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The purpose of this study was to assess and compare neurological soft signs in patients of cannabis use disorder (CUD) with and without co-occurring psychosis in a treatment-seeking sample. We included 30 right-handed male subjects aged 18–65 years diagnosed with CUD (as per DSM-5) without any co-occurring psychiatric disorder in group I and those with co-occurring non-affective psychosis in group II. Group III consisted of 30 age and sex-matched, right-handed, healthy subjects with no psychiatric or medical conditions. Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) was applied to measure neurological soft signs across the groups. We also used the Severity of Dependence Scale (in CUD with or without co-occurring non-affective psychosis groups) and Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale, Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale, and Simpson Angus Scale (in CUD with co-occurring non-affective psychosis group). Our data suggested higher total NES mean scores in CUD with (20.53 ± 13.77) or without co-occurring non-affective psychosis groups (15.93 ± 9.86) as compared to healthy controls (6.20 ± 5.40) (χ2 = 23.12; p <.001). However, there were no differences between cannabis use disorder with or without co-occurring non-affective psychosis groups. The mean of subdomain scores of motor incoordination, sequencing of complex motor tasks, sensory integration, and others was significantly higher in CUD with or without co-occurring non-affective psychosis groups compared to healthy controls. Impairment in neurological soft signs is present in patients with CUD regardless of a co-occurring psychosis. Cannabinoids might be interacting with the brain circuits known to be involved in schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pattern of drinking has a strong bearing on alcohol-related negative consequences. Very few studies from India have assessed this relationship using any standardized instrument. Aim: The current study aims to assess the relationship between pattern of alcohol use and negative consequences among problem alcohol users using a standardized instrument. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study using snowball sampling technique was conducted among 75 participants in an urban slum of a metropolitan city of India. Screening of the participants was done by the World Health Organization Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (WHO-ASSIST). Alcohol use details and alcohol-related adverse consequences were obtained by a semi-structured questionnaire and Drinker Inventory of Consequences (DrInC) inventory, respectively. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and logistic regression test were used to analyze the data. Results: There was a significant association between high total DrInC score and ≥3 subscale scores with employment status, percentage of total family income spent on alcohol, source of income to procure alcohol, amount of alcohol, morning drinking, alcohol use for relaxation, and drinking throughout the day (Chi-square test). Age ≤35 years, current unemployment/part-time employment state, spending ≥25% of total family income on alcohol, family history, and drinking throughout the day were more likely to have high total DrInC score and ≥2 subscale scores (logistic regression analysis). Conclusion: A large proportion of the participants were suffering significantly from alcohol-related consequences but still were not receiving any treatment. It emphasizes the need for more epidemiological studies in this area for its treatment and policy-level implication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Certain limitations of the existing opioid substitution therapies necessitate exploration of other options for maintenance of patients with opioid dependence. This study aimed to present the experience of use of tramadol for long-term treatment of patients with opioid dependence. Methods: This was a cross-sectional interview-based observational study conducted in Uttar Pradesh state in India. Patients with opioid dependence who received oral tramadol treatment for a period of more than 6 months were recruited. Outcome was assessed in terms of self-reported abstinence on tramadol. Results: A total of 102 participants were recruited in the study, with a mean age of 41.3 years. All the participants were males. Abstinence to extraneous opioids was reported by 58.8% of the sample, and the median dose of tramadol at which abstinence was achieved was 350 mg/d. Those who reported to be taking natural opioids (raw opium or poppy husk) at the time of seeking treatment had higher rates of achieving abstinence. Conclusions: Tramadol may be a possible option for the maintenance treatment among some opioid-dependent individuals. Further studies are required to establish its efficacy vis-à-vis other medications used in opioid substitution treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the tools for psychosocial assessment of substance use disorders. Various psychosocial factors need to be assessed for effective management of individuals and to carry out research in the field. These factors include socio-demographic characteristics, neuropsychological functions, psychiatric co-morbidities, psychological vulnerabilities such as personality traits, motivation, and cognitions related to drug use, and the psychosocial functioning of the individual and his family. The various tools used to assess these aspects have been outlined