Asynchronous Variational Contact Mechanics

An asynchronous, variational method for simulating elastica in complex contact and impact scenarios is developed. Asynchronous Variational Integrators (AVIs) are extended to handle contact forces by associating different time steps to forces instead of to spatial elements. By discretizing a barrier potential by an infinite sum of nested quadratic potentials, these extended AVIs are used to resolve contact while obeying momentum- and energy-conservation laws. A series of two- and three-dimensional examples illustrate the robustness and good energy behavior of the method

Functional Generative Design: An Evolutionary Approach to 3D-Printing

Consumer-grade printers are widely available, but their ability to print complex objects is limited. Therefore, new designs need to be discovered that serve the same function, but are printable. A representative such problem is to produce a working, reliable mechanical spring. The proposed methodology for discovering solutions to this problem consists of three components: First, an effective search space is learned through a variational autoencoder (VAE); second, a surrogate model for functional designs is built; and third, a genetic algorithm is used to simultaneously update the hyperparameters of the surrogate and to optimize the designs using the updated surrogate. Using a car-launcher mechanism as a test domain, spring designs were 3D-printed and evaluated to update the surrogate model. Two experiments were then performed: First, the initial set of designs for the surrogate-based optimizer was selected randomly from the training set that was used for training the VAE model, which resulted in an exploitative search behavior. On the other hand, in the second experiment, the initial set was composed of more uniformly selected designs from the same training set and a more explorative search behavior was observed. Both of the experiments showed that the methodology generates interesting, successful, and reliable spring geometries robust to the noise inherent in the 3D printing process. The methodology can be generalized to other functional design problems, thus making consumer-grade 3D printing more versatile.Comment: 8 pages, 12 figures, GECCO'1

El trágico destino nihilista de las imágenes: perspectiva de Giorgio Agamben sobre la Sociedad del Espectáculo en Guy Debord.

L'objectiu d'aquest estudi és investigar l'estatut de les imatges que mesuren les relacions humanes en la societat de l'espectacle de Guy Debord. Les lectures aquí esmentades estan en l'espectre d'autors que han investigat la modernitat, els seus paradigmes, les seves relacions estètiques i polítiques, com és el cas de Giorgio Agamben, Jonathan Crary i Friedrich Nietzsche. Intentarem indicar com la destinació de les imatges, a partir d'un punt crític de propagació en el segle XIX, hauria arribat a la consumació d'un cicle metafísic en la societat de l'espectacle.The purpose of this study is investigating the status of images which mediate human relationships on the spectacle society, in Guy Debord text written in 1968. The readings mentioned here are in the spectrum of authors who investigated modernity, its paradigms and its aesthetic and political relations, such as Giorgio Agamben, Jonathan Crary and Friedrich Nietzsche. We are inclined to believe that the fate of images, from a critical point of proliferation in the nineteenth century, would have reached the consummation of a metaphysical cycle in the spectacle society.El objetivo de este estudio es investigar el estatuto de las imágenes que miden las relaciones humanas en la sociedad del espectáculo de Guy Debord. Las lecturas aquí citadas están en el espectro de autores que investigaron la modernidad, sus paradigmas, sus relaciones estéticas y políticas, como es el caso de Giorgio Agamben, Jonathan Crary y Friedrich Nietzsche. Intentaremos indicar cómo el destino de las imágenes, a partir de un punto crítico de proliferación en el siglo XIX, habría alcanzado la consumación de un ciclo metafísico en la sociedad del espectáculo

Discrete Differential Geometry of Thin Materials for Computational Mechanics

Instead of applying numerical methods directly to governing equations, another approach to computation is to discretize the geometric structure specific to the problem first, and then compute with the discrete geometry. This structure-respecting discrete-differential-geometric (DDG) approach often leads to new algorithms that more accurately track the physically behavior of the system with less computational effort. Thin objects, such as pieces of cloth, paper, sheet metal, freeform masonry, and steel-glass structures are particularly rich in geometric structure and so are well-suited for DDG. I show how understanding the geometry of time integration and contact leads to new algorithms, with strong correctness guarantees, for simulating thin elastic objects in contact; how the performance of these algorithms can be dramatically improved without harming the geometric structure, and thus the guarantees, of the original formulation; how the geometry of static equilibrium can be used to efficiently solve design problems related to masonry or glass buildings; and how discrete developable surfaces can be used to model thin sheets undergoing isometric deformation

Emerging bacterial pathogens: the past and beyond.

