COVID-19 is a global pandemic declared by WHO, which has contracted more than 500 million people. Existing data on adverse effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines among university students are limited. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of adverse effects that may arise from administering COVID-19 vaccines to university students in Saint James School of Medicine. An online survey study was conducted among students from Saint Vincent Campus of SJSM to assess types of adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines received by the students. Of the 34 participants, 8 (23.5%) received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 9 (26.5%) received Moderna, 16 (47.1%) received Pfizer, and one (2.9%) received Sputnik. Pain was the most common adverse effect for both doses, reported by 62.5% of Johnson & Johnson, 50% of Moderna, and 56.3% of Pfizer recipients. Swelling and redness were more frequently reported among Moderna (44.4% and 33.3%) and Pfizer (37.5% and 31.3%) recipients for both doses. Generalized adverse effects like fatigue and muscle aches were also common across doses. Fatigue was reported by 55.6% of Moderna and 37.5% of Pfizer recipients, while muscle aches were noted in 55.6% of Moderna and 46.9% of Pfizer recipients. Most adverse effects occurred within 24-48 hours, were more frequent and severe after the first dose compared to the second and resolved without the need for hospital treatment. Students experienced different adverse effects depending on the type COVID-19 vaccine doses. The effects were generally mild and were less common after the second dose than the first. There is a significant difference for redness in second dose for local reactions when compared between genders.

Introduction: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a major global health issue, with an increasing prevalence in Bangladesh. It is associated with numerous complications, especially cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among CKD patients. Arterial stiffness, a key cardiovascular risk factor, has been shown to correlate with CKD progression. Recent studies suggest that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency plays a significant role in the development of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular complications in CKD patients. Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency on arterial stiffness in non-dialysis CKD patients in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Department of Nephrology, Dhaka Medical College, between September 2021 and March 2023. A total of 100 non-dialysis CKD patients (Stages 3-5) were enrolled, with 50 patients each in the vitamin D deficient and non-deficient groups. Arterial stiffness was measured using established methods, and serum 25(OH)D levels were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0, with significance set at p<0.05. Results: The study found that 78% of patients in the vitamin D deficient group were in Stage 5 CKD, compared to 12% in the non-deficient group. A significant negative correlation was observed between serum 25(OH)D levels and arterial stiffness (r = -0.386, p = 0.001). Laboratory variables such as eGFR and hemoglobin levels were significantly lower in the vitamin D deficient group (p<0.05). Conclusion: The study concludes that vitamin D deficiency plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of arterial stiffness in CKD patients. Addressing vitamin D deficiency may offer potential benefits in mitigating cardiovascular complications and improving the prognosis of CKD patients in Bangladesh.

Background: Clinical confidence, a subset of general confidence, is vital in healthcare. For nursing students, developing clinical confidence is essential as it directly affects their competence in providing care, ability to handle stress, and overall professional growth. Objective: To assess the level of clinical confidence among Level III nursing students at Jose Rizal University during their psychiatric ward clinical rotation. Materials and Methods: Convenience sampling was the method used to obtain responses and out of the one hundred sixteen (116) level III nursing students, ninety (90) students were selected as respondents. The thirty (30) remaining students served as respondents for the pilot study. The study modified and adapted the questionnaire from an Australian survey by Mr. Thomas Cowley entitled “Evaluation of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Clinical Confidence Following a Mental Health Recovery Camp,” published on February 01, 2016. From the adapted and modified questionnaire, a Google form survey was used in the study to collect data on respondents' clinical confidence in the psychiatric ward. The data for level III nursing students at Jose Rizal University was collected on June 21, 2024. Results: Most of the student population falls within the 19-21 age range. 65 are female, accounting for 72.2% of the population. Level III nursing students at Jose Rizal University exhibit strong clinical confidence in seeking support (WM = 4.29, SD = 0.69) and managing client relationships, including empathizing with clients (WM = 4.20, SD = 0.67) and establishing boundaries (WM = 4.20, SD = 0. However, they indicate a need for improvement in medication knowledge (WM = 3.76, SD = 0.69) and patient education (WM = 3.88, SD = 0.70). Additionally, it revealed no significant difference in clinical confidence levels among Level III nursing students assigned to the psychiatric ward when grouped by sex (p = 0.23) or age (p = 0.536). Conclusions: The data indicates that students are generally neutral to agree with their confidence across various competencies, with a median of 4 for all items. The standard deviation (SD) values, which range from 0.63 to 0.76, reflect a consistent level of agreement among the students. This consistent agreement highlights the students' confidence in their clinical skills and knowledge within the psychiatric ward. These findings indicated that level III nursing students possessed a solid foundation of clinical confidence in psychiatric settings, with strength in seeking support and managing client relationships, but with a noted area for growth in specific medication knowledge and patient education.

