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Murai T, Bailey L, Schultz L, Mongeau L, DeSana A, Silva AC, Roberts AC, Sukoff Rizzo SJ. Improving preclinical to clinical translation of cognitive function for aging-related disorders: the utility of comprehensive touchscreen testing batteries in common marmosets. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:325-348. [PMID: 38200282 PMCID: PMC11039501 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01144-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Concerns about poor animal to human translation have come increasingly to the fore, in particular with regards to cognitive improvements in rodent models, which have failed to translate to meaningful clinical benefit in humans. This problem has been widely acknowledged, most recently in the field of Alzheimer's disease, although this issue pervades the spectrum of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative diseases. Consequently, recent efforts have focused on improving preclinical to clinical translation by incorporating more clinically analogous outcome measures of cognition, such as touchscreen-based assays, which can be employed across species, and have great potential to minimize the translational gap. For aging-related research, it also is important to incorporate model systems that facilitate the study of the long prodromal phase in which cognitive decline begins to emerge and which is a major limitation of short-lived species, such as laboratory rodents. We posit that to improve translation of cognitive function and dysfunction, nonhuman primate models, which have conserved anatomical and functional organization of the primate brain, are necessary to move the field of translational research forward and to bridge the translational gaps. The present studies describe the establishment of a comprehensive battery of touchscreen-based tasks that capture a spectrum of domains sensitive to detecting aging-related cognitive decline, which will provide the greatest benefit through longitudinal evaluation throughout the prolonged lifespan of the marmoset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Murai
- Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lauren Bailey
- Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Laura Schultz
- Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lauren Mongeau
- Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Andrew DeSana
- Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Afonso C Silva
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 514A Bridgeside Point 1, 100 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
| | - Angela C Roberts
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stacey J Sukoff Rizzo
- Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 514A Bridgeside Point 1, 100 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.
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Sobral G, Dubuc C, Winters S, Ruiz-Lambides A, Emery Thompson M, Maestripieri D, Milich KM. Facial and genital color ornamentation, testosterone, and reproductive output in high-ranking male rhesus macaques. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2621. [PMID: 38297064 PMCID: PMC10831099 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52400-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Males in many vertebrate species have colorful ornaments that evolved by sexual selection. The role of androgens in the genesis and maintenance of these signals is unclear. We studied 21 adult high-ranking male rhesus macaques from nine social groups in the free-ranging population on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, and analyzed facial and genital skin luminance and redness, fecal androgens, rates of mating behaviors, and offspring sired. Facial and genital coloration varied in relation to age, mating behavior, reproductive success, and testosterone concentration. Our results indicate that skin coloration in high-ranking male rhesus macaques is a sexually-selected trait mediated by androgens. These results add to the growing literature on the proximate and ultimate causes of male sexual signals and highlight the need to examine how these characteristics change with age in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela Sobral
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM/UFRJ), Macaé, RJ, Brazil
| | - Constance Dubuc
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sandra Winters
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | | | | - Krista M Milich
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Moreira LAA, Merrigan-Johnson C, Fetherstonhaugh L, Parr NA, Higham JP, Melin AD. Assessing color cues of development, breeding status and reproductive condition in captive golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia). Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23543. [PMID: 37560915 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23543] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Color signals play an important role in intraspecific communication and are well studied in catarrhine primates, which exhibit uniform trichromatic vision that is well suited to detecting such signals. Platyrrhine primates exhibit polymorphic color vision with different individuals possessing different color vision types in most species. Intriguingly, some platyrrhine species exhibit bare faces, which are convergent with those of catarrhines. However, putative functions of bare-faced color signals in platyrrhines remain largely unexplored. We measured facial skin color of five captive golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) using color-calibrated digital photography and modeled these colors to the visual systems of the species. Our results show that facial coloration is different between infant and older adults and varies across reproductive condition, but not between breeding and nonbreeding adults. While preliminary, our study suggests that facial coloration may be involved in sociosexual signaling in golden lion tamarins, and provides intriguing evidence that we hope might stimulate more studies of bare-faced signaling in platyrrhines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lais A A Moreira
- Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | | | | | - Nigel A Parr
- Department of Wildlife Care, Toronto Zoo, Toronto, Canada
