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Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent type of head and neck cancer, ranked as the sixth most common cancer worldwide, accounting for approximately 300,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Early detection using biomarkers significantly increases the 5-year survival rate of OSCC by up to 80–90%. Clusterin (CLU), also known as apolipoprotein J, is a sulfated chaperonic glycoprotein expressed in all tissues and human fluids and has been reported to be a potential biomarker of OSCC. CLU has been implicated as playing a vital role in many biological processes such as apoptosis, cell cycle, etc. Abnormal CLU expression has been linked with the development and progression of cancers. Despite the fact that there are many studies that have reported the involvement of CLU and its isoforms in OSCC, the exact roles of CLU and its isoforms in OSCC carcinogenesis have not been fully explored. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the current understanding of CLU structure and genetics and its correlation with OSCC tumorigenesis to better understand potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker development. The relationship between CLU and chemotherapy resistance in cancer will also be discussed to explore the therapeutic application of CLU and its isoforms in OSCC.

This scoping review aimed to summarize the effects of natural products targeting phosphoinositide-3-kinases/serine/threonine kinase (PI3K/AKT) in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). The review details various types of natural compounds such as gypenoside (GP), gypenoside XVII (GP-17), geniposide, berberine, dihydroquercetin (DHQ), and tilianin which identified to reduce MIRI in vitro and in vivo by regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In this study, 14 research publications that met the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria were shortlisted. Following the intervention, we discovered that natural products effectively improved cardiac functions through regulation of antioxidant status, down-regulation of Bax, and up-regulation of Bcl-2 and caspases cleavage. Furthermore, although comparing outcomes can be challenging due to the heterogeneity in the study model, the results we assembled here were consistent, giving us confidence in the intervention’s efficacy. We also discussed if MIRI is associated with multiple pathological condition such as oxidative stress, ERS, mitochondrial injury, inflammation, and apoptosis. This brief review provides evidence to support the huge potential of natural products used in the treatment of MIRI due to their various biological activities and drug-like properties.

Extensive knowledge related to medicinal characteristics of plants by living in forest or semi-forest habitats and close observations of indigenous communities have led to the discoveries of the genus Lepisanthes and its traditional uses. The genus Lepisanthes is a member of the Sapindaceae family and is found in various regions of the world. Six species of Lepisanthes such as L. alata, L. amoena, L. fruticosa, L. senegalensis, L. rubiginosa, and L. tetraphylla are widely utilized in traditional and folk medicinal systems. They have been used for centuries for the treatment of ailments or symptoms such as pain, dizziness, high fever, frequent passing of watery stool (diarrhea), abscess, and healing of cuts and wounds. Various methodological approaches, mainly in vitro studies, have been employed to further explore the roles of the genus Lepisanthes. The studies identified that the genus Lepisanthes exerts beneficial effects such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic, antimalarial, analgesic, and antidiarrheal. However, the summary of the available literature remains inconclusive. This review aims to comprehensively address the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, methods, and pharmacological properties of the six commonly used Lepisanthes species. Hence, our review provides a scientific consensus that may be essential in translating the pharmacological properties of the genus Lepisanthes into future novel cost-effective medicines.

The rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in early 2020 prompted a global lockdown from March to July 2020. Due to strict lockdown measures, many countries experienced economic downturns, negatively affecting many industries including energy, manufacturing, agriculture, finance, healthcare, food, education, tourism, and sports. Despite this, the COVID-19 pandemic provided a rare opportunity to observe the impacts of worldwide lockdown on global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and climate change. Being the main greenhouse gas responsible for rising global surface temperature, CO2 is released to the atmosphere primarily by burning fossil fuels. Compared to 2019, CO2 emissions for the world and Malaysia decreased significantly by 4.02% (−1365.83 MtCO2) and 9.7% (−225.97 MtCO2) in 2020. However, this is insufficient to cause long-term impacts on global CO2 levels and climate change. Therefore, in this review, we explored the effects of worldwide lockdown on global CO2 levels, the impacts of national lockdown on Malaysia’s CO2 emissions, and the influence of climate change in Malaysia.

