Marijuana vs Alcohol Essay - 1664 Words

Drink Up? Or Toke Up? That is the Question They were both icons of unforgettable eras: one, the glamorous nineteen twenties; the other, the revolutionary seventies. In the twenties, alcohol was sipped cautiously behind the walls of speakeasies; glasses clinking under the flashing lights of entertainment signs. The hippies of the sixties and seventies passed pipes of burning marijuana, promoting peace while protesting for the rights of millions of Americans. No doubt, both drugs have had a major influence on the country, both have had their â€Å"glory† days. After a time of prohibition, the once thought sinful substance of alcohol was re-legalized. Marijuana, on the other hand, remains illegal in the country of the United States. But†¦show more content†¦So while it is very possible to die from having a few too many drinks, smoking marijuana seems to be far less toxic of a substance (Foland). Not only are the toxic levels of alcohol much greater than those of marijuana, but the consequences of drinking long-term are far more damaging as well. Next to smoking tobacco and being overweight, drinking alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Not including all the accidents and homicides that are attributed to the use of alcohol, the number of people that suffered alcohol induced deaths was 20,687 in 2003 alone (Foland). Those who choose to drink face the risk of many different health conditions, including some cancers, liver cirrhosis, liver disease, and heart disease---not to mention the risk of physical dependency (â€Å"Alcohol vs. Marijuana†). The effects on the brain are just as detrimental. In contrast to the old myth that drinking alcohol kills brain cells, recent studies have shown that instead it prevents new cells from being made. This process of making new cells, called neurogenesis, was found to be decreased by over fifty percent in abusers of alcohol. Marijuana seems to have the opposite effect. The same study showed that the use of marijuana actually increased neurogenesis, thus increasing the making of new brain cells (Wenk). Recent studiesShow MoreRelatedEssay on Alcohol vs Marijuana1537 Words   |  7 PagesAlcohol vs Marijuana There is no culture in the history of mankind that did not ever use some kind (kinds) of drugs. Despite the well-known consequences of drug addiction, millions of people constantly consume different legal and illegal drugs. Affecting peoples mind and changing their behavior, drugs become one of the most threatening factors of social risk, resulting in increasing rates of mortality, aggressive and criminal behavior, and dissolution of social ties. This paper is devoted toRead More Alcohol vs. Marijuana Essay701 Words   |  3 PagesAlcohol vs. Marijuana Alcohol and marijuana are two drugs commonly used and abused in the United States. Alcohol is the number one abused drug, while marijuana is number one among illegal drugs. While alcohol remains legal, and marijuana illegal, this does not necessarily mean that alcohol is better for you. There have been many arguments where people suggest that marijuana should be legal because alcohol is more deadly. On the other hand, there are alcoholics who would tell a pothead thatRead MoreAlcohol vs. Marijuana Essay699 Words   |  3 PagesAlcohol Vs. Marijuana Alcohol and marijuana are two drugs commonly used and abused in the United States. Alcohol is the number one abused drug, while marijuana is number one among illegal drugs. While alcohol remains legal, and marijuana illegal, this does not necessarily mean that the alcohol is better for you. There have been many arguments where people suggest that marijuana should be legal because alcohol is more deadly. On the other hand, there are alcoholics who would tell a potheadRead MoreMarijuana vs. Alcohol in the United States Essay843 Words   |  4 PagesMarijuana vs. Alcohol In The United States Marijuana and alcohol are the two most threatening drugs used in America today. Marijuana is the most illicit drug while alcohol is the most abused. Both were illegal during the prohibition but when the constitution was ratified in 1933 alcohol was made legal while marijuana remained illegal. It does not mean that because alcohol is still legal it’s less dangerous than marijuana. Both drugs lead to serious risks and should be taken with caution if usedRead MoreMarijuana vs. Alcohol People are often quick to judge those that use marijuana, but do not judge900 Words   |  4 PagesMarijuana vs. Alcohol People are often quick to judge those that use marijuana, but do not judge those who use alcohol. With medical marijuana on the rise, people are using marijuana almost as much as people using alcohol. People argue the health risk of both marijuana and alcohol, but do people really know what the health risks and benefits are? Excessive use of alcohol is accountable for 88,000 U.S. fatalities each year from 2006 to 2010. The fatalities cost the budget $224 billion according toRead MoreThe History and Possible Legalization of Marijuana Essay1165 Words   |  5 PagesDrug Laws There has never been a death from marijuana overdose. â€Å"A person would have to smoke 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC in a joint to overdose† (Wing). Marijuana was classified as an illegal drug in 1970, because it can be abused very easily (â€Å"infoplease†). Marijuana was then grown indoors. Marijuana is illegally used by many people daily. Marijuana should be legalized because it is naturally grown and can be used to help cancer patients, relieve stress, and be used daily. CannabisRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1714 Words   |  7 Pagesboth free and drug free. 79 years ago, marijuana became prohibited in the United States (PBS). Today, we find the topic of marijuana’s legality in all forms of media and every level of politics. It is now a never ending topic of public debates. The goal is to answer the question that refuses to die: should marijuana be legalized? Marijuana may not be for you, it may make you paranoid or uncomfortable, and no one should be forced to use it; but, legalizing marijuana in the United States would be beneficialRead MoreWhy Marijuana Should Be Legalized Essay1605 Words   |  7 PagesTable of Contents I. Introduction to Cannabis II. The History of Marijuana III. The Prohibition IV. Economic Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana V. The Medical Benefits of Marijuana VI. Marijuana vs. Alcohol and Tobacco VII. Marijuana Stimulates Creativity and Brain Cell Growth VIII. Conclusion Should marijuana be legalized for recreational and medical purposes? Thesis: Since marijuana is not harshly dangerous to one’s health nor is it a hard narcotic, it should beRead MoreThe Debate Over The Legalization Of Marijuana952 Words   |  4 Pagesconcern over the legalization of marijuana. The debate over the issue of marijuana and its legalization has been an immensely prevalent one in the nation over several years now. The issue of legalizing marijuana is truly a controversial one, and certainly one that requires a plethora of considerations at the top levels of the legislative branch. Legalizing marijuana would not only make it easily accessible to patients for treatment in states in which medicinal marijuana is currently not legal but wouldRead MoreMarijuana Addiction1162 Words   |  5 PagesBecoming Addicted to Marijuana â€Å"Marijuana is the most commonly used drug illegal drug in the world.† (â€Å"What is Marijuana†, 2013). It has recently become legal in a couple states, and more states are sure to follow their lead in the upcoming months. People can make the argument that marijuana does not have any negative effects, but they are wrong. Becoming addicted to marijuana is easy, and it only opens up the door for you to try other harmful drugs once marijuana quits getting you high. You need

Critical Writing Standardising Arguments - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 309 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? Henson’s work should be perceived as an art because the artists relied on the contemporary art form of photography. His films are influential, and the artist produces dark expensive art films that can be compared to the films of the 20th century. Questioning the moral purpose of Henson’s art may not seem effective because his films target on discouraging immoral behaviors that exist within a society. His films create a public criticism on the different types of behavior that occurs in a region. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Critical Writing: Standardising Arguments" essay for you Create order Moral panic lacks a direct impact on the pedophilic condition.   The moral purpose of Henson’s art is to discourage people from undertaking activities that do not support the required norms of the society. On the other hand, pedophilia is an individual problem that emanates from a personality disorder or an abuse of the childhood by the adults.   Therefore, although the Henson’s art is associated with issues of moral panic, it does not expose an individual to issues of pedophilia. The audience should focus on the moral impact of the artworks as opposed to the negative influence of the art to the society. The production of films on wealthy and elite people creates a perception that Henson’s art always targets an elite art audience. He uses prints that are considered as expensive materials because his gallery contains pictures only for wealthy art elite.   Henson believes wealthy people as the real people that recognize the need for growth. However, Henson’s work is not strictly meant for the wealthy people, but all the individuals can access and use the films. Despite the use nude children photos, Henson’s work has nothing to do with corporate pedophilia.   His work aims at discouraging sexual behaviors in children as opposed to the corporate Pedophilia that entails the sale of products to children using a sexualized way.

