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About the Supplemental Security Income Program - SSI

About the Supplemental Security Income Program - SSI Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal government benefit program providing cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter to persons who are blind or otherwise disabled and have little or no other income. Monthly SSI benefits are paid to persons with limited income and resources who are disabled, blind, or age 65 or older. Blind or disabled children, as well as adults, can qualify to get SSI benefits. How SSI is Different From Retirement Benefits While the SSI program is administered by the Social Security Administration, the way in which SSI benefits are administered is very different from how Social Security retirement benefits are paid. SSI benefits do not require and are not based on the recipients prior work or a family members prior work. In other words, no current or prior employment is required to qualify for SSI benefits. Unlike Social Security benefits, SSI benefits are funded by general funds from the U.S. Treasury generated by income taxes paid be individuals and corporations. Social Security taxes withheld from workers paychecks under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) do not help fund the SSI program. Total SSI funding, along with maximum monthly amounts to be paid to SSI recipients, are set annually by Congress as part of the federal budget process. SSI recipients in most states can also have their benefits supplemented by Medicaid to help pay for doctor bills, prescriptions and other health care costs. SSI beneficiaries may also be eligible for food stamps in every state except California. In some states, an application for SSI benefits also serves as an application for food stamps. Who is Eligible for SSI Benefits Anyone who is: aged (age 65 or older);blind or disabled. And, who: has limited income; andhas limited resources; andis a U.S. citizen or national, or in one of certain categories of aliens; andis not absent from the country for a full calendar month or for 30 consecutive days or more; andis not confined to an institution (such as a hospital or prison) at the governments expense; andapplies for any other cash benefits or payments for which he or she may be eligible, (for example, pensions, Social Security benefits); andgives SSA permission to contact any financial institution and request any financial records about you; andfiles an application; andmeets certain other requirements. What Does  Ã¢â‚¬ËœLimited Income’ Include? For purposes of determining SSI eligibility, Social Security counts the following as income: money you earn from work;money you receive from other sources, such as Social Security benefits, workers compensation, unemployment benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs, friends or relatives; andfree food or shelter. What  Are ‘Limited Resources’? For purposes of determining SSI eligibility, Social Security counts the following as limited resources: cash;bank accounts, stocks, U.S. savings bonds;land and real estate;vehicles;personal property;life insurance; andanything else you own that could be converted to cash and used for food or shelter. NOTE: For complete details on the SSI program, including qualifications and how to apply for benefits, see the  Understanding Supplemental Security Income home page on the SSA website.   SSI Payment Details Amounts of SSI benefit payments are set annually by Congress and are typically adjusted every January to reflect the current cost of living.  Maximum (SSI) payment amounts increase with the cost-of-living increases (COLA) that apply to Social Security retirement benefits. Some states provide supplemental SSI benefits. SSI benefit payments are not taxable. Possible Benefit Reductions Exact benefit amounts paid to individual SSI recipients may be less than the maximum depending on non-SSI income, like wages and other Social Security benefits. Persons living in their own home, in the home of another person, or in a Medicaid-approved nursing home may also have their SSI payments reduced accordingly. The monthly amount is reduced by subtracting monthly countable income. In the case of an eligible individual with an eligible spouse, the amount payable is further divided equally between the two spouses.   Updated current maximum and average SSI payment amounts can be found on the SSI Statistics web site. SSI Work Incentive Programs Helping people with disabilities achieve independence by taking advantage of employment opportunities is one of the Social Security Administration’s highest priorities. SSI’s work incentive programs help disabled and blind SSI recipients to continue to work while minimizing the risk of losing their SSI or Medicaid benefits. Certain work incentive programs allow SSI recipients to exempt some of their work income from their list of resources. Others allow SSI recipients to continue to receive Medicaid coverage even though they are not receiving monthly SSI cash benefits. SSI recipients may be eligible to take advantage of more than one work incentive program. As with Social Security retirement benefits, working can reduce the amount of the recipient’s SSI benefit payments. Complete information on SSI work incentive opportunities can be found in the SSA’s â€Å"The Red Book - A Guide to Work Incentives.†

