1.Dual Targeting of TBK1 and JAK-STAT1 Pathways by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate Suppresses Type I Interferon-driven Inflammation
Liang LI ; Qi-Huan SHENG ; Huan LIU ; Wen-Hao YANG ; Jia-Lin SHI ; Ying-Jie SUN ; Rui JING ; Wei-Hua MAI ; Zhi-Min LI ; Xiao-Li XIE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(7):1969-1983
ObjectiveType I interferon (IFN-I) signaling is essential for antiviral innate immunity, yet its sustained or excessive activation contributes to the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases and interferonopathies, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Aicardi-Goutières syndrome. Current strategies targeting this pathway, exemplified by JAK inhibitors, act mainly on downstream signal transduction and provide limited direct control over upstream IFN-I production, while also carrying the risk of broad immunosuppression. Phyllanthus emblica L. has long been used in traditional medicine for inflammatory disorders, but the bioactive constituent responsible for its regulation of IFN-I signaling and the underlying molecular mechanism have not been clearly defined. This study aimed to identify the active anti-inflammatory component of P. emblica and to characterize its mechanism of action on the IFN-I pathway in macrophages. MethodsActive components ofP. emblica and their candidate targets were screened by network pharmacology using the TCMSP and DrugBank databases (oral bioavailability≥30%, drug-likeness≥0.18) and intersected with inflammation-related genes retrieved from public databases. The predicted interaction between EGCG and IFN-I pathway proteins (TBK1, IRF3, STAT1) was evaluated by molecular docking, with BX795 and GSK8612 used as reference TBK1 inhibitors. Mechanistic experiments were performed in THP-1-derived macrophages and primary bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). Upstream signaling was activated by transfection of the nucleic acid analogs poly(I∶C) and poly(dA∶dT) or by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, whereas downstream signaling was activated by exogenous IFN-β. An siRNA-mediated TREX1 knockdown model was used to mimic endogenous nucleic acid-driven interferonopathy. Expression of IFN-β1 and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) was measured by RT-qPCR, protein phosphorylation by Western blot, and IFN-β secretion by ELISA. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) were used to probe the interactionbetween EGCG and IRF3. ResultsNetwork pharmacology identified (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) as a candidate IFN-I-suppressive constituent of P. emblica, with predicted binding to TBK1, IRF3, and STAT1. Molecular docking yielded binding energies of -9.2, -7.2, and -8.2 kcal/mol for TBK1, IRF3, and STAT1, respectively, indicating an affinity for TBK1 comparable to that of the reference inhibitors BX795 (-5.7 kcal/mol) and GSK8612 (-6.4 kcal/mol). EGCG suppressed IFN-β1 and ISG mRNA expression under poly (I∶C), poly (dA∶dT), and LPS stimulation in both THP-1 macrophages and BMDM. At the protein level, EGCG reduced the phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3 without affecting the levels of the upstream sensors cGAS and RIG-I, and lowered IFN-β secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. CETSA and DARTS showed that EGCG did not enhance the thermal stability or protease resistance of IRF3, indicating that its effect on IRF3 is indirect. Following IFN-β stimulation, prolonged EGCG treatment reduced STAT1 phosphorylation in a time-dependent manner without an apparent change in IRF9, and partially attenuated ISG transcription; this effect was not monotonicly concentration-dependent, and CXCL10 showed the most consistent suppression. In TREX1-knockdown cells, the elevated mRNA levels of ISG15, ISG56, and CXCL10 were reduced by EGCG. ConclusionEGCG suppresses IFN-I responses by concurrently inhibiting TBK1-IRF3-dependent IFN‑β production and JAK-STAT1-mediated downstream transcription. These in vitro findings provide a mechanistic basis for the anti-inflammatory use of P. emblica in traditional medicine and identify EGCG as a candidate for further evaluation in interferon-driven autoimmune disease models.
