1.Clinical application of an artificial intelligence system in predicting benign or malignant pulmonary nodules and pathological subtypes
Zhuowen YANG ; Zhizhong ZHENG ; Bin LI ; Yiming HUI ; Mingzhi LIN ; Jiying DANG ; Suiyang LI ; Chunjiao ZHANG ; Long YANG ; Liang SI ; Tieniu SONG ; Yuqi MENG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(08):1086-1095
Objective To evaluate the predictive ability and clinical application value of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the benign and malignant differentiation and pathological type of pulmonary nodules, and to summarize clinical application experience. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with pulmonary nodules admitted to the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, from February 2016 to February 2025. Firstly, pulmonary nodules were divided into benign and non-benign groups, and the discriminative abilities of AI systems and clinicians were compared. Subsequently, lung nodules reported as precursor glandular lesions (PGL), microinvasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), and invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) in postoperative pathological results were analyzed, comparing the efficacy of AI systems and clinicians in predicting the pathological type of pulmonary nodules. Results In the analysis of benign/non-benign pulmonary nodules, clinical data from a total of 638 patients with pulmonary nodules were included, of which there were 257 males (10 patients and 1 patient of double and triple primary lesions, respectively) and 381 females (18 patients and 1 patient of double and triple primary lesions, respectively), with a median age of 55.0 (47.0, 61.0) years. Different lesions in the same patient were analyzed as independent samples. Univariate analysis of the two groups of variables showed that, except for nodule location, the differences in the remaining variables were statistically significant (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, nodule type (subsolid pulmonary nodule), average density, spicule sign, and vascular convergence sign were independent influencing factors for non-benign pulmonary nodules, among which age, nodule type (subsolid pulmonary nodule), spicule sign, and vascular convergence sign were positively correlated with non-benign pulmonary nodules, while average density was negatively correlated with the occurrence of non-benign pulmonary nodules. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the malignancy risk value given by the AI system in predicting non-benign pulmonary nodules was 0.811, slightly lower than the 0.898 predicted by clinicians. In the PGL/MIA/IAC analysis, clinical data from a total of 411 patients with pulmonary nodules were included, of which there were 149 males (8 patients of double primary lesions) and 262 females (17 patients of double primary lesions), with a median age of 56.0 (50.0, 61.0) years. Different lesions in the same patient were analyzed as independent samples. Univariate analysis results showed that, except for gender, nodule location, and vascular convergence sign, the differences in the remaining variables among the three groups of PGL, MIA, and IAC patients were statistically significant (P<0.05). Multinomial multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the differences between the parameters in the PGL group and the MIA group were not statistically significant (P>0.05), and the maximum diameter and average density of the nodules were statistically different between the PGL and IAC groups (P<0.05), and were positively correlated with the occurrence of IAC as independent risk factors. The average AUC value, accuracy, recall rate, and F1 score of the AI system in predicting lung nodule pathological type were 0.807, 74.3%, 73.2%, and 68.5%, respectively, all better than the clinical physicians’ prediction of lung nodule pathological type indicators (0.782, 70.9%, 66.2%, and 63.7% respectively). The AUC value of the AI system in predicting IAC was 0.853, and the sensitivity, specificity, and optimal cutoff value were 0.643, 0.943, and 50.0%, respectively. Conclusion This AI system has demonstrated high clinical value in predicting the benign and malignant nature and pathological type of lung nodules, especially in predicting lung nodule pathological type, its ability has surpassed that of clinical physicians. With the optimization of algorithms and the adequate integration of multimodal data, it can better assist clinical physicians in formulating individualized diagnostic and treatment plans for patients with lung nodules.
2.Application Value of an AI-based Imaging Feature Parameter Model for Predicting the Malignancy of Part-solid Pulmonary Nodule.
Mingzhi LIN ; Yiming HUI ; Bin LI ; Peilin ZHAO ; Zhizhong ZHENG ; Zhuowen YANG ; Zhipeng SU ; Yuqi MENG ; Tieniu SONG
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(4):281-290
BACKGROUND:
Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide and a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Early-stage lung cancer is often manifested as pulmonary nodules, and accurate assessment of the malignancy risk is crucial for prolonging survival and avoiding overtreatment. This study aims to construct a model based on image feature parameters automatically extracted by artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate its effectiveness in predicting the malignancy of part-solid nodule (PSN).
