pre-operative serum potassium levels and peri-operative outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery

Although potassium is critical for normal electro physiology, the associations between pre-operative serum potassium level and peri-operative adverse events such as arrhythmias in cardiac surgery have not been examined in detail. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of abnormal pre-operative serum potassium levels and whether such levels were associated with adverse peri-operative events in 50 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Intra-operative and post-operative arrhythmias, the need for cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, cardiac death and death due to any cause prior to discharge from the post-operative intensive care unit were studied. The incidence for adverse outcome was 0.5% for death, 0.5% for cardiac death and 2% for cardio pulmonary resuscitation in patients with hypokalemia (serum potassium level <3.5 meq. L⁻¹). Hypokalemia was found to be a predictor of serious peri-operative (OR:2.2; 95% Cl: 1.2–4.1) and post-operative arrhythmias (OR: 1.7;95%Cl: 1.0–2.7). Pre-operative potassium repletion is low cost and low risk treatment measure and the data from this study suggests that screening and repletion be considered in patients scheduled for cardiac surgery.     

Refining Students’ Explanations of an Unfamiliar Physical Phenomenon-Microscopic Friction

Research in Science Education - The first phase of this multiphase study involves modeling of college students’ thinking of friction at the microscopic level. Diagnostic interviews were...     

The racialized surveillant assemblage: Islam and the fear of terrorism

ABSTRACT

Increasingly intense, multifaceted, and integrated forms of surveillance are a central feature of Western national security attempts to counter the violence of “Islamic terrorism.” However, there has been a lack of research examining contemporary regimes of surveillance as profoundly racialized. This study examines how counterterrorism efforts are underpinned by ill-conceived accounts of radicalization that preemptively construct Muslim migrants as a threat to national security, thereby justifying practices of mass surveillance that further propagate racist discourses of uncertainty and risk. We advance an analysis of a racialized surveillant assemblage, which is generative of mutable, algorithmically determined profiles of the Muslim-as-terrorist. Such a regime of mass surveillance effectively puts all Muslims under suspicion. We highlight that, paradoxically, mass data-mining operations stifle, rather than aid, the identification of actual terrorist threats. This conditions a paranoid surveillant racism, through which Muslim populations become modulated as an unknowable threat of death and destruction.     

Mosaic Recombination Inflicted Various SARS-CoV-2 Lineages to Emerge into Novel Virus Variants: a Review Update

Human Coronaviruses (hCoVs) belongs to the enormous and dissimilar family of positive-sense, non-segmented, single-stranded RNA viruses. The RNA viruses are prone to high rates of mutational recombination resulting in emergence of evolutionary variant to alter various features including transmissibility and severity. The evolutionary changes affect the immune escape and reduce effectiveness of diagnostic and therapeutic measures by becoming undetectable by the currently available diagnostics and refractory to therapeutics and vaccines. Whole genome sequencing studies from various countries have adequately reported mosaic recombination between different lineage strain of SARS-CoV-2 whereby RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene reconnects with a homologous RNA strand at diverse position. This all lead to evolutionary emergence of new variant/ lineage as evident with the emergence of XBB in India at the time of writing this review. The continuous periodical genomic surveillance is utmost required for understanding the various lineages involved in recombination to emerge into hybrid variant. This may further help in assessing virus transmission dynamics, virulence and severity factor to help health authorities take appropriate timely action for prevention and control of any future COVID-19 outbreak.     

Virtually there: Cricket,community, and commerce on the internet

This essay records a recent history of how dedicated and public-spirited lovers of a sport created a virtual community of cricket fans using what was then a new medium called the internet. The website “Cricinfo” was initially a product of this community. The essay then shows how commercial concerns came to override those of the virtual community, as Cricinfo was transformed from a community-based enterprise to a commercial entity. All of this happened at a time when the sport and the internet itself was being transformed by new technologies, and entrepreneurs were taking advantage of these changes to create new economic opportunities. The recent acquisition of Cricinfo by the media giant ESPN (itself owned by The Walt Disney Company) merely continues the trajectory outlined in this essay.     

