Focused Ion Beam Fabrication

Contains reports on eight research projects.DARPA/Naval Electronics Systems Command (Contract MDA 903-85-C-0215)DARPA/U.S. Army Research Office (Contract DAAL03-88-K-0108)U.S. Army Research Office (Contract DAAL03-87-K-0126)Charles Stark Draper LaboratoryInternational Business Machines Corporation - Research Division, General Technologies DivisionU.S. Air ForceDARP

Application of programmable bio-nano-chip system for the quantitative detection of drugs of abuse in oral fluids

Objective: There is currently a gap in on-site drug of abuse monitoring. Current detection methods involve invasive sampling of blood and urine specimens, or collection of oral fluid, followed by qualitative screening tests using immunochromatographic cartridges. While remote laboratories then may provide confirmation and quantitative assessment of a presumptive positive, this instrumentation is expensive and decoupled from the initial sampling making the current drug-screening program inefficient and costly. The authors applied a noninvasive oral fluid sampling approach integrated with the in-development chip-based Programmable bio-nano-chip (p-BNC) platform for the detection of drugs of abuse. Method: The p-BNC assay methodology was applied for the detection of tetrahydrocannabinol, morphine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, methadone and benzodiazepines, initially using spiked buffered samples and, ultimately, using oral fluid specimen collected from consented volunteers. Results: Rapid (∼10 min), sensitive detection (∼ng/mL) and quantitation of 12 drugs of abuse was demonstrated on the p-BNC platform. Furthermore, the system provided visibility to time-course of select drug and metabolite profiles in oral fluids; for the drug cocaine, three regions of slope were observed that, when combined with concentration measurements from this and prior impairment studies, information about cocaine-induced impairment may be revealed. Conclusions: This chip-based p-BNC detection modality has significant potential to be used in the future by law enforcement officers for roadside drug testing and to serve a variety of other settings, including outpatient and inpatient drug rehabilitation centers, emergency rooms, prisons, schools, and in the workplace

Internet of Things for Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change

Our world is vulnerable to climate change risks such as glacier retreat, rising temperatures, more variable and intense weather events (e.g., floods, droughts, and frosts), deteriorating mountain ecosystems, soil degradation, and increasing water scarcity. However, there are big gaps in our understanding of changes in regional climate and how these changes will impact human and natural systems, making it difficult to anticipate, plan, and adapt to the coming changes. The IoT paradigm in this area can enhance our understanding of regional climate by using technology solutions, while providing the dynamic climate elements based on integrated environmental sensing and communications that is necessary to support climate change impacts assessments in each of the related areas (e.g., environmental quality and monitoring, sustainable energy, agricultural systems, cultural preservation, and sustainable mining). In the IoT in Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change chapter, a framework for informed creation, interpretation and use of climate change projections and for continued innovations in climate and environmental science driven by key societal and economic stakeholders is presented. In addition, the IoT cyberinfrastructure to support the development of continued innovations in climate and environmental science is discussed

Assessing Psychometrists\u27 Practices to Inform Neuropsychological Services.

OBJECTIVE: Quality of life (QOL) is a broad-ranging concept affecting an individual\u27s physical health, psychological state, social relationships, and relationship to their environment. Although the role of psychometrists in clinical neuropsychology is integral to the delivery of services, little is known about their QOL. The current study assessed psychometrists\u27 workload and aspects related to work QOL (e.g., physical and emotional exhaustion, social and work satisfaction). METHOD: Psychometrists (N = 164) from 38 states completed a nationally distributed survey. Participants averaged eight years of experience, ~29% completed board certification, and worked primarily in general hospitals (~36%), academic medical centers (~21%), private practice (~15%), veterans/military hospitals (~13%), and rehabilitation hospitals (~12%). RESULTS: Respondents saw 5.6±2.4 (Mean±Standard Deviation) patients and spent 18.8±6.9 and 9.4±4.9 hours administering and scoring, respectively, per week. Although the majority of respondents felt satisfied with their work QOL, approximately 49% experienced emotional exhaustion, 42% experienced burnout, and 62% reported that fatigue interfered with work, family, or social life. Correlational analyses found a significant relationship between QOL variables and professional activities, particularly with time spent scoring. Additionally, patient load, time spent administering/scoring, and QOL factors varied depending on work setting. CONCLUSION: The current study provides a novel characterization of psychometrists\u27 QOL. Specifically, the prevalence of emotional exhaustion and fatigue appears to be higher than in the general working population in the United States. In addition, these findings highlight the current variability of job responsibilities and QOL across work settings. Ongoing advocacy and practice adjustments for this field are indicated