below and the brief descriptions provided can help in choosing the right tool based on the characteristics that need to be measured and logistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the tools for psychosocial assessment of substance use disorders. Various psychosocial factors need to be assessed for effective management of individuals and to carry out research in the field. These factors include socio-demographic characteristics, neuropsychological functions, psychiatric co-morbidities, psychological vulnerabilities such as personality traits, motivation, and cognitions related to drug use, and the psychosocial functioning of the individual and his family. The various tools used to assess these aspects have been outlined below and the brief descriptions provided can help in choosing the right tool based on the characteristics that need to be measured and logistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The study aimed to assess the efficacy of providing brief intervention (BI) for women tobacco users in a community-based setting. Methods: In this open-labeled randomized study, a representative sample of women (n = 100) from a community in East Delhi were screened using Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test. Eligible women were randomized to BI or simple advice (SA) arms. At baseline, they were assessed for tobacco use characteristics and severity of nicotine dependence using Fagerstrom's test for nicotine dependence. Intervention in the form of a single session of BI or SA to quit tobacco was provided at baseline. All participants were assessed at 1 week and 3 months following intervention. The principal outcome was self-reported abstinence from tobacco use at 3 months follow-up. Results: The mean age of the sample was 43 years (standard deviation = 13). Most women were married (80%), housewives (69%), illiterate (61%), socioeconomically disadvantaged and were smokeless tobacco users (94%). The subjects in the BI group were twice more likely to stop tobacco use as compared to individuals in the SA group (odds ratio = 2.2, 95% confidence interval: 0.962-5.197, P = 0.06). Conclusion: The study results are suggestive of beneficial effect of BI. A larger study might provide more significant results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol and substance use, until recently, were believed to be a predominantly male phenomenon. Only in the last few decades, attention has shifted to female drug use and its repercussions in women. As the numbers of female drug users continue to rise, studies attempt to understand gender‑specific etiological factors, phenomenology, course and outcome, and issues related to treatment with the aim to develop more effective treatment programs. Research has primarily focused on alcohol and tobacco in women, and most of the literature is from the Western countries with data from developing countries like India being sparse. This review highlights the issues pertinent to alcohol and substance use in women with a special focus to the situation in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although substance misuse among children in India has been documented for over a decade, volatile substance misuse (VSM) is a comparatively recent phenomenon there. This paper reviews available Indian studies about VSM among street children and documents the extent of misuse, experienced benefits and harms, and risk factors. Reported perceived benefits include enhanced physical strength, decreased shyness, sleep induction, feeling good, and numbing physical and psychological pain. Identified risk factors include domestic violence, a dictatorial father, presence of stepparents, migrant status, and substance use in the family. Limitations of the current paper and the need for further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the principle of the dnaSET, a novel device for single-molecule sequence analysis of DNA strands. The central idea is to measure the variations in current through a single electron transistor (SET) as a target DNA molecule slithers through a nanoeye integrated between the SET's floating island and gate. We present a basic but illustrative simulation of the operation, and the results therefrom lead us to conclude that the dnaSET has a single-nucleotide resolution that enables it to read off the individual bases in a DNA strand. The versatility of this idea makes it suitable for incorporation in other bio-assay tools, and thus the dna/proteinSET promises to be a powerful direct sensing device for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a detailed study of high-field effects in GaN MODFETs. Degradation of dc characteristics and change of flicker noise due to hot electron and high-reverse current stresses in Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] passivated GaN MODFETs have been investigated. The authors observe that during hot electron stress, electron trapping in the barrier layer and interface state creation occur. These cause a positive shift of V[sub t], reduce I[sub D], skew the transfer characteristics, and degrade g[sub m]. Flicker noise (1/f) measurements show that after hot electron stress, the scaled drain current noise spectrum (S[sub I[sub D]]/I[sup 2, sub D]) decreases in depletion, but increases only slightly in strong accumulation, corroborating the creation of interface states but only a small creation of transition-layer tunnel traps that contribute to 1/f noise. During high-reverse current stress, electron trapping dominates for the