Thursday, October 31, 2019

The context and consequences of theories of crime and how they shape Coursework

The context and consequences of theories of crime and how they shape current policy - Coursework Example Theories of crime in criminological studies contribute to current policy but due to lack of proper policy makers sometimes such policies are not properly executed. These theories identify areas where people can be helped to avoid committing crimes and provides a platform to educate the society on consequences of crime. Theories of crime are used in reducing levels of crime where criminologists use these theories to implement and create policies that help individuals against committing such crimes. Some of these theories include the rational choice theory, social disorganization theory, strain theory, social control theory labeling theory, and biological and evolution theories (Frauley, 2009). The Rational choice theory explains that people act in their self-interest and make their decisions to commit a crime (Frauley, 2009). The social disorganization theory states that a person physical and social environment can have an effect on a person’s behavioral choice. The strain theory states that when people fail to achieve their goals through hard work they may turn to crime to achieve their goals. Social learning theory states people acquire criminal behavior through association with other people. Criminologists in the society form theories on how to deter crime. They use such theories to advise policy makers in the criminal justice on how to execute them in public policy. Public policy is based on theories constituted and implemented by lawmakers. Such theories include the choice theory, trait theory social process theory and development theory. Choice theory states that severe punishment deters crime. Choice theory builds social policy since it makes sure that the society has the knowledge that a crime is wrong and is unacceptable in the society (Smith, 2009). Trait theory states that crime is committed since criminals have physical and mental defects. They develop public policy such as preventive programs that deal with the treatment of defects for

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Group Long Term Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Group Long Term Insurance - Essay Example Employer-based group long term insurance is an essential comprehensive benefits package that offers long term insurance to the employees (Wiener and Illston 66). Reasons for use There are numerous advantages for enrolling in a group long term insurance since the patient does not need to meet any medical requirements before obtaining the group long term policy cover. The relatives and immediate family members of the individual may also be covered, since many group long term care policies allow the retirees and spouses to apply for the long term care coverage. If the group long term insurance consists of a high proportion of relatively younger employees, the insurance provider will be able to charge lower premiums compared with the individual long term plans (Beam and McFadden 357). Group long term insurance helps protect the employee retirement plans. Well informed employees understand that without a Group long term care, medical expenses after retirement can adversely deplete the emp loyee portfolio of assets (Beam and McFadden 369). Some Group Long term insurance policies enable employees to receive benefits and care from any place in the world. The Group long term insurance eases the emotional and physical burden of the family members since they are involved in the care-giving process but are not the primary providers. Group long term insurance covers the costs of care received at home, in the community and also in the nursing homes (Beam and McFadden 378). There are various benefits that accrue to employers who provide Group long term care to their employees. The employer is able to retain the most qualified and skilled employees in the company therefore reducing production losses associated with work stoppages (Beam and McFadden 357). Group long term insurance acts as an incentive of attracting and hiring new employees in the Company. The insurance cover offers the employer a competitive edge since it is an alternative to increasing salaries (Long Term Care Insurance 2). The employees will also receive additional benefits from the Group long term insurance since other programs like training of caregivers and care providers are included in the insurance plan. The employees also receive assistance on claim filling and can enjoy other wellness programs that may be incorporated in the Group long term insurance (Long Term Care Insurance 3). Administration and process All the insurance products for group long term insurance are consistent with Long term Insurance Model Act. HIPAA has imposed several standards that have led to increase in the coverage. The Act has reduced the revenue losses associated with coverage due to changes in the income tax codes. For eligibility to favorable tax treatment, the insurance contract should be qualified therefore contract is guaranteed renewable and all the refunds of premiums and dividends are applied as future reductions in premiums or to increase the future benefits (Beam and McFadden 360). The cost of the group long term insurance is covered by the employee. The initial premiums are calculated on five year age period brackets and increase significantly with the increase in the age of the employee (Wiener and Illston 65). Most of the States require the insurance companies to protect the benefits of employee from

