Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of computed tomography (CT) histogram analysis for thyroid malignant solitary coarse calcification nodules (MSCN).Methods A total of 89 thyroid solitary coarse calcification nodules (coarse calcification ≥5 mm,no definite soft tissue around calcification) confirmed either by surgery or histopathological examination in 86 patients enrolled in this study from Jan.2009 to Dec.2015 were evaluated,including 33 MSCN from 32 patients and 56 benign solitary coarse calcification nodules (BSCN) from 56 patients.Overall,27 cut-off values were calculated by N (4 ≤ N ≤ 30) times of 50 Hounsfield units (HU) in the range of 200 HU to 1500 HU,and each cut-off value and the differences in the corresponding area percentages in the CT histogram were recorded for MSCN and BSCN.The optimal cut-off value and the corresponding area percentage were established by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results In the 24 groups with an ROC area under the curve (AUC) of more than 0.7,at a cut-off value of 1150 HU and at an area percentage of no less than 98.4％,the ROC AUC reached a maximum of 0.86,and the accuracy,sensitivity,and specificity were 70.8％,93.9％,and 57.1％,respectively.At a cut-off value of 450 HU and at an area percentage of no less than 46.3％,the accuracy,sensitivity,and specificity were 76.4％,48.5％,and 92.9％,respectively.At a cut-off value of 550 HU and at an area percentage of no less than 81.5％,the accuracy,sensitivity,and specificity were 75.3％,33.3％,and 100％,respectively.Conclusions In comparison with the cut-off value of 1150 HU with an area percentage of no less than 98.4％,the sensitivities for the cut-off value of 450 HU with an area percentage of no less than 46.3％ and for the cut-off value of 550 HU with an area percentage of no less than 81.5％ were lower;however,the specificities increased significantly,providing an important basis for reducing the misdiagnosis of MSCN.

Objective To explore the value of ultrasound gray scale ratio (UGSR) in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC) with different sizes.Methods A retrospective study was made in 702 patients with 1107 nodules which were confirmed by surgery in the Department of Oncology or fineneedle aspiration of HangZhou First people's Hospital,Zhejiang University of medical school from Jan.2016 to Oct.2017.All the thyroid nodules were divided into three groups:D≤ 1 cm group,1＜D≤2 cm group and ＞2 cm group according to their sizes.The UGSR of the PTC and NG were obtained through the RAD info system.Their differences were analyzed and ROC was established to confirm the optimal threshold in the differential diagnosis between PTC and NG among the groups.Results There were 483 PTC and 624 NG in this study.The UGSR of D≤ 1 cm group,1＜D≤2 cm group and ＞2 cm group of PTC and NG were (0.48±0.12) vs (0.76±0.22)(t=33.21,P=0.00);(0.52±0.17) vs(0.80±0.21)(t=1.30,P=0.00) and (0.63±0.20) vs(0.89±0.24)(t=3.58,P=0.00) respectively.The area under the ROC of UGSR in the differentiation of PTC and NG in the three groups were 0.873,0.840 and 0.811 respectively.The Youden indexes were greatest (0.631,0.536 and 0.535 respectively),when the cut-offs of the UGSR were 0.682,0.652 and 0.831 respectively.The sensitivity and specificity to diagnose PTC were 94.8％ and 68.0％,75.0％ and 78.6％,80.3％ and 73.2％ respectively in the three groups.Conclusions The best UGSR value of PTC was variant in thyroid nodule with different size.Recognition of these differences accurately could improve the pre-operative diagnostic accuracy of PTC.Also the method is simple to operate and easy to apply.

Objective To study the association between reasons for smoking and results related to successful smoking cessation. Methods A community-based case-control study was conducted with 642 male adults recognized as successful spontaneous smoking quitters being the subject cases while another 700 male adults who had failed to quit smoking were served as the controls. Russell Reason for Smoking Questionnaire(RRSQ)was used to investigate the reasons for smoking. Dominance logistic regression was performed to determine the relative importance of reasons for starting smoking and the endpoint of successful quit smoking. Results After adjusting the potential confounders of age,age of smoking initiation,marital status,profession,and education,the adjusted means of sedative and stimulation of RRSQ in the successful quitters were significant lower than that in the failed quitters. Results from the dominance logistic regression showed that the first two important factors for smoking cessation were sedative and stimulation of RRSQ,followed by psychological image,automatic,hand-mouth activity,indulgence,and addiction. Conclusion This study demonstrated that factors as dependence-addiction showed more important impacts than the social-psychological ones on the endpoint of successful smoking cessation.

