Cultural Anthropology

Culture is a well organized unity divided into two fundamental aspects – a body of artifacts and a system of customs – Mammalians. â€Å"Humans cannot eat, breathe, defecate, mate, reproduce, sit, move about, sleep or Ill down without following or expressing some aspect of their society culture. Our cultures grow, expand, and evolve. It is their nature. † – Marvin Harris. The culture of a people is an ensemble of texts, themselves ensembles, which the anthropologist strains to read over the shoulders of those to whom they properly belong. † Geezer, Balinese Cockfight (p. 2). â€Å"Man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun. I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretative one in search of meaning. † Greet, Interpretation of Cultures (p. 5). â€Å"People do not realize how greatly culture Influences their behavior until they co me across other ways of doing things. † â€Å"Culture is learned behavior. † A person is not born with a culture. Culture is universal. Every human being possesses it by virtue of their biological state. Cultural Anthropology) Is Inherently pluralistic, seeking a framework In which the distinctive perspectives of each culture world can be appreciated. † â€Å"[Cultural practices are meaningful actions that occur routinely in everyday life, are widely shared by members of the group, and carry with them normative expectations about how things should be done† (Gooding, Miller and Sessile, 1995). â€Å"A collective name for all behavior patterns socially acquired and socially transmitted groups. † Dictionary of Sociology and Related Sciences. Culture is a civilization†¦ s that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man (sic. ) as a member of society. † – Edw ard Taylor â€Å"Culture embraces all the manifestations of social habits of a community, the reactions of the individual as affected by the habits of the group in which he lives, and the product of human activities as determined by these habits. † -Franz Boas. Coloratura Anthropology focuses on how language, customs, and culture in general develop.Cultural Anthropologists compare and contrast the vast range of cultures with the popes of better understanding â€Å"the diversity of human behavior, and ultimately to develop a science of human behavior. † – Fried,J. Cultural Anthropology. What is traditional (or folk) culture? â€Å"Traditional culture is the habitual behaviors or thoughts of any given social group, and there is not only the chance of customary behaviors occurring; customary behaviors are expected and generally required by members of the society (Smith- Seymour, 1986).Folk culture is a model of the peasant community characterized by economic self- efficiency, intimate social ties, the strong role of ritual and tradition, and the relative isolation from urban centers. The concept of folk culture is that it represents an attempt to characterize the values and social structure of traditional, rural communities existing within complex societies. What methods do they use to study culture? Fieldwork: visiting and living among a particular people.Mapping, inventories, census, behavior protocols, questionnaires, projective tests, collecting genealogies, kinship terminologies, oral traditions, recording cases, and racing networks† (Hunter and Whiten, 1976). In order to study these cultures, ethnographers had to become part of them. Live with the people for extended periods of time. To study different groups of people, the scientists had to become immersed in their study. One important qualification that anthropologists should possess is a strong awareness of their won culture.Although it is necessary for Anthropologists to be a s culture tendencies in order to comprehend another's culture. Therefore, absolute objectivity, which would require that the Anthropologist have biases, and in research exult no culture at all, should be given up in favor of a relative objectivity based on the characteristics of one's own culture. The Anthropologist is forced to include himself and his own way of life in his subject matter.In order to study others, and to study culture in general, the Anthropologist uses his own culture. What is material culture? Culture involves much more than behavioral traits; it includes all produced artifacts – tools, art, books and texts, etc. â€Å"Probably no other country in the world has such high regard for material culture as the United States. â€Å"Cultural materialism is a type of analysis that looks at ecology and economics for explanation of cultural beliefs and practices.It tries to explain cultural habits in terms of basic needs. ‘A cultural materialist view of hist ory looks for relationships between the use of new technologies, population booms, the material improvement of life, and