1993 Cuisine and Culture of Mexico Research Paper

1993 Cuisine and Culture of Mexico - Research Paper Example However, Mexican people belong to various different cultures and this fusion of diversity is reflected in the rich Mexican culture and tradition. The Official language of Mexico is Spanish and it is the largest and most densely populated Spanish speaking nation in the world. There is no official religion of Mexico but however, during the ancient Spanish colonization, the religion of Roman Catholicism was introduced to the Mexican people. However, a recent census revealed that 95% of the Mexican population is Christian out of which 89% are Roman Catholics therefore Mexico has the second largest Catholic population in the world. The folk art traditions of Mexican are amalgamations of both Spanish and aboriginal Aztec culture. The great contrasts in the Mexican culture are also due to the influence of Pre Columbian art which is portrayed in the curved, linear and three dimensional ceramics produced in Mexico. The ancient Mesoamerican settlements shaped the traditional literature of anci ent and modern Mexico. Netzahualcoyotl was a pre-Hispanic poet and is by far the most famous historical poet in Mexico. The beginning of the 20th century is considered as the Golden Era of Mexican cinema. During this time many historic events were portrayed in the form of stage performances particularly the Mexican revolution was quite dramatically depicted. Modern day Mexican culture shows great inspiration to the Catholic Church. (Solski, 1981) Modern day Mexican cuisine is a fusion of original Mayan and Aztec culture along with the influence of Spanish culture and cooking traditions. Mexico is famous around the world for this unique blend of Spanish and aboriginal cuisine. Mexican cuisine is known for its wide range of flavors and exotic decorations. The unique fusion of ingredients and a variety of spices give Mexican food a unique and

Impact of Modern Digital Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Impact of Modern Digital Technologies - Essay Example However, modern digital technology has influenced it adopters and users both negatively and positively, considering that, the corporate world adopts technological advancement to improve quality of production and more so, efficiency and effectiveness in both production and communication. Digital Printing Industry The modern digital technology has revolutionized the printing industry from the ancient application of faded images and texts to come up with complete printed product. The printing industry has advanced technologically from the use of ancient dot matrix printers that were characterized with holes in a row, which fed the ream of printing papers to the digital printing. The old dot matrix printers were repeatedly accompanied by the challenge of jamming of printing papers. The impact of the modern digital technology in the printing industry is clearly depicted by the strikingly clear texts and images with the flexibility of a wide range of colors where digital printing can be ad vantageously used to display a wide range of products, ranging from photographs to marketing materials. Small companies and business entities in the printing industry are able to match up to the big names in the printing industry through the application of digital printing to come with less costly and high quality products. Big companies dominated the production of quality and large quantities of printing products at less costly products as compared to small business entities that had to incur huge costs to produce printing products of higher quality, thanks to the modern digital technology that has enabled them to compete fairly in the printing industry. Digital printing has replaced the making of photocopies that were of low quality and were not that clear enough for detailed representations. Adoption of digital printing can therefore be associated with the significant quality of printing and representation of detailed graphics. It has replaced the less quality printing products f rom the ordinary printing devices and photocopy machines, where the result could never achieve more quality that original copy. The old printing machines could never achieve much quality as the digital technology, since any slight depreciation in quality of the original copy was always highlighted by the printer. Digital technologies have the advantage of using original soft copy material unlike the physical hard copy whose quality can be compromised by handling complications such as creases, dust, and oil. However, companies operating within the printing industry have not fully embraced the digital printing technology, considering the rather huge costs involved in installing the digital printing devices. Large printing companies have been reluctant in installing newer printing devices that can produce large quantities at high speed. More over, in relation to huge costs incurred in installing high-speed digital printing devices, some companies in the industry generally have a slow p ace in innovation and adoption of new technologies other than the modern digital technology itself. Total digital printing represents two percent of the entire printing industry and it is projected to grow minimally in future, considering that there is limited modern digital printing equipment in the whole industry. Companies are reluctant to embrace digital printing technologies consideration the high capital costs incurred in

