Environmental Impact Assessment Follow-Up of Seismic Survey Offshore Activities in Brazil

Follow-up of environmental impacts is an integral part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, closely related to the effectiveness of the instrument. EIA follow-up has been receiving a lot of interest from scientists and practitioners, though it is recognized as one of the weakest points of EIA systems globally. Also, EIA follow-up is influenced by the context, mainly in terms of the types of projects or activities and their related impacts on the environment. Therefore, the present paper is focused on the investigation of the follow-up stage applied to the activity of seismic survey coupled with offshore oil & gas exploitation in Brazil. Research was based on a qualitative approach that included document analysis and semi-structured interviews with analysts involved in EIA processes, and sought to generate evidence of effectiveness of the EIA follow-up as conducted by the Federal Environment Agency (Ibama) in order to situate the practice of follow-up in the broader context of international best practice principles. Based on the findings, it was concluded that, due to the peculiarities of offshore seismic survey, it is necessary to promote adaptations in the procedures for monitoring impacts in order to ensure proper alignment with the principles and conceptual foundations that guide EIA practice. Specifically, the timing of the execution of the activity imposes challenges for its integration into the “conventional” cycle that has guided the monitoring of the impacts in the EIA of projects.

Trade credit financing for supply chain coordination under financial challenges:a multi‑leader–follower game approach

This study is designed to solve supply chain inefficiencies caused by some members’financial problems,such as capital shortages and financing restrictions in a stochastic environment.To this end,we have established a supply chain finance framework by designing two novel coordinating contracts based on trade credit financing for different problem settings.These contracts are modeled in the form of multi-leader Stackelberg games that address horizontal and vertical competition in a supply chain consisting of multiple suppliers and a financially constrained manufacturer.However,previous studies in the trade credit literature have addressed only simple vertical competition,that is,seller-buyer competition.To solve the proposed models,two algorithms were developed by combining population-based metaheuristics,the Nash-domination concept,and the Nikaido-Isoda function.The results demonstrate that the proposed supply chain finance framework can eliminate supply chain inefficiencies and make a large profit for suppliers,as well as the financially constrained manufacturer.Furthermore,the results of the contracts’analysis showed that if the manufacturer is required to settle its payments to suppliers before the end of the period,the trade credit contract cannot coordinate the supply chain because of a lack of incentive for suppliers.However,if the manufacturer is allowed to extend its payments to the end of the period,the proposed trade credit financing contract can coordinate the supply chain.Finally,the sensitivity analysis results indicate that the worse the financial status of the manufacturer,the more bargaining power suppliers have in determining the contract parameters for more profit.

Follow-Up Care of HIV-Positive Pregnant Women in North Central Nigerian: A 15-Year Review

Background: Pregnant women bear the greatest burden of people living with HIV in the West Africa sub-region, and the country requires continuous optimal follow-up care for their disease after delivery. Documentation of such very important services is rarely done in this high-burden environment, and hence the present study. Method: A 15-year retrospective review of medical records of HIV-positive pregnant women who attended antenatal care services from January 2006 to December 2020 at the prevention of the mothers-to-child transmission unit of the health facility was carried out to document the HIV service provided at the unit, and the follow-up care at the adult HIV special treatment clinic for the continuation of their HIV treatment. Results: Of the 1245 HIV-positive pregnant mothers reviewed during the period, 702 (56.4%) were between the ages of 26 - 35 years, 1043 (83.8%) were on HIV treatment before their index pregnancy, 202 (16.2%) were diagnosed of HIV infection during their last trimester and labor, while 878 (70.5%) continued their HIV services at adult HIV special treatment clinic after delivery. The predictors of continuous care include: maternal parity with [OR] 0.51 (0.35 - 0.73), p = 0.02, time of presentation in trimester with [OR] 1.54 (1.15 - 2.06), p = 0.003, duration on antiretroviral therapy [OR] 2.14 (1.57 - 2.9) p Conclusion: The high rate of optimal follow-up care of HIV-positive mothers after delivery in the adult special treatment clinic in this study speaks of the preparedness and good supportive services provided to these mothers in the health facility. However, the high rate of loss to follow-up among this cohort of women requires a more focused intervention during their postpartum period for a better outcome.