first 50-60 s and then hole trapping and trap creation begin to manifest. However, there still is net electron trapping under the gate after one hour of stress. The degradation processes bring about a positive shift of V[sub t], degrade I[sub D] and g[sub m], and increase reverse leakage. After high-reverse current stress, S[sub I[sub D]]/I[sup 2, sub D] increases substantially in strong accumulation, indicating the creation of transition layer tunnel traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the most recent edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) that is DSM-5 many modifications have been made in substance use disorder section. These include changes in terminology; sections and categories; diagnostic criteria; threshold for diagnosis; severity; and specifier. Additionally, there have been certain additions and omissions from the earlier version. Critical evaluation of the changes made to the section on disorders related to use of psychoactive substances in India context has not been published so far. The current paper presents a critique of the changes made to the substance use disorder section in DSM-5. The rationale for these changes put forth by DSM-5 work group on substance related disorders have been discussed. Additionally, attempt has been made to highlight the possible future challenges consequent to the current nosological revision for substance use disorder category. Overall DSM-5 seems to be promising in fulfilling its goal of DSM-ICD harmonisation and movement towards an internationally compatible and practical diagnostic system for mental health disorders. It has increased the scope of addiction by inclusion of behavioural addiction. It has also tried to balance the categorical and dimensional approach to diagnosis. However, the real test of this newer edition of one of the most commonly used nosological systems will be during clinical care and research. This will help address the debatable issues regarding the changes that DSM-5 brings with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study is aimed at assessment of time trend for substance use disorder and psychiatric disorders among patients seeking treatment from a dual diagnosis clinic of a tertiary care substance use disorder treatment centre in India. Methods: The study is based on chart review of the patients seeking treatment from the Dual Diagnosis Clinic of a tertiary care substance use disorder treatment centre. The records of the patients seeking treatment over a six-year period (2009-2014) were reviewed. Information was collected on sociodemographic variables, substance use disorder and co-occurring psychiatric disorder. Results: A total of 289 patients sought treatment from the dual diagnosis clinic of the centre. Majority were male (97.2%). Primary drugs of abuse were nicotine (74.4%), alcohol (49.5%), cannabis (38.4%), and opioids (28.7%). Most common co-occurring psychiatric disorders were psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia (45.0%), Major depressive disorder (24.9%), Bipolar disorder (18.3%), anxiety disorder (4.5%) and OCD (2.4%). Most patients with psychotic disorders and depressive disorders had co-occurring alcohol dependence. Most patients with bipolar disorder had co-occurring cannabis dependence. There was a marginally significant increase in proportion of subjects with cannabis dependence (PTrend= .07). There was no significant time trend for various co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Conclusions: The findings of the current study suggest that there has been a marginally significant increase in proportion of subjects with cannabis dependence over the six study years. However, the proportion of co-occurring psychiatric disorders was stable across these years. The findings of the current study suggest that the centre should be prepared to cater to an increasing proportion of patients with cannabis dependence and possibly co-occurring psychotic disorders in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Introduction. Opioid-dependent men suffer from sexual dysfunctions in the short and long term. The medications used for long-term pharmacotherapy of opioid dependence also affect sexual functioning, though this has been a poorly investigated area so far. Aim. To study the sexual dysfunction in opioid-dependent men receiving buprenorphine and naltrexone maintenance therapy. Methods. A semistructured questionnaire and Brief Male Sexual Functioning Inventory (BMFSI) was administered to a sample of 60 sexually active men, receiving buprenorphine (n = 30) and naltrexone (n = 30) maintenance therapy for opioid dependence. Main Outcome Measures. Prevalence of premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, low sexual desire, weakness due to semen loss, and overall satisfaction. Results. About 83% of the men on buprenorphine and 90% on naltrexone reported at least one of the sexual dysfunction symptoms. The commonly reported dysfunctions were premature ejaculation (83% in buprenorphine and 87% in naltrexone), erectile dysfunction (43% in buprenorphine and 67% in naltrexone), and loss/reduction in sexual desire (33% in buprenorphine and 47% in naltrexone). On BMSFI however, there were no significant differences among both the groups. Conclusions. Opioid dependence as well as its pharmacological treatment is associated with sexual dysfunctions, which has clinical implication. Future research should explore this further using biochemical analyses. Ramdurg S, Ambekar A, and Lal R. Sexual dysfunction among male patients receiving buprenorphine and naltrexone maintenance therapy for opioid dependence. J Sex Med 2012;9:3198-3204. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an ultra-low-power current-mode ECG instrumentation amplifier, which is designed based on the current balancing technique and fabricated in TSMC 0.35 μm CMOS process. The instrumentation amplifier, which is presented here has three features. First, the instrumentation amplifier is a full-CMOS implementation of current-balancing technique applied for ECG signal conditioning. Second, the instrumentation amplifier is of ultra-low-power due to a power-oriented design methodology, which makes its power consumption very low compared to the earlier reported works for ECG recording applications. Third, integrated programmable bandpass filtering is implemented in the amplifier itself, which provides a compact solution for analog ECG signal conditioning. Measurement results show that the amplifier only draws 9 μA current from a 3.3 V lithium-ion battery, while CMRR of 100 dB and input voltage dynamic range of ± 6 mV are achieved. By considering trade-offs between input noise voltage and power, noise performance was compromised with power and area for ultra-low-power ECG signal conditioning applications. Measurement results show $0.3\, \mu {\rm V}/\sqrt{{\rm Hz}}$ input referred noise voltage with a flicker noise corner frequency of 15 Hz at 9 μA dc current and small area, which is appropriate for the desired application. Measurement results meet the recommended specifications for signal conditioning of portable ECG monitoring devices. Design methodology, fabrication considerations, measurement setup, and experimental results are also explained in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: SU-8 has been primarily used for structural elements and microfludics components in MEMS. Microsystems for biological applications require immobilization of biomolecules on the MEMS structures. In order to functionalize SU-8 for such purposes, the surface needs to be modified. In this paper, we report a novel dry method of surface modification of SU-8 which is compatible with standard microfabrication techniques. The surface obtained by spin coating SU-8 (2002) on silicon wafer was modified by grafting amine groups using pyrolytic dissociation of ammonia in a hotwire CVD setup. To demonstrate the presence of amine groups on modified SU-8 surface, the surface characteristic after modification was assessed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The change in SU-8 surface morphology before and after surface modification was investigated using atomic force microscopy. To show the utility of this process for application in Bio-MEMS, SU-8 microcantilevers were fabricated and subjected to the same surface modification protocol. Following this, the cantilevers were incubated first in a suspension of human immunoglobulin (HIgG) and then in FITC tagged goat anti-human IgG in order to demonstrate the utility of the surface modification performed. The efficacy of the process was assessed by observing the cantilevers under a fluorescence microscope. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a case study of a 36‑year‑old male, who presented with a history of eating Datura seeds. Topics include that report describes intentional Datura use for hallucinogenic and stimulating effects; no pharmacological management has initiated to prevent relapse into Datura use; and the consequences of Datura use including dependence, transient psychotic symptoms, and visual disturbances.

Direct photoelectrolysis of water was observed using a structured n-GaN photoanode, aqueous NaOH solution, and platinum cathode. The structured n-GaN was formed by selective area regrowth using metal stripes defined by photolithography. Gas evolution from both the n-GaN anode and the platinum cathode was observed under UV irradiation without external bias. The metal stripes eliminated current crowding and the n-GaN regrowth increased specific surface area. As a result, distinct improvements in photocurrent were achieved. The origin of the photocurrent and the conversion efficiency are discussed based on water-splitting reactions and etching reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although tramadol has been used in the management of acute withdrawal in patients with opioid dependence, its use for maintenance treatment as a harm reduction approach has not been assessed systematically. This case series describes patients with opioid dependence who were treated with tramadol for long-term maintenance. Methods: Patients with opioid dependence who received treatment at the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, were included in the study. Patients who received at least 6 months of tramadol and had follow-up adherence of more than 80% were included in the case series. Results: A total of 25 cases were included, all of whom were males. The types of opioids being taken at the time of initiation of tramadol were natural opiates (poppy husk and raw opium), followed by heroin. The median dose of tramadol at initiation and maintenance was 300 mg/day. Nineteen patients were able to achieve complete abstinence to other opiates on tramadol. Conclusion: Tramadol may be an effective option in the long-term management of patients with opioid dependence. Further studies are required for establishing the efficacy of tramadol for agonist management of patients with opioid dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]