Since the 1950s, medical communities have been facing with emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, and emerging pathogens are now considered to be a major microbiologic public health threat. In this review, we focus on bacterial emerging diseases and explore factors involved in their emergence as well as future challenges. We identified 26 major emerging and reemerging infectious diseases of bacterial origin; most of them originated either from an animal and are considered to be zoonoses or from water sources. Major contributing factors in the emergence of these bacterial infections are: (1) development of new diagnostic tools, such as improvements in culture methods, development of molecular techniques and implementation of mass spectrometry in microbiology; (2) increase in human exposure to bacterial pathogens as a result of sociodemographic and environmental changes; and (3) emergence of more virulent bacterial strains and opportunistic infections, especially affecting immunocompromised populations. A precise definition of their implications in human disease is challenging and requires the comprehensive integration of microbiological, clinical and epidemiologic aspects as well as the use of experimental models. It is now urgent to allocate financial resources to gather international data to provide a better understanding of the clinical relevance of these waterborne and zoonotic emerging diseases

Simkania negevensis, an insight into the biology and clinical importance of a novel member of the Chlamydiales order.

Simkania negevensis is a Chlamydia-related bacterium discovered in 1993 and represents the founding member of the Simkaniaceae family within the Chlamydiales order. As other Chlamydiales, it is an obligate intracellular bacterium characterized by a biphasic developmental cycle. Its similarities with the pathogenic Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae make it an interesting bacterium. So far, little is known about its biology, but S. negevensis harbors various microbiological characteristics of interest, including a strong association of the Simkania-containing vacuole with the ER and the presence of an intron in the 23S rRNA encoding gene. Evidence of human exposition has been reported worldwide. However, there is a lack of robust clinical studies evaluating its implication in human diseases; current data suggest an association with pneumonia and bronchiolitis making S. negevensis a potential emerging pathogen. Owing to its fastidious growth requirements, the clinical relevance of S. negevensis is probably underestimated. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on S. negevensis and explore future research challenges

Simkania negevensis may produce long-lasting infections in human pneumocytes and endometrial cells.

Simkania negevensis is a novel Chlamydia-related bacterium and the founding member of the Simkaniaceae family within the Chlamydiales order. Little is known about the biology and pathogenesis of this bacterium. So far, S. negevensis has been considered as an amoebal symbiont, but its natural host remains unknown. Moreover, evidence of human exposition has been reported worldwide and an association with pneumonia and bronchiolitis is suspected. Here, we evaluated the ability of S. negevensis to replicate in potential environmental reservoirs, namely amoebae and arthropods, as well as in mammalian cells (Vero cells, pneumocytes and endometrial cells) and further evaluated the characteristics of its replicative vacuole. We demonstrated that S. negevensis efficiently replicates in all cell lines tested, with the shortest doubling time and an increased adhesion observed in pneumocytes. Our work highlights the specificities of the Simkania-containing vacuole compared to other Chlamydiales; contrarily to Chlamydia trachomatis, S. negevensis does not disrupt the Golgi apparatus. Importantly, our work suggests that S. negevensis infection is associated with few cytopathic effects and might persist for a prolonged time in infected cells. Further evaluation of its implication in human diseases is required; an implication in chronic or subacute respiratory infections might be suspected

Simkania negevensis, an Example of the Diversity of the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern among Chlamydiales.

In past years, several <i>Chlamydia</i> -related bacteria have been discovered, including <i>Simkania negevensis</i> , the founding member of the <i>Simkaniaceae</i> family. We evaluated the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of this emerging intracellular bacterium and highlighted significant differences, compared with related <i>Chlamydiales</i> members. <i>S. negevensis</i> was susceptible to macrolides, clindamycin, cyclines, rifampin, and quinolones. Importantly, unlike other <i>Chlamydiales</i> members, treatment with β-lactams and vancomycin did not induce the formation of aberrant bodies, leading to a completely resistant phenotype