Development of New Medicines A History

Development of New Medicines A History AnnaMaria Roca As many diseases were able to be cured due to new medicines, new diseases are soaring such as AIDS. However, peoples lives have expanded all around the world due to so many studies that even included drugs. As strange as it sounds, medical drugs became the new thing to cure certain diseases such as tuberculosis. During the time of the 20th century, the medical advances increased in many areas. The advancement evolved in many areas in biology, chemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and technology. Due to the knowledge that brought to their understanding, diseases got new treatments and cures as more studies grew larger. â€Å"Toward the end of the 19th century the study of herbal, chemical, and mineral remedies (what was called material medica) was transformed into the laboratory science of pharmacology(Planetseed)†. Plant drugs such as opium were being analyized and examined. After a while, it was ready to be manufactured due to researchers becoming comfortable of their knowledge about the drugs. The pharmaceutical industry was marketing these products near the start of the 20th century. This is when aspirin was invented as the company Bayer used a systematic chemical named acetylsalicylic acid. Paul Ehrlich studied in pharmacology and created the first effective treatment for syphilis. He manufactured the arsenic-based compound Salvarsan in 1909. Ehrlich also created the word â€Å"chemotherapy† and due to that, formed the first antibiotic drug. Later on, a guy named Gerhard produced the first useful sulfa drug which is also an antibiotic. This was used to treat streptoccal, strep, and diseases, including meningitis. Even though viral diseases weren’t being cured by antibiotics, antiviral vaccines did. Smallpox and polio were important to the vaccines that cured them. Polio, which is mainly a disease of childhood, causes paralysis. Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin were two scientist that worke to develop a polio vaccine. However, two different versions of this vaccine were developled, which were brought into the world in the mid-1950s. Salk’s developed the vaccine that was used on the deadly virus, while Sabin’s was used on the live one. Both that were used resulted in success. Polio was mostly put to rest by the end of the 20th century. In the 1920s, Alexander Fleming studied mold samples and found something that could be very important in the medical field. Mold was growing on bacteria samples which killed them. He recognized the mold as penicillin. During World War II, they used this with their extended research on injured soldiers to test it out the new drug. It proved very effective against anthrax, tetanus, and syphilis. This was also the first drug that worked against pneumonia. â€Å"Antiretroviral drugs were developed in the 1980s to combat AIDS. (Retroviruses are a class of virus.) Viruses mutate so quickly, however, that developing antiviral (and antiretroviral) agents has proved very difficult (Planetseed)†. So due to this, the multiple studies and hard work to develop a vaccine for malaria and AIDS are unsuccessful. Other antiviral vaccines were also developed to cure measles, chickenpox, and influenza. Vaccines against human papillomavirus and shingles became available in 2006. The first antiviral drug in the 1970’s were acyclovir that helped against some forms of herpes. However, this doesn’t cure herpes but its useful for not breaking out in herpe sores or blisters. Researchers have used many different approaches to develop drugs for patients. One major revolution in treating illnesses was a new understanding of theimmune system. The advancement in immunology has brought progress to all of the autoimmune diseases. The autoimmune diseases include type 1 diabetes, lupus, muscular dystrophy, and rheumatoid arthritis.the research has led to the development of immunotherapy. That would the use of drugs to modify the immune system. As immunosuppressive drugs help treat autoimmune diseases, it also is a great success in the area of organ transplantation. First transplant to occur where the kidneys and then soon later become the first heart transplants. However, those patients didn’t survive that long due to their body’s immune system rejecting the new organs. Cyclosporins was then created as the first effective immunosuppressive drug to fix that problem. This advanced even further for todays modern surgery that allows any organ of the human body to