly prepare budgets that are directed towards the expenditure of the organization. An organization that does not have a plan for such budgets is likely to plunge into a negative accrual. The first budget in the expenditure side is the operational and administration budget. This is a budget that caters for the workers and personnel in the organization. Since they are vital in the organization, they have to be prioritized (Drury, 2007). This is followed by manufacturing and overheads budget. This is a budget that denotes the materials that are to be used in the organization for production. The third budget is the labor budget, which is directed to the workers. Labor is a vital factor of production and should be given much consideration. The fourth budget is considered to be the production budget. This denotes the expenses that will be used during the production of the goods and services. This is vital in that it initiates the final production of goods. T he last budget is the supply and distribution budget. This is the final budget that shows the goods are ready for the market. The goods are therefore supplied in the market for sale, which is the initial forecast of an

Confronting the problem of the low level of students academic Research Paper

Confronting the problem of the low level of students academic performance - Research Paper Example Excelling in academics is a universal concern in today’s world,where students from a very early age are taught to compete and work hard towards academic success This poses a serious relational and interpersonal challenge not only for the students and their parents, but is also troubling for teachers and professionals linked to the academia. Why is it that despite equal resources being invested in all pupils, some perform well and others don’t? In a school system where academic success spells out life success, this question is as compelling as it is haunting – does a low academic performance in school doom the pupil to eternal failure for the rest of his life? Through this research essay, the problem of low academic performance will be looked at closely through the help of relevant case studies and connected to the fundamental concepts of Social Intelligence. Moreover, the role of leading administrators will be assessed in such academic environments, and the strat egies needed to facilitate academic performance will be elaborated upon. The concept of Social Intelligence, as advocated by Karl Albrecht, is central to the understanding of low academic performance as an interpersonal challenge.First coined by E. L. Thorndike, the term Social Intelligence has been further described by Albrecht in his book â€Å"Social Intelligence:The New Science of Success† as â€Å"the ability to get along well with others and to get them to cooperate with you†. In the classroom, interacting with peers and teachers is crucial for one’s academic performance.Academic performance therefore has a link with academic performance, with multiple researches focusing on whether low academic performance has an impact on poor social relations or vice versa. Results of the research It was initially believed that IQ was an objective means of measuring intelligence, where a high IQ meant a high intelligence (Stanford-Binet, 2013). However, more recent rese arch reveals that an individual’s intelligence comprises of different types, of which IQ is only one part. Although Professor Gardener first spoke of the concept of multiple intelligences, it was Albrecht who placed these multiple intelligences in six categories, namely, Abstract, Social, Practical, Emotional, Aesthetic and Kinesthetic – abbreviated as ASPEAK. He spoke of these six intelligences as â€Å"the six faces of a cube, all come together to form a whole† (Albrecht, K. 2006). Thus, from Albrecht’s words, it is easy to see one’s intelligence as a combination of different skills, and not a result of a single isolated factor. In analyzing a person’s intelligence, therefore, it is important that IQ is not the only factor being taken into account, and the individual’s interpersonal skills are also included in an analysis of his intelligence. The modern education system is a perfect example of a setting where one’s cognitive and social skills are tested together. Excelling in academics is as important as finding acceptance among peers, and pupils often struggle to strike a balance between both (Cillessen, 2010). Moreover, in a context where students have to interact with peers as well as authority on a regular basis, the success one has in his interpersonal relations may have an impact on how well he performs in academics. A student is hesitant to ask his or her teacher for help, or feels awkward while approaching his peers had less chances of having confusions regarding academics clarified. The

Drug Development Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Drug Development Process - Essay Example Each step should follow the guidelines provided by the Food and Drug Administration. Product for development which has been marketed or studied previously will undergo the same steps. According to the February 1993 report by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, one company costs $359 million in U.S. To be able to get one new medicine from the laboratory testing to the pharmacist's shelf, the process usually takes 12 years on the average and only 5 in 5,000 will make it to human testing. And only one of the 5 will be approved.(FDAreview.org).. The first step is to analyze the target to be developed. Before developing a drug, you must identify first the state of the disease and the symptoms to which the development of drug will be base to. It is important to identify the target. The key decision if whether the target for therapeutic intervention is one that will have a positive effect on managing the disease in question. There are some companies who want to further develop their product. For example, a drug for diabetes will be developed; the company should specify what would be the added pharmacological action on their drug. This will be the basis for the clinical testing that the new product should undergo. Metabolic pathway is a new approach in addressing and developing enhanced disease, understanding platforms with the potential to design significantly more effective drugs against many human diseases, including cancer. (Schimdt , 2004). There are several factors that controls the level of drug in the individual patients, including environment, patient compliance and genetic differences. . The metabolic pathway will give insight on the possible kinetic problems that may occur by providing which specific enzyme the drug is metabolized. In this step the drug manufacturer will be able to identify the isozymes responsible for the metabolism in humans. Nowadays, there is several computer aided system in testing the metabolic pathways of a drug. 3) Molecular Specificity In this step the molecules to be added in the drug should be specified for further analysis. Added molecules in a drug can alter the potency and efficacy of a drug. To be able to identify the molecules to be added, there are several new technology which can be of help to be able to shorten the period of this test. One molecule can affect the phamacological action of a drug, for example one molecule added to morphine can increase its painkilling effect. 4) Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR) The Quantitative Structure - Activity Relationship or QSAR predict and analyze the drug activity. The QSAR represent an attempt to correlate structural or property descriptors of compound with activities. In QSAR the hydrophobicity, topology, electronic properties, and steric effects, are determined empirically, or more recently by computational methods. Activities used in QSAR include chemical measurements and

Durkheim theory of social function Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Durkheim theory of social function - Essay Example Therefore according to Durkheim the existence of crime was and is normal as it has a function in the society. In the case of mark who has been involved in criminal activity it is clear that the society has a mechanism to cater for the crimes, there is the existence of guards and also there is the residential care. These are mechanism in the society to take care for the unlawful in the society. This is according to Durkheim view that crime and deviance in the society is a normal thing and that the parts of the society have a function to play for the proper function of the society. According to Durkheim the society is structured and there exist those roles in the society that are not of much importance to the running of the society, therefore these results into inequality in the society, therefore the issue of inequality and poverty in the society according to Durkheim is a natural thing in the society which is caused by the role importance of individuals. Inequality in our case study is evident from our case study, the inequality displayed in the case is where mark is the first to sit for a state examination in the family, this is inequality displayed in marks family whereby all the other member have not done any state examination but Mark has sat for one. This is inequality in society which is displayed in terms of education level attained. Suicide Durkheim analysed suicide with the use of social integration among groups, he compared the suicide rate among the Protestants and Catholics. In his research he found out that the Protestants had higher suicide rates than Catholics due to the existence of social integration that existed in the two different groups. In the society today people are more likely to commit suicide if there is weak social integration with the other individual in the society as predicted by Durkheim. (2) Marx's theory Karl Marx theory on capitalism discusses the issue of inequality that exists in a capitalist society. According to Marx the society in a capitalist form of society has two groups of people, those who own the means of production and the labourers. According to him the capitalist society is characterised by inequality whereby the bourgeoisies are the ones with wealth and that the labourers work for the owners of the wealth to create wealth. The majority of the people in the society according to Marx are poor because of the capitalist form of society whereby only a few people hold the wealth while others do not have and this is why there is inequality in the society. Therefore there exist inequality in the society because of the capitalist form of society and the only way to get rid of the problem of inequality is through the adoption of the communist form of society, the communist form of society is characterised by equality whereby the wealth in the society is shared by all members of the society and the means of production are owned by the society as a whole and not by individuals. For example in the society we live in today the people who hold wealth are few while those who don't have the wealth are the majority, further those who have the wealth employ those without the wealth and pay them less than they have worked for, this is the capitalist so