Determinants of the Ophthalmological Follow-Up of Sickle Cell Patients at the National Center of Research and Care for Sickle Cell Patients in Lome-Togo

Objectives: To assess the factors influencing the ophthalmological follow-up of sickle cell patients in Togo. Materials and Methods: The national center of research and care for sickle cell patients (CNRSD) served as study setting. It was a descriptive and analytical study by interview over a three-month period from December 01, 2020 to March 02, 2021. Was included in the study, any patient with sickle cell disease genotype SS or SC, age ≥ 17 years, regularly followed at the CNRSD and having accepted the interview by a survey sheet. Excluded were patients with sickle cell trait genotype AS or AC or with a disability that prevented them from being interviewed. Results: Two hundred and fifty (250) patients with sickle cell disease were interviewed. The mean age was 29.1 years ± 11.12 years [17 years;67 years] and the sex ratio = 0.52. Nine patients over ten (9/10) attended at least secondary school. The jobless represented 25.60% of the total population followed respectively by students and laborers in 20.40% and 16% of cases. Twenty-four percent (24%) of patients were followed up in ophthalmology department. Statistically, there was no significant relationship between level of education (p = 0.4083), occupation (p = 0.6441) and knowledge of the ocular complications of sickle cell disease. Statistically, there was a significant relationship between knowledge of the ocular complications of sickle cell disease and compliance with ophthalmological follow-up (p = 0.0009). Conclusion: The knowledge of eye disorders related to sickle cell disease by patients with sickle cell disease improves their ophthalmological follow-up. Greater awareness on eye disorders related to sickle cell disease by medical staff towards patients with sickle cell disease would improve ophthalmological follow-up. .

Postpartum Intrauterine Device: Use and Follow-Up of Users in the Maternity Ward of the Ratoma Communal Medical Center in Conakry, Guinea

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the use of the postpartum intrauterine device in the maternity ward of the Ratoma communal medical center in Conakry. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out between July 1st 2015 and June 30 2016, i.e. a duration of one year. Results: A total of 551 patients received advice on various contraceptive methods. Most of this advice was given in the post-partum period (40.2%) and during antenatal care (39.1%). Of the patients advised, 87 (15.8%) used the intrauterine device. The majority of users (93%) were married and uneducated (63.2%), and 39.1% were poor. The majority (56.3%) of intra-uterine devices were inserted in the immediate post-partum period. The majority of women had no adverse events either during the first six weeks (n = 57;65.5%) or at 3rd months (n = 75;86.2%) or 6th months (n = 76;87.4%) after IUD insertion. Most users remained complication-free throughout the follow-up period (n = 76;87.4% at 6th weeks and 3rd months, and n = 77;88.5% at 6th months). The continuation rate was 89.7% at 6 weeks and 3rd months, and 87.4% at 6th months after insertion. The majority of users (87.0%) were satisfied with the care they received. Conclusion: This study showed very few complications among intrauterine device users, and high continuation and satisfaction rates. The intrauterine device is a long-acting, effective, reversible and safe contraceptive that can be used by most women for birth spacing in Guinea, where women do not regularly visit health facilities.

Evolution of HBV Viral Load during Clinical and Biological Follow-Up of Chronic Hepatitis B Patients at the Saint Camille Hospital in Ouagadougou

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem worldwide. The aim of this study was to document the dynamics of HBV viral load during the follow-up of chronic hepatitis B patients at the Saint Camille Hospital in Ouagadougou (HOSCO) from 2017 to 2021. This descriptive retrospective study was carried out in the Hepato-Gastro-Enterology Department of HOSCO and focused on patients who were undergoing treatment for chronic viral hepatitis B. A total of 260 cases of chronic hepatitis B were included in the study. The most affected age group was 21 to 30 years, accounting for 48.08% of the cases. Lifestyle factors included alcohol consumption (3.08%) and tobacco use (2.69%). Major risk factors for transmission included lack of vaccination (98.46%), family history of HBV infection (68.00%) and engagement in high-risk activities (28.00%). Patients requiring treatment were prescribed Tenofovir 300 mg tablets. FibroScan® showed the presence of stage F3-F4 fibrosis (2.14%) and S3 steatosis (13.33%). After one year of follow-up, 6.92% of patients achieved an undetectable viral load with normalized transaminase levels. The majority of other patients had a detectable viral load but below 20,000 IU/mL. The prevalence of viral hepatitis B remains significant worldwide. Although effective and well-monitored treatment can lead to undetectable viremia, prevention remains the most effective strategy for successful management of this disease.