Zaras E-Tailing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Zaras E-Tailing Plan - Essay Example The evidence is that the five initial target markets are a good choice for Zara, except for Poland, which is a newly opened economy where market barriers and regulations are still perceived to be high and Internet usage still in its infancy stage. In the other four target markets, Internet use is matured and well developed, but another problem may present itself in the form of stiffer competition. As a result, web development, operation and maintenance costs are expected to be costly. There is also the possible risk that the online operation would not yield the desired results. For these reasons, the report provides a road map for Zara in overcoming the challenges to its successful entry into e-tailing. This market is the logical site of the first Zara e-tailing site because it is the company's home base where its facilities and resources are concentrated. For this reason, no problem is expected in so far as supply chain management, speedy communication and transport of products are concerned. Spain has over 52 million people, its per capita income is high by EU standards, and the Internet is increasingly used for acquiring goods and services. The Basque rebellion seems to be under control.2. France Paris is the world's fashion capital, which makes France an even better site for Zara's initial online stores. Internet usage is highly advanced among France's over 70 million people. However, the world's most renowned fashion companies

Stereotypes and Media Influence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stereotypes and Media Influence - Essay Example 287) and (3) be responsible for communal discrimination as well as unfairness. Frequently, the â€Å"groups being stereotyped have little to say about how they are represented† (Merskin, p. 301). Stereotypes have a significant part in today's civilization - mainly in ‘misinformation’ or ‘half truth’. Stereotyping is as a preset conservative belief or idea of a person or group of individuals, held by several people. Stereotypes can be fundamental or intricate overviews, which â€Å"public apply to individuals or groups† (Merskin, p. 319), in accordance with their look, conduct and way of life. Stereotypes are present universally. However, the world appears to be getting better in a number of ways it seems nearly unattainable to release it from stereotypes. Stereotypes have been there from the start of time in daily life by means of faith, political affairs and the media. Human beings have the inclination to apply stereotypes in their wittiness, their depictions of others, and even in their way of life. One may think that it is feasible to get rid from such practices; nonetheless, if one observed the standard endorsements of misinformation, it would make this aim unfeasible. On the other hand, stereotypes are not negative at all times. Misinformation is a power, which can manipulate and have an effect on every person; making alterations in conduct, approach and ones thinking. It is as well identified that media affects its spectators by amending their opinions based on the data that they see. Large number of stereotypes televised by misinformation has related results. The media frequently utilizes as well as misrepresents stereotypes; nonetheless, considerable amount of people among society believe them. Television... The media frequently utilizes as well as misrepresents stereotypes; nonetheless, considerable amount of people among society believe them. Television programs, for instance, the Simpsons are filled with stereotypes during its thirty minutes of transmission. The Simpsons has a huge viewership that watch this program every day as it is aired in prime time. â€Å"Characters such as Apu are highly discriminated and stereotyped. On this show, Apu is characterized as an Indian immigrant, who prays to Ganesh, and he holds a highly noticeable and dissimilar accent†. This is a stereotype that is viewed by young kids and is recognized as comic; they relate this understanding towards individuals they meet in reality. Spectators of this program consider this knowledge to be entirely truthful for they hold slight or no understanding regarding that specific group. Despite the fact that the stereotypes publicized on television are misrepresented more often than not, they are pretty well ackn owledged by the viewers as the fact. The spectators who view such programs on a day-to-day basis do not identify the prejudiced content, which is being shown. In particular, media grabs the â€Å"interests of their audience through comedy, drama, and action which causes the viewers to disregard the immorality behind the content† (Schiappa, p. 259). Consequently, the usefulness of applying such stereotypes adds to the recognition of television programs. In contrast, the misinformation's utilization of stereotypes is not constantly a negative event. Misinformation’s use of stereotypes can occasionally provide one the enthusiasm to gain knowledge.

