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Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play important roles in sepsis and deep-seated infections, but whether NET formation correlates with clinical outcomes of patients with streptococcal bloodstream infections (BSIs) is unclear.We analyzed serum levels of complexes of myeloperoxidase and DNA (MPO-DNA) in patients with streptococcal-BSIs. In vitro assay of NET induction by serum from BSI patients was performed.MPO-DNA values for the Streptococci-BSI group (n = 59) were significantly higher than those for healthy controls (p 0.00001) and matched control groups (n = 59, p = 0.004). The rate of higher MPO-DNA levels (1.87 μg/mL) were higher in abscess-prone streptococcal groups (streptococcus milleri group) (72.2% vs. 52.5%, p = 0.02). For patients with BSIs due to highly infective endocarditis (IE)-prone pathogens, the values of serum MPO-DNA were also higher in patients diagnosed of IE compared to their counterparts (p = 0.009). Notably, serum from patients with leukopenia could induce higher amounts of in vitro NET formation, despite having low MPO-DNA levels, suggesting that NET formation could be influenced by WBC counts. Therefore, we combined WBC counts with MPO-DNA to predict all-cause 30-day mortality in patients with commensal streptococcal-BSIs. The mortality risk was lowest among patients who had neither high MPO-DNA levels nor abnormal WBC counts (p = 0.058). Furthermore, this group of patients also had a favorable composite outcome consisting of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause mortality (p = 0.026).Together, these study data suggested that serum MPO-DNA can be a biomarker for predicting a composite outcome consisting of MACE and all-cause mortality in patients with commensal streptococcal-BSIs.

Background Hepatitis C increases the mortality and morbidity of patients after heart transplant. Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are the primary drugs for hepatitis C treatment. However, such drugs are expensive and frequently unaffordable for patients. In DAA treatment, the assessment of drug interaction is crucial. Methods We investigated a retrospective case series study from January 2017 to December 2019. Sustained virologic response 12 (SVR12) was used to assess the effectiveness of DAA treatment. Data on patients’ demographic information, timing of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (before or after heart transplant), HCV genotypes and viral loads, DAAs used (branded drugs or generic drugs), and drug interaction assessments were collected. Results Fifteen heart transplant patients received hepatitis C treatments during the study period, 11 of whom were infected because their donors had hepatitis C. After DAA treatment, HCV was undetectable in all patients, and 93.3% of them achieved SVR12. Nine patients used the generic sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, and 88.9% of them achieved SVR12. A total of 256 drugs were used with DAAs; 51 records of drug interactions were noted, 3 of which were contraindications, and the remaining records were potential interactions. Patients who used sofosbuvir or elbasvir/grazoprevir experienced fewer drug interactions. Conclusions DAA treatment is effective for hepatitis C treatment in patients after heart transplant. Patients who cannot afford branded drugs because of their prices can use generic drugs as an alternative. Drug interactions must be surveyed during DAA treatment.

Computed tomography (CT)-determined skeletal muscle measures have been used for predicting postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We investigated the impact of CT-determined muscle quantity (measured as psoas muscle area [PMA] and psoas muscle index [PMI]) and quality (measured as psoas muscle density [PMD]) on hospital length of stay (LOS) after TAVI.We retrospectively identified 182 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI between March 2013 and August 2017 with adequate preprocedural CT imaging. Baseline demographic and clinical data, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, the essential frailty toolset (EFT) frailty rating, and precontrast PMD, PMA, and PMI were obtained in all study patients. The primary outcome was prolonged postoperative LOS defined as greater than 14 days.Patients with prolonged LOS had a significantly higher Society of Thoracic Surgeons score (p0.001) and significantly lower PMD (p0.001) than those with LOS ≤14 days. More patients with prolonged LOS had concomitant peripheral vascular disease (p = 0.001), had undergone percutaneous coronary interventions (p = 0.022), and had an EFT score ≥4 (p0.001) compared to those without prolonged LOS. Neither PMA (p = 0.123) nor PMI (p = 0.271) were associated with prolonged LOS. Multivariate analysis identified EFT score ≥4, the presence of peripheral vascular disease, and PMD as independent predictors of prolonged LOS.The precontrast CT-determined muscle quality measurement PMD is a simple and objective predictor of prolonged LOS after TAVI.

