Army Medical College

Background: Depression is one of the leading causes of human disability worldwide. Among vulnerable groups, medical professionals are disproportionately effect by depression.Almost 1 in 4 medical students, especially female, suffers from depression worldwide. Ironically, 80% of these cases are reported from low and middle income countries.This can impact not only the health of the sufferer but also all of those who receives medical care from them.Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in Ad-din Sakina Women’s Medical College, Jasore. One hundred seventy seven participants including students of different batches and Intern doctors were enrolled by convenience sampling in this study. A self administered form including nine item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to collect data from September 2024 to April 2025. SPSS was used to run the statistical analayis.Results: Overall 85.3% of participants were found to be in depressive spectrum with 10.7% falling into the category of severe depression. The highest mean PHQ-9 was found among fourth year students (14.48±5.17) and in the 24-26 year-old age group (11.66±5.9).The response “Feeling tired or having little energy” was reported mostly (34.5%) amidst the nearly everyday category followed by Feeling bad about yourself – or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down” (31.1%). 11.3% despondence had suicidalideation.Conclusion: The staggeringly high proportion of depressive symptoms should raise the alarm to take mental health of medical students and interns seriously. Every institute should have means to screen and diagnose depression and take actions accordingly to avoid the negative impacts of the condition including planned or completed suicide. J MEDICINE 2026; 27(1): 21-26

Abstract Background Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs) are attractive for tissue repair because of their broad availability, low immunogenicity, and limited ethical constraints. However, the mechanisms by which HUCMSCs mitigate radiation‑induced skin injury, particularly effects on fibroblast mitochondrial function and energy metabolism, remain incompletely defined. Methods We investigated the effects of HUCMSCs on irradiated fibroblasts in vitro and in a murine model of radiation‑induced skin injury. In vitro assays evaluated fibroblast proliferation, migration, mitochondrial membrane potential, cellular respiration, and ATP production, and assessed intercellular mitochondrial transfer. In vivo , local subcutaneous administration of HUCMSCs was applied to the radiation‑injured skin in male C57BL/6J mice; wound closure, inflammatory marker expression, oxidative stress, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix deposition were evaluated. Results In vitro , HUCMSCs markedly enhanced proliferation and migration of irradiated fibroblasts and restored mitochondrial membrane potential, respiration, and ATP synthesis; intercellular mitochondrial transfer contributed to these effects. In the murine model, local HUCMSC treatment significantly accelerated wound closure, decreased expression of inflammatory markers, attenuated oxidative stress, and promoted angiogenesis and extracellular matrix deposition in injured skin. Conclusions HUCMSCs alleviate radiation‑induced skin damage by remodeling fibroblast mitochondrial function and restoring cellular energy metabolism. These findings provide experimental support for mitochondria‑targeted, cell‑based therapies as a potential strategy to prevent or treat radiotherapy‑associated skin toxicity.

Objective: To assess the rabbit tibia and to evaluate the female New Zealand White rabbit as an animal model for bone tissue engineering.Study Design: Laboratory-based experimental study.Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Anatomy Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, and the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, Pakistan. The study duration was from August 2021 to January 2023.Methods: Twenty New Zealand White rabbits, divided into four groups (5 rabbits in each group), were used and weighed before surgery. After Anesthesia, critical-sized bone defects were created in the right tibiae of each rabbit. Group A was used as control while the rest were filled with the Silicon substituted hydroxyapatite (Si-HA) alone (Group B), Si-HA and Lipoaspirate derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) (Group C), Si-HA and SVF (modified) (Group D). All the rabbits were weighed again before being euthanized after 6 weeks. After dissecting the tibiae, the length and gross features of each tibia were noted.Results: After six weeks, an increase in body weight was observed in rabbits of all groups. The maximum increase in weight was 600g observed in rabbit number 3 of Group B, while the minimum was 100g in rabbit number 1 of Group D. Statistically, Group A had the highest average weight gain, but the differences between groups were not statistically significant. After dissection, all tibiae showed normal gross morphological features with the same pattern in length and differences existing within the normal anatomic range. The maximum length of the tibia was 10.5cm, the minimum length was 9.3cm, and the mean length was recorded as 9.9cm.Conclusion: Standard laboratory diet seems to increase the weight of rabbits in captivity with a reciprocalincrease in the dose of anaesthesia as per recommendation. How to cite this: Khan MM, Butt SA, Hamid S, Kiani RB, Mahmood M, Anjum K. Laboratory-Based Anatomical Assessment of the Rabbit Tibia and Evaluation of the Female New Zealand White Rabbit as A Model for Bone Substitute Testing. Life and Science. 2026; 7(1): 46-53. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.691

Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth mostfrequent malignancy in women worldwide. The highest rate of this cancer incidence and mortality are in low- and middle-income countries. It is thesecond leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Bangladesh. To assess the level of knowledge among women of reproductive age about cervical cancer. Materials and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2019 to December 2019 in the Gynecology and Obstetrics Outpatient Department (OPD) of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital. The sampling technique was purposive. A total of 300 women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) were interviewed using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Most participants (75%) did not know aboutcervical cancer. Only 34.7% of women reported understanding symptoms and one-fourth (25%) knew the causes of cervical cancer. Conclusion: Knowledge about cervical cancer among women was revealed to be remarkably poor. Health education and community-based intervention should focus on informing risk factors, symptoms, screening and cervical cancer vaccination. In the future, this study will assist with planning various strategies including sexual health, participation in screening and preventive services. Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.24 (1); Jan 2025; Page 17-21

ObjectivesThe intention of this investigation was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of salivary MMP-9 enzyme for rapid point of care testing of early stage (I, II) oral cancer. Diagnosis at early pre-malignant stages will help in making clinical decisions for timely intervention.Materials and methodsOriginal diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) studies of any design, on patients with lip and oral cavity cancers investigating salivary MMP-9 levels as an index test and histopathological confirmation via biopsy as a reference test were eligible for inclusion. Similar studies on serum or blood were excluded. Besides, the case reports/case series, reviews, letters, book chapters, conference abstracts, in vitro, and animal studies were all excluded. Non-English papers were not excluded. The databases searched from Jan 2014 to Aug 2024 were PubMed, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, without language restrictions. QUADAS-2 was used to assess the risk of bias and concerns regarding applicability. Meta-analyses were performed using a bivariate random-effects model.ResultsOut of 18 articles identified, 7 studies with 795 patients were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, mean salivary MMP-9 levels, and the Summary Receivers Operating Curve were done using REVMAN 5.4 and a web application (Meta-DiSc 2.0). Overall, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and Area under the curve were 0.98, 0.96, and 0.97, respectively with 95% confidence interval between 0.85 and 1. However, with high heterogeneity and risk of bias together with low applicability concern we need additional pragmatic designed research to back up its use in screening and diagnostic applications.ConclusionWithin the limitations of the study, salivary MMP-9 has merit as a biomarker for identification of early-stage (I, II) oral cancer.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12903-025-07513-x.

Objective: To explore the association between SNP rs533864137 and diabetic nephropathy in a Pakistani cohort using tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR). Study Design: Case-Control study. Place and Duration of Study: Center for Research in Experimental and Applied Medicine (CREAM), within the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan from Nov 2020 to Aug 2024. Methodology: A total of 213 participants, comprising 113 DN Patients and 100 Controls with diabetes but without nephropathy, were included. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples, biochemical analysis was performed to ascertain cases and Controls, and SNP rs533864137 was genotyped using ARMS-PCR. Statistical analyses evaluated the distribution of genotypes and alleles between the Groups and assessed the SNP's association with DN. Results: Among Controls, 97(97%) individuals had the GG genotype, and 3(3%) had the GA genotype. In the DN Group, 100(99.1%) exhibited the GG genotype, while 1(0.9%) was homozygous for the AA genotype. No significant differences in genotype distribution were observed between Groups (p=0.310). Statistical analysis confirmed that rs533864137 was not significantly associated with DN (p>0.05). Conclusion: SNP rs533864137 does not appear to be associated with DN in this population. These findings suggest that rs533864137 may not serve as a reliable genetic marker for assessing DN risk in the studied cohort.