2.Differences in arousal threshold among obstructive sleep apnea patients of different genetic backgrounds and influencing factors
Rui ZHAO ; Ping YAO ; Zhiqiang ZHANG ; Zhiguo GUO ; Minqi XIE ; Hui DANG ; Yanrong JIA ; Jing CHENG ; Dongsheng LYU
Sichuan Mental Health 2026;39(3):240-245
BackgroundObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) represents a prevalent sleep disordered breathing condition characterized by complex pathophysiology. The arousal threshold (ArTH), a core non-anatomical contributor to OSA pathogenesis, is intimately tied to the disease severity and clinical phenotypes. To date, research regarding factors associated with ArTH has yielded inconsistent findings, and ArTH profiles and disparities across populations with different genetic backgrounds are not fully elucidated. ObjectiveTo explore the differences of ArTH in OSA patients with different genetic backgrounds and analyze the key factors affecting ArTH, thereby providing evidence for understanding OSA pathophysiology and formulating targeted treatment regimens. MethodsA total of 285 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for OSA, as defined by the Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines for Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea, were retrospectively enrolled in this study. All participants underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG) at the Sleep Medicine Center of Inner Mongolia Mental Health Center from December 2022 to May 2024. Based on the study design, the cohort was stratified into two distinct genetic background subgroups (group A and group B). Demographic and clinical characteristics, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score, and overnight PSG data were collected. The apnea hypopnea index (AHI), the lowest pulse oxygen saturation (LSpO2), and fraction of hypopneas (FHypopneas) were utilized as surrogate indicators to estimate ArTH in OSA patients. The influencing factors of low ArTH were tested by binary Logistic regression analysis. ResultsAmong the 285 OSA patients, there were 227 cases (79.65%) in group A and 58 cases (20.35%) in group B. Comparisons between the two genetic background subgroups revealed no statistically significant differences in the proportion of low ArTH, ESS score, PSG parameters, and the three markers for low ArTH (AHI<30 events/h, LSpO2>82.5%, FHypopneas>58.3%) (P>0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis identified sex (OR=2.421, 95% CI: 1.070–5.478), BMI (OR=0.847, 95% CI: 0.770–0.932), N1 sleep duration (OR=0.974, 95% CI: 0.963–0.985), and hypertension (OR=0.348, 95% CI: 0.143–0.848) as independent factors associated with low ArTH in the total cohort. Stratified analysis by genetic backgrounds revealed that sex(OR=3.799, 95% CI: 1.389–10.392), BMI(OR=0.819, 95% CI:0.723–0.929), and N1 sleep duration(OR=0.973, 95% CI: 0.961–0.986) were independent factors of low ArTH in group A. In contrast, only N1 sleep duration (OR=0.951, 95% CI: 0.911–0.993) remained a significant factor in group B. ConclusionArthur may have conservative characteristics in patients with OSA with different genetic backgrounds, but the pathophysiological mechanism of OSA may have population heterogeneity. [Funded by Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Natural Science Fundation Project (number, 2024QN08050); Intra-institutional Scientific Research Project of Inner Mongolia Mental Health Center (number, 2022QNWN0010)]
3.Hearing loss prevalence and burden of disease in China: Findings from provincial-level analysis.
Yu WANG ; Yang XIE ; Minghao WANG ; Mengdan ZHAO ; Rui GONG ; Ying XIN ; Jia KE ; Ke ZHANG ; Shaoxing ZHANG ; Chen DU ; Qingchuan DUAN ; Fang WANG ; Tao PAN ; Furong MA ; Xiangyang HU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(1):41-48
BACKGROUND:
Without timely and effective rehabilitation, hearing loss may profoundly affect human life quality. China has a large population of hearing-impaired individuals, which imposes a heavy health burden on society. Moreover, this population is projected to increase rapidly owing to China's aging society.
METHODS:
We used data from a population-representative epidemiological investigation of hearing loss and ear diseases in four Chinese provinces. We estimated the national prevalence using multiple linear regression of the age-group proportions and prevalence in 31 provinces with clustering analysis. We used years lived with disability (YLDs) to analyze the disease burden and forecasted the prevalence of hearing loss by 2060 in China.
RESULTS:
An estimated 115 million people had moderate-to-complete hearing loss in 2015 across the 31 provinces of China (8.4% of 1.37 billion people). Of these, 85.7% were older than age 50 years (99 million people) and 2.4% were younger than 20 years old (2.8 million people). Of all YLDs attributable to hearing loss, 68.9% were attributable to moderate-to-complete cases. By 2060, a projected 242 million people in China will have moderate-to-complete hearing loss, a 110.0% increase from 2015.
