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Abstract Background Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have higher disease severity and mortality compared to those without COPD. However, deep investigation into microbiome distribution of lower respiratory tract of CAP with or without COPD was unknown. Methods So we used metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) to explore the microbiome differences between the two groups. Results Thirty-six CAP without COPD and 11 CAP with COPD cases were retrieved. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected and analyzed using untargeted mNGS and bioinformatic analysis. mNGS revealed that CAP with COPD group was abundant with Streptococcus, Prevotella, Bordetella at genus level and Cutibacterium acnes, Rothia mucilaginosa, Bordetella genomosp. 6 at species level. While CAP without COPD group was abundant with Ralstonia, Prevotella, Streptococcus at genus level and Ralstonia pickettii, Rothia mucilaginosa, Prevotella melaninogenica at species level. Meanwhile, both alpha and beta microbiome diversity was similar between groups. Linear discriminant analysis found that pa-raburkholderia, corynebacterium tuberculostearicum and staphylococcus hominis were more enriched in CAP without COPD group while the abundance of streptococcus intermedius, streptococcus constellatus, streptococcus milleri, fusarium was higher in CAP with COPD group. Conclusions These findings revealed that concomitant COPD have an mild impact on lower airway microbiome of CAP patients.

Abstract The effects of grazing on natural grasslands' plant composition, diversity, and productivity depend on the intensity of grazing. Besides grazing intensity, animal composition is also important. However, whether and how sheep grazing intensity affects the temporal biomass stability of plant communities is unclear. Here, we conducted a 5‐year grazing experiment to evaluate the effects of four grazing intensities on community biomass stability and the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that the higher grazing intensity significantly decreased community biomass stability, community‐wide asynchrony, functional groups asynchrony, dominant species stability, and species dominance, but did not affect species richness. The results of structural equation modeling revealed that grazing decreased community biomass stability by decreasing dominant species stability and community‐wide asynchrony, which was attributable to the reduction in plant functional group asynchrony. Our results highlight the importance of functional group composition and dynamics in predicting the changes in community function in sheep grazing grassland ecosystems. Under continuous seasonal grazing conditions, the sustainable function and human services of grasslands in the agropastoral ecotone might decrease in the future.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are the most common driver genes in the development of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), of which mutations in exons 18-21 are frequent, especially the loss of exon 19 and exon 21 L858R mutation are the most frequent. Other rare gene mutations are rare. Simultaneous occurrence of two or more rare EGFR mutations are extremely rare in lung cancer, and the incidence of EGFR L833V/H835L rare gene compound mutations is very low, and there is little clinical data and evidence of relevant treatment methods. Some EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are effective in treating lung cancer patients with rare gene mutations. In this article, we reported a case of NSCLC patient with a rare gene compound mutation EGFR L833V/H835L, who responded to Afatinib in combination with Anilotinib treatment well after 5 months of treatment, and computed tomography (CT) showed shrinkage of lung lesions. Meanwhile, we also compiled previously reported NSCLC patients with EGFR L833V/H835L rare gene compound mutation and summarized the characteristics of this group of patients and the effect of applying different kinds of EGFR-TKIs treatment.

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) vs. conventional culture methods (CM) in chronic infection and acute infection.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of 88 patients with acute infection and 105 patients with chronic infection admitted to three hospitals from 2017 to 2022.ResultsThe results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of mNGS were higher than those of CM. The number of patients who changed the antibiotic treatment in the mNGS positive group was larger than that of patients in the mNGS negative group in both the acute infection group (60.5 vs. 28.0%, P = 0.0022) and chronic infection group (46.2 vs. 22.6%, P = 0.01112). High levels of temperature (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.18–3.70, P: 0.015), C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR: 15, 95% CI: 2.74–280.69, P: 0.011), neutrophil count (OR: 3.09, 95% CI: 1.19–8.43, P: 0.023), and low levels of lymphocyte count (OR: 3.43, 95% CI:1.26–10.21, P: 0.020) may lead to positive mNGS results in the acute infection group while no significant factor was identified to predict positive results in the chronic infection group.ConclusionmNGS could provide useful guidance on antibiotic strategies in infectious diseases and may be more valuable for the diagnosis and treatment of acute infection vs. chronic infection.

Legumes play a crucial role in the restoration and utilization of salinized grassland. To explore the physiological response mechanism of Astragalus membranaceus and Medicago sativa seedlings to salt stress, salt stress culture experiments with five NaCl concentration treatments (0 mmol/L, 50 mmol/L, 100 mmol/L, 200 mmol/L, and 300 mmol/L) were conducted on these two legume seedlings. Morphological characteristics, physiological features, biomass, and the protective enzyme system were measured for both seedlings. Correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and membership function analysis (MFA) were conducted for each index. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the salt stress pathways of plants. The results indicated that number of primary branches (PBN), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity in stems and leaves, catalase (CAT) activity in roots, etc. were identified as the primary indicators for evaluating the salt tolerance of A. membranaceus during its seedling growth period. And CAT and peroxidase (POD) activity in roots, POD and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in stems and leaves, etc. were identified as the primary indicators for evaluating the salt tolerance of M. sativa during its growth period. Plant morphological characteristics, physiological indexes, and underground biomass (UGB) were directly affected by salinity, while physiological indexes indirectly affected the degree of leaf succulence (LSD). Regarding the response of the protective enzyme system to salt stress, the activity of POD and APX increased in A. membranaceus, while the activity of CAT increased in M. sativa. Our findings suggest that salt stress directly affects the growth strategies of legumes. Furthermore, the response of the protective enzyme system and potential cell membrane damage to salinity were very different in the two legumes.