Structuralism And Edward Titchener Psychology Essay

Structuralism And Edward Titchener Psychology Essay Edward Titchener was a famous psychologist who was born in Chichester, England in 1867. He studied physiology, classics, and philosophy at Malvern College and Oxford University before pursuing his doctorate degree in clinical psychology at the University of Leipzig (King, Viney, Woody, 2009). While at the University of Leipzig, Titchener studied under Wilhelm Wundt, a psychologist who is known as the father of experimental psychology (Schultz Schultz, 2011). After Titchener completed his doctoral degree in Germany, he attempted to obtain a job in England, but was not successful in doing so. He ended up earning a job at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York as a professor of psychology. At the age of 28, Titchener earned the title of full professor at Cornell (King et al., 2009). While at Cornell, Titchener published eight books, over 60 articles, and translated much of Wundts work into English (Schultz Schultz, 2011). As the head of one of the most rigorous doctoral program in the United States, he supervised over 50 students in the clinical psychology program at Cornell (King et al., 2009). Titcheners first student who graduated was Margaret Floy Washburn, who later became famous for her work in comparative psychology, which is the study of human behavior in relation to animals and other species (King et al., 2009). In a time period when most schools would not accept women into their programs, Titchener had 19 women graduate under his supervision. This was the most of any other male psychologist in his generation (Hergenhahn, 2008). Titchener structured the doctoral program at Cornell based on the German model, which included an intense mixture of lab research and independent work. While his students worked independently, he was heavily involved in helping them out with their research. Titchener was described as having a powerful personality, a strong character, and a paternalistic way with his students (King et al., 2009). Wundt and Titchener both believed in using introspection to discover the mental elements of human experience. Both of these scientists also believed that identifying and classifying sensations and feelings were an essential part of understanding the human experience (Chung Hyland, 2012). However, Titchener felt images were a category of mental elements, and Wundt did not. Both Wundt and Titchener used an experimental approach in their work. However, Wundt believed that psychology cannot only be studied as an experimental science. He felt that psychology should also be studied through historical analyses and naturalistic observation (Chung Hyland, 2012). In addition, Wundt believed that the methods used to study psychology could be utilized to describe social customs, religion, myths, morals, art, law, and language (King et al., 2009). Titcheners view was more rigid in that he only believed that psychology could be studied in the laboratory through evidence-based methods. Another di fference between Titchener and Wundt was that Wundt believed that physical events could be explained by antecedent events, and that higher psychological processes could not be studied in the laboratory (Schultz Schultz, 2011). Titchener only studied psychology through introspection, focusing on internal processes (Hergenhahn, 2008). Titcheners goal for psychology was to make it an accepted science, classified in the same category as physics and chemistry (King et al., 2009). He firmly believed that psychology should be studied in a laboratory, and that studying psychology was no different than studying physics, chemistry, and other hard sciences. Titcheners view on psychology was called Structuralism. He believed that human thoughts, emotions, and behaviors could be charted on a table as elements are on the periodic table. Titcheners view was reductionistic in that he did not feel it was important to understand how the parts of the mind worked together as a whole, but just the individual parts themselves. He felt that if each part could be understood then all one would need to do is to learn how these parts interact to conclude in a thought or behavior. Structuralism had five main goals for psychology; 1) to study it using specific methods, 2) to provide more definitions in the field of psychology, 3) to use it to make assumptions about more general philosophical issues, 4) to make connections between the physical sciences and psychology, and 5) to prove that psychology should be in the same category as the hard sciences. Titchener believed that all science begins with experience, and that without this, there could be no cognition or knowledge. He felt that experiences could have various points of view depending on the person who is experiencing the situation. Titchener believed that the main difference between the accepted physical sciences and psychology was that psychological experience was dependent on human judgment, and the other physical sciences were not dependent on human experience. While Titchener had many goals for psychology, he identified the current problems