Acquisition and Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance: A tet(X) Case Study

Understanding the mechanisms leading to the rise and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is crucially important for the preservation of power of antimicrobials and controlling infectious diseases. Measures to monitor and detect AMR, however, have been significantly delayed and introduced much later after the beginning of industrial production and consumption of antimicrobials. However, monitoring and detection of AMR is largely focused on bacterial pathogens, thus missing multiple key events which take place before the emergence and spread of AMR among the pathogens. In this regard, careful analysis of AMR development towards recently introduced antimicrobials may serve as a valuable example for the better understanding of mechanisms driving AMR evolution. Here, the example of evolution of tet(X), which confers resistance to the next-generation tetracyclines, is summarised and discussed. Initial mechanisms of resistance to these antimicrobials among pathogens were mostly via chromosomal mutations leading to the overexpression of efflux pumps. High-level resistance was achieved only after the acquisition of flavin-dependent monooxygenase-encoding genes from the environmental microbiota. These genes confer resistance to all tetracyclines, including the next-generation tetracyclines, and thus were termed tet(X). ISCR2 and IS26, as well as a variety of conjugative and mobilizable plasmids of different incompatibility groups, played an essential role in the acquisition of tet(X) genes from natural reservoirs and in further dissemination among bacterial commensals and pathogens. This process, which took place within the last decade, demonstrates how rapidly AMR evolution may progress, taking away some drugs of last resort from our arsenal.     

基于光刀图像的机器人示教纠偏方法

为了解决机器人辅助在线检测系统示教过程中效率低、人为干预多的问题,针对孔类特征,提出一种通过处理光刀图像获取机器人位姿纠正参数的方法。在该方法中,纠偏过程按照将图像光刀线调整为水平方向、将被测特征调整至图像中央、根据不同特征调整最优扫描方向3个步骤进行。根据光刀图像可以求出测量坐标系与被测特征的位姿关系,并得到该位姿与理想测量位姿的偏差。经过坐标变换即可得到在机器人基坐标系下的调整参数。另外,可利用电脑控制机器人运动,从而实现了纠偏过程的自动化。实验结果表明,该方法可将初始的示教位姿修正为理想位姿,且比传统方式效率更高。     

基于ADAMS和MATLAB的双足机器人运动轨迹规划和控制的联合仿真

相比ADAMS仿真的不稳定性,利用ADAMS和MATLAB联合仿真对双足机器人运动轨迹规划和控制设计的可靠性及高效性进行了研究。首先绘制双足机器人三维参数模型进行逆运动学分析,验证其合理性后导入ADAMS中添加约束,进行动力学仿真。基于此,在MATLAB中使用多项式插值法完成模型的步态规划。最后利用Simulink试验台建立控制系统的框图,由ADAMS输入关节角之后控制台输出关节的驱动力矩,完成双足机器人ADAMS和MATLAB的联合仿真。仿真结果显示,联合仿真相较于ADAMS仿真的波动性所获得的数据更加稳定,此法高效可行,可作为下一步设计双足机器人的控制系统电机选型的重要理论依据。     

Shared human–robot path following control of an unmanned ground vehicle

This paper considers the shared path following control of an unmanned ground vehicle by a single person. A passive measure of human intent is used to blend the human and machine inputs in a mixed initiative approach. The blending law is combined with saturated super-twisting sliding mode speed and heading controllers, so that exogenous disturbances can be counteracted via equivalent control. It is proven that when the proposed blending law is used, the combined control signals from both the human and automatic controller respect the actuator magnitude constraints of the machine. To demonstrate the approach, shared control experiments are performed using an unmanned ground vehicle, which follows a lawn mower pattern shaped path.     

Piecewise constant strain kinematic model of externally loaded concentric tube robots

This paper presents a piecewise constant strain kinematic model for concentric tube robots (CTR) in externally loaded conditions. It discretizes the pre-curved tubes comprising the robot into a finite number of pieces and involves external effects as a set of wrench vectors exerted along the robot backbone. Constant strain lets us describe the pieces with helices in which shear deformation and elongation are neglected. The resulting piecewise helix is the simplest curve that can catch the torsion of tubes that play a crucial role in kinematic behavior. This approximation transforms the conventional boundary value problem (BVP) of CTRs models into a set of nonlinear equations that drastically decreases the model resolution time. The present method uses a Lyapunov function and torsional Jacobian to ensure the distal torsion constraint consistently and, as a result, the solution’s convergence. The paper’s primary purpose is to present a fast, numerically stable, and relatively accurate kinematic model not reliant on measurement data. Experimental results on a two-tube prototype and provided for different tip loading conditions reveal maintaining a balance between adequate accuracy and reasonable running time, about 7 ms for five pieces per section, for real-time applications in the presence of external load.     