Various phosphorus (P)-inactivating materials with a strong capability of immobilizing P in sediment have been developed for lake geoengineering purposes to control internal P pollution. However, unsatisfactory applications have raised concerns about the reliability of the method. This study hypothesized that P migration from sediment to material is a key process regulating the immobilization, which is often neglected by common assessment procedures that assume that the material is closely in contact with sediment (e.g., as mixtures). To verify this hypothesis, 90-day incubation tests were conducted using drinking water treatment residue (DWTR). The results showed that the soluble P in the overlying water of sediment–DWTR mixtures and the mobile P in the mixtures were substantially reduced from the initial period and remained low during the whole incubation tests. However, assessment based on separated samples indicated a gradual P migration from sediment to DWTR for immobilization. Even after 90 days of incubation, mobile P still accounted for ∼5.33% of total P in the separated sediment. Further analysis suggested that using mixtures of sediment with DWTR accelerated P migration during the assessment, leading to a faster P immobilization assessment. Considering the relatively low levels of mobile P in the separated DWTR during incubation, the gradual decrease in mobile P in the separated sediment indicates that sediment P release regulates P immobilization efficiency. Therefore, designing a proper strategy to ensure sufficient time for the material to remain in close contact with the target sediment is critical to reducing uncertainties in lake geoengineering.

The effect of electrical parameters on the properties of 7075 aluminum alloy films under scanning micro-arc oxidation was studied. The process of micro-arc oxidation is simulated in this paper. This method greatly reduces the experimental cost of micro-arc oxidation research and provides a new idea for the subsequent research of micro-arc oxidation. The micro-arc oxidation process was simulated by COMSOL Multiphysics. The film thickness, hardness and corrosion resistance are used as indexes, and forward voltage, positive duty cycle and pulse frequency are used as design factors to carry out orthogonal experiments with three factors and three indexes. Vega XMU scanning electron microscope is used to observe the surface and section morphology of the micro-arc oxidation film. VERSA STAT 3 F electrochemical workstation is used to detect the potentiodynamic polarization curve of the film and Tafel fitting is performed to obtain the self-corrosion potential (Ecorr). The thickness and hardness of the film are tested by Nix coating thickness tester and HV-1000 Vickers hardness tester. The results show that the film uniformity of the network electrode is better than that of the tube electrode under the condition of scanning micro-arc oxidation. The order of electrical parameters affecting film thickness and hardness is forward voltage > forward duty cycle > pulse frequency. The order of the electrical parameters affecting the corrosion resistance of the film is pulse frequency > forward voltage > forward duty cycle. The best combination of electrical parameters is: forward voltage 500 V, forward duty ratio 30%, pulse frequency 200 Hz.

This article focuses the event-triggered adaptive finite-time control scheme for the states constrained fractional-order nonlinear systems (FONSs) under uncertain parameters and external disturbances. The backstepping scheme is employed to construct the finite-time controller via a series of barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) to solve that all the state constraints are not violated. Different from the trigger condition with fixed value, the event-triggered strategy is applied to overcome the communication burden of controller caused by the limited communication resources. By utilizing fractional-order Lyapunov analysis, all variables in the resulted system are proven to be bounded, and the tracking error converges to the small neighborhood around origin in finite time and without the Zeno behavior. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is verified by the simulation analysis of a bus power system.

In this research, the adaptive event-triggered neural network controller design problem is investigated for a class of state-constrained pure-feedback fractional-order nonlinear systems (FONSs) with external disturbances, unknown actuator saturation, and input delay. An auxiliary compensation function based on the integral function of the input signal is presented to handle input delay. The barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) is utilized to deal with state constraints, and the event-triggered strategy is applied to overcome the communication burden from the limited communication resources. By the utilization of a backstepping scheme and radial basis function neural network, an adaptive event-triggered neural state-feedback stabilization controller is constructed, in which the fractional-order dynamic surface filters are employed to reduce the computational burden from the recursive procedure. It is proven that with the fractional-order Lyapunov analysis, all the solutions of the closed-loop system are bounded, and the tracking error can converge to a small interval around the zero, while the state constraint is satisfied and the Zeno behavior can be strictly ruled out. Two examples are finally given to show the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

In this article, an event-triggered adaptive fuzzy finite-time dynamic surface control (DSC) is presented for a class of strict-feedback nonlinear fractional-order systems (FOSs) with full-state constraints. The fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) are employed to approximate uncertain nonlinear functions in the backstepping process, the dynamic surface method is applied to overcome the inherent computational complexity from the virtual controller and its fractional-order derivative, and the barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) is used to handle the full-state constraints. By introducing the finite-time stability criteria from fractional-order Lyapunov method, it is verified that the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood near the zero and the full-state constraints are satisfied within a predetermined finite time. Moreover, reducing the communication burden can be guaranteed without the occurrence of Zeno behavior, and the example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

Abstract Background With the difficulties in choosing colistin sulfate and polymyxin B sulfate (PBS) for carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB), we compared the efficacy and safety of these two old polymyxins in treatment of critically ill patients infected with CR-GNB infection. Methods One hundred four patients infected with CR-GNB in ICU were retrospectively grouped by PBS (68 patients) or colistin sulfate (36 patients). Clinical efficacy including symptoms, inflammatory parameters, defervescence, prognosis and microbial efficacy were analyzed. Hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and hematotoxicity were evaluated by TBiL, ALT, AST, creatinine, and thrombocytes. Results Demographic characteristics between colistin sulfate and PBS were not significantly different. Most of the CR-GNB were cultured in respiratory tract (91.7% vs 86.8%), and almost all were polymyxin-sensitive (98.2% vs 100%, MIC ≤ 2 μg/ml). The microbial efficacy in colistin sulfate (57.1%) was significantly higher than PBS (30.8%) (p = 0.022), however, no significant difference in clinical success was seen in both groups (33.8% vs 41.7%), as well as mortality, defervescence, imaging remission, days in the hospital, microbial reinfections, and prognosis, and almost all patients defervesce within 7 days (95.6% vs 89.5%). Conclusions Both polymyxins can be administrated in critically ill patients infected with CR-GNB and colistin sulfate is superior to PBS in microbial clearance. These results highlight the necessity of identifying CR-GNB patients who may benefit from polymyxin and who are at higher risk of mortality.

