Clobetasol propionate (CP) is a super potent corticosteroid widely used to treat various skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. However, its utility for topical application is hampered due to its common side effects, such as skin atrophy, steroidal acne, hypopigmentation, and allergic contact dermatitis. Microsponge is a unique three-dimensional microstructure particle with micro and nano-meters-wide cavities, which can encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs providing increased efficacy and safety. The aim of the current study is to prepare and optimize clobetasol-loaded microsponges. The emulsion solvent diffusion method is used for the preparation of ethylcellulose (EC)-based microsponges. The impact of various formulation variables on microsponge's properties includes; drug: polymer ratio, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) quantities, the volume of external phase, and stirring rates investigated. The microsponges were characterized in terms of particle size, product yield, CP entrapment %, and in-vitro drug release behavior. The results report that increasing EC concentration led to a significant increase in particle size, with a decrease in product yield and drug entrapment %. Increasing stirring speed or external aqueous volume or PVA w/v % caused a non-significant decrease in production yield and CP entrapment % but showed a significant decrease, and increase in particle size, respectively. Finally, it was concluded that the ability to use ethylcellous as a Msg polymer matrix to prepare uniform, highly porous particles was confirmed by microscope observation and compatibility with CP.
By definition, the detection of protein complexes that form protein-protein interaction networks (PPINs) is an NP-hard problem. Evolutionary algorithms (EAs), as global search methods, are proven in the literature to be more successful than greedy methods in detecting protein complexes. However, the design of most of these EA-based approaches relies on the topological information of the proteins in the PPIN. Biological information, as a key resource for molecular profiles, on the other hand, acquired a little interest in the design of the components in these EA-based methods. The main aim of this paper is to redesign two operators in the EA based on the functional domain rather than the graph topological domain. The perturb
... Show MoreLaser is a powerful device that has a wide range of applications in fields ranging from materials science and manufacturing to medicine and fibre optic communications. One remarkable
Wireless Body Area Sensor Network (WBASN) is gaining significant attention due to its applications in smart health offering cost-effective, efficient, ubiquitous, and unobtrusive telemedicine. WBASNs face challenges including interference, Quality of Service, transmit power, and resource constraints. Recognizing these challenges, this paper presents an energy and Quality of Service-aware routing algorithm. The proposed algorithm is based on each node's Collaboratively Evaluated Value (CEV) to select the most suitable cluster head (CH). The Collaborative Value (CV) is derived from three factors, the node's residual energy, the distance vector between nodes and personal device, and the sensor's density in each CH. The CEV algorithm operates i
... Show MoreLED is an ultra-lightweight block cipher that is mainly used in devices with limited resources. Currently, the software and hardware structure of this cipher utilize a complex logic operation to generate a sequence of random numbers called round constant and this causes the algorithm to slow down and record low throughput. To improve the speed and throughput of the original algorithm, the Fast Lightweight Encryption Device (FLED) has been proposed in this paper. The key size of the currently existing LED algorithm is in 64-bit & 128-bit but this article focused mainly on the 64-bit key (block size=64-bit). In the proposed FLED design, complex operations have been replaced by LFSR left feedback technology to make the algorithm perform more e
... Show MoreSymmetric cryptography forms the backbone of secure data communication and storage by relying on the strength and randomness of cryptographic keys. This increases complexity, enhances cryptographic systems' overall robustness, and is immune to various attacks. The present work proposes a hybrid model based on the Latin square matrix (LSM) and subtractive random number generator (SRNG) algorithms for producing random keys. The hybrid model enhances the security of the cipher key against different attacks and increases the degree of diffusion. Different key lengths can also be generated based on the algorithm without compromising security. It comprises two phases. The first phase generates a seed value that depends on producing a rand
... Show MoreWith the increasing integration of computers and smartphones into our daily lives, in addition to the numerous benefits it offers over traditional paper-based methods of conducting affairs, it has become necessary to incorporate one of the most essential facilities into this integration; namely: colleges. The traditional approach for conducting affairs in colleges is mostly paper-based, which only increases time and workload and is relatively decentralized. This project provides educational and management services for the university environment, targeting the staff, the student body, and the lecturers, on two of the most used platforms: smartphones and reliable web applications by clo
This abstract focuses on the significance of wireless body area networks (WBANs) as a cutting-edge and self-governing technology, which has garnered substantial attention from researchers. The central challenge faced by WBANs revolves around upholding quality of service (QoS) within rapidly evolving sectors like healthcare. The intricate task of managing diverse traffic types with limited resources further compounds this challenge. Particularly in medical WBANs, the prioritization of vital data is crucial to ensure prompt delivery of critical information. Given the stringent requirements of these systems, any data loss or delays are untenable, necessitating the implementation of intelligent algorithms. These algorithms play a pivota
... Show MoreBackground: The need of the patient for a more reasonable esthetic orthodontic intervention has risen nowadays. Thus, orthodontists make use of esthetic orthodontic materials like brackets, ligature elastics, and arch wires. The esthetic brackets come as different forms of materials, such as ceramic brackets, which have their stainability remaining as the most important consideration for the patients and the orthodontists. This study aimed to compare the staining effects of various staining materials, including black tea, cigarette smoke and Pepsi, as well as the time effect on the color stability of sapphire ceramic brackets bonded with three kinds of light cure orthodontic adhesives: Transbond, Resilience and Enlight. Materials and Met
... Show MoreThe dynamic thermomechanical properties, sealing ability, and voids formation of an experimental obturation hydroxyapatite-reinforced polyethylene (HA/PE) composite/carrier system were investigated and compared with those of a commercial system [GuttaCore (GC)]. The HA/PE system was specifically designed using a melt-extrusion process. The viscoelastic properties of HA/PE were determined using a dynamic thermomechanical analyser. Human single-rooted teeth were endodontically instrumented and obturated using HA/PE or GC systems, and then sealing ability was assessed using a fluid filtration system. In addition, micro-computed tomography (μCT) was used to quantify apparent voids within the root-canal space. The data were statistically analys
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