Actibacterium ureilyticum sp. nov., isolated from seawater.

A polyphasic approach was used to characterize a novel marine bacterial strain, designated LS-811T, isolated from seawater of the South China Sea (Taiwan). Cells of strain LS-811Twere Gram-staining negative, aerobic and rod-shaped with polar flagella. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of strain LS-811T showed highest sequence similarity to Actibacterium mucosum (96.

Thalassocola ureilytica gen. nov., sp. nov., of the family Phyllobacteriaceae isolated from seawater.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-flagellated marine bacterium, designated strain LS-861T, was isolated from seawater of the South China Sea (Taiwan). Strain LS-861T grew optimally at pH 7.0 and 30 °C in the presence of 3 % (w/v) NaCl.

The effect of early group psychotherapy on depressive symptoms and quality of life among residents of an apartment building for seniors.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of group psychotherapy on depressive symptoms and four domains of quality of life in the elderly.

Methods: Ninety-six elderly persons were selected from one apartment building for seniors. The 15-question version of the Geriatric Depression Scale was used to screen for depressive symptoms.

The effect of job strain on psychological morbidity and quality of life in military hospital nurses in Taiwan: a follow-up study.

This study investigated changes in job strain in female nurses serving in a military hospital system being restructured and the effect of these changes on psychological morbidity and quality of life (QOL). Questionnaire surveys were sent twice to 618 nurses working in three military hospitals in southern Taiwan at the beginning and at follow up a half year later. A Job Content Questionnaire was used to divide subjects into high and low strain groups.

A comparison between acupuncture versus zolpidem in the treatment of primary insomnia.

Background: To determine the relative efficacy of acupuncture and zolpidem in the treatment of primary insomnia, we administered a sleep quality scale to thirty-three patients with primary insomnia randomly chosen to receive one of the two therapies at a psychosomatic clinic.

Methods: A study in the psychosomatic clinic at a teaching hospital in southern Taiwan from November 2007 to November 2008. The 19 patients in acupuncture group underwent one acupuncture session a week.

Effort-reward imbalance and quality of life of healthcare workers in military hospitals: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Taiwan's National Defense Bureau has been merging its hospitals and adjusting hospital accreditation levels since the beginning of 2006. These changes have introduced many stressors to the healthcare workers in these hospitals. This study investigates the association between job stress, psychological morbidity and quality of life in healthcare workers in three military hospitals.

Operating room cost for coronary artery bypass graft procedures: does experience or severity of illness matter?

Objective: Very few studies have addressed the magnitude of the effect of the condition of the patients and the surgical volume on possible cost savings in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The objectives of this study were to analyse and compare the costs of the CABG operating room (OR) between two hospitals, and to examine the effect of surgical volume and severity of illness on the OR costs.

Method: The charts of patients who were diagnosed with coronary artery disease and who underwent CABG at two acute tertiary care hospitals in 2004 were reviewed retrospectively.

Psychological morbidity, quality of life and their correlations among military health care workers in Taiwan.

To estimate the prevalence of psychological morbidity among health care workers in military hospitals in Taiwan and studies the association between psychological morbidity and quality of life. We sent surveys to 1,269 health care workers working in military hospitals. Participants completed structured questionnaires that included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and the WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHO-QOL).

Operating room costs of laparoscopic cholecystectomy: does surgeon volume matter?

Very few studies have addressed the issue of surgeon volume on cost savings of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in Asian countries. The objectives of the study were to analyze LC operating-room (OR) costs between two study hospitals and to examine the effect of surgeon volume on OR costs. Patients diagnosed with gallbladder disease who underwent LC in October through December 2002 at two acute tertiary-care hospitals were included.