Abstract Acquired digestive‐respiratory tract fistulas occur with abnormal communication between the respiratory tract and digestive tract caused by a variety of benign or malignant diseases, leading to the alimentary canal contents in the respiratory tract. Although various departments have been actively exploring advanced fistula closure techniques, including surgical methods and multimodal therapy, some of which have gotten good clinical effects, there are few large‐scale evidence‐based medical data to guide clinical diagnosis and treatment. The guidelines update the etiology, classification, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of acquired digestive‐respiratory tract fistulas. It has been proved that the implantation of the respiratory and digestive stent is the most important and best treatment for acquired digestive‐respiratory tract fistulas. The guidelines conduct an in‐depth review of the current evidence and introduce in detail the selection of stents, implantation methods, postoperative management and efficacy evaluation.

During photosynthesis, light energy is harvested by an antenna systems and delivered to the reaction centers (RCs) for charge separation and electron transfer (ET). The authors report cryo-EM structures of two forms of RC from the microaerophilic Chloracidobacterium thermophilum (CabRC), providing a structural basis for ET within the CabRC.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to estimate the safety and efficacy of spray cryotherapy (SCT) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods We recruited patients aged 40–80 years with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD without serious complications (defined as two consecutive years of chronic cough and cough for at least 3 months with lung function forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1]/forced vital capacity [FVC]

Abstract Background The role of the sputum microbiome in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progression remains elusive. As the advent of the new culture-independent microbial sequencing technique makes it possible to disclose the complex microbiome community of the respiratory tract. The aim of this study was to use metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to confirm whether there are differences in sputum microbiome of COPD between different exacerbation frequencies and lung function. Methods Thirty-nine COPD patients were divided into a frequent exacerbators (FE) group (n = 20) and a non-frequent exacerbators (NFE) (n = 19) group according to their exacerbation history, or a mild group (FEV1/pre ≥ 50%, n = 20) and a severe group (FEV1/pre

(1) Background: The aim of our study is to investigate the effectiveness of bronchoscopic airway clearance therapy (B-ACT) on severe pneumonia (SP) patients with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in the intensive care unit (ICU). (2) Methods: Our study retrospectively enrolled 49 patients with sputum aspiration and 99 patients with B-ACT, and the latter were divided into the ≤once every 3 days group (n = 50) and >once every 3 days group (n = 49). (3) Results: We found most laboratory blood results were significantly improved in the B-ACT group as compared with those in sputum aspiration group (p < 0.05). Patients in the B-ACT group and those in ≤once every 3 days group also had significantly better survival to hospital discharge than those in their counterpart groups (Logrank p < 0.001). In patients with cardiopulmonary diseases or positive cultures for bacteria, the B-ACT group and those in the ≤once every 3 days group had significantly better survival outcomes to discharge than those in their counterpart groups (Logrank p < 0.001). B-ACT and the average frequency of ≤once every 3 days had significantly better impact on survival outcomes than their counterpart groups (HR: 0.444, 95% CI: 0.238–0.829, p = 0.011; HR: 0.285, 95% CI: 0163–0.498, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: In the future, flexible bronchoscopes may paly an important role in ACT for SP patients with IMV.

Most patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) present with hallmark features of airway mucus hypersecretion, including cough and expectoration. Airway mucus function as a native immune system of the lung that severs to trap particulate matter and pathogens and allows them to clear from the lung via cough and ciliary transport. Chronic mucus hypersecretion (CMH) is the main factor contributing to the increased risk of morbidity and mortality in specific subsets of COPD patients. It is, therefore, primarily important to develop medications that suppress mucus hypersecretions in these patients. Although there have been some advances in COPD treatment, more work remains to be done to better understand the mechanism underlying airway mucus hypersecretion and seek more effective treatments. This review article discusses the structure and significance of mucus in the lungs focusing on gel-forming mucins and the impacts of CMH in the lungs. Furthermore, we summarize the article with pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments as well as novel and interventional procedures to control CMH in COPD patients.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility and safety of superficial temporal artery (STA)–middle cerebral artery (MCA) anastomosis in combination with encephalo-myo-synangiosis (EMS) in Chinese adult patients with moyamoya disease (MMD).MethodsA total of 65 patients with MMD who underwent combined STA–MCA bypass + EMS surgical revascularisation were included in this study. Each patient had a follow-up visit 6 months after discharge. Early bypass function was evaluated via computed tomography angiography and digital subtraction angiography, which were performed preoperatively and at 6 months after surgery. The perfusion parameters of cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), mean transit time (MTT) and time to peak (TTP) were obtained and analysed. The clinical status of each patient was evaluated using a modified Rankin scale (mRS) preoperatively and at 1 week and 6 months after surgery.ResultsAmong the 65 enrolled patients, postoperative complications were observed in 5 (7.69%) patients, with 2 cases of dysphasia, 2 cases of new cerebral infarction and 1 case of seizure. Six months after surgery, 66 out of 68 hemispheres were found to have a functioning extra-intracranial bypass, and the patency rate was 97.06%. In terms of CBF perfusion, both the CBF and CBV increased significantly, while the MTT and TTP decreased after surgery. The mRS scores measured 1 week and 6 months after surgery were much lower than those measured preoperatively.ConclusionA direct STA–MCA bypass procedure in combination with indirect EMS bypass is feasible and safe for Chinese adult patients with MMD.

