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Marole TA, Sibanda T, Buys EM. Assessing probiotic viability in mixed species yogurt using a novel propidium monoazide (PMAxx)-quantitative PCR method. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1325268. [PMID: 38389538 PMCID: PMC10882272 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1325268] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Viability is a prerequisite for any therapeutic benefits associated with the ingestion of probiotic bacteria. Current culture-based techniques are inadequate for the enumeration of probiotics in mixed-species food products. This study utilized a quantitative PCR (qPCR) method coupled with propidium monoazide (PMAxx), and novel species-specific tuf gene primers to selectively enumerate Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium spp., and yogurt starter cultures in mixed-species probiotic yogurt. The method was optimized for PMAxx concentration and specificity and evaluated for efficiency and applicability. PMAxx-qPCR showed high specificity to the target organisms in mixed-species yogurt, quantifying only viable cells. The linear dynamic ranges were established over five to seven orders of magnitude. The assay was reliable with an efficiency of 91-99%, R2 values > 0.99, and a good correlation to the plate count method (r = 0.882). The results of this study demonstrate the high selectivity, improved lead time, and reliability of PMAxx-qPCR over the culture-dependent method, making it a valuable tool for inline viability verification during processing and improving probiotic quality assurance for processors and consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tlaleo A Marole
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Thulani Sibanda
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Elna M Buys
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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2
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Sibanda T, Marole TA, Thomashoff UL, Thantsha MS, Buys EM. Bifidobacterium species viability in dairy-based probiotic foods: challenges and innovative approaches for accurate viability determination and monitoring of probiotic functionality. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1327010. [PMID: 38371928 PMCID: PMC10869629 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1327010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Bifidobacterium species are essential members of a healthy human gut microbiota. Their presence in the gut is associated with numerous health outcomes such as protection against gastrointestinal tract infections, inflammation, and metabolic diseases. Regular intake of Bifidobacterium in foods is a sustainable way of maintaining the health benefits associated with its use as a probiotic. Owing to their global acceptance, fermented dairy products (particularly yogurt) are considered the ideal probiotic carrier foods. As envisioned in the definition of probiotics as "live organisms," the therapeutic functionalities of Bifidobacterium spp. depend on maintaining their viability in the foods up to the point of consumption. However, sustaining Bifidobacterium spp. viability during the manufacture and shelf-life of fermented dairy products remains challenging. Hence, this paper discusses the significance of viability as a prerequisite for Bifidobacterium spp. probiotic functionality. The paper focuses on the stress factors that influence Bifidobacterium spp. viability during the manufacture and shelf life of yogurt as an archetypical fermented dairy product that is widely accepted as a delivery vehicle for probiotics. It further expounds the Bifidobacterium spp. physiological and genetic stress response mechanisms as well as the methods for viability retention in yogurt, such as microencapsulation, use of oxygen scavenging lactic acid bacterial strains, and stress-protective agents. The report also explores the topic of viability determination as a critical factor in probiotic quality assurance, wherein, the limitations of culture-based enumeration methods, the challenges of species and strain resolution in the presence of lactic acid bacterial starter and probiotic species are discussed. Finally, new developments and potential applications of next-generation viability determination methods such as flow cytometry, propidium monoazide-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PMA-qPCR), next-generation sequencing, and single-cell Raman spectroscopy (SCRS) methods are examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thulani Sibanda
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Applied Biology and Biochemistry, National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
- Department of Biology, National of University of Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho
| | - Tlaleo Azael Marole
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Mapitsi S. Thantsha
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Elna M. Buys
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Ennis D, Shmorak S, Jantscher-Krenn E, Yassour M. Longitudinal quantification of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis reveals late colonization in the infant gut independent of maternal milk HMO composition. Nat Commun 2024; 15:894. [PMID: 38291346 PMCID: PMC10827747 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45209-y] [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: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast milk contains human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) that cannot be digested by infants, yet nourish their developing gut microbiome. While Bifidobacterium are the best-known utilizers of individual HMOs, a longitudinal study examining the evolving microbial community at high-resolution coupled with mothers' milk HMO composition is lacking. Here, we developed a high-throughput method to quantify Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (BL. infantis), a proficient HMO-utilizer, and applied it to a longitudinal cohort consisting of 21 mother-infant dyads. We observed substantial changes in the infant gut microbiome over the course of several months, while the HMO composition in mothers' milk remained relatively stable. Although Bifidobacterium species significantly influenced sample variation, no specific HMOs correlated with Bifidobacterium species abundance. Surprisingly, we found that BL. infantis colonization began late in the breastfeeding period both in our cohort and in other geographic locations, highlighting the importance of focusing on BL. infantis dynamics in the infant gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dena Ennis
- Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Department, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shimrit Shmorak
- Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Department, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Moran Yassour
- Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Department, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
- The Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Nyangahu DD, Happel AU, Wendoh J, Kiravu A, Wang Y, Feng C, Plumlee C, Cohen S, Brown BP, Djukovic D, Ganief T, Gasper M, Raftery D, Blackburn JM, Allbritton NL, Gray CM, Paik J, Urdahl KB, Jaspan HB. Bifidobacterium infantis associates with T cell immunity in human infants and is sufficient to enhance antigen-specific T cells in mice. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade1370. [PMID: 38064556 PMCID: PMC10708209 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade1370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine can elicit good TH1 responses in neonates. We hypothesized that the pioneer gut microbiota affects vaccine T cell responses. Infants who are HIV exposed but uninfected (iHEU) display an altered immunity to vaccination. BCG-specific immune responses were analyzed at 7 weeks of age in iHEU, and responses were categorized as high or low. Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis was enriched in the stools of high responders, while Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron was enriched in low responders at time of BCG vaccination. Neonatal germ-free or SPF mice orally gavaged with live B. infantis exhibited significantly higher BCG-specific T cells compared with pups gavaged with B. thetaiotaomicron. B. infantis and B. thetaiotaomicron differentially affected stool metabolome and colonic transcriptome. Human colonic epithelial cells stimulated with B. infantis induced a unique gene expression profile versus B. thetaiotaomicron. We thus identified a causal role of B. infantis in early-life antigen-specific immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald D. Nyangahu
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anna-Ursula Happel
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jerome Wendoh
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Agano Kiravu
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Yuli Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Colin Feng
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Courtney Plumlee
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sara Cohen
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Bryan P. Brown
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Danijel Djukovic
- Northwest Metabolomics Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tariq Ganief
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Division of Chemical and Systems Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Melanie Gasper
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Daniel Raftery
- Northwest Metabolomics Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan M. Blackburn
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Division of Chemical and Systems Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Clive M. Gray
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Biomedical Research Institute, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jisun Paik
- Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kevin B. Urdahl
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA, USA
| | - Heather B. Jaspan
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA, USA
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Ngashangva L, Chattopadhyay S. Biosensors for point-of-care testing and personalized monitoring of gastrointestinal microbiota. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1114707. [PMID: 37213495 PMCID: PMC10196119 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1114707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota is essential in maintaining human health. Alteration of the GI microbiota or gut microbiota (GM) from homeostasis (i.e., dysbiosis) is associated with several communicable and non-communicable diseases. Thus, it is crucial to constantly monitor the GM composition and host-microbe interactions in the GI tract since they could provide vital health information and indicate possible predispositions to various diseases. Pathogens in the GI tract must be detected early to prevent dysbiosis and related diseases. Similarly, the consumed beneficial microbial strains (i.e., probiotics) also require real-time monitoring to quantify the actual number of their colony-forming units within the GI tract. Unfortunately, due to the inherent limitations associated with the conventional methods, routine monitoring of one's GM health is not attainable till date. In this context, miniaturized diagnostic devices such as biosensors could provide alternative and rapid detection methods by offering robust, affordable, portable, convenient, and reliable technology. Though biosensors for GM are still at a relatively preliminary stage, they can potentially transform clinical diagnosis in the near future. In this mini-review, we have discussed the significance and recent advancements of biosensors in monitoring GM. Finally, the progresses on future biosensing techniques such as lab-on-chip, smart materials, ingestible capsules, wearable devices, and fusion of machine learning/artificial intelligence (ML/AI) have also been highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lightson Ngashangva
- Transdisciplinary Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
- *Correspondence: Lightson Ngashangva,
| | - Santanu Chattopadhyay
- Pathogen Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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Iqbal A, Ali I, Yuan P, Khan R, Liang H, Wei S, Jiang L. Combined Application of Manure and Chemical Fertilizers Alters Soil Environmental Variables and Improves Soil Fungal Community Composition and Rice Grain Yield. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:856355. [PMID: 35910624 PMCID: PMC9330912 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.856355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil microorganisms play vital roles in energy flow and soil nutrient cycling and, thus, are important for crop production. A detailed understanding of the complex responses of microbial communities to diverse organic manure and chemical fertilizers (CFs) is crucial for agroecosystem sustainability. However, little is known about the response of soil fungal communities and soil nutrients to manure and CFs, especially under double-rice cropping systems. In this study, we investigated the effects of the application of combined manure and CFs to various fertilization strategies, such as no N fertilizer (Neg-CF); 100% chemical fertilizer (Pos-CF); 60% cattle manure (CM) + 40% CF (high-CM); 30% CM + 70% CF (low-CM); 60% poultry manure (PM) + 40% CF (high-PM), and 30% PM + 70% CF (low-PM) on soil fungal communities' structure and diversity, soil environmental variables, and rice yield. Results showed that synthetic fertilizer plus manure addition significantly increased the soil fertility and rice grain yield compared to sole CFs' application. Moreover, the addition of manure significantly changed the soil fungal community structure and increased the relative abundance of fungi such as phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Rozellomycota. The relative abundances dramatically differed at each taxonomic level, especially between manured and non-manured regimes. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) exhibited greater impacts of the addition of manure amendments than CFs on fungal community distributions. Redundancy analysis showed that the dominant fungal phyla were positively correlated with soil pH, soil organic C (SOC), total N, and microbial biomass C, and the fungal community structure was strongly affected by SOC. Network analysis explored positive relationships between microorganisms and could increase their adaptability in relevant environments. In addition, the structural equation model (SEM) shows the relationship between microbial biomass, soil nutrients, and rice grain yield. The SEM showed that soil nutrient contents and their availability directly affect rice grain yield, while soil fungi indirectly affect grain yield through microbial biomass production and nutrient levels. Our results suggest that manure application combined with CFs altered soil biochemical traits and soil fungal community structure and counteracted some of the adverse effects of the synthetic fertilizer. Overall, the findings of this research suggest that the integrated application of CF and manure is a better approach for improving soil health and rice yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anas Iqbal
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Izhar Ali
- College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Pengli Yuan
- College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Rayyan Khan
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Biology and Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - He Liang
- College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Shanqing Wei
- College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Ligeng Jiang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- *Correspondence: Ligeng Jiang
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Kim E, Kim D, Yang SM, Kim HY. Validation of probiotic species or subspecies identity in commercial probiotic products using high-resolution PCR method based on large-scale genomic analysis. Food Res Int 2022; 154:111011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Huang CH, Chen CC, Lin YC, Chen CH, Lee AY, Liou JS, Gu CT, Huang L. The mutL Gene as a Genome-Wide Taxonomic Marker for High Resolution Discrimination of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Its Closely Related Taxa. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9081570. [PMID: 34442649 PMCID: PMC8399863 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9081570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The current taxonomy of the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum group comprises of 17 closely related species that are indistinguishable from each other by using commonly used 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In this study, a whole-genome-based analysis was carried out for exploring the highly distinguished target genes whose interspecific sequence identity is significantly less than those of 16S rRNA or conventional housekeeping genes. In silico analyses of 774 core genes by the cano-wgMLST_BacCompare analytics platform indicated that csbB, morA, murI, mutL, ntpJ, rutB, trmK, ydaF, and yhhX genes were the most promising candidates. Subsequently, the mutL gene was selected, and the discrimination power was further evaluated using Sanger sequencing. Among the type strains, mutL exhibited a clearly superior sequence identity (61.6–85.6%; average: 66.6%) to the 16S rRNA gene (96.7–100%; average: 98.4%) and the conventional phylogenetic marker genes (e.g., dnaJ, dnaK, pheS, recA, and rpoA), respectively, which could be used to separat tested strains into various species clusters. Consequently, species-specific primers were developed for fast and accurate identification of L. pentosus, L. argentoratensis, L. plantarum, and L. paraplantarum. During this study, one strain (BCRC 06B0048, L. pentosus) exhibited not only relatively low mutL sequence identities (97.0%) but also a low digital DNA–DNA hybridization value (78.1%) with the type strain DSM 20314T, signifying that it exhibits potential for reclassification as a novel subspecies. Our data demonstrate that mutL can be a genome-wide target for identifying and classifying the L. plantarum group species and for differentiating novel taxa from known species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Hsun Huang
- Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Food Industry Research and Development Institute, 331 Shih-Pin Rd, Hsinchu 30062, Taiwan; (A.-Y.L.); (J.-S.L.); (L.H.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Chih-Chieh Chen
- Institute of Medical Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan;
- Rapid Screening Research Center for Toxicology and Biomedicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Lin
- Livestock Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, Tainan 71246, Taiwan; (Y.-C.L.); (C.-H.C.)
| | - Chia-Hsuan Chen
- Livestock Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, Tainan 71246, Taiwan; (Y.-C.L.); (C.-H.C.)
| | - Ai-Yun Lee
- Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Food Industry Research and Development Institute, 331 Shih-Pin Rd, Hsinchu 30062, Taiwan; (A.-Y.L.); (J.-S.L.); (L.H.)
| | - Jong-Shian Liou
- Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Food Industry Research and Development Institute, 331 Shih-Pin Rd, Hsinchu 30062, Taiwan; (A.-Y.L.); (J.-S.L.); (L.H.)
| | - Chun-Tao Gu
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China;
| | - Lina Huang
- Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Food Industry Research and Development Institute, 331 Shih-Pin Rd, Hsinchu 30062, Taiwan; (A.-Y.L.); (J.-S.L.); (L.H.)
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Real-time PCR assays for the quantitative detection of Kazachstania servazzii and Candida sake related to undesirable white colony on kimchi. Food Control 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.107984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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