A new portable mass spectrometry device, PDRA-LTP-ITMS, can detect illicit drugs in saliva or urine within 5 seconds using only 10 microliters of sample. The method improves sensitivity up to 10-fold compared to some other techniques and achieves detection limits for MDMA, MDA, methamphetamine, amphetamine, ketamine, and cocaine ranging from 4.5 to 20 picograms per microliter in saliva, meeting Chinese national standards. The device's performance approaches that of a high-end laboratory mass spectrometer, offering a rapid on-site tool for identifying drug-impaired drivers.
A randomized controlled trial with 42 participants found that combining mindfulness-based cognitive therapy with loving-kindness meditation altered brain activity in people with subclinical depression. During a task involving negative emotional faces, the meditation group showed greater activation in visual processing areas. At rest, they had increased connectivity between brain regions linked to attention and emotion regulation. Activity in cognitive control regions decreased while sensorimotor regions increased. These neural changes suggest the therapy may alleviate depression by improving executive function when processing negative stimuli.