The Mysterious Life of J.D. Salinger

J.D. Salinger is considered by many to be one of the most mysterious writers of the 20th century. Really, what could be more unusual and curious than a writer who publishes a bestselling novel and then leaves all kinds of public life, leaves in seclusion, almost never gives interviews and never publishes anything. For fifty years afterwards Salinger remained a mystery and a living legend for those impressed by his breakthrough novel The Catcher in the Rye. It is only natural – people like inexplicable mysteries, and Salinger’s life was sure one of them. Recently released documentary Salinger, however, tries to cast its own glance on this secret and, probably, reveal some aspects of Salinger’s life that weren’t known before. It is very important to understand that Salinger’s works and his unusual behavior have led to the appearance of cult following. Nevertheless, when we usually use this term we simply mean that a book or a movie is outstandingly popular and has some extremely devoted fans who seem to be much more aware of the fictional world than the real one. In case of Salinger it acquired even more intensive forms: for many people he turned into a kind of deity, and any attempt to make his image look more well-rounded and realistic are met with extreme prejudice. It is probably what awaits Salinger. While paying due respects to the legacy of one of the most famous American writers of the last century, it tries to give answers to the questions that have been harrowing people for decades: Why Salinger left the world to live in seclusion? Why did he stop publishing? What was he writing all these years? What was happening behind the walls of his house in Cornish? And maybe, just maybe, after watching this documentary movie some people will get an opportunity to see Salinger as somebody less of a supernatural being, more human than considered previously. Maybe it will give another explanation than a simply â€Å"He was too good for this world to live in it†. In fact, it is not the first work that debunks the image of Salinger as a saint. Salinger, however, gives this whole story a new angle, it allows people to perceive the twofold aspect of Salinger’s nature: as a writer and as a person with his own flaws and peculiarities that make him all the more unique.

Union General William Tecumseh Shermans Carolina Campaign...

Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Carolina campaign during the American Civil War led to the capital of South Carolina in the city of Columbia in early 1865. Sherman was employing a new military strategy of total war, in which he considered the civilian population and their property as military targets. Upon hearing of Sherman’s march toward Columbia, the Confederate cavalry General Wade Hampton faced the reality that Columbia would be lost to Sherman. The question for Hampton was how to prepare for the invasion of Columbia with a focus on the disposition of supplies ranging from cotton, food, and alcohol, to military-related supplies such as ammunition, rifles, and cannons. It was both obvious and imperative to the Confederacy that the Union could not take possession of these supplies, since this would simultaneously help the Union and seriously hurt the Confederacy. Additionally, the presence of the cotton would make the potential of fire a real danger for the citizenry and the buildings in which they lived, worked, gathered, and prayed. Confederate General Wade Hampton unsuccessfully employed the tenants of the current U.S. Army mission command philosophy during the Union General Sherman’s campaign through South Carolina. Hampton’s failure to follow the yet to be written philosophy of mission command both before and during Sherman’s occupation of Columbia directly destroyed what little chance of winning the war the South may have clung to. Conversely, GeneralShow MoreRelatedShermans march to the Sea1391 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Title: Sherman’s March to the Sea Name: Institution: Name of Facilitator: Course Name and Number: Date: Abstract This paper describes a campaign that helped decide the American Civil War. A General of the Union army named William Tecumseh Sherman helped lead a campaign that started in Georgia go the sea in Savannah, and finish to help aid the main forces in the Carolinas. During this march the soldiers lived off the land and the Southern people’s foodRead MoreGeneral Sherman And The Match Of The Sea1919 Words   |  8 Pages Holland Carvalho HIST342 17, July 2015 General William Sherman and the match to the sea Introduction General Sherman s contribution to the Civil War will forever be remembered in history, although he made some miscalculations, his mistakes did nothing to his reputation unlike his brilliance in strategizing . His military exploits went far beyond getting the attention of American military historians; it went all the way to the shores of Europe. Military historian Basil LiddellRead MoreGeneral Sherman s Tactics That Ended The Civil War2550 Words   |  11 PagesArgument 20 July 2015 General Sherman’s Unorthodox Tactics that Ended the Civil War Scorched farms, slaughtered livestock, uprooted railway lines and cities set on fire was not typical battle strategy previously seen on American soil. However, the Civil War was dragging on and General William Tecumseh Sherman was determined to finally end the fighting. The circumstances that initiated the war created a figurative and literal divide unlike America had ever seen. The American Civil War took heavy tollsRead More William T. Sherman Essay734 Words   |  3 Pages William T. Sherman SHERMAN, William Tecumseh (1820-91). Ranked second only to General Ulysses S. Grant as the greatest Northern commander in the American Civil War, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman was a master of modern warfare. Like Grant, Sherman was born in Ohio when it was a frontier state. He was named Tecumseh for the Shawnee Indian chief who had terrorized that region a few years earlier. Sherman was born on Feb. 8, 1820, in Lancaster, Ohio. His father died when he was 9 years old. MostRead MoreGeneral William Tecumseh Sherm War Hero Or Criminal?1971 Words   |  8 PagesJohnathon Treon Mr. Bradley A.P United States 25th January, 2015 General William Tecumseh Sherman: War Hero or Criminal? Throughout the entirety of United States history, no conflict form the Revolution to Vietnam, was more deadly in terms of American lives lost, then the Civil War. Fought over the very principles of states’ rights, exclusively in the form of slavery, this conflict would cost over 600,000 lives and the devastation of the southern landscape and economy for many years to come.1 UnderRead MoreAbraham Lincoln Delivered A Speech Essay1763 Words   |  8 Pages Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech that was called the 2nd inaugural address on March 4, 1865, during his 2nd inauguration as President of the United States. Lincoln called the problem an issue that challenged the country about 4 years prior, acknowledged slavery was the real cause of the war and the suffering caused by the war. He acknowledges hope for the end of the conflict and urges Americans to strive for peace.In November 1863, President Abraham Lincoln was invited to deliver the GettysburgRead MoreTaking a Look at Abr aham Lincoln833 Words   |  3 Pages1809. As the Leader of the Union, he fought against the Confederate President, Jefferson Davis in the Civil War. Lincoln won the war with General Ulysses S. Grant by his side. Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14th 1865. He died of his gunshot wound at 7:22 the next day. â€Æ' William Tecumseh Sherman Born in Lancaster, Ohio, Sherman was only sixteen when he entered West Point. He is the colonel of the 13th Regular Infantry. He was also a general in the Civil War. Even though Anderson’s illnessRead MoreThe New York City Draft Riots3042 Words   |  13 Pages[H1]15.4: The Union Triumphant [keywords] Copperheads New York City Draft Riots Sherman’s March to the Sea [/keywords] [learning objectives] By the end of this section, you will be able to: †¢ Describe the reasons why many Americans doubted that Abraham Lincoln would be reelected †¢ Explain how the Union forces overpowered the Confederacy By the outset of 1864, after three years of war, the Union had mobilized its resources for the ongoing struggle on a massive scale. The government had overseen theRead More Civil War Essay1649 Words   |  7 Pages Civil War Civil war was the greatest war in American history. It was waged in 10,000 places-from Valverde, New Mexico, and Fernandina on the Florida coast. More than three million Americans fought in it and more than 600,00 men died in it. It was not only the immensity of the fight but the new weapons, the new standards of generalship, and the strategies of destruction which made the Civil War an event present ever since in the American consciousness. Here are some of the crucialRead MoreCivil War Battle Of Shiloh1846 Words   |  8 PagesCivil War Battle of Shiloh Scholars still debate the various causes of the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865). However, few disagree that the issue of slavery (and the status assigned to black Americans) had been eroding relations between Northern and Southern states from the first days of American independence, and culminated in actual armed conflict shortly after Abraham Lincoln’s first election to the presidency in 1860 (â€Å"The American Civil War,† n.d.). On April 12, 1861 Confederate troops under

