Unrelated toxin–antitoxin systems cooperate to induce persistence

Persisters are drug-tolerant bacteria that account for the majority of bacterial infections. They are not mutants, rather, they are slow-growing cells in an otherwise normally growing population. It is known that the frequency of persisters in a population is correlated with the number of toxin–antitoxin systems in the organism. Our previous work provided a mechanistic link between the two by showing how multiple toxin–antitoxin systems, which are present in nearly all bacteria, can cooperate to induce bistable toxin concentrations that result in a heterogeneous population of slow- and fast-growing cells. As such, the slow-growing persisters are a bet-hedging subpopulation maintained under normal conditions. For technical reasons, the model assumed that the kinetic parameters of the various toxin–antitoxin systems in the cell are identical, but experimental data indicate that they differ, sometimes dramatically. Thus, a critical question remains: whether toxin–antitoxin systems from the diverse families, often found together in a cell, with significantly different kinetics, can cooperate in a similar manner. Here, we characterize the interaction of toxin–antitoxin systems from many families that are unrelated and kinetically diverse, and identify the essential determinant for their cooperation. The generic architecture of toxin–antitoxin systems provides the potential for bistability, and our results show that even when they do not exhibit bistability alone, unrelated systems can be coupled by the growth rate to create a strongly bistable, hysteretic switch between normal (fast-growing) and persistent (slow-growing) states. Different combinations of kinetic parameters can produce similar toxic switching thresholds, and the proximity of the thresholds is the primary determinant of bistability. Stochastic fluctuations can spontaneously switch all of the toxin–antitoxin systems in a cell at once. The spontaneous switch creates a heterogeneous population of growing and non-growing cells, typical of persisters, that exist under normal conditions, rather than only as an induced response. The frequency of persisters in the population can be tuned for a particular environmental niche by mixing and matching unrelated systems via mutation, horizontal gene transfer and selection.     

A robust adaptive weighted constant modulus algorithm for blind equalization of wireless communications systems under impulsive noise environment

A robust adaptive weighted constant modulus algorithm is proposed for blind equalization of wireless communication systems under impulsive noise environment. The influence of the impulsive noise is analyzed based on numerical analysis method. Then an adaptive weighted constant modulus algorithm is constructed to adaptively suppress impulsive noise. Theoretical analysis is provided to illustrate that the proposed algorithm has a robust equalization performance since the impulsive noise is adaptively suppressed. Moreover, the proposed algorithm has stable and quick convergence due to avoidance of large misadjuntment and adoption of large step size. Simulation results are presented to show the robust equalization performance and the fast convergence speed of the proposed algorithm under both impulsive noise and Gaussian noise environments.     

船舶水润滑尾轴承结构设计研究进展

水润滑轴承的结构优化可以有效提高轴承的承载能力、冷却散热、减振降噪和摩擦学性能。在概述船舶水润滑尾轴承的优势和存在问题的基础上,分析归纳水润滑尾轴承内衬结构、内衬的厚度和硬度、轴承间隙、长径比、内衬表面粗糙度等结构设计参数的研究进展;以轴位水润滑尾轴承、内衬多层复合水润滑尾轴承和闭式水润滑尾轴承为例,介绍近年来几种新型水润滑尾轴承的结构设计,指出闭式水润滑尾轴承在内河及沿海船舶上具有广阔的应用前景,是未来的研究重点和发展趋势;建议水润滑尾轴承的研究应从以下方面着手,一是从微纳米尺度研究轴承微观界面润滑机制,二是在考虑轴承参数间耦合作用的基础上对轴承进行多目标优化,三是进一步研究闭式水润滑尾轴承及密封装置材料、结构和辅助装置以及水润滑添加剂,四是研究船舶水润滑尾轴承的设计规范,建立一定范围内精度满足工程需要的轴承设计计算经验公式,以简化轴承设计程序。     

减震隔声降噪地垫的研发

介绍我国分户楼板隔声及其隔声研究现状,详细阐述多层复合结构的减震隔声降噪地垫的结构、性能和安装,减震隔声降噪地垫与木地板配合使用,将其铺装于扫平层的140 mm厚现浇钢筋混凝土楼板之上,经江苏省建工建材检测中心检测,撞击声隔声为61 dB,能很好地满足住宅分户楼板撞击声隔声L'nT,W≤65 dB的要求。     