be transplanted from one individual to another. AIDS brought the science of immunology to new studies. AIDS was considered a death sentence since it destroy s the immune system as it resists infection. However, antiretroviral drug treatments extends the lives of individuals for years who are infected for many years, but it still doesn’t have a real cure. Studies in the immunological medical search also dealt with genetics. The body’s cells and organisms that could infect it were studied. They then understood the roles of genes, the chromosomes and cell metabolism. Deocyribonuclei acid, also known as DNA is located at the core of the chromosome. After the study of the body’s cells, the biggest breakthrough then happened. A biochemist Frank Crick, and biologist James Watson were able to interpret the structure of DNA and were then able to use it in medicine. They found out that many diseases can be drawn to genes or defective chromosomes. Due to these findings, it is now possible to be tested for diseases like cystic fibrosis, huntingtyons chorea and forms of breast cancer. Genetic engineering even allows us to generate new drugs such as insulin, interferon, human growth hormone, and other hormones used to stimulate blood cell production. Physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered X-rays and made it capable to look at the internal organs of the body. This resulted in easier diagnoses for broken bones, cancer, and other diseases. Later on a physiologist, invented the first electrocardiograph. This was used for people with heart problems which the device was used to record electrical activity of the heart muscles. Tubes were then used to drain fluids or used to put in medicine were put into the heart and liver. The technologies that were discovered were ultrasound imaging, computerized tomography scans, positron emission tomography scans and magnetic resonance imaging. X-rays are a form of radiation which you would consider very dangerous to the body. After a while Radiologists realized that x rays were a form of radiation and are very dangerous to the body which resulted in them now using the lowest doses possible. They also became more knowledgeable about the use of X-rays to destroy unwanted cells. Radiation has become a treatment for cancer. Technology also helps people who need surgery. It allows the surgeon to look into further of the body which also allows radical invasive surgeries. Flexible endoscopes also became useful for hernias, gall bladders, kidneys, and knees. It is based on a fiber optic technology which is used for a keyhole surgery. It is a scope that has a laser which can cut like a sharp knife which makes a tiny incision. During the mid 20th century, a heart-lung machine was manufactured. It keeps patients alive by maintaining blood circulation while a surgeon is operating on an unbeating heart. Artificial organs are also a development that became useful for many individuals. Due to the fact that there aren’t enough organs for people, artificial organs help them to survive until one is found for them. Hemodialysis which was developed by a scientist named Willem Kolff. It helps patients live longer with kidney failure. Missing limbs were also being helped due to the development of prosthetics. Artificial limbs use to be made of metal and wood which later on turned into plastic that was developed in the mid-20th century. â€Å"But now, advanced materials, such as carbon fiber, high-tech plastics and metals, have enabled researchers to create devices that operate by electronic attachment to the muscles(Planetseed)†. In otherwords, Individuals lives have expanded all around the world due to so many studies of different things. The medical advancement evolved in many areas in biology, chemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and technology. Due to the knowledge that brought to their understanding like the medical drugs becoming a factor of helping people. As the studies grow, the more treamtns and cure grow because that is the key factor to it all. Studying and learning and eventually achieving what you’ve been working hard for doesn’t only help yourself but other lives as well. WORKS CITED: 20th Century Medical Advances | History of Medicine | PlanetSEED. 20th Century Medical Advances | History of Medicine | PlanetSEED. Web. 18 May 2015. Parker, Steve. Medical Advances. Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1998. Print. Fong, Kevin. Extreme Medicine: How Exploration Transformed Medicine in the Twentieth Century. 2014. Print.