M6A1-Question 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M6A1-Question 2 - Essay Example sition to identify the three needs that prevails among the organizational employees, then it would give the leaders a perfect opportunity to determine various ways in which the organizational employees can be motivated. In most cases, organizational employees tend to look upon their organizational leaders in order to depict what they best see. This means that the effective leaders should at least empower other organizational members who will be in a position to make use of the power given to them by furthering the vision of the leaders (McClelland, 2008). Leaders who tend to be driven by the urge of power in most cases they fail to misinterpret it for egoism. This aspect is seen as a positive move because in most cases, they still have the ability of maintaining social relationships in their organizations and with their workers (Passmore, 2010). Alternatively, the aspect of ignoring power related concerns when it comes to organizational operations and activities might end up being negative for both the organizational employees and the organizational leaders. In most cases, ignorance of power related concerns especially in the organization mostly leads to tension and bad blood between organizational employees and the leaders. Advising these types of leaders on how best they can handle their power would be one of the cautions to offer to such leaders. Alternatively, engaging in leadership seminars is also important in such cases. During the seminars, the leaders would be given the best advice on how to control their organizational powe rs (Schemerhon, 2011). Very few aspects tend to be more important when it comes to human activities as compared to the aspect of power and leadership in the organization. In as much as power tends to be important generally, the main risk that comes with it is the increased or the excessive power, which a person has. The importance of power is when the leaders can bring out a success story from a weak business plan. This implies that

Substance abuse among teens Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Substance abuse among teens - Article Example y get into substance abuse owing to peer pressure or just for the sake of pleasure, the long term consequences are extreme and thus, they must be educated on the issue which makes them direct stakeholders in the issue. Thus, both parents and their children as a family unit make an important stakeholder to the issue. For instance, if the child is indulged in the perils of substance abuse, it would be the family who will have to bear the brunt while the child is in rehab, also medical expenses would also be borne by the family. Thus, in any way, the family unit has the most stakes in the issue (Monty, Suzzane & Tracy 22-23). Similarly, the community of the teachers and instructors directly associated with these teenagers also has stakes in the issue since they will be ones looking after the well being of the community. Thus, as an institution these teachers, professors and instructors must also be directly engaged in a meaningful discussion since they understand the behavioral patterns of the issues well, which makes them stakeholders in the debate. On a macro level, the policy makers who are looking after the demand supply pattern of these drugs involved, and thus awareness over the issues is also significant for them. For instance, these policy makers have to be mindful of developing strategies over the age limit of legal availability of certain legalized drugs, similarly, of the level of taxation to be imposed on the purchase of such drugs. Thus, on a holistic level, advocates, community mobilzers, family units and other similar institutions stand to be significant stakeholders in this context. The study aims at addressing the gap in information specifically for the stakeholders identified. In other words, assessing substance abuse with a focus specifically on teenagers is the need of the time since the issue is now affecting stakeholders at a macro level. The paper will thus offer information for these stakeholders who are looking for figures and estimates in a

War Photography Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

War Photography - Coursework Example But at its most simple, the photograph (whether it be of a flower in bloom or of a man being shot) is seen as "authentic" because it shows, most of the time at least, what it literally purports to show. Take one of the most famous war photographs ever taken: Another definition is in order here. The dictionary defines propaganda as "1. the systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause. 2. Material disseminated by the advocates of a doctrine or cause" (American, 2003). In general, 'propaganda' has come to imply some one-sided presentation that, while perhaps reflecting an actual event or facts, in reality is skewing them in one very particular way. Propaganda is now used as a pejorative whereas when the word was first used, in the First World War it was merely a descriptor of a certain kind of news technique. This analysis will consider war photography through the discussion of four contrasting wars: the Spanish Civil War, the Vietnam War, the Falklands War and the Gulf War. Each war may be seen as a fulcrum around which many different forces were revolving. Within the context of photography, different technological developments and the ease of photography provided new opportunities for photographers as the century advanced, and new difficulties for those who would seek to control the images produced by those photographers. There is a massive difference between the fragile, heavy and difficult-to-use cameras of the Nineteenth Century and the powerful, easily used cameras of this century. The former needed days to produce the photographs that had been taken, and because of the transportation systems of the time, maybe weeks or even months to reach a major media outlet for publication. Today a digital photograph can be taken and published to the Internet within seconds, thus giving access to the whole world. This situation provides numerous challenges for mass media outlets and for the government agencies that would seek to control the dissemination of information/documentation. The war photograph is a central focus for this control. As a brief glance at Adams's famous photograph of the "execution" illustrates, even a single photograph can raise a number of perhaps unanswerable questions. If the photograph is seen as "propaganda", whose viewpoint would be being put forward If a photograph is "untouched" by manipulative editing, can it be anything other than authentic I The Beginnings of War Photography: The Spanish Civil War and World War II Wars have been photographed virtually since the beginning of photography. The American Civil War provides thousands of photographs of battlefields in the aftermath of the killing and portraits of soldiers provide a memorable record of the strain that this "total war" produced. Similarly, the First World War produced many images of that incomparable carnage but these were mostly taken after the event as the cameras were large, fragile and unwieldy, exposures often took several minutes (in the Nineteenth

Climate Change and Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Climate Change and Global Warming Essay Cause Climatologists, who predict short and long-term climate trends, believe carbon dioxide and other emissions, mainly from industrial and commercial activity over the last two centuries, have altered the Earths atmosphere. This change has caused a greenhouse effect which is rapidly warming the planet. Effects The predicted effects of global warming include the melting of polar ice caps; a significant rise in sea levels; more extreme weather events; a reduction in agricultural land; water shortages; food shortages; loss of rain forests; and more species becoming extinct. Solutions Scientists believe all nations must take immediate and urgent action to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Technological solutions have been proposed, ranging from carbon scrubbers that remove carbon from the atmosphere and reduce greenhouse gases to placing giant mirrors in space to reflect enough sunlight to cool down the planet. Controversy Although an overwhelming majority of scientists accept the man-made global warming theory, a minority have questioned this consensus. They suggest that mans impact on the climate is negligible and that global warming is wholly the result of natural cycles. David Kennedy, nd. Basic Causes of Global Warming Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/about_5057613_basic-causes-global-warming.html Basic Causes of Global Warming Greenhouse Effect When sunlight hits the Earth some is absorbed but most is reflected. The greenhouse effect is when sunlight escaping back into space is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere and then reflected back onto the Earths surface. Most greenhouse gas is water vapor, but other gases that contribute to it include carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and other gases that have a less significant impact. Carbon Dioxide According to the U.S. Emissions Inventory 2004 Executive Summary, in 2002 around 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions were the result of burning coal for electricity. Around 93 percent of the electric utility industry burns coal. Carbon dioxide emissions also come from cars and other vehicles, airplanes and buildings. New technologies, like the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and hybrid electric vehicles, are some solutions for minimizing vehicle carbon dioxide emissions. Methane Methane is the second largest contributor to the greenhouse effect. Methane is a natural byproduct of living organisms and is produced by plants and bovine flatulence. Bacteria decomposing organic material also produce methane. According to the U.S. Emissions Inventory 2004 Executive Summary, methane levels have increased by 145 percent in the last 100 years. In the United States, all rice fields are grown in flooded areas which produce methane gases. Deforestation Deforestation is the process of clearing forests, either rainforest or temperate forests. The burning of forests is responsible for up to 25 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. This is the result of clearing and cutting nearly 34 million acres a year. Forests are also important because they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. So while carbon dioxide emissions increase, the lack of forests is making the number increase faster. Permafrost Permafrost is a layer of land and soil that has been frozen and kept at freezing temperatures or below. In many northern climates like Alaska, Canada and Siberia, the permafrost layer of soil holds vast amounts of carbon. What researchers and scientists fear is that the permafrost will warm up and microbes will decompose the soil and release carbon dioxide. Permafrost has absorbed carbon dioxide for thousands of years, but may release it back if thawed. Timothy Sexton,.nd. Global Warming Cause Effects retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/about_4744736_global-warming-cause-effects.html Global Warming Cause Effects Greenhouse Effect The overriding cause of global warming is an umbrella term known as the greenhouse effect. As the rays of the sun reach Earth, some of the heat is absorbed and some is radiated back into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act similarly to a gigantic mirror and reflect warmth back to Earth that in the past would have continued being radiated into space. It is this reflection of heat back to Earth that is at the heart of the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse Gases These greenhouse gases that are responsible for reflecting back heat that would otherwise be lost include simple water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and the infamous ozone. Unfortunately, there is no way to know exactly which greenhouse gas is most responsible for the greenhouse effect. Cause of Increased Gases The problem of global warming has been caused by the addition of more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. The gases responsible will rise into the air whether humans are here or not; the problem is that much of basic human activity in the 20th and 21st century produced greenhouse gas at a level never experienced before. Basically, any activity that produces one of the gases listed above is a cause of global warming; everything from driving a car to using electricity. Because trees act as a natural conversion plant to transform carbon dioxide into oxygen, deforestation contributes to global warming because the fewer trees there are, the more carbon dioxide gets into the atmosphere. Effects The effects of global warming are potentially far-ranging. Increased temperatures means melting of glaciers, ice and snow around the poles, which means an increase in sea levels. Warming water will also increase the potential for hurricanes and typhoons so devastating that they will make Hurricane Katrina pale in comparison. That rise in sea levels could also mean that beachfront property will soon be found 10 to 50 miles inland from where beaches are now. Temperatures The average temperature on Earth has been steadily rising since the mid-1980s, and global warming is expected to continue this trend. In addition to longer and hotter summers, rising temperatures will affect agriculture. Indeed, the effect of a hotter Earth is already increasing the transmission of infectious bacteria that thrive under warm conditions. Hoax? There are still a great many people who believe that global warming is simply some kind of politically-created hoax. Those leading the charge against global warming tend to be industry with a vested interest. On the other hand, the list of scientific entities that have agreed on the reality of global warming include, among many others, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Royal Society of the UK.

