Towards better child protection programmes:a qualitative evaluation of Youth Disseminating Life Skills Programme

The present study aimed to assess the acceptability of a 12-week training programme, Youth Disseminating Life Skills Programme whose aims were to help university students acquire knowledge on and to increase sensitivity towards child abuse and neglect by adopting a qualitative methodology. The sample consisted of 13 university students who took part in the Youth Disseminating Life Skills Programme (10 female, 3 male: mean age 22 years; age range: 20–31). With the help of a general interview guide, the focus group meetings were held. Established conventions guided the analysis. Participants recounted feelings about and benefits of the Programme, and ways to improve the Programme. Feelings about the Programme included both positive (e.g. feeling hopeful) and negative feelings (e.g. feeling traumatised). Participants recounted a variety of benefits of the Programme (e.g. correcting some myths about child abuse). Participants proposed some ways whereby the Programmecouldbeimproved.Some findingscouldbeinterpretedin terms of existing literature/theory. Other findings extended the literature and could be viewed as targets for future child protection programmes

Performance of the systemic lupus erythematosus risk probability index in a cohort of undifferentiated connective tissue disease.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the performance of the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) Risk Probability Index (SLERPI) for identification of SLE in a large cohort of patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). METHODS: The SLERPI was applied in a cohort of patients who met classification criteria for UCTD and did not fulfill any classification criteria for other defined CTD including SLE. Patients with a SLERPI score of {\textgreater} 7 were "diagnosed" as SLE. Patients diagnosed with SLE and those not, were compared in terms of disease characteristics and index parameters. RESULTS: A total of 422 patients with UCTD were included in the study. Median (IQR) SLERPI was 4.25 (2.5) points, while 39 (9.2\%) patients had a SLERPI score {\textgreater}7 and were diagnosed as SLE. Patients with younger age (p = 0.026) and presence of malar rash (p {\textless} 0.0001), mucosal ulcer (p {\textless} 0.0001), alopecia (p {\textless} 0.0001), ANA positivity (p {\textless} 0.0001), low C3 and C4 (p = 0.002), proteinuria{\textgreater}500 mg/24 hours (p = 0.001), thrombocytopenia (p = 0.009) or autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (p {\textless} 0.0001) were more likely to fulfill criteria for SLE by the SLERPI. CONCLUSION: SLERPI enabled a significant proportion of patients to be identified as SLE in our UCTD cohort. This new probability index may be useful for early identification of SLE among patients with signs of CTD without fulfilling any definite criteria set

Diagnostic value of combined serum biomarkers for the evaluation of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C infection: A multicenter, noninterventional, observational study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is important cause of chronic hepatitis. Liver biopsy is considered the gold standard for assessment of fibrosis but this procedure is an invasive procedure. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of non-invasive serum biomarkers, separately and in combinations, on liver fibrosis in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen treatment-naive CHC patients were enrolled from 32 locations across Turkey in this open-labelled, non-interventional prospective observational study. FibroTest®, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI), aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase ratio (AAR), fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB-4), Age-platelet(AP) index and Forns index were measured and compared with Metavir scores got from liver biopsies. RESULTS: Data from 182 patients with baseline liver biopsy were suitable for analysis. One hundred and twenty patients (65.9%) had F0-F1 fibrosis and 62 patients (34.1%) had F2-F4 fibrosis. APRI 0.732 area under the curve(AUC) indicated advanced fibrosis with 69% sensitivity and 77% specificity. FIB-4 0.732 AUC and FibroTest 0.715 AUC indicated advanced fibrosis with 69% and 78.4% sensitivity, and 75% and 71.4% specificity, respectively. The combined use of tests also led to an increase in AUC and specificity. Combinations of FibroTest with APRI and/or FIB-4, and FIB-4 with APRI were optimal for the evaluation of liver fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Fibrotest, FIB-4, APRI, AP index and Forns index exhibit good diagnostic performance for determining liver fibrosis in CHC patients, and the use of at least two tests together will increase their diagnostic value still further

