ROLE OF ANTIOXIDANTS AND NUTRITION IN OXIDATIVE STRESS: A REVIEW

Human body is known to experience positive stress that keeps it vigilant and protects it from biological and physical threats. This stress turns negative when a person is confronted with continuous challenges. Also, stress and nutrition have always run in synergism with each other. Nutritional value of a person's diet depends on the overall mixture or balance of food that is eaten over a period of time, as well as on the needs of the individual. The body relies on obtaining its anti-oxidants from food and other supplements. These nutritional requirements of antioxidants are enormously altered in diseased conditions. In view of the immense medicinal importance of antioxidants, an effort has been made in this article to bring together information about the role of nutrition and antioxidants such as carotenoids, vitamins, some important minerals in combating free radical generation and in general, boosting normal immune mechanisms. The present review is an attempt to generate interest in the scientific fraternity of their immense potential in preventing and treating several common diseases. Keywords: Antioxidants, Free radicals, Balanced diet, Nutrition, Oxidative stress, Vitamins

Comparison of conventional risk factors, clinical and angiographic profile between younger and older coronary heart disease patients

Background: Although numerous risk factors have been established to predict the development of Coronary artery Disease, the risk factor profile may be different between the younger and older individuals. The aim of the study was to compare risk factors, clinical profile and angiographic profile of young and old coronary heart disease patients.Methods: Patients admitted at cardiac intensive care unit at Sunderam Ahulraj Hospital of south India between January 2012 and December 2013 were classified in to two age groups with 40yrs as cut-off. Patients were assessed for conventional risk factors (diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, smoking, and obesity), clinical profile and angiographic profiles.Results: A total of 100 patients, out of which 32patients were ≤40yrs of age and 68 patients >40yrs of age, were evaluated. Mean age for younger group (40yrs) was 55.39 yrs. Range of age group for study population was 28-72 yrs. The prevalence of obesity, dyslipidaemia, and smoking/ tobacco chewing did not vary significantly between the two groups. Older patients had higher frequency of diabetes (48.5%) and hypertension (41.1%). The most commonly affected coronary artery was the left anterior descending artery among both age groups.Conclusions: Young patients with Coronary heart disease had different risk profile and less extensive coronary artery disease as compared to older counterparts. Emphasis should be given on diagnosis and management of major modifiable risk factors

Rotational Bands and Electromagnetic Transitions of some even-even Neodymium Nuclei in J-Projected Hartree-Fock Model

Rotational structures of even-even $^{148-160}$Nd nuclei are studied with the self-consistent deformed Hartree-Fock (HF) and angular momentum (J) projection model. Spectra of ground band, recently observed $K=4^{-}$, $K=5^{-}$ and a few more excited, positive and negative parity bands have been studied upto high spin values. Apart from these detailed electromagnetic properties (like E2, M1 matrix elements) of all the bands have been obtained. There is substantial agreement between our model calculations and available experimental data. Predictions are made about the band structures and electromagnetic properties of these nuclei. Some 4-qasiparticle K-isomeric bands and their electromagnetic properties are predicted.Comment: 20 page

Quark Hadron Phase Transition and Hybrid Stars

We investigate the properties of hybrid stars consisting of quark matter in the core and hadron matter in outer region. The hadronic and quark matter equations of state are calculated by using nonlinear Walecka model and chiral colour dielectric (CCD) model respectively. We find that the phase transition from hadron to quark matter is possible in a narrow range of the parameters of nonlinear Walecka and CCD models. The transition is strong or weak first order depending on the parameters used. The EOS thus obtained, is used to study the properties of hybrid stars. We find that the calculated hybrid star properties are similar to those of pure neutron stars.Comment: 25 pages in LaTex and 9 figures available on request, IP/BBSR/94-3

Dihyperon in Chiral Colour Dielectric Model

The mass of dihyperon with spin, parity $J^{\pi}=0^{+}$ and isospin $I = 0$ is calculated in the framework of Chiral colour dielectric model. The wave function of the dihyperon is expressed as a product of two colour-singlet baryon clusters. Thus the quark wave functions within the cluster are antisymmetric. Appropriate operators are then used to antisymmetrize inter-cluster quark wave functions. The radial part of the quark wavefunctions are obtained by solving the the quark and dielectric field equations of motion obtained in the Colour dielectric model. The mass of the dihyperon is computed by including the colour magnetic energy as well as the energy due to meson interaction. The recoil correction to the dihyperon mass is incorporated by Peierls-Yoccoz technique. We find that the mass of the dihyperon is smaller than the $\Lambda-\Lambda$ threshold by over 100 MeV. The implications of our results on the present day relativistic heavy ion experiments is discussed.Comment: LaTeX, 13 page

Characterizing Gravitational Wave Detector Networks: From A♯^\sharp to Cosmic Explorer

Gravitational-wave observations by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo have provided us a new tool to explore the universe on all scales from nuclear physics to the cosmos and have the massive potential to further impact fundamental physics, astrophysics, and cosmology for decades to come. In this paper we have studied the science capabilities of a network of LIGO detectors when they reach their best possible sensitivity, called A#, and a new generation of observatories that are factor of 10 to 100 times more sensitive (depending on the frequency), in particular a pair of L-shaped Cosmic Explorer observatories (one 40 km and one 20 km arm length) in the US and the triangular Einstein Telescope with 10 km arms in Europe. We use a set of science metrics derived from the top priorities of several funding agencies to characterize the science capabilities of different networks. The presence of one or two A# observatories in a network containing two or one next generation observatories, respectively, will provide good localization capabilities for facilitating multimessenger astronomy and precision measurement of the Hubble parameter. A network of two Cosmic Explorer observatories and the Einstein Telescope is critical for accomplishing all the identified science metrics including the nuclear equation of state, cosmological parameters, growth of black holes through cosmic history, and make new discoveries such as the presence of dark matter within or around neutron stars and black holes, continuous gravitational waves from rotating neutron stars, transient signals from supernovae, and the production of stellar-mass black holes in the early universe. For most metrics the triple network of next generation terrestrial observatories are a factor 100 better than what can be accomplished by a network of three A# observatories.Comment: 45 pages, 20 figure

Nothing Lasts Forever: Environmental Discourses on the Collapse of Past Societies

The study of the collapse of past societies raises many questions for the theory and practice of archaeology. Interest in collapse extends as well into the natural sciences and environmental and sustainability policy. Despite a range of approaches to collapse, the predominant paradigm is environmental collapse, which I argue obscures recognition of the dynamic role of social processes that lie at the heart of human communities. These environmental discourses, together with confusion over terminology and the concepts of collapse, have created widespread aporia about collapse and resulted in the creation of mixed messages about complex historical and social processes

Digital signal processor implementation and performance evaluation of split capacitor, four-leg and three H-bridge-based three-phase four-wire shunt active filters

In this paper a comprehensive study on the three-phase four-wire (3P4W) shunt active power filter (APF) is carried out on the basis of three system configurations. These three two-level voltage source inverter topologies are compared for 3P4W shunt APF, namely, split capacitor (2C), four-leg (4L) and three single-phase H-bridges (3HB). The performance of all three topologies, under an unbalanced non-linear load condition, is evaluated with a detailed digital signal processor (DSP)-based experimental investigation. The steady-state as well as dynamic performance of APF is studied to compensate for current harmonics, reactive power, current unbalance and neutral current. The advantages and limitations offered by each of the topologies are also discussed in brief