Multifunctional Approach Research Articles

Enhancement of protein immobilization on polydimethylsiloxane using a synergistic combination of polydopamine and micropattern surface modification

Understanding protein interactions at biointerfaces is critical for the improved design of biomaterials and medical devices. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is used for numerous device applications, and surface modifications can enhance protein immobilization and the response to cells. A multifunctional approach combining topographical and biochemical modifications was applied to PDMS by fabricating 10–20 µm scale patterns onto PDMS surfaces and by coating with polydopamine (PDA). The modifications were confirmed by surface characterization and bovine serum albumin (BSA), fibrinogen (Fg), and fetuin-A (Fet-A) were radiolabeled with 125I. The amounts of protein attached to the surface before and after elution with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were quantified from single and complex multi-protein solutions to determine protein stability and competitive binding. The PDA coatings were the most stable and capable of immobilizing the highest levels of all proteins. Furthermore, combinations of PDA coatings with the smallest micropatterns provided an additional improvement, enhancing the amount immobilized and the stability. The adsorption of BSA and Fg from plasma demonstrated competitive binding and possible orientation changes, respectively. It was determined that Fet-A, a less studied protein, adsorbed from plasma at low levels, but the adsorption from fetal bovine serum (FBS) was significantly greater, providing important quantification data from radiolabeling that is relevant to many cell culture studies. Overall, combining topography and PDA modification has a synergistic effect on improving protein immobilization. These findings provide new insight on the quantities of proteins bound to PDMS and PDA coatings with implications for cell interactions in various biotechnology and medical applications.

The Biogenic Synthesis of Bimetallic Ag/ZnO Nanoparticles: A Multifunctional Approach for Methyl Violet Photocatalytic Degradation and the Assessment of Antibacterial, Antioxidant, and Cytotoxicity Properties.

In this study, bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) of silver (Ag) and zinc oxide (ZnO) were synthesized using Leptadenia pyrotechnica leaf extract for the first time. Monometallic NPs were also obtained for comparison. The characterization of the prepared NPs was carried out using various techniques, including UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The latter confirmed the crystalline nature and diameter of the monometallic and bimetallic NPs of Ag and ZnO. The SEM images of the prepared NPs revealed their different shapes. The biological activities of the NPs were evaluated concerning their antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties. The antibacterial activities were measured using the time-killing method. The results demonstrated that both the monometallic and bimetallic NPs inhibited the growth of Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. The antioxidant activities of the NPs were evaluated using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay and their cytotoxicity was checked using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The results indicated that the controlled quantity of the monometallic and bimetallic NPs did not affect the viability of the cells. However, the decreased cell (L-929) viability suggested that the NPs could have anticancer properties. Furthermore, the photocatalytic degradation of methyl violet and 4-nitrophenol was investigated using the prepared Ag/ZnO NPs, examining the factors affecting the degradation process and conducting a kinetic and thermodynamic study. The prepared Ag/ZnO NPs demonstrated good photocatalytic degradation (88.9%) of the methyl violet (rate constant of 0.0183 min-1) in comparison to 4-nitrophenol (NPh), with a degradation rate of 81.37% and 0.0172 min-1, respectively. Overall, the bimetallic NPs showed superior antibacterial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and photocatalytic properties compared to the monometallic NPs of Ag and ZnO.

Multifunctional fluorogenic probes from hydrazide schiff base-modified polyvinylpyrrolidone to detect Al3+ in aqueous environment and living cells