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Denture Adhesives in Prosthodontics- An Overview

Denture Adhesives in Prosthodontics- An Overview Dr Ranjith Kumar P, MDS; Dr Shajahan PA,MDS ; Dr Jyothis Mathew, MDS ABSTRACT Denture adhesives are used by an endless number of denture wearers and also by the dentists who fabricate them. Prescribing denture adhesives has been viewed by many prosthodontists as a means of compensating for deficiencies in clinical and technical procedures. Denture adhesives increase retention and thereby improve chewing ability, reduce wobble, improve comfort and confidence and reduce amount of food particles collecting under the dentures. Moreover, they undoubtedly provide the patients an increased sense of security and satisfaction. However, patients should use denture adhesives only on the advice of their dentists. INTRODUCTION Though their usage dates back to the late 18th century, they were first mentioned in dental literature in the 19th century. Earlier adhesives, formulated by mixing vegetable gums absorbed moisture from the saliva and swelled to a mucilaginous substrate that adhered to the mucosa of the mouth and the denture. Kapur’s 1 study in 1967 on 26 denture wearers, concluded that denture adhesives increased denture retention, thereby improving denture wearers’ incisive ability. Stafford and Russell, 2 using radio telemetry, measured the change in pressure, at the denture base-mucosa interface, with and without adhesives and found that denture adhesives allowed greater total occlusal pressure. The denture adhesives improved denture retention and stability (Tarbet et al 3), and found that patients perceived improved chewing ability, confidence and comfort, reduced wobble and collection of food particles under denture. Chew et al 4 determined the effectiveness of denture adhesive in improving the retention and stability of the complete maxillary denture in vivo using Kinseography. Abdelmelak and Michael 5 suggested that the denture adhesives acts as a cushion under complete denture; reducing the transmission of pressure and friction to the underlying mucosa. COMPOSITION The major constituents of denture adhesives can be broadly divided into three groups.6 Group 1 (Adhesive agents): Tragacanth, acacia, pectin, gelatin, methyl-cellulose, hydroxyl-methyl cellulose, Karaya Gum, sodium carboxyl-methyl cellulose and synthetic polymers (polyethylene oxide, acrylamides, acetic and polyvinyl). Group 2 (Anti-microbial agents) Sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, hexachlorophene and ethanol. Group 3 (Other agents) Plasticizers, wetting agents and flavouring agents such as oil of wintergreen, oil of peppermint, etc. Mechanism of Action Denture adhesives are supplied as paste, powder or cream. As the Adhesive powders absorb water, they swell to many times their original volume and the resulting anions are attracted to cations in the mucous membrane proteins. Sticky saliva thus formed increases the viscosity of the adhesive, thereby increasing the denture retention.7 Newer adhesive materials provide stronger bio-adhesive and cohesive forces. Free carboxyl groups formed by the hydration of adhesive such as methyl cellulose, hydroxyl methyl cellulose, sodium carboxyl-methyl cellulose or poly methyl vinyl-ether maleic anhydride (PVM-MA), etc. form electrovalent bonds that produce stickiness or bio adhesion. The increased viscosity of the adhesive creams result in their lateral spread excluding air and saliva thereby increasing the retention 8. Requirements of an ideal Denture Adhesive 9 Available as gels, creams and powders. Nontoxic, non-irritant, and biocompatible with the oral mucosa. It should have a neutral odour and taste. Easy application and removal from the tissue surface of the denture. Discourage microbial growth. Adhesiveness should be retained for 12-16 hrs. Increase the comfort, retention and stability of the denture Mode of application: Any residual adhesive should be removed from the tissue-bearing surface of the denture . The denture bearing tissues are wiped clean of any food debris. Wet dentures before application of adhesive. Small amounts of adhesive is applied to the tissue-bearing surface of denture. In the maxillary denture -Anterior alveolar ridge, the center of hard palate and posterior palatal seal region . In the mandibular denture apply to the sulcus of denture over the crest of the ridge extending from the anterior region sulcus to the distal extension. Denture should be seated and held in place firmly by hand pressure for 5-10 seconds. Gauze is used to remove excess adhesive . Patient is advised to close into centric occlusion several times to spread the adhesive as a thin even layer. Indications. Recording jaw relations and denture try in should be done using stable and retentive