Lack of provision of information was the single most common cause of poor performance in the 2008/2009 NHS Patient Survey Programme of trusts in the UK. Information leaflets have been shown to improve patient satisfaction with consultations. We introduced a new patient information leaflet about the scheduled consultation in a district hospital's dermatology outpatient clinic. We then assessed i...

Background—Edge-to-edge approximation of the mitral valve leaflets (Alfieri procedure) is a novel surgical treatment for patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR). Long-term durability may be limited if abnormal mitral leaflet stresses result from this procedure. The aim of the current study was to measure Alfieri stitch tension (FA) and to explore its geometric determinants in an ovine...

BACKGROUND Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by an asymmetrically hypertrophied left ventricle and is regarded as a disease of cardiac muscle. METHODS AND RESULTS To assess the possibility that the mitral valve itself may be involved in the disease process, we studied mitral valves from 94 patients with HCM and 45 normal control subjects. The area of the mitral leaflets was i...

YCVN is a national project promoting listening within the early years. the network supports local authorities in developing good practice in listening to young children, so that young children’s views may inform policy and improve early childhood services. Local authorities across the country have established local networks that focus on developing a listening culture. these networks support pr...

Trifoliolate leaves of Crotalaria pallida Aiton (Fabaceae) exhibit sun-tracking behavior in simulated days and in response to a fixed, oblique light. The site of light perception for sun-tracking is on the lamina, necessitating transport of a signal from the lamina to the site of response (the pulvinule at the base of the leaflet). Evidence for the site of light perception on the lamina include...

Genetics opinion surveys often include information to ensure that respondents have sufficient understanding to give informed responses. The information is assumed to be neutral but may skew responses. We assessed the impact of a seemingly "neutral" information leaflet on attitudes towards genetic testing among 1,024 survey respondents, half of whom received the leaflet. The leaflet group report...

geographical, morphological and taxonomic status of pistacia khinjuk stocks ex stocks in iranwas revised. a total of 181 accessions (herbarium materials or specifically collected for this study) wereexamined geographically and morphologically. the chromosome number of 2n = 24, revealed among 15accessions studied, was taken as evidence to lump the variability observed in p. khinjuk as one taxono...

There is growing evidence that heart valves are not passive structures but can remodel with left ventricular dysfunction. To determine if these tissues remodel under nonpathological conditions, we examined the mirtal valve anterior leaflet during the volume loading and cardiac expansion of pregnancy using a bovine model. We measured leaflet dimensions, chordal attachments, and biaxial mechanica...