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Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Nov 29:1-9. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

a Centre for Alcohol Policy Research , La Trobe University , Bundoora , Australia.

Background: Partners of heavy drinking individuals can be detrimentally affected as a result of their partner's drinking.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the proportion of heterosexual intimate partner relationships with a heavy drinking male that resulted in reported alcohol-related harm and to investigate the impact of this on well-being in 9 countries.

Methods: This study used survey data from the Gender and Alcohol's Harm to Others (GENAHTO) Project on Alcohol's Harm to Others in 9 countries (10,613 female respondents, 7,091 with intimate live-in partners). Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Nov 14:1-9. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

a Multidisciplinary Research Unit , University Centre of Excellence in Research, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences , Faridkot , India .

Background: A large part of the population of India prefers the traditional medicine (ayurvedic formulations) for primary health care. However, the effective quality control of herbal medicine is still a big challenge. Numerous reports indicate noncompliance with Compromised Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines by the manufacturers which may lead to adverse drug reactions or toxic effects. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Nov 14:1-9. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

a Department of Psychiatry , University of Turku and Turku University Hospital , Turku , Finland.

Background: A high prevalence of alexithymia has been consistently reported in alcohol- and drug-dependent populations. However, less is known about the role of alexithymia, and its individual dimensions on substance use in healthier populations.

Objectives: To examine how different alexithymia dimensions associate with substance use, while controlling for confounding factors. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Nov 13:1-18. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

b Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Branch , CHU de Québec Research Centre , Québec, QC , Canada.

Researchers have increasingly studied shyness, social anxiety, and social anxiety disorder (SAD) as potential precursors of substance use.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to review the relationships between these variables and tobacco use, alcohol use, and cannabis/drug use in normative adolescent populations and the extent to which these associations differ by gender.

Methods: A systematic search in PsycINFO and PubMed was conducted, reference screening was performed, and five experts were consulted. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Oct 29:1-17. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

b Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine University of California , Los Angeles , CA , USA.

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and its associated consequences remain significant public health concerns. Given that AUD represents a spectrum of severity, treatment options represent a continuum of care, ranging from single-session brief interventions to more intensive, prolonged, and specialized treatment modalities.

Objective: This qualitative literature review seeks to describe the best practices for AUD by placing a particular emphasis on identifying those practices which have received the most empirical support. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Oct 25:1-15. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

a California School of Professional Psychology, Clinical Pyschology PhD Program , San Diego , CA , USA.

Background: Research has demonstrated that patients with opioid use disorders (OUD; including both opioid abuse and/or dependence) have poorer neuropsychological functioning compared to healthy controls; however, the pattern and robustness of the findings remain unknown.

Objectives: This study meta-analyzed the results from previous research examining the neuropsychological deficits associated with opioids across 14 neurocognitive domains.

Method: Articles comparing patients with OUD to healthy controls were selected based on detailed inclusion/exclusion criteria and variables of interest were coded. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Oct 25:1-10. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

b Center for Behavioral Research and Services , California State University , Long Beach , CA , USA.

Background: Alcohol and drug use by women is related to high-risk sexual practices and protective behaviors.

Objectives: To determine sexual risk and protective behaviors using information about women's drug use immediately before or during sex.

Methods: Latent class analysis using PROC LCA in SAS software was used to determine classes of women using both past 30-day drug use and before or during sex. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 ;44(6):705

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Sep 19:1-7. Epub 2018 Sep 19.

a Department of Population Health , New York University Langone Medical Center , New York , NY , USA.

Surveys are the leading method of gathering data on prevalence and correlates of prescription opioid misuse. As the opioid crisis continues in the United States, reliable data on misuse have become increasingly important as under- and overreporting is common. This perspective discusses six potential barriers to researchers accurately assessing opioid misuse on surveys. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Sep 19:1-6. Epub 2018 Sep 19.

b School of Psychology , Bangor University , Bangor, UK.

