Construction of predictive models for contralateral occult thyroid carcinoma and central lymph node metastasis in unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma using machine learning

BackgroundThis study aimed to develop predictive models based on preoperative clinicopathological and imaging features to accurately assess the individual risk of contralateral occult thyroid carcinoma (OTC) and determine the number of central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in patients with unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma, thereby providing actionable guidance for surgical planning.MethodsSeven widely-used machine learning algorithms were employed to develop predictive models. Hyperparameter tuning was performed via cross-validation in combination with grid search. The models were subsequently trained and evaluated by using the optimal hyperparameter combinations. To facilitate comparative analysis, ROC curves, calibration curves were generated and DCA was performed. The optimal model was then selected on the basis of this comprehensive evaluation. Furthermore, a clinical prediction model was constructed utilizing the significant predictors identified.ResultsThe logistic regression model was identified to be the optimal predictive model. For the clinical prediction model of OTC, the following independent variables were incorporated: body mass index, and ultrasonographic findings, including capsular disruption, number of malignant nodules within a unilateral lobe, sum of the longest diameter (SLD) of tumors, and the presence of isthmic malignant nodule(s). This model yielded an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.74 and 0.70 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. For the clinical prediction model of ≥5 CLNM, the incorporated independent variables included: age, sex, chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, and ultrasonographic features covering malignant nodules located near the isthmus, SLD, capsular disruption, and calcification. This model produced an AUC of 0.75 and 0.71 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Decision curve analysis indicated that clinical interventions guided by the two models could provide net benefit within threshold probability ranges of 10% to 90% and 10% to 70% for patients with PTC. And the calibration curves demonstrated a good agreement between model predictions and actual observations.ConclusionThis study developed and validated clinical prediction models to estimate the risk of contralateral OTC and the presence of ≥5 CLNM in patients with unilateral PTC. These models were designed to prevent overtreatment in low-risk patients while providing evidence-based guidance for decision-making about treatment choice in high-risk patients

Variation analysis in historical demographic distribution within urban agglomeration: Experimental evidence from the Wuhan “1+8” City Circle

Understanding the spatial distribution of population is crucial in regional research, as it informs the development of effective population policies, long-term regional planning, and the balanced growth of the economy, resources, and environment. This study employs a quantitative approach to construct a research framework using demographic data to elucidate the historical population dynamics within the Wuhan “1+8” City Circle (WCC). The study examines whether the central city and its peripheral cities have experienced coordinated growth or if a town has dominated. The findings reveal several key findings and insights: Wuhan, as the core city of the WCC and the capital of Hubei Province, shows population growth driven not only by natural increases but also by a significant population siphoning effect, with Hongshan of Wuhan experiencing the most pronounced impact; from 2010 to 2020, the WCC’s overall population distribution displayed a dispersal trend, while population density continued to concentrate, particularly around Wuhan and its vicinity, thereby establishing Wuhan as a central population hub. Gender distribution within the WCC generally reflects a higher proportion of males than females, with exceptions in Jiang’an of Wuhan and Huangshigang of Huangshi, where females outnumber males. This pattern may result from attracting male labor to industrial parks and female labor to service sectors. In summary, the WCC needs to refine its regional development strategies, especially for crucial siphoning areas such as Hongshan of Wuhan and Wuchang of Wuhan, to foster balanced regional growth. Additionally, policies to encourage childbirth, enhance elderly care services, and implement a comprehensive population data monitoring and forecasting system are crucial for addressing demographic shifts and achieving sustainable development

Possibilities of coal–gas substitution in East Asia: A comparison among China, Japan and South Korea

Natural gas is currently playing an increasingly significant role in low carbon development, as it provides a credible pathway to meet rising energy demand while emitting fewer greenhouse gases than from using other fossil fuels such as coal and oil. In this paper, a log linear trans-log production function model is established to investigate inter-fuel elasticity of substitution between coal, oil, natural gas and electricity in China, Japan and South Korea, respectively. In order to overcome the problem of multicollinearity, the ridge regression approach is therefore adopted to estimate the parameters of the function. Results show elasticity estimates of both coal–gas substitution and coal–electricity substitution to be positive over 1985–2012, suggesting that these two energy input pairs are substitutes at least to some extent. It also reveals that relatively higher substitution possibilities between coal and natural gas, and less opportunities to substitute coal with other fuels in China. In addition, the model results also suggest the elasticities of coal–gas substitution in China are much larger than that in Japan and South Korea, indicating there is higher possibilities of coal–gas substitution in China

