Lecture Fm

Vietnam National University – HCMC International University SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION COURSE SYLLABUS BA016IU Fundamentals of Financial Management 1. COURSE STAFF Lecturer: Ms. Phan Ng? c Anh, MBA Room: #205 E-mail: [email  protected] edu. vn Consultation hours: Thursday OR by appointment (preferred) Teaching Assistant: TBA Should the students wish to meet the staff outside the consultation hours, they are advised to make appointment in advance. 2. COURSE INFORMATION Prerequisite courses: Principles of Accounting 1 2. 1 Teaching times and LocationsLecture: Saturday, 13:00 – 16:00 Venue: C102 1 2 2. 2 Units of Credit: 3 credits 2. 3 Parallel teaching in the course: N/A 2. 4 Relationship of this course to others BA207U – Fundamentals of Financial Management provides students with basic concepts of financial management. The course is provided based on foundation knowledge of financial accounting and economics. This course may fulfill requirements of curric ulum for students majoring in business administration in general; however is the foundation for students majoring in finance and accounting.For those students that major in finance and accounting, they can take higher level of courses in finance after this course, to count for some, Corporate Finance, Financial Institutions and Market, Investment and Portfolio Management, International Finance, etc. 2. 5 Approach to learning and teaching Employing the interactive learning and problem-based teaching approach, this course emphasizes the interaction between lecturers and students. The lecture materials will be uploaded in Blackboard to help the students to preview the materials and to concentrate on listening and critical thinking during the lecture.This will help students to interact with the lecturer during the classroom. The sessions for presentations and discussions comprise company case studies as well as answering some theoretical and conceptual questions, which help the students to see how the concepts are applied in the real international business context. Students will present the case to the class and discuss with the peers. 3. COURSE AIMS AND OUTCOMES 3. 1 Course Aims The aim of this course is to expose students to and familiarize them with the theoretical frameworks and practical matters of financial management..The learning experience will include: an introduction to financial management; time value of money; techniques of pricing of financial instruments such as bonds and stocks; evaluation of major projects; the relationship between risk and return; an introduction to Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and Portfolio theory; and cost of capital and capital structuring. 3. 2 Student Learning Outcomes After completing the course, students should be able to: * Explain the purpose, goals, and importance of financial management; * Understand the relationship between risk and return; Understand time value of money and possess skills to convert financial t ime values; * Make basic valuation of bonds, stocks, and investment projects; * Evaluate capital budgeting alternatives, using the firm’s cost of capital in conjunction with internal rate of return and net present value techniques; * Compute cost of capital and capital structure. 3. 3 Teaching Strategies The learning system in this course consists of lectures and discussions. Lectures elaborate the appropriate theoretical content in the textbook and readings.Classes provide a more detailed and refined analysis of both concepts and applied materials. Classes are strongly oriented towards interactive discussion of the text and cases. 4. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDUCT 4. 1 Workload It is expected that the students will spend at least eight hours per week studying this course. This time should be made up of reading, research, working on exercises and problems, and attending classes. In periods where they need to complete assignments or prepare for examinations, the workload may be greater. 4. 2 AttendanceClass Attendance is Mandatory. Roll will be taken by random quizzes’ submissions at times of classes. University regulations indicate that if students attend less than eighty per cent of scheduled classes they may be refused final assessment. Exemptions may only be made on medical grounds. 4. 3 General Conduct and Behavior Beepers, cell phones, and pagers need to be turned off before entering the classroom. The students are expected to conduct themselves with consideration and respect for the needs of the fellow students and teaching staff.Conduct which unduly disrupts or interferes with a class, such as ringing or talking on mobile phones, is not acceptable and students will be asked to leave the class. 4. 4 Keeping informed The students should take note of all announcements made in lectures or on the course’s Blackboard. From time to time, the university will send important announcements to their university e-mail addresses without pro viding a paper copy. The students will be deemed to have received this information. 5. LEARNING ASSESSMENT 5. 1 Formal RequirementsIn order to pass this course, the students must: * achieve a composite mark of at least 50; and * make a satisfactory attempt at all assessment tasks (see below). 5. 2 Assessment Details Two Class tests 30% Mid-Term Exam 30% Final Exam 40% Total 100% Mid-term Exam and Final Exam: Mid-term and final test will be a combination of short answer questions, application problems and multiple-choice questions and will cover all the reading, homework, and lectures associated with the topics noted on the reading list. 5. 4 Class participationStudents are expected to attend class regularly, and are responsible for materials covered during their absences. Although it is the responsibility of the student for non-attendance, the lecturer has full authority to drop a student for excessive absences. 5. 5 Special Consideration Request for special consideration (for final examination only) must be made to the Office of Academic Affairs within one week after the examination. General policy and information on special consideration can be found at the Office of Academic Affairs. 6. ACADEMIC HONESTY AND PLAGIARISMPlagiarism is the presentation of the thoughts or work of another as one’s own (definition proposed by the University of Newcastle). Students are also reminded that careful time management is an important part of study and one of the identified causes of plagiarism is poor time management. Students should allow sufficient time for research, drafting, and the proper referencing of sources in preparing all assessment items. The university regards plagiarism as a form of academic misconduct, and has very strict rules regarding plagiarism. 7. STUDENT RESOURCES 7. Course Resources Required textbook: Brealey, R. A. , Myers, S. C. and Marcus, A. J. , Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, 5th ed, McGraw Hill 2007 Note: the course will cover Chapter 1 – 12 Recommended readings: Recommended website: http://highered. mcgraw-hill. com/sites/007353062x/information_center_view0/ http://www. mhhe. com/business/finance/corpfinonline/. Choose â€Å"Finance Tutor Series†. www. finance. yahoo. com www. bloomberge. com www. reuters. com www. vneconomy. com www. efinance. com. vn Other recommended books: Brigham, E. F. and Houston, J. F. 2007), Fundamentals of Financial Management, 11th edn, South-Western. Ross, S. A. , Westerfield, R. W. , and Jordan, B. D. (2010) Fundamentals of Corporate Finance – 7th ed, McGraw Hill. Additional materials provided in Blackboard The lecturer will attempt to make lecture notes and additional reading available on Blackboard. However this is not an automatic entitlement for students doing this subject. Note that this is not a distance learning course, and you are expected to attend lectures and take notes. This way, you will get the additional benefit of class interaction and demonstra tion. 7. Other Resources, Support and Information 1 Additional learning assistance is available for students in this course and will be made available in Blackboard. Academic journal articles are available through connections via the VNU – Central Library. Recommended articles will be duly informed to the students. 8. COURSE SCHEDULE: Week| Topic| Learning materials| 1| Introduction to corporate financeIntroduction CorporationGoals of the corporationAgency problemsFinancial DecisionInvestment DecisionFinancing DecisionDividend PolicyRoles of Financial ManagerWhy corporations need financial markets?Functions of financial markets and intermedias| Textbook, Chapter 1| 2| Time Value of MoneyBasic conceptsTime line/ Future values (FV)/ Present values (PV)Simple interest rate (SR)/ Compound interest rate(CR)Multiple cash flowsFuture value of Multiple Cash FlowsPresent value of Multiple Cash FlowsPerpetuity cash flowsPresent Value of a PerpetuityOrdinary annuity cash flow/ Annuity d ue cash flow Future Value of an AnnuityPresent Value of an Annuity| Textbook, Chapter 4| 3| Time Value of Money (Cont. Growing ordinary annuity cash flow/ Growing annuity due cash flow Future Value of an growing annuityPresent Value of an growing annuityMortgate loansInflation and time value of moneyReal versus nominal cash flowsEffective annual interest ratesQuiz 1| Textbook, Chapter 4| 4| Bonds and their evaluationBond characteristicsBond evaluationCoupon bonds, semi-annual coupon bondsZero-coupon bondsBond yieldCurrent yieldYield to maturity (YTM)Rate of returnRelationship between market interest rate and bond priceBond premiums and bond discounts| Textbook, Chapter 5| 5| Stock and their evaluationEquity versus debtCommon stocks Preferred stocksBook values, Liquidation values, and Market valuesStock valuation: Dividend Discount Model (DDM)Zero growth common stocksConstant growth common stocksDifferential growth common stocksPreferred stocksGrowth stocks and Income stocksMid-Term| Textbook, Chapter 6| 6| Project Investment Criteria and Capital Budgeting DecisionCapital budgeting decisionCapital budgeting processProject classificationsNet Present Value (NPV) methodInternal Rate of Return (IRR) methodPayback Period (PP)/ Discount Payback period (DPP) methodProfitability Index (PI)| Textbook, Chapters 7| 7| Project Investment Criteria and Capital Budgeting (Cont. Principles of identifying cash flowsCalculating Cash Flows Capital investmentOperating cash flowsInvestment in working capitalTerminal-year incremental cash flowMinicaseQuiz 2| Textbook, Chapter 8| 8| Introduction to Risk, Return and Opportunity Cost of CapitalIntroduction relationship between Risk and ReturnHistorical overview of risk and returnRates of returnMeasuring riskVariance and standard deviation Risk and diversificationDiversificationAsset versus portfolio riskVariance and standard deviation of returns for a two-asset portfolioUnique risk versus market risk | Textbook, Chapters 10| 9| Risk, R eturn and capital budgetingMeasuring market riskConcept of betaPortfolio betasRisk and returnCapital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)Security Market Line (SML)Capital budgeting and Project Risk| Textbook, Chapter 11| 10| Capital Structure and Cost of CapitalMeasuring capital structureMarket versus book weightCost of capital Cost of debtCost of preferred stocksCost of equityCost of retained earningWeighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)WACC and business evaluation| Textbook, Chapter 12| 11| Revision| | ——————————————– [ 1 ]. This is adapted with kind permission from the University of New South Wales.

