Gender Differences in Age-Related Changes in Cardiac Autonomic Nervous Function

Ageing is associated with changes in cardiac autonomic control as measured by Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Not many studies have explored the influence of gender on age-related changes in cardiac autonomic regulation. This study evaluated the gender differences in age-associated changes in cardiac autonomic nervous activity by assessing HRV using frequency domain analysis of short-term stationary R-R intervals. HRV was studied in healthy males and females ranging in age from 6 to 55 years. Total power and absolute power in High-Frequency (HF) and Low-Frequency (LF) components as well as HF in normalized unit declined significantly with ageing. The HF/LF ratio was significantly higher in the adolescent and adult females compared to male of these age groups. This study suggests that gender differences exist in age-related changes in HRV. The finding that gender differences are limited to adolescent and adult age groups may indicate a role for female sex hormones in cardiac autonomic modulation

Ratio of the bend to splay constants of some binary mixtures exhibiting the induced smectic-A phase

We report the ratios of bend to splay (k33/k11) elastic constants of 4'-n-heptyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (7CB), (2-hydroxy)-p-ethoxybenzylidene-p'-butylaniline (OH-EBBA) and two of their mixtures which exhibit the induced smectic A phase. k33/k11 goes down to ~0.6 for the composition which is rich in OH-EBBA

Financial Inclusion: Lessons From Rural South India

Financial inclusion/exclusion has recently been emphasised as an important policy option aimed at alleviating poverty, minimising social exclusion and enhancing economic growth. In this article, we review the growing interest in financial exclusion and inclusion, define them and demonstrate their existence in developing and developed countries. Our empirical focus is on whether financial inclusion has been successfully implemented in four sites in rural South India where banks claimed that financial inclusion is complete. Although many rural people in South India are financially included, the concept of financial inclusion is more complex than usually portrayed. Our findings show that social and personal deprivation contributes to financial exclusion and should be viewed as key barriers to financial inclusion. We also suggest that financial inclusion is not a monolithic phenomenon and should be studied in a multi-layered fashion, ranging from having a bank account to making full use of modern financial instruments

The electrooptic characteristics of a nematic liquid crystals cell with asymmetrically treated electrodes

We present electrooptic measurements on sandwich nematic liquid crystal cells with asymmetri-cally coated electrodes. The cells have one electrode coated with silicon monoxide at an oblique angle and the other is either rubbed or coated with aluminium oxide. Most of the observations have been made on materials with positive dielectric anisotropy, and a few observations on materials with negative dielectric anisotropy. With salt dopants, there is vigorous electrohydrodynamic motion under an applied field beyond a threshold value if the SiO-coated electrode is positive. The motion is subdued when the voltage is reversed. If the medium is viewed between crossed polarizers, there is a considerable change in the transmission coefficient when the polarity of the exciting voltage is reversed. The phenomenon is attributed to the fact that it is mainly the positively charged ions that carry the current in such cells. If the medium is doped with an electron acceptor, the situation is reversed since in this case negatively charged ions carry the current. Both DC and AC responses are reported

Effect of skew cybotactic structure on the optical properties of a nematogen with a lateral cyano substituent

We report an unusual thermal variation of the ordinary refractive index (no) of the nematogenic compound 2-cyano-4-heptyl-phenyl-4'-pentyl-4-biphenyl carboxylate, which has a cyano group making a large angle (~60°) with the molecular axis. As the sample is cooled from the NI transition point, no initially decreases as usual, but on further cooling it shows an increasing trend after reaching a broad minimum. On the other hand, the extraordinary index ne shows the normal temperature variation. X-ray investigations of a monodomain sample show that the nematic has a skewed cybotactic type of short-range order, the tilt angle increasing considerably as the temperature is lowered from the NI transition point. We have made a model calculation to explain the temperature variation of no in terms of the variation of the tilt angle

Re-entrant nematic phase in pure compounds at atmospheric pressure

This article does not have an abstract

Saga of Saras: Part - II: Report of Significant Events/Milestones reached during the making of SARAS Prototype - II and the lessons we learnt from PT - 1

This NAL Project Document highlights the pioneering efforts made by the centre for Civil Aircraft Design and Development in building the SARAS prototype-II. SARAS prototype-II, NAL's 14-seater light transport aircraft had its successful maiden flight on 18 April 2007 at 09:05 a.m. Several improvements have been incorporated in SARAS PT-II compared to the first prototype. Most important among these are the incorporation of higher power engines, Pamp;WC 6A-67A of 1200 hp each and new propellers of larger diameter. The supporting stubwing structure and the engine nacelle have also been modified to suite the new engines. Added to this, significant improvements have been incorporated in the layout of flight control system, avionics and electrical systems. These improvements have brought PT-II much closer to the final production standard aircraft

Epigenetic alterations—The silent indicator for early aging and age‐associated health‐risks

Abstract Aging is the process of gradual physiological deterioration till death and this process perpetually reduce the functionality of an individual. To address the rationale and provide geriatric care, the constant target of geroscience is to identify reliable biomarkers for aging. Over the past decades, diversified advancements in epigenetic studies crescively support the fact that the accumulation of epigenetic changes accompanies the process of aging. A growing number of studies have suggested that alterations occur through three fundamental mechanisms like methylation of DNA, histone protein modification, and production of non‐coding microRNAs. Each of these changes occurs silently and provokes alterations in the circumstantial expression of genetic material without altering the underlying gene sequences. The changes in gene expression due to epigenetic alterations are suggested to be the cause of early aging and the onset of age‐related health risks. This review would attempt to give an integrated overview of epigenetic changes related to aging and age‐associated health risks. This review also discussed epigenomes influencing early aging and factors modulating it. Since epigenetic changes are reversible, early identification of epigenetic markers can be a hope for future geriatric medicine. Finally, this review emphasizes the identification of blood‐based epigenetic biomarkers in order to enlighten the future scope for therapeutic intervention to slow down the aging process