Introduction: Gefitinib is a selective epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) widely used in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients harboring sensitive EGFR mutations. Although it has a good initial efficacy, acquired resistance to gefitinib is eventually inevitable. Studies have shown that circular RNA (circRNA) is involved in the development of acquired resistance to different anti-cancer drugs, but the comprehensive analysis of its expression profile and functions on acquired gefitinib resistance remains poor. Methods: To explore the aberrant circRNAs expression profiles, we collected peripheral plasma samples from 4 gefitinib-sensitive and 4 gefitinib-resistant patients for performing microarray analysis. Candidates of differentially expressed circRNAs were used and analyzed by bioinformatics modalities including gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and a constructed circRNA-microRNA RNA network. The differential expression of selected circRNAs was verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: A total of 2571 circRNAs with significantly different expression between the groups were identified by microarray analysis. GO, KEGG, and pathway enrichment analyses reveal that these differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) were complicated in many biological pathways that may be related to EGFR-TKI resistance such as ABC transporter and PI3K-Akt pathways. A circRNA-microRNA network was constructed by 10 circRNAs potentially involved in EGFR-TKI resistance togethering with their corresponding microRNAs (miRNAs). Consistent with the results of microarray assay, hsa_circ_0030591 and hsa_circ_0040348 were validated to be upregulated in gefitinib-resistant patients by qRT-PCR. Conclusions: Our study provides valuable data on circRNAs expression profiles detected in liquid biopsy for LUAD patients with acquired gefitinib resistance, and we validate that upregulations of hsa_circ_0030591 and hsa_circ_0040348 may play key roles in EGFR-TKI resistance and thus serving as candidates for biomarker.

In real-world scenarios, the number of phishing and benign emails is usually imbalanced, leading to traditional machine learning or deep learning algorithms being biased towards benign emails and misclassifying phishing emails. Few studies take measures to address the imbalance between them, which significantly threatens people’s financial and information security. To mitigate the impact of imbalance on the model and enhance the detection performance of phishing emails, this paper proposes two new algorithms with undersampling: the Fisher–Markov-based phishing ensemble detection (FMPED) method and the Fisher–Markov–Markov-based phishing ensemble detection (FMMPED) method. The algorithms first remove benign emails in overlapping areas, then undersample the remaining benign emails, and finally, combine the retained benign emails with phishing emails into a new training set, using ensemble learning algorithms for training and classification. Experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed algorithms outperform other machine learning and deep learning algorithms, achieving an F1-score of 0.9945, an accuracy of 0.9945, an AUC of 0.9828, and a G-mean of 0.9827.

BackgroundThe diagnostic value of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) of cytology during endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to validate the value of ROSE during the EUBS-TBNA procedure in the diagnosis of pulmonary lesions (PLs).MethodsEnrolled in this study were 260 patients with nodules, masses, cavities, or inflammatory lesions on pulmonary CT images. They were assigned to undergo EBUS-TBNA with ROSE (n = 134) or without ROSE (n = 126). The diagnostic results of ROSE during EBUS-TBNA and the final pathologic reports were analyzed and compared by utilizing SPSS21.0 software to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). In addition, we further explored whether the ROSE method during EBUS-TBNA would improve the diagnostic yield and reduce the incidence of complications.ResultsThe overall diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA for malignant diseases in the ROSE and the non-ROSE group were 29.9 and 11.1%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the ROSE method during EBUS-TBNA were 97.4, 96.9, 92.5, and 98.90%, respectively. The result of the chi-square test effectively proved that ROSE operation during EBUS-TBNA contributes to the diagnosis of malignancy compared with the non-ROSE group (χ2 = 13.858, P < 0.001). The number of punctures in the ROSE group was significantly lower than that in the non-ROSE group (P < 0.001).ConclusionROSE examination during EBUS-TBNA could effectively improve the diagnostic yield of malignant diseases compared with the non-ROSE group and reduce the number of intraoperative punctures, which is a clinical application worth popularizing.

BackgroundThe aim of our study was to explore the optimal number of regional lymph nodes removed (LNRs) in resected N0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and identify potential risk factors.MethodsIncluded in this study were 55,024 N0 NSCLC patients between 2004 and 2015 based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (SEER). All the patients were divided into No LNR group (57.8%), 1-3 LNRs group (8.1%) and ≥4 LNRs group (31.4%). Relevant clinical and patient parameters including overall survival (OS), lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS), gender, race, year of diagnosis, primary site, T stage, AJCC stage, laterality, histological type, lymphadenectomy, radiation, chemotherapy, age at diagnosis, insurance status, marital status, family income.ResultsKaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated LNRs had significantly better OS and LCSS than No LNRs in all the N0 NSCLC patients with different T stages (Logrank p

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on overall survival (OS) for pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cohorts and to identify its potential risk factors.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed by querying the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for patients diagnosed as having PSC (n=460) and NSCLC (n=140,467) from 2004 to 2015. The demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment modes, and survival were included in the scope of statistical analysis. Confounding factors were controlled by propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were performed to compare the effects of adjuvant chemotherapy on OS of the patients in the two cohorts (PSC vs. NSCLC). A multivariable Cox regression model was constructed, and Kaplan–Meier analysis on each variate was applied to predict risk factors associated with OS.ResultsWhen adjuvant chemotherapy approach was applied in the treatment of patients with PSC or adjusted NSCLC, respectively, an improved OS could be observed in the NSCLC cohort (p=0.017). For the entire PSC cohort, 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 25.43%, 13.04%, and 6.96%, respectively, compared with 41.96%, 17.39%, and 10.00%, respectively, for the new adjusted NSCLC cohort after PSM, which were statistically significant difference (p

Anthropogenic disturbance, such as nitrogen (N) fertilization and mowing, is constantly changing the function and structure of grassland ecosystems during past years and will continue to affect the sustainability of arid and semiarid grassland in the future. However, how and whether the different N addition levels and the frequency of N addition, as well as the occurrence of mowing, affect the key processes of N cycling is still unclear. We designed a field experiment with five levels of N addition (0, 2, 10, 20, and 50 g N m−2 yr−1), two types of N addition frequencies (twice a year added in June/November and monthly addition), and mowing treatment in a typical grassland of northern China. The results showed that higher N addition and mowing interactively improved net primary productivity (NPP), including aboveground and belowground biomass, while different N addition frequency had no significant effects on NPP. Different N addition levels significantly improved gross ammonification (GA) and nitrification (GN) rates, which positively correlated to aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP). However, the effect of N addition frequency was differentiated with N addition levels, the highest N addition level (50 g N m−2 yr−1) with lower frequency (twice a year) significantly increased GA and GN rates. Mowing significantly increased the GA rate but decreased the GN rate both under the highest N addition level (50 g N m−2 yr−1) and lower N addition frequency (twice a year), which could improve N turnover by stimulating plant and microbial activity. However, a long-term study of the effects of N enrichment and mowing on N turnover will be needed for understanding the mechanisms by which nutrient cycling occurs in typical grassland ecosystems under global change scenarios.