METHODS:
This retrospective study analyzed 229 PSN from 222 patients who underwent pulmonary nodule resection at Lanzhou University Second Hospital between October 2020 and February 2025. According to pathological results, 45 cases of benign lesions and precursor glandular lesion were categorized into the non-malignant group, and 184 cases of pulmonary malignancies were categorized into the malignant group. All patients underwent preoperative chest computed tomography (CT), and AI software was used to extract imaging feature parameters. Univariate analysis was used to screen significant variables; variance inflation factor (VIF) was calculated to exclude highly collinear variables, and LASSO regression was further applied to identify key features. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to determine independent risk factors. Based on the selected variables, five models were constructed: Logistic regression, random forest, XGBoost, LightGBM, and support vector machine (SVM). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the performance of the models.
RESULTS:
The independent risk factors for the malignancy of PSN include roughness (ngtdm), dependence variance (gldm), and short run low gray-level emphasis (glrlm). Logistic regression achieved area under the curves ( AUCs) of 0.86 and 0.89 in the training and testing sets, respectively, showing good performance. XGBoost had AUCs of 0.78 and 0.77, respectively, demonstrating relatively balanced performance, but with lower accuracy. SVM showed an AUC of 0.93 in the training set, which decreased to 0.80 in the testing set, indicating overfitting. LightGBM performed excellently in the training set with an AUC of 0.94, but its performance declined in the testing set, with an AUC of 0.88. In contrast, random forest demonstrated stable performance in both the training and testing sets, with AUCs of 0.89 and 0.91, respectively, exhibiting high stability and excellent generalizability.
CONCLUSIONS
The random forest model constructed based on independent risk factors demonstrated the best performance in predicting the malignancy of PSN and could provide effective auxiliary predictions for clinicians, supporting individualized treatment decisions.
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Humans
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Male
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Female
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Lung Neoplasms/pathology*
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Middle Aged
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Retrospective Studies
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Artificial Intelligence
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Aged
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Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Adult
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Solitary Pulmonary Nodule/diagnostic imaging*
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ROC Curve
3.Exploring occupational hazards and protective strategies in power generation enterprises
Xian LI ; Xiao HOU ; Linzheng ZHANG ; Fei YAN ; Shufan CHANG ; Zhuowen WANG ; Yang CHEN ; Wei WANG
China Occupational Medicine 2023;50(2):235-241
Currently, power generation in China is dominated by thermal power, wind power, nuclear power, and hydropower enterprises. The power source mainly comes from thermal power generation. The occupational hazards in thermal power station are noise, high temperature, power frequency electric fields, dust, and chemical toxins and so on, with noise and dust (silica and coal dust) being the primary factors. The occupational hazards in wind power station are noise, power frequency electric fields, high temperature, low temperature, and chemical toxins (sulfur hexafluoride, toluene, styrene, etc.), with noise and power frequency electric fields being the major concerns. The occupational radiation hazards in nuclear power station are gamma rays, beta rays, X-rays, neutrons, alpha rays, and radioactive aerosols. There is special attention in radiation protection but not enough protection in non-radioactive hazards such as noise, high temperature, and ammonia. The occupational hazards in hydropower station are noise, power frequency electric fields, vibration, radon and its de-composites, and chemical toxins, with noise and power frequency electric fields being the primary hazards. Different categories of power generation enterprises should identify key hazards and work site for occupational disease prevention and control based on the features of occupational hazards. Improving occupational health management and protection levels are essential measures.
4.Bendamustine monotherapy for Chinese patient treatment with relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a phase Ⅱ, prospective, multicenter, single-arm study
Yan GAO ; Yu YANG ; Hong CEN ; Hong LIU ; Jinxiang FU ; Shunqing WANG ; Ru FENG ; Ding YU ; Xinyou ZHANG ; Zhuowen CHEN ; Yufu LI ; Huiqiang HUANG
Chinese Journal of Hematology 2022;43(11):934-939
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of bendamustine monotherapy in Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) .Methods:This prospective, multicenter, open label, single-arm, phase Ⅱ study investigated bendamustine’s efficacy and safety in Chinese patients with R/R B-NHL. A total of 78 patients with B-NHL in 11 hospitals in China from March 2012 to December 2016 were included, and their clinical characteristics, efficacy, and survival were analyzed.Results:The median age of all patients was 58 (range, 24-76) years old, and 69 (88.4% ) patients had stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ disease. 61 (78.2% ) patients were refractory to previous treatments. Patients received a median of 4 (range, 1-10) cycles of bendamustine treatment. The overall response rate was 61.5 (95% CI 49.8-72.3) % , the median response duration was 8.3 (95% CI 5.5-14.0) months, and the complete remission (CR) rate was 5.1 (95% CI 1.4-12.6) % . In the full analysis set, median progression-free survival (PFS) and median OS were 8.7 (95% CI 6.7-13.2) months and 25.5 months (95% CI 14.2 months to not reached) , respectively, after a median follow-up of 33.6 (95% CI 17.4-38.8) months. Lymphopenia (74.4% ) , neutropenia (52.6% ) , and leukopenia (39.7% ) , thrombocytopenia (29.5% ) and anemia (15.4% ) were the most common grade 3-4 hematologic adverse events (AE) . The most frequent non-hematologic AEs included nausea (43.6% ) , vomiting (33.3% ) , and anorexia (29.5% ) . Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that <4 cycles of bendamustine treatment was a poor prognostic factor for PFS ( P=0.003) , and failure to accept fludarabine containing regimen was a poor prognostic factor for OS ( P=0.009) . Conclusion:Bendamustine monotherapy has good efficacy and safety in the treatment of patient with R/R B-NHL.
