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Copyright of Turkish Journal of Hematology is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Intellectual disability (ID) persists from birth through adulthood and aging. Thus, the support provided to individuals with intellectual disabilities (IwID) in adulthood is essential to increase their self-determination and quality of life. This research aimed to determine how IwID may receive support for education, working life, accommodation, and leisure in adulthood in the Turkish context by increasing their and their families' quality of life without socially discriminating against them. Qualitative data were collected in two stages, combining semi-structured interviews and the Delphi study technique. Results prompted the recommendation that a legal basis for transition-to-adulthood planning be established in Turkey for a functional adult service model. Next, a model with specific standards by which multidisciplinary experts analyse education, work, leisure, and housing alternatives for preadulthood and adulthood should be developed and coordinated by the Turkish Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Family. Implications for the future are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals with disabilities and their families, among the disadvantaged groups in society, have encountered increased hardships accessing support and services in various social contexts, such as education, health, transportation, rehabilitation, and social services. Thus, it is essential to examine parents' experiences as a background catalyzer to improve the currently available services and provide psychological and social support. This study examined the experiences of families of children with disabilities who were in Turkey during the pandemic's early stages, and yielded suggestions based on these experiences. Method: A phenomenological design was used in this study, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 parents of children with disabilities. Findings: Three themes emerged from data analysis: (a) quarantine, (b) education, and (c) children with disabilities. Conclusions: The findings revealed the importance of taking necessary precautions for individuals with disabilities and their families to access social services. Additionally, findings underline the essentiality of providing psychological support to families while providing and extending family education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Hematology is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to develop a Daily Life Education Program for institutionalized individuals with intellectual disabilities. Method: The system approach-based program development model was used in the study. This model includes three steps: (a) defining the problem, (b) development, and (c) assessment. In the first phase of the study, the members of the program advisory committee were identified, and the problems related to the daily life of the individuals with intellectual disabilities who reside in public care and rehabilitation centers were defined, and a work plan was developed. During the development phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 61 caregivers, professionals, and administrators employed in 10 public care and rehabilitation centers in seven regions in Turkey. Results: The assessment results demonstrated that content validity was obtained for all 232 program objectives. Conclusions: This study's main conclusion underline the necessity of a well-designed and well-organized life system that combines structured daily life skills training and leisure time activities for individuals with intellectual disabilities during their adulthood with the supports provided and coordinated by qualified experts and assistant personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of high-dose cytosine arabinoside (HDAC)-containing treatments followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation on the survival of patients with mantle cell lymphoma. Material and methods: The data of 27 MCL patients who were followed-up between January 2009 and December 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The median age of the patients was 63 (range, 45–82) with 22 (81.4%) males and 5 (18.6%) females. Eight of 27 patients were treated with HDAC-containing regimens either as induction or salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT). The patients who received HDAC-containing regimen followed by AHSCT were found to have better one-year survival compared to others (p = 0.03). Median follow-up of patient cohort was 27.6 months and median overall survival (OS) was not reached. The probability of one-year OS for all patients was 76.8%. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that HDAC treatment followed by AHSCT seems to provide the best outcome for young-fit patients presenting with mantle cell lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Hematology is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Before the introduction of direct-acting antivirals in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients, the combination of peginterferon alpha and ribavirin was the standard therapy. Observational studies that investigated sustained virological response (SVR) rates by these drugs yielded different outcomes. Aims: The goal of the study was to demonstrate real life data concerning SVR rate achieved by peginterferon alpha plus ribavirin in patients who were treatment-naïve. Study Design: A multicenter, retrospective observational study. Methods: The study was conducted retrospectively on 1214 treatment naïve-patients, being treated with peginterferon alpha-2a or 2b plus ribavirin in respect of the current guidelines between 2005 and 2013. The patients' data were collected from 22 centers via a standard form, which has been prepared for this study. The data included demographic and clinical characteristics (gender, age, body weight, initial Hepatitis C virus RNA (HCV RNA) level, disease staging) as well as course of treatment (duration of treatment, outcomes, discontinuations and adverse events). Renal insufficiency, decompensated liver disease, history of transplantation, immunosuppressive therapy or autoimmune liver disease were exclusion criteria for the study. Treatment efficacy was assessed according to the patient's demographic characteristics, baseline viral load, genotype, and fibrosis scores. Results: The mean age of the patients was 50.74 (±0.64) years. Most of them were infected with genotype 1 (91.8%). SVR was achieved in 761 (62.7%) patients. SVR rate was 59.1% in genotype 1, 89.4% in genotype 2, 93.8% in genotype 3, and 33.3% in genotype 4 patients. Patients with lower viral load yielded higher SVR (65.8% vs. 58.4%, p=0.09). SVR rates according to histologic severity were found to be 69.3%, 66.3%, 59.9%, 47.3%, and 45.5% in patients with fibrosis stage 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The predictors of SVR were male gender, genotype 2/3, age less than 45 years, low fibrosis stage, low baseline viral load and presence of early virological response. SVR rates to each peginterferon were found to be similar in genotype 1/4 although SVR rates were found to be higher for peginterferon alpha-2b in patients with genotype 2/3. The number of patients who failed to complete treatment due to adverse effects was 33 (2.7%). The number of patients failed to complete treatment due to adverse effects was 33 (2.7%). Conclusion: Our findings showed that the rate of SVR to dual therapy was higher in treatment-naïve Turkish patients than that reported in randomized controlled trials. Also peginterferon alpha-2a and alpha-2b were found to be similar in terms of SVR in genotype 1 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The febrile convulsion (FC) occurs in neurologically normal children aged between six months and five years and it is defined as convulsions occurred during fever and in the absence of central nervous system (CNS) infection, electrolyte imbalance, diseases affecting directly CNS, and history of afebrile convulsion. The aims of this study were to determine the serum levels of selenium in patients with recurrent FC and to compare them with those of healthy children. Materials and Methods: The study included 61 pediatric patients diagnosed with recurrent FC. At the same session, 54 healthy children who admitted to our pediatric clinic for routine controls without history of fever and convulsion, are assigned as control group. The serum level of selenium was measured by atomic absorption spectrometric method (hydride technique). Results: Mean level of selenium was determined as 67.10±8.87 µg/L in patients and 81.99±13.13 µg/L in control group; the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Discussion: The lower serum levels of selenium in patients with recurrent FC may be the cause of triggering of convulsion or may contribute to its recurrence. Further studies are necessary to clarify this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]