CONCLUSIONS
The hearing loss prevalence in China is high. Population aging and socioeconomic factors substantially affect the prevalence and severity of hearing loss and the disease burden. The prevalence and severity of hearing loss are unevenly distributed across different provinces. Future public health policies should take these trends and regional variations into account.
Humans
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China/epidemiology*
;
Hearing Loss/epidemiology*
;
Prevalence
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Middle Aged
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Male
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Female
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Adult
;
Aged
;
Adolescent
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Young Adult
;
Child
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Child, Preschool
;
Infant
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Aged, 80 and over
;
Cost of Illness
4.A large family of Nascimento form of syndromic X-linked intellectual developmental disorder caused by large segment deletion of the UBE2A gene: a case report and literature review.
Dan XU ; Jia-Yang XIE ; Xiao-Li ZHANG ; Meng-Yue WANG ; Man-Man CHU ; Rui HAN ; Jun-Ling WANG ; Xiao-Li LI ; Tian-Ming JIA
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(7):859-863
This article reports the clinical features and gene mutation types of a large family with Nascimento form of syndromic X-linked intellectual developmental disorder (MRXSN), involving 9 individuals across 3 generations, and a literature review was conducted. In this family, 9 individuals had similar manifestations including mental retardation and unusual facies, and 4 of them had passed away. Genetic testing showed that the proband had the deletion of exons 2-3 of the UBE2A gene, which was inherited from the mother. Fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the proband and his uncle had the deletion of exons 2-3 of the UBE2A gene; the proband's mother, grandmother, and great-aunt had a heterozygous deletion of exons 2-3 of the UBE2A gene; the proband's father, sister, and aunt had a normal copy number of exons 2-3 of the UBE2A gene. The 34 patients reported in the literature had diverse clinical phenotypes, and UBE2A gene mutations (22/34, 65%) and large fragment deletions (12/34, 35%) were the main mutation types. Moderate to severe mental retardation (34/34, 100%), speech and language impairment (33/34, 97%), and unusual facies (32/34, 94%) were the main clinical manifestations of MRXSN patients. The disease has obvious phenotypic heterogeneity, and early diagnosis facilitates optimal prenatal and postnatal management to improve reproductive outcomes.
Humans
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Male
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Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes/genetics*
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Female
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X-Linked Intellectual Disability/genetics*
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Gene Deletion
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Child
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Pedigree
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Child, Preschool
;
Adult
5.The Historical Origin and Academic Research of Spasticity after Stroke
Shanshan ZENG ; Lingying WU ; Ran LI ; Jie TANG ; Songqing ZHANG ; Lin JIA ; Rui FANG ; Dahua WU ; Le XIE
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(7):1832-1840
Post-stroke spasticity is a series of symptoms after stroke,such as hand and foot urgency,unflexion and extension of muscles,etc.In order to deeply understand the cognition of post-stroke spasticity of ancient Chinese physicians and comb out their therapeutic thoughts,this study took the General Catalogue of Chinese Ancient Books of Traditional Chinese Medicine as a bibliographic reference,all the ancient Chinese literature on spasms after stroke was retrieved manually and by computer,and then sorted and analyzed,and classified them by longitudinal time,and extracted the description about post-stroke spasticity,including medical classics,prescriptions,clinical evidence,medical records and so on.And this paper verified and summarized the etiology,pathogenesis,functional and indications and prescription characteristics of spasticity after stroke,in order to deeply understand systematic theories and treatment ideas of the ancient medical practitioners in the bud,development and mature stages of their understanding of spasticity after stroke,and provide the theoretical basis for the later doctors to understand this disease and the modern clinical treatment of traditional Chinese medicine.
