Capturing photoelectron motion with guiding fictitious particles

Photoelectron momentum distributions (PMDs) from atoms and molecules undergo qualitative changes as laser parameters are varied. We present a model to interpret the shape of the PMDs. The electron's motion is guided by a fictitious particle in our model, clearly characterizing two distinct dynamical behaviors: direct ionization and rescattering. As laser ellipticity is varied, our model reproduces the bifurcation in the PMDs seen in experiments

Guiding-center motion for electrons in strong laser fields

We consider the dynamics of electrons in combined strong laser and Coulomb fields. Under a timescale separation condition, we reduce this dynamics to a guiding-center framework. More precisely, we derive a hierarchy of models for the guiding-center dynamics based on averaging over the fast motion of the electron using Lie transforms. The reduced models we obtain describe well the different ionization channels, in particular, the conditions under which an electron is rescattered by the ionic core or is directly ionized. The comparison between these models highlights the models which are best suited for a qualitative and quantitative agreement with the parent dynamics

Comau Robotic 3-D Tetris

The goal of our project is to build a device (hardware and software) to allow a robotic system to pack a series of unknown objects into a container. The final deliverable uses the camera’s depth stream to generate a point cloud, while segmentation parses this data to create a dimensioned bounding box of the object. The bin packing algorithm uses these dimensions to calculate the object’s ideal placement within the bin, while the graphical user interface displays the placement of each object for system monitoring.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167250/1/Honors_Capstone-Joseph_Berman.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167250/2/Capstone_Final_Report-Joseph_Berman.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167250/3/CapstonePresentation-Joseph_Berman.mp

Robotic 3D Tetris

The Comau 3D Bin Packer is an integrated software and hardware system that automates placing items into a container with a robot using computer vision, modern segmentation techniques, and a team-designed bin packing algorithm. The system detects incoming objects with a point cloud camera, measures their dimensions, computes their optimal placement, and communicates this placement to both a robot for physical placement and the graphical user interface for visualization. The physical system consists of two depth cameras connected to a Raspberry Pi, which handles segmentation, and a computer with a display that handles the bin packing algorithm and the user interface.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167245/1/Gurlik-Travis_Honors-Capstone-Report-Travis_Gurlik.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167245/2/Gurlik-Travis_Honors-Capstone-Presentation-Travis_Gurlik.pd

Tackling Systematic Errors in Quantum Logic Gates with Composite Rotations

We describe the use of composite rotations to combat systematic errors in single qubit quantum logic gates and discuss three families of composite rotations which can be used to correct off-resonance and pulse length errors. Although developed and described within the context of NMR quantum computing these sequences should be applicable to any implementation of quantum computation.Comment: 6 pages RevTex4 including 4 figures. Will submit to Phys. Rev.

Selfish Or Selfless? on the Signal Value of Emotion in Altruistic Behavior

We examine when consumers gain credit for good deeds. Contrary to theories that decry emotions as selfish, people view emotions as authentic, and therefore deserving of charitable credit. Further, feeling good as a result of giving is viewed positively, unless someone explicitly claims to have been motivated by emotional benefits. [to cite]

Rh(I)-Catalyzed Direct Arylation of Pyridines and Quinolines

The pyridine and quinoline nuclei are privileged scaffolds that occupy a central role in many medicinally relevant compounds. Consequently, methods for their expeditious functionalization are of immediate interest. However, despite the immense importance of transition-metal catalyzed cross-coupling for the functionalization of aromatic scaffolds, general solutions for coupling 2-pyridyl organometallics with aryl halides have only recently been presented. Direct arylation at the ortho position of pyridine would constitute an even more efficient approach because it eliminates the need for the stoichiometric preparation and isolation of 2-pyridyl organometallics. Progress towards this goal has been achieved by activation of the pyridine nucleus for arylation via conversion to the corresponding pyridine N-oxide or N-iminopyridinium ylide. However, this approach necessitates two additional steps: activation of the pyridine or quinoline starting material, and then unmasking the arylated product. The use of pyridines directly would clearly represent the ideal situation both in terms of cost and simplicity. We now wish to document our efforts in this vein, culminating in an operationally simple Rh(I)-catalyzed direct arylation of pyridines and quinolines. We recently developed an electron-rich Rh(I) system for catalytic alkylation at the ortho position of pyridines and quinolines with alkenes. Therefore, we initially focused our attention on the use of similarly electron-rich Rh(I) catalysts for the proposed direct arylation. After screening an array of electron-rich phosphine ligands and Rh(I) salts, only marginal yields (<20%) of the desired product were obtained. Much more efficient was an electron-poor Rh(I) system with [RhCl(CO){sub 2}]{sub 2} as precatalyst (Table 1). For the direct arylation of picoline with 3,5-dimethyl-bromobenzene, addition of P(OiPr){sub 3} afforded a promising 40% yield of the cross coupled product 1a (entry 1). The exclusion of phosphite additive proved even more effective, with the yield of 1a improving to 61% (entry 2). Further enhancement in yield was not observed upon the inclusion of other additives such as MgO (entry 3), various organic bases (entries 4, 5), or a protic acid source (entry 6). Absolute concentration proved very important, with the best results being obtained at relatively high concentrations of the aryl bromide (compare entries 7 and 8). A marginal improvement was observed upon running the reaction with 6 equivalents of 2-methyl pyridine (entry 9). The reaction temperature could also be increased to 175 or 190 C while maintaining reaction yield, to enable the reaction time to be reduced to 24 h (entries 10 and 11). In summary, we have developed a Rh(I)-catalyzed strategy for the direct arylation of pyridines and quinolines. The heterocycle is used without the need for prefunctionalization, and all reaction components are inexpensive and readily available. The strategy represents an expeditious route to an important class of bis(hetero)aryls and should be of broad utility

