Comparison of fungemia caused by Candida and non-Candida rare yeasts: a retrospective study from a tertiary care hospital.

Although Candida species are the most common cause of fungemia, non-Candida rare yeasts (NCY) have been increasingly reported worldwide. Although the importance of these yeast infections is recognized, current epidemiological information about these pathogens is limited, and they have variable antifungal susceptibility profiles. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics for fungemia caused by NCY by comparing with candidemia. The episodes of NCY fungemia between January 2011 and August 2023 were retrospectively evaluated in terms of clinical characteristics, predisposing factor, and outcome. In addition, a candidemia group, including patients in the same period was conducted for comparison. Antifungal susceptibility tests were performed according to the reference method. A total of 85 patients with fungemia episodes were included: 25 with NCY fungemia and 60 with candidemia. Fluconazole had high minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against almost all NCY isolates. The MIC values for voriconazole, posaconazole, and amphotericin B were ≤ 2 µg/ml, and for caspofungin and anidulafungin were ≥ 1 µg/ml against most of isolates. Hematological malignancies, immunosuppressive therapy, neutropenia and prolonged neutropenia, polymicrobial bacteremia/fungemia, preexposure to antifungal drugs, and breakthrough fungemia were associated with NCY fungemia, whereas intensive care unit admission, diabetes mellitus, urinary catheters, and total parenteral nutrition were associated with candidemia. In conclusion, the majority of fungemia due to NCY species was the problem, particularly in hematology units and patients with hematological malignancy. Preexposure to antifungal drugs likely causes a change in the epidemiology of fungemia in favor of non-albicans Candida and/or NCY.

Among all fungemia episodes, hematological malignancies, immunosuppressive therapy, neutropenia, and preexposure to antifungals were risk factors for non-Candida yeast fungemia; diabetes mellitus, urinary catheters, and total parenteral nutrition were risks for candidemia.

Prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption and evaluation of associated factors in university students.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption (HAC) according to gender among university students and associated factors. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on undergraduate students. We used a stratified sampling technique to represent 26036 students from all grade levels and 11 faculties, and the survey was administered to 2349 undergraduate students. The prevalence of HAC was determined with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). HAC was defined as getting 8 points or more from the AUDIT. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine HAC related factors in both genders. RESULTS: In this study, 53.2% of the participants were male. The prevalence of HAC in the study group was 13.5% and prevalence of lifetime drinker was 65.3%. In males; those whose fathers [OR = 1.72; 95% CI: (1.17-2.52)], mothers [1.49; (1.02-2.18)], close friends [2.42; (1.28-4.60)] drink alcohol and smoking [3.16; (2.09- 4.77)], use illicit substance [2.35; (1.66-3.34)], have mental health problems [1.65; (1.04-2.62)] were more likely to report HAC. Meanwhile in females, those whose fathers [OR = 1.92; 95%CI: (1.03-3.57)], close friends [5.81; (1.73-19.45)] drink alcohol and smoking [4.33; (2.31-8.15)], use illicit substance [4.34; (2.34-8.06)] have mental health problems [3.01; (1.67-5.43)] were more likely to report HAC. CONCLUSIONS: HAC prevalence is high among university students. The risk of HAC increases with the use of alcohol in family and circle of friends, smoking, illicit substance use and mental health problems. The factors associated with the risk of HAC in both genders are similar.

What has changed in malignant mesothelioma between 1990 and 2019? A time- series analyses in Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the changes in epidemiological and survival characteristics of malignant mesothelioma (MM) cases diagnosed in a 30-year period between 1990 and 2019. METHODS: Data were analyzed considering three time periods (1990-1999, 2000-2009, 2010-2019) when treatment practices changed. The Join point Regression Program was used to analyze the change in clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the cases. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate the overall survival of the patients. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the effect of variables on survival. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 928 MM patients. During the study period, the mean age of the patients and the percentage of epithelioid subtype increased, while the percentage of female and histopathologically unidentified cases decreased. The median survival (95%CI) of patients according to the study periods was 9.0 (7.2-10.9), 9.0 (7.6-10.4) and 12.0 (10.5-13.5) months, respectively. A significant increase in overall survival was observed in the time trend (p = 0.013). There was no significant change in overall survival in patients receiving best supportive care over the 30-year period (p = 0.060), but an improvement of 1.4 (95%CI 0.2 to 2.7) months (p = 0.027) was observed in patient receiving chemotherapy. An improvement in overall survival of 4.8 (1.2 to 8.4) months was also observed in patients receiving multimodality treatment during 2000-2019 (p = 0.014). MM patients who were younger, female, diagnosed after 2000, epithelioid subtype, early stage, and received chemotherapy or multimodal treatment had longer survival. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that histopathological diagnosis and treatment success in MM have improved over the years.

