HbA1c is not affected by the blood sugar levels alone, and there are various confounding factors when HbA1c is measured, especially that of iron de.ciency, which is the commonest of the de.ciency diseases worldwide. It is hence prudent to rule out IDA before making a therapeutic decision, based on the HbA1c levels.

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Context: Welding fumes are considered as a risk factor for pulmonary diseases and a periodic spirometry is essential to evaluate the lung function of the welders. The Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) is a red cell measurement which is provided by automated haematology analyzers. It reflects the range of the red cell sizes which are measured within a sample. Few studies have shown a relationship between the RDW values and the changes in the spirometry. Aims:This study was aimed at correlating the RDW% and the spirometry FEV1/FVC ratio (%) among automobile welders (cases). Further, we have analyzed the effect of smoking on the FEV1/FVC ratio% and the RDW% in the cases. Settings and Design:A cross sectional study was done on 50 welders and 50 non-welding office workers (controls) who were working in an automobile industry on the outskirts of Chennai, india. All the cases were arc welders and the controls were from the same production unit, who had never worked as welders. This study was conducted during the period from March 2012 to May 2012. Methods and Material:The demographic data, smoking habits, work history and the respiratory symptoms were gathered by using a standard self -administered questionnaire. A complete haemogram study was done and pulmonary function tests were performed for both the cases and the controls. All the cases and the controls were examined in the hospital outpatients room and subsequently, their blood samples were collected. The pulmonary function tests were conducted in the spirometry room in the hospital. The statistical analysis was done using the SPSS, version 15.0.Results: A statistically significant inverse correlation was found between the RDW% and the FEV1/FVC ratio% in the cases.Conclusions: RDW can be used as a biomarker to identify the pulmonary compromise in automobile welders.

The present study investigated the challenges faced by women in coastal villages in selected districts of Tamil Nadu due to impact of climatic changes. One hundred coastal women beneficiaries from coastal districts of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam were selected for the study. Descriptive statistics and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis were used to examine the data. Results of the study revealed that gender, age and community of the respondents had influence over the access to different sets of resources and livelihood assets. Drudgery of women increased after migration of men to urban areas in search of job. It is understood that livelihood patterns of women have changed considerably. Strengths expressed were knowledge, leadership qualities, self confidence and group cohesiveness, while the weaknesses identified were lack of knowledge, lack of technical knowledge, male migration, social taboos and beliefs as well as poor health status. The opportunities were government institutional support as well as research organisation support The threats identified were unusual rainfall, floods, cyclone and change in water quality. It is understood that women need access to training, credit and skillsdevelopment programmes to ensure their full participation in climate change initiatives. Participation of women in negotiations, policy actions and initiatives towards environmental change will help governments and coastal communities to maintain and build adaptive measures towards the effects of climate driven environmental changes in the coastal villages.

Background: Alcoholism is a major problem in India thereby causing a heavy toll on the health related expenditure of the country. Detection of alcohol abuse rely mainly on clinical details which is sometimes inaccurate or unreliable and hence using a specific diagnostic parameter might be of immense use not only for early diagnosis but also during follow up of the cases. Aims and Objectives:This case control study aimed at evaluating the usefulness of Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin (CDT) as a sensitive marker to diagnose alcohol abuse.

Objective:The main aim of this study was to determine the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production among 83 isolates of Escherichia coli as well as the antibacterial effect of a novel compound, L-Tryptophan Schiff base, on 10 different ESBL positive strains of E. coli.Methods: Phenotypic ESBL activity in E. coli was confirmed by combined disc diffusion test according to clinical laboratory standard institute guidelines. Phenotypically positive ESBL clinical isolates were selected for molecular screening for synchronized detection of bla CTX-M-15 gene . Antibacterial activity of L-Tryptophan Schiff base was evaluated against ESBL positive isolates. The effect of L-Tryptophan Schiff base on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified a product of CTX-M-15 gene was also evaluated.Results: Antibiotic susceptibility screening showed resistance of ESBL positive isolates in the range of 18-96%. Disc diffusion test for phenotypic ESBL detection revealed that 99% (83/83) of isolates showed resistance to third and fourth generation cephalosporins (ceftazidime, cefotaxime, and cefepime) including ampicillin. L-Tryptophan Schiff base showed antimicrobial effect on E. coli. Molecular analysis for ESBL detection showed that 60% of strains were positive for bla CTX-M-15 gene. L-Tryptophan Schiff base also had downregulating effect on CTX-M-15 gene. Conclusion:This study presented an approach toward finding a suitable drug to reduce the serious infections caused by ESBL positive microorganisms. Phenotypic as well as molecular characterization was performed to get knowledge about the overall behavior of ESBL positive isolates of E. coli. L-Tryptophan Schiff base showed good antibacterial properties against ESBL positive isolates and a downregulating effect on PCR amplified product of CTX-M-15. Collection and maintenance of bacterial strainsA whole set of 83 different clinical isolates of E. coli were obtained with information on gender and age from the Department of Microbiology,

Background: The haematological parameters are influenced by various factors like age, ethnicity, diet, genetic and gender differences and hence it is important to define the specific reference values with regards to the age, gender and the region. The indices like the Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW), the Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) and the Platelet Distribution Width (PDW) are newer haematological parameters which are calculated by automated haematology analyzers. There is an increasing evidence that these are clinically valuable bio markers. But not many studies have estimated the reference intervals for these parameters in our population.Aim and Objective: Our primary objective was to identify the gender specific reference intervals for RDW, MPV, PDW and other haematological parameters for the healthy adult population of our region. We also aimed at comparing the study reference intervals with the existing reference ranges. Materials and Methods:A retrospective review of 2443 medical case sheets of the individuals who attended the preventive health check up program in a tertiary care hospital in the year 2011, was done. With 500 subjects who satisfied our study criteria, the haematological reference intervals were established. Results:Gender specific reference intervals were established for the newer indices as well as for the other haematological parameters. We derived the reference intervals for the newer parameters in our population as:RDW: 12.23%-15.36% in males and 12.3%-15.85% in females MPV: 7.9 fL-13.7 fL in males and 8 fL -13.28 fL in females PDW: 9 fL -16.56 fL in males and 8 fL -13.28 fL in females. Conclusion:Our values differed from the existing haematological reference values, thus showing the importance of developing region-specific reference intervals. Our data also showed the importance of establishing gender specific reference intervals.

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