The pivotal role of cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRKs) in modulating growth, development, and responses to stress has been widely acknowledged in Arabidopsis. However, the function and regulation of CRK41 has remained unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that CRK41 is critical for modulating microtubule depolymerization in response to salt stress. The crk41 mutant exhibited increased tolerance, while overexpression of CRK41 led to hypersensitivity to salt. Further analysis revealed that CRK41 interacts directly with the MAP kinase3 (MPK3), but not with MPK6. Inactivation of either MPK3 or MPK6 could abrogate the salt tolerance of the crk41 mutant. Upon NaCl treatment, microtubule depolymerization was heightened in the crk41 mutant, yet alleviated in the crk41mpk3 and crk41mpk6 double mutants, indicating that CRK41 suppresses MAPK-mediated microtubule depolymerizations. Collectively, these results reveal that CRK41 plays a crucial role in regulating microtubule depolymerization triggered by salt stress through coordination with MPK3/MPK6 signalling pathways, which are key factors in maintaining microtubule stability and conferring salt stress resistance in plants.

Abstract Background Although traditional diagnostic techniques of infection are mature and price favorable at present, most of them are time-consuming and with a low positivity. Metagenomic next⁃generation sequencing (mNGS) was studied widely because of identification and typing of all pathogens not rely on culture and retrieving all DNA without bias. Based on this background, we aim to detect the difference between mNGS and traditional culture method, and to explore the relationship between mNGS results and the severity, prognosis of infectious patients. Methods 109 adult patients were enrolled in our study in Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital from October 2018 to December 2019. The diagnostic results, negative predictive values, positive predictive values, false positive rate, false negative rate, pathogen and sample types were analyzed by using both traditional culture and mNGS methods. Then, the samples and clinical information of 93 patients in the infected group (ID) were collected. According to whether mNGS detected pathogens, the patients in ID group were divided into the positive group of 67 cases and the negative group of 26 cases. Peripheral blood leukocytes, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and neutrophil counts were measured, and the concentrations of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-10 and INF-γ in the serum were determined by ELISA. The correlation between the positive detection of pathogens by mNGS and the severity of illness, hospitalization days, and mortality were analyzed. Results 109 samples were assigned into infected group (ID, 92/109, 84.4%), non-infected group (NID, 16/109, 14.7%), and unknown group (1/109, 0.9%). Blood was the most abundant type of samples with 37 cases, followed by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in 36 cases, tissue, sputum, pleural effusion, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), pus, bone marrow and nasal swab. In the ID group, the majority of patients were diagnosed with lower respiratory system infections (73/109, 67%), followed by bloodstream infections, pleural effusion and central nervous system infections. The sensitivity of mNGS was significantly higher than that of culture method (67.4% vs 23.6%; P

Objective: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common metabolic disease and is characterized by sustained hyperglycemia. The impact of T2DM on the survival of lung cancer patients remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of type 2 diabetes with lung cancer mortality. Methods: From January 2019 to January 2020, 228 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) staging earlier than IIIA were included. Results: In our study, we found that the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of lung cancer patients with diabetes was longer than non-diabetes group. Diagnosed T2DM was associated with the prognosis of lung cancer after adjusting for age and covariates. The association between T2DM and OS was influenced by age, stage of cancer and cancer treatment, as well as whether taking metformin was associated with the OS of lung cancer. However, with the adjustment for age and covariates, the relation trended to lose statistical significance. Conclusion: T2DM is an independent prognostic factor for patients with NSCLC staging before IIIA. The patients with both NSCLC and T2DM trended to having a longer OS, possibly due to metformin.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal order of radiation therapy in patients affected by stage IIIA pathologic N2 (IIIA/N2) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to identify its potential risk factors. Methods 17,654 (8786 men and 8868 women) diagnosed with NSCLC stage IIIA-N2 from 2004 to 2015 patients were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Among the relevant clinical parameters, we evaluated overall survival (OS), lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) and other variables such as age, sex and tumor size in patients who were treated with different combinations of surgery and radiotherapy strategies. Results We discovered that surgery benefit in younger IIIA/N2 NSCLC patients (age ≤ 75), and compared with surgery only, preoperative radiotherapy significantly improved the survival rate most (p 75 years old, who underwent postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) had the highest survival rate (p

This paper develops a fractional order adaptive fuzzy backstepping control scheme for an incommensurate fractional order uncertain nonlinear multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems with external disturbance and input saturation. Combined with the adaptive and backstepping technique, the fuzzy logic system is used to approximate the unknown nonlinear uncertainties in each step of the backstepping, and the incommensurate fractional order parameters update laws for fuzzy logic system, unknown parameters as well as the external disturbances are proposed in the controller to compensate the unknown nonlinearities, unknown parameters and disturbances. With the aids of the frequency distributed model of fractional integrator for the fractional order systems in the procedure of controller design, the stability of the closed loop system is established. At last, two simulation examples are demonstrated to verify the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed controller.