with psychology, and why it was not an accepted science. Titchener believed that the basic elements of experience needed to be identified and categorized. Next, understanding how each element interacts with another was essential to understanding human experience. Finally, causal relations between experiences needed to be identified. Titchener believed that the method of studying psychology was not different than any other science. While hard scientists used inspection to make many of their observations, Titchener called the observation by psychologists introspection. While many criticized introspection due to its subjective nature, Titchener firmly believed introspection could be objective if individuals were formally trained in the practice. Introspection was a scientific form of observation in Titcheners eyes. According to Titchener, observation is considered scientific if it has three properties; 1) one can isolate the experience, 2) the experience can be varied, and 3) the experience can be repeated. Titchener believed that the senses were the key access points to the mind. One of his specific goals was to identify mental elements connected to each sense. After he identified each element, Titchener wanted to categorize the elements. The three mental elements that Titchener identified were: 1) affections, which were emotions, 2) images, which were ideas, memories, and thoughts, and 3) sensation, which related to perception. He believed that all sensations had four characteristics; 1) quality, which was the main descriptor, 2) intensity, which was the strength or amount, 3) clearness, which was how clearly the sensation could be identified, and 4) duration, which was the duration of the sensation. The mental elements could have more than these four characteristics, but all had these. The only mental element that did not have all four was affections because Titchener did not believe that emotions were distinct or easy to identify. Titchener had a unique view on the mind and body rel ationship. Titchener believed that the mind and body influence each other, but that they were two different views of the same experience. According to him, the mind and body were parallel and never physically interacted, but one could influence the other. Some historians classified Titchener as a psychophysical parallelist, but this was controversial. This may have been thought to be controversial because s true parallelist would never say that the mind and body could influence one another in any way. Another unique aspect to Titcheners opinion on the mind and body relationship was that he did not believe in commonsense interactionism. This was likely due to his empiricist nature that everything had to be objectively studied in a lab setting. Titchener influenced many aspects of psychology that are important today. The first area of psychology that Titchener was interested in was attention. He separated attention into two categories; primary and secondary. Primary attention was passive and involuntary. It was influenced by intense stimuli, and thought to be related to novel and sudden stimuli. According to Titchener, secondary attention was active and voluntary. This involved attention under situations in which one needs to actively concentrate when distractors are in the environment. Titchener felt that this was related to advanced stages of development, and that infants were not capable of secondary attention. Another area of psychology that Titchener was interested in was associations. Titchener wanted to analyze how the mental elements of human experience interact; therefore, understanding associations was important to him. Titchener appreciated how philosophers such as Aristotle, Hobbes, and Bain placed a large emphasis on association. Titchener proposed that all association can be broken down to the law of contiguity. He felt that every law of association involved contiguity. Titchener also believed that emotions do not play an important part in association. Titchener stated, feelings only play a role by virtue of their sensory and imaginal components, and not their affective character (Cite). Titchener thought highly of Ebbinghauss work with nonsense syllables in regard to understanding association, but he felt that Ebbinghaus was missing an important component, intrinsic meaning. Titchener believed that personal impressions and associative processes operate together, and they cannot be separated. Titchener understood that intrinsic processes in humans are impo rtant, and cannot be left out when studying association. A third area of psychology that Titchener studied was meaning. Titchener believed that meaning, from a psychological perspective, had everything to do with context. In his opinion, meaning was a combination of the laws of attention and the laws of the connection of sensations. Titchener believed that everything humans see and experience had a context and a background. He understood that when individuals process things, memories of their past experiences play a large role in how they interpret what they experience. Titchener felt that the context of a situation or object was the psychological equivalent of its actual meaning. Interestingly, he noted that humans frequently had difficulty in identifying their own contexts when doing introspection. Emotion