the collapse of civilization† (fisher, 1986). What is cultural diffusion? â€Å"The worldwide tendency of human populations to share and pool creative efforts which are in origin locally known and used. † -David Hunter. Cultural Anthropology Construct a model of cross-cultural misunderstanding, using the information presented by Lee in this article. There are many cross-cultural misunderstandings including language barriers, the way people speak and interpret words, as well as actions performed. /ontah experienced these cross-cultural misunderstandings in the remotest corners of the Kalahari Desert, while living by the Bushman. Every year the people would slaughter an ox and feast and dance in celebration during Christmas time./ontah decided to buy the biggest ox he could find; he was proud of it until the ! Kung people started ridiculing his kill by saying that it was too thin to feed all of the people. They continued to say that Christmas would be a disaster, and that they would all go to bed hungry. This troubled /ontah because he was sure that he had a fat ox, but many men assured him it was only big boned. He searched for a replacement but could not find it.On the day of Christmas, they cut into the ox, and /ontah w as saying how big and fat the ox is and how the people must be out of their minds. The ! Kung started laughing and /ontah could not understand why. He soon found out that the whole time they had been tricking him in believing that his ox was worthless, when they were actually excited to eat it on Christmas. 3. Why do you think the ! Kung ridicule and denigrate people who have been successful hunters or who have provided them with a Christmas ox?Why do Americans expect people to be grateful to receive gifts? The ! Kung like to fool each other to make sure that their people don’t become arrogant. When one man â€Å"brings home the bacon,† then he starts to believe that he is the big man of the group and will boast of his superiority. Eventually, his pride could cause him to kill other people. Therefore, the people treated /ontah the same way they would treat any other Bushman, especially because /ontah provides tobacco to the people.The Bushman had good intentions by hid ing the true meaning of their actions and words, even though it did not make sense to /ontah. It was part of their tradition, which is different from American tradition; in America, most people are taught to be grateful for any gift they receive and not to complain. For example, â€Å"you get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit† is a common saying repeated to children at school. This story shows that the reasoning behind an action may have different meanings in separate cultures.

The Role of Intercellular Adhesion Molecules essays

The Role of Intercellular Adhesion Molecules essays This paper reports studies and findings of the intercellular adhesion molecule in relationship to the common cold virus and rheumatic diseases. The role of the cell and intercellular adhesion molecules is also examined. Cell-cell adhesion is required at all stages of development and is of importance in the establishment and maintenance of the organized structure and function of multicellular organisms. The cell is the basic unit that all living things are composed of. As an individual unit the cell is capable of digesting its own nutrients, providing its own energy, and replicating itself in order to produce future generations. Cooperative groups of similar cells form tissues, and a cooperation between tissues in turn, forms organs, the functional units of an organism (Hunter et al.,1996). Intercellular adhesion brings cells together to help perform special needs (Encyclopedia Britannica). The simplest examples of the ability of cells to recognize and adhere to one another come from organisms that live much of their lives as single cells but form a multicellular aggregate or gather, for a specific purpose (Hunter and others 1996). For example, when starved, several types of single-cell organisms band together to develop the specialized cells needed for reproduction (Hunter et al.,1996). In this process, individual cells at the center of the developing aggregate secrete chemicals that cause the others cells to bond tightly into a group (Hunter et al.,1996). In the case of slime mold amoebas, starvation causes the secretion of a compound, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, that causes the cells to stick together end to end (Hunter et al.,1996). With further gathering, the cells produce another cell-surface glycoprotein with which they stick to one another over their entire surfaces (Unter et al.,1996). The cellular aggregates then produce an extracellular matrix, which ho lds the cells together in a specific form (Hunter et al.,1996). Cel...

