Validation of Nonlinear Dependence of Rolling Friction Moment on the Normal Force for Elastic Materials.

Analogous to the Amonton-Coulomb relation, which states the linear dependency between the dynamic sliding friction and the normal reaction, the rolling friction moment is commonly accepted as proportional to the normal reaction in a concentrated point contact. This hypothesis persists since it gives simple dynamic models and also due to difficulties met in experimental estimations of the rolling friction torques. Recent theoretical studies proved that this dependency is nonlinear even for elastic materials. A special rotor is designed, with an adjustable position for the center of mass but with constant mass and constant axial inertia moment. The pure rolling motion of the rotor on an inclined controlled small slope is studied. The angular acceleration of motion is theoretically deduced, assuming that the rolling friction torque is proportional to the normal force raised at a certain power. The deduced theoretical dynamic model evidences the influence of the eccentricity of the rotor upon the acceleration. For the particular case of linear dependency-the exponent of the power equal to one, the law of motion is independent of the configuration of the rotor. Experimental tests were made using the rotor constructed according to the theoretical model. For two positions of the center of mass, the experimental law of motion on the inclined plane is established by a non-contact method and the two different laws obtained to validate the nonlinear dependence rolling friction torque-normal force. The paper validates in an experimental manner the considered nonlinear assumption. The experimental tests concerning the microtopography of the contacting surfaces reveal that the hypothesis required by Hertzian theory, namely smooth contacting surfaces, is not satisfied. Thus, the distribution of pressure on the contact area does not obey the Hertzian semi-ellipsoidal distribution and further experimental tests are required for quantitative findings on the rolling friction torque-normal force relationship.

Effect of asymmetric cooling of sessile droplets on orientation of the freezing tip.

HYPOTHESIS: The shape of the "freezing tip" formed by the crystallization of water droplets demonstrated remarkable universality - no dependence on the cooling rate and physico-chemical properties of the substrate has been observed. At the same time, the spatial orientation of the freezing cone may be varied. We hypothesized that the orientation of the freezing tip is determined by the direction of heat flux at the base of the sessile droplet. This direction is expected to be changed when the substrate with a low thermal diffusivity is not cooled uniformly. EXPERIMENTS: We studied the freezing of water droplets placed on the inclined surface of wedges made from a variety of materials (polymers: Polymethylmethacrylate, Polytetrafluoroethylene, Polyurethane and metal: Titanium), which were cooled from below. The shape of the frozen droplets was controlled in situ. COMPUTATIONS: The computational model was suggested for the transient temperature field in the polymer wedge to determine a time variation of the local heat flux under the droplets. A comparison of numerical results and the measurements enabled us to confirm the aforementioned hypothesis relating the orientation of the freezing tips to the direction of the heat flux. FINDINGS: It was established that the orientation of the freezing cone axis depends on the location of the frozen droplet on the inclined surface of the wedge. Calculations of the transient temperature field of the wedge confirmed our hypothesis about the physical reason of the various spatial orientations of the freezing cones.

Improvement of simplified inclined plane test for evaluation of thickened liquids by using optical sensor.

The thickening management index for food for dysphagia is important in enabling recognition of the rheological properties of thickened liquids, including their static and dynamic properties. One of the static properties of these liquids is the yield stress. An improvement to the simplified inclined plane test is proposed here that involves use of an automatic system for measurement of the displacements of thickened liquids on an inclined plate. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the displacements of the thickened liquids and the variable thickener concentrations using an optical sensor. To measure the displacement of each thickened liquid on a clear inclined plate, an optical sensor that has a 12-mm-long light receiving surface is selected to form a one-dimensional position-sensitive detector (1D-PSD) under the clear inclined plate. The relationship between the angle of inclination of the plate θ at which the maximum voltage occurred in the 1D-PSD and five thickener (xanthan gum) concentrations c, ranging from 1.0 to 3.0 wt% in steps of 0.5 wt%, was investigated. It was confirmed that an approximately linear plot was obtained under the condition that θ = 8.24 c + 0.18, with the correlation R = .99 (for n = 7). This result indicated that the optical sensor composed of the 1D-PSD can measure the displacements of thickened liquids with various thickener concentrations on the clear inclined plate automatically.

A proposed method of evaluating the yield stress of a thickened liquid using a simplified inclined plane test.