6.Expert Consensus on the Ethical Requirements for Generative AI-Assisted Academic Writing
You-Quan BU ; Yong-Fu CAO ; Zeng-Yi CHANG ; Hong-Yu CHEN ; Xiao-Wei CHEN ; Yuan-Yuan CHEN ; Zhu-Cheng CHEN ; Rui DENG ; Jie DING ; Zhong-Kai FAN ; Guo-Quan GAO ; Xu GAO ; Lan HU ; Xiao-Qing HU ; Hong-Ti JIA ; Ying KONG ; En-Min LI ; Ling LI ; Yu-Hua LI ; Jun-Rong LIU ; Zhi-Qiang LIU ; Ya-Ping LUO ; Xue-Mei LV ; Yan-Xi PEI ; Xiao-Zhong PENG ; Qi-Qun TANG ; You WAN ; Yong WANG ; Ming-Xu WANG ; Xian WANG ; Guang-Kuan XIE ; Jun XIE ; Xiao-Hua YAN ; Mei YIN ; Zhong-Shan YU ; Chun-Yan ZHOU ; Rui-Fang ZHU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):826-832
With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.
7.Non-invasive model diagnostic efficacy assessment for liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B combined with metabolic associated fatty liver disease
Yixuan ZHU ; Liang XU ; Youwen TAN ; Qinglei ZENG ; Guojun LI ; Weimao DING ; Fajuan RUI ; Xue BAI ; Leyao JIA ; Sisi ZHOU ; Qing XIE ; Junping SHI ; Jie LI
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2025;33(9):852-861
Objective:To investigate the efficacy of fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4), NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), aspartate aminotransferase to platelet count ratio (APRI), liver stiffness value (LSM), and Agile 3+ score and their combined model in predicting advanced-stage liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) combined with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).Methods:A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted on the BMOVE population.Nine hundred twenty CHB cases combined with MAFLD who underwent liver biopsy at seven medical centers in China from April 2006 to December 2023 were included. The patients were divided into advanced-stage liver fibrosis (159 cases) and non-advanced-stage liver fibrosis (761 cases) according to the Scheuer's scoring system.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), decision curve, and calibration curve analysis were used to evaluate the efficacy of the firbrosis-4 index (FIB-4) score, NFS score, APRI index, LSM, and Agile 3+ score and their combined model in predicting advanced-stage fibrosis. The liver fibrosis grade of all patients was diagnosed by liver biopsy. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of each scoring model and combined model, as well as the proportion of correctly classified patients, were calculated based on different cutoff values.Results:AUROC analysis showed that Agile 3+ (0.814, 95% CI: 0.787-0.838) and LSM (0.805, 95% CI: 0.778-0.829) had similar accuracy and were superior to FIB-4 (0.721, 95% CI: 0.691-0.749), NFS (0.687, 95% CI: 0.656-0.716) and APRI ( 0.689, 95% CI: 0.658-0.718); however, HBV DNA level and HBV e antigen status had no effect on this outcome. Decision curve analysis showed that interventions based on LSM and Agile 3+ had provided higher net benefits compared with serological scores. Calibration curves showed that Agile 3+ had better predicitive accuracy than all other models. Agile 3+ had the highest PPV (0.54), minimal uncertainty interval (11.6%), and the highest proportion of correctly classified patients (76%); followed by LSM (PPV: 0.43, uncertainty interval: 15.5%, correct classification rate: 66%), and FIB-4 (PPV: 0.42, uncertainty interval: 26.1%, correct classification rate: 62.6%) in terms of identifying advanced-stage liver fibrosis. Combined model analysis demonstrated that FIB-4 combined with Agile 3+ had improved the correct classification rate and reduced the proportion of missed patients compared with FIB-4 combined with LSM. Conclusion:The Agile 3+ score is superior than LSM, FIB-4, NFS, and APRI index at identifying advanced-stage fibrosis in patients with CHB combined with MAFLD. This study supports the use of FIB-4 index combined with Agile 3+ for risk stratification in patients with CHB combined with MAFLD.