Guide Question Dragon Soup Essay

For Case (A) 1. Using Excel sheet provided, and the recommended consequential disclosures as a basis for your analysis, what recommendations would you give Phillips on each of the items listed below? In each case, justify your recommendations and estimate how much the decision will change the true value of the company and its value in the eyes of an investor in a private company. a. The lease or buy decision, including whether to structure an operating lease. b. The regular price of the soup, whether or not to run an end-of year promotion or target end-of-year inventory level. c. Whether or not to ask Dunwood to guarantee accounts receivable. d. Whether or not to reduce the end-of-year provision for bad debts due to recent strong collection experience. e. Whether or not to sell different investments and, if the recommendation is not to sell the mortgage-backed securities, how to value them on the end-of-year balance sheet assuming market conditions do not change. Given your recommendations, how m uch do you think a potential buyer will offer based upon a valuation earnings multiple of ten times sustainable earnings, plus the value of cash and marketable investments on the balance sheet? 2. In the case, Phillips questioned how far he should push the envelope. Why should he be concerned if all the actions you recommend are legal? Do you think the associated disclosures satisfy the SEC requirement that a company provides a narrative explanation of its financial statements that enables investors to see the company through the eyes of the management? For Case (B) As stated in the case, Kerr had given the task of valuing Dragon’s equity for possible acquisition, assuming a valuation of ten times sustainable earnings, plus the value of cash and marketable investments on the balance sheet. He understood that most companies preparing for the sale would â€Å"window dress† their financial statements. However, he had no reason to believe Dunwoody  and Phillips would do anything deliberately dishonest. In any event, it was Kerr’s job to try to unwind any such behavior to establish Dragon’s true value. 3. Using the Excel spreadsheet provided and the footnote disclosures it contains as a basis for your analysis, estimate the true value of the company in the eyes of an investor in a private company. 4. Assuming Phillips had prepared the forecasts for you, would you want him to join your team? Please justify your decision. Assuming you want to hire him, would you offer a similar payment structure to the â€Å"Tomato Farm† deal? Please describe how you think such a transaction should be treated in accounting terms. 5. The footnote disclosures in Excel spreadsheet are designed to generally satisfy the SEC requirements to provide a narrative explanation of a company’s financial statements, which enables investors to see company the through the eyes of management. What additional information would you like to see in the so-called â€Å"standard† disclosures? As part of your submission, please provide an Excel spreadsheet that justifies your answers. To the extent that you change any assumptions from those contained in the Excel spreadsheet provided to your group, please provide a detailed explanation of the reasons for these changes and details of the magnitude of their impact on the valuation you propose. If your valuation includes information and/or calculations that cannot easily be incorporated into the spreadsheet provided, please provide additional explanations with your submission MW PETROLEUM (A) JETBLUE AIRWAYS IPO VALUATION KOHLER (A) CONSOLIDATED RAIL For Case (A) For Case (B)

Anatole Broyard

Despite the fact that Anatole Broyard never did write that novel he was paid for, his life is that of a man of literature, and not only because he was a critic. Lucky are those who know for a fact that one's position in life is static and unchangeable, that they have a place in the scheme of life. As Broyard's life shows, those who deal every day with the construction of reality know very well the nature of this: it is an illusion. A mere construct, which depends mostly upon our own actions and words.But Broyard recognizes the awesome power of these constructs, and the fact that by the choice of construct is equivalent to the choice of destiny. Broyard's story is precisely the story of such a choice. His father first gave him the idea that social identity is only a matter of words, and the son picked up on this and made his own life into a work of fiction. It had been a long and tedious job, more so than writing any novel – but he succeeded with great effect.It seems to me tha t this happened in a large part because Broyard understood that if he did not want to live this lie, he would have to live a socially reinforced lie. He didn't want to be Black (and possibly Proud of It), but rather he just wanted to live. It is a very understandable desire: to be judged by the measure of one's skills and not by the topics one raises. The only other way to avoid this would be to find a different job, where one is judged not so much by the words one speaks but by one's actions – and yet this was not an option, as Broyard loved writing.In the case of a public person, of one who speaks for a living, to construct a different social identity was the only way out for someone who did not want to deal with the issue of minorities for the rest of his life. Naturally, it is the most ironic thing that when faced with a real topic to write, Broyard was unable to do it, because it would mean undoing the legend he had been writing all of his life.This is the point where he went from using his own construct to being trapped by it. A predictable fate, but not necessarily a bad one. The question, in the end, is one of priority. Broyard lived a life that was mostly free from outside stereotyping, much more so than if he had admitted his heritage. However, this cost him a great amount of psychological strain. It is difficult to call him a happy man – but possibly happier than if he chose any other road.

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 4

Project Management - Essay Example Fourth is the evaluation phase. The initiation phase entails definition of the scope, objectives, purpose, deliverables, resources, the structure of the project and the timescales while in the planning phase, there is the creation of a comprehensive project plan. This project plan is essential to the project since it acts as the reference for the project manager throughout the project for the control and monitoring cost, time and quality. In the project execution phase, the project manager controls and monitors the project delivery while the project team produces the deliverables. Once the consumer accepts the deliverables, the phase review is carried out to ensure that the project objectives have been achieved. The project is therefore ready for closure. After its closure, an evaluation should be carried out to determine the overall success of the project and find out whether the stated benefits in the original business case have been realized. The management should finally document any lessons learned for future projects (Griffin, 2010). Project management is an important activity among the overall business operations. In many organizations, team work has been a common aspect due to the great need for methods that would diagnose and solve problems that arise within the organization. Forecasting has also been applied in an attempt to take care of the arising problems in an organization before they have truly developed. On the other side, the project management has got many benefits to an organization. First, it provides and ability for the utilization of the forecasting methods in an organization. The organization therefore obtains an ability to look at situations by using various driven computer applications. Project management enables better teamwork. In any organization, teamwork is an important part of the entire aspect of its success. The more employees work

Marriott International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marriott International - Essay Example It should be noted that the company tries to occupy different positions on the mind of each customer through its different product lines. After looking at its different positioning strategy, this paper will identify the strategic issues or risks faced by the organization. Lastly, it will also offer recommendations based on the conducted analysis. Marriott International offers an extensive array of accommodation products and services. The company's products range from affordable to luxurious lodging. It can be deduced that the company provides customers with the most basic accommodation packages at lower prices while it also excels in offering the luxury of value added services and fulfilling even the unfulfilled wishes of their guests. Marriott International's portfolio is composed of 16 brands: Marriott's Hotels and Resorts; JW Marriott Hotels and Resort; Renaissance Hotels and Resorts; Courtyard; Residence Inn; Fairfield Inn; Marriott Conference; TownePlace Suites; SpringHill Suites; Marriott Vacation Club International; Horizons; Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company; Ritz-Carlton Club; Marriott Execustay; Marriott Executive Apartment; and Grand Residences (Mariott International 2006). These various brands are marketed using different marketing mixes. However, it can be seen that Marriott International generally uses five major strategies-cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership, focused differentiation, and integrated cost leadership and differentiation. It should be noted that Marriott pursue cost leadership in its Fairfield Inn brand which provides "consistent quality lodging at an affordable price." Differentiation is applied to its luxury brand Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott. It should be noted these hotels offer plain accommodation services but "experiences." Focused differentiation is applied to Marriott Vacation Club, ExecuStay, and Renaissance which accommodates a narrow segment of the market by offering highly differentiated service. The company employs focused cost leadership through its SpringHill Suites. Much of its product line banks on integrated cost leadership and differentiation like Courtyard and TownePlace Suites. The sales trend of Marriott International proves that both corporate and business unit strategies of the firm are working for its benefit. Right now, the company boasts of recording approximately $20 billion. Even though Marriott occupies different places in the mind of its customers, the company was able to strengthen its competitive position through its aggressive marketing efforts. The company was able to avoid confusion by strategically designing marketing mixes which clearly delineates one brand from the other. This was done by differentiating the products, promotion, and price strategies for each brand. What is notable though is Marriott's strong commitment in extending excellent service to its guests. The company often differentiates its products not only on the unique lodging designs and features but also on the service extended by its staff. Marriott banks on its capacity of knowing the needs and wants of its clientele. The company's aggressive effort of instilling unique f eatures to its products in its entire portfolio really paid off. 3.0 Recommendation Since