Evaluation of Exudative Pleural Effusions: A Multicenter, Prospective, Observational Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic performances of pleural procedures in undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions and to evaluate factors suggestive of benign or malignant pleural effusions in tertiary care centers. METHODS: This was a multicenter prospective observational study conducted between January 1 and December 31, 2018. A total of 777 patients with undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion after the initial work-up were evaluated. The results of diagnostic procedures and the patients' diagnoses were prospectively recorded. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy estimates with 95% confidence intervals were used to examine the performance of pleural procedures to detect malignancy. RESULTS: The mean age ± SD of the 777 patients was 62.0 ± 16.0 years, and 68.3% of them were male. The most common cause was malignancy (38.3%). Lung cancer was the leading cause of malignant pleural effusions (20.2%). The diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of cytology were 59.5% and 84.3%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity of image-guided pleural biopsy was 86.4%. The addition of image-guided pleural biopsy to cytology increased diagnostic sensitivity to more than 90%. Thoracoscopic biopsy provided the highest diagnostic sensitivity (94.3%). The highest diagnostic sensitivity of cytology was determined in metastatic pleural effusion from breast cancer (86.7%). CONCLUSION: The diagnostic performance increases considerably when cytology is combined with image-guided pleural biopsy in malignant pleural effusions. However, to avoid unnecessary interventions and complications, the development of criteria to distinguish patients with benign pleural effusions is as important as the identification of patients with malignant pleural effusions.

Years of potential life lost and productivity costs due to COVID-19 in Turkey: one yearly evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to calculate the years of life lost (YLL) and years of potential life lost (YPLL) due to COVID-19, according to age groups in Turkey in the first year of the pandemic and the cost of this burden. STUDY DESIGN: This is an observational study with quantitative analyses. METHODS: YLL due to premature deaths was calculated for men and women by interpolating the number of deaths and the expected life expectancy. YPLL was calculated according to the age 65 years. Productivity loss is an estimation of the cost of time lost at work-related activities-in a scenario analysis-using predetermined wage rates with the human capital theory. RESULTS: Men lost 205,177 (67.57%) years of life, whereas women lost 125,330 (32.43%) years of life. The YLL average age in men was 63.66 ± 14.66 years, and the YLL average age in women was 66.07 ± 15.46 years. The average YLL age in men was younger than in women (P < 0.001). Men lost 65,180 (70.16%) YPLL, whereas women lost 27,723 (29.84%) YPLL. The average YPLL age in women was younger than in men (P < 0.001). During one year of the pandemic, premature death cost Turkey 227,396,694 USD, the cost for one premature death was 14,187 USD, and the cost of any year of life lost was 1261 USD. CONCLUSION: YLL and YPLLs are very closely associated with COVID-19 deaths in the country. The economic dimensions of the pandemic with human losses are quite high.

Evaluation of the contribution of fine-needle non-aspiration cytology to diagnosis in cases with pulmonary malignant lesions.

BACKGROUND: Fine-needle non-aspiration cytology (FNNAC) is an easy-to-apply, minimally invasive diagnostic method that contributes to the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. FNNAC can be performed from peripheral lymph nodes as well as in peripheral lung lesions. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of FNNAC performed from peripheral lesions or lymph nodes to diagnosis in patients with pulmonary malignant lesions. METHODS: FNNAC was applied from a peripherally located mass in the lung, chest wall lesion, or peripheral lymph node using a needle without an injector or active suction. The collected material was evaluated using the cytoblock method. The FNNAC accuracy was obtained by dividing the true positivity value by a number of needle biopsies performed. The 95% confidence interval of the obtained rate was also calculated. RESULTS: The mean age of 56 patients, two female (3.6%) and 54 male (96.4%), was 63.9 ± 9.1 (38-80) years. FNNAC was performed from the peripheral lymph node in 48 patients, the peripheral pulmonary lesion in four, and the accompanying chest wall lesion in four. While true positivity was present in 42 patients, two patients had true negativity, and 12 had false negativity. In five of the 12 cases reported as false negative, the collected material was evaluated as insufficient, while the malignant diagnoses of the remaining seven cases were confirmed by other diagnostic methods. The diagnostic success of FNNAC was determined as 78.57% (95% CI: 65.56-88.41). FNNAC was more successful in diagnosis when performed from the peripheral lymph node compared to the peripheral pulmonary lesion (p=0.033).