Background: There are two main categories of retrospective self-report alcohol consumption measures: summary and daily drinking. Time-efficient summary measures have been criticized for being less able to capture sporadic and unpatterned drinking. A novel retrospective summary measure, the Typical and Atypical Drinking Diary (TADD), may produce more precise estimates of alcohol consumption than the gold-standard daily measure, the Timeline Followback (TLFB). Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Sep 14:1-11. Epub 2018 Sep 14.

a Department of Psychology , University "Vita-Salute San Raffaele" , Milan , Italy.

Background: Theoretical frameworks postulate that mindfulness represents a relevant therapeutic process in substance use disorders (SUDs), especially in treating difficulties with emotion regulation (DER). Nonetheless, it remains unclear how mindfulness dimensions, particularly self-regulation of attention and acceptance attitudes, are implicated in the well-validated relationship between DER and SUDs. It is also uncertain whether mindfulness is considered a common protective factor for SUDs. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 ;44(6):695-704

b Institute for Health and Sport , Victoria University , Melbourne , Australia.

Background: Alcohol use and related problems reach a peak in emerging adulthood. Impulsivity is a multifaceted construct known to be involved in emerging adult alcohol use. Few studies have examined impulsivity and alcohol use across both college attending and noncollege attending emerging adults. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Sep 5:1-7. Epub 2018 Sep 5.

a Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences , Monash University , Clayton, Melbourne , VIC , Australia.

Background: Individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD) often display behaviours that are paradoxically misaligned with their situation. Typical examples include poor treatment motivation and inconsistent self-reported craving. These behaviours may reflect impairments in the awareness of one's own behaviour. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Aug 23:1-10. Epub 2018 Aug 23.

c Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences , University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst , MA , USA.

Background: Alcohol use is highly prevalent and linked to a wide range of negative outcomes among college students. Although emotion dysregulation has been theoretically and empirically linked to alcohol use, few studies have examined emotion dysregulation stemming from positive emotions.

Objective: The goal of the current study was to extend extant research by using daily diary methods to examine the potentially moderating role of difficulties regulating positive emotions in the daily relation between positive affect and alcohol use to cope with social and non-social stressors. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 17;44(6):576-577. Epub 2018 Aug 17.

a Psychiatry , Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute , New York , NY , USA.

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Aug 7:1-7. Epub 2018 Aug 7.

a Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care , University of California, Irvine , Orange , CA , USA.

Background: The reported incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) disease in trauma is 1-58% and is considered a preventable cause of mortality. Positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is found in 8-45% of trauma admissions; however, its association with VTE is controversial.

Objectives: We hypothesized that a positive BAC on admission would be associated with a lower rate of VTE in a large national database of trauma patients. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 1;44(6):686-694. Epub 2018 Aug 1.

a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Background: Substance-use disorder (SUD) was found to be an aggravating factor to delinquency and is closely related to personality disorders (PDs).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in the relationship between PD traits and SUD in adolescents institutionalized in child welfare and juvenile justice institutions.

Methods: PD traits were measured dimensionally in a sample of 282 boys (69 with an SUD diagnosis) and 143 girls (45 with an SUD diagnosis) from child welfare and juvenile-justice institutions. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 ;44(5):571-574

a The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Stephenson Cancer Center , Oklahoma City , OK , USA.

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 ;44(5):575

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 ;44(5):499-501

a Department of Family and Preventive Medicine , University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center , Oklahoma City , OK , USA.

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 19;44(6):611-618. Epub 2018 Jul 19.

d Departments of Sociology and Health Sector Management and Policy , University of Miami , Coral Gables , FL , USA.

Background: The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world and spends $40-$80 billion to house inmates per year. It is well-known that a significant correlation is present between substance use and crime, especially over recent years as opioid use disorder (OUD) has grown exponentially. To mitigate OUD, methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has demonstrated effectiveness in numerous randomized and quasi-experimental studies. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Jun 6:1-10. Epub 2018 Jun 6.

b Department of Computer Science and Engineering , University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.

Background: Up to 23% of people who play video games report symptoms of addiction. Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at increased risk for video game addiction, especially when playing games with more reinforcing properties.