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is not clear whether or not SLE is associated with poor outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods and results Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database, we identified the SLE group as patients with AMI who have a concurrent discharge diagnosis of SLE. We also selected an age-, sex-, hospital level-, and admission calendar year-matched non-SLE group at a ratio of 1:3 from the total non-SLE group. One hundred fifty-one patients with SLE, 113,791 patients without SLE, and 453 matched patients without SLE were admitted with a diagnosis of AMI. Patients with SLE were significantly younger, predominantly female, and more likely to have chronic kidney disease than those without SLE. The in-hospital mortality rates were 12.6%, 9.0%, and 4.2% in the SLE, total non-SLE, and matched non-SLE groups, respectively. The in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the SLE group than in the total non-SLE group (OR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.2–3.26) and the matched non-SLE group (mortality OR = 2.20; 95% CI = 1.06–4.58). In addition, the SLE group was associated with a borderline significant risk of prolonged hospitalization when compared with the non-SLE group. Conclusion SLE is associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality and a borderline significantly higher risk of prolonged hospitalization after AMI.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging vector-borne virus that is associated with severe congenital cerebral anomalies in fetuses and paralytic Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults. In the current global health crisis, there are no vaccines or therapeutics available for the treatment of ZIKV infection. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of the protoberberine alkaloid, palmatine, in inhibiting ZIKV and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Palmatine was shown to bind to restricted viruses, inhibit ZIKV infection, and resist ZIKV-induced cytopathic effects. Palmatine was also shown to inhibit JEV infection in multiple cell lines. Overall, the effects of palmatine in disrupting ZIKV binding, entry, and stability indicate that this small molecule would be a good starting point for the development of treatments aimed at inhibiting ZIKV infection.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive deterioration of articular cartilage. There have been reports that small molecule inhibitors have anti-osteoarthritis effects; however, the effects of 3-(4-chloro-2-fluorophenyl)-6-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-2H-benzo[e] [1,3]oxazine-2,4(3H)-dione (Cm-02) and 6-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-3-(3,4-difluorophenyl)-2H-benzo[e] [1,3]oxazine-2,4(3H)-dione (Ck-02), small molecule inhibitors which share many structural similarities with quercetin (a potent anti-inflammatory flavonoid), remain unclear. In this study, TNF-α-stimulated porcine and human chondrocyte models were used to investigate the inhibitory effects of Cm-02 and Ck-02 on the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-OA effects. TNF-α was used to stimulate porcine and human chondrocytes to mimic immunomodulatory potency in-vitro. Anti-osteoarthritic effects were characterized in terms of protein and mRNA levels associated with the pathogenesis of OA. We also examined (1) the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-nitric oxide (NO) system in cultured chondrocytes, (2) matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in cultured chondrocytes, and (3) aggrecan degradation in cartilage explants. Finally, we tested the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1), and activate the protein-1 (AP-1), and we tested the signal transduction and activation of transcription-3 (STAT-3). Our results indicate that, in chondrocytes, Cm-02 and Ck-02 inhibit TNF-α induced NO production, iNOS, MMP, the expression of disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS), and the enzyme activity of MMP-13. Furthermore, both Cm-02 and Ck-02 were found to stimulate TNF-α, which has been shown to suppress the activation of several transcription factors, including NF-κB, STAT-3, and IRF-1 in porcine and human chondrocytes. Cm-02 and Ck-02 were also found to help prevent the release of proteoglycans from cartilage explants. Our findings demonstrate that both Cm-02 and Ck-02 have potent anti-inflammatory activities and the ability to protect cartilage in an OA cell model. These findings indicate that Cm-02 and Ck-02 have the potential to be further developed for the therapeutic treatment of OA.

