Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS): A Cytoarchitectural Common Neurobiological Trait of All Addictions.

Alcohol and other substance use disorders share comorbidity with other RDS disorders, i.e., a reduction in dopamine signaling within the reward pathway.

Hypothesizing Nutrigenomic-Based Precision Anti-Obesity Treatment and Prophylaxis: Should We Be Targeting Sarcopenia Induced Brain Dysfunction?

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates a total obesity rate of 30% for 12 states and a 20% obesity rate nationwide. The obesity epidemic continues to increase in spite of preventative measures undertaken worldwide. Pharmacological treatments promise to reduce total fat mass.

Hypodopaminergia and "Precision Behavioral Management" (PBM): It is a Generational Family Affair.

Background/aims: This case series presents the novel Genetic Addiction Risk Score (GARS®) coupled with a customized pro-dopamine regulator matched to polymorphic reward genes having a hypodopaminergic risk.

Methods: The proband is a female with a history of drug abuse and alcoholism. She experienced a car accident under the influence and voluntarily entered treatment.

A case of severe encephalitis while on PD-1 immunotherapy for recurrent clear cell ovarian cancer.

Recurrent clear cell ovarian carcinoma is a difficult to treat condition and early trial data has suggested a possible role for immune checkpoint inhibitors. Nivolumab is an anti-PD-1 immunotherapy that has been used in this setting. While immune related toxicity of these agents has been well described, the occurrence of immune specific neurotoxicity is thought to be rare.

Genospirituality: Our Beliefs, Our Genomes, and Addictions.

Addictions to smoking, alcohol, illicit drugs, and certain behaviors like gambling, overeating, and sex, are prevalent worldwide. These behaviors are highly destructive and costly to individuals and society due to health consequences, criminality and lost productivity. The genetic vulnerability, environmental exposures, and individual behaviors that contribute to the brain dysfunction and compulsive tendencies that mark addiction make it one of the most complicated diseases to study and treat.

Withdrawal from Buprenorphine/Naloxone and Maintenance with a Natural Dopaminergic Agonist: A Cautionary Note.

Background: While numerous studies support the efficacy of methadone and buprenorphine for the stabilization and maintenance of opioid dependence, clinically significant opioid withdrawal symptoms occur upon tapering and cessation of dosage.

Methods: We present a case study of a 35 year old Caucasian female (Krissie) who was prescribed increasing dosages of prescription opioids after carpel tunnel surgery secondary to chronic pain from reflex sympathetic dystrophy and fibromyalgia. Over the next 5 years, daily dosage requirements increased to over 80 mg of Methadone and 300 ug/hr Fentanyl transdermal patches, along with combinations of 12-14 1600 mcg Actig lollipop and oral 100 mg Morphine and 30 mg oxycodone 1-2 tabs q4-6hr PRN for breakthrough pain.

Neurogenetics and Nutrigenomics of Neuro-Nutrient Therapy for Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS): Clinical Ramifications as a Function of Molecular Neurobiological Mechanisms.

In accord with the new definition of addiction published by American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) it is well-known that individuals who present to a treatment center involved in chemical dependency or other documented reward dependence behaviors have impaired brain reward circuitry. They have hypodopaminergic function due to genetic and/or environmental negative pressures upon the reward neuro-circuitry. This impairment leads to aberrant craving behavior and other behaviors such as Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

Hypothesizing repetitive paraphilia behavior of a medication refractive Tourette's syndrome patient having rapid clinical attenuation with KB220Z-nutrigenomic amino-acid therapy (NAAT).

Background and aims Many patients presenting multiple behaviors including drug and food abuse as well as other pathological repetitive unwanted activities such as gambling, self-mutilation and paraphilias may not be appropriately diagnosed. Here we present a case of a male presenting many of these seemingly diverse behaviors and finally diagnosed with reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) by his attending physician. Methods The use of the dopamine agonist, ropinirole after two weeks showed improvement in terms of sexual behavior but tolerance set in and was discontinued especially when an infraction occurred with the patient's insurance.

Early intervention of intravenous KB220IV--neuroadaptagen amino-acid therapy (NAAT) improves behavioral outcomes in a residential addiction treatment program: a pilot study.

Substance use disorders (SUD) are inheritable and the culprit is hypodopaminergic function regulated by reward genes. We evaluated a natural dopaminergic agonist; KB220 intravenous (IV) and oral variants, to improve dopaminergic function in SUD. Our pilot experiment found a significant reduction of chronic symptoms, measured by the Chronic Abstinence Symptom Severity (CASS) Scale.

Neurogenetics and clinical evidence for the putative activation of the brain reward circuitry by a neuroadaptagen: proposing an addiction candidate gene panel map.

This document presents evidence supporting the role of the KB220/KB220Z neuroadaptagens consisting of amino-acid neurotransmitter precursors and enkephalinase-catecholamine-methyl-transferase (COMT) inhibition therapy called Neuroadaptagen Amino Acid Therapy (NAAT) in brain reward function. It is becoming increasingly clear that this novel formulation is the first neuroadaptagen known to activate the brain reward circuitry. Ongoing research repeatedly confirms the numerous clinical effects that ultimately result in significant benefits for victims having genetic antecedents for all addictive, compulsive and impulsive behaviors.

Hypothesizing that marijuana smokers are at a significantly lower risk of carcinogenicity relative to tobacco-non-marijuana smokers: evidenced based on statistical reevaluation of current literature.

A hypothetical link between marijuana smoking and cancer has been established based on a number of misleading assumptions. However, recent studies tend to suggest, if anything, an inverse association between marijuana use and cancers. To test the hypothesis that marijuana smoking significantly lowers the risk of developing cancer in humans, we analyzed published data from a prospective cohort study on cancer incidence among nonsmokers (NS), marijuana-only smokers (MS), tobacco-only smokers (TS), and marijuana and tobacco smokers (MTS).