Adult Congenital Lumbar Kyphosis Requiring Anteroposterior Correction and Fusion: A Case Report with 32-Year Follow-Up

Congenital pure kyphosis due to failure of vertebral body segmentation is a relatively rare entity, and surgical intervention is infrequent compared to that for failure of vertebral body formation [1] [2]. There are very few reports of long-term follow-up of surgical treatment in patients with congenital pure kyphosis, and all the reported cases were diagnosed as failure of formation and had an age at the time of surgery of less than 18 years. It is important for orthopedic surgeons to follow the postoperative course of rare cases over 30 years. Here, we present a surgically treated case with ultra-long term follow-up of a 50-year-old patient with congenital pure kyphosis of the lumbar spine. Imaging of the lumbar spine showed six vertebrae and an unsegmented bar at L3-4 causing a pure kyphosis of 54°. The wedge-shaped block vertebra had 4 pedicles with the neural foramen between the pedicles without concomitant disc space, with compensatory thoracic hypokyphosis and lower lumbar hyperlordosis. One-stage correction and fusion surgery using anterior opening and posterior closing osteotomy was successfully performed. Both clinical and radiographic results were excellent and have been maintained for over 30 years postoperatively. The basic principle in the surgical treatment of adult spinal deformity is to achieve and maintain a good global sagittal balance over time. This case reaffirms the importance of spinopelvic harmony.

Multi-circular formation control with reinforced transient profiles for nonholonomic vehicles:A path-following framework

This article investigates a multi-circular path-following formation control with reinforced transient profiles for nonholonomic vehicles connected by a digraph.A multi-circular formation controller endowed with the feature of spatial-temporal decoupling is devised for a group of vehicles guided by a virtual leader evolving along an implicit path,which allows for a circumnavigation on multiple circles with an anticipant angular spacing.In addition,notice that it typically imposes a stringent time constraint on time-sensitive enclosing scenarios,hence an improved prescribed performance control(IPPC)using novel tighter behavior boundaries is presented to enhance transient capabilities with an ensured appointed-time convergence free from any overshoots.The significant merits are that coordinated circumnavigation along different circles can be realized via executing geometric and dynamic assignments independently with modified transient profiles.Furthermore,all variables existing in the entire system are analyzed to be convergent.Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the utility of suggested solution.

A Novel Prescribed-Performance Path-Following Problem for Non-Holonomic Vehicles

The issue of achieving prescribed-performance path following in robotics is addressed in this paper,where the aim is to ensure that a desired path within a specified region is accu-rately converged to by the controlled vehicle.In this context,a novel form of the prescribed performance guiding vector field is introduced,accompanied by a prescribed-time sliding mode con-trol approach.Furthermore,the interdependence among the pre-scribed parameters is discussed.To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method,numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the approach.

Cancer Occurrence and Associated Factors to Malignancy in BIRADS-3 Lesions in Yaoundé: The Need to Be More Proactive for Patients above 40, Non-Compliant with Imaging Follow-Up and Presenting with Nipple Discharge