was another area that Titchener was interested in studying. In the area of emotion, Titchener had a problem with the James-Lange theory, which states that humans experience emotions based on how the body behaves. For example, when we see a bear, we run, and then become afraid. There were a number of reasons why Titchener had a problem with this theory. First, he believed it was not a novel theory, in that Descarte and Spinoza discussed physical origins of emotions. Next, Titchener felt that there were specific flaws in this theory. He argued that physical changes in the body may look exactly the same for different emotions. For example, when somebody is crying, it could be tears of joy as opposed to tears of despair. In addition, Titchener felt that bodily sensations were too simple of an explanation for emotions, which are complicated and not easily defined. He wrote in detail about how difficult categorizing emotions was, and stated that most theorists that attempt to understand and classify emotions do it subjectively, and their theories a re not scientific. Toward the end of Titcheners career, he became frustrated with his inability to identify and quantify all of the mental processes in human experience. Instead of having three main elements (Images, sensation, and affections), he proposed that affect was simply a byproduct of sensations images and sensations. Specifically, Titchener believed that affect may have been a form of sensation on a spectrum from pleasant to unpleasant. In addition, he proposed that images may have been a type of sensation. Titchener separated himself from trying to identify and classify all mental processes, and grew to feel that human experience was more abstract and on a spectrum. Titcheners Structuralism eventually was overtaken by behaviorism for a number of reasons. It was hard to defend introspection as an objective, scientific method. It was thought that individuals may not accurately report what they feel and experience. Next, structuralism placed no weight on psychological development, personality, abnormal behavior, learning, individual differences, evolution, and practicality. Behaviorism focused on what could be observed, and the relationship between external events and behavior. This lead to a great understanding in learning, performance, and the origin of behaviors. Most importantly, the methods of behaviorism were practical, quantifiable, measurable, classifying them as credibly scientific. Behaviorists criticized Structuralists for focusing too much on the internal, which cannot be observed. Behaviorists the studied cause and effect of behavior focusing on external events in the environment. This was more practical and effective than methods such as introspection. While Titcheners structuralism was too rigid to survive, it paved an important path in the field of psychology for its future. He was the first to fight a fight that has gone on for years, making psychology classified as a true, empirically-based science. Titchener also touched on areas in psychology that are crucial in the field today such as attention, association, meaning, and emotion. While he was not never able to create a periodic table of the mental elements of experience, his empirically-based methods are used today in many areas of psychology.

Religion and its Impact on the Life of Man of Today :: Religion

Religion and its impact on the life of the man of today Jamalpour believes, It is very difficult to define the religion, each group of people have a specific definition and beliefs about that. But people believe that religion makes a better life and makes the world a better place to live. With the help of religion people will respect to the costumes and traditions, nobody will be disappointed, the life has a meaning. So many kinds of religions until today have found, but it?s impossible to say which one is helpful or has a positive impact on man. From the beginning of life there was a power that keeps human away from darkness, this power in all societies and cultures effect the life of that community, the beliefs that there are always wars between light and darkness, the stories about God and evil, cause people to accept the orders that were brought by some messengers that called religion. Some say that religion cause man to believe in a super power that control their lives and the world, every thing, every action is under the control of this power, who knows what is this power? The next group, who think religion cause people to believe in myth and superstition, are against the religion and religious thoughts. They consider religion as an obstacle to human?s development, as a limitation for free life. Even some of them don?t believe in God, they consider the world as a machine which works according to special rules, they say every thing in this world is mortal, there is no life after death, so they try to seize the days in this world and experience all the pleasures. More than that is mentioned here, there are groups or better to say countries that although they don?t believe in religion, but use it in order to reach to their benefits, the play with people, they deceive people with wrong beliefs, different governments in different eras, killed, destroyed, and punished innocent people just because they don?t heed to their religions.

