Meat allergy and allergens

Publication date: Available online 21 April 2018
Source:Molecular Immunology
Author(s): Jeffrey M. Wilson, Thomas A.E. Platts-Mills
IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to ingested animal products, including both mammalian and avian sources, is increasingly appreciated as an important form of food allergy. Traditionally described largely in children, it is now clear that allergy to meat (and animal viscera) impacts both children and adults and represents a heterogeneous group of allergic disorders with multiple distinct syndromes. The recognition of entities such as pork-cat syndrome and delayed anaphylaxis to red meat, i.e- the α-Gal syndrome, have shed light on fundamental, and in some cases newly appreciated, features of allergic disease. These include insights into routes of exposure and mechanisms of sensitization, as well as the realization that IgE-mediated reactions can be delayed by several hours. Here we review mammalian and avian meat allergy with an emphasis on the molecular allergens and pathways that contribute to disease, as well as the role of in vitro IgE testing in diagnosis and management.



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Clinical Thyroidology®for the Public – Highlighted Article

From Clinical Thyroidology^® for the Public:  A patient survey of hypothyroid individuals demonstrates dissatisfaction with treatment and their managing physicians. Read More…

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Cytokines regulating lymphangiogenesis

Miguel Sáinz-Jaspeado | Lena Claesson-Welsh

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Development of next generation hemagglutinin-based broadly protective influenza virus vaccines

Raffael Nachbagauer | Peter Palese

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Overcoming wound complications in head and neck salvage surgery

Loco-regional treatment failure after radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and/or prior surgery represents a significant portion of head and neck cancer patients. Due to a wide array of biological interactions, these patients have a significantly increased risk of complications related to wound healing.

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Dermatology Subspecialty Clinic for Patients with Connective Tissue Disease Impacts Diagnosis and Treatment: A Single-Center, Retrospective Analysis

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Vitamin D Status in Scarring and Non-Scarring Alopecia

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Analysis of Spin in the Reporting of Studies of Topical Treatments of Photoaged Skin

Reporting and interpretation of findings in medical literature may be inconsistent with study methods and results, Even high-quality study design within dermatologic literature offers opportunities to spin results, Physicians, scientists, editors, and peer-reviewers should be mindful of spin techniques to improve the quality of research and care of our patients.

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Appropriate Use Criteria in Dermatopathology: Initial Recommendations from the American Society of Dermatopathology

Appropriate use criteria (AUC) combine the best scientific evidence available with expert judgment yielding a statement of the appropriateness for performing a test in specific clinical scenarios. Initial recommendations for the use of selected ancillary studies in dermatopathology are outlined. AUC can impact health care delivery, inform reimbursement policy, and guide physician decision making.

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National Skin Cancer Expenditure Analysis in the United States Medicare Population, 2013

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Astroblastoma – a rare and challenging tumor: a case report and review of the literature

Astroblastoma is a controversial and an extremely rare central nervous system neoplasm. Although its histogenesis has been clarified recently, controversies exist regarding its cellular origin and validity as ...

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The Potential Public Health Impact of Herpes Zoster Vaccination of People Aged ≥ 50 Years in Japan: Results of a Markov Model Analysis

Abstract

Introduction

The aim of this study was to compare the public health impact of introducing two herpes zoster (HZ) vaccines into the vaccination programs for the Japanese population aged ≥ 50 years: a single-dose Varicella Vaccine Live (VVL) or a two-dose adjuvanted Recombinant Zoster Vaccine (RZV).

Methods

A multi-cohort static Markov model was developed to follow age cohorts (50–59, 60–69, 70–79 and ≥ 80 years) over their remaining lifetime. Japan-specific data inputs for the model were obtained from Japanese data sources. Age-stratified vaccine efficacy and waning rates were based on published clinical trial data. In the base-case analysis, vaccine coverage was assumed to be 40% for both vaccines, and compliance with second-dose of the RZV vaccine was set to 95%.