Background: Non-healing corneal ulcers pose a significant challenge in ophthalmology, often resulting in persistent pain, visual impairment, and corneal perforation. Conventional medical treatments may fail to promote healing in refractory cases, necessitating surgical intervention. Conjunctival flap surgery provides a vascularized and protective layer that facilitates corneal healing and structural preservation. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of conjunctival flap surgery in managing non-healing corneal ulcers by assessing its impact on corneal healing, symptom relief, and overall visual prognosis. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary eye hospital in Bangladesh, including 47 patients who underwent conjunctival flap surgery for non-healing corneal ulcers between April 2020 and January 2022. Patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively using visual acuity testing, slit-lamp examination, fluorescein staining, and anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results: The study population consisted of 63.82% males and 36.17% females, with the majority (57.4%) aged between 41 and 60 years. Infectious etiology was the most common cause of corneal ulcers (65.96%). Postoperatively, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved in 31.91% of patients, decreased in 46.81%, and remained unchanged in 21.28%. Anatomic cure was achieved in 72.34% of cases, with only 3 eyes requiring evisceration. Postoperative complications included flap necrosis (14.89%), flap displacement (8.51%), anterior corneal staphyloma (2.13%), and corneal perforation (2.13%), while 72.34% experienced no complications. Conclusion: Conjunctival flap surgery is an effective treatment for refractory corneal ulcers, preserving ocular integrity and facilitating corneal healing. While visual acuity may not always improve, the procedure remains a crucial alternative to emergency penetrating keratoplasty, particularly in regions with limited access to corneal tissue.

Machine learning (ML) has revolutionized predictive healthcare by enhancing early detection, diagnosis, and management of chronic diseases. This study presents a comparative analysis of ML algorithms for diabetes management and breast cancer detection. The research evaluates the effectiveness of Random Forest, Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machines (SVM), Decision Trees, and Linear Regression in predicting patient outcomes. The diabetes dataset includes medical and demographic factors such as age, BMI, HbA1c levels, and glucose levels. In contrast, the breast cancer dataset comprises tumor-related attributes like clump thickness, uniformity of cell size, and marginal adhesion. The results indicate that Random Forest consistently achieves the highest accuracy across both use cases, demonstrating its robustness in handling complex medical datasets. For diabetes prediction, Random Forest outperformed other models with an accuracy of 90.78%, while breast cancer detection achieved a classification accuracy of 96.50%. Logistic Regression and SVM also showed promising results but were less effective in handling non-linear relationships and high-dimensional data. While interpretable, decision Trees and Linear Regression required more extensive datasets to achieve comparable accuracy. This research highlights the potential of machine learning (ML) to enhance public health and lower healthcare costs through early diagnosis and personalized treatment. By integrating predictive models into clinical workflows like Electronic Health Records (EHRs), timely interventions and better resource allocation can be achieved, improving patient outcomes.

Fetal death/Intra uterine death (IUD) is a significant adverse pregnancy outcome, particularly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. It is also a good indicator of quality of healthcare available. Fetal autopsy is often required to determine the cause of intrauterine death or miscarriages, provide recurrence risk, and is known to alter the final diagnosis and genetic counseling. Aim: To study the maternal and fetal factors in fetal autopsy lesions. To know the prevalence of various fetal abnormalities in IUD. Material and methods: The present study was a retrospective observational study conducted in the Department of Pathology at Dr. BVP Rural Medical College, Loni, over a duration of 5 years. A total of 78 cases were included, with data collected on the mother's age, gestational age, fetal gender, weight, and other relevant details, alongside records of fetal autopsies. Special attention was given to identifying organ abnormalities in the fetuses. The collected data was compiled in Microsoft Excel, and the analysis was carried out using Openepi version 3.2.1 software. Results: The study found that mean maternal age was 24.8+ 4.5 years, ranging between 18 to 38 years. Mean gestational age was 21.7 +4 weeks. It was seen that among total 78 cases, 40 were males, 30 were females, 6 fetuses were macerated and 2 fetus gender was ambiguous. Conclusion: The study shows a varied distribution of fetal characteristics, with male fetuses being more common and cardiac abnormalities being the most prevalent. These findings emphasize the diverse nature of fetal lesions and their potential effects on fetal development, influenced by gestational age and maternal conditions.

Background: Brain drain (BD) is the movement of highly educated individuals or professionals from a low socio-economic country to a more advanced socio-economic country for professional opportunities. The aim of this study is to evaluate Reversing Health Sector Brain Drain among Medical Students and House Officers in South-South Nigeria: A Crossectional Study. Method: This was a cross-sectional study involving 350 (final year medical students 200 and house officers 150). A well-structured questionnaire was administered to participants. The study lasted for a period of 2 months. Exclusion criteria was those medical students who were not in final year and doctors that were not house officers. Inclusion criteria were final medical students and house officers. This study used a simple random sample of 200 participants, calculated using the Taro Yamane formula, and data were analyzed with SPSS version 25.0. Results: Study revealed that 94.3% of the participants (final year medical students and house officers) are willing to stay and practice in Nigeria if factors that will enhance better work conditions are put in place. Also, 71.4% of the doctors said better welfare who keep them back in the country and 71.4% of the participants said training and re-training of healthcare professionals is a panacea for brain drain. Conclusion: The study revealed that majority of the participants said the good work condition, attitudinal change by the consultants, provision of jobs for doctors, equipping of hospitals with good facilities and ending kidnapping of doctors are instruments of reversing brain drain in Nigeria.