Faculty appointment and promotion in Taiwan's medical schools, a systematic analysis.

Background: A rigorous faculty appointment and promotion (FAP) system is vital for the success of any academic institution. However, studies examining the FAP system in Asian universities are lacking. We surveyed the FAP policies of Taiwan's medical schools and identified an overreliance on the CJA score (manuscript Category, Journal quality, and Author order).

Optimizing the parameters of vagus nerve stimulation by uniform design in rats with acute myocardial infarction.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been shown to improve left ventricular function and survival in rats with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and this maneuver has also been adopted clinically for the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have suggested that VNS can modulate the level of pro-inflammatory factors. Despite the beneficial effects of VNS, the stimulation parameters for obtaining favorable outcomes appear highly variable.

Tumour necrosis factor-α and its receptors in the beneficial effects of vagal stimulation after myocardial infarction in rats.

1. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) often activates the sympathetic system and inhibits the vagal system. Long-term vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) exerts several beneficial effects on the ischaemic heart, including an anti-inflammatory effect.