The relationship between nutritional status and prognosis in patients with locally advanced and advanced stage lung cancer.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to determine the poor nutritional status, related factors, and its effect on the prognosis of patients with locally advanced and advanced stage lung cancer. METHODS: The study consisted of 539 patients, 412 (76.4%) of whom were non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and 127 (23.6%) were small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The nutritional status of the patients was evaluated by the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) and Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI). Poor nutritional status was diagnosed with the CONUT score of ≥ 2 and PNI of ≥the median value. The factors related to nutritional status were determined using a multivariate logistic regression model. The effect of poor nutritional status on survival was calculated by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: The median age was 64 years (29-87). Poor nutritional status was found in 56.4% (57.8% for NSCLC and 52.0% for SCLC) and 49.2% (51.5% for NSCLC and 41.7% for SCLC) of patients according to CONUT and PNI, respectively. The factors associated with poor nutritional status according to CONUT were age, gender, KPS < 80, and BMI < 18.5 for NSCLC and KPS for SCLC. According to PNI, only KPS < 80 was associated with poor nutritional status by the multivariate logistic regression model. The median overall survival significantly decreased with poor nutritional status according to CONUT and PNI in NSCLC (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively) and in SCLC (p = 0.05 and p = 0.007, respectively). CONCLUSION: Poor nutritional status is a common factor associated with poor prognosis in patients with locally advanced and advanced stage lung cancer. Patients should be screened for nutritional status and supported.

Effectiveness of anti-smoking interventions towards community: a meta-analysis study.

OBJECTIVES: Smoking is one of the biggest public health problems in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the MPOWER package which provides a guide for tobacco control. The package includes six evidence based anti-smoking interventions. This meta-analysis study aims to assess the effectiveness of MPOWER - (M)onitor, (P)rotect, (O)ffer, (W)arn, (E)nforce, and (R)aise. In the study, "smoking prevalence rate, smoking cessation rate and number of cigarettes smoked daily" outputs were used in adult and adolescent age groups. METHODS: Literature search has been made with "smok*, tobacco, cigarette*" keywords from the databases of Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane-Library. Abstracts were assessed in detail according to the inclusion criteria by the research team. Quality of articles was evaluated with modified Jadad criteria. The follow-up periods of articles were determined in two groups named as short and long term periods. We used random effects model (p ≤ 0.05) and fixed effects model (p > 0.05) according to the heterogeneity test results. RESULTS: P and O interventions, which are evaluated with smoking cessation rate, increased the smoking cessation rate in adults by 39% in the longest follow-up period - RR: 1.39 (1.23-1.57). However, it was determined that the interventions were not effective on smoking cessation rate in adolescents - RR: 1.13 (0.90-1.42). Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) was the most effective intervention for smoking cessation rate in adults. W interventions, which are evaluated with smoking prevalence rate, decreased the smoking prevalence rate in adults by 13% in the longest follow-up period - OR: 0.87 (0.82-0.92). P, W and E interventions, which are evaluated with smoking prevalence rate, decreased the smoking prevalence rate in adolescents by 26% in the longest follow-up period - OR: 0.74 (0.68-0.80). CONCLUSIONS: MPOWER interventions affect smoking prevalence rate, smoking cessation rate and number of cigarettes smoked daily in different age groups. Well-controlled, well-planned and cost-effective anti-smoking interventions have great importance for public health protection.

