Open-source lower controller for twelve degrees of freedom hydraulic quadruped robot with distributed control scheme.

Nowadays, hydraulic quadruped robot shows high power density, good impact resistance and robustness in the research. The controller is the key to realize these features. This paper shows the design of an open-source single-leg controller for the hydraulic quadruped robot Spurlos using a distributed control scheme.

T-Helper 17 Cell/Regulatory T-Cell Imbalance in COPD Combined with T2DM Patients.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in clinical, and with poor prognosis. In recent years, research shows that inflammation is a common characteristic of COPD and T2DM. T-helper 17 cell (Th17)/regulatory T-cell (Treg) balance controls inflammation and may be important in the pathogenesis of COPD combined with T2DM patients.

Metabolic changes of different high-resolution computed tomography phenotypes of COPD after budesonide-formoterol treatment.

Background: Metabolomics is the global unbiased analysis of all the small-molecule metabolites within a biological system. Metabolic profiling of different high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) phenotypes of COPD patients before and after treatment may identify discriminatory metabolites that can serve as biomarkers and therapeutic agents.

Patients And Methods: H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-NMR)-based metabolomics was performed on a discovery set of plasma samples from 50 patients with stable COPD.

Relationship between PPARα mRNA expression and mitochondrial respiratory function and ultrastructure of the skeletal muscle of patients with COPD.

Peripheral muscle dysfunction is an important complication in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between the levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) mRNA expression and the respiratory function and ultrastructure of mitochondria in the vastus lateralis of patients with COPD. Vastus lateralis biopsies were performed on 14 patients with COPD and 6 control subjects with normal lung function.

MicroRNA-30e-5p promotes cell growth by targeting PTPN13 and indicates poor survival and recurrence in lung adenocarcinoma.

Aberrant microRNA expression is involved in the regulation of various cellular processes, such as proliferation and metastasis in multiple diseases including cancers. MicroRNA-30e-5p (miR-30e) was previously reported as an oncogenic or tumour suppressing miRNA in some malignancies, but its function in lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) remains largely undefined. In this study, we found that the expression of miR-30e was increased in LAC tissues and cell lines, associated with tumour size and represented an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and recurrence of LAC patients.

Silencing of Btbd7 Inhibited Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Chemoresistance in CD133 Lung Carcinoma A549 Cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumorigenesis and recurrence, so targeting CSCs is an effective method to potentially cure cancer. BTB/POZ domain-containing protein 7 (Btbd7) has been found in various cancers, including lung cancer and liver cancer, but the role of Btbd7 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), CSC self-renewal, and chemoresistance is still unknown. Therefore, in this study we found that the ratio of tumor sphere formation and stem cell transcription factors in CD133+ cells was dramatically enhanced compared to parental cells, which indicated successful sorting of CD133+ cells from A549.

Effect of oral N-acetylcysteine on COPD patients with microsatellite polymorphism in the heme oxygenase-1 gene promoter.

Background: Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) plays a protective role as an antioxidant in the lung, and HO-1 gene promoter polymorphism has been shown to be associated with the severity and prognosis of COPD patients. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant/mucous modifier, has shown an uncertain benefit in COPD patients. We hypothesized that this polymorphism could be associated with the effectiveness of oral NAC.

Proteomic pilot study of tuberculosis pleural effusion.

To discuss the differences in protein expression among tuberculosis pleural effusion (TBPE), malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and transudative pleural effusion (TSPE). We recruited 50 patients with pleural effusion, including 20 TBPEs, 17 MPEs and 13 TSPEs. Using the two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), we acquired the peptide mass finger printings (PMFs) of featured proteins.

Effect of N-acetylcysteine in COPD patients with different microsomal epoxide hydrolase genotypes.

Background: The role of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has not been clarified as yet. In early studies, we found that the proportion of smokers with COPD having extremely slow/slow microsomal epoxide hydrolase (EPHX1) enzyme activity is significantly higher than that in healthy smokers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether different EPHX1 enzyme activity is related to differential therapeutic effects of treatment with NAC in COPD.

Relationship between polymorphisms in the 5' leader cistron, positions 16 and 27 of the adrenergic β2 receptor gene and asthma in a Han population from southwest China.

Background And Objective: Adrenergic β2 receptors (ADRB2) play an important role in regulating pulmonary function. Many previous studies have investigated possible associations between polymorphisms in the ADRB2 gene and asthma, but have yielded conflicting results. Furthermore, little is known regarding the possible role of the Arg19Cys polymorphism in susceptibility to asthma among Chinese.

[Combination of inhaled salmeterol/fluticasone and tiotropium in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled trial].

Objective: To observe the efficacy of combination therapy with inhaled salmeterol/fluticasone and tiotropium in reducing the frequency of acute episodes of symptom exacerbation and improving lung function and health status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: One hundred and twenty-six patients (M/F: 92/34) with COPD were treated in a randomised, parallel-group, controlled study with salmeterol/fluticasone (50/250 microg) twice daily and tiotropium 18 microg once daily (n = 33, M/F: 23/10); salmeterol/fluticasone (50/250 microg) twice daily (n = 32, M/F: 24/8); or tiotropium 18 microg once daily (n = 32, M/F: 23/9) for 12 months. Patients in the blank control group (n = 29, M/F: 22/7) did not receive any inhaled anticholinergic drugs, long-acting beta(2) agonists or glucocorticoid therapy.

Heme oxygenase-1 polymorphism associated with severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Recent studies have suggested that susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) might be related to the length polymorphism of (GT)(n) repeat in the 5'-flanking region of heme oxygenase-1 (HOX-1) gene. However, there has been no research about the relationship between the polymorphism of HOX-1 gene and severity of COPD.

Methods: The polymorphism of HOX-1 gene in 452 patients with COPD from Han population in Southwest China was analysed by fragment analysis.

[Relationship between the locus 16 geontype of beta 2 adrenergic receptor and the nocturnal asthma phenotype].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the polymorphism of beta 2 adrenergic receptor (beta 2 AR) at loci 16, 27 and the nocturnal asthma phenotype.

Methods: Forty-nine asthmatic patients were divided into nocturnal asthmatic group (n = 25) and non-nocturnal asthmatic group(n = 24) by their peak expiratory flow rates (PEFR). The genotypes at loci 16, 27 of beta 2 AR were delineated by PCR product sequencing.