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The present study focuses on characterizing the time–frequency aspects of seasonal temperatures in India by integrating the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) algorithm with the Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) decomposition method. The investigation also explores the connections between maximum temperature (Tmax) and minimum temperature (Tmin) with global climate oscillations, such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Sunspot Number (SN), and Pacific Decadal Oscillations (PDO). The findings indicate that intra and inter-decadal modes play a pivotal role in influencing temperature series across various seasons, with notable changes observed in the amplitudes of inter-decadal modes for seasonal Tmin and Tmax. The analysis of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) reveals that IMF2 closely align to ENSO with a periodicity of 5–7 years, IMF3 to the sunspot cycle with a frequency of approximately 11 years, and IMF5 to PDO with a long periodicity exceeding 60 years. The association between the IMF components of Tmin and Tmax temperature series and the three climate indices is most evident for low-frequency modes, demonstrating a consistent evolution of trend components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is an unmet need for high-quality data for Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) in the Indian population. Indian study group on partial nephrectomy (ISGPN) is a consortium of Indian centers contributing to the partial nephrectomy (PN) database. The current study is a descriptive analysis of perioperative and functional outcomes following RAPN. Methods: For this study, the retrospective ISGPN database was reviewed, which included patients who underwent RAPN for renal masses at 14 centers across India from September 2010 to September 2022. Demographic, clinical, radiological, perioperative, and functional data were collected and analyzed. Ethics approval was obtained from each of the participating centers. Results: In this study, 782 patients were included, and 69.7% were male. The median age was 53 years (interquartile range [IQR 44-62]), median operative time was 180 min (IQR 133-240), median estimated blood loss was 100 mL (IQR 50-200), mean warm ischemia time was 22.7 min and positive surgical margin rates were 2.5%. The complication rate was 16.2%, and most of them were of minor grade. Trifecta and pentafecta outcomes were attained in 61.4% and 60% of patients, respectively. Conclusions: This is the largest Indian multi-centric study using the Indian Robotic PN Collaborative database to evaluate the outcomes of robot assisted PN, and has proven its safety and efficacy in the management of renal masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate action plans are essential for climate mitigation and adaptation as well as to achieve climate and development goals like the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the development and implementation of climate action plans at multiple levels involve decision-making processes. In this article, we examine the barriers and opportunities to decision-making in climate action plans for adaptation at three different governance levels in India: national, sub-national and local. Through a literature review and analysis of case studies, we find that lack of usable climate information, institutional weaknesses and capacity of actors are critical barriers to decision-making at all three levels in India. We recommend that providing usable and accessible climate information, creating evidence and knowledge on adaptation, strengthening the science-policy interface and institutional mechanisms, as well as building the capacities of actors can contribute to better decision-making and achieving targeted climate action plans and SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) is due to variation in the COL7A1 gene. The clinical phenotype and severity depends on the type of variation and domain of the affected protein. Objectives: To characterize the spectrum of COL7A1 variations in a cohort of DEB patients from India, to correlate these findings with clinical phenotypes and to establish a genotype-phenotype correlation. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study involving patients with DEB diagnosed on the basis of clinical manifestations, Immuno-fluorescence antigen mapping (IFM) and genetic analysis. A genotype-phenotype correlation was attempted and observations were further explained using IFM on skin biopsies and molecular dynamic simulations. Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS version 20.0 with P values of <0.05 considered significant. Results: We report 68 unrelated Indian DEB patients classified as RDEB-Intermediate (RDEB-I), RDEB-Severe (RDEB-S) or DDEB based on the EB diagnostic matrix, immunofluorescence antigen mapping and genetic data. Of 68 DEB patients, 59 (86.76%) were inherited in a recessive pattern (RDEB) and 9 (13.24%) in a dominant pattern (DDEB). Limbal stem cell deficiency was seen in four cases of RDEB-S very early in the course of the disease. A total of 88 variants were detected of which 66 were novel. There were no hotspots and recurrent variations were seen in a very small group of patients. We found a high frequency of compound heterozygotes (CH) in RDEB patients born out of non-consanguineous marriage. RDEB patients older than two years who had oral mucosal involvement, and/or deformities, were more likely to have esophageal involvement. Genotype phenotype correlation showed a higher