5.Local administration of parathyroid hormone and parathyroid hormone-related peptides for bone tissue engineering.
Journal of Biomedical Engineering 2021;38(5):1028-1034
Parathyroid hormone (PTH) exerts multiple effects such as regulating bone remodeling, promoting angiogenesis, etc., and it is an active factor with great application potential for bone repair. In recent years, with the development of scaffold material loading strategies and parathyroid hormone-related peptides (PTHrPs), in situ loading of PTH or PTHrPs on scaffold materials to promote bone defect healing gradually becomes possible. Based on the current status and challenges of intermittent PTH (iPTH) for bone tissue engineering, the review summarizes the in-situ application strategies of PTH and the construction of PTHrPs as well as current problems and further directions in this field, with a view to propel the clinical application of scaffold materials loaded with PTH or PTHrPs
Bone and Bones
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Parathyroid Hormone
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Tissue Engineering
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Tissue Scaffolds
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Wound Healing
6.Promoting effect of 810 nm low-level laser on axonal regeneration of neurons in mice with spinal cord injury and its related mechanism
Jiawei ZHANG ; Jiakai SUN ; Qiao ZHENG ; Jiwei SONG ; Kun LI ; Zhuowen LIANG ; Xueyu HU ; Zhe WANG
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2019;35(4):359-367
Objective To investigate the effect of 810 nm low-level laser on neuronal axonal regeneration of mice with spinal cord injury and its related mechanism.Methods In vivo experiment:20 Balb/c mice were randomly divided into the spinal cord injury group(SCI group)and the 810 nm low-level laser irradiation group(low-level laser group)after spinal cord injury according to the random number table method,with each group containing ten mice.A mice SCI model was established through clamp injury and the low-level laser group continuously irradiated the damaged area with weak 810 nm low-level laser with selected parameters(continuous wave with wave length 810 nm,power density 2 mW/cm2,spot are 4.5 cm2,irradiation time 50 minutes,energy 6000J/cm2).Then immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the M1 macrophage marker-inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),the M2 macrophage marker arginase 1(Arg-1)and the universal marker F4/80 of macrophages after 14 days.Furthermore,in the in vitro experiment,standardized low-level laser-macrophage irradiation model was established.Another 20 Balb/c mice were used to obtain primary bone marrow-derived macrophages which were induced into M1 macrophages using lipopolysaccharide(LPS)and interferon-gamma(INF-γ).The M1 macrophages were randomly divided into the M1 macrophage group(M1 group)and the low-level laser therapy group(M1 + low-level laser group)equally according to the random number table method.The M1 group was not treated,and the M1 + low-level laser group was treated with low-level laser of selected parameters.RT-qPCR and ELISA were used to detect the expression of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist(IL-1RA)and interleukin-10(IL-10)in M1 macrophages 24 hours after irradiation.Western blot was used to analyze the expression of iNOS,Arg-1,differentiation antigen cluster 206(CD206),protein kinase B(AKT),phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-AKT),cyclic adenosine response element binding protein(CREB)and phosphorylated cyclic adenosine response element binding protein(p-CREB)in M1 macrophages 48 hours after irradiation.Dorsal root gangtion neurons(DRG)were cultured in two groups of macrophage conditioned medium,and the length of DRG axon growth was measured 48 h later to evaluate the effect of low-level laser on neuronal axon growth.Results In the in vivo experiment,compared with mice with spinal cord injury alone,the fluorescence intensity of F4/80+ iNOS+ in the spinal cord injury area decreased(1.00±0.08vs. 0.06±0.04)(P< 0.05)and the fluorescence intensity of F4/80 + Arg-1 + increased after low-level laser(1.00±0.07vs.2.15±0.12)(P<0.01).In the in vitro experiment,compared with the M1 group,the expression of the M1 macrophage marker iNOS in the M1 + low-level laser group decreased(1.00±0.11 vs.0.08±0.01)(P< 0.01);the M2 macrophage marker Arg-1(1.00±0.14vs.2.44±0.16)(P<0.01),and the expression of CD206(1.00±0.12 vs.1.83±0.05)(P<0.01)increased.In addition,IL-1RA expression was increased in the M1 + low-level laser group compared with the M1 group(RT-qPCR:1.00±0.00vs.2.27±0.22)(P<0.01)(ELISA:1435.58±100.48vs.2006.12±123.91(P<0.05);IL-10 expression was also increased in the M1 +low-level laser group compared with the M1 group(RT-qPCR:1.00±0.00 vs. 3.45±0,56)(P<0.05)(ELISA:137.13±4.20 vs.188.29±8.49)(P< 0,01);compared with the M1 group,the macrophage polarization pathway protein in the M1 + low-level laser group increased,AKT(1.07±0.12vs.1.74±0.04)(P<0.01),p-AKT(1.00±0.12 vs.1.64±0.15)(P<0.05),p-CREB(1.00±0.10vs.2.12±0.18)(P<0.01).Compared with the M1 group,the conditioned medium of the M1 + low-level laser group significantly promoted DRG axon growth(567.66±63.59 vs.1068.95±130.14)(P< 0,05).Conclusions The 810 nm low-level laser irradiation can promote neuronal axon regeneration of mice with spinal cord injury,which may be related to the regulation of macrophage polarization phenotype by low-level laser through AKT/CREB pathway.