White Privilege Essay Example for Free

White Privilege Essay Introduction Research Question: Do individuals in the Midwest experience the affects of white privilege? During this investigation I seek to explore the differences in privilege that males and females, of different race and ethnic backgrounds, experiences in their daily lives. My fellow Sociology of Race and Ethics classmates and I will conduct Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege survey, in hopes to find any differences in privilege felt by individuals of varying age, gender, race or class membership. My hypothesis is: According to Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege survey, she suggests that white people are privileged with what she describes as â€Å"an invisible package of unearned assets, which I (Peggy McIntosh) can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions maps, passports, code books, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks† (McIntosh, 1988). I suggest that with the changing of times, and ever growing equality that this distinct idea of white privilege is no longer prevalent. I believe that, McIntosh’s view of white privilege is no longer applicable in today’s Midwestern society and culture. I hypothesize that age will have more of an effect on responses to the survey than that of gender or race. I predict that younger people (below 20) are at a greater risk of feeling â€Å"underprivileged†. For my second hypothesis, I suggest that overall people in the Midwest feel privileged versus not. I believe this because I feel that the social stratification in the US, especially in the Midwest, has declined creating a more equal environment for all. Data Collection I will receive my data though the use of Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege survey. First I will take the survey, while recording my answers, and then give the survey to ten other individuals, recording their answers in the same format. My fellow classmates will do the same, then all of the information will be then collected and charted accordingly into cross-tabulation tables. Each survey participant will be asked to rate their responses on a 1-4 scale: 1 = Strongly Agree, 2 = Agree, 3 = Disagree and 4= Strongly Disagree. The date responses can than be interpreted as answers of Strongly Agree, and Agree indicating a greater response of â€Å"privilege† – which McIntosh believes suggests members in a majority group. The data will then be organized into cross-tabulation tables. Each table will contain only two variables – one independent variable (gender, age, race, member of the class or not) and one dependent variable (each statement from the survey). After collecting the data a few changes were made: age was recoded into groups of ages, while also recoding all responses of ‘Disagree’ and ‘Strongly Disagree’ into one value for each variable, both to make analysis easier. Race was also recoded into ‘White’ and ‘All Other Races’ to expedite analysis. Also the ethnicity variable responses were found to be unreliable, so that variable was removed before running the data. When reading a cross-tabulation table it is important to remember that in order to interpret the data response, you must look for the differences in the percentages of responses not in the difference in the number of responses. Also, the needed information is, if the independent variable (gender, age, race or class membership) seems to make a difference in how a person responds to the dependent variable (the questions). After all the data has been gathered and charted, I will then compare the findings to my hypothesis. In order to discover whether my hypothesis is true or false I will evaluate the cross tables of age, gender, race and class completed from the collected data. Exploring the Data Younger ages (less than 20) have a larger affect than old age in feeling â€Å"underprivileged†. After analyzing the data, I believe my hypothesis that the ages 18-19 feel underprivileged as compared to the older ages, was correct. This is represented in the findings, that of the ten questions surveyed, exactly one half the questions (five of ten) the age group 18-19 had the highest disagreement percentage compared to the other age groups. No other age group had close to the equivalent outcomes, the closest age group being groups 24-34 and 45-50 both with two. The findings show that in one half of all situations this age group is presented with, they feel as though they are underprivileged as compared to other age groups, but by examining just the 18-19 age group or age as a whole, the majority feel as though the ‘Agree’ they are privileged. This finding is universal through all independent variables. While comparing all independent variables, of the 10 survey scenarios no matter what the independent variable is 70% of the time the participants feel they ‘Agree’ to being privileged. Exploring Data – Midwesterners overall feel â€Å"privileged† versus â€Å"underprivileged† no matter the independent factor. After analyzing the cross-tabulations, I feel as though my hypothesis about the Midwestern society is spot on. The data show’s that across any independent factor (age, gender, race and lass membership) a large majority of the participants surveyed feel as though they ‘Agree’ to being privileged. This is an overwhelming statistic that is constant throughout all independent variables; of the ten surveyed scenarios people agree 70% of the time to feeling privileged. In only, one scenario do people as a whole feel as though they are underprivileged. Overall Analysis and Personal Findings I found the collective results very interesting, especially in the age category. I thought it was interesting that older adults feel less privileged more than or equal to that of middle aged adults. I had assumed, that in our society much like that of the Native American societies that respect and privilege comes with age. I found the data surprising that the age group that tended to feel most privileged was ages 20-21. In four of the ten scenarios, the 20-21 year olds surveyed felt the most privileged or ‘Strongly Agreed’ to the situation as compared to all other age groups. I did not expect this, as the previous age group had felt the most underprivileged in half of the scenarios, and in only an addition 1-2 years, the surveyed participant went from feeling the most underprivileged to the most privileged. I had guessed that the feeling of privilege would gradually increase with age groups, leaving the oldest age group (50 and older) with the highest feeling of privilege. I thought this, not only because society often deems wisdom with age, but also because the older participants surveyed may have grown up in a more dominant white privilege society, and those same feelings and thought processes would still be relevant to the way they feel they fit in society. All in all, I found very interesting facts from the data collected in every category. Things that I had thought would hold true, often did not. Such as, when considering the independent variable of gender, I assumed that women would primarily feel as though they were underprivileged as compared to men, but the data shows other wise. From this survey, men felt more underprivileged as compared to their female counterparts 100% of the time. Another fact that I found shocking was that when considering race as the independent variable. My hypothesis that white privilege was no long prevalent in the Midwest was incorrect. Participants of the ‘Other’ race felt underprivileged in half of the scenarios, and the other half they only ‘Agreed’ to feeling privileged. As compared to their ‘White’ counterparts, feeling privileged 100% of the time. I do believe that in the Midwest, things are moving close to equality as this is seen in at least half or more of the situations both the ‘White’ and ‘Other’ race group feel as though they ‘Agree’ to being privileged. No one group stands out as ‘Strongly Agreeing’ to be privileged for the majority. This tells us, that although there are still instances of white privilege, the Midwestern society is moving away from that and more towards social equality. Works Cited: McIntosh, Peggy. Daily effects of white privilege. White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, 1988. Tues. 19 Feb 2013. .