Results

Vaccination with RZV was projected to prevent approximately 3.3 million HZ cases, 692,000 cases of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and 281,000 cases of other complications, compared with the prevention of 0.8 million HZ cases, 216,000 PHN cases, and 57,000 other complications with vaccination with VVL. The number of individuals needed to vaccinate in order to prevent one HZ case ranged from 6 to 14 using RZV (depending on age and assumed second-dose compliance) and from 21 to 138 depending on age using VVL. By preventing a higher number of HZ cases and its complications, RZV vaccination led to fewer outpatient visits and hospitalizations than vaccination with VVL.

Conclusion

Both vaccines had a positive public health impact compared to no vaccination, but due to its higher vaccine efficacy, RZV demonstrated a superior public health impact compared with VVL.

Funding

GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA.

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Pure red cell aplasia and HIV infection: what to suspect?

Description

A 15-year-old boy of black ethnicity presented with anorexia, fatigue and weight loss for 3 months. The patient's medical record included malaria infection at the age of 18 months and diagnosis of HIV infection at age 7 years treated with Tenofovir (TDF)/Emtricitabine (FTC)+ Efavirenz (EFV). The adolescent first went to a Congo's Hospitalar Unit, where antiretroviral (ART) therapy was changed to TDF/FTC+ Lopinavir (LPV)/ritonavir (r) due to elevated HIV viral load and low CD4⁺ T lymphocytes. The compliance was irregular, and 1 month later he was admitted. The laboratory study revealed severe anaemia (haemoglobin (Hb) 4.1 g/dL), and he received multiple transfusions. Due to the absence of clinical improvement, parents brought him to Oporto's Paediatric Hospital in Portugal. 

On physical examination he presented with pallor and weight loss. The rest of his physical examination findings were normal. The initial laboratory study showed normocytic normochromic anaemia (Hb 7.3 g/dL, red cell distribution width...

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Corpus callosum demyelination associated with acquired stuttering

Compared with developmental stuttering, adult onset acquired stuttering is rare. However, several case reports describe acquired stuttering and an association with callosal pathology. Interestingly, these cases share a neuroanatomical localisation also demonstrated in developmental stuttering. We present a case of adult onset acquired stuttering associated with inflammatory demyelination within the corpus callosum. This patient's disfluency improved after the initiation of immunomodulatory therapy.

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MonoMac syndrome with associated neurological deficits and longitudinally extensive cord lesion

We present a case of monocytopaenia and mycobacteria-related infection (MonoMac) syndrome in a 30-year-old man of Indian origin. The clinical diagnosis of GATA2 haploinsufficiency was suspected after an unusual neurological presentation on a background of myelodysplastic syndrome and childhood pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient had a longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesion and a lesion in the medulla. No obvious infective cause for the spinal cord MRI abnormality was found, and the lesions were presumed to be inflammatory in nature. The family history consisted of autosomal dominant clinical features suggestive of GATA2 haploinsufficiency. Genetic testing in peripheral leucocytes revealed a pathogenic mutation in GATA2. This is the first-ever published case of possible MonoMac syndrome with a neurological presentation. The case highlights the rarity and complexity of the diagnosis and the clinical sequelae that ensued with the patient dying of gram-negative septicaemia while receiving intravenous steroid therapy for the spinal cord lesion.

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Periurethral abscess drained by iatrogenic urethral fistula in a middle-aged man

Description

A 35-year-old man was referred to our urology department in June 2016 from a local hospital. The patient initially presented with high-grade fever, painful scrotal swelling and acute urinary retention (AUR) 3 months back to a local practitioner and was diagnosed as a case of periurethral abscess. He was advised oral antibiotics, and a small calibre (8 Fr) catheter was placed per-urethrally in the bladder. After few days, the catheter got removed accidentally, and the patient again went into AUR. The discharge card given to the patient mentioned that the patient had multiple failed attempts of per-urethral catheterisation, and in order to relieve the patient's symptoms, the treating practitioner just attempted a blind incision over the swelling. Pus mixed with urine came out. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it drained urine and led to resolution of the abscess. Subsequently, a urethral catheter was...