Climate change is causing adverse and diverse effects on human beings in term of severe diseases, melting of ice, and increase temperatures, which are directly linked to the consumption of traditional fossil fuels. These fuels can only be replaced by exploring renewable energy technologies, and photovoltaic solar modules are the most promising choice among them. This paper investigates electrical output in term of efficiency and power of a monocrystalline photovoltaic module under climatic conditions of Lahore, Pakistan in an effort to enhance electrical performance based on laminar and turbulent flow boundary conditions. A computational model of a PV module was designed and investigated, when the solar irradiance was observed to be maximum at 920.64 W/m2. Initially, the total flux received and absorbed by PV module was observed to be at 179.37 W/m2 after ray tracing analysis in Trace Pro; thereafter, the module’s temperature increased to 65.86 °C, causing an electrical efficiency drops to 15.65% from 19.40% without applying active cooling schemes. A coupling of Ansys Fluent and Steady State Thermal Analysis was performed for thermal management of a PV module by selecting water and air as a coolant at inlet temperature of 25 °C through microchannels contingent upon varying Reynolds numbers. The results maintained that the optimum coolant outlet temperature (49.86 °C), average PV cell’s layer temperature (32.42 °C), and temperature uniformity (4.16 °C) are achieved by water at 224, 6710, and 4200 Reynolds numbers respectively. In addition, again water maintained 18.65% of electrical efficiency and 33.65 W power output at 6710 Reynolds number. On the other hand, air-based cooling lagged behind water by 14% in term of efficiency and power output at maximum Reynolds number (6710).

Pyrolyzed waste plastic-based green fuel has been reported to be used as an alternate fuel for diesel engines. Some of the main challenges for implementing this in current automotive technology include evaluating engine performance, emission, noise vibration harshness (NVH), and knock characteristics of this fuel. This study focuses on the engine performance of poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET)-based waste plastic oil (WPO) at varying engine speed conditions. The pyrolysis of mixed-waste plastic was carried out at 300 °C in a fixed-bed reactor. Physicochemical properties such as viscosity, density, calorific value, sulfur, and research octane number (RON) of the plastic fuel and its blends with gasoline were analyzed using ASTM standard test methods. The WPO was blended with two different types of gasoline (RON88 and RON90) at 10, 20, and 30%, and was tested in a spark-ignition (SI) engine. The experimental results showed that different WPO–gasoline blends can be used in an SI engine without any engine modifications, and the performance indicators for different blends were found to be close to that of pure gasoline. The brake power and brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) were found to be 4.1 kW and 0.309 kg/kW h, respectively. The 10% WPO and 90% RON90 blend produced optimal engine performance at 3500 rpm.

The evaluation of disease progression and onsite therapeutic care choices for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients is vital for their well-being and the optimum utilization of healthcare resources. The current study was conducted to assess physicians’ adherence to clinical practice standards and antibiotic prescribing behavior for the treatment of CAP in older people. A prospective study that included 121 consecutive patients admitted for CAP was conducted at Kulim Hospital, Kedah, from March 2020 to August 2020. Medical records including demographic data, comorbidity, physical examination, laboratory or radiologic findings, and drugs used for the treatment of CAP were accessed from bed head tickets (BHT). The mean age for patients was 73.5 ± 6.2 years, 73 (60.3%) and 48 (39.6%) were males and females, respectively. Amoxicillin/clavulanate (19.8%) was the most prescribed antibiotic for non-severe pneumonia followed by ampicillin sodium/sulbactam sodium (6.6%), while in patients with severe CAP beta-lactam + beta lactamase inhibitors (BLIs) with a combination of macrolide were the most common antibiotics prescribed either in patients with (21.4%) or without co-morbidities (8.2%). The average length of stay in the hospital with severe pneumonia was 6–7 days for 23.9% of patients and < 5 days for 21.4% of patients. The duration of intravenous antibiotics in patients with severe pneumonia was 6–7 days for 32.2% of patients. The present findings revealed the adherence of antibiotic prescribing practices to the Malaysian National Antimicrobial Guideline 2019 for CAP therapy among geriatric patients and adherence to the CAP criteria for hospital admissions.

