SF-Transformer: A Mutual Information-Enhanced Transformer Model with Spot-Forward Parity for Forecasting Long-Term Chinese Stock Index Futures Prices.

The complexity in stock index futures markets, influenced by the intricate interplay of human behavior, is characterized as nonlinearity and dynamism, contributing to significant uncertainty in long-term price forecasting. While machine learning models have demonstrated their efficacy in stock price forecasting, they rely solely on historical price data, which, given the inherent volatility and dynamic nature of financial markets, are insufficient to address the complexity and uncertainty in long-term forecasting due to the limited connection between historical and forecasting prices. This paper introduces a pioneering approach that integrates financial theory with advanced deep learning methods to enhance predictive accuracy and risk management in China's stock index futures market. The SF-Transformer model, combining spot-forward parity and the Transformer model, is proposed to improve forecasting accuracy across short and long-term horizons. Formulated upon the arbitrage-free futures pricing model, the spot-forward parity model offers variables such as stock index price, risk-free rate, and stock index dividend yield for forecasting. Our insight is that the mutual information generated by these variables has the potential to significantly reduce uncertainty in long-term forecasting. A case study on predicting major stock index futures prices in China demonstrates the superiority of the SF-Transformer model over models based on LSTM, MLP, and the stock index futures arbitrage-free pricing model, covering both short and long-term forecasting up to 28 days. Unlike existing machine learning models, the Transformer processes entire time series concurrently, leveraging its attention mechanism to discern intricate dependencies and capture long-range relationships, thereby offering a holistic understanding of time series data. An enhancement of mutual information is observed after introducing spot-forward parity in the forecasting. The variation of mutual information and ablation study results highlights the significant contributions of spot-forward parity, particularly to the long-term forecasting. Overall, these findings highlight the SF-Transformer model's efficacy in leveraging spot-forward parity for reducing uncertainty and advancing robust and comprehensive approaches in long-term stock index futures price forecasting.

Global Phylogeography and Genomic Epidemiology of Carbapenem-Resistant blaOXA-232-Carrying Klebsiella pneumoniae Sequence Type 15 Lineage.

Prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has compromised antimicrobial efficacy against severe infections worldwide. To monitor global spread, we conducted a comprehensive genomic epidemiologic study comparing sequences from 21 blaOXA-232-carrying CRKP isolates from China with K. pneumoniae sequence type (ST) 15 strains from 68 countries available in GenBank. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses revealed all blaOXA-232-carrying CRKP isolates belonged to ST15 lineage and exhibited multidrug resistance. Analysis grouped 330 global blaOXA-232-carrying ST15 CRKP strains into 5 clades, indicating clonal transmission with small genetic distances among multiple strains. The lineage originated in the United States, then spread to Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Most recent common ancestor was traced back to 2000; mutations averaged ≈1.7 per year per genome. Our research helps identify key forces driving global spread of blaOXA-232-carrying CRKP ST15 lineage and emphasizes the importance of ongoing surveillance of epidemic CRKP.

A Case of Long-term Survival after Curative Resection for Synchronous Solitary Adrenal Metastasis from Rectal Cancer.

Clinically curable adrenal metastasis is rare. We report a case of synchronous solitary adrenal metastasis from rectal cancer in a 51-year-old man who underwent curative resection. A right adrenal mass was found by ultrasonography during his routine physical examination and this was confirmed by computed tomography (CT). His serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level was found elevated, and colonoscopy revealed a rectal tumor located 10cm from anal verge. A simultaneous laparoscopic right adrenalectomy and anterior resection for rectal carcinoma was performed. Histopathological examination revealed well-differentiated rectal adenocarcinoma with adrenal metastasis. The patient is still alive and free from disease 6 years after the surgery. A review in the literature showed that synchronous solitary adrenal metastasis from colorectal carcinoma is very rare. Surgical resection and for selected patients, laparoscopic procedure may provide survival benefit and potential surgical cure for a solitary metastasis.

Identification of diagnostic biomarkers correlate with immune infiltration in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis by integrating bioinformatics and machine learning.