The aim is to diagnose COVID-19 earlier and to improve its treatment by applying medical technology, the “COVID-19 Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment Assistant Program (nCapp)” based on the Internet of Things. Terminal eight functions can be implemented in real-time online communication with the “cloud” through the page selection key. According to existing data, questionnaires, and check results, the diagnosis is automatically generated as confirmed, suspected, or suspicious of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection. It classifies patients into mild, moderate, severe or critical pneumonia. nCapp can also establish an online COVID-19 real-time update database, and it updates the model of diagnosis in real time based on the latest real-world case data to improve diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, nCapp can guide treatment. Front-line physicians, experts, and managers are linked to perform consultation and prevention. nCapp also contributes to the long-term follow-up of patients with COVID-19. The ultimate goal is to enable different levels of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment among different doctors from different hospitals to upgrade to the national and international through the intelligent assistance of the nCapp system. In this way, we can block disease transmission, avoid physician infection, and epidemic prevention and control as soon as possible.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders have been found to have a high risk of developing severe conditions with high mortality, further affecting the prognosis of COVID-19. However, the effect of hypertension and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) agents on the clinical characteristics and inflammatory immune responses in COVID-19 patients is still undefined. In this study, 90 COVID-19 patients were divided into hypertension and nonhypertension groups. The hypertension group was divided into well-controlled and poorly controlled subgroups based on blood pressure levels; moreover, hypertensive patients were also divided into ACEI/ARB and non-ACEI/ARB subgroups according to the administration of ACEI/ARB antihypertensive agents. The clinical characteristics of and inflammatory immune biomarker levels in the different groups of COVID-19 patients were compared, and the association between the combined effect of hypertension with ACEI/ARB antihypertensive agents and the severity of COVID-19 was examined. The results showed that the levels of aminotransferase (AST) and hs-cTnI were higher in the hypertension group compared with the nonhypertension group. The long-term use of ACEI/ARB agents in patients had statistically significantly lower AST, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and oxygen uptake and lower white cell count, neutrophil count, and levels of CD4, CD8, CRP, and PCT but without statistical significance. In addition, compared with COVID-19 patients without hypertension, hypertensive patients without the use of ACEI/ARB had a higher risk of developing severity of COVID-19 (for poorly controlled patients: OR = 3.97, 95% CI = 1.03–15.30; for well-controlled patients: OR = 6.48, 95% CI = 1.77–23.81). Hypertension could cause organ damage in COVID-19 patients, but the long-term use of ACEI/ARB agents may be beneficial to alleviate this injury.

Background: Pulmonary large cell carcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is a rare neoplasm with poor prognosis. In this study, our aim was to investigate the impact of radiation sequences with surgery for stage III/IV LCC patients between different age groups, especially in the elderly patients. Patients and Methods: The patients with LCC and other types of NSCLC in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database from 2004 to 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Then we divided the LCC patients into two age groups: p < 0.001). For LCC patients, there were some risk survival factors including whites, males, not upper lobe, advanced stage, elder age at diagnosis, bone metastasis, liver metastasis, singled status, no lymphadenectomy, no surgery, and no chemotherapy (p < 0.05). In LCC patients ≥65 years old, radiation after surgery had significantly better impact on overall survival outcomes (HR: 0.863, 95% CI: 0.765–0.973, p = 0.016), whereas radiation prior to surgery (HR: 1.425, 95% CI: 1.059–1.916, p = 0.019) had significantly worse impact on prognosis of patients. In LCC patients p = 0.580), but ≥4 LNRs had significantly survival benefits to prognosis (HR:0.707, 95% CI: 0.584–0.855). Elderly LCC patients had worse malignant tumors than young patients, of which the majority were diagnosed as stage III/IV tumors. Conclusions: Postoperative radiotherapy may achieve a better prognosis for stage III/IV LCC patients older than 65 years old compared to other radiation sequences with surgery.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Despite considerable progress in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of CVDs, new diagnostic biomarkers and new therapeutic measures are urgently needed to reduce the mortality of CVDs and improve the therapeutic effect. RNA methylations regulate almost all aspects of RNA processing, such as RNA nuclear export, translation, splicing and non-coding RNA processing. In view of the importance of RNA methylations in the pathogenesis of diseases, this work reviews the molecular structures, biological functions of five kinds of RNA methylations (m6A, m5C, m1a, m6am and m7G) and their effects on CVDs, including pulmonary hypertension, hypertension, vascular calcification, cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure. In CVDs, m6A “writers” catalyze the installation of m6A on RNAs, while “erasers” remove these modifications. Finally, the “readers” of m6A further influence the mRNA splicing, nuclear export, translation and degradation. M5C, m1A, m6Am and m7G are new types of RNA methylations, their roles in CVDs need to be further explored. RNA methylations have become a new research hotspot and the roles in CVDs is gradually emerging, the review of the molecular characteristics, biological functions and effects of RNA methylation on CVDs will contribute to the elucidation of the pathological mechanisms of CVDs and the discovery of new diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets of CVDs.

In this paper, a new adaptive backstepping control scheme for a class of incommensurate fractional order nonlinear multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems with unknown nonlinearities and external disturbance is presented. In each step of the backstepping, the radial basis function neural network (RBF NN) is utilized to approximate the unknown nonlinear uncertainties, and the incommensurate fractional order parameters update laws are designed based on backstepping algorithm. Using the frequency distributed model of fractional integrator and Lyapunov stability theory for the fractional order systems, the adaptive RBF NN controller is designed and the stability of the closed loop system is proved. Two simulation examples are given to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.

This paper develops a new adaptive control scheme for a class of incommensurate fractional order nonlinear systems with external disturbances and input dead-zone. Based on the backstepping algorithm, the radial basis function neural network (RBF NN) is used to approximate the unknown nonlinear uncertainties in each step of the backstepping, and the fractional order parameters update laws for RBF NN are proposed as well as the fractional order nonlinear disturbance estimator to estimate the external disturbances. The adaptive RBF NN controller is designed based on the frequency distributed model of fractional integrator for the fractional order systems, and the stability of the closed loop system is proved. Finally, three simulation examples are given to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.

