Hepatic actinomycosis:Report of one case and analysis of 32 previously reported cases

Hepatic actinomycosis is rare,with few published cases.There are no characteristic clinical manifestations,and computed tomography(CT)shows mainly low-density images,making clinical diagnosis difficult,and leading to frequent misdiagnosis as primary liver cancer,metastatic liver cancer or liver abscess.Diagnosis normally requires examination of both the aetiology and pathology.This article reports one male patient aged 55 who was hospitalized because of repeated upper abdominal pain for more than 2 mo.He exhibited no chills,fever or yellow staining of the skin and sclera,and examination revealed no positive signs.The routine blood results were:haemoglobin 110 g/L,normal numbers of leukocytes and neutral leukocytes,serum albumin 32g/L,negative serum hepatitis B markers and hepatitis C antibodies,normal tumour markers(alpha-fetoproteinand carcinoembryonic antigen).An abdominal CT scan revealed an 11.2 cm×5.8 cm×7.4 cm mass with an unclear edge in the left liver lobe.The patient was diagnosed as having primary liver cancer,and left lobe resection was performed.The postoperative pathological examination found multifocal actinomycetes in the hepatic parenchyma,which was accompanied by chronic suppurative inflammation.A focal abscess had formed,and large doses of sodium penicillin were administered postoperatively as anti-infective therapy.This article also reviews 32 cases reported in the English literature,with the aim of determining the clinical features and treatment characteristics of this disease,and providing a reference for its diagnosis and treatment.

Influence of external load on friction coefficient of Fe-polytetrafluoroethylene

A coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation model was developed in this study to investigate the friction process occurring between Fe and polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE).We investigated the effect of an external load on the friction coefficient of Fe–PTFE using the molecular dynamics simulations and experimental methods.The simulation results show that the friction coefficient decreases with the external load increasing,which is in a good agreement with the experimental results.The high external load could result in a larger contact area between the Fe and PTFE layers,severer springback as a consequence of the deformed PTFE molecules,and faster motion of the PTFE molecules,thereby affecting the friction force and normal force during friction and consequently varying the friction coefficient.

WavEnhancer: Unifying Wavelet and Transformer for Image Enhancement

Image enhancement is a widely used technique in digital image processing that aims to improve image aesthetics and visual quality. However, traditional methods of enhancement based on pixel-level or global-level modifications have limited effectiveness. Recently, as learning-based techniques gain popularity, various studies are now focusing on utilizing networks for image enhancement. However, these techniques often fail to optimize image frequency domains. This study addresses this gap by introducing a transformer-based model for improving images in the wavelet domain. The proposed model refines various frequency bands of an image and prioritizes local details and high-level features. Consequently, the proposed technique produces superior enhancement results. The proposed model’s performance was assessed through comprehensive benchmark evaluations, and the results suggest it outperforms the state-of-the-art techniques.

Embryonic Stem Cells-loaded Gelatin Microcryogels Slow Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease

Background： Chronic kidney disease （CKD） has become a public health problem.New interventions to slow or prevent disease progression are urgently needed.In this setting, cell therapies associated with regenerative effects are attracting increasing interest.We evaluated the effect of embryonic stem cells （ESCs） on the progression of CKD.Methods： Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy.We used pedicled greater omentum flaps packing ESC-loaded gelatin microcryogets （GMs） on the 5/6 nephrectomized kidney.The viability of ESCs within the GMs was detected using in vio two-photon fluorescence confocal imaging.Rats were sacrificed after 12 weeks.Renal injury was evaluated using serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, 24 h protein, renal pathology, and tubular injury score results.Structural damage was evaluated by periodic acid-Schiff and Masson trichrome staining.Results： In vitro, ESCs could be automatically loaded into the GMs.Uniform cell distribution, good cell attachment, and viability were achieved from day 1 to 7 in vitro.After 12 weeks, in the pedicled greater omentum flaps packing ESC-loaded GMs on 5/6 nephrectomized rats group, the plasma urea nitrogen levels were 26% lower than in the right nephrectomy group, glomerulosclerosis index was 62% lower and tubular injury index was 40% lower than in the 5/6 nephrectomized rats group without GMs.Conclusions： In a rat model of established CKD, we demonstrated that the pedicled greater omentum flaps packing ESC-loaded GMs on the 5/6 nephrectomized kidney have a long-lasting therapeutic rescue function, as shown by the decreased progression of CKD and reduced glomerular injury.

New Mutation of Coenzyme Q10 Monooxygenase 6 Causing Podocyte Injury in a Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis Patient

Background:Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)is a kidney disease that is commonly associated with proteinuria and the progressive loss of renal function,which is characterized by podocyte injury and the depletion and collapse of glomerular capillary segments.The pathogenesis of FSGS has not been completely elucidated;however,recent advances in molecular genetics have provided increasing evidence that podocyte structural and functional disruption is central to FSGS pathogenesis.Here,we identified a patient with FSGS and aimed to characterize the pathogenic gene and verify its mechanism. Methods:Using next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing,we screened the causative gene that was linked to FSGS in this study.The patient's total blood RNA was extracted to validate the messenger RNA (mRNA)expression of coenzyme Q10 monooxygenase 6(COQ6)and validated it by immunohistochemistry.COQ6 knockdown in podocytes was performed in vitro with small interfering RNA, and then,F-actin was determined using immunofluorescence staining.Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry,the expression of active caspase-3was determined by Western blot,and mitochondrial function was detected by MitoSOX. Results:Using whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing,we screened a new causative gene,COQ6,NM_182480:exonl:c.G41A: p.W14X.The mRNA expression of COQ6 in the proband showed decreased.Moreover,the expression of COQ6,which was validated by immunohistochemistry,also had the same change in the proband.Finally,we focused on the COQ6 gene to clarify the mechanism of podocyte injury.Flow cytometry showed significantly increased in apoptotic podocytes,and Western blotting showed increases in active caspase-3in si-COQ6 podocytes.Meanwhile,reactive oxygen species (ROS)levels were increased and F-actin immunofluorescence was irregularly distributed in the si-COQ6 group. Conclusions:This study reported a possible mechanism for FSGS and suggested that a new mutation in COQ6,which could cause respiratory chain defect,increase the generation of ROS,destroy the podocyte cytoskeleton,and induce apoptosis.It provides basic theoretical basis for the screening of FSGS in the future.