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DeVito EE, Sofuoglu M. Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Effects on Smoking: A Review and Proof of Concept of Sex-Sensitive Effects. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2022; 9:113-123. [PMID: 36644316 PMCID: PMC9838826 DOI: 10.1007/s40473-022-00251-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review This article reviews recent research on how catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) may impact cigarette smoking behavior, and how effects may be sex-sensitive. Preliminary data are presented on sex-sensitive effects of COMT on response to short-term abstinence in individuals who smoke. Recent Findings Although research is mixed, functional variants in the COMT gene have been linked with smoking behavior, cessation outcomes and nicotine abstinence-related symptoms. Our proof-of-concept preliminary data from a human laboratory study of individuals who smoke cigarettes found that those with the high COMT enzyme activity genotype (Val/Val) reported more severe smoking urges and withdrawal symptoms following overnight abstinence than Met carriers. These effects were present in women, but not in men and were abstinent-dependent, in that they dissipated following nicotine administration. Summary The preliminary data showing sex-sensitive pharmacogenetic effects may shed light on mechanisms contributing to sex differences in barriers to smoking cessation or potential sex-specific treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise E. DeVito
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mehmet Sofuoglu
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT
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Fremont R, Manoochehri M, Armstrong NM, Mattay VS, Apud JA, Tierney MC, Devanand DP, Gazes Y, Habeck C, Wassermann EM, Grafman J, Huey ED. Tolcapone Treatment for Cognitive and Behavioral Symptoms in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia: A Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 75:1391-1403. [PMID: 32444540 PMCID: PMC10131251 DOI: 10.3233/jad-191265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are currently no disease-targeted treatments for cognitive or behavioral symptoms in patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of tolcapone, a specific inhibitor of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT), in patients with bvFTD. METHODS In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study at two study sites, we examined the effect of tolcapone on 28 adult outpatients with bvFTD. The primary outcome was reaction time on the N-back cognitive test. As an imaging outcome, we examined differences in the resting blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal intensity between subjects on placebo versus tolcapone performing the N-back test. Secondary outcomes included measures of cognitive performance and behavioral disturbance using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q), and Clinical Global Impressions scale (CGI). RESULTS Tolcapone was well tolerated and no patients dropped out. The most frequent treatment-related adverse event during tolcapone treatment was elevated liver enzymes (21%). There were no significant differences between tolcapone treatment and placebo in the primary or imaging outcomes. However, there were significant differences between RBANS total scores (p < 0.01), NPI-Q total scores (p = 0.04), and CGI total scores (p = 0.035) between treatment conditions which were driven by differences between baseline and tolcapone conditions. Further, there was a trend toward significance between tolcapone and placebo on the CGI (p = 0.078). CONCLUSIONS Further study of COMT inhibition and related approaches with longer duration of treatment and larger sample sizes in frontotemporal lobar degeneration-spectrum disorders may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Fremont
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Masood Manoochehri
- Taub Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Venkata S Mattay
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jose A Apud
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, NIMH/NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mary C Tierney
- Behavioral Neurology Unit, Intramural Research Program, NINDS/NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - D P Devanand
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yunglin Gazes
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Eric M Wassermann
- Behavioral Neurology Unit, Intramural Research Program, NINDS/NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.,Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Cognitive Neurology & Alzheimer's Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Edward D Huey
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Taub Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Alcohol. Alcohol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816793-9.00001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Valentine G, Sofuoglu M. Cognitive Effects of Nicotine: Recent Progress. Curr Neuropharmacol 2018; 16:403-414. [PMID: 29110618 PMCID: PMC6018192 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x15666171103152136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Revised: 06/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cigarette smoking is the main cause of preventable death in developed countries. While the direct positive behavioral reinforcing effect of nicotine has historically been considered the primary mechanism driving the development of TUD, accumulating contemporary research suggests that the cognitive-enhancing effects of nicotine may also significantly contribute to the initiation and maintenance of TUD, especially in individuals with pre-existing cognitive deficits. METHODS We provide a selective overview of recent advances in understanding nicotine's effects on cognitive function, a discussion of the role of cognitive function in vulnerability to TUD, followed by an overview of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the cognitive effects of nicotine. RESULTS Preclinical models and human studies have demonstrated that nicotine has cognitiveenhancing effects. Attention, working memory, fine motor skills and episodic memory functions are particularly sensitive to nicotine's effects. Recent studies have demonstrated that the α4, β2, and α7 subunits of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) participate in the cognitive-enhancing effects of nicotine. Imaging studies have been instrumental in identifying brain regions where nicotine is active, and research on the dynamics of large-scale networks after activation by, or withdrawal from, nicotine hold promise for improved understanding of the complex actions of nicotine on human cognition. CONCLUSION Because poor cognitive performance at baseline predicts relapse among smokers who are attempting to quit smoking, studies examining the potential efficacy of cognitive-enhancement as strategy for the treatment of TUD may lead to the development of more efficacious interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mehmet Sofuoglu