Objectives: The current study tested whether level of video game reinforcement (type of game) places individuals with greater ADHD symptom severity at higher risk for developing video game addiction. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Jun 5:1-10. Epub 2018 Jun 5.

a Department of Psychiatry , University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine , Iowa City , IA, USA.

Background: The Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA) is an interview that assesses psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses, including substance use disorders and anxiety and mood (i.e., internalizing) disorders. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 4;44(6):678-685. Epub 2018 Jun 4.

f Rollins School of Public Health , Emory University , Atlanta , GA, USA.

Background: Research suggests that reduced retail alcohol outlet density may be associated with lower prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). On-premise sale of alcohol for immediate consumption is theorized as increasing social interactions that can lead to sexual encounters.

Objective: We examined associations between on- and off-premise retail alcohol sales licenses and number of newly diagnosed HIV and STI cases in Texas counties. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 30;44(5):543-550. Epub 2018 May 30.

a Department of Psychology , University of Houston , Houston , TX , USA.

Background: Past work has documented bidirectional associations between pain and cigarette smoking behaviors such that those who smoke evidence greater pain, and those in pain tend to smoke more. However, such work has not focused on the role of pain in relation to negative affect, which plays an important role during cessation attempts.

Objective: The current study evaluated pain as a predictor of negative affect as well as level of interference associated with negative affect among individuals undergoing a self-guided quit attempt. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 May 14:1-9. Epub 2018 May 14.

b Department of Applied Behavioral Science , University of Kansas , Lawrence , KS , USA.

Background: Some have suggested that text messaging is an addictive behavior. However, this characterization is uncertain, partly due to lack of well-validated measures of text messaging attitudes and behaviors. One standard instrument for measuring text messaging attitudes and behaviors is the Self-perception of Text-message Dependency Scale (STDS), though the psychometric properties of this scale have only been examined with a sample of Japanese youth. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 May 14:1-10. Epub 2018 May 14.

a Center for Alcohol and Addictions Studies Brown University School of Public Health , Providence , RI, USA.

Background: Timeline Followback (TLFB) interview methods are used to assess a variety of health behaviors, including alcohol use, drug use, and sexual behavior. While several online TLFBs have been developed, most focus on single behaviors, and few studies have explored their validity in assessing multiple risk behaviors using a single online TLFB.

Objective: To examine the validity of a customizable web application (Timeline) for assessing alcohol use, drug use, and sexual behavior among high-risk men who have sex with men. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 8;44(5):561-570. Epub 2018 May 8.

a Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine , Medical University of South Carolina , Charleston , SC , USA.

Background: Similar to adult smokers, quit attempts among younger smokers almost inevitably result in relapse. Unlike adults, less is known about the process of relapse in this younger age group. A technology-based remote monitoring system may allow for detailed and accurate characterization of smoking and abstinence and would help to improve cessation strategies. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 3;44(6):578-586. Epub 2018 May 3.

b Department of Community Medicine & Health Care , UCONN Health , Farmington , CT, USA.

Background: The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that clinicians screen all adults for alcohol misuse and provide brief counseling to those engaged in risky or hazardous drinking. The World Health Organization's (WHO's) Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is the most widely tested instrument for screening in primary health care.

Objectives: This paper describes the structural and functional features of the AUDIT and methodological problems with the validation of the alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C). Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 3;44(6):642-652. Epub 2018 May 3.

a Steve Hicks School of Social Work , University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX, USA.

Background: Despite increasing marijuana use rates over the past decade, the longitudinal association between marijuana use and other substance use problems among adults is unclear.

Objectives: To examine associations of self-reported changes in marijuana use and marijuana use frequency with self-reported other substance use problems over a 12-month period.

Methods: Two waves (W1 and W2) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study provided data. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 2;44(6):604-610. Epub 2018 May 2.

a Friends Research Institute , Baltimore , MD, USA.

Background: Although buprenorphine/naloxone (bup/nal) is well-established as a safe and effective treatment for opioid use disorders (OUDs), there are few studies reporting 12-month outcomes of patients receiving bup/nal in formerly drug-free outpatient programs.

