Introduction:  Dental students have to face the additional stress of their studies in addition to the stresses related to dentistry as a profession. Furthermore, increasing stress may result in declining student performance. The aim of the present study was to assess perceived sources of stress amongst dental undergraduate students at a private dental institution in India. Materials and methods:  A modified dental environment stress (DES) questionnaire which consisted of 38 questions was used to assess the levels of stress. Results:  The first major stressor for all the students was examination and grades with a mean score of 2.86 (SD 1.06) followed by full working day, receiving criticism from supervisors about academic or clinical work, amount of cheating in dental faculty, rules and regulations of the faculty and fear of unemployment after graduation. Amongst the six highest stressors in each year, at least three were dental faculty related. There was a significant difference in stress perception between genders with a predilection for males. Twelve of the 38 questionnaire items had significant differences across the year groups including clinical DES items. Conclusion:  The primary sources of stress as perceived by nearly 275 students at one private dental school in India were examinations and grades followed by full working day and receiving criticism from supervisors about academic or clinical work. It appears there is a need for the establishment of student advisors and counsellors combined with a faculty advising system in addition to student‐oriented programmes.

No abstract

We report for the first time the environmental isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from decaying wood and bark debris of living trees in Guindy National Park, Chennai, South India. Of the 40 trees screened, four isolates of Cryptococcus species were recovered of which two were Cryptococcus gattii, one was C. neoformans and one was untypable. The isolation of C. neoformans from Eucalyptus globulus and C. gattii from Cassia marginata in this study constitutes the first record of the natural occurrence of C. neoformans varieties in these tree species anywhere in the world. The isolation of C. gattii from Syzygium cumini represents the first isolation from South India.

M. citrifolia fruit extract had an anti-fungal effect on C. albicans and the inhibitory effect varied with concentration.