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Background: Choledochoscopy is a highly effective approach for managing intrahepatic bile duct stones (IHDs). However, postoperative infection is a common complication that significantly impacts treatment outcomes. Despite its clinical relevance, the risk factors associated with this procedure remain largely unexplored. Methods: This study focused on a consecutive cohort of patients who underwent choledochoscopy for IHDs at our institution between January 2016 and December 2022. The primary objective was to analyze the relationship between various clinical factors and postoperative infection, and to compare the postoperative infection of different choledochoscopic procedures. Results: The study cohort consisted of 126 patients, with 60 individuals (47.6%) experiencing postoperative infection. Notably, preoperative biliary obstruction (odds ratio [OR] 1.861; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.314–8.699; p= 0.010) and operation time (OR 4.414; 95% CI 1.635–12.376; p= 0.004) were identified as risk factors for postoperative infection. Additionally, biliary tract infections (60.00%) were primarily responsible for postoperative infection, with Escherichia coli(47.22%) being the predominant bacterial strain identified in bile cultures. Furthermore, biliary tract obstruction (OR 4.563; 95% CI 1.554–13.401; p= 0.006) and body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.186; 95% CI 1.015–1.386; p= 0.031) were determined to be independent risk factors for postoperative biliary tract infection. Conclusions: The occurrence of postoperative infection in patients undergoing choledochoscopy was primarily associated with the duration of the operation and the presence of preoperative biliary obstruction. Graphical abstract:

The selective capture of low-concentration CO2from air or confined spaces remains a great challenge. In this study, various functional groups were introduced into UiO-66to generate functionalized derivatives (UiO-66-R, R= NO2, NH2, OH, and CH3), aiming at significantly enhancing CO2adsorption and separation efficiency. More significantly, UiO-66-NO2and UiO-66-NH2with high polarity exhibit exceptional CO2affinity and optimal separation characteristics in mixed CO2/O2/N2(1:21:78). In addition, the impressive stability of UiO-66-NO2and UiO-66-NH2endows them with excellent recycling stability. The effective adsorption and separation performances demonstrated by these two functional materials suggest their potential as promising physical adsorbents for capturing low-concentration CO2.

Precise evaluation of repigmentation in vitiligo patients is crucial for monitoring treatment efficacy and enhancing patient satisfaction. This study aimed to develop a computer-aided system for assessing repigmentation rates in vitiligo patients, providing valuable insights for clinical practice. A retrospective study was conducted at the Dermatology Department of Shenzhen People’s Hospital between June 2019 and November 2022. Pre- and post-treatment images of vitiligo lesions under Wood’s lamp were collected, involving 833 participants stratified by sex, age, and pigmentation patterns. Our results demonstrated that the marginal pigmentation pattern exhibited a higher repigmentation rate of 72% compared with the central non-follicular pattern at 45%. Males had a slightly higher average repigmentation rate of 0.37 in comparison to females at 0.33. Among age groups, individuals aged 0–20 years showed the highest average repigmentation rate at 0.41, while the oldest age group (61–80 years) displayed the lowest rate at 0.25. Analysis of multiple visits identified the marginal pattern as the most prevalent (60%), with a mean repigmentation rate of 40%. This study introduced a computational system for evaluating vitiligo repigmentation rates, enhancing our comprehension of patient responses, and ultimately contributing to enhanced clinical care.

ABSTRACTThe tumor-adipose microenvironment (TAME) is a universal microecosystem, that is characterized by the dysfunction of lipid metabolism, such as excessive free fatty acids (FFAs). Macrophages are the most abundant immune cell type within TAME, although their diversity in the TAME is not clear. We first reveal that infiltration of M2-like macrophages in the TAME is associated with poor survival in breast cancer. To explore lipid-associated alterations in the TAME, we also detected the levels of FFAs transporters including fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) and fatty acid transport protein 1 (FATP1). The results indicated that expression of fatty acid transporters in the TAME is tightly linked to the function of macrophages and predicts survival in breast cancer. To explore the impact of FFAs transporters on the function of macrophages, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics. Consequently, we identified a special subpopulation of macrophages defined as lipid-associated macrophages (LAMs), highly expressed macrophage markers (CD163, SPP1 and C1QC), genes involved in lipid metabolism (FABP3, FABP4, FABP5, LPL and LIPA) and some lipid receptors (LGALS3 and TREM2). Functionally, LAMs were characterized by a canonical functional signature of M2-like macrophages, lipid accumulation and enhancing phagocytosis, and they were mostly distributed in tumor-adipose junctional regions. Finally, the allograft cancer mouse models confirmed that LAMs depletion in the TAME synergizes the antitumorigenic effects of anti-PD1 therapy. In summary, we defined a novel subtype of macrophages in the TAME, that has unique features and clinical outcomes.