The identification of constitutional types in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is a crucial component in realizing the concept of"treatment before the onset of disease".In recent years,the"Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire"has been employed as a standardized tool and has achieved notable success in the field of TCM constitution identification.However,there remains scope for further enhancement of its validity and applicability.Techniques for identifying TCM constitutions based on multidimensional phenotypes continue to emerge,yet a universally applicable constitutional determination model has yet to be established.We propose three research and development directions:The self-assessment questionnaires,the non-invasive point-of-care testing models based on TCM constitution phenotype,and the multidimensional phenotype-based constitution identification platforms.By way of an example,we outline specific developmental ideas with a focus on TCM constitution identification technology based on the analysis of exhaled breath.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic influencing factors in young breast cancer patients.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The clinical data of 408 young patients with breast cancer in the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2005 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical characteristics and prognostic influencing factors of patients were observed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of patients. Univariate analysis of prognostic factors was conducted by using the log-rank test, and multivariate analysis was performed by using Cox proportional risk model.Results:The median age [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 408 young female patients with breast cancer was 36 (33, 39) years; the 5-year OS and 5-year DFS rates were 89.9%, 84.0% of 387 breast cancer patients in early and middle stage (except for stage Ⅳ). There were statistically significant differences in the 5-year OS and 5-year DFS rates (excluding stage Ⅳ of DFS) of patients with different clinical staging and molecular subtypes (all P < 0.05). The differences were statistically significant in the 5-year DFS rate of patients with different pathological types and histological grades (all P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the 5-year OS and DFS rates between the patients receiving breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy (all P > 0.05). The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that clinical staging ( HR = 3.121, 95% CI: 2.301-4.233, P < 0.001) and molecular classification ( HR = 1.441, 95% CI: 1.126-1.845, P = 0.004) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Additionally, clinical staging ( HR = 3.001, 95% CI: 2.174-4.141, P < 0.001) was identified as an independent prognostic factor for DFS. Conclusions:The prognosis of young breast cancer patients is closely related to clinical staging and molecular subtype. The later the clinical stage is, the poorer prognosis is. Luminal-type breast cancer has a better prognosis than other subtypes. For early-stage breast cancer patients who meet the criteria for breast-conserving surgery, breast-conserving surgery is the first-choice alternative.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the inhibitory effect and mechanism of the active components of Alpinia katsumadai （ACAK） on tumor xenograft growth and tumor angiogenesis of human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells in nude mice. METHODS A tumor xenograft model in nude mice was established using human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells. The mice were randomly divided into model control group （intragastric administration of 0.9% normal saline）， solvent control group （intragastric administration of 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium）， positive control group （intraperitoneal injection of 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium+bevacizumab suspension 5 mg/kg ）， and ACAK 50， 100， and 200 mg/kg groups （intragastric administration of 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium+ACAK suspension 50， 100， 200 mg/kg）. The administration was carried out for 5 consecutive days followed by a 2-day interval， and this cycle was repeated for a total duration of 28 days. The tumor volume （TV）， relative tumor volume （RTV）， and relative tumor proliferation rate （T/C） at various time points from day 1 to day 28 after drug administration were measured and calculated for each group of nude mice. After the drug administration， the tumor weights were measured， and microvessel density （MVD） in the tumor xenograft tissues of nude mice， as well as relative protein expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and its receptor [fas-like tyrosine kinase-1 （Flt-1）， kinase insert domain receptor （KDR）] were detected. RESULTS On the 24th day of ACAK administration，compared with the model control group， the TV and RTV （except for ACAK 50 and 100 mg/kg groups） of nude mice in the positive control group and ACAK dose groups were significantly decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， and the T/C of ACAK dose groups showed a dose-dependent decrease； the microvascular distribution of nude mice in the positive control group and ACAK dose groups was relatively sparse， and the tumor weight （except for the ACAK 50 mg/kg group）， MVD， and relative expression levels of VEGF， KDR， and Flt-1 in the tumor xenograft tissues were significantly reduced （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS ACAK has a good anti-pancreatic cancer effect， and its mechanism may be related to its inhibition of VEGF/ VEGFR signaling pathway， thereby inhibiting angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer.