Titanium Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Titanium - Research Paper Example It can exist in 3 separate forms in nature and numerous alloys have been formed with other metals which only serve to increase its uses. One area where titanium has been found to be of utmost importance is in the medical industry. Medical implants with titanium or titanium alloys incorporated in them have been developed and made use of in the past few decades. This paper will examine the use of titanium in medical implants and its properties that contribute to this success, in particular its property of being non corrosive. 2. General properties of titanium Titanium is a transition metal which is found in the earth’s crust (Balazic et al, 2007). It is the fourth most abundant metal on earth and is found all over the world in volcanic and alluvial deposits. While ores such as rutile and ilmeinite are plentiful, titanium reacts with nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen and is not easy to extract from its ore (Brunette et al, 2001). Extraction involves very expensive methods and a mere 5% of pure titanium is extracted from an ore usually (Brunette et al, 2001). The density of titanium is about half of that of steel though it is as strong as steel (Balazic et al, 2007). ... Metals commonly used to make stable the alpha form include aluminum, tin and oxygen. The beta form can be stabilized using metals like chromium, iron or vanadium. Using mixtures of both of these stabilizers leads to the production of alpha+beta titanium alloys (Brunette et al, 2001). 3. Uses of titanium Titanium has uses in many different fields including aerospace, power generation, automotive, chemical and petrochemical, sporting goods, dental and medical applications (Rack and Qaz, 2006; Sibum, 2003; Wang, 1996 from Balazic et al, 2007). The commercial aspects of titanium were only exploited in the 1940s (Balazic et al, 2007). Starting in the 1960s, titanium was used as a material in medical implants (Balazic et al, 2007). Now, over a 1000 tonnes or 2.2 million pounds of titanium are used in implants all over the world every year (The Titanium Information Group, 2003). Titanium alloys have also been used in the medical industry and there are three main types of alloys which have b een developed: alpha titanium alloys, beta titanium alloys and alpha+beta titanium alloys (Balazic et al, 2007). Of these, it is primarily beta alloys that are used in medical applications (Brunette et al, 2001) Some of the most common alloys that have been used include Titanium-Aluminum-Vanadium and Nickel-Titanium (Nitinol) (Balazic et al, 2007). Some of the main uses in implants are for bone or joint replacements, dental implants, maxillofacial and craniofacial uses, cardiovascular devices and external prostheses (The Titanium Information Group, 2003). It has also been used in medical fasteners and fixation devices (Brunette et al, 2001). 4. Desirable

Mixed Method Qualitative Case Study of the Views and Performance of Dissertation

Mixed Method Qualitative Case Study of the Views and Performance of Clinic Staff Undertaking STD Testing - Dissertation Example They were especially confident in carrying out throat swabs more than rectal swabs because of the uncomfortable and embarrassing nature of the rectal swabs. Interviewee 3 mentioned however that he needed more confidence in proctoscopy because he mostly participated in blind rectal swabs. Most of the interviewees also mentioned that they were able to gain confidence through experience and this experience also taught them how they could make the patient more comfortable during the rectal swabs. Interviewee 4 mentioned that by exuding confidence during the procedure, the patient could be more comfortable. This interviewee also points out the importance of carrying out the swabs as quickly as possible in order to lessen the discomfort. These views emphasize the importance of confidence and the fact that the respondents placed primary importance on its impact in the successful administration of tests. Attitudes Where there may be genital site testing missed by other health professionals, majority of the respondents indicated that they would just ask the patient why the genital testing was not carried out. The respondents point out that most times, the patient may have been the one to refuse the swab. If it is the patient who has refused the test, their reasons for refusing would be asked and the respondents said they would try to talk the patient into submitting to the genital swabbing. Majority of the respondents also mentioned that they would not challenge the previous medical examiner, instead, they would clarify or ask why the test was not carried out. Interviewee 6 mentioned that sometimes, it may be a simple case of omission on the part of the previous examiner. Majority of the interviewees mention that challenging the previous medical examiner would not be appropriate and they would be uncomfortable doing it. However, clarifying the situation with the previous examiner would be the more professional option (Wedemeyer and Manns, 2009). The interviewees also me ntion the importance of communicating with the previous examiner regarding the patient’s genital swab. The term â€Å"liaise† with the medical examiner was mentioned by interviewee 7. Knowledge: The themes indicated below reveal the extent of the knowledge that the respondents have on the management of MSM patients, especially in relation to patient testing, demographic data, guidelines, sexual history, as well as training. 1. Patient testing The clinical staff performs varied functions in relation to MSM patients seeking medical care in their clinics. Most of the interviewees mention that their most common and current responsibilities in relation to MSM patients include patient testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Interviewee 1 mentions that patients approach them ‘requesting testing for sexually transmitted infections.’ Interviewee 2 also mentions a syphilis test, and a swab as well as blood test he most recently carried out on an MSM patient. Anot her interviewee mentioned carrying out bacterial and genital testing on an MSM. These interviewees also mention having to carry out routine assessments and tests on their MSM patients. Two of the interviewees (2 and 4) mentioned that they usually carry out vaccinations or antibacterial injections for their clients. All in all, the importance of functions which relate to the prevention and the management of sexually-transmitted

Public School Uniforms Rough Draft Research Paper

Public School Uniforms Rough Draft - Research Paper Example Normally, public schools have the freedom of letting their students dress based on their preferences, or else provide them with school uniforms. Despite pros and cons expressed regarding school uniforms, I personally support the idea that the benefits far outstrip the damages. In my opinion, wearing school uniforms should not be just considered as a habit, but should be perceived as an important component in schooling for obvious reasons such as academic improvement and promotion of student behavior. As the name implies, school uniforms promote uniformity in schools. With this regard, a sense of pride is promoted as uniforms promote a sense of uniqueness. Just as students represent the school, school uniforms are extremely important as they also represent the school. The current trends in school uniforms began in 1987 with the first school in Baltimore becoming the first to adopt the trend. This was followed by implementation of a mandatory policy across the district in 1994. The two events happened alongside State of Union in 1996 delivered by Bill Clinton where he encouraged that school uniforms helped in enhancing security. However, this review focusses on effectiveness of school uniforms in enhancing behavior and achievement in public schools. Uniforms play a critical role in promoting academic achievement. Research shows that elementary schools from both urban and rural districts demonstrates improved academic achievement rated in terms of graduation versus suspension and attendance rather than expulsion and academic proficiency rates. In view of this, most researchers concur that the policies on school uniforms contribute largely to the achievement of the student, especially when they become part of a comprehensive reform plan of the school. In United States, the interest in school uniforms grew during Clintons era after their fellow students discriminated some Columbine students for wearing dark colored clothes making them become social outcasts in

B300 TMA01 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

B300 TMA01 - Essay Example The demand for BBC shows started to decline when the UK government signed and implemented the Television Act of 1954. This provision gave way to other independent television companies to compete with BBC shows. Due to high technology that has been developed in the past few years, a lot of television competitors have emerged in the television industry. This allows many viewers to have a lot of channels to choose from. ITV including GMTV is considered as the close competitor of BBC 1 & 2. As of December 2000, ITV and GMTV were able to capture 30% share of viewing.1 The availability of cable and satellite network has captured as much as 18% of the viewers away from BBC television. This is also one big factor why the over the past few years, BBC television 1 and 2 is slowly loosing its share of total viewing to other sources of media. (See Table I and Chart I on page 4) In year 2001, globalization has become the market trend for all the industries. The opening of the international trading itself has become the main factor of a tighter competition in all businesses. This also affects the television and broadcasting business of BBC. It is therefore expected that the number of other commercial viewing will continue to grow in case BBC fails to maintain its loyal viewers. BBC is continuously striving hard to hold on to its present market share by keeping its operational costs down and at the same time doing its best to motivate the employees to work well despite the fact that the company has decided for a mass lay-off in 2000 in order to save some money in sustaining the production of program.2 It has been evident in the past that the choices of people changes with time. Back in 1920s, people are much satisfied and amazed with listening to a broadcasting radio.3 This trend was changed in the late 1930s when the use of television became more in demand.4 (See Diagram I – The Transition of Modern Technology Over the Years below) The

The investigation of RTF virus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The investigation of RTF virus - Essay Example The individuals affected by this virus hesitate to come forward and test themselves. Due to this, the organizations like WHO are unable to help the people affected by this virus. People affected by RTF are unwilling to co-operate with these organizations and this in turn leads to a situation where the affected lose their lives. This is due to the undiagnosed situation and the negligence of the patients. WHO is one among the voluntary health organizations that assist and guide people to overcome and prevent themselves from diseases. This organization also helps the people affected by deadly virus and diseases and helps them in recovering. These organizations get the help and assistance from philanthropists and they provide treatment for people who suffer from poverty. In spite of the initiatives from WHO, people are reluctant to approach them and seek medical help. Lack of awareness is the major problem and it leads to various severe consequences. WHO creates awareness among the people and this makes them aware of the diseases. These organizations are ready to spend money to cure these diseases and to prevent people from getting affected by these diseases. Once people get affected by this virus, they can approach the health centers that provide treatment for this disease. WHO cannot find the people affected by this deadly virus. ... To conduct such study and survey, the support and co-operation of the public is the important requirement. If the public does not support and them, it will be difficult for these voluntary organizations to help the affected. As people hesitate to reveal that they are affected by RTF, the treatment becomes a problem. The hesitation is due to the cultural factors. The sexual behaviors and acts depend on the culture. People follow their culture and they are reluctant to change according to the prevailing situation. This leads to various problems and the affected people fall as victims to death. The culture is an important factor that decides the people's behavior in the society. The culture and its activities does not allow them to Come forward if they are affected by RTF. The patient's do not approach any medical centers to get them tested. Even a primary test can reveal their illness and will prove whether they are affected by RTF. Since it is a sexually transmitted disease, people have more hesitation and they do not want others to know about their illness. This is due to the cultural influence and it worsens the current situation. The medical centers guide the infected people and this helps them to recover soon. WHO is the best organization that serves the public and it is one among the voluntary organization that helps the people affected by deadly diseases. Theoretical Issues As a culture expert I must decide on the investigations and early tests that would reveal the number of people affected by RTF. Preliminary tests should be conducted to find out the number of people affected by this virus. Once the numbers of people are known, it is easy to detect the people who are