Managing the thickening index of food is important for dysphagia and helps in recognizing the static and dynamic rheological properties of the thickening agent. One dynamic property is the viscosity under a shear rate of 50 s-1 , and one static property is the yield stress at a shear rate of 0 s-1 . The purpose of this study is to design a simplified inclined plane test to identify the yield stress of a thickened liquid by observing flow behavior on an inclined plate. The yield angle (stress) is defined as the inclination angle of the plate just before the thickened liquid flows. The concentrations (yield stresses, yield angles) of a thickening agent containing xanthan gum are 1.0 (1.2, 3°), 1.5 (5.6, 13°), 2.0 (7.5, 26°), 2.5 (12.5, 26°), and 3.0 (19.1, 42°) wt% (Pa, degrees). We measured the time course of the displacement of the downstream edge (DDE) of the thickened liquid on the inclined plate. The discrete inclination angles were in the range of 0° to 42°. The DDE after 10 s was more than 4.5 mm for all concentrations of the thickening agent at an inclination greater than the yield angle of the plate. We confirmed that the yield angle identifies the yield stress for the thickened liquid via the DDE using the simplified inclined plane test with discrete inclination angles.

Evaluation of the neuroprotective effects of ozone in an experimental spine injury model.

OBJECTIVE: The pathophysiology of spine injury consists of primary and secondary damage mechanisms. The vast majority of treatments aim to prevent or at least stop the progression of secondary neurotoxic events during the acute period. Ozone has been found to have potent antiinflammatory effects, to activate the immune system, and to have a substantial impact on the antioxidant system. In this study the authors aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of ozone and their possible roles in recovery from spine injury, assessed based on biochemical, histological, and neurological parameters using an experimental spine injury model in rats. METHODS: The study included 31 female Wistar albino rats. The rats were divided randomly into 5 groups, with 7 rats in each group except the sham group, which contained 3 rats, as follows: group 1 (sham), laminectomy; group 2 (control), laminectomy and spinal trauma with no medical treatment (0.5 ml isotonic saline applied 1 hour postsurgery); group 3, single medical treatment with 30 mg/kg methylprednisolone applied intraperitoneally 1 hour after laminectomy and trauma; group 4, single medical treatment with 60 µg/ml ozone at 0.7 mg/kg applied intraperitoneally 1 hour after laminectomy and trauma; and group 5, double medical treatment with 30 mg/kg methylprednisolone and 60 µg/ml ozone at 0.7 mg/kg applied intraperitoneally 1 hour after laminectomy and trauma. After neurosurgery, neurobehavioral tests were performed in all groups. After 7 days of follow-up, all the rats were killed. Biopsy specimens obtained from trauma sites were examined using H & E, cresyl violet, immunohistochemical (anticonnexin-43), and TUNEL staining processes. Levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were measured in blood samples. RESULTS: The level of neurobehavioral healing was the highest in the double-treatment group (group 5), and the difference between the groups was significant. The minimum IL-6 level was found in group 5, indicating that the antiinflammatory impact was the most significant in this group (p = 0.01). Additionally, ozone was found to reduce oxidant stress more effectively than methylprednisolone (p = 0.03). Although methylprednisolone was superior to ozone in terms of the antiinflammatory effect, this effect was greater in group 5. Nevertheless, the number of neurons in group 5 was close to that of the control group, and the number of apoptotic cells was the least in group 5 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In acute spinal injury, the combined application of methylprednisolone and ozone was found to have a greater antiinflammatory effect, hasten clinical recovery, and increase histological recovery compared with methylprednisolone therapy alone. This study showed that this combination therapy of methylprednisolone with the addition of ozone might have a more beneficial effect in the treatment of spinal injury than methylprednisolone therapy alone.

Development of a three-channel automatic climbing training system for rat rehabilitation after ischemic stroke

This paper reports the development of a three-channel automatic speed-matching climbing training system that could train three rats at the same time for rehabilitation after an ischemic stroke. An infrared (IR) remote sensor was installed at the end of each channel to monitor the real-time position of a climbing rat. This research was carried out in five stages: i) system design; ii) hardware circuit; iii) running speed control; iv) functional testing; and v) verification using an animal model of cerebral stroke. The rehabilitated group significantly outperformed the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) sedentary group in the rota-rod and inclined plate tests 21 days after a stroke. The rehabilitated group also had a cerebral infarction volume of 28.34±19.4%, far below 56.81±18.12% of the MCAo group 28 days after the stroke, validating the effectiveness of this training platform for stroke rehabilitation. The running speed of the climbing rehabilitation training platform was designed to adapt to the physical conditions of subjects, and overtraining injuries can be completely prevented accordingly.