Recent efforts have been made to develop chemosensors for aluminum cation (Al3+) detection to monitor the concentration of an aluminum metal ion in both the environment and biological systems due to the high health risks associated with aluminum exposure. Hence the development of chemosensory with multifunctionality has advantages over traditional approaches. Therefore, multi-functional chemosensor materials were fabricated with colorimetric, chromogenic, and fluorogenic probes from the hydrazone-based polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP-NDHIP) were designed by Atom Transfer Radical Addition Polymerization (ATRP) approach. The Schiff base moiety was conjugated with different chain lengths of PVP to provide good aqueous solubility, low detection limits, enhanced selectivity, and sensitivity of the probes. As a result, the PVP-NDHIP probes showed substantial fluorescence enhancement in linearity upon adding Al3+ ions with a low detection limit of a few nanomolar by fluorescence detection in an aqueous solution. Especially, PVP-NDHIP with Mw of 10,000 g/mol (PVP-NDHIP10k) presented the most sensitive absorption and fluorescence titrations performance with 26.4 nM and 3.9 nM, respectively. Furthermore, the PVP-NDHIP probes demonstrated excellent performance in water and various aqueous cosolvent environments, such as DIW/DMSO, DIW/THF, DIW/DMF, DIW/Ethanol, and DIW/Methanol. Moreover, the obtained probe was used for internalization and Al3+ intracellular imaging. The findings explained that hydrazone-based polyvinylpyrrolidone could create a critical role as a multifunctional approach in both environmental contamination and Al3+ related pathway in a biological system.

Theoretical and methodological bases of economic diagnostics of financial reporting indicators

The article examines the problems of theoretical and methodical support for the diagnosis of financial reports, which helps to determine the level of development of enterprises according to the final characteristics for a certain period, and also allows management to identify and correct negative trends in the financial system, take into account possible risks. The purpose of the study is to provide a detailed description of the essence of economic diagnostics in economic literature, to substantiate the importance of economic diagnostics in the enterprise management system, to identify problems of a theoretical and practical nature regarding the implementation of economic diagnostics of accounting and financial reporting, to develop methodological principles regarding the procedure for carrying out economic diagnostics of accounting and financial reporting. The methodological basis of the research is general scientific methods, methods of strategic analysis, methods of economic analysis, system method, methods of analysis and synthesis, which made it possible to fulfill the tasks set in the research. In addition, methods of generalization, tabular, graphic methods, and comparison methods were used to process statistical data. The economic diagnosis of the indicators of the accounting financial statements of the enterprise is defined as a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the indicators of the economic activity of the enterprise based on special calculations in accordance with the information contained in the accounting financial statements, in order to identify reserves for making management decisions. A methodical approach to the procedure for carrying out economic diagnostics of accounting financial reporting has been developed, which takes into account programmatic, structural, analytical, and informational components and is an important prerequisite for ensuring the effectiveness of the diagnostic apparatus, which allows you to focus on problems and build an adapted toolkit for solving them. Based on the results of the analysis of theoretical, structural and methodological aspects of the implementation of economic diagnostics of accounting and financial reporting indicators, recommendations were formulated for the improvement of this process, which are expressed in: giving priority to solving the tactical tasks of the enterprise taking into account its strategic goals, spreading the implementation of expert financial diagnostics and bankruptcy diagnostics, introduction of a multifunctional approach to determining reporting indicators. The proposed recommendations are aimed at improving the efficiency of enterprises through the prompt execution of tactical tasks, ascertaining the real position of organizations on the market based on analytical research based on the system of developed typical signs, establishing the nature and causes of detected deviations from the planned performance indicators, highlighting crucial areas of economic operations and business processes. Key words: economic diagnostics, accounting financial statements, accounting information, financial results, competitiveness.

Multi-functional approach in the design of smart surfaces to mitigate bacterial infections: a review.

Advancements in biomedical devices are ingenious and indispensable in health care to save millions of lives. However, microbial contamination paves the way for biofilm colonisation on medical devices leading to device-associated infections with high morbidity and mortality. The biofilms elude antibiotics facilitating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the persistence of infections. This review explores nature-inspired concepts and multi-functional approaches for tuning in next-generation devices with antibacterial surfaces to mitigate resistant bacterial infections. Direct implementation of natural inspirations, like nanostructures on insect wings, shark skin, and lotus leaves, has proved promising in developing antibacterial, antiadhesive, and self-cleaning surfaces, including impressive SLIPS with broad-spectrum antibacterial properties. Effective antimicrobial touch surfaces, photocatalytic coatings on medical devices, and conventional self-polishing coatings are also reviewed to develop multi-functional antibacterial surfaces to mitigate healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Nanotechnology Meets the Clinic: Using Chitosan/Silver Nanocomposites to Target Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections During Burn Wound Therapy