Objectives: To examine 12-month outcomes by bup/nal treatment enrollment status among a cohort of African American patients enrolled in a clinical trial.

Methods: This analysis builds upon a randomized trial of 300 opioid-dependent African American bup/nal patients in two outpatient programs in Baltimore, MD. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 1;44(6):668-677. Epub 2018 May 1.

e Department of Psychiatry , University of Texas Southwestern , Dallas , TX , USA.

Background: Emergent studies suggest a bidirectional relationship between brain functioning and the skin. This neurocutaneous connection may be responsible for the reward response to tanning and, thus, may contribute to excessive tanning behavior. To date, however, this association has not yet been examined. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 25;44(6):595-603. Epub 2018 Apr 25.

a Department of Behavioral Science and the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, College of Medicine , University of Kentucky , Lexington , KY, USA.

Background: With a rise in overdoses and medical emergencies related to opioids, buprenorphine-naloxone (bup-nx) is seen as a preferred treatment for opioid dependence. However, the research examining experiences with bup-nx among polysubstance users who may or may not be opioid dependent has been limited.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine use, characteristics of users, and experiences of bup-nx use among polysubstance users entering drug-free recovery programs. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 19;44(4):413-417. Epub 2018 Apr 19.

c Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation , Calverton , MD , USA.

In the US, underage drinkers often consume supersized alcopop - a high-alcohol-content, ready-to-drink flavored alcoholic beverage that is currently regulated as beer. However, calculations in this paper illustrate how the high alcohol by volume and low price of supersized alcopops suggest that they rely on a larger proportion of additives for their alcohol content than permitted to meet the legal definition for beer. From a public safety perspective, it is urgently important that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau assess the formulation of supersized alcopops - specifically, the percent of alcohol in the finished product that is derived from additives. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 19;44(4):488-496. Epub 2018 Apr 19.

e Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California , Los Angeles , CA , USA.

Background: There are sex differences in buprenorphine/naloxone clinical trials for opioid use. While women have fewer opioid-positive urine samples, relative to men, a significant decrease in opioid-positive samples was found during treatment for men, but not women. In order to inform sex-based approaches to improve treatment outcomes, research is needed to determine if opioid use, and predictors of opioid use, differs between men and women during treatment. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 11;44(5):512-523. Epub 2018 Apr 11.

a Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Research Branch , National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Center , Baltimore , MD , USA.

Background: Responses to stress and drug craving differ between men and women. Differences in the momentary experience of stress in relation to craving are less well-understood.

Objectives: Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), we examined sex differences in real-time in two areas: (1) causes and contexts associated with stress, and (2) the extent to which stress and drug cues are associated with craving. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 11;44(5):524-531. Epub 2018 Apr 11.

a Department of Psychiatry , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among veterans who served post-9/11, and co-occurs with problem alcohol and substance use. Studies using ecological momentary assessment have examined the temporal association between time-varying PTSD symptoms and alcohol use. Results suggest individual differences in these associations. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 11;44(4):498. Epub 2018 Apr 11.

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 10;44(5):502-511. Epub 2018 Apr 10.

a National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program , Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Research Branch , Baltimore , MD, USA.

Background: In a recent clinical trial (NCT00295308), we demonstrated that clonidine decreased the association between opioid craving and moderate levels of stress and affect in patients receiving buprenorphine-based opioid agonist therapy.

Objectives: To examine the relationship between illicit opioid use and craving and affect during the evaluation of clonidine as an adjunct medication in buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder. Secondarily, to examine whether those relationships are driven by within- or between-participant factors. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 4;44(4):497. Epub 2018 Apr 4.

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 7;44(6):628-641. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

a Department of Psychiatry , Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis , MO , USA.

Background: The US has seen an increase in the popularity of highly concentrated forms of cannabis (hereafter concentrates) and too little is known about the potential risks associated with their use.

Objectives: The present study aims to better understand the patterns and outcomes of concentrates use through the perspectives of young adult users.

Methods: Participants (N = 234, 27. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 7;44(6):587-594. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

a Department of Biomedical Sciences , Rochester Institute of Technology , Rochester, NY, USA.