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Cluster of exertional rhabdomyolysis in three young women

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Risperidone-associated sinus tachycardia potentiated by paliperidone palmitate in a patient with no prior cardiovascular disease: role of risperidone-related autonomic instability

Risperidone and paliperidone palmitate are two antipsychotic drugs well tolerated in the management of schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions. There have been few reports of tachycardia induced by either drugs. Here, we report on a 21-year-old man, with a history of schizophrenia, and who developed persistent sinus tachycardia after he was restarted on risperidone, which later worsened after administration of paliperidone palmitate for long-term management. He had no cardiovascular risk factors other than obesity, and a prior well-tolerated risperidone treatment. Clinicians must be aware of the possibility of patients developing sinus tachycardia due to autonomic instability from a prior risperidone treatment, even though overall, these drugs are well tolerated.

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Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma paraneoplastic syndrome presenting as cutaneous vasculitis: first reported case of yet another mask

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JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

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PMID: 29677343 [PubMed - in process]

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Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in a patient taking Benepali for rheumatoid arthritis

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Rare case of otomastoiditis due to Coxiella burnetii chronic infection

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii that usually presents with non-specific or benign constitutional symptoms. Diagnosis is often challenging and, after acute Q fever, 1%–5% of patients can develop chronic disease. We present an 80-year-old male patient who was admitted due to a 3 months history of fever, productive cough, myalgia, weight loss, headache and hearing loss. Chronic Q fever was confirmed by positive antiphase I immunoglobulin G. Frequent locations of chronic infection was discarded, and ear CT revealed a right mastoid infection. He was treated with doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine for 18 months with significant improvement. This is a rare case of chronic Q fever presenting with otomastoiditis that has never been described.

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SLIT’s Prevention of the Allergic March

Abstract

Purpose of Review

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Recent Findings

Several studies show the efficacy and safety profile of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for the treatment of respiratory allergy diseases, but few data are available on its effect of primary and secondary prevention of allergic disease.

Summary

The purpose of this manuscript is to review the latest studies addressing the effect of SLIT on the development of new sensitizations in not sensitized or already sensitized patients and progression of the allergy march.

https://ift.tt/2HPd1ba

SLIT’s Prevention of the Allergic March

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The progression of atopic disorders from atopic dermatitis in infants to allergic rhinitis and asthma in children, adolescents, and adults defines the allergy march. Allergen immunotherapy is the only causal treatment altering the immunological mechanism underlying the allergic diseases. The sublingual administration route is more acceptable than the subcutaneous one in pediatric age.

Recent Findings

Several studies show the efficacy and safety profile of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for the treatment of respiratory allergy diseases, but few data are available on its effect of primary and secondary prevention of allergic disease.

Summary

The purpose of this manuscript is to review the latest studies addressing the effect of SLIT on the development of new sensitizations in not sensitized or already sensitized patients and progression of the allergy march.

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Horizontal antimicrobial resistance transfer drives epidemics of multiple Shigella species

Baker, KS; Dallman, TJ; Field, N; Childs, T; Mitchell, H; Day, M; Weill, F-X; ... Thomson, N; + view all Baker, KS; Dallman, TJ; Field, N; Childs, T; Mitchell, H; Day, M; Weill, F-X; Lefèvre, S; Tourdjman, M; Hughes, G; Jenkins, C; Thomson, N; - view fewer (2018) Horizontal antimicrobial resistance transfer drives epidemics of multiple Shigella species. Nature Communications , 9 (1) , Article 1462. 10.1038/s41467-018-03949-8 . Green open access

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Parental Bereavement in Young Children Living in South Africa and Malawi: Understanding Mental Health

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Increased auditory cortex neural response amplitude in adults with chronic unilateral conductive hearing impairment

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Inhibition processes are dissociable and lateralized in human prefrontal cortex

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Materialities

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Discovery in Medicine

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Military contractors and the money markets, 1700-15

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Correction to ‘Magnetic targeting of Microbubbles against Physiologically relevant flow conditions’(Interface Focus 5, 20150001, 2015, 10.1098/rsfs.2015.0001)

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On the Feasibility of Using Current Data Centre Infrastructure for Latency-sensitive Applications

Griffin, D; Phan, TK; Maini, E; Rio, M; Simoens, P; (2018) On the Feasibility of Using Current Data Centre Infrastructure for Latency-sensitive Applications. IEEE Transactions on Cloud Computing 10.1109/TCC.2018.2822271 . (In press). Green open access

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State education, crisis and austerity : an historical analysis through the lens of the Kondratiev cycles

Carpentier, V; (2014) State education, crisis and austerity : an historical analysis through the lens of the Kondratiev cycles. In: Education and the state : international perspectives on a changing relationship. (pp. 78-102). Routledge: Abingdon, United Kingdom. Green open access

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Epilogue: Exchanges: Time to Face the Strange?