Burn wounds represent a severe breach in the skin as a physical defense mechanism that leaves the mammalian host highly susceptible to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. The intrinsic resistance of P. aeruginosa to common antibiotics presents a problem in burn units worldwide. Despite recent developments in alternative treatments, such as bacteriophage therapy and vaccines, the lethal potential of P. aeruginosa remains ineffectively addressed. However, recent treatment strategies using chitosan/silver nanocomposites (CS/Ag-NCs) with distinct synergistic bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities represent a versatile multifunctional approach to combating P. aeruginosa wound colonization. CS/Ag-NCs possess innate wound healing and tissue regeneration properties, which stem from their hemostatic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cell proliferation-promoting activities. In addition, CS/Ag-NCs have excellent potential for enhancing burn wound dressings, such as membranes, sponges, nanofibers, and hydrogels impregnated with CS/Ag-NCs, conferring a multitude of advantages over traditional clinical dressings. By addressing the global burden of P. aeruginosa infections in civilian and military settings, it is possible to combat the alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance more effectively.

Dr. Smartphone, can you support my trauma? An informatics analysis study of App Store apps for trauma- and stressor-related disorders.

Psychological trauma is prevalent in developed countries, with prevalence rates and treatment needs exceeding health system capacity. As telemedicine and out-of-patient care are promoted, there has been an expansion of digital apps to compliment therapeutic stages in psychological trauma. To date there are no reviews that have compared these apps and their clinical utility. This study aims to identify the availability of trauma- and stressor-related mhealth apps, assess their functionality, and review their therapeutic abilities. The authors conducted a systematic search using an iPhone 13 Pro in the Australian IOS App Store to extract trauma- and stressor-related apps that resulted from the search criteria. A cross-adaptation of the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) and the Comprehensive App Evaluation Model (CAEM) were used as a framework to produce the mTrauma App Evaluation Conceptual Model and Informatics Framework. App content descriptors were analysed based on their general characteristics, usability, therapeutic focus, clinical utility, data integration. Following an applicability in concordance with psychological trauma-informed delivery. A total of 234 apps resulting from the search strategy were screened, with 81 apps that met the inclusion criteria. The majority of apps were marketed to 4+ to 17+ years of age, categorised as 'health and fitness', with the highest target markets observed for adolescents, children, parents, clinicians, and clients. A total of 43 apps (53.1%) contained a trauma-informed specified section, and 37 (45.7%) incorporated a section useful to support trauma-related symptoms. A significant number of apps there was an absence of therapeutic utility (in 32 apps (39.5%)). Most apps were supporting post-traumatic stress disorder-informed, cognitive behavioural therapy and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing. Provision of psychoeducation, courses, guided sessions, trainings, self-reflection/journaling, symptom management and progress tracking were highly present. Trauma-informed mobile apps are available in the App Store, expanding in its target market reach and usability, with an increase of creative psychotherapies being introduced alongside conventional modalities. However, based on the app descriptors, the scarcity of evidenced-based testimonials and therapeutic applicability remains questionable for clinical validity. Although mhealth tools are marketed as trauma-related, current available apps employ a multifunctional approach to general psychological symptomatology, through to associated comorbid conditions and emphasizes on passive activity. For higher uptake on user engagement, clinical application and validity, trauma-apps require curated specification to fulfil its role as complimentary psychological treatment.