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated in Glucose Transport

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated in Glucose Transport A role for ataxia telangiectasia mutated in insulin-independent stimulation of glucose transport Abstract Literature reports suggest that ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) can activate the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a protein that can stimulate glucose transport in skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR), an AMPK activator, would increase glucose transport in mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles in an ATM-dependent manner. AICAR-stimulated glucose transport was prevented by the ATM inhibitor KU-55933 and in ATM-deficient (ATM-/-) muscle despite normal stimulation of AMPK phosphorylation. S231 of TBC1D1 matches the sequence motif of ATM substrates, and phosphorylation of this site is known to inhibit TBC1D1 and lead to increased glucose transport. Accordingly, we assessed TBC1D1 phosphorylation and found that AICAR-stimulated phosphorylation of TBC1D1 at S231did not occurin ATM-/- muscle. However, activation of ATM without activation of AMPK was insufficient to increase TBC1D1 phosphorylation.The data suggest that ATM plays a role in AICAR stimulated glucose transport downstream of AMPK. Keywords: AMP-activated protein kinase; ataxia telangiectasia mutated; TBC1D1; AICAR; glucose transport; skeletal muscle Introduction The serine-threonine kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) appears to play a role in glucose homeostasis. For example, recent genome-wide association studies have found that genetic variations near the ATM gene are related to glycemic responses to metformin [1, 2], a commonly-prescribed drug for blood glucose control. While the mechanism for metformin’s effect on blood glucose levels is under debate [3-6], it is known that metformin acutely stimulates glucose transport into skeletal muscle concomitant with activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) [7]. Activation of AMPK is sufficient to stimulate insulin-independent glucose transport into skeletal muscle [8, 9]. Intriguingly, ATM dependence has been reported for activation of AMPK in response to DNA damage or insulin-like growth factor 1 in HeLa cells and fibroblasts, exposure of lung cancer cells to ionizing radiation,exposure of lymphoblaststo H 2 O 2 , or treatment of HeLa cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts with the adenosine analog AICAR [10-14]. Despite these suggestive data on the role of ATM upstream of AMPK, the potential role of ATM in AMPK-dependent stimulation of glucose transport has not previously been investigated in skeletal muscle, the predominant whole-body storage depot for glucose. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that glucose uptake stimulated by the AMPK activator AICAR would be dependent on ATM in skeletal muscle. Methods Materials Antibodies against TBC1D1, AMPK, phosphorylated AMPKÃŽ ± T172 (P-AMPK), and phosphorylated ATM S1981 (P-ATM) were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology (Beverly, MA, USA). Antibodies aga inst phosphorylated TBC1D1 (P-TBC1D1) S237 (S231 in mouse) were purchased from EMD Millipore Corporation (Billerica, MA, USA). Antibodies against tubulin and ATM were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (St. Louis, MO, USA). Horseradish peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibodies were obtained from Pierce Biotechnology (Rockford, IL, USA). The ATM inhibitor KU-55933 was a generous gift from Dr. Graeme Smith (KuDOSPhramaceuticals, Cambridge, UK). The AMPK inhibitor Compound C was provided by Merck & Co., Inc. (Rahway, NJ, USA). Doxorubicin was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation. Radiolabeled 2-deoxyglucose and mannitol were purchased from American Radiolabeled Chemicals, Inc. (St. Louis, MO, USA).

