 efficacy and toxicity induced by steroid. Arthritic animals showed significant increase in tumour necrosis factor-α and IL-1β levels in paw tissue and IL-1β in serum. Combined therapy of curcumin with low doses of prednisolone showed pronounced beneficial effect on joint swelling, leucocyte count and biochemical parameters compared with prednisolone groups. Among the different doses used in the study, prednisolone at 1.25 mg/kg in combination with curcumin showed beneficial anti-arthritic activity and also reduced the steroid toxicity. This is evidenced by increase in body weight, low toxicity to immune organs, reduction in leucocyte count, increase in spleen anti-oxidant enzymes and potent inhibition of cytokines in combination group. Therefore, combined treatment of curcumin with low doses of prednisolone may find therapeutic use in arthritis.

Evaluating child protective services training: the participant action plan approach.
As part of protective services training, participants developed action plans-lists of practice behaviors or organizational changes they planned to carry out as a result of the training. A three-month follow-up indicated that a number of action items were successfully implemented, particularly in the areas of risk assessment and therapeutic interventions.

Nitric oxide synthase inhibitor reduces noise-induced cochlear damage in guinea pigs.
The results obtained in this study indicate that NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) protects cochlear damage from acoustic trauma through reducing the production of nitric oxide (NO). This study aimed to explore whether NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME could reduce cochlear damage in acoustic trauma. Seventy guinea pigs (300-350g) were divided randomly into four groups (n=20 in groups I, III, and IV; n=10 in group II). Two days consecutively and 30min before noise exposure (4kHz octave band, 115dB SPL 5h), subjects received an injection of 5ml saline/kg (groups I and III) or 10mg/kg L-NAME (groups II and IV). Sham-exposed guinea pigs were listed