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Objective: The number of immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) procedures has been increasing in China. This study aimed to investigate the oncological safety of IBR, and to compare the survival and surgical outcomes between implant-based and autologous reconstruction. Methods: Data from patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer who underwent immediate total breast reconstruction between 2001 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Long-term breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS), disease-free survival (DFS), and locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) were evaluated. Patient satisfaction with the breast was compared between the implant-based and autologous groups. BCSS, DFS, and LRFS were compared between groups after propensity score matching (PSM). Results: A total of 784 IBR procedures were identified, of which 584 were performed on patients with invasive breast cancer (implant-based, n = 288; autologous, n = 296). With a median follow-up of 71.3 months, the 10-year estimates of BCSS, DFS, and LRFS were 88.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) (85.1%–93.0%)], 79.6% [95% CI (74.7%–84.8%)], and 94.0% [95% CI (90.3%–97.8%)], respectively. A total of 124 patients completed the Breast-Q questionnaire, and no statistically significant differences were noted between groups (P = 0.823). After PSM with 27 variables, no statistically significant differences in BCSS, DFS, and LRFS were found between the implant-based (n = 177) and autologous (n = 177) groups. Further stratification according to staging, histological grade, lymph node status, and lymph-venous invasion status revealed no significant survival differences between groups. Conclusions: Both immediate implant-based and autologous reconstruction were reasonable choices with similar long-term oncological outcomes and patient-reported satisfaction among patients with invasive breast cancer in China.

Background and objectives Immediate postmastectomy breast reconstruction (IPBR) has gained wide popularity in China. We sought to clarify the prevalence and predictors of implant‐based vs autologous IPBR among Chinese patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed using a prospectively maintained database. Women who underwent IPBR during 2001‐2017 were included. The modality‐specific trends were deciphered by curve fitting analysis. The association of sociodemographic and oncological features with the decision for implant‐based vs autologous IPBR was investigated using multivariate logistic regression and structural equation modeling. Results Among 905 patients included in the study, 479 underwent implant‐based IPBR and 426 underwent autologous procedures. The implant/autologous ratio has increased exponentially over time. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that unmarried patients with BMI ≤ 24 kg/m2, earlier clinical tumor stage, and preoperative pathological diagnosis of noninvasive lesion are more likely to choose implant‐based IPBR compared to autologous procedures. The indirect effects of age, mastectomy type, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy were further demonstrated by the structural equations. Conclusions The sociodemographic and oncological features are directly or indirectly associated with the decision on type of IPBR. The findings may facilitate both patients and physicians to make a high‐quality decision by holistic evaluation of the sociodemographic and oncological features.

Carbon fiber reinforced composites applied to aerospace vehicles in a large amount are always provided with inhomogeneity and anisotropy. The existing theoretical calculation model, namely dynamic homogenization model, can only solve the problems of slow calculation and large memory consumption caused by inhomogeneity and anisotropy when the direction of electromagnetic wave electric field is perpendicular to carbon fiber. In order to meet the requirement of high precision extraction of electromagnetic parameters of aerospace composite materials, it is necessary to have a further study on the calculation model of electromagnetic properties of composite materials at arbitrary incident angles of electromagnetic waves. Our work mainly researches the high-precision calculation model of equivalent permittivity of anisotropic composites based on machine learning. Emphasis is laid on the study of the influence of multi-incident angle of electromagnetic wave on electromagnetic properties of anisotropic composites, the high-precision prediction model of electromagnetic parameters based on machine learning, model verification and optimization, etc.. First, the model training database is obtained through data processing based on the Helmholtz equation method; then, the machine learning high-precision calculation model is established by neutral network; finally, the remaining data is utilized into the machine learning model to verify the accuracy of the electromagnetic parameter model of the composite material. The calculation model of composite electromagnetic characteristics based on machine learning has the high-precision prediction ability of electromagnetic parameters of composite materials under arbitrary incident angle of electromagnetic wave. The extracted equivalent permittivity can be applied to electromagnetic properties of airframe structure in the aerospace vehicle modeling, which can be utilized to analyze shielding effectiveness and electromagnetic environment effects of aerospace vehicles. The purpose is to shorten the research and development cycle of aerospace vehicles, reduce the number of experiments and save the research and development funds.

