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Aims Atherosclerosis is characterized by the abundant infiltration of myeloid cells starting at early stages of disease. Myeloid cells are key players in vascular immunity during atherogenesis. However, the subsets of vascular myeloid cells have eluded resolution due to shared marker expression and atypical heterogeneity in vascular tissues. We applied the high-dimensionality of mass cytometry to the study of myeloid cell subsets in atherosclerosis. Methods and results Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice were fed a chow or a high fat (western) diet for 12 weeks. Single-cell aortic preparations were probed with a panel of 35 metal-conjugated antibodies using cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF). Clustering of marker expression on live CD45+ cells from the aortas of ApoE−/− mice identified 13 broad populations of leucocytes. Monocyte, macrophage, type 1 and type 2 conventional dendritic cell (cDC1 and cDC2), plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC), neutrophil, eosinophil, B cell, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell, γδ T cell, natural killer (NK) cell, and innate lymphoid cell (ILC) populations accounted for approximately 95% of the live CD45+ aortic cells. Automated clustering algorithms applied to the Lin-CD11blo-hi cells revealed 20 clusters of myeloid cells. Comparison between chow and high fat fed animals revealed increases in monocytes (both Ly6C+ and Ly6C−), pDC, and a CD11c+ macrophage subset with high fat feeding. Concomitantly, the proportions of CD206+ CD169+ subsets of macrophages were significantly reduced as were cDC2. Conclusions A CyTOF-based comprehensive mapping of the immune cell subsets within atherosclerotic aortas from ApoE−/− mice offers tools for myeloid cell discrimination within the vascular compartment and it reveals that high fat feeding skews the myeloid cell repertoire toward inflammatory monocyte-macrophage populations rather than resident macrophage phenotypes and cDC2 during atherogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory disease and is largely responsible for cardiovascular disease, the most common cause of global mortality. The hallmark of atherogenesis is immune activation following lipid accumulation in the arterial wall. In particular, macrophages play a non-redundant role in both the progression and regression of inflammation in the atherosclerotic lesion. Macrophages are remarkably heterogeneous phagocytes that perform versatile functions in health and disease. Their functional diversity in vascular biology is only partially mapped. Targeting macrophages is often highlighted as a therapeutic approach for cancer, metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Future strategies for therapeutic intervention in atherosclerosis may benefit from attempts to reduce local proliferation of pro-inflammatory macrophage subsets or enhance resolution of inflammation. Thus, characterisation of macrophage subsets during atherosclerosis would empower clinical interventions. Therefore, it would be of fundamental importance to understand how pathological factors modulate macrophage activity in order to exploit their use in the treatment of atherosclerosis and other diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines, either lobectomy or total thyroidectomy was recommended for thyroid cancer <4 cm without extrathyroidal extension (ETE) and lymph node (LN) metastasis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate factors predictive of bilaterality in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients with tumor size <4 cm. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 3296 conventional PTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection and/or lateral neck dissection between January 2008 and June 2015. Results: In overall conventional PTC patients, per 10-year age increment (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.153, p < 0.001), BRAF mutation positivity (adjusted OR = 1.447, p = 0.002) and multifocality (adjusted OR = 3.895, p < 0.001) were independent predictors for bilaterality. In conventional PTC patients with tumor size 1-4 cm, per 10-year age increment (adjusted OR = 1.289, p < 0.001), BRAF mutation positivity (adjusted OR = 1.560, p = 0.012), multifocality (adjusted OR = 4.220, p < 0.001), and N1b (adjusted OR = 1.570, p = 0.007) were independent predictors for bilaterality. In conventional PTC patients with tumor size <1 cm, BRAF mutation positivity (adjusted OR = 1.327, p = 0.042) and multifocality (adjusted OR = 3.530, p < 0.001) were found to be independent predictors for bilaterality. Conclusions: When multifocality and BRAF mutation positivity are observed in PTC patients with tumor size <4 cm, total thyroidectomy may be considered. If lobectomy is performed in PTC patients with multifocality and BRAF mutation positivity, meticulous follow-up is needed to detect hidden malignancies in the contralateral lobe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For N1b papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients, modified radical neck dissection (MRND) encompassing levels II-V is generally recommended. However, routine level V dissection is controversial because of the low incidence of metastasis/recurrence in level V and the increased morbidities associated with level V dissection. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 646 N1b PTC patients who underwent unilateral MRND between January 1997 and June 2015. Specifically, to assess surgery-related outcomes of level V dissection, outcomes from N1b PTC patients who underwent unilateral MRND (levels II-V) were compared with those who underwent unilateral selective neck dissection (SND; levels II-IV) using propensity score matching. Results: Overall and occult level V metastases were observed in 13.9% and 8.6% of patients, respectively. Level V recurrences were observed in only 2.26 (7.7%) recurred N1b PTC patients who underwent unilateral MRND. In multivariate analysis, three-level (II, III, and IV) simultaneous metastasis (adjusted odds ratio = 3.079, p = 0.003) was an independent predictor for level V metastasis. Under a matched condition, 'shoulder syndrome' encompassing shoulder dysfunction and pain (9.1% vs. 2.7%, p = 0.002) was significantly more frequent in the MRND group than it was in the SND group. Conclusions: Because of the low incidence of metastasis/recurrence in level V and the clear evidence of increased morbidities, level V dissection in N1b PTC patients may be reserved for those with three-level simultaneous metastasis or clinically/radiologically evident level V metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Only about half of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cases are classified as conventional PTC (CV-PTC), whereas various histologic variants constitute the remaining cases. Since controversies about the clinical behavior and outcomes of PTC variants continue, the purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of patients with PTC variants who were treated at a large tertiary referral center in Korea. Methods: The medical records for 15,598 CV-PTCs, 435 follicular variants of PTC (FV-PTCs), and 66 diffuse sclerosing variants of PTC (DSV-PTCs) were retrospectively reviewed. Loco-regional recurrences (LRR) among PTC variants were compared using propensity score matching. Results: Analysis I compared CV-PTC with FV-PTC. After rigorous matching, 367 pairs were established. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates in CV-PTC were 96.1% at 5 years, 92.2% at 10 years, and 92.2% at 15 years, while those for FV-PTC were 98.8% at 5 years, 98.8% at 10 years, and 98.8% at 15 years ( p = 0.026). Analysis II compared CV-PTC with DSV-PTC. Rigorous matching yielded 56 pairs. RFS rates for CV-PTC were 87.4% at 5 years, 87.4% at 10 years, and 87.4% at 15 years, while those for DSV-PTC were 68.9% at 5 years, 57.5% at 10 years, and were not available at 15 years ( p = 0.013). Conclusions: Compared with CV-PTC, FV-PTC showed less aggressive behaviors and more favorable outcomes. However, DSV-PTC showed more aggressive behaviors and a less favorable outcome than CV-PTC did. Therefore, the management strategy and follow-up plan for PTC should be differentiated according to the histologic variant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The failure to preserve parathyroid function in patients who have undergone total thyroidectomy is of major concern, because hypocalcemia is difficult to prevent and remains a common postoperative complication. Here, we describe procedures designed to preserve the vasculature supplying the parathyroid glands and examine both recent outcomes and retrospective reports of results obtained prior to the application of these preservation techniques. Methods: Our technique for preserving parathyroid function during thyroidectomy was adopted in 2009 and involves separating a relatively long segment of a vessel distally from the thyroid gland. We reviewed the medical records of 1,411 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy, with or without lateral neck dissection, at the Samsung Medical Center from January 2006 through June 2014 to determine outcomes. Patients were divided into three groups according to the time period during which the surgery took place: Group A, 2006-2008 (before the vasculature-preserving technique was applied); Group B, 2009-2011 (the time when the technique was first adopted); and Group C, 2012-2014 (more recent results of the technique). We analyzed the incidence of hypoparathyroidism in the three groups, as well as risk factors that