- Address correspondence to this author at the Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Tel: 1 203 737 4882; Fax: 1 203 737 3591; E-mail:
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Miglin R, Kable JW, Bowers ME, Ashare RL. Withdrawal-Related Changes in Delay Discounting Predict Short-Term Smoking Abstinence. Nicotine Tob Res 2017; 19:694-702. [PMID: 28486708 PMCID: PMC5423100 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntw246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Impulsive decision making is associated with smoking behavior and reflects preferences for smaller, immediate rewards and intolerance of temporal delays. Nicotine withdrawal may alter impulsive decision making and time perception. However, little is known about whether withdrawal-related changes in decision making and time perception predict smoking relapse. METHODS Forty-five smokers (14 female) completed two laboratory sessions, one following 24-hour abstinence and one smoking-as-usual (order counterbalanced; biochemically verified abstinence). During each visit, participants completed measures of time perception, decision making (ie, discount rates), craving, and withdrawal. Following the second laboratory session, subjects underwent a well-validated model of short-term abstinence (quit week) with small monetary incentives for each day of biochemically confirmed abstinence. RESULTS Smokers significantly overestimated time during abstinence, compared to smoking-as-usual (p = .021), but there were no abstinence effects on discount rates (p = .6). During the quit week, subjects were abstinent for 3.5 days (SD = 2.15) and smoked a total of 12.9 cigarettes (SD = 15.8). Importantly, higher discount rates (ie, preferences for immediate rewards) during abstinence (abstinence minus smoking difference score) predicted greater number of days abstinent (p = .01) and fewer cigarettes smoked during the quit week (p = .02). Withdrawal-related change in time reproduction did not predict relapse (p = .2). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that individuals who have a greater preference for immediate rewards during abstinence (vs. smoking-as-usual) may be more successful at maintaining short-term abstinence when provided with frequent (eg, daily) versus less frequent incentive schedules (eg, 1 month). Abstinence-induced changes in decision making may be important for identifying smokers who may benefit from interventions that incentivize abstinence such as contingency management (CM). IMPLICATIONS The present results suggest that smokers who place greater subjective value on immediate rewards during withdrawal (compared to smoking-as-usual) may be less likely to relapse if offered small, frequent monetary incentives to maintain abstinence. Thus, the current findings may have important implications for identifying smokers most likely to benefit from particular interventions such as CM. Future research might evaluate whether withdrawal-related changes in delay discounting moderate treatment response to different incentive schedules with the goal of optimizing CM effectiveness to improve abstinence rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rickie Miglin
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Joseph W Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Maureen E Bowers
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
| | - Rebecca L Ashare
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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Bastos P, Gomes T, Ribeiro L. Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT): An Update on Its Role in Cancer, Neurological and Cardiovascular Diseases. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 173:1-39. [DOI: 10.1007/112_2017_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Reilly MT, Noronha A, Goldman D, Koob GF. Genetic studies of alcohol dependence in the context of the addiction cycle. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122:3-21. [PMID: 28118990 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Family, twin and adoption studies demonstrate clearly that alcohol dependence and alcohol use disorders are phenotypically complex and heritable. The heritability of alcohol use disorders is estimated at approximately 50-60% of the total phenotypic variability. Vulnerability to alcohol use disorders can be due to multiple genetic or environmental factors or their interaction which gives rise to extensive and daunting heterogeneity. This heterogeneity makes it a significant challenge in mapping and identifying the specific genes that influence alcohol use disorders. Genetic linkage and (candidate gene) association studies have been used now for decades to map and characterize genomic loci and genes that underlie the genetic vulnerability to alcohol use disorders. These approaches have been moderately successful in identifying several genes that contribute to the complexity of alcohol use disorders. Recently, genome-wide association studies have become one of the major tools for identifying genes for alcohol use disorders by examining correlations between millions of common single-nucleotide polymorphisms with diagnosis status. Genome-wide association studies are just beginning to uncover novel biology; however, the functional significance of results remains a matter of extensive debate and uncertainty. In this review, we present a select group of genome-wide association studies of alcohol dependence, as one example of a way to generate functional hypotheses, within the addiction cycle framework. This analysis may provide novel directions for validating the functional significance of alcohol dependence candidate genes. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Reilly
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, 5635 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA.
