Power outages inport harcourt city: problems and solutions

Frequent power outages arising from poor state of electricity infrastructure is hindering Nigeria’s socio-economic growth. Port Harcourt is one of the foremost cities in Nigeria where business and social activities are becoming rapidly more dependent on electricity. Any power outage, even of the shortest duration, in Port Harcourt City has severe socio-economic impacts and there is no likelihood that the phenomenon would abate even in the nearest future. This research investigated the causes of incessant power outages in Port Harcourt City and suggested remedial measures to reverse the trend. The researcher relied on datacollected from primary sources through personal observations, interviews and discussions with residents of the City and from secondary sources such as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and current scholarly literature relating to this research, over a period of twelve months. The study used a descriptive and the non-parametric simple percentages technique in analysing the data so collected and in drawing conclusions. It was found that inadequate power generating capacity, shortage of gas, weak and dilapidated electrical transmission and distribution network, inadequate power infrastructure facilities, etc. are the chief causes of incessant power outages in the Port Harcourt metropolis. The paper recommends, among others, immediate upgrade of existing power infrastructure facilities, review of government policy on domestic gas supply and stiff statutory legislation on vandalism as measures to stabilise electricity supply in the Port Harcourt city.

Dr. Hachimenum Amadi Dr. hachimenum amadi

Review on the cardioprotective role of pinocemrin in atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and related vascular-myocardial remodeling

Cardiovascular diseases represent a formidable global health challenge, standing as the foremost cause of both mortality and morbidity. Atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction, as primary contributors to this epidemiological burden, underscore the urgent need for effective therapeutic interventions with minimal side effects. Natural compounds derived from plants have emerged as promising candidates, given their enhanced efficacy and reduced adverse effects. Phytochemicals, in particular, have garnered attention for their potential as alternative therapeutic agents. This review delves into the cardioprotective potential of pinocembrin (5,7-Dihydroxy flavanone), a compound extracted from various plants and honey. Renowned for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, pinocembrin demonstrates significant cardioprotective effects through the modulation of diverse signaling pathways. Atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction entail intricate cellular mechanisms involving oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, cellular remodeling, and programmed cell death. Pinocembrin, by targeting key factors within these pathways, exhibits cardioprotective actions. While existing research underscores its effectiveness, further investigations are warranted to elucidate the impact of pinocembrin on additional cardiovascular conditions and explore novel molecular targets, thus paving the way for future advancements in therapeutic interventions.

Brinda Elangovan Brinda elangovan

Aggressive behavior among higher secondary students in rural, semi-urban and urban areas: a review of literature

This study aims to examine and compare the levels and patterns of aggressive behavior among higher secondary students in rural, semi-urban, and urban areas. Aggression among adolescents is a significant concern, and understanding its variations across different settings can provide valuable insights for intervention and prevention strategies. The study employs a review-based research design, using articles published between 1993 and 2023 to collect data on aggressive behavior of higher secondary students. For this purpose, a review of the literature was performed by using the search words “aggressive behavior”, “higher secondary students”, “rural”, “semi-urban”, “urban” in the databases like Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Academia, Shodhganga, PubMed, JSTOR and Elsevier for articles. The results will shed light on the prevalence, types, and potential factors influencing aggression in these areas, informing the development of targeted interventions and policy recommendations and statistical analyses will be employed to examine the relationships between variables. Importance and Scope of the Topic: Aggressive behavior is a topic that affects us all. From playground bullies to road rage enthusiasts, aggressive behavior has a significant impact on our daily lives. Understanding the causes and consequences of aggression is crucial in finding ways to prevent and manage such behavior. After all, the world would be a much better place if we all knew how to calm down and express our frustrations in healthy ways.