Background and objectives: Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System in Category 3 (BIRADS-3) includes probably benign lesions which need a short-term imaging follow-up. However, in our context, the lesions graded BIRADS-3 remain insufficiently evaluated. We therefore conducted this study to assess the cancer occurrence and associated factors in BIRADS-3 lesions during the follow-up in order to propose an adaptation of the management for lesions in this category in our setting. Patients and methods: A retrospective longitudinal study of patients with lesions initially classified as BIRADS-3 and who realised each at least one additional imaging check-up between January 2014 and December 2022 in five Yaoundé hospitals. All clinical and imaging data were analysed using SPSS® 21.0 software with a significant p-value Results: Patients were aged 13 to 73 (33.0 ± 13.4) years, with a history of breast mass (315 cases;79.7%), breast pain (25 patients;6.3%), nipple discharge (20 patients;5.1%) or past family history of breast cancer (25 cases;6.3%). The most common baseline abnormalities were mammogram opacities (64.8%) and microcalcifications (48.6%), whereas initial breast ultrasound showed solid masses (77.0%) and cystic lesions (11.1%). Compliance with imaging appointment periods was low with only 23.9% of all patients performing an imaging control at the scheduled moment. During the follow-up, 115 patients (29.1%) were upgraded to BIRADS-4 and histology performed revealed 43 cancers (10.9% of overall initial BIRADS-3 sample). The presence of malignancies was associated to age above 40 years (p = 0.0001) and to the presence of nipple discharge (p = 0.0375). Conclusion: The frequency of malignancies among initial BIRADS-3 lesions in our series is higher than that described in the guidelines. This study highlights the need to be more proactive in the management of BIRADS-3 lesions in our setting as the compliance with follow-up is low. So, biopsy should be considered as an alternative to long-term follow-up for patients above 40, non-compliant with imaging check-ups and presenting with nipple discharge.

Prevalence of and risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a Chinese population: An 8-year follow-up study

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) in a Chinese population.METHODS: A total of 1948 adults from China was followed for 8 years. A cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the prevalence of NAFLD at baseline, and then the participants were followed for 8 years to investigate risk factors for the development of NAFLD.RESULTS: A total of 1948 participants were enrolled at baseline, of whom 691 were diagnosed with NAFLD. During the 8-year follow-up, 337 baseline NAFLD-free participants developed NAFLD. They had a greaterincrease in body mass index(BMI), serum uric acid, fasting plasma glucose, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and a considerable decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. 123 participants who had NAFLD at baseline lost NAFLD during the 8-year follow-up period. They had a greater decrease in BMI, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase.CONCLUSION: NAFLD is prevalent in Chinese population with a rapidly increasing tendency. It can be reversed when patients lose their weight, control their hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, and reduce the liver enzyme levels.

Follow-up of intestinal metaplasia in the stomach: When, how and why

Gastric cancer remains the second most frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in the world. Screening programs in some Asian countries are impractical in the majority of other countries worldwide. Therefore, follow-up of precancerous lesions is advisable for secondary gastric cancer prevention. Intestinal metaplasia (IM) is recognized as a precancerous lesion for gastric cancer, increasing the risk by 6-fold. IM is highly prevalent in the general population, being detected in nearly 1 of every 4 patients undergoing upper endoscopy. The IM prevalence rate is significantly higher in patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, in first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients, in smokers and it increases with patient age. IM is the "breaking point" in the gastric carcinogenesis cascade and does not appear to regress following H. pylori eradication, although the cure of infection may slow its progression. Gastric cancer risk is higher in patients with incomplete-type IM, in those with both antral and gastric body involvement, and the risk significantly increases with IM extension over 20% of the gastric mucosa. Scheduled endoscopic control could be cost-effective in IM patients, depending on the yearly incidence of gastric cancer in IM patients, the stage of gastric cancer at diagnosis discovered at surveillance, and the cost of endoscopy. As a pragmatic behavior, yearly endoscopic control would appear justified in all IM patients with at least one of these conditions: (1) IM extension > 20%; (2) the presence of incomplete type IM; (3) first-degree relative of gastric cancer patients; and (4) smokers. In the remaining IM patients, a less intensive (2-3 years) could be proposed.

Prognostic value of plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA level during posttreatment follow-up in the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma having undergone intensity-modulated radiotherapy

