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The government has decided against a cull of badgers in England to control TB in cattle, the BBC understands.

When we started our company in 2002, venture capital was scarce, so we sought alternative ways to finance the business. The Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program, specifically the one offered through the National Science Foundation (NSF), is high quality source of funding. I have personally worked on proposals that have won awards from the Department of Defense (DoD) and the NSF totaling over $2.1 million. I am also a business reviewer for Phase II proposals for the NSF. I have both been through the proposal process and the selection process.

The SBIR Program

The SBIR program was created in 1982 as part of the Small Business Innovation Development Act. Eleven Federal departments and agencies are required under this act to reserve a portion of their R&D funds to be awarded to small businesses each year.

To receive an award under this program, a company must be American-owned and independently operated, for-profit, and under 500 employees. Additionally, the principal researcher must be employed at least 51% of the time by the business. There is still some debate as to whether venture-backed companies qualify if the VCs own more than 50%. Speak with the program manager to determine your eligibility if you fall in this category. Each agency determines its own topics and amounts for the awards (within parameters). The websites for all the SBIR programs are listed on the DoD SBIR webpage.

The Latest NSF Solicitation

The NSF has a fairly comprehensive website that covers the submission guidelines. Your life will be easier if you review this site long before the submission deadline. The deadline for the spring 2008 round has passed, but start thinking now about your possible submissions for the fall. The solicitation for the spring has been posted and the proposal is due on June 10th at 5:00 pm. This is a hard deadline and they will give you no leeway if you miss it. Each company may submit up to four proposals in one round.

The topics for this round include Biotech and Chemical Technologies, Software and Services, and Electronics, Components, and Engineering Systems.

The Phase I will be for no more than $100,000. You are usually notified four to six months after the proposal has been submitted. If you should win this grant, you will begin the grant period in late 2008 or early 2009. You get 2/3 of the money up front and 1/3 at the end. After six months of research, should you find success, you may apply for a Phase II grant up to $500,000. Again, you may apply in either January or July following the completion and, if successful, you will receive your funds in another six months: 25% up front, 15% at the end, and 20% three times during the course of the project. A Phase II is usually 24 months. Please note, that for the first year, you are spreading a small amount of money over a pretty long period. This is useful for funding some of your development with non-dilutive funds, but not particularly useful at providing working capital.

Winning Your Phase I

1. Understand the solicitation topic: they are very serious about sticking to the topics. The topics for this round are fairly broad, but if you have an advanced material that decreases the wind resistance on airplane, it doesn’t matter how fabulous it is, you will have to wait until the Advanced Materials solicitation. Call the program officer and find out if they are interested before you do all the work on the proposal.
2. Have an innovative technology. They are not interesting in funding improvements. Additionally, the proposal is reviewed by someone who really understands the technology. Don’t skimp on technical details because you assume the reader can’t understand it. If the program manager doesn’t understand what you are doing, they will find someone who does. You will not be successful if they don’t have the information necessary to understand what you are attempting to do.
3. Have a good commercialization plan. In Phase I, they are not expecting an extensive business plan, with a full marketing campaign defined. They are, however, going to expect you to have a good understanding of who might buy this product, why they would want to buy it, and what they might be willing to spend for it. They will also expect that the market be at least large enough to support your company as a commercial venture. And never, never say “there isn’t a market yet for my product because it’s so innovative” or “there are no competitors for my product.” When the car was invented, the market was everyone who owned a horse and wagon. Competitors were everything that could move a person from one spot to another.
4. Provide letters of support. It is actually a requirement for this solicitation, but even when it is not a requirement, it’s a really good idea. Good letters of support come from representatives of companies that will be interested in buying your product. In the best case, they will say that they will buy it, if you are successful. Often the easiest thing to do is write the letter yourself and ask the representative to copy it onto his or her company letterhead and sign it. If you include multiple letters, don’t provide the same copy to every supporter - it makes you look like an idiot.
5. Call the program officer well before the due date. Okay, I said this before, but it bears repeating in case you missed it. The program managers whom I have met are intelligent, dedicated people. They are very excited about these technologies and knowledgeable in their areas of expertise. They can be very helpful in developing your proposal. That being said, don’t pester them on little details, they are also very overworked. It’s probably a good idea to call sooner rather than later.
6. Let someone else read your proposal before you submit it. That someone should have a very strong command of the English language and should be able to let you know if the proposal reads well, presents the ideas clearly, and has perfect spelling and grammar. Also, don’t be clever in your presentation of the document. Times New Roman, 12 point, is the font of choice for newspapers, books and magazines for a reason - it’s easy on the eyes. Don’t make your reviewer’s job harder than it needs to be.

