Category: 3. Business

Baseline characteristics

The clinical cases included were randomly divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort at a 7:3 ratio, with a total of 476 cases in the training cohort and 202 cases in the validation cohort. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in various indicators between the two groups. The results are shown in Table 1, and there were no statistically significant differences between the training and validation cohorts across all indicators (p > 0.05).

Model development

In the training cohort, LASSO regression was applied to identify predictors associated with uterine fibroid recurrence based on clinical variables. The coefficient path plot (Fig. 2A) illustrates how each variable’s regression coefficient changes with the regularization parameter λ. As λ increases, coefficients for less important variables shrink toward zero, leaving only the most relevant predictors. The optimal λ was determined using tenfold cross-validation (Fig. 2B), with the λ corresponding to the minimum mean squared error (left vertical dashed line) selected to reduce overfitting and enhance model robustness. LASSO regression identified six key variables: fibroid subtype (non-submucosal types), MDF, Residue, POP or POC, FH and TVS.

These six variables were subsequently entered into a multivariate binary logistic regression model. As shown in Table 2, submucosal leiomyoma was identified as an independent protective factor (OR = 0.381, P = 0.015). In contrast, postoperative residue (OR = 10.746, P < 0.001), POP or POC (OR = 4.121, P < 0.001), and FH (OR = 2.045, P = 0.003) were significant independent risk factors for recurrence. While a fibroid diameter ≤ 4 cm appeared to confer a protective effect (OR = 0.817), this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.571). Similarly, the number of fibroids on TVS was not statistically significant (P = 0.129), although a trend toward increased risk with higher counts was observed.

Nomogram for predicting uterine fibroid recurrence after surgery

Based on the multivariate logistic regression results, a nomogram was constructed to predict the risk of fibroid recurrence following myomectomy (Fig. 3). Each of the six predictors included in the model is assigned a point value using a corresponding scale. The total score, obtained by summing the individual scores, yields an estimated probability of recurrence. To demonstrate the application of the nomogram, we selected a representative patient from the study cohort. This patient had a maximum fibroid diameter > 4 cm, a non-submucosal fibroid subtype, postoperative residual fibroids, and four fibroids identified on transvaginal ultrasound (TVS score = 2). The total score calculated was 280, corresponding to an estimated recurrence probability of 87.8%.

Model evaluation based on validation cohort

To comprehensively evaluate the model’s performance, ROC curves were generated for both the training and validation cohorts based on predicted probabilities and actual outcomes. In addition to the AUC, key classification metrics—including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy—were calculated to provide a more complete assessment of predictive performance (Table 3).

In the training cohort, the model yielded an AUC of 0.834 (95% CI: 0.796–0.873) (Fig. 4A), indicating excellent discriminatory ability. In the validation cohort, the AUC was 0.799 (95% CI: 0.737–0.861) (Fig. 4B), demonstrating good generalizability. The C-index derived from ten-fold cross-validation in the training cohort was 0.795 (95% CI: 0.673–0.918), further supporting the model’s robustness and discriminative capability.

Calibration analysis further demonstrated strong consistency between predicted and observed recurrence probabilities. In the training cohort, the calibration curve (Fig. 5A) closely aligned with the ideal reference line, with a mean absolute error of 0.019. In the validation cohort (Fig. 5B), the calibration curve also showed good agreement, with a mean absolute error of 0.035. These findings suggest that the model exhibits high calibration quality and reliable performance across different datasets.

The Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test (χ² = 5.362, P = 0.616) indicated no significant deviation between the model’s predicted probabilities and observed outcomes (P > 0.05), supporting its good calibration and overall fit. To further assess clinical applicability, DCA was performed for both the training and validation cohorts (Fig. 6). The DCA curves demonstrated that the prediction model yielded a consistently greater net benefit than the “treat all” or “treat none” strategies across a broad spectrum of threshold probabilities, particularly between 0.1 and 0.5. This threshold range reflects clinically relevant scenarios in which decisions about postoperative surveillance or preventive treatment may be considered. The red curve (training cohort) and blue curve (validation cohort) both lie above the gray line (“All”) and black line (“None”) across this range, suggesting that the model can effectively stratify patients according to their recurrence risk. This enables clinicians to prioritize intervention for high-risk individuals while avoiding unnecessary treatment in low-risk cases. Therefore, the model not only exhibits strong predictive performance but also has the potential to optimise, improving patient outcomes, and enhancing healthcare resource allocation.

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Treasury secretary Scott Bessent is betting the crypto industry will become a crucial buyer of Treasuries in coming years as Washington seeks to shore up demand for a deluge of new US government debt.

Bessent has signalled to Wall Street that he expects stablecoins, digital tokens that are backed by high-quality securities such as Treasuries, to become an important source of demand for US government bonds, said people familiar with the discussions.

He has sought information from leading stablecoin issuers including Tether and Circle, and these discussions informed the Treasury department’s plans in the coming quarters to increase sales of short-term bills, these people said.

Bessent’s focus on stablecoins comes at a time when many investors are growing anxious about the country’s deteriorating public finances. Independent analysts expect Washington’s debt-to-GDP ratio to reach record highs over the next decade, with borrowing accelerating as a result of Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax bill.

The Treasury department’s hopes that stablecoins will become a key source of demand for US government debt is also the latest sign of the White House’s drive to bring crypto to the heart of US finance.

Jay Barry, head of global rates strategy at JPMorgan Chase, one of the biggest dealers in the US bond market, said: “[Secretary Bessent and the Treasury department] absolutely think that stablecoins will be a real source of new demand for Treasuries. And that is absolutely why [Bessent] is comfortable weighting issuance towards [short-term debt].”

Bessent’s discussions came around Congress’s passage of the Genius Act in July, which establishes a regulatory framework for stablecoins. The act requires stablecoins to be backed by a select number of ultra-safe and ultra-liquid assets, including Treasury bills.

The Treasury department said: “The recent passage of the Genius Act is a significant development in which we are monitoring as it will promote innovation in stablecoins and grow demand for short-term Treasury securities.”

It added “issuance plans will continue to be informed by a variety of inputs including that from investors, primary dealers, and the Treasury borrowing advisory committee”.

Circle and Tether declined to comment.

Stablecoins are a vital link between traditional and digital assets, and generally seek to trade consistently at $1. Issuers are able to maintain this peg by holding portfolios of high-quality, short-term debt.

The stablecoin market is worth about $250bn, according to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City — tiny compared to the $29tn US Treasury market. But Bessent has previously told Congress he expects the market to grow to $2tn in the coming years.

Bessent’s stablecoin initiative has come as the former hedge fund manager has sought to leverage his contacts on Wall Street to gather intelligence on the Treasury market.

Bessent and his team have become known for directly and frequently engaging with banks, hedge funds and asset managers about market conditions, said four investors who have received these calls.

Conversations between the financial industry and the Treasury department are commonplace, but the volume of the outreach has increased since January. Treasury officials have also expressed more concern about demand for US debt than normal in those calls, said two of the people briefed on the matter.

The Treasury department said “regular and predictable debt issuance means that Treasury must be cognisant of structural market developments, which Treasury continues to monitor closely”.

Additional reporting by Josh Franklin in New York

A television advert for Sanex shower gel has been banned in the UK for appearing to suggest that black skin is “problematic” and white skin is “superior”.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) acted after investigating two complaints that the Sanex fed negative stereotypes about people with darker skin tones.

The ad, broadcast in June, included a voiceover that said: “To those who might scratch day and night. To those whose skin will feel dried out even by water,” alongside scenes of a black woman with red scratch marks and another covered with a cracked clay-like material.