The identification of prognostic markers for colorectal cancer (CRC) has important clinical implications. However, the association between meningioma 1 (MN1) expression and clinical outcomes of CRC has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of MN1 in the clinical context of CRC. We first used immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining to examine and compare MN1 expression between multiple human cancer tissues and normal tissues. Initial screening revealed that the expression of MN1 proteins was significantly higher in tumor tissues of the breast, colon, and liver than in normal tissues. In further testing conducted on 59 paired CRC samples, we observed that the expression of MN1 in CRC tissue samples was significantly higher than in adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, high MN1 expression was not significantly associated with clinicopathological characteristics. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that high expression of MN1 mRNA or MN1 protein was significantly associated with poor CRC prognosis. Furthermore, univariate Cox analysis revealed that a high MN1 score was significantly associated with prognostic factors. Multivariate Cox analysis further indicated that gender, histologic grade, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, and a high MN1 score were independent factors of overall CRC survival rates. Finally, MN1 and PCNA protein levels were positively correlated, which suggests that MN1 may be involved in the cell proliferation process during CRC formation. Our results, which confirm those of other studies, indicate that (1) high levels of MN1 expression contribute to poor CRC prognosis and (2) MN1 can serve as a novel potential biomarker in predicting the prognosis of CRC patients.

Outcomes of acute type A aortic dissection repair may be improved when VasoRing connectors (VRC [Sunwei Technology, Taipei, Taiwan]) are used to facilitate aortic anastomosis. In the present study, we compared the results of acute type A aortic dissection repair using VRC and conventional suture technique.A total of 68 patients who underwent acute type A aortic dissection repair by total arch replacement and antegrade frozen elephant trunk procedure at our institution were enrolled. Records of patients receiving aorta anastomosis with VRC (n = 33) and conventional suture (n = 35) were retrospectively compared. All the surgical results were collected and analyzed.The results showed that the VRC group exhibited significance in total operative time (326 ± 80 minutes versus 362 ± 34 minutes, p = 0.023), cardiopulmonary bypass time (97 ± 10 minutes versus 134 ± 15 minutes, p0.001), aortic cross-clamp time (97 ± 10 minutes versus 134 ± 15 minutes, p0.001), and circulatory arrest time (15 ± 4 minutes versus 50 ± 8 minutes, p 0.001) compared with the suture group. Use of VRC for aortic anastomosis led to significantly less perioperative blood loss (442 ± 75 mL versus 849 ± 419 mL, p 0.001) compared with conventional suture for aortic anastomosis There was no reoperation for postoperative bleeding in the VRC group whereas reoperation for postoperative bleeding occurred in 20% of the suture group (0% versus 20%, p = 0.011). Postoperative blood loss, amount of blood transfusion, and acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis were also significantly less in the VRC group than the suture group.Use of VRC shortened operative time and improved bleeding control incorporating standard methods for aortic anastomoses during acute type A aortic dissection repair by total arch replacement and antegrade frozen elephant trunk procedure. Long-term follow-up and randomized comparison are needed to confirm VRC efficacy.

Zika virus (ZIKV) has been the cause of some epidemics since 2007. The correlations of microcephaly and Guillain–Barre syndrome with ZIKV have been noticed. Unfortunately, researchers have yet to develop an effective vaccine or drug approved for ZIKV infection. Anidulafungin is a member of echinocandins that is used to treat candida infections. This study assessed the antiviral capability of anidulafungin against ZIKV. Anidulafungin was shown to significantly decrease viral RNA levels, protein expression levels, viral yields, and the rate of infection. In time of addition assays, anidulafungin exhibited inhibitory activities in the early stages of ZIKV infection. In binding and entry assays, administering anidulafungin did not lead to a corresponding decrease in quantity of viral RNA, but a significant decrease in ZIKV infectivity was observed in virucidal assays. This indicated that anidulafungin interferes directly with virions. T-1105 is a viral polymerase inhibitor, which functions in the late stage of ZIKV infection. When anidulafungin was administered in combination with T-1105, an obvious synergistic effect was observed, resulting in a combination index (CI) value of 0.85 ± 0.13. Finally, we evaluated the effects of echinocandins in terms of half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), calculation of cytotoxicity concentration 50% (CC50), selectivity index (SI), and Patchdock score. Among the tests, anidulafungin bears the lowest IC50 and highest Patchdock score. Although anidulafungin is classified as a pregnancy category C agent; however, combination therapy of anidulafungin with a viral RNA replication inhibitor could expand treatment options for ZIKV infection.

Chikungunya is a severe disease that results from infection with the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus. Thus, we (1) explored a new approach to combining previously researched drugs that have shown the potential to inhibit CHIKV infection; and (2) demonstrated the antiviral effects of (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and the underlying mechanisms. Specifically, we used U2OS cells infected with CHIVK to assess the synergistic antiviral activities of EGCG and suramin. EGCG presented the ability to inhibit the viral RNA, progeny yield, and cytopathic effect (CPE) of CHIKV and also demonstrated the ability to protect against virus entry, replication, and release. Moreover, the results confirmed that EGCG and suramin can have synergistic effects against CHIKV strain S27 infection and two other clinical isolates of CHIKV. Our findings suggest that treatment with a combination of EGCG and suramin could provide a basis for the development of novel stretages against CHIKV infection.