Hr Scorecard Free Essays

International Bulletin of Business Administration ISSN: 1451-243X Issue 4 (2009)  © EuroJournals, Inc. 2009 http://www. eurojournals. We will write a custom essay sample on Hr Scorecard or any similar topic only for you Order Now com/IBBA. htm The Application of Human Resource Scorecard: A Case Study of Public Hospitals in NTT Province, Indonesia Riana Sitawati Accounting Department, STIE Dharmaputra Sodikin Manaf Accounting Department, STIE Dharmaputra Endah Winarti Accounting Department, STIE Dharmaputra Abstract Together with regional autonomy development, regional performance management becomes one of the most important factors to be considered. Regional public hospital becomes a regional government asset that should manage itself therefore it can prepare transparent performance measurement report for the benefit of the hospital itself and also the society or other interest parties. However, as a service organization, human resource competency becomes key factor in a public hospital that also needs to be improved. For achieving this aim, then this paper describes human resources performance measurement steps for the hospital particularly regional public hospital which consisted of preparing Activity Value Chain, Job Description, Job Specification, Job Performance Standard, and Job Performance Scorecard. Those steps had been implemented in public hospitals in NTT province, Indonesia. In the end, hopefully it can provide alternative standard for measuring a whole organization performance. Keywords: Public hospital, performance measurement, Activity Value Chain, Job Description, Job Specification, Job Performance Standard, Job Performance Scorecard, East Nusa Tenggara Province 1. Introduction The early years of the 21st century are proving to be a period of profound transition business world. This transition is being driven by a number of key trends including: global interdependence; diverse, diffuse, and asymmetrical security threats; rapidly evolving science and technology; dramatic shifts in the age and composition of population; important quality of life issues; the changing nature of our economy; and evolving government structures and concepts. These trends also contribute to a huge, longer-range fiscal and budgetary challenge around the world. Given these trends and long-range fiscal challenges, we are now seeing increased attention to strategic human capital management (U. S. General Accounting Office, 2002). While human capital is the foundation for creating value in the new economy, human assets are the least understood by business leaders and therefore the least effectively managed. Furthermore, there is exceptional about human resource function, which is that is less prepared than many other functions (such as finance or information system) to quantify its impact on business performance (Yeung Berman, 1997). Since the Indonesian government determined regulation about regional autonomy in 2002, there were efforts to arrange specific policies for government owned institution in each Indonesian region. Those specific policies also included performance measurement area that the government institutions in local region can manage their own performance report but still have obligation to report their performance condition to central government. That independent performance management is based on Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia (Indonesian Regulation) no. 17 / 2003 that applies the implementation refers to the activity area of the government institution activity. Refers to the regional public hospital that also becomes regional government institution, this institution also has obligation to prepare an independent performance report system. In fact, there are not many public hospitals that had implemented performance measurement report system refers to Indonesian generally accepted accounting principle. This caused by the bureaucracy culture in Indonesia that can not be removed easily particularly in government institution environment and lack of skilled human resources that has sufficient knowledge to make a good financial report. Although there are many problems resulted in preparing an independent public hospital, but it will be better if the public officer that works at Health Department, Regional Government, or Public Hospital begins to take real steps in improving financial system at public hospital. It becomes more important refers to Indonesian bad economic condition after multi dimension crisis so that public hospital should find its own core business rather than depend on government budget (Subanegara, 2005). This condition had been applied at developed countries which have their own business unit, such as laundry facility that are provided for general society with tariff that relatively the same with market price. Moreover, the hospitals also have specific pavilion for sound patient where room price and medical service are based on higher tariff compared with regular class so there is subsidy for the poor patient. As a public institution, main goal of public hospital is to provide medical service to local patient particularly the poor ones. Therefore, profit is clearly not the main goal of public hospital. With such character, it is not surprising that there are so many public hospitals that complain about their lost in operating activities because of their social responsibility service. Based on the above factors, we can see the importance of good measurement management system for regional public hospital. Until recently, public hospital only depends on central government or local government funding and management system without tries to find out any efforts to be more independent. This opinion should be changed therefore hospital can produce its own performance measurement report that still can support its social service function which always become its main mission. Refers to this condition, then it is necessary to understand how to arrange a good performance report therefore the hospital knows for sure its own advantages and disadvantages as a foundation to decide strategic action in order to manage better and more professional public hospital financial and non financial aspect. Therefore a performance measurement that is capable to measure not only financial but also non financial aspect will be more supportive. 2. Problem Statement Although the application of a complete Balanced Scorecard as one of Strategic Management Accounting performance tools had produced enormous studies and practices, but there is still lack of focus on its application at Indonesian public sector. This also occurs especially in an organization which provides service such as medical organizations which have social responsibility and see human resources as the main organization asset. That background inspires author to describe author’s experience related with human resource performance measurement at Indonesian public hospitals. 3. Theoretical Background 3. 