8.The Historical Origin and Academic Research of Spasticity after Stroke
Shanshan ZENG ; Lingying WU ; Ran LI ; Jie TANG ; Songqing ZHANG ; Lin JIA ; Rui FANG ; Dahua WU ; Le XIE
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(7):1832-1840
Post-stroke spasticity is a series of symptoms after stroke,such as hand and foot urgency,unflexion and extension of muscles,etc.In order to deeply understand the cognition of post-stroke spasticity of ancient Chinese physicians and comb out their therapeutic thoughts,this study took the General Catalogue of Chinese Ancient Books of Traditional Chinese Medicine as a bibliographic reference,all the ancient Chinese literature on spasms after stroke was retrieved manually and by computer,and then sorted and analyzed,and classified them by longitudinal time,and extracted the description about post-stroke spasticity,including medical classics,prescriptions,clinical evidence,medical records and so on.And this paper verified and summarized the etiology,pathogenesis,functional and indications and prescription characteristics of spasticity after stroke,in order to deeply understand systematic theories and treatment ideas of the ancient medical practitioners in the bud,development and mature stages of their understanding of spasticity after stroke,and provide the theoretical basis for the later doctors to understand this disease and the modern clinical treatment of traditional Chinese medicine.
9.PCBP1-mediated regulation of iron homeostasis suppresses ferroptosis against cadmium-induced neurotoxicity in mouse neuroblastoma cells
Sheng JIE ; Rui TIAN ; Yuchen QU ; Li TIAN ; Jia XIE ; Mengyan CHEN ; Mindi HE ; Zhengping YU ; Huifeng PI ; Ping DENG
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(19):2315-2326
Objective To investigate the role of poly(rC)-binding protein 1(PCBP1)in cadmium(Cd)-induced ferroptosis in mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2a(N2A)cells.Methods N2A cells were exposed to a concentration gradient of CdCl?(0,1,2,4 μmol/L)for 72 h.Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue staining.Western blotting was employed to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related proteins(GPX4,HMOX1,ACSL4)and PCBP1.Intracellular Fe2? level and lipid peroxidation were detected using FerroOrange and BODIPY581/591 C11 probes,respectively.Ferrostatin-1(Fer-1),a ferroptosis inhibitor,was applied to confirm the critical role of ferroptosis in Cd-induced cytotoxicity.Molecular docking was performed to elucidate the interaction between PCBP1 and ferritin,as well as the binding sites of Cd2?.PCBP1 overexpression plasmid was further constructed for functional validation.Results Cd exposure suppressed cell viability in N2A cells in a dose-dependent manner(P<0.01),significantly down-regulated GPX4 expression(P<0.05),up-regulated HMOX1 expression(P<0.01),and induced Fe2? overload and lipid peroxidation(P<0.01).Molecular docking revealed that Cd2? directly bound to the KH2 domain of PCBP1 and then co-localized on the outer surface of ferritin heavy chain.Overexpression of PCBP1 markedly reversed Cd-induced Fe2? accumulation,GPX4 down-regulation,lipid peroxidation,and cell death.Conclusion Cd exposure disrupts PCBP1-mediated iron homeostasis via transcriptional suppression and competitive displacement of metal ions,and then synergistically drives Fe2? overload-triggered ferroptosis cascades,ultimately leading to neurotoxicity.Targeting PCBP1-mediated iron homeostasis can effectively mitigate Cd-induced neurotoxicity,and may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy.
10.Expert Consensus on the Ethical Requirements for Generative AI-Assisted Academic Writing
You-Quan BU ; Yong-Fu CAO ; Zeng-Yi CHANG ; Hong-Yu CHEN ; Xiao-Wei CHEN ; Yuan-Yuan CHEN ; Zhu-Cheng CHEN ; Rui DENG ; Jie DING ; Zhong-Kai FAN ; Guo-Quan GAO ; Xu GAO ; Lan HU ; Xiao-Qing HU ; Hong-Ti JIA ; Ying KONG ; En-Min LI ; Ling LI ; Yu-Hua LI ; Jun-Rong LIU ; Zhi-Qiang LIU ; Ya-Ping LUO ; Xue-Mei LV ; Yan-Xi PEI ; Xiao-Zhong PENG ; Qi-Qun TANG ; You WAN ; Yong WANG ; Ming-Xu WANG ; Xian WANG ; Guang-Kuan XIE ; Jun XIE ; Xiao-Hua YAN ; Mei YIN ; Zhong-Shan YU ; Chun-Yan ZHOU ; Rui-Fang ZHU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):826-832
With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

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