Mental Health Practitioners\u27 Immediate Practical Response During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Questionnaire Study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with increased psychological distress, signaling the need for increased mental health services in the context of stay-at-home policies. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to characterize how mental health practitioners have changed their practices during the pandemic. The authors hypothesize that mental health practitioners would increase tele-mental health services and that certain provider types would be better able to adapt to tele-mental health than others. METHODS: The study surveyed 903 practitioners, primarily psychologists/doctoral-level (Psych/DL) providers, social workers/master\u27s-level (SW/ML) providers, and neuropsychologists employed in academic medical centers or private practices. Differences among providers were examined using Bonferroni-adjusted chi-square tests and one-way Bonferroni-adjusted analyses of covariance. RESULTS: The majority of the 903 mental health practitioners surveyed rapidly adjusted their practices, predominantly by shifting to tele-mental health appointments (n=729, 80.82%). Whereas 80.44% (n=625) were not using tele-mental health in December 2019, only 22.07% (n=188) were not by late March or early April 2020. Only 2.11% (n=19) reported no COVID-19-related practice adjustments. Two-thirds (596/888, 67.10%) reported providing additional therapeutic services specifically to treat COVID-19-related concerns. Neuropsychologists were less likely and Psych/DL providers and SW/ML providers were more likely than expected to transition to tele-mental health (P CONCLUSIONS: The vast majority of mental health providers in this study made practice adjustments in response to COVID-19, predominantly by rapidly transitioning to tele-mental health services. Although the majority reported providing additional therapeutic services specifically to treat COVID-19-related concerns, only a small subset endorsed offering such services to medical providers. This has implications for future practical directions, as frontline workers may begin to seek mental health treatment related to the pandemic. Despite differences in tele-mental health uptake based on provider characteristics, the majority were interested in continuing to provide such services in the future. This may help to expand clinical services to those in need via tele-mental health beyond the COVID-19 pandemic

The Impact of Disulfiram Treatment on the Reinforcing Effects of Cocaine: A Randomized Clinical Trial

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Clinical trials indicate that disulfiram (250 mg/d) reduces cocaine use, though one study found that treatment with lower doses of disulfiram (62.5 and 125 mg/d) increased cocaine use. We conducted the present study to better understand how disulfiram alters the reinforcing effects of cocaine in cocaine users.</p> <h3>Methods</h3><p>Seventeen non-treatment seeking, cocaine-dependent volunteers participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, laboratory-based study. A cross-over design was utilized in which participants received placebo in one phase and disulfiram (250 mg/d) in the other. Following three days of study medication participants completed two choice sessions. In one they made 10 choices between receiving an intravenous infusion of saline or money that increased in value (US$ 0.05–16) and in the other cocaine (20 mg) or money.</p> <h3>Results</h3><p>Participants chose cocaine more than saline under both disulfiram and placebo conditions (p<0.05). Unexpectedly, disulfiram increased both the number of cocaine and saline infusion choices (p<0.05). We next examined the relationship between disulfiram dose and cocaine choices. Disulfiram dose (mg/kg bodyweight) was negatively correlated with number of choices for cocaine (p<0.05). Disulfiram also enhanced cocaine-induced increases in cardiovascular measures (p's<0.05–0.01).</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Disulfiram's impact on the reinforcing effects of cocaine depends on dose relative to body weight. Our results suggest that the use of weight-based medication doses would produce more reliable effects, consistent with weight-based dosing used in pediatrics and in preclinical research.</p> <h3>Trial Registration</h3><p>Clinicaltrials.gov <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/NCT00729300">NCT00729300</a></p> </div