Crosscultural business communication

Crosscultural business communication Intercultural, or crosscultural business communication is one of the most critical factors contributing to business growth and success in todays ever more complex global marketplace whether in Toronto, Canada or internationally. The ability of companies to acquire intercultural competence can either make or break their chances of success in an increasingly competitive, international business arena. As a result, many companies and organizations are wisely investing in cultural awareness training for their leaders and employees in order to tap into some huge potential international markets. [Clark 1999] Even within a single country such as the United States of America, Canada, Australia or the United Kingdom, the population is coming from an increasingly diverse cultural background and many languages are being spoken in addition to a common language such as English. In London alone, the number of cultural backgrounds and languages can run into hundreds while the Hispanics and the Asian communities in the United States of America have become increasingly important as a result of their growing population. [Hyland 1996] Prior to proceeding further, the question that needs to be asked is what is meant by business communications? Effective business communication occurs whenever someone conveys relevant information in any form. Effective communication involves information that is timely for decisionmaking as well as that which promotes your business through advertising and public relations. Idle conversation about the weather or last nights ball game is not necessarily unimportant in a business setting. Hence business communications is not just about writing memos in an office for a culturally diverse workforce or letters to other businesses and offices with which a firm may have dealings. Small talk is an important part of employee relations and is necessary to establish the channels of communication. If a business is related to the entertainment or sports industries, it would no longer be small talk, and could be considered keeping up with the competition or market comparisons. Key elements of busine ss communication are conveyance, effectiveness, structure and editing. Conveying meaning in business communication is of the utmost importance. One has to start with some idea of what the audience or market is required to understand, and this has to be narrowed down to one specific message. In todays hectic and fastpaced business world, no one has the time or patience to figure out a wellintended but obscure purpose. This is particularly true when one is trying to persuade someone towards a line of reasoning, as in an advertisement, sales pitch or job interview. [Clark 1999] When the sole intent is to market the business, make sure you know the difference between advertising and public relations. Advertising involves paying to promote your business through various media. Public relations dont cost anything and refers to anything that conveys a positive image for a business. [Winters 2004] Networking can aid a companys public relations effort in talking to potential customers/ clients, council members and others vital to getting the word out. While networking may cost a business executive a lunch here or there, its main expense is your time and energy. If you are a small business just starting out, it may be more economically feasible to rely heavily on public relations in the beginning or a novel form of advertising, i.e. if there is a small business that paints portraits, there could be a photoprocessor putting out the companys flyers in with their customers pictures. In any case, remember to be bold and stay focused with name recognition and wordofmouth promotion. [Winters 2004] Using a direct approach when structuring communications, whether it is a letter, memo, phone call, or proposal can be important. This does not mean the writer is being blunt or curt in your message. The communication should start with a clear understanding of what is required to be expressed, followed by supporting details, facts and examples. The supporting information should emphasize the main theme of the communication and avoid losing the readers with wordy or flowery prose. Remember that the intent is to convey a specific message and not to entertain or bore the readers. [Hinner 1998] The choice of words, whether written or spoken, is an important consideration and this consideration may be different in different cultures. When composing a letter, thinking about the next conference call or designing the next advertisement consider the intended audience and the complexity of the topic. Multicultural audiences require a different approach from that which may be required in a Japanese market. A lot of research about Arab values and their society will be required for entering the Arab markets and selling cars that have been manufactured by a Japanese parent company. In an effort to sell those cars, there will be an interaction between the Arab local area office and the Japanese Head office in the form of exchange of memos, letters and office documents as well as face to face meetings and interactions which will involve multifaceted communications between two cultures. In such cultural exchanges, care is required o ensure that there is an understanding of both cultures and values in both the societies. [Hinner 1998] Hence there is a requirement for the understanding of cultural norms and values when selling goods and services internationally or in culturally diverse societies and communities. [Hinner 1998] In this paper, we consider various aspects of multicultural business communications and why multicultural business communications is receiving increasing attention in business circles. Diversity in todays workplace and marketplace Todays expanding racial, ethnic and cultural diversity makes it obvious that it will be nearly impossible in the future to manage a workforce or market products as we have in the past. All forms of business communications are affected. [Walker Yabarra 2004] Earlier in this century, immigrants and secondgeneration Americans found jobs that entailed long, grueling hours in steel mills, shoe factories and textile mills. Workers spoke a tapestry of languages, but during the workday these employees learned to speak English. They learned to do whatever it took to conform to the expectations of their employers and society. In a business age defined by mass production and mass marketing, the individual got lost. Workers from diverse cultures and backgrounds learned to assimilate. Immigrants Americanized their names. They learned to talk alike, walk alike, and in so doing many discarded centuriesold traditions and customs. [Walker Yabarra 2004] As people from all over the world came to America, attitudes evolved. Meanwhile, a host of changes took place in society. After two world wars, the United States was transformed into a superpower. Women and minorities began making strides in the workplace. And a growing interdependence among nations has contributed to the growth of international trade and created the global village. [Winters 2004] As all of those societal changes took place, America learned to take pride in its identity as home to a rich mixture of a variety of ethnic groups and cultures. And by the 1990s, with the continual influx of new immigrants, second and thirdgeneration Americans, along with some minorities have come to take more outward pride in their very own cultural distinctions. One case in point is the 25millionstrong U.S. Hispanic market. It is estimated that this market will grow to 30 million by the year 2000. This represents $215 billion in purchasing power, which is expected to rise to $477 billion by the turn of the century. Yet, the numbers dont tell the whole story. U.S. Hispanics have different habits and tastes, depending on cultural values and customs deriving from their respective national origins. Mexican Americans, more prevalent in the west and southwest, respond differently to certain marketing techniques and messages than Cuban Americans in the southeast and Puerto Ricans in the northeast. [Walker Yabrra 2004] As a result of changes in the composition of the workplace, our poll found that most public relations executives believe that the industry will have to become more sophisticated in multicultural communications techniques. These techniques might include training or other measures. Organizations currently offer employees special training programs that cover ethnic diversity issues, gender issues, and issues centered on the disabled. [Simpson 2004] In a business where the supply of good jobs vastly outnumbers those seeking communications jobs, the public relations industry has to approach recruiting, training and communicating to a diverse range of audiences in a more sophisticated manner. And like the organizations we serve, we are only slightly ahead of the curve on marketing to a multicultural society that no longer demands that individuals assimilate to become accepted. [Walker Yabrra 2004] The path we must follow is well marked. It starts with our hiring practices. And it continues with the training programs we conduct, the communications programs we create and implement, and the audiences we include in all of our communications. Diversity is a process that begins with an open mind and never ends. [Walker Yabrra 2004] Cross cultural communication Businesses that hope to sell to or work with clients on an international level, or work with or manage staff members located here in the U.S. or in a company location abroadwho may also be from varying cultural backgroundswill require that their managers, HR directors, and sales forces possess the specialized knowledge and skills to make the most of internal, as well as external business relationships. [Winters 2004] As in any relationship, effective communication skills play a pivotal role. Even in the advertising industry, unless you understand your target market and possess adequate research and data on its demographics and psychographics, your odds for success are greatly diminished. The same is true when managing a diverse workforce, or selling products and services to peoples of other culturesthe more you know about them, the better! [Simpson 2004] In California for instance, a unique marketplace encompasses a melting pot of businesses that are not always Americanowned or based. And even if they are, these businesses often employ people from varying cultures and provide services to people and companies across the globe. This is why heightened understanding and methods of communication are so important in todays business world and the main reason why many universities and institutions have focused on providing cross cultural education courses.[Simpson 2004] The new dimensions of communications Todays global, networked computing environment creates the potential for adding new dimensions to the processes of communication. These include: [The Knowledge Management Connection 2004] Semantic precision and disambiguation. Words are the very imprecise means by which we painfully encode and try to transfer the multidimensional knowledge in one brain to another brain where they are painfully and imprecisely converted back into knowledge. Consuming content — in the form of oral conversations or email or many kinds of documents — entails continuous reinterpretation of words, introducing costs of both time and accuracy. Descriptions, examples, and continuous refinement of content alone are not enough — and certainly not efficient enough. Examples of new precise semantic information in communications include Yahoo and other web directories as well as corporate taxonomies. Integration of structural knowledge. Billions of dollars can be saved every month by detecting the similarities among online queries, email exchanges, and other forms of informationseeking and by providing shortcuts to disambiguation of meaning and accurate retrieval. For integration of structural knowledge, concepts in communications need to be explicit and precise. Continuous connection to application of knowledge. Authority on new business problems ultimately comes from application, not theory. Knowledge seekers must be able to move directly from experiences to authority — with or without interpretation, but always with comprehensive, reliable memory. â€Å"Doubleloop communication.† Valuable knowledge emerges from the sum of all questions, answers, the processes of exchange, and those who engage in that exchange — not just from the sum of all answers. Acts of communication are themselves sources of knowledge. Questions and answers are not dissociated. Questions constitute value themselves. The emergence of patterns as expertise. Newness and heterogeneity of tasks means there simply are no experts on many topics. But the construction of an explicit resource with precisely modeled semantic content ultimately enables us to detect patterns within that structural knowledge. In the knowledgedriven business environment, such patterns will often be the only resource for expertise on some problems. Conclusion In conclusion, it may be stated that there are new and emerging changes going on in the field of communications resulting from changing demographics of the communities in which the business must operate. Another force which is changing the way business communication, knowledge retrieval and storage as well as the way in which business is being conducted is the advent of computers and associated technologies in business. The business communication milieu must, therefore, be researched and has assumed a far increasing level of importance in the present age. References Dou, Weilin Clark, George William Jr. (June 22, 1999). Appreciating the Diversity in Multicultural Communication Styles.. Business Forum. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://static.highbeam.com/b/businessforum/june221999/appreciatingthediversityinmulticulturalcommunicati/ Paul Hyland et al. (Fall 1996). MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR A MULTICULTURAL LEARNING ORGANIZATION. University of Western Sydney. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://www.google.com.pk/search?q=cache:YJNcXoM7eGgJ:www.csupomona.edu/~jis/1996/Hyland.pdf+multicultural+business+communications+hl=en Elaine Winters. (2004). Cultural issues in communication. Elaine Winters. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://www.bena.com/ewinters/culiss.html Michael B. Hinner. (May 1998). The Importance of Intercultural Communication in a Globalized World. Technische Universitï ¿ ½t Bergakademie Freiber. Referenced: June 2, 2004. Web site: http://www.google.com.pk/search?q=cache:pCpyTZqJjYJ:www.wiwi.tufreiberg.de/englisch/downloads/Global.PDF+importance+of+multicultural+business+communicationshl=en AME Info. (May 20, 2004). Nissan launches communications initiative with CNBC Arabiya. AME Info. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/39934.html Patrice Simpson. (2004). Intercultural Communication. Society and Culture Association. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://hsc.csu.edu.au/pta/scansw/intcultsimpson.html Kimberley WalkerYbarra. (April 12, 2004). Bridging the business world communica. (Crosscultural communication). San Diego Business Journal, April 12, 2004 v25 i15 pA2(2) The Knowledge Management Connection. Why Communication is the Answer. The Knowledge Management Connection. Referenced: June 5, 2004. Web site: http://www.kmconnection.com/Why_communication_is_the_answer.htm

