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Pigs may display biting behavior directed at pen mates, resulting in body damage such as tail wounds. We assessed the suitability of jute sacks (hung vertically at wall) to reduce biting behaviors and tail wounds in rearing gilts. Additionally, we assessed several characteristics of different types of tail biters. Tail docked rearing gilts originated from 72 litters, which were kept in partly slatted pens with jute sacks (J) or barren control pens (CON; 36 litters per treatment). Tail and ear damage were observed at weaning (4 wk) and during the weaner and rearing phase (17 J and 19 CON pens). Sow (dam) damage was also considered. Biting behaviors (tail, ear, and other) were observed during the weaner and rearing phase. Weight was recorded at birth, weaning, and end of the weaner phase and ADG was calculated from birth till weaning and from weaning till 9 wk. Furthermore, estimated breeding values for litter size, litter birth weight, back fat, and growth between birth and ∼ 105 kg, and ∼ 25 to 105 kg were determined. Jute sacks reduced tail and ear damage at weaning (both P0.001) and tended to reduce sow tail damage (P = 0.09). Jute sacks also reduced tail damage post-weaning (P0.001 to 0.03), with a 5-fold reduction of (mild) tail wounds at the age of 13 wk. Biting behaviors directed at pen mates were up to 50% lower in J pens (P0.001 to 0.04). Higher genotypic litter size, litter birth weight, growth, and lower back fat seemed associated with higher levels of ear or tail-biting behavior (P = 0.002 to 0.09), albeit dependent on treatment and phase. Higher phenotypic litter sizes were associated with higher levels of biting behaviors (P = 0.004-0.08). High-tail-biters and Medium-tail-biters (the latter less pronounced) stemmed from larger litters (P = 0.01 to 0.05), were heavier (P = 0.03 to 0.04), grew faster (P = 0.05 to 0.08), and displayed higher levels of all kinds of biting behavior directed to pen mates and the jute sack (P0.001 to 0.10) compared with non-tail-biters, the effect size dependent on treatment and phase of life. To conclude, jute sacks may profoundly reduce damaging behaviors and tail wounds in rearing gilts, probably because they partly meet the behavioral need of pigs for rooting and chewing. Furthermore, (tail) biting is associated with production level of the gilts (phenotypically and genetically), which suggests a role for breeding programs and additional research focusing on metabolic demands of (tail) biting pigs.

Intensively reared piglets may face many early life challenges and these may affect behavior. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between piglets' early life circumstances and their behavioral response in a backtest. Here, 992 piglets of 14 d of age were subjected to a backtest, in which they were restrained for 1 min in a supine position. The number of struggles in the backtest was assessed in relation to data on ADG, BW, BW relative to litter mates, teat order, litter size, and health. Piglets that had a lower ADG from birth until the test day were struggling more (b = -2.4 g ADG/struggle; P = 0.03). Also, piglets with a lower BW at 14 d of age tended to respond more actively in the backtest (b = -0.03 kg/struggle; P = 0.08). The response to the backtest was unrelated to ADG from birth until weaning, birth weight, weaning weight, teat order, litter size, and health. ADG and BW were unrelated to the variation of backtest responses within the litter. The weak though significant relationship suggests that smaller, slower-growing piglets more actively respond to a challenge, either because piglets born with such a behavioral response were better able to survive, or because piglets adapted their behavioral response to their physical condition.

Pigs housed together in a group influence each other's growth. Part of this effect is genetic and can be represented in a social breeding value. It is unknown, however, which traits are associated with social breeding values. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate whether personality and response to novelty could be associated with social breeding values for growth in piglets. Female and castrated male piglets from 80 litters, with either an estimated relative positive or negative social breeding value (+SBV or -SBV) for growth, were individually tested in a backtest and novel environment test, and group-wise in a novel object (i.e., a feeder with feed) test and human approach test. All tests were performed during the suckling period. No differences between +SBV and -SBV piglets were found for the frequency and latency of struggling and vocalizing in the backtest (at least, P0.30). In the novel object test, piglets with a +SBV for growth touched the feeder faster than piglets with -SBV for growth (P = 0.01) and were more frequently present near the person in the human approach test (P0.01). No behavioral differences between +SBV and -SBV piglets were found in the novel environment test (at least, P0.40), but piglets that struggled more in the backtest walked more in this test (P = 0.02). Behavior was affected by gender in each test. Female piglets were faster than castrated male piglets to start struggling in the backtest (P = 0.047). In the novel object test, females were faster than males to touch the feeder and sample the feed. In the human approach test, they were also faster than male piglets to touch a person (all, P0.001). Females were also more frequently present near the feeder (P0.001) and person (P = 0.03). In the novel environment test, female piglets explored the floor more (P = 0.046), produced less low- (P = 0.04) and high-pitched vocalizations (P = 0.02), and defecated (P = 0.08) and urinated less than male piglets (P0.01). It was concluded that +SBV and -SBV piglets do not differ in their response to the backtest, and only subtle differences were found in their response to novelty. More research is warranted to identify the traits underlying SBV for growth in pigs. Moreover, castrated male piglets seemed to react more fearfully to each test than female piglets.