Ghandi Speech Essay

To what extent does Gandhi use relatively simple syntax, expressing ethos and pathos, to appeal to a larger audience. The ‘Quit India’ speech was given by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8th of 1942. â€Å"Let me explain my position clearly†, Gandhi said, to begin his first point. He uses very simple syntax when giving this speech because he wants his points to be made more â€Å"clearly†. Throughout the whole speech, Gandhi’s speaks using very basic language, therefore appealing to a much larger audience, of people rather than a select few. Gandhi uses ethos and pathos in order to captivate and enthrall his audience. Gandhi said â€Å"I want you to know and feel that there is nothing but purest Ahimsa in all that I am saying and doing today.† He addresses the audience using â€Å"you† to make everything more direct and personal. Ethos and pathos is also used throughout this speech to gain credibility of the people, motivating them into  "joining† the â€Å"Quit India† movement he is advertising. â€Å"It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today.†, Gandhi said. â€Å"The power, when it comes, will belong to the people to the people of India, and it will be for them to decide to whom it placed and entrusted.† Promoting congress and rejecting dictatorship are the two biggest topics Gandhi is trying to support in this speech. And that is why the above excerpt is such an important sentence to the speech. Another strategy Ghandi incorporated was the repetition of the word â€Å"we† throughout the whole speech. This was to designate that he is the voice of the people of India, not merely voicing out his own individual opinion. â€Å"We must get rid of this feeling. Our quarrel is not with the British people, we fight their imperialism.† When giving a speech, it is crucial to know who your intended audience is. That way it will make it easier for you to persuade them since you know what they are about. Mahatma Ghandi used this indication in order to persuade his audience and made his speech meaningful. In â€Å"Quit India†, he used simple sentences and being more informal in order to attract and keep the audience’ attention. Overall, the power of speech is so incredible and can impact more than just the intended audience. But in order for that to occur, the speaker must choose their words wisely, not just jotting down everything that comes to mind when given a topic. Not everyone wants to read something that is serious and not everyone is literate, especially during the time Mahatma Ghandi was delivering this speech. Therefore, putting together and  delivering this speech was important in order to attract people from all different ethnicities and political views. â€Å"Quit India† was not just a speech intended for a select audience, but it is a speech intended for ev ery human being to hear and interpret in their own way. That is the genius of Gandhi’s basic, yet meaninful, and relatable, syntax used through this speech.

Asthma in Children Essay

Table of Contents Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Overview †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 What is Asthma †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 What are the signs and symptoms of asthma? .. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 What can make asthma symptoms worse? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 What is the treatment for asthma? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Peak flow and its importance †¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 Asthma Action Plan †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Patient Information Leaflet †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13Introduction â€Å"Asthma can affect anyone, any age, anywhere, but it is particularly common among children. Nowadays asthma affects one in five households in the United Kingdom, and i t is increasingly common. So how do you recognize the condition and minimize the impact on you, your child and your family? â€Å"(Barlow 2007). Often times parents of children with asthma are not given much information on what to do with their child after discharge from the Emergency department especially in patients who are newly diagnosed with asthma.This results in them bringing back their child even though the asthma attack is mild due to parents/carers knowledge about asthma or on home care is limited. Recent developments in the management of chronic illnesses such as asthma offer many possibilities for optimal control, but parents/main carers of children with asthma need to take on responsibilities for self-care. This paper reflects an informative approach on paediatric asthma. The aim is to give information about asthma, to give a brief definition, explain the symptoms of asthma, what the treatments are, what exacerbates the symptoms, and what to do if an asthma attack occu rs.The better the parent / carer and the child understand asthma and its treatment the better they will be able to manage and control it. It will also set out why a patient information leaflet should be introduced to help patients and carers to better manage symptoms at home and help reduce hospital attendances. Overview Whilst working in a busy north London Accident and Emergency ( A&E ) department It has been noted that when children attend with asthma they are discharged from the Department with no further