Western approaches to HIV/AIDS

HAART has created some positive change in the development of HIV/AIDS but it has not come without it's costs. It has contributed to a noticeably reduced rate in deaths, hospitalizations and new AIDS illnesses. In many cases, people with HIV/AIDS are living longer and are more able than before. However HAART is by no means a cure as it does not eliminate the virus it can only inhibit it and those who are on the drug regime must continually stay on it to keep the virus at bay. If they miss their doses a drug resistance can develop. The long term side effects can also be quite severe, including liver failure, myalgia, increasing risk for strokes and heart attacks, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Not to mention that HAART is also outrageously expensive which simply rules it out as a possibility for so many people, but can be a major stress for those who just manage to scrape it together. I can't hate on HAART because of how it has saved many people from a death sentence but I wonder how the quality of life is with so much risk and the potential for so much added long term damage to one's system cannot be a good thing. I guess in this case, its the lesser of two evils and until a cure is found it seems to be the best option so far (with the support of chinese medicine I'd say).

Are our genes still being shaped by natural selection?

I definitely think so. Why we would stay the same when our world is constantly changing? We have different lifestyles, diets and environments that have shaped so much of our development. Not only are our local environments shifting, but the impact of globalization means factors that have often affected natural selection in the past such as diet and disease are no longer as confined to specific regions. I would imagine the fact that there is such a massive increase in multiracial people would throw some genetic changes in the mix as well as the various developments in medicine and procedures for childbirth such as IVF, c-sections and use of pitocin, modifying the conditions of birth that are supposed to happen naturally. It seems to be that there are such a vast array of changing elements today that could be constantly shaping our genetic evolution.

TCM + Cancer

TCM approaches to cancer is different to western medicine as it treats the individual and their symptoms they are presenting rather than the textbook disease that has been diagnosed. It focuses on rebalancing the system, tonifying, clearing toxic heat and phlegm. TCM also uses natural herbs rather than chemical drugs which are less damaging to the patients body. I think depending on the individuals situation, a combination of western and eastern treatment could serve to be the most beneficial approach to work on the disease in a variety of aspects.

How sophisticated is our understanding of cancer?

There has been a huge amount of funding and effort invested into researching cancer in depth and it seems that there is an incredibly sophisticated understanding of how cancer cell function and process, but comparatively our knowledge of the causes and cures is still quite elementary. It seems that cancer diagnoses are increasing at such a rapid rate that there is a tough race at hand, trying to find improved treatments and potential cures while cancer continues to persistently develop in new patterns and forms. However, there has been some success in cancer treatment as death rates are now shown to be decreasing. The main issue with the current treatments is that although they have has some effective results, radiation and chemo drugs are incredibly toxic and are a huge blow to the already weak system of the patient, so while it can kill the cancer cells, it doesn't seem to give the body much encouragement to heal otherwise. This is where TCM could really help.

Chinese Medicine Gaining Respectability in the West

As more studies on the positive effects of Chinese Medicine are conducted in the West, the media is beginning to take notice and the media has a massive influence on western culture. I think that a major issue for western minds in accepting Chinese Medicine has been cultural barriers, but since globalization is happening at such a rapid pace, the skeptics are starting to have more of an open mind (whether they like it or not) in order to keep up with the all of the change. The fact that Acupuncture has been integrated into many of the top U.S. hospital programs for their complementary medicine programs is proof that it is gaining more credibility in this country. In my own experience of having a chronic illness, western medicine could not provide many answers or solutions for my condition, except drugs that have some serious side effects. As I began to look for another path, I came across so many other people who were also feeling disillusioned by what western medicine had to offer them, and had turned to acupuncture, particularly for chronic conditions, back pain and fertility issues. I think now that Acupuncture is becoming more mainstream, people are drawn to it because it pays attention to the patient's system as a whole, not just focusing on the most overt aspect of the problem and prescribing a generalized solution. Additionally, it works to support the body's natural functions instead of a more attack-like approach of many western drugs- kill and destroy- until there is nothing left, not even the good stuff. I am definitely encouraged to see more support of Chinese medicine and look forward to seeing how an integration of different systems will take shape.

The significance of the use of language and tools in chimps

Given the similarity in DNA, I'm not quite sure why people seem so shocked when chimps show capabilities similar to that of humans. I suppose its kind of a superiority complex...What I found interesting in the "Hidden cameras" article was that they have identified a variety of distinct patterns of behavior that originate within groups of chimps and are then passed on to new generations. Since Chimps and humans have such similar DNA, but have developed in different ways, we may find some useful pieces in the puzzle of our own evolution in studying the potential functions of chimps and how they are advancing from one generation to the next.

Week 6 How do I distinguish between living and non-living systems?

Before learning about Autopoesis, I determined whether a system was living or non-living by whether it had a birth, growing/maturing and death cycle, whether or not it breathes and reproduces and if it came from nature or was man made. A more simplistic criteria, if you will..