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Failure to decrease blood pressure (BP) normally during nighttime (non-dipping) in hypertension is associated with higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In addition, non-dipping BP is associated with increased platelet activity and inflammatory response; however, there has been no study to evaluate the relationship of non-dipping BP to indices of platelet activity and inflammation in uncontrolled hypertensive patients. In the present study, hypertensive subjects with uncontrolled office BP were firstly divided into three groups: 84 subjects with white coat effect and 365 subjects with true uncontrolled hypertension. Then, true uncontrolled hypertensive patients were divided into two groups: 158 patients with dipping and 207 patients with non-dipping. Mean platelet volume (MPV), uric acid (UA), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) levels were studied. The general characteristics and risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) of the study population were similar among the groups. MPV, UA, GGT, CRP, and hs-CRP levels were significantly higher in non-dipper group than both dipper and white coat effect groups, and were significantly higher in dipper group than in white coat effect group (MPV: 9.1 ± 1.3, 8.7 ± 1.1, and 8. ± 0.9 fL; UA: 6.9 ± 1.2, 5.9 ± 1.4, and 4.1 ± 0.8 mg/dL; GGT: 38.9 ± 11.1, 33.6 ± 14.9, and 25.2 ± 9.2 U/L; CRP: 7.1 ± 2.4, 6.2 ± 1.9, and 3.9 ± 0.8 mg/dL; hs-CRP: 3.8 ± 1.5, 3.3 ± 1.2, and 2.0 ± 0.6, non-dipper, dipper, and white coat effect groups, respectively, all p values <0.01). All study parameters strongly correlated with each other. In conclusion, in hypertensive patients with uncontrolled office BP, presence of non-dipping BP is associated with increased platelet activity and inflammation, which can be one of the underlying plausible mechanisms of non-dipping BP status.

Numerous studies have shown an association between patent foramen ovale (PFO) and cryptogenic stroke suggesting that paradoxical emboli may be an important cause of stroke. In addition, some authors have proposed that platelet activation is present in PFO patients and this might be the cause of the stroke. The aim of this study was to assess the mean platelet volume (MPV), an indicator of platelet activation and/or reactivity in patients with PFO. The study group consisted of 77 patients with PFO. An age, sex, BMI-matched control group was composed of 43 healthy volunteers. We measured serum MPV values in patients and controls. MPV was significantly higher among PFO patients when compared with control group (9.0±0.8 vs. 8.3±0.9 fl, respectively; P<0.001). We have shown that MPV was significantly elevated in patients with PFO compared with controls.

The aim of this study was to assess the values of mean platelet volume (MPV) in regular smokers and the effect of smoking cessation on MPV. The study group consisted of 116 regular smokers (57 females and 59 males; mean age 46.3 ± 12.7 years) and the control group was composed of 90 healthy volunteers (49 females and 41 males; mean age 47.7 ± 8.3 years). Platelet indices were assessed in regular smokers and control participants. Platelet indices were measured at 3 months after smoking cessation in these 101 participants. The MPV values were significantly higher in smokers than those of controls (8.8 ± 0.9 vs 8.0±0.8 fL, respectively; P < .001). The MPV values decreased significantly at 3 months when compared with the baseline values (8.9 ± 1.0 vs 7.9 ± 0.7 fL, respectively; P < .001). We have found that serum MPV values were significantly higher in regular smokers than in controls. Serum MPV values decreased significantly at 3 months after smoking cessation.

The objective of the present study was to determine the heart rate recovery index (HRRI), a marker of autonomic nervous system function in patients with endemic fluorosis. Forty patients with endemic fluorosis (16 men/24 women) and 40 age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched healthy controls (16 men/24 women) with normal fluoride intake were enrolled in this study. HRRI was calculated by subtracting the heart rate values at the first, second, and third minutes of the recovery phase from the peak heart rate (HRRI 1, HRRI 2, HRRI 3). Urine fluoride levels of fluorosis patients were significantly (P < 0.001) higher than control subjects as expected. HRRI 2 was significantly lower in fluorosis patients than in the controls. The incidence of abnormal HRRI 1 was significantly higher in fluorosis patients than in the controls (P < 0.05). We observed that HRRI, a marker of autonomic nervous system function, is impaired in patients with chronic fluorosis.

Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is associated with several cardiovascular disorders including coronary artery disease (CAD), atherosclerosis, heart failure, and stroke. MAC and atherosclerosis share similar clinical risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, including age, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to assess the mean platelet volume (MPV), an indicator of platelet activation in patients with MAC. The study group consisted of 101 patients with MAC. An age, sex, and BMI matched control group was composed of 55 patients who were admitted to the echocardiography laboratory due to suspicion of organic heart disease and eventually found to be free of MAC. We measured platelet indices values in patients and controls. MPV was significantly higher in patients with MAC than in controls (8.9 ± 0.8 versus 8.0 ± 0.9 fl, respectively; P < 0.001) and platelet distribution width (PDW) was significantly higher in patients with MAC than in controls (15.8 ± 1.3 versus 15.0 ± 1.3%, respectively; P < 0.001). MPV was positively correlated with MAC (P < 0.001, r = 0.47), atrial fibrillation (P = 0.01, r = 0.19), left atrial (P = 0.02, r = 0.83) and negatively correlated with platelet count (P = 0.01, r = -0.20). MPV [odds ratio (OR) 3.89; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.97-7.67; P < 0.0001], and PDW (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.45-3.55; P < 0.0001) were independently associated with the MAC. We have shown that MPV and PDW were significantly elevated in patients with MAC. MPV was correlated with MAC, atrial fibrillation and left atrial and negatively correlated with platelet count. MPV and PDW were independently associated with MAC.

The objective of the present study was to determine the plasma total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in patients with endemic fluorosis. A total of 79 (35 males and 44 females; mean age 44.0 ± 11.9 years) patients with endemic fluorosis and 55 (23 males and 32 females; mean age 48.3 ± 8.5 years) age-, sex- and body mass index-matched healthy controls were included in this study. The urine fluoride levels and plasma TOS and TAC levels were measured. The urine fluoride levels of fluorosis patients were significantly higher than control subjects as expected (1.91 ± 0.15 vs. 0.49 ± 0.13 mg/L, respectively; p < 0.001). TOS was significantly higher in fluorosis group than in control group (17.55 ± 3.82 vs. 15.06 ± 4.31 μmol H(2)O(2) Eq/L, respectively; p = 0.001). TAC was significantly lower in fluorosis group than in control group (1.60 ± 0.36 vs. 1.82 ± 0.51 mmol Trolox Eq/L, respectively; p = 0.004). Oxidative stress index (OSI) was significantly higher in fluorosis group than in control group (11.5 ± 3.8 vs. 8.8 ± 3.7, respectively; p < 0.001). Correlation analysis in all the groups indicated that TAC was negatively correlated with urine fluoride (r = -0.25, p = 0.003), TOS was positively correlated with urine fluoride (r = 0.34, p < 0.001) and OSI was positively correlated with urine fluoride (r = 0.36, p < 0.001). The results of our study demonstrate that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the endemic fluorosis.

