Optical interconnect with densely integrated plasmonic modulator and germanium photodetector arrays

We demonstrate the first chip-to-chip interconnect utilizing a densely integrated plasmonic Mach-Zehnder modulator array operating at 3 x 10 Gbit/s. A multicore fiber provides a compact optical interface, while the receiver consists of germanium photodetectors

Optical interconnect solution with plasmonic modulator and Ge photodetector array

We report on an optical chip-to-chip interconnect solution, thereby demonstrating plasmonics as a solution for ultra-dense, high-speed short-reach communications. The interconnect comprises a densely integrated plasmonic Mach-Zehnder modulator array that is packaged with standard driving electronics. On the receiver side, a germanium photodetector array is integrated with trans-impedance amplifiers. A multicore fiber provides a compact optical interface to the array. We demonstrate 4 × 20 Gb/s on-off keying signaling with direct detection.ISSN:1041-1135ISSN:1941-017

Results of rendering medical aid to victims with penetrating heart injuries at general surgery department

РАНЫ И ТРАВМЫ /ХИРСЕРДЦА ТРАВМЫ /ХИРРАНЫ ПРОНИКАЮЩИЕ /ХИРПЕРИКАРД /ПОВРЕЖД /ХИРТОРАКОТОМИЯСЕРДЦА ТАМПОНАДАРАНЫ КОЛОТЫЕСЕРДЦА ХИРУРГИЧЕСКИЕ ОПЕРАЦИИПОСЛЕОПЕРАЦИОННЫЙ ПЕРИОДСМЕРТНОСТЬДИАГНОСТИКА ДИФФЕРЕНЦИАЛЬНАЯГЕМОДИНАМИЧЕСКИЕ ПРОЦЕССЫЦель. Проанализировать результаты оказания помощи пострадавшим с ранением сердца в условиях общехирургического стационара. Материал и методы. Проведен ретроспективный анализ результатов лечения 21 потерпевшего с проникающими ранениями сердца. Со стабильными показателями гемодинамики было 5 (23,8%) пациентов, с нестабильными показателями – 11 (52,4%), доставлены в стационар в предагональном состоянии – 5 (23,8%). Согласно критериям AAST I класс травмы сердца установлен у 4 (19 %) пострадавших, III – у 1 (4,8%), IV – у 5 (23,8%), V – у 10 (47,6%), VI – у 1 (4,8%) пациента. Локализация травмы сердца: чаще всего был поврежден левый желудочек – в 10 (47,6%) случаях, реже левое предсердие – в 6 (28,6 %) и правый желудочек – в 5 (23,8 %) случаях. Результаты. Для доступа к сердцу у 20 потерпевших использовалась переднебоковая торакотомия в IV-V межреберье, только в одном случае выполнили билатеральную торакостернотомию ("clamshell"). Умерло 7 (33 %) пациентов, причиной смерти в 4 (19%) случаях был геморрагический шок, обусловленный массивной кровопотерей, в 2 (9,5%) – тампонада сердца, еще 1 (4,7%) пациент умер от острого инфаркта миокарда на второй день после операции. Послеоперационная летальность составила 33%. Как показал анализ, состояние гемодинамики потерпевшего определяет дифференцированный подход к соответственному диагностическому алгоритму. Основным методом лечения ранений сердца является экстренная торакотомия, временная остановка кровотечения с последующим ушиванием раны сердца на фоне проведения реанимационных мероприятий. Заключение. Выживание пациентов с ранениями сердца зависит от правильности эвакуационных и лечебных мероприятий на догоспитальном этапе, соблюдения организационных мероприятий оказания помощи и квалификации медицинского персонала.Objective. To analyze the results of providing aid to the victims with the heart injuries at the general surgery department. Methods. The retrospective analysis of the treatment results of 21 victims with penetrating injuries of the heart has been performed. There were 5 (23.8%) patients with stable hemodynamic parameters, 11 (52.4%) – with unstable parameters, 5 (23.8%) were delivered to the hospital in the preagony state. According to the criteria of American Association of Surgery Trauma (AAST), the class I of heart injury was diagnosed in 4 (19%) of the victims, III – in 1 (4.8%), IV – in 5 (23.8%), V – 10 (47.6%), VI – in 1 (4.8%) cases. According to the localization of cardiac trauma the left ventricle was most often damaged – in 10 (47.6%) cases, the left atrium – in 6 (28.6%) and the right ventricle – in 5 (23.8%) cases. Results. For the access to the heart in 20 patients, the anterolateral thoracotomy in the IV-V intercostal space was applied, only in one case, the bilateral thoracosternotomy ("clamshell") was used. 7 (33%) patients died, the cause of death in 4 (19%) was the hemorrhagic shock due to massive blood loss, in 2 (9.5%) - cardiac tamponade, 1 (4.7%) patient died of acute myocardial infarction on the second day after the surgery. Overall postoperative mortality made up 33%. As the analysis demonstrates, the condition of the patient’s hemodynamics determines a differentiated approach to the corresponding diagnostic algorithm. The main method of treatment of heart injuries is emergent thoracotomy, temporary bleeding stop with subsequent suturing the wound of the heart against the background of resuscitation measures. Conclusions. Survival rate of patients with heart injuries depends on the appropriate evacuation and medical measures at the prehospital stage, compliance with the organizational algorithm of providing medical care and qualification of medical personnel

High speed plasmonic modulator array enabling dense optical interconnect solutions

