Evaluating Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Etodolac Co-Crystals: Nitric Oxide, IL-6 And TNF-a As Potential Markers

The present investigation deals with solubility enhancement of Etodolac (ETD) through co-crystals technique utilizing various co-formers and to evaluate their therapeutic efficacy against carrageenan-induced inflammation. Co-formers citric acid anhydrous and tartaric acid were selected to formulate ETD co-crystals to improve solubility and dissolution employing neat grinding technique. The prepared co-crystals were characterized for solubility enhancement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), in vitro dissolution and stability studies. The co-crystals were further investigated for in vivo studies to assess their potential to cure paw edema in mice. The outcome of the study illustrated significantly improved solubility and dissolution of ETD up to 6.15 folds using citric acid. Approximately a two-fold reduction in nitric oxide and cytokines levels was observed with optimized formulation. Also, substantial inhibition of inflammation was observed in paw edema induced animals. In sight of the above results the co-crystal approach could be an alternative for enhanced therapeutic potential.

Atraumatic Insertion of a Cochlear Implant Pre-Curved Electrode Array by a Robot-Automated Alignment with the Coiling Direction of the Scala Tympani

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Electrode array translocation is an unpredictable event with all types of arrays, even using a teleoperated robot in a clinical scenario. We aimed to compare the intracochlear trauma produced by the HiFocus™ Mid-Scala (MS) electrode array (Advanced Bionics, Valencia, CA, USA) using a teleoperated robot, with an automated robot connected to a navigation system to align the pre-curved tip of the electrode array with the coiling direction of the scala tympani (ST). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Fifteen freshly frozen temporal bones were implanted with the MS array using the RobOtol® (Collin, Bagneux, France). In the first group (<i>n</i> = 10), the robot was teleoperated to insert the electrode array into the basal turn of the ST under stereomicroscopic vision, and then the array was driven by a slow-speed hydraulic insertion technique with an estimated placement of the pre-curved electrode tip. In the second group (<i>n</i> = 5), 3 points were obtained from the preoperative cone-beam computed tomography: the 2 first defining the ST insertion axis of the basal turn and a third one at the center of the ST at 270°. They provided the information to the automated system (RobOtol® connected with a navigation system) to automatically align the electrode array with the ST insertion axis and to aim the pre-curved tip toward the subsequent coiling of the ST. After this, the electrode array was manually advanced. Finally, the cochleae were obtained and fixed in a crystal resin, and the position of each electrode was determined by a micro-grinding technique. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In all cases, the electrode array was fully inserted into the cochlea and the depth of insertion was similar using both techniques. With the teleoperated robotic technique, translocations of the array were observed in 7/10 insertions (70%), but neither trauma nor array translocation occurred with automated robotic insertion. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> We have successfully tested an automated insertion system (robot + navigation) that could accurately align a pre-curved electrode array to the axis of the basal turn of the ST and its subsequent coiling, which reduced intracochlear insertion trauma and translocation.

Microbial Study on NiO – CuO Nano Particles by Grinding Technique

One of the biggest concerns around the world seems to be the fight against bacteria and fungi. This major challenge can be overcome with the addition of a combination of metal and metal oxides. Metal oxide nanoparticles have emerged as effective antimicrobial and anti-fungal agents. In this work, A Grinding technique has been used to synthesize NiO – CuO nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis which confirmed the formation of all the phases, Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Visible Absorption Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis were showed the vibrational structure, optical and uniformity of particle size of the nanoparticles. Bacterial and fungal growth study was confirmed by the disc diffusion method. The prepared nanoparticles showed detrimental effects against Streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus (bacterial strains), and Aspergillus Niger (fungal strains). A concentration-dependent growth inhibition effect of nanoparticles on both bacteria and fungi was observed. The prepared composites were better active in both bacteria and fungies.

Preparation, characterization of spherical 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7), and study of its thermal decomposition characteristics

Spherical FOX-7 was produced via a combination of cooling crystallization method and repeated grinding technique, and the crystal morphology, size, structure, and thermal behavior were systematically investigated in detail.

Restoration of frontal teeth of the upper jaw with a new domestic submicron photocomposite: a clinical case presentation

Summary. Today, the population of Ukraine has a high need for dental treatment, in particular in the surgical treatment of carious lesions of the teeth by restoration of integrity of the tooth crown. Over the last 10–15 years we can note a tendency to increase the average patient's requirements for greater aesthetics of fillings and restorations of the frontal and masticatory groups of teeth. During performing modern dental work it has become almost mandatory to make the fillings and restorations as close as possible to the natural transparency of the tooth, to imitate its natural appearance by reproducing a whole palette of shades, cutting edge and microrelief. The appearance of photocomposite materials with a particle size of less than 1 μm, improvement of their grinding technique – obtaining spherical particles, improving the composition of the organic matrix of the material – allowed to develop additional optical characteristics of photocomposites – the «chameleon» effect. This is an optical mimicry of color and transparency of the material when placing it in the structure of the vital or devital tooth. An example of restoration of the frontal group of teeth in a patient with non-carious lesions of hard tissues is described. Teeth treatment was performed by the method of singlelayer restoration with photocomposite material of Ukrainian production «Jen-Radiance NEW». Key words: dentistry, tooth, treatment, restoration, photocomposite, color.

Green facile synthesis to develop nanoscale coordination polymers as lysosome-targetable luminescent bioprobes

A facile green hand grinding technique has been adopted towards the design of three nanoscale crystalline materials that serves as an excellent selective bio tracker for intracellular lysosome.