Phylogenetic affiliation of Pedinomonas noctilucae and green Noctiluca scintillans nutritional dynamics in the Gulf of Mannar, Southeastern Arabian Sea.

The present investigation focused on studying the phylogenetic position of the green Noctiluca endosymbiont, Pedinomonas noctilucae, collected from the Gulf of Mannar, India. In this study, we re-examined the evolutionary position of this endosymbiotic algae using rbcL sequences. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that P. noctilucae is distantly related to the Pedinomonas species, and formed a monophyletic clade with Marsupiomandaceae. Based on the phylogenetic association of endosymbiont with Maruspiomonadales it was concluded that the endosymbiont belongs to an independent genus within the family Marsupiomonadaceae. At the site of the bloom, Noctiluca scintillans was found to exhibit a dense monospecific proliferation, with an average cell density of 27.l88 × 103 cells L-1. The investigation revealed that the green Noctiluca during its senescent phase primarily relied on autotrophic nutrition, which was confirmed by the presence of a high number of trophonts, vegetatively reproducing cells (1.45 × 103 cells L-1) and the absence of food vacuoles.

An assessment of preclinical removable prosthodontics based on multiple-choice questions: Stakeholders' perceptions.

PURPOSE: Item analysis of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) is an essential tool for identifying items that can be stored, revised, or discarded to build a quality MCQ bank. This study analyzed MCQs based on item analysis to develop a pool of valid and reliable items and investigate stakeholders' perceptions regarding MCQs in a written summative assessment (WSA) based on this item analysis. METHODS: In this descriptive study, 55 questions each from 2016 to 2019 of WSA in preclinical removable prosthodontics for fourth-year undergraduate dentistry students were analyzed for item analysis. Items were categorized according to their difficulty index (DIF I) and discrimination index (DI). Students (2021-2022) were assessed using this question bank. Students' perceptions of and feedback from faculty members concerning this assessment were collected using a questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Of 220 items when both indices (DIF I and DI) were combined, 144 (65.5%) were retained in the question bank, 66 (30%) required revision before incorporation into the question bank, and only 10 (4.5%) were discarded. The mean DIF I and DI values were 69% (standard deviation [Std.Dev] = 19) and 0.22 (Std.Dev = 0.16), respectively, for 220 MCQs. The mean scores from the questionnaire for students and feedback from faculty members ranged from 3.50 to 4.04 and from 4 to 5, respectively, indicating that stakeholders tended to agree and strongly agree, respectively, with the proposed statements. CONCLUSION: This study assisted the prosthodontics department in creating a set of prevalidated questions with known difficulty and discrimination capacity.

Correlation between Measures of Obesity and Vascular Ageing in Type 2 Diabetics of Rural Regions of West India with Low Prevailing Obesity: A Pulse Wave Analysis Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Obesity and vascular ageing are two facets of type 2 diabetes (T2Ds) to study. The former can be studied by qualitative body fat analysis using bio-electrical impedance (BIA) and later with blood pressure by pulse wave analysis (PWA). We studied the association between BIA and PWA parameters in T2Ds. Methodology: One hundred and fifty-six T2Ds on treatment were evaluated for BIA (Omron Karada Scan, China) and PWA (IEM, Stolberg, Germany). BIA parameters (weight, BMI, total body fat, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, skeletal muscle mass) and PWA parameters (arterial stiffness, brachial haemodynamics, aortic blood pressures, central haemodynamics) were studied. Comparison, correlation, risk association, and predictions were done with a p-value < 0.05 as statistically significant. Results: The mean age was 57.7 years, while the mean BMI was 22.8 kg/m2. The prevalence of hypertension was 50%, while the prevalence of glycaemic control was 10%. The correlation between BIA and PWA parameters in >75% instants was weak and insignificant (especially for aortic parameters and central haemodynamics). Female gender, BMI < 22.5 kg/m2, VF< 10, and low/normal TBF were associated with comparatively high PWA parameters, but inconsistently. High BMI or VF did not impose a significant Odds risk of high aortic pulse wave velocity or central pulse pressure. Visceral fat and aortic pulse wave velocities were not significantly predicted by blood pressure, BMI, and heart rate. Conclusion: Among rural type 2 diabetics with a mean BMI of 22.8 kg/m2 and poor glycaemic control, there is largely a lack of association between obesity and vascular aging, suggesting differences in time course and pathology of the two entities in type 2 diabetics. Further studies are recommended.