Objective:To screen the optimal machine learning model for predicting the recurrence condition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at different time points post-surgery, based on the cutoff value of the Ki67 positive proliferation index condition calculated from recurrence-free survival and combined with various clinical features.Methods:retrospective study included initially treated patients with solitary HCC who underwent radical surgery at the Fifth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January 2013 to March 2023. Data included general clinical data, preoperative laboratory parameters, and surgical pathology information about the subjects. The postoperative recurrence status was assessed by querying the medical record system or by telephone follow-up. The Ki67 positive index cutoff value was determined by the X-tile software based on the patient's recurrence-free survival status and time analysis. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival curves were plotted. The study population was randomly divided into training and testing groups in a 7:3 ratio using a computer-generated random number method. The minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) method was used for feature variable selection. Predictive models for postoperative HCC recurrence conditions in patients with HCC were constructed using random forest, support vector machine, logistic regression, and gradient boosting decision tree machine learning algorithms. Inter-group comparisons for continuous data were performed using the t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Inter-group comparisons of enumeration data were performed using the Pearson χ2 test, continuity-corrected χ2 test, or Fisher's exact test. Results:The cutoff values for the Ki67 positivity index were 0.3 and 0.5 in 510 cases, with a follow-up time ranging from 1.2 to 11.4 years (median: 6.2 years). The recurrence-free survival time was between 1 and 135 months (median: 32 months), with recurrence-free survival rates post-surgery at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years were 87.5%, 77.1%, 61.2%, and 54.5%, respectively. The top five variables predicted HCC recurrence and non-recurrence conditions following surgical follow-up at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and beyond 2 years, in accordance with information obtained by the mRMR screen out. The Ki67 positivity index screened a successfully constructed machine learning model to predict HCC recurrence and non-recurrence conditions following surgical follow-up at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and beyond 2 years. The machine learning model based on the gradient boosting decision tree algorithm had the best prediction performance among them (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for predicting HCC recurrence within six months in the training and validation sets were 0.996 and 0.946, and accuracies were 0.972 and 0.935, respectively).Conclusion:A machine learning model was successfully constructed using the Ki67 positivity index combined with four readily available clinical features to predict HCC recurrence. The machine learning model based on the gradient boosting decision tree algorithm demonstrated the best performance in terms of predicting HCC recurrence within six months after surgery.

Objective:To explore the clinical application effects of tissue flaps prepared from the discarded limbs after amputation in patients with destructive wounds in the lower limbs.Methods:The study was a retrospective observational study. From March 2019 to March 2024, 7 male patients with destructive wounds in the lower limbs who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, aged 35 to 57 years. After clinical treatment, the damaged limbs were still difficult to preserve. Five patients with destructive wounds in the lower limbs were repaired with pedicled tissue flaps prepared from the discarded limbs after amputation, with wound areas of 15 cm×10 cm to 25 cm×15 cm and tissue flap incision areas of 15 cm×10 cm to 20 cm×15 cm. Two patients with destructive wounds in the lower limbs were repaired with free tissue flaps prepared from the discarded limbs after amputation, with wound areas of 22 cm×18 cm and 25 cm×15 cm and tissue flap incision areas of 23 cm×20 cm and 25 cm×18 cm. The survival of the tissue flap, the healing and appearance of wounds in the recipient site were followed up. At the last follow-up, the recovery status of the recipient site was evaluated according to the comprehensive flap evaluation scale, and the status of corrective prosthesis fitting was recorded.Results:During the follow-up of 6 to 24 months, all the tissue flaps successfully survived, with good healing and appearance of wounds in the recipient site. At the last follow-up, the scores of the recovery status of the recipient site ranged from 36 to 39 (with an average of 37.2). All amputated limbs were able to accommodate corrective prostheses with no distal ulceration.Conclusions:Utilizing tissue flaps prepared from the discarded limbs after amputation in patients with destructive wounds in the lower limbs to repair wounds effectively uses the discarded tissue and avoid creating new donor sites, which is a method to be considered for repairing multiple destructive wounds.

The identification of constitutional types in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is a crucial component in realizing the concept of"treatment before the onset of disease".In recent years,the"Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire"has been employed as a standardized tool and has achieved notable success in the field of TCM constitution identification.However,there remains scope for further enhancement of its validity and applicability.Techniques for identifying TCM constitutions based on multidimensional phenotypes continue to emerge,yet a universally applicable constitutional determination model has yet to be established.We propose three research and development directions:The self-assessment questionnaires,the non-invasive point-of-care testing models based on TCM constitution phenotype,and the multidimensional phenotype-based constitution identification platforms.By way of an example,we outline specific developmental ideas with a focus on TCM constitution identification technology based on the analysis of exhaled breath.