Abdul Jaleel Kuzhiyengal Mambra Abdul jaleel kuzhiyengal mambra

Vitamin c and human diseases: an overview

Vitamin C is associated with history of the cause of the ancient hemorrhagic disease scurvy. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient with important antioxidant properties. It is required by the body for normal physiological function. The body cannot synthesize vitamin C, it is present in nature through foods and other natural sources and it exists as a nutritional food supplement. The antioxidant activity of vitamin C protects the body from free radical damage. Vitamin C is essential for the development and maintenance of connective tissues. It is used as therapeutic agent in many diseases and disorders. Vitamin C plays an important role in several metabolic functions, as the conversion of the amino acid, tryptophan, to the neurotransmitter, serotonin, and the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids. Vitamin C supplementation resulted in a significant increase in vitamin C levels in populations; its high intake is associated with positive effects on cardiovascular risk factors. Vitamin C protects the immune system, reduces the severity of allergic reactions and helps to fight infections. It has an important role in bone formation, wound healing and the maintenance of healthy gums. There is profound beneficial effect of vitamin C in respect to human diseases as cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease and many metal toxicities. Several vitamin C analogs have been produced as anticancer and antioxidant activity. Vitamin C is useful if it is used as adjuvant therapy for several chronic diseases. Thus, this review summarizes the importance of vitamin C in the body’s physiology and biochemistry, in addition, the different mechanisms that vitamin C is implicated to treat different acute and chronic diseases. Future exploration should pay attention to chronic disease management by vitamin C.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

Post-marketing quality assessment of paracetamol brands in the libyan market

Paracetamol is one of the most found over the counter drugs worldwide. It is widely used as an analgesic and antipyretic drug. Many commercial types of paracetamol tablets are available under different brand names in the Libyan drug market. The present study was conducted to evaluate post-marketing quality parameters for three brands of paracetamol tablets marketed in Libya. All three brands were evaluated for weight variation, hardness, friability, disintegration time and uniformity of content following British pharmacopeia guidelines. The outcomes of this study showed all tested brands complied with the British pharmacopeia specifications for the weight variation test, friability test (0.05%-0.17%), and hardness test (171.3N-197.6 N). In addition, two brands passed the British pharmacopeia requirements for the disintegration time test, whereas one brand exceeded the allowed disintegration time by about five minutes. Furthermore, high performance liquid chromatography was used to determine paracetamol content. Although the average amount of paracetamol drug available in these brands is not very close to 100%, where one brand achieved the lowest value (438.1 mg), the loaded dose of paracetamol in selected tablets in the three brands was within the British pharmacopeia standard specifications for the uniformity content test. Therefore, it can be concluded that almost all the three tested brands of paracetamol tablets that are available in the Libyan drug market meet the British pharmacopeia specification for quality control analysis.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

De la rhétorique du politiquement correct dans le discours présidentiel algerien: éléments d’analyse discursive

Le discours du nouveau Président algérien, Monsieur Abdelmadjid Tebboune, se caractérise par une rhétorique différente de celle de ses prédécesseurs. Notre entreprise, dans le présent article, vise à rendre compte de cette spécificité discursive en interrogeant trois expressions ponctuant souvent son discours. Notre analyse se propose d’examiner des segments de discours collationnés à partir des différents entretiens périodiques accordés aux médias nationaux et internationaux ainsi que des allocutions du président lors des travaux réunissant le gouvernement et les walis. En guise de conclusion, nous déterminerons les motivations du choix de ces formules dans le discours présidentiel.

Assanvo

Acoustical performance of a double-expansion chamber muffler: design and evaluation

Background: Exhaust noise is known to be a major pollutant in the environment and workplaces due to the development of industry and transportation. Exhaust noise can be reduced to normal levels by mufflers or silencers. A reactive muffler efficiently dampens noise at low frequencies by reflecting sound waves. Therefore, muffler design is of great importance in exhaust noise reduction. Transmission loss (TL) is an essential characteristic of mufflers, demonstrating their acoustical properties. Any acoustical appliance is selected based on its damping performance and reliability. Predicting TL through experimentation is different from theoretical calculations. Methods: In the present study, a double-expansion chamber muffler was designed as a reflective muffler on a laboratory scale by equations. Next, TL was evaluated by an impedance tube applying a 4-microphone technique to determine the acoustical performance of the designed muffler. Results: Findings revealed that the TL of the muffler at 312 Hz frequency obtained 27.5 dB agreement with the required TL of the muffler of 25 dB. In addition, the TL of the muffler against frequency attenuates noise in broadband frequencies. Conclusions: These results indicated that the built muffler provides desired TL for exhaust chambers. Therefore, equations can be used as a precise method for muffler design. Furthermore, multi-expansion chamber mufflers are useful for reducing noise at a wide range of frequencies.