Body orientation contributes to modelling the effects of gravity for target interception in humans.

KEY POINTS: It is known that interception of targets accelerated by gravity involves internal models coupled with visual signals. Non-visual signals related to head and body orientation relative to gravity may also contribute, although their role is poorly understood. In a novel experiment, we asked pitched observers to hit a virtual target approaching with an acceleration that was either coherent or incoherent with their pitch-tilt. Initially, the timing errors were large and independent of the coherence between target acceleration and observer's pitch. With practice, however, the timing errors became substantially smaller in the coherent conditions. The results show that information about head and body orientation can contribute to modelling the effects of gravity on a moving target. Orientation cues from vestibular and somatosensory signals might be integrated with visual signals in the vestibular cortex, where the internal model of gravity is assumed to be encoded. ABSTRACT: Interception of moving targets relies on visual signals and internal models. Less is known about the additional contribution of non-visual cues about head and body orientation relative to gravity. We took advantage of Galileo's law of motion along an incline to demonstrate the effects of vestibular and somatosensory cues about head and body orientation on interception timing. Participants were asked to hit a ball rolling in a gutter towards the eyes, resulting in image expansion. The scene was presented in a head-mounted display, without any visual information about gravity direction. In separate blocks of trials participants were pitched backwards by 20° or 60°, whereas ball acceleration was randomized across trials so as to be compatible with rolling down a slope of 20° or 60°. Initially, the timing errors were large, independently of the coherence between ball acceleration and pitch angle, consistent with responses based exclusively on visual information because visual stimuli were identical at both tilts. At the end of the experiment, however, the timing errors were systematically smaller in the coherent conditions than the incoherent ones. Moreover, the responses were significantly (P = 0.007) earlier when participants were pitched by 60° than when they were pitched by 20°. Therefore, practice with the task led to incorporation of information about head and body orientation relative to gravity for response timing. Instead, posture did not affect response timing in a control experiment in which participants hit a static target in synchrony with the last of a predictable series of stationary audiovisual stimuli.

Muscle relaxant activities of pistagremic acid isolated from Pistacia integerrima.

The aim of the current work was to explore the muscle relaxant effect of pistagremic acid (PA) isolated from Pistacia integerrima in various animal paradigms. In a rotarod test, PA caused a significant (p<0.05) muscle relaxant potential in a dose-dependent manner. When studied in the inclined plane test, pretreatment with PA (5 and 10 mg/kg) caused promising activity (p<0.05) after treatment for 30, 60 and 90 min. The muscle relaxant potential of PA was strongly complimented by the traction and chimney tests, showing a dominant effect after 60 min of treatment. In conclusion, PA possesses strong muscle relaxant activity in various animal-based models.

Early electrical field stimulation prevents the loss of spinal cord anterior horn motoneurons and muscle atrophy following spinal cord injury.

Our previous study revealed that early application of electrical field stimulation (EFS) with the anode at the lesion and the cathode distal to the lesion reduced injury potential, inhibited secondary injury and was neuroprotective in the dorsal corticospinal tract after spinal cord injury (SCI). The objective of this study was to further evaluate the effect of EFS on protection of anterior horn motoneurons and their target musculature after SCI and its mechanism. Rats were randomized into three equal groups. The EFS group received EFS for 30 minutes immediately after injury at T10. SCI group rats were only subjected to SCI and sham group rats were only subjected to laminectomy. Luxol fast blue staining demonstrated that spinal cord tissue in the injury center was better protected; cross-sectional area and perimeter of injured tissue were significantly smaller in the EFS group than in the SCI group. Immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy showed that the number of spinal cord anterior horn motoneurons was greater and the number of abnormal neurons reduced in the EFS group compared with the SCI group. Wet weight and cross-sectional area of vastus lateralis muscles were smaller in the SCI group to in the sham group. However, EFS improved muscle atrophy and behavioral examination showed that EFS significantly increased the angle in the inclined plane test and Tarlov's motor grading score. The above results confirm that early EFS can effectively impede spinal cord anterior horn motoneuron loss, promote motor function recovery and reduce muscle atrophy in rats after SCI.

Mydriatics release from solid and semi-solid ophthalmic formulations using different in vitro methods.