Full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT) has been developed to obtain three-dimensional (3D) OCT data of human skin for early diagnosis of skin cancer. Detection of dermal epidermal junction (DEJ), where melanomas and basal cell carcinomas originate, is an essential step for skin cancer diagnosis. However, most existing DEJ detection methods consider each cross-sectional frame of the 3D OCT data independently, leaving the relationship between neighboring frames unexplored. In this paper, we exploit the continuity of 3D OCT data to enhance DEJ detection. In particular, we propose a method for noise reduction of the training data and a multi-directional convolutional neural network to predict the probability of epidermal pixels in the 3D OCT data, which is more stable than one-directional convolutional neural network for DEJ detection. Our crosscheck refinement method also exploits the domain knowledge to generate a smooth DEJ surface. The average mean error of the entire DEJ detection system is approximately 6 μm.

Background/Purpose Sustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) are rare complications after coronary surgery. Off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) was developed to decrease postoperative complications. No studies to date have specifically addressed VT/VF after OPCAB. We sought to assess the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of VT/VF after OPCAB. Methods The study included a retrospective review of 1010 patients undergoing OPCAB between 2000 and 2012. Data were compared between the VT/VF patients and control patients who were the first cases of OPCAB in each month during the study period and did not have VT/VF. Results Twenty-three patients (2.3%) developed VT/VF after OPCAB. The hospital mortality rate was 17.4%. In univariate analysis, the risk factors for VT/VF were old age, rapid heart rate, prolonged corrected QT interval, severe congestive heart failure, poor left ventricular ejection fraction, large left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, chronic kidney disease, preoperative dialysis, low blood hemoglobin level, preoperative intubation, recent myocardial infarction, high European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation, urgent/emergent operation, use of intra-aortic balloon pump, conversion to on-pump beating heart, postoperative dialysis, and no use of beta-blockers after operation. Multivariate analysis identified preoperative corrected QT interval > 426 milliseconds [odds ratio (OR) = 4.501; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.153–17.570] and estimated glomerular filtration rate 2 (OR = 4.876; 95% CI = 1.112–21.374) as independent risk factors. Conclusion Postoperative VT/VF was rare after OPCAB but was associated with high mortality. Prolonged corrected QT interval and chronic kidney disease were independent risk factors. Recognition of these risk factors, proper prevention, and early intervention may improve survival.

The purpose of this study was to examine JMJD2B expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and elucidate relationships between various expression patterns and clinicopathological parameters of HCC patients. Immunohistochemical techniques were performed to detect JMJD2B expression in a tissue microarray from patients with breast, cerebrum, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver, lung, prostate, stomach, and uterus cancers. We performed immunohistochemical staining of a multiple tissue array to examine the expression profile of JMJD2B. Our results demonstrate that JMJD2B protein levels were upregulated in malignant human tumors, including breast, colon, liver, and lung. Immunohistochemistry staining examination of liver tumor tissue microarray revealed that the expression of JMJD2B is significant according to the histological grade and TNM stage of liver tumor. Moreover, JMJD2B was also correlated with Ki-67 expression in HCC samples. These results reveal that JMJD2B is dramatically upregulated in HCC, making it a potential diagnostic marker for the further development of HCC treatment therapies.