Final Class Project Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Final Class Project - Case Study Example To add on this, it is through documentation that patient response is reflected. On the contrary, the current case lacks documentation from the patient nurse. Here, the nurse testifies that she only had handwritten notes. Furthermore, in her testimony, the nurse says that she did not document any vital signs during the 2 hours of being informed by the patient’s wife and the time the patient is pronounced dead (Guido, 2009). Evidently, the case lacks documentation and this is likely to affect the final outcome. 2. Was negligence there on the part of the nursing staff in the care of this patient? In the case under study, it is evident that the nursing staff showed negligence in the course of duty. The patient nurse is negligent due to failure to document information on the patient. In her evidence, she testifies that she did not have any documented records on vital signs between the time of being informed and the time the patient is pronounced dead (Guido, 2009). As such, it is c lear that no information was available on what went on during the 2 hour period. Additionally, the nurse failed to assess and monitor the patient’s situation after she informed the physician that the patient was bleeding. Given that the patient’s health status could change gradually or suddenly, it was vital for the patient nurse to keep monitoring the situation. On the other hand, the office nurse failed to act as a patient advocate. Here, it is evident that this nurse did not follow up the case to see if the surgeon responded after she informed him. More so, the nurse does not call to check the patient’s progress (Guido, 2009). She only passes the information to the surgeon and that’s it as far as she is concerned. Consequently, it is evident that the nursing department displays negligence while on duty. 3. How does the obvious contradiction in the testimony between the patient’s hospital nurse and the office nurse and the physician’s acco unt of what happened affect your decision in this case? From the case, there is obvious contradiction between the two nurses’ testimony and the physician’s account. This shows a failure to communicate accurately while on duty. There seems to have been lack of communication between the three and hence all are liable to being sentenced for negligence while on duty. Normally, different nursing departments ought to be in constant communication to find the best way possible of helping the patient. This is not the case here. The patient nurse does not keep in touch with the physician to update him on the patient’s situation. Whereas the patient nurse testifies of having informed the physician of the patient’s condition on time, it takes two hours before the physician responds (Guido, 2009). Essentially, the contradiction indicates failure to communicate by all parties involved. 4. What standards for documentation did the patient’s nurse breach? Standards for documentation in nursing entail provision of patient information for communication purposes. Nursing documentation, as a valuable tool, supports effective communication on the patient’s progress for providers. In this particular case, the patient nurse breached these standards. The nurse fails to document the patient’s progress (Guido, 2009). Furthermore, nurses are responsible for their own actions while on duty. As such, documentation forms part of the responsibility. On the contrary, lack of documentation in the case means that the patient’

Reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Reaction paper - Essay Example Therefore, the Holocaust evokes the greatest amount of sympathy for the Jewish race because of the intense horror and torture that was inflicted upon them. (Atkins, 2009, P.p 176-180) Having been a Holocaust Affirmationist, the evidence that were brought forth by David Cole opened up a new side to the controversy. In concurrence with Dr. Piper’s statement, there is in fact a high possibility that the Soviet Union may have fabricated the story about the alleged ‘Gassings’ that took place at Auschwitz, considering the political advantage. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that the atrocities during the war never took place at all. (Atkins, 2009, P.p 176-180) As it is stated earlier, the accuracy of the history and symbology of the event is vastly accepted without question. However, there is room for skepticism and this is based on and triggered by the fact that the claims made by researchers and historians are not substantiated by sufficient amount of evidence. And Dr. Franciszek’s interview actually raised some very shocking pieces of evidence regarding the Holocaust and David Cole’s role was further magnified due to the fact that he was Jewish and brought forth very important pieces of knowledge in public view. In my opinion considering all factors there were millions of people, who lost their life during the World War II and it consisted a large number of Jews. However, the killings cannot be deemed as systematic as ‘Gassings’ and the magnitude of the Holocaust is vastly overestimated. Therefore, there has to be greater amount of research into the subject to substantiate the

