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Evaluation of automatic knowledge acquisition techniques in the diagnosis of acute abdominal pain. Acute Abdominal Pain Study Group.

Clinical diagnosis in acute abdominal pain is still a major problem. Computer-aided diagnosis offers some help; however, existing systems still produce high error rates. We therefore tested machine learning techniques in order to improve standard statistical systems. The investigation was based on a prospective clinical database with 1254 cases, 46 diagnostic parameters and 15 diagnoses. Independence Bayes and the automatic rule induction techniques ID3, NewId, PRISM, CN2, C4.5 and ITRULE were trained with 839 cases and separately tested on 415 cases. No major differences in overall accuracy were observed (43-48%), except for NewId, which was below the average. Between the different techniques some similarities were found, but also considerable differences with respect to specific diagnoses. Machine learning techniques did not improve the results of the standard model Independence Bayes. Problem dimensionality, sample size and model complexity are major factors influencing diagnostic accuracy in computer-aided diagnosis of acute abdominal pain.

Abdominal Pain↗

A regulatory network underlying idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease in which genetic susceptibility interacts with epithelial, immune, and mesenchymal remodeling. Although the chromosome 11p15.5 locus contains established IPF susceptibility signals near MUC5B and TOLLIP, the broader regulatory architecture of this region remains incompletely resolved. METHODS: We integrated IPF genome-wide association study summary statistics with methylation, expression, and protein quantitative trait loci using summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR). SMR-prioritized candidates were evaluated in independent transcriptomic and methylation cohorts and further contextualized using microRNA, transcription-factor, protein-interaction, machine-learning, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomic analyses. Fibrosis-associated expression patterns were assessed in a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis rat model. RESULTS: The analyses recovered the established MUC5B and TOLLIP signals and prioritized BRSK2 as a comparatively underexplored candidate supported by eQTL-based SMR and independent molecular evidence. The BRSK2 pQTL association did not pass the HEIDI test and was therefore not interpreted as convergent protein-level genetic evidence. Network analyses linked BRSK2 to cell-cycle, metabolic-stress, and senescence-related programs, while cross-cohort machine learning prioritized FOXA2, CDC25B, and NFE2 as informative network features. Single-cell and spatial analyses localized BRSK2 preferentially to fibroblast and myofibroblast compartments and to regions with greater histological fibrosis severity. In fibrotic rat lungs, BRSK2 expression increased, whereas FOXA2 and CDC25B decreased at the transcript and protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: These findings refine the molecular landscape of the chromosome 11p15.5 IPF susceptibility locus and prioritize BRSK2 as a candidate component of an IPF-associated profibrotic fibroblast state. Its causal contribution, direct regulatory relationships, and therapeutic tractability require targeted mechanistic validation.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis↗

Molecular hashkeys: a novel method for molecular characterization and its application for predicting important pharmaceutical properties of molecules.

We define a novel numerical molecular representation, called the molecular hashkey, that captures sufficient information about a molecule to predict pharmaceutically interesting properties directly from three-dimensional molecular structure. The molecular hashkey represents molecular surface properties as a linear array of pairwise surface-based comparisons of the target molecule against a common 'basis-set' of molecules. Hashkey-measured molecular similarity correlates well with direct methods of measuring molecular surface similarity. Using a simple machine-learning technique with the molecular hashkeys, we show that it is possible to accurately predict the octanol-water partition coefficient, log P. Using more sophisticated learning techniques, we show that an accurate model of intestinal absorption for a set of drugs can be constructed using the same hashkeys used in the aforementioned experiments. Once a set of molecular hashkeys is calculated, its use in the training and testing of property-based models is very fast. Further, the required amount of data for model construction is very small. Neural network-based hashkey models trained on data sets as small as 30 molecules yield statistically significant prediction of molecular properties. The lack of a requirement for large data sets lends itself well to the prediction of pharmaceutically relevant molecular parameters for which data generation is expensive and slow. Molecular hashkeys coupled with machine-learning techniques can yield models that predict key pharmacological aspects of biologically important molecules and should therefore be important in the design of effective therapeutics.

Drug Design↗

Assessing Metal Ion Assignment Accuracy in Protein Data Bank Models via Elemental Spectroscopy.