OBJECTIVETo examine the association between social support and successful smoking cessation outcomes in males from rural areas.

METHODSA community-based case-control study was conducted with 642 adult male cases who appeared to be successful spontaneous smoking quitters as cases, together with other 700 adult males who failed quitting smoking to serve, as controls. Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) was used to assess the individual social support. Multiple linear method was used to evaluate the relationship between social support and the outcome of successful cessation in smoking.

RESULTSAfter adjusting the potential confounders as age, education, marital status, profession, age of initial smoking and number of pack-years on smoking, the adjusted mean of subjective social support in successful quitters was significant lower than that in the failed ones (P<0.001). The differences of adjusted means between objective social support and its utility were not statistically different in the two groups among the population who recognized that cigarettes should always be provided when people interact with each other (P=0.124; P=0.763). However, the adjusted means of social support and the related three dimensions did not show significant differences in the two groups among the population in disapproval of the above said social norms (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONData from our research indicated that social support would negatively affect the successful spontaneous cessation of smoking among people under unhealthy smoking culture.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Rural Population ; Smoking ; psychology ; Smoking Cessation ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Smoking Prevention ; Social Support

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between smoking abstinence self- efficacy (SASE) and age.

METHODSA cross-sectional questionnaire survey in form of face-to-face interview was performed. The SASE level was assessed by using the Smoking Abstinence Self-Efficacy Scale. Univariate two-degree fractional polynomials (FPs) regression model was used to explore the relationship between SASE and age after adjusting of potential confounders: marital status, occupation and education.

RESULTSThe relationship between SASE and age showed a U-shaped curve with the nadir at 60 years old.

CONCLUSIONThe distribution of SASE is not consistent among age groups; middle aged person has lower level of SASE than both the younger and the elder.

Age Factors ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Models, Statistical ; Self Efficacy ; Smoking Cessation ; psychology ; Smoking Prevention ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo estimate the mediating effect of smoking abstinence self-efficacy (SASE) on the association between awareness of smoking hazard and successful smoking cessation.

METHODSA community-based case-control study was conducted in 642 smokers who successfully stopped smoking, and 700 smokers who failed in smoking cessation were used as controls. The awareness of smoking hazard was evaluated by total score of 12 items. The SASE was assessed by using Smoking Abstinence Self-Efficacy (ASES-S). The total effect was classified as direct effect and indirect effect through logistic regression analysis based on the KHB method.

RESULTSAfter adjusting the potential confounders, including age, age of smoking initiation, occupation, educational level and marital status, the mediating effect of SASE accounted for 6.03% among the total effect of awareness of smoking hazard in those who successfully stopped smoking while the direct effect accounted for 93.97% among the total effect. In the three specific situation of SASE, the mediating effect of SASE accounted for 6.80% (positive/social situations), 3.08% (negative/affective situations) and 2.32% (habit/addictive situations) among the total effect, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSASE has part mediating effect to influence on the association between the awareness of smoking hazard and successful smoking cessation. Improving smokers' awareness of smoking hazard may not only promote successful smoking cessation directly, but also contribute to quit smoking through improving the score of SASE.

Case-Control Studies ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Self Efficacy ; Smoking ; psychology ; Smoking Cessation ; psychology ; Tobacco Use Disorder

OBJECTIVETo study the association between reasons for smoking and results related to successful smoking cessation.

METHODSA community-based case-control study was conducted with 642 male adults recognized as successful spontaneous smoking quitters being the subject cases while another 700 male adults who had failed to quit smoking were served as the controls. Russell Reason for Smoking Questionnaire (RRSQ) was used to investigate the reasons for smoking. Dominance logistic regression was performed to determine the relative importance of reasons for starting smoking and the endpoint of successful quit smoking.

RESULTSAfter adjusting the potential confounders of age, age of smoking initiation, marital status, profession, and education, the adjusted means of sedative and stimulation of RRSQ in the successful quitters were significant lower than that in the failed quitters. Results from the dominance logistic regression showed that the first two important factors for smoking cessation were sedative and stimulation of RRSQ, followed by psychological image, automatic, hand-mouth activity, indulgence, and addiction.

CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrated that factors as dependence-addiction showed more important impacts than the social-psychological ones on the endpoint of successful smoking cessation.

Adult ; Behavior, Addictive ; Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Smoking ; psychology ; Smoking Cessation ; statistics & numerical data ; Smoking Prevention ; Surveys and Questionnaires