The development of common data elements for a multi-institute prostate cancer tissue bank: The Cooperative Prostate Cancer Tissue Resource (CPCTR) experience

BACKGROUND: The Cooperative Prostate Cancer Tissue Resource (CPCTR) is a consortium of four geographically dispersed institutions that are funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) to provide clinically annotated prostate cancer tissue samples to researchers. To facilitate this effort, it was critical to arrive at agreed upon common data elements (CDEs) that could be used to collect demographic, pathologic, treatment and clinical outcome data. METHODS: The CPCTR investigators convened a CDE curation subcommittee to develop and implement CDEs for the annotation of collected prostate tissues. The draft CDEs were refined and progressively annotated to make them ISO 11179 compliant. The CDEs were implemented in the CPCTR database and tested using software query tools developed by the investigators. RESULTS: By collaborative consensus the CPCTR CDE subcommittee developed 145 data elements to annotate the tissue samples collected. These included for each case: 1) demographic data, 2) clinical history, 3) pathology specimen level elements to describe the staging, grading and other characteristics of individual surgical pathology cases, 4) tissue block level annotation critical to managing a virtual inventory of cases and facilitating case selection, and 5) clinical outcome data including treatment, recurrence and vital status. These elements have been used successfully to respond to over 60 requests by end-users for tissue, including paraffin blocks from cases with 5 to 10 years of follow up, tissue microarrays (TMAs), as well as frozen tissue collected prospectively for genomic profiling and genetic studies. The CPCTR CDEs have been fully implemented in two major tissue banks and have been shared with dozens of other tissue banking efforts. CONCLUSION: The freely available CDEs developed by the CPCTR are robust, based on "best practices" for tissue resources, and are ISO 11179 compliant. The process for CDE development described in this manuscript provides a framework model for other organ sites and has been used as a model for breast and melanoma tissue banking efforts

Advanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage components in haemophilic joints reveals that cartilage hemosiderin correlates with joint deterioration.

IntroductionEvidence suggests that toxic iron is involved in haemophilic joint destruction.AimTo determine whether joint iron deposition is linked to clinical and imaging outcomes in order to optimize management of haemophilic joint disease.MethodsAdults with haemophilia A or haemophilia B (n = 23, ≥ age 21) of all severities were recruited prospectively to undergo assessment with Hemophilia Joint Health Scores (HJHS), pain scores (visual analogue scale [VAS]) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3T using conventional MRI protocols and 4-echo 3D-UTE-Cones sequences for one affected arthropathic joint. MRI was scored blinded by two musculoskeletal radiologists using the International Prophylaxis Study Group (IPSG) MRI scale. Additionally, UTE-T2* values of cartilage were quantified. Correlations between parameters were performed using Spearman rank correlation. Two patients subsequently underwent knee arthroplasty, which permitted linking of histological findings (including Perl's reaction) with MRI results.ResultsMRI scores did not correlate with pain scores or HJHS. Sixteen joints had sufficient cartilage for UTE-T2* analysis. T2* values for cartilage correlated inversely with HJHS (rs  = -0.81, P < 0.001) and MRI scores (rs  = -0.52, P = 0.037). This was unexpected since UTE-T2* values decrease with better joint status in patients with osteoarthritis, suggesting that iron was present and responsible for the effects. Histological analysis of cartilage confirmed iron deposition within chondrocytes, associated with low UTE-T2* values.ConclusionsIron accumulation can occur in cartilage (not only in synovium) and shows a clear association with joint health. Cartilage iron is a novel biomarker which, if quantifiable with innovative joint-specific MRI T2* sequences, may guide treatment optimization