Obviously, estimating errors are more influenced by the individual subject who estimates than by the object itself. In clinical routine, surgeons should rely more on simple measuring devices than on their own sense of proportion. Education in how to estimate more correctly human liver resection surfaces can be achieved by ex vivo studies using porcine livers.”
“OBJECTIVES: Whether to repair or replace the mitral valve for patients with significant mitral regurgitation undergoing aortic valve replacement is still controversial.

METHODS: From January 1990 to December 2011, a total of 663 patients underwent aortic valve replacement combined with mitral valve surgery. Among these, 253 patients (mean age

Sapitinib concentration 55.9 +/- 14.5 years, 91 females) with moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation were enrolled to compare the outcomes between double valve replacement (DVR group, n = 158) and aortic valve replacement plus mitral valve repair (AVR plus MVr group, n = 95). Survival and valve-related events were compared by the inverse-probability-treatment-weighted method using propensity scores to reduce treatment selection bias.

RESULTS: Early mortality was similar between the groups (1.9% in the DVR group when compared with 3.2% in the AVR plus MVr group, P = 0.55). During the mean follow-up period of 72.1 +/- 56.7 months, 45 patients GF120918 inhibitor died (28 in DVR and 17 in AVR plus MVr)

and 31 experienced valve-related events including valve reoperation in 11, anticoagulation- related bleeding in 14, thromboembolism complications in 9 and infective endocarditis in 3. After adjustment for baseline risk profiles, the DVR group showed no difference with regard to risks of death (hazard ratio [HR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-4.01; 4-Hydroxytamoxifen P = 0.16) and valve-related events (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.40-3.30; P = 0.80) compared with the AVR plus MVr group.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the outcomes of either mitral valve repair or replacement for moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation in patients undergoing concomitant aortic valve replacement show no statistical significance in terms of long-term survival and valve-related

event rates, DVR seems more hazardous than AVR plus MVr based on the estimated HR in terms of survival.”
“ObjectiveTo investigate the inheritance of prolapsed nictitating membrane glands (PNMG) in a large pedigree of purpose-bred mongrel dogs.

Animals studiedTwo lines of purpose-bred mongrel dogs kept at a research facility with controlled environment were analyzed for frequent occurrences of PNMG. The first line (GS line) consisted of 201 dogs, derived from one German shorthaired pointer and seven mongrel dogs. The second line (M line) was established from one mongrel dog and three miniature longhaired dachshund (MLHD) dogs followed by closed breeding practice (n=50). The two canine lines were connected by a female dog, which contributed genetically to both lines.