bases. The use of denture adhesive can stabilize the trail denture bases which show inadequate retention and stability due to various reasons. Use of adhesive will improve the accuracy of the denture try-in, and also decrease the patient apprehension about the fit of the final prosthesis. Use of adhesives in patients with compromised denture bearing areas adds to their confidence thereby increasing the ability to adapt to the new prosthesis. Immediate denture get loosened soon due to soft tissue healing and bony resorption requiring relining, rebasing, or a new denture fabrication. A soft liner used to augment the retention; comfort and function during the interim period are aided by the use of a denture adhesive. Reduced clinical findings of ulcers, tissue irritation, compression, and inflammation of the oral mucosa of denture wearers were seen with concomitant use of adhesives. Xerostomia in denture wearers either drug or radiotherapy induced can be alleviated with the use of denture adhesives. Stabilization of dentures in patients with hormonal changes and neuromuscular disorders such as myasthenia gravis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, etc., can be achieved with denture adhesives. Prosthesis to rehabilitate gross maxillofacial defects requires denture adhesives for retention. Denture adhesives are valuable adjuncts to the retention of radiation carriers or radiation protection prostheses. Usage of minimal amounts of adhesives provides high profile patients like attorneys, executives, speakers, etc. with psychological security in social situations. Contraindications Allergies to denture adhesives or any of its components. Gross inadequacies in retention and function. Excessive bone resorption and soft tissue shrinkage leading to loss of vertical dimension. Adhesives should not be used to retain fractured dentures or dentures with missing flange or with sectional fractures. Patients with inability to maintain proper hygiene of the denture should avoid use of denture adhesive. Conclusions Denture adhesives, when used properly are safe and beneficial to the patient in increasing retention and stability, enhanced comfort, improved function, and in providing psychological satisfaction. They should not be used as an aid to compensate for denture deficiencies even though adhesives enhance denture performance. Patients should not use denture adhesives inadvertently without proper guidance and instructions from the dentists.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Comparing Crime in Beloved, Crime and Punishment, and Utopia :: comparison compare contrast essays

Crime in Beloved, Crime and Punishment, and Utopia      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To begin with an omniscient and philosophical frame of reference, crime is only defined as crime by the society defining it.   When a mass of human beings coagulate to ¬ gether and form a civilized society, they are bound to make rules and laws to follow and bide by; for laws are one of the cornerstones of a civilized society.   If there were no laws, society would be uncivilized and in a chaotic state of anarchy.   These laws are decided and administered usually by elected officials who act as leaders in the society.   From the input of the citizens, they make laws to run the society by.   And when a person breaks the law, that is defined as a 'crime'.   For example, purposeful and alleged manslaughter is a crime, because it is a law to not kill others; people are not allowed to go cavorting around killing whomever they please, if they did, civilization would fall.   Laws and rules hold us to civilization.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way to define crime is through ethics and morals.   Each person on this Earth possesses a conscience; when we do something wrong, our conscience makes us feel guilty, although some people feel less or more guilt than others about certain acts; it varies individually.   Based on this, one can define a crime as the things that make us feel guilty, although some crimes do not make us feel guilty.   Some people do not feel any guilt when committing immoral acts; these people are deemed psychopaths or sociopaths by society. For example, most people do not feel guilty when they break the law by speeding, its just a way of life these days, but with complex ideologies (stealing, killing), we feel guilt if they are committed.   Our consciences also hold us to civilization.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, the laws are already defined in Early Nineteenth century St. Petersburg, Russia.   Henceforth, when one breaks a law they have committed a crime and are eligible for arrest and punishment by the upholders of law in society, the police.   A particular act that is defined as criminal is that of murder. Raskolnikov knows of this very well, for he has

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Find the leader on you Essay

