Turk J Med Sci
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Heroin can be detected and quantified by certain analytical methods, however, forensic professionals and criminal laboratories study for cheaper and faster detection tools. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) rises as a possible alternative tool with its widening application spectra. There are few studies regarding Raman and SERS spectra of heroin and its metabolites, which are unfortunately controversial. In this study, we compared five different surfaces in order to find out more efficient Raman-active substrate for opiate detection and rapid quantification of heroin and its metabolites in saliva. ⋯ Obtained results showed that heroin and its metabolites can be detected and quantified in saliva samples using a SERS-based system. Additionally, the present study revealed that synergetic effect of a specific gold nano-surface with ability controlling liquid motion and silver nanoparticles increase band numbers and intensities. Therefore, we suggest a fast, accurate and cost-effective method to detect and quantify heroin in biological fluids
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The male sling operation and artificial urinary sphincter implantation are common methods for treating urinary incontinence. However, there are some drawbacks to these methods such as infection, urethral erosion, pain, inefficiency, and the technical difficulty of the operations. Here we describe a new device we have named the Turkish Continence Device (TCD) which has advantages over these other methods. The aim of this study was perform experiments with the TCD prototype in vivo and ex vivo to determine efficiency, convenience of implantation, and negative effects. ⋯ A smaller device with smaller arms/wings would be efficient for obtaining enough pressure on the urethra. Additionally, the technique for implanting the device is very simple and would likely be learned quickly.
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Observational Study
Noninvasive monitoring of venous oxygen saturation by transcutaneous near-infrared spectroscopy in pediatric patients undergoing congenital cardiac surgery.
In patients undergoing congenital cardiac surgery, it is crucial to maintain oxygen demand-consumption balance. Central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) is a useful indicator of oxygen demand and consumption balance which is an invasive method. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive, continuous monitoring technique that measures regional tissue oxygenation. NIRS that is placed over the internal jugular vein cutaneous area (NIRSijv) has the potential to show ScvO2 indirectly. In this study, we aimed to determine the correlation between ScvO2 with NIRSijv in pediatric patients undergoing congenital cardiac surgery. ⋯ In this study, we found a strong correlation between ScvO2 and NIRS measurements taken from the internal jugular vein site. Accordingly, continuous noninvasive monitoring with transcutaneous NIRSijv can be an alternative method as a trend monitor for the central venous oxygen saturation in pediatric cardiac patients undergoing congenital cardiac surgery.