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 self-evident truth existing in today's business environment is the continuity of change and its continuity and turmoil, also its increase over time as it is more abundant, abundant, wide and complex than ever before, and it is the dominant feature in the business environment, as different organizations and operating units can find themselves shifting from the top to the bottom. And then it requires its departments to strive to adapt to these rapid and turbulent shifts and changes by bringing about a series of organizational and adaptive changes that are not limited to one organizational aspect only but rather include all organizational components. Accordingly, this research came to determine the readiness of public organizations to chan
... Show MoreAbstractOBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term remission efficacy and safety of isotretinoin in the treatment of Behcet's disease (BD). PATIENTS and METHODS: This single-blind, controlled therapeutic study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology at Baghdad Teaching Hospital from February 2011 to January 2012. Thirty patients with BD were included in this work. Each patient received isotretinoin 20 mg orally once daily for 3 months. They were assessed at week 2 and then monthly depending on the Clinical Manifestation Index (CMI) and to record any side effects. At week 12, isotretinoin was stopped and patients were given placebo therapy in a form of glucose capsules for another 3 months. RESULTS: Thirty patients were tre
... Show MoreThe continued acceleration in the business environment has led to the need for organizations great attention to quality applied in organizations to meet the needs of customers and stay in the market for as long as possible.
Search launched from the underlying problem is the presence of concentrations of defects and waste plaguing the company and to achieve the goal of the study detects the level of quality applied in the factory vessels and reservoirs of the General Company for Heavy Engineering Equipment, As well as calculate wastage rates occurring in the production process and find a relationship between the level of quality and ratios defective in each type of waste, it has been used quantitative meas
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Background: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare congenital condition that results in bone fragility, recurrent fractures, and various extra-skeletal manifestations. Currently, intravenous bisphosphonate is the mainstay of medical treatment in OI. Objective: To identify the effect of current management strategies on Iraqi children diagnosed with OI. Methods: A retrospective study enrolled OI patients who were registered in Central Child Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, from January 2015 to December 2022. We enrolled confirmed OI cases (either clinically and/or radiologically) who received cyclic pamidronate therapy for at least 3 cycles. They neither received other types of bisphosphonates nor underwent surgical intervention. Res
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Construction projects have become a changing dramatically in recent decades and that the goal of the beneficiaries of the implementation of structural project is to complete the work with less time and within the cost of the specific and the best possible quality may sometimes happen that highlights the importance of time on the rest of the items at the implementation of projects for various reasons, including the need to use the project as soon as possible possible change rapidly to customer's requests, but the high cost of the project represents the biggest obstacle for entrepreneurs with its effects on the quality and the time workers, and is a measure of those elements in monetary terms is the key to integration between them, so the
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The research aims to stand on the practice of operations management of solid waste in the city of Hilla, carried out by the mayor of Hilla Directorate - solid and the environment Waste Division, through field visits and personal interview to officials of the municipal departments and units of its data collection and information related to solid waste, and assess the current status of the processes of collection and transport waste through the questionnaire that had been prepared for citizens and employees, the search reach a set of conclusions was the most important, operations carried out by the municipality of Hilla Directorate only limited to two (collection, transportation and disposal of wa
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To achieve the objectives of the study, a non –probability (purposive) sample of (50) nurses were selected those were working at the oncology wards at the above listed hospitals. The data selected according to the criteria of the study sample. The validity of the questionnaire was determined through an expert panel consists of (11) specialist expert and its reliability was determined through a pilot study by test – retest which was estimated as averages (R=0.89). Data was collected by direct interview technique using the questionnaire formal and data was analyzed by application of descriptive & inferential statistical methods (frequency, percentage, mean of score and Chi-Square). The resul
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The current research aims to measure the impact of the skills of human resources management professionals in information technology in Iraqi private banks, as the skills of human resources management professionals constitute the modern trend of banks' interest in employees with outstanding performance, and the presence of information technology in banks is a prerequisite for dealing with the huge amount of data. And converting it into information to support the decision-maker in light of a complex environment, and the field research problem was the presence of a clear lack of interest in the skills of human resource management professionals and the weak adoption of information technology, which was reflected negatively on the compet
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Background :The incidence of bile ducts injuries( BDI )has risen from) 0.1 to 0.2%( to) 0.4 to 0.6% ( between the era of open cholecystectomy( O C) and the age of laoaroscopic cholycystectomy( LC.) The aim of the study is to review the management and surgical outcome of the bile duct injuries in gastroenterology and hepatology teaching hospital .Methods: This study is Prospective, done in G.I.T hospital ,From January 2008 –to –February 2011, patients included in this study had prevouse history of cholecystectomy which followed by sign and symptoms of bile duct injures .Most patients have been reffered from other hospitals,supprting therapy were given to them and investigations performed to evaluate the the type of injureis ,minor inj
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