frequency of extracutaneous manifestations and deformities in patients with Premature Termination Codons (PTCs) than in patients with other variations. Molecular simulation studies in patients with missense mutations showed severe phenotype when they were localized in interrupted regions of GLY-X-Y repeats. Conclusion: This large study of DEB patients in South Asia adds to the continually expanding genetic database of this condition. This study has direct implications on management as this group of patients can be screened early and managed appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In pandemic situations, it is essential that the limited resources are used judiciously to achieve most benefits. Prediction of the disease severity at the earliest will help in better allocation, thus, positively affecting prognosis and treatment. Aim and objective: To investigate patient characteristics and specific biomarkers as possible early predictors of disease severity of SARS-COV-2 infection. Materials and methods: Retrospective single-centric observational study conducted at 70-bedded intensive care unit of tertiary care hospital at Haryana, India. 100 consecutive RT-PCR positive coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) adult patients. Demographics, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (Apache-II) score, and Inflammatory markers were compared with respect to oxygenation defect (PaO2/FiO2 ratio: <300 or ≥300 mm Hg), need of invasive ventilation, ICU length of stay and 28-day mortality. Findings: Mean age was significantly more in lower PF ratio group (58.01 ± 15.33 vs 50.97 ± 13.78, p = 0.023) whereas sex ratio was comparable among patients in two groups. Significantly, higher APACHE-II score (p ≤0.001) and presence of hypertension (43.54% vs 23.68%; p = 0·045) in low PF ratio group along with higher C-reactive protein (171.78 ± 124.45 vs 101.52 ± 88.70), IL-6 (173.51 vs 53.18) and ferritin (1677.60 ± 2271.13 vs 643.54 ± 718.68) levels. Procalcitonin, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels were not significant. Interpretation: Age and APACHE II score and among laboratory parameters CRP, ferritin, and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in low PF ratio group, patients requiring invasive ventilation and in mortality group. Use of this triad (CRP, ferritin, and IL-6 levels) at admission may predict the disease severity early in the course. Addition of APACHE-II may further improve the accuracy of the score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The cases of Coronary Artery Diseases (CAD) are on the rise in India, this can be attributed to various factors such as ageing, lifestyle, smoking, food habits, and higher income levels. Although, a large proportion of India's population has access to some form of health insurance, the out of pocket expenditure is still extremely high as a percentage of total health spendings. Aim: To assess the impact of coronary stent price regulation on the interventional cardiology field in India. Materials and Methods: Retrospective data for this study was collected from online search at google and various other external data sources such as websites and published reports of World Health Organisation (WHO), Niti Aayog, National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA) and Economic Times (ET) Health World. Line graphs for the percentage change in the number of percutaneous coronary intervention procedures, usage of Drug Eluting Stents (DES) pricing for government and private hospitals for the period 2016-2021 were plotted using Microsoft excel. Results: A high cost of coronary stents ranging from Indian Rupee (INR) 40,000 to INR 1,25,000 was a major contributor to a very high out of pocket expenditure in the field of interventional cardiology. In order to curtail this cost, a ceiling limit of INR 29,600 was imposed with respect to the prices of coronary stents in the year 2017 by the NPPA. Ever since a ceiling limit was imposed on the prices of coronary stents in India, there has been an annual increase of 3.7%, 13.1%, 12.6%, and 12.9% in the number of coronary intervention procedures for the years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, respectively. Similarly, the usage of DES has also shown an annual increase of 8.9%, 14.7%, 10.5%, and 13.3%, respectively for the same years. Conclusion: At this juncture when the burden of CAD is on a rise in India, the efforts to make coronary stents more affordable will go a long way in the efficient management of CAD in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conceptual paper attempts to understand the necessity of intertwining Democracy and e-Democracy for the success of institutionalization of e-Democracy. In this respect, it proposes the "Four-Forces Framework of Democracy" and their Drivers. The paper also explores the challenges that e-Democracy may face in its growth and evolution, highlights the risks involved in ignoring the challenges, and suggests the future direction. In the present scenario, there is a considerable push for Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The paper discusses whether this will lead to the strengthening of people's voice and empowerment of the individual and collective aspirations. Societies in their evolution develop cultural contexts, social and ethnic values. It is a challenge for any e-Democracy to integrate them into its mechanisms. In the Indian context, it is essential to develop foresight on how e-Democracy gears-up to also address various contradictions and conflicts, which are possible due to the digital-divide, multitude