Billing and Coding Essay Example for Free

Billing and Coding Essay Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II entail nationwide codes used to report supplies and services offered within outpatient locations to Medicaid and Medicare patients that are left out by HCPSC Level I (Current Procedural Terminology -CPT) code. Recent HIPAA federal regulations require regular electronic claims to have Level II regulations. Many big countrywide players, like employee’s compensation financiers, acknowledge HCPCS level II regulations. Local Medicare transporters, business publishers, CMS, or Ingenix provide such codes (Smith, 2003). Suitable HCPCS level II regulations come before CPT codes regarding Medicare invoicing. However, numerous private players choose National Drug Codes (NDC) or Level I regulations instead of HCPCS Level II regulations, which may confuse medical care experts, thus causing denial of claims. Medical care experts ought to confirm that they are describing the correct regulations to the appropriate players through careful tracking of the billing and reporting needs of specific players. Level II regulations Describes Many heath products, however, such codes do not name real products or endorse them by assigning codes. Additionally, generation of such codes happens separate from reimbursement issues. Therefore, Level II regulations only serve to indicate the availability of a service or product in the wider health system, as opposed to justifying reimbursement (Smith, 2003). Players individually develop HCPCS Level II regulations’ criteria and rules which vary between players. HCPCS Level II regulations are comprised of a single alphabetical character (from A to V), then 4 digits. Letter ‘I’ is excluded since it may easily be confused with number ‘1’. Every letter group represents one or more areas of comparable services or products. Every letter group, and code illustrations from specific sections, are fully described on ensuing screens (http://docs. google. com/gview? a=vq=cache:DIuMS2X_QrgJ:www. ngsmedicare. com/ngsmedi are/DMEMAC/educationandSupport/ToolsandMaterials/SupManual/chapter14. pdf+Level+II+o +HCPCS+applies+and+Medicarehl=engl=ke). A regulations deal with various products and services, particularly tracheostomies, urologicals, and ostomies-related supplies. A codes also include Affordable DME, or equipments costing not more than $150, such as nebulizer substitution equipment. A code subcategories include: transport services; surgical and medical supplies; and miscellaneous, investigational, and administrative supplies and services. B codes handle parenteral and enteral nutrition services and supplies. B code-reported supplies include: feed supplies; dietary solutions; formulae; and combination pumps. C codes cover services compensated under Medicare’s OPPS -Outpatient Prospective Payment System. They don’t cover services compensated under different Medicare reimbursement systems. Private entities as well use C codes for compensation. Such codes are mandated by Medicare to report: biological, devices, and drugs qualified for intermediary pass-through imbursements for health facilities; and items categorized within fresh technology Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APC). D codes entail dental regulations. The American Dental Association (ADA) has copyrighted the Current Dental Terminology (CDT). ADA supplies such codes to CMS. E codes document Durable Medical Equipment (DME) like crutches, canes, commodes, walkers, pacemakers, restraints, wheelchairs, hospital beds, and patient lifts. G codes report professional medical care services and processes such as specialized services being considered for incorporation within the CPT code scheme and provisional procedures. National Medicaid organizations legally mandated to develop separate systems for recognizing psychological health services such as drug therapy and alcohol services use H codes. J codes describe drugs which are not normally self-administered, immunosuppressive and chemotherapy drugs pant solutions, plus other solutions and drugs. The proper code depends on factors like; dose; and administration route. K codes entail temporary DME, drugs, and supplies codes. They are generated when the relevant existing nationwide codes exclude codes needed to execute medical evaluation policies. Once endorsed for lasting incorporation into HCPCS, such codes become E, J, and A codes. L codes comprise of scoliosis apparatus, prosthetic insertions, orthopedic shoes, plus prosthetic and orphic devices and procedures. M codes cover medical services and they include: M0064; M0075; M0100; M0300; and M0301. P codes cover laboratory and pathology services and include screening laboratory and pathology services like testing Papanicolaou procedures and serum products (Smith, 2003). Q codes report many supplies and services including provisional cast provisions codes which facilitate splints and casts reimbursement after the modification of Medicare’s compensation technology. Such codes substitute ambiguous splinting and casting supplies’ codes. R codes cover analytic radiology services and document moving of moveable electrocardiogram or x-ray apparatus to patients’ homes, nursing homes, or different facilities. The Health Insurance Association (HIAA) Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) uses S codes to document services, supplies, and drugs without countrywide codes, but where private entities require codes for program and policy implementation or processing of claims. Medicaid recognizes such codes; nonetheless, such are not payable. T codes report supplies and services without other stable codes. Medicaid does not accept T codes; however, they may be recognized by private entities. They describe: substance abuse therapy; home and nursing-related services; and training-related processes. V codes cover supplied and services concerned with hearing, vision, plus speech-language pathology. Vision-related provisions include: lenses; spectacles; and ocular prostheses. Hearing services consist of: hearing analyses; and hearing equipment and supplies. Speech language pathology processes include: modification or repair of supportive communication device or system; and dysphagia, language, and speech screening (http://www. lectureshare. com/download. php? q=HCPCS+overview_021532. pdfr=doc. J). References Coding:aTheaUseaofaHCPCSaLevelaIIaCodesa. Retrieved August 6th 2009 from http://www. lectureshare. com/download. php? q=HCPCS+overview_021532. pdfr=doc. J Jurisdiction B DME MAC Supplier Manual. (June 2009). Level II codes and HCPS modifiers. Retrieved August 6th 2009, from http://docs. google. com/gview? a=vq=cache:DIuMS2X_QrgJ:www. ngsmedicare. com/ngsmedicare/DMEMAC/educationandSupport/ToolsandMaterials/SupManual/chapter14. pdf+Level+II+of+HCPCS+applies+and+Medicarehl=engl=ke Smith, G. I. (2003). Basic CPT/HCPCS coding. Retrieved August 6th 2009, from http://library. ahima. org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_016767. pdf

Consumer Research and Promotional Message Essay Example for Free

Consumer Research and Promotional Message Essay This paper will focus on the research and promotional message of teenaged consumers in today’s social market. The current generation of teenagers is referred to as Generation Y or Millennial and is a large portion of the consumer market that attracts companies in gaining large profits. In 2001, according to the National Consumers League (2013), teenagers purchased approximately $172 billion dollars. This generation is described as having the following attitudes and beliefs, they are â€Å"tech-savvy: prefers media based communication, family centric: prioritize family over work, achievement oriented: confident and ambitious, team oriented: loyal, committed, involved, inclusive, and attention craving: seeks feedback, guidance, and mentoring (Kane, n. d. ). The manner in which Generation Y views their world has a significant impact on the psychology behind their purchasing decisions. In being able to define the wants and needs of this generation, marketers will enhance their profit. Generation Y teenagers form a significant consumer group more than ever in today’s society. This teen group has become one of the fastest growing markets and they are greatly influenced by their social setting and environment. This generation was born into the cutting and competition edge of technology. Therefore, technological innovations systems keep Generation Y immersed in an insatiable state of want and need for social interaction and communication, information, and stimulus. In today’s economy, â€Å"these teenagers are an easily identifiable market, they are eager to buy, able to spend, are easily reached† (Schiffman, Kanuk Wisenblit, 2010). From the teenager’s perspective cost is a non-issue given that their parents purchase the items they need, there is no discretionary on purchasing as do their parents. Research and marketing teams identify that teenagers more often than not, spend money more on want than what they need. Another factor is that this is the â€Å"no child left behind† generation which strengthens the need for popularity, inclusion, and acceptance; these are defining elements to identifying their consumer needs. Teenagers are impressionable and are subject to positive and negative peer pressure. The need to fit in and be accepted as part of the group reveals how their purchases define these desires. An example of this would be Nike clothing and footwear. â€Å"Nike† is the winged Greek goddess of victory. The Nike Company is widely associated with athletic achievement and promotes challenging slogans on their apparel such as, â€Å"Just Do It†. Further, Nike reports from their own research that they catch the consumer’s attention through product quality, color and design and connect with potential consumer through aggressive media messaging and positive public relations imaging and professional sport sponsorship. These combining factors create an ideal product for Generation Y teenagers because Nike appeals to all aspects of their needs and wants. Another example of specific and successful marketing for this age group is through technological devices, such as with Apple. According to Buzz Marketings Tina Wells told Forbes, Teens are telling us Apple is done. Apple has done a great job of embracing Gen X and older but I dont think they are connecting with millennial kids. (Matyszczyk , 2013). Further, Well’s states that â€Å"everything moves in cycles and you can’t rest on your past glory. You’ve got to evolve to maintain relevance. Apple needs to focus on innovation and teens will come back† (2013). Another interesting twist on this is that teen’s may now view Apple products as having become â€Å"too popular† and have therefore suffered the disapproval of this same teenaged group of consumers. This is a great example of how rapidly the attitudes and beliefs of this population can change and require a sense of balance in their marketing. From these examples, it seems that Apple, Inc. will be forced to redesign their marketing strategies to successfully compete with Samsung and Android. Conclusion Marketers will have to anticipate the ever changing and rapid trends of the Generation Y pathway. Given that this generation of teenagers is so innovatively advanced, they will continue to spend a vast amount of their time and effort involved with modern technology and devices whether to receive information, communicate to peers, to shop online for products, or to download their favorite music. It will remain of utmost importance for marketers to understanding the underlying influences which impact teenagers and as well as their behavioral processes within the social context of their culture, their peer groups, and their lifestyles choices. Knowing this will enhance a marketer’s process and will enable the proper promotional messages that will provide their business with a potentially lucrative lifetime of profit returns.

