What is the Efficacy of Finasteride Therapy in Reducing or Reversing Hair Loss?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Finasteride is effective in reducing/reversing the symptoms of androgenic alopecia. STUDY DESIGN: Reviewed three English primary studies published in 2006, 2008, and 2009. DATA SOURCES: All Studies were randomized controlled trials comparing Finasteride to placebo or other hair loss treatments were found using PubMED, EBSCO, MEDLINE, and Cochrane research databases. OUTCOME MEASURED: Overall reduction in size of balding area based on measurements of total hair counts. Measurements were based on macrographical analysis of test subjects’ balding area, as well as global photographical analysis carried out by the investigators of each trial study. Test subjects were given self assessment questionnaires to gather subjective views of the treatment. RESULTS: All three randomized controlled trials included in this review indicated that oral Finasteride therapy of 1-5mg demonstrated measurable reversal of hair loss in men suffering androgenic alopecia. CONCLUSION: Based on the three RCT’s reviewed in this study, there is measurable evidence to indicate the use of Finasteride in the reduction and reversal of androgenic alopecia. This review only analyzed the effect of Finasteride on test subjects before and after treatment. Further tests would need to be done to determine if Finasteride is a medication that must be taken daily as preventative therapy, or if it can be discontinued once hair regrowth is obtained

Exploring the resource and capabilities of food related enterprises in rural Denmark: Implications for rural enterprises in Ghana

Developing economies stands to gain much by learning from the experiences of the developed economies. The study aims to explore the extent to which rural food enterprises utilise their capabilities to organise their resources in the experience economy to create value and remain competitive. The article uses a qualitative open-ended interviews to explore the issues using two cases of small food related enterprises in Denmark. The purpose of the method is to allow the respondents to construct the meaning of the topic from their own perspectives. Using the dominant themes as the main techniques to analyse the data, coupled with the hermeneutics approach, the results show that an entrepreneur’s capability is crucial with regard to small enterprises in rural settings. Specifically, the two case studies illustrate the capabilities of business owners to identify assets at their establishments and the municipality level and reconfigure them into objects aimed at providing experiences for visitors seeking out for rural idyll. The implications of this study on policy and practice on entrepreneurship development in rural Ghana are suggested based on the results.Keywords: Resource-based view, capabilities, rural entrepreneurs, food related enterprises, Experience Economy, Denmark, Ghan

Systematic review with meta‐analysis: race‐specific effects of alcohol and tobacco on the risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/100284/1/apt12514.pd

Properties of cellulose/Thespesia Lampas short fibers bio-composite films

Abstract: Cellulose was dissolved in pre cooled environment friendly solvent (aq.7% sodium hydroxide+12% urea) and regenerated with 5%H2SO4 as coagulation bath. Using cellulose as matrix and alkali treated short natural fibers extracted from the newly identified Thespesia Lampas plant as reinforcement, the green composite films were prepared. The effect of fiber loading on the tensile properties and thermal stability was studied. The fractographs indicated better interfacial bonding between the fibers and cellulose. The crystallinity of the composite films was found to be lower than the matrix and decreased with increasing fiber content. In spite of better interfacial bonding, the tensile properties of the composites were found to be lower than those of the matrix and decreased with increasing fiber content and this behavior was attributed to the random orientation of the fibers in the composites. The thermal stability of the composite films was higher than the matrix and increased with fiber content

Scientometric Analysis of Global Scientific Literature on Aging in Place.

The amount of literature reporting "aging-in-place" studies has increased sharply in recent decades. However, the studies have taken a global view of the range and scope of the research that has taken place. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of the current status of the aging in place research themes published as scientific articles between 1970 and 2021, using the Web of Science database. VOSviewer software was employed to map and visualize the 1331 items of bibliographic data retrieved. The findings reveal a continuous growing trend in the publication of aging in place research. Most productive institutions derive from the USA. The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is the most preferred Journal. The most popular research hotspots or areas include; older adults, aging, housing, dementia, long-term care, and technology, and their associations with the field of "aging in place" field were elucidated. This study offers several valuable insights to scholars, research institutions, and policymakers, enabling a better understanding of the developments in the aging in place research domain

The Impact of Intervention on Sexual Practices of HIV Positive Individuals in Southeast Nigeria

Objective. To describe the impact of repeating behavioral educational intervention on sexual practices of HIV positive individuals. Method. A prospective cohort study of HIV positive individual was conducted in southeast Nigeria from June 2007 to May 2008. Information on sexual practices was collected at initial visit; education was given and its impact was evaluated afterwards. Results. Knowledge about risk of unprotected intercourse increased by 41%, condom use by 27% (P < .001) and consistent condom use by 55% (P < .001). The significant predictors of consistent condom use include male gender, multiple sexual partner, as well as good knowledge of HIV transmission, higher educational status and being married. Non use of condom at postintervention survey were characterized by female gender (n = 4), monogamous relationship (n = 10), little or no education (n = 10), and unmarried (n = 7) respondents. Conclusion. Repeated behavioral education intervention improves consistent condom use among HIV positive individuals and will help curb the spread of HIV/AIDS

Tensile and thermal properties of poly(lactic acid)/eggshell powder composite films

Biodegradable composite films of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)=eggshell powder (ESP) were prepared by the composite film casting method using chloroform as the solvent. ESP was loaded in PLA in 1 to 5 wt.%. The films were subjected to tensile, FT-IR spectral, thermogravimetric, X-ray, and microscopic analyses. The tensile strength and modulus of the composite films were found to be higher than those of PLA and increased with ESP content up to 4 wt.% and then decreased. A reverse trend was observed in the case of percentage elongation at break. The X-ray diffractograms of the composite films indicated an increase in crystallinity with ESP content. The optical micrographs indicated uniform distribution of ESP particles in the composite films. However, the fractographs indicated agglomeration of ESP particles at 5 wt.% loading. The FT-IR spectra revealed no specific interactions between PLA and ESP. The thermal stability of the composite films increased with ESP content