Clobetasol propionate (CP) is a super potent corticosteroid widely used to treat various skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. However, its utility for topical application is hampered due to its common side effects, such as skin atrophy, steroidal acne, hypopigmentation, and allergic contact dermatitis. Microsponge is a unique three-dimensional microstructure particle with micro and nano-meters-wide cavities, which can encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs providing increased efficacy and safety. The aim of the current study is to prepare and optimize clobetasol-loaded microsponges. The emulsion solvent diffusion method is used for the preparation of ethylcellulose (EC)-based microsponges. The impact of various formulation variables on microsponge's properties includes; drug: polymer ratio, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) quantities, the volume of external phase, and stirring rates investigated. The microsponges were characterized in terms of particle size, product yield, CP entrapment %, and in-vitro drug release behavior. The results report that increasing EC concentration led to a significant increase in particle size, with a decrease in product yield and drug entrapment %. Increasing stirring speed or external aqueous volume or PVA w/v % caused a non-significant decrease in production yield and CP entrapment % but showed a significant decrease, and increase in particle size, respectively. Finally, it was concluded that the ability to use ethylcellous as a Msg polymer matrix to prepare uniform, highly porous particles was confirmed by microscope observation and compatibility with CP.
Background. To identify the most common retention protocols practiced by Iraqi orthodontists using a specially designed e-survey. Furthermore, this study aimed to assess the effect of sociodemographic factors on the participant’s choice. Methods. Two hundred and twenty-five questionnaires with 23 multiple choice questions were sent to members of the Iraqi Orthodontic Society. The questionnaire was organized into four sections representing information about sociodemographic status of the orthodontists, factors affecting the selection of the retention system, commonly used retainers in the upper arch and lower arch, and duration of the retention system. The chi-square test was used to test the significant association between differe
... Show MoreErosion and deposition are natural phenomena in many estuaries that can cause morphological changes, leading to navigation and offshore structure problems. Many previous studies have focused on investigating the morphological changes of estuaries depending on different parameters and their combined effects with erosion and deposition processes, such as maximum flow amplitude, waves, currents, tidal flow, storms, rising sea elevation, maximum turbidity, salinity, and bed roughness height as input parameters. These studies are based on field measurements and numerical simulations by using topographic surveys, soil samples, satellite images, geological data, and bathymetric maps with the aid of ArcGIS. Some of these studies examine the
... Show MoreBackground: Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that mostly involves the spine and sacroiliac joints. It is associated with a decreased quality of life. Biological medicines such as infliximab and its biosimilar are the mainstay treatments for active ankylosing spondylitis.
Objective: The study objective was to conduct a pharmacoeconomic study comparing the cost-effectiveness of the reference infliximab with its biosimilar in ankylosing spondylitis patients visiting public hospitals.
Subjects and Method: This is a two-center pharmacoeconomic study performed at two large teaching governmental hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq, which s
... Show MoreIncremental sheet metal forming process is an advanced flexible manufacturing process to produce various 3D products without using dedicated tool as in conventional metal forming. There are a lot of process parameters that have effect on this process, studying the effect of some parameters on the strain distributions of the product over the length of deformation is the aim of this study.
In order to achieve this goal, three factors (tool forming shape, feed rate and incremental step size) are examined depending on three levels on the strain distributions over the wall of the product. Strain measurement was accomplished by using image processing technique using MATALB program. The significance of the control factors are explored u
... Show MoreThis research includes problems that facing the philosophy of education in the variables of knowledge and Informatics society (techno _ social).
The problematic research included three questions:
1- What are the concepts and characterization related to the problematic of relationship between the philosophy of education and informatics variables (techno - social).
2-What kind of problems facing speech philosophy of education in the variables information (techno - social)
3 - What are the perceptions of educational proposed to address problematic philosophy of education in the scope of human (human nature) and (values and morals), in addition the research may explain the co
... Show MoreThis study was set out to investigate factors affecting labor productivity on construction in the north of Iraq (Kurdistan) and to rank all the factors based on engineers, contractors, and designer’s opinions. 76 factors were analyzed based on previous literature and a pilot study. Next, by using online Google Form, a questionnaire form was created and sent to people who have experience in the construction industry. Afterward, the questionnaire form was sent to targeted people by email and social media apps. Factors were divided into nine groups “Management, Technical and Technology, Human and Workforce, Leadership, Motivation, Safety, Time, Material and Equipment, and External”. However, 202 respondents participated in this study,
... Show MoreDocument clustering is the process of organizing a particular electronic corpus of documents into subgroups of similar text features. Formerly, a number of conventional algorithms had been applied to perform document clustering. There are current endeavors to enhance clustering performance by employing evolutionary algorithms. Thus, such endeavors became an emerging topic gaining more attention in recent years. The aim of this paper is to present an up-to-date and self-contained review fully devoted to document clustering via evolutionary algorithms. It firstly provides a comprehensive inspection to the document clustering model revealing its various components with its related concepts. Then it shows and analyzes the principle research wor
... Show MoreIn situ gel can be defined as a polymer solution administered as a liquid and when exposed to some physiologic condition such as thepH, ionic, temperature modulation or solvent and UV induced gelation undergo to phase transition to a semisolid gel. Ketotifenfumarate belongs to the histamine H1 receptor antagonists, and Ketotifen fumarate is used in the treatment of allergic conditions likeconjunctivitis and rhinitis. This work aims to study the natural polymer effects (xanthan gum,gellan gum) on the properties of pH-trigger in situ ocular gel, then compared the drug-releasing rate of optimized formula with the market ketotifen eye drop. Eightformulations (F1-F8) were prepared using different concentrations of xanthan gum, gellan gum with ca
... Show MoreIntroduction: 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 conduc
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