The aim of the present paper was the development of semi-solid (hydrogels) and solid (film) ophthalmic formulations for the controlled release of two mydriatics: phenylephrine and tropicamide. The formulations - based on polyvinylalcohol and hyaluronic acid - were characterized, and release studies were performed with three different in vitro set-ups, i.e. Franz-type diffusion cell, vial method and inclined plane; for comparison, a solution and a commercial insert, both clinically used to induce mydriasis, were evaluated. Both gels and film allowed for a controlled release of drugs, appearing a useful alternative for mydriatics administration. However, the release kinetic was significantly influenced by the method used, highlighting the need for optimization and standardization of in vitro models for the evaluation of drug release from ophthalmic dosage forms.

Modified Occlusal Settling Appliance in Twin Block Therapy.

Early treatment with the Twin-block appliance is effective in reducing overjet and severity of malocclusion in Class II division 1 malocclusions with functional mandibular retrusion. Appearance of bilateral severe posterior open bite in some cases subsequent to completion of active phase of Twin block therapy poses a challenge to an orthodontist. Closure of posterior open bites of large magnitude is difficult to achieve with conventional upper anterior inclined plane used during support phase of Twin-block therapy. A simple yet effective modification of upper anterior inclined plane is proposed, which is an effective and invaluable adjunctive aid in correction of posterior open bite.

Suppression Effect and Mechanism of Platinum and Nitrogen-Containing Silane on the Tracking and Erosion of Silicone Rubber for High-Voltage Insulation.

How to effectively improve the tracking and erosion resistance of silicone rubber (SR) was an urgent topic in the field of high-voltage insulation. In this work, the tracking and erosion resistance of SR was significantly improved by incorporating platinum (Pt) catalyst and nitrogen-containing silane (NS). The suppression effect and mechanism of Pt/NS on tracking and erosion were studied by inclined plane (IP) test, thermogravimetry (TG), thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, laser Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. It revealed that when 1.4 phr of NS and 6.7 ppm of Pt were added, the tracking resistance of SR was improved from 2.5 to 4.5 kV level in the IP test, and the eroded mass was significantly reduced. This might be attributed to the synergistic effect of Pt/NS on silicone chains. At a high temperature produced by arc discharge, Pt/NS would catalyze radical cross-linking, meanwhile suppressing oxidation and depolymerization of silicone chains. Hence, a tightly cross-linked network was formed and protected inner materials from arc ablation. Moreover, carbon deposit during pyrolysis was suppressed by Pt/NS, which served as the secondary mechanism of tracking suppression.

Bite turbo inferior no tratamento da mordida cruzada anterior / Bite turbo lower in the treatment of anterior crossbite ­ a case report

Dentro os vários existentes para o tratamento da mordida cruzada anterior, foi escolhido um método simples, rápido e que dispensa a colaboração do paciente em um primeiro momento. Neste caso, foi utilizado planos individuais em resina fotopolimerizável nos incisivos inferiores, com inclinação suficiente para facilitar o descruzamento (aproximadamente 30°). No terceiro mês, foi obtido um resultado satisfatório no descruzamento da mordida.

Within the various methods available for the treatment of anterior crossbite, a simple, fast method was chosen, which does not require patient cooperation at first. In this case, individual planes made of light curing resin in the lower incisors, with sufficient 30-degree slope to correct the crossbite. In the third month satisfactory results were observed.

Neuroprotective effects of thymoquinone against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury by attenuation of inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury of the spinal cord following thoracoabdominal aortic surgery remains the most devastating complication, with a life-changing impact on the patient. Thymoquinone (TQ), the main constituent of the volatile oil from Nigella sativa seeds, is reported to possess strong antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. This study investigated the effects of TQ administration following I/R injury to the spinal cord. METHODS Thirty-two rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups. Group 1 underwent only laparotomy. For Group 2, aortic clip occlusion was introduced to produce I/R injury. Group 3 was given 30 mg/kg of methylprednisolone intraperitoneally immediately after the I/R injury. Group 4 was given 10 mg/kg of TQ intraperitoneally for 7 days before induction of spinal cord I/R injury, and administration was continued until the animal was euthanized. Locomotor function (Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scale and inclined plane test) was assessed at 24 hours postischemia. Spinal cord tissue samples were harvested to analyze tissue concentrations of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-peroxidase, catalase, and caspase-3. In addition, histological and ultrastructural evaluations were performed. RESULTS Thymoquinone treatment improved neurological outcome, which was supported by decreased levels of oxidative products (malondialdehyde and nitric oxide) and proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1), increased activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione-peroxidase, and catalase), as well as reduction of motor neuron apoptosis. Light microscopy and electron microscopy results also showed preservation of tissue structure in the treatment group. CONCLUSIONS As shown by functional, biochemical, histological, and ultrastructural analysis, TQ exhibits an important protective effect against I/R injury of the spinal cord.