Tmj Closed Lock Syndrome Management Health And Social Care Essay

Tmj Closed Lock Syndrome Management Health And Social Care Essay Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is a collective term has been defined as a group of conditions that affect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), muscle of mastication and associated structures. These disorders are common, affecting at least 30% of the population.1 TMD can severely affect individuals daily activities and produce varying symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to severe function disability. Patients with TMD often presents with reduced mandibular function secondary to increased pain levels, reduced ability in chewing, limited mouth opening and during excursive movement of the joint. There are many causes of limited mandibular movement, closed lock is the most common presentation in the clinic. Closed lock is a well recognised condition. An estimated 2% of people with TMD suffer from a closed lock. 2 It has been suggested that condylar translation is limited by the failure of the disc to reduce, with the posterior band being trapped anterior to the condylar head. It was also proposed this condition was a result of reversible restriction in gliding movements of the disc caused by its adherence to the fossa. 3 These group of patients often complaints of jaw-opening difficulties such as pain, restriction and TMJ tightness. Macrotrauma to the structures of the joint through impact or extension injuries, and microtrauma either in the form of clenching or occlusal abnormalities may contributes in the aetiology of internal derangement with closed lock. A various treatment options have been considered to improve the symptoms of closed lock. Non-surgical approaches may consist of anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants, splint therapy, physiotherapy, exercise, moist heat, stress management and soft diet or combination of thereof. In patients whom the symptoms proved refractory to non-invasive therapy, surgical management on the TMJ is generally considered. The aim of this dissertation is to discuss and analyse the published data to support the current management of TMJ closed lock syndrome. Literature Review There are many treatment modalities in management of TMJ closed lock. The two main approaches used are non-surgical and surgical treatment. Treatment efforts are directed toward: Reduction of pain using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) Improvement in mouth opening and lateral movement Improvement in joint function. For most TMD, clinicians generally agree that non-surgical and non invasive care should precede surgery. However, for TMJ closed lock, surgery has been described as preferable. 4 Non Surgical Treatment A range of conservative treatments including physiotherapy, occlusal bite splints, NSAIDS, muscle relaxants, stress management and soft diet are available. Minakuchi et al5 conducted a randomized controlled evaluation of non-surgical treatments for closed lock. 232 patients were randomly allocated to one of three group control, self-care plus NSAIDs, or occlusal appliance jaw mobilization plus self-care/NSAIDs. The subjects were observed over 2 months period. All three experimental groups had significant improvement in their signs and symptoms with time. The self-care/ NSAIDs group showed more improvements in the daily activities limitation compared with the other two groups. However, this difference was present only for two review appointment, and during the last review at 8 weeks, there were no significant group difference. These data suggests the gradual improvement in signs and symptoms was non-specific and was not related to the type of treatment, but more to the passage of time. Lundh et al 6 carried out a randomized controlled study on 51 patients. These patients are treated with a flat occlusal splint or to serve as an untreated control group. It is noted that at the end of 12 months period, 16% of patients in control group and 40% of patients treated with splints, the symptoms were worse than at the beginning at the study. In addition, 36% of patients in the control group improved after 1 year without treatment. This study indicates that aggressive treatment modalities should not be used in the initial phase of closed lock. Instead, counselling and adequate pain medication seems to be a reasonable treatment approach. Surgical Treatment Surgery on the temporomandibular joint is generally only considered when non-invasive therapy proved unsuccessful. Closed lock is usually associated with permanent disc displacement, and this condition is frequently resistant to conservative treatment. The primary role of surgery is physical debridement, repair and removal of diseased tissue that cause pain and dysfunction within the TMJ. The primary aim of surgery is to reduce the symptoms of pain and to improve joint function of individuals. The historical perspective on temporomandibular surgery dates back to 1887 when Annadale7 reported two successful operations to reposition and secure the disc in two patients. Condylectomy In 1957 Henry and Baldrige8 described the condylectomy operation. They emphasized the preservation of the disc, and limited bone reduction to increase joint space, and relieve irritation to nerve-bearing tissues. Condylectomy was formerly extensive used, but has many disadvantages 9. It often leads to ramus shortening with resultant of malocclusion and mandibular deviation to the side of the surgery. Ward 10 in a review of 21 patients, who he followed for periods of up to three