information or support with regards to home care, especially the ones who are newly diagnosed.What happens often is that the parents are given the medications by the nurse without even explaining what to do next or what to watch out for with regards to their childs asthma because the nurse has limited time due to the fact that the department is often busy and there is no time to sit down and chat with the parents prior to discharge. After collaborating with the peadiatric secti on of the department a need has been identified for giving information to parents / carers about asthma in children to help reduce / prevent A&E attendances and help children be cared for at home by means of their parents and general practitioners(GP).Through writing an action plan I have identified what areas of information was needed to be covered in the information leaflet, these being: What is asthma? What are the signs and symptoms? What can make asthma symptoms worse? What is the treatment for asthma? What is a peakflow and its importance in managing the child’s asthma? What to do when an asthma attack occurs? An action plan after discharge from the department Useful contact numbers and website address’ What is asthma? At work I have encountered parents who have limited knowledge about asthma.It is a key issue for parents/ carers to know what asthma is In the leaflet, I have briefly mentioned the definition of asthma as derived by the World Heatlh Organization. T he World Health Organization defines asthma as a condition that affects the airways, it is due to the inflammation of the air passages in the lungs and affects the sensitivity of the nerve endings in the airways so they become easily irritated. in an attack, the lining of the passages swell causing the airways to narrow and reducing the flow of air in and out of the lungs. (World Health Organization 2006)The leaflet also contains what signs and symptoms to look out for prior to an asthma attack. Basing from my own experience growing up with my youngest brother who suffered from asthma, I can remember my parents panic as soon my brother developed cough with mild shortness of breath which often times becomes a trip to the nearest hospital. What are the signs and symptoms? The information leaflet includes what symptoms to look out for when an asthma attack occurs. Out of all the research and reading that I have done, I have come up with four common symptoms.The common symptoms of asthm a, they are cough and wheeze which are constant or intermittent in nature. The child may also become breathless, and develop a feeling of chest tightness. the severity of symptoms differ from child to child – from mild to severe. The leaflet serves as a guide in what to do when these symptoms occur. What can make asthma symptoms worse? A part of the information leaflet is about what makes the symptoms of asthma worse. What factors can cause the exacerbation of asthma or â€Å" trigger factors â€Å" .According to the American Lung Foundation, â€Å" the cause of asthma is not fully understood, but it is thought that it may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors, that asthma attacks are often triggered by certain conditions or stimuli. † ( American Lung Association 2007 ). The common triggers of asthma are exercise, infections, allergy, irritants, weather and emotions. â€Å"Exercise induced asthma (EIA) affects about 40-90% of children with asthma, an d occurs when a child's asthma is triggered by exercise or physical activities. Symptoms f coughing, wheezing, chest pain and difficulty breathing usually begin a few minutes after starting the activity and worsen over the next 5-10 minutes. Symptoms usually continue for about 20-30 minutes. â€Å" ( keepkidshealthy. com 2008 ) â€Å"Severe episodes of asthma are often triggered by respiratory tract infections including flu. Research shows that these infections are most frequently caused by virus more than bacteria. Bronchodilator medication, sufficient hydration and steroids (if indicated) are needed to control an asthma attack caused by viral infections.Allergies can trigger an asthma attack in children with asthma. † ( American Lung Association 2007 ). Allergies can trigger an asthma attack in children with asthma. â€Å"Histamine is released during an allergic reaction causing mucous to be excessively produced, the lining of the airway becomes swollen then muscle contra ction in the airway thus leading to an asthma attack. Allergens associated with asthma are common things like dust mites, feathers, moulds, pets, insects, pollens and ingested food such as egg, soy milk, etc.These causative agents can cause minimal reactions sometimes which are of no obvious consequence but daily exposure to the allergens can cause in gradual worsening of asthma. † (American Lung Association 2007 ). Irritants such as air pollution, cigarette smoke, fumes, chemicals and strong odours can irritate the respiratory system causing reactions such as cough, wheeze and mucous secretions. â€Å"Weather or climatic conditions can trigger an asthma attack; it basically affects outdoor inhalant allergens (pollens and moulds).On a windy day more allergens will be scattered in the air, while a heavy rainfall will wash the air clean of allergens but on the other hand, a light rain might wash out pollen, but actually increase mold concentration† (American Lung Associat ion 2007 ). â€Å"Emotional factors