Introduction: Methadone hydrochloride (MDN) is an effective pharmacological substitution treatment for opioids dependence, adopted in different countries as methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programmes. However, MDN can exacerbate the addiction problem if it is abused and injected intravenously, and the frequent visits to the MMT centres can reduce patient compliance. The overall aim of this study is to develop a novel extended-release capsule of MDN using the sol-gel silica (SGS) technique that has the potential to counteract medication-tampering techniques and associated health risks and reduce the frequent visits to MMT centres. Methods: For MDN recrystallisation, a closed container method (CCM) and hot-stage method (HSM) were conducted, and MDN crystals were characterised using the polarised light microscope (PLM). MDN crystal thickness was determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy (CM) to establish a relationship between MDN crystals thickness and their birefringence colours using the Michel-Levy Birefringence Colour Chart. The experimental series was continued to produce novel silica-based MDN formulations A and B capsules by adding MDN powder at the end and beginning of the SGS process, respectively. The silica-based MDN formulations were characterised by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), SEM, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), PLM and mean grey value (MGV) analyses. The in vitro release studies (n=3) for the silica-based MDN formulations and pure MDN capsules were conducted in a phosphate buffer solution (pH= 7.2) for 7 days. Stability studies were conducted for 1 month by keeping the silica-based MDN capsules under 25°C and 57% RH. Results: The optimal method to produce large numbers of MDN crystals was the CCM, and MDN crystals were characterised as diamond shaped with an intrinsic angle of 62o. The SEM surpassed the CM in measuring MDN crystal thickness, and Mann-Whitney U Test showed statistically significant differences between SEM and confocal thickness measurements (U= 1283, p < 0.05) as the SEM exhibited thinner diamond crystals (6.62 ± 2.9 µm) than the CM measurements (9.6 ± 4.6µm). According to the Michel-Levey birefringence colour chart (using the SEM mean thickness of MDN crystals and their retardation value of 428 nm), most of MDN crystals demonstrated a yellow colour. The FT-IR, SEM, DSC, MGV and PLM analyses of both silica-based MDN formulations revealed that MDN was successfully incorporated inside the silica network producing amorphous material (with no appearance of the melting peak of pure MDN at 233.4°C) with evidence of no physical or chemical interaction between sol-gel silica and MDN. However, the TGA analysis revealed a significantly greater amount of MDN was loaded inside the silica-based MDN formulation B compared to A (t = 2.80, p = 0.009, n=6), as 28.3 ± 0.6 mg of MDN was loaded in the former while 25.6 ± 0.7 mg in the latter. In addition, the silica-based MDN formulation B released 10% more MDN after 7 days than formulation A, and both formulations were stable when stored for 1 month under 57% RH and 25°C. Conclusion: The novel combined use of SEM and PLM techniques shows a potential for the identification of MDN in forensic science as it established a range of birefringence colours of MDN crystals. Moreover, the new silica-based MDN formulation B can help to deter MDN abuse and increase patient adherence to MMT due to its potential to sustain MDN release and reduce the frequent visits to MDN treatment centres.
Abstract:- Cyberspace is a new arena for conflict between international powers, especially since the cost of cyber-conflict is less than its traditional warfare counterparts regardless of the nature of the weapons used, whether traditional or non-traditional. Cyber conflict is necessarily based on strategies to deter, attack, and defend. The aim of the cybercrime conflict is to ensure the defensive sufficiency of the state, ensuring its national security and safeguarding its supreme interests. Despite Japan-China relations characterized by convergence and cooperation in post-Cold War economic spheres, Japan continues to retain the growing Chinese influence in East Asia. These variables prompted Japan to announce a hedging strategy due to un
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BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is considered a highly infectious and life threatening disease. OBJECTIVE: The present paper aims to evaluate various aspects of preventive measures and clinical management of the scheduled visits for orthodontic patients to the dental clinics during the outbreak of COVID-19, and to assess how orthodontists dealt with this challenge. METHODS: Orthodontists in private and public clinics were invited to fill a questionnaire that addressed infection control protocols and concerns about clinical management of patients in the clinics during the pandemic. Frequncies and percentages of the responses were obtained and compared using Chi-square tests. RESULTS: About 77% of those working in private clinics, a
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Strategic Cost Management Tools Under Technological Development and Change in Customer Tastes Critical Studies
Purpose: This study's objective is to assess this relationship in the context of the banking industry in Iraq. The human resources management practices (HRMPs) Theoretical framework: in this study included recruiting and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation and reward to testing relationship HRMPs. Design/methodology/approach: in this study; We analysed by used a quantitative approach, and 246 employees were selected as a sample and given a questionnaire. The SPSS software was used to examine the data that were obtained from the questionnaire. Findings: The study's findings revealed a variety of hypotheses and conclusions, including the following: comp
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Background: Background: Diabetes mellitus is a life-threatening disease. Global prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing rapidly providing a worrying indication and major threat to global health unless interventions are created through community awareness and knowledge regarding different aspect of DM.
Aims: To assess the level of awareness regarding diabetes risk factors, prevention and management among community members in Baqubah city and to identify any association between awareness level and some variables.
Methods: Across sectional study was carried out from the 1st of January - 30th of November 2019 in all primary health care centers (six centers) in center of Baqubah city. A convenien
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Purpose: This study's objective is to assess this relationship in the context of the banking industry in Iraq. The human resources management practices (HRMPs) Theoretical framework: in this study included recruiting and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation and reward to testing relationship HRMPs. Design/methodology/approach: in this study; We analysed by used a quantitative approach, and 246 employees were selected as a sample and given a questionnaire. The SPSS software was used to examine the data that were obtained from the questionnaire. Findings: The study's findings revealed a variety of hypotheses and conclusions, including the following: competitive advantage (CA) is positively impacted by
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Background: With the increasing demands for adult orthodontics, a growing need arises to bond attachments to porcelain surfaces. Optimal adhesion to porcelain surface should allow orthodontic treatment without bond failure but not jeopardize porcelain integrity after debonding.The present study was carried out to compare the shear bond strength of metal bracket bonded to porcelain surface prepared by two mechanical treatments and by using different etching systems (Hydrofluoric acid 9% and acidulated phosphate fluoride 1.23%). Materials and Methods: The samples were comprised of 60 models (28mm *15mm*28mm) of metal fused to porcelain (feldspathic porcelain). They were divided as the following: group I (control): the porcelain surface left u
... Show MoreComputations of the relative permeability curves were made through their representation by two functions for wetting and nonwetting phases. Each function contains one parameter that controls the shape of the relative permeability curves. The values of these parameters are chosen to minimize an objective function, that is represented as a weighted sum of the squared differences between experimentally measured data and the corresponding data calculated by a mathematical model simulating the experiment. These data comprise the pressure drop across core samples and the recovery response of the displacing phase. Two mathematical models are constructed in this study to simulate incompressible, one-dimensional, two-phase flow. The first model d
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