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Mahdavinia M, Poole JA, Apter AJ, Pacheco SE, Pappalardo AA, Matsui EC, Davis CM, Bernstein JA. Volunteerism Addressing Environmental Disparities in Allergy (VAEDIA): The presidential initiative to combat environmental injustice in allergy and immunology-a Work Group Report of the AAAAI VAEDIA task force. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 154:59-67. [PMID: 38795076 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
Many vulnerable people lose their health or lives each year as a result of unhealthy environmental conditions that perpetuate medical conditions within the scope of allergy and immunology specialists' expertise. While detrimental environmental factors impact all humans globally, the effect is disproportionately more profound in impoverished neighborhoods. Environmental injustice is the inequitable exposure of disadvantaged populations to environmental hazards. Professional medical organizations such as the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) are well positioned to engage and encourage community outreach volunteer programs to combat environmental justice. Here we discuss how environmental injustices and climate change impacts allergic diseases among vulnerable populations. We discuss pathways allergists/immunologists can use to contribute to addressing environmental determinants by providing volunteer clinical service, education, and advocacy. Furthermore, allergists/immunologists can play a role in building trust within these communities, partnering with other patient advocacy nonprofit stakeholders, and engaging with local, state, national, and international nongovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and governments. The AAAAI's Volunteerism Addressing Environmental Disparities in Allergy (VAEDIA) is the presidential task force aiming to promote volunteer initiatives by creating platforms for discussion and collaboration and by funding community-based projects to address environmental injustice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahboobeh Mahdavinia
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, UT Health Houston, Houston.
| | - Jill A Poole
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb
| | - Andrea J Apter
- Section of Allergy & Immunology, Division of Pulmonary Allergy & Critical Care Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa
| | - Susan E Pacheco
- Department of Pediatrics, Pulmonary Division, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, Tex
| | - Andrea A Pappalardo
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep & Allergy, University of Illinois, Chicago, Ill
| | - Elizabeth C Matsui
- departments of Pediatrics and Population Health, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Tex
| | - Carla M Davis
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex
| | - Jonathan A Bernstein
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Chong-Neto HJ, Radwan N, Condino-Neto A, Rosário Filho NA, Ortega-Martell JA, El-Sayed ZA. Newborn screening for inborn errors of immunity: The status worldwide. World Allergy Organ J 2024; 17:100920. [PMID: 38974948 PMCID: PMC11225001 DOI: 10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Newborn screening (NBS) for the early detection of inborn errors of immunity (IEI) has been implemented in a few countries. The objective of this study was to verify the situation and define obstacles to the implementation of NBS worldwide. Methods A questionnaire was developed by the Inborn Errors of Immunity Committee of the World Allergy Organization (WAO) with 17 questions regarding NBS for IEI in the physician's workplace, NBS test type, problems hindering NBS implementation, reimbursement for IEI therapy, presence of a national IEI registry, referral centers, molecular diagnosis, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation centers, gene therapy, and immunoglobulin replacement therapy. The survey was sent by email once a week to doctors and others associated with WAO and the main immunology societies worldwide as a Google Form™ to be completed during September and October 2021. Results Two hundred twenty-nine questionnaires were completed, of which 216 (94.3%) were completed by physicians. One hundred seventy-six (76.8%) physicians were both allergists and immunologists. The agreement between allergists/immunologists and non-allergists/non-immunologists for the question "Is there NBS for IEI in the country you work in?" was good (κ = 0,64: 95% CI 0.55-0.69). Ninety-eight (42.8%) participants were from Latin America, 35 (15.3%) from North America, 29 (12.6%) from Europe, 18 (7.9%) from Africa, 44 (19.2%) from Asia, and 5 (2.2%) from Oceania. More than half the participants (n = 124, 54.2%) regularly treated patients with IEI, followed by occasional treatment (n = 77, 33.6%), or never (n = 28, 12.2%). Of the respondents, 14.8% reported that their countries performed NBS for IEI, whereas 42.2% reported their countries did not. T-cell receptor excision circles was the most widely used technique in some countries, with 75 (59.9%) for the diagnosis of NBS for IEI, followed by combined use with kappa deleting-recombination excision circles. Only 13 participants (10.3%) underwent neonatal exon screening in their respective countries. Financial and technical issues were among the major obstacles to the implementation of NBS for IEI. Conclusions This pilot study showed that few countries have implemented NBS for IEI, despite the presence of immunology referral centers and the availability of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and intravenous immunoglobulin replacement therapy. The findings highlight the difficulties, mainly financial and technical, hindering wide application of NBS. Sharing experiences, technologies, and resources at the international level can help overcome these difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herberto José Chong-Neto
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Complexo Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Nesrine Radwan
- Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology Unit, Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Nelson Augusto Rosário Filho
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Complexo Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | - Zeinab A. El-Sayed
- Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology Unit, Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
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Pappalardo AA, Codispoti CD, Mahdavinia M. Health care access in allergy and immunology: Problems and potential solutions. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 153:401-403. [PMID: 37926120 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea A Pappalardo
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Ill; Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Ill
| | - Christopher D Codispoti
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Ill; Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Ill.