| | - Antonio Noronha
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, 5635 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
| | - David Goldman
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Chief, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, 5635 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
| | - George F Koob
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Director NIAAA, 5635 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
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Zhang Y, Sun Y, Liang J, Lu L, Shi J. Similarities and Differences in Genetics. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1010:59-71. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-5562-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
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Bowers H, Smith D, de la Salle S, Choueiry J, Impey D, Philippe T, Dort H, Millar A, Daigle M, Albert PR, Beaudoin A, Knott V. COMT polymorphism modulates the resting-state EEG alpha oscillatory response to acute nicotine in male non-smokers. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 14:466-76. [PMID: 26096691 PMCID: PMC4514526 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Revised: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Performance improvements in cognitive tasks requiring executive functions are evident with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists, and activation of the underlying neural circuitry supporting these cognitive effects is thought to involve dopamine neurotransmission. As individual difference in response to nicotine may be related to a functional polymorphism in the gene encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme that strongly influences cortical dopamine metabolism, this study examined the modulatory effects of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on the neural response to acute nicotine as measured with resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillations. In a sample of 62 healthy non-smoking adult males, a single dose (6 mg) of nicotine gum administered in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design was shown to affect α oscillatory activity, increasing power of upper α oscillations in frontocentral regions of Met/Met homozygotes and in parietal/occipital regions of Val/Met heterozygotes. Peak α frequency was also found to be faster with nicotine (vs. placebo) treatment in Val/Met heterozygotes, who exhibited a slower α frequency compared to Val/Val homozygotes. The data tentatively suggest that interindividual differences in brain α oscillations and their response to nicotinic agonist treatment are influenced by genetic mechanisms involving COMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Bowers
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - D. Smith
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - S. de la Salle
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - J. Choueiry
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - D. Impey
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - T. Philippe
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - H. Dort
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - A. Millar
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - M. Daigle
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - P. R. Albert
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - A. Beaudoin
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - V. Knott
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Abstract
Facilitation of different attentional functions by nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists may be of therapeutic potential in disease conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or schizophrenia. For this reason, the neuronal mechanisms underlying these effects have been the focus of research in humans and in preclinical models. Attention-enhancing effects of the nonselective nAChR agonist nicotine can be observed in human nonsmokers and in laboratory animals, suggesting that benefits go beyond a reversal of withdrawal deficits in smokers. The ultimate aim is to develop compounds acting with greater selectivity than nicotine at a subset of nAChRs, with an effects profile narrowly matching the targeted cognitive deficits and minimizing unwanted effects. To date, compounds tested clinically target the nAChR subtypes most abundant in the brain. To help pinpoint more selectively expressed subtypes critical for attention, studies have aimed at identifying the secondary neurotransmitter systems whose stimulation mediates the attention-enhancing properties of nicotine. Evidence indicates that noradrenaline and glutamate, but not dopamine release, are critical mediators. Thus, attention-enhancing nAChR agents could spare the system central to nicotine dependence. Neuroimaging studies suggest that nAChR agonists act on a variety of brain systems by enhancing activation, reducing activation, and enhancing deactivation by attention tasks. This supports the notion that effects on different attentional functions may be mediated by distinct central mechanisms, consistent with the fact that nAChRs interact with a multitude of brain sites and neurotransmitter systems. The challenge will be to achieve the optimal tone at the right subset of nAChR subtypes to modulate specific attentional functions, employing not just direct agonist properties, but also positive allosteric modulation and low-dose antagonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta Hahn
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,
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Ashare RL, Schmidt HD. Optimizing treatments for nicotine dependence by increasing cognitive performance during withdrawal. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2014; 9:579-94. [PMID: 24707983 DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2014.908180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Current FDA-approved smoking cessation pharmacotherapies have limited efficacy and are associated with high rates of relapse. Therefore, there is a clear need to develop novel antismoking medications. Nicotine withdrawal is associated with cognitive impairments that predict smoking relapse. It has been proposed that these cognitive deficits are a hallmark of nicotine withdrawal that could be targeted in order to prevent smoking relapse. Thus, pharmacotherapies that increase cognitive performance during nicotine withdrawal may represent potential smoking cessation agents. AREAS COVERED The authors review the clinical literature demonstrating that nicotine withdrawal is associated with deficits in working memory, attention and response inhibition. They then briefly summarize different classes of compounds and strategies to increase cognitive performance during nicotine withdrawal. Particular emphasis has been placed on translational research in order to highlight areas for which there is strong rationale for pilot clinical trials of potential smoking cessation medications. EXPERT OPINION There is emerging evidence that supports deficits in cognitive function as a plausible nicotine withdrawal phenotype. The authors furthermore believe that the translational paradigms presented here may represent efficient and valid means for the evaluation of cognitive-enhancing medications as possible treatments for nicotine dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Ashare
- University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry , 3535 Market St, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA 19104 , USA +1 215 746 5789 ;
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