A Trip to Paradise :: Vacations Travel Essays

A Trip to Paradise If I had no limits as to how much I could spend on a vacation, I would take a trip to different cities in Mexico. My dads side of the family is Latino and many of my relatives live in Mexico. My month long trip would consist of a variety of cities I have visited before and others that I would be visiting for the first time. I would take advantage of Mexicos rich culture by participating in the peoples customs and getting as much experience as possible. The trip would be very meaningful because my heritage is something that I am very proud of and passionate about. My permanent residence is in Bettendorf, Iowa and the closest airport is in Moline, Illinois. Unfortunately flights dont leave the Quad City Airport for Guadalajara, my first stop, so Ive decided to take a limousine from Bettendorf to Chicago, which would roughly take two and a half hours. Although the limo ride would cost around two hundred dollars, it would be well worth it because I would not be paying OHare Airport to park there for a month. I checked out three websites to obtain airplane ticket information: Expedia.com, CheapTickets.com, and Orbitz.com. All were extremely useful except for Orbitz.com which wanted me to create an account. This discouraged me from spending anymore time at this site. Expedia.com and CheapTickets.com were very easy to use, but were crammed with different advertisements. Despite the clutter, the sites loaded fairly fast. All of the websites included times for departure, length of flight, cost, which airports used, and airlines used. I also found a va riety of different flights taking me to the cities I wanted to visit: first class, coach, direct flights, round trip, one- way, etc. Overall, my search for a plane ticket was successful. My next obstacle was finding hotels to stay in when I wouldnt be staying with relatives. It was difficult trying to find hotels by checking their sites, so I searched city sites which proved to be more successful. Fortunenatey these websites were not packed with different ads. Hotels ranged from one to five star and cost between twenty and one thousand eight hundred dollars per night. Some were all inclusive while others didnt even have swimming pools! They gave information on addresses, policies, and different packages. I used Google.com and MSN.com search engines to find the different cities websites (Gomanzanillo.

Free Narrative Essays - The Mountain Vacation :: Personal Narrative Essays

The Mountain Vacation         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My family and I have always loved are camping trips, especially the ones the take us deep into the depths of the Sierra Nevada mountians. There's a very unique and   beautiful camp ground near Mammoth Lakes called Devils Postpile.   My is it beautiful, two gigantic crystal clear lakes, wildlife sites that could easily be posted in any National Geographic magazine, and trout that have enough meat on their bones to suvive in the deepest of any ocean.   One little problem I always have had was that my father was   a better and more experienced fisherman than I was resulting in that he would always catch the bigger and more beautiful fish and almost certainly come home with twice as many fish as I had caught.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This was it, are summer vacation, finally it was time to get out of the intense heat and bordom of Ridgecrest.   We packed are bags, grabbed are fishing poles, loaded the camper and were on are way.  Ã‚   Our drive lasted for four very long hours before we got to the Postpile campground. We hitched are camp and made ourselves right at home knowing we would be there for a while.   We could'nt ask for better weather, the sun was blazin and the temperature was an awesome 85 degrees for fishing the San Juaqin river.   We found ourselves the trail that lead to the postpile,   twisting and turning along the green, damp trial until we came upon a sight that every human being should lay their eyes on, Devils Postpile.   Enormous rocks all rubbing against one another scalling the sky.   Jumping my way close to the river, as I drifted away from everyone else, knowing I was going to catch the mother of all fish in this sacred river.   Competing with my father and brother,   I definetly was'nt going to let them outdo this modern day Tom Sawyer.   I hicked along river for a while, wiping the sweat off my face every other minute, only to find nothing but sheer cliffs and there was no possible fishing hole in sight.   All I could see was a river about seventy to eighty feet below with one very big obsticle in the way jagged rocks were surrounding me from the river as I just kept on