Objective:To screen the optimal machine learning model for predicting the recurrence condition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at different time points post-surgery, based on the cutoff value of the Ki67 positive proliferation index condition calculated from recurrence-free survival and combined with various clinical features.Methods:retrospective study included initially treated patients with solitary HCC who underwent radical surgery at the Fifth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January 2013 to March 2023. Data included general clinical data, preoperative laboratory parameters, and surgical pathology information about the subjects. The postoperative recurrence status was assessed by querying the medical record system or by telephone follow-up. The Ki67 positive index cutoff value was determined by the X-tile software based on the patient's recurrence-free survival status and time analysis. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival curves were plotted. The study population was randomly divided into training and testing groups in a 7:3 ratio using a computer-generated random number method. The minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) method was used for feature variable selection. Predictive models for postoperative HCC recurrence conditions in patients with HCC were constructed using random forest, support vector machine, logistic regression, and gradient boosting decision tree machine learning algorithms. Inter-group comparisons for continuous data were performed using the t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Inter-group comparisons of enumeration data were performed using the Pearson χ2 test, continuity-corrected χ2 test, or Fisher's exact test. Results:The cutoff values for the Ki67 positivity index were 0.3 and 0.5 in 510 cases, with a follow-up time ranging from 1.2 to 11.4 years (median: 6.2 years). The recurrence-free survival time was between 1 and 135 months (median: 32 months), with recurrence-free survival rates post-surgery at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years were 87.5%, 77.1%, 61.2%, and 54.5%, respectively. The top five variables predicted HCC recurrence and non-recurrence conditions following surgical follow-up at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and beyond 2 years, in accordance with information obtained by the mRMR screen out. The Ki67 positivity index screened a successfully constructed machine learning model to predict HCC recurrence and non-recurrence conditions following surgical follow-up at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and beyond 2 years. The machine learning model based on the gradient boosting decision tree algorithm had the best prediction performance among them (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for predicting HCC recurrence within six months in the training and validation sets were 0.996 and 0.946, and accuracies were 0.972 and 0.935, respectively).Conclusion:A machine learning model was successfully constructed using the Ki67 positivity index combined with four readily available clinical features to predict HCC recurrence. The machine learning model based on the gradient boosting decision tree algorithm demonstrated the best performance in terms of predicting HCC recurrence within six months after surgery.

Objective:To explore the clinical application effects of tissue flaps prepared from the discarded limbs after amputation in patients with destructive wounds in the lower limbs.Methods:The study was a retrospective observational study. From March 2019 to March 2024, 7 male patients with destructive wounds in the lower limbs who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, aged 35 to 57 years. After clinical treatment, the damaged limbs were still difficult to preserve. Five patients with destructive wounds in the lower limbs were repaired with pedicled tissue flaps prepared from the discarded limbs after amputation, with wound areas of 15 cm×10 cm to 25 cm×15 cm and tissue flap incision areas of 15 cm×10 cm to 20 cm×15 cm. Two patients with destructive wounds in the lower limbs were repaired with free tissue flaps prepared from the discarded limbs after amputation, with wound areas of 22 cm×18 cm and 25 cm×15 cm and tissue flap incision areas of 23 cm×20 cm and 25 cm×18 cm. The survival of the tissue flap, the healing and appearance of wounds in the recipient site were followed up. At the last follow-up, the recovery status of the recipient site was evaluated according to the comprehensive flap evaluation scale, and the status of corrective prosthesis fitting was recorded.Results:During the follow-up of 6 to 24 months, all the tissue flaps successfully survived, with good healing and appearance of wounds in the recipient site. At the last follow-up, the scores of the recovery status of the recipient site ranged from 36 to 39 (with an average of 37.2). All amputated limbs were able to accommodate corrective prostheses with no distal ulceration.Conclusions:Utilizing tissue flaps prepared from the discarded limbs after amputation in patients with destructive wounds in the lower limbs to repair wounds effectively uses the discarded tissue and avoid creating new donor sites, which is a method to be considered for repairing multiple destructive wounds.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic influencing factors in young breast cancer patients.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The clinical data of 408 young patients with breast cancer in the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2005 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical characteristics and prognostic influencing factors of patients were observed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of patients. Univariate analysis of prognostic factors was conducted by using the log-rank test, and multivariate analysis was performed by using Cox proportional risk model.Results:The median age [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 408 young female patients with breast cancer was 36 (33, 39) years; the 5-year OS and 5-year DFS rates were 89.9%, 84.0% of 387 breast cancer patients in early and middle stage (except for stage Ⅳ). There were statistically significant differences in the 5-year OS and 5-year DFS rates (excluding stage Ⅳ of DFS) of patients with different clinical staging and molecular subtypes (all P < 0.05). The differences were statistically significant in the 5-year DFS rate of patients with different pathological types and histological grades (all P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the 5-year OS and DFS rates between the patients receiving breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy (all P > 0.05). The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that clinical staging ( HR = 3.121, 95% CI: 2.301-4.233, P < 0.001) and molecular classification ( HR = 1.441, 95% CI: 1.126-1.845, P = 0.004) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Additionally, clinical staging ( HR = 3.001, 95% CI: 2.174-4.141, P < 0.001) was identified as an independent prognostic factor for DFS. Conclusions:The prognosis of young breast cancer patients is closely related to clinical staging and molecular subtype. The later the clinical stage is, the poorer prognosis is. Luminal-type breast cancer has a better prognosis than other subtypes. For early-stage breast cancer patients who meet the criteria for breast-conserving surgery, breast-conserving surgery is the first-choice alternative.