Background: Efforts designed to investigate the effects of recent alcohol use on the perception of intimate partner aggression have been stultified by significant financial and logistical barriers that warrant the development of supplemental research methods that may result in more prolific investigation of the phenomenon.

Objectives: The current study explored the viability of using online crowdsourcing to assess the effects of recent alcohol use on the perception of partner aggression.

Method: Mechanical Turk was used to recruit a convenience sample of 60 males who were asked to provide information on their own use of partner aggression, their most recent episode of alcohol use, and their perception of the behaviors and characters depicted in a written partner aggression vignette. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 7;44(4):452-462. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

a Department of Epidemiology , University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA.

Background: Marijuana and tobacco are considered two closely related substances. It is of great significance to understand the mutual impact of marijuana and cigarette use when more states in the US have legalized marijuana use.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the transitions between marijuana and cigarette use among adolescents and emerging adults. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 Mar 7:1-16. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

a Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Medical University of South Carolina , Charleston , SC , USA.

Background: The use of ambulatory assessment to study behavior and physiology in daily life is becoming more common, yet barriers to implementation remain. Limitations in budget, time, and expertise may inhibit development or purchase of dedicated ambulatory assessment software. Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) is widely used worldwide, offering a cost-effective and accessible option for implementing research studies. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 16;44(4):480-487. Epub 2018 Feb 16.

c Criminology, Law and Society Program , George Mason University , Fairfax , VA , USA.

Background: Although many formal and informal substance use treatment programs were originally designed for men, no studies have investigated how gender affects the use of substance use treatment modalities, and how gender differences in treatment utilization impact substance use in the unique probation context.

Objective: To describe gender differences in use and effectiveness of substance use treatment modalities (formal and informal) among probationers.

Methods: Longitudinal data were obtained from 335 individuals (93 women) who participated in the Motivational Assessment Program to Initiate Treatment (MAPIT) study. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 ;44(2):160-166

c Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health , Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.

Background: Despite concerns over measurement error, self-report continues to be the most common measure of adolescent alcohol use used by researchers. Objective measures of adolescent alcohol use continue to advance; however, they tend to be cost prohibitive for larger studies. By combining appropriate statistical techniques and validation subsamples, the benefits of objective alcohol measures can be made more accessible to a greater number of researchers. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 14;44(5):532-542. Epub 2018 Feb 14.

c Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science , University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences , Fargo , ND , USA.

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates a link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cannabis use and suggests that this link may vary as a function of the PTSD symptom cluster type. Consistent with negative reinforcement models of substance use, individuals with elevated Cluster D (Hyperarousal) symptoms may be more likely to use cannabis in response to elevated state anxiety and experience decreases in state anxiety after using cannabis.

Objectives: We aimed to test hypotheses that the interaction of Cluster D and state anxiety would be related to subsequent cannabis use and that those with elevated Cluster D symptoms who used cannabis would report the greatest decreases in state anxiety. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 8;44(4):472-479. Epub 2018 Feb 8.

a Smoking and Addictive Disorders Unit, Faculty of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology , University of Santiago de Compostela , Santiago de Compostela , Spain.

Background: Depressive symptoms and craving are related to smoking maintenance; however, little is known about the association between trajectories of depressive symptoms and smoking craving after quitting.

Objectives: We examined if depressive symptom change relates to change in craving following smoking cessation treatment.

Methods: Participants were 362 (64. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 8;44(6):619-627. Epub 2018 Feb 8.

a Division on Substance Abuse , New York State Psychiatric Institute , New York , NY , USA.

Background: There are no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies for cannabis use disorders (CUD), despite the evaluation of numerous medications. Notably, chronic dosing of oral naltrexone decreases self-administration of cannabis in human laboratory studies.

Objectives: To test the feasibility of long-acting injectable naltrexone for the treatment of CUD, while obtaining preliminary safety and efficacy data. Read More

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018 5;44(2):275. Epub 2018 Feb 5.

b Department of Psychiatry , UT Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas , TX , USA.