Liquid crystalline nanoparticles enable a multifunctional approach for topical psoriasis therapy by co-delivering triptolide and siRNAs

Liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNs) are an attractive drugs topical delivery system due to the great internal ordering, wide interfacial area and structural similarities with the skin. In this work, LCNs were designed to encapsulate triptolide (TP) and to complex on its surface small interfering RNAs (siRNA) targeting TNF-α and IL-6, aiming at topical co-delivery and regulating multi-targets in psoriasis. These multifunctional LCNs showed appropriate physicochemical properties for topical application, such as a mean size of 150 nm, low polydispersion, TP encapsulation greater than 90% and efficient complexation with siRNA. The internal reverse hexagonal mesostructure of LCNs was confirmed by SAXS while their morphology was assessed by cryo-TEM. In vitro permeation studies revealed an increase of more than 20-fold in the distribution of TP through the porcine epidermis/dermis was achieved after the application of LCN-TP or LCN TP in hydrogel. In cell culture, LCNs showed good compatibility and rapid internalization, which was attributed to macropinocytosis and caveolin-mediated endocytosis. Anti-inflammatory potential of multifunctional LCNs was assessed by reducing of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and TGF-β1 levels in LPS-stimulated macrophages. These results support the hypothesis that the co-delivery of TP and siRNAs by LCNs may be a new strategy for psoriasis topical therapy.

Bioinspired Multi-Layer Biopolymer-Based Dental Implant Coating for Enhanced Osseointegration.

The major drawbacks of metal-based implants are weak osseointegration and post-operational infections. These limitations restrict the long-term use of implants that may cause severe tissue damage and replacement of the implant. Recent strategies to enhance the osseointegration process require an elaborate fabrication process and suffer from post-operative complications. To address the current challenges taking inspiration from the extracellular matrix (ECM), the current study is designed to establish enhanced osseointegration with lowered risk of infection. Natural biopolymer pectin, peptide amphiphiles, and enzyme-mimicking fullerene moietiesare governed to present an ECM-like environment around the implant surfaces. This multifunctional approach promotes osseointegration via inducing biomineralization and osteoblast differentiation. Application of the biopolymer-based composite to the metal surfaces significantly enhances cellular attachment, supports the mineral deposition, and upregulates osteoblast-specific gene expression. In addition to the osteoinductive properties of the constructed layers, the inherent antimicrobial properties of multilayer coating are also used to prevent infection possibility. The reported biopolymer-artificial enzyme composite demonstrates antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis as a multifunctional surface coating.

The Effect of Biochar Amendment, Microbiome Inoculation, Crop Mixture and Planting Density on Post-Mining Restoration

Ecological restoration with a multispecies and multifunctional approach can accelerate the re-establishment of numerous ecosystem services. The challenges with land that is degraded, damaged, or destroyed post-mining are the low productivity of soil and the high potential for contaminants. Herein, we evaluated the multispecies and multifunctional approach to restoration strategy through a mixture of woody and herbaceous species, microsymbiont and biochar amendments, and plant spacing. The experiments were conducted using greenhouse and field trials located in Quebec, Canada. We used a mixture of tree species (Alnus viridis (Chaix) DC. ssp. crispa (Aiton) Turrill, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, Populus tremuloides Michx. and Salix arbusculoides Andersson) and herbaceous species (Avena sativa L., Festuca rubra L. and Trifolium repens L.) on two types of gold-mine waste materials (fine tailing and waste rock). The biochar amendment and microbial inoculation were applied on both greenhouse and field trials. We found both positive and negative effects of plant spacing, biochar amendment and inoculation depending on their interactions. The net positive effect was shown by combining high plantation density, biochar, and inoculation factors on Alnus viridis ssp. crispa. Overall, plantation density was shown to be the most important factor in generating the net positive effect. We suggest that the mechanism was correlated with the improvement in microclimate through soil plant water conservation and microbial activity enhancement over soil temperature modification. Hence, we propose to put emphasis on microclimate improvement for accelerating the restoration processes, along with other combined factors, including microbial inoculation and biochar amendment.

Novel Twin-Crystal Nanosheets with MnO2 Modification to Combat Bacterial Biofilm against Periodontal Infections via Multipattern Strategies.