years, reported a high success rate. Banks and MacKenzie 11 in a much larger series of 211 patients reported 91% of them to be cured or improved by surgery. However, in a follow-up of patients by Lindahl 12, a high prevalence of persistent pain and dysfunction was still evident. Arthroscopy Temporomandibular joint arthroscopy is a new method for the management of acute, subacute, and sometimes chronic limitation of movement of the TMJ. The miniaturised arthroscopy to the TMJ first appeared by Ohnishi 13 in the Japanese literature in 1975. It is used as diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. It has been postulated that it improves limited joint movement by lysis and lavage of fibrotic adhesions, and reductions of surface adherence on articulating joint spaces. Sanders et al 14 conducted 40 arthroscopic procedures on 25 patients during the mid 1980s in management of closed lock. All patients showed improvement and eventually asymptomatic after the procedures. They have good range of opening and have little preauricular pain after. Moses et al 15 did a retrospective studies on 237 patient with 419 TMJ joints. 63% of patients reported to have an increase in opening and in these 73% having an interincisal opening of 40mm or greater after 1 year post treatment. 97% of these patients thought their surgery was successful and 82% stated that would undergo the procedure again. The results of this study appear that the arthroscopic procedure has a definite value in the treatment of TMJ internal derangement. White et al 16 undertook a similar study on 66 patients with 100 TMJ joints. The overall postoperative increase in maximal incisor opening was 38.4%. 85.7% of the patients rated their postoperative pain and function greatly and moderately improved and 100% of the patients stated they would have the arthroscopic surgery again. However, a failure rate of 7.5% was noted by the objective criteria. Clark et al 17 also reported decreased in mean pain score value by 57%, also an improvement of 67% jaw function in 18 patients after 2 years postarthroscopic surgical treatment. Davis at al 3 evaluated 51 patients, with 80 joints with closed lock that were treated with arthroscopic surgery. Results showed that an immediate improvement after the treatment and followed by a more gradual improvement during the next 6 months, with a plateau in improvement thereafter. Kurita et al 18 also evaluated the correlation between preoperative mouth opening and surgical outcome after arthroscopic surgery. 12 of the 14 patients (86%) showed good reduction in pain and improved range of jaw movement. However, 2 patients showed no improvement after the treatment and require open surgical procedures. The 2 failed cases had 10 and 19mm opening respectively before the treatment. The author concluded that limitation of mouth opening less than 22mm may be a relative contraindication to arthroscopic treatment. The main disadvantage of this study is that the number of patients in this study is very small. Abd-Ul-Salam et al 19 conducted a retrospective study to investigate the incidence of reoperation after TMJ arthroscopic surgery in 315 consecutive patients (488 patients). He documented a 22% incidence of further surgery arthroscopy or open surgery after TMJ arthroscopic surgery. Arthrocentesis TMJ arthrocentesis was first described by Nitzan et al 20 in 1991 for the treatment of temporomandibular joint pain and movement restriction. Nitzan et al 20 described this technique as irrigation on the upper joint compartment with Ringers solution. The injected fluid enables the disc to slide and thereby re-establishes normal maximal opening in closed lock. The treatment was shown to be effective, providing significant improvement in maximal mouth opening and lateral movement, and decreased in pain level and disturbance in jaw function involved 17 joints in 17 patients. The overall success rate is 91%. Nitzan et al 21 conducted another study in 1997 on 39 patients with 40 joints with severe closed lock. The overall improvement, as expressed in pain and dysfunction levels, was about 95%, with no recurrence of severe closed lock. A prospective study done by Dimitroulis 22 using the same technique on 46 patients with acute limitation of mouth opening, showed significant improved in pain, jaw opening and function. Hosaka et al 23 evaluated the outcome of arthrocentesis for TMJ with closed lock at a 3 years follow-up in 20 patients. The success rate was 70% at 6 months follow-up and increase to 78.9% over the 3 years of follow-up. The literature showed stable good outcome at 3 years follow-up as compared to 6 months. Alpaslan et al 24 conducted a 5 year retrospective to evaluate the long-term outcome of TMJ arthrocentesis on 34 patients with 48 joints. There was a significant (P < 0.001) increase in the maximal mouth opening. Pain and dysfunction levels were significantly (P < 0.001) lower than pre-operative values. 26% of patients were pain free and 88% of patients had less pain than before. Eminectomy An alternative surgical approach to the treatment of closed lock of the temporomandibular joint is eminectomy. The surgery involves reduction of the articular eminence of the TMJ, provides greater freedom of movement between the condyle disc and the reduced articular eminence. Stassen et al 25 conducted a pilot study of the use of eminectomy in the treatment of closed lock in 18 patients. Results show significant increase in mouth opening and a decrease in pain. Both the improvement in inter incisal distance and reduction of symptoms were found to be statistically significant (P

Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines and Forester’s A Passage to India

Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines and Forester’s A Passage to India In British imperial fiction, physical setting or landscape commonly plays a prominent role in the central thematic subject. In these works, landscape goes beyond an objective description of nature and setting to represent â€Å"a way of seeing- a way in which some Europeans have represented to themselves and others the world about them and their relationships with it, and through which they have commented on social relations† (Cosgrove xiv). By investigating the ways in which writers of colonial ficition, such as H. Rider Haggard and E.M. Forester, have used landscape, we see that landscape represents a historically and culturally specific way of experiencing the world. In Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, the landscape is gendered to show the colonizer’s ability to dominate over native territory. However, while the scenario of the male colonizer conquering a feminized landscape reinforces a legitimizing myth of colonization, it is later overturned by Forester’s A Passage to India. In this novel, the landscape takes on a complex, multifaceted role, articulating the ambivalence of cross-cultural relationships and exposing the fragility of colonial rule. In contrast to King Solomon’s Mines, A Passage to India uses landscape as a tool to expose the problematic nature of colonial interaction that might have easily been left obscured and unacknowledged. We can read the landscape as a type of secondary narrator in A Passage to India that articulates the novel’s imperial ideology. The African landscape of King Solomon’s Mines is clearly feminized. The treasure map shows that the geography of the travelers’ route takes the shape of a female bod... ...d the sky said, ‘No, not there’† (Forester 362). We would expect that the structures of colonial rule, such as the jail and the Guest House, would symbolically pull Aziz and Fielding apart. The presence of nature, the earth, the horses, the birds, with the sky itself dictating that they cannot now be friends is a deeper form of rejection to the notion of cross-cultural relationships. The only hope we are left with is the sky’s qualification of the â€Å"no†: not yet†¦ not there. Works Cited Cosgrove, Denis. Social Formation and Symbolic Landscape. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1998. Forester, E.M. A Passage to India. London: Harcourt, 1924. Ridger Haggard, J. King Solomon’s Mines, ed. Gerald Monsman. Ontario: Broadview Press, 2002. Suleri, Sara. The Rhetoric of British India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.

Macbeth :: essays research papers

One thing leads to another. This is a statement most people are familiar with, especially if they read William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It tells what happens to the tragic protagonist, Macbeth. At the start of the play, Macbeth is a highly praised and loyal nobleman admired by all until he becomes a victim of the witches. Their promises evoke his unrestrained ambition. From then on, Macbeth’s actions snowball out of his control and under the witches’ power. His unholy deeds trouble his sleep, and the innocent victims return to haunt him. Evil spirits take over his every move and thought. The luring prophecies, sleepless nights, hallucinations, and deceptive apparitions are all products of sorcery used to cloud Macbeth’s moral judgment and lead him to further degradation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By pricking Macbeth’s desire for power and prestige with promising prophecies and giving him confidence with the apparitions, the witches lure him to commit evil deeds and to continue doing so endlessly. Their tempting prophecies bait Macbeth into their deceitful plot. Banquo, a fellow nobleman, warns him about the prophecies, “But ‘tis strange: and oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequence'; (I, 3, 122-127). Banquo is a smart man, and it is unfortunate that Macbeth ignores his advice. To be sure that Macbeth self-destructs by his own sinful behavior, the sorceresses create prophetic images that ensure him security. Not knowing they are all part of the deception, Macbeth easily succumbs to their plan. He aimlessly kills, believing nothing can harm him, but he is dead wrong. The witches true intention is best revealed in Hecate’s orders, “And that distilled by magic sleights shall raise such artificial sprites as by the strength of their illusion shall draw him on to his confusion'; (III, 5, 26-29). Macbeth’s biggest misfortune is encountering the witches, and an even bigger mistake is to revisit them. The cunning scheme of the wicked women successfully leads Macbeth to evil and confuses him enough for him to lose command of his actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even away from the witches, Macbeth still cannot escape their evil influence. By using hallucination, haunting spirits, and ghostly images, they over-power his ability to make right judgments. Macbeth’s hallucinating experience begins when he sees a dagger leading him to kill King Duncan. Macbeth’s reaction to the sight was, “Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight, or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a fatal creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?