Reflective Report include 2 tasks Q Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reflective Report include 2 tasks Q - Essay Example Schools, colleges as well as universities are required to prove that their courses meet strict standards on a continuous basis and thus, UK’s education system is respected and recognized globally. I therefore expect that the qualification I obtain from Greenwich University will provide a solid foundation for building my future and promoting my career ambitions. I expect to develop my potential given that the university offers a challenging, creative and vibrant environment for this. I have acquired the necessary skills for me to survive in this increasingly globalized economy of the world. From the knowledge I have acquired so far, I am now capable of thinking independently, creatively and effectively. The assessment and teaching criterion used at Greenwich encourages independence and mastery of the subject in question. Given that the UK is a cosmopolitan place to reside in, having hundreds of cultures from all over the world has taught me how to get along and associate with d ifferent types of people. This has made me an open minded individual as I have learnt to deal with people from various cultural, political and religious backgrounds. This has in turn added to my experience and influenced my view of the global economy. The English language will play a vital role for my career. There is no place better than the UK - the origin of English - where I can learn this popular international language used widely in global business. Studying English in the UK has made me perfect in how well I can communicate both orally and in written form. Some of the steps I took to improve my knowledge in the language by reading books and interacting with my fellow students in discussions and clubs. I also learnt English by using the phonemic script which made it easier to understand words. By learning the phonemic script, I was able to improve my pronunciation and hence improved my communication. I have managed to improve my reading skills in a number of ways. Compared to when I was in my home country, I can now study more effectively by use of study skills taught at the university. I can now synthesis what I am studying better than I used to. I have discovered that I learn best as I write. This helps me memorize what I am studying. This discovery has had a positive effect on my grades. In order to adapt to studying at the UK, I had to improve my communication skills. I also had to better my understanding of English. I did this by frequently practicing how to talk in English in order to improve my eloquence. I also tried to expose myself to listening English speakers so that I could improve comprehension of lectures. I therefore watched lots of TV and attended theatres to watch plays done in English. These practices were very successful in helping me adapt to studying in the UK. I am confident that my learning experience here will be very useful in my career at home. Given that English is a global language and I have acquired quite a lot of skills on it, I will be able to communicate well in my professional capacity back at home. Since qualifications offered by UK institutions are recognized internationally due to their exceptional quality, I believe my knowledge will be valued back in my home country. It will also be easy for me to work in a multicultural environment since I have experience of living and studying at UK. Studying at Greenwich University has been a quite pleasure. I believe that the knowledge

Treatments for Hair Loss

Treatments for Hair Loss Best Hair Treatment   There are many causes for hair fall ranging from male pattern hair loss to thyroid disease, Iron deficiency anaemia etc. Many causes are gender specific like Androgenic alopecia in males and female pattern hair loss seen usually in females. There has been ample research that shows that losing about 100-150 hairs per day is normal for an individual. That is the normal process of cyclical shedding of hair. The hair growth cycle can be divided into 3 phases viz. Anagen, Catagen and Telogen. Anagen Phase is characterized by active growth of the hair strands. Catagen phase is characterized by fairly short phase of hair break down. While in telogen phase the hair follicle is in resting state. The hair that are shed daily are ususally in the resting phase or in the late phase in the catagen. Hairs that are in telogen phase are not growing and are in the preparation for its shedding. In our scalp about 10% of the hair follicles are in telogen phase at any given time frame. There are many health condition like Thyroid disorders, iron deficiency anaemia etc can lead to severe hair loss as stated above, hence it is vital for us to undergo appropriate lab investigations for the same to exclude these or any other underlying disorders that might be triggering or causing severe hair loss. Now let us elaborate a little on the most commonly seen primary cause of hair fall i.e. Androgenic or Androgenetic Alopecia As the name suggests this type of hair fall is liked to hormone as well as genes. Therefore it has to do with hormonal as well as hereditary factors. This was first thought to be only present in males, as in case of males this type of hair loss is often faster, more extensive and has a relatively earlier onset as compared to females, but later research showed that it is seen in female as well as males. Till now the factor that triggers this type of hair loss is unknown. It seen the every male even though he does not go totally bald, has thinning of hair over time. Here unlike the hair that shed out regularly that are in telogen phase, there is no actually falling of hair seen but only eventual thinning