Industrial functional safety assessment for WSN using QoS metrics.

Wireless Sensor Networks are increasingly getting deployed for the safety use cases in industrial applications. While several research papers discuss about the Quality & Reliability improvement techniques in WSN systems to achieve minimal delay, higher node life, optimal routing etc., very limited work is witnessed on assessment of safety integrity levels of WSN systems. In this paper we tried to bridge this gap by bringing out a QoS metric-based safety integrity assessment for the end-to-end industrial Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) system. To identify relevant QoS metrics for monitoring the safety integrity levels, we also bring out a 4-step mapping methodology to link the QoS metrics and communication defenses/safety mechanisms. This mapping approach is expected to serve the network safety design engineers. Finally, a simulation case example is discussed to illustrate safety integrity assessment and we conclude by bringing out future research opportunities to improve safety integrity levels of industrial WSN systems.

Ophthalmic manifestations in Rothmund-Thomson syndrome: Case report and review of literature.

A 24-year-old male patient presented to us with diminution of vision in both eyes with watering and photophobia for the past 8 years. General physical examination showed short stature and poikiloderma. Ocular findings include photophobia with reflex tearing, dry eye, cicatricial ectropion, symblepharon approaching pupillary area of cornea, and multiple superficial punctuate erosions on the cornea. Both eyelids showed scanty meibomian glands on infrared meibography. The rest of the anterior and posterior segment was normal. The patient was treated with topical lubricants which reduced photophobia and corneal erosions. He then underwent symblepharon release with buccal mucosal grafting, which improved ectropion. Patient improved symptomatically with reduction of photophobia and improvement in vision as well.

Role of CYP1B1, MYOC, OPTN, and OPTC genes in adult-onset primary open-angle glaucoma: predominance of CYP1B1 mutations in Indian patients.

PURPOSE: Mutations in the CYP1B1, MYOC, OPTN, and WDR36 genes result in glaucoma. Given its expression in the optic nerve, it is likely a mutation in the OPTC gene is also involved in initiating glaucoma. This study was designed to evaluate the involvement of the CYP1B1, MYOC, OPTN, and OPTC genes in the etiology of adult-onset primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) found in 251 Indian patients. METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from individuals for DNA isolation. A combination of polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism, allele-specific PCR, and DNA sequencing techniques were used to detect mutations in four genes. Four microsatellite markers from the CYP1B1 candidate region and three intragenic CYP1B1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to determine the origin of the most common CYP1B1 mutations. RESULTS: Three previously known mutations (Pro193Leu, Glu229Lys, and Arg368His) and one novel (Met292Lys) mutation were found in the CYP1B1 gene. Frequencies of the most common mutations, Glu229Lys and Arg368His, in patients were 5.12% and 3.98%, respectively. The Glu229Lys and Arg368His mutations were also found in normal controls at frequencies of 5% and 2%, respectively, suggesting that these mutations might be polymorphic variants in our population. The absence of allele sharing for D2S177, D2S1346, D2S2974, and D2S2331 markers and three intragenic CYP1B1 SNPs in patients suggested multiple origins for the Glu229Lys and Arg368His variants. Two of 251 (0.8%) patients had the Gln48His mutation in MYOC. There was no difference in the frequency of a MYOC -83G>A promoter polymorphism between patients and controls. A novel OPTN mutation, Thr202Arg, was detected in one of 251 (0.4%) patients. The OPTN variant Met98Lys was detected in similar frequencies in patients and controls. No mutation was detected in OPTC. Taken together, 3.59% (9/251) of our POAG patients had mutations in the CYP1B1, MYOC, and OPTN genes. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report to document the involvement of the CYP1B1, MYOC, and OPTN genes in the etiology of POAG in the same set of Indian patients. Our study shows that mutations in these genes are rare in Indian POAG patients.

Genetic analysis of an Indian family with members affected with juvenile-onset primary open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. In India, approximately 1.5 million people are blind due to glaucoma. Mutations in the MYOC gene located at the GLC1A locus on chromosome 1q21-q31 have been found in patients with juvenile-onset primary open-angle glaucoma (J-POAG). The purpose of the present study was to identify the genetic cause of glaucoma in a four-generation Indian family affected with J-POAG. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were obtained from individuals for genomic DNA isolation. To determine if this family was linked to the GLC1A locus, haplotyping analysis was carried out using microsatellite markers from the GLC1A candidate region. Exon-specific primers from exon 3 of the MYOC gene were used to amplify DNA samples from individuals. Mutation analysis was carried out using PCR-SSCP and DNA sequence analyses. RESULTS: Pedigree analysis suggested that glaucoma in this family segregated as an autosomal dominant trait. Of six patients, five had J-POAG and one had adult-onset POAG (A-POAG). Haplotype analysis suggested linkage of this family to the GLC1A locus. Mutation and sequence analyses showed a novel missense mutation, c.821C > G (p.P274R), in the C-terminal olfactomedin domain coded by exon 3 of the MYOC gene. One patient was found to be homozygous for this mutation with a severe phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports a novel missense mutation in a four-generation Indian family with all but one member affected with J-POAG. The total number of mutations described so far in the MYOC gene, including the one reported here, is 59 with a clustering of 52 mutations in exon 3.