Chemistry Investigation :: essays research papers

Investigate A Factor Which Affects the Rate Of Fermentation Of Yeast This experiment is investigating one of the factors which affects the rate of fermentation of yeast. Several factors affect the rate of reaction:  Increasing the concentration. (See the lock and key theory.) If the substrate (glucose) is increased, then there would be more keys for the locks, therefore an increase in reactant concentration leads to an increase in reaction rate.  The surface area, the bigger the surface area, the faster the reaction time is, as the reactant can reach more parts.  The temperature, an increase in temperature leads to an increase in reactant rate. Generally, as the temperature is increased, the particles get more energy, so they bump into one another more, therefore speeding up the reaction time. This is called the collision theory, which I will discuss in greater depth later.  Whether or not there is a catalyst. A catalyst speeds up the rate of reaction and remains chemically unchanged by the end of the experiment. A catalyst lowers the activation energy. This is the energy needed to start a reaction. The variable that I have decided to change is the temperature. I have decided to alter the temperature of the yeast and time the amount of carbon dioxide that will be given off at different temperatures. I have decided to time how much carbon dioxide is given off in five minutes. Throughout the investigation, I will keep the temperature the same as I have specified for each reading. For example, if I am taking a reading in which the temperature must be 5 degrees, I will make sure that the yeast is kept at this temperature. When I am altering the temperature of the yeast, I will place it in a water bath of the specified temperature, which makes the temperature much more accurate. For example, if I heat up the yeast using a Bunsen burner, I could heat it up too much, thereby denaturing the enzymes and ruining the experiment. After the enzymes have been denatured, they can no longer react. It will also be important not to agitate the solution at all, because this would cause collisions between particles, speeding up the reaction time and making the test unfair. While doing an experiment such as this, it is vital to be safe at all times. You should stand up at all times, making sure that stools are firmly under desks.