Background/Purpose End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is an important complication arising after heart transplantation. At least 3–10% of recipients reach ESRD within 10 years after transplant. The incidence of ESRD in Chinese recipients has not been reported. Here we sought to assess the incidence, prognosis, and risk factors for ESRD in Chinese recipients. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 248 heart recipients who survived >1 year from 1998 through 2007. ESRD was defined as the requirement of maintenance dialysis. Results Renal dysfunction was present in 20 patients (8%) prior to transplant. With a follow-up duration of 5.8 ± 3.9 years, 30 patients developed ESRD. The cumulative incidence of ESRD after heart transplantation was 2.1% ± 0.9%, 6.5% ± 1.8%, 16.8% ± 3.3%, and 36.5% ± 9.5% at 2, 5, 10, and 15 years after transplant, respectively. Median onset of ESRD was 6.9 years after transplant. Actuarial survival after dialysis was 74.8% ± 8.3%, 66.6% ± 9.2%, and 43.6% ± 12.6% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. Independent risk factors for ESRD included pretransplant serum creatinine (hazard ratio, 1.84; p = 0.001), presence of diabetes prior to transplant (hazard ratio, 2.51; p = 0.017), and old age at transplant (hazard ratio, 1.05; p = 0.008). Conclusion There was a high incidence of ESRD in Chinese heart recipients. Patients with ESRD had poor prognosis after dialysis.

Background Sudden cardiac death (SCD) occurs commonly after heart transplantation (HTX). The utilization of surface electrocardiography (ECG) to assess post-HTX SCD has not been investigated thoroughly. This study aimed to investigate the specific changes in surface ECG in HTX patients with SCD. Methods A total of 227 HTX patients (age 48±14y/o, mean donor age 34±14y/o, 173males) were followed up regularly at the outpatient clinic. Twelve-lead ECG's were recorded during 1–2 monthly visits. Serial ECG parameters and relevant clinical data were collected and analyzed. Results During the follow-up period of 96±51months, SCD occurred in 28 (12.3%) patients. The baseline ECG parameters were comparable between patients with and without SCD. Important ECG trends of rising rest heart rates and prolongation of corrected QT (QTc) and JT (JTc) intervals were observed prior to development of SCD. After adjustment for other clinical variables, the independent predictors for SCD were older donor age (p=0.014, OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01–1.09), faster heart rate (p=0.006, OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.1) and longer JTc interval (p=0.015, OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.06). SCD occurred in 71.4% patients presenting with all three risk predictors. Conclusions Besides older donor age, important ECG signs, including prolongation of the JTc interval and increased heart rate during post HTX follow up, could predict SCD.

Objective This correlational study sought to identify the predictors of quality of life in heart-transplant recipients in Taiwan. Methods One hundred and fifty-three patients were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected using 6 questionnaires: (1) a demographic questionnaire, (2) the Transplant Symptom Frequency and Symptom Distress Scale, (3) the Self-Efficacy of Exercise Scale, (4) a compliance questionnaire, (5) the Beck Depression Inventory, Short Form 13, and (6) the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36-Health Survey. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 17.0 software (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL). Data analysis included percentages, means, standard deviations, correlation coefficients, and forward regressions. Results Depression was an independent, and the strongest, predictor of quality of life. Self-perceived health status and self-perceived family support also predicted quality of life. Symptom distress level predicted the physical aspect of quality of life. Conclusions Based on this understanding, an interdisciplinary team can initiate a needs assessment for these heart-transplant recipients, and develop an intervention to meet their needs.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are associated with invasion, angiogenesis, and poor prognosis in many human cancers. However, the role of TAMs in human basal cell carcinoma (BCC) remains elusive. We found that the number of TAMs infiltrating the tumor is correlated with the depth of invasion, microvessel density, and COX-2 expression in human BCC cells. TAMs also aggregate near COX-2 expressing BCC tumor nests. We hypothesize that TAMs might activate COX-2 in BCC cells and subsequently increase their invasion and angiogenesis. TAMs are a kind of M2 macrophage derived from macrophages exposed to Th2 cytokines. M2-polarized macrophages derived from peripheral blood monocytes were cocultured with BCC cells without direct contact. Coculture with the M2 macrophages induced COX-2-dependent invasion and angiogenesis of BCC cells. Human THP-1 cell line cells, after treated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), differentiated to macrophages with M2 functional profiles. Coculture with PMA-treated THP-1 macrophages induced COX-2-dependent release of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and subsequent increased invasion of BCC cells. Macrophages also induced COX-2-dependent secretion of basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor-A, and increased angiogenesis in BCC cells.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is critical for tumor formation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and prognosis. In this study, the role of COX-2 in antiapoptosis, tumorigenesis, and angiogenesis of human basal cell carcinoma (BCC) cells was investigated. Transfection of COX-2 constitutive expression vector into a BCC cell line yielded several overexpressing clones. All transfectants demonstrated remarkable resistance to ultraviolet B-induced apoptosis (confirmed by flow cytometry analysis, morphological change, and DNA fragmentation). Immunoblot analysis revealed marked increases in apoptosis-regulated genes Mcl-1 and Bcl-2. A 10-fold concentrated conditioned medium from COX-2-overexpressing BCC cells exhibited higher angiogenic activity in Matrigel plug and human umbilical vein endothelial cell tube formation assay. Cells exhibited increased levels of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) mRNA and protein, and secreted VEGF-A and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). COX-2-specific small interfering RNA markedly reduced the secreted species. After 7 weeks of inoculation, the tumor volume of COX-2-overexpressing cells in severe combined immunodeficient mice was significantly greater than that of vector control cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of CD31-positive vessels revealed a two-fold increase in microvessel density in COX-2 tumors, compared to control vector tumors. Our data indicate that Mcl-1 and Bcl-2, as well as VEGF-A and bFGF, are downstream effectors of COX-2-induced antiapoptosis and angiogenesis, respectively.