1. Performance Measurement Performance can be considered as a â€Å"relative and culture-specific concept†, one of those â€Å"suitcase words in which everyone places the concepts that suit them, letting the context take care of the definition†(Lebas, Euske, 2002). We could use the same words to describe performance measurement. Different people give different meanings to performance measurement. Adams, Kennerley and Neely defined performance measurement as â€Å"the process of quantifying the efficiency and effectiveness of past action† (Neely, Adams, Kennerley, 2002). The author considers this definition clear and meaningful. We can argue that quantifying only the efficiency and the effectiveness dimensions of the action could be too limiting. We can argue that performance measurement doesn’t mean only quantifying but also comparing to a reference. But we should agree that the definition they gave sounds quite linear, appropriate, reasonable and useful. As it happens with other processes, the purpose of performance measurement is not univocal. Performance measurement is a sort of primary process: it can be considered as a basic element of larger and different processes like: †¢ internal performance evaluation †¢ external performance assessment †¢ performance management So the aims of performance measurement could be quite different. In the past decade performance measurement has been a topic that has received growing attention in the Public Sector. To encourage a performance-driven culture, a lot of public organizations have adopted a performance measurement system to measure, assess, report their performance and compare it with the performance of other organizations (performance evaluation and benchmarking). Just few of them have adopted it to manage their performance (performance management). For the author the difference between the two approaches is a fundamental issue to point out. In the former, measures are used to evaluate ex-post, at the end of a period of time, what has been done during the period and whether the desired outcomes have been achieved at the end. Here the purpose of measuring is to help to make a judgment about the performance of the organization at the end of a period. In the latter, measures are used to manage the performance within the period, identify issues and problems before correction becomes difficult or impossible and support decision-making processes in order to really achieve the desired outcomes at the end of the period. The purpose of measuring is to help people, accountable for performance, to make the right decisions within the period of time used as the reference. Both in the Private and Public Sector, using performance measurement just for evaluation s â€Å"one of the main barriers that people need to overcome if the organization wants to move from measurement set to judge to measurement consciously adopted to support decision making process†(Bocci 2004). If we talk about performance measurement just in terms of reviewing and assessing, we can not inspire people and align them with the strategy and t he overall goals of the organization. People will not understand the needs of measuring their performance and will consider measures used to find fault and punish someone (Kaydos, 1998): any performance measurement system we try to implement will be boycotted in some way. Performance evaluation is important but it does not tell us the true and complete story. That is why organizations should focus on adopting performance management systems. If organizations continue to use measurement just for assessing their performance, they can not achieve the consensus that allows them to effectively manage their performance. 3. 2. The Balanced Scorecard Application in Public Sector The Balanced Scorecard method (Kaplan Norton, 1992) forms a conceptual measurement model for assessing an organization’s performance. This model complements financial measures of past performance with measures of drivers of future performance (Gaspersz, 2002). Unlike other accounting models, the Balanced Scorecard incorporates valuation of organization’ intangible and intellectual assets such as (Walker MacDonald, 2001): †¢ High – quality products and services †¢ Motivated and skilled employees †¢ Responsive internal processes †¢ Innovation productivity The original Balanced Scorecard model developed by Kaplan and Norton can be seen at the following figure. Figure 3. 1: Balanced Scorecard FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE VISION STRATEGY INTERNAL BUS. PROCESS PERSP. LEARNING GROWTH PERSPECTIVE (Source: Niven, 2005) As mentioned above, Kaplan and Norton introduced 4 perspectives from a company activities that can be evaluated by management as follows : 1. Financial Perspective : how we can satisfy stakeholder? 2. Customer Perspective : how we can satisfy customer? 3. Internal Business Perspective : what processes that we should offer in order to achieve company success? . Learning and Growth Perspective : how we can maintain ability to face company changes? The BSC concept is not only applicable to private sector but also public sector including public health sector. Indonesian economic system that experiences disaster recently is mostly caused by government system mismanagement that usually known as KKN (Corruption, Collusion, and Nepotism). Therefore it needs a performance measurement tool for its public organization to impr ove economic system condition. Based on the different character between private sector and public sector, we can compare the 4 perspectives of Balanced Scorecard as follows. Figure 3. 2: Balanced Scorecard Perspectives: A Comparation Between Private Sector and Public Sector Perspective Financial/Operational Efficiency Customer Learning and Growth Private Sector How we can give value to the stakeholder? How customer will evaluate our performance? Can we continue to improve and create value to the customer, stakeholder, employee, management and organization? What should we proposed from our process and product? Internal Process and Product Public Sector How we can give value to the society and tax payer? How public service user evaluate our performance? Can we continue to improve and create value to the society/tax payer, public officer, public organization, and stakeholder? Does the implemented development program can bring results refers to the expectation? (Source: Gasperz, 2002) Those differences in balanced scorecard perspectives between private sector and public sector encourages us to modify the implementation of balanced scorecard at public sector. This modification is necessary because of the following reasons: 1. Main focus of public sector is the society and certain interest groups while main focus of private sector is customer and stakeholder. 2. Main goal of public sector is not to maximize financial result but the balanced budget responsibility through service to stakeholder refers to its vision and mission. 3. Defining indicators and target in customer perspective needs high concern as consequency of public sector role and needs clear definition and strategic result. 3. 3. Human Resources Scorecard The Human Resource Scorecard approach used slightly modifies the initial Balanced Scorecard model, which at the time was most commonly used at the corporate level. However, the approach remains focused on long-term strategies and clear connections to business outcomes. The Human Resource Balanced Scorecard can be classified into four perspectives (Walker MacDonald, 2001): a. Strategic Perspective This perspective measures company success in achieving 5 strategic thrusts (talent, leadership, customer service and support, organizational integration, and Human Resource Capability). . Operations Perspective This perspective measures Human Resource success in operational excellence. The focus here is primarily in three areas: staffing, technology, and Human Resource processes and transactions. c. Customer Perspective This perspective measures how Human Resource is viewed by company key customer segment. Survey results are used to track customer perception of ser vice as well as assessing overall employee engagement, competitive capability, and links to productivity. d. Financial Perspective This perspective measures how Human Resource adds measurable financial value to the organization, including measures of ROI in training, technology, staffing, risk management, and cost of service delivery. Many leading organizations use their performance management systems as a key tool for aligning institutional, unit, and employee performance; achieving results; accelerating change; managing the organization on a day-to-day basis; and facilitating communication throughout the year so that discussion about individual and organizational performance are integrated and ongoing (U. S. General Accounting Office, 2000). We also can see some examples of previous research studies in Human Resource in the following table: Table 3. 