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A noise level dosimetry and audiometric testing were conducted in a cellulose factory to determine the hazardous noise level and the prevalence of noise induced hearing loss among the exposed workers. The noise level was recorded up to 90 db (A) in several working areas. 18 workers, potentially exposed to noise injury, evidenced a significant hearing loss. While no evidence of noise injury was recorded in a control group of 100 subjects. This finding suggest a strict relationship between audiometric tests, the noise level recorded in the working place and the working seniority of exposed employers.

This work has been performed to test the new and interesting results obtained previously with a photographic isodensitometric method about the photometric evolution of solar flares (Falciani et al., 1972; Falciani and Rigutti, 1972 a,b) and to study the degree of utility and reliability, and the general performances of high speed, computer controlled devices in the photometric analysis of extended sources. We studied some series of good Ha solar filtergrams, obtained during 1969 (May 15–16–17–25 and Oct. 25–27), at the Athens National Observatory (we warmly thank Dr. C.J. Macris for having kindly put at our disposal such a material), with time resolution of about 30 sec, with uniform exposure and high photometric accuracy (≈ 5000 filtergrams).

A multidisciplinary investigation was performed on 173 reporters (53 men and 20 women) of a newspaper. The microclimate and illumination conditions of the main seat, in which the use of VDT was beginning, were satisfactory, although not all the instruments were correctly adjusted. A very low percentage of reporters working in the main center was suffering from arterial hypertension indicating the presence of the "healthy worker effect". The values of plasma cortisol and arterial blood pressure of 10 reporters of the main seat, except two cases, changed normally during the evening hours. It is to point out that among the reporters there was significant correlation between spondylosis and astigmatism. The psychological investigation evidenced that the reporters were aggressive, eager of success and with constant attention. The EMG biofeedback demonstrated in the reporters with a more prolonged period of employment nervous tension and difficulty in relaxing. Particularly, in the reporters of the main center, the Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory was more altered than in those of the peripheral seats.