The diagnosis of tuberculosis depends on detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Unfortunately, recognizing patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) remains challenging due to the insidious clinical presentation and poor performance of diagnostic tests. To identify biomarkers for EPTB, the GSE83456 dataset was screened for differentially expressed genes (DEGs), followed by a gene enrichment analysis. One hundred and ten DEGs were obtained, mainly enriched in inflammation and immune -related pathways. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify 10 co-expression modules. The turquoise module, correlating the most highly with EPTB, contained 96 DEGs. Further screening with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) narrowed down the 96 DEGs to five central genes. All five key genes were validated in the GSE144127 dataset. CARD17 and GBP5 had high diagnostic capacity, with AUC values were 0.763 (95% CI: 0.717-0.805) and 0.833 (95% CI: 0.793-0.869) respectively. Using single sample gene enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), we evaluated the infiltration of 28 immune cells in EPTB and explored their relationships with key genes. The results showed 17 immune cell subtypes with significant infiltrations in EPTB. CARD17, GBP5, HOOK1, LOC730167, and HIST1H4C were significantly associated with 16, 14, 12, 6, and 4 immune cell subtypes, respectively. The RT-qPCR results confirmed that the expression levels of GBP5 and CARD17 were higher in EPTB compared to control. In conclusion, CARD17 and GBP5 have high diagnostic efficiency for EPTB and are closely related to immune cell infiltration.

Monitoring the long-term spatiotemporal transmission dynamics and ecological surveillance of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Goldcoast: A multicenter genomic epidemiology study.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Goldcoast poses a significant threat to the effective treatment and control of salmonellosis within the ecological environment. Here, we conducted a genomic epidemiological study delineate the global dissemination scenarios of the multidrug-resistant S. Goldcoast originated from 11 countries for over 20 years. The population structure and evolutionary history of multidrug-resistant S. Goldcoast was investigated through phylogenomic and long-term spatiotemporal transmission dynamic analysis. ST358 and ST2529 are the predominant lineages of S. Goldcoast. Multidrug-resistant S. Goldcoast strains have mainly been identified in the ST358 lineage from human and the ST2529 lineage from livestock. ST358 S. Goldcoast was estimated to have emerged in the United Kingdom in 1969, and then spread to China, with both countries serve as centers for the global dissemination of the ST358 lineage. After its emergence and subsequent spread in Chinese clinical and environmental samples, occasional instances of this lineage have been reported in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Clonal transmission of ST358 and ST2529 S. Goldcoast have occurred not only on an international and intercontinental scale but also among clinical, environmental and livestock samples. These data indicated that international circulation and local transmission of S. Goldcoast have occurred for over a decade. Continued surveillance of multidrug-resistant S. Goldcoast from a global "One Health" perspective is urgently needed to facilitate monitoring the spread of the antimicrobial resistant high-risk clones.

A novel submucosa nodule of the rectum: A case of the ectopic prostatic tissue outside the urinary tract.

Ectopic prostatic tissue is an underreported entity, which is found most commonly in the lower male genitourinary tract, and ectopic prostate tissue outside the urinary tract is even rarer. Our patient was a  unique case of ectopic prostatic tissue within submucosa of the rectum. The patient presented with rectal bleeding, and a firm, round solid submucosa nodule found in the anterior rectum at digital rectal examination, it was 1cm in diameter and 5cm above the anal verge. The size and submucosa location of this nodule were confirmed by the colonoscopy and MRI. After being removed surgically, the histopathology of the specimen sections possessed typical prostatic acini and stroma, meanwhile the immunohistochemical staining for prostate specific antigen confirmed its' prostatic nature. It is the first case to date, which involves the mural of rectum. We hypothesizes that the etiologies of ectopic prostatic tissue within the submucosa rectum attribute to embryogenetic abnormality.