INTRODUCTION Breast reconstruction for Chinese patients is vastly different given cultural differences, patient preferences, access to resources, and insurance coverage in China. Given these unique factors, a different approach for optimizing outcomes should be considered. METHODS Retrospective review of all patients undergoing implant-based breast reconstruction from January 2013 to May 2016 was performed. Esthetic evaluations were made both by the patients and 1 nonoperative surgeon at least 6 months postoperative, and patient satisfaction was assessed using the Breast-Q. RESULTS Overall, 135 patients undergoing 141 implant-based breast reconstructions were reviewed. The majority of implants (n = 134) were placed in a subpectoral position, whereas 7 were placed prepectorally, and no acellular dermal matrix was used. Given the limitations in acellular dermal matrix usage, soft-tissue coverage was augmented with local regional flaps. Ninety-four reconstructions (66.7%) used latissimus dorsi, 39 (27.7%) used serratus anterior, and 7 (5.0%) used mastectomy skin flaps only for implant coverage. Four patients (2.8%) underwent revision surgery to the reconstructed breasts. Grade III and grade IV capsular contracture was observed in 10 (7.1%) and 2 (1.4%) reconstructions, respectively. Both the patient's and the surgeon's satisfaction were higher than 80% in breast symmetry. CONCLUSIONS Our implant selection method fit the Chinese population characteristics and could be extended to different types of implant-based breast reconstruction. It produced good esthetic outcomes and was reproducible, predictable, and simple to master in the clinical setting.

Supplemental digital content is available in the text., Purpose There is an ongoing debate on the optimal sequence of radiation and breast reconstruction. The purpose of this article was to (a) assess the impact of radiation on autologous breast reconstruction and (b) analyze the best timing for autologous breast reconstruction in the setting of radiation in a Chinese population. Methods A retrospective review of patients undergoing breast reconstruction with autologous lower abdominal flaps between 2001 and 2014 in the Tianjin Medical University and Cancer Hospital was performed. Patients were grouped by their irradiation status (irradiated vs nonirradiated). The irradiated group was further stratified into 2 groups by the timing of irradiation (immediate breast reconstruction followed by radiation vs prior radiation and delayed breast reconstruction). The primary outcomes were early and late breast complications, secondary and revision surgeries to the reconstructed breast, whereas the secondary outcomes were aesthetic and psychological evaluations of the patients. Logistic regression was used to assess the potential association between irradiation, patient and treatment variables, and surgical outcomes. Results Three hundred sixty patients with 370 reconstructed breasts were included in the study. Two hundred seventy-eight cases were nonirradiated, of which 158 were immediate and 120 were delayed. Ninety-two cases were irradiated, of which 61 were immediate, and 31 were delayed. Three hundred thirty-two cases underwent pedicled transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap, 38 had deep inferior epigastric perforator flap. The irradiated group had a significant increase in secondary surgery due to fat necrosis (P < 0.001) and in late complications (P = 0.011). A significant increase in flap contracture (P = 0.043) and an increasing trend in the severity of fat necrosis were observed when radiation was performed after breast reconstruction. However, radiation and its timing did not have an adverse impact on patients' aesthetic and psychological evaluations by the Breast-Q survey. Conclusions Radiation administered to the reconstructed breast mound increased the rate of late complications and the need for secondary surgery with increased abdominal flap shrinkage and contracture and the severity of flap fat necrosis. Irradiation on the reconstructed breast did not lead to worse aesthetic outcomes due to the generally different expectation in the Chinese female patients in that they were more focused on the breast shape when clothed. Immediate breast reconstruction followed by irradiated was a generally successful treatment sequence in the Chinese module.

Introduction: The neonatal mouse heart retains regenerative ability up to 1 week after birth. The regenerative response is characterized by increased cardiomyocyte proliferation following apical resection. However, the mechanisms involved in the reactive cardiomyocyte proliferation are largely unknown. We hypothesized that the acute inflammation was required to activate the regenerative response. Methods and Results: We induced sterile inflammation through apical intramyocardial microinjection of zymosan A. Similar to apical resection, zymosan A led to a significant increase of expression levels of inflammatory markers(il6,il1b and ccl3) and number of infiltrating Gr-1(1A8)+ neutrophils demonstrated by realtime PCR and immunofluorescence, whereas at the same time there were no apparent effects on cell viability and tissue integrity. To test whether the induced inflammation led to incresed cardiomyocyte proliferation, we performed the double immunostaining for Ki67 or pH3 and α-actinin. We found a significant increase of proliferating cardiomyocaytes in zymosan A injected hearts relative to PBS injected hearts 4 and 7 days after injection. We also detected a significantly increased Brdu+ cardiomyocytes in zymosan A injected hearts relative to PBS injected hearts 21 days after injection. To explore whether the inflammation was necessary for the regenerative response, we immunosuppressed the mice of resected hearts by administering the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone(Dex). Realtime PCR(il6,il1b and ccl3) and immunofluorescence (Gr-1(1A8)) confirmed the immunosuppression effect, while there were no effects on body weight, cardiomyocyte size and cell viability. We found apparently decreased number of Ki67 or pH3 positive cardiomyocyes in apical resected and Dex treated mice compared to resected and PBS treated mice. Moreover, the resected and Dex treated mice hearts displayed a significantly decreased Brdu+ cardiomyocytes 21 days after resection. Next, we found the apical resected and Dex treated mice cannot regenerate their hearts after 21 days, even 5 weeks after injury. Conclusion: our results indicated the acute inflammation was required for regenerative response in 1-day-old mouse heart.