Plasmonic modulators might pave the way for a new generation of compact low-power high-speed optoelectronic devices. We introduce an extremely compact transmitter based on plasmonic Mach-Zehnder modulators offering a capacity of 4 × 36 Gbit/s on a footprint that is only limited by the size of the high-speed contact pads. The transmitter array is contacted through a multicore fiber with a channel spacing of 50 μm

Analysis of a distinct speech disorder seen in chronic manganese toxicity following Ephedrone abuse

INTRODUCTION: In the last fifteen years a new cause of chronic manganese toxicity has been recognized. It follows recreational intravenous injections of Ephedrone, synthesized from a cold remedies contained pseudoephedrine. Potassium permanganate is used as an oxidant. It presents with severe parkinsonism-dystonia and a characteristic dysarthria. OBJECTIVES: We performed a focus perceptual study of dysarthria in Ephedrone induced parkinsonism and compared the findings with the speech disorders seen in Parkinson's disease (PD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). METHODS: A digital voice recording, perceptual speech analysis (Darley, 1975) [18], serial neurological assessment and Brain Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging were performed at the Lviv regional Clinical Hospital. The results were analysed at the Institute of Neurology in London. RESULTS: Dysarthria developed after 8.5 ± 3.2 months of daily intravenous Ephedrone abuse and was an initial symptom in a third of cases. It was characterised by a robotic-flat prosody, whispering or continuous phonation, an inability to regulate pitch and volume, frozen lip articulation, a variable degree of dystonic tightness, difficulties in speech initiation and palladia, There was no nasality and swallowing was normal. In some patients speech deteriorated even after the discontinuation of Ephedrone. MR imaging, performed soon after drug cessation showed T1 signal hyperintesity in striatum and pallidum, especially in the Globus Pallidum interna. CONCLUSION: Ephedrone induced chronic manganese toxicity can lead to a mixed hypokinetic-dystonic dysarthria with a distinct dystonic pattern. Perceptual speech analysis can be a helpful ancillary investigation in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism, and may permit the recognition of chronic manganese toxicity

Silicon-plasmonic internal-photoemission detector for 40 Gbit/s data reception

Silicon-plasmonics enables the fabrication of active photonic circuits in CMOS technology with unprecedented operation speed and integration density. Regarding applications in chip-level optical interconnects, fast and efficient plasmonic photodetectors with ultrasmall footprints are of special interest. A particularly promising approach to silicon-plasmonic photodetection is based on internal photoemission (IPE), which exploits intrinsic absorption in plasmonic waveguides at the metal–dielectric interface. However, while IPE plasmonic photodetectors have already been demonstrated, their performance is still far below that of conventional high-speed photodiodes. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel class of IPE devices with performance parameters comparable to those of state-of-the-art photodiodes while maintaining footprints below 1  μm 2 . The structures are based on asymmetric metal–semiconductor–metal waveguides with a width of less than 75 nm. We measure record-high sensitivities of up to 0.12 A/W at a wavelength of 1550 nm. The detectors exhibit opto-electronic bandwidths of at least 40 GHz. We demonstrate reception of on–off keying data at rates of 40 Gbit/s

Plasmonic-organic hybrid (POH) modulators for OOK and BPSK signaling at 40 Gbit/s

We report on high-speed plasmonic-organic hybrid Mach-Zehnder modulators comprising ultra-compact phase shifters with lengths as small as 19 my m. Choosing an optimum phase shifter length of 29 my m, we demonstrate 40 Gbit/s on-off keying (OOK) modulation with direct detection and a BER < 6 x 10 -4. Furthermore, we report on a 29 my m long binary-phase shift keying (BPSK) modulator and show that it operates error-free (BER < 1 x 10 -10) at data rates up to 40 Gbit/s and with an energy consumption of 70 fJ/bit

Neoproterozoic flood basalts of the upper beds of the Volhynian Series (East European Craton)

The effusive rocks of the Ratno Beds of the Volhynian Series known from the western slope of the Ukrainian Shield are represented by lower Vendian flood basalts whose normative composition is that of quartz tholeiites. These are plagioclase-pyroxene basalts displaying intergranular, intersertal, doleritic, ophitic and amygdaloidal textures; they range from aphanitic to medium-grained and contain about 7 vol. % of palagonite - an altered glass with a high iron and considerable magnesium content. The range in composition of plagioclases (andesine-bytownite) and clinopyroxenes (augite-ferropigeonite) suggests that the Ratno Beds basalts formed by fractional crystallisation of a parent magma. Residual magma underwent liquation, producing a separate acid glass (69-73 wt. % of SiO2) phase within a basic one considerably poorer in SiO2 but rich in iron and magnesium. The Ratno Beds basalts are relatively rich in silica, iron, titanium and vanadium as well as in REE and LREE in particular but poor in Ni, Co and Cr. Normative composition, geochemical characteristics and tectonic position suggest classification as continental quartz tholeiites. Hydrothermal solutions are responsible for rich native copper mineralisation in basalts of certain parts of Volhynia (Ivance and Policy). The Vendian volcanism of the Volhynian Series lithologically correlated with the Sławatycze Series of eastern Poland, can be related to continental rifting accompanying the breakup of Rodinia, with crustal fractures mainly running concordantly with the suture zone between Fennoscandia and Sarmatia, thus almost perpendicular to the Tornquist rift; other fracture trends may also have controlled Vendian volcanism