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Behroozi M, Graïc JM, Gerussi T. Beyond the surface: how ex-vivo diffusion-weighted imaging reveals large animal brain microstructure and connectivity. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1411982. [PMID: 38988768 PMCID: PMC11233460 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1411982] [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: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Diffusion-weighted Imaging (DWI) is an effective and state-of-the-art neuroimaging method that non-invasively reveals the microstructure and connectivity of tissues. Recently, novel applications of the DWI technique in studying large brains through ex-vivo imaging enabled researchers to gain insights into the complex neural architecture in different species such as those of Perissodactyla (e.g., horses and rhinos), Artiodactyla (e.g., bovids, swines, and cetaceans), and Carnivora (e.g., felids, canids, and pinnipeds). Classical in-vivo tract-tracing methods are usually considered unsuitable for ethical and practical reasons, in large animals or protected species. Ex-vivo DWI-based tractography offers the chance to examine the microstructure and connectivity of formalin-fixed tissues with scan times and precision that is not feasible in-vivo. This paper explores DWI's application to ex-vivo brains of large animals, highlighting the unique insights it offers into the structure of sometimes phylogenetically different neural networks, the connectivity of white matter tracts, and comparative evolutionary adaptations. Here, we also summarize the challenges, concerns, and perspectives of ex-vivo DWI that will shape the future of the field in large brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Behroozi
- Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jean-Marie Graïc
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Tommaso Gerussi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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López-Murillo C, Hinestroza-Morales S, Henny P, Toledo J, Cardona-Gómez GP, Rivera-Gutiérrez H, Posada-Duque R. Differences in vocal brain areas and astrocytes between the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1339308. [PMID: 38601797 PMCID: PMC11004282 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1339308] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The house wren shows complex song, and the rufous-tailed hummingbird has a simple song. The location of vocal brain areas supports the song's complexity; however, these still need to be studied. The astrocytic population in songbirds appears to be associated with change in vocal control nuclei; however, astrocytic distribution and morphology have not been described in these species. Consequently, we compared the distribution and volume of the vocal brain areas: HVC, RA, Area X, and LMAN, cell density, and the morphology of astrocytes in the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird. Individuals of the two species were collected, and their brains were analyzed using serial Nissl- NeuN- and MAP2-stained tissue scanner imaging, followed by 3D reconstructions of the vocal areas; and GFAP and S100β astrocytes were analyzed in both species. We found that vocal areas were located close to the cerebral midline in the house wren and a more lateralized position in the rufous-tailed hummingbird. The LMAN occupied a larger volume in the rufous-tailed hummingbird, while the RA and HVC were larger in the house wren. While Area X showed higher cell density in the house wren than the rufous-tailed hummingbird, the LMAN showed a higher density in the rufous-tailed hummingbird. In the house wren, GFAP astrocytes in the same bregma where the vocal areas were located were observed at the laminar edge of the pallium (LEP) and in the vascular region, as well as in vocal motor relay regions in the pallidum and mesencephalon. In contrast, GFAP astrocytes were found in LEP, but not in the pallidum and mesencephalon in hummingbirds. Finally, when comparing GFAP astrocytes in the LEP region of both species, house wren astrocytes exhibited significantly more complex morphology than those of the rufous-tailed hummingbird. These findings suggest a difference in the location and cellular density of vocal circuits, as well as morphology of GFAP astrocytes between the house wren and the rufous-tailed hummingbird.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina López-Murillo
- Área de Neurofisiología Celular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Santiago Hinestroza-Morales
- Área de Neurofisiología Celular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Pablo Henny
- Laboratorio de Neuroanatomía, Departamento de Anatomía, and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, NeuroUC, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Toledo
- Scientific Equipment Network REDECA, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gloria Patricia Cardona-Gómez
- Área de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Facultad de Medicina, Sede de Investigaciones Universitarias, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Héctor Rivera-Gutiérrez
- Grupo de Investigación de Ecología y Evolución de Vertebrados, Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Rafael Posada-Duque
- Área de Neurofisiología Celular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
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Orije JEMJ, Van der Linden A. A brain for all seasons: An in vivo MRI perspective on songbirds. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:967-984. [PMID: 35989548 PMCID: PMC9804379 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Seasonality in songbirds includes not only reproduction but also seasonal changes in singing behavior and its neural substrate, the song control system (SCS). Prior research mainly focused on the role of sex steroids on this seasonal SCS neuroplasticity in males. In this review, we summarize the advances made in the field of seasonal neuroplasticity by applying in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in male and female starlings, analyzing the entire brain, monitoring birds longitudinally and determining the neuronal correlates of seasonal variations in plasma hormone levels and song behavior. The first MRI studies in songbirds used manganese enhanced MRI to visualize the SCS in a living bird and validated previously described brain volume changes related to different seasons and testosterone. MRI studies with testosterone implantation established how the consequential boost in singing was correlated to structural changes in the SCS, indicating activity-induced neuroplasticity as song proficiency increased. Next, diffusion tensor MRI explored seasonal neuroplasticity in the entire brain, focusing on networks beyond the SCS, revealing that other sensory systems and even the cerebellum, which is important for the integration of sensory perception and song behavior, experience neuroplasticity starting in the photosensitive period. Functional MRI showed that olfactory, and auditory processing was modulated by the seasons. The convergence of seasonal variations in so many sensory and sensorimotor systems resembles multisensory neuroplasticity during the critical period early in life. This sheds new light on seasonal songbirds as a model for unlocking the brain by recreating seasonally the permissive circumstances for heightened neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmien Ellen Maria Jozef Orije
- Department of Biomedical SciencesBio‐Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpenBelgium,NEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of AntwerpAntwerpenBelgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Department of Biomedical SciencesBio‐Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpenBelgium,NEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of AntwerpAntwerpenBelgium
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Orije JEMJ, Raymaekers SR, Majumdar G, De Groof G, Jonckers E, Ball GF, Verhoye M, Darras VM, Van der Linden A. Unraveling the Role of Thyroid Hormones in Seasonal Neuroplasticity in European Starlings ( Sturnus vulgaris). Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:897039. [PMID: 35836548 PMCID: PMC9275473 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.897039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thyroid hormones clearly play a role in the seasonal regulation of reproduction, but any role they might play in song behavior and the associated seasonal neuroplasticity in songbirds remains to be elucidated. To pursue this question, we first established seasonal patterns in the expression of thyroid hormone regulating genes in male European starlings employing in situ hybridization methods. Thyroid hormone transporter LAT1 expression in the song nucleus HVC was elevated during the photosensitive phase, pointing toward an active role of thyroid hormones during this window of possible neuroplasticity. In contrast, DIO3 expression was high in HVC during the photostimulated phase, limiting the possible effect of thyroid hormones to maintain song stability during the breeding season. Next, we studied the effect of hypothyroidism on song behavior and neuroplasticity using in vivo MRI. Both under natural conditions as with methimazole treatment, circulating thyroid hormone levels decreased during the photosensitive period, which coincided with the onset of neuroplasticity. This inverse relationship between thyroid hormones and neuroplasticity was further demonstrated by the negative correlation between plasma T3 and the microstructural changes in several song control nuclei and cerebellum. Furthermore, maintaining hypothyroidism during the photostimulated period inhibited the increase in testosterone, confirming the role of thyroid hormones in activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. The lack of high testosterone levels influenced the song behavior of hypothyroid starlings, while the lack of high plasma T4 during photostimulation affected the myelination of several tracts. Potentially, a global reduction of circulating thyroid hormones during the photosensitive period is necessary to lift the brake on neuroplasticity imposed by the photorefractory period, whereas local fine-tuning of thyroid hormone concentrations through LAT1 could activate underlying neuroplasticity mechanisms. Whereas, an increase in circulating T4 during the photostimulated period potentially influences the myelination of several white matter tracts, which stabilizes the neuroplastic changes. Given the complexity of thyroid hormone effects, this study is a steppingstone to disentangle the influence of thyroid hormones on seasonal neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmien E. M. J. Orije
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sander R. Raymaekers
- Laboratory of Comparative Endocrinology, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gaurav Majumdar
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Geert De Groof
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elisabeth Jonckers
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gregory F. Ball
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Veerle M. Darras
- Laboratory of Comparative Endocrinology, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Yebga Hot R, Siwiaszczyk M, Love SA, Andersson F, Calandreau L, Poupon F, Beaujoin J, Herlin B, Boumezbeur F, Mulot B, Chaillou E, Uszynski I, Poupon C. A novel male Japanese quail structural connectivity atlas using ultra-high field diffusion MRI at 11.7 T. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1577-1597. [PMID: 35355136 PMCID: PMC9098543 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02457-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The structural connectivity of animal brains can be revealed using post-mortem diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Despite the existence of several structural atlases of avian brains, few of them address the bird’s structural connectivity. In this study, a novel atlas of the structural connectivity is proposed for the male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), aiming at investigating two lines divergent on their emotionality trait: the short tonic immobility (STI) and the long tonic immobility (LTI) lines. The STI line presents a low emotionality trait, while the LTI line expresses a high emotionality trait. 21 male Japanese quail brains from both lines were scanned post-mortem for this study, using a preclinical Bruker 11.7 T MRI scanner. Diffusion-weighted MRI was performed using a 3D segmented echo planar imaging (EPI) pulsed gradient spin-echo (PGSE) sequence with a 200 \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\upmu$$\end{document}μm isotropic resolution, 75 diffusion-encoding directions and a b-value fixed at 4500 s/mm2. Anatomical MRI was likewise performed using a 2D anatomical T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) sequence with a 150 \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\upmu$$\end{document}μm isotropic resolution. This very first anatomical connectivity atlas of the male Japanese quail reveals 34 labeled fiber tracts and the existence of structural differences between the connectivity patterns characterizing the two lines. Thus, the link between the male Japanese quail’s connectivity and its underlying anatomical structures has reached a better understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raïssa Yebga Hot