Background: The value of Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) DNA assay during posttreatment follow-up of the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) presenting with different pretreatment plasma EBV DNA levels remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of plasma EBV DNA assay during posttreatment followup in the patients with NPC who have undergone intensity-modulated radiotherapy.Methods: The medical records of 385 NPC patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy between November 2009 and February 2012 were reviewed. All patients underwent plasma EBV DNA assays before treatment, within3 months after treatment, and then every 3-12 months during posttreatment follow-up period. The recurrence rates for patients with different pretreatment and posttreatment follow-up plasma EBV DNA levels were analyzed.Results: Of the 385 patients, 267(69.4%) had detectable pretreatment plasma EBV DNA(> 0 copy/mL) and 93(24.2%) had detectable posttreatment EBV DNA during a median follow-up of 52.8 months(range 9.3-73.8 months).Detectable EBV DNA during posttreatment follow-up was found in 14.4%(17/118) and 28.5%(76/267) of patients with undetectable and detectable pretreatment EBV DNA, respectively, and was significantly associated with tumor recurrence in both patient groups. EBV DNA was detectable in 12.8%(40/313) of patients who remained disease-free,56.4%(22/39) of patients with locoregional recurrence alone, and 93.9%(31/33) of patients with distant metastasis as the first recurrence event(P < 0.001); 6.5%(19/292) of patients with undetectable EBV DNA and 57.0%(53/93) of patient with detectable EBV DNA during posttreatment follow-up experienced tumor recurrence. Compared with other cut-off values, the cut-off value of 0 copy/mL for EBV DNA during posttreatment follow-up had the highest area under the ROC curve(AUC) value(0.804,95% confidence interval 0.741-0.868) for predicting tumor recurrence(sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy: 73.6%, 87.2%, and 84.7%, respectively).Conclusion: Plasma EBV DNA level during posttreatment follow-up is a good marker for predicting distant metastasis but not locoregional recurrence in the patients with NPC irrespective of the pretreatment EBV DNA levels.

Follow-up study of hepatitis C virus infection in uremic patients on maintenance hemodialysis for 30 months

INTRODUCTIONA high prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus(HCV)(range from 3.3%-80%)has beenreported in hemodialysis(HD)patients,andworrisome as it often becomes chronic and induceschronic liver disease,therefore thenephrologists face a major challenge of how toprevent it.The main route of HCV transmission

Treatment and follow-up of children with transient congenital hypothyroidism

Objective: To study the clinical therapy and prognosis in children with transient congenital hypothyroidism (CH).Methods: Fifty-seven children with CH diagnosed after neonatal screening were treated with low-dosage levothyroxine (L-T4).Follow-up evaluation included the determination of TT3, TT4 and TSH serum levels and the assessment of thyroid gland morphology, bone age, growth development and development quotients (DQ). A full check-up was performed at age 2, when the affected children first discontinued the L-T4 treatment for 1 month, and one year later. Development quotients were compared (16.25±3.87) μg/d. Mean duration of therapy was (28.09±9.56) months. No significant difference was found between study group and control group in the DQ test (average score (106.58± 14.40) vs (102.4±8.6), P＞0.05) and 96.49% of the CH children achieved a test score above 85. Bone age, 99mTc scans and ultrasonographic findings were all normal, and evaluation of physical development was normal too, as were the serum levels of TT3, TT4 and TSH after one year of follow-up. Conclusion: A L-T4 dosage of and physical development at age 2. So it is possible for CH children to stop taking medicine if their laboratory findings and physical development are all normal after regular treatment and 2～3 years of follow-up.

Clinical role of (18)~F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in post-operative follow up of gastric cancer: Initial results

AIM: To evaluate the clinical role of 18F-fluorodeo-xyglucose positron emission and computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in detection of gastric cancer recurrence after initial surgical resection. METHODS: In the period from January 2007 to May 2008, 23 patients who had previous surgical resection of histopathologically diagnosed gastric cancer underwent a total of 25 18F-FDG PET/CT scans as follow-up visits in our center. The standard of reference for tumor recurrence consisted of histopathologic confirmation or clinical follow-up information for at least 5 mo after PET/CT examinations. RESULTS: PET/CT was positive in 14 patients (61%) and negative in 9 (39%). When correlated with final diagnosis, which was confirmed by histopathologic evidence of tumor recurrence in 8 of the 23 patients (35%) and by clinical follow-up in 15 (65%), PET/CT was true positive in 12 patients, false positive in 2, true negative in 8 and false negative in 2. Overall, the accuracy of PET/CT was 82.6%, the negative predictive value (NPV) was 77.7%, and the positive predictive value (PPV) was 85.7%. The 2 false positive PET/CT findings were actually chronic inflammatory tissue lesions. For the two patients with false negativePET/CT, the f inal diagnosis was recurrence of mucinous adenocarcinoma in the anastomosis in one patient and abdominal wall metastasis in the other. Importantly, PET/CT revealed true-positive findings in 11 (47.8%) patients who had negative or no definite findings by CT. PET/CT revealed extra-abdominal metastases in 7 patients and additional esophageal carcinoma in one patient. Clinical treatment decisions were changed in 7 (30.4%) patients after introducing PET/CT into their conventional post-operative follow-up program. CONCLUSION: Whole body 18F-FDG PET/CT was highly effective in discriminating true recurrence in post-operative patients with gastric cancer and had important impacts on clinical decisions in a considerable portion of patients.