Elderly people's quality of life in rural areas of Turkey and its relationship with loneliness and sociodemographic characteristics.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to examine the relationships between loneliness, quality of life and the factors that may be related to the quality of life in individuals ≥65 years old living in rural areas of Turkey. METHODS: The World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Older Adults Module (WHOQOL OLD) and Loneliness Scale for the Elderly (LSE) was administered to 427 elderly participants. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the variables that affected QOL. RESULTS: The results of the multivariate linear regression analyses indicated that gender, marital status, education level, family income status, general health condition, living arrangement, and loneliness level for subdomains were within the predictors. Loneliness level had the strongest negative impact on the four WHOQOL OLD subdomains and total WHOQOL OLD score. It was the most important predictor for autonomy, past present future activities, social participation, death-and-dying, and intimacy subdomains and for the total QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Remarkably, a sense of loneliness in the elderly was determined to be the most important factor for predicting their QOL. Loneliness should be considered in attempts to improve QOL for the elderly, interventions to reduce loneliness should specifically target this group, and activities with the potential to increase QOL should be encouraged.

Midkine is a potential novel marker for malignant mesothelioma with different prognostic and diagnostic values from mesothelin.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated possible diagnostic and prognostic values of serum midkine in malignant pleural mesothelioma in comparison with those of serum mesothelin, a well-established diagnostic biomarker. METHODS: Serum mesothelin and midkine levels were determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We examined specimens from 95 Turkish cases with malignant pleural mesothelioma, 56 metastatic cancers to pleura, 27 other types of benign pleural diseases and 20 benign asbestos pleurisy. The cut-off values were 1.5 nmol/L for mesothelin and 421 pg/mL for midkine. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of mesothelin were 51.6 and 71.4%, 51.6 and 85.2%, and 51.6 and 85% for differentiating mesothelioma from metastatic cancers to pleura, other benign pleural diseases and benign asbestos pleurisy, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of midkine were 61.1 and 41.1%, 61.1 and 48.1%, and 61.1 and 75% to distinguish mesothelioma from metastatic cancers to pleura, other benign pleural diseases and benign asbestos pleurisy, respectively. Combination of both biomarkers did not improve the differential diagnostic efficacy. Mesothelin levels were elevated in the epitheloid type and in the advanced cases, but were not related to the prognosis. In contrast, elevated baseline levels of midkine were independently associated with a poor prognosis of mesothelioma patients after adjusting for the stage, the histological subtypes and treatment schedules (HR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.09-3.09) (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Serum mesothelin showed moderate sensitivity and high specificity to differentiate malignant pleural mesothelioma from metastatic malignancy to pleura and from benign pleural diseases. In contrast, midkine was a useful marker for predicting prognosis of mesothelioma patients.

CT Scan-Guided Abrams' Needle Pleural Biopsy versus Ultrasound-Assisted Cutting Needle Pleural Biopsy for Diagnosis in Patients with Pleural Effusion: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Image-guided pleural biopsies, both using ultrasound (US) or computed tomography (CT), are important in the diagnosis of pleural disease. However, no consensus exists regarding which biopsy needles are appropriate for specific procedures. OBJECTIVES: In this randomized, prospective study, we aimed to compare CT scan-guided pleural biopsy using an Abrams' needle (CT-ANPB) with US-assisted pleural biopsy using a cutting needle (US-CNPB) with respect to both diagnostic yield and safety. METHODS: Between February 2009 and April 2013, 150 patients with exudative pleural effusion who could not be diagnosed by cytological analysis were included in the study. The patients were randomized into either the US-CNPB group or the CT-ANPB group. The two groups were compared in terms of diagnostic sensitivity and complications. RESULTS: Of the 150 patients enrolled in this study, 45 were diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, 46 were diagnosed with metastatic pleural disease, 18 were diagnosed with pleural tuberculosis, 34 were diagnosed with benign pleural disease, and 7 were lost to follow-up. In the US-CNPB group, the diagnostic sensitivity was 66.7%, compared with 82.4% in the CT-ANPB group; the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.029). The sensitivity of CT-ANPB increased to 93.7% for patients with a pleural thickness ≥1 cm. The complication rates were low and acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: The first diagnostic intervention that should be preferred in patients with pleural effusion and associated pleural thickening on a CT scan is CT-ANPB. US-CNPB should be used primarily in cases for which only pleural thickening but no pleural effusion is noted.