| | - Mahboobeh Mahdavinia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Ill; Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Ill
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Sanchez DA, Lee ASE, Rotella K, Eng A, Cunningham-Rundles C. Social Determinants of Health Impacting Diagnosis and Management of Primary Immunodeficiencies: A Case Series. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. IN PRACTICE 2024; 12:491-494. [PMID: 38061547 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.11.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- David A Sanchez
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
| | - Ashley Sang Eun Lee
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Karina Rotella
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Andrew Eng
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
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Esmaeel SE, Mohamed HT, Alshammari RA, Alanazi IS, Aleawaili ND, Alanazi FS. General Population Awareness of Primary Immune Deficiency Disease in Children in the Arar Region, Saudi Arabia. Cureus 2024; 16:e54102. [PMID: 38487112 PMCID: PMC10938182 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.54102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDD) are of various types and severities, and they are associated with a delay in diagnosis. Early diagnosis of PIDD helps to improve the quality of life of affected children and prevent permanent consequences such as organ damage. Hence, awareness of PIDD is a must in the community to aid in early detection. Objectives The study aims to investigate the general population's awareness of PIDD in children in Arar, Northern Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional design was utilized to determine the awareness of PIDD in children in Arar, Northern Saudi Arabia. The participants were selected through an online self-administered questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results A total of 528 participants were involved in the current study. The majority of the sample population falls within the 20-30 age range. 9.1% of respondents know a child with primary immunodeficiency. Additionally, participants were aware of certain symptoms, such as delayed growth and chronic diarrhea, with rates of 47.0% and 34.1%, respectively. On the other hand, symptoms like otitis media and sinusitis have lower awareness rates of 25.8% and 33.3%, respectively. Conclusion This study can help in developing targeted awareness campaigns and educational programs to improve the understanding of primary immune deficiency disease among the general population in Saudi Arabia. This, in turn, can lead to earlier diagnosis and better management of the disease in children, ultimately improving their quality of life.
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Pullen RL. Immunodeficiency. Nursing 2023; 53:18-24. [PMID: 37074273 DOI: 10.1097/01.nurse.0000923656.99987.5d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Immunodeficiency is an immune system defect that increases a person's susceptibility to infection. This article discusses the signs, symptoms, and management of patients with immunodeficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Pullen
- Richard Pullen is a professor of nursing at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing. He is also a member of the Nursing2023 editorial board
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Ghadimi S, Jamee M, Abolhassani H, Parvaneh N, Rezaei N, Delavari S, Sadeghi-Shabestari M, Tabatabaei SR, Fahimzad A, Armin S, Chavoshzadeh Z, Sharafian S. Demographic, clinical, immunological, and molecular features of iranian national cohort of patients with defect in DCLRE1C gene. ALLERGY, ASTHMA, AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE CANADIAN SOCIETY OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 19:13. [PMID: 36810129 PMCID: PMC9942309 DOI: 10.1186/s13223-023-00768-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND DCLRE1C gene mutation leads to Artemis deficiency, a severe form of combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Impaired DNA repair and block in early adaptive immunity maturation results in T-B-NK+ immunodeficiency associated with radiosensitivity. Recurrent infections early in life are the main characteristic of Artemis patients. METHOD Among 5373 registered patients, 9 Iranian patients (33.3% female) with confirmed DCLRE1C mutation were identified since 1999-2022. The demographic, clinical, immunological and genetic features were collected through retrospective investigation of medical records and using next generation sequencing. RESULTS Seven patients were born in a consanguineous family (77.8%). The median age of onset was 6.0 (5.0-17.0) months. Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) was clinically detected at a median (IQR) age of 7.0 (6.0-20.5) months, following a median diagnostic delay of 2.0 (1.0-3.5) months The most typical first presentation was pneumonia (44.4%) and otitis media (3.33%), followed by BCG lymphadenitis (22.2%) and gastroenteritis (11.1%). The most prevalent manifestations were respiratory tract infections (including otitis media) (66.6%) and chronic diarrhea (66.6%). In addition, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (P5) and celiac disease and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (P9) as autoimmune disorders were reported in 2 patients. All patients had reduced B CD19+ and CD4+ cell counts. IgA deficiency occurred in 77.8% of individuals. CONCLUSION Recurrent infections particulary respiratory tract infection and chronic diarrhea during the first months of life in patients born to consanguineous parents should raise the suspicion for inborn errors of immunity, even in the presence of normal growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soodeh Ghadimi
- grid.472338.90000 0004 0494 3030School of Medicine, Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahnaz Jamee
- grid.411600.2Pediatric Nephrology Research Center, Research Institute for Children’s Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,grid.411600.2Immunology and Allergy Department, Mofid Children’s Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Abolhassani
- grid.411705.60000 0001 0166 0922Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,grid.24381.3c0000 0000 9241 5705Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nima Parvaneh
- grid.411705.60000 0001 0166 0922Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- grid.411705.60000 0001 0166 0922Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samaneh Delavari
- grid.411705.60000 0001 0166 0922Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahnaz Sadeghi-Shabestari
- grid.412888.f0000 0001 2174 8913Department of Immunology and Allergy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Rafiei Tabatabaei
- grid.411600.2Pediatric Infections Research Center, Research Institute for Children’s Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Fahimzad
- grid.411600.2Pediatric Infections Research Center, Research Institute for Children’s Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahnaz Armin
- grid.411600.2Pediatric Infections Research Center, Research Institute for Children’s Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Chavoshzadeh
- Immunology and Allergy Department, Mofid Children's Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Samin Sharafian
- Immunology and Allergy Department, Mofid Children's Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Galant-Swafford J, George E, Meyer A. Serving Underserved Patients with Primary Immune Deficiency Disorders: A Pilot Educational Program for Clinical Fellows. J Clin Immunol 2023; 43:308-311. [PMID: 36227412 PMCID: PMC9558029 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-022-01377-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Galant-Swafford
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA.