Samson, A; (2016) Epilogue: Exchanges: Time to Face the Strange? In: Hackett, H, (ed.) Early Modern Exchanges: Dialogues Between Nations and Cultures, 1550-1750. (pp. 243-250). Routledge: London, United Kindom. Green open access

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Predicting Severity of Acute Pain After Cesarean Delivery: A Narrative Review

Cesarean delivery is one of the most common surgical procedures in the United States, with over 1.3 million performed annually. One-fifth of women who undergo cesarean delivery will experience severe pain in the acute postoperative period, increasing their risk of developing chronic pain and postpartum depression, and negatively impacting breastfeeding and newborn care. A growing body of research has investigated tools to predict which patients will experience more severe pain and have increased analgesic consumption after cesarean delivery. These include quantitative sensory testing, assessment of wound hyperalgesia, response to local anesthetic infiltration, and preoperative psychometric evaluations such as validated psychological questionnaires and simple screening tools. For this review, we searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane database, and Google Scholar to identify articles that evaluated the utility of various tools to predict severe pain and/or opioid consumption in the first 48 hours after cesarean delivery. Thirteen articles were included in the final review: 5 utilizing quantitative sensory testing, including patient responses to pressure, electrical, and thermal stimuli; 1 utilizing hyperalgesia testing; 1 using response to local anesthetic wound infiltration; 4 utilizing preoperative psychometric evaluations including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and simple questionnaires; and 2 utilizing a combination of quantitative sensory tests and psychometric evaluations. A number of modalities demonstrated statistically significant correlations with pain outcomes after cesarean delivery, but most correlations were weak to modest, and many modalities might not be clinically feasible. Response to local anesthetic infiltration and a tool using 3 simple questions enquiring about anxiety and anticipated pain and analgesic needs show potential for clinical use, but further studies are needed to evaluate the utility of these predictive tests in clinical practice.

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A Pain in the Abs: Predicting Post-Cesarean Analgesia

No abstract available

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Physiology and Role of Intraocular Pressure in Contemporary Anesthesia

More than 26 million Americans suffer with cataracts, and with 3.6 million cataract extractions performed annually in the United States, it is the most common surgical procedure. The integrity of the delicate structures of the eye that mediate vision is dependent on the intraocular pressure (IOP). Yet, IOP acts to compress the vessels within the globe—akin to a Starling resistor—and is a key component that determines the ocular perfusion pressure, defined as the difference between arterial pressure and IOP. The retina is one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body, and its functional integrity is dependent on an adequate blood supply, with retinal function linearly related to the ocular perfusion pressure. Retinal cell death has been demonstrated at low perfusion pressures (below 50 mm Hg). Modern ophthalmic surgery involves globe irrigation, manipulation, and instrumentation, resulting in dynamic pressure fluxes within the eye. Marked elevations of IOP (up to 4–5 times the normal value) with consequent borderline retinal and optic disk perfusion pressures occur for prolonged periods during many ophthalmic procedures. General surgeries, including laparoscopic, spinal, and cardiac procedures, especially, with their demand for steep Trendelenburg or prolonged prone positioning and/or hypotensive anesthesia, can induce IOP changes and ocular perfusion imbalance. These rapid fluctuations in IOP, and so in perfusion, play a role in the pathogenesis of the visual field defects and associated ocular morbidity that frequently complicate otherwise uneventful surgeries. The exact etiology of such outcomes is multifactorial, but ocular hypoperfusion plays a significant and frequently avoidable role. Those with preexisting compromised ocular blood flow are especially vulnerable to intraoperative ischemia, including those with hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis, or glaucoma. However, overly aggressive management of arterial pressure and IOP may not be possible given a patient's comorbidity status, and it potentially exposes the patient to risk of catastrophic choroidal hemorrhage. Anesthetic management significantly influences the pressure changes in the eye throughout the perioperative period. Strategies to safeguard retinal perfusion, reduce the ischemic risk, and minimize the potential for expulsive bleeding must be central to the anesthetic techniques selected. This review outlines: important physiological principles; ophthalmic and general procedures most likely to develop damaging IOP levels and their causative factors; the effect of anesthetic agents and techniques on IOP; recent scientific evidence highlighting the significance of perfusion changes during surgery; and key aspects of postoperative visual loss and management approaches for high-risk patients presenting for surgery.