Niloofar

Potential risk factors for mortality in patients with covid-19: a retrospective study

Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection caused more than five million deaths throughout the world and more than five thousand deaths in Libya, a little is known about the mortality rate and the risk factors for death from this serious infectious disease in Libya. Thus, it is aimed in this study to identify the potential risk factors for mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infections among 176 Libyan COVID-19 patients in Zawia city. This research is a retrospective cohort study that was conducted on 176 randomly selected volunteers who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 during a period of December 2020 to February 2021 in Zawia city, Libya. Following filling the prepared validated questionnaire by COVID-19 patients, the data was analyzed to determine the previously mentioned risk factors. The mean age (SD) of the total 176 participated COVID-19 patients was 45.06 (± 17.7) and the mortality rate among these total involved cases (mild to severe cases) was 10.8%. It is found that the mortality among the severe COVID-19 cases was 41.3% and the mean age (SD) of COVID-19 deaths was 69.1 years (13.8) and 73.7% of them were 60 years old or older. In addition, it is found that 63.2% of the SARS-CoV-2 deaths were females and 78.9% of them had a positive history of chronic diseases. Moreover, it was found that the most common chronic diseases among COVID-19 deaths are diabetes mellitus and hypertension (73.3% and 53.3%, respectively). Collectively, it is concluded that COVID-19 elderly female patients aging 60 years or older with a positive history of chronic disease are more likely at high risk for death from SARS-CoV-2 infection among the participated COVID cases.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

Spatial distribution pattern of lower basic schools for the implementation of lower basic education in rivers state, nigeria

This study examined the spatial distribution pattern of public lower basic schools for the implementation of lower basic education in Rivers State. One research question guided the study. The descriptive survey design was used. The population for the study was the 942 public lower basic schools in Rivers State. Stratified random sampling technique was used to draw the sample size of 289 schools. A handheld Global Positioning System receiver was the instrument used for the study. Nearest neighbour analysis was used to answer the research question. Findings revealed that the overall pattern of distribution of existing public lower basic schools in Rivers State is clustered. Specifically the distribution of schools in Degema and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas is dispersed with Rn of 1.72 and 1.36 respectively. The pattern of distribution of Bonny, Opobo/Nkoro, Abua/Odual, Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre indicates a clustered pattern with Rn of 0.91, 0.83 0.84, 0.74, 0.72 and 0.24 respectively. The study therefore recommended among other things that the state governments should make policies that guide school mapping and ensure their strict compliance. Since school mapping is an integral aspect of micro-planning, every local government should be statutorily required to have a comprehensive school map of its area that should be updated at least every decade. The services of professional planners should be utilized by the Ministry of Education and should also ensure that modern mapping equipment are deployed for this very important exercise.

FXintegrity Publishing Fxintegrity publishing

Indian advertising demand in terms of cultural society

Simply put, advertising is an important marketing strategy that works in conjunction with information and persuasion channels. Every single person is exposed to commercials on a daily basis. They've become an inseparable part of the print medium, whether it's newspapers or magazines, over time. This is also true in the case of broadcast media, where ad-commercials predominate. The Indian advertising industry has grown tremendously from a small business to a full-fledged industry. The purpose of this study is to determine the advertising attractions and the influence they have on Indian culture. Advertisements in India are not only used to sell products. It sells dreams, visions, and the ideal way of life, while also reinforcing stereotyped values. The longer an individual is exposed to an advertisement, the more likely it is that it will effect them. The appeals' goal is to change how people think about themselves and how they decide whether or not to buy certain things will benefit them. Because India has such a large population and cultural diversity, the advertising industry has created a wide range of advertisements to capture people's attention and persuade them to buy products. The appeals are written in such a way that they have an impact on people's purchasing decisions.

