Contrast-enhanced ultrasound reveals free-floating thrombus in carotid artery: The cause of stroke is surprisingly plaque rupture.

Background: Acute stroke poses a serious threat to people's health. The occurrence of a thrombus following the rupture of vulnerable plaques in the carotid artery is a significant contributor to the development of stroke. In previous case reports, it has been challenging to visualize tiny ulcerations within carotid artery plaques using computed tomography angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA), even when the rupture of the plaque leads to the formation of a free-floating thrombus (FFT).

Intratumoral heterogeneity contributes to the chemotherapy prognosis of breast cancer.

Context: Previous studies have shown that intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) is associated with poor clinical outcomes and is thought to be a mechanism of resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Aims: We aimed to determine how ITH affects the response to drug therapy in breast cancer (BC).

Settings And Design: We assessed ITH using mutated allele tumor heterogeneity (MATH) data from BC patients in the TCGA database.

Evaluating authentication options for mobile health applications in younger and older adults.

Objective: Apps promoting patient self-management may improve health outcomes. However, methods to secure stored information on mobile devices may adversely affect usability. We tested the reliability and usability of common user authentication techniques in younger and older adults.

Locking it down: The privacy and security of mobile medication apps.

Objective: To explore the privacy and security of free medication applications (apps) available to Canadian consumers.

Methods: The authors searched the Canadian iTunes store for iOS apps and the Canadian Google Play store for Android apps related to medication use and management. Using an Apple iPad Air 2 and a Google Nexus 7 tablet, 2 reviewers generated a list of apps that met the following inclusion criteria: free, available in English, intended for consumer use and related to medication management.

Urban Chinese smokers from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face more barriers to quitting: results from the international tobacco control-China survey.

Introduction: Research findings on social disparities in barriers to quitting faced by smokers from mainly Western English-language countries may or may not generalize to smokers in China. This paper sought to determine whether nicotine dependence, quitting self-efficacy, quitting interest differ by socio-economic status (SES), and whether they mediate the relationship between SES and quitting behavior of urban Chinese smokers.

Methods: Data come from 7,309 adult smokers who participated in the first 3 waves of the International Tobacco Control-China survey conducted in 7 cities across China.

Correlational study of vascular endothelial growth factor expression and microvessel density in primary malignant gastric lymphoma.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and microvessel density (MVD) in primary malignant gastric lymphoma were studied, and their correlation as well as its clinical significance was analyzed. Thirty-five patients diagnosed with primary malignant gastric lymphoma were enrolled in this study. VEGF expression in the tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry.

The use of cessation assistance among smokers from China: Findings from the ITC China Survey.

Background: Stop smoking medications significantly increase the likelihood of smoking cessation. However, there are no population-based studies of stop-smoking medication use in China, the largest tobacco market in the world. This study examined stop-smoking medication use and its association with quitting behavior among a population-based sample of Chinese smokers.

Individual-level factors associated with intentions to quit smoking among adult smokers in six cities of China: findings from the ITC China Survey.

Background: Over 350 million smokers live in China, and this represents nearly one-third of the smoking population of the world. Smoking cessation is critically needed to help reduce the harms and burden caused by smoking-related diseases. It is therefore important to identify the determinants of quitting and of quit intentions among smokers in China.

Health knowledge and perception of risks among Chinese smokers and non-smokers: findings from the Wave 1 ITC China Survey.

Background: Awareness of health risks of smoking is strongly associated with smoking behaviour. However, there are no population-based studies of smoking-related health knowledge in China.

Objective: The aim of current study was to use a population-based sample from the International Tobacco Control China Wave 1 survey to examine variations between current, former and never smokers' health knowledge about smoking and the impact of health knowledge awareness on smokers' intention to quit.