The pools of plant community carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are important sources of soil organic matter in terrestrial ecosystems and directly affect soil C and N cycling. A large amount of studies were manipulated with multiple N levels on soil C and N pools. However, how and whether the frequency of N addition can affect the plant C and N pools is still unclear. In order to comprehensively understand the N addition effects (including frequencies and levels) on C and N pools of the plant community, we executed a randomized complete block experiment with the addition of five levels of N, including 0, 2, 10, 20 and 50 g N m−2 yr−1 (designated as N-0, N-2, N-10, N-20 and N-50) and two N addition frequencies (twice a year vs. monthly, F2, F12) in August of 2008. After 5 years of treatment, the physical-chemical properties of the plants and soil were measured in 2013. The results indicated that with increasing N addition levels, the C and N pools of the plant community significantly increased, while N addition frequency had no significant effects. Moreover, significant interactions between N addition levels and the frequencies on the C and N pools of the plant community were also found in this typical grassland. Under different frequencies of N addition treatment, the plant community C and N pools showed different response patterns along with N addition levels in plants aboveground and belowground, respectively. Under different frequencies of N addition, the changes in the C and N pools of the plant community caused by N addition were regulated by different environmental factors. We highlight that long-term N deposition could affect the plant community C and N pools and would influence C and N cycling of terrestrial ecosystems based on global climate change in the future.

Introduction: Influenza virus pneumonia and COVID-19 are two different types of respiratory viral pneumonia but with very similar clinical manifestations. The aim of the present study was to help clinicians gain a better understanding about differences between Influenza virus pneumonia and COVID-19 by comparative analysis of the early-stage clinical features.Methods: Clinical data of patients with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and influenza A pneumonia identified in our hospital were collected and analyzed retrospectively to identify the clinical features that could differentiate between the two types of viral pneumonia.Results: The two types of viral pneumonia mainly affected adults, especially people over 50 years, with no gender difference between them. Fever, cough, sputum and muscle soreness were the most common symptoms of COVID-19. Some patients with COVID-19 may also exhibit digestive tract symptoms. Elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) was a more common phenomenon in patients with COVID-19 than that in patients with influenza A H1N1 virus pneumonia. In addition, eosinophil count was decreased and the monocyte percentage was increased in COVID-19 patients. The grid-form shadow was a typical presentation of COVID-19 on the lung CT image, and the disease usually progressed quickly within a week.Conclusion: Influenza pneumonia and COVID-19 are two different types of respiratory viral pneumonia with very similar clinical manifestations. The percentage of monocytes is increased and the eosinophil count is decreased in COVID-19. Glass-ground density exudation shadow located peripherally is the typical sign of COVID-19 on the lung CT image, and the shadow often with grid-form sign. These features may not be typically observed in patients with influenza pneumonia. Chest CT scan combined with nucleic acid detection is an effective and accurate method for diagnosing COVID-19. Blood routine test has a limited diagnostic value in differentiating the two forms of pneumonia.

In this paper, a novel algorithm for the cylinder mass flow estimation in four-stroke spark ignition (SI) gasoline engines is developed to improve the estimation precision under transient conditions. The error of the cylinder mass flow is compensated by the error variable of the volumetric efficiency caused by the calibration errors and ambient changes. Since the volumetric efficiency error in SI gasoline engines is dependent on the intake manifold pressure, engine speed, and ambient temperature, a fuzzy logic system (FLS) with three inputs is adopted to parameterize the volumetric efficiency error. With the combination of the FLS and the gasoline engine air path system, an adaptive fuzzy sliding mode observer is presented to estimate the states and parameters jointly and suppress the disturbance from the FLS approximation error. With the conditions of persistent excitation and the given inequality, the convergence of the proposed method is proven. The performance of the proposed method is validated in the environment of a R4-cylinder SI gasoline engine from enDYNA during different driving-cycle conditions, demonstrating that the estimation precision of the cylinder air inflow can be obviously improved by the proposed algorithm under transient conditions.

In this paper, a novel adaptive fuzzy backstepping control method is designed for a class of incommensurate fractional-order nonlinear systems with unknown nonlinearities and external disturbance, in which the frequency distributed model is employed so that the indirect Lyapunov method can be used to design the controller. In each step of the backstepping, the complicated unknown nonlinear function coming from a fractional differential function is approximated using a fuzzy logic system, and the virtual control law and parameters update law are designed, in which the order of the parameters update law cannot be fixed to the system order and more degree of freedom can be obtained. In the last step, an adaptive fuzzy controller is given, which can ensure the convergence of the tracking error. Compared with the previous methods, the proposed backstepping method is first adopted to solve the tracking problem of incommensurate order systems with unknown nonlinearities and external disturbance, in which the stabilization and tracking can be achieved. Two careful simulation studies are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of this novel scheme.

In this paper, an adaptive neural network (NN) backstepping control method is designed for a class of uncertain fractional order nonlinear systems with external disturbance and input saturation, in which the fractional Lyapunov stability theory is used to construct the controller. The complicated unknown fractional order nonlinear function is approximated by a radial basis function (RBF) NN in each step, and the virtual control law and parameters update law are presented based on the backstepping algorithm procedures. At the final step, an adaptive RBF NN controller is constructed, in which no knowledge of system uncertainty and the upper bound of the disturbance is required. Then, a theorem is presented to address that the asymptotical convergence of the tracking error can be guaranteed. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is illustrated by two simulation examples.

This article mainly discusses the integration of smart home technology and interior environment design under the background of the Internet, as well as their application in the field of education. First, the basic concepts of smart home technology and interior environment design are introduced. Then, the opportunities and challenges in their fusion process are analyzed, and the innovation models and future development trends are discussed. Finally, it discusses the opportunities and challenges of the integration of interior environment design education and smart home technology, puts forward relevant innovation models and emphasizes that innovation models also need to be constantly updated and adapted to market demand, and then expounds the future of interior environment design and smart home technology. Integration will be deeper and wider. Therefore, the integration of interior environment design education and smart home technology will be more important and necessary in the future, so as to cultivate design talents with innovative thinking and practical ability.

Abstract Rewetting after precipitation events plays an important role in regulating soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) turnover processes in arid and semiarid ecosystems. Here, we conducted a 48-h rewetting simulation experiment with measurements of soil C and N mineralization rates (R C and R N, respectively) and microbial biomass N (MBN) at high temporal resolution to explore the pulse responses of R C and R N. R C and R N responded strongly and rapidly to rewetting over the short term. The maximum R C value (because of pulse effects) ranged from 16.53 to 19.33 µg C gsoil −1 h−1, observed 10 min after rewetting. The maximum R N varied from 22.86 to 40.87 µg N gsoil −1 h−1, appearing 5–6 h after rewetting. The responses of soil microbial growth to rewetting were rapid, and the maximum MBN was observed 2–3 h after rewetting. Unexpectedly, there was no correlation between R C, R N, and MBN during the process of rewetting, and R C and R N were uncoupled. In sum, the pulse responses of R C, R N, and microbial growth to simulated rewetting were rapid, strong, and asynchronous, which offers insights into the different responses of microbes to rewetting and mechanisms behind microbes.