Assignment 1: Finding the leader in you: Self – Assessment /Johari Window Leadership can be considered in terms of power capacity and opportunity to give to others, the desire to get involved and take action to achieve a collective goal or achieve a common goal. This power derives an estimated authority, trust or reference mentor who cannot be decreed. Leadership is no way from a status, function or any degree of responsibility. It owes its existence to the recognition of others. 1. Develop a profile of your personality characteristics and assessment results. Personality is not only specific to each, but also a psychological identity of a person distinctive behavioral singularity. It is forged throughout life, from a set of circumstances and experiences. Family executives, professionals or relationship are elements that influence personality. According to (Schermerhorn and others 2012), Personality captures the overall profile, or combination of characteristics, that represents the unique nature of an individual as that individual interacts with others. Personality is determined by both heredity and environment; across all personality characteristics, the mix of heredity and environment is about 50-50† It’s very difficult for somebody to look into the mirror and describe themself. I grew up in a Christian family. I was taught to be honest, modest, and tolerant, to respect others no matter their faith or their convictions. Being asked to describe your personality appears to be a  simple topic. On the contrary, it’s a very difficult and critical exercise. I describe myself as a hard worker. Whatever the circumstances, I have to reach my goals. I do whatever it takes to get the job done, sometimes working extra hours. I inherited that aspect of me from my parents who taught me that, â€Å"to succeed, you must work hard, because sun always shines for those who work hard†. I am not influenced by the gender and race of my colleagues or people around me. I build great relationships with people around me, they appreciate my presence and I have a genuine collaboration with them. I grew up in a multiracial community. We use to play together black and white, male and female. I learnt to respect and embrace different cultures. This helped me better understand cultural diversity. I strongly believe that cultural diversity is a value. Around me I see people with different sexual orientation. I accept and respect their choice, because they may be  influenced by their culture or where they grew up. It’s so interesting to hear people share their experiences. Taking personal initiatives is another part of me. However, I adhere to rational and realistic changes. I have the honesty to recognize my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to skills required for a job. I don’t accept a job if I can’t manage it. I’m ambitious; I love challenges because they reveal my strength and leadership. I am somebody who also learns from my experiences and experiences of others. I like to organize my work by priority and deadlines. I do this so I can produce the highest quality work in the amount of time I have. When I am in charge of a team, I share my vision with my team members and delegate duties with clear and precise instructions and expectations. I value other people’s opinions, suggestions and contributions. My friends, my classmates or my colleagues would tell you that I am a fair man, who always listens when they have something to say. I’m a reliable, flexible, and honest person always open the new ideas, new concept and new experiences. For me, failure is something that should never happen. That is my weakness. So it becomes very difficult for me when I fail to attend my objectives. It takes time for me to accept such situation. That is one aspect of me on which I should take some resolutions. 2. Summarize the result of the assessments you completed for homework in week 1. The 21st century called the century of globalization, is marked by the digital revolution following the development of the information technology. This revolution has given birth to a new form of management, based on constant and innovative changes. Today’s manager must be proactive because technology is advancing very quickly. He must master his professional environment to be effective. In today organization, the person in charge of management should be able to instigate actions and creative ideas. In the ever more demanding world of work, many companies are seeking individuals with more proactive qualities, individuals who take initiative and engage in proactive problem solving. Research supports this, showing that proactive personality is positively related to job performance, creativity, leadership and career success. (Shermerhorn and other 2012). This assessment is applied to Late Steve Job, Co-founder of Apple Company. In term of products, Apple has been at the top for a while. That company is  making products better than anyone else for years. The reason of their success is that Steve was anticipating what people’s needs would be in the future, not what they are right now. A manager has to identify where the market is heading, not where it is right now. That means, he should have a vision. That is one of Steve job traits. I can add imagination and passion. Steve Job has the imagination to create an IPhone which at that time was unique. IPhone is an assemble of six or more most needed products. (Watch, flashlight, telephone, camera, camcorder, music box, calculator and many