Nowadays the multifunctional approaches to kill oral bacteria based on various nanocomposites have made great progress against periodontal infections, while the material structure and its functional integration are still insufficient. Herein, this work proposes a therapeutic strategy of chemodynamical therapy (CDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) in monocrystals to effectively enhance the synergistic treatment. The CuS/MnS@MnO2 consisting of hexagonal CuS/MnS nano-twin-crystal with a shell layer of MnO2 is developed. In this nanosystem, the purpose of synergistic treatment of periodontitis by combining PTT/CDT is achieved within a CuS/MnS monocrystal, where CuS serves to achieve photothermal conversion, dissipate the biofilm and transfer the heat in situ to the integrated MnS, thus promoting the Mn2+ -mediated CDT process. Meanwhile, the CDT process can generate the highly toxic hydroxyl radical to destroy extracellular DNA by utilization of endogenous H2 O2 produced by Streptococci in the oral biofilm, cooperating with PTT to dissipate the bacterial biofilm. With the design of the outer shell of MnO2 , the selective bacteria-killing can be realized by producing oxygen which can protect the periodontal non-pathogenic aerobic bacteria and threaten the survival of anaerobic pathogens. Therefore, such design via multipattern strategies to combat microorganisms would provide a bright prospect for the clinical treatment of bacterial infections.

FLoCIC: A Few Lines of Code for Raster Image Compression.

A new approach is proposed for lossless raster image compression employing interpolative coding. A new multifunction prediction scheme is presented first. Then, interpolative coding, which has not been applied frequently for image compression, is explained briefly. Its simplification is introduced in regard to the original approach. It is determined that the JPEG LS predictor reduces the information entropy slightly better than the multi-functional approach. Furthermore, the interpolative coding was moderately more efficient than the most frequently used arithmetic coding. Finally, our compression pipeline is compared against JPEG LS, JPEG 2000 in the lossless mode, and PNG using 24 standard grayscale benchmark images. JPEG LS turned out to be the most efficient, followed by JPEG 2000, while our approach using simplified interpolative coding was moderately better than PNG. The implementation of the proposed encoder is extremely simple and can be performed in less than 60 lines of programming code for the coder and 60 lines for the decoder, which is demonstrated in the given pseudocodes.

Corrosion, electrical and thermal behaviour of graphene modified polyester powder coatings

This work investigates polyester powder coatings containing graphene on aluminium alloy AA6060. The coatings were developed with a multifunctional approach in order to combine efficient barrier properties and high electrical and thermal conductivity. Graphene contents up to 10 wt% were introduced in the composite powder coatings. The barrier properties were investigated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 0.1 M NaCl solution. This technique was also employed to obtain information about the electrical parameters of the coatings. Although barrier properties remain high over immersion times up to 35 days, a strong increase of coating capacitance and a decrease of coating resistance were observed by EIS for the coatings with graphene content above 1 wt%. Impedance data were interpreted on the base of the electrical percolation theory in order to correlate the increase of capacitance and the decrease of the resistance to the existence of graphene-rich agglomerates in the composites coatings. Moreover, the thermal behaviour of the composite powder coatings was preliminarily evaluated indicating that the introduction of graphene can improve heat dissipation.

Phantom Chain Simulations for the Fracture of Energy-Minimized Tetra- and Tri-Branched Networks

Effects of branch functionality on mechanical properties of polymer networks are yet to be fully elucidated, although multi-functional approaches have been mainly attempted. For instance, Fujiyabu et al. [Sci. Adv. 2022, 8, abk0010] recently reported that polymer networks made from tri-branch prepolymers exhibit superior mechanical properties to tetra-branch analogues. Although they attribute the difference to stretch-induced crystallization observed in tri-branch poly (ethylene glycol) networks, the mechanism still needs to be clarified. In this study, we performed coarse-grained molecular simulations to extract the effect of branch functionality. The prepolymers were replaced by bead-spring phantom chains, and gelation was simulated by a Brownian dynamics scheme. We subjected the resultant networks to energy minimization and uniaxial stretch by introducing breakage for elongated segments. In the stress–strain relation thus obtained, stress and strain at the break were larger for tri-branch networks than that for tetra-branch analogues, consistent with the experiment. The superiority of tri-branch networks is observed in a wide range of the conversion ratio in gelation, molecular weights of prepolymers, and polymer concentrations. The result implies that the mechanical superiority of tri-branch networks to tetra-branch ones is due to a fundamental structural difference generated during gelation.