Growing concern on global warming directly related to CO2 emissions is steering the implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS). With Malaysia having an estimated 37 Tscfd (Trillion standard cubic feet) of natural gas remains undeveloped in CO2 containing natural gas fields, there is a need to assess the viability of CCS implementation. This study performs a techno-economic analysis for CCS at an offshore natural gas field in Malaysia. The framework includes a gas field model, revenue model, and cost model. A techno-economic spreadsheet consisting of Net Present Value (NPV), Payback Period (PBP), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is developed over the gas field&rsquo, s production life of 15 years for four distinctive CO2 capture technologies, which are membrane, chemical absorption, physical absorption, and cryogenics. Results predict that physical absorption solvent (Selexol) as CO2 capture technology is most feasible with IRR of 15% and PBP of 7.94 years. The output from the techno-economic model and associated risks of the CCS project are quantified by employing sensitivity analysis (SA), which indicated that the project NPV is exceptionally sensitive to gas price. On this basis, the economic performance of the project is reliant on revenues from gas sales, which is dictated by gas market price uncertainties.

© 2019 by the authors. Fossil fuel depletion, along with its ever-increasing price and detrimental impact on the environment, has urged researchers to look for alternative renewable energy. Of all the options available, biomass presents a very reliable source due to its never-ending supply. As research on various biomasses has grown in recent years, waste from these biomasses has also increased, and it is now time to shift the focus to utilizing these wastes for energy. The current waste management system mainly focuses on open burning and soil incorporation as it is cost-effective; however, these affect the environment. There must be an alternative way, such as to use it for power generation. Rice straw and rice husk are examples of such potential biomass waste. Rice is the main food source for the world, mostly in Asian regions, as most people consume rice daily. This paper reviews factors that impact the implementation of rice-straw-based power plants. Ash content and moisture content are important properties that govern combustion, and these vary with location. Logistical improvements are required to reduce the transport cost of rice husk and rice straw, which is higher than the transportation cost of coal.

We examined the evidence for intermittent fasting (IF) as a preventative tool to influence β-amyloid in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A Scopus, Ovid, PubMed, and Web of Science (WoS), search yielded 29 results using the keywords “amyloid beta”, “intermittent fasting”, “intermittent caloric restriction”, “alternate day fasting”, “modified alternate-day fasting”, “time-restricted feeding”, “Ramadan fast”, “intermittent calori* restriction”, “intermittent restrictive diet”, and “Alzheimer*”. Five research articles addressed directly the effects of intermittent fasting on β-amyloid levels in animal models of AD: alternate day fasting (ADF) and time-restricted feeding (TRF) methods were incorporated in these studies. The study designs were found to be heterogeneous. Variations in the levels of β-amyloid peptides or plaque in either the hippocampus, cortical areas, or both in animals following dietary intervention were observed as compared to the ad libitum group. Non-significant changes were observed in three studies, while two studies interestingly demonstrated amelioration and reduction in β-amyloid levels. Given the conflicting results obtained from this study, significant care has to be taken into consideration before the protocol can be applied as a preventative approach to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Longitudinal research is warranted to fully grasp how dietary habits can help alleviate the disease either through upstream or downstream of AD pathology.

Less sedimentation and convection in a microgravity environment has become a well-suited condition for growing high quality protein crystals. Thermostable T1 lipase derived from bacterium Geobacillus zalihae has been crystallized using the counter diffusion method under space and earth conditions. Preliminary study using YASARA molecular modeling structure program for both structures showed differences in number of hydrogen bond, ionic interaction, and conformation. The space-grown crystal structure contains more hydrogen bonds as compared with the earth-grown crystal structure. A molecular dynamics simulation study was used to provide insight on the fluctuations and conformational changes of both T1 lipase structures. The analysis of root mean square deviation (RMSD), radius of gyration, and root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) showed that space-grown structure is more stable than the earth-grown structure. Space-structure also showed more hydrogen bonds and ion interactions compared to the earth-grown structure. Further analysis also revealed that the space-grown structure has long-lived interactions, hence it is considered as the more stable structure. This study provides the conformational dynamics of T1 lipase crystal structure grown in space and earth condition.

