Open-source lab hardware: A versatile microfluidic control and sensor platform

Here we describe a completely integrated and customizable microfluidic control and sensing architecture that can be readily implemented for laboratory or portable chemical or biological control and sensing applications. The compact platform enables control of 32 solenoid valves, a multitude of pumps and motors, a thermo-electric controller, a pressure controller, and a high voltage power supply. It also features two temperature probe interfaces, one relative humidity and ambient temperature sensor, two pressure sensors, and interfaces to an electrical conductivity sensor, flow sensor, and a bubble detector. The platform can be controlled via an onboard microcontroller and requires no proprietary software. Keywords: Capillary electrophoresis; Chemical analysis; Fluidic sensing; Lab automation; Microfluidic sample handling; Valve controller

Open-source lab hardware: Driver and temperature controller for high compliance voltage, fiber-coupled butterfly lasers

This article describes the development of a compact, relatively low-cost, high compliance voltage laser driver that can provide the constant optical laser output required for a range of applications. The system contains an integrated, high-precision temperature controller that can be implemented with butterfly-style lasers containing an internal thermoelectric cooler. The laser parameters can be controlled manually or via an onboard microcontroller. Additionally, an adjustable over-current protection circuit safeguards the laser diode from potential damage

The Ursinus Weekly, October 4, 1920

Self help bureau makes needed changes • Program is announced for appropriate celebration of fiftieth anniversary • Varsity bows to Delaware College at Newark; loses by a 14-0 score • Scrubs first game gives Phoenix a victory, 13-0 • Press bureau to be organized • Back from Europe • Joint meeting of YMCA and YWCA • Hockey hints • Mr. Mertz honored by Montgomery County society • Missionary writes from the heart of China • Central Seminary notes • Junior geese lead frosh foxes a merry chase • Bonfire and celebration for victory over Rutgers make Monday a big day • Hockey schedulehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/2426/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, October 18, 1920

Ursinus loses hard fought game to Gettysburg: score, 6-0 • All groups hold meetings on Wednesday evening • Plans complete for the anniversary • Girls lose hockey game to Swarthmore, 4-2 • Student councils hold first dance of year • Woman\u27s Club to hold picnic this week • Who\u27s who in the Alumni Athletic Club • Medical students meeting • Decision meeting: YWCA • One of Ursinus\u27 oldest alumni dies • Hiking Club holds initial meeting • Missionary writes from the heart of China • Fine speaker at YM this week • Mapleites hold feed and give encorehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/2428/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, October 11, 1920

Ursinus goes down under opposition of powerful Bucknell eleven • Additional plans for anniversary celebration • Temple seizes victory from hockey eleven • New shopping service inaugurated • Community entertainment course opened Wednesday • Former Ursinus professor takes office under League of Nations • Ursinus Woman\u27s Club meeting • Scrubs vs. Pottstown High School • Y.M.C.A. holds annual pep meeting • Fullerton Waldo writes new book • Library notes • Cross-country • New students admitted this year • Missionary writes from the heart of China • William Anson Reimert • The Y.M. student conference at Silver Bay • Maples makes Saturday evening merry with party • Another fudge party brightens social season • Press bureau • Student council meeting • Berks County Club meeting • Collegeville High School opens basketball season in field cagehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/2427/thumbnail.jp

iPose: Instance-Aware 6D Pose Estimation of Partly Occluded Objects

We address the task of 6D pose estimation of known rigid objects from single input images in scenarios where the objects are partly occluded. Recent RGB-D-based methods are robust to moderate degrees of occlusion. For RGB inputs, no previous method works well for partly occluded objects. Our main contribution is to present the first deep learning-based system that estimates accurate poses for partly occluded objects from RGB-D and RGB input. We achieve this with a new instance-aware pipeline that decomposes 6D object pose estimation into a sequence of simpler steps, where each step removes specific aspects of the problem. The first step localizes all known objects in the image using an instance segmentation network, and hence eliminates surrounding clutter and occluders. The second step densely maps pixels to 3D object surface positions, so called object coordinates, using an encoder-decoder network, and hence eliminates object appearance. The third, and final, step predicts the 6D pose using geometric optimization. We demonstrate that we significantly outperform the state-of-the-art for pose estimation of partly occluded objects for both RGB and RGB-D input

Suris tetrons: possible spectroscopic evidence for four-particle optical excitations of the 2D electron gas

The excitations of a two-dimensional electron gas in quantum wells with intermediate carrier density (~10^{11} cm^{-2}), i.e., between the exciton-trion- and the Fermi-Sea range, are so far poorly understood. We report on an approach to bridge this gap by a magneto-photoluminescence study of modulation-doped (Cd,Mn)Te quantum well structures. Employing their enhanced spin splitting, we analyzed the characteristic magnetic-field behavior of the individual photoluminescence features. Based on these results and earlier findings by other authors, we present a new approach for understanding the optical transitions at intermediate densities in terms of four-particle excitations, the Suris tetrons, which were up to now only predicted theoretically. All characteristic photoluminescence features are attributed to emission from these quasi-particles when attaining different final states.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Resolution of chemical shift anisotropy in 19F ENDOR spectroscopy at 263 GHz/9.4 T

Pulsed 19F ENDOR spectroscopy provides a selective method for measuring angstrom to nanometer distances in structural biology. Here, the performance of 19F ENDOR at fields of 3.4 T and 9.4 T is compared using model compounds containing one to three 19F atoms. CF3 groups are included in two compounds, for which the possible occurrence of uniaxial rotation might affect the distance distribution. At 9.4 T, pronounced asymmetric features are observed in many of the presented 19F ENDOR spectra. Data analysis by spectral simulations shows that these features arise from the chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) of the 19F nuclei. This asymmetry is also observed at 3.4 T, albeit to a much smaller extent, confirming the physical origin of the effect. The CSA parameters are well consistent with DFT predicted values and can be extracted from simulation of the experimental data in favourable cases, thereby providing additional information about the geometrical and electronic structure of the spin system. The feasibility of resolving the CSA at 9.4 T provides important information for the interpretation of line broadening in ENDOR spectra also at lower fields, which is relevant for developing methods to extract distance distributions from 19F ENDOR spectra

Cal Poly Microgrid Fixed PV Array

The Mechanical Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo would like an adjustable, fixed angle solar panel mount to help educate students on basic solar energy principles. Our team has developed a unique sawhorse design utilizing ideation techniques and design selection tools. The selected design allows for multiple panel adjustability and control of both azimuth and tilt angle. Safety concerns are addressed with action plans to mitigate risk. Concept prototypes to justify gearbox functionality and subsystem cohesion was utilized to reduce manufacturing issues. Manufacturing began in March 2020 and proceed through until the end of the month. The manufacturing of the mount was halted due to COVID-19, forcing the design to end strictly in a what-if manufacturing procedure to allow the construction of it to be done in future time