The Papua New Guinea University of Technology (Unitech) is a university located in Lae, Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea.
The current study explored an aqueous banana fruit (Musa Acuminata) peel extract to synthesise zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) via a green approach. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) revealed that the produced NPs exhibited an average crystal size of about 35 nm. The XRD pattern confirmed the formation of crystalline ZnO NPs with hexagonal wurtzite structure with space group P6_3mc. The SEM pictures unequivocally showed agglomerated and uneven morphologies for ZnO NPs. The UV-Visible and UV-DRS studies showed the maximum absorbance of 302 nm and the energy gap value of 3.46 eV. The synthesized ZnO NPs exhibit greater photodegradation efficiency when exposed to Fast Orange (FO) dye under UV light in a span of 120 min. The maximum zone of inhibition of 16 mm was recorded for the calcined ZnO NPs against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed an enhanced behaviour of ZnO NPs, of ZnO NPs' which can be attributed to their reduced charge transfer resistance. Lithium was detected by the modified ZnO electrode sensor at extremely low concentrations of 1–5 mM. These findings confirmed the multifunctional applications of the synthesized biogenic ZnO NPs
Abstract This paper presents a simulation-based performance analysis of a 140 Gbps inter-satellite optical wireless communication (IsOWC) link employing 128-QAM-OFDM modulation at an operating wavelength of 850 nm over a single optical channel. The proposed system incorporates channel estimation and carrier phase estimation (CPE) at the receiver to mitigate phase noise and enhance signal demodulation accuracy. System performance is characterized in terms of bit error rate (BER) and received optical power (ROP) across a range of critical link parameters. Specifically, the effects of pointing errors (1–2 μrad), additional link losses (5–10 dB), and transmit laser power (24–30 dB m) are evaluated at inter-satellite distances of 15,000, 20,000, and 25,000 km. Furthermore, the influence of receiver aperture diameter (10, 12, and 15 cm) and optical system efficiency (0.7–0.9) on link performance is investigated over propagation ranges spanning 12,000–30,000 km. Simulation results demonstrate that higher transmit power and larger receiver apertures yield substantial improvements in BER performance, while increased pointing errors and additional link losses impose significant penalties on link reliability. These findings provide quantitative design guidelines and practical operating boundaries for the development of high-capacity IsOWC systems in next-generation satellite communication networks.
The rising prevalence of diabetes necessitates accurate, noninvasive methods for early detection and personalized management. Breathomics, the investigation of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs), offers a promising approach for evaluating glycemic control, oxidative stress, and metabolic alterations associated with diabetes. Specific VOCs, such as acetone, isoprene, and ethanol, reflect glucose fluctuations, lipid oxidation, and insulin sensitivity, linking metabolic changes to real-time physiological states. Recent analytical advancements in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry, and electronic nose technologies have enhanced the reliability and clinical applicability of breath-based assessments. The investigations focus on integrating VOC-based metabolic signatures with lifestyle and behavioral factors to establish a precision, noninvasive framework for diabetes management. This review also discusses key challenges that remain in standardizing breath analysis techniques, interpreting complex breath data, and implementing breath-based technology into personalized diabetes management. Breathomics provides a novel pathway for dynamic real-time assessment of metabolic health, bridging physiological biomarkers with lifestyle responses to enable individualized diabetes management.
Ensuring dimensional accuracy in material extrusion (MEX) polycaprolactone (PCL) stents is critical for clinical performance, yet published studies report inconsistent parameter effects. This work systematically evaluated four MEX process parameters—extrusion temperature (TE), material deposition speed (vD), extrusion multiplier (ME) and layer thickness (tL)—on strut width (wS), stent thickness (tS) and stent length (lS) across three representative geometries (Hybrid A, Hybrid C, Chevron B). Twenty-one parameter combinations were experimentally tested, with dimensional data measured by optical microscopy and subsequently analysed using ANOVA and response-surface modelling (RSM) to quantify main effects, interactions and optimise outcomes. Results showed that ME and TE dominated wS and lS deviations, tL most strongly influenced tS, while vD had only minor, geometry-dependent effects. Complex geometries with acute angles (Chevron B) amplified interaction effects and trade-offs between dimensions. RSM multi-factor optimisation combined with experiments identified compromise windows balancing wS, tS and lS (TE: 150–180 °C, vD: 30–50 mm/s, ME: 130–140
PNG is rapidly embracing solar PV technology, especially in rural and peri urban areas, aligning with the government's ambitious target of achieving 100% renewable electrification by 2050. This study investigates rooftop solar potential at the PNGUoT using UAV photogrammetry integrated with GIS. The analysis generated rooftop solar energy maps, visually supporting quantitative estimations. Results revealed that three sampled rooftops could produce 90.32 MWh annually, far exceeding their combined demand of 21.49 MWh, leaving 68.83 MWh surplus for storage or export. This demonstrates that rooftop PV can fully meet residential electricity needs while generating excess energy. The study highlights UAV photogrammetry and GIS as cost efficient, reliable, and scalable tools for suburban scale solar assessment, offering a replicable model for campus wide and national renewable energy deployment. It underscores the importance of renewable energy awareness and knowledge dissemination to drive PNG's transition from fossil fuels, supporting policy, planning, and the 2050 electrification vision.