Nowadays, increased interest among the scientific community to explore the Calophyllum inophyllum as alternative fuels for diesel engines is observed. This research is about using mixed Calophyllum inophyllum-palm oil biodiesel production and evaluation that biodiesel in a diesel engine. The Calophyllum inophyllum−palm oil methyl ester (CPME) is processed using the following procedure: (1) the crude Calophyllum inophyllum and palm oils are mixed at the same ratio of 50:50 volume %, (2) degumming, (3) acid-catalysed esterification, (4) purification, and (5) alkaline-catalysed transesterification. The results are indeed encouraging which satisfy the international standards, CPME shows the high heating value (37.9 MJ/kg) but lower kinematic viscosity (4.50 mm2/s) due to change the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) composition compared to Calophyllum inophyllum methyl ester (CIME). The average results show that the blended fuels have higher Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) and NOx emissions, lower Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE), along with CO and HC emissions than diesel fuel over the entire range of speeds. Among the blends, CPME5 offered better performance compared to other fuels. It can be recommended that the CPME blend has great potential as an alternative fuel because of its excellent characteristics, better performance, and less harmful emission than CIME blends.

Biodiesel as an alternative to diesel fuel produced from vegetable oils or animal fats has attracted more and more attention because it is renewable and environmentally friendly. Compared to conventional diesel fuel, biodiesel has slightly lower performance in engine combustion due to the lower calorific value that leads to lower power generated. This study investigates the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as an additive to the rice bran methyl ester (RBME). Artificial neural network (ANN) and response surface methodology (RSM) was used for predicting the calorific value. The interaction effects of parameters such as dosage of MWCNTs, size of MWCNTs and reaction time on the calorific value of RBME were studied. Comparison of RSM and ANN performance was evaluated based on the correlation coefficient (R2), the root mean square error (RMSE), the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and the average absolute deviation (AAD) showed that the ANN model had better performance (R2 = 0.9808, RMSE = 0.0164, MAPE = 0.0017, AAD = 0.173) compare to RSM (R2 = 0.9746, RMSE = 0.0170, MAPE = 0.0028, AAD = 0.279). The optimum predicted of RBME calorific value that is generated using the cuckoo search (CS) via lévy flight optimization algorithm is 41.78 (MJ/kg). The optimum value was obtained using 64 ppm of < 7 nm MWCNTs blending for 60 min. The predicted calorific value was validated experimentally as 41.05 MJ/kg. Furthermore, the experimental results have shown that the addition of MWCNTs was significantly increased the calorific value from 36.87 MJ/kg to 41.05 MJ/kg (11.6%). Also, the addition of MWCNTs decreased flashpoint (−18.3%) and acid value (−0.52%). As a conclusion, adding MWCNTs as an additive had improved the physicochemical properties characteristics of RBME. To our best knowledge, no research has yet been performed on the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes-additive in physicochemical property of rice brand methyl ester application so far.

Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power generation systems may be used to utilize heat source with low pressure and low temperature such as solar energy. Many researchers have focused on different aspects of ORC power generation systems, but none so far has focused on the patent landscape of ORC system applications. As such, the objective of this study is to identify published patents on ORC system applications, particularly for solar energy. Four (4) technologies were identified in ORC application for solar energy: parabolic dish, parabolic trough, solar tower, and linear Fresnel reflector. A methodical search and analysis of the patent landscape in ORC system applications for solar energy published between 2007–2018 was conducted using the Derwent Innovation patent database. From the approximately 51 million patents in the database from various countries and patent agencies, 3859 patents were initially identified to be related to ORC applications for solar energy. After further stringent selection processes, only 1100 patents were included in this review. From these 1100 patents, approximately 12% (130 patents) are associated with parabolic dishes, about 39% (428 patents) are associated with parabolic troughs, approximately 21% (237 patents) are associated with solar towers, and about 28% (305 patents) are associated with linear Fresnel reflectors. Published patents on solar tower technology are currently on an increasing trend, led by China. All of these patents were published in the past 11 years. From this study, further researches on ORC application are still ongoing, but ORC application for solar energy has the potential to advance; allowing the world to ease issues related to over-reliance on fossil fuel.