Objective: : This study aims to evaluate and compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients with metastatic spinal tumors who underwent either short-segment fixation with anterior support or long-segment fixation with a separation surgery in the thoracic or lumbar spine. Methods: : We conducted a retrospective analysis of adult patients who were treated surgically for spinal metastases in the thoracic or lumbar spine at a single tertiary referral center between April 2014 and December 2022. Surgical treatments included spinal cord decompression, short-segment fixation with maximal circumferential debulking of the lytic tumor portion and anterior support, or longsegment fixation without anterior support, followed by separation surgery and posterolateral fusion. We compared the two fixation strategies based on patient demographics, preoperative diagnoses, surgical data, neurological assessments, and changes in segmental Cobb angles immediately after surgery, and at the final follow-up. Results: : A total of 91 patients were included (short-segment, 44; long-segment, 47). No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding age, sex, comorbidities, primary cancer location, postoperative complications, or reoperation rates. Furthermore, no significant differences in the sagittal Cobb angles, including global angle (thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis) and segmental angle were noted from the preop to the final follow-up. Compared to traditional long-segment fixation, short-segment fixation with anterior support significantly improved neurological outcomes in the thoracic region and reduced the length of hospital stay. No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding complications or other clinical outcomes. Conclusion : Short-segment fixation is comparable to long-segment fixation in the management of thoracolumbar metastatic spinal tumors, with no significant differences in radiographic outcomes. However, short-segment fixation provides the added advantages of improved neurological outcomes in the thoracic region and shorter hospital stays.

Importance of accurate molecular diagnosis and quantification of particular disease-related pathogenic microorganisms is highlighted as an introductory step to prevent and care for diseases. In this study, we designed a primer/probe set for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) targeting rgpA gene, known as the specific virulence factor of periodontitis-related pathogenic bacteria ‘Porphyromonas gingivalis’, and evaluated its diagnostic efficiency by detecting and quantifying relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis within saliva samples collected from clinical subjects. As a result of qRT-PCR, we confirmed that relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis was detected and quantified within all samples of positive control and periodontitis groups. On the contrary, negative results were confirmed in both negative control and healthy groups. Additionally, as a result of comparison with next-generation sequencing (NGS)–based 16S metagenome profiling data, we confirmed relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis, which was not identified on bacterial classification table created through 16S microbiome analysis, in qRT-PCR results. It showed that an approach to quantifying specific microorganisms by applying qRT-PCR method could solve microbial misclassification issues at species level of an NGS-based 16S microbiome study. In this respect, we suggest that P. gingivalis–specific primer/probe set introduced in present study has efficient applicability in various oral healthcare industries, including periodontitis-related microbial molecular diagnosis field.

OBJECTIVES: Firefighters frequently experience traumatic events, high-tension situations and shift work. Therefore, the prevalence of insomnia of firefighters is higher than one of general population. Not only does the quality of sleep affect the satisfaction of personal life, but it also influences their performance for the public's safety. We investigated which factors affect the quality of sleep of firefighters. METHODS: After personally delivering 120 questionnaires to 3 fire stations, the survey was conducted when the consents were signed. It inquired about alcohol use, smoking, shift work, sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and experience of traumatic events. We then divided the firefighting officers in two groups according to the quality of sleep and compared the variables examined to conduct the logistic regression analyses according to the results. RESULTS: The poor sleeper group reported a higher level of current alcohol consumption, depression, anxiety and experience of traumatic events. Logistic regression analyses showed that the current alcohol intake (Crude odds ratio=3.707, 95% confidence interval=1.288–10.672, p=0.015 ; Adjusted odds ratio=3.288, 95% confidence interval=1.011–10.694, p=0.048) has a significant effect on sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: Current alcohol consumption, depression, anxiety and experience of traumatic events were respectively associated with sleep quality of firefighters. When all significant factors considered, the current alcohol use was the only statistically significant. To improve the quality of sleep for firefighters, it will be necessary to evaluate alcohol intake, educate the poor sleep quality caused by alcohol, and provide specific interventions to reduce consumption.
Alcohol Drinking ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Firefighters ; Fires ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Prevalence ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Smoke ; Smoking