1: Summary of Major Research Studies in HR – Organizational Performance Relationships Research Studies MacDuffie Krafcik (1992) Methodology Studied 70 automotive assembly plants representing 24 companies and 17 countries worldwide Key Findings †¢ Manufacturing facilities with â€Å"lean production systems† are much higher in both productivity and quality than those with â€Å"mass production systems† (Productivity: 22 hours vs. 0 hours in producing a car; Quality 0. 5 defects vs. 0. 8 defects per 100 vehicles). †¢ While the HR strategy of a mass production system is used to create a highly specialized and deskilled work-force that supports a large-scale production process, the HR strategy of a lean production system aims to create a skilled, motivated, and flexible workforce that can continuously solve probl ems. The success of a â€Å"lean production system† critically depends on such â€Å"highcommitment† human resource policies as the decentralization of production responsibilities, broad job classification, multiskilling practices, profit/gain sharing, a reciprocal psychological commitment between firm and employees, employment security, and a reduction of status barrier. Studies that demonstrate business impact by adopting the following highperformance work practices are summarized: †¢ Employee involvement in decision making. Compensation (profit/gain sharing) †¢ Training programs †¢ Constellation of high-performance work practices †¢ Contradictory to traditional strategy literature, these five companies are neither in the right industry (based on Porter’s industry structure analysis) nor are they market leaders in these industries (based on Boston Consulting Group’s learning curve). †¢ Instead, these companies share a set of hig h commitment work practices such as employment security, selectivity in recruiting, high wages, incentive pay, employee ownership, information sharing, participation and empowerment, teams and job redesign, cross-training, etc. Empirically identified two distinct HR configurations: control and commitment systems. †¢ Control systems aim to reduce direct labor costs, or improve efficiency by enforcing employee compliance with specified rules and procedures and basing employee rewards on some measurable output criteria. †¢ Commitment systems aim to shape desired employee behaviors and attitudes by forging psychological links between organizational and employee goals. †¢ The mills with commitment systems had higher productivity, lower scrap rates, and lower employee turnover than those with control systems. Based on his sample, Huselid found that if firms increase their highperformance work practices by one standard deviation (SD), their turnover would be reduced by 7. 05 %, productivity increased by 16%. †¢ In terms of financial impact, a one-SD increase in high-performance work practices leads to a $27,044 increase in sales, an $18,641 increase in market value, and a $3,814 increase in profit. †¢ Developed an overall HR Quality Index based on the aggregate ratings of all HR activities adopted by a firm. †¢ Based on the HR Quality Index, firms are grouped into four categories based on their percentile (i. . , bottom 25%, second 25%, third 25%, and top 25%). †¢ Firms that score higher in the HR Quality Index consistently outperform firms with a lower index in four financial measures: market/book value ratio, productivity (i. e. , sales/employees), market value, and sales. U. S. Department of Labor (1993) Summarized all major research studies regarding the HR-firm performance relationship Pfeffer (1994) Identified the five topperforming firms (based on percentage of stock returns) between 1972 and 1992 and assessed their common Arthur (1994) Conducted a survey research from 30 U. S. steel minimills Huselid (1995) Utilized both survey research and financial data of 968 firms Ostroff (1995) Conducted a survey research jointly sponsored by Society of Human Resource Management and CCH Incorporated (Source: Yeung and Berman, 1997) 4. The Case Study Application of Balanced Scorecard is a new progress in Indonesia particularly in public sector as there is no standard for measuring public sector performance until recently. Moreover as a fact, most of Indonesian public hospital administration and financial activities has not applied generally accepted accounting principle which is main accounting system (AlkatiriSetiyono, 2001). Therefore author’s experience in building a performance measurement system in 3 (three) Nusa Tenggara Province public hospitals will be described at the following case study. In general, road map for measuring the performance is: Figure 4. 1: Roadmap for Performance Measurement ROADMAP OF HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT DEVELOPING UNIT PERFORMANCE SCORECARD MEASURES MEASURABLE THEORY OF PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT W EIGHT RELIABLE SCORECARD UNIT TRANSPARENT TARGET (Source: Ferdinand, 2003) Figure 4. 1 above shows that theory of performance measurement such as Balanced Scorecard (BSC) provides 3 standards in making indicators, which are measurable, reliable, and transparent. Measurable means the indicators should be a matter of quantitative, not abstract. Reliable means the indicators can be trusted. Transparent means the indicators should be socialized to all parties. Then after determining the indicators, we should pay attention to the measures (indicators), weight of each indicators, and target that should be achieved. In the end, it will produce scorecard for each hospital unit. Detail steps of producing this scorecard can be followed at the following sections. 4. 1. Preparing Activity Value Chain The initial step in making performance measurement standard should begin from preparing activity chain for each staff. In order to make it, we should know our Achievement Generating Factor which is the main task of a job position. In order to make clear description, the example of activity value chain can be seen on the Appendix-Figure 1 for Head of Medical Committee. The activity details that belong to the Activity Value Chain are all activities that are done regularly. For example, routine activity for a lecturer is teaching a class. But the lecturer also has supporting activity such as giving suggestion to his/her students if they are experiencing problems in their study. This different type of activity should be clearly understand in defining activity value chain as a first step before move further to other steps. . 2. Preparing Job Description After determining routine activities in value chain, the following step is making job description. Job description is a description of a job that should be completed by a person in certain position. The example for this Job Description can be seen on the Appendix-Figure 2. In order to formulate good job description, we should pay attention to these factors: 1. Job a ssignment should be detail and concrete. 2. State the assignment in information type so it can be implemented and evaluated. The presented information can be input information or output information. . Determine Information Source that we use to state information type of a conducted assignment. This information source can be officer with whom we cooperate, and what form we use to state the information. 4. Determine the time frame and the person who should implement the informed assignment. 5. Decide how information distribution is implemented. Information distribution can be done by assigning person / department that receives the information and time schedule when the information should be delivered. 6. We also need to determine success measurement criteria for implemented task. . It is our obligation to determine development requirement to be completed by the implementer person so they can do their job competently. 8. It is also suggested that we determine responsibility person for fixed asset whether in unit or monetary form so all staffs feel responsible. Job Description can be implemented if the people who sit on certain position fulfill the required specification. Therefore a job description will be more meaningful if continued by job specification for potential candidate of a position. 4. 