Trichosporon asahii ankle cavity effusion infection in a patient with severe aplastic anemia

Rationale:Trichosporon,an anamorphic fungus,proliferates under high humidity,causing serious opportunistic infections collectively called trichosporonosis.Among the Trichosporon species causing trichosporonosis are Trichosporon(T.)asahii,T.asteroides,T.cutaneum etc.Patient concerns:A 38-year-old Chinese male with severe aplastic anemia was admitted due to multiple joints pain,poor appetite,and right ankle swelling.One year earlier he had undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.Diagnosis:T.asahii infection and severe aplastic anemia.Interventions:Combined treatment of amphotericin B liposomes(55 mg/24 h)and voriconazole(200 mg/12 h)for 8 days.Outcomes:The symptoms of the patient’s ankle were relieved and effusion cultures showed no T.asahii.Lessons:To the best of our knowledge,T.asahii ankle cavity effusion infections are rare.Trichosporon infections may be attributed to risk factors such as improper long-term use of antimicrobials for an underlying disease(e.g.,anemia,hypoalbuminemia).Attention should be paid to prevent and control Trichosporon infections in order to avoid comorbidities.

Triboelectric behaviors of materials under high speeds and large currents

Using special testers,the triboelectric behaviors of several materials were investigated in this paper under the conditions of high speeds and large currents.The obtained results revealed that the tribological behaviors and current-conducting characteristics have complicated interrelationships.Worsening in the servicing conditions can obviously deteriorate the tribological as well as electrical behaviors;high sliding speeds and large electrical currents can worsen the tribological and electrical conductivity properties,while an appropriate contact pressure can benefit the electrical contact properties.Further analyses reveal that the worsening effects of the above factors,such as frictional heat,arc discharge,arc heat,and surface morphology,result in poor triboelectric contact performance.Among these,the electric arc is one of the most serious factors,because the occurrence of an electric arc may cause severe oxidation,melting,and roughening of the contact surface,thereby causing deterioration in the current-conducting quality as well as material loss.