Engine performance and emission characteristics of palm biodiesel blends with graphene oxide nanoplatelets and dimethyl carbonate additives.

This study investigated the engine performance and emission characteristics of biodiesel blends with combined Graphene oxide nanoplatelets (GNPs) and 10% v/v dimethyl carbonate (DMC) as fuel additives as well as analysed the tribological characteristics of those blends. 10% by volume DMC was mixed with 30% palm oil biodiesel blends with diesel. Three different concentrations (40, 80 and 120 ppm) of GNPs were added to these blends via the ultrasonication process to prepare the nanofuels.

How should front-line general practitioners use personal protective equipment (PPE)?

The COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve with the number of cases increasing in Malaysia, placing a significant burden on general practitioners (GPs) to assess and manage suspected cases. GPs must be well equipped with knowledge to set up their clinics, use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriately, adopt standard protocols on triaging and referrals, as well as educate patients about PPE. The correct use of PPE will help GPs balance between personal safety and appropriate levels of public concern.

Knowledge, utilization and barriers to primary care services for sexual and reproductive health among adolescents in secondary schools in Selangor, Malaysia.

Early sexual debut, partner violence, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections contribute to negative health outcomes among adolescents. While the primary care clinics offer accessible sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to adolescents, it is uncertain whether adolescents are aware of and utilize these services. This study aimed to examine Malaysian adolescents' knowledge, utilization and barriers to primary care services for SRH.

Synthesis and biological study of acridine-based imidazolium salts.

A new series of acridine based imidazolium salts was synthesized and evaluated for cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines by an MTT assay. The synthesis applied a coupling of imidazoles with 9-chloroacridines, which originated from an Ullmann condensation of a 2-chloro-benzoic acid with an aniline. The target compounds were obtained in high yields.

Effect of conjugation and aromaticity of 3,6 di-substituted carbazoles on triplet energy and the implication of triplet energy in multiple-cyclic aromatic compounds.

It is well-known that short conjugation is needed to obtain a high triplet energy. Carbazole has 3 fused rings and yet it has a high triplet energy. In order to illuminate the reason behind this, we synthesized a range of carbazole derivatives with substitution at the 3,6-positions.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote endometrial cancer growth via activation of interleukin-6/STAT-3/c-Myc pathway.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) secrete various pro-tumorigenic cytokines, yet the role of these cytokines in the progression of endometrial cancer remains unclear. We found that CAFs isolated from human endometrial cancer (EC) tissues secreted high levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), which promotes EC cell proliferation in vitro. Neutralizing IL-6 in CAF-conditioned media reduced (47% inhibition) while IL-6 recombinant protein increased cell proliferation (~2.