3. Preparing Job Specification Job specification is a criteria or requirement for a certain position. There are 2 main classification in Job Specification which are: (See Appendix-Figure 3) a. Initial Requirement It is organization demand to the position holder candidate. b. Development Support After someone fulfills the requirement to sit on a position, then it becomes organization responsibility to develop this position holder. The development support can be in the form of training and education therefore the position holder can be developed and succeed in doing his/her job now or in the future. 4. 4. Preparing Job Performance Standard The previous Job Description will be more meaningful if management has certain scoring tool that can be used as performance measurement for a position holder. In order to have that scoring tool, then it needs to develope a standard which called Job Performance Standard. In making Job Performance Standard, we will determine performance score criteria. The common score standard is as follows: Performance Criteria Very Good Good Average Bad Very Bad Code VG G A B VB Score 5 4 3 2 1 Job Performance Standard consists of: (See Appendix-Figure 4) a. Performance Criteria Scorecard . Job Description c. Performance Indicator d. Performance Criteria e. Target Description By having Job Performance Standard, then it will decrease job evaluator subjectivity so that the evaluated staff and the evaluator person have the same guidance in understanding the performance. Performance Indicator or Performance Measures aims to determine success criteria of a job that bein g implemented by a position holder. This Performance Indicator/Measures can be measured from 2 aspects which are Lagging Indicator and Leading Indicator. a. LAG Performance Indicator is a Final Result Indicator of an activity. For example, Lag Performance Indicator for a Salesman activity: recording sales to achieve target is recording accuracy and timeliness. b. LEAD Performance Indicator or Process Performance Indicator is indicator for supposedto-be-done activity. If this activity can be done, then the Lag Indicator tends to be achieved. As an example for the salesman above, in order to make recording sales activity run well, then it needs some activities such as: (1) Checking data and report completeness and (2) Preparing supporting facility and information to make report. 4. 5. Preparing Job Performance Scorecard Job Performance Scorecard is an achieved performance result of a staff in certain period. From Job Description, Job Specification and Job Performance Standard, then it can produce Design of Management Performance Scorecard that can be used as a tool to measure organization managerial performance. Therefore the organization has a measurement tool that can be used as a guidance to measure overall organization performance. The scorecard can be seen at the Appendix-Figure 5. As a performance report, this Job Performance Scorecard should be published regularly as a complement of hospital financial report. This report can be foundation for management to make decision on what they should do related to their staff performance. Therefore this scorecard should be applied to all management levels from operational level until strategic level so it might run well. 5. Conclusion It is not surprising that Indonesian public hospital still provide minimum medical service with minimum funding support from the government. However, Public Hospital as a public service institution needs a condusive human resource performance measurement system to determine its worker ffectiveness and efficiency weaknesses so it can achieve good corporate governance in the future. Balanced Scorecard has provided a foundation for both private and public sector to measure both sector performances. This foundation can be used by Indonesian public sector particularly regional hospital to improve its performance so in the end it might produce scorecard report regularly that is reliable. All steps from making Activity Value Chain, Job Description, Job Specification, Job Performance Standard, and Job Performance Scorecard can be easily followed as a standard for implementing the BSC into the public health sector. However, this paper is only limited on success story at three Indonesian public hospitals in Nusa Tenggara Province. Therefore future research should be more generalized to other public hospitals or other public sectors in Indonesia. Bibliography [1] [2] [3] Alkatiri, A. Setiyono, V. (2001). Manajemen Akuntansi Rumah Sakit. Fa. Sinar Bahagia, Jakarta. Bocci, F. (2004). Defining Performance Measurement. A Comment. PMA Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 1/2 September, pp. 20. Ferdinand, A. (2003) Module for Performance Monitoring: Supervisory Monitoring Scorecard. Training for Hospital Performance Management at East Nusa Tenggara Regional Public Hospitals, a joint programme between EPOS Health Consultant Germany, East Nusa Tenggara Health Department, and AGF Consulting Indonesia Gaspersz, V. (2002). Balanced Scorecard dengan Six Sigma untuk Organisasi Bisnis dan Pemerintah. PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta, Chapter 1. Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. (1992). Translating Strategy into Action: the Balance Scorecard. Harvard Business School Press, Boston. Kaydos, W. (1998). Operational Performance Measurement: Increasing Total Productivity. CRC Press, pp. 98. Lebas, M. Euske, K. (2002). A Conceptual and Operational Delineation of Performance in Business Performance Measurement: Theory and Practice. Neely, Andy Editor, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Neely, A. , Adams, C. , and Kennerley, M. (2002). The Performance Prism: The Scorecard for Measuring and Managing Business Success. Financial Times Prentice Hall, London 2002 Niven, P. R. (2005). Balanced Scorecard Diagnostics: Maintaining Maximum Performance. John WileySons, Inc. Subanegara, H. P. (2005). Diamond Head Drill Kepemimpinan Dalam Manajemen Rumah Sakit. Penerbit Andi, Yogyakarta. Sugiri, S. (1992). Pengantar Akuntansi, Edisi Revisi. AMP YKPN, Yogyakarta. Undang-Undang RI No. 17 Tahun 2003 Tentang Keuangan Negara. BP Cipta Jaya, Jakarta. U. S. General Accounting Office, Human Capital: Key Principles From Nine Private Sector Organizations, GAO/GGD-00-28. Washington, DC. : Jan. 31, 2000 U. S. General Accounting Office, Managing for Results: Using Strategic Human Capital Management to Drive Transformational Change, GAO-02-940T. Washington, DC. : July 15, 2002 Walker, G. MacDonald, J. R. (2001). Designing and Implementing an HR Scorecard. Human Resource Management, Winter; 40, 4; pp. 365-377. Yeung, A. K. Berman, B. (1997). Adding Value Through Human Resources Reorienting Human Resource Measurement to Drive Business Performance. Human Resource Management, Fall; 36, 3 : p. 321-335 [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] Appendix Figure 1: Activity Value Chain Name of Position : HEAD OF MEDICAL COMMITTEE Main Goal of Position : Achieve optimum Medical Service Coordination in accordance with medical science and technology and medical profession ethic. VALUE CHAIN DIAGRAM ACTIVITY DETAIL JOB CHARACTERISTIC Head of Medical Committee 1 8 2 3 4 7 6 5 1. Make Medical Committee plan 2. Make Committee and Team, and ascertain duty implementation of Committee and Team 3. Ascertain duty implementation of SMF (Functional Medical Staff) refers to service standard 4. Coordinate SMF education and training 5. Coordinate research and development for SMF medical area 6. Approve Credit Proposal and make DP3 for Head of SMF 7. Make report and conduct evaluation on Medical Committee activities AT AT AT AT AT AT AT Note: AT = Routine Accountability Figure 2: Job Description Division Position Main Activity Make Medical Committee plan : Medical Committee : Head of Medical Committee Job Characteristic AT Information Type Input : Director SK PHO IDI Information Source Person Format †¢ Director †¢ Minister of Health †¢ IDI/ Professional Organisation Relevant person †¢ Letter †¢ Book †¢ Book Head of Medical Committee Annually †¢ Director †¢ Head of SMF On December Job Implementer Time Result Distribution Person Time Success Criteria †¢ †¢ Plan finishing time accuracy (POA) Plan content completeness (POA) Make Committee and Team, and ascertain duty implementation of Committee and Team AT Ascertain duty implementation of SMF (Functional Medical Staff) refers to service standard AT Coordinate SMF education and training AT Coordinate research and development for SMF medical area AT Approve Credit Proposal and make DP3 for Head of SMF AT Make report and conduct evaluation on Medical Committee activities AT uput : POA of Medical Committee Input : POA