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 research aims to measure the impact of envy on job stress because the topic of envy represents a negative emotion that exists at all organizational levels, which may cause stress in the work environment.
The Research problem is represented by the lack of perception of most of the faculty staff on the negative effects of envy on their well-being in the Technical College of Management - Baghdad, and what is the impact level of envy on their job stress.
To achieve this, the scale of envy was based on two dimensions (being envied, Envying others), While the job stress scale was based on seven dimensions (workload, conflict role, Family factors, work environment, work relationships
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The results show the inability to apply the Taylor rule within inflation and GDP Gaps because the monetary behave is elated from the Iraqi economy.
When applying the Taylor rule to exchange rate with the inflation and the output gap, the results do not match the nominal price announced by the central thing, which proves the lack of commitment by the Central Bank by using the Taylor rule, whether short-run interest rate or exchange rate (Nominal Anchor), so it did not stay to the Iraqi Central Bank only using the principle of Taylor with the expected inflation rate below the level of output (Macro activity) for the separation of monetary behavior from the real one o
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In this paper, we consider the problem of stochastic project network when some or all activities are interrupted. An approach has been built to schedule the critical activities, by constructing some expressions based on the project lateness costs due to the interruption activities. Two simple example are presented to validate our approach.
Key words: Project Management, Project scheduling, Stochastic activity duration, Stochastic PERT.
Introduction
Recently, Projects planning and optimal timing, under uncertainty are extremely critical for many organizations, see [19]. Having an effective mathematical model wi
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Exposing the dorsal superficial skin of rats to partial-depth burn leads to bacterial and microbes Invasion. Topical treatment is required in most superficial burn cases Moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO) protects wounds from infection and enhances healing without any harmful effects of purified chemicals is caused. The topical using of HA gel in rat models with full and partial thickness surgical wounds shows enhancement in wound repair. In this study, we compared the healing efficacy of topical use of hyaluronic acid gel products with MEBO as standard management in rats that were exposed to a partial-thickness burn. The experiment included twenty-four (24) adult albino rats of male sex with weight (150-220 gm) of 3 months’ age divided i
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The Research aims to investigate into reality in terms of planning and scheduling management process for sake the implementation and maintenance of irrigation and drainage projects in the Republic of Iraq, with an indication of the most important obstacles that impede the planning and scheduling management process for these projects and ways of addressing them and minimizing their effects. For the purpose of achieving the goal of the research, a sci
... Show MoreSoil water use and water storage vary by vegetative management practices, and these practices affect land productivity and hydrologic processes. This study investigated the effects of agroforestry buffers (AB), grass buffers (GB), and biofuel crops (BC), relative to row crops (RC) on soil water use for a claypan soil in northern Missouri, USA. The experiment located at the Greenley Memorial Research Center included RC, AB, GB, and BC established in 1991, 1997, 1997, and 2012, respectively. Soil water reflectometer sensors installed at 5‐, 10‐, 20‐, and 40‐cm depths monitored soil water from April to November in 2017 and 2018. Results showed significant differences in weekly volumetric water content (VWC) among treatments for all fou
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The task of an educational institution such as kindergartens need to run by managers possess the knowledge to manage the administration of the importance in the development of kindergarten has been the goal of research to identify knowledge management at Riyadh managers, and achieve the objectives of Search selected sample of directors of kindergartens in the city of Baghdad was (160) director was Akhtarhn simple random way, been building measure for knowledge management and presented to the group of experts and extracted stability in a way re-testing and Alvakronbach and reach search to a discrepancy between managers Riyadh in knowledge management and put the researcher set of recommendations including the establishment of seminars and
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