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.
Five isolates of Gram negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Psuedomonas auroginosa, proteus mirabilis and two strains of E.coli) were in quested for the ability of bearing silver nanoparticles by using LB medium, all the isolates of bacteria were buttered brown color just as soon as mixed the supernatant of bacterial culture with AgNO3 solution, that refered the biosynthesis of Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). UV–visible spectrophotometer and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were utilized for estimation of (Ag NPs). The five isolates of bacteria were tendered to produce spontaneous mutants by using different kinds of antibiotics, Ampicillin put to use for making mutant in E.coli and Proteus mirabillis, while Pseudom
... Show MoreEmulsion Liquid Membrane (ELM) is an emerging technology that removes contaminants from water and industrial wastewater. This study investigated the stability and extraction efficiency of ELM for the removal of Chlorpyrifos Pesticide (CP) from wastewater. The stability was studied in terms of emulsion breakage. The proposed ELM included n-hexane as a diluent, span-80 as a surfactant, and hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a stripping agent. Parameters such as mixing speed, aqueous feed solution pH, internal-to-organic membrane volume ratio, and external-to-emulsion volume ratio were investigated. A minimum emulsion breakage of 0.66% coupled with a maximum chlorpyrifos extraction and stripping efficiency were achieved at 96.1% and 95.7% at b
... Show MoreBackground: As a multifactorial disorder, temporomandibular joint (TMD) is difficult to diagnose, and multiple factors affect the joint and cause the temporomandibular disorder. Standardization of clinical diagnosis of TMD should be used to reach a definite clinical diagnosis; the condylar bone may degenerate in accordance with these disorders. Aims: Evaluate the correlation between the clinical diagnosis and degenerative condylar change (flattening, sclerosis, erosion, and osteophyte). Materials and Methods: A prospective study with a study group of 97 TMD patients (total of 194 joints) aged 20 to 50. Patients were sent to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to assess the degenerative condylar change. Results: No association was found bet
... Show MoreThis work investigates generating of pure phase Faujasite-type zeolite Y at the ranges chosen for this study via a static aging step in the absence of seeds synthesis. Nano-sized crystals may result when LUDOX AS-40 is used as a silica source for gel composition of range 6 and the crystallization step may be conducted for a period of 4 to 19 hr at 100 ⁰C. Moreover, large-crystals with high crystallinity pure phase Y zeolite can be obtained at hereinabove conditions but when hydrous sodium metasilicate is used as a silica source. The other selected ranges also offer pure phase Y zeolite at the same controlled conditions.
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel concrete-encased column (CE) using small circular steel tubes filled with cementitious grouting material (GFST) as the primary reinforcement instead of traditional steel bars. The research involved three different types of reinforcement: conventional steel bars, concrete-filled steel tubes with 30% of the reinforcement ratio of steel bars, and concrete-filled steel tubes with the same reinforcement ratio as steel bars. Twenty-four circular concrete columns were tested and categorized into six groups based on the type of reinforcement employed. Each group comprised four columns, with one subjected to concentric axial load, two subjected to eccentric axial load (with eccentrici
... Show MoreThe current study was designed to investigate the alterations in the ultrastructure of orgenelles and cellular activity of exocrine pancreatic acini of experimentally induced-diabetic rats and to assess the usefulness of herbal combination supplementation in improving the ultrastructure and cellular activity of exocrine pancreas. The number of albino male rats used were 24 which divided into equally 4 groups; group I: control group, group II: alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus (single intraperitoneal dose of alloxan 120 mg/kg for 3 days), group III: herbal combination treatment composed from the extracts of fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum), black cumin (Nigella sativa) seeds, rhizomes
... Show MoreThe aim of the research is to indicate the degree of arrangement of the tax branches discussed and the level of efficiency of their performance according to the dimensions approved in the tax diagnostic tool (TADAT). The checklist has been approved as a main tool in collecting data and information from the tax branches of the General Authority for Taxes and the number (8) branches represented by (Karrada , Karakh Center, Al-Rusafa, New Baghdad, Al-Dora, Karakh Al-Tafim, Al-Kadhimiya, Al-Bayaa), The statistical program (spss) was used to calculate the weighted arithmetic media, and we reached the research to a number of conclusions, the most important of which were: - Each of the subsections (Karkh Al-Ahram and Karrada) achieved an
... Show MoreMost countries in the world particularly developing countries, including Iraq, facing extremely dangerous problem with social and political dimensions, which is the emergence of the food crisis problem ,the decrease in domestic food production in Iraq isn't meet the needs of its population food, due to the fact that the agricultural sector suffers from multiple natural ,economic and human problems .It is still below the level required to meet the needs of the population of food ,since food at the forefront of priorities needed by the human . This represents indispensable basic necessity , so the responsibility of its availability permanently in appropriate&nb
... Show MoreThis research work considers one of the authentic and most modern modes of storytelling, as employed by Garcia Marquez in one of his famous stories "An Old ManWith Enormous Wings" (1972). Technically, the work is divided into four parts: the first serves as an introduction to his literary works, his use of magic realism, and addresses mainly the interests of Arab readers; the second handles the development of modern short story through the perspective of realism, until the emergence of magic realism as a new style; the third deals with the origin, nature and development of this style, and his mastery of it; the fourth part tries to analyze the story and its plot, thoughts, characters, symbols and metaphors, in the light of the artistic p
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