of Medical Committee Ouput : †¢ Committee SK †¢ Committee Activity Report Input : POA of Medical Committee Ouput : Service Standard Compliance Report Input : POA of Medical Committee Ouput : Activity report of SMF Education and training Input : POA of Medical Committee Ouput : Activity report of SMF Research and Development Input : †¢ Keppres (President Desicion) †¢ SK of Menpan Ouput : †¢ DP3 of SMF Head †¢ Promotion proposal Input : †¢ SK Director †¢ POA Committee Medis Ouput : †¢ Activity report and evaluation of Medical Committee Book Director Letter Head of Medical Committee Annually †¢ Director †¢ Head of SMF On December †¢ Relevant Person Letter Book Activity report time accuracy Director Book Head of Medical Committee Annually †¢ Director †¢ Head of SMF Relevant Person End of January at following year †¢ Reporting time accuracy Form Director Book Head of Medical Committee Annually †¢ Director †¢ Head of SMF Relevant Person End of January at following year †¢ Activity report time accuracy Form Director Book Head of Medical Committee Annually Director †¢ Head of SMF Relevant Person End of January at following year †¢ Activity report time accuracy Form President Menpan Letter Head of Medical Committee Docume nt †¢ Letter †¢ Book Head of Medical Committee 1 month ahead Semi annually †¢ Director 1 month ahead †¢ Arrangement time accuracy Relevant Person †¢ Director †¢ Director Annually †¢ Director †¢ Reporting time a ccuracy Relevant Person Head of SMF Form Figure 3: Job Specification Position : Head Of Medical Commitee Initial Requirement 1. S1/General Practitioner 2. Has 2 years experience at the relevant area Technical Competency 1. Medical basic skill 2. Ability to supervise medical committee task 3. Ability to make decision Managerial Development Competency Support 1. Ability to lead medical 1. Advance study committee S2/Specialist 2. Ability to make plan 2. Training of and policy in regards hospital with medical operational committee task management 3. Ability to make report 3. Training of and evaluation arranging job performance measurement Job Description 1. Make Medical Committee plan 2. Make Committee and Team, and ascertain duty implementation of Committee and Team 3. Ascertain duty implementation of SMF (Staf Medis Fungsional/Functional Medical Staff) refers to service standard 4. Coordinate SMF education and training 5. Coordinate research and development for SMF medical area 6. Approve Credit Proposal and make job performance measurement for Head of SMF 7. Make report and conduct evaluation on Medical Committee activities Figure 4: Job Performance Standard Position : Head of Medical Committee Very Good Score = 5 100% complete 100% from target 100% from target 100% from target 100% from target 100% from target 100% from target Very Good Score = 5 100% complete 100% from target Always Available 100% complete 100% complete 100% from target 100% complete 100% from target 100% complete Date 5 of the following month Good Score = 4 90 – 99% 90 – 99% from target 90 – 99% from target 90 – 99% from target 90 – 99% from target 90 – 99% from target 90 – 99% from target Good Score = 4 90 – 99% 90 – 99% from target 90 – 99% 90 – 99% 90 – 99% from target 90 – 99% 90 – 99% from target 90 – 99% Date 6-9 of the following month Average Score = 3 80-90% 80 – 90% from target 80 – 90% from target 80 – 90% from target 80 – 90% from target 80 – 90% from target 80 – 90% from target Average Score = 3 80-90% 80 – 90% from target Sometimes unavailable 80-90% 80-90% 80 – 90% from target 80-90% 80 – 90% from target 80-90% Date 10 of the following month Bad Score = 2 70-79% 75 – 80% target 75 – 80% target 75 – 80% target 75 – 80% target 75 – 80% target 75 – 80% target Bad Score = 2 70-79% 75 – 80% target 70-79% 70-79% 75 – 80% target 70-79% 75 – 80% target 70-79% Date 11-15 of the following month Very Bad Score = 1 How to cite Hr Scorecard, Papers

Adventures Of Huck Finn Theme Essay Example For Students

Adventures Of Huck Finn Theme Essay In Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn, the values of Huck and Jim traveling down the Mississippi River are contrasted against those of the people residing in the southern United States. Twain satirically portrays organized religion and societys morals throughout the novel. The freedom and tranquillity of the river gives way to the deceit, greed and prejudice of the towns lying on the shore of the river, causing them to disguise themselves and keep their identities hidden. These two runaways one a slave, the other a beaten boy attempt to build a sanctuary from civilization upon their raft, but the influence of the shore values continue to find their way into the thoughts, actions and feelings of both Huck and Jim, which becomes the major theme of this novel. While traveling down the Mississippi upon the raft, Huck and Jims sense of freedom subordinated all others. Jim was a runaway nigger Mark Twain, pg. 89 running from the law, yet he was free, while on the raft, to live and think as any white man. According to the rest of society, Huck was dead, murdered and thrown into the Mississippi; but on the raft he was alive. Both lived an idyllic life on the raft and as Huck put it, its lovely to live on a raft Ibid., pg. 115. Later, when the Duke and Dauphin came aboard and they agreed to all be friends, Huck was relieved and felt that everybody should feel right and kind towards the others Ibid., pg. 121 while living on a raft. Throughout their travels on the raft, honesty, kindness and equality prevailed, but whenever they touched shore, they encountered the deceit, greed, and cruelty of rural Southern United States. The idyllic life on the raft was contrasted with the hatred, cruelty, and distrust felt amongst the inhabitants of the shores of the Mississippi. Two feuding families, the Grangerfords and the Sheperdsons, are a satirized look at the lives of Southerners and of organized religion. The two families had been fighting for thirty years and no one knew the reason. When Huck asked if it was caused by land, Buck Grangerford responded I reckon maybe I dont know Ibid., pg. 105. Both families very hypocritically took guns to church and discussed with a fervor the sermon reported by Huck to be all about brotherly love Ibid., pg. 106. Twain portrayed Mississippi River society to be a greedy, distrustful civilization in which the values were all twisted and where the church was more of a form of entertainment than a religion. Huck and Jims Eden upon the raft was breached when two frauds found their way onto it. The Duke and Dauphin were continuously lying, deceiving and taking advantage of others. The influence of these two was the cause of many unwanted encounters with the towns and people along the Mississippi. Huck immediately realized they were just low-down humbugs and frauds Ibid., pg. 121. When Huck was able to slip away from the Duke  and Dauphin and resume his journey with Jim, he revealed his relief when he said its so good to be free again Ibid., pg. 197. When the Duke and Dauphin returned, Huck wilted right down onto the planks and up Ibid., pg. 198, exposing his dislike of the values which they brought onto the raft. The Duke and Dauphin provide an insight into the lives and values of the shore, and a deep contrast between Jim and Huck and the rest of society. Mark Twain contrasted the values of the shore and the river in a way which positively portrayed the river values and the lives of Huck and Jim, and negatively and often satirically, portrayed the values of rural Southern United States. Twain gave freedom to Huck and Jim and showed that all races of humans share like feelings and should all be treated as equals. .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 , .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 .postImageUrl , .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 , .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650:hover , .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650:visited , .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650:active { border:0!important; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650:active , .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650 .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udcaddbb5a233dcde0d4086b556e21650:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Hiding the Truth EssayThroughout the book Huck contends with the influence of societys values and in the end makes a decision to embrace that of equality.