Robot-assisted versus laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: This study aimed to compare clinical and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted and laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed/Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Yahoo, and Google Scholar databases for relevant articles published up to 2017. Studies based on comparability between robot-assisted and laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer were designated. Clinical outcomes included operative time, conversion to open surgery, estimated blood loss (EBL), bowel function recovery time, length of hospital stay (LOS), anastomosis leak, and postoperative complications. Oncological outcomes comprised the number of lymph nodes extracted, the positive circumferential margin (PCRM), and the distal resection margin (DRM). RESULTS: Twenty studies were designated totaling 5496 patients, comprising a robot-assisted surgery patient group (n = 2168, 39.4%) and a laparoscopic surgery patient group (n = 3328, 60.6%). The robot-assisted surgery group was associated with longer operative time (odds ratio [OR] 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 0.14, 0.82), lower conversion to open surgery rate (OR 0.55, 95% CI; 0.44, 0.69), shorter LOS (OR - 0.15, 95% CI; -0.30, 0.00), faster bowel function recovery (OR - 0.38, 95% CI; -0.74, -0.02), and lower postoperative complications (OR 0.79, 95% CI; 0.65, 0.97). EBL, anastomosis leak rate, and oncological outcomes including the number of lymph nodes extracted, the DRM, and the PCRM showed no significant differences between groups. CONCLUSION: Robot-assisted surgery for rectal cancer showed longer operative time, lower conversion, faster bowel function recovery rates, and shorter hospital stay, and similar oncological outcomes compared to laparoscopic surgery.

Mutations in KRAS codon 12 predict poor survival in Chinese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

KRAS mutations serve a function in tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and guide the use of targeted drugs. However, the prognostic value of KRAS mutations and their subtypes remain controversial. The present study aimed to investigate the correlations between KRAS mutations and clinicopathological characteristics, and their prognostic significance in Chinese patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC). A total of 135 patients with mCRC were analyzed for KRAS mutations. Mutations in codon 12 and 13 were identified in 45 (33.3%) patients. Only 3 patients harbored a mutation of V600E. Compared with male patients, KRAS codon 12 mutations were more common in female patients (P<0.05). KRAS codon 13 mutations tended to arise in right-sided compared with left-sided colon cancer (P<0.05). Survival analysis was performed in 101 patients receiving primary tumor resection. Compared with KRAS codon 12 wild-type, codon 12 mutations were markedly correlated with a poorer survival (log-rank P=0.002). No prognostic significance was revealed in codon 13 mutations. In univariate analysis, mortality risk was significantly increased by subtypes of G12D and G12V [hazard ratio (HR) =2.313, 95% confidence interval (CI) =1.069-5.004, P=0.03; HR=2.621, 95% CI=1.057-6.497, P=0.04, respectively]. The results of the present study suggested that codon 12 mutations, in particular G12D and G12V, predicted a negative prognosis in Chinese patients with mCRC. These findings require further confirmation via prospective studies with larger samples.

Preoperative radiotherapy for patients with rectal cancer: a risk factor for non-reversal of ileostomy caused by stenosis or stiffness proximal to colorectal anastomosis.

The influence of radiotherapy on permanent stoma and the bowel proximal to anastomosis was not well investigated. The current study aimed to analyze the effect of preoperative radiotherapy on colorectal anastomosis and incidence of non-reversal ileostomy. A total of 184 eligible patients with rectal cancer undergoing loop ileostomy were included. Patients were well selected by excluding some confounding factors and divided into two groups according to whether they received preoperative radiotherapy. Patients with preoperative radiotherapy had higher incidence of non-reversal stoma (12.8%, P = 0.004) and stenosis or stiffness around anastomosis (21.1%, P < 0.01) including 13 patients with stenosis or stiffness proximal to anastomosis. Stenosis proximal to anastomosis was different from anastomotic stricture caused by surgery and could be described by imaging findings. Preoperative radiotherapy prolonged the interval to closure (P = 0.008) and was defined as a significant risk factor for permanent stoma (HR, 0.627; 95% CI, 0.405-0.973; P = 0.04) by multivariate Cox regression analysis. In conclusion, Preoperative radiotherapy increased incidence of non-reversal ileostomy and stenosis or stiffness proximal to anastomosis in rectal cancer patients with radical resection and diverting ileostomy.