Neuroprotective effects of folic acid on experimental diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is widely considered as a degenerative complication of diabetic patients. The clinical effectiveness of folic acid (FA) on DPN is uncertain. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of FA in DPN using electromyography (EMG), histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry, inclined plane test, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels as a marker for lipid peroxidation in experimental diabetic rats. A total of 21 Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, diabetes group, and FA-treated group. In EMG, compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude in the sciatic nerve was lower in the diabetes group compared with the control group. CMAP amplitude in the sciatic nerve was higher in the FA-treated group when compared with the diabetes group. Distal latency and CMAP duration in the sciatic nerve were lower in the FA-treated group when compared with the diabetes group. In histopathological examination of the sciatic nerve, peripheral fibrosis was present in the diabetic group; the fibrosis was lower in the FA-treated group. In comparison with the diabetes group, the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) was higher in the FA-treated group. The scores for the inclined plane test were lower in the diabetes group and higher in the FA-treated group than the control group. The MDA levels were significantly lower in the FA-treated group when compared with the diabetes group.The study suggests that FA can protect diabetic rats against DPN and that the underlying mechanism for this may be related to improvement of the expression of NGF and lower MDA levels.

Effect of butorphanol and sufentanil with epidural injections on neurobehavior function in bone cancer pain model rats / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To observe the effect of different doses of butorphanol and sufentanil repeatedly epidural injected on the neurobehavior function in bone cancer model rats.Methods A PE-530 catheter was inserted into the epidural space of all male Sprague-Dawley rats(not mated,weighting 150-180 g) at L1-2 level.Three days after operation,64 rats without any motor dysfunction were randomly divided into eight groups (n=8):sham operated group (group C),normal saline with bone cancer pain group (group N),butorphanol groups(group B 1,B2,B3)and sufentanil groups (group S1,S2,S3).Bone cancer pain model was constructed in group N,B and S when rats in group C were sham operated.Rats in group C and N were epidurally injected NS 30μl each,and rats in group B1,B2 and B3 were respectively epidurally injected butorphanol 25,50,100 μg (all diluted to 30 μl with NS),when rats in group S1,S2 and S3 were respectively cpidurally injected sufentanil 1,2,4 μg (all diluted to 30 μl with NS) on time per day for 10-14 days after modeling.The neurobehavior paw withdrawal threshold (MWT) of the left hind claw was recorded to observe the changes in pain behavior.The neurobehavior function of rats were recorded by BBB (BASSO,BEATTIE and BRESNAHAN) score and the inclined plane test.Results Compared with group C((67.65±9.29) g),the MWT of the model groups obviously decreased before the first time of injection (N (15.23± 2.46) g,B 1 (16.14±2.28) g,B2(15.42±3.22) g,B3(14.35±2.32) g,S1 (15.37±2.11)g,S2(15.22±2.93) g,S3(16.25± 2.36) g) (all P＜0.05)).Compared with group N((16.13±2.37) g),the MWT of group B2,B3 and S3 increased obviously after the first time of injection ((35.12±5.16) g,(35.63± 1.53) g and (34.24±5.93) g) (P＜ 0.05).At the first day of injection,there was no significant difference in the BBB scores and the inclined plane test between the model groups (P＞0.05).At 6 h after the forth injection the inclined plane test and the BBB scores of group B3 were obviously decreased compared with group N ((34.72 ± 4.56) ° and (10.64 ± 1.82) points to (43.15±4.67)° and (14.05±1.78) points (P＜0.05)).Conclusion The results provide evidence that repeatedly epidural injection of butorphanol 50 μg or 100 μg or sufentanil 4 μg can reduce the pain of the rats with bone cancer pain.But repeated epidural injection of butorphanol 100 μg can injure the neurological function.

Prosthetic management of hemimandibulectomy patient with guiding plane and twin occlusion prosthesis.