Aims: Carvedilol and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Aim was to evaluate the efficacy of metoprolol, carvedilol, and carvedilol plus NAC on the prevention of post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF)., Methods and Results: Patients undergoing cardiac surgery (n = 311) were randomized to metoprolol, carvedilol, or carvedilol plus NAC. Baseline characteristics were similar. The incidence of POAF was lower in the carvedilol plus NAC group compared with the metoprolol group (P < 0.0001) or the carvedilol group (P = 0.03). There was a borderline significance for lower POAF rates in the carvedilol group compared with the metoprolol group (P = 0.06). Duration of hospitalization was lower in the carvedilol plus NAC group compared to the metoprolol group (P = 0.004). Multivariate independent predictors of POAF included left-atrial diameter, hypertension, bypass duration, pre-randomization and pre-operative heart rates, carvedilol plus NAC group vs. metoprolol group, and carvedilol plus NAC group vs. carvedilol group., Conclusion: Carvedilol plus NAC decreased POAF incidence and duration of hospitalization compared with metoprolol and decreased POAF incidence compared with carvedilol.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the mean platelet volume (MPV), an indicator of platelet activation in patients with infective endocarditis., Subjects and Methods: Twenty-nine patients with infective endocarditis and 29 healthy subjects were studied. Plasma MPV values in patients and control subjects were measured on admission and after 2 weeks of specific treatment of infective endocarditis., Results: The MPV was significantly higher among patients with infective endocarditis when compared with the control group (9.86 ± 1.1 vs. 8.0 ± 1.0 fl, respectively; p < 0.01). The MPV values of patients with infective endocarditis decreased significantly after treatment from 9.86 ± 1.1 to 7.86 ± 1.0 fl (p < 0.01). Total platelet counts increased significantly after treatment from 193.4 ± 96.5 × 10(9) to 243.7 ± 92.4 × 10(9) (p = 0.04)., Conclusion: MPV values were higher in patients with infective endocarditis and decreased significantly after treatment. Elevated MPV values indicate that patients with infective endocarditis have increased platelet activation and infective endocarditis treatment decreases this platelet activation by decreasing MPV., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between inflammation and development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with hyperthyroidism., Methods: A total of 65 patients with newly diagnosed hyperthyroidism, 35 of whom were in sinus rhythm and 30 of whom in AF. Thirty five age- and gender-matched patients in a control group were included in the study. Factors associated with the development of AF were evaluated by multivariate regression analysis., Results: FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH AF IN MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS INCLUDED HIGH SENSITIVITY C REACTIVE PROTEIN (HSCRP) [ODDS RATIO (OR): 11.19; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.80-69.53; P = 0.003], free T4 (OR: 8.76; 95% CI: 2.09-36.7; P = 0.003), and left atrial diameter (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.06-1.47; P = 0.008)., Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that HsCRP, an indicator of inflammation, free T4 and left atrial diameter are associated with the development AF in patients with hyperthyroidism.

Although fluoride induced inflammatory reactions have been shown in animals and in vitro humans, there are few studies about fluoride induced inflammatory reactions in human beings at clinical setting. We aimed to measure the plasma neopterin, a marker of activation of the monocyte/macrophage system, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in patients with endemic fluorosis to investigate the possible role of inflammatory processes (monocyte/macrophage activity) in the underlying pathophysiology of fluoride toxicity at clinical level. Plasma neopterin and hs-CRP levels were determined in endemic fluorosis patients and control subjects. Plasma neopterin levels were significantly higher among patients with endemic fluorosis when compared with control group (2.40 ± 0.66 vs. 1.63 ± 0.27 ng/mL respectively; p < 0.001) and plasma hs-CRP levels were also significantly higher among patients with endemic fluorosis when compared with control group (2.41 ± 1.23 vs. 1.93 ± 0.64 mg/L respectively; p < 0.001). Plasma neopterin levels were positively correlated with urine fluoride levels (r = 0.67, p < 0.001) and serum hs-CRP levels were positively correlated with urine fluoride levels (r = 0.36, p < 0.001). We have found that plasma neopterin and hs-CRP levels are increased in patients with endemic fluorosis. We have concluded that inflammation play an important role in the pathophysiology of fluoride toxicity in patients with endemic fluorosis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic role of mean platelet volume (MPV) in patients with coronary artery ectasia (CAE). The baseline MPV values of 258 patients with CAE were screened. The mean time of follow-up was 49 ± 21 months for major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) defined as the combination of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), rehospitalization due to cardiac disorders, and readmission due to chest pain. During follow-up period, 63 (24%) MACEs developed. There were 4 (2%) cardiovascular deaths, 0 nonfatal MI, 14 (5%) rehospitalization, and 45 (17%) readmission. Mean platelet volume values were significantly higher in patients with CAE with MACEs than in patients with CAE without MACEs (9.5 ± 1.2 fL vs 8.9 ± 1.1 fL, respectively, P = .002). The rate of MACE was higher in CAE patients with MPV of >9 fL than those with MVP of ≤9 fL (33% vs. 15%, P = .001). Mean platelet volume has a prognostic value for MACEs in patients with CAE.

Background: Pulmonary thromboembolism is a serious complication in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Previous studies have demonstrated that platelet activation occurs in patients with DVT. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a simple and easy method of assessing platelet function. The aim of this study was to assess the MPV, an indicator of platelet activation in patients with DVT., Patients and Methods: The study group consisted of 52 patients with newly diagnosed acute DVT. An age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched control group consisted of 30 healthy volunteers. All patients and control participants underwent ultrasonographic examination. We measured the serum MPV values in patients with DVT and control participants., Results: Mean platelet volume was significantly higher among patients with DVT when compared with the control group (8.6 ± 0.8 vs 7.7 ± 0.9 fL, respectively; P < .001)., Conclusion: We have shown that MPV was significantly elevated in patients with DVT compared to controls.