Women's use of physical and nonphysical self-defense strategies during incidents of partner violence.

Two incidents of partner violence are investigated using qualitative methodology to discover strategies women use to protect themselves and examine women's use of violence. Data were collected from 447 women (age 18 or older) from 7 domestic violence programs and 5 substance use disorder treatment programs in a midwestern state. Women were found to have developed numerous self-protection strategies, some using nonphysical means only, others using physical means only, and others combining nonphysical and physical means.

Adulthood depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms: a comparison of women with nonabusive, abusive, and absent father figures in childhood.

We collected data from 447 women (aged 18 or higher) from seven domestic violence programs and five substance use disorder treatment programs in a midwestern state. Women who reported a nonabusive natural/adoptive father or stepfather (N=185), abusive natural/adoptive father or stepfather (N=200), or absent father figure (N=40) were compared on a series of mental health measures with multivariate analysis of variance and pairwise post hoc comparisons using the Bonferroni test. Women with absent father figures were found to have significantly lower mean scores on the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 (TSC-40) than women with abusive fathers.

Relationships between adult women's alcohol problems and their childhood experiences of parental violence and psychological aggression.

Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the associations between mother physical abuse, mother psychological aggression, father physical abuse and father psychological aggression and women's alcohol dependence while controlling for several demographic variables, childhood sexual abuse and mother and father alcohol problems.

Method: Samples of women in treatment for substance use disorders (n = 225) and receiving services for domestic violence (n = 222) volunteered to be in the study. We used the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales to assess retrospectively experiences of parental aggression during childhood and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria.

Preliminary description of the Equatorius africanus partial skeleton (KNM-TH 28860) from Kipsaramon, Tugen Hills, Baringo District, Kenya.

A partial skeleton was recovered from middle Miocene Muruyur sediments near Kipsaramon in the Tugen Hills, Baringo District, Kenya. The specimen, representing much of the upper skeleton, comes from locality BPRP#122 dated between 15.58 Ma and 15.

A transport model with coupled ternary exchange and chemisorption retention for hydrazinium cations.

A numerical model was developed to describe the fate and transport of hydrazinium (N2H5+) and competing Ca2+ and H+ cations applied in acidic solutions to columns of Ca2+/H+-saturated sandy soil during steady saturated flow conditions. Instantaneous ternary H+-Ca2+-N2H5+ cation exchange using the Gaines-Thomas approach was combined with second-order, irreversible, kinetic chemisorption of exchange-phase N2H5+ ions as major retention mechanisms for N2H5+. Exchange-mediated chemisorption is assumed to occur as chemical binding of N2H5+ ions located on carboxyl-group exchange sites to nearby carbonyl groups, consequently decreasing the effective soil cation exchange capacity (CEC).

Childhood maltreatment and the risk of substance problems in later life.

This paper examines the risk of developing problems in adolescence and adulthood, particularly those associated with substance use, as a consequence of experiencing physical or sexual abuse during childhood. We review both retrospective and prospective research, conducted with both adolescent and adult respondents. Although there are some marked discrepancies in the findings from retrospective and prospective studies, these are probably due to differences in methodology, particularly between using official records and self-report to identify cases of abuse.

Increased sedimentation rates and grain sizes 2-4 Myr ago due to the influence of climate change on erosion rates.

Around the globe, and in a variety of settings including active and inactive mountain belts, increases in sedimentation rates as well as in grain sizes of sediments were recorded at approximately 2-4 Myr ago, implying increased erosion rates. A change in climate represents the only process that is globally synchronous and can potentially account for the widespread increase in erosion and sedimentation, but no single process-like a lowering of sea levels or expanded glaciation-can explain increases in sedimentation in all environments, encompassing continental margins and interiors, and tropical as well as higher latitudes. We suggest that climate affected erosion mainly by the transition from a period of climate stability, in which landscapes had attained equilibrium configurations, to a time of frequent and abrupt changes in temperature, precipitation and vegetation, which prevented fluvial and glacial systems from establishing equilibrium states.

Development and psychometric properties of the Student Worry Questionnaire-30.

Described are the development and initial psychometric properties (Ns = 50 and 188) of a self-report measure, the Student Worry Questionnaire-30, for use with college undergraduates. Exploratory principal components analyses (Ns = 388, 350, and 396) with oblimin rotation indicated six domains of worrisome thinking, financial-related concerns, significant others' well-being, social adequacy concerns, academic concerns, and general anxiety symptoms. The total score and scale scores showed internal consistency of .

Equatorius: a new hominoid genus from the Middle Miocene of Kenya.

A partial hominoid skeleton just older than 15 million years from sediments in the Tugen Hills of north central Kenya mandates a revision of the hominoid genus Kenyapithecus, a possible early member of the great ape-human clade. The Tugen Hills specimen represents a new genus, which also incorporates all material previously referable to Kenyapithecus africanus. The new taxon is derived with respect to earlier Miocene hominoids but is primitive with respect to the younger species Kenyapithecus wickeri and therefore is a late member of the stem hominoid radiation in the East African Miocene.

Concert medicine: spectrum of medical problems encountered at 405 major concerts.

Objectives: To identify factors predictive of patient load at major commercial concert first-aid stations, and to characterize the spectrum of presenting injuries and illnesses at such events.

Methods: This study was a retrospective case series of patients presenting to on-site first-aid stations at five major concert venues in southern California over a five-year period. The authors compared the number of patients per ten thousand attendees (PPTT) with four potential predictors (music type, overall attendance, temperature, and indoor vs outdoor location) using univariate techniques and negative binomial regression.