Dr. Amarjeet Singh Dr. amarjeet singh

Pharmacognostic and phytochemical study of the flowers of cordia sebestena l

The present study shows the pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies on the flowers of Cordia sebestena. L. belongs to the family Boraginaceae. C. sebestena L. is found primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of the American, Asian and African continents. Though it is an essential plant, no pharmacognostic work has been found on its parts, such as flowers. Various organoleptic characters were recorded by macroscopic study. A microscopic study of the flowers was also conducted, which shows the presence of fibres, calcium oxalate crystals and multiple types of trichomes, along with fluorescence analysis. The present study also deals with the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of C. sebestena L. FT-IR spectra revealed the presence of C-H, C=C, C-N, C-O and aromatic groups. The chemical composition of the hexane extract of the flowers of C. sebestena L. was detected through GC-MS, and the spectrum achieved through GC-MS was correlated with the database of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which comprise more than 62000 outlines of the mass spectrum. GC-MS analysis of n-hexane extract showed the existence of Retinoic acid, lupeol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and hexadecanoic acid, along with fatty acids, esters, alkaloids and alcohols. These pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies can be valuable in providing reliable proof of the quality of the plant, which can benefit health professionals and herbal medicine manufacturers.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Analysis of few crude compounds and separation of leaf pigments in few medicinal plant species

For utilization of a certain biomass it is necessary to know its chemical composition. The present study is qualitative crude chemical analyses of nutritional value (crude compounds) such as acidity, starch, carohydrates, iron and calcium etc. from stem extracts of Tinospora cardifolia, Centella asiatica, Clerodendrum inerme and leaf extract of Ocimum sanctum, Lawsonia inermis and Piper nigrum were conducted and also separate the pigments by TLC methods. The results revealed that Tinospora cardifolia, biomolecules like starch and carbohydrates were present and elements like iron and calcium were absent. In Centella asiatica indicated the absence of biomolecules like starch and carbohydrates and only one molecules, i.e., calcium is present and iron is absent. Similarly, in Clerodendrum inerme, biomolecules like starch were absent and carbohydrates were present. Both the elements iron and calcium were absent in Clerodendrum plant extracts. In Ocimum sanctum, starch is absent carbohydrates are present, iron and calcium are absent. In Lawsonia inermis, the results are similar to Ocimum sp. i.e., only carbohydrates are present remaining starch, iron and calcium are absent in Ocimum leaf extract. Interestingly, in Piper nigrum, all chemical compounds are totally absent. Related to pigments analysis highest distance travelled pigments are carotenoids (4.3 cm) in O. sanctum and highest numbers of pigments were founded in C. inerme with six pigments and least number of pigments was recorded in O. sanctum (four) and L. inermis (four). Meanwhile, the highest Rf value recorded in O. sanctum and P. nigrum with 0.97 (chlorophyll a). Among the seven pigments in six species carotenoids, chlorophyll a and xanthophylls are common to all species but chlorophyll b, lutein, anthocyanin and lawsonin are rare to occurs in these six species for example Lawsonin occur only in P. nigrum.

Veerabhadraswamy AL Veerabhadraswamy al

Health education on posture practices towards reduction of low back pain among patients

This study investigated the effect of health education on posture practices in reducing low back pain among patients in Rivers state, Nigeria. To achieve this, pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was employed, and the study targeted 170 patients at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. Two objectives having corresponding research questions and hypotheses guided the study, while convenience and stratified sampling techniques were used to select 50 participants, comprising 35 patients from the general outpatient clinic department and 15 patients from the spine physiotherapy unit, with 20 male and 30 female participants. Data collection was done by administering a self-structured, self-administered questionnaire, titled health education effect on ergonomic practices and low back pain, which had a reliability coefficient of 0.75. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses. The research found that educating patients on various methods of preventing low back pain, including healthy weight maintenance, warm-up exercises, and proper postural habits while sitting and standing, had a noteworthy impact on reducing pain. Moreover, the study also revealed that health education programmes were successful in therapeutic posture practices and reducing low back pain in patients residing in Rivers state. Therefore, the study concluded and recommended that health education interventions for functional and therapeutic posture practices are effective strategies for reducing low back pain among patients in Rivers state, and healthcare providers should incorporate these interventions into their treatment plans for patients suffering from low back pain.