others services). That was a genius idea. To realize this genius technology, you have to be passionate and willing to settle for a long term goal of achievement. Most companies failed because they put little emphasis on the future. They were focus on day by day management. Kodak was leader in cameras and most photographic supplies. They did not understand the digital revolution. They tried year after year to maintain the same routine. They did not understand people’s need and didn’t integrated changes provided by the outcome of digital technology. That type of management brought the company down. They lost a big part of the market. Transformational leadership style in today organization is most efficient. Leader’s mission is not only to maintain the organization’s stability, but also to bring innovations, high productivity and employee satisfaction. Leaders should inspire followers. Managers or Leaders in charge of organizations should be equipped to challenge conflicts every day, either from employees not willing to change or from organization’s customers or others. Conflict is inevitable among humans. It is a natural outcome of human interaction that begins when two or more social entities engage one another while striving to attain their objective. (M.Afzalur Rahim. 2001). A manager should give all parties to a conflict an equal voice, regardless of their position, length of service or political influence. People in conflict can become defensive if they feel they are being marginalized or are going through a process leading to a predetermined outcome. Time is an important but limited resource that we never seem to have enough. So, a manager must be a well organizing person. He should prioritize, planning and understand completing activities of the organization. Most organizations today are taking organic characteristics. No matter the design, to succeed, leader must socialize with his colleagues. He must be a team player and should have a strong  self-awareness. He must get his followers his passion and his visions. Successful leaders today involve employees in all aspects of the work process: design, manufacture, inventory, marketing. Leaders create team. They don’t issue orders from above. Dale Carnegie and others. (1993). Today’s manager must be proactive because things are going very quickly. He must master professional environment to be effective. 3. Analyze how attribute / scores speak to your relationships and career. By analyzing the results of this self-assessment, I discovered my strengths and weaknesses. My results have revealed the leadership qualities that I have and what I don’t have. Self-assessment # 22 reveals to me that I met more than seventy percent requirements needed to be a manager 21st century manager. I manage stress effectively and focus on the objectives. I socialize with people in my environment. I listen to my intuition when necessary and like to take initiatives. However, I have to personally set my skills to work to a higher performance standard. I work as a manager in a multinational company which retains its value and its name from the quality of products and services it offers to its customers. This conceptualization of standard is not always accepted by all customers. Consequently, to meet my financial goals and also to provide customer satisfaction I sometimes take the decisions to violate the established standards. Transformational leaders typically have charisma and are known for their ability to develop a vision and the ability to inspire others to follow them toward it. The results of transformational leadership take time. Transformational leaders must invest time and confidence; build energy to convince their followers to share their vision. Today, organizations that are not highly equipped and prepared, and who hire transformational leaders are likely to be frustrated and disappointed. It would be important for me to improve my skills on Organizational Leadership style to be able to succeed in my mission. Organizational leadership skills are also required to stabilize an organization because without stability, you cannot install a real vision and get people to share it. The organization that I work for was created by a dozen people whose common goal is to make profit, but with different approaches. We’ve an organic design preference organization. Employees are sometimes under pressure from the shareholders to increase  productivity. That pressure develops stress on employees. The stress generally impacts employees and their individual behavior. It stimulates their instant creativity and generates short-term enthusiasm. In such situation, employees works hard not to improve the company productivities, but to save their job. They become irritable, nervous and resistant. Otherwise, some employees loose the job satisfaction. All those aspects off stress have impact on company productivities. A manager should be able to anticipate and manage employee stress. I understand the necessity for a leader to have both type of leadership style. Definitely, I have to improve my skills in the style of Organizational leadership. My intuition level is above average, but I believe that I’ve room for improvement. The intuition is an important