We investigated the association of mean platelet volume (MPV) with culprit lesion severity and major cardiac outcomes (MCOs) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with non-ST elevation (NSTE). This study included 344 patients with NSTE-ACS who had significant coronary stenosis at least 50%. They were divided into high MPV group (n = 109, upper tertile >9.9 fl) and low MPV group (n = 235, lower and mid tertile ≤ 9.9 fl) according to MPV values on admission. They were followed up for MCOs during 12 months. MCO consisted of the composite end-point of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), recurrent angina or hospitalization. High MPV was independently associated with NSTE-MI [odds ratio (OR) 4.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.52-7.15, P = 0.001] and severe culprit stenosis (≥ 80%) (OR 4.05, 95% CI 2.39-6.83, P = 0.001). MPV of 9.9 fl was predictive of severe culprit stenosis with a sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 77% (P < 0.001). At 12 months, MCO rate was higher in high MPV group than low MPV group (39 vs. 26%; P = 0.016). This difference resulted from death (6.4 vs. 2.1; P = 0.06) and recurrent angina (16.5 vs. 8.9%; P = 0.045). The MCO-free survival was worse in patients with high MPV than those with low MPV (61 vs. 74%; P = 0.01). In Cox regression analysis, high MPV remained an independent predictor of MCO (hazard ratio 1.52, 95% CI 1.01-2.29, P = 0.04) after adjusting for baseline characteristics. Elevated MPV was independently associated with NSTE-MI presentation and severity of culprit stenosis in NSTE-ACS patients. Moreover, MPV greater than 9.9 fl was predictive of a 12-month MCO.

Objectives: Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA 125), known as a tumor marker for ovarian cancer, has been reported to increase in relation to disease severity in heart failure patients with systolic dysfunction. Aortic stenosis (AS) has a wide clinical spectrum that often includes heart failure symptoms. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the serum levels of CA 125 in patients with AS and its relation to clinical severity and echocardiographic parameters., Study Design: The study group consisted of 42 patients (20 males, 22 females, mean age 62.5 ± 14.9 years) with AS and 35 healthy controls (17 men, 18 women; mean age 59.0 ± 9.1 years). All patients and control subjects underwent chest X-ray and echocardiographic evaluation. We measured serum CA 125 values in patients with AS and control subjects., Results: The median (interquartile range) CA 125 level was significantly higher among AS patients than in the control group in covariate analysis (9.4 [2.5-38.1] vs. 6.8 [4.4-13.9] U/ml respectively; p=0.001). Spearman correlation analysis in the whole group indicated that CA 125 was positively correlated with aortic mean gradient (p=0.007, r=0.30) and creatinine levels (p=0.02, r=0.26)., Conclusion: We found that CA 125 levels were elevated in patients with AS and were correlated with mean gradient and creatinine levels.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate and compare the time-dependent chemical and ultramorphologic effects of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in young and old dentin., Methods: Sixty-four teeth scheduled for extraction were collected from young (<30 years) and old (>60 years) patients. In 48 teeth, the dentin was reduced to a powder state and treated with EDTA or EDTA + NaOCl for 1 and 10 minutes, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis was used to determine the changes in the composition of dentin through dissolution of hydroxyapatite (HAp). In the remaining teeth (n = 16), the root canals were prepared, bisected, and subjected to the same time-dependent treatment regimens. The changes in the number and area of dentinal tubules were calculated by image analysis. The data were analyzed statistically by paired t test and one-way analysis of variance, followed by Tukey honestly significant difference test at P = .05., Results: In both young and old dentin, EDTA significantly decreased the HAp intensity at 1 and 10 minutes, whereas EDTA + NaOCl only decreased that of old dentin at 10 minutes. Pair-wise comparisons revealed that in old dentin, the reduction in HAp intensity after treatment with EDTA and EDTA + NaOCl was significantly greater at 10 minutes than at 1 minute, whereas in young dentin, a significant decrease was only observed in the EDTA/10-minute subgroup. Compared with their 1-minute counterparts, 10-minute treatment with EDTA + NaOCl significantly increased the tubular diameter and tubular area of old dentin. In young dentin, the tubular area and diameter values were not affected by treatment time (P > .05)., Conclusions: In young root dentin, 10-minute treatment with EDTA + NaOCl does not significantly alter the chemical and ultramorphologic structure and thus appears to be unnecessary. In old dentin, extended treatment time with EDTA + NaOCl should be avoided owing to excessive demineralization and erosion. In both types of dentin, EDTA was not effective in complete removal of the smear layer., (Copyright © 2012 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Attenuated coronary flow reserve (CFR) has been reported in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). On the other hand increased platelet activity has been demonstrated in patients with congestive heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate whether mean platelet volume (MPV) is increased in patients with IDC and increased MPV correlates with the degree of coronary microvascular dysfunction. MPV was measured in 37 patients with IDC. Each patient with IDC also underwent echocardiographic examination including CFR measurement. Patients with IDC were divided into two groups based on median CFR value (lower CFR group and normal CFR group). MPV was significantly higher in the lower CFR group than in the normal CFR group (9.00 ± 0.56 vs. 8.25 ± 0.76 fl; respectively, p = 0.001). CFR correlated significantly and inversely to MPV (r = -0.475, p = 0.003). Logistic regression analysis revealed that MPV level was the independent predictor of lower CFR (β = -0.750, p = 0.002). Furthermore, MPV was an accurate predictor of low CFR (p = 0.001); Area under the curve was 82% (95% CI 0.67-0.96). The best cut-off value of MPV to predict low CFR was 8.3 fl with 95% sensitivity and 69% specificity. In conclusion, the present study showed a negative correlation between MPV and CFR in patients with IDC.

