Dissociation between hand motion and population vectors from neural activity in motor cortex

The population vector hypothesis was introduced almost twenty years ago to illustrate that a population vector constructed from neural activity in primary motor cortex (MI) of non-human primates could predict the direction of hand movement during reaching. Alternative explanations for this population signal have been suggested but could not be tested experimentally owing to movement complexity in the standard reaching model. We re-examined this issue by recording the activity of neurons in contralateral MI of monkeys while they made reaching movements with their right arms oriented in the horizontal plane-where the mechanics of limb motion are measurable and anisotropic. Here we found systematic biases between the population vector and the direction of hand movement. These errors were attributed to a non-uniform distribution of preferred directions of neurons and the non-uniformity covaried with peak joint power at the shoulder and elbow. These observations contradict the population vector hypothesis and show that non-human primates are capable of generating reaching movements to spatial targets even though population vectors based on MI activity do not point in the direction of hand motion.     

Primary motor cortex underlies multi-joint integration for fast feedback control

A basic difficulty for the nervous system is integrating locally ambiguous sensory information to form accurate perceptions about the outside world. This local-to-global problem is also fundamental to motor control of the arm, because complex mechanical interactions between shoulder and elbow allow a particular amount of motion at one joint to arise from an infinite combination of shoulder and elbow torques. Here we show, in humans and rhesus monkeys, that a transcortical pathway through primary motor cortex (M1) resolves this ambiguity during fast feedback control. We demonstrate that single M1 neurons of behaving monkeys can integrate shoulder and elbow motion information into motor commands that appropriately counter the underlying torque within about 50 milliseconds of a mechanical perturbation. Moreover, we reveal a causal link between M1 processing and multi-joint integration in humans by showing that shoulder muscle responses occurring ～50 milliseconds after pure elbow displacement can be potentiated by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Taken together, our results show that transcortical processing through M1 permits feedback responses to express a level of sophistication that rivals voluntary control; this provides neurophysiological support for influential theories positing that voluntary movement is generated by the intelligent manipulation of sensory feedback.     

基于肘关节表面肌电信号的负载识别

针对大多数肌电信号只进行特定肢体动作识别而没有对肢体进行外加负载识别的问题,提出一种基于表面肌电信号(surface electromyography, s EMG)的负载识别方法。首先,采用4通道表面电极采集肘关节在不同负载下的s EMG信号;然后,利用时域、频域特征提取方法对s EMG信号进行特征提取构成特征向量;最后,利用支持向量机(support vector maching, SVM)、BP神经网络和RBF神经网络对特征向量进行分类识别。结果表明以时域特征值识别,SVM的识别效果最佳,准确率为96.2%;以频域特征值识别,BP神经网络的识别效果最佳,准确率为87.5%;以时、频域组合特征值识别,RBF神经网络的识别效果最佳,准确率为90.4%。可见通过s EMG信号进行负载识别具有一定的可行性,为s EMG信号的广泛应用奠定基础。     

含局部减薄弯管的塑性极限载荷分析

通过对有减薄缺陷弯管三维有限元模型的分析,研究了受内压弯矩联合作用时局部减薄缺陷与弯管塑性极限载荷的关系。局部减薄弯管的塑性极限载荷与减薄缺陷的形式有关,减薄的轴向尺寸、环向尺寸及深度对塑性极限载荷有不同的影响。弯矩与内压的比例对局部减薄弯管的塑性极限载荷也有影响。文中描述了局部减薄弯管的塑性极限载荷的变化规律及在不同情况下局部减薄弯管的失效模式.     

The myosin motor in muscle generates a smaller and slower working stroke at higher load

Muscle contraction is driven by the motor protein myosin II, which binds transiently to an actin filament, generates a unitary filament displacement or 'working stroke', then detaches and repeats the cycle. The stroke size has been measured previously using isolated myosin II molecules at low load, with rather variable results, but not at the higher loads that the motor works against during muscle contraction. Here we used a novel X-ray-interference technique to measure the working stroke of myosin II at constant load in an intact muscle cell, preserving the native structure and function of the motor. We show that the stroke is smaller and slower at higher load. The stroke size at low load is likely to be set by a structural limit; at higher loads, the motor detaches from actin before reaching this limit. The load dependence of the myosin II stroke is the primary molecular determinant of the mechanical performance and efficiency of skeletal muscle.     

