Finally, we suggest that such an approach needs to be extended to other brain areas that are also involved in anxiety and mood.

This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ‘Anxiety and Depression’.

(C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Objective: Aortic homografts were compared with pulmonary homografts in the setting of right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in adolescent sheep. Furthermore, clinically available stentless porcine and bovine xenografts were studied as an alternative to homografts.

Methods: In EPZ004777 cell line 51 adolescent sheep cryopreserved aortic and pulmonary (ovine) homografts, as well as 6 different types of clinically available stentless bioprostheses (Prima Plus, Toronto SPV, Toronto BiLinx, Freestyle, Pericarbon Stentless, and Contegra)

were implanted in the pulmonary position. After 5 to 6 months, the valves were explanted and studied for structural valve degeneration by means of radiographic analysis, histology, and calcium content determination.

Results: Pulmonary homografts calcified significantly less than aortic homografts in the wall portion. NSC23766 clinical trial Leaflet calcification was mild, hardly detectable on radiographic analysis, and comparable between aortic and pulmonary homografts. Stentless porcine xenografts showed severe calcification in the aortic wall portion, irrespective of the antimineralization treatment. Leaflet calcification was mild and in the range of that seen in homografts. Pannus formation was present but never induced leaflet retraction or cusp immobilization. Calcification was absent in the stentless Pericarbon valve implants, but all valves showed extensive pannus overgrowth, not leaflet retraction,

and cusp immobilization. The Contegra valves showed wall calcification, but the leaflets were completely free of calcification and pannus.

Conclusions: For right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction, the pulmonary homograft remains the first choice. All xenografts result in either calcific degeneration or cusp immobilization. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2011;141:1513-21)”
“Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is considered to involve abnormalities in inhibitory processes including gating systems. Auditory P50 inhibition, which is assessed by using a paired auditory stimulus paradigm to record P50 mid-latency evoked potential, is assumed to reflect sensory gating.

In the present study, we investigated auditory P50 inhibition in subjects with OCD, and examined the relationship between P50 and clinical variables or neuropsychological performance.

Twenty-six subjects with OCD and 26 age- and sex-matched healthy controls received P50 recording and neuropsychological tests. In the OCD subjects, we also evaluated clinical features including OC symptoms and subtypes of the disorder.