This paper presents a method for classification of structural magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain. An ensemble of linear support vector machine classifiers (SVMs) is used for classifying a subject as either patient or normal control. Image voxels are first ranked based on the voxel wise t-statistics between the voxel intensity values and class labels. Then voxel subsets are selected based on the rank value using a forward feature selection scheme. Finally, an SVM classifier is trained on each subset of image voxels. The class label of a test subject is calculated by combining individual decisions of the SVM classifiers using a voting mechanism. The method is applied for classifying patients with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The results on both datasets demonstrate superior performance as compared to two state of the art methods for medical image classification.

Background: Systemic thromboembolism is a serious complication in patients with aortic stenosis (AS). Previous studies have demonstrated that platelet activation occurs in patients with AS. The aim of this study was to assess the mean platelet volume (MPV), an indicator of platelet activation in patients with AS., Patients and Methods: The study group consisted of 43 patients with AS. An age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched control group consisted of 35 healthy volunteers. All patients and control participants underwent echocardiographic examination. We measured the serum MPV values in patients and control participants., Results: Mean platelet volume was significantly higher among patients with AS when compared with the control group (8.7 ± 1.0 vs 7.9 ± 0.9 fL, respectively; P = .001)., Conclusion: We have shown that MPV was significantly elevated in patients with AS compared to control participant.

The sialic acid/glycosaminoglycan ratio was determined in 35 coronary artery ectasia patients and 35 control subjects to determine the possible role of fluoride in the etiology of the disease. The coronary artery ectasia patients and controls were selected from subjects who underwent coronary angiography. The mean serum sialic acid level was significantly lower in patients with coronary artery ectasia (CAE) than in controls (340.3±28.6 vs. 427.0±15.9 μg/mL, respectively; p<0.001). The mean serum glycosaminoglycan level was significantly higher in patients with CAE than in controls (5,013.1±158.6 vs. 3,833.6±237.1 μg/mL, respectively; p<0.001). The sialic acid/glycosaminoglycan ratio in patients with coronary artery ectasia was significantly lower than in controls (0.068±0.007 vs. 0.111±0.005; p<0.001). There was more than 38.7% reduction in this ratio in patients with CAE when compared with controls. We demonstrated that chronic fluoride exposure has an important role in pathogenesis of coronary artery ectasia.