of people's aspirations, socio-cultural diversity, space for democratic thinking, etc. Keeping many aspects of Democracy and governance into consideration, the paper focuses on how ICT and e-Democracy will honour people's aspirations in the coming years, to keep the public, individual, and society, vibrant and democratically functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 and its associated disease control measures have greatly altered everyday life. The burden of these challenges has fallen disproportionately on women. Drawing on qualitative inquiry in agrarian north India and Nepal, this research note analyzes how South Asian COVID-19 lockdowns have affected women's labor responsibilities in sometimes surprising ways. We find increased responsibilities for caregiving within the household, substantial stress in responding to food insecurity, and growing expectations to fulfill public roles in disease response measures. However, we also find that the return of male migrants and youth has, in some cases, reduced women's farming responsibilities and created opportunities for household togetherness at a time of great uncertainty. We conclude that more research is needed to examine the nuanced aspects of COVID-19's gendered labor impacts to create comprehensive policy responses to address the multiple and sometimes conflicting effects the lockdown has had on agrarian women's informal labor and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This audit was aimed at studying current practices regarding the use of stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) in the Indian critical care setup, with the background aim of raising awareness regarding the use and indications of SUP in critically ill patients. Materials and methods: After registering the trial with the clinical trial registry, India, a structured audit questionnaire containing 26 questions pertaining to SUP was distributed through electronic media among clinicians working in the intensive care units (ICUs) across India. Responses obtained were statistically analyzed. Results: The questionnaire was sent to 550 clinicians. Only 197 responded, of whom 91.4% were anesthesiologists, 5.6% were physicians, and 3% were intensivists. The audit revealed that 33% respondents were unaware of the existing SUP guidelines and around 32% did not have protocols for SUP in their ICU. Sixty-nine percent of respondents felt that all ICU patients must receive SUP and 44.7% opined that it should be started on ICU arrival. Almost 94% knew that early enteral feeding is protective against stress ulceration. Only 24.9% responders agreed that there must be clear indications for SUP, and most of them were unaware of all the potential side effects. Once initiated, 43.7% respondents would stop prophylaxis when no indication was left, whereas 69 respondents would stop on ICU discharge. Conclusion: There is a lack of awareness regarding initiation, choice of agent, adverse effects as well as termination of SUP in ICU and guidelines for the same. Institutional protocols should be in place and steps need to be taken to prevent unwarranted use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture has been the traditional mainstay of the economy of India, since times immemorial. The practice of agriculture in primitive times was entirely different than what is practiced today. There has been a significant shift in needs of agriculture in modern times. Unlike primitive or ancient times, agriculture can no longer be practiced with the help of traditional techniques of agricultural and the obsolete equipments. Nowadays, agriculture is practiced on modern lines. Modern equipment has become essential for agriculture in present times. But agriculture is the sector which constantly remains in doldrums. Farmers fail to get enough finances to practice agriculture on modern lines. They constantly fall prey to the treacherous practices of traditional finance providers. The paper entitled, "Financing the Bread Giver" throws light on the demand for grants in agriculture in India and endeavors to put forward different types of financial provisions as given by the government to boost the agriculture of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We analyzed roles of government and NGOs in community forestry in India. • We found that convergence of the government and NGOs can produce synergies. • We found that NGOs direct communities to the resources provided by the government. Abstract Community forestry literature promotes the idea that self-governance and self-organization lead to successful forest governance. However, this assumption marginalizes the different roles that external agents can play in organizing the communities to form forest institutions, engage in different outreach and capacity building activities and serve as a source of different kinds of resources. Given the increasing visibility of government and non-governmental organizations in community-based natural resource management, we believe it is important to understand the specific roles and impacts that convergence of these actors have on community efforts in resource governance. In this study, we first investigate the roles of government and non-governmental organizations and then conduct a comparative analysis of those roles to demonstrate synergies that emerge between government and NGOs in local forest governance. We find that while the government mainly provided technical and financial support, it is the NGOs that directed the communities to those resources. Our conclusions highlight that although the government and NGOs work within certain constraints, their convergence can make up for each other's limitations and synergistically facilitate community efforts in forest governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Postextubation airway complications are one of the most undesired side effects of airway manipulation. Pharmacological and nonpharmacological measures have been utilized for minimizing the morbidity. Lignocaine lozenges, a new modality, used to reduce post-extubation airway complications is an area yet to be explored. Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the effects of lignocaine nebulization versus lignocaine lozenges in decreasing immediate postextubation airway complications in patients presenting for direct laryngoscopic biopsy. Settings and Design: This randomized study was conducted at tertiary care teaching hospital in northern state of India. Subjects and Methods: A total of 90 patients, 40–70 years, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status Classes I, II, and III of either sex, posted for elective direct laryngoscopic biopsy, requiring general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation were included and randomly divided into groups (n = 30) to receive lignocaine nebulization (Group A), lignocaine lozenge (Group B), control (Group C). The patients were assessed for a cough after extubation after 5 min then every 10 min up to 30 min postextubation. Statistical Analysis Used: Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test and continuous variables by using one-way Analysis of variance and Kruskal–Wallis test, respectively. Results: Comparison of a cough at various time intervals starting from extubation up to 30 min in post-extubation period was highly significant in between groups. Among Group A (lignocaine nebulization) 33% of patients had a decrease in the severity of a cough within the first 5 min; although among Group B (Lignocaine Lozenges), the decrease in the severity of a cough (40%) was more as compared to that of Group A. Similar decrease in the severity of a cough was observed through various time interval from 10 min to 30 min postextubation. After 30 min, 73% of patients in Group A and 76% of patients in Group B had an incidence of a decrease in the severity of cough. Conclusions: Lignocaine Lozenges have been found to have a better result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign trade plays a pivotal role in the overall development of the economy. In the modern world of today, none of the nations in the world can survive without the indulgence of international trade. All the nations of the world are interdependent in terms of satisfying their mutual demands. India heralded in the area of international trade with different nations when it gained independence from the shackles of the British rule. When it gained independence, India was not aware of the possibilities that existed in the area of international trade, because for nearly 200 years it was under the trade norms of the British government, which exploited India both in terms of economic resources and labour resources. In the backdrop of the importance of foreign trade, present paper aims to provide a study of the composition of foreign trade of India and changes which has taken place in recent times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, seasonal trends as well as dominant and significant periods of variability of drought variables were analyzed for 30 rainfall subdivisions in India over 141 years (1871–2012). Standardized precipitation index (SPI) was used as a meteorological drought indicator, and various drought variables (monsoon SPI, non-monsoon SPI, yearly SPI, annual drought duration, annual drought severity and annual drought peak) were analyzed. Discrete wavelet transform was used in conjunction with the Mann-Kendall test to analyze trends and dominant periodicities associated with the drought variables. Furthermore, continuous wavelet transform (CWT) based global wavelet spectrum was used to analyze significant periods of variability associated with the drought variables. From the trend analysis, we observed that over the second half of the 20th century, drought occurrences increased significantly in subdivisions of Northeast and Central India. In both short-term (2–8 years) and decadal (16–32 years) periodicities, the drought variables were found to influence the trend. However, CWT analysis indicated that the dominant periodic components were not significant for most of the geographical subdivisions. Although inter-annual and inter-decadal periodic components play an important role, they may not completely explain the variability associated with the drought variables across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Licensing of banks, financial inclusion and liberal policy initiatives by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) towards beefing up competition calls for a new empirical research to study about bank competition. As such, developing proper competitive methodologies will remain a crucial area of policy research (Claessens, 2009; Claessens and Laeven, 2004). Using balance-sheet information during 2000-2013 for a large sample of Indian banks, this paper aims at measuring bank competition in the changing Indian loan markets consequent to various financial sector reforms. The need of the study arises mainly because of dearth of studies on competition in the Indian banking sector using econometric tools. Actual literature on measuring bank competition generally use conventional approaches. The methodology for measuring bank competition here is