Since April 1983 10 premature infants suffering from patent ductus arteriosus combined with respiratory distress syndrome have been seen at our dept. for being treated surgically. One infant came to death due to bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The first 6 cases of this series were dealt with in detail. The possibility of conservative treatment (Indomethazin) or ligature of the duct are discussed.

Aneurysms of the membranous portion of the interventricular septum are considered to be rare cardiac lesions. Left ventricular angiography appears to be the only method to establish the specific intravital diagnosis. Rupture, infection, thromboembolism, and obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract have been documented for complications of this malformation. Early resection should be performed before complications occur. 4 patients underwent successful open heart correction of the aneurysm. In another patient a bundle branch block was present and a pacemaker was implanted.

2 patients suffering from Ebstein's malformation underwent a total correction 3 years or 9 months respectively ago. In the first case we used a Björk-Shiley valve, plication according to Hardy was omitted. In the second case an Angell-Shiley-bioprosthesis combined with Hardy's plication was performed. Both children are in a good condition now.

Recently 11 cases of severe haemolysis after correction of septal defects have been reported. Our experience with this complication is shown in 5 patients. Conservative treatment as a matter of experience is possible only in a few cases. We use autologous pericardium, Rygg-Perikard resp. to prevent this complication.

The results of our animal experiments showed that the sealing of a woven vascular prosthesis or a textile patch by in vitro electrically activated blood by means of direct current is an alternative for the sealing by fibrin adhesive. The materials sealed in this way are resistant to the endogenic fibrinolysis. This simple and non-expensive method is not useful for heparinised blood and in disturbances of coagulation.

A pumping system for supporting an intraoperatively failured heart is presented. This system consists of a bell-shaped receptacle for the heart and a pump with a working volume of 49 ml and a working pressure of 220 Torr. The pumping power is transmitted to the heart by means of an external pneumatic pressure line. The efficacy of the pump in the high pressure system amounted to 20-30 per cent. An effective coronary perfusion in case of a cardiac failure is guaranteed by a venous underpressure pump of this pumping system. A favourable influence was also observed in case of the low pressure system.

10 cases of benign primary tumours of the heart (5 myxomas of the left atrium, 2 myxomas of the right atrium, 1 right-ventricular endothelioma of the endocardium, 1 left-ventricular pseudorhabdomyoma, 1 tumour of the interventricular septum) are described. The diagnostically decisive method was in 5 cases the heart catheterization with angiocardiography, furthermore in one case each the roentgenogram of the thorax, the echocardiography, the histology of embolic material, the operation as well as the autopsy. The echocardiography was available for 4 patients; in one case it was diagnostically decisive, delivered important additional informations in 2 patients and failed in one patient. With increasing propagation of the echocardiography, which in the opinion of the authors at least in all cases should be used before a planned invasive cardiological diagnosis, is to be reckoned with an improvement of the diagnosis of tumours of the heart and with an increase of the chances of a causal, namely the timely cardiosurgical therapy.

The clinical aspects, differential diagnosis and aetiology of the rare pulmonary glomangiosis are described by means of four cases observed in our clinic. It is a hamartogenous stenosing disease of the lungvessels, appearing predominately in children who suffer from congenital heart disease. It leads to pulmonary hypertension. The pulmonary glomangiosis is of practical importance: By palliative operation as the banding of the pulmonary artery the demand hypertension in the pulmonary circulation is suppressed artificially, so that in heavy cases a sufficient oxygenation is not provided, and the children die in the postoperative period. From the surgical aspect such a disease of the pulmonary vessels has to be supposed when the blood pressure distally of the experimentally banded pulmonary artery drops insufficiently. The authors recommend to exclude the disease of the vessels by excicion of lungtissue and immediate histologic investigation before the final banding is performed.