influenced its development. Results: The rates of transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism in Group A were 25.4 and 4.3 %, respectively. However, the incidence of hypoparathyroidism decreased significantly over time after the vasculature-preserving procedure was adopted. Transient hypoparathyroidism developed in 4.8 % of Group C patients, and only four (0.7 %) of the 565 patients in this group required calcium supplementation, despite the fact that a greater number of patients were included who underwent total thyroidectomy combined with lateral neck dissection. Although female sex and lateral neck dissection tended to increase the rate of transient hypoparathyroidism, multivariate analysis showed that the vasculature-preserving procedure was the only significant risk factor related to postoperative hypoparathyroidism. Conclusion: The blood flow of the final branch to the parathyroid gland is mostly in the lateral-to-medial direction; therefore, mobilization and preservation of the vessels lateral to the gland is essential to prevent devascularization of the parathyroid gland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes receiver-initiated X-MAC with tree topology (TRIX-MAC), an improved energy-efficient MAC protocol based on an asynchronous duty cycling for wireless sensor networks with tree topology. TRIX-MAC improves energy efficiency through utilizing short preambles and adopting the receiver-initiated approach that minimizes sender nodes’ energy consumption by enabling transmitters to predict receiver nodes’ wake-up times and reduces receiver nodes’ energy consumption by decreasing the number of control frames. In many sensor network applications, the data flow from source nodes to a sink forms a unidirectional tree. A property of tree topology, the parent-child relation, is also exploited to reduce the likelihood of collisions between frames sent by children nodes. We use the network simulator, ns-2, to evaluate TRIX-MAC’s performance. Compared to the prior asynchronous duty cycling approaches of X-MAC, RIX-MAC, and PW-MAC, the proposed protocol shows better performance in terms of throughput, energy efficiency, and end-to-end delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a wide range of neuroblastoma-derived lines oxovanadium compounds such as bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) (BMOV) are cytotoxic. This is not explained by oxidative stress or inhibition of ion channels. Genotoxicity is unlikely given that a p53 response is absent and p53-mutant lines are also sensitive. Cytotoxicity is inhibited by N-acetyl cysteine and glutathione ester, indicating that BMOV action is sensitive to cytoplasmic redox and thiol status. Significantly, combining BMOV with glutathione synthesis inhibition greatly enhances BMOV-induced cell death. This combination treatment triggers high AKT pathway activation, highlighting the potential functional importance of PTP inhibition by BMOV. AKT activation itself, however, is not required for cytotoxicity. Oxovanadium compounds may thus represent novel leads as p53-independent therapeutics for neuroblastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evidential belief function ( EBF) model was applied and validated for analysis of groundwater-productivity potential ( GPP) in Boryeong and Pohang cities, agriculture region in Korea using geographic information systems ( GIS). Data about related factors, including topography, lineament, geology, forest, soil, and groundwater data were collected and input into a spatial database. Additionally, in the Boryeong area, specific capacity ( SPC) data not lower than 4.55 m3/d/m were collected, corresponding to 300 m3/d yield from 72 well locations. In the Pohang area, SPC data of ≥ 6.25 m3/d/m were collected, corresponding to a yield of 500 m3/d from 44 well locations. By using the constructed spatial database, 19 factors related to groundwater productivity were extracted. The relationships between the well locations and the factors were identified and quantified by using the EBF model. Four relationships were calculated: belief (Bel), disbelief (Dis), uncertainty (Unc), and plausibility (Pls). The relationships were used as factor ratings in the overlay analysis to create GPP indices and maps. The resulting GPP maps showed 83.41% and 77.53% accuracy in Boryeong and Pohang areas, respectively. The EBF model was found to be more effective in terms of prediction accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A decision tree approach was applied and validated for analysis of landslide susceptibility using a geographic information system (GIS). The study area was the Pyeongchang area in Gangwon Province, Korea, where many landslides occurred in 2006 and where the 2018 Winter Olympics are to be held. Spatial data, such as landslides, topography, and