| | - Elizabeth George
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Anna Meyer
- Colorado Allergy & Asthma Centers, P.C., Denver, CO, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Social determinants of health (SDH) are factors that affect patient health outcomes outside the hospital. SDH are "conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks." Current literature has shown SDH affecting patient reported outcomes in various specialties; however, there is a dearth in research relating spine surgery with SDH. The aim of this review article is to identify connections between SDH and post-operative outcomes in spine surgery. These are important, yet understudied predictors that can impact health outcomes and affect health equity. RECENT FINDINGS Few studies have shown associations between SDH pillars (environment, race, healthcare, economic, and education) and spine surgery outcomes. The most notable relationships demonstrate increased disability, return to work time, and pain with lower income, education, environmental locations, healthcare status and/or provider. Despite these findings, there remains a significant lack of understanding between SDH and spine surgery. Our manuscript reviews the available literature comparing SDH with various spine conditions and surgeries. We organized our findings into the following narrative themes: 1) education, 2) geography, 3) race, 4) healthcare access, and 5) economics.
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Mauracher AA, Henrickson SE. Leveraging Systems Immunology to Optimize Diagnosis and Treatment of Inborn Errors of Immunity. FRONTIERS IN SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2022; 2:910243. [PMID: 37670772 PMCID: PMC10477056 DOI: 10.3389/fsysb.2022.910243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are monogenic disorders that can cause diverse symptoms, including recurrent infections, autoimmunity and malignancy. While many factors have contributed, the increased availability of next-generation sequencing has been central in the remarkable increase in identification of novel monogenic IEI over the past years. Throughout this phase of disease discovery, it has also become evident that a given gene variant does not always yield a consistent phenotype, while variants in seemingly disparate genes can lead to similar clinical presentations. Thus, it is increasingly clear that the clinical phenotype of an IEI patient is not defined by genetics alone, but is also impacted by a myriad of factors. Accordingly, we need methods to amplify our current diagnostic algorithms to better understand mechanisms underlying the variability in our patients and to optimize treatment. In this review, we will explore how systems immunology can contribute to optimizing both diagnosis and treatment of IEI patients by focusing on identifying and quantifying key dysregulated pathways. To improve mechanistic understanding in IEI we must deeply evaluate our rare IEI patients using multimodal strategies, allowing both the quantification of altered immune cell subsets and their functional evaluation. By studying representative controls and patients, we can identify causative pathways underlying immune cell dysfunction and move towards functional diagnosis. Attaining this deeper understanding of IEI will require a stepwise strategy. First, we need to broadly apply these methods to IEI patients to identify patterns of dysfunction. Next, using multimodal data analysis, we can identify key dysregulated pathways. Then, we must develop a core group of simple, effective functional tests that target those pathways to increase efficiency of initial diagnostic investigations, provide evidence for therapeutic selection and contribute to the mechanistic evaluation of genetic results. This core group of simple, effective functional tests, targeting key pathways, can then be equitably provided to our rare patients. Systems biology is thus poised to reframe IEI diagnosis and therapy, fostering research today that will provide streamlined diagnosis and treatment choices for our rare and complex patients in the future, as well as providing a better understanding of basic immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea A. Mauracher
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sarah E. Henrickson
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Oppenheimer J, Spergel J. Social determinants of health in the world of allergy/immunology. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2021; 128:2. [PMID: 34893184 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2021.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John Oppenheimer
- The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-Rutgers, Newark, New Jersey; Pulmonary and Allergy Associates, Summit, New Jersey.
| | - Jonathan Spergel
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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