character for a leader because you have to read between the lines to anticipate action. I am able to improve my intuitive skills. Under the management of conflict, I’m pushing for compromise. I think it helps to calm passion and save time for manager and employees. However, I recognize that a leader must sometimes impose his ideas if he strongly believes he is on the right path. In this case the leader must be prepared to face resistance from other parties which may complicate the process. I firmly believe that the leader must be able to manage conflicts and get away without too much damage. Conflict management is also a part of my daily activities. You cannot be a good manager in an organization when you only choose solutions that favor you, especially if you’ve several customer/employee complaints. You have to be open and willing to compromise. Employees and customers may not be always right, but as a manager, I must listen to their complaints and provide satisfactory solutions. I feel more comfortable in an organization that values long-term relationship; one that emphasizes systematic career development, mandates regular training, and provides promotions based on gained achievement and expertise. I recognize that it is beneficial for an organization to train its employees from top to bottom. This instills in them the true value of the organization even though it may not provide a guarantee of stability. It often happens that the well- trained staff leaves the organization to go elsewhere for a higher pay and benefits. To create a balance, I apply the concept of just-in-time training to minimize destabilization of the organization.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Epsteins Essay

We must all acknowledge and adhere to the feeling of boredom, as we have all felt its distinct dampness in some form or another. Epstein’s essay â€Å"Duh, Bor-ing† is able to capture and enforce its ideologies through direct references and quotations; with a little education and perseverance you are able to decipher and put meaning behind the unique examples he portrays in his writing. Epstein starts his essay with â€Å"Somewhere I have read that boredom is the torment of hell that Dante Forgot† (Epstein 1). In using this quote from Albert Speer we really get the feeling that boredom is unbeneficial and in fact tormenting at times. As many will agree with that statement, Epstein further goes on to say â€Å"When bored, time slows drastically, the world seems logy and without promise, and reality itself can grow shadowy and vague† (Epstein 2). There again giving you the feeling that boredom can cause you to perceive time differently and cause life to become dark and gloomy at times. He does a great job incorporating these quotes into his writing to really back the feeling that we carry towards boredom. We have all felt the negative vibes portrayed from boredom and many of us try to avoid them at all costs. Being able to form my own opinions, judgments and thoughts on the subject allows Epstein’s essay to be easily relatable and interesting to read. Epstein further allows you to connect with the text by particularizing on the different types of boredom perceived. Situational Boredom, in which he relates to a â€Å"dull sermon† (Epstein 1) and existential boredom caused by modern culture. Epstein lets us ponder the thought that maybe our own modern culture is to blame for boredom. He elaborates that boredom is often less pervasive in simpler cultures â€Å"One hears little of boredom among the pygmies or the Trobriand Islanders, whose energies are taken up with the problems of mere existence† (Epstein 2). With everything becoming increasingly more technological and people able to live easier, longer and healthier lives maybe we create our own boredom through modern society. He also refutes existential boredom in saying â€Å"Even animals know boredom, we are told, though they are deprived of the ability to complain directly about it† (Epstein 1). An animal at most represents the closest thing to be at its core un-modernized. Although deprived from the ability to complain about it, animals symbolize pure primal instinct and yet are affected by boredom just alike. Naturally boredom has a negative stigma wrapped around it but as Toohey suggests â€Å"Boredom is good for us†¦ Boredom can function as a warning sign†¦telling those who suffer unduly from it that they need to change their lives† (Epstein 5). Epstein’s allowing that negative stigma to be refuted upon and replaced with that of a greater self-perception. That maybe boredom is a self-defense mechanism or a symptom in reaction to your own life struggles and yet curable. Epstein constant analytical approach to the advantages and disadvantages of boredom helps make this essay work in building credibility to the fact that he’s not one-sided or condensed. He capitalizes on the indifferences boredom promotes and truly tries to look at the subject from all angles and sides drawing power and reason from multiple sources and references. Overall with the use of distinct wordy visuals and references Epstein able to make his writing work in that of capturing his readers and allowing them to form their own interpretation on the matter.