geology, were detected, collected, and compiled in a database using remote sensing and GIS. The 3994 recorded landslide locations were randomly split 50/50 for training and validation of the models. A decision tree model, which is a type of data-mining classification model, was applied and decision trees were constructed using the chi-squared (χ2) automatic interaction detector (CHAID) and the quick, unbiased, and efficient statistical tree (QUEST) algorithms. Also, as a reference, a frequency-ratio model was applied using the same database. The relationships between the detected landslide locations and their factors were identified and quantified by frequency-ratio and decision tree models. The relationships were used as factor ratings in the overlay analysis to create landslide susceptibility indices and maps. Then, the resulting landslide-susceptibility maps were validated using area-under-the-curve (AUC) analysis with the landslide area data that had not been used for training the model. The decision tree models using the CHAID and QUEST algorithms had accuracies of 81.56% and 80.91%, respectively, which were somewhat better than the results for the frequency-ratio model (80.15%). These results indicate that decision tree models using the CHAID and QUEST algorithms can be useful for landslide susceptibility analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Subsidence of ground caused by underground mines poses hazards to human life and property. This study analyzed the hazard to ground subsidence using factors that can affect ground subsidence and a decision tree approach in a geographic information system (GIS). The study area was Taebaek, Gangwon-do, Korea, where many abandoned underground coal mines exist. Spatial data, topography, geology, and various ground-engineering data for the subsidence area were collected and compiled in a database for mapping ground-subsidence hazard (GSH). The subsidence area was randomly split 50/50 for training and validation of the models. A data-mining classification technique was applied to the GSH mapping, and decision trees were constructed using the chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) and the quick, unbiased, and efficient statistical tree (QUEST) algorithms. The frequency ratio model was also applied to the GSH mapping for comparing with probabilistic model. The resulting GSH maps were validated using area-under-the-curve (AUC) analysis with the subsidence area data that had not been used for training the model. The highest accuracy was achieved by the decision tree model using CHAID algorithm (94.01%) comparing with QUEST algorithms (90.37%) and frequency ratio model (86.70%). These accuracies are higher than previously reported results for decision tree. Decision tree methods can therefore be used efficiently for GSH analysis and might be widely used for prediction of various spatial events. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We constructed hazard maps of ground subsidence around abandoned underground coal mines (AUCMs) in Samcheok City, Korea, using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and a geographical information system (GIS). To evaluate the factors related to ground subsidence, a spatial database was constructed from topographic, geologic, mine tunnel, land use, and ground subsidence maps. An attribute database was also constructed from field investigations and reports on existing ground subsidence areas at the study site. Five major factors causing ground subsidence were extracted: (1) depth of drift; (2) distance from drift; (3) slope gradient; (4) geology; and (5) land use. The adaptive ANFIS model with different types of membership functions (MFs) was then applied for ground subsidence hazard mapping in the study area. Two ground subsidence hazard maps were prepared using the different MFs. Finally, the resulting ground subsidence hazard maps were validated using the ground subsidence test data which were not used for training the ANFIS. The validation results showed 95.12% accuracy using the generalized bell-shaped MF model and 94.94% accuracy using the Sigmoidal2 MF model. These accuracy results show that an ANFIS can be an effective tool in ground subsidence hazard mapping. Analysis of ground subsidence with the ANFIS model suggests that quantitative analysis of ground subsidence near AUCMs is possible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Laryngeal ultrasound (LUS) is a new method for vocal cord evaluation in patients with risk of vocal cord palsy (VCP). However, the previously described LUS reportedly had a high failure rate of vocal cord visualization in male patients. A novel gel pad LUS was devised to overcome the limitations of the previous method. Methods: A total of 482 (100 male) consecutive LUS and direct laryngoscopy examinations were