Az Pride :: essays research papers

AZ PRIDE STREET CLOSURE: Central Avenue from Osborn to Thomas Road will be completely closed to traffic at 7:00am on Saturday, April 21. This will allow us to mark off the street for entries. STAGING BEGINS: Entries may begin entering the staging area at 7:30am. If you have a vehicle there prior to 7:30am, please stay on a side street or parking lot before checking with the volunteers up near Osborn & receiving your POSITION CARD. ALL ENTRIES CHECK-IN: 7:30am to 9:30am on the corner of Earll & Central. Please make arrangements to check-in, and have your entire entry on-site and ready to march by 9:30am.Step Off will be promptly at 10:00am. We will not have time for check-in after 9:30am. OFFICIAL ENTRY NUMBERS: We are NOT assigning entry numbers in advance this year. You will receive your official entry number at "Parade Check-In" that morning. There will be a large (poster-size) line-up list and diagram posted at the corner of Earll & Central (the street entrance into Park Central). Walking participants can check there to see where their group is lined up. You MUST display your OFFICIAL ENTRY NUMBER to the judges as you pass By them. So have someone display it on the left side of your entry. ALL VEHICLES/FLOATS: (PRE-STAGING & STAGING) (Unless you have been specifically instructed otherwise.) Enter parade PRE-STAGING from Osborn, turning south onto Central Avenue. Stop there to check with the parade volunteers (in bright ORANGE t-shirts) stationed in that vicinity, to receive your position in the staging area & to receive your POSITION CARD. Then look for other volunteers further down Central in your particular staging areas For more detailed directions. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT ENTER STAGING AREA WITHOUT A POSITION CARD! JUDGING: Will take place again this year along the parade route. Winners will be announced at the Festival Main Stage at approximately 1:00pm. TICKET SALES: Will be available near the check-in table on Saturday morning for $10.00 per ticket. Have any of your participants that don't already have a ticket buy them there & they will save some time & standing in line at the Festival admission gates. Information to pass on to your friends & family who will be watching along the parade route: There will be personnel along the parade route (probably towards McDowell) selling Festival admission tickets for $10.00. Hopefully this may alleviate some of the bottleneck that immediately follows the parade for admissions.

Reaction paper about rice problems Essay

The discussion about rice, nutrition and food security, and AEC 2015 held on the 9th of October in the NCAS Auditorium was discussed by V. Bruce J. Tolentino, Ph.D. – the deputy director-general of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). He started the discussion by comparing Philippines to Vietnam and Thailand by their birth rate. Apparently, the Philippines is better in producing babies than rice and that actually means that we have more mouths to feed. This may partially explain the question, why can’t the Philippines achieve self-sufficiency? As said by the speaker, â€Å"Rice is still a normal good in the Philippines†, which means that as your profit grows, so does your consumption of rice. In addition, he also said that the poorer the country, the more they eat or like rice. We also need to take it in mind that there are other plant crops other than rice that should be harvested. The Philippines is 1/3 rice, 1/3 corn, and 1/3 coconut as said by the speaker. Most of the rice that we get or buy comes from Central Luzon, and based on statistics we have around 2.4 million Filipino farmers and the average farm size is 1.14 hectares. Meanwhile, compared to other countries such as China, Japan, and Indonesia we have really low expenses that go to Agriculture which include the irrigation systems and other farm equipments. This shows that we haven’t prioritized Agriculture yet. Japan has the most yields compared to other countries since they invest in irrigation systems and the like. It also showed that Japan has the most use of fertilizers but their yield is very high, so we may say that fertilizers can help in yield growth although the data in the table is from year 1970-2009 only.