Role of the nurse in management of COPD

Role of the nurse in management of COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a treatable condition that is defined as being a disease characterised by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. This airflow limitation is usually both progressive and associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles or gases (Fabbri, 2003). One in every four acute admissions to hospital is due to respiratory difficulties, and 50 per-cent of these are caused by the complications of COPD (Roberts, et al., 2001). In the United Kingdom, it is the third most common cause of overall adult morbidity and mortality, especially among smokers, (Barnes, 1999), and it is a significant burden to the NHS. In recent years, nurse-led primary care interventions have become more widespread. Although there has so far been insufficient evidence to support their implementation, there appears to be no difference in quality of care between doctor-led and nurse-led COPD programmes (Pye, 2008), and they may offer a cost effective and holistic solution to both the NHS and patients respectively. This essay will use a case based discussion to illustrate the role of the Nurse Practitioner (NP), and nurse prescribing issues for a patient with COPD. Case study The patient is a 62-year-old married Caucasian female who attended for a routine primary care nurse-led COPD evaluation during 2010. The patient had no other past medical history, apart from moderate COPD. This was diagnosed three years ago, following recurrent respiratory infections, two of which had necessitated hospitalisation. The NP had not seen this patient before and after familiarising herself with the notes and establishing a rapport with the patient took a medical history asking important questions about the history of the presenting complaint, the COPD, the patients past medical and surgical history, medication lists, allergies to medications, social history and smoking habits. The NP used a template questionnaire that was part of the COPD care pathway to identify how the COPD impacted on the patients quality of life. She herself had introduced this questionnaire herself as a result of her own reflective learning and had based it on one from a paper by Vandevoorde, et al., (2007) that included aspects about patient symptoms that patients do not always volunteer to medical professionals, such as side effects from medication and qualitative measures of fatigue and mental well-being (Vandevoorde, et al., 2007). Three months earlier, the patient had one exacerbation, which resulted in admission to the local hospitals medical assessment unit, and she recovered well. She occasionally had moments of shortness of breath, but these were typically on exertion and doing other strenuous activities. During this visit, she reported that her condition was stable. Her sputum production was approximately  ¼  ½ a cup/ day, and she needed to use 2.5l of oxygen at night. The patient continued to smoke six cigarettes/ day, and being a much heavier smoker previously she had a history of 60 pack years. She was compliant with her regular inhalers and had no problems with side effects, apart from a bad almost metallic taste in her mouth that she had occasionally recently started if she had forgotten to wash her mouth after using her inhalers. She had also been started on a Corticosteroid inhaler by the hospital respiratory team following her last exacerbation, but she mentioned that she had not noticed any difference in her COPD symptoms in using this. On direct questioning, she remembered that she also did have an unpleasantly sore mouth and voice was becoming hoarser since she had commenced using this steroid inhaler, but she didnt know if this was the effect of the steroid inhaler, the drying effects on mucous membranes of using oxygen therapy, or something else. She had noticed these symptoms for at least three weeks, and two weeks ago she had noticed white patches on her tongue. Apart from oxygen, and the newly introduced Corticosteroid inhaler that she was using; in terms of her other medication, she was taking the long acting beta 2-agonist Salmeterol twice a day, and the anti-cholinergic bronchodilator, Ipratropium Bromide. She had been using both Salmeterol and Ipratropium Bromide for several years, and she had no side effects with either of these medications. Antibiotics had been stopped for some time since her last exacerbation, and she had finished her Prednisolone some time ago. Overall, from a medical perspective she felt well in herself apart from the mouth problem. On examination, the patient spoke in short sentences, and occasionally her wording was stifled by shortness of breathe, but she did not appear to be in distress, and she was alert. Her skin was pink in colour and she appeared to be breathing with pursed lips, which is a characteristic feature of being a pink puffer and having the diagnosis of emphysema (Flenley, 1990). The NP then examined the patients vital signs, checking her pulse, which was 96 beats/ min and regular. Blood pressure, was 140/ 78 mmHg, and she was apyrexial. The NP then looked for signs of peripheral and central cyanosis by checking the colour of the patients hands and asking the patient to show the underside of her tongue. There were none, but the patient appeared to have oral candidiasis. The patients hands had a fine tremor, a side effect of her taking the long acting beta 2-agonists (Rossi, et al., 2008), but when questioned, she reported that it was not a problem as she was still able to write housework instructions to her husband. The patients respiratory rate was slightly higher than normal at 18/ min, but this was satisfactory. The NP listened to the patients chest and bilateral breath sounds were equal, but with a few polyphonic wheezes. There were no crackles and no crepitations were present. Heart sounds were normal. Spirometry was done, after explaination to the patient how to do the test in detail beforehand, giving the opportunity to ask questions. The patient had done the test many times beforehand, but expressed appreciation. The results showed airway obstruction and ventilatory impairment, consistent with the diagnosis of moderate COPD. A blood gas analysis was not taken, but the oxygen saturation on air was 96%. Inhaler technique was checked and this w as satisfactory. She lived with her husband, although she mentioned he had recently had to stop work due to him having ill health, and this was causing her a lot of anxiety from both the worry over his health and also the potential impact of the loss of income to their household. He had previously worked in a factory that stored and distributed flour products, and he had over several years started to develop breathing problems himself, despite him being a lifetime non-smoker. He was under investigation by the respiratory physicians, and this was causing a significant amount of tension to both of them. She reported that when she had her last exacerbation, he had become ill at that time, and she had to help him with personal care at home for a period of time, and the increased workload caused her shortness of breath to increase. She felt that her energy levels had been depleted for several weeks in the run up to her last admission to hospital, and that she did not even have time to smoke. Despite her COPD being relatively stable on this visit, the patient appeared depressed. When asked if she was depressed, she answered that she was and she was also having difficulty sleeping at night with financial issues caused by the ill-health retirement of her husband being the biggest stressor. The NP explained to the patient that she had identified several areas that needed action and further discussion with the GP. One was on the appropriate use of the steroid inhaler, the second was the oral thrush perhaps caused by the use of steroid inhaler (Ellepola, et al., 2001), the NP explained that there are treatments available for this that might be appropriate for her. Furthermore, she told the patient that the issue of depression needed further assessment by the GP. The patients medical records were updated with the findings of the assessment, as per good note keeping practice (NMC, 2009), and the patient was left in the room while the GP was consulted. The NP presented the case to the patients GP and mentioned her concerns about both the depression, and also the appropriateness of using the Corticosteroid inhaler and the oral candida. The NP recalled a lecture she had received during her course on nurse prescribing for COPD and discussed this with the GP. The GP took the opportunity to do an informal teaching session and agreed with the NP reminding her about the findings from a paper in 2000, by Barnes, which suggested that inhaled corticosteroids are not indicated for the treatment of COPD anymore. Unlike in asthma, where inhaled Corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment, they have been found to have a limited role in the maintenance of function in patients with COPD. It was observed that only 1 in 10 patients with COPD will show a significant improvement in lung function following treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (Barnes, 2000) and the reason is thought to be that different inflammatory mediators are accountable for th e airway hyper reactivity that is present in asthma and COPD, and those that are responsible for COPD are less responsive to inhaled steroids (Barnes, 2000). Respiratory physicians will still use them, but usually only in cases where symptoms are not optimally controlled with bronchodilators alone (Fabbri, 2004), hence explaining why they were introduced when this patient had her last exacerbation. It was thought very likely that the oral candida as well as the metallic taste and hoarse voice could be due to her use of the steroid inhaler. The NP showed to the GP that the patients pulmonary function, as demonstrated by the Spirometry taken that day, was no worse than on her previous visit, prior to the Corticosteroid inhaler being started. Since a significant clinical response had not been objectively observed, both the GP and the NP decided together that the steroids should be discontinued from the point of view of risk v benefit and also evidence-based best practice. Both the GP and the NP then explained to the patient about the likelihood of the steroid inhaler not offering her that much benefit, instead causing her new symptoms. Her mouth was examined and it was confirmed that the patient had oral thrush, which is a known side effect of using steroid inhalers (Ellepola, et al., 2001). It was decided to wean off the Corticosteroid inhaler over a couple of weeks before stopping completely, and see how things go. She was also advised by the GP to rinse her mouth thoroughly after using the steroid inhaler, as well as the others. If the situation became worse, with regards her breathing she was advised to call the surgery for an urgent appointment to review her medication. The NP then suggested that the patient was started on an antifungal medication for the Candida albicans infection, such as Fluconazole, a decision that had been made following consideration and reflection, in line with the steps of the prescribing pyramid (National Prescribing Centre, 1999). The NP had already consulted the British National Formulary online (BNF, 2010a) to check for contraindications. The patient had none and also there were no history of liver problems or cardiac arrhythmia where caution should be exercised. The decision was made to commence treatment using a course of oral Fluconaz ole. The patient was advised about this, and also she was told of the possible side effects such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and the small possibility of liver problems (BNF, 2010a). She understood the information given and found the decision acceptable and so agreed to commence treatment, and to report any side effects that she noticed. With regards the patients depression this was assessed by the GP, after taking a psychiatric history and risk assessment. Both the patient and GP together decided to try a short course of antidepressant medication, which would be kept under close review. She was also encouraged to pursue social service channels with regards to disability living allowance if she was finding it difficult to care for her husband, especially because she was also infirm. The NP provided her with relevant paperwork for local social services and offered to make some enquiries on her behalf to arrange a home assessment. Before the patient left the room, both the GP and the nurse reinforced the importance of smoking cessation on her COPD and the possibility of nicotine replacement. The patient smiled and said she will give it some thought. Influenza vaccination was also mentioned as a reminder for later in the year. A follow up telephone consultation had been arranged for two-weeks time with the NP. The notes were then completed by both the GP and nurse with regards this part of the consultation. Two weeks the telephone consultation took place and the patient reported that she felt much better about her quality of life, her oral symptoms were almost back to normal and since taking the antidepressants, she had noticed a higher ability to perform day to day activities, and overall she seemed to have a more positive and bright outlook on life. The patient mentioned that she had also finally decided to stop smoking and wanted assistance with this in the form of nicotine patches that the nurse had previously mentioned. The NP arranged for the patient to attend a smoking cessation clinic, during which she made a mental note to apply the prescribing pyramid to this particular issue of nicotine replacement, and offered her congratulations on the patients progress. A further review appointment was also made with the GP to monitor the antidepressant treatment. Discussion This case illustrates the role of the COPD NP in primary care, and discusses prescribing issues. The nurse had taken a complete history and identified several medical, psychosocial issues and prescribing issues and taken appropriate action. From a medical and functional viewpoint, the examination and spirometry showed the patient had stable, moderate COPD, however holistic assessment revealed that she was taking steroid inhalers that were ineffective in her condition and were also causing her to develop an oral thrush infection. The NP also identified that the patient was depressed and there were social problems at home, caused by the patients husband being unwell. The COPD NP correctly identified several issues that needed referral to her GP colleague, and she had worked through a prescribing pyramid to identify that both the steroid inhaler may not be needed anymore, and that the patient would benefit from using an antifungal medication for her thrush. The prescribing pyramid The prescribing pyramid (National Prescribing Centre, 1999) is a stepwise approach that has involves seven stages (1-7), and each stage should be considered carefully before climbing to the next: Consider the patient. Which strategy should be used? Consider a choice of product Negotiate a contract Review the patient Record keeping Reflection With regard the oral thrush infection, the patient had a full history taken and clinical examination. A holistic viewpoint that took into account the fact that the patient was experiencing unpleasant side effects led the nurse to conclude that GP referral was necessary to confirm the diagnosis and also to tackle the concurrent issue of the steroid inhalers and depression. When considering step four, the NP had reviewed the British National Formulary online (BNF, 2010a) and had decided that Fluconazole was the most effective product for this patient as the patient also had a dry mouth because of her oxygen therapy. Nystatin, another antifungal can be used for oral thrush, but it is less suitable for patients who have dry mouths (BNF, 2010b). The patient also had no contra-indications to Fluconazole, and she was not taking and other drugs that had known drug-drug interactions with this new agent. The patient was informed of all the possible side effects in a form that she could underst and. This patient had a central role in the decision making process in this consultation in line with stage four of the prescribing pyramid (National Prescribing Centre, 1999). Effective communication skills are an important part of good nursing practice, as originally outlined by the UKCC in 1996 (UKCC, 1996). In the context of nurse prescribing, this includes explaining what the prescription in for; how to take the medication; how long it takes to work and what the possible side effects may be. The nurse also referred to the BNF as reference when making this decision, which is an example of good, evidence-based reflective practice. In accordance with step five, a review of the patient was organised to establish whether the treatment was effective, safe and acceptable. The patient was also advised to make contact if there were any problems, which is in line with guidance (National Prescribing Centre, 1999). For step six, the nurse practitioner made detailed notes in the medical records immediately after the consultation as per recommendations by the NMC (2009). The NP reflected on her own practice in this situation and asked the GP to give her constructive feedback, which was useful for improving her own learning and practice. Her need for continuing professional development was acknowledged in the original planning of the service within that practice and as a specialist member of the team, having a good working relationship with all the GPs she had the clinical support to hand and was able to obtain medical advice, supervision and guidance when required. The department also had regular visits from pharmaceutical companies and teaching on local formulary practices. The NPs own educational programme included critical appraisal training to enable her to be aware of the influences on prescribing. Conclusion Nurse-led COPD primary care assessment services where specialist NPs are responsible for performing assessment, investigation and are able to act as liaison officers for patients are becoming more widely implemented in the UK as an integrated medical-social and holistic approach to COPD management. Such nurses prescribe full treatment packages for patients and provide them with a point of contact for specialist advice should the patients have an exacerbation at home, as well as forming the link to the tertiary respiratory units should the need arise. Keeping the majority of COPD care in the community should offer better patient centred care as well as cost savings for the NHS. NPs have a crucial role in the management of COPD, and must be aware of prescribing issues reflective learning to give their patients the best possible care.

