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
This study aimed to identify the business risks using the approach of the client strategy analysis in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the audit process. A study of business risks and their impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the audit process has been performed to establish a cognitive framework of the main objective of this study, in which the descriptive analytical method has been adopted. A survey questionnaire has been developed and distributed to the targeted group of audit firms which have profession license from the Auditors Association in the Gaza Strip (63 offices). A hundred questionnaires have been distributed to the study sample of which, a total of 84 where answered and
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Abstract:
The distribution or retention of profits is the third decision among financial management decisions in terms of priority, whether at the level of theory or practice, as the issue of distribution or retention is multi-party in terms of influence and impact, as determining the optimal percentage for each component is still the subject of intellectual debate because these decisions are linked to the future of the organization and several considerations, The research focus on the nature of the policies followed by the Iraqi banking sector As the sample chosen by the intentional sampling method was represented by the Commercial Bank of
... Show MoreSilver selenide telluride Semiconducting (Ag2Se0.8Te0.2) thin films were by thermal evaporation at RT with thickness350 nm at annealing temperatures (300, 348, 398, and 448) °K for 1 hour on glass substrates .using X-ray diffraction, the structural characteristics were calculated as a function of annealing temperatures with no preferential orientation along any plane. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray techniques are used to analyze the Ag2SeTe thin films' physical makeup and properties. AFM techniques were used to analyze the surface morphology of the Ag2SeTe films, and the results showed that the values for average diameter, surface roughness, and grain size mutation increased with annealing temperature (116.36-171.02) nm The transm
... Show MoreThis research aims to identify the role and impact of illustrations in contemporary fashion design inspired by historical costumes. Historical fashion aesthetics are adapted to design drawings. The experimental method was followed and a sample of 31 students in the department of fashion and textile design, third level were selected. Each student carried out two original historical and contemporary design. The models were executed two times: one with the usage of the program and the other without program help. The tools that were used are the program, the scale, the pre-skill test, and the post-skill test. One of the most relevant results of the research is the possibility of using historical costumes to highlight creativity and innovatio
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The plethora of the emerged radio frequency applications makes the frequency spectrum crowded by many applications and hence the ability to detect specific application’s frequency without distortion is a difficult task to achieve.
The goal is to achieve a method to mitigate the highest interferer power in the frequency spectrum in order to eliminate the distortion.
This paper presents the application of the proposed tunable 6th-order notch filter on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Low Noise
Background: Enforcement of sustainable and green chemistry protocols has seen colossal surge in recent times, the development of an effective, eco-friendly, simple and novel methodologies towards the synthesis of valuable synthetic scaffolds and drug intermediates. Recent advances in technology have now a more efficient means of heating reactions that made microwave energy. Efforts to synthesize novel heterocyclic molecules of biological importance are in continuation. Microwave irradiation is well known to promote the synthesis of a variety of organic and inorganic compounds. The aim of current study was to conceivea mild base mediated preparation of novel Schiff base of 2-Acetylpheno with trimethoprim drug (H2TPBD) and its complexes w
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The research dealt with the risks of reinsurance and its impact on the financial performance of the National Insurance Company by focusing on reinsurance in the marine insurance branch. Negative impact on the financial performance of the NICs and the Marine Insurance Branch. The research sample resulted in a main hypothesis that reflects this relationship. Lee in the analysis of financial information reports National Insurance Company of the branch of marine insurance for the period of 2010 until 2017, and the use of (retention) for measuring the re-insurance operations index, and (insurance financial surplus rate) to measure financial performance. For the purpose of obtaining the results, a number of statistical methods were used accord
... Show MoreBackground: Early detection of subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is crucial and could influence patients' prognosis by aiding the clinician to candidate patients for better management.
Objective: To detect early LV systolic dysfunction in asymptomatic patient with chronic aortic regurgitation by two dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.
Methods: Sixty one asymptomatic patients with chronic aortic regurgitation, with no ischemic heart diseases (by coronary angiography) or conductive heart diseases, no diabetes mellitus, no hypertension, and no other valvular heart diseases (group 1) and fifty age and sex-matched healthy subjects (
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ABSTRACT : Diabetes mellitus stands for a set of metabolic diseases that if they are not managed, they can initiate threatening life problems. This study hypothesizes that insulin-like growth factor-1 level can be used as a biomarker for early diagnosing renal problems in patients with type 2 diabetic disease. This study included 30 recently identified type 2 diabetic patients with acute renal malfunction who had an entrance in National Diabetic Center,AL-Mustansiriyah University.They have beenin the Center from October 2018 up to end of April 2019. Their age range has been (40-62) years. Comprehensive clinical investigationhas beencompleted for each patient to discount other diabetic complications like cardiac, neurologic and eye complicat
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