Review of Ceramic Composites in Aeronautics and Aerospace: A Multifunctional Approach for TPS, TBC and DBD Applications

The quest for increased performance in the aeronautical and aerospace industries has provided the driving force and motivation for the research, investigation, and development of advanced ceramics. Special emphasis is therefore attributed to the ability of fine ceramics to fulfill an attractive, extreme, and distinguishing combination of application requirements. This is impelled by ensuring a suitable arrangement of thermomechanical, thermoelectric, and electromechanical properties. As a result, the reliability, durability, and useful lifetime extension of a critical structure or system are expected. In this context, engineered ceramic appliances consist of three main purposes in aeronautical and aerospace fields: thermal protection systems (TPS), thermal protection barriers (TBC), and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators. Consequently, this research provides an extensive discussion and review of the referred applications, i.e., TPS, TBC, and DBD, and discusses the concept of multifunctional advanced ceramics for future engineering needs and perspectives.

Role of Tunable Gold Nanostructures in Cancer Nanotheranostics: Implications on Synthesis, Toxicity, Clinical Applications and Their Associated Opportunities and Challenges

The existing diagnosis and treatment modalities have major limitations related to their precision and capability to understand several stages of disease development. A superior therapeutic system consists of a multifunctional approach in early diagnosis of the disease with a simultaneous progressive cure, using a precise medical approach towards complex treatment. These challenges can be addressed via nanotheranostics and explore suitable approaches to improve health care. Nanotechnology in combination with theranostics as an unconventional platform paved the way for developing novel strategies and modalities leading to diagnosis and therapy for complex disease conditions, ranging from acute to chronic levels. Among the metal nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles are being widely used for theranostics due to their inherent non-toxic nature and plasmonic properties. The unique optical and chemical properties of plasmonic metal nanoparticles along with theranostics have led to a promising era of plausible early detection of disease conditions, and they enable real-time monitoring with enhanced non-invasive or minimally invasive imaging of several ailments. This review aims to highlight the improvement and advancement brought to nanotheranostics by gold nanoparticles in the past decade. The clinical use of the metal nanoparticles in nanotheranostics is explained, along with the future perspectives on addressing the key applications related to diagnostics and therapeutics, respectively. The scope of gold nanoparticles and their realistic potential to design a sophisticated theranostic system is discussed in detail, along with their implications in clinical advancements which are the needs of the hour. The review concluded with the challenges, opportunities, and implications on translational potential of using gold nanoparticles in nanotheranostics.

Electrolyte-Gated Perovskite Transistors Functionalized with Conjugated Polymers

In emerging perovskite transistors, interfacial engineering is pivotal for modulating the effective charge carrier transport; however, the gate dielectric layer and its interface remain unexplored owing to the limited chemical stability of perovskites. Here, we propose an interfacial functionalization with a conjugated polymer to allow the use of a high capacitance electrolyte dielectric in top-gate perovskite transistors. This multifunctional approach, exploiting orthogonal solution-processed polymers, enables blocking of chemical diffusion during the deposition of the dielectric, allows passivation of defects on the perovskite surface, results in air stability enhancement, and boosts mobility via the formation perovskite–polymer hybrid channels. The optimized conjugated polymer-capped lead iodide perovskite transistors showed a remarkable hole mobility of over 30 cm2 V–1 s–1 at ≤2 V. This result demonstrated the possibility of realizing high mobility through interfacial functionalization of perovskites in transistor applications.