Evolution of the Keyboard Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Physical Evolution of the Keyboard: From Monochord to Harpsichord Since the first person heard the wind whistle through the trees or the sea in a seashell humans have been drawn to sound. Being the oppressive and ingenious species that we are we felt the need to capture these sounds and any others that we could to keep for our own. Eventually people like Pythagoras and gods such as Apollo found that by stretching materials and picking/plucking them that they would produce sounds and that the tighter you stretched these strings the higher the sound would go. These were the early beginnings of the pianoforte.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first ancestor of the modern pianoforte is the monochord (diagram 1). A monochord is a wooden box with a single string stretched lengthwise down the middle. The string sits raised on bridges very dissimilar to those of a violin or cello. These bridges positioned approximately 2 inches in from each end. They are simple and usually triangular shaped pieces of hard durable material such as ebony or walnut. Between these two bridges are two taller bridges that may be moved by each hand to alter the pitch given. The philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras used a monochord to study the fundamentals of sound. The next logical step in this evolutionary chain was as sure as a spoiled child’s demands. Now that I have what I want I want more of it. Thus came the psaltery (diagram 2). The psaltery was a great leap fourth from the monochord. It was a small trapezoid shaped box with many strings stretched over it. However unlike the monochord the psaltery did not have movable bridges to change the pitch while playing and furthermore these bridges were much more like the bridges of modern string instruments. The psaltery was played by picking the strings (which were obviously tuned to different pitches) with the fingers or with a pick. This was an extremely popular instrument in the Middle Ages but as the music got more complicated and simple accompaniment wasn’t enough it was soon swallowed by progress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next we come to a point in time where a great leap had to be made. Musicians had made positive steps forward in the way of pitch and time but of only one or two notes at a time. What was needed was an in instrument that gave players control of many pitches simultaneously. The mechanism ... ...;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York, NY: Crown Pub. Inc., 1973.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Donnington, R. Music and its Instruments   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York, NY: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1982.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gaines, James R., Ed. The Lives of the Piano   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York, NY: The Hilltown Press Inc., 1981.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mason, Merle H., Comp. Piano Parts and Their Functions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Seattle, WA: Piano Technicians Guild, 1977.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pollens, S. The Early Pianoforte   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stolba, Marie K. The Development of Western Music   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rev. Ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Comp., 1998.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  White, William B. Theory & Practice of Piano Construction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1975.