The PAFMJ is one of the few South Asian biomedical journals that was created within the original framework of military and civilian collaboration within the medical field.1 The first volume of the PAFMJ was published with very few resources and personnel; however, it laid the foundation for a strong future. By the time it completed its first decade of publication (1950-1965), the PAFMJ had already published over one hundred scientific papers in a wide variety of newly emerging areas of medicine, such as pathology, virology, and tropical medicine.2 These early contributions were made by a small group of people, usually done on typewriters, and demonstrated an enormous amount of perseverance and curiosity that has led to the success of the PAFMJ today. Between the years 1970 to 2000, PAFMJ transitioned from an institutional newsletter to an organized, nationally recognized medical journal. The establishment of the Army Medical College and Department of Basic Medical Sciences in the late 1970s created the foundation for the journal’s institutionalization. In addition, the 1990s witnessed dramatic changes that significantly improved the quality and credibility of PAFMJ. These changes included the establishment of an Editorial Advisory Board, under the direction of Surg Gen DGMS(IS), and adherence to best practices for medical journals (e.g., adoption of Vancouver style for references and implementation of a strict policy of double-blind peerreviewed evaluations to eliminate bias in manuscript evaluations. In keeping with these changes, PAFMJ expanded its publication cycle to a regular quarterly format, whereas, before this, it was published sporadically. Thus, by 2005, PAFMJ had become a regular, and therefore a mainstay, scientific journal in the biomedical sciences of Pakistan with four issues published each year by following the ICMJE and COPE standards for editorial processes.3

Background: Latent iron deficiency (LID), defined as iron depletion without anemia, frequently precedes iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy and is associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Serum ferritin is the gold standard for assessing iron stores but is often unavailable in low-resource settings. Readily obtainable red cell indices may serve as practical alternatives for identifying early iron deficiency. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between red cell indices and serum ferritin levels among pregnant women with latent iron deficiency. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, Dhaka, including 205 non-anemic pregnant women in their second trimester. Complete blood count and serum ferritin were assessed using automated analyzers. Participants were categorized as latent iron-deficient (ferritin <30 µg/L) or non-deficient (≥30 µg/l). Group differences were compared using independent t-tests, and correlations between red cell indices and ferritin levels were analyzed using Pearson’s test. Results: Mean MCV and MCH were lower in the latent iron-deficient group, though not significantly (p>0.05). RDW-CV% was significantly higher in LID women (15.3±1.6 vs 14.1±1.6, p<0.001). A significant negative correlation was observed between RDW-CV% and serum ferritin (r = -0.347, p<0.001). Conclusions: RDW-CV% demonstrates a strong negative correlation with serum ferritin and may be used as a sensitive hematologic marker for early detection of latent iron deficiency in pregnancy. Integrating RDW interpretation into routine antenatal blood count assessments can improve screening and management of iron deficiency in resource-limited settings.

This research work demonstrate the development of a Random Forest (RF) model as an efficient alternative approach to Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) for antenna design and performance estimation. Although DNNs are commonly utilized for characterizing complex electromagnetic features, they usually demand large data-sets and high computing resources. The proposed RF-based approach offers a lightweight, interpretable, and accurate solution for predicting key antenna parameters such as Gain and S₁₁ (return loss) using a set of geometrical design parameters. Based on the patch antennas in 3.25 - 4.25 GHz band on Rogers 5880 substrate, we show how RF is able to achieve the prediction quality comparable to DNN and can be a favorable option for fast convergence and reliable performance in antenna optimization.