are not the cause of asthma, though emotional stress can infrequently trigger asthma† ( American Lung Association ). A child’s asthma might only be noticeable after crying, laughing or yelling in response to an emotional situation. These normal emotional responses involve deep breathing which in turn can trigger asthma.Emotional stress itself like anxiety, anger or frustration can also trigger asthma, but the asthmatic condition precedes the emotional stress. Emotions are associated with asthma for another reason, many children with asthma suffer from severe anxiety during an episode as a result of suffocation caused by the asthma attack. The anxiety and panic can then produce rapid breathing or hyperventilation, which worsens the asthma condition. The panic and anxiety should be controlled as much as possible; the parent should remain calm, encourage the child to relax and breathe easily and give appropriate medications. The aim is to control the asthma with the appropriate treatment, and when the asthma is well controlled the emotional stress level will be reduced† ( American Lung Association 2007 ). It is an important part of the care of asthma for the parents / carers to know what these factors are, knowing these triggers can help minimize an asthma attack, though some are unavoidable like weather or the fact that a child tends to be more active, the aim of management of the child’s asthma is to enable the child to live a normal life by teaching the parents / carers to recognize their own triggers as avoidance will prevent symptoms from occurring.A part of the information leaflet enumerates the most common triggers with given examples that can act as a stimulus to set off an asthma attack. What is the treatment for asthma? â€Å"There is no cure for asthma, although it can always be controlled† ( World Health Organization 2006 ). â€Å" For most children, asthma is a condition that can be controlled by inhaled medication at home. Continuity and stability of treatment is important. † (Barlow 2007 ) The devised information leaflet enumerates and briefly defines the medications for asthma.It is quite important for the parents / carers to know what the medications are, what are they for, when to use them, and how to use them properly. Hopefully, the literature will help parents / carers to understand asthma medications, for it is worth of consideration that asthma medications must be taken properly. This helps in the care of the child’s disease. Together with the Asthma Action Plan, an appropriate assessment of the child’s symptoms and administering the proper asthma medication at the right time helps in the control of the disease at home.The primary goal for the treatment of the child’s asthma is to achieve the greatest possible control over the disease by reducing exacerbations, and limiting symptoms in order to optimize the quality of lif e of the child. â€Å" the potential for limitation of normal living is immediately apparent, but the actuality is related to a patient’ ability and willingness, to adhere to, and the nature of, a health professional’s recommended regimen† Christie et. al ( 1993 ). Peak flow and its importancePeak flow has it’s place in the care and management of asthma. The information leaflet briefly defines what is peak flow and justify why it should be monitored. The literature emphasizes that in managing asthma in children, parents are encouraged to obtain their child’s peak flow rate for measuring the peak flow helps in monitoring their asthma. The correct technique in obtaining the peak flow should also be reiterated for a false reading can greatly affect the management.However, in children who are under five years it is unreliable due to the fact that their ability to use the peak flow meter properly is doubtful, therefore it should only be attempted in chi ldren who have formerly and regularly used the peak flow devise. A criteria in the Asthma Action Plan is to measure the child’s peak flow rate for it helps to determine the severity of the episode, it helps decide when to use the prescribed asthma medications, and decide when to seek emergency care. Asthma Action PlanIn managing the child’s asthma, it is important to know what symptoms to look out for, what medicines to take, how much and when to take them, all of this should be recorded in the Asthma Action Plan. Prior to discharge from the emergency department, the Asthma Action Plan together with the information leaflet is given to the parents/ carers to use at home to act as a guide in managing an attack of their child’s asthma. It contains the symptoms to look out for and what to do if they occur.It also acts as a tool for the parents and their doctors to monitor the child’s asthma, prior to discharge from the Emergency Department the doctor and the Peadiatric nurse should have completed and discussed the form to the parent. Patient Information leaflet In the current political climate of patient autonomy, patient information leaflets can aid patients, parents and carers to achieve this autonomy. Research has shown that patients may forget half of what they have been told within five minutes of a medical consultation and retain only twenty per cent of the information conveyed to them. â€Å"Providing patients and families ith written information may reduce anxiety, improve use of preventative or self care measures, increase adherence to therapy, prevent communication