An Analysis of Religion by an Athiest Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The person as a whole, mind and body, is a very complex and unique organism that can be easily influenced by society. Since people are so easily susceptible to be influenced by others, each person must rely on their beliefs in order to make a judgment that is morally and ethically pleasing through their knowledge and experiences. A person’s morals and ethics are formed through their religious beliefs and practices. Morals and ethics allow one to make a knowledgeable and responsible decision. One’s religious and spiritual beliefs shapes and molds the mind, body, and spirit of the person. Each religion has its own unique principles, a list of do’s and don’ts that set the foundation for their moral and ethical beliefs. Everyday people are presented with situations in which that person must arrive at the solution through weighing each possible option morally and ethically. When one is confronted with a situation in which they must use thei r personal knowledge, experience, spiritual beliefs and practices to weigh each option morally and ethically and choose that which best suits their religious beliefs. In order for a person to be able to correctly analyze and weigh each option he or she should have full knowledge of each available option and their outcomes. To weigh each solution properly, a person must use his or her religious beliefs and knowledge to evaluate every aspect of the option. In religion, there are four main factors that make it possible for a religiously enlightened person to decipher between the morally and ethically correct and wrong decision. People are educated through the teachings and beliefs of their God to acknowledge what â€Å"the beautiful† and â€Å"the sacred and transcendent† are and how to decipher between what is good and what is evil. A religion’s depiction of what â€Å"the beautiful†, sacred, and transcendent† are creates one’s basis for their moral and ethical beliefs. Through one’s spiritual knowledge and understanding of â€Å"the beautiful†, sacred, and transcendent† allows one to distinguish between â€Å"the good† and â€Å"the evil.† In order for a person to choose the best decision he or she has to have a firm grasp, intellectually and spiritually, on the concepts of â€Å"the beautiful†, â€Å"the sacred and transcendent†, â€Å"the good†, and â€Å"the evil†. The concepts of each of the factors must be fully understood by him or her to de... ...dered to be the highest forms of evil. For some the temptation they sense from evil is irresistible and they commit a sin for which they cannot be forgiven. I believe that it is through one’s spiritual, physical, and mental strength that he or she’s ability to decipher between â€Å"the good and â€Å"the evil† is developed. The stronger the person, the less susceptible he or she is to â€Å"the evil,† vice-versa. I believe that the will and overall strength of the person develops their ability to fight â€Å"the evil.† â€Å"The evil, the good, the sacred and transcendent, and the beautiful† are all determined through the religious practices and beliefs of an individual. As a result, the person must use his or her knowledge of good and evil to develop their own moral and ethical standards according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Using these standards people combine their spiritual and intellectual knowledge of â€Å"the beautiful, t he sacred and transcendent, the good, and the evil† to decipher â€Å"the good† from â€Å"the evil.† Without religious experience and practices we would not have the information available to consciously choose â€Å"good† over â€Å"evil† and strive for spiritual, physical, and mental perfection. An Analysis of Religion by an Athiest Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The person as a whole, mind and body, is a very complex and unique organism that can be easily influenced by society. Since people are so easily susceptible to be influenced by others, each person must rely on their beliefs in order to make a judgment that is morally and ethically pleasing through their knowledge and experiences. A person’s morals and ethics are formed through their religious beliefs and practices. Morals and ethics allow one to make a knowledgeable and responsible decision. One’s religious and spiritual beliefs shapes and molds the mind, body, and spirit of the person. Each religion has its own unique principles, a list of do’s and don’ts that set the foundation for their moral and ethical beliefs. Everyday people are presented with situations in which that person must arrive at the solution through weighing each possible option morally and ethically. When one is confronted with a situation in which they must use thei r personal knowledge, experience, spiritual beliefs and practices to weigh each option morally and ethically and choose that which best suits their religious beliefs. In order for a person to be able to correctly analyze and weigh each option he or she should have full knowledge of each available option and their outcomes. To weigh each solution properly, a person must use his or her religious beliefs and knowledge to evaluate every aspect of the option. In religion, there are four main factors that make it possible for a religiously enlightened person to decipher between the morally and ethically correct and wrong decision. People are educated through the teachings and beliefs of their God to acknowledge what â€Å"the beautiful† and â€Å"the sacred and transcendent† are and how to decipher between what is good and what is evil. A religion’s depiction of what â€Å"the beautiful†, sacred, and transcendent† are creates one’s basis for their moral and ethical beliefs. Through one’s spiritual knowledge and understanding of â€Å"the beautiful†, sacred, and transcendent† allows one to distinguish between â€Å"the good† and â€Å"the evil.† In order for a person to choose the best decision he or she has to have a firm grasp, intellectually and spiritually, on the concepts of â€Å"the beautiful†, â€Å"the sacred and transcendent†, â€Å"the good†, and â€Å"the evil†. The concepts of each of the factors must be fully understood by him or her to de... ...dered to be the highest forms of evil. For some the temptation they sense from evil is irresistible and they commit a sin for which they cannot be forgiven. I believe that it is through one’s spiritual, physical, and mental strength that he or she’s ability to decipher between â€Å"the good and â€Å"the evil† is developed. The stronger the person, the less susceptible he or she is to â€Å"the evil,† vice-versa. I believe that the will and overall strength of the person develops their ability to fight â€Å"the evil.† â€Å"The evil, the good, the sacred and transcendent, and the beautiful† are all determined through the religious practices and beliefs of an individual. As a result, the person must use his or her knowledge of good and evil to develop their own moral and ethical standards according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Using these standards people combine their spiritual and intellectual knowledge of â€Å"the beautiful, t he sacred and transcendent, the good, and the evil† to decipher â€Å"the good† from â€Å"the evil.† Without religious experience and practices we would not have the information available to consciously choose â€Å"good† over â€Å"evil† and strive for spiritual, physical, and mental perfection.

David Letterman :: Biography Biographies Bio

David Letterman David Letterman grew up in a small town in eastern Indiana. He was born to Joseph and Dorothy Letterman. After reading the novel, "David Letterman: On Stage and Off" by Rosemarie Lennon, I have learned about all his struggles and joys. Because of this book, I feel sorry towards one of the funniest people on Earth, David Letterman. I also admire him for his good acts and abilities. To realize why I feel what I feel toward Letterman, you have to look at some of the main points in his life. First of all, Dave was exactly an A student. He struggled all of his life through grade school to college. He also wasn't very popular. He stated, " I remember standing around. . . with the other losers, watching all the athletes play sports. All we could do is make fun and ridicule them." He was never good at anything until high school. "All I ever knew how to do was to make people laugh. In high school I was the class clown, making fun of everything and everyone." This personality trait was what gave him his thousands of faithful fans, watching his show every night to see Dave rip to shreds anyone who dare challenge him. Another thing that was important to him was his mother and father. His father, Joseph Letterman, and Dave went fishing quite often when he was young. Dave looked up to his father tremendously. When Joseph had his first heart attack when he was thirty-six, Dave and his father started to drift away. Later, Dave's Dad died when he was fifty-three. One of David's top regrets was never spending a lot of time with his dad. As for his mother, she is the classical conservative mother of the fifties. She was always very hard on Dave when he got into mischief in school-- which was quite often. She is still a part of Dave's life, and can be seen quite often on his show, doing a comedy sketch, or telling audience members what the temperature was in Lillihammer during the Winter Olympics. The Reason I feel sorry for Letterman is because of his tragedies of his past. His Dad's passing was hard enough, but he had other trials to deal with. Like his mother. She was never really proud of David, constantly reminding him he was going to fail, and not encouraging him to take his natural ability to