The physician assistant (PA) is a relatively new medical specialty that developed to manage the shortage of resident physicians and to ensure that patients receive high-quality health care in today's increasingly complex and demanding medical environment. PAs in Taiwan are not governed by laws and regulations, and the absence of legislation to define their roles and responsibilities can lead to confusion in the work environment and potential communication barriers with coworkers and supervising physicians. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the environmental and sociodemographic factors that influence job satisfaction and job-related communication among PAs in Taiwan. The data source, a self-administered mail survey, was sent to 196 PAs working within medical facilities in northern, central, and southern Taiwan. The response rate to the survey was 71.01%. There was a strong correlation between communication satisfaction and job satisfaction among respondents. The PAs’ overall position in the hospital, relationships with coworkers (doctors, nurses, and other medical staff), and ability to perform his or her duties while working with the supervising physician were the major environmental factors that influenced job and communication satisfaction. In addition, the number of working years and marital status were important demographic factors influencing job satisfaction. Demographic and environmental factors influencing job satisfaction are analyzed, and ways in which the roles and responsibilities of PAs can be clarified, strengthened, and improved are discussed in an overall effort to provide management strategies for the current PA system in Taiwan.

Accumulation of oxygen free radicals is an important mediator of post-ischemia/reperfusion cardiac dysfunction. However, oxidative injury has not been well characterized in human cardiac tissues. In the present study, we superfused hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) into the diseased human ventricle in order to assess the effects of oxygen free radicals on the electromechanical parameters and the intracellular pH (pH(i)), and to test the ability of certain potential cardioprotective agents, including scavengers of hydrogen peroxide (dibenzamidostilbene disulfonic acid; DBDS), the.OH free radical (N-(mercaptopropionyl)-glycine; N-MPG), and the HOCl free radical (L-methionine), to protect against oxidative injury. Disease human ventricular tissues were obtained from patients undergoing heart transplantation. Electrophysiological experiments were performed using a traditional micropipette, while the pH(i) was measured by microspectrofluorimetry. We found that (a) H(2)O(2) (30 microM-3 mM) induced a significant dose-dependent intracellular acidosis, (b) H(2)O(2) (30 microM-3 mM) had a notable dose-dependent biphasic effect on the contractile force (an increase, followed by a decrease), while moderate concentrations of H(2)O(2) also inhibited the generation of action potential and increased the diastolic resting force significantly, and (c) N-MPG caused significant block of both the intracellular acidosis and the electromechanical inhibition induced by 3 mM H(2)O(2), whereas L-methionine and DBDS did not. Our data suggest that the toxic effects of H(2)O(2) are caused mainly through the generation of.OH, which is attributed to the intracellular acidosis seen in the diseased human ventricle.

Traumatic arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is not an uncommon disorder, but late discovery and the presentation of high-output heart failure is very rare. This patient did not know that he had traumatic AVF after a gunshot injury in the left thigh 14 years ago. The major presentation of the AVF was signs of heart failure. We performed surgical repair after making the diagnosis. The patient recovered with an uneventful course. This report stresses the importance of history-taking and physical examination in making the diagnosis of traumatic AVF.

A young woman with shortness of breath was diagnosed preoperatively as having a coronary artery aneurysm. The aneurysm originated from the right coronary artery and was extraordinarily large. The aneurysm was excised successfully under extracorporeal circulation.