Accurate representation of metal ions in macromolecular structures is critical for chemical interpretation, computational modeling, and machine-learning methods that rely on Protein Data Bank (PDB) entries. However, the elemental identity of metals modeled in crystallographic structures is often inferred indirectly and rarely validated experimentally. Here, we combine Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRFS) to determine the elemental composition of protein samples used to generate 70 deposited metalloprotein crystal structures. By analyzing the original protein material employed for crystallization, but before the addition of crystallization buffer solutions, we assess whether the modeled metal ions in deposited structures are consistent with experimentally detectable elemental content. We find that in a majority of cases, the metals modeled in the corresponding PDB entries are inconsistent with the metals present in the protein samples before crystallization, or that additional metals are present but not represented in the structural models. Spectroscopic results were integrated with automated crystallographic validation metrics, including real-space Z-difference (RSZD) analysis and systematic rerefinement, to evaluate atomic-number mismatch at metal sites. PIXE and XRFS show strong agreement for dominant elemental signals and provide complementary, scalable approaches for identifying suspect metal assignments. This work does not address physiological or functional metalation but instead highlights a widespread data integrity issue in deposited macromolecular structures, PDB-wide. These results establish an experimentally corroborated link between elemental identity and crystallographic validation metrics, enabling the large-scale detection of chemically inconsistent annotations in structural databases used for computational modeling and machine learning.

Databases, Protein↗

An Exosomal Signature for Preoperative Detection of Occult Liver Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer.

IMPORTANCE: Early liver metastasis (early-LiM) after pancreatectomy represents an aggressive biological phenotype of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and is associated with markedly poor survival. Reliable preoperative biomarkers to identify occult hepatic micrometastasis remain lacking. OBJECTIVE: To develop and externally validate a circulating exosomal microRNA (exo-miRNA)-based machine learning model for preoperative detection of occult early-LiM in PDAC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This multicenter retrospective case-control study included 3 phases: genome-wide discovery using exo-miRNA sequencing (discovery cohort), model development (training cohort), and independent external validation (2 validation cohorts). The study took place at 4 medical centers in China, Japan, and South Korea. A total of 372 patients were enrolled between 2011 and 2024. Data were analyzed from July 2024 to November 2025. EXPOSURES: Circulating plasma-derived exosomal miRNA expression profiles. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was early-LiM, defined as liver recurrence within 6 months after curative-intent resection. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and survival outcomes were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Among 372 patients with PDAC (median [IQR] age, 67 [59-73] years; 229 [61.6%] male and 143 [38.4%] female; median follow-up among survivors, 969 days),early-LiM was associated with significantly worse overall survival compared with other recurrence patterns (median OS, 9.1 months vs 26.6-31.8 months; log-rank P&#x2009;<&#x2009;.001). A 7-exo-miRNA extreme gradient boosting model demonstrated discrimination in the training cohort (AUC, 0.899; 95% CI, 0.822-0.976) and maintained performance in external testing cohorts (AUC, 0.876; 95% CI, 0.846-0.951 and AUC, 0.862; 95% CI, 0.744-0.981). The exo-miRNA panel score remained an independent identifier of early-LiM in multivariable analysis (odds ratio, 26.49; 95% CI, 18.45-55.28; P&#x2009;<&#x2009;.001) and stratified overall survival (log-rank P&#x2009;<&#x2009;.001). Decision curve analysis suggested improved net clinical benefit compared with conventional clinicopathologic variables. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: In this multicenter study, a circulating exo-miRNA-based machine learning model enabled preoperative detection of occult early liver metastasis risk in PDAC. These findings support the potential of exosomal biomarkers to inform biology-guided treatment sequencing and warrant prospective validation.

Journal Article↗

Senescent fibroblasts drive CD8+ T cell dysfunction in colorectal cancer via CD36-mediated lipid transfer and peroxidation.

BACKGROUND: Functional exhaustion of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells represents a hallmark of colorectal cancer (CRC) immunosuppression, though its mechanistic drivers remain elusive. Given the established correlation between CRC progression and stromal senescence characterized by pathological lipid accumulation and impaired immunity, we investigated whether and how senescent fibroblasts actively regulate CD8+ T cell dysfunction. METHODS: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis was conducted to unveil the diverse fibroblast populations and the significant lipid metabolism changes between senescent fibroblasts and non-senescent fibroblasts in human CRC specimens and adjacent normal mucosa. Machine-learning identified senescent fibroblasts with a distinct gene signature. Cell-cell communication analysis was used to evaluate the interactions between senescent fibroblasts and CD8+ T cells in colorectal cancer. Co-culture experiments were conducted among senescent fibroblasts, CD8+ T cells and patient-derived organoids of CRC (CRC-PDOs), with the results evaluated with high-content imaging and propidium iodide/Hoechst 33,342 staining. Flow cytometry, ELISA and lipid pulse-chase with BODIPY FL C16 were performed to detect the alterations of CD8+ T cell cytotoxic function and metabolic status. AOM/DSS-induced CRC mouse model was used to conduct in vivo validation to evaluate whether senolytics could suppress CRC progression. Patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas colorectal cancer cohort were stratified into CD36-high and CD36-low groups by median expression, and drug sensitivity for GDSC2 compounds was predicted computationally using the oncoPredict R package. RESULTS: ScRNA-seq demonstrated the specific cell population presence and divergence of senescent fibroblasts between neoplastic and histologically normal adjacent cell clusters in CRC. Random Forest was employed for cell senescence classification. Feature importance analysis identified five genes as key contributors to the model&#x2019;s decision process. Cell-cell communication analysis revealed enhanced interactions between senescent fibroblasts and CD8+ T cells in CRC. Co-culture of senescent fibroblasts significantly impaired the cytotoxic functions of CD8+ T cells on CRC-PDOs, which was reflected by the declined proportions of granzyme B (GZMB) + and interferon gamma (IFN&#x3b3;) + CD8+ T cells and enhanced viability of CRC-PDOs. Mechanistically, the co-culture with senescent fibroblasts promoted the lipid shuttling into CD8+ T cells to induce lipid peroxidation and downstream impairment of cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the inhibition of CD36, the specific scavenger receptor for lipid uptake of CD8+ T cells, effectively suppressed lipid transfer and peroxidation thereby preserving the effector functions of CD8+ T cells and ultimately promoting tumor apoptosis. Complementarily, in vivo senolytic treatment significantly suppressed CRC progression in AOM-DSS CRC mouse models. Top 12 therapeutic agents were identified significantly enhanced predicted efficacy in CD36-high tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified a substantial population of senescent fibroblasts in human CRC through single cell transcriptomics, machine-learning and clinical biopsies. These senescent fibroblasts impair CD8+ T cell-mediated killing of CRC-PDOs via CD36-dependent lipid transfer, suggesting senolytic targeting of stromal cells as a promising immunotherapeutic strategy for CRC.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗

NR3C1 Modulates Wnt Signalling to Influence the Invasiveness and Immune Features of Nonfunctioning Invasive Pituitary Adenomas.

Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are common intracranial tumours, and invasiveness in nonfunctioning invasive pituitary adenomas (NIPAs) predicts poor prognosis. The molecular mechanisms driving this phenotype remain unclear. This study explored the role of nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1 (NR3C1) in NIPA invasiveness and its regulation of Wnt signalling. mRNA expression profiles of 32 PA samples were generated by RNA-seq, and proteomic data from 19 samples were obtained by mass spectrometry. Immune-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were retrieved from GeneCards. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis identified modules and hub genes linked to invasiveness, while machine learning methods (support vector machine, LASSO, random forest) prioritised key genes. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) assessed pathways associated with candidate gene expression. NR3C1 expression and function were validated by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and invasion assays. Integration of transcriptomic, proteomic and immune-related datasets yielded 11 overlapping genes, with NR3C1 emerging as the top candidate. NR3C1 was significantly upregulated in NIPAs and demonstrated good discriminatory power by ROC analysis. GSEA associated high NR3C1 expression with Wnt pathway activation. Functional experiments confirmed that NR3C1 overexpression enhances the invasive capacity of PA cells. NR3C1 promotes the invasive phenotype of NIPAs by activating Wnt signalling. These findings suggest NR3C1 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for invasive pituitary adenomas.

Humans↗

Honest assessments of automatic learning algorithm performance.

OBJECTIVE: To compare methods of evaluating probabilistic predictors in systems that learn from examples. STUDY DESIGN: The performance of four automatic learning algorithms, representing current machine learning technology, were assessed using four methodologies in the task of separating normal squamous intermediate cervical cells from all other segmented objects in digital images. Two of the methodologies were carefully constructed to model sources of variation associated with the choice of training and test sets. These assessments were statistically compared with assessments using both standard and a modified version of cross-validation. RESULTS: The investigation illustrates the tradeoffs involved in obtaining statistical rigor as compared with the cost of collecting data. While cross-validation makes frugal use of data, it can produce misleading assessments of algorithm performance in terms of both bias and variance. The modified version produces more reliable assessments but in some cases may also be misleading. CONCLUSION: We suggest that users of learning algorithms should exercise judicious care in evaluating learning algorithm performance in order to avoid unnecessary bias and large variance in their assessments.

Algorithms↗

Predicting training outcomes for developmental dyslexia from EEG data.

Developmental dyslexia (DD) is characterised by lower-than-average reading abilities and is diagnosed in approximately 10% of individuals. The societal barriers may limit professional fulfilment and psychological wellbeing of individuals with DD, calling for the development of effective interventions to counteract them. As DD is associated with challenges in both phonological and visuo-attentional domains, different longitudinal training approaches were developed to strengthen them. However, they require a considerable amount of personal, social and economic resources and the outcomes may vary depending on individual differences in behavioural and neurophysiological functionality. Hence, predicting training outcomes might help in developing personalised treatment protocols and optimising the use of resources. In the present work we applied machine learning to resting-state EEG to predict longitudinal training outcomes in adults with DD enrolled in a randomized clinical trial. In particular, one group received a visuo-attentional training combined with transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), another group received visuo-attentional training with sham/placebo stimulation, and the third group received a phonological training with sham/placebo stimulation. The improvement in text reading speed was associated with spectral power in low-beta and individual frequencies in the alpha (IAF) and beta (IBF) bands, while the improvement in pseudoword reading was associated with IBF. The findings highlight the potential of capturing neural markers of treatment responsiveness in DD. Future studies should focus on the generalisability of predictive models to real-world settings, while investigating whether specific EEG markers predict responsiveness to distinct remediation protocols, thus supporting the development of personalised interventions.