Agenda Setting Theory – Introduction

Introduction Agenda Setting Theory is first developed by Professor Maxwell McCombs  and  Professor Donald Shaw  in their  Chapel Hill study  in 1968. The agenda setting theory is separate into three parts which is media agenda, public agenda and policy agenda. Agenda setting theory is defined as the power of news media whereby mass media set an agenda which will influences the public which is called as public agenda by highlighting the issue frequently in media. Therefore the main effect of media in agenda setting is telling people not what to think, but what to think of.The policy agenda is the issues that policy makers consider important after the public start to make campaign or petition to show protest against the organizations. Mass Communication plays an important role in our society its purpose is to inform the public about current and past events. Mass communication is defined in â€Å"Mass Media, Mass Culture† as the process whereby professional communicator s use technological devices to share messages over great distances to influence large audiences.Within this process the media, which can be a newspaper, a book and television, takes control of the information we see or hear. The media then uses gate keeping  and agenda setting to â€Å"control our access to news, information, and  entertainment† (Wilson 14). Gate keeping is a series of checkpoints  that the news has to go through before it gets to the public. Through this process many people have to  decide whether  or not the news  is to be seen or heard. Some gatekeepers might include reporters, writers, and  editors. After gate keeping comes  agenda setting. Elaboration of the TheoryThe Agenda-Setting Theory says the media (mainly the news media) aren’t always successful at telling us what to think, but they are quite successful at telling us what to think about. The power of news media is to set a nation’s agenda, to focus public attention on a few key public issues, is an immense and well-documented influence. For example, newspapers provide a host of cues about the salience of the topics in daily news. They will lead story on first page, large headlines and etc. Besides that, television also consider as a mass communication tool.Television offers numerous cues about salience too. Their opening story is on newscast, length of time devoted to the story and etc. As said by Walter Lippmann, Agenda-Setting Theory is â€Å"the world outside & the pictures in our heads†. The news media are a primary source of those pictures in our heads about the larger world of public affairs, a world that for most citizens is â€Å"out of reach, out of sight, out of mind. † Agenda setting is divided into two levels where the first level stress on common subject that media thinks the subject is important.The second level decides which part of the subject is important. Both level leads to the concept of agenda setting where the concept is divided into three parts. The first part of the process is the importance of the issues that are going to be discussed in the media. Second, the issues discussed in the media have an impact over the way the public thinks, this is referred as public agenda. Ultimately the public agenda influences the policy agenda. Furthermore, the media agenda affects the public agenda, and the public agenda affects the policy agenda.People would attend only to news and views that didn’t threaten their established beliefs. Agenda-setting will reconfirms the power of the press while still maintaining that individuals were free to choose. The agenda-setting function is a 3 part-process. Firstly, media agenda is the issues discussed in the media. Secondly, public agenda means issues discussed and personally relevant to public. Lastly, policy agenda is the issues that policy makers consider important. Media agenda and public agenda are close to each other. Media agenda is the set of i ssue addressed by media sources.It is a composite index of media prominence reveled the importance of foreign policy, law and order, fiscal policy, public welfare and civil rights. While public agenda are issues the public consider important. It is the rank of the five issues was identical to the media agenda. The key concept and terms are agenda setting, salience transfer, gatekeeping, framing, priming and determinants of agenda-setting effects. Agenda setting is giving priorities to alternative policy issues but in the early communications studies, shown a mixture about the ability to influence public opinion on the given issue.Salience transfer refers to the capacity of the media to influence the relative importance individuals attached to the policy. Next is gate keeping is a process that control the media content. Framing is the importance and interpretation of people attach to potential items on the public agenda are strongly influenced by how the media present news stories. P riming happen when framing centers on political loading of the presentation of news, it can be conscious and not conscious. Priming basically mean draw attention to certain issue even in a neutral manner. Last but not least is the determinant of agenda-setting effects.Media credibility or also known as media reliance are found that the determinant is weaker than the media exposure and media exposure are more important than media credibility in relation to presidential state of the union addresses. Application of the Theory In Malaysia, one of the case studies was to examine the Malay language newspaper’s media agenda during the general election. (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, UPM) The study was conducted to examine the use of the Barisan Nasional (BN) manifesto as the media agenda during the general election for the year 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995 and 1999.A model for the study was constructed based on the Agenda Setting Theory. A content analysis was conducted on 50 issues of Utusan Malay sia (UM) and Berita Harian (BH). Throughout the studies, it was found that there were 11 major themes frequently used in the BN manifesto namely: politics, foreign policy, development, economy, social education, security, religion, workers welfare, agriculture and the quality of life. Above were the main themes in the news during the general election for the year of study.The content analysis also found that there were 4461 news with the BN manifesto shown in 11 major news themes with â€Å"politics† in the lead and the â€Å"quality of life† ending the list. It also showed that the BN manifesto was mainly covered in various sections such as the Local News, Foreign News, Special Column, Main Column, Editorial, Advertisement, Economy, Asean, Forum, Articles and others. While the coverage on News, Articles, Photographs, Editorial, Letter to the Editor, Cartoon, Columnist and Comments also showed the present of BN manifesto.There was also a small difference between the tw o newspapers in terms of its news coverage on the BN manifesto during the general election. The study clearly showed that the media agenda of the two mainstream newspapers in the country was framed by the content of the BN manifesto during the duration of the general election for the year 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995 and 1999 and thus, strengthening the Agenda Setting Theory. The media institution and politic institution are closely linked to each other and are hardly being separated. Both the institutions are interdependent on each other.In Malaysia, we are practicing the democracy system, thus, media are an important instrument to achieve the democracy level; Media play a role in influencing the public in deciding their votes during a general election, either to vote for the specific individual or the party. Besides, media also take control in the politic process as mentioned earlier in the Agenda Setting Theory. In a democratic country like Malaysia, the process in politics often invol ve media as a tool to spread the news on certain parties’ issues and frame some of the suggestions or views on certain parties or individuals.In order to achieve a country that is practicing democratic system, the general elections were often used as a measurement tool in testing the level of support among the voters toward a specific party. Personal experience & interpersonal communication among elites and other individuals So, the process of general election in Malaysia is a very crucial component in a democratic way. There were 12 general elections being held so far in Malaysia which were in the year 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2004.Also, there were 6 Prime Ministers that have involved themselves in became the main politic communicators in every general election that have been done. Every Prime Minister has their own plans in collaboration with the media to enhance their communication through media, and utilized it in a proper ways. Gatek eepers’ influential media & spectacular news & events Policy Agenda Public Agenda Media Agenda Real world indications of the importance of an agenda, issue or event Figure 1: Three Main Components in Agenda Setting ProcessIn political communication, media is one of the aspects to be deal with. Others include media agenda, public agenda and policy agenda. All these three main components form a process (Agenda Setting Process) by which a complete political communication is carried out where the media were used to disseminate the messages or information to mass audiences. This process is involved in the Agenda Setting Process and has TWO levels: The media agenda affects the public agenda, and the public agenda affects the policy agenda.The communication using media has done by the politicians to publish their views and news or in this case, the manifesto of Barisan Nasional in Utusan Melaysia and Barita Harian in the media agenda. However, there are existence of gatekeepers that may influence the news and events to be published. In the case studies on BN manifesto, the gatekeepers here would be the editor and the owner of Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian newspapers publishers.The purposes of having gatekeepers here is to avoid harmful, negative, sensitive or religious issues being discussed which may cause misunderstanding within the nation According to the research, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian used media agenda to influence the public, and this has brought the issue to a broader step which is the public agenda, where the public start discussing about the issue. In the case studies, there are some similarities in the manifesto of Barisan Nasional.During the general election, extensive media coverage on the political issues of BN were published continuously especially in the front page of the newspapers being analyzed: Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian. Those issues are similar to the manifesto of BN. Therefore, the public can gain most of the inform ation about BN from the newspaper than the other party. After the public has start discussing about the issue, which is the involvement of BN’s manifesto in both the newspapers being mentioned, there were some activists who tried to support or banned the manifesto.The real world indicator will decide the importance of the agenda itself. Then, through the personal experiences and interpersonal communications among the elites and other individuals, there might be changes in the policy agenda. Finally, the policy agenda causes the media agenda to publish about the news and information all over again. The Agenda Setting Process will be repeated. ————————————————- Strengths and Weakness of the Theory We found that agenda setting theory has three strengths. First, agenda setting theory has explanatory power.Because this theory explains why most of the people prioritize th e same issues as important. Therefore, most of the people will discuss the same issues at the same time. They will also concentrate discuss the issues because they think that the issues are affecting them. Second, this theory also has predictive power as it predicts that if people are exposed to the same media, they will feel the same issues as important. For example, if one issue be the headline of all the newspapers for one week, people will feel that this issue is very important and it will affect their life.Furthermore, this theory has organizing power because it helps organize existing knowledge of media effects. There are also weaknesses, such as media users may not be as ideal as the theory assumes. People may not be well-informed, deeply engaged in public affairs, thoughtful and skeptical. Media just tell them what to think about the issues. People just know the appearance of the issues and not deeply engage in the issues. They will also think that are the issues reported co rrect or the media have hide something bad that they do not know about the issues.So, some of the people do not trust what the media have said. Instead, people may pay only casual and intermittent attention to public affairs and remain ignorant of the details. For people who have made up their minds, the effect is weakened. News media cannot create or conceal problems; they may only alter the awareness, priorities and salience people attached to a set of problems. Research has largely been inconclusive in establishing a casual relationship between public salience and media coverage. Suggestions to Improve on the TheoryFor communication theory to be adopted by researchers and remain viable, it must be able to survive and grow through its ability to adapt to changing environments, encourage further research, and serve as a foundation for studies beyond those in which the founders originally applied their theory. According to McCombs and Shaw (1972) the result of their study shows that fewer voters knew about specific issues. While they found out that media were often effective in raising awareness of issues with undecided voters.They also found that issues presented by media that were new to audiences were better received by the public than issues with which the public was already familiar. The key factor to the ability of media to have an agenda-setting effect upon their audiences depends on the desire of the viewers to become informed about the issues. For example, when the voters wants to know more about their ideal government leaders the public have to search for more information about the leaders and the party as the desired for them to become informed on the issues instills a strong motivation factors for the public’s.Although the theory may seem to be acceptable but the theory still have its own weaknesses and failure which are visible and need to be improved. For example, while the article concentrate on the presentation of the issues during the e lection campaigns, the willingness of voters to listen to issues presented by the media, they fail to examine the degree to which mass media is able to raise issues and attract information-seeking audiences on its own but they fail to examine the degree of how the mass media is able to heightened public interest of political issues during election seasons to perform an agenda-setting function.Besides that, the media agenda in agenda-setting theory have their own limitations, as media may not be as ideal as the theory assumes. The information from the media may not deliver appropriately, deeply engaged in public affairs, thoughtful and skeptical. Therefore to improve the theory effectiveness of the theory, the media should increase the understanding of the issues by reporting a more detail information about the election with wide range of information.In addition, the media can also carry out a survey to understand better the level of absorption information of the readers, listeners a nd viewers. The media should also aware of the public acceptance and understanding of the issues as the agenda-setting theory has its own limitations in dispersing the news. Conclusion In conclusion, the Agenda Setting Theory is a very important practice in media industry especially in a democratic country like Malaysia. The media collaborate with government to control what to be think and discussed among the public.The purpose is to shape their perception over certain issues. It can be from a political issue to welfare issue. This theory proved that whatever issue has been discussed shape the importance of that specific issue and bring to the discussion in the public as in the public agenda. If the public or majorities think that there are some dissatisfactions or objections going on, there will be changes in the policy agenda. Thus, agenda setting is a very important tool in media even though there are still some weaknesses in this practice.So, the media should take in to account to improve their practice by injecting more information not only to a specific area but make it more widely than today in order for the public to have more knowledge about our nation and this may create a more critical thinking nation. References Agenda-Setting Theory – Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw(n. d. ). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://www. ninosoriadeveyra. com/uploads/3/0/1/1/3011660/agenda-setting_ justine_kate_gian. ppt. Agenda-Setting Theory: Presentation paper & abstracts (n. . ). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://realhomepages. com/wecapps/agenda%20setting. htm Agenda-Setting Theory: Strengths and weaknesses of theory (n. d. ). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://www. servinghistory. com/topics/Agenda-setting_theory::sub::Strengths_And_ Weaknesses_Of_Theory Garson, G. D. (2006). Agenda setting theory. Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://faculty. chass. ncsu. edu/garson/PA765/agendasetting. htm Media Tenor Innovatio – Agenda setting theory (n. d. ).Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http:// www. agendasetting. com/res_theory. php M. Sanchez Spring 2002. (2002). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://zimmer. csufresno. edu/~ johnca/spch100/7-4-agenda. htm Spring 2001 theory workbook. (2001). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://www. uky. edu/~ drlane/capstone/mass/agenda. htm The Agenda-Setting Role of the Mass Media in the Shaping of Public Opinion (n. d. ). Retrieved July 30, 2010 from http://www. infoamerica. org/documentos_pdf/mccombs01. pdf