Objectives The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic that emerged in December 2019 had rapidly evolved in recent months to become a worldwide and ongoing pandemic. Shortage of medical masks remains an unresolved problem. This study aims to investigate the filtration efficiency (FE) of home-made masks that could be used as alternatives for community mitigation of COVID-19. Study design Experimental observational analytic study. Methods The FE of home-made masks and medical masks (as the control) were tested under laminar flow within a scaled air duct system by using nebulised NaCl aerosols sized 6–220nm. The size-resolved NaCl aerosol count was measured by a scanning mobility particle-size spectrometer. Home-made masks with an external plastic face shield also underwent a splash test. Additionally, the fibre structures of medical masks were studied under an electron microscope after treatment with either 75% alcohol or soap and water at 60°C. Results The FE of the home-made masks at 6–200nm were non-inferior to that of medical masks (84.54% vs 86.94%, p = 0.102). Both types of masks achieved an FE of 90% at 6–89nm. A significantly higher FE was achieved when one piece of tissue paper was added adjacent to the inner surface of the medical mask than medical mask alone (6–200nm: 91.64% vs 84.75%, p < 0.0001; 6–89nm: 94.27% vs 90.54%, p < 0.0001; 90–200nm: 82.69% vs 73.81%, p < 0.0001). The plastic face shield prevented the home-made mask from fluid splash. The fibre structures of the external surface of medical masks were damaged after treatment with either 75% alcohol or soap and water at 60°C. Conclusions The home-made masks in this study, which were made of one piece of tissue paper and two pieces of kitchen towels, layered from face to external, had an FE at 6–200nm non-inferior to that of medical mask materials, which had a certified FE of ≥95% at 3μm. In the current COVID-19 pandemic with the shortage of medical masks, these home-made masks combined with an external plastic shield could be used as an alternative to medical masks for community mitigation. In addition, one piece of tissue paper could be placed adjacent to the inner surface of a medical mask to prolong effective lifespan of the medical mask. These demand reduction strategies could be used in order to reserve medical masks for use in healthcare and certain high-risk community settings, such as symptomatic persons, caregivers and attendees to healthcare institutions.

In the past decade, no significant improvement has been made in chemotherapy for osteosarcoma (OS). To develop improved agents against OS, we screened 70 species of medicinal plants and treated two human OS cell lines with different agent concentrations. We then examined cell viability using the MTT assay. Results showed that a candidate plant, particularly the rhizomes of Anemone altaica Fisch. ex C. A. Mey aqueous extract (AAE), suppressed the viability of HOS and U2OS cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that AAE significantly increased the amount of cell shrinkage (Sub-G1 fragments) in HOS and U2OS cells. Moreover, AAE increased cytosolic cytochrome c and Bax, but decreased Bcl-2. The amount of cleaved caspase-3 and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) were significantly increased. AAE suppressed the growth of HOS and U2OS through the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Data suggest that AAE is cytotoxic to HOS and U2OS cells and has no significant influence on human osteoblast hFOB cells. The high mRNA levels of apoptosis-related factors (PPP1R15A, SQSTM1, HSPA1B, and DDIT4) and cellular proliferation markers (SKA2 and BUB1B) were significantly altered by the AAE treatment of HOS and U2OS cells. Results show that the anticancer activity of AAE could up-regulate the expression of a cluster of genes, especially those in the apoptosis-related factor family and caspase family. Thus, AAE has great potential as a useful therapeutic drug for human OS.

5F induces apoptosis of laryngeal cancer cells by inhibiting NF-κB activation/induction, suppressing pro-proliferative and anti-apoptotic molecules, and promoting pro-apoptotic Bax.