problems between health care providers and patients and lead to more appropriate and effective use of healthcare services† (Moult et al, 2004). The importance of written patient information has been recognized by the department of Health and the NHS. The NHS Plan states that patient information is an integral part of the patient journey. The Centre for Health Information Quality identifies three key attributes of quality health care information materials: a. he information should be clearly communicated; b. be evidence based; and c. involve patients in the development of the materials (Centre for Health Information Quality in Moult et al, 2004). Research has exposed problems with the readability and usability of a wide range of patient information leaflets (PILS) on diverse matters. The majority of PILs, regardless of their subject, require relatively high reading skills that may not exist in a large proportion of their target population (Zorn & Ratzan, 2000 in Gal & Prigat, 2005).In 2002, the Department of Health published the ‘Tool kit for providing patient information which provides detailed guidelines for writing and designing health care information. The toolkit includes guidelines in the form of ‘points to consider’ and checklists for presentation of various types of information. Readability is often mentioned a s a measure of the quality of written health care information an several scales have been deployed to evaluate the reading level of written information and several scales have been developed to evaluate the reading level of written information. Spadero, 1983). Moult et al. (2004), explains that the lower the reading level, the more likely that the information can be read and understood by a large proportion of the public. Summary The purpose of this essay is to discuss the need which has been identified and to implement change in the peadiatric area in the Emergency Department ( ED ) with regards to patient information about asthma in children. â€Å"The appropriate selection of medications is only one aspect for the provision of a comprehensive approach to all aspects of managing asthma.In particular, parents / carers need education, support and guidance, on how to manage their child’s condition† ( National Institute for Clinical Excellence 2007 ) I have accessed many online web sites and read articles to see what information was available to combine together to produce such information leaflet. The intention of the devised information leaflet is to give information to parents / carers about asthma in children to help reduce or hopefully prevent ED attendances and help children with asthma be cared for at home by means of their parents and GPs. Technological and pharmaceutical developments make feasible the more effective control of chronic conditions, but clinician’s perception of optimal management may result in patients carrying increased responsibilities for maintenance of their physical well – being that can compromise the quality of their daily life† ( Christie et. al. 1993 ), hopefully the information leaflet can facilitate and provide advice, as a part in the holistic approach in managing the child’s asthma at home when the child is discharged from the Emergency department.The information leaflet can also be ut ilized as useful tool to teach junior staff in the Emergency Department. A reading material for the newly qualified staff members to read and use to further enhance their nursing knowledge about asthma, that it can aid the nurse as guidance in their initial assessment and help in anticipating the needs of a child who presents in the Emergency Department with asthma.Hopefully in the future, the information leaflet can be used as a useful tool for health promotion which can be utilized by other members of the health care setting such as health visitors, school nurses, and others in the community settings. Reference: American Lung Association (2007): childhood Asthma Overview http://www. lungusa. org/site/pp. asp? c=dvLUK9O0E=22782. [accessed Dec 2007] Barlow(2007)http://www. childrenfirst. nhs. uk/families/features/illnesses/managing_childhood_asthma. html [accessed Jan 2008] Christie et. l (1993)Development of child – centered disease – specific Questionares for living with asthma , Psychosomatic medicine 55:541 – 548 Department of Health. ( 2002 ) Toolkit for Producing Patient Information. London: HMSO, 2002. London: Department of Health Gal, I & Ayelet Prigat (2005) Why organizations continue to create patient information leaflets with readability and usability problems: an exploratory study: Health Education Research Vol. 20 no. 4 pp485 – 493. Keep Kids Healthy (2007) :Exercise Induced Athma http://www. keepkidshealthy. com/asthma/exercise_induced_asthma. html [accessed Dec 2007]Moult, B. et al (2004) Ensuring Quality Information for Patients: development and preliminary validation of a new instrument to improve the quality of written care information: Health Expectation Vol 7 pp165 – 175. National Institute for Clinical Excellence:Inhaler devices for routine treatment of chronic asthma in older children, ;www. nice. org. uk [ accessed Dec 2007 ] Spadero, DC (1983) Assessing readability of patient information materials. Pae diatric Nursing, Vol 9 pp274 – 278. WorldHealthOrganization:Asthma in children; http://www. who. int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs307/en/index. htm. [accessed Jan 2008]