The relationship between noise frequency components and physical, physiological and psychological effects of industrial workers.

A corollary to industrialization and urbanization is a significant increase in noise levels. In many industrial settings, the noise levels are such that they are potential health hazards. There are many studies which suggest that prolonged exposures to high noise levels have a negative impact on various aspects of human physiology. However, not much work has been conducted in studying the effects of various noise frequencies in the industrial environment. This paper has made an attempt to identify various noise frequency components to which the workers of six major industries in Mysore (Karnataka State, India) are being exposed, and their effects on the physical, physiological, and psychological systems of the working community with respect to their noisy industrial environment. The study results showed that the sampled industrial workers were repeatedly being exposed to noise of dominant low- and mid-octave band center frequencies. It is found that symptoms such as 'eye ball pressure,' 'awakening from sleep,' 'pains in neck,' 'frequent ear vibration,' 'chronic fatigue,' 'repeated headache,' 'backache,' and 'repeated ear pulsation' are observed to be highly associated with low- and mid-octave band center frequency noise exposure among the sampled workers. Furthermore, among the major psychological symptoms identified to be associated with octave band center frequencies, it is evident that 'irritability' is highly associated with low- and mid-octave band noise frequency characteristics.

Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis of body fat & body mass index in dyslipidaemic Asian Indians.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Optimal limit of body mass index (BMI) for Asian Indians remains to be defined. In this study, we describe the anthropometric and lipid profiles and determine the appropriate cut-offs of BMI for defining obesity in dyslipidaemic patients. METHODS: Correlations were carried out between lipid profile and anthropometric variables in 217 dyslipidaemic Asian Indians and the data were compared to those of 123 healthy historical controls. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was carried out to determine the appropriate cut-offs of BMI for defining obesity taking the percentage of body fat (% BF) as the standard. RESULTS: Dyslipidaemic patients had high waist-hip ratio (W-HR) and percentage of BF. The prevalence of obesity as measured by percentage of BF was significantly (P < 0.05) higher as compared to obesity defined by the BMI cut-off. W-HR was the most important independent predictor (odds ratio: 2.8; 95% CI: 1.02-7.83) of atherogenic dyslipidaemia on multivariate logistic regression analysis. On ROC curve analysis the suggested appropriate cut-offs of BMI were; males 24.0 kg/m2 (sensitivity, 74.7%, and specificity, 79.7%), and females 23.0 kg/m2 (sensitivity, 85.7% and specificity, 62.5%). According to the suggested lower limits of BMI, an additional 15 per cent dyslipidaemic patients will be diagnosed as obese. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The observations in dyslipidaemic Asian Indians suggest high prevalence rates of generalized and abdominal obesity, and that high values of W-HR alone predisposes to atherogenic dyslipidaemia. Further, obesity may be optimally defined by a lower cut-off of BMI. The revised criteria for the BMI-based diagnosis of obesity will lead to a more rational management of dyslipidaemia in Asian Indians.

Pairwise MtDNA-HVRII sequence differences and geographic maternal distances among Korku, an Austro-Asiatic tribe in Central India.

Ethno-linguistic and recent molecular evidences were equivocal that tribes belonging to Austro-Asiatic linguistic group were the earliest 'out of Africa' migrants in the Indian sub-continent dating back to approximately 60,000 YBP. They comprise of few endogamous groups and were settled in eastern and central India. In the present study it is found among Korku, an endogamous Austro-Asiatic tribe settled in central India, that oldest females pairwise, maternal geographical distances were inversely related with mtDNA-HVRll control region sequence differences, mismatch distribution was unimodal and the most common haplotype had wide geographical distribution. The empirical findings lead to 1) the possibility of an explanation that the Korku, though showed demographic expansion, the place of expansion may not be the area of their present habitation 2) the scope of combining information on maternal distances and mtDNA sequence diversity in deriving demographic history of populations.

Disseminated cryptococcal infection in immune competent patients.

Cryptococcal meningeal or cerebral infection has become an increasing global problem.(1) In this respect there are many anacedotal Indian case reports.(2) More than 50% of CNS infections occur in immunosuppressed patients and other debilitating conditions. Neurological form of cryptococcosis in immunocompetant patients needs to be considered in situations with intractable headache, papilloedema, hydrocephalus and prior to decisions on shunt placements.(3) We report on two such immunocompetent patients who presented with CNS involvement. Their clinical features and outcome is discussed.