教室声学环境的分析及改善

对于教室内声学环境的要求,国内及国外一些有关规范都只停留在中频段(500～1 000 Hz)。这样的要求是不够的。在这样的声学环境中,教师健康和学生听课效果均受到影响。文章分析了达到优良室内声学环境的几个重要因素,着重减低低频噪声和控制低频混响时间。利用简单的吸声构件,得到几乎平直的混响时间频率特性。叙述了"掩蔽效应"对中、高频的影响并叙述了"哈斯效应"及在声学处理时要利用有利反射声的注意事项。为得到室内优良的音质环境,提出建议并给出工程实践结果的实例。     

A novel strategy for quantitative analysis of soil pH via laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy coupled with random forest

pH is one of the significant properties of soil,and is closely related to the decomposition of soil organic matter,anion-cation balance,growth of plants and many other soil processes.In the present work,laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS) technique coupled with random forest(RF) was proposed to quantify the pH of soil.First,LIBS spectra of soil was collected,and some common elements in soil were identified based on the National Institute of Science and Technology database.Then,in order to obtain a better predictive result,the influence of different input variables(full spectrum,different spectral ranges,the intensity of characteristic bands and characteristic lines) on the predictive performance of RF calibration model was explored with the evaluation indicators of root mean square error(RMSE) and coefficient of determination(R2),the characteristic bands of four elements(AI,Ca,Mg and Si) were determined as the optimal input variables.Finally,the predictive performance of RF calibration model was compared with partial least squares calibration model with the optimal input variables and model parameters,and RF calibration model showed a better predictive performance,and the four evaluation indicators of R_p~2,RMSEP,mean absolute error and mean relative error were 0.9687,0.1285,0.1114 and 0.0136,respectively.It indicates that LIBS technique coupled with RF algorithm is an effective method for pH determination of soil.     

消声元件安装位置对消声效果的影响

分别以消声量和管口阶次噪声作为评价指标,研究消声元件安装位置对消声效果的影响规律,设计在直管不同位置安放四分之一波长管的消声量测量试验对消声量评价。结果表明:设计频率声模态下,在反节点处安装波长管消声量最大,与理论分析完全吻合;进一步对消声量进行仿真计算,结果与试验完全相符。对于管口噪声指标评价,设计频率为267 Hz的谐振腔解决某发动机4000 r/min时进气管口存在4阶噪声引起的噪声峰值问题,对比谐振腔安装在进气管路该频率附近的声模态反节点和节点位置的管口4阶噪声,可知谐振腔布置在反节点位置比节点位置噪音降低了24 dB。两个案例充分证明声学系统模态反节点位置是消声元件的最佳布置位置。     

基于声学有限元的柴油机增压器压气机气动噪声研究

为研究船用低速柴油机增压器压气机气动噪声,采用计算流体动力学和声学有限元的混合计算方法进行了数值预测。通过试验对压气机计算模型进行了验证。在3个工况下对压气机非定常流场进行了计算,其中压力脉动被用作声学计算中的声源信息;采用声学有限元方法对压气机气动噪声进行了预测。结果表明:计算流体力学和声学有限元的混合计算方法具有较高的计算精度,可以用于压气机气动噪声数值预测;压气机进口气动噪声主要谱成分为离散单音噪声和宽频噪声;离散单音噪声在叶片通过频率处有明显的指向性,存在两个突出峰值。     

基于RBF神经网络的露天矿爆破效果预测研究

露天矿爆破是一个受诸多因素共同影响的系统工程,是露天开采的重要环节之一,其爆破效果的优劣直接影响后续工序的完成。提高爆破技术水平和爆破质量,对矿山安全和生产具有重要的意义。本文通过随机森林选择影响爆破效果的主要参数,结合模糊评价确定爆破综合效果,建立了RBF神经网络爆破效果预测模型。将该模型应用于矿山爆破效果预测中,并将爆破现场实测的11组数据作为模型训练样本,另外5组现场数据作为预测样本进行测试,通过与BP神经网络比较,发现RBF神经网络的预测性能更为优越,可广泛应用于现场实践中。     

随机森林算法在温度分布重建中的应用

为提高温度分布重建精度,提出了使用随机森林算法对温度测点进行优化布置的新方法。 将测点位置作为样本特征, 以不同的测点布置方式及其对应的重建误差作为样本数据集。 使用样本数据集构建随机森林模型,评估样本特征重要性,根据 特征重要性排序实现温度测点的优化布置。 设定仿真实验与燃烧实验验证优化布置算法的可行性与有效性。 分析实验数据, 所提出的优化布置算法相对于原有算法,重建精度提升了 20%以上。 研究结果表明,随机森林算法在温度分布重建中具有良好 的应用价值,并为解决工业实际问题提供了新思路。