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.
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In modern technology, the ownership of electronic data is the key to securing their privacy and identity from any trace or interference. Therefore, a new identity management system called Digital Identity Management, implemented throughout recent years, acts as a holder of the identity data to maintain the holder’s privacy and prevent identity theft. Therefore, an overwhelming number of users have two major problems, users who own data and third-party applications will handle it, and users who have no ownership of their data. Maintaining these identities will be a challenge these days. This paper proposes a system that solves the problem using blockchain technology for Digital Identity Management systems. Blockchain is a powerful techniqu
... Show MoreThe paper deals with claims in construction projects in Iraq and studies their types, causes, impacts, resolution methods and then proposes a management system to control the impacts of claims. Two parts have been done to achieve the research objective (theoretical part and practical part). The findings showed that the main types of the claims are extra work claims, different site condition claims, delay claims and the main causes of the claims are variation of the orders, design errors and omission, delay in payments by owner, variation in quantities and scheduling errors. The claims have bad impacts on the cost by increasing (10% to 25%) and also on the duration of the project by increasing from (25% to 50%).The negotiation is the main
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Sera samples were collected from 60 children aged 4-60 months, all were clinically and serologically proven cases of visceral leishmaniasis, as well as from 10 healthy children, all were seronegative with no history of parasitic infection who serve as a control during the study. Serum total protein and albumin were measured and compared between the control and visceral leishmaniasis patients. Serum protein profiles have been investigated using the conventional sodium dodecyl sulphate – polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Serum of control group showed the specific protein pattern with five protein bands, while serum protein profile in visceral leishmaniasis pat
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الخلفية: العقدية المقيحة المعروفة أيضًا باسم ""(GAS) هي احدى مسببات الأمراض ذات الأهمية الصحية العامة، حيث تصيب 18.1 مليون شخص في جميع أنحاء العالم وتقتل 500000 شخص كل عام. الهدف: حددت هذه المراجعة المقالات المنشورة حول عوامل الخطر واستراتيجيات الوقاية والسيطرة لأمراض المكورات العقدية. المواد والأساليب: تم إجراء بحث منهجي لتحديد الأوراق المنشورة على قواعد البيانات الإلكترونية Web of Science و PubMed و Scopus و Google Scholar في مح
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The impact of management control systems (MCS) on organizations performance empirical research has been the subject of numerous studies during the past decade in developed and emerging economies. In the contemporary competitive, complex and changing global business environment, firms are being challenged to adopt business models that enable them to address the strategic uncertainties and risks they face in their business environments. The main issue of this study is that management accounting researchers argue that one of the ways firms can continually rejuvenate themselves to survive and succeed in these complex and uncertain environments is to understand the role of management control systems in Formulating a b
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Objective(s): To Evaluate Diabetes self –management among patients in Baghdad City and to compare
between these patients self-management relative to the type of the disease.
Methodology: A descriptive design was conducted in Baghdad city, started from November 16th 2017 to the
end of May 17 th 2018 in order to evaluate Diabetes self-management. Purposive (non-probability) sample,
which was consisted of (120) patients who were diagnosed with D.M. The sample is comprised of (60) patient
with diabetes type I and (60) patient with diabetes type II. It is consisted of (60) male and (60) female. A
questionnaire is constructed for the purpose of the study. It is composed of (42) items. Reliability and validity of
the ques
The research aims to determine the strength of the relationship between time management and work pressure and administrative leadership, where he was taken a sample of (47) of the administrative leadership at the Higher Institute of security and administrative development in the Ministry of Interior was used questionnaire as a key tool in collecting data and information and analyzed the answers to the sample surveyed by using Statistical program (spss) in the arithmetic mean of the calculation and test (t) and the correlation coefficient, the research found the most important results: the existence of significant moral positive relationship between both time management and work pressure and administrative leadership, the leadership of th
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