The effect of clinical characteristics on the performance of galactomannan and PCR for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in febrile neutropenic patients.

Rapid diagnosis and early treatment of invasive aspergillosis is crucial for the management of the patients with haematological malignancy. We evaluated 358 sera from 78 febrile neutropenic episodes in patient with invasive aspergillosis (IA) (one proven, 17 probable, and 60 possible) and 83 episodes in patients with no IA according to the EORTC/MSG criteria. Patient's specimens were tested by Mycassay Aspergillus PCR (first commercial real-time PCR test) and in house real-time PCR to investigate the presence of Aspergillus DNA, and by ELISA for detect the galactomannan (GM) antigen. We systematically investigated the medical background that can be effective on the test results. The hospitalisation period was longer in proven/probable episodes when compared with no IA (P = 0.001) and possible episodes. With regard to duration of neutropenia, the differences between both proven/probable with no IA (P = 0.023) and possible with no IA (P = 0.002) were highly significant. Similarly, the rates of T cell suppressant therapy in group proven/probable and possible episodes were significantly higher than in no IA (P = 0.005). There are significant differences in the performance of GM and PCR-based tests among studies, and standardisation is required. Therefore, it can be useful to determine the effective factors on these tests. The use of larger volume of sera improved the performance of real-time PCR for detection of Aspergillus DNA in high-risk adult patients in the present study. Some host factors such as duration of neutropenia and administration of T cell suppressants related to the development of IA.

Evaluation of reproductive health criteria in seasonal agricultural workers: a sample from Eskisehir, Turkey.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to determine reproductive health outcomes of seasonal agricultural female workers in rural areas of Eskisehir, Turkey, and to compare such identified outcomes with the country-wide data. METHODS: Data in respect of this cross-sectional study were collected during a field visit in July 2012. The study group was formed by all of the distribution camps located in rural areas of Eskisehir. Each tent was considered as a domestic dwelling and the census method was used. First, a household questionnaire about sociodemographic characteristics was administered. The '15-49 year old married women questionnaire' was applied only if there was a married woman in the household in the age range of 15-49 years. The said questionnaire comprised information on marriage, childbirth and family planning. The 2008 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey was utilized for the comparison between the data attained from the rural sample and those of the general population. RESULTS: A total of 192 married women aged 15-49 years, inhabiting the 133 tents, were included in the study group. The mean age at first marriage and at first pregnancy were significantly lower in the female seasonal agricultural workers compared to the general Turkish population. Compared with the overall Turkish population, the crude birth rate and general fertility rate of the female seasonal agricultural workers were 2.5 times higher whereas the total fertility rate was 3.9 times higher and the completed fertility rate 2.3 times higher. With the exception of the 45-49 year age group, the age-specific fertility rates were 2-24 times higher. Female seasonal agricultural workers have higher fertility rates than the general population. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of the present study, reproductive and maternal health status is significantly lower in female seasonal agricultural workers compared to the general Turkish population. There is a need towards multidisciplinary approaches in order for the provision of improved maternal and reproductive health status and outcomes for this group of disadvantaged women in terms of educational level, residence, fertility rights and access to healthcare services. Reducing the fertility rate should be the principal starting point.