小微数据包高效无线传输技术的发展和趋势

5G-NR和B5G系统都需能高效地支持小微数据包(块)的传输,且在不同的无线传输技术(如宽带或超低时延)之间快速灵活地切换。系统梳理和比较和小微数据包(块)相关的多种无线传输技术,如两步RACH、预配置授权和公共资源竞争等,分析它们对3GPP各个系统和各个RAN协议的影响和复杂度优劣等,并进一步展望其未来发展和应用趋势。     

遗传算法优化的线性二次型调节器控制下3-UPS并联机器人稳定性分析

通过对3-UPS并联机器人进行动力学建模与状态空间分析,基于遗传算法(GA)优化的线性二次型调节器(LQR)控制方法对其进行控制仿真,结合多体系统振动理论,并运用MATLAB软件和ADAMS软件联合仿真,分别对该并联机器人在动平台施加外部载荷、定平台施加随机振动,以及动、定平台施加复合干扰3种情况下机器人的末端稳定性进行分析。结果表明:GA优化的LQR控制下,机器人动平台质心振动的衰减时间和振动幅度都明显减小,且共振峰也明显降低,但是高频振动处的减振效果不明显;机器人动平台质心x和y方向的共振频率均保持在5 Hz左右,而z方向的共振频率却有明显的后移现象,逐渐向高频(10 Hz)靠近。该研究为分析并联机器人稳定性与工作精度提供了一定的理论基础。     

面向草莓抓取的气动四叶片软体抓手研制

农林业中果蔬的自动化采摘需求日趋强烈,末端抓手是实现无损采摘的关键。传统的末端抓手以刚性结构居多,现有的各种柔性抓手也存在抓取力不足、包覆性不佳等缺点。本文以草莓的无损采摘为研究对象,提出将草莓外部轮廓曲线作为设计曲线,设计了一种新型气动四叶片软体抓手。首先,对软体抓手的结构做仿真优化,提出一种安全地附着在目标物表面的设想。然后,在进行草莓表面的最小破坏应力试验的基础上,测试了软体抓手的末端力,验证了其实现无损抓取的可行性。再次,利用动态捕捉技术,研究了软体抓手叶面的弯曲变形规律。最后,选择使用弧线型气体通道的软体抓手进行了草莓抓取测试,结果证明了气动四叶片软体抓手可以实现草莓的无损抓取,抓取成功率达90%,破损率为2%,表明所研制的四叶片软体抓手用于草莓抓取时具有良好的稳定性和实用性,可用于草莓采摘的末端执行器。本研究也可为其他易损果蔬的采摘技术提供理论基础和技术支撑。     

钻井机器人的连续油管钻压和钻速控制模型

连续油管钻井机器人利用机身内外的钻井液压力差作为动力源，可在牵引连续油管的同时加载钻压。以钻井机器人为基础，建立连续油管钻柱动力学模型，并推导出通过钻井液排量控制钻压和钻速的单参数控制数学模型；对钻井机器人引入调速回路，建立具有调速功能的钻柱动力学模型；在溢流阀调定压力大于机身内外压差时，推导出利用钻井液排量和节流阀流通面积两种参数控制钻压、钻速的数学模型，在溢流阀调定压力小于机身内外压差时，推导出利用钻井液排量、节流阀流通面积和溢流阀调定压力3种参数控制钻压、钻速的数学模型；以11.43 cm（4.5英寸）井眼为例，对上述3种数学模型进行了分析。分析结果表明：钻压、钻速随钻井液排量的增加基本呈线性增加，在钻井液排量大于0.005 m³/s时，钻井机器人能够向前爬行，在钻井液排量大于0.005 7 m³/s时，钻头能够正常钻进；调节节流阀流通面积和溢流阀调定压力，可以在一定范围内无级调钻压和钻速；3种控制方法相结合，可以实现小排量、大钻压，及大排量、小钻压等钻井参数的控制。以控制模型为基础，针对不同井下工况建立钻进工艺的专家数据库，以钻井机器人为"大脑"，结合井下随钻测量数据就能够实现闭环控制，自动钻进。     

移动边缘计算环境下的动态资源分配策略

在通讯设备爆炸式增长的时代,移动边缘计算作为5G通讯技术的核心技术之一,对其进行合理的资源分配显得尤为重要。移动边缘计算的思想是把云计算中心下沉到基站部署(边缘云),使云计算中心更加靠近用户,以快速解决计算资源分配问题。但是,相对于大型的云计算中心,边缘云的计算资源有限,传统的虚拟机分配方式不足以灵活应对边缘云的计算资源分配问题。为解决此问题,提出一种根据用户综合需求变化的动态计算资源和频谱分配算法(DRFAA),采用"分治"策略,并将资源模拟成"流体"资源进行分配,以寻求较大的吞吐量和较低的传输时延。实验仿真结果显示,动态计算资源和频谱分配算法可以有效地降低用户与边缘云之间的传输时延,也可以提高边缘云的吞吐量。