Financial System of Kazakhstan

Suleyman Demirel University Course work: Analysis of strengths and weaknesses of financial system in Kazakhstan Done by: Abeu Azamat Economics1 Date______________ Almaty 2010 Introduction Financial relations forms there where are funds of money is. Only with the advent of the state and the regular commodity-money reference there is an economic category the finance. Finance is objectively necessary, their necessity is caused by existence of commodity manufacture, the reference, and also action of the law of cost.The monetary relations developing between the enterprises in their economic activities, the circulation of funds in the course of manufacture mediates. A material basis of the finance is manufacture. Studying of economic structure of any society of the modern state is impossible without the financial system analysis, representing set of financial relations and institutes regulating them. Financial relations represent an important component of the general economic relations inh erent in any public system.Through the financial mechanism the state forms and uses funds of the money resources necessary for performance of its numerous functions in political, economic and social spheres. The financial system covers numerous institutes of public finances which operate in close interaction with credit institutes of different function. Subject of my research is set of the financial and monetary and credit relations demanding the new approach to their regulation in the conditions of transition to market economy.A methodological basis the complex system approach to studying of a problem of reforming of financially-credit system of Republic Kazakhstan in the conditions of transition to market economy makes, applications in these purposes of various concepts of world economic thought on increase of a role of the finance, money and the credit in management of national economy. The financial sector of Kazakhstan is the largest financial sector in Central Asia. It possess es enormous fossil fuel reserves as well as minerals and metals.It also has considerable agricultural potential with its vast steppe lands accommodating both livestock and grain production, as well as developed space infrastructure, which took over all launches to the International Space Station from the Space Shuttle. The mountains in the south are important for apples and walnuts; both species grow wild there. Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and processing of these natural resources and also on a relatively large machine building sector specializing in construction equipment, tractors, agricultural machinery, and some military items.The urgency of the given theme can't be exaggerated, after all a financial system, by right, it is considered a basis of bases of any modern state. Many crises of economy are connected with infringement of its functioning. Therefore it is necessary to know all subtleties of its device for maintenance of normal functioning of any country. It is possible to assert that each link of a financial system is its independent element, but this independence is relative in middle the uniform complete.The financial system is a set of various kinds of funds of the financial resources concentrated at the disposal of the state, not financial sector of economy (managing subjects), separate financial institutions and the population (households) for execution of the functions assigned to them, and also for satisfaction of economic and social requirements. The modern world is the world of all-round and all-powerful commodity-money relations. They penetrate internal life of any state and its activity on international scene.In the course of reproduction at different levels, since the enterprise and finishing national economy as a whole, funds of money resources are formed. Thus has no value, in what form money acts: In the form of cash paper signs, roofing felts in the form of credit cards, or on appearing on bank accounts of t he sums in general out of any form. Global financial and economic crisis has shown weaknesses of existing models of financial relations both of universal scale, and at national level. Weaknesses have been revealed in structure of state regulation and in activity of financial institutions.Problems of financial institutions were showed in imperfection and discrepancy of control systems by risks to modern lines and level of accepted risks (both on degree, and on quality of risks), low level of the corporate governance, an insufficient transparency and, as consequence, an inefficiency of the business models, appeared sensitive to negative tendencies. One of distinctive features of the post crisis period is necessity of elimination of the revealed problems of financial sector, correction of the admitted errors and maintenance stable diversified growth.It is necessary to continue work on creation of a modern, steady and competitive financial system of sovereign Kazakhstan. In this work us ed a proceedings of domestic and foreign scientists; rich world’s experience of functioning of financially-credit systems of the countries with the developed and developing market economy, principles of systematization and developments. Main part CONCEPT OF THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM By definition, the financial system is a set of financial relations. By the nature financial relations are distributive, and cost distribution is carried out first of all on subjects.Subjects form monetary funds of a special-purpose designation depending on them play what role a social production: whether are its direct participants, whether will organize insurance protection or carry out state regulation. The role of the subject in a social production represents itself as the first objective criterion of classification of financial relations. According to it in the general set of financial relations large spheres can be allocated: the finance of the enterprises, establishments and the organizations; i nsurance; public finances.In each of the named spheres links are allocated, and the grouping of financial relations is carried out depending on character of activity of the subject, making defining impact on structure and appointment of target monetary funds. This criterion allows to allocate in sphere of the finance of the enterprises (establishments, the organizations) such links, as the finance of the enterprises functioning on the commercial beginnings: the finance of establishments and the organizations which are carrying out noncommercial activity; the finance of public associations.In insurance sphere where character of activity of the subject predetermines specificity of object of insurance, as links act: social insurance, property and personal insurance, responsibility insurance, insurance of enterprise risks. In sphere of public finances – accordingly, the state budget, off-budget funds, the state credit. Spheres and links of financial relations are interconnected, forming in aggregate uniform financial system. Different links of a financial system serve different kinds of financial distribution: intraeconomic – the finance of the enterprises.Inside branch – the finance of the enterprises, complexes, associations, interbranch and between territorial – the state budget, off-budget funds. Each link of a financial system is in turn subdivided on under links according to internal structure of financial interrelations containing in it. So, as a part of the finance of the enterprises functioning on the commercial beginnings, depending on a branch orientation, the finance industrial, agricultural, trading, transport agencies etc. and in dependence o? patterns of ownership – the finance of the state enterprises, cooperative, joint-stock can be isolated, private, etc. Branch and economic features of the enterprises functioning on the commercial beginnings, make essential impact on the organization of financial relations, str ucture of formed monetary funds of a special-purpose designation, an order of their formation and use. THE ANALYSIS OF THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM OF KAZAKHSTANAccording to many experts, Kazakhstan has already overcome the most painful after achievement of financial stabilization peak of structural economic transformations and has achieved appreciable successes, realizing own strategy and, tactics of economic reforms. In Kazakhstan for fifteen years of independence the system of economic and social relations has completely changed. Since the beginning in 1994 of global economic reforms financial stabilization is appreciably reached, privatization of all state ownership approaches end, manufacture lifting was outlined.If in 1993 inflation made over two thousand percent in 2001 it has decreased to 23, 7 %, And today makes about 7-9 %. There was almost full liberalization of the prices and cancellation of the majority of restrictions in foreign trade sphere. In 1996 growth of a total internal product in comparison with previous year on 0, 5 % has been for the first time in recent years provided. The rate of refinancing of National Bank of the Republic Kazakhstan, reaching in the middle of 1994 450-480 %, has decreased more than in 20 times. Carrying out of a rational policy of the State expenditure has provided decrease in a shortage level of the budget.In turn, it has allowed to put the strong base of maintenance of financial stabilization of economy: real preconditions of attraction of the investments, promoting moderate economic growth, lifting and structural reorganization of national economy and improvement on this basis of quality of life of the population are created. One of the basic sections of the governmental program on deepening of reforms for 1996-1998 was reforming of a control system by financial resources of the country and its adaptation to market conditions.Thereupon, last years efforts of the government have been directed first of all on rationalizati on of budgetary expenses, strengthening of financial discipline, creation of the real proprietor and stimulation of attraction of investments into development of economy of republic, perfection of interbudgetary relations and formation of the effective mechanism of management by the state external and internal debt, strengthening and development of the market of the state securities and other tools of a market infrastructure.Despite complexity of an economic situation, last years from the republican budget were allocated considerable means for support of domestic commodity producers, sanitation and rehabilitation of the state enterprises, financing of investment and social projects, objects of small and average business. In particular, only in 199? to year on these purposes it is directed over 15 % of budgetary funds, or 26,9 billion tenge, including on agriculture development – 9,8 billion tenge, or 91,4 % to the forecast.Credits to Eximbank for financing of investment proje cts have made 3,6 billion tenge, or 99,5 % to the plan, and Rehabilitation bank for carrying out of procedures on the insolvent enterprises – 5,8 billion tenge, or 97,1 % to the plan. For the purpose of attraction of the foreign capital for expansion of manufacture and acquisition of skills on marketing and management per 1995 1996 transfer of some the large enterprises black and nonferrous metallurgy, chemical branch to foreign investors was carried out.It is possible to criticize the government for these measures as nobody is insured from errors in business such extremely difficult and absolutely new to us, but the fact remains somehow, of course. By these enterprises only for 1996 it is made production more than on 190 billion tenge that makes almost 28 % from industrial output total amount. In comparison with the corresponding period of 1995 (on 6 %), hire ready (on 7 %), copper refined (in 1,4 times), magnesium and magnesian alloys (in 1,5 times), lead steel manufacture has increased in a concentrate (on 5,8 %), alumina (on 5,8 %).Manufacture of iron ore and pig-iron has increased also. But the most important thing – here was possible to keep employment, to avoid large social conflicts and measures on strengthening of control over tax revenues from these enterprises are now undertaken. A key problem of the government there is a creation of the real proprietor that will allow to expand profitable base of the budget. In 1996 it is considerable Rates of carrying out of privatization according to separate individual projects were accelerated. Now almost all large enterprises is in private hands.At the given stage the big work on end of privatization of objects under individual projects is spent. At the same time, as well as in other countries with transitive economy, development of budgetary sphere during the last years at us restrained decrease in level of public revenues, as consequence of the most severe crisis and high inflation in previous years, deterioration of a financial condition and financial discipline, first of all, at the state enterprises, weak tax administration and complexities with the taxation of a growing private sector.For example, incomes of the state budget to gross national product level have decreased from 22,3 % and 1993 to 16,9 % in 1996, including tax revenues from 15,6 % to 11 % to gross national product. The basic share of tax revenues in 1996 has been provided at the expense of taxes from consumers – 40,7 % to a total sum of taxes. In 1997 budget incomes will make 15,3 % to gross national product, including tax – 11,7 %, per 1998 accordingly – 16,4 % and 12,2 % to gross national product level.For the decision of the large problems concerning the general policy in the field of the State expenditure, in 1996 there have been begun large-scale reforms: on optimization of a network and structure of social sphere, reorganization of system of the central and local executive powe rs, reforming of housing and communal services, social protection and population provision of pensions. On realization pension reform in 1997 it has been listed 36 billion tenge to State payable center from the state budget.For 1999 the budgeted deficit at a rate of 5,5 % to gross national product as a result of granting of transfers from the budget to the Pension fund on 