based on Lerner Index. The results of the study reveal that bank lending markets in India have been more competitive than previously assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pandemic-induced causative factors triggered varied mental stresses in the different subgroups and micro-community. • Unexpected events during the pandemic caused emotional drifts disturbing community's emotional equilibrium. • Yoga, watching spiritual programs, and personal developmental activities demonstrated an ameliorative impact on people's emotions. • Frequently engaging with social media deleteriously influenced people's emotions. • Need for a pre-planned infrastructure to promote psychological preparedness in communities. The widespread, ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore concerns regarding the psychological well-being of people. Recent research revealed various issues impacting mental health of people. However, a systematic study of the emotional drift of the populace, has been precluded so far. Our investigative research seeks to explore stress factors for different subgroups in India, variation in primary emotions during COVID-19 initial phase, and the emotional impact of activities practiced by people to adjust to the new norms. We conduct an online questionnaire-based survey that elicits responses from 958 participants. Our analysis establishes significant correlations between pandemic-induced causative factors and stresses in subgroups and micro-community. Unexpected events during the pandemic disturbed community's emotional equilibrium. Lastly, we find specific activities demonstrating an ameliorative impact on the emotional well-being of people. Our analysis emphasizes the need for a pre-planned infrastructure to provide Psychological First Aid (PFA) to foster psychological preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Air insulated, positive, high current medium energy Ion Accelerator. • terminal voltage in the range of 30–200 kV. • switching magnet with five exit ports. • large area irradiation using a hollow cathode ion source. • Thorough experiments with varying current and energy using different ion beams. The air insulated high current medium energy 200 kV Ion Accelerator, with the terminal voltage in the range of 30–200 kV has been successfully operational at Ion Beam Centre, KU, Kurukshetra, India. A unique and imperative feature of this High Voltage Engineering Europa machine is the availability of only a single charge state, switching magnet with five exit ports and large area implantation using (-hollow cathode ion source). Ar+, B+, N+, Au+, H+, Ag+, Ni+ etc are the typically implanted ions. At present, only one beam line having beam rastering system is working specifically for material science research. The accelerator is consistently being used for conducting experiments using a wide variety of ion and target combination for research in diverse disciplines like materials science, atomic physics etc.. Ion beam sputter erosion experiments have been conducted successfully using different ion beams with varying current and energy. With the continued interest of researchers in this field, our accelerator's use and research output is likely to many-fold in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal carbonisation is a promising technology for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation through landfill avoidance and power generation, as it can convert high-moisture wastes into bio-coal which can be used for coal substitution. The GHG mitigation potential associated with landfill avoidance of high-moisture food waste (FW) generated in India, China and the EU was calculated and the potential for coal substitution to replace either grid energy, hard coal, or lignite consumption were determined. Different HTC processing conditions were evaluated including temperature and residence times and their effect on energy consumption and energy recovery. The greatest mitigation potential was observed at lower HTC temperatures and shorter residence times with the bio-coal replacing lignite. China had the greatest total mitigation potential (194 MT CO2 eq), whereas India had the greatest mitigation per kg of FW (1.2 kgCO2/kg FW). Significant proportions of overall lignite consumption could be substituted in India (12.4%) and China (7.1%), while sizable levels of methane could be mitigated in India (12.5%), China (19.3%), and the EU (7.2%). GHG savings from conversion of high-moisture FW into bio-coal and subsequent coal replacement has significant potential for reducing total GHG emissions and represents in India (3%), China (2.4%), and the EU (1%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the practice of cultural dermatology in India. Topics covered include skin problems that result from the presence of various socio-religious and cultural habits and the use of alternative medicine systems, reasons for the popularity of alternative medicine system in India, also known as ayurveda, yoga, and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, homeopathy (AYUSH), as well as the adverse effects of AYUSH.

A letter is presented asserting that a report examining the relationship between disease severity and metabolic syndrome in South Indian patients with psoriasis vulgaris was a cross-sectional study rather than a hospital-based case-control study. The authors replied that contrary to the letter's claims, a case-control study design can be used in a prospective manner to determine the prevalence of a suspected risk factor of a disease between two groups of subjects at a certain point in time.