7.Clinical effect of polymer-free sirolimus-eluting Nano stent on patients with coronary artery stenosis
Xinjun CHEN ; Ruolong ZHEN ; Fengjiao HUANG ; Zengxin YANG ; Zhuowen XU ; Weizhang LI ; Hua ZHANG
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2018;34(12):2042-2045
Objective To study the safety and effectiveness of polymer-free sirolimus-eluting Nano stent in patients with unstable angina pectoris. Methods Three hundred and twenty-one patients with unstable angina pectoris were divided into Nano stent group(group A,n=157)and Endeavor resolute stent group(group B,n=164). The cardiovascular events were compared postoperative 12 months. The minimal intima cavity area and mini-mum bracket section area and neointimal area were compared postoperative 12 months by intravascular unltrasound (IVUS). Results There were 7 cases of cardiovascular events in group A and 6 in group B postoperative 12 months(P=0.727)and 2 patients in group A and 3 in group B were re-implanted stent because of restenosis post-operative 12 months(P=0.672). The neointimal area were(0.31 ± 0.11 mm2)in group A and(0.29 ± 0.12 mm2) in group B postoperative 12 months(P = 0.985). The minimal intima cavity area(P = 0.921)and the minimum bracket section area(P=0.934)were narrower postoperative 12 months than immediately after the operation in two groups. Conclusion With less cardiovascular events and being safe and reliable,the clinical effect of polymer-free sirolimus-eluting Nano stent implantation is similar to that of Endeavor resolute stent implantation.
8.The effect of fluoride on osteoclast in bone tissue of rats and its mechanism
Junrui PEI ; Bingyun LI ; Zhuowen LI ; Wei WEI ; Yingjie YAO ; Jiaxun XU ; Yanhui GAO ; Dianjun SUN
Chinese Journal of Endemiology 2017;36(10):714-718
Objective To investigate the effect of fluoride on osteoclast in bone tissue of rats and its mechanism.Methods Twenty specific pathogen free male Wistar rats aged 3 weeks were randomly divided into two groups by weight (each group has 10).The rats of control group drink distilled water and treatment group drink distilled water containing 100 mg/L fluoride.The rats were fed for 3 month.The dental fluorosis in rats was observed.The ion selective electrode method was used to measure bone fluoride accumulation.The pathological changes of bone tissue in rats were observed under light microscope.The osteoclast was identified by tartrateresistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining.The calcineurin (CaN) activity of serum was measured by detection of free phosphate with malachite green.The bicinchoninic acid (BCA) method was used to detect total protein concentration of serum.The colorimetry method was used to detect calcium and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in serum.The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to detect calmodulin (CaM) content.Results By the end of the experiment,none dental fluorosis was detected in control group,all rats in fluoride group had dental fluorosis.The bone fluoride content of rats in fluoride group [(4 460.671 ± 418.548) mg/kg] was about 7.6 times higher than that in control group [(582.534 ± 58.342) mg/kg,t =-29.020,P < 0.01].Compared with the control group,the bone tissue of rats in fluoride group showed thicker bone trabecular,sclerotin fusion and incomplete mineralization.Positive signal intensity of TRAP staining of bone tissue in fluoride group was significantly higher than that in control group.The number of osteoclast formation in fluoride group [10 (5-12)] was significantly higher than that in control group [3 (2-4);U =92.5,P < 0.01].CaN activity in serum of rats in fluoride group [(3.334 ± 0.654) nmol/mg prot] was significantly higher than that in control group [(1.289 ± 0.361) nmol/mg prot;t =-6.346,P < 0.01].The Ca and CaM content of serum in rats were not significantly different between the two groups.However MDA content in fluoride group [(7.703 ± 2.954) μmol/L] was significantly higher than that in control group [(3.958 ± 1.965) μmol/L,t =-2.968,P < 0.05].Conclusion Excessive fluoride may increase osteoclast formation in bone tissue of rats,and the mechanism might be fluoride stimulated CaN activity through oxidative stress pathway.
