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Background: Dermatology is primarily an outpatient specialty. However, dermatology consultations play an important role in care of inpatients. Data on inpatient dermatological consultations in tertiary care settings is limited. Objectives: To evaluate clinical characteristics of inpatient dermatological consultations and effect on clinical outcomes in a tertiary care setting. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study where the records of all dermatological consultations for patients admitted under various specialties, emergency services, and intensive care units (ICU) at our tertiary care institute over 2 years period were reviewed. The details of patients, primary care unit, dermatological complaints, diagnosis, investigations performed, treatment given, and follow-up were recorded and analyzed. Results: Total of 1717 dermatologic consultations (1000 males) were recorded, with mean age of study population being 33.6 ± 21.6 years (median - 32 years). Out of total 1717 patients, 136 (7.9%), 321 (18.7%), 1135 (66.1%), and 125 (7.3%) patients were infants, children, adolescents, adults, and elderly, respectively. The most frequent diagnostic group was infective diseases (586; 34.1%) followed by inflammatory diseases (442; 25.7%), mucocutaneous adverse drug reactions (160; 9.3%), and autoimmune diseases (65; 3.8%). Primary team's diagnosis was concordant with the dermatology consultation in 1112 (64.8%) patients and discordant observations were recorded in 605 patients (35.2%). Most discordant dermatological diagnoses included inflammatory disorders such as lichen planus, atopic dermatitis, bullous pemphigoid; mechanical disorders; nutritional deficiency disorders, and benign neoplasms. Conclusion: Common skin conditions account for a large majority of dermatologic consultations in a hospital setting. Inpatient dermatology consultations improve the diagnostic accuracy.

Mixed vitiligo (MV) is the coexistence of segmental vitiligo (SV) and non-segmental vitiligo (NSV). The literature on MV is sparse.To assess the clinicodemographic and treatment parameters in MV and compare them with SV.Clinical data of MV and SV patients enrolled in our pigmentary clinic from July 2015 to December 2019 were reviewed retrospectively and compared.Out of a total of 4,371 vitiligo patients, 293 (6.7%) were SV while 74 (1.69%) were MV. As compared to SV, MV had significantly lower mean age of onset of segmental component (SC) (13.33 ± 9.01 vs. 15.70 ± 8.60 years, P = 0.03) and significantly higher proportion of patients with more than 1% body surface involvement by SC (66.2% vs. 51.5%, P = 0.03) and presence of leukotrichia in the SC (66.2% vs. 51.5%, P = 0.03). Topical agents and systemic immunosuppressive agents were significantly more effective in non-segmental component (NSC) as compared to SC of MV. Surgical modalities were the only effective treatment modality for SC.Retrospective design, heterogeneity of treatment regimens.Early age of onset, larger (1%) body surface area involvement, and leukotrichia in SV predict its progression into MV with time. Treatment response to different modalities varies significantly between SC and NSC of MV.

The current study analyses the effect of root zone soil moisture in the calibration and validation of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. A multi-algorithm, genetically adaptive multi-objective method (AMALGAM) is used for the calibration of the model. The multi-variable calibration considering both streamflow and soil moisture is compared with a single-variable calibration considering streamflow and then analysed the effectiveness of root zone soil moisture in the calibration of SWAT. The results of the analysis show that the root zone soil moisture significantly influences the simulation of evapotranspiration component in SWAT. The SOL_AWC and SOL_K are found to be the key parameters for the simulation of hydrological fluxes in SWAT. The multi-variable calibration at the watershed outlet ensures a better process representation and spatial prediction in SWAT compared to the single-variable calibration approach.

Background Detailed scoring systems such as the European Registry of Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions (RegiSCAR) score for validating a diagnosis of drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome are available, but there is no rapid, easy tool to identify DRESS at presentation. Objective To identify the clinical, biochemical, and serologic markers predicting the DRESS syndrome and its severity. Methods In this prospective observational study, 25 patients with the DRESS syndrome and 25 control patients with maculopapular drug rash were recruited. Baseline clinical, biochemical, and serologic markers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels, were recorded and their utility in identifying the DRESS syndrome at presentation and predicting severity was analyzed. Results The effectiveness of TARC level (>613.25 pg/mL), total body surface area (TBSA, >35%), hsCRP (>5 mg/L), eosinophils (>6%), absolute eosinophil count (>450 cells/mm3), and aspartate transaminase (>92 U/L) were statistically similar to the effectiveness of the RegiSCAR DRESS validation score (≥2) in diagnosing the DRESS syndrome. A combination model (TBSA at baseline, eosinophil count, and hsCRP) at the cutoff of 6.8 had a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 100%. Baseline serum TARC levels did not predict the DRESS severity or outcome. Limitations Small sample size. Conclusion The combination of TBSA involvement, eosinophil count, and hsCRP levels can predict the DRESS syndrome at presentation.