FXintegrity Publishing Fxintegrity publishing

Factor influencing the tax planning behaviour among the salaried individuals

Indian Economy is the world's 06 th largest economy (2021 Nominal GDP) and 03 rd largest by purchasing power parity (2021 PPP). Salaried workers are a consistent group of tax paying citizens that give roughly 12% of overall revenue to a government through income tax. Due to which tax planning has assumed special importance for salaried individuals. All taxpayers in India have a variety of tax saving choices. These choices provide a variety of exclusions and deductions that help to reduce the total tax burden. Deductions are provided from Sections 80C through 80U, and qualifying taxpayers can claim them. Hence it is essential for the individual tax payer to know all their possible tax regulations and for tax compliance. It is totally legal and, in fact, a wise option when tax planning is done within the boundaries set by the relevant authorities. However the salaried individuals are not able to plan their taxes which results in opting for the wrong investment options. The objective of the study is to determine the level of awareness among the salaried individual on several tax planning methods offered on professional tax under the income tax act and to identify the factors influencing the tax planning behaviour of the salaried individuals..

Sabir Mujawar Sabir mujawar

Strategic management - concept of strategy

The strategy is a means of establishing the organisation's purpose in terms of priorities for resource allocation, action programs and long term objectives (Grant 2005). Chandler (1962) defines strategy as determining the primary long-term goals of an organisation, the adoption of courses of action, and the allocation of necessary resources. Besides, the strategy also focuses on allocating resources in relation to the organisation and its environment (Schendel & Hatten 1972). The strategy also pertains to the top management's decisions pertaining to its scope and the future direction. Such strategy covers an action plan on the organisation's future, commitments to specific products, services, and the markets.

Zamzam Abdelazim Zamzam abdelazim

Business ethics

Corporate social responsibility is a self-equipped business approach that helps an organization be socially responsible to its stakeholders and the overall public. Through the practice of CSR, companies are conscious and aware of the impacts they have on all aspects of society, including economic, social, and environmental (Goel and Ramanathan, 2014, p. 51). A case study scenario, in this case, is of StanBed Tours Ky, the impact of CSR on consumer loyalty, stating that the increase of CSR has resulted in the society's satisfaction with the business (Bediako, 2017, p. 1). CSR influences the people affected by it in various intensities and means. Such as, employees, who are part of the major stakeholders, are significantly affected by the organization's corporate social responsibility activities in marketing, which shape their logic, inspiration and lead to deeper commitments to achieving organizational goals and strategic plans (Makasi et al., 2014, p. 2600). Additionally, CSR investments in marketing significantly impact external shareholders such as consumers and the organization's image (Kaman, 2015, p. 7). CSR activities carried out by StanBed include tree planting exercises to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions resulting from flying airplanes, voluntary beach cleaning services to protect marine life, and providing educational services to children in the community of tours.

Zamzam Abdelazim Zamzam abdelazim

The effect of using dettol, salt and hot tap water in elimination of toothbrush contamination