Humans↗

A support for decision-making: cost-sensitive learning system.

This paper investigates a machine learning (ML) algorithm for supporting a decision-making system that is able to handle diagnostic problems. The input data are expressed by solved cases of patients' diagnoses, and the output is formed by a set of decision rules which may be directly exploited for a decision support. We have chosen the methodology of covering ML algorithms, namely the CN2 algorithm, as a starting point, and designed and implemented a certain extension of CN2 that comprises: advanced discretizing numerical attributes and incorporating attribute cost to economize the classification.

Algorithms↗

Study Protocol for HeartMagic: A&#xa0;Prospective Observational Cohort Characterizing Subtypes of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a life-threatening syndrome with significant morbidity and mortality. Although evidence-based drug treatments have effectively reduced morbidity and mortality in HF with reduced ejection fraction (EF), few therapies have been demonstrated to improve outcomes in HF with preserved EF. This may be caused by the existence of several HF with preserved EF subtypes that each need different treatments. There is therefore an unmet need for a comprehensive approach to subtype patients with HF with preserved EF. This protocol details the approach employed in the HeartMagic (Heart Failure Studied With a Machine Learning, Genomics, and Imaging Combination) study to address this gap. METHODS: This prospective multicenter observational cohort study will include 500 consecutive patients with HF with preserved EF at 2 Swiss university hospitals, along with 50 age-matched patients with HF with reduced EF and 50 healthy controls. In addition to routine clinical workup, participants undergo genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses, and the anatomy, composition, and function of the heart are quantified by comprehensive echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging is also applied to characterize the kidney. The primary outcome is a composite of 1-year cardiovascular mortality or rehospitalization. Machine learning-based multimodal clustering will be employed to identify distinct HF with preserved EF subtypes. Statistical analysis will include group comparisons, survival analysis, and integrative multimodal clustering combining clinical, imaging, ECG, genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic data to identify and validate HF with preserved EF subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: The integration of comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging with extensive genomic and metabolomic profiling in this study will result in an unprecedented panoramic view of HF with preserved EF and help distinguish functional subgroups, which may provide a basis for personalized therapies.

Aged↗

Blood-based DNA methylation and exposure risk scores predict PTSD with high accuracy in military and civilian cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Incorporating genomic data into risk prediction has become an increasingly popular approach for rapid identification of individuals most at risk for complex disorders such as PTSD. Our goal was to develop and validate Methylation Risk Scores (MRS) using machine learning to distinguish individuals who have PTSD from those who do not. METHODS: Elastic Net was used to develop three risk score models using a discovery dataset (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;1226; 314 cases, 912 controls) comprised of 5 diverse cohorts with available blood-derived DNA methylation (DNAm) measured on the Illumina Epic BeadChip. The first risk score, exposure and methylation risk score (eMRS) used cumulative and childhood trauma exposure and DNAm variables; the second, methylation-only risk score (MoRS) was based solely on DNAm data; the third, methylation-only risk scores with adjusted exposure variables (MoRSAE) utilized DNAm data adjusted for the two exposure variables. The potential of these risk scores to predict future PTSD based on pre-deployment data was also assessed. External validation of risk scores was conducted in four independent cohorts. RESULTS: The eMRS model showed the highest accuracy (92%), precision (91%), recall (87%), and f1-score (89%) in classifying PTSD using 3730 features. While still highly accurate, the MoRS (accuracy&#x2009;=&#x2009;89%) using 3728 features and MoRSAE (accuracy&#x2009;=&#x2009;84%) using 4150 features showed a decline in classification power. eMRS significantly predicted PTSD in one of the four independent cohorts, the BEAR cohort (beta&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.6839, p=0.006), but not in the remaining three cohorts. Pre-deployment risk scores from all models (eMRS, beta&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.92; MoRS, beta&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.99 and MoRSAE, beta&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.77) displayed a significant (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001) predictive power for post-deployment PTSD. CONCLUSION: The inclusion of exposure variables adds to the predictive power of MRS. Classification-based MRS may be useful in predicting risk of future PTSD in populations with anticipated trauma exposure. As more data become available, including additional molecular, environmental, and psychosocial factors in these scores may enhance their accuracy in predicting PTSD and, relatedly, improve their performance in independent cohorts.

Humans↗