- Unité BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marine Siwiaszczyk
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Scott A Love
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Ludovic Calandreau
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Fabrice Poupon
- Unité BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Justine Beaujoin
- Unité BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Bastien Herlin
- Unité BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Fawzi Boumezbeur
- Unité BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Baptiste Mulot
- Zooparc de Beauval & Beauval Nature, 41110, Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Elodie Chaillou
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Ivy Uszynski
- Unité BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Cyril Poupon
- Unité BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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Orije J, Cardon E, Hamaide J, Jonckers E, Darras VM, Verhoye M, Van der Linden A. Uncovering a 'sensitive window' of multisensory and motor neuroplasticity in the cerebrum and cerebellum of male and female starlings. eLife 2021; 10:e66777. [PMID: 34096502 PMCID: PMC8219385 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, research unraveling seasonal neuroplasticity in songbirds has focused on the male song control system and testosterone. We longitudinally monitored the song behavior and neuroplasticity in male and female starlings during multiple photoperiods using Diffusion Tensor and Fixel-Based techniques. These exploratory data-driven whole-brain methods resulted in a population-based tractogram confirming microstructural sexual dimorphisms in the song control system. Furthermore, male brains showed hemispheric asymmetries in the pallium, whereas females had higher interhemispheric connectivity, which could not be attributed to brain size differences. Only females with large brains sing but differ from males in their song behavior by showing involvement of the hippocampus. Both sexes experienced multisensory neuroplasticity in the song control, auditory and visual system, and cerebellum, mainly during the photosensitive period. This period with low gonadal hormone levels might represent a 'sensitive window' during which different sensory and motor systems in the cerebrum and cerebellum can be seasonally re-shaped in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmien Orije
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Emilie Cardon
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Julie Hamaide
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | | | - Veerle M Darras
- Laboratory of Comparative Endocrinology, Biology DepartmentLeuvenBelgium
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Song learning and plasticity in songbirds. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 67:228-239. [PMID: 33667874 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Birdsong provides a fascinating system to study both behavioral and neural plasticity. Oscine songbirds learn to sing, exhibiting behavioral plasticity both during and after the song-learning process. As a bird learns, its song progresses from a plastic and highly variable vocalization into a more stereotyped, crystallized song. However, even after crystallization, song plasticity can occur: some species' songs become more stereotyped over time, whereas other species can incorporate new song elements. Alongside the changes in song, songbirds' brains are also plastic. Both song and neural connections change with the seasons in many species, and new neurons can be added to the song system throughout life. In this review, we highlight important research on behavioral and neural plasticity at multiple timescales, from song development in juveniles to lifelong modifications of learned song.
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Hamaide J, Lukacova K, Orije J, Keliris GA, Verhoye M, Van der Linden A. In vivo assessment of the neural substrate linked with vocal imitation accuracy. eLife 2020; 9:49941. [PMID: 32196456 PMCID: PMC7083600 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human speech and bird song are acoustically complex communication signals that are learned by imitation during a sensitive period early in life. Although the brain areas indispensable for speech and song learning are known, the neural circuits important for enhanced or reduced vocal performance remain unclear. By combining in vivo structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging with song analyses in juvenile male zebra finches during song learning and beyond, we reveal that song imitation accuracy correlates with the structural architecture of four distinct brain areas, none of which pertain to the song control system. Furthermore, the structural properties of a secondary auditory area in the left hemisphere, are capable to predict future song copying accuracy, already at the earliest stages of learning, before initiating vocal practicing. These findings appoint novel brain regions important for song learning outcome and inform that ultimate performance in part depends on factors experienced before vocal practicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Hamaide
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Kristina Lukacova
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jasmien Orije
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Georgios A Keliris
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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