Instant neural control of a movement signal

The activity of motor cortex (MI) neurons conveys movement intent sufficiently well to be used as a control signal to operate artificial devices, but until now this has called for extensive training or has been confined to a limited movement repertoire. Here we show how activity from a few (7-30) MI neurons can be decoded into a signal that a monkey is able to use immediately to move a computer cursor to any new position in its workspace (14 degrees x 14 degrees visual angle). Our results, which are based on recordings made by an electrode array that is suitable for human use, indicate that neurally based control of movement may eventually be feasible in paralysed humans.     

Mechanics of the kinesin step

Kinesin is a molecular walking machine that organizes cells by hauling packets of components directionally along microtubules. The physical mechanism that impels directional stepping is uncertain. We show here that, under very high backward loads, the intrinsic directional bias in kinesin stepping can be reversed such that the motor walks sustainedly backwards in a previously undescribed mode of ATP-dependent backward processivity. We find that both forward and backward 8-nm steps occur on the microsecond timescale and that both occur without mechanical substeps on this timescale. The data suggest an underlying mechanism in which, once ATP has bound to the microtubule-attached head, the other head undergoes a diffusional search for its next site, the outcome of which can be biased by an applied load.     

Mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans unc-4 gene alter the synaptic input to ventral cord motor neurons.

Identification of the genes orchestrating neurogenesis would greatly enhance our understanding of this process. Genes have been identified that specify neuron type (for example cut and numb in Drosophila and mec-3 in Caenorhabditis elegans) and process guidance (for example, unc-5, unc-6 and unc-40 in C. elegans and the fas-1 gene of Drosophila). We sought genes defining synaptic specificity by identifying mutations that alter synaptic connectivity in the motor circuitry in the nematode C. elegans. We used electron microscopy of serial sections to reconstruct the ventral nerve-cords of uncoordinated (unc) mutants that have distinctive locomotory choreographies. Here we describe the phenotype of mutations in the unc-4 gene in which a locomotory defect is correlated with specific changes in synaptic input to a subset of the excitatory VA motor neurons, normally used in reverse locomotion. The circuitry alterations do not arise because of the inaccessibility of the appropriate synaptic partners, but are a consequence of changes in synaptic specificity. The VA motor neurons with altered synaptic inputs are all lineal sisters of VB motor neurons; the VA motor neurons without VB sisters have essentially the same synaptic inputs as in wild-type animals. The normal function of the wild-type allele of unc-4 may thus be to invoke the appropriate synaptic specificities to VA motor neurons produced in particular developmental contexts.     

铝合金回填式搅拌摩擦点焊负载测量分析

利用测力传感器对6082-T6铝合金回填式搅拌摩擦点焊过程中的Z向负载进行了测量,研究了搅拌摩擦点焊过程中不同焊接工艺参数(轴肩转速、搅拌针转速、扎入/回抽时间和扎入深度等)对负载的影响.结果表明,铝合金搅拌摩擦点焊试验中负载曲线可分为压紧环下压区、轴肩扎入区、搅拌针回填区和搅拌头卸载区四个部分.试验负载随轴肩(或搅拌针)转速的增大出现波动下降的趋势;焊接负载随轴肩扎入/回抽时间的增加而逐渐降低;焊接负载也随轴肩扎入深度的变化而变化,但没有发现特定影响规律.     

机车二系弹簧载荷均匀性分配调整的混合建模方法

针对机车二系弹簧载荷均匀性分配调整的建模问题,提出综合运用机理建模和神经网络建模的混合建模方法。该方法在刚性车体假定下采用经典力学和数学方法建立机车车体-二系弹簧系统的机理模型,作为调簧主规律模型;用人工神经网络方法建立BP网络误差补偿模型来弥补机理模型的建模误差;二者并联组成混合模型,其输出为机理模型和BP网络模型输出的叠加。研究结果表明:混合建模方法用于二系调簧的多维连续空间系统建模,可大幅提高模型精度;实际调簧过程中使用混合模型可进一步提高调簧精度和效率,使载荷分布最大误差较机理模型减少8%～15%,平均调簧时间缩短25%以上。     