Cardiac rehabilitation and mid-term follow-up after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

跟随大动脉的阀门培植(TAVI ) 通常基于的 transcatheter 的耐心的结果的 BackgroundEvaluation 幸存和临床的改进。生活的质量上的研究被限制，并且从在过程以后的全面评价的数据是在 TAVI 经历了在里面医院和在分泌物以后以后，病人们为心脏的康复提交了的 lacking.MethodsSixty 评估临床、功能、营养的地位的多维的评价，自治的度，认知缺陷，到康复的 life.ResultsOn 承认的消沉和质量，近似，病人的一半有严重功能的缺陷和依赖为在他们的医院停留期间，三分之一个个病人承受了重要临床的复杂并发症，二不得不被转移到培植中心。尽管有这，全面结果很好。所有留下的病人在分泌物是临床上稳定的，生活的功能的地位，自治和质量在大多数被改进。在 540 天的吝啬的后续期间(变化：192-738 天) ，五个病人从 noncardiac 原因死了，三为心脏的事件被就医，并且九为非心脏的原因。功能的地位和自治在病人的多数仍然保持令人满意，大多数继续到在 TAVI 经常是很脆弱的以后，为康复提交的实时 independently.ConclusionsPatients，与功能的缺陷，其它上的依赖和临床的复杂并发症的高风险的一个高等级。在一个康复计划期间，基于一个多维的评价和干预，大多数病人在功能的地位，生活的质量，和自治显示出重要改进，它在中间的后续期间在题目的多数仍然保持稳定。

Heart-shaped anastomosis for Hirschsprung's disease: Operative technique and long-term follow-up

AIM: To study the long-term therapeutic effect of 'heartshaped' anastomosis for Hirschsprung's disease.METHODS: From January 1986 to October 1997, we performed one-stage 'heart-shaped' anastomosis for 193 patients with Hirschsprung's disease (HD). One hundred and fiftytwo patients were followed up patients (follow-up rate 79%).The operative outcome and postoperative complications were retrospectively analyzed.RESULTS: Early complications included urine retention in 2patients, enteritis in 10, anastomotic stricture in 1, and intestinal obstruction in 2. No infection of abdominal cavity or wound and anastomotic leakage or death occurred in any patients. Late complications were present in 22 cases,including adhesive intestinal obstruction in 2, longer anal in 5, incision hernia in 2, enteritis in 6, occasional stool stains in 7 and 6 related with improper diet. No constipation or incontinence occurred in any patient.CONCLUSION: The early and late postoperative complication rates were 7.8% and 11.4% respectively in our 'heartshaped anastomosis' procedure. 'Heart-shaped'anastomosis procedure for Hirschsprung's disease provides a better therapeutic effect compared to classic procedures.

Path Following Control of A Deep-Sea Manned Submersible Based upon NTSM

In this paper, a robust path following control law is proposed for a deep-sea manned submersible maneuvering along a predeterminated path. Developed in China, the submersible is underactuated in the horizontal plane in that it is actuated by two perpendicular thrusts in this plane. The advanced non-singular terminal sliding mode （NTSM） is implemented for the design of the path following controller, which can ensure the convergence of the motion system in finite time and improve its robustness against parametric uncertainties and environmental disturbances. In the process of controller design, the close-loop stability is considered and proved by Lyapunov＇ s stability theory. With the experimental data, numerical simulations are provided to verify the control law for path following of the deep-sea manned submersible.