Regularly used toothbrushes can be heavily contaminated with microorganisms, while inappropriate storage may increase the microbial load on these toothbrushes. Toothbrushes Microbial contamination can help to transmit many diseases, especially for people with mouth and/or Gum problems. This study aims to find the easiest and most available way to sterile toothbrushes at home. 24 adult volunteers were divided into four groups, the first three groups were asked to sterilize their toothbrushes with Dettol, water salt and hot water, while the fourth group toothbrushes were a positive control. Results showed that toothbrushes sterilized with Dettol gave the least contamination rate of 12.5%, toothbrushes sterilized with salt came next with 37.5%, while toothbrushes sterilized with hot tap water were the next with 50%. The toothbrushes of the fourth group which was used as the positive control were totally contaminated with different types of bacteria. Six bacterial agents were isolated; they are Staphylococcus Sp., Streptococcus sp., Bacillus Sp., E.coli, Pseudomonas Sp., and Salmonella sp. It was concluded that the use of Dettol was very effective in reducing the number of contamination of toothbrushes but its unacceptable flavour limiting its use. Other volunteers were comfortable with the use of salt and hot water as it was almost effective. The research suggests a group of recommendations to avoid the transmission of pathogens through toothbrushes and ensure healthy usage.

Kamal Singh Kamal singh

Morpho physico-chemical components of resistance to pod borer, helicoverpa armigera (hübner) in pigeonpea [cajanus cajan (l.) millspaugh]

The experiments were conducted at CCS HAU, Hisar (Haryana) to study the morpho physico-chemical components of resistance to pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera in pigeonpea with different sowing dates. In different four sowing dates, the minimum pod infestation (1.70%) was recorded in (D4) 3rd week of July sown crop, whereas, it was observed maximum (4.54%) in (D2) 1st week of July sown crop. In different pigeonpea varieties, the minimum mean pod infestation (2.45%) was recorded in AL-201, whereas, the maximum mean pod infestation (3.72%) was recorded in Pusa-992. The glandular (type A) and non-glandular (type B) trichomes on pods of top and middle canopy of the plant and pod wall thickness were associated with resistance to H. armigera, whereas, the non-glandular lengthy (type C) trichomes and pod length were associated with susceptibility to this insect. The expression of resistance to H. armigera was also associated with the high amount of fat, phenol and tannin content. Crude protein and total soluble sugar content were responsible for higher pod infestation.

DR. BABU LAL JAT Dr. babu lal jat

Speech stress analysis based on lie detector for loyalty test

Human being has lot of virtual mask in their behaviour (mind or brain). By the way of probability study alone, be able to find a person’s loyalty through their emotions, stress of speech, way of expressions and so on. It is not a novel technique to this world. The judgement and the hearings are finalizing in accordance to passed parameters (questions, transparent as well hidden test) and the result. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is one of the best methods meant for speech stress analysing based cheap lie detection for the loyalty test. To show the results, polygraph is a comprehensible demonstration oriented approach. These methods are already used by the insurance fraud investigations and police. Through an individual’s stress (stress percentage or else range) voice as well their emotions are able to detect the loyalty. Lie detection techniques require being extremely confidential and dynamic. For the reason that voice stress analysis (VSA) parameters have to be an encrypted for avoiding speech practise with testing tool. Here this paper, outlooks by using for predicting the liars through Speech VSA.

Dr H Shaheen Dr h shaheen

Nutritional background of low-income pulmonary tuberculosis patients on anti-tuberculosis therapy at infectious disease hospital, calabar, nigeria: a case-control study

Background: Poverty and malnutrition are associated with the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). Nutritional reintegration with anti-TB therapy may improve treatment success rate. Aim: To investigate the nutritional status of low-income pulmonary TB patients in relation to the different anti-TB treatment phases. Methods: Forty five pulmonary TB patients and 40 controls aged 19-54 years, receiving treatment at Infectious Disease Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria, between September 2018 and July 2019 were studied. Serum total protein, albumin, iron and vitamin A were determined by colorimetric and HPLC methods respectively. Height and weight were measured and BMI computed, and data analysed using Student’s t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation at P<0 P=0.001).>0.05) respectively. Albumin and iron were significantly lower in CPAT-HIV compared with CPAT patients. Albumin correlated positively and significantly with iron (r=0.405, p=0.006) in TB patients. Conclusion: Tuberculosis is associated with decreased BMI, albumin, iron and vitamin A, and higher total protein, and globulin, suggesting that malnutrition may be associated with TB risk, poor treatment compliance and outcomes

Eworo Raymond Eworo raymond

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