The International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce (INPST) and the power of Twitter networking exemplified through #INPST hashtag analysis

Background: The development of digital technologies and the evolution of open innovation approaches have enabled the creation of diverse virtual organizations and enterprises coordinating their activities primarily online. The open innovation platform titled "International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce" (INPST) was established in 2018, to bring together in collaborative environment individuals and organizations interested in natural product scientific research, and to empower their interactions by using digital communication tools. Methods: In this work, we present a general overview of INPST activities and showcase the specific use of Twitter as a powerful networking tool that was used to host a one-week "2021 INPST Twitter Networking Event" (spanning from 31st May 2021 to 6th June 2021) based on the application of the Twitter hashtag #INPST. Results and Conclusion: The use of this hashtag during the networking event period was analyzed with Symplur Signals (https://www.symplur.com/), revealing a total of 6,036 tweets, shared by 686 users, which generated a total of 65,004,773 impressions (views of the respective tweets). This networking event's achieved high visibility and participation rate showcases a convincing example of how this social media platform can be used as a highly effective tool to host virtual Twitter-based international biomedical research events

Cowden syndrome: Case report, update and proposed diagnostic and surveillance routines

Cowden syndrome (CS) is an infrequent autosomal dominant multisystem genodermatosis, generally involving the skin, oral mucosa, thyroid, breast and gastrointestinal tract. It is characterized by a late onset in the 2 nd or 3 rd decade of life, an extraordinary potential for malignant transformation, especially of breast and thyroid, and an identifiable germline mutation. In 80% cases, the human tumor suppressor gene, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is mutated; mutations involving KILLIN, SDH B/D, PIK3CA and AKT1 genes account for the rest of the cases. Its clinical signs are not only the "essential pearls" for early and accurate diagnosis of CS but also help timely detection of neoplasia as they precede development of cancer by several years. We describe the first Indian and the third world report of polydactyly with CS, review this entity highlighting on recent clinical developments and emphasize on regular and thorough screening for prompt identification and management of the potentially malignant growths. We have also designed a baseline workup routine as well as a detailed screening program for these patients

Clinicoepidemiological Study of Different Types of Warts

Background. Warts are cutaneous and, sometimes, mucosal lesions caused by one of the several human papilloma viruses. Aim. Assessment of the clinicoepidemiological aspects of warts. Materials and Methods. One hundred consecutive patients of warts presenting to the department of our institution were assigned two broad locational groups: genital and nongenital warts, the latter subdivided into common, plane, palmoplantar, mosaic, and digitate/filiform. Results. Ninety had nongenital and 10 had genital warts in our study; common (42%), palmoplantar (20%), and plane (18%) were the common types of the nongenital warts. All the genital warts were acuminate. In the second decade, the commonest age group, encompassed all patients of mosaic, 40% of palmoplantar, and 20% of genital warts. Overall male (66%) preponderance xisted. All cases of filiform warts were males. Mosaic warts affected females more commonly. Students (32%), laborers (28%), and housewives (16%) were the usual occupations. Cosmetic concern (92%), pain (16%), and itching (15%) were the common complaints. All patients of genital warts sought treatment within 6 months. Conclusions. Common, palmoplantar, and plane warts were the common types of nongenital warts. Overall prevalence peaked during the second decade but one-third of the cases of plane warts occurred during the first. Extremities were the most common sites (66.7%); face was the next commonly (23%) involved

Cultural adaptation of the Cardiff Acne Disability Index to a hindi speaking population: A pilot study

Background: Acne vulgaris is known to impair many aspects of the quality of life (QoL) of its patients. Aim: To translate the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) from English into Hindi and to assess its validity and reliability in Hindi speaking patients with acne from India. Methods: Hindi version of CADI, translated and linguistically validated as per published international guidelines, along with a previously translated Hindi version of dermatology life quality index (DLQI) and a demographic questionnaire were administered to acne patients. The internal consistency reliability of the Hindi version of CADI and its concurrent validity were assessed by Cronbach′s alpha co-efficient and Spearman′s correlation co-efficient respectively. Construct validity was examined by factor analysis. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) for Windows. Results: One hundred Hindi speaking patients with various grades of acne participated in the study. Hindi version of CADI showed high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach′s alpha co-efficient = 0.722). Mean item-to-total correlation co-efficient ranged from 0.502 to 0.760. Concurrent validity of the scale was supported by a significant correlation with the Hindi DLQI. Factor analysis revealed the presence of two dimensions underlying the factor structure of the scale. Conclusion: Hindi CADI is equivalent to the original English version and constitutes a reliable and valid tool for clinical assessment of the impact of acne on QoL

Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa: A case report with a brief review of literature

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a rare vasculitis with multisystem involvement. The definition, diagnostic criteria and validity of cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (c-PAN) as a variant of classic PAN limited to skin have continued to remain disputed. We revisit the definition of c-PAN, comment on advances in its treatment and describe one such case, a 26-year-old male, whose affliction consisting of two episodes over a period of 2 years remains restricted - without any constitutional feature and systemic involvement - to skin over legs as multiple, discoloured, tender, subcutaneous-a few ulcerated-nodules healing promptly without scarring in response to oral corticosteroids. The aim of presentation is to emphasize to the non-dermatologists physicians regarding its usual optimistic prognosis

Clinicoepidemiological Observational Study of Acquired Alopecias in Females Correlating with Anemia and Thyroid Function

Alopecia can either be inherited or acquired; the latter, more common, can be diffuse, patterned, and focal, each having cicatricial and noncicatricial forms. This observational study of 135 cases in a semiurban Indian population aimed to detect the prevalence of various forms of acquired alopecia in females and correlate the same with levels of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, triiodothyronine, thyroxin, and thyroid stimulating hormone. The majority (84, 62.2%) of our cases of alopecia had telogen effluvium followed by female pattern alopecia (32, 23.7%). Stress (86, 63.7%), topical application of chemicals (72, 53.3%), systemic medications for concurrent illnesses (62, 5%), and pregnancy (14, 10.3%) were the common exacerbating factors. Neither low hemoglobin (<12 gm%, 73.4%) nor low serum ferritin (<12 μg/L, 6.7%) was found to be statistically significant. A majority (90, 90.9%) of 99 cases with anemia (hemoglobin levels of <12 gm%) had serum ferritin levels >12 μg/L. Though lack of vitamin B12 testing was a limitation of our study, its deficiency could be the probable cause of iron deficiency as the majority (58, 64.4%) of these cases, as indeed majority (89, 65.4%) of our study population, were vegetarians. Thyroid disorders (23, 17%, including 9 newly diagnosed) were not of significance statistically

Four cases of recalcitrant pemphigus vulgaris salvaged with rituximab

Although the long-term use of immunosuppressives – supplemented with more aggressive treatments such as immunoadsorption, intravenous immunoglobulins, or plasmapheresis in recalcitrant cases has dramatically improved the prognosis of pemphigus vulgaris, opportunistic infections secondary to immunosuppression continue to cause significant mortality. We report four cases– three old ones, who had accumulated significant morbidities over their disease duration ranging from 5 to 10 years, and the fourth, a teenage female intolerant to corticosteroids and idiosyncratic to methotrexate– who achieved complete remission on administration of rituximab by the lymphoma protocol. One of the old cases who had recalcitrant mucositis experienced its complete subsidence without any adjuvant whatsoever. All continue to remain asymptomatic for 11–20 months. None had infusion reactions or any delayed side effects