The ad then showed a white woman taking a shower with the product, and stated: “Try to take a shower with the new Sanex skin therapy and its patented amino acid complex. For 24-hour hydration feel.” It ended with text and the voiceover stating: “Relief could be as simple as a shower.”

The UK arm of Colgate-Palmolive, the $68bn (£54.4bn) US consumer goods group that owns the Sanex brand, argued that its ad did not perpetuate negative racial stereotypes and was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

It said the ad illustrated a “before and after” effect, and that the models demonstrated the product was suitable and effective for everyone. It told the regulator that when the model with darker skin was depicted, her skin tone was not a focal point.

Clearcast, a body that approves or rejects ads for broadcast on television, also argued that the Sanex ad did not perpetuate negative racial stereotypes but demonstrated the product’s inclusivity.

However, the ASA said the use of different skin colours as a means of portraying a “before and after” created a negative comparison.

The watchdog said the ad was “structured in such a way that it was the black skin … which was shown to be problematic and uncomfortable, whereas the white skin, depicted as smoother and clean after using the product, was shown successfully changed and resolved”.

The ASA added that although it understood that message was not intended and may pass unnoticed by some viewers, it considered “the ad was likely to reinforce the negative and offensive racial stereotype that black skin was problematic and that white skin was superior.

“We concluded that the ad included a racial stereotype and was therefore likely to cause serious offence,” it said.

The regulator told Colgate-Palmolive that it must not show the ads again in their current form “to ensure they avoided causing serious offence on the grounds of race”. Colgate-Palmolive was approached for comment.

Earlier this week the ASA issued a plea to advertisers to stop using “irresponsible” images of unhealthily thin-looking models. In 2024 it received 61 complaints about the size of models in adverts, and it has reported that 45% of the public are concerned about ads that include idealised body images of women.

Pakistan’s information and communication technology (ICT) exports continued their upward trajectory, reaching $354 million in July 2025, marking a robust 23.8 percent year-on-year growth compared to $286 million in July 2024. The figure also represents a 4.4 percent month-on-month increase from June, when exports had already shown strong momentum.

The July performance pushed the ICT sector’s trade surplus to $317 million, making it the highest among all service categories. This Pakistan’s reflected a strong 25.8 percent increase compared to last year, underscoring the industry’s expanding footprint in Pakistan’s external trade. By contrast, most other service categories struggled to maintain momentum.

With ICT exports now accounting for 47.5 percent of the country’s total services exports, the sector has consolidated its position as Pakistan’s most dynamic export segment. The next highest contributor was “Other Business Services,” which earned $151 million during July. The growing share highlights how ICT has become the backbone of services trade in the country.

In sharp contrast to the ICT sector’s gains, the overall services sector posted a deficit of $126 million in July 2025. This gap highlights the dependence of Pakistan’s external account on the digital economy, as technology-driven exports continue to buffer weaknesses in other categories.

In June 2025, ICT exports had already touched $338 million, registering a solid 13.8 percent year-on-year growth, which laid the foundation for the July surge.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a detailed advisory urging citizens to adopt stronger password practices to safeguard their personal data and online accounts.

The advisory emphasizes the importance of password security, particularly for financial services and email accounts, which are prime targets of cyberattacks.

According to the guidelines, users should create complex passwords that include upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters. PTA stressed the need for enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) on all critical accounts to add an extra layer of protection against cyber threats.

The authority advised users to avoid reusing the same password across multiple applications and to change their passwords regularly. Citizens were further cautioned against using easily guessable passwords, such as dictionary words or personal information like birth dates, which make accounts more vulnerable to hacking attempts.

PTA also recommended prioritizing biometric or facial recognition features for financial services and applications, highlighting that traditional passwords can often be compromised. The advisory noted that biometrics provide a stronger level of authentication compared to text-based passwords.

The authority reiterated that a password is the first line of defense against cyber threats, and strengthening it is crucial for digital safety. By following these guidelines, users can better protect their personal data, financial transactions, and online communications from unauthorized access.