oh hair observed as they no more come up!! Common Hair loss Myths – Busted !! It is commonly thought that people with longer hair has more hair loss as it leads to straining of the roots. This doesn’t happen. It is thought that people who wear hats have their hair choked off hence there is deficient circulation leading to hair loss. This is incorrect. It is also said that one inherits from mother’s male relatives. This is incorrect, as it is possible for one to inherit it from either side i.e. mother’s as well as father’s side. It is wrongly thought that hair loss is due to poor circulation of blood in the scalp and hence massaging will stop the hair fall. It doesn’t. The above was a brief on what is hair loss and its causes. Let us now outline various treatment modalities that may act as preventive or curative for hair loss. Having a hair wash every day with a mild and gentle shampoo. The way it is important to wash our face every day and clean our teeth every day the same way it is also important to wash our hair every day. As it helps in removing the dust, dirt and other pollutants from our hair and scalp making it less vulnerable to hair fall. So washing hair ever day causes more hair fall is one of the biggest myths. It is rather other way round i.e. not washing hair every day will cause more hair fall. This myth has become prevalent due to the fact that people tend to notice more hair falling while having hair wash, but what they don’t know is that these hairs were anyhow going to fall off with hair wash or without hair wash. Following a â€Å"Treat your hair well† practices: Though one of the most apparent things, it needs to be given attention because many of us unknowingly don’t follow them and adopt many unhealthy practices. Treating your hair with chemicals and so-called herbal products, which are meant to drastically change the way our hair looks (Perming, straightening, hot ironing etc.), are a big NO. Blow drying hair- What is does is that is dries out the moisture from the scalp and makes the hair dry, this leads to damaging of the hair follicles. Therefore it is advisable to always air dry your hair or if it is absolutely necessary to use the blow dryer then use it on lowest heat setting. Using hair styles that put a lot of stress or pull on the hair follicles like while making braids of tying hair tightly in a pony tails. Many a times what females do is that they tie their hair so tightly that there is enormous tug in the hair follicles making them to be pulled out from the roots. If this practice is continued for longer time it may lead to permanent hair loss from the sites at which these hairs experience the pulling the most. Combing or toweling it roughly when hairs are wet is a very commonly made error by most. What this does is that it stretches the hair strands and will lead to breakage. Following a healthy lifestyle: Healthy hair is the outward mirroring of a healthy body. So it is a good indicator of one’s general health condition. If hairs are shining and beautiful it indicates that the person is in good health and vice versa. Therefore to have healthy looking hair one has to do everything that is necessary to have a good healthy body which includes eating all types of fruits and vegetables regularly thereby supplementing a wide range of vitamins, and minerals like iron, calcium and zinc, one should also have a protein rich diet as hair are basically made of proteins. It is also important to hydrate our bodies with adequate amount of water. Oil is for food, not scalp. Oiling the scalp leads to seborrhoeic dermatitis and dandruff in the scalp. This leads to hair fall. So no matter what ever your granny says oiling your hair is not healthy for hair. If still one insists on oiling one’s hair it should be done just 45 minutes prior to hair wash, never should we oil our hair and let it stay overnight. Quick home remedies for hair health: Washing hair with a concoction of tea or lemon squeezed in the bathing water used for hair wash will help in getting rid of dandruff. Applying a paste of curd and egg onto that scalp and shampooing it after an hour, if done regularly, will make hair smoother and stronger. Treatment for androgenic alopecia: There are many treatment options available for hair loss but very few of them are scientifically proven and approved by FDA. These treatments help in slowing down the hair loss. Starting these treatments and thereafter stopping them will not leave you at a worse stage than what you were at when you started. Minoxidil: IT is a topical medicine. It helps in decreasing the hair fall, but doesn’t help in increasing the hair growth. It is available over the counter without the need for any prescription from the doctor. It can be used by both males as well as females. Its action is seen best over the crown area of the head. It’s less effective over the frontal area. It is available in the form of lotion, foam and mousse in 2%, 4% and extra-strength 5% solution. Finasteride: It is a medication belonging to 5-alpha reductase inhibitor class of drugs. It is approved by FDA to be used only in males with androgenic alopecia, but it is also used in females â€Å"off-label† who are suffering from androgenic hair loss, and who are not pregnant while on medication. It is available in the form of 1mg tablets. It helps in promoting hair growth and makes hair thicker in some people. But its main purpose is to maintain the hair that are still present on the scalp. The possible side effects include lowering of