OBJECTIVE: This study aims to find the sleep quality status and its association with the socioeconomic, employment and lifestyle factors of working adults during the MCO period.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 eligible working adults. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index.
RESULTS: The proportion of poor sleep quality is found to be 59.4%. Analysis shows that the use of electronic devices before sleep (OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.02-5.35, p-value = 0.046), increased amount of workload (OR = 0.45, p-value = 0.005), decreased in amount of workload (OR = 0.48, p-value = 0.003) and distracted while working (OR = 0.57, p-value = 0.014) are the factors significantly associated with and are predictors of poor sleep quality.
CONCLUSION: During crisis, there is a need for public health interventions for the working population to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Employers are recommended to support employees' well-being and to provide a healthy workplace during challenging times. Policy recommendations are also made to implement flexible working arrangements, workload management, workplace mental health support and legal protections on reasonable working hours, rest breaks and time off during crises.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of fiber post location on fracture resistance and failure mode of endodontically treated premolars with 2 roots.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty extracted maxillary first premolars with 2 roots were divided randomly into 5 groups. Group 1 was comprised of sound teeth, which received only metal crowns (control). Teeth from groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 were decoronated 2 mm above the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) and were endodontically treated. No post was placed in group 2 teeth. Teeth from groups 3, 4 and 5 were given a fiber post placed in the buccal canal, palatal canal, and both buccal and palatal canals, respectively. All teeth in groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 were built up with composite and full coverage metal crowns. A compressive static load was applied at an angle of 25° to the crowns with a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min, until fracture.
RESULTS: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences among the groups (p = 0.002). A post hoc test showed significantly lower fracture resistance of group 4 compared to group 5 (p = 0.011). Furthermore, group 2 had significantly less fracture resistance compared to group 1 (p = 0.021) and group 5 (p = 0.002). According to Fisher's exact test, different post locations are non-significantly associated with fracture mode (p = 0.256).
CONCLUSIONS: Fiber post location has a significant effect on fracture resistance of severely damaged, endodontically treated maxillary premolars with 2 roots. However, post placement in the palatal root is preferred, as it maintains the restorability of the tooth.
METHOD: Air interface biofilm was cultured onto Snapwell inserts incorporated into a modified pharmacopeia deposition apparatus, the Anderson Cascade Impactor (ACI). Three different formulations including mannitol only, ciprofloxacin only and combined ciprofloxacin and mannitol were nebulised onto the P. aeruginosa biofilm using the modified ACI. Antibacterial effectiveness was evaluated using colony-forming units counts, biofilm penetration and scanning electron microscopy.
RESULTS: Nebulised mannitol promotes the dispersion of bacteria from the biofilm and demonstrated a synergistic enhancement of the antibacterial efficacy of ciprofloxacin compared to delivery of antibiotic alone.
CONCLUSIONS: The combination of ciprofloxacin and mannitol may provide an important new strategy to improve antibiotic therapy for the treatment of chronic lung infections. Furthermore, the development of a representative lung model of bacterial biofilm could potentially be used as a platform for future new antimicrobial pre-clinical screening.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the perioperative outcome of dual attending surgeon strategy for severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients with Cobb angle more than or equal to 90°.
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The overall complication rate for AIS remains significant and is higher in severe scoliosis. Various operative strategies had been reported for severe scoliosis. However the role of dual attending surgeon strategy in improving the perioperative outcome in severe scoliosis has not been investigated.
METHODS: The patients were stratified into two groups, Cobb angles 90° to 100° (Group 1) and more than 100° (Group 2). Demographic, intraoperative, preoperative, and postoperative day 2 data were collected. The main outcome measures were intraoperative blood loss, use of allogeneic blood transfusion, operative time, duration of hospital stay postsurgery, and documentation of any perioperative complications.
RESULTS: Eighty-five patients were recruited. The mean age for the whole cohort was 16.2 ± 5.2 years old. The mean age of Group 1 was 16.7 ± 5.7 and Group 2 was 15.6 ± 4.8 years old. The majority of the patients in both groups were Lenke 2 curves with the average Cobb angle of 93.9 ± 3.0° in Group 1 and 114.2 ± 10.2° in Group 2. The average operative time was 198.5 ± 47.5 minutes with an average blood loss of 1699.5 ± 939.3 mL. The allogeneic blood transfusion rate was 17.6%. The average length of stay postoperation was 71.6 ± 22.5 hours. When comparing the patients between Group 1 and Group 2, the operating time, total blood loss, allogeneic transfusion rate showed significant intergroup differences. Five complications were documented (one intraoperative seizure, one massive blood loss, one intraoperative loss of somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) signal, and two superficial wound breakdown).
CONCLUSION: Dual attending surgeon strategy in severe AIS more than or equal to 90° demonstrated an average operative time of 199 minutes, intraoperative blood loss of 1.7 L, postoperative hospital stay of 71.6 hours, and a complication rate of 5.9% (5/85 patients). Curves with Cobb angle more than 100° lead to longer operating time, greater blood loss, and allogeneic transfusion rate.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.