Photonic nanojet-enhanced nanometer-scale germanium photodiode.

A design challenge for photodiodes yielding both high speed and responsivity is the necessity to concentrate incident light into a subwavelength active volume region. Photonic nanojets have been reported in the literature as a means to focus an incident plane wave to a subwavelength-waist propagating beam with applications ranging from next-generation DVDs to characterizing subwavelength features within dielectric targets. In the present work, a new application of photonic nanojets is proposed, focusing electromagnetic energy into a photodiode. Three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain solutions are conducted to determine the advantages of photonic nanojet-enhanced photodiodes at near-infrared wavelengths (1310 nm). We find that photonic nanojets provide a factor of 26 increase in the volume-integrated electric field within the subwavelength active volume of the photodiode of size 0.0045 µm³. Furthermore, this increase is achieved independent of the incident polarization and over a broad bandwidth. Photonic nanojets may thus serve as an attractive alternative to plasmonics for some applications.

Simulation and Measurement of Aerosolisation in Different Chest Drainage Systems.

The aim of the study was to assess the degree of aerosolisation in different chest drainage systems according to different air leak volumes, in a simulated environment. This novel simulation model was designed to produce an air leak by passing air through and agitating a fluorescent fluid. The air leak volume and amount of fluorescent fluid were tested in various combinations and aerosolisation was assessed at 10-minute intervals using the ultraviolet light. The following chest drainage systems were compared: (1) single-chamber chest drainage system, (2) 3-compartment wet-dry suction chest drainage system, (3) digital drainage and monitoring system. The impact of suction (-2 and -4 kPa) in generating aerosolised particles was tested as well. A total number of 187 of 10-minute interval measurements were performed. The single-chamber chest drainage system generated the largest number of aerosolised particles at different air leak volumes and drainage output. The 3-compartment wet-dry suction system and the digital drainage and monitoring system did not generate any identifiable aerosolised particles at any of the air leak or drain output volumes considered. Suction applied to the chest drainage systems did not have an effect on aerosolisation. Aerosol generation in the simulated air-leak model demonstrated the potential risk of SARS-CoV-2 spread in the clinical setting. Full personal protective equipment must be used in patients with an air leak. Single-chamber chest drainage system generates the highest rate of aerosolised particles and it should not be used as an open system in patients with an air leak.

A Predictive Model for Height Tracking in an Adult Male Population in Bangladesh to Reduce Input Errors.

The advancement of ICT and affordability of medical sensors enable healthcare data to be obtained remotely. Remote healthcare data is erroneous in nature. Detection of errors for remote healthcare data has not been significantly studied. This research aims to design and develop a software system to detect and reduce such healthcare data errors. Enormous research efforts produced error detection algorithms, however, the detection is done at the server side after a substantial amount of data is archived. Errors can be efficiently reduced if the suspicious data can be detected at the source. We took the approach to predict acceptable range of anthropometric data of each patient. We analyzed 40,391 records to monitor the growth patterns. We plotted the anthropometric items e.g., Height, Weight, BMI, Waist and Hip size for males and females. The plots show some patterns based on different age groups. This paper reports one parameter, height of males. We found three groups that can be classified with similar growth patterns: Age group 20-49, no significant change; Age group 50-64, slightly decremented pattern; and Age group 65-100, a drastic height loss. The acceptable range can change over time. The system estimates the updated trend from new health records.

Factors contributing to motorcycle fatal crashes on National Highways in India.

This study analyses fatal crash patterns, and identifies the risk factors contributing to motorcycle versus non-motorcycle fatal crashes using binomial logistic regression on two-, four- and six-lane National Highways (NHs) in India utilizing police fatal crash data. The distribution of victims' mode by striking vehicles shows that percentage share of striking vehicles (truck) against the victims' vehicles (motorcycle) is 44%, 52% and 37% on two-lane NH-8, four-lane NH-24 and six-lane NH-1, respectively. Nine explanatory variables pertaining to fatal crash, victim, roadway and environment are considered for the model (using combined data of cited three NHs). The results of the logistic regression model (motorcycle versus non-motorcycle fatal crashes) show that for variable 'collision type', likelihood of occurrence of 'rear-end', 'sideswipe' and 'head-on' fatal crashes are 42-times, 35-times and 25-times more than 'hit pedestrian' respectively. Similarly, for variable 'number of vehicle', likelihood is thrice as 'single-vehicle' than 'two or more vehicles'; and, for variable 'number of lane', probability is more on 'two-lane' NH-8 than 'four-lane' NH-24. Based on the study results, it is recommended to upgrade two-lane (undivided carriageway) to four-lane (divided carriageway) NHs to reduce 'head-on' collision.

Purity and mechanical strength of naturally frozen ice in wastewater basins.

A fairly clean ice cover can form over a contaminated water pond when the air-cooled surface of water freezes and impurities are efficiently expelled to the remaining water underneath. Natural freeze crystallization has recently been studied as a potential wastewater purification method with aqueous solutions on a laboratory scale. The effect of impurity inclusions on ice strength has been researched in model ice basins over the past few decades. It is of interest to discover how efficiently natural freeze separation works under real weather conditions before freezing can be utilized for wastewater treatment application. Herein, understanding the mechanical strength properties of naturally frozen wastewater (ice) is important when planning ice breaking and harvesting devices. This research implemented in-situ measurements of the flexural and compressive strength of ice in natural ice-covered environments of a freshwater lake, two peatlands and three mining site basins, and compares the determined strength with analyzed impurities of the ice. The results showed that despite varying ice growth conditions and initial water constituents, it was possible to deduce an evident yet simple relationship between mean ice strength and ice impurities: the more impure the ice is, the lower the value of strength is Based on this exploration, it was concluded that separation efficiencies, i.e. the impurity removal ratio between basin water and ice, from 65% up to 90% can be achieved by natural freezing.