Follistatin N terminus differentially regulates muscle size and fat in vivo

Delivery of follistatin (FST) represents a promising strategy for both muscular dystrophies and diabetes, as FST is a robust antagonist of myostatin and activin, which are critical regulators of skeletal muscle and adipose tissues. FST is a multi-domain protein, and deciphering the function of different domains will facilitate novel designs for FST-based therapy. Our study aims to investigate the role of the N-terminal domain (ND) of FST in regulating muscle and fat mass in vivo. Different FST constructs were created and packaged into the adeno-associated viral vector (AAV). Overexpression of wild-type FST in normal mice greatly increased muscle mass while decreasing fat accumulation, whereas overexpression of an N terminus mutant or N terminus-deleted FST had no effect on muscle mass but moderately decreased fat mass. In contrast, FST-I-I containing the complete N terminus and double domain I without domain II and III had no effect on fat but increased skeletal muscle mass. The effects of different constructs on differentiated C2C12 myotubes were consistent with the in vivo finding. We hypothesized that ND was critical for myostatin blockade, mediating the increase in muscle mass, and was less pivotal for activin binding, which accounts for the decrease in the fat tissue. An in vitro TGF-beta1-responsive reporter assay revealed that FST-I-I and N terminus-mutated or -deleted FST showed differential responses to blockade of activin and myostatin. Our study provided direct in vivo evidence for a role of the ND of FST, shedding light on future potential molecular designs for FST-based gene therapy

Psoriasis comorbid with atherosclerosis meets in lipid metabolism

Psoriasis (PSO) is a common skin disease affecting approximately 1%–3% of the population, and the incidence rate is increasing yearly. PSO is associated with a dramatically increased risk of cardiovascular disease, the most common of which is atherosclerosis (AS). In the past, inflammation was considered to be the triggering factor of the two comorbidities, but in recent years, studies have found that lipid metabolism disorders increase the probability of atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis. In this review, we discuss epidemiological studies, clinical treatment methods, risk factors, and lipid metabolism of psoriasis and atherosclerosis comorbidities

Functional Genomic Analysis of Variation on Beef Tenderness Induced by Acute Stress in Angus Cattle

Beef is one of the leading sources of protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc in human food. Beef palatability is based on three general criteria: tenderness, juiciness, and flavor, of which tenderness is thought to be the most important factor. In this study, we found that beef tenderness, measured by the Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), was dramatically increased by acute stress. Microarray analysis and qPCR identified a variety of genes that were differentially expressed. Pathway analysis showed that these genes were involved in immune response and regulation of metabolism process as activators or repressors. Further analysis identified that these changes may be related with CpG methylation of several genes. Therefore, the results from this study provide an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms that genetic and epigenetic regulations control meat quality and beef tenderness

Risk prediction for central lymph node metastasis in isolated isthmic papillary thyroid carcinoma by nomogram: A retrospective study from 2010 to 2021

BackgroundIsthmic papillary thyroid carcinoma (IPTC) is an aggressive thyroid cancer associated with a poor prognosis. Guidelines elaborating on the extent of surgery for IPTC are yet to be developed. This study aims to construct and validate a model to predict central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in patients with IPTC, which could be used as a risk stratification tool to determine the best surgical approach for patients.MethodsElectronic medical records for patients diagnosed with isolated papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent surgery at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, from January 2010 to December 2021 were reviewed. All patients who underwent thyroidectomy with central neck dissection (CND) for isolated IPTC were included. We conducted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess risk factors for ipsilateral and contralateral CLNM and the number of CLNM in IPTC patients. Based on the analysis, the nomogram construction and internal validations were performed.ResultsA total of 147 patients with isolated IPTC were included. The occurrence of CLNM was 53.7% in the patients. We identified three predictors of ipsilateral CLNM, including age, gender, and size. For contralateral CLNM, three identified predictors were age, gender, and capsular invasion. Predictors for the number of CLNM included age, gender, capsular invasion, tumor size, and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT). The concordance index(C-index) of the models predicting ipsilateral CLNM, contralateral CLNM, 1-4 CLNM, and ≥5 CLNM was 0.779 (95%CI, 0.704, to 0.854), 0.779 (95%CI, 0.703 to 0.855), 0.724 (95%CI, 0.629 to 0.818), and 0.932 (95%CI, 0.884 to 0.980), respectively. The corresponding indices for the internal validation were 0.756 (95%CI, 0.753 to 0.758), 0.753 (95%CI, 0.750 to 0.756), 0.706 (95%CI, 0.702 to 0.708), and 0.920 (95%CI, 0.918 to 0.922). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration, and decision curve analysis (DCA) results confirmed that the three nomograms could precisely predict CLNM in patients with isolated IPTC.ConclusionWe constructed predictive nomograms for CLNM in IPTC patients. A risk stratification scheme and corresponding surgical treatment recommendations were provided accordingly. Our predictive models can be used as a risk stratification tool to help clinicians make individualized surgical plans for their patients