Objective:To explore the methods and clinical effects of reconstructing facial and cervical scars with expanded flaps based on the "MLT" principle.Methods:The study was a retrospective observational study. From January 2019 to May 2022, 74 patients with facial and cervical scars after burn or trauma injuries who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, including 38 males and 36 females, aged from 5 to 58 years, including 24 patients with simple facial involvement, 24 patients with simple cervical involvement, and 26 patients with both facial and cervical involvement, with scar area ranging from 12 to 145 cm2. By following the "MLT" principle (color and texture similar to the face; flap area large enough to reconstruct the entire defect; skin tissue thin enough to transmit the expression, so as to facilitate the shape of the face and five features); in the stage Ⅰ surgery, the skin and soft tissue expanders (hereinafter referred to as the expanders) were implanted, and in the stage Ⅱ surgery, the expander removal+scar resection+flap transplantation to repair the secondary wound was performed, and the wound in the donor area of flap was directly sutured. After operation, silicone gel preparation and laser therapy were used to prevent scar hyperplasia. The expansion ratio and time period of expanders, the occurrence of complications of skin and soft tissue expansion surgery, the type of flap used, and the survival of flap after the stage Ⅱ surgery were observed and recorded. The long-term effect of facial and cervical reconstruction and the recovery of donor area and recipient area of flap were evaluated during the postoperative follow-up after surgery.Results:The expansion ratio of 135 expanders ranged from 1.36 to 3.00 times, and the expansion time period ranged from 6 to 14 months. During skin and soft tissue expansion surgery, 8 patients had poor healing of incisions after expander placement, 7 patients had expander rupture, 5 patients had infection in incisions after expander placement, 3 patients had expander exposure, 2 patients had difficult filling the injection pot, and 1 patient had water leakage from the injection pot. Dorsal shoulder expanded flaps with double blood supply of transverse cervical artery and circumflex scapular artery were used in 8 patients, the expanded flaps of anterior transverse carotid artery perforator were used in 11 patients, the expanded flaps of internal thoracic artery perforator were used in 12 patients, tandem expanded flaps of upper chest and neck were used in 16 patients, dorsal thoracic artery perforator expanded flaps were used in 5 patients, and adjacent rotary propulsive expanded flaps were used in 22 patients. After the stage Ⅱ surgery, the flaps of 71 patients were completely survived. One patient had blood circulation disorder in the flap, and the flap survived after hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Necrosis occurred at the end of the flaps in 2 patients, which healed after dressing change. After the surgery, 42 patients were followed up for 3 to 24 months. The color, texture, and thickness of flaps were good and similar to the surrounding normal skin tissue in the recipient area, the appearance and function of the face and neck were significantly improved, and the wound location in the donor and recipient areas of flaps was concealed with slight scar formation.Conclusions:In the reconstruction of facial and neck scars, by following the "MLT" principle, the expanded flap was carefully designed before surgery, the local aesthetic features within the subunit are reconstructed during the stage Ⅱ surgery, and standard anti-scar treatment measures are actively adopted after surgery. After reconstruction, the color, texture, and thickness of flaps were close to the normal skin in face and neck, and the appearance and function of face and neck are significantly improved, with less linear scars left. It is beneficial to improve the therapeutic effect.