基于异步电动机的风力机风轮动态模拟方法

为提高风力发电机系统的控制性能，设计了一套风力机风轮的动态模拟装置，该装置具有与实际风力机风轮相同的机械特性，可用于设计、评价和测试实际的风力发电系统．假设负载在单位采样时间内恒定，模拟控制器根据电机反馈速度估算出每个采样时刻的负载值，由风力机风轮的特性计算出实际风轮的输出加速度，再与计算出的风轮加速度相比较，算出异步电动机的电磁转矩指令，采用直接转矩控制策略控制变频器，以调节异步电动机的电磁转矩．仿真结果表明，用该方法估算的负载值与实际负载相差很小，模拟系统的机械动态特性与实际风力机风轮的基本一致．     

Reach and grasp by people with tetraplegia using a neurally controlled robotic arm

Paralysis following spinal cord injury, brainstem stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other disorders can disconnect the brain from the body, eliminating the ability to perform volitional movements. A neural interface system could restore mobility and independence for people with paralysis by translating neuronal activity directly into control signals for assistive devices. We have previously shown that people with long-standing tetraplegia can use a neural interface system to move and click a computer cursor and to control physical devices. Able-bodied monkeys have used a neural interface system to control a robotic arm, but it is unknown whether people with profound upper extremity paralysis or limb loss could use cortical neuronal ensemble signals to direct useful arm actions. Here we demonstrate the ability of two people with long-standing tetraplegia to use neural interface system-based control of a robotic arm to perform three-dimensional reach and grasp movements. Participants controlled the arm and hand over a broad space without explicit training, using signals decoded from a small, local population of motor cortex (MI) neurons recorded from a 96-channel microelectrode array. One of the study participants, implanted with the sensor 5?years earlier, also used a robotic arm to drink coffee from a bottle. Although robotic reach and grasp actions were not as fast or accurate as those of an able-bodied person, our results demonstrate the feasibility for people with tetraplegia, years after injury to the central nervous system, to recreate useful multidimensional control of complex devices directly from a small sample of neural signals.     

基于BP神经网络的静液压变速器控制研究

静液压变速器(HST)的操控性是农用车辆性能提升的关键,采用一种基于BP(back propagation)神经网络的新型控制策略,对HST马达输出转速的动态特性进行研究.基于变量泵—定量马达静液压传动系统的数学模型,首先对比研究了传统PID控制、模糊控制以及BP神经网络控制3种方法的控制效果,结果表明:与传统PID控制和模糊控制相比,BP神经网络控制能有效抑制系统超调量并降低马达转速波动,减小系统达到稳态的调节时间,具有良好的鲁棒性.基于此,提出采用BP神经网络控制方法对具有更大马达转速变化范围的变量泵—变量马达传动系统进行调查,研究结果表明,在对变量泵、变量马达分段控制中,该方法能实现较稳定的切换效果;在不同的负载等效转动惯量下,马达转速均能达到稳定状态,且由负载引起的转速波动也得到降低.研究结果表明,BP神经网络控制方法对变量泵—变量马达传动系统具有潜在的控制优势.     

神经元的几何形态分类

为了对不同神经元进行区分,采用L-Measure软件对神经元的几何形态进行特征提取,通过主成分分析对提取的特征降维进行处理.采用概率神经网络、BP(Back Propagation)神经网络和模糊分类器组成的分类器“投票”,对锥体神经元、普肯野神经元、运动神经元、感觉神经元、双级神经元、三级神经元和多级神经元7种神经元...     