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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Moreira LAA, Watsa M, Erkenswick G, Higham JP, Melin AD. Evaluating genital skin color as a putative sexual signal in wild saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarins. Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23456. [PMID: 36437549 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Coevolution between signalers and receivers has played a significant role in the diversity of animal signals and sensory systems. Platyrrhines (monkeys in the Americas) exhibit a remarkable color vision polymorphism that may have been selected by both natural and sexual selection, but sociosexual color signaling among platyrrhines has received almost no attention. Here, we study the color of reproductive skin among different reproductive classes in free-ranging female saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarins, modeling color spaces, and contrasts for the different visual systems. We find that the chromatic saturation and luminance of genital color vary between reproductive classes in saddleback tamarins. Chromatic contrast between the vulva and belly is lower in the parous females (PFs) relative to adult but not currently breeding females, while achromatic contrast is higher in PFs in saddleback tamarins relative to nonparous females. However, in emperor tamarins, genital color (saturation, hue, and luminance) does not vary between reproductive classes. Overall, genital skin color variation is present in tamarins and may play a role in sexual signaling. Nevertheless, the patterns are inconsistent between species, suggesting interspecific variation. Future studies should integrate the perceiver's behavioral responses and the physical and social signaling environments into comprehensive studies of communication as well as consider the role and interaction between multiple sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lais A A Moreira
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Mrinalini Watsa
- Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, California, USA.,Field Projects International, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Gideon Erkenswick
- Field Projects International, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Missouri St. Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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5
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Barros PKS, Castro FN, Pessoa DMA. Detection of conspicuous and cryptic food by common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus): An evaluation of the importance of color and shape cues. Behav Processes 2021; 192:104495. [PMID: 34487831 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In primates, the advantage of trichromacy (i.e., color vision expressed by most humans) over dichromacy (i.e., color vision expressed by many colorblind humans) has been linked to the detection of yellowish/reddish targets against a background of mature green leaves. Nevertheless, mostly because of studies conducted in humans, we know that achromatic cues might also play an important role in object identification, particularly when camouflage is involved. For instance, dichromacy favors the detection of camouflaged targets by exploitation of shape cues. The present study sought to evaluate the relative importance of color and shape cues on the detection of food targets by female and male marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Animals were observed with respect to their foraging behavior and the number of food targets captured. We confirmed that females are advantageous in detecting conspicuous food against a green background and revealed that females and males rely on shape cues to segregate cryptic food. Unexpectedly, males outperformed females in cryptic food foraging, while camouflage improved males' (but not females') performance. Here we show that dichromats could potentially benefit from a better segregation of green natural targets (e.g., immature fruits, green insects, and gum trees) when viewed against a green dappled background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Kelly Silva Barros
- Laboratory of Sensory Ecology, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59072-970, Brazil; Primate Center, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59072-970, Brazil
| | - Felipe Nalon Castro
- Laboratory of Human Behavior Evolution, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59072-970, Brazil
| | - Daniel Marques Almeida Pessoa
- Laboratory of Sensory Ecology, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59072-970, Brazil; Primate Center, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59072-970, Brazil.
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de Moraes PZ, Diniz P, Spyrides MHC, Pessoa DMA. The effect of pelage, background, and distance on predator detection and the evolution of primate color vision. Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23230. [PMID: 33475188 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Primates' predators, such as carnivore mammals, usually rely on camouflage to increase proximity to prey and start a predatory attempt. Camouflage depends not only on the color pattern presented by a predator's pelage but also on the background scene in which the hunting takes place. Another factor that influences camouflage effectiveness is prey's color vision since a given camouflage strategy might not work for all visual phenotypes. Still, little research has been made on the effect of primate visual phenotype on predator detection. Here, we investigate the effects of natural pelages, background scenarios, visual phenotypes, and detection distances on predator detection. We used photographs of taxidermized carnivores (ocelots, cougars, and lesser grisons) as detection stimuli, taken in three different natural scenarios (forest, savanna, and grassland), and at two viewing distances (near and far). On a touchscreen monitor, sets of four images (only one containing a hidden animal) were randomly presented to 39 human males (19 dichromats and 20 trichromats). We found that trichromats, when compared to dichromats, present a lower latency and a higher accuracy of carnivore detection for some conditions tested. We also found that pelage color, background scenario, and detection distance interact to influence the effectiveness of camouflage. Our results suggest that trichromacy might be even more advantageous for carnivore detection than thought before, since it facilitates detection of mammals with diverse pelage colorations, in environments with different phytophysiognomies, and at longer distances. We also propose that the higher rates of dichromacy found in modern human societies could have resulted from a relaxation in predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Z de Moraes
- Laboratory of Sensory Ecology, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 59078-970, Brazil
| | - Pedro Diniz