Some Technical Notes

1. You are required to submit your proposal through FastLane. Sign up with FastLane and start using it right away. It’s pretty easy once you get used to it, but occasionally there are technical glitches and they will happen to you if you wait until the last minute.
2. Get a DUNS number right away if you don’t have one. Call Dun and Bradstreet at (800) 333-0505 or find them online at

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Britain’s top spy, Alex Allan, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, is seriously ill.

Elvis is the #2 biggest selling music artist of all time (U.S.). He is second only to the Beatles, having sold over 118 million units (albums, singles, tapes, cds) and is now the biggest selling solo artist in U.S. history.

There is so much, TOO MUCH, that could be and has already been written about this American music icon, Elvis Presley. So I’m going to write about the cultural impact Elvis had on music and on society at large.

I was discussing the history of rock n’ roll with a guitartist friend of mine and the subject of Elvis came up. I mentioned that John Lennon had once purportedly remarked, “Before Elvis, there was nothing.”

My friend immediately bristled at the notion. “No way,” he replied, “he didn’t invent anything…Chuck Berry and Little Richard were playing rock n’ roll before Elvis…he got it from them. Chuck Berry kicks Elvis’ ass!”

I told my friend I thought he had missed the point. John Lennon and everybody else, including Elvis, knew where the roots of rock n’ roll lay — in African-American music.

Elvis said it himself. “‘The colored folks been singing it and playing it just like I’m doing now, man, for more years than I know,’ Elvis told reporters in 1956. ‘I got it from them. Down in Tupelo, Mississippi, I used to hear old Arthur Crudup bang his box the way I do now, and I said if I ever got to the place where I could feel all old Arthur felt, I’d be a music man like nobody ever saw.’” –Time Magazine

(Some have claimed that Elvis’ 1954 cover of bluesman Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “That’s All Right” is the definitive first rock and roll recording. While this assertion may be widely accepted by Elvis fans - and Elvis WAS among the very first to make rock and roll records - most historians trace the “first” R&R record back to 1951 and a song entitled “Rocket 88,” recorded at Sam Phillips’ studio in Memphis, where Elvis also later recorded.

“March 1, 1951 - Sam Phillips records ‘Rocket 88′ with singer Jackie Brenston and Ike Turner’s band for Chess records. This recording is widely considered the first rock and roll record.” –Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

Elvis did not invent rock and roll. But he was an innovator, nonetheless, transfusing the popular music of the fifties (then dominated by white “crooners” such as Frank Sinatra, Pat Boone, Eddie Fisher and others of that ilk) with black music, gospel music…SOUL music.

And that transfusion was an important component of the anti-segregation sentiment that was brewing at the time and that led ultimately to the Civil Rights Movement…and desegregation.

While Elvis’ contribution to rock and roll was enormous, his contribution to his GENERATION was even greater.

DA Jack Hayford is the editor of the popular music reference website, Events-in-Music.com. Mr. Hayford is also the Program Director and co-founder of the online home of the ten-plus-year old Durango Songwriters Expo, a premier annual educational and inspirational event for aspiring songwriters.

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The lowdown from the Glastonbury festival

I have a friend who always says that she wishes we would just bust out in random song and dance throughout the day. She believes that there would be less war, and definitely more entertainment in our everyday lives. I have to admit, I think I agree with her. Even though real life isn’t all song and dance, we can pretend for limited amounts of time that it is reality. We can do this by watching musicals and Broadway shows. These offer great escapes from the sometimes dull path that we call life. But with so many of these to choose from, it may be hard to find the right one for your current mood. Here are just a few choices that you have, in detail.