Reduced Budget Plan U2IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reduced Budget Plan U2IP - Research Paper Example Lean production philosophy has also been covered in the research paper. Comparison has been done between accounting principles in lean production with that of typical production. The project basically throws light on the cost perspectives in an organization. Managerial Accounting Vs Cost Accounting Managerial accounting encompasses cost accounting and covers a broader scope than cost accounting. Highlights on the differences between managerial accounting and cost accounting are enumerated below: Managerial accounting includes cost accounting as well as financial accounting whereas cost accounting includes cost information only for managerial use. Managerial accounting is carried out for decision-making whereas cost accounting is used for the purpose of ascertaining cost and cost control. Managerial accounting deals with qualitative as well as quantitative aspects whereas it deals with only quantitative aspects. Cost accounting involves working out cost per unit whereas managerial acc ounting includes further comparative analysis of figures and statements. Managerial accounting has a more future-oriented approach whereas cost accounting is historical in approach and makes projections based on historical data. Managerial accounting cannot be installed without a proper cost accounting system whereas cost accounting does not require management accounting for its installation. Lean Production Philosophy It is manufacturing technique to boost profitability and efficiency. It aimed at reducing the time lag between customer order and delivery by elimination of wastages in the production system. The companies in order to have a successful lean production system in place should practice if not all most of the technical requirements: Kaizen: Kai means continuous and Zen means improvement. It relates to continuous improvement in cost, design, quality and delivery. Kanban: It needs to be in place. Step change: To eliminate waste there is a need to make radical improvements o f an activity. Supplier base reduction: Attempts to reduce engagement with large number of suppliers. Cellular manufacturing: In order to reduce process, waiting and transport time it is essential to group closely all the facilities in place to produce a product. Total productive maintenance (TPM): It is aimed at improving consistency, capacity and reliability of machines. Five S and general visual management: Aimed at reducing inefficiency and clutter of any office or production system. Value and the seven wastes: The notion of value shouldn’t be ignored ever. Supplier development: Focus is on developing links with suppliers and working closely with them. Single minute exchange of dies (SMED): It is necessary to eliminate delays in change-over times on machines in order to improve work flows and reduce lead time. Single piece flow needs to be in operation: One complete product should flow through stages of operation at a time (Bhasin, 2004, pp. 57-58). Accounting Principles in Lean Production and Typical Production Lean production follows the same Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as in typical production. Lean accounting enables value based pricing i.e. by value streams focussing on customer value whereas in typical accounting is cost based pricing. Both enable inventory valuation but lean accounting values inventory better and easier. Lean accounting enables value stream financial improvement and control to pursue perfection whereas

Nature of Granular Cells in Granular Cell Ameloblastoma

Nature of Granular Cells in Granular Cell Ameloblastoma IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY Objective: To evaluate the nature of granular cells in granular cell ameloblastoma Study Design: Tissue specimens of five patients with granular cell ameloblastoma were fixed in buffered formalin and later embedded in paraffin wax. Blocks were sliced into 3micron thick sections for immunohistochemicalanalysis using a panel of markers CD68, Bcl2, S100, P53,Cytokeratin(AE1/AE3),vimentin and desmin Results: All five cases were strongly positive for cytokeratin and CD68. S100 was negative in three cases and showed mild positivity in two cases . Bcl2, P53, Vimentin and Desminwere negative in all the five cases. Conclusions: This study presents a heterogenous nature of the granular cells, however further validation is required with a larger sample size. INTRODUCTION: Ameloblastoma is a benign odontogenic tumour usually located in the jaw bone [1]. It is considered to be the most common odontogenic tumor. It is a tumor of the enamel organ without formation of enamel. Robinson has defined it as: Unicentric, nonfunctional, intermittent in growth, anatomically benign and clinically persistent. The importance of this tumor lies in its common occurrence, locally invasive behavior which causes marked deformity and serious debilitation. They also demonstrate increased recurrence rate after surgery. [2]It has a distinctive microscopic appearance characterized by the presence of peripheral columnar cells with hyperchromatic, reversely polarized nuclei, arranged in a palisaded pattern. [3] Conventional solid or multicysticameloblastoma exhibits six microscopic subtypes namely follicular, plexiform, acanthomatous, granular cell, desmoplastic and basal cell ameloblastoma. [4]. The follicular and plexiform patterns are the most frequent. Less common histopathologic subtypes include the acanthomathous, granular cell, desmoplastic, and basal cell [1,5] Granular cell ameloblastoma (GCA) is one of the rare histological variants of ameloblastomaaccounting for only 3. 