Green Walls and Public Healthcare Facilities in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria

Generally, the architectural design and physical development of green walls in urban hemisphere has gone beyond aesthetics and traditional values. However, the multifunctional approach and quality healthcare contributions of green infrastructure are perhaps the contemporary trend urban dwellers value most. The economic, social, environmental and healthcare understanding of urban green spaces is on increase, as many environmental advocates affirmed that urban green spaces enhance sustainable city development. Conversely, this article concentrated more on public healthcare services or provision of green spaces in Nigeria urban environment, using Port Harcourt as a situation study. The healthcare benefit, environmental protection and sustainable city ideology of greens are imperative, but many have hardly been given any significant attention for smart city growth or development. Distribution of questionnaire for field survey constitute the study instrument while Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) served as the data analytical method and 5% of The sample was also derived from onscreen digitization of the neighbourhoods under investigation and the findings showed that green space sustain biodiversity, densification, environmental degradation, human health/wellbeing and mitigation against climate change are the healthcare services green spaces provide to the urban environment. However, population increase, urbanisation, poor physical planning/ zoning and government policy are the major determinants for the damages urban green spaces recorded as a healthcare facility. The analysis maintained that absences of green spaces in urban environment are responsible for poor urban morphology, loss of resilience/smart city, quality air, depreciation of property and neighbourhood value etc. As usage understanding, budget constraint and inappropriate cost benefit analysis are the challenges of urban green spaces in developing cities. The recommendations made by the research include the adoption of green space creation exercise. The minimum of two green spaces should be created and maintained per urban street schemes, participation of urban residents, corporate and non-government organisations in urban green spaces planning, development and the inspiration of mini green space for individual building plans among others. This will enhance sustainable urban healthcare facilities and development in Nigeria.

Multi-sensor cyber-physical sorting system (CPSS) based on Industry 4.0 principles: A multi-functional approach

Products global demand constantly grows, along with drifts of the volume of waste produced, thus having a negative impact on the environment. Besides the advancement of artificial intelligence and cutting-edge sensing and actuation systems, allow for traditional recycling procedures to be digitised and become more efficient. Among these, automated sorting machines allow such efficacy, by using multiple recognition technologies to categorise items, instead of relying on humans to separate them. In this sense, this paper presents a new approach being included in the Cyber-Physical Sorting System (CPSS) capable to be adapted in different industries such as urban wastes, construction & demolition wastes as well as mineral sorting. The materials are laid out over a conveyor belt, where multi-purpose visual sensors (hyper-spectral, industrial and short-wave infrared) acquire images in order to classify and sort them in different bins using robotic arms. The architecture of the proposed CPSS allows the integration of additional sensors, increasing the interoperability with upcoming sensing devices. Furthermore, an intelligent hyper-spectral component adapted to urban wastes was developed that classifies glass, metal, paper, and plastic using multi-spectral data in visual and near-infrared ranges between 470nm - 975nm. Scatter-correction methods and derivatives were applied to extract noise-free features, while an exploratory analysis based on simple and robust Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to identify the most significant principal components for the training phase. During the evaluation, the neural network performed better when normalisation and Savtizky and Golay (SG) filtering was applied to the dataset against other classifiers.

Chitosan quaternary ammonium salt/gelatin-based biopolymer film with multifunctional preservation for perishable products

The postharvest physiological and metabolic activities caused fruits and vegetables (F&V) quality deterioration. Therefore, developing an efficient preservation strategy is a promising approach to relieve this issue. In this study, a modified metal-organic framework (MOF; i.e., Cer@MHKUST-1) was encapsulated into a blended matrix of chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (CQAS)/gelatin to fabricate a multifunctional (water-locking, ethylene-removing, and antibacterial) packaging biopolymer-based film (i.e., CMCGF), the characteristics and preservative effects of the packaging were investigated. Results indicated that the physicochemical (e.g., mechanical, gas/light barrier, wettability) properties of CMCGF were improved compared with the control film (i.e., CGF). CMCGF have a higher ethylene adsorption performance of 65–69 cm3/g STP compared with CGF (7.8 cm3/g STP). Cu ions released from CMCGF destroyed the cell wall and membrane, resulting in the death of bacteria, and the antibacterial efficiency of CMCGF against E. coli and S. aureus was 97–100 % and 98–100 %, respectively. Postharvest storage experiments on tomato and winter jujube confirmed the high-efficiency preservation effect of CMCGF packaging. Therefore, CMCGF provides a multifunctional approach to extending the shelf-life of perishable products to decrease food wastage.