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The Eyes Have It: Factors that Influence Intraocular Pressure (IOP)

No abstract available

https://ift.tt/2HG69iP

Patient Harm in Cataract Surgery: A Series of Adverse Events in Massachusetts

Massachusetts state agencies received reports of 37 adverse events (AEs) involving cataract surgery from 2011 to 2015. Fifteen were anesthesia related, including 5 wrong eye blocks, 3 cases of hemodynamic instability, 2 retrobulbar hematoma/hemorrhages, and 5 globe perforations resulting in permanent loss of vision. While Massachusetts' reported AEs likely underrepresent the true number of AEs that occur during cataract surgery, they do offer useful signal data to indicate the types of patient harm occurring during these procedures.

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Preventing Adverse Events in Cataract Surgery: Recommendations From a Massachusetts Expert Panel

Massachusetts health care facilities reported a series of cataract surgery–related adverse events (AEs) to the state in recent years, including 5 globe perforations during eye blocks performed by 1 anesthesiologist in a single day. The Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety, a nonregulatory Massachusetts state agency, responded by convening an expert panel of frontline providers, patient safety experts, and patients to recommend strategies for mitigating patient harm during cataract surgery. The purpose of this article is to identify contributing factors to the cataract surgery AEs reported in Massachusetts and present the panel's recommended strategies to prevent them. Data from state-mandated serious reportable event reports were supplemented by online surveys of Massachusetts cataract surgery providers and semistructured interviews with key stakeholders and frontline staff. The panel identified 2 principal categories of contributing factors to the state's cataract surgery–related AEs: systems failures and choice of anesthesia technique. Systems failures included inadequate safety protocols (48.7% of contributing factors), communication challenges (18.4%), insufficient provider training (17.1%), and lack of standardization (15.8%). Choice of anesthesia technique involved the increased relative risk of needle-based eye blocks. The panel's surveys of Massachusetts cataract surgery providers show wide variation in anesthesia practices. While 45.5% of surgeons and 69.6% of facilities reported increased use of topical anesthesia compared to 10 years earlier, needle-based blocks were still used in 47.0% of cataract surgeries performed by surgeon respondents and 40.9% of those performed at respondent facilities. Using a modified Delphi approach, the panel recommended several strategies to prevent AEs during cataract surgery, including performing a distinct time-out with at least 2 care-team members before block administration; implementing standardized, facility-wide safety protocols, including a uniform site-marking policy; strengthening the credentialing and orientation of new, contracted and locum tenens anesthesia staff; ensuring adequate and documented training in block administration for any provider who is new to a facility, including at least 10 supervised blocks before practicing independently; using the least invasive form of anesthesia appropriate to the patient; and finally, adjusting anesthesia practices, including preferred techniques, as evidence-based best practices evolve. Future research should focus on evaluating the impact of these recommendations on patient outcomes.

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Acute Management of Bell’s Palsy

Abstract

Purpose of Review

To report the standard of care, latest advances, interesting new findings, and controversies about the treatment of Bell's palsy in the acute phase.

Recent Findings

Treatment with prednisolone alone within 72 h still is the treatment standard. The role of antivirals still is unclear. Since 2009, no trials with influence on the treatment standards have been performed. A study to clarify the role of prednisolone treatment in children is ongoing. Patient-related outcome measures like the Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale and the Facial Disability Index are important tools to assess the quality of life and psychosocial impact of Bell's palsy next to the motor deficits. Simplified subjective electronic grading systems like the eFACE and first automated image analysis systems have been introduced.

Summary

Studies clarifying the role of antivirals for severe cases are urgently needed as well as an international consensus on the outcome measures in diagnostics and follow-up.

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