Manufacturers of food fresh containers use nanosilver as an antimicrobial agent, but the safe impacts of nanosilver release from commercial products are unknown. The nanoparticles that migrate from the consumer products should be determined to assess the safety and/or risks of nanotechnology. This paper describes experimental work carried out on one kind of commercial food fresh container (polyethylene plastic bags). In the experiments, the range of temperatures was from room temperature (about 25°C) to 50°C, the range of time intervals was from 3 to 15 days, and the bags were filled with four kinds of food-simulating solutions representing water, acid, alcohol and fatty foods, respectively. Microwave digestion method was used for sample pre-treatment. The scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDX) analysis was used to confirm the presence and morphology of nanosilver additives, and the atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) analysis was applied, showing that the commercial bags contained 100 μg (Ag)/g (plastic materials). Strong evidences from SEM/EDX and AAS analyses were found, indicating the migration of nanosilver from the polyethylene bags into food-simulating solutions. The amount of nanosilver migration was observed as increasing with storage time and temperature.

For the treatment of diseases affecting bones using bone regenerative medicine, there is an urgent need to develop safe, inexpensive drugs that can strongly induce bone formation. In the present study, we systematically investigated the effects of icaritin, a metabolic product of icariin, on the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow‑derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) and human adipose tissue‑derived stem cells (hADSCs) in vitro. After treatment with icaritin at concentrations of 10‑8-10‑5 M, hBMSCs and hADSCs were examined for alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin (OC) secretion, matrix mineralization and expression levels of bone‑related mRNA and proteins. Data showed that icaritin at concentrations 10‑7-10‑5 M significantly increased alkaline phosphatase activity, OC secretion at different time points, and calcium deposition at day 21. In addition, icaritin upregulated the mRNA expression of genes for bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP‑2, ‑4 and ‑7), bone transcription factors (Runx2 and Dlx5) and bone matrix proteins (ALP, OC and Col‑1). Moreover, icaritin increased the protein levels of BMPs, Runx2 and OC, as detected by western blot analysis. These findings suggest that icaritin enhances the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCS and hADSCs. Icaritin exerts its potent osteogenic effect possibly by directly stimulating the production of BMPs. Although the osteogenic activity of icaritin in vitro was inferior to that of rhBMP‑2, icaritin displayed better results than icariin. Moreover, the low cost, simple extraction procedure, and an abundance of icaritin make it appealing as a bone regenerative medicine.

Objective. To analyse the X-ray and computed tomography (CT) findings of 128 patients with sports-related knee fractures and to improve the diagnosis rate based on the existing methods of diagnosis of sports knee fractures on X-ray and CT images. Method. In this study, we retrospectively analyse the medical records of 128 cases of sports-related fractures in the hospital, analyse the results of X-ray examination and CT imaging of patients with sports knee fractures, and compare the results obtained by the two examination methods, while referring to MRI images performed. Results. CT examination of knee fractures, tibial plateau fractures, and knee joint free body results were compared with X-ray results ( P < 0.05 ), while CT examination of patella fractures and X-ray results were compared. The difference was not statistically significant ( P > 0.05 ). Conclusion. For imaging examination of knee fractures, a single ordinary X-ray or CT scan should be selected according to the specific situation of the patient. For patients with suspected unstable fractures, when the patient’s informed consent and the condition are not allowed, ordinary X-ray film combined with CT examination is used to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and avoid the existence of hidden fractures, resulting in medical accidents.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of alisertib (ALS) on RAS signaling pathways against a panel of colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and engineered Flp-In stable cell lines expressing different Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) mutants. The viability of Caco-2 KRAS wild-type , Colo-678 KRAS G12D , SK-CO-1 KRAS G12V , HCT116 KRAS G13D , CCCL-18 KRAS A146T and HT29 BRAF V600E cells was examined by Cell Titer-Glo assay, and that of stable cell lines was monitored by IncuCyte. The expression levels of phosphorylated (p-)Akt and p-Erk as RAS signal outputs were measured by western blotting. The results suggested that ALS exhibited different inhibitory effects on cell viability and different regulatory effects on guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-bound RAS in CRC cell lines. ALS also exhibited various regulatory effects on the PI3K/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, the two dominant RAS signaling pathways, and induced apoptosis and autophagy in a RAS allele-specific manner. Combined treatment with ALS and selumetinib enhanced the regulatory effects of ALS on apoptosis and autophagy in CRC cell lines in a RAS allele-specific manner. Notably, combined treatment exhibited a synergistic inhibitory effect on cell proliferation in Flp-In stable cell lines. The results of the present study suggested that ALS differentially regulates RAS signaling pathways. The combined approach of ALS and a MEK inhibitor may represent a new therapeutic strategy for precision therapy for CRC in a KRAS allele-specific manner; however, this effect requires further study in vivo.