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Introduction: Team-based Learning (TBL) and Problem-based Learning (PBL), both active teaching methodologies, are known for improving problem-solving abilities, clinical reasoning, and motivating students for self-directed studies. Although both active methods, TBL and PBL, differ in methodology and required resources, it is always a challenge to choose active methods that are more feasible and effective in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Aim: To compare two active teaching strategies, viz., the effectiveness of TBL vs. PBL in first-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students in terms of learning outcomes, development of critical thinking skills, and retention of knowledge. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at Department of Biochemistry, NKP Salve Medical College and RC Nagpur, Maharashtra, India from August 2017 to October 2017. A total of 150 first-year MBBS students were included in the study. TBL and PBL were performed following the protocols of their respective methodologies, and scores for learning gain and critical thinking were compared between the TBL and PBL groups. Student perception regarding the procedures was collected using a prevalidated structured questionnaire. The retention of knowledge was assessed by comparing scores from a pretest and a test conducted two months later. Data were statistically analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: In the present study, the mean age of the participating students was 20±2 years. Post-test results, obtained just after the intervention, demonstrated a significant learning gain in students using both methods, with a statistically higher gain in TBL (p-value

The agricultural extension system of India has various kinds of service providers like state agriculture departments, universities, research institutes, Farm Science Centers and private players. This study was conducted in 2020 and attempted to explore the association between average annual net income earned from citrus cultivation and the source of availing citrus extension services through Correspondence Analysis (CA) method of 300 citrus farmers selected from three districts in Maharashtra, India. The farmers with high income (1808.31 to 2,411.09 USD ha-1) received advisory services of the public research institute ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (CCRI) through either personal contact or electronic platforms. Awareness about CCRI services, source of seeking citrus cultivation related information, source of purchasing citrus planting material, using CCRI mobile app and website for citrus advisories, and contacting CCRI scientists for solving citrus farming related issues was found to have significant (P< 0.05) positive relationship with net income from citrus farming through Pearsons' correlation coefficient, while cost of cultivation and orchard age had negative significant relationship. The multi-linear regression analysis, depicted cost of cultivation, awareness about CCRI services, source of seeking citrus advisories, and source of purchasing planting material had significant association with net income. The findings of correlation and regression thus emphasized the positive significant association of CCRI's extension services to income from citrus farming. Identifying homogenous target groups of citrus farmers through Classification and Regression Tree (CART) method can serve as policy implication for extension service providers to deliver customized need-based advisories to target clientele. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alveolar bone dimensions form an important prognostic factor in determining the success of implant treatment outcome. The present study evaluated the buccal and lingual bone width in posterior dentate and edentulous sites using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: The study included 100 patients, divided equally into two groups, Group A (males) and Group B (females) indicated for implant therapy. CBCT scans were evaluated for the assessment of the thickness of buccal and lingual bone width at four levels, i.e., crestal bone width (CBW), mid root bone width, middle of alveolar bone housing bone width , and most apical portion bone width (APBW). Bone width was measured at three levels in the edentulous region as CBW, bone width 5 mm from crest (CBW-1), and 10 mm from crest (CBW-2). Results: Gradual increase in bone width was observed from crestal bone at buccal and lingual level (CBW-B and CBW-L) from 1.10 ± 0.29 mm and 1.21 ± 0.34 mm to APBW at buccal and APBW lingual side from 2.82 ± 0.51 mm and 3.43 ± 0.42 mm, respectively. For both the groups, the differences in bone width at three levels were statistically significant, with CBW being significantly higher for Group A than Group B. Conclusion: At edentulous sites, CBW was lesser as compared to the apical levels. The bone width on buccal and lingual sides of dentate sites at the coronal level is minimal compared to the apical level, which has definite implications for implant therapeutics.

Background: The objective of our study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of coronally advanced flap (CAF) with or without the use of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) membrane in the treatment of multiple adjacent recession defects (MARD) clinically and by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: Twenty healthy patients having 75 MARD were allocated randomly to CAF with orthodontic button group (CAFB) or CAFB + PRF membrane group (CAFB + PRF). Clinical parameters such as gingival recession depth (GRD), probing depth (PD), and keratinized tissue width (KTW) were calculated at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. The distance from the facial alveolar crest of bone to gingival margin bone and gingival thickness (GT) at three different points were assessed by CBCT at baseline and 6-month postsurgery. Esthetic outcome and postoperative discomfort were evaluated using root coverage esthetic score and visual analog scale, respectively. Results: Percent root coverage achieved in CAFB category was 93.17% ± 13.23% and that in CAFB + PRF group was 95.68% ± 10.13% at 6 months, with no notable difference. Similarly, no difference was found in either group in GRD reduction, PD, and CAL postoperatively. Use of PRF resulted in statistically highly significant (P < 0.001) increased GT at 6 months' time point as compared to participants treated with CAF without PRF, which indicates clinical and esthetic benefits achieved through the procedure. Conclusions: CAFB can be used successfully to treat MARD with predictable outcome. Additional benefit in terms of gain in KTW and GT can be achieved when PRF membrane is used as an adjunct.

The present work carried out on the length-weight relationship of rock oyster Saccostrea cucullata from Aare-Ware rocky shore of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India. Totally 1300 individuals of S. cucullata comprising 370 males, 386 females and 544 indeterminate were collected for this study during May 2014 to April 2016. Parameters of length and weight relationship were studied by the simple equation for linear regression Y = a + bX. The length-weight relationship of S. cucullata showed negative allometric growth. This study provide information on morphometricand length-weight relationship of the S.cucullata from Aare-Ware rocky shore of Ratnagiri and could be useful for sustainable management of S.cucullataalong Ratnagiri coast, Maharashtra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]