- Ecology Graduation Program, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, 70910-900, Brazil.,Laboratory of Animal Behavior, Department of Zoology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Maria Helena C Spyrides
- Department of Statistics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 59078-970, Brazil
| | - Daniel M A Pessoa
- Laboratory of Sensory Ecology, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 59078-970, Brazil.,Primate Center, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 59078-970, Brazil
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Moreira LAA, Duytschaever G, Higham JP, Melin AD. Platyrrhine color signals: New horizons to pursue. Evol Anthropol 2019; 28:236-248. [PMID: 31609040 PMCID: PMC6865018 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Like catarrhines, some platyrrhines show exposed and reddish skin, raising the possibility that reddish signals have evolved convergently. This variation in skin exposure and color combined with sex-linked polymorphic color vision in platyrrhines presents a unique, and yet underexplored, opportunity to investigate the relative importance of chromatic versus achromatic signals, the influence of color perception on signal evolution, and to understand primate communication broadly. By coding the facial skin exposure and color of 96 platyrrhines, 28 catarrhines, 7 strepsirrhines, 1 tarsiiform, and 13 nonprimates, and by simulating the ancestral character states for these traits, we provide the first analysis of the distribution and evolution of facial skin exposure and color in platyrrhini. We highlight ways in which studying the presence and use of color signals by platyrrhines and other primates will enhance our understanding of the evolution of color signals, and the forces shaping color vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laís A. A. Moreira
- Department of Anthropology & ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | - Gwen Duytschaever
- Department of Anthropology & ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | | | - Amanda D. Melin
- Department of Anthropology & ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
- Department of Medical GeneticsUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research InstituteCalgaryAlbertaCanada
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8
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Hiramatsu C, Melin AD, Allen WL, Dubuc C, Higham JP. Experimental evidence that primate trichromacy is well suited for detecting primate social colour signals. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2458. [PMID: 28615496 PMCID: PMC5474062 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Primate trichromatic colour vision has been hypothesized to be well tuned for detecting variation in facial coloration, which could be due to selection on either signal wavelengths or the sensitivities of the photoreceptors themselves. We provide one of the first empirical tests of this idea by asking whether, when compared with other visual systems, the information obtained through primate trichromatic vision confers an improved ability to detect the changes in facial colour that female macaque monkeys exhibit when they are proceptive. We presented pairs of digital images of faces of the same monkey to human observers and asked them to select the proceptive face. We tested images that simulated what would be seen by common catarrhine trichromatic vision, two additional trichromatic conditions and three dichromatic conditions. Performance under conditions of common catarrhine trichromacy, and trichromacy with narrowly separated LM cone pigments (common in female platyrrhines), was better than for evenly spaced trichromacy or for any of the dichromatic conditions. These results suggest that primate trichromatic colour vision confers excellent ability to detect meaningful variation in primate face colour. This is consistent with the hypothesis that social information detection has acted on either primate signal spectral reflectance or photoreceptor spectral tuning, or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Hiramatsu
- Department of Human Science, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, 4-9-1 Shiobaru, Minamiku, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan .,Physiological Anthropology Research Center, Kyushu University, 4-9-1 Shiobaru, Minamiku, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - William L Allen
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Constance Dubuc
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Carvalho LS, Pessoa DMA, Mountford JK, Davies WIL, Hunt DM. The Genetic and Evolutionary Drives behind Primate Color Vision. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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10
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Schiel N, Souto A. The common marmoset: An overview of its natural history, ecology and behavior. Dev Neurobiol 2016; 77:244-262. [PMID: 27706919 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Callithrix jacchus are small-bodied Neotropical primates popularly known as common marmosets. They are endemic to Northeast Brazil and occur in contrasting environments such as the humid Atlantic Forest and the dry scrub forest of the Caatinga. Common marmosets live in social groups, usually containing only one breeding pair. These primates have a parental care system in which individuals help by providing assistance to the infants even when they are not related to them. Free-ranging groups use relatively small home ranges (0.5-5 hectares) and have an omnivorous diet. Because of the shape of their teeth, they actively gouge tree bark to extract and consume exudates. When foraging for live prey, they adjust their strategy according to the type of prey. The successful use of appropriate hunting strategies depends not only on age but also on prey type and seems to be mediated by learning and experience. Indeed, common marmosets have shown unexpected cognitive abilities, such as true imitation. All these aspects seem to have contributed to the ecological success of this species. Callithrix jacchus has been widely studied, especially in captivity; even so, a number of questions remain to be answered about its biology, ecology, and behavior, both in captivity and the wild. A richer understanding of marmosets' natural behavior and ecology can have a significant impact on shaping ongoing and future neuroscience research. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 244-262, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Schiel
- Department of Biology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Antonio Souto
- Department of Zoology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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