车辆荷载作用下埋地管道动力响应分析

铺设在农田、荒地的埋地管道容易受地面车辆荷载的影响,管道在其作用下一旦达到强度极限就会产生安全问题。本文建立车-管-土耦合模型,分析车辆荷载作用下埋地管道的动力响应,得到不同时刻埋地管道的应力分布规律。再建立管道减荷有限元模型,分析不同轮压下承压板宽度对管道减荷的效果,得到管道中部等效应力与承压板宽度的对应关系。结果表明：埋地管道任一点处的力学响应与车辆荷载作用点的距离成负相关,承压板宽度与其对埋地管道的减荷效果成正相关,不同宽度的承压板存在承载力极限。该研究结果为车辆荷载作用下埋地管道的减荷提供了参考依据。     

一种新型感应电动机调速装置：控制模型

新型感应电动机的恒转矩控制装置,经实验和现场运行证明它能用于中、大功率、低同步转速感应电动机拖动风机类和许多非风机类负载系统。本文用定磁场控制原理,论述了感应电动机控制模型和去耦控制方法;最后,提出了整个控制系统线路方案。     

水陆两栖飞机结构强度试验中的水载荷模拟方法

水陆两栖飞机结构强度试验中需要合理地模拟机身船体结构所受的水载荷。围绕水载荷特点和加载要求,建立了曲面加载垫力学模型,着重分析了曲面加载接触面载荷分布情况,结果显示:当加载面曲率较大或者加载过程中结构变形较大时需要选用弹性变形适应能力较强的材料制作加载垫,且需要对加载垫进行曲面修形处理。根据分析结果设计了弹性体夹层式水载荷加载方法,并通过有限元分析和试验的方法验证了力学模型和加载方法的可行性。     

Motor neuron columnar fate imposed by sequential phases of Hox-c activity

The organization of neurons into columns is a prominent feature of central nervous system structure and function. In many regions of the central nervous system the grouping of neurons into columns links cell-body position to axonal trajectory, thus contributing to the establishment of topographic neural maps. This link is prominent in the developing spinal cord, where columnar sets of motor neurons innervate distinct targets in the periphery. We show here that sequential phases of Hox-c protein expression and activity control the columnar differentiation of spinal motor neurons. Hox expression in neural progenitors is established by graded fibroblast growth factor signalling and translated into a distinct motor neuron Hox pattern. Motor neuron columnar fate then emerges through cell autonomous repressor and activator functions of Hox proteins. Hox proteins also direct the expression of genes that establish motor topographic projections, thus implicating Hox proteins as critical determinants of spinal motor neuron identity and organization.     

基于固端弯矩相等原则的等效荷载法

为提高工程结构力学分析的效率,提出了一种基于固端弯矩相等原则的计算方法。首先,基于固端弯矩相等的原则,研究在对称集中荷载和三角形分布荷载作用下单跨超静定梁的等效荷载施加方法,并导出梁在非常规荷载作用下固端弯矩的实用计算公式。然后,将超静定单跨梁的荷载形式推广至更任意的集中荷载和分布荷载等情况,并探讨了任意多集中荷载作用下单跨超静定梁的等效荷载施加方法和通用计算公式。最后,通过多跨连续梁和框架结构算例验证了所提方法具有较好的计算效果。算例结果表明,基于提出的等效荷载法可快速得到单跨超静定梁的固端弯矩,从而可高效准确地确定结构的真实内力分布。研究成果表明了利用等效荷载实现高效求解的可行性,它为力矩分配法及其它力学分析问题提供了一条高效便捷的思路。     

Single kinesin molecules studied with a molecular force clamp.

Kinesin is a two-headed, ATP-driven motor protein that moves processively along microtubules in discrete steps of 8 nm, probably by advancing each of its heads alternately in sequence. Molecular details of how the chemical energy stored in ATP is coupled to mechanical displacement remain obscure. To shed light on this question, a force clamp was constructed, based on a feedback-driven optical trap capable of maintaining constant loads on single kinesin motors. The instrument provides unprecedented resolution of molecular motion and permits mechanochemical studies under controlled external loads. Analysis of records of kinesin motion under variable ATP concentrations and loads revealed several new features. First, kinesin stepping appears to be tightly coupled to ATP hydrolysis over a wide range of forces, with a single hydrolysis per 8-nm mechanical advance. Second, the kinesin stall force depends on the ATP concentration. Third, increased loads reduce the maximum velocity as expected, but also raise the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant. The kinesin cycle therefore contains at least one load-dependent transition affecting the rate at which ATP molecules bind and subsequently commit to hydrolysis. It is likely that at least one other load-dependent rate exists, affecting turnover number. Together, these findings will necessitate revisions to our understanding of how kinesin motors function.