Cats: This is one of the most famous Broadway productions. Even more famous then the name “Cats” is the producer, Andrew Lloyd Weber, who has produced many successful pieces. It is actually based off of T.S. Eliot’s poems; you guessed it, involving cats. If you are a feline-lover, this is the perfect show for you. Just think; nothing but cats!

Wicked: I’ve heard lots of great things about this production. It is based off the book by Gregory Maguire called, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”. This is a story from the perspectives of the witches of the Land of Oz. As a viewer, you will get to see a friendship, rivalry, jealousy, and opposing viewpoints and beliefs-all with great music.

Hairspray: This is one of my personal favorites. This is set in the 1960s and is full of racial tension. This has a great message and is very entertaining. Also, the main character is not the typical “popular” girl. She becomes popular because of her personality, rather than her looks. The characters learn that the personality is more important than what is on the outside.

Phantom of the Opera: Again, another of my all-time favorites. This production is based off of Gaston Leroux’s novel with the same title. This musical offers everything from love, adventure, suspense, friendship, danger, and entertainment-with, of course, the most fabulous costumes and makeup.

Rent: This is considered a rock musical. It is brazen and a little in your face– but in a good way. This musical follows a group of young artists and musicians living in New York. Their everyday life is a struggle for survival. The many things they deal with are AIDS, poverty, love, friendship, betrayal, and sacrifice. This is definitely a heart-wrenching production-but beautifully created and presented.

These are just a few; there are so many more available to experience. The variety of shows offers something for everyone. Also, for family outings there are a few Disney productions that are great for every age group. Before you purchase your Broadway tickets, make sure that you find the right one for you and others in your group-you wouldn’t want to see something inappropriate for children. This way, the Broadway musical experience can be a remarkable memory that the whole family can remember with smiles.

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A safety checklist designed to cut the risk of surgical complications is to be circulated to doctors world-wide.

Laptop computers are popular. So are mobile phones. Unfortunately, they can also be costly. If you’re considering investing in a new laptop or cell phone, do your homework first. In some instances, it may be a wise decision to finance your purchase. At other times, paying cash is best. Learn the ins and outs of financing products such as laptops and mobile phones below.

Laptops or Cell Phones for Personal Use

If you’re planning to buy a laptop or cell phone for personal use, you’ll probably want all the latest features at the lowest cost. A mobile phone will typically be priced anywhere from $300 to $4,500, depending on its features, style, brand name, etc. A laptop computer is usually priced according to the amount of memory or disc space available, key features, pre-installed programs and the brand name. Laptops are priced anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000.

If purchasing a mobile phone or laptop that’s on the high end of the price scale, you’re looking at a fairly large investment. You may not have the cash on-hand at the date of purchase. When buying a notebook computer for personal use, consider the total purchase price, the interest rates that are available at your lending institution, and the number of years you will finance. Laptops can decrease in value quickly because computers are always changing - there’s always a new feature or type of computer on the market. In reality, your notebook computer could become obsolete within a year or two!

The same is true for cell phones. They tend to become obsolete quickly as well. On the other hand, paying a little more for a cell phone you know will enjoy for many years to come may be worth financing a higher amount.

For personal use, it is recommended to finance your mobile phone or laptop only if necessary, and at the lowest interest rate possible. You may be able to take advantage of a personal loan at your local bank or credit union. Finance companies tend to be much higher in interest. If you must pay high interest, be sure to lessen your finance payment period. You’ll pay much less interest by financing for two years instead of three.

Laptops or Cell Phones for Business Use

When buying products for business, financing can be a good thing. Sometimes, paying $5,000 cash is possible, but not wise. If you have $5,000 on-hand, you could use part of it as a down payment for your notebook computer or mobile phone. The remainder can be used to do more promotions for your business, thus, increasing your profits. Also, the finance charges and depreciation value of the laptop may be a helpful tax write-off at the year’s end! So by financing, you may be able to increase business profits, buy your much-needed equipment, and save on taxes!