This paper presents a new inventory of NMVOC emissions from anthropogenic sources in India for the year 2010. The main new element of this inventory, compared to previous work for India, is the use of new and more detailed data on solvent use sectors and oil production and distribution system. The results are presented at the national and state level for major sectors and VOC species. Finally, the annual emissions were spatially distributed at a fine resolution of 36 × 36 km 2 using detailed spatial information. The total anthropogenic NMVOC emissions in India in 2010 were estimated at 9.81 Tg which is in the range of the estimates made in most other studies. The majority of emissions (60%) originated from residential combustion of biomass for cooking. Solvent use sectors and oil production and distribution contributed about 20% followed by transport (12%) and open burning of agricultural residues (7%). Specie-wise distribution shows highest contribution from alkenes and alkynes (38%), followed by alkanes (22%), and aromatics (16%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the major causes of olfactory disturbances is chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and the main surgical modality to treat CRS is functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). It, therefore, is essential to assess the effect of this surgery on olfaction. Also, it is necessary to find new ways of measuring olfaction so as to reduce dependability on standard tests available., Objectives: To study the prevalence of olfactory impairment in patients with CRS and to evaluate the impact of FESS on olfaction. The study also aims at investigating the use of other odorants in place of butanol-1 in the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center test., Subjects and Methods: Forty patients of CRS without nasal polyposis were included in the study to analyze the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction and examine the influence of FESS at 1 and 3 months after surgery. Computed tomography scores (Lund Mackay scores) were calculated preoperatively, whereas other tests, viz., visual analog scale scoring, nasal endoscopy (Lund Kennedy scoring), and composite olfactory testing with odor thresholds of butanol-1, peppermint, lemon, clove, and ethyl acetate were carried out before surgery and after surgery at 1 and 3 months., Results: Of 40 patients, 70% had symptoms of hyposmia or of anosmia before surgery, which dropped to 22.5% at 1 month after surgery and to 10% at 3 months after surgery. Nasal endoscopy and visual analog scale scores improved significantly. Odor threshold and odor identification scores also improved compared with the preoperative levels. A significant positive correlation was found between the threshold scores of butanol-1 and other odorants, both before and after surgery., Conclusion: Significant improvement was observed in olfaction after FESS, both in patient responses and in objective testing. The olfactory results with peppermint, lemon, clove, and ethyl acetate were close to those with butanol-1, and, hence, these other odorants can be used in place of butanol-1 in measuring the odor threshold.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by ectopic bone formation involving the connective tissues leading to severe skeletal manifestations. The genetic defect in this disorder has not been characterized in Indian patients till date. The authors report three cases of FOP along with the molecular defects identified in them. Exon 4 of the ACVR1 gene was amplified and analysed by sequencing. All three cases revealed common heterozygous mutation i.e., c.617(G>A). Identification of this mutation would lead to decrease in misdiagnosis and subsequent iatrogenic harm caused to these children by unnecessary surgical procedures. Also, mutation detection would provide an opportunity for prenatal diagnosis.

To determine the frequency and clinical presentation of Mongolian spots (MS) and assess their evolution with age, this study was conducted in three phases. The first phase examined 2,313 babies born at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research between October and December 2010 for the number, size, shape, color, and distribution of MS. Babies with MS were followed up at 6 months and 1 year, in the second and third phases, respectively, to note the evolution of the patches. Of 2,313 babies, 1,524 (65.9%) had MS. The majority had a single patch (n = 790), measuring less than 5 cm (n = 932), with an irregular shape (n = 981) and a blue-green color (n = 577). The most common site was sacral (n = 1,203), and the most common extrasacral site was a lower extremity (n = 156). A single case of superimposed MS was recorded. Male sex and prematurity were significantly associated with MS (p < 0.05). At 6 months, 73 of 634 babies (11.5%) showed fading and 83 (13.1%) showed complete disappearance. At 1 year, 90 (14.2%) showed fading and 268 (42.3%) showed complete disappearance. Multiple MS (p < 0.05), extrasacral position (p < 0.05), size larger than 10 cm (p < 0.05), and dark-colored lesions (blue/blue-black) (p < 0.05) were significantly associated with persistence beyond 1 year. Seven hundred ninety babies (51.8%) had a single MS. More than 40% of MS disappeared by 1 year. Multiple patches, extrasacral position, size larger than 10 cm, and dark-colored lesions were markers of persistence beyond 1 year., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

This prospective study was carried out on 250 children between 6 months to 5 years of age to determine seroprevalence of anti Vi antibodies and to measure seroresponse and percent seroconversion to TyphimVi polysaccharide vaccine in children 2-5 years of age. Fifty children each were enrolled between 6 to 12 months of age (Group A), between 1- 2 years of age(Group B), between 2-3 years of age (Group C), between 3-4 years of age (Group D) and between 4-5 years of age (Group E). Anti-Vi antibody baseline titres were determined in all children. Children in Groups C to E were vaccinated with Typhim Vi vaccine. Baseline and postvaccination antibody titres were determined by ELISA. Test sera which had antibody levels >1 microg/ml were scored as seropositive. Of 250 children, 3 had base line anti-Vi antibodies >1 microg/ml. Following immunization overall seroconversion rate was 77.5% with 65.3%, 78.2% and 88% children showing seroconversion in Groups C, D and E respectively. Seroconversion was significantly more in Group E children compared to Group C (p=0.0148). There were no significant adverse reactions following vaccination. The study highlights very low prevalence of baseline anti Vi antibodies in children between 6 months and less than 5 years of age and shows high immunogenicity and safety of Typhim Vi polysaccharide vaccine in children 2-5 years of age.