performed in thyroidectomy and other neck surgery patients. The conventional LUS and gel pad LUS were used for all patients. Findings were independently cross-validated with direct laryngoscopy. Results: The conventional LUS and gel pad LUS methods had a 93.4% and 99.0% visualization rate, respectively, with a sensitivity of 98.0% for both methods, and a specificity of 99.7% and 99.8%, respectively. Among the 482 patients, 51 patients had VCP and 91 patients had diffuse thyroid cartilage calcification interrupting LUS. Conclusion: The new gel pad LUS method significantly enhances the visualization of vocal cords in patients who have diffuse thyroid cartilage calcification interrupting LUS and, therefore, the overall efficacy of LUS as a perioperative diagnostic tool for VCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The da Vinci surgical robot system was developed to overcome the weaknesses of endoscopic surgery. However, whether robotic surgery is superior to endoscopic surgery remains uncertain. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the surgical and oncologic outcomes between endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy using bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA). Methods: Between January 2008 and June 2015, papillary thyroid carcinoma patients who underwent thyroidectomy with central neck dissection using endoscopic ( n = 480) or robotic ( n = 705) BABA were primarily reviewed. We performed 1:1 propensity score matching and 289 matched pairs were yielded. Results: Operation time was significantly longer in the robotic thyroidectomy than in the endoscopic thyroidectomy (184.9 vs. 128.9 min, P < 0.001). A significantly higher number of central lymph nodes (CLNs) were resected in the robotic thyroidectomy than in the endoscopic thyroidectomy (5.3 vs. 4.4, P = 0.003). However, the incidence of other outcomes including hospital stay, postoperative duration, thyroglobulin level, radioactive iodine ablation, hemorrhage, chyle leakage, wound infection, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and loco-regional recurrence did not significantly differ between the endoscopic thyroidectomy and the robotic thyroidectomy. Conclusions: Endoscopic thyroidectomy is comparable with robotic thyroidectomy in view of surgical complications and LRR. Because robotic thyroidectomy resected a larger number of CLNs than did endoscopic thyroidectomy, further long-term follow-up studies will be required to clarify the possible prognostic benefits of robotic thyroidectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) robotic thyroidectomy (RT) is proven to be a feasible method for the treatment of well-differentiated thyroid cancers in terms of oncology as well as cosmesis. However, BABA RT causes postoperative sternal discomfort and needs an incision over the nipple areolar area. Here, we suggest a novel robotic surgical technique for thyroid surgery that does not need a breast incision-bilateral axillary approach (BAA).Patients and Methods: We recruited 51 patients who were willing to undergo the novel BAA robotic thyroid surgery. We performed a propensity score-matched analysis to compare the BAA robotic thyroid surgery group (BAA group) with the conventional open thyroid surgery group (open group).Results: Mean operation time in the BAA group (129.7 min) was significantly longer than that in the open group (103.1 min) (p < 0.001). However, no significant differences in the mean number of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs), mean number of retrieved LNs, vocal cord palsy, hypoparathyroidism, and mean stimulated thyroglobulin level were observed between the two groups. There was no case of postoperative bleeding or chyle leak. Of the 51 patients who had undergone the BAA procedure, 27 patients answered the questionnaire. The mean scale, ranging from 0 to 10, at postoperative 1 day/2 weeks was as follows: voice change score, 3.0/1.6; swallowing difficulty score, 4.0/2.0; anterior neck pain score, 4.6/3.6; anterior neck numbness score, 5.4/4.3; right chest pain score, 3.8/2.1; left chest pain score, 3.6/2.3; right chest numbness score, 3.2/2.8; left chest numbness score, 2.4/2.7; right breast pain score, 0.9/0; left breast pain score, 1.2/0; right breast numbness score, 1.7/0; and left breast numbness score, 2.6/0, respectively.Conclusion: BAA robotic thyroid surgery is a novel, safe, and feasible oncoplastic method, especially for patients who have fear of procedures around the nipple areolar complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied geographic information system (GIS)-based models to map the potentialRuditapes philippinarum(Korean littleneck clam) habitat area in the Geunso Bay tidal flat, Korea. Remote-sensing techniques were used to construct spatial datasets of ecological environments, and field