5% of ameloblastomas. [5] Granular cell ameloblastoma is characterized by nests of large, eosinophilic granular cells. [6] Aggressive behaviour has been ruled out by many studies and suggest that granular cells are just a transitional or matured phase in the life cycle of ameloblastomas, starting with normal stellate reticulum-like cells, leading to a production of granules and finally leading to degeneration and formation of cystic areas. [7] Whether granular cell change in ameloblastoma is a degenerative process or a harbinger of a more aggressive course is a matter of debate. [8] [Figure 1 2] Previous studies have carried out ultrastructural, histochemical and immunohistochemical methods to characterize the nature of the granular cells , though the mechanism involved is poorly understood. The present study attempts to do an immunohistochemical analysis with a panel of markers to study the nature of granular cells in granular cell ameloblastoma. Due to its rarity accounting to 3. 5%, literature search revealed that majority of them were single case studies . This study is the first of its kind to report antigenic characterization in five such cases with a wide range of markers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Case Selection: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of granular cell ameloblastoma were retrieved from the archives of Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, SRM Dental College, Chennai. The clinical data of the patients are listed in table 1. Immunohistochemical Analysis: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 3 µ tissue sections on poly-L-Lysine coated slides (Biogenix Life Sciences Limited, CA, US). Pre-diluted ready to use primary monoclonal mouse anti CD-68, anti – Bcl2,anti-S 100, anti-P53, anti-cytokeratin antibody (AE1/AE3), anti-Vimentin and anti-Desmin(Biogenix Life Sciences Limited, CA, US)were used followed by thesuper sensitive polymer HRP detection system(Biogenix Life Sciences Limited, CA, US). Colored reactions were developed by incubating with 33-diaminobenzidine and subsequently counterstained with Harris hematoxylin. Positive and negative controls were included in all reactions. Presence of brown coloured end product at the site of target antigen was indicative of positive immunoreactivity. Evaluation of theimmunoreactivity was based on staining intensity and wereclassified asweak, moderate, and strong. Localization of positively stained cells in peripheral ameloblast-like cells, central stellate reticulum like cells , and granular cells were also evaluated. RESULTS: Immunoreactivity of the markers used in the study are listed in table 2. CD-68expressed strong positivity in all the five cases. Positivity was observed only in the granular cells. Cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) expressed strong positivity in all the five cases by staining peripheral cells, stellate reticulum like cells and granular cells. Bcl2, P53, Vimentin and Desminexhibited negative staining in all the five cases. DISCUSSION: Granular cell ameloblastoma accounts to 3. 5% of all ameloblastomas [11]. The lesion presents with marked transformation of thecytoplasm of the stellate reticulum like cells, so that the cells take on a very coarse, granular, eosinophilic appearance. [5] GCA is known to be aggressive histologic variant among all the ameloblastoma . Granular cells have been described in other odontogenic tumor, the granular cell ameloblastic fibromaand oral lesions, such as congenital epulis and granular cell tumor [12] The nature of various oral granular cell lesions is unclear, and many theories have been proposed for the origin of granules, the principal ones are odontogenic, fibroblastic, histiocytic, myoblastic, and neurogenic. [13] Granular cells are also seen associated with the enamel organ of developing tooth. [14] The granular appearance has been ascribed to numerous lysosomes based on histochemical and electron microscopic findings. Ultrastructurally, the osmiophilic internal structure of the lysosomes varies considerably. [15] Many of these granules approach 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °ÃŽ ¼m in size; giant granules of 30à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °ÃŽ ¼m in diameter are rarely seen. They present with features of finger-print-like membranous structures, myelin figures, small particles, granules, vesicles, lattice structures, and crystalloids. This diversity may represent different materials and stages of digestion of the lysosomal contents. The myelin figures suggest the presence of phospholipid in the granules. Therefore, it has been concluded by many authors that numerous lysosomes represent increased cellular actions of the tumour ameloblasts to digest unwanted components [14,16]. Considerable interest about the nature of granular cells in ameloblastoma ever since it was recognized has happened because of its reported aggressive behaviour however recent literature reports speculate that the granular cell transformation in granular cell ameloblastoma may be associated with the aging phenomenon. [17,18,19] The present study was carried out in five cases