9.Association study on interaction effects of 5-HT receptor related genes and suicidal behavior in major depressive disorder
Zhuowen LI ; Jingsong MA ; Dong QI ; Jian ZHANG ; Xiaohui QIU ; Xiuxian YANG ; Zhengxue QIAO ; Lin WANG ; Yanjie YANG
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2017;26(7):610-614
Objective To investigate the single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) of 5-HT1BR(rs6298),5-HT2AR(rs6311,rs6313) and 5-HT2BR(rs765458) gene,and their gene-gene interactions on suicidal behavior in major depressive disorder.Methods The blood samples were taken from 281 depression patients with impulsive suicide attempt and 281 age-matched healthy controls from a hospital in Harbin city,Heilongjiang province.The DNA isolated from blood samples and was genotyped using TapMan SNP genotyping probe.χ2 test was used to compare differences in the distribution of gene alleles between cases and controls.Haplotype and linkage disequilibrium(LD) analysis was performed using Haploview 4.0 software.GMDR was used to analyze the gene-gene interaction.Results The rs6313 and rs6311 of the 5-HT2AR gene were in strong linkage disequilibrium (D=0.756,r2=0.375).There was a significant gene-gene interaction of 5-HT1BR (rs6298),5-HT2AR (rs6311,rs6313) and 5-HT2BR(rs765458) on suicidal behavior(P<0.05).In this model,the test accuracy was 0.6182 and CV value was 10/10.Conclusion A haplotype containing rs6311 and rs6313 of 5-HT2AR gene is associated with suicidal behavior.The interaction of 5-HT1BR gene (rs6298),5-HT2AR gene (rs6311,rs6313) and 5-HT2BR gene (rs765458) are associated with depression suicidal behavior.
10.Relative tolerance of lung in murine model of acute graft-versus-host disease
Xiaoli XU ; Zhuowen CHEN ; Jingming LI ; Ping ZOU
Chinese Journal of Organ Transplantation 2016;37(7):427-432
Objective To analyze the immune privilege of lung in acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD).Methods The models of aGVHD were established,and C57BL/6J→C57BL/6J model was used as control.The clinical scores and survival were observe& The pathological injuries were compared between the lung and traditional target organs (liver,small intestines and skin).The expression of IFN-γ in different organs after transplantation was detected by ELISA.Results Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) mice had high 42-day survival rate (20 %) post-transplantation,and recipients of allogeneic grafts showed classical symptoms and histological injury,and pathological changes of lung were not as serious as the liver,small intestine,skin at day 28 after transplantation.Syngeneic mice all survived at day 42 after transplantation,without GVHD symptoms and pathological changes.The mice in MHC-disparate mice (2 ∶ 1 and 4 ∶ 1 groups) died significantly faster at a median of 12 days after transplantation,with severe changes of clinical symptoms and pathology of classical organs,and MHC-disparate mice (4∶1 groups) had developed severe interstitial pneumonitis.The mean IFN-γ concentration in the lung of allogeneic HSCT mice was obviously increased in the first and second week after transplantation,the IFN-γ concentrations of target organs (liver,small intestines,skin) were slightly increased in the first and second week after transplantation,and there were statistically significant difference from lung (P<0.05).Condmion There wasrelativeimmune privilege of lung in a murine model of aGVHD induced by HSCT,which was associated with the expression of MHCin the mice and IFN-gamma of lungs after transplantation.

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