observations were undertaken to determine the distribution of macrobenthos. The mapping of potential habitat was completed and eight controlling factors relating to the distribution of tidal macrobenthos were determined. These were the tidal flat digital elevation model, slope, aspect, tidal annual exposure duration, distance from tidal channels, tidal channel density, spectral reflectance of the near-infrared bands, and surface sedimentary types, which were all generated from satellite imagery. The spatial relationships between the distribution ofR. philippinarumand each control factor were calculated using a frequency ratio, logistic regression, and artificial neural networks combined with GIS data. Individuals were randomly divided into a training set (50%) to analyse habitat potential using the frequency ratio, logistic regression, and artificial neural network models, and a test set (50%) to validate the predicted habitat potential map. The relationships were overlaid to produce a potential habitat map with aR. philippinarumhabitat potential (RPHP) index value. These maps were validated by comparing them to surveyed habitat locations such as those in the validation data set. From the validation results, the frequency ratio model showed prediction accuracy of 82.88%, while the accuracy of the logistic regression and artificial neural networks models was 70.77% and 80.45%, respectively. Thus, the frequency ratio model provided a more accurate prediction than the other models. Our data demonstrate that frequency ratio, logistic regression, and artificial neural networks models based on GIS analysis are effective for generating potential habitat maps ofR. philippinarumspecies in a tidal flat. The results of this study will be useful for conserving and managing the macrofauna of tidal flats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Myeloid cells are central to atherosclerotic lesion development and vulnerable plaque formation. Impaired ability of arterial phagocytes to uptake apoptotic cells (efferocytosis) promotes lesion growth and establishment of a necrotic core. The transcription factor interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-5 is an important modulator of myeloid function and programming. We sought to investigate whether IRF5 affects the formation and phenotype of atherosclerotic lesions. METHODS: We investigated the role of IRF5 in atherosclerosis in 2 complementary models. First, atherosclerotic lesion development in hyperlipidemic apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice and ApoE-/- mice with a genetic deletion of IRF5 (ApoE-/-Irf5-/-) was compared and then lesion development was assessed in a model of shear stress-modulated vulnerable plaque formation. RESULTS: Both lesion and necrotic core size were significantly reduced in ApoE-/-Irf5-/- mice compared with IRF5-competent ApoE-/- mice. Necrotic core size was also reduced in the model of shear stress-modulated vulnerable plaque formation. A significant loss of CD11c+ macrophages was evident in ApoE-/-Irf5-/- mice in the aorta, draining lymph nodes, and bone marrow cell cultures, indicating that IRF5 maintains CD11c+ macrophages in atherosclerosis. Moreover, we revealed that the CD11c gene is a direct target of IRF5 in macrophages. In the absence of IRF5, CD11c- macrophages displayed a significant increase in expression of the efferocytosis-regulating integrin-β3 and its ligand milk fat globuleepidermal growth factor 8 protein and enhanced efferocytosis in vitro and in situ. CONCLUSIONS: IRF5 is detrimental in atherosclerosis by promoting the maintenance of proinflammatory CD11c+ macrophages within lesions and controlling the expansion of the necrotic core by impairing efferocytosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The benefits of prophylactic central neck dissection (pCND) remain controversial in clinically node-negative (cN0) papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical impact of pCND with a large group of cN0 PTC patients.Study Design: A total of 11,569 cN0 PTC patients who underwent thyroidectomy between January 1997 and June 2015 were investigated. Using Cox multivariate analysis, the prognostic impact of pCND was assessed using subset analyses according to various clinicopathologic conditions. Using propensity score matching, various surgical morbidities were assessed under adjusted conditions.Results: Of 11,569 cN0 PTC patients, 8,735 (75.5%) underwent pCND. Prophylactic CND did not significantly decrease the risk of locoregional recurrence in cN0 PTC patients (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.874; p = 0.392). In addition, pCND did not significantly decrease the risk of locoregional recurrence in various surgical extents (lobectomy and ipsilateral pCND [adjusted HR = 0.636; p = 0.131], total thyroidectomy and ipsilateral pCND [adjusted HR = 0.775; p = 0.164], and total thyroidectomy and bilateral pCND [adjusted HR = 1.041; p = 0.821]). However, surgical morbidities, such as temporary vocal cord palsy (5.6% vs 2.5%; p = 0.001), temporary hypoparathyroidism (30.8% vs 16.7%; p < 0.001), and permanent hypoparathyroidism (3.5% vs 1.7%; p < 0.001) were significantly more frequent in the pCND(+) group.Conclusions: Given the lack of proven benefits and the clear evidence of morbidities, pCND cannot be recommended as a routine procedure. We suggest that CND be reserved for therapeutic situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages, a significant component of atherosclerotic plaques vulnerable to acute complications, can be pro-inflammatory (designated M1), regulatory (M2), lipid- (Mox) or Heme-induced (Mhem). We showed previously that low (LSS) and oscillatory (OSS) shear stress cause thin-cap fibroatheroma and stable smooth muscle cell-rich plaque formation respectively in ApoE-knockout (ApoE −/− ) mice. Here we investigated whether different shear stress conditions relate to specific changes in macrophage polarization and plaque morphology by applying a shear stress-altering cast to the carotid arteries of high fat-fed ApoE −/− mice. The M1 markers iNOS and IRF5 were highly expressed in macrophage-rich areas of LSS lesions compared to OSS lesions 6 weeks after cast placement, while the M2 marker Arginase-1, and Mox/Mhem markers HO-1 and CD163 were elevated in OSS lesions. Our data indicates shear stress could be an important determinant of macrophage polarization in atherosclerosis, with low shear promoting M1 programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to identify landslide-related factors using only remotely sensed data and to present landslide susceptibility maps using a geographic information system, data-mining models, an artificial neural network (ANN), and an adaptive neuro-fuzzy interface system (ANFIS). Landslide-related factors were identified in Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) satellite imagery. The slope, aspect, and curvature of topographic features were calculated from a digital elevation model that was made using the ASTER imagery. Lineaments, land-cover, and normalized difference vegetative index layers were also extracted from the imagery. Landslide-susceptible areas were analyzed and mapped based on occurrence factors using the ANN and ANFIS. The generalized bell-shaped built-in membership function of the ANFIS was applied to landslide susceptibility mapping. Analytical results were validated using landslide test location data. In the validation results, the ANN model showed 80.42% prediction accuracy and the ANFIS model showed 86.55% prediction accuracy. These results suggest that the ANFIS model has a better performance than does the ANN in predicting landslide susceptibility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Myeloid cells are central to atherosclerotic lesion development and vulnerable plaque formation. Impaired ability of arterial phagocytes to uptake apoptotic cells (efferocytosis) promotes lesion growth and establishment of a necrotic core. The transcription factor interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-5 is an important modulator of myeloid function and programming. We sought to investigate whether IRF5 affects the formation and phenotype of atherosclerotic lesions.Methods: We investigated the role of IRF5 in atherosclerosis in 2 complementary models. First, atherosclerotic lesion development in hyperlipidemic apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice and ApoE-/- mice with a genetic deletion of IRF5 (ApoE-/-Irf5-/-) was compared and then lesion development was assessed in a model of shear stress-modulated vulnerable plaque formation.Results: Both lesion and necrotic core size were significantly reduced in ApoE-/-Irf5-/- mice compared with IRF5-competent ApoE-/- mice. Necrotic core size was also reduced in the model of shear stress-modulated vulnerable plaque formation. A significant loss of CD11c+ macrophages was evident in ApoE-/-Irf5-/- mice in the aorta, draining lymph nodes, and bone marrow cell cultures, indicating that IRF5 maintains CD11c+ macrophages in atherosclerosis. Moreover, we revealed that the CD11c gene is a direct target of IRF5 in macrophages. In the absence of IRF5, CD11c- macrophages displayed a significant increase in expression of the efferocytosis-regulating integrin-β3 and its ligand milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor 8 protein and enhanced efferocytosis in vitro and in situ.Conclusions: IRF5 is detrimental in atherosclerosis by promoting the maintenance of proinflammatory CD11c+ macrophages within lesions and controlling the expansion of the necrotic core by impairing efferocytosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]