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.
The demarcation in general and maritime borders in particular is an important process between any two states to define their respective regional Borders and their economic resources. This research is focused on the way in which demarcation took place between Iraq's maritime borders on the one hand and the Kuwaiti side on the other. Through satellite technology (Landsat8) and GIS can be identified the area and how the demarcation was done. The most important in addition, positive points of the demarcation have been explained. It was given a full description of the importance of the economic zone and Highlighting Iraq's most important marine facilities. More than one map of Iraq can be integrated and redesigned by GIS. This work has been t
... Show MoreIn the current study, a direct method was used to create a new series of charge-transfer complexes of chemicals. In a good yield, new charge-transfer complexes were produced when different quinones reacted with acetonitrile as solvent in a 1:1 mole ratio with N-phenyl-3,4-selenadiazo benzophenone imine. By using analysis techniques like UV, IR, and 1H, 13C-NMR, every substance was recognized. The analysis's results matched the chemical structures proposed for the synthesized substances. Functional theory of density (DFT)
has been used to analyze the molecular structure of the produced Charge-Transfer Complexes, and the energy gap, HOMO surfaces, and LUMO surfaces have all been created throughout the geometry optimization process ut
In this article, a numerical study of compressible and weak compressible Newtonian flows is achieved for a time marching, Galerkin algorithm. A comparison between two numerical techniques for such flows, namely the artificial compressibility method (AC–method) and the fully artificial compressibility method (FAC–method) is performed. In the first artificial compressibility parameter ( is added to the continuity equation, while this parameter is added to both continuity and momentum equations in the second technique. This strategy is implemented to treat the governing equations of Newtonian flow in cylindrical coordinates (axisymmetric). Particularly, this study concerns with the effect of the artificial compressibility p
... Show MoreA program using Mont Carlo techniques has been written to calculate the effective solid angle of the detection system and simulate the response of the HPGe to mono-energetic protons from an extend source. It has been found that the fraction of the protons which leave through the cylindrical surface and deposit only part of their kinetic energy in the crystal increases with proton energy and the consequent increase in their range.
Suppose that is a finite group and is a non-empty subset of such that and . Suppose that is the Cayley graph whose vertices are all elements of and two vertices and are adjacent if and only if . In this paper, we introduce the generalized Cayley graph denoted by that is a graph with vertex set consists of all column matrices which all components are in and two vertices and are adjacent if and only if , where is a column matrix that each entry is the inverse of similar entry of and is matrix with all entries in , is the transpose of and . In this paper, we clarify some basic properties of the new graph and assign the structure of when is complete graph , complete bipartite graph and complete
... Show MoreUrban land price is the primary indicator of land development in urban areas. Land prices in holly cities have rapidly increased due to tourism and religious activities. Public agencies are usually facing challenges in managing land prices in religious areas. Therefore, they require developed models or tools to understand land prices within religious cities. Predicting land prices can efficiently retain future management and develop urban lands within religious cities. This study proposed a new methodology to predict urban land prices within holy cities. The methodology is based on two models, Linear Regression (LR) and Support Vector Regression (SVR), and nine variables (land price, land area,
... Show MoreThis paper tries to understand the poetic reference in the images of woman, she-camel, horse and their manifestations in Tarafah-ibnulAbd's poetry. There has got my attention the fact that these three images have their own distinct taste which is characterised by a clear rhythm, let alone the lively nature that is filled with liveliness and activity to be in harmony with the poet's youth. For these three images represented the best manifestations of his psychological and artistic poetics. The paper adopts an artistic analysis to arrive at the psychological aspects of these experiences-the woman, the she-camel, and the horse- and to understand the functions of their images and symbolic reference.
Background: The bond strength of root canal sealers to dentin and gutta-percha seems to be an important property for maintaining the stability of root canal filling, which potentially influences both leakage and root strength. The objective of this, in vitro, study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of three different endodontic sealers (Gutta-Flow, AH Plus, Apexit Plus) to dentin, in the presence and absence of the smear layer and gutta percha. Material and Methods: After slicing off the occlusal 2mm of 60 extracted human maxillary premolar teeth, the exposed dentin served as the tested surfaces; the teeth were fixed with cold cure acrylic, and were divided into two groups according to the smear layer presence, group A without smear
... Show MoreThe di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was extracted using different solvents from plastic blood bag. The extracted product was identified using FT-IR, NMR (1H and 13C), DEPT, COSY, HMBC and HSQC_TOCSY spectrometry. The extracted plasticizer was tested in complex formation with Fe2+ and Cr3+ using UV-visible spectrophotometric method. The migration of the plasticizer from the blood bags to the blood was studied and determined during different storage times depending upon the formation of complexes with Fe2+ and Cr3+, and the change in the concentration of Fe2+ and Cr3+.