Conventional plant breeding amalgamates the genetic diversity present within a crop species to develop combinations of alleles that results in desirable traits. Epigenetic diversity offers additional sources of variation within a species that could be captured for crop improvement. Heritable chromatin modifications resulting in altered gene expression without any changes in the underlying DNA sequence is epigenetics. Developmental cues and environmental signals remodel the chromatin structure, thus affecting various processes, including flowering time, imprinting, floral development, biotic, and abiotic stress responses in plants. Chromatin remodeling through histone tail posttranslational modifications, DNA methylation, and ATP-dependent nucleosome reorganization help regulate gene expression. Understanding the sources of epigenetic variation and the stability of newly formed epigenetic variants over generations is essential to fully use its potential to improve crops. The rapid progress of high-throughput technologies has led to the deciphering of the full methylomes, at single-base resolution, of the model plant Arabidopsis and crop plants such as rice. The comparison of different epigenomes can offer valuable information for the development of biomarkers paving the way for plant epibreeding. In this chapter, we summarize the progress in plant epigenetics, epigenomics, and the newly emerging field of epibreeding to expose the plant breeders, to this new and fast-evolving epigenetic research field, the molecular mechanisms involved, and the methodologies used.

Background: Clinicodemographic and laboratory parameters predicting the outcome of Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) may vary among populations owing to genotypic and environmental variations. There is a scarcity of studies evaluating these parameters in Indian population. Aims: To analyze clinicodemographic and laboratory parameters predicting disease outcome in patients of SJS/TEN. Materials and Methods: Clinical records of patients admitted with a diagnosis of SJS/TEN from January 2014 to December 2018 were reviewed retrospectively with respect to data pertaining to clinicodemographic details, laboratory parameters, and disease outcome. Results: Of 51 patients included in the study, 24 (47.06%) were females. Anticonvulsants [phenytoin (19.6%), carbamazepine (13.7%), others (5.88%)] were the most commonly implicated drugs followed by NSAIDs (19.6%). The overall mortality was 21.6% [SJS (0%), SJS-TEN overlap (18.8%), and TEN (28.6%)]. The mean detached body surface area (BSA) (35.4% ± 10.4% vs. 25.7% ± 11.8%; P = 0.02) was significantly higher among patients with mortality. Blood urea nitrogen, serum HCO3− levels, and random blood sugar were significantly associated with mortality. Presence of sepsis during the disease course was associated with higher mortality (9/12 vs. 2/39; P = 0.001). Other components of SCORTEN like age and heart rate were not significantly associated with poor outcome in our study. None of our patients had associated malignancy. Conclusion: A higher detached BSA, presence of sepsis, higher blood urea nitrogen and random blood sugar, and lower serum HCO3− levels were associated with mortality. Refinement of scoring systems predicting the outcome of SJS-TEN is needed for better disease prognostication.

Slip power recovery scheme (SPRS) is a method of speed control of wound rotor induction motor (WRIM) in which some amount of rotor recovered power is feedback to main supply instead of wasting it in the rotor resistance. The various types of chopper topologies utilized for SPRS are buck, boost, and buck-boost chopper and type of semiconductor technology employed for switching devices i.e. Silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), gate turned off thyristor (GTO), metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). This paper presents the analysis of induction motor drive employing SPRS based on GTO/IGBT buck-boost chopper and IGBT based pulse width modulated voltage source inverter. The analysis of various performances of induction motor drive has been carried out using two chopper topologies i.e. GTO and IGBT. The simulink/MATLAB toolbox has been used to develop the model of WRIM using GTO/IGBT chopper and PWM VSI. The effect of duty cycle on stator current, rotor current, speed, electromagnetic torque, DC link current, supply current, source reactive power, supply power factor, and THD have been investigated. The simulation results have shown that the chopper topology utilizing IGBT has superior performances compared to GTO.

Wound rotor induction motors (WRIM) are more popular for starting and driving large industrial loads. WRIM are large sized AC motors having controlled starting and variable characteristics. Conventional speed control methods of WRIM have been rotor resistance control and slip power recovery scheme (SPRS) employing line commutated inverter control whereas the recent trends are towards PWM inverter and chopper control methods. The classification of chopper control methods are buck, boost, and buck-boost and further depends upon the semiconductor technology used for the switching devices e.g. SCR, GTO, MOSFET and IGBT. This paper presents the speed control of induction motor utilizing IGBT/MOSFET based buck-boost chopper controlled SPRS having improved performances. The performance parameters have been taken as reactive power and power factor. MATLAB/SIMULINK toolbox has been used to simulate the PWM inverter with IGBT/MOSFET based chopper controlled 2hp WRIM. Performance analysis of MOSFET and IGBT based chopper control techniques have been carried out and compared. From the simulation results it has been established that chopper control using IGBT semiconductor technology has better reactive power control and power factor than MOSFET.