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Increased epicardial adiponectin is associated with maintenance of sinus rhythm following cardiac surgery. This reinforces the inflammatory hypothesis in the pathogenesis of postoperative AF and may represent a novel therapeutic target for its effective prevention.

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High-dose atorvastatin for 7 days before cardiac surgery conferred a nonsignificant reduction in postoperative atrial fibrillation when compared with a low-dose regimen. A larger study would be necessary to confirm the beneficial effect of high-dose statins in this setting.

Sensing and communication coverage are among the most important trade-offs in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) design. A minimum bound of sensing coverage is vital in scheduling, target tracking and redeployment phases, as well as providing communication coverage. Some methods measure the coverage as a percentage value, but detailed information has been missing. Two scenarios with equal coverage percentage may not have the same Quality of Coverage (QoC). In this paper, we propose a new coverage measurement method using Delaunay Triangulation (DT). This can provide the value for all coverage measurement tools. Moreover, it categorizes sensors as ‘fat’, ‘healthy’ or ‘thin’ to show the dense, optimal and scattered areas. It can also yield the largest empty area of sensors in the field. Simulation results show that the proposed DT method can achieve accurate coverage information, and provides many tools to compare QoC between different scenarios.

Fast and accurate distance measurement is crucial for target tracking and node localization in Wireless Sensor Networks. For short-range Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks (UASNs), received signal strength (RSS) can give distance between acoustic devices. An extensive study on the application of the Lambert W function over RSS for distance estimation in short-range UASNs shows that it can be done accurately in as few as 4 iterations. The method is mathematically derived in this paper and the accuracy verified with Matlab simulation.

Telemedicine is useful in monitoring patients, and in particular those, such as lung transplant recipients, suffering from chronic illnesses. This prospective cohort study was conducted on 15 lung transplant recipients. The patients provided physicians with data from spirometry as well as their clinical respiratory symptoms via SMS messages. In cases where spirometry results or clinical symptoms required follow-up, the monitoring physician contacted the patient according to guidelines and gave appropriate instructions. Qualitative assessment of satisfaction showed that the sense of increased support from medical staff was rated highest (92.9%). Telespirometry is an efficient method of monitoring lung transplant recipients which leads to patient satisfaction, compliance, adherence to study and sense of security. Nevertheless, for optimal implementation of this method, thorough training of both medical staff and patients is required.

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