The effectiveness and safety of platinum-based pemetrexed and platinum-based gemcitabine treatment in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the efficiency and safety of cis/carboplatin plus gemcitabine, which was previously used for mesothelioma but with no recorded proof of its efficiency, compared with cis/carboplatin plus pemetrexed, which is known to be effective in mesothelioma, in comparable historical groups of malignant pleural mesothelioma. METHODS: One hundred and sixteen patients received cis/carboplatin plus pemetrexed (group 1), while 30 patients received cis/carboplatin plus gemcitabine (group 2) between June 1999 and June 2012. The two groups were compared in terms of median survival and adverse events to chemotherapy. RESULTS: The mean ages of groups 1 and 2 were 60.7 and 60.8 years, respectively. Most of the patients (78.1%) had epithelial type tumors, and 47% of the patients had stage IV disease. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, asbestos exposure, histology, stage, Karnofsky performance status, presence of pleurodesis, prophylactic radiotherapy, second-line chemotherapy and median hemoglobin and serum albumin levels. The median survival time from diagnosis to death or the last day of follow up with a 95% confidence interval was 12 ± 0.95 months (95% CI: 10.15-13.85) for group 1 and 11.0 ± 1.09 months (95% CI: 8.85-13.15) for group 2 (Log-Rank: 0.142; p = 0.706). The median survival time from treatment to death or the last day of follow-up with a 95% confidence interval was 11.0 ± 0.99 months (95% CI: 9.06-12.94) for group 1 and 11.0 ± 1.52 months (95% CI: 8.02-13.97) for group 2 (Log-Rank: 0.584; p = 0.445). The stage and Karnofsky performance status were found to be significant variables on median survival time by univariate analysis. After adjusting for the stage and Karnofsky performance status, the chemotherapy schema was not impressive on median survival time (OR: 0.837; 95% CI: 0.548-1.277; p = 0.409). The progression free survival was 7.0 ± 0.61 months for group I and 6.0 ± 1.56 months for group II (Log-Rank: 0.522; p = 0.470). The treatment was generally well tolerated, and the side effects were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that platinum-based gemcitabine is effective and a safe schema in malignant pleural mesothelioma. Further research should include large randomized phase III trials comparing these agents.

Adolescent obesity and associated cardiovascular risk factors of rural and urban life (Eskisehir, Turkey).

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of obesity and to compare the associated risk factors between the adolescent children living in rural and urban areas. MATERIALS: This cross-sectional study conducted among 3,918 high school students getting education in the city centre and rural areas of Eskisehir. A specially designed questionnaire form included questions about socio-demographic characteristics as well as cardiovascular risk factors including smoking status, diet habits (breakfasting, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit and vegetable consumption), physical activity and time spent on computer and/or television. RESULTS: The prevalence of being overweight was 10.4% and 12.2% and the prevalence of obesity was 7.9% and 11.3% in rural and urban areas, respectively. In urban areas, being overweight was accompanied by prehypertension (OR=2.3, 95% Cl 1.6-3.3), hypertension (OR= 2.3, 95% CI 1.6-3.2), and family history of cardiovascular disease (OR =1.3, 95% CI 1-1.7), and obesity was accompanied by prehypertension (OR= 2.3, 95% CI 1.6-3.3), hypertension (OR=3.9, 95% Cl 2.9-5.3), excessive use of computer/TV (OR=1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.7), having no breakfast (OR=1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.7), physician-diagnosed diabetes mellitus (OR=4.2, 95% CI 1.3-14.1) and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (OR=0.6, 95% CI 0.5-0.8). In rural areas, although the variables accompanying being overweight were parallel with those in urban areas, obesity was only associated with prehypertension (OR=6.1, 95% CI 2.6-14.1), hypertension (OR=22.1, 95% Cl 9.9-49.3) and family history of cardiovascular disease (OR=1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.6). CONCLUSION: Risk factors may differ in the adolescents from rural and urban areas. It is important in overweight and obese children to assess the family history of cardiovascular disease, blood pressure and blood glucose, to ask about the habit of regularly breakfasting, and to evaluate time spent on computer/TV. As in urban areas, environmental regulations also become important in rural areas. Appropriate social activities for children to spent more time outdoor, e.g. in parks or playgrounds, are important in urban as well as in rural areas.

Environmental asbestos exposure and lung cancer.

Apart from living near an asbestos industry site, mine, or in an asbestos-contaminated house, environmental asbestos exposure is observed in certain regions where the (natural) soil is 'contaminated' with asbestos (fibers). In this essay, we review the association between environmental asbestos exposure and lung cancer in Turkey. Other studies have also suggested that environmental asbestos exposure is able to increase the risk of lung cancer. Lung cancer associated with environmental asbestos exposure seems to be diagnosed at a younger age, and the risk for women is in the same range as that for men. Our data indicate that the relationship between exposure dose and risk is linear and that a safe threshold cannot be established. Therefore, people living in areas with increased chances of environmental asbestos exposure should be mentored to take part in smoking cessation programs and considered candidates for inclusion in lung cancer screening programs. There is an obvious need for additional studies on this topic.