A newly developed real-time sound spectroanalyzer was found to be capable of diagnosing malfunction of prosthetic heart valves (Björk-Shiley prostheses). Sound spectroanalysis was carried out 430 times on 257 patients with a prosthetic heart valve. The valvular click of prosthetic heart valves shows a typical sound spectroanalysis pattern in real time, with a high-frequency peak which diminishes beyond 25 kHz. Thrombosis of the prosthetic heart valve causes loss of the valvular click and reduction in the intensity of the high-frequency components, as shown in 4 patients. Thus the sound spectroanalysis appears to be a noninvasive technique which may allow early diagnosis of a thrombosed prosthetic heart valve. We believe this method to be superior to phonocardiography and echocardiography.

There was developed a model of animal experiments for clearing up some questions in connection with the Coarctation aortae (for instance hypertension in the postoperative phase, hypertrophy in the left chamber of the heart and protection of myocardium during the operation). Stripes and ligatures of the aorta create a substrate deviating from the human disease. We put up a model of animal experiments in which the stenosis is produced by means of the extravascular application of electrical direct current of anodic polarization. The employment of direct current guarantees an extensive standardization and reproduction of experimental methodology.

The effectiveness of arterialisation of venous sinus by the acute catch of a coronary artery ws inspected by 36 dogs. The myocard was protected by means of this method for ischemia and necrosis throughout duration of the attempt of 6 hours.

Heart rate dynamics in response to active orthostasis of 10 min duration were examined in 48 patients with mitral stenosis and compared with the mean and diastolic pulmonary artery pressure. Classification of the characteristics of the heart rate was done according Drischel and co-workers (1963) using amplitude and time values. In contrast to healthy subjects, in patients with mitral stenosis the best regulatory behavior was observed in type B with lower pulmonary artery pressure, the least favorable regulatory dynamics being predominant in type A with higher pulmonary artery pressure. From a functional diagnostic point of view, regulatory efficiency can be graded on the following descending scale: (1) the best regulatory behavior in type B; (2) a decrease in the amplitude values in type B; (3) transition of the dynamics to type A; and (4) prolongation of the time values in type A. The pathophysiological mechanisms are changes in the sensitivity of dilatation receptors in the intrathoracic low-pressure system and of the carotid baroreceptors.

Report of a successful treated case of Bland-White-Garland syndrome of adult type in a 13 year old girl. A vena saphena bypass was implanted between the aorta and the ramus descendens anterior of the left coronary artery. The main stem of the left coronary artery was ligated near its origin from the pulmonary artery. Eight months after operation the patient is well and the bypass open.

In the electric field the solid blood components will move to the anode because of their negative surface charge. When influenced by a direct current of constant force and duration a thrombus differing in size will develop depending on the composition of the coagulation system. This regularity could be used for diagnostic purposes. By means of experiments with animals and clinical examinations the development of the "electro-clot" is observed in vitro before and after the administration of heparin. In addition, the behaviour of the thrombus developed in vitro in the electric field is checked in patients affected with obstructive lung diseases. Here a correlation existing between the mass of the thrombus and hematocrit could be proved.

1012 closed operations for mitral stenoses, mitral restenoses and combined mitral and aortic stenoses were performed from 1963 to 1981. Moreover 888 operations were performed at the mitral valve from 1973 to October 1983 as open heart procedures: 676 cases of mitral valve replacement (MVR) including 7 cases of coronary artery operations; 4 cases both of mitral, aortic and tricuspidal valve replacement or mitral and tricuspidal valve replacement; 9 cases of valve reinsertion; 20 cases of open commissurotomy and 4 cases of annular plastic according to Wooler. The functional results after open operation are quite better than those after closed procedures. The rate of reoperations after MVR is only 3% but after closed operations more than 25%. In this way we believe the open operation to be the better way of treating acquired mitral stenosis. In our opinion the closed method may be used in cases of late pregnancy and in those centres having an insufficient capacity for open heart surgery to be performed.