COVID-19 Pandemic and the Global Perspective of Turkish Thoracic Society

It has been more than 3 months now since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Turkey. Globally, the number of confirmed cases and deaths reached 9,653,048 and 491,128 respectively, as reported by 216 countries by June 27, 2020. Turkey had 1,396 new cases, 194,511 total cases, and 5,065 deaths by the same date. From the first case until today, the Turkish Thoracic Society (TTS) has been very proactive in educating doctors, increasing public awareness, undertaking academic studies, and assisting with public health policies. In the present report, social, academic, and management perspectives of the pandemic are presented under appropriate subtitles. During this critical public health crisis, TTS has once again demonstrated its readiness and constructive stance by supporting public health, healthcare workers, and the environment. This review summarizes the perspective of TTS on each aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic and casts light on its contributions.C1 [Kokturk, Nurdan] Gazi Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Ankara, Turkey.[Itil, Bahriye Oya; Ergan, Begum; Kilinc, Oguz; Simsek, Gokcen Omeroglu; Ucan, Eyup Sabri] Dokuz Eylul Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Izmir, Turkey.[Altinisik, Goksel] Pamukkale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Denizli, Turkey.[Adiguzel, Nalan; Karkurt, Zuhal] Univ Hlth Sci, Istanbul Sureyyapas Chest Dis Training & Res Hosp, Dept Intens Care Unit Pulm Med, Istanbul, Turkey.[Akgun, Metin] Ataturk Univ, Dept Pulm Med, Sch Med, Erzurum, Turkey.[Akyildiz, Levent] Mem Dicle Hosp, Clin Pulm Med, Diyarbakir, Turkey.[Altin, Sedat; Akyil, Fatma Tokgoz] Univ Hlth Sci, Yedikule Chest Dis & Chest Surg Training & Res Ho, Dept Pulm Med, Istanbul, Turkey.[Arikan, Huseyin] Yuzuncu Yil Univ, Dursun Odaba Med Ctr, Med Intens Care Unit, Van, Turkey.[Ates, Gungor] Sultan Hosp, Dept Pulm Med, Diyarbakir, Turkey.[Ay, Pinar] Marmara Univ, Sch Med, Dept Publ Hlth, Istanbul, Turkey.[Aykac, Nilufer] Gayrettepe Florence Nightingale Hosp, Clin Pulm Med, Istanbul, Turkey.[Babayigit, Cenk] Mustafa Kemal Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Antakya, Turkey.[Bostan, Pinar] Istanbul Bilgi Univ, Sch Hlth Sci, Istanbul, Turkey.[Cinel, Guzin] Ankara Yildirim Beyazit Univ, Sch Med Ankara, Dept Pediat Pulmonol, Ankara, Turkey.[Calisir, Haluk Celaleddin] Yapi Kredi Hlth & Retirement Fdn, Istanbul, Turkey.[Celik, Pinar; Gultekin, Okkes; Havlucu, Yavuz; Yorgancioglu, A. Arzu] Celal Bayar Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Manisa, Turkey.[Cetinkaya, Pelin Duru] Univ Hlth Sci, Adana City Training & Res Hosp, Dept Pulm Med, Adana, Turkey.[Dagli, Elif] Turkish Thorac Soc, Ankara, Turkey.[Demir, Ahmet Ugur] Hacettepe Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Ankara, Turkey.[Demir, Canan; Sandal, Abdulsamet] Occupat & Environm Dis Hosp, Clin Occupat Dis, Ankara, Turkey.[Dikensoy, Oner] Acibadem Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Istanbul, Turkey.[Edis, Ebru Cakir] Trakya Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Edirne, Turkey.[Elbek, Osman] Kadikoy Florence Nightingale Hosp, Clin Pulm Med, Istanbul, Turkey.[Erdinc, Munevver; Goksel, Tuncay; Gurgun, Alev; Basoglu, Ozen K.; Sayiner, Abdullah] Ege Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Izmir, Turkey.[Eyuboglu, A. Fusun Oner] Baskent Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Ankara, Turkey.[Gemicioglu, Bilun] Istanbul Univ Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Sch Med, Dept Pulm Dis, Istanbul, Turkey.[Gulhan, Erkmen] Ataturk Chest Dis & Thorac Surg Training & Res Ho, Dept Thorac Surg, Ankara, Turkey.[Gurkan, Canan Gunduz; Yildiz, Tekin] Univ Hlth Sci, Sureyyapasa Chest Dis & Thorac Surg Training & Re, Dept Pulm Med, Istanbul, Turkey.[Karakurt, Sait] Marmara Univ, Sch Med, Dept Intens Care Unit Pulm Med, Istanbul, Turkey.[Kocabas, Ali] Cukurova Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Adana, Turkey.[Kul, Seval] Gaziantep Univ, Sch Med, Dept Biostat, Gaziantep, Turkey.[Nayci, Sibel] Mersin Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Mersin, Turkey.[Ozkan, Metin] Ankara Mem Hosp, Clin Pulm Med, Ankara, Turkey.[Pinarer, Ozgun] Galatasaray Univ, Sch Engn, Istanbul, Turkey.[Salturk, Cuneyt] Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Istanbul, Turkey.[Sen, Elif] Ankara Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Ankara, Turkey.[Karadag, Bulent Taner] Marmara Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pediat Pulmonol, Istanbul, Turkey.[Toreyin, Zehra Nur] Hlth Sci Univ, Adana City Training & Res Hosp, Dept Occupat Dis, Ankara, Turkey.[Varol, Ayhan] Kepez State Hosp, Clin Pulm Med, Antalya, Turkey.[Yasin, Yesim] Acibadem Univ, Sch Med, Dept Publ Hlth, Istanbul, Turkey.[Bayram, Hasan] Koc Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pulm Med, Istanbul, Turkey