BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to evaluate the concentration of cardiovascular surgical procedures in a metropolitan area and investigate the perception of specialists regarding governmental policies to resolve this imbalance. METHODS From March to May 2015, surveys were distributed to members of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Association. The final pool of research subjects...

Objective: Many studies have reported that the first postgraduate year (PGY-1) of residency training is marked by severe job stress. We want to investigate the mental health of PGY1 residents and to explore its relationship among job stress and personality. Methods: Ninety-two PGY1 residents training at a regional teaching hospital in southern Taiwan were enrolled. The questionnaires used were ...

PURPOSE Alteration of pro- and antiangiogenic homeostasis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) isoforms in patients with hyperglycemia seems crucial but substantially unexplored at least quantitatively for diabetic retinopathy (DR). Therefore, in the present study we aimed to estimate the difference between the pro- (VEGF165a) and antiangiogenic (VEGF165b) VEGF isoforms and its soluble ...

A recent observational study in a large cohort of critically ill patients confirms the association between hyperlactatemia and mortality. The mechanisms regulating the rates of lactate production and clearance in critical illness remain poorly understood. During exercise, hyperlactatemia clearly results from an imbalance between oxygen delivery and energy requirements. In critically ill patient...