皮质类固醇对导管消融术后心房颤动影响的荟萃分析（英文）

目的:探讨皮质类固醇对导管消融术后心房颤动(AF)的影响。创新点:首个探讨皮质类固醇对导管消融术后AF影响的荟萃分析。方法:我们在Pub Med、Embase和Cochrane对照试验中心注册库中搜索了描述皮质类固醇对预防导管消融后AF复发影响的文章,并提取了研究和患者的相关数据。使用随机效应模型计算风险比(RR)和95%置信区间(CI),P0.05被认为具有统计学差异。结论:导管消融术围术期皮质类固醇的使用与AF早期复发减少相关,但与晚期复发无关。     

Association of Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein (CETP) Gene -629C/A Polymorphism with Angiographically Proven Atherosclerosis

Association of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) Gene -629C/A Polymorphism with angiographically proven atherosclerosis CETP gene has been linked to CAD risk via its role in HDL and LDL metabolism. There is no agreement of whether CETP is atherogenic or not. Furthermore, various genotypes of CETP gene have been associated with CETP levels and thus with atherosclerosis risk. Our aim was to study the association of CETP -629C/A gene polymorphism with CETP and HDL levels and their association if any with atherosclerosis. Study population consisted of angiographically documented 50 cases with coronary artery atherosclerosis and 50 controls negative for atherosclerosis of coronary artery. Serum lipid profile was measured on SYNCHRON CX-9 using standard kits. Serum CETP levels were measured by ELISA method. CETP -629C/A gene polymorphism was studied using PCR–RFLP method. There was no significant difference in lipid profile of the two groups. However, serum CETP level was significantly higher (46.44 ± 21.75 ng/ml) in cases than controls (37.10 ± 21.92 ng/ml) with p value =0.035. The frequency of -629A allele was higher (0.85) in cases than that of controls (0.81). Homozygosity of A allele was more in subjects with atherosclerosis of coronary artery. We conclude that CETP is atherogenic and could be used as atherogenic risk predictor in angiographically proven atherosclerosis. Also A allele of -629C/A polymorphism is more prevalent in cases; indicating its effect on expression of CETP gene.     

Metabolic Bone Profile of Healthy Adult North Indian Population from Chandigarh Urban Bone Epidemiological Study (CUBES)

We aimed to estimate metabolic bone profile in a large cohort of healthy, adult Indian population to generate reference standards of serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 25 (OH) Vitamin D and iPTH, and also to find out the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in healthy population. Apparently healthy people in the age group of 20–80 years, residing in the union territory of Chandigarh were chosen. Fasting samples for serum calcium, phosphate, albumin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 25 (OH) D and iPTH were collected and were processed on the same day. We recruited 930 healthy subjects from different subsectors of Chandigarh. Final analysis was done for 915 subjects. Out of this, 530 (58%) were women and 385 (42%) were men. The study participants were divided into two groups, less than and more than 50 years for the men and pre and post-menopausal for the women. The serum calcium, phosphate, ALP and iPTH were significantly higher in the post-menopausal women compared to the pre-menopausal women. The median plasma 25 (OH) D in men and women was 12.5 ng/mL and 14.3 ng/mL, respectively. 25 (OH) D deficiency was seen in 65.4% of individuals. 25 (OH) D levels co-related negatively with iPTH levels (r = − 0.4, p < 0.0001), and showed an increasing trend with age. We have thus presented metabolic bone profile of healthy, adult north Indian population. These reference values can be used for diagnosis and monitoring of various MBDs. Vitamin D deficiency is still rampant in our population in spite of increasing awareness.     

The Role of Ethnic Identity,Gender Roles,and Multicultural Training in College Counselors' Multicultural Counseling Competence: A Mediation Model

Structural equation modeling with survey data from 313 college counselors revealed that multicultural training significantly mediated the impact of both ethnic identity and gender roles on multicultural counseling competence (MCC), explaining 24% of MCC variance. Results indicated that college counselors need to be aware of their own gender roles and ethnic identity to be culturally competent and highlighted the mediational role that training plays in achieving MCC.