Prophylactic infusion of norepinephrine does not affect the rostral spread of spinal anesthesia in pregnancy: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study.

The infusion of phenylephrine to prevent spinal-induced hypotension (SIH) in cesarean delivery may decrease the rostral spread of a spinal local anesthetic. We hypothesized that infusion of norepinephrine may decrease the rostral spread of spinal anesthesia, similar to that caused by phenylephrine. The aim of this study was to compare the block height of spinal anesthesia in the presence or absence of norepinephrine infusion administered to prevent SIH during cesarean delivery.

Airborne bacterial contaminations in typical Chinese wet market with live poultry trade.

Unlabelled: Chinese wet markets with live poultry trade have been considered as major sources of pathogen dissemination, and sites for horizontal transfer of bacterial and viral pathogens. In this study, the pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) in air samples collected at a typical Chinese wet market had been analysis and quantified. Corynebacterium minutissimum and other pathogenic bacteria accounted for 0.

Mechanical Properties of Orthodontic Thermoplastics PETG/ PC2858 after Blending.

Objective: To characterise and compare the tensile characteristics after multi-proportional blending, to determine the proper blending ratio for new thermoplastic material and to compare its mechanical performance with commercial thermoplastics.

Methods: PETG and PC2858 aggregates were blended in five different ratios. Standard specimens of each ratio were molded and tested to determine their mechanical performance.

Note: Axially pull-up electrochemical etching method for fabricating tungsten nanoprobes with controllable aspect ratio.

A mathematical model representing the relation between pulling up speed, time and aspect ratio is reported, accordingly the axially pull-up electrochemical etching method for fabricating nanoprobes is proposed. The tungsten probes with predetermined shape and aspect ratio according to the model were successfully produced with this method. Then the probes were installed inside a micromanipulation system to manipulate the carbon nanotubes and measure their current-voltage (I-V) characteristics.

[A comparative study of mechanical properties of commercialized dental thermoplastic materials].

Objective: To compare the mechanical properties of different dental optimal material selection for orthodontic appliance.

Methods: Four commercialized thermoplastic products under different test conditions, and provide the suggestion of thermoplastic products were tested. The tear strength, elongation at break and stress relaxation of these materials were measured under different test conditions.

C/EBPα down-regulation is associated with reduced hepatic cellular viability during hypoxia in vitro and in vivo.

C/EBPα transcription factor is a key regulator in liver biology and was preliminarily shown to be down-regulated in hypoxic primary rat hepatocytes. The aim of this study was to explore the possible association between C/EBPα expression level and hepatocyte viability in both the in-vitro cultured hypoxic rat primary hepatocytes and two models of acute liver hypoxia induced by carbon tetrachloride or Fas antibody. C/EBPα mRNA was significantly down-regulated under hypoxic conditions both in vitro and in vivo, which was paralleled by a similar decrease in hepatocyte viability and partially reversed by 3D matrix and dexamethasone.

Biliary intervention aggravates cholestatic liver injury, and induces hepatic inflammation, proliferation and fibrogenesis in BDL mice.

Obstructive cholestasis occurs in various clinical situations, whose pathological process is complex and not well known. The present study was initiated to display the complex and multifaceted pathological process caused by obstructive cholestasis in bile duct-ligated mice. Adult mice were bile-duct-ligated or sham-operated, and serum and liver tissues were collected at the indicated time points.

Enhanced glucose synthesis in three-dimensional hepatocyte collagen matrix.

Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture model offers a unique opportunity to study hepatocytes that require extracellular matrix to keep the cells at the differentiated state. In this report, we cultured isolated mouse hepatocytes in a 3D collagen matrix system and developed a protocol to measure glucose production at 3h, 6h, 18h and 24h after culture. The results demonstrated that hepatocytes cultured under 3D collagen matrix condition consistently produced glucose at 240-290 mg/10(6) cells for up to 24h.