of granular cell ameloblastoma to ascertain the nature of the granules using a panel of markers CD68, Bcl2, S100, P53, Cytokeratin (AE1/AE3),vimentin and desmin. Strong positivity for cytokeratin and CD68was noted in all the cases. S100 was negative in three cases and mildly positive in two cases. P53,Bcl 2,Vimentin and desmin were negative in all the five cases. [Table 2] The nature of granules in granular cell ameloblastoma in the previous studies have reported epithelial origin due to consistent positivity with cytokeratin and negativity with other mesenchymal markers. [Figure 3] Presence of strong positivity with CD68 in granular cells indicates the presence of lysosomal aggregates. [Figure 4] Negative expression of antiapoptotic factors such as Bcl-2 and p53 proteins in granular cells indicate that there is increased apoptosis in the granular cells. This finding was similar to the report by Kumomoto et al who reported apoptosis in the granular cells [20]. Contradictory to previous reports is the presence of mild positivity with S100 unlike other previously published reports. S100 is normally present in cells derived from the  neural crest ( Schwann cells, and  melanocytes),  chondrocytes,  adipocytes,  myoepithelialcells,  macrophages,  Langerhans cells,  dendritic cells, and keratinocytes. Mild positivity of S100 could be suggestive of transdifferentiation of the cells. Such heterogenous presentation of granular ameloblastomas evokes more interest to further ratify its true nature. CONCLUSION: The current immunohistochemicalpanel could be evolved further for a better understanding of the nature of the granular cells in ameloblastomas. Further studies with more number of cases could help reason out the antigenic heterogeneity of granular cell ameloblastoma.

Children Affected By Divorce Essay -- essays research papers

CHILDREN AFFECTED BY DIVORCE & PROTECTING THEIR BEST INTERESTS On the 11th of June, 1996, the Family Law Reform Act 1995 came into effect amending certain sections of the Family Law Act 1975, in particular, those relating to the care of children involved in divorce situations. The object of these amendments, according to the new act, was to ensure two things. Firstly, â€Å"that the children may receive adequate and proper parenting to help them achieve their full potential,† and secondly, â€Å"to ensure that parents fulfil their duties, and meet their responsibilities, concerning the care, welfare and development of their children.† These recent amendments are clearly a positive step forward for family law because the law has recognised that the child is the only important factor in a divorce and that it is crucial that the rights of the child are protected. To fairly evaluate the effectiveness of these recent amendments in protecting the interests of the child, the social implications of the act, the principles taken into accoun t when deciding a case, the impact on stakeholders, and criticisms of the act must all be taken into consideration. In order to ensure that the child’s rights are protected, the courts aim is to ensure that parental responsibility survives any changes in the nature of the child’s parent’s relationship. Parental responsibility relates to â€Å"all the duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which, by law, parents have in relation to children.† When deciding a case involving a child in the event of a separation between the child’s parents, the child’s best interests are now the court’s paramount consideration. The concepts access, custody, and guardianship have been replaced in the amendments by contact, residence, and joint parental responsibility. Between 1987 and 1997, the annual number of divorces rose from 39,700 to 51,300. As a result of this increase, one fifth of all Australian children aged one to seventeen now live in single parent households. Of these children living with only one natural parent, 88% live with their mothers with the remaining 12% living with their fathers. This ratio of which parents children resided with remained constant between 1987 and 1997, indicating that the trend of the courts to favour mothers over fathers has continued despite the changes to the act. With the number of divorces consistently risin... ... the number of cases which can be funded has dropped from 6,000 last year to 4,000 this year. It now seems very unlikely that steps will actually be taken to remedy this problem by either of the suggested solutions due to the lack of funding and the budget cuts will most likely result in a worsening of the situation. Overall, it is difficult to judge the effectiveness of the amendments to the Family Law Act 1975 because it is impossible to measure how well a child’s best interests have been served. However, if the Family Court of Australia has adequately implemented the changes then one would expect that the amendments have been effective in improving the system of determining what is in the child’s best interests. Therefore the court’s final ruling with regards to the contact, residence, and maintenance of the child will be the option which is best for the child. In conclusion, when all of the factors have been taken into consideration, it appears that the recent amendments will result in a step forward for the way in which the rights of children are protected by the court’s decisions. Whether or not the courts will make use of this improved system, however, is another question.