Mandibular deviation is multifactorial defect and its severity is based on the extent of osseous and soft tissue involvement, degree of tongue impaired, the loss of sensory and motor innervations, the type of wound closure, the presence of remaining natural teeth and finally the first initiation of prosthetic treatment. We describe a case of prosthetic management of a maxillary partially edentulous patient with hemimandibulectomy who reported after 4 years of postsurgical cancer therapy. A simple maxillary guided hollow inclined plane with twin occlusion acrylic prosthesis was fabricated as a functional training device to correct mandibular deviation, restore maxillomandibular relation and occlusal approximation. The patient was able to functionally achieve good maxillomandibular occlusal approximation with guidance therapy combined with physiotherapy in 2 weeks. A 6 months follow-up revealed patient satisfactory appreciation by understanding the limitations of overall prosthetic rehabilitation.

A forced running wheel system with a microcontroller that provides high-intensity exercise training in an animal ischemic stroke model

We developed a forced non-electric-shock running wheel (FNESRW) system that provides rats with high-intensity exercise training using automatic exercise training patterns that are controlled by a microcontroller. The proposed system successfully makes a breakthrough in the traditional motorized running wheel to allow rats to perform high-intensity training and to enable comparisons with the treadmill at the same exercise intensity without any electric shock. A polyvinyl chloride runway with a rough rubber surface was coated on the periphery of the wheel so as to permit automatic acceleration training, and which allowed the rats to run consistently at high speeds (30 m/min for 1 h). An animal ischemic stroke model was used to validate the proposed system. FNESRW, treadmill, control, and sham groups were studied. The FNESRW and treadmill groups underwent 3 weeks of endurance running training. After 3 weeks, the experiments of middle cerebral artery occlusion, the modified neurological severity score (mNSS), an inclined plane test, and triphenyltetrazolium chloride were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed platform. The proposed platform showed that enhancement of motor function, mNSS, and infarct volumes was significantly stronger in the FNESRW group than the control group (P<0.05) and similar to the treadmill group. The experimental data demonstrated that the proposed platform can be applied to test the benefit of exercise-preconditioning-induced neuroprotection using the animal stroke model. Additional advantages of the FNESRW system include stand-alone capability, independence of subjective human adjustment, and ease of use.

Curcumin pretreatment attenuates brain lesion size and improves neurological function following traumatic brain injury in the rat.

Turmeric has been in use since ancient times as a condiment and due to its medicinal properties. Curcumin, the yellow coloring principle in turmeric, is a polyphenolic and a major active constituent. Besides anti-inflammatory, thrombolytic and anti-carcinogenic activities, curcumin also possesses strong antioxidant property. The neuroprotective effects of curcumin were evaluated in a weight drop model of cortical contusion trauma in rat. Male Wistar rats (350-400 g, n=9) were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (60 mg/kg i.p.) and subjected to head injury. Five days before injury, animals randomly received an i.p. bolus of either curcumin (50 and 100 mg/kg/day, n=9) or vehicle (n=9). Two weeks after the injury and drug treatment, animals were sacrificed and a series of brain sections, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) were evaluated for quantitative brain lesion volume. Two weeks after the injury, oxidative stress parameter (malondialdehyde) was also measured in the brain. Curcumin (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the size of brain injury-induced lesions (P<0.05). Neurological examinations (rotarod and inclined-plane tests) were performed on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 post-brain injury. Control injured rats had a significant neurological deficit during 2 weeks (P<0.001). The injury increased brain levels of the malondialdehyde by 35.6% and these increases were attenuated by curcumin (100 mg/kg). Curcumin treatment significantly improved the neurological status evaluated during 2 weeks after brain injury. The study demonstrates the protective efficacy of curcumin in rat traumatic brain injury model.

Using composite resin inclined plane for the repositioning of a laterally luxated primary incisor: a case report.

This case report describes the repositioning of a laterally luxated primary central incisor with occlusal interference, using a composite inclined plane. The patient was a 4-year-old girl who applied to our clinic three days after the injury. Because of the time delay between injury and presentation, it was not possible to reposition the tooth with pressure. Following a root-canal treatment, an inclined plane was prepared on the lower primary incisors, using composite resin. The tooth was repositioned in two weeks, and the inclined plane was then removed. After 1 year of follow-up, the treatment was found to be successful, both clinically and radiographically. The use of a composite inclined plane, accompanied by careful follow-up, is an effective alternative to extraction for laterally luxated primary incisors with occlusal interference.