52 billion tenge and payment of social benefits for 23 billion tenge was put. Thus, the budgetary policy gets even more social orientation. Formation, public health services, social insurance and maintenance will be priority directions of an expenditure of public funds. As a whole, the share of expenses on social programs under the budget project for 1998 has made 61,5 % of all expenses of the state.For the decision of social problems of republic in 1997 the Republic Kazakhstan government had been undertook serious steps on strengthening of a profitable part of the state budget. The basic directions in the field we re strengthening of control over receipts of taxes and work with separate tax bearers, perfection of methods of administration behind taxation, modernization and a computerization of tax services of republic. However these measures haven't given fast effect and in 2000 financial possibilities of the state budget have been limited.Thereupon, the basic accent in the budgetary policy of this year has been directed on more efficient control state ownership, rational use of public finances, strengthening of control over a target expenditure of means of tax bearers. Work in this direction will be constantly spent and regularly. Despite additional loading on the state budget in connection with reforming of system of provision of pensions and occurrence of powerful expenses on state debt service, the government has allocated in the budget of 2000 considerably a great sum for investment programs, than in previous years.If in 1997 budgetary investments were provided at a rate of 19,9 billion tenge in the following from the budget to priority investment projects at the expense of external sources it has been directed 34 billion tenge, or about 400 mln. dollars that, in turn, stimulated considerable growth of solvent demand and lifting of economy of republic. The basic priorities of the state investment program are development of a social and industrial infrastructure, and also housing construction activization. the list of investment projects projects on education system rehabilitation, development of a high system, reconstruction of irrigational systems and water supply systems enter. Financing of projects is provided at the expense of means of the state budget, and also at the expense of the means given by foreign donors. Since 1998, the Ministry of Finance refuses direct credits of National Bank. For budgeted deficit financing in 1998 noninflationary sources and market methods of loan in the internal and external financial markets have been used only.In 1997 it has no t been admitted any default under the state financial obligations that has seriously strengthened image of our country as the reliable partner in the international affairs. For the first time in history Kazakhstan in November, 1996 to it the international credit rating which has allowed already in month to carry out confident debut issue of Eurobonds in the sum of 200 mln. Dollars of the USA in the world financial markets is appropriated.On level of attraction of direct foreign investments per capita the republic is included confidently into the first five the CIS is central – also the East Europe countries, and also. Cumulative inflow of direct foreign investments, according to the European bank of reconstruction and development, in economy of Kazakhstan during 1989-1996 has made 2761 mln. dollars of the USA. Unfortunately, in the near future it is not necessary to rely on internal resources. The advanced experience, new technologies and a know-how, administrative and market ing skills are necessary.That is why we apply many efforts for creation of a favorable investment climate in the country. It is possible to underline that Kazakhstan has now perfect enough legislative and institutional base for effective attraction and use of foreign investments. We have today the most liberal tax mode in comparison with other states CIS, the limited number of taxes – their only 11 against 45, existing in old tax laws. Important point is that reforms in republic moving forward. By estimations of the World Bank, Kazakhstan is the initiator and the leader among the CIS countries in carrying out of reforms.Involving investments into national economy, we solve also one more important social problem – preservation of employment of the population. It is rather actual for Kazakhstan as in 1996 by statistical bodies of republic it is recognized by officially jobless – 391,7 thousand people or 4,1 % from economically active population. One more factor is structural reforms. According to the government plans, all radical reforms should be finished the next two years. The transit status of the Kazakhstan economy, moving from a management system to market, will pass in the category more settled.For this purpose there are all conditions. It and legislative base of the market, both investment packages, and a way of the organization budgetary, tax, currency and an anti-inflationary policy, and, at last, a way of the organization of relations not only in economy, but also in a society. In republic strong enough reserve for steady growth of economy in the future is created. Results The Kazakhstan's financial system is characterized by high enough level of market concentration. Especially it concerns bank and pension sectors of the country.Presence of similar tendencies and a consequence of present crisis for financial sector of Kazakhstan have once again confirmed the traditional theory when risks of the largest financial institutions put system pressure upon a condition of all financial system. In these conditions one of key priorities of post crisis development will be competition stimulation in financial sector. It provides as a direct measure necessity of gradual increase in the minimum size of the capital first of all banks.Integration and consolidation or their reorganization in other kinds of financial institutions will promote growth of a market share of the average banks capable on mass products to render a due competition to big banks. Moreover, the most successful condition of development of banks and bank products is their competitiveness. It also is important from a position of expansion of coverage and population access to as much as possible wide list of bank services, especially in regions.It is necessary to pay attention to creation of conditions for expansion of possibilities of banks on granting of modern retail financial services, first of all the most demanded today the population of payment serv ices, by formation of a corresponding interbank infrastructure. Within the limits of this problem it is necessary to direct the basic efforts on integration of the components of an infrastructure of retail payments separated and poorly interconnected now with a view of achievement of increase of efficiency and technological compatibility.In case of need it is necessary to consider the problem on restriction of foreign participation in financial sector at a rate of no more than 50 % from a cumulative authorized capital stock separately on each segment of financial sector. With a view of development of a diligent competition in all segments of the financial market reduction of participation of the state to its full exit will be provided at achievement of sufficient level of a competition. ConclusionThe financial system is system of integration type, is characterized by a close connection of elements (subsystems) entering into it and that any of its subsystems can't exist independently : the finance, on the one hand, expresses a part of relations of production and consequently acts as an element of system of these relations, with another — represents the system consisting of interconnected elements, having the functional properties. In the finance it is possible to name as functional subsystems such, as tax, budgetary, financial plans (forecasts), budget financing, financial indicators, etc.Besides functional criterion of classification of a financial system classification by a sign of subjects of the finance (participating in financial relations) is applied that allows to differentiate a financial system on links. Links as the coordinated number of classification contain elements of the higher category: financial relations, the financial funds, the operating device. Such property of ordering gives to a financial system integration character. In market relations economy functioning commodity-money relations are regulated by the state in ready smaller degree . The basic regulators — supply and demand of the goods, works, services.Out of commodity relations the finance can't exist. Only at an exchange of the made goods, services, their realization for certain money's worth at commodity producers the monetary gain is formed. From a gain from realization of production, works, services corresponding funds of money resources which go on compensation of the spent means of production, payment should be allocated. And cost of an additional product should be distributed on the parts satisfying to economic interests of all participants of a social production, industrial spheres, invalid members of a society, for creation of insurance funds and resources.Large financial investments are necessary for realization of reorientation of economy, therefore important problems are research of sources of structural transformations, parity definition between means of the state in the form of budgetary appropriations and own means of the enterprises. T he state budget as the tool of management of economy has the integrated influence on a social production as financial document, as the economic lever; and as stimulus. The state budget is the central link of a financial system.In it find interrelation various types of income, expenses and the state loans. The profitable part contains the list of arriving means, and account – unites all kinds of made loans. I. e. the state budget is an economic category which expresses relations of production in the monetary form, arising between the state and other participants of a social production in the course of distribution and re-distribution of cost of a public product. The state budget is the tool of realization of a state policy and the basic source of money resources for realization of the planned programs.Formation of a profitable part has now many problems, therefore the frequent updating of tax laws aggravating position of the enterprises, negatively influence manufacture proces s, so, on a state budget condition. An important question at state budget drawing up is directions of an expenditure of the budgetary funds, connected with carrying out of a financially-budgetary policy. At level of micro-economics the financial system structure is made by the primary finance – at the enterprises and in house economy.Their financial activity includes two moments: formation of money resources (that occurs by means of initial distribution of incomes) and an expenditure of such means. Incomes and expenses are balanced counterbalanced) as follows. The condition of the finance is reflected in the enterprises in the account of profits and losses (expenses). In housekeeping the received incomes (from use of factors of manufacture) are compared with expenses (expenses for current consumption and savings).Primary finance at macroeconomic level forms base of the secondary finance of the state. They are formed as a result of the subsequent distribution (or redistributio ns) incomes mainly by means of taxes. Taxes – obligatory payments of the enterprises and the population which the state raises taking into account size of primary incomes. Public finance plays an important role in growth of the state consumption which creates additional demand, expands home market. In the end it would be desirable to draw personal conclusions on the given work: The main problem in financial sphere, in my opinion, consists that quantitative growth of a profitable part of the budget of Kazakhstan and all other important financial indicators is reached at the expense of falling of a course of tenge in relation to dollar and at the expense of incomes of the oil-extracting industry that can lead to deep economic recession as all financial and economic system depends on the quotation of the given raw materials in the world market; – In Kazakhstan still and the system of crediting of small-scale business isn't developed.The given sphere of economy is very imp ortant in market economy as on an example of the developed countries it is visible that it makes gross national product most part. Agriculture after disorder of the USSR it has appeared in a difficult situation, therefore a priority problem of the state at present consists in crediting through banks of the second level of the given branch. – In Kazakhstan development of such important financial tools as the credit, the deposit and leasing has already begun.In the conditions of market economy their role consists in acceleration of formation of seed capital that is very important in Kazakhstan where shortage in investments is felt. – Financial control in Kazakhstan is carried out by financial police and the Ministry of Finance. At present the is standard-legal base concerning financial relations is still reformed, but it is enough already developed positions for regulation of financial processes in Kazakhstan. – For today sharply there is a question on advantage o f the state budget.It speaks about badly thought over strategy of an expenditure of means. – Besides, despite repeated increases of a salary to workers of budgetary sphere, in our republic differentiation of monetary incomes of the population is still strong. Settlement of this question in the future can lead to increase in tax revenues in budget of Kazakhstan. Priority problem of Republic Kazakhstan for today is, in my opinion, settlement of the above-named problems. References 1. , , 24. 4. 95 ? 2235  «? ? ?  ». 2. ? 355-1 31. 03. 99  «? ? ? , ,  «? ? ?  » ? 2235 24. 04. 95 ». 3. ? 357-1 01. 04. 00 â€Å"? †. 4. ? 359-1 01. 04. 00 â€Å"? ? ? â€Å"? 2001 †. 5. ?. ?. , (1997), , () 6. ?. ?. , (1996), , () 7. ?. ? (1998), , () 8. ?. ?. (1998), , () 9. ?. ?. (1997), , () 10. ?. ?. , ?. ?. ,(1998), , () 11. ?. ?.. ?. ?. , (1998), . , (, -?) 12. . 13. 2030