Impact of a mixed method training programme on attitudes of future doctors toward intellectual disability.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mixed method training programme in improving attitudes of senior medical students toward intellectual disability (ID). Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental intervention study conducted with the senior medical students. The intervention groups received a mixed method training programme that included seminars, role-playing, social contact, and interactions with people with ID as simulated patients, which have been described in the literature as effective training methods. The control groups was shown a video unrelated to ID. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated by administering the Attitudes Toward Intellectual Disability Questionnaire (ATTID)-Short Form to both the intervention and control groups as pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 6-week follow-up. Results: A significant difference was found positively between pre-intervention post-intervention, and 6-week follow-up ATTID-Short Form scores in the intervention groups on factors of Discomfort, Knowledge of capacity and rights, Sensitivity or tenderness, Knowledge of causes, except for the Interaction factor. The differences between pre-intervention and 6-week follow-up scores were significantly greater in the intervention groups compared with the control groups on all factors except the Sensitivity or tenderness factor. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the mixed method training programme resulted a positive change in students' attitudes toward people with ID.

BAP1, Wilms' tumor 1, and calretinin in predicting survival and response to first-line chemotherapy in patients with pleural mesothelioma.

PURPOSE: There are currently no methods to predict response to chemotherapy in pleural mesothelioma (PM). The aim of this study is to investigate the predictive and prognostic role of BAP1, WT1 and calretinin expression and their combinations in pre-treatment tumor samples by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. METHODS: The study included consecutive PM patients treated with chemotherapy alone at a University hospital between 2009 and 2020. BAP1 analyses were performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples of the patients, while WT1 and calretinin information were obtained from the histopathological diagnosis records. RESULTS: Of the total 107 patients included, 64% had loss of BAP1 expression, whereas 77% had WT1 and 86% had calretinin expression. Patients with the presence of BAP1 expression, one or both of the other two markers, or loss of expression of all three markers (unfavorable status) were more likely to not respond to chemotherapy than those with the presence of all three markers or loss of BAP1 expression and expression of one or two other markers (favorable status) (p = 0.001). Median survival time of patients with favorable and unfavorable status was 15 ± 1.7 and 8.0 ± 2.4 months, respectively (p = 0.027). After adjustment for histopathology and stage, loss of BAP1 (HR = 0.54, 95%CI 0.35-0.83), WT1 (1.75, 1.06-2.90), calretinin (2.09, 1.14-3.84) expression and favourable panel (0.50, 0.27-0.92) was associated with prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The IHC biomarkers BAP1, WT1, and calretinin, used in the routine diagnosis of PM and their combinations, are the first biomarkers associated with response to chemotherapy and may be a useful tool to select patients for first-line platinum pemetrexed treatment in PM patients. Validation in a large cohort is ongoing.

Turkish validity and reliability of telemedicine awareness, knowledge, attitude and skills questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to investigate the validity and reliability of the "Telemedicine Awareness, Knowledge, Attitude, and Skills (AKAS) of Telemedicine" questionnaire and to convert the questionnaire to Turkish. METHODS: The study is methodological research conducted among medical faculty students and medical residents. For the validity and reliability analysis of the "AKAS of Telemedicine" questionnaire, 425 medical faculty students and medical residents were included in the study, and the sample was 7-10 times the number of questionnaire items. Exploratory factor analysis was performed for construct validity. The test-retest method was engaged to assess reliability. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient and the item-total correlation coefficient were calculated for internal consistency. Descriptive statistics were given as mean, standard deviation, median, and first and third quartile values for numerical variables, and numbers and percentages for categorical variables. The Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman's correlation coefficient were conducted to evaluate the correlation between variables. RESULTS: The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of the "AKAS of Telemedicine" questionnaire was found to be 0.950, 0.851, 0.970, and 0.952 in the sub-areas, respectively. When an item was removed, the Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient values ranged between 0.826 and 0.969, and no significant difference was detected. As a result of test-retest reliability analysis, a strong positive correlation was found between the total scores (awareness r=0.848, knowledge r=0.792, attitude r=0.787, and skill r=0.816; p<0.001 for each score). CONCLUSION: The Turkish form of the "AKAS of Telemedicine" questionnaire is a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used to evaluate the level of AKAS among physicians. It was concluded that research using the "AKAS of Telemedicine" questionnaire would be useful to determine the telemedicine AKAS levels among Turkiye, particularly in health sector workers.