Mechanomyography Essay Example For Students

Mechanomyography Essay MMG simply stated, is the sound that resonates from the muscle during a stimulated contraction. The act of pulling on a taught string and letting go has been related to model the sound generated by the muscle. This sound can be caused by the cycling of the actin myosin cross bridges, or perhaps by the gross lateral shift of the muscle, or maybe even the brief shock generated by the thickening of several active muscle fibers. These are three of the hypothesis that try to account for the sound emitted from the muscle. The exact cause of mechanomyography is yet to be determined, but there are a few attributes that can be spoken for. It is understood that the muscle sound is related to muscle activity and its properties are related to the properties of the contraction. (8) The main frequency of MMG is 25 Hertz, British physicist, chemist, and physician William Wollaston determined this. This can possibly be attributed to the ATP turnover rate. ATP can hydrolyze and refurbished at a rate of about 40msec, which translates into 25Hertz. (8,10)The MMG signal can be recorded using a variety of transducers. One is the piezoelectric crystal contact sensor (microphone).Some researchers have used a hydrophone in studies when the muscle was submerged in water in vivo, others have used condensers.(11) It will be discussed later some of the differences between the types. Factors that influence the MMG signal can include stiffness of the muscle, fluid in an around the muscle, temperature of the tissue, fiber type, gender, technique and equipment used, type of contraction performed, amount of fatigue, and cross talk between muscles. Stiffness can alter the MMG by lowering the amplitude. As the muscle produces a greater force the stiffness of the muscle increases linearly with the force increase. When subject reaches 80 100% of MVC this stiffness can cause the amplitude of the signal to decrease due to the fusion of motor unit twitches, which will limit the oscillation.(2) This stiffness can also be attributed when talking about the different types of contraction. Types of contraction have been shown to provoke different amounts of peak torque. Eccentric forms of contraction elicit greater force production than that of concentric. This could cause a greater stiffness in the muscle during eccentric contractions, which could lower the MMG. Also there is the mechanism behind the contraction that could be the factor. As stated earlier, the cycling of the cross bridges is supposed to produce the MMG signal. With eccentric contraction this cycling of the cross bridges would certainly be altered form that of concentric contraction. With the breaking of the cross bridges, instead of the binding and cycling. Another factor that affects the MMG signal could be the amount fluid in and around the muscle. It has been hypothesized that the sloshing of the fluid may be the cause for increases in the signal with velocity of contraction. This is definitely an area that needs further study. What are the effects of hydration status on MMG?Temperature has been shown to have a linear relationship with MMG. The amplitude is especially influenced by temperature.(8,11) Orizio and Stokes show a decrease in amplitude from 100% to 15% with a decrease in temperature from 25C to 7C respectively. Fiber type can be a determining factor in MMG signal. Marchetti states the cause of the MMF signal is the change in tension of the sarcomere, which would incorporate the intrinsic functions of the fiber, namely the speed of contraction.(7) Also, it has been shown that fast twitch fibers are characterized by a higher mean and median power frequency than are slow twitch fibers.(5) Thus we could interpret fast and slow twitch fibers. My Korean Heritage EssayMMG has been shown to decrease with fatigue. The relationship of MMG with fatigue simulated that of torque. It was such an identical result that Orizio concluded that MMG might be a good determinate for fatigue. Cross talk is another variable that may affect MMG. When the contact sensor records the signal of more than the desired muscle this is called cross talk. When corresponding muscles around the intended muscle contract, they also emit a sound frequency that can be picked up by the microphone, thus is integrated into the signal and can give a false response. Practical uses of MMG can be wide spread, such as fiber typing. Using MMG one might be able to fiber type without having to perform an invasive procedure such as biopsy. MMG could prove to become an inexpensive and convenient way to fiber type. MMG can also be used to diagnose muscle disease. Barry has shown in his research that the electrical efficiency was decreased with pediatric muscle disease. Perhaps the mechanomyographic response can give us a better look at the location and cause of the inefficiency. We can also look at muscle atrophy. Marchetti witnessed a clear reduction of the high frequency signal with muscle atrophy.(7,8) Using this information about atrophy we can then look into the elderly population. Possibly do a comparative study of young subjects and elderly and the MMG responses between the two. We could hypothesize that the elderly population would have a decreased MMG due to the loss of the muscle mass and the amount of recruitment that would be available. This may also give us an insight into the degenerative process of muscle atrophy, is it neural or mechanical or both?References1.Barry DT, Gordon KE, Hinton GG: Acoustic and surface emg diagnosis of pediatric muscle disease. Muscle Nerve 1990;13:286-290. 2.Ebersole KT, Housh TJ, Johnson GO, Evetovich TK, Smith DB, Perry SR: The effect of leg flexion angle on the mechanomyographic responses to isometric muscle actions. Eur J Appl Physiol 1998;78:264-269. 3.Evetovich TK, Housh TJ, Weir JP, Housh DJ, Johnson GO, Ebersole KT, Smith DB: The effect of leg extension training on the mean power frequency of the mechanomyogrpahic signal. Muscle Nerve 2000;23:000-000. 4.Evetovich TK, Housh TJ, Johnson GO, Smith DB, Ebersole KT, Perry SR: Gender comparisions of the mechanomyographic responses to maximal concentric and eccentric isokinetic actions. Med Sci Sports Exer 1998;30:1697-1702. 5.Evetovich TK, Housh TJ, Weir JP, Johnson GO, Smith DB, Ebersole KT: Mean power frequency and amplitude of the mechonmyographic signal during maximal eccentric isokinetic muscle actions. Electromyogr clin Neurophysiol 1990;39:123-127. 6.Marchetti M, Salleo A, Figura F, Del Guadio V: Electromyographic and phonomyographic patterns in muscle atrophy in man. Biomech 1974;1:388-393. 7.Marchetti M, Felici F, Bernardi M, Minasi P, Di Filippo L: Can evoked phonomyography be used to recognize fast and slow muscle in man? Int J Sports Med 1992;13:65-68. 8.Orizio C: Muscle sound: bases for the introduction of a mechanomyographic signal in muscle studies. Critical Reviews in Biomed Engin 1993;21:201-243. 9.Orizio C, Perini R, Veicsteinas A: Muscular sound and force relationship during isometric contraction in man. Eur J Appl Physiol 1989;58:528-533. 10.Oster G: Muscle sounds. Sci Am 1984;250:108-114. 11.Stokes MJ: Acoustic myography: applications and considerations in measuring muscle performance. Iso Exer Sci 1993;3:4-15. Advanced Exercise Physiology IIHPR 805FinalWritten by:Andie Hammond