libido or impotence. Dutasteride: It is FDA approved medicine for treatment of enlarged prostate in men but it is used as â€Å"off-label† medication for treatment of hair loss in men. The action of dutasteride is very similar to finasteride. Recently there is research going on Prostaglandin analogues as topical applications for treatment of hair loss in both males and females. It has a scope for potentially acting as a hair regrowth agent, but till now it hasn’t received FDA approval for it use for treatment of hair loss. One of these newer medication is called by the name Bimatoprost. These are currently used for the purpose of eye lash enhancement. Other alternative treatment options available for hair loss: Hairpieces and hair weaving: It is one of the quickest and tried and test methods to add or enhance hair. It is a temporary method in which a mesh is applied on the patch of scalp which has hair. And over that natural human hair or artificial hair are attached to this by weaving them with the existing hair. The hair that are weaved are selected is such a way so as to match the color and texture of the hair that are existing. Over a period of time there may be oxidization, stretching or loosening of weaved hair. Hair fiber powders: These are used to cover up patches of hair which has undergone thinning. These powders are nothing but colored fibres that are powdered and are such that they attach easily to the existing hair when they are sprinkled on them. This results in a scalp having an appearance of one having fuller hair growth. Toppik is one of the leading manufacturers of these products and it can be ordered via internet portals. It is safe and is pretty cheap about $20-$40. Surgical hair restoration: This includes many versions of hair transplantation procedures like harnessing hair from back and then transplanting them in the front or it may include surgical procedures like scalp reduction where the bald areas are cut away and are stitched together. Over the years the procedures for hair transplantation has undergone major improvements. Of them the latest technology is harnessing of micrografts in which grafts containing only one to two hair follicles are removed from the donor sites and are successfully transplanted to the sites that has bald patches. It is a fairly expensive and time consuming affair. The cost depends on the number of grafts transplanted. The cost may go in the range of $1000 $20,000. Stem Cell Therapy for prevention of hair loss and regrowth of hair. This is one of the areas in which there is active on-going research. Like in other parts of the body hair follicles too have stem cells. The researchers are trying to activate the stem cells progenitor cell. By this the already present stem cells will become active and send chemical signals to the hair follicles nearby which might have become inactive due to aging process. This would ultimately lead to regeneration of healthy hair. PRP injection therapy for hair loss: PRP is nothing but Platelet Rich Plasma that is derived from patient’s own blood. PRP activates the follicular progenitor cells (adult stem cells) thereby causing the hair follicles that have shrunken to become larger and healthier. This enhances the hair growth. Also there are lots of growth factors loaded in PRP so this promotes a rapid hair growth. This method can be applied for both male and female. It can be used for scalp and also over eyebrows in case of hypotrichosis of eyebrows. The treatment procedure requires about 80 minutes to complete Here what is done is, patient’s blood sample is collected and is then processed to extract PRP. This is then introduced in the scalp fully or in localized areas. QR 678 Hair Growth Factor injection treatment for hair loss. This growth factor was developed after a lot of research conducted by top medical centers. It is by far one of the latest treatments for hair loss in India. It is much advanced then PRP treatment and stem cell therapy treatment. This treatment was first reported as a cover story in Times of India newspaper in 2010.QR 678 consists of combination of 6 hair growth factors. They are known to stimulate a significant hair growth when injected in to the scalp. It is more advanced than stem cells therapy for hair fall because here QR 678 injection consists of targeted growth factors that are directly injected in the patches which has hair loss, whereas in case of stem cell therapy the stem cells are reactivated which in turn will lead to production of growth. Hence QR 678 therapy is more specific, selective and advanced. The treatment consists of about 8 sessions of injections of QR 678, each of these sessions are repeated after an interval of 4-6 weeks. There are no side effects to this tre atment. The approx. cost for each QR 678 injection sessions is about $100. The Indian patent is already been awarded, the global patent is still being awaited. Hair Cloning: This treatment modality is still at research stage. What this treatment will consist of is that your own hair will be cloned and there after more hair will be produced from the existing cloned hair by themselves, by the help of genetic engineering. So now to sum it up we can say that alopecia is a very much treatable condition and there are multiple temporary as well as permanent treatment options, both medical as well as surgical, available to us. Therefore it is not very early to say that with the constant advancement and research in this field, baldness will be the thing of the past.