This paper develops a fractional-order adaptive fuzzy backstepping control scheme for incommensurate fractional-order nonlinear uncertain systems with external disturbances and input saturation. Based on backstepping algorithm, the fuzzy logic system is used to approximate the unknown nonlinear uncertainties in each step of the backstepping, and the fractional-order parameters update laws for fuzzy logic system, unknown parameters, and the external disturbances are proposed. With the aids of the frequency distributed model of fractional integrator for the fractional-order systems in the procedure of controller design, the stability of the closed-loop system is established. To verify the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller, two simulation examples are demonstrated at last.

An adaptive backstepping control scheme for a class of incommensurate fractional order uncertain nonlinear multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems subjected to constraints is discussed in this paper, which ensures the convergence of tracking errors even with dead-zone and saturation nonlinearities in the controller input. Combined with backstepping and adaptive technique, the unknown nonlinear uncertainties are approximated by the radial basis function neural network (RBF NN) in each step of the backstepping procedure. Frequency distributed model of a fractional integrator and Lyapunov stability theory are used for ensuring asymptotic stability of the overall closed-loop system under input dead-zone and saturation. Moreover, the parameter update laws with incommensurate fractional order are used in the controller to compensate unknown nonlinearities. Two simulation results are presented at the end to ensure the efficacy of the proposed scheme.

In this paper, a new method for mass air flow (MAF) sensor error compensation and an online updating error map (or lookup table) due to installation and aging in a diesel engine is developed. Since the MAF sensor error is dependent on the engine operating point, the error model is represented as a two-dimensional (2D) map with two inputs, fuel mass injection quantity and engine speed. Meanwhile, the 2D map representing the MAF sensor error is described as a piecewise bilinear interpolation model, which can be written as a dot product between the regression vector and parameter vector using a membership function. With the combination of the 2D map regression model and the diesel engine air path system, an LPV adaptive observer with low computational load is designed to estimate states and parameters jointly. The convergence of the proposed algorithm is proven under the conditions of persistent excitation and given inequalities. The observer is validated against the simulation data from engine software enDYNA provided by Tesis. The results demonstrate that the operating point-dependent error of the MAF sensor can be approximated acceptably by the 2D map from the proposed method.

Soil nitrogen (N) mineralization is crucial for the sustainability of available soil N and hence ecosystem productivity and functioning. Metabolic quotient of N mineralization ( Q _min ), which is defined as net soil N mineralization per unit of soil microbial biomass N, reflects the efficiency of soil N mineralization. However, it is far from clear how soil Q _min changes and what are the controlling factors at the global scale. We compiled 871 observations of soil Q _min from 79 published articles across terrestrial ecosystems (croplands, forests, grasslands, and wetlands) to elucidate the global variation of soil Q _min and its predictors. Soil Q _min decreased from the equator to two poles, which was significant in the North Hemisphere. Soil Q _min correlated negatively with soil pH, total soil N, the ratio of soil carbon (C) to N, and soil microbial biomass C, and positively with mean annual temperature and C:N ratio of soil microbial biomass at a global scale. Soil microbial biomass, climate, and soil physical and chemical properties in combination accounted for 41% of the total variations of global soil Q _min . Among those predictors, C:N ratio of soil microbial biomass was the most important factor contributing to the variations of soil Q _min (the standardized coefficient = 0.39) within or across ecosystem types. This study emphasizes the critical role of microbial stoichiometry in soil N cycling, and suggests the necessity of incorporating soil Q _min into Earth system models to better predict N cycling under environmental change.

In the machining progress of free-form surface, tool path is presented as continuous small line segments. To achieve high machining speed and fine machining quality, the tool path needs to be smoothed. This study presents a smooth tool path generation algorithm based on B-spline curves for small line segments machining. The algorithm includes two modules: smooth tool path generation module and real-time look-ahead interpolation module. In the smooth tool path generation module, the tool path is divided into non-fitting regions and fitting regions by three conditions: the length of small line segments, the angle of adjacent small line segments, and the change rate of the length and angle. To control contour error and get fine machining quality, the fitting regions are corrected by circle correction method and fitted into B-spline curves, while the non-fitting regions are smoothed with B-spline curves. In this module, the gained tool path has continuous curvature. In the interpolation module, the seven-phase jerk-limited look-ahead planning is adopted to generate smooth machining velocity, while the calculation accuracy of interpolation point generated by the interpolation period crossing two adjacent tool path is controlled. Simulations and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is able to reduce the amount of numerical control codes, achieve high machining speed, and improve machining quality.

3,4-Dibromo-5-(2-bromo-3,4-dihydroxy-6-isopropoxymethyl benzyl)benzene-1,2-diol (HPN) is a bromophenol derivative from the marine red alga Rhodomela confervoides. We have previously found that HPN exerted an anti-hyperglycemic property in db/db mouse model. In the present study, we found that HPN could protect HepG2 cells against palmitate (PA)-induced cell death. Data also showed that HPN inhibited cell death mainly by blocking the cell apoptosis. Further studies demonstrated that HPN (especially at 1.0 μM) significantly restored insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of IR and IRS1/2, and inhibited the PTP1B expression level in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, the expression of Akt was activated by HPN, and glucose uptake was significantly increased in PA-treated HepG2 cells. Our results suggest that HPN could protect hepatocytes from lipid-induced cell damage and insulin resistance via PTP1B inhibition. Thus, HPN can be considered to have potential for the development of anti-diabetic agent that could protect both hepatic cell mass and function.