Although there are many studies on effect of fluoride on trace elements in experimental animals, few studies exist on serum trace elements levels in patients with endemic fluorosis. We aimed to determine the serum levels of trace elements including serum copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and serum levels of minerals including calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K) in patients with endemic fluorosis. The study group consisted of 30 patients with endemic fluorosis (17 females, 13 males, mean age 33.53±9.85 years). An age, gender, and body mass index matched 30 healthy volunteers comprised control group (21 females, ten males with a mean age 33.93±7.39 years). Urine fluoride levels of chronic fluorosis patients were significantly higher than that of control subjects as expected (1.92±0.10 mg/l vs. 0.41±0.09 mg/l, respectively; P<0.001). Serum Cu levels (89.14±16.77 μg/dL vs. 102.69±25.04 μg/dL, respectively, P=0.017), serum Zn levels (77.98±20.58 μg/dL vs. 94.57±35.87μg/dL, respectively, P=0.032), and serum Mg levels (1.92±0.18 mg/dL vs. 2.07±0.31 mg/dL, respectively, p=0.022) was significantly lower in chronic fluorosis patients than in controls. There were no statistically significant differences between the fluorosis group and control group with respect to serum levels of Na, K, Ca, and P. We concluded that chronic fluorosis is associated with reduced serum levels of Cu, Zn, and Mg.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic progressive disease characterized by persistent elevation of pulmonary artery pressure. Vasoconstriction, remodeling, and thrombosis cause increased pulmonary vascular resistance and pressure. Previous studies have demonstrated that platelet activation occurs in patients with PAH. Our aim was to assess the mean platelet volume (MPV), an indicator of platelet activation in patients with PAH., Patients and Method: The study group consisted of 22 patients with PAH. An age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched control group was composed of 25 healthy volunteers. All patients underwent physical examination, echocardiography, and diagnostic cardiac catheterization. We measured serum MPV values and platelet counts in patients with PAH and control participant., Results: MPV was significantly higher among the patients with PAH when compared with control group (8.68 ± 0.87 vs 8.02 ± 0.68 fl, respectively; P = .006)., Conclusion: We have shown that MPV was elevated in patients with PAH.

Objective: The purpose of the present prospective randomized study was to evaluate the effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on recurrence rates of atrial fibrillation (AF) and inflammation after electrical cardioversion., Methods: Calculation of the number of patients needed was based on the assumption of 20% and 65% chance of maintaining sinus rhythm with amiodarone and with polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively. To observe a significant difference with an alpha level of 0.05 and a power of 0.80 it was necessary to include 22 patients in each group. A total of 47 patients were randomized to amiodarone (n=24) and amiodarone plus n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n=23) groups before scheduled electrical cardioversion. The end-point was the recurrence of AF during 12-month follow-up. Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on inflammation was evaluated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein level measurements. Statistical analysis was performed using unpaired Student' t, Mann Whitney U and Chi-square tests. We analyzed the recurrence of AF using the Cox proportional hazards regression model to control for potentially confounding factors., Results: Nine patients in the amiodarone group (37.5%), and 9 patients in the amiodarone plus n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids group (39.1%) had recurrence of AF during follow-up (p=1). With the Cox proportional model, risk factors for the recurrence of AF were previous electrical cardioversion (HR 10.33, 95% CI 1.74 to 61.10, p=0.01) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.38, p=0.007). High sensitivity C-reactive protein levels at baseline, at day 15 and during AF recurrence were similar between two groups (p > 0.05 for all)., Conclusion: N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids administration does not reduce the recurrence rates of atrial fibrillation and inflammation.

This study consists of producing high surface area activated carbon from tobacco residues by chemical activation and its behavior of phenol removal from aqueous solutions. K(2)CO(3) and KOH were used as chemical activation agents and three impregnation ratios (50, 75 and 100 wt.%) were applied on biomass. Maximum BET surface areas of activated carbons were obtained from impregnation with 75 wt.% of K(2)CO(3) and 75 wt.% of KOH as 1635 and 1474 m(2)/g, respectively. Optimum adsorption conditions were determined as a function of pH, adsorbent dosage, initial phenol concentration, contact time and temperature of solution for phenol removal. To describe the equilibrium isotherms the experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) and Temkin isotherm models. Pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models were used to find out the kinetic parameters and mechanism of adsorption process. The thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were calculated for predicting the nature of adsorption. According to the experimental results, activated carbon prepared from tobacco residue seems to be an effective, low-cost and alternative adsorbent precursor for the removal of phenol from aqueous solutions., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)