People migrate to America

Reading Amy Tan's â€Å"Two Kinds† for the first time is confusing. The message is not quite clear until one studies the context of the story. The story deals with immigrants and the American expectation for success, but primarily of a daugthters relationship to her mother. â€Å"Two Kinds† tells the story of Jing-mei and her mother. Jing-mei's mother migrated to America after â€Å"losing everything in China. † When she was young, Jing-mei's mother told her the potential o being successful in America. â€Å"You can be a prodigy,† her mother says.Her mother had given Jing-mei piano lessons such that her talents will show. Eventhough Jing-mei recognizes that she has the talent, she refuses to give herself into it because she felt a sense of rebellion inside her. She was not able to show her true talents because of her own shortcomings. In the end her mother gives up her hopes for her daughter. The conflict lies within Jing-mei. She wants to be something els e and at the same time she wants just to be herself. She was at first just as excited to find her prodigy.But she felt the pressure coming from her mother and at the same time she felt impatient for it. Her mother. however, tried to impose to her what she cannot be. â€Å"I won't let her change me,† she tells herself in the mirror. Once she found out her inclination, she refused to pursue and sharpen it partly because of her defiance towards her mother. Her mother, on the other hand, acted the way she did because of her dream of success. People migrate to America in search of greener pastures, but scholars believe that what the immigrants could not achieve they pass to their sons or daughters.Jing-mei was a victim of such circumtance. Although, it was also the intention of her mother to see her daughter succeed in life, Jing-mei felt she's being pushed to something she's not. Jing-mei did not see that her mother had deep faith in her. Many years had passed before Jing-mei rea lized her mother's attempt to bring out her â€Å"prodigy† and found her true self. She had already realized her â€Å"prodigy† during the piano recital but she remained defiant. Even during her lessons, she knew she could be good at it, even become great with it.But she did not will it to happen. At her recital, she was confident she could do it, but because she did not take her lessons seriously, it ended shamefully for her and for her parents. When she grew old, her parents gave her as a gift the piano her mother bought for her when she was young. She was at first reluctant to accept it. Her mother explained: â€Å"this your piano†¦ Always your piano. You only one can play†¦ You have natural talent. You could be a genius if you want to. † Jing-mei found the gift as a peace offering.It gave her a chance to try again without feeling that she was doing it for the benefit of someone else. Playing it again, she found it easy enough to prove her mother ha d been right. In the end of the story where Jing-mei played the piano after some years without doing so, she played the â€Å"Pleading Child,† the same piece she played unsuccessfully during the recital. She also noticed for the first time the piece on the opposite side entitled â€Å"Perfectly Contented. † Jing-mei understood that she was playing two halves of the same song, and it reflected her feelings.She was the pleading child and when she realized her mother's intentions and trust to her, she became perfectly contented. The story's moral runs two ways. First is with the parents not to push their sons or daughters too hard as to give them a hard time. They are, after all, just children who does not understand the real world. Second is for the children to be obedient to their parents, for parents only want what is best for their children. A jing-mei's mother expressed: â€Å"Only two kinds of daughters†¦ Those who are obedient and those who follow their own m ind.† It was unfortunate that Jing-mei did not realize that her internal conflict did not arise from her mother's expectations but from the love and faith her mother had for her until her mother had already died. The story also points that one's â€Å"prodigy† lies in the person's will to succeed. Jing-mei's failure at the recital was because she lacked the will to succeed, and at the same time, her rebeliousness towards her mother. It could be said as well that had her mother not pushed her too hard, Jing-mei could have done better and she would have pursued it at her own will.I was not able to recognize the message the first time I read the story, most especially the connection of the piano pieces mentioned at the end: the â€Å"Pleading Child† and â€Å"Perfectly Contented. † But after reading it again and researching the context of the story, I came to appreciate it as giving lessons to parents and children. At the same time, the story also points to t he importance of will power to the success of a person. Defiance blinds us that even when we recognize our own strenghts and weaknesses, we sometimes refuse to let it show just to prove that others are wrong.We tell ourselves â€Å"I am who I am† without really knowing who we really are. But the beauty of it all is that at the end of the day, we will come to realize our own shortcomings when left to find who we really are by ourselves. Summing up the lesson given by the story, it is best to be both kinds: the kind that is obedient towards one's parents and the kind that follows one's own heart. It may not always be the case but, usually, once parents find out their child's talents, they can't help but enforce it, which, in the end, is best for the child. Show what you got and your parents will surely back you up. Works Cited Tan, Amy. â€Å"Two Kinds. †