Before financing products such as laptops or mobile phones, speak with your accountant to find out if it’s the right decision for you. The time of year, cost, interest rate and other factors will ultimately determine if financing will benefit or hurt your business.

Products like mobile phones and laptop computers are very useful for individuals and businesses. Consider the tips above before buying a laptop or cell phone to make your investment worthwhile!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular

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Creative talents gather in Manchester for a 24-hour “talkathon” in memory of impresario Tony Wilson.

There’s never been a bigger time for games — specifically online games, than right now. The fact that people have always enjoyed the competitive and mentally stimulating nature that a game can provide is just a part of the reason. What makes it so compelling via the Internet is that there are clear advantages that traditional game playing can’t match. Plus, there are major Internet companies that are seeing the business case and potential for this industry. In fact, it’s estimated that it will be a $6.8 billion business by 2011.

Role playing games, puzzle games, traditional games like chess and backgammon - they are all becoming big in the online world, with more and more people playing every day. So, what makes online games more fun and what are the specific benefits one can enjoy?

Ability to Play from Home at Any time

Obviously, the idea that you can play from home, whenever your heart desires is a big draw. There’s no need to go down to the local chess hangout, or smokey bar. No need to go over to a friend’s house either. Simply boot up, jump on and sign in. You can play your best friend from the comfort of your own bedroom.

Low Subscription Cost or Free Use

companies feature a low subscription cost for its members. This is one reason for the major rise in these sites memberships. Many sites also have free games; games such as Scrabble, Family Feud, Dominoes and Jewel Quest can be played for free. The free online versions of the games offer users the chance to experience the game before making the decision to purchase and download.

The Chance to Compete with Best

OK, so your best friend isn’t really that good at backgammon. But, you want to improve your game. You also want to be challenged. Well, with online games, you can truly compete with the best there is. Want to play some stellar chess players? You’ll probably find a few online. Looking for some tough competition in Mah Jong Quest? Again, you’re only an Internet connection away from engaging some high quality players. Of course, at the same time, you may encounter some fairly weak players too. It may take some time to cultivate relationships, but they are out there. And online is really the only true way to find them quickly.

Making New Friends

So, you tend to be somewhat introverted, but still want to develop some new friendships. How about joining an online game site and meeting a few people? It happens every day. Many games offer advanced features that allow you to interact with other players in real time. Plus, you may make some cool international connections, which makes for a much more interesting exchange. Different cultures, different personalities, but one thing definitely in common - you both like playing online games.

High Quality Sound and Graphics

Your brand new X Box has a fantastic sound and graphics package, but you had to pay a lot to get it right? Well, your online games will have some pretty incredible audio and video features as well, but guess what? You didn’t have to pay to experience it! Plus, as more and more companies join the industry, you’re going to see them competing on this level. How are they going to get more people to join their site and play games? They’ll make the games state of the art - with all the new technology and latest features.

So, there you have it, the virtues of online games. It’s easy now, after analyzing it a bit, to see what has fueled the incredible growth. Whether you are attracted to it for competitive reasons, cost issues, the variety of the offerings, or any other reason, one thing is definitely true: an entire new online community is being developed in a very short amount of time. People, who would have never had the chance to meet, are not only interacting in a totally new way, they are having a great time doing it!

This article was written by Jon Wuebben. Jon writes select pieces about online games & game download web sites for http://www.iWin.com.

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President Bush asks the US Congress to end a ban on offshore oil drilling, as fuel prices rise up the political agenda.

Here are some common choices for getting rid of chest fat or what is sometimes referred to as man boobs. These are all effective measures that can make a difference:

First is the tried and true diet and exercise routines to eliminate a fatty chest. This can work for man boob elimination. Set aside at least 2 months and commit to getting on a fat loss diet while doing some form of cardiovascular exercise 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes.

Specific “man boob” Chest exercises.

This method targets the fatty, man boob chest area specifically. Individuals have experimented with different chest exercises for some time and have discovered that there are actually specific exercises that work very effectively for eliminating the problem area of the chest. Man boob elimination exercises focus directly on the fatty or puffy area.