Recent advances of CRISPR-based genome editing for enhancing staple crops

An increasing population, climate change, and diminishing natural resources present severe threats to global food security, with traditional breeding and genetic engineering methods often falling short in addressing these rapidly evolving challenges. CRISPR/Cas systems have emerged as revolutionary tools for precise genetic modifications in crops, offering significant advancements in resilience, yield, and nutritional value, particularly in staple crops like rice and maize. This review highlights the transformative potential of CRISPR/Cas technology, emphasizing recent innovations such as prime and base editing, and the development of novel CRISPR-associated proteins, which have significantly improved the specificity, efficiency, and scope of genome editing in agriculture. These advancements enable targeted genetic modifications that enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses as well as biotic stresses. Additionally, CRISPR/Cas plays a crucial role in improving crop yield and quality by enhancing photosynthetic efficiency, nutrient uptake, and resistance to lodging, while also improving taste, texture, shelf life, and nutritional content through biofortification. Despite challenges such as off-target effects, the need for more efficient delivery methods, and ethical and regulatory concerns, the review underscores the importance of CRISPR/Cas in addressing global food security and sustainability challenges. It calls for continued research and integration of CRISPR with other emerging technologies like nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and machine learning to fully realize its potential in developing resilient, productive, and sustainable agricultural systems

QTL mapping and genomic prediction of resistance to wheat head blight caused by Fusarium verticillioides

Fusarium head blight (FHB), is one of the destructive fugue diseases of wheat worldwide caused by the Fusarium verticillioides (F.v). In this study, a population consisting of 262 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from Zhongmai 578 and Jimai 22 was used to map Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) for FHB resistance, with the genotype data using the wheat 50 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. The percentage of symptomatic spikelet (PSS) and the weighted average of PSS (PSSW) were collected for each RIL to represent their resistance to wheat head blight caused by F.v. In total, 22 QTL associated with FHB resistance were identified on chromosomes 1D, 2B, 3B, 4A, 5D, 7A, 7B, and 7D, respectively, from which 10 and 12 QTL were detected from PSS and PSSW respectively, explaining 3.82%–10.57% of the phenotypic variances using the inclusive composite interval mapping method. One novel QTL, Qfhb. haust-4A.1, was identified, explaining 10.56% of the phenotypic variation. One stable QTL, Qfhb. haust-1D.1 was detected on chromosome 1D across multiple environments explaining 4.39%–5.70% of the phenotypic variation. Forty-seven candidate genes related to disease resistance were found in the interval of Qfhb. haust-1D.1 and Qfhb. haust-4A.1. Genomic prediction accuracies were estimated from the five-fold cross-validation scheme ranging from 0.34 to 0.40 for PSS, and from 0.34 to 0.39 for PSSW in in-vivo inoculation treatment. This study provided new insight into the genetic analysis of resistance to wheat head blight caused by F.v, and genomic selection (GS) as a potential approach for improving the resistance of wheat head blight

miRNA-dysregulation associated with tenderness variation induced by acute stress in Angus cattle

miRNAs are a class of small, single-stranded, non-coding RNAs that perform post-transcriptional repression of target genes by binding to 3’ untranslated regions. Research has found that miRNAs involved in the regulation of many metabolic processes. Here we uncovered that the beef quality of Angus cattle sharply diversified after acute stress. By performing miRNA microarray analysis, 13 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in stressed group compared to control group. Using a bioinformatics method, 135 protein-coding genes were predicted as the targets of significant differentially expressed miRNAs. Gene Ontology (GO) term and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) mined that these target genes involved in some important pathways, which may have impact on meat quality and beef tenderness.https://doi.org/10.1186/2049-1891-3-1