Chest fat removal surgery.

This is also an option for chest fat elimination, though it should be considered a last resort after attempting diet and chest fat elimination exercises, as its costly, and as with many surgical procedures, there are risks involved. Surgery involves a two part process: First the sucking up of the fatty deposits through a liposuction procedure, and then it may be necessary to surgically remove a gland which has formed causing the chest to puff and appear fatty.

As mentioned, surgery should be your last option after having tried the previous forms of man boob elimination, especially the specific exercises which many men have found highly beneficial for eliminating the problem areas on their chest.

Here’s an excellent resource for learning the chest fat/man boob elimination exercises which have successfully helped many men in eliminating their chest problem - http://chest-fat.blogspot.com/

Here you can find out how to learn the specific exercises needed to eliminate chest fat - http://chest-fat.blogspot.com/

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A rare meteorite that could hold clues to the Solar System’s birth has been bought by the Natural History Museum.

While it’s been long known that children can benefit physically from participating in team sports, few realize the psychological benefits associated with enrolling their child in team sports that they enjoy. The importance of physical activity such as team sports is at an all-time high due to the fact that many of our children are now overweight. Studies show that currently, only one out of four adolescent children participated regularly in any type of organized physical activity. This statistic is frightening to hear considering that the number of obese adolescents in America has nearly tripled in the past 20 years. In 1980, 5% of all adolescents were overweight. A study conducted in 1999 showed that a shocking 14% of all adolescents now have a weight problem.

Exercise has been shown to help many problems when it comes to both the physical and the mental well-being in participants. People that are enrolled on sports teams burn calories by exercising, helping to ward off any weight problems that may be present. Exercise is known to aid insomnia, depression, and low self-esteem, which is important in the world of today where many children feel inadequate due to all the perfection displayed by the media. Regular physical activity also helps the body to manage stress; alertness and a calm attitude are trademarks of a physically fit individual, which can help them to get through stressful times with a minimum of difficulty. A study conducted by the Women’s Sports Foundation found that adolescents that were regularly involved in teen sports were less likely to engage in sexual activity until later in life than those who were not in team sports. Also, teens on sport teams were found to be less likely to use drugs than their non-playing counterparts, and were less likely to be involved in abusive relationships. In addition, the students involved in sports had a higher chance of graduating high school and college.

The benefits and rewards associated with setting goals and following through on a sports team are innumerable, and can be clearly seen in the results portrayed in this article. For that reason, it is important for adults to encourage their children to be involved in some type of team sport. While the actual context of the sport can vary greatly, simply being on the team and physically exerting themselves can cause your child to lead a happier, healthier life. The physical and mental benefits associated with team sports are simply too shocking to ignore.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Sports, Games, and Recreation

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The best entries for the giant toy bunny on a motorbike

There are a few ways to look up a cell phone number. And there are many reasons why you should find out who’s been calling your phone. It could simply be a wrong number situation, but often times it can be much more: a prank phone caller, an old friend or lover to embarrassed to leave a message, or a pesky telemarketing company who can call on a daily basis and leave no message. In any case, you’ll never know who it is trying to contact you unless you learn how to look up a cell phone number.

1. Believe it or not, if its an 800 number, or an 888 number, you can type that number on a search engine on the internet and see what comes up. I recently tried this after becoming bombarded with twice daily calls from a mysterious “888″ number. I wouldn’t answer because I didn’t recognize the odd number, and of course they would never leave messages. After a few weeks of this, I typed in the number on a search engine and discovered other people were getting calls from the same number. A few people tracked the number down, using a program which is mentioned in the next method, and they found out it was coming from some auto related sales company and listed the exact city, state and address the calls were coming from.

2. Reverse Cell Phone program on the internet. Like the people above who got the name and address of the annoying spam phone call company, and I assumed reported them (I later stopped receiving calls from that number), you too can be your own detective and find out how to look up a cell phone number simply by typing the number in on a website (like the one listed below), and they will proceed to give you the results, often times with actual names and addresses, and this goes for both landlines and cell phones.

So whether it’s an old friend, old or new lover, prank caller, telemarketer, relative, or whomever, you can now take the mystery out of where that call is coming from, tracing it back to the person and getting all the information you need.

Here’s an excellent reverse cell phone program you can use to lookup any number that you want. See, http://reverse-cellphone.blogspot.com/

Take control and find out who’s been calling you, your spouse, or loved ones - http://reverse-cellphone.blogspot.com/

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US rapper Lil’ Wayne becomes the first artist since 2005 to sell more than a million copies of an album in its first week.

Video game testers can earn a up to $120 an hour working from home! You are going to learn how you can get started in this field!

First, you should know this is not a joke. Video game testers help game development companies find bugs. By doing this you prevent huge profit losses for the company should they need to recall a game and fix it. Game testing is a serious business.

Technique 1: Look at the right websites

You want to make a list of all the game developer websites you can (like SEGA, Microsoft, Acclaim etc). Check them every few days and within a few weeks you should be able to find a job posting for a beta tester soon enough.

Technique 2: Use the right selling points on your application

You want to sell your ability to test games and find bugs—not how good you are at Halo 3. You want to express your skill in:

1. Communication: you can find bugs and report them clearly
2. Patience: you can play the same game for hours on end
3. Persistence: you can play the same level over and over
4. Attention to detail: you can find major and minor bugs

Remember, you will be hired as a one of their video game testers to TEST their game. This isn’t a joke, and while you can work from home, you will have to work at this and do a good job.

Technique 3: Offer to work for free!

If you really want to become a highly paid video game tester, you need to start somewhere. Offering to work for free can get you hired when your lack of experience would have held you back.

Technique 4: Send them a unique letter

You want to stand out as unique so try this: send them a game case with a plastic bug in it. Have a note inside that reads “don’t let your next game get taken over by bugs, call me at…” That would leave a positive impression and it expresses your selling point—you find bugs!

Now you have 4 powerful techniques to find your very first video game tester job. If you want to become one of the higher paid video game testers, you need to start building a solid gaming resume and get contacts. Start relationships with people on the inside and work from there.

Get out there and make your gaming career happen. Best of luck.

To really make money playing video games, you should learn from a professional gamer who is actually doing it. Click here to get the hottest and most up-to-date strategies and tips from a professional gamer and land your first testing job in a few days!

P.S. You can land your first job in your first few days of diligent search—but just in case you can’t, click the link, it has a 6 month to 2 year program from a professional video game tester who is making a living playing video games. He will keep you updated every month and provide on going support until you land that first game testing job. Click here now to get your video game testing career started today!

Anthony has been an avid gamer for the past 20 years. He is currently into first person shooters.

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The Conservatives say they have suspended a candidate after his controversial comment about Italians.

If you’re in the market for a new wakeboard and you you’re wondering what size board you should buy check out our wakeboard size / length chart below.

The chart is based solely on your weight and the only other consideration when choosing your wakeboard size / length is your riding experience and ability. These tips are pretty generalized and are for a fairly new wakeboarder.

I’ve seen some charts that also consider height but height is not really a factor for choosing your board size / length.

Once you’ve found your size range on the weight / length chart you can modify slightly based on your riding style.

If you size down a bit it will make the board feel somewhat lighter. This will make your riding more aggressive and make some tricks easier to do … if you can learn how to land them on the shorter board.

Sizing your wakeboard up a little will slow your riding down some as the larger board will move slower in the water. The bigger surface area will help you land your “big” tricks as long as you can get used to the added weight of the board while you’re in the air.

Wakeboard Sizing Chart

Up to 85 lbs — 119 cm

Up to 105 lbs — 121 cm

Up to 130 lbs — 130-131 cm

Up to 160 lbs — 132-133 cm

Up to 180 lbs — 134-135 cm

Up to 200 lbs — 136-139 cm

200 lbs and up - 140 cm and up

If you can try out a